It is true that people who join a group usually get involved in a number of activities which makes them to have different experiences as was noted by Moreland and Levine (1992) in the model of group membership. Personally I have been lucky to participate in group activities and be able to share with others my experiences. In deed I must admit that during my outstanding experience in a group I got the chance of journeying through the five stages of typical group model, and I was able to experience investigation, socialization and maintenance phases. In fact towards the end of the group interaction I went through resocialization and remembrance phases.
When I first heard of the great five group (GFG) I was really intrigued. I then took the initiative of getting to know this group and to find out whom the members were. Having realized that this is a football club in my neighborhood and that it is well recognized within and without the neighborhood I was moved to join. One reason that made me to be interested was the way this group plays. Of course they were not the best in the league, but the team philosophy was in harmony with my goals and I immediately realized that this is the group to join so that I meet my football desires and needs. Then I didn’t know that I was complying with the first phase of the group model known as the investigation (Moreland et al, 1993).
Once I was accepted to the GFG, I was assigned the role of a striker. I wasn’t good in striking and I had not imagined that I will leave my wonderful role of playing in the central defense. What this meant was that the all time club goal scorer and the leading striker in the league had to be given another role of playing in the flanks. With no objections I accepted the new roles assigned to me and I knew that I must reshape accordingly if I was to accommodate the challenges. I also realized that if I was to succeed I had to master the group norms, their mode of communication and the set standards (Tayler, 1988).
I completely agree with Moreland et al (1993) because the moment I accommodated the changes that were expected from me, I became good in striking. In fact the urge to learn the team philosophy and standards made me to be better than I expected. Initially I didn’t score the needed goals, but the team instructor and the entire team kept acknowledging my efforts. They consistently approached me not to leave to rival clubs in the league because the team kept winning and playing with unity. I got moved severally with these good comments and I had to question my overall performance in the team.
One day my instructor approached me and told me that my game play can’t allow me to score goals but it is good in assisting wingers to score, and in the end the team score more goals and win the march. For this reason he requested me to extend my contract and this time I was added three more years to the initial 6 months contract, what a resocialiozation phase, I thought.
Twenty years have passed since I left the club due to overage, but I am still remembered as one of the club legends. My overall performance which aided the club to its first trophy ever since its inception, and not withstanding, a footballer who changed from defender to striker, in deed this is a great way to be remembered.
Moreland, R.L., and Levine, J.M. (1992). The composition of small groups in E.J. Lawler (Eds). Advances in group practices (vol. 9. pp 237-80). Greenwhich. Ct. JAL press.
Moreland, R.L., Levine, J.M. and Cini, M.A. (1993). Group socialization: The role of commitment in M. Hogg and D. Abram (Eds). Group movement: social phychological perspectives (pp. 105-29). Hermel hemsphere.
Tayler, S.E. (1988). Illusion and well being: A social psychological perspective on mental health. Psychological bulletin, 103, 193-200.
