All my life, jerks have perplexed me. My first exposure to a jerk happened at Camp Glisson, my first sleep-away camp. This jerk was not a person, but a dance. Made popular by its song, the Jerk dance move involves skipping backwards while remaining stationary. This obscure body movement did not appeal to me, nor did I understand why it became so widespread. My fascination with such an awkward activity led me to question the origins of all social trends, and what perpetuates them. My curiosity motivated me to examine trends such as Sillybandz, Planking, Geo-cultural differences, racism, and even religion. This investigative approach led me to the conclusion that human cohesion is driven not by the object, activity, or idea itself, but rather the human…show more content… Older players preached about our stern coach, and warned us about our future tears. They told us stories of players quitting because of him, further perpetuating my skeptical fear. Throughout the season, I experienced his tantalizing mind games, embarassing trick questions, depricative ego confrontations, and resistence to pity. Over time, with recurring reminders from teammates complaining, I felt mentally exhausted and ready for the season to be over. The next year, I began to notice his subtle compliments. The combination of mental challenge and ego testing created an environment in which confidence and competitiveness was forced out of my body. By contrasting my coach’s behavior in the classroom and his behavior on the field, I finally realized that it was all an act. Becoming this epitomized jerk earns him a deep respect from his players, creates a survival of the fittest mentality, and forces each soldier to grow not only physically and mentality, but to develop confidence, modesty, leadership, and a competitiveness. Coach Jerk molded my character into the man I am today, and has created my mentality of never settling for less than my
