Bobby Boucher Character Analysis

issues that I’ve identified (anger, confidence, and cultural background). I will be focusing my analysis on how Bobby controls and/or changes his thoughts, actions, or behaviors during throughout the story.

Introduction

Performance on the field and internal issues can be interrelated. The character Bobby Boucher (a “slow minded” football player) from the movie, The Waterboy, perfectly displays how he uses his personal issues (demons) to fuel his performance on the field. Demonstrating how an athlete’s performance on the field can often be associated with their internal conflicts which they release on the field.

Every individual struggles with personal issues. The way that a person handles such issues will greatly determine

Due to Bobby’s family differences and where he was brought up, he is used to a calm, nonconfrontational, nonhostile environment. So anything other than what he was used to would result in arousal to him. This is why when he begins interacting with team members in the field and gets picked on, he uses his experiences arousal on the field as the Reversal Theory describes. This theory states that the way that arousal affects performance depends on an individual's interpretation of their arousal (LeUnes, A. 2008. Pg. 81). According to this theory, arousal can be interpreted as pleasant and exciting and as unpleasant and anxious (ex. Bobby getting picked on). Since, Bobby is able to turn around the negative experiences of being picked on. He is able to use this bad arousal to his benefit making it a pleasant once that helps his performance (LeUnes, A. 2008. Pg. 81).

Personal issues are not always so bad. Arousal increases muscle tension and affects an athlete’s coordination and overall performance. In Bobby’s case, his form of arousal (issues) are his aggression that he keeps bottled up inside, his lack of confidence as a result of being picked on by his peers, and the fact that he comes from a distinct cultural background than that of his