Several other people were on the sidelines watching the game, cheering when someone scored a goal.
All of the tennis courts were full when I was in the park. There are 4 courts near my bench, and I think there are other courts on the other side of the park as well. All four courts were in use during my observation time, although the people using those courts rotated. I couldn't quite see who was playing.
I also noticed some wildlife in the park. Although this is a city park in an urban setting, ducks were everywhere. Geese flew into one of the athletic fields, landed, and stayed there for the rest of the time I was watching. Squirrels and chipmunks ran around the trees and dogs that weren't well leashed chased them.
Reflection
My experience with fieldwork was probably limited by the time of day and time of year I chose to visit. Since it was a warm, sunny weekend day I saw the way the park looks in those conditions. If I had visited during the week or on a rainy day, I probably would have had a very different impression of the park.
For the...
Nobody really noticed me, except maybe the couple that was arguing on the next bench. That is an ethical issue, because it is probably none of my business to listen to their conversation and I imagine they might have been aware that I was sitting so close and taking notes. Maybe my presence influenced their argument or caused them to cut it short.
Although I didn't see anyone I knew, that was just luck. In such a central park location, it would have been easy for me to run into a friend or classmate. In that case, I would have had to explain what I was doing and that would have raised real problems for my role as an observer.
One problem with the methodology is that the park is so large that I couldn't see many important areas there. If my observations were going to help me define the park or make any sort of conclusion about what happens in that area, I'm afraid my perspective was limited. There could have been a very different scene to report if I had chosen to sit someplace else within the same park.
