Sumo Wrestlers

I just saw an instructional video on Sumo Wrestling on TV. It was very interesting and I learned a lot about the sport from Japan. It's funny because those big enormous guys are treated like royalty in Japan. They have special schools where their whole job is to eat food and get big and be strong wrestlers.

I wasn't exactly sure how it all worked, but it seemed cool. Then my brothers and I put pillows in our shirts and tried to sumo wrestling. Let me tell you- running at your brother from across the room hurts- even if you have pillows in your belly. Ha ha, but it was still a lot of fun.

Apparently sumo wrestlers are really flexible too. Very interesting. Maybe flexibility is super important.

So now, one of my new goals is to go to a sumo exhibition. I think it would be very fun. Have you ever gone to any exotic or really interesting sporting events? Would you like to try to be a sumo wrestler?

Flexibility

I think one of my biggest weaknesses in all of sports is flexibility. No matter how hard I try (and when I try it hurts OUCH!), I can not touch past my toes. Have you had to do the sit'n'reach test in school? That board really hurts.

My coaches always say that flexibility is really important. But it seems to me like running fast and having good skills is even more important. What do you think? How important is flexibility?

Are you flexible? Can you touch your toes? Can you wrap yourself up like a pretzel? Ha ha. I would like to eat a pretzel right NOW! Mmmmmm. Pretzels. What do you think is the most important sports characteristic? or attribute that will make you the best? Please write in!!! Thank you!

Tony Hawk

Sometimes I wish I were Tony Hawk. I can imagine I'm him when I play Tony Hawk and skateboard around and do all the awesome tricks. When I actually try and skateboard outside (WITH FULL PROTECTIVE GEAR). I'm not so much like Tony Hawk, I'm more like a Hawk that fell out of the sky with no wings.

Ha ha ah. I have no skills compared to him in real life.

What do you think about playing sports videogames? Is it close to the real thing? Would you rather actually be playing the sport or is it fun to pretend?

What's your favorite sports videogame? Do you think you could beat me??? I doubt it, I'm the best. LOL!!!

Gary Payton is my hero

I went out to dinner with my family yesterday and guess who I saw? That's right, the Glove- Gary Payton. You may not know him. He's a little bit of an older basketball player, but my dad says he was always his favorite player. He was really good at defense and was really tough. He had quite a swagger to him and would always steal the ball from other teams.

The reason my dad liked him was because he had so much hustle and heart. Also, he chewed the gum out of the side of his mouth- which was pretty cool and a little funny.

Anyways, I saw him eating at the table. And he didn't look that big on the court. But in person he's HUGE. He is a giant. I think he at first didn't see me and almost stepped on me! Ha! But then I got his autograph. Yayyyy!!!!!

Do you frisbee???

Because I do. I love throwing around the frisbee. I think it's great. The perfect throws where you run underneath it and you are chasing it, chasing it, chasing, and then YES! You've got it. Those are my favorite moments- I feel like a superstar! Do you know what I'm talking about??

It would be great to have a frisbee-catching dog! Or a dog, at all. Even if it were just a regular dog that sleeps all the time in the middle of the floor and doesn't do anything. Ha ha.

But way better to have a frisbee dog.

Sometimes on the beach, I like to do the jump in the water catches- then I feel even more like a superstar. ha ha! Have you ever tried an Aerobie? That's the disk that goes like 3 miles. It's kind of crazy, but I always end up losing them because they go too far :( and I can't catch them. I bet there's a place three miles from where I live where Aerobies keep hitting them in the head and somebody's like, "Stop throwing these rings at me!" Lol

What color frisbee is your favorite? I think red go the farthest (jk- but they're easiest to see!)

Huge Contract

Did you hear the news about the new
baseball contract for CC Sabathia? He's going to play for the New York Yankees next year and make $160 million over the next seven seasons. That's right! $160 MILLION. Isn't that crazy? Not just $50 million, or 75 or 100 or 125 or 150 or 155 or even 159! BUT 160!!!! I can't believe it.

I wonder what he's going to do with all that money. He should buy a country. Or he could become a country. He really is a good pitcher though- one of the best. He's an enormous player (for baseball). He'd fit in on a basketball court with the giants- he's 6 feet 6 inches. Or even on a football field- I think he weighs more than 300 pounds.

I do like him quite a bit. He played for Milwaukee Brewers for half the season last year and did a tremendous job! He put the team on his shoulders and brought them to the playoffs.

He seems like a really nice guy so I wish him the best in his new city. I hope New York isn't too rough on him. What do you think? What would you do with that much money?

Wrestling- Real or Fake?

What do you guys think about wrestling? I have a friend that is a really HUGE fan. He's always trying out moves on me and I'm like, "AAAAAHHHH!!! Please stop it- that hurts!!" LOL.

I'm not sure if it's real or not. I do like to watch it sometimes. It's really entertaining and sometimes there are great stories going on.


What do YOU think?

Bicycles Bicycles!!!

Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle

I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like

You say bark I say bite
You say shark I say hey man
Jaws was never my scene
And I don't like Star Wars
I don't believe in Peter Pan
Frankenstein or Superman
All I wanna do is

Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my BICYCLE!!!

What is going on in this picture? Can you give me any ideas? I do love to ride bikes as evidenced by this song?

Do you like to bike? Do you have any stories about first starting to learn on your tricycle or with your training wheels?

The gyro motion that keeps bikes upright and balancing is MOST interesting. Don't you think? Maybe we should invite a science guy to explain how bikes work. Do you know how????

Making Faces

Thanksgiving is still the best! I had all my cousins over for a big feast and we made and ate a lot of really good delicious healthy food. Then, after dinner- all my cousins and I were playing around. We had a funny face contest and made some really hilarious ones. Check out this one in the picture.

What's your favorite funny face to make? Sad? Happy? Surprised? IN YOUR FACE- LOL!!!!

Have you guys heard the story about the kid who made a funny face and it stayed that way??? It's TRUEEEEE!!!!

Also- then we played football afterwards with all my cousins, uncles, and aunts. It was a LOT OF fun. My brother made a really good play when we were on opposite teams (I was quarterback). He swatted the ball up in the air, intercepted it, and returned it for a touchdown. I was a little embarrassed, but it was a really good play.

What have you done on Thanksgiving? Any good sports? YAYYYY!!!!

Thanksgiving Turkey Day Challenge

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Tons of family come over for a big feast. It's a relaxed and nice Thursday. And there's nothing to do besides give Thanks, be thankful, and enjoy your family. Oh yeah, and one more thing- EAT!!!

SO, for me, my funny Thanksgiving Eating Challenge is to eat all I can! I eat turkey, and cranberry sauce, and squash, and corn, and bread rolls, and some green bean casserole. It's delicious!!! And then I haven't even gotten to the dessert yet! Eat tons of dessert- pumpkin pie, apple pie, blueberry pie and more!

What are your favorite types of pie? How many plates are you going to eat?

And then after dinner- you got to watch and enjoy lots of football. That's fun too.

Actually, I'm going to go run right now so that I have more room for eating!! LOL.

Obstacle Courses

Good to see that there was a lot of interest in sledding. That's definitely one of the best winter activities. Another fun activity you can do is play inside.

My brothers and I have two great activities. We have a friend with a big cement floor in the basement. There are two big poles in it and we put on our rollerblades and go round and round as fast as we can. Sometimes we play floor hockey. But usually it's just skating around in circles.

The other thing we do is set up obstacle courses- kind of like one event in American Gladiators- where a person is dodging and running to get to one end of the room. We play in a bedroom where there are two beads to dive around and use for cover. It's a lot of fun. We take turns being the person throwing the objects and the person trying to get through.

Are there any made-up games that you play? What are the rules? They can get pretty complicated I'm sure- LOL. Let us know!

Sledding Time

One of my favorite things about the winter and cold weather is SLEDDING! We just had our first snow and I couldn't help but get really excited. I'm just waiting for enough snow so that my friends and I can hike up the biggest hill we can find and bomb on down.

We love racing and making big jumps. That's the best part about snow- it's so soft that you can jump and land anywhere and you'll be okay. Better than jumping on the bed! Ha.

Do you like to sled? What's your favorite type of sled? Toboggans go really fast, but you need to have hard snow that the skis can sit on. Inner tubes are really good. Saucers are fun but a lot of the times you can get dizzy when they start spinning like crazy! I think my favorite are just the big plastic sheets. How about you?

See you on the slopes! I'll be the one flying past like a rocket!

Sports Injuries

As everyone knows, injuries are part of sports.

Two years ago during a 100 meter hurdle race, a friend of mine hit one of the hurdles and fell face first. She landed on her stomach and had scrapes and cuts on her arms and legs. She didn’t finish the race but after a few minutes she said she felt fine and later that day she ran in another race. Another friend of mine hit a hurdle during a race last year and also fell as a result. She got right back up and continued the race. Even though she had fallen she recovered so quickly that she almost caught up with the rest of the runners. I always thought it was really brave of her to finish running that race and I decided that if I ever fall during a hurdle race I would continue if I could.

Have you ever gotten hurt during a sport? How did you react?

It's Sunday!!!

(Feelin' kinda Sunday, feelin' kinda Sunday, feelin' kinda Sunday)
(Feelin' kinda Sunday, feelin' kinda Sunday, feelin' kinda Sunday)
Hey Mr. Sunlight, don't outshine your bright,
I'm talking out of my head, I'm so high on life.
Don't you know that it's gonna be a "thousand-and-one" day.
And I'm feeling kinda Sunday, (feeling kinda Sunday), feeling kinda Sunday.
Pardon my glow-on, out on the high all night,
I see myself in a world right where I belong,
There's nothing can hold me down , it's a "get-up-and-run" day.
And I'm feeling kinda Sunday (Sunday), feeling kinda Sunday (Sunday),
Feeling kinda Sunday, (Sunday).
The bells I hear in me say I should be getting up late,
Been traveling all morning long, but I'm still here in my room.
Not to give in to (in to) this feeling I'm on to, (I'm on to)
I'm looking at love from a window, to lighten the view,
It's just the beginning of happy go Sunday,
And I'm feeling kinda Sunday (feeling kinda Sunday),
Feeling kinda Sunday (feeling kinda Sunday),
Feeling kinda Sunday (feeling kinda Sunday).
(La, la la la la, la la la la, la la la la la la la,)
It's just the beginning of happy "go-off" one day,
And I'm feeling kinda Sunday (Sunday), feeling kinda Sunday (Sunday)
Feeling kinda Sunday.(Sunday), feeling kinda Sunday (Sunday)
Feeling kinda Sunday (Sunday), feeling kinda Sunday (Sunday)...

Roller Hockey

Tomorrow I'm going to play in my very first roller hockey game as a goalie! I'm so excited to play, but I'm a little nervous because I haven't had time to practice in a real hockey rink. I've skated around my driveway to practice, but found that it is hard enough to put on all my goalie pads in under half an hour, let alone move once I get them on! My goal is to play like my favorite NHL goalie Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils. He has won a total of 544 games in his career and I am just amazed how well he has played for 18 years in the NHL.

Who is your favorite athlete and why do you like him or her so much?

Tell us YOUR Story!

Fill in the bubble with YOUR sports story!

All right. For the next couple of days in the ZooKazoo Sports Lounge Sports Blog (SPORTS all the time) we want to hear some of YOUR sports stories. Tell us your first memory of sports, why you like sports, or what's going on with YOUR sports team.

We'll pick some of the really neat responses and post them as the main comment over the next couple of days. Also, you can write some suggestions of future ideas you'd like to see discussed in this sports blog.

Come on people. What are you waiting for? Write in to tell us something interesting about you and sports. Or write the next interesting entry! We can't wait to read everything. It's going to be good.

Please label your email subject "my story" and send all of your great stories to:
artists@zookazoo.com

Pie vs Cake

Who would win in a fight? Pie or Cake? This is a very interesting question. Even though they are not the healthiest food options for sports- they sure are delicious. Sometimes I run extra hard because I know that at the end of the run a pie will be waiting for me. A big delicious pie, or a cake.

I'm not sure which I like better- pie or cake. What are your thoughts? Are you more of a pie person or cake person?

Would it be crazy or better if in the Olympics- instead of giving away gold, silver, and bronze medals- they gave cherry, apple, and coconut cream pies? Which would be 1, 2, and 3?

I love pie! And cake!

Waiting for my ride

First of all, I was never flexible enough or good enough to do the gymnastics move in the picture. That is incredible, right?

But now to the story. I first did gymnastics when I was in kindergarten and first grade. We'd go on the mats and do a lot of tumbling exercises. A lot of somersaults, cartwheels, even some hopping! It was great fun jumping into the pit of foam bricks- don't worry the foam means it's really soft- as good as jumping into a pool of pillows!

I have this really vivid memory of my mom dropping me off at the gym one day for a gymnastics session. Somehow there was a mistake and there was nobody at the building! I remember waiting by the doorway not sure what to do- thinking I would just have to wait an hour for my mom to show back up. While waiting for the time to pass I saw two spiders fighting in a spiderweb. It was an epic battle! That occupied my time for a while and then my mom picked me up. She asked me how gymnastics was and I said, "Good! Actually, I was the only one there- I did learn some good moves from spiders though." Ha ha.

Hopefully you've never been left at a practice, but do you have any gymnastics stories? What's your favorite part?

Real ZooKazoo Sports Hero!!!

This post is going to talk about one of my sports heroes! Brett Favre! He is now 100 years old and is still a starting quarterback in the NFL. He has to be one of the toughest players of all-time. Playing in 267 straight games- over 16 years without missing a game. He's been the qb of the Green Bay Packers my whole life. Now, he is qb for the New York Jets after a messy dispute in the off-season. I'm glad that he's still playing and I hope he continues to play well.

One of the reasons I like him so much is that he seems to have such a good time playing the game. He seems to really enjoy it and treats it more as a game than a job. You can see it when he's laughing and celebrating after throwing td's. There was a snowy game last year where he made a snowball and threw it at a rough. There was another time when he celebrated a great play by a wide receiver by giving high fives to another ref nearby.

It seems like all the other players in the league really respect him to because he plays so hard. The usual stereotype of qb's is that they're not as tough as the other REAL players. That they don't like to get hit (that makes sense to me) or to do any hitting. Well, Brett Favre is the opposite. Sometimes on running plays, he actually tries to block 300 pound linemen. These are just some of the reasons I like Brett.

Do you like Brett Favre? Or do you not like him because you're a Minnesota Vikings or Chicago Bears fan (sorry if you are)? Do you have any other sports heroes? Let us know!

Behind the Scenes

I love playing sports, and I am grateful for my parents and my school because they help make it possible for me to play sports. My parents sign me up, pay, and take me to practices and games. If they didn’t take care of all that stuff, then it would be really hard for me to play sports. Also, if the school didn’t have sports teams, then I wouldn’t be able to run track and play soccer for my school.

In fact, all sports and sporting events would not exist if it wasn’t for all those people and all that work that goes into making sports amazing. There are committees that make up and update the rules of various sports. There is an immense amount of organizing and planning that goes into sports

Comment below and tell me about the people that make it possible for you to play sports.

Dance!

Sports are a lot of fun! You can meet new people through sports and make new friends. Sports are also a great way to get some exercise and participate in an activity that you love.

I love to dance, but not many people know about the dance that I do. It is called Bharatanatyam (I know, it can be a little hard to say) and it is a type of Indian classical dance. It is a very old style of dance and people have been dancing Bharatanatyam for hundreds of years. Even though it is a dance, I have to act a little bit because a lot of the pieces that I perform are stories that I tell through dance.

Where I live, only a few people know about Bharatanatyam. It can be hard to explain to other people what kind of dance Bharatanatyam is, so sometimes I invite my friends who have never heard of it to come and watch me perform. Performing in front of lots of people can be scary and it makes me nervous. Has anyone ever told you to pretend the audience is in their underwear to make you less nervous? That idea doesn't work for me! I just practice a lot and try my best!

I love playing sports, the ones that no one has heard about and also more popular ones. Have you ever heard of or played any sports that not many other people know about? What sports do you like to play or watch? What are your favorite things about sports?

Chelsy the MVP

Here's another great story from a ZooKazoo player. Thanks for all the great stories. Keep them coming!

Hey, when I was like 6 I was in a soccer league. I usually played goalie because I had such great reflexes and defensive skills- I'm pretty much like a cat. Anyways, in one game I was hurt a little bit. A kid was about to shoot while I was still hurting and laying on the ground. As the goalie- obviously your #1 goal in the whole world is to not let any balls cross that goal line! Not ever!

So even though I was hurt, I just got up and bulletted right to this kid and blocked his shot with an amazing diving save. Everyone cheered like crazy because I saved the team from losing. Anyways- I was named the team's MVP and got extra orange slices. YAYYYYYY! Go ZooKazoo!

Wow- great story Chelsy! Thanks very much! Any comments on this story? Do you have your own? Any other sports stories you want to mention?

First Story from one of YOU!

Here's the first story from a ZooKazoo player just like you. This one's from Albatross. Thanks a lot Albatross for writing in!

My first soccer goal! by Albatross

I've been playing soccer for about 5 years now. I've always loved it. It's a great sport with a lot of running and strategy. Usually, I play defense because I'm really fast. At practice though, I've been working on my skills a lot though- a lot of passing and shooting and dribbling. I always want to go forward and try to score a little bit more, but I have to remember my defensive responsibilities.

Anyways, I asked the coach if he could put me in as striker one game, just to try it. I had to be persistent and keep asking and it finally worked. I played striker for the first time and with the 2nd half almost over- I got a great pass halfway that led to a breakaway. It helped that I'm pretty fast because I kept running and running and it was just the goalie and me. I didn't even have time to think about being nervous- it happened so fast. When I got near the goalie I tried this move that I'd been working on and it actually worked!

I totally faked out the goalie and scored!!!! It was so much fun. Thanks for reading and I hope you post this!

Wow- great story Albatross! Thanks very much! Any comments on this story? Do you have your own? Do you remember your first goal?

Pin Bombardament

Sometimes in gym class we would play really fun games in the gym. Games like Medic or team handball. Those special days were always my favorite. The very best game was Pin Bombardament. In the game- the class would be divided into two teams- on either side of the gym. At the baseline of the basketball court- each time would evenly space out 5 pins.

This is where the fun starts. Then the teachers unleashed what seemed like hundreds of big playground balls. The object of the game was to defend your team's pins, but knock over the other teams. You couldn't cross the halfway line and you couldn't stand directly in front of the pins. So there was a lot of defense and balls flying around! It was so much fun.

Do any of you play that game or a similar one? What are your favorite games to play in gym? Don't worry about the picture- we weren't actually throw bowling balls around (ha- that would hurt!).

Also- don't forget to send in your personal sports stories, about your soccer team's season- or the transition to indoor- whatever YOU want!

We want to hear from YOU!

All right. For the next couple of days in the ZooKazoo Sports Lounge Sports Blog (SPORTS all the time) we want to hear some of YOUR sports stories. Tell us your first memory of sports, why you like sports, or what's going on with YOUR sports team.

We'll pick some of the really neat responses and post them as the main comment over the next couple of days. Also, you can write some suggestions of future ideas you'd like to see discussed in this sports blog.

Come on people. What are you waiting for? Write in to tell us something interesting about you and sports. Or write the next interesting entry! We can't wait to read everything. It's going to be good.

Please label your email subject "my story" and send all of your great stories to:

artists@zookazoo.com

Finding Friends Through Sports!

We all know that sports are good for your body. They build muscles, expand the lungs, and strengthen the bones of athletes of any age, from kids to older adults like your parents. But sports help you do another thing, as I’ll be finding out this fall: they can help you make some great friends!

It turns out that there is a huge club of people in my town who run together every day. I’m really into running long distances and training for races like marathons, just like they are! They let people from anywhere join their club and run with them, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

I feel really lucky to find people like the folks in this club. Sports are fun, but they are even better when you’ve got friends to share that excitement with. Not only will the runners in this club help me get over homesickness, but they’ll help me learn about and have more fun with the sport I love. I can’t wait to join!

Have you made some good friends playing sports?

Practice Makes Perfect

If you play soccer, you understand how exhilarating it is to fake a player out with a move and then speed by them. I have always loved doing that but it takes a lot of practice to be able to fake someone out successfully.

I remember learning new moves during soccer practice and then practicing them so that I could execute them successfully during a game. I remember learning moves like the scissor move, cuts, stepovers and croifs. We also used to learn new plays at practice like the wall pass and overlap. My team used to do these moves and plays over and over during soccer practice so that we knew them really well and they became second nature to us. Once we felt comfortable with them, we would use the moves and plays in a game. It was always very exciting when a move or play that I had practiced worked during a game.

I haven’t learned any new soccer moves lately but I did just learn a new dance piece and I am very excited to practice it and get better at performing it. Today I danced that piece about 10 times because I wanted to make sure it was ingrained into my brain and that I wouldn’t forget it.


Have you ever learned a new move or play? Comment below and tell me if those moves or plays ever worked in a game.

Eating Right

Playing sports takes a lot of energy and it is important that we eat right so we can play our best. I remember my soccer and track coaches always telling us to eat well, drink lots of liquids, and rest up before a soccer game or track meet. My soccer coaches especially would emphasize eating carbohydrates (stuff like bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes) the night before a big game.

When I played on my school’s soccer team we would have team dinners the night before a game. During these dinners we would usually eat tons of pasta and get excited about the game. I loved those team dinners, also called pasta feeds, because I love pasta and they were great for team bonding.

When I went to soccer tournaments with my club team (traveling team), everyone was always cautious about what they ate. For example, during one tournament we had a game a couple of hours after lunch so when we were making our lunch decisions we steered away from the Mexican food. Now, I absolutely love Mexican food but we thought it would be unwise to eat burritos and chips before a game because of the oil and heaviness of Mexican food.

Sometimes what we eat before a game can affect how we play – we can be tired and too full to play our best or energized and ready to go. What is your favorite pre-game meal? Are there any food items that you never or always eat before a game?

Rainy Day

It's a rainy day today. Not the best for trick-or-treating, but I think it'll be okay. Maybe I'll just have to dress up as a scuba diver so I don't mind the rain. Sometimes sports can be a lot of fun when it's rainy out. The biggest thing is just not worrying about the rain and accepting that you're going to get wet.

If you don't mind the wetness, you can have tons of fun! Playing soccer on the wet grass is great for sliding around- getting muddy and dirty. Sometimes the rain is a pain during recess if you have to stay inside and play checkers or something. What do you like to do in the rain? Do you like playing in the rain? What sports are your favorite?

Phillies Win! Phillies Win!!!

One of my favorite things about sports is seeing celebrations when people make a great play or win a great game. There is no better celebration than seeing grown men act like little kids when they win a championship. Look at all these players! Could they be any happier? Even though they get paid kajillions of dollars and big sports are a big business- it's great to see them this happy and it shows that they actually care about the sport.

Have you ever head any big celebrations? What's your favorite kind of celebration? When do you get the most excited in sports?

NBA is Back!

I'm a big basketball fan so usually it's a long wait for when the playoffs end to the next season. Fortunately, this was a great off-season with the Olympics going on. Did you watch USA's Redeem Team play phenomenally well and regain the gold? The championship game against Spain was so exciting! I stayed up really late to watch it live (it's tough with China being on the other side of the world (maybe I would've been better off digging a hole to China and just watching it there (can you imagine seeing my head pop up in the center of the basketball floor to watch the game- HA!))).

Okay, obviously I like basketball a little too much and once I start writing I could write about it for hours. But back to this NBA season- which just kicked off last night! The Celtics got their championship rings and then beat Lebron's team pretty solidly. And the Lakers got off to a great start- beating the Trailblazers. Greg Oden played his first game last year- he's the guy in the picture with the black Portland jersey. Can you believe that guy is 20 years-old? He looks like an old man to me.

So a lot of questions: Who is your favorite team? Are you excited that the NBA is back in action? Which team will win it all? Who is your favorite player? So much to talk about with the NBA!!!!

More Racewalking

Walking? How can walking be a sport, especially an Olympic sport? That used to be my attitude towards racewalking because I have always thought of walking as a way to get around and not a sport. So when I saw a racewalking race on the Olympics I was very surprised and decided to research racewalking and try it myself.

Turns out I was wrong. Very, very wrong. I always thought it would be easy because it was just walking, which is really easy right? But when I tried it I realized that it is a lot harder than it looks. Walking really fast for a long time is very tiring for your legs, hips, and even arms. I realize that many racewalkers must meet a lot of people who think their sport is not hard and I feel bad that I always assumed that racewalking was a lame sport without ever trying it for myself.

Racewalking is not just walking fast – there are specific rules in place to make sure that some people don’t have unfair advantages. For example, there is a rule that one foot or at least part of one foot has to be on the floor at all times. Nowadays with our cameras and all our technology, we can look at close up and slowed down versions of races to check people’s feet. This new technology is causing controversy because the race is judged based on what the judges see with their eyes and not with a camera.

Have you ever heard of racewalking? Give racewalking a try and write down your thoughts? Have you ever made any assumptions about sports before trying them for yourself or learning more about them?

Racing!

In gym class, do you ever have to run a timed mile? Watching how people run the mile is a really interesting way to see how different people can be. There is the person up-front that is super excited to run (me) and runs to exhaustion to get the best time possible. Then there are the people that just run the mile at a nice pace- not exerting themselves too much.

I've always thought this is the funniest group- the kids that walk around the track talking with friends the whole way. Every once in a while they'll run hard if the teacher yells at them, but usually they just walk and chat- having a great time. Which kind of runner are you? Do you try and get the best time in the world?

What is your best mile time? I once ran the mile in 5 minutes and 40 seconds- I was exhausted afterwards. What is your slowest time? Have you ever had to a WALKING mile? It's really difficult to do, but you have to keep one foot on the ground at all time! If you try and go really fast walking, it can look a little silly

Fan Power

Fans are a very important part of the sports world – without them professional sports would not be the same.

The few times I have been to professional sporting events, I have seen a few dedicated fans who were decked out in their team’s colors. These fans had also painted their faces and bodies with their teams colors or symbols. They looked like they were having a great time they and generally increased the level of excitement in the stadium.

I also see fans like those when I watch sports on TV. Some fans get so into supporting their team that they make huge banners, drape themselves in flags and cover themselves with paint. The closest I have ever come to something like that is when I went to a soccer game with my soccer team and we all wore our favorite team’s colors. I’ve always thought that going all out would be very exciting and I want to try it sometime. If I ever get the chance to watch a really great game in person including a team that I fervently support, I think I will do it.

How do you support your favorite teams? What kind of fan are you? Do you belong to a fan club? Do you go to games or watch them on TV? Do you spend time talking about, debating, and researching your favorite teams?

Starting the Streak

So we know what it takes to be a great athlete, right? A big body, huge muscles, toughness and, of course, talent. Maybe that’s all we can think of off the top of our heads, but I think there’s one important thing missing from that list: dedication. Mainly, dedication like sticking with something for a long time until you achieve your goal, no matter what.

I hope dedication is part of being a great athlete, because I don’t have the huge body or the muscles. It’s something I’ve really worked on as I’ve practiced running. Running doesn’t seem that hard; everyone knows how to do it. But being able to run for a long time without the pain bothering you takes practice day after day after day. To make this a little more interesting for myself, I set a goal: I want to catch up to some of the best “streakers” in the sport of running.

What’s a streaker? A streaker is simply someone who’s on a running “streak”. It means they’ve run at least one mile every day for a long period of time. The longest streak I’ve heard of is 38 years. For 38 years, the guy ran at least a mile a day (including six weeks with a broken foot). Why did he do it? Just to prove (to himself) that he could do it and that he loved running so much that he would put time into it every day, no matter what happened.

So here’s the deal: After I go to college, I’m going to go on a streak. I’m going to try to run at least a mile every day, because I love this sport and want to show it. Now you’ve got to tell me, is there any sport you’re dedicated to? Would you do it every day? How long could you keep it up? Tell us below!

WEEKEND Time

Now that it's the weekend do you have any special plans? I'm pretty excited because I'm going to go on a big hike this weekend. Tomorrow I'm headed on a 8-mile hike with some friends. It should be pretty cool.

We're going to pack a lunch and eat it at the top. That's always my favorite part because you're finally rewarded for walking up this giant hill for 4 miles. You're a little tired and A LOT hungry and then you're at the top with this gorgeous view. The food always tastes so much better after working hard- even if it's something regular like a peanut butter and jelly.

What are your weekend plans? Any big sports games or tournaments? Trips to the park? How do you stay active on the weekends?

High Pressure Sports Situations

Have you ever been really nervous before a big game or sporting event? Right now I am pretty nervous for a big dance recital that I have coming up. The recital includes me dancing in front of 300 people for 2 and half hours BY MYSELF!

I have been preparing for this performance for the last couple of months and I have another 5 weeks to keep improving. I know that I will be prepared because I have been practicing everyday and working really hard. Everything is coming together but that doesn’t stop the butterflies in my stomach when I think about such a big performance. As the day comes closer, I am realizing more and more the reality of how big an event this will be and I find myself getting more nervous.

Now, I am not nervous-scared, instead I am more nervous-excited. I love dancing and performing and I have performed in front of hundreds of people before…but never alone. That is what makes me most nervous about this performance. I have spoken to other people who have given similar performances to the one I will give. They all tell me that I will not be nervous on the day of the performance if I prepare well and am confident in my ability to dance. I sure hope they are right!

Have you ever played in a high pressure game or performance where you were nervous beforehand? Comment below and tell me about it.

Sports Superpowers

Sports are the best because they require so much skill, athleticism, and determination. Sometimes when I watch sports- it's amazing to see the things athletes do- like one-handed catches in football, an amazing shot by a soccer player, a gymnast doing flips on a balance beam. Have you ever thought what sorts of superpowers would make even more amazing sports plays?

Obviously Superman would be nearly unbeatable in any sport (especially World's Strongest Man Competitions). What superpower would you like to have and what sport would you use it for? Like breathing underwater would be great for swimming. Being invisible would be AWESOME for hide and seek. Super strong for football. Any other good ideas?

Recess Sports

Recess is always a great part of the school day. You get to go outside and run around and meet up with all of your friends. What are your favorite sports to play during recess? Four square, dodgeball, tag on the swingset, organized football or basketball, kickball? A different sport?

Now that the seasons are changing- do you have any good recess sports for when it's colder?

Some people are naturally talented, but even they have to do their job day in and day out. Practicing to do the same thing, every time one does it is really where an athlete gets his or her skill, by fixing the little flaws in their technique that could keep them from beating the competition. This is tremendously important to being a great athlete. But sometimes, it isn’t even as easy as just telling yourself to practice; you have to work to find a time to get it done.


This happened to me this morning. My workout calendar called for a long morning run, but I had to be at work really early, too. I had a few choices. I could have slept through the workout and saved my strength for my job. Or I could get up a little earlier, and make the run. That’s what I picked. I love my sport and can’t stand a day where I didn’t do anything to get better. I was a little more tired than usual, but I felt good knowing that I made the right call and that I’d be better for it.


What kinds of choices do you have to make to get your workouts done around your life changes? Tell us how you feel about training to be the better athlete!

9 = 8. No really, it does.

9 = 8. Well, at least that's what Tampa Bay Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon says. Now that his team has gone from last-place one year ago to representing the American League in the World Series, a bunch more people believe in his fuzzy math. The players and all the fans in Tampa Bay now understand that 9 really does equal 8.


The reason he says 9 = 8 is easy. In baseball, it takes 9 players in the field to make up a team. And those 9 players need to play together and support each other and be a real team to make the playoffs. There are only 8 teams in baseball that make the playoffs each year. So it takes 9 to be one of the 8. Proof that 9 =8. What do you think about that fuzzy math? Does that make sense? Are you glad the Rays are in the World Series or are you bummed your team isn't still playing? Do you even like baseball?

The Adventure Run

You've probably read in this blog over the past couple of months that the one sport I'm really into is running. Not just short sprints down a track (even though those are fun too!), but miles-long journeys that really make me break a sweat. When I tell a lot people about the sport I love, their first reaction is usually a raised eyebrow and a surprised "Why would you want to do that?!"

This morning I discovered why I love the long runs.

I love the long runs because, for me, they're my chance to explore. Maybe when you were a little kid you used to crawl about the house, pretending to be Daniel Boone or Christopher Columbus and imagining that every new room, or the couch, or the rug was a new part of the world that you and you alone had found--and it made you proud of yourself. I felt the same way today on my run through the town I just moved to, Columbia, Missouri.

Columbia isn't really that big or that different of a town, but today I had a mission: to find all the streets on my six-mile morning run. I didn't have a map, just written directions and in a couple of places, even those failed and I had to improv. Those were the most exciting parts. People who live here probably know that Seventh Street doesn't go all the way to Wilkes Rd. or that part of my route actually crosses over Interstate 70 (a major highway through the state), but it was all news to me. At each new obstacle, I had to think and explore the streets in the heart of my new home to find a way to where I was going. Challenging myself like that is something I find really fun!

Finishing up a run is always kind of cool for me because I am relieved that I finished and usually excited at my time. But today was especially thrilling, because I knew that I had made it, all on my own and that I could conquer this place without map and just with my mind.That's why I do the long runs. That's what makes it exciting for me!

Olympians

Names like Michael Phelps, Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh, and Usain Bolt have become well known around the world due to the Olympics. They rocketed to fame when they performed remarkably at the Olympics and will forever be remembered for their athletic capabilities.

Most athletes who compete in the Olympics are not remembered after the Olympics are over. They may be stars to people who play the same sport, but they are not well known to the public.

I know someone I will remember for a long time is Usain Bolt because of the way he took the world by storm and rocketed to the top! I remember watching him race and being amazed by how he won races by such a large margin. He would near the end of a race and turn his head to look at his opponents, just to make sure that they weren’t catching up. He not only won races, but won them in a unique style that made me remember him.

Michael Phelps is another athlete that I’m sure everyone will remember. He broke the world record for number of gold medals and seemed to do so without breaking a sweat. Who are your favorite stars from the Olympics? Which athletes stood out the most and which ones will you remember?

Beijing Olympics

Athletes from around the world have come together over the past few weeks to perform amazing athletic feats and break world records. Every four years when the Olympics happen, the world marvels at all the talented athletes and pays close attention to sports that are usually ignored.

Sports like diving and gymnastics don’t get a lot of attention during non-Olympic times, but during the Olympics everyone watches them. Obscure sports like racewalking and archery are introduced to the world during the Olympics and the public learns more about them. I have really loved the past few weeks and have enjoyed learning about sports that I previously didn’t know about.

I imagine that the Olympics must inspire people around the world to try their best in not only sports, but everything they do. I know that it has inspired me to dance better and believe that I can accomplish more. When I am dancing and thinking about the pressure or exhaustion, I think about how dedicated the Olympians are and how much pressure they have to deal with.

It seems to me that the 2008 Beijing Olympics have gone by very fast and I wish that they would last a little longer. What were your favorite parts of the Olympics? Did you learn about any new sports over the past few weeks?

Decathlon

Traditionally, the person who wins the decathlon is called the “World’s Greatest Athlete” because the winner has to be talented in so many different areas. He has to be good at running, jumping, hurdling, and throwing. In short, the person who wins the decathlon embodies the motto of the Olympics: “faster, higher, stronger”. Right now, Bryan Clay of the United States holds the title of “World’s Greatest Athlete” as he won the decathlon during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

A decathlon consists of ten track and field events: 100 meters, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 meters, 110 meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and the 1500 meters. Men compete in decathlons and women compete in heptathlons, which consists of seven track and field events: the 100 meters, high jump, shot put, 200 meters, long jump, javelin, and the 800 meters.

I can only imagine how hard athletes have to work to be able to compete well in seven or ten events. I mean, we hear about the tough training regimens that runners, and jumpers, and hurdlers go through and to be good at all of them must be very hard to achieve.

What do you think about the decathlon? Do you play a variety of sports?

Racewalking

Walking? How can walking be a sport, especially an Olympic sport? That used to be my attitude towards racewalking because I have always thought of walking as a way to get around and not a sport. So yesterday when I saw a racewalking race on the Olympics I was very surprised and decided to research racewalking and try it myself.

Turns out I was wrong. Very, very wrong. I always thought it would be easy because it was just walking, which is really easy right? But when I tried it I realized that it is a lot harder than it looks. Walking really fast for a long time is very tiring for your legs, hips, and even arms. I realize that many racewalkers must meet a lot of people who think their sport is not hard and I feel bad that I always assumed that racewalking was a lame sport without ever trying it for myself.

Racewalking is not just walking fast – there are specific rules in place to make sure that some people don’t have unfair advantages. For example, there is a rule that one foot or atleast part of one foot has to be on the floor at all times. Nowadays with our cameras and all our technology, we can look at close up and slowed down versions of races to check people’s feet. This new technology is causing controversy because the race is judged based on what the judges see with their eyes and not with a camera.

Have you ever heard of racewalking? Have you ever made any assumptions about sports before trying them for yourself or learning more about them?

Sportsmanship

Usain “lightening” Bolt now holds the world records in both the 100 and 200 meter events. He broke both records during the Beijing Olympics and seemed to do so with ease, and maybe a little arrogance.

As Usain neared the finish line of one of his races, he glanced around him to make sure no one was catching up and when he saw that he was decidedly in first place he slowed down and still managed to stay in first place. Once he crosses the finish line in first place, Bolt often celebrates with his signature “throwing a lightning bolt” pose. Many people consider his celebrations and his slowing down as insulting to the other runners.

Having good sportsmanship is very important these days, especially during the Olympics when the whole world comes together and countries compete with each other. Although many people have berated Bolt for his celebrations, don’t we all like to celebrate when something good happens? After someone breaks a world record or wins a gold medal, isn’t celebration expected and ok? What do you think about Bolt’s celebration – is it a little too much or completely fine?

I remember one time during a championship soccer game, the game was tied until 5 minutes before the end of the game. The other team then scored a contested goal – we thought it was offside and shouldn’t count but the referee called it for them and they ended up winning the game. When the game ended they celebrated so much and so obnoxiously that many people on my team ended up in tears.

What do you think about sportsmanship? Have you ever witnessed very sportsmanlike or unsportsmanlike actions? Comment below and tell me about them.

Rowing

Rowing is not a sport that usually comes to mind when we think of the Olympics, but it is definitely a worthwhile sport. I was watching some Olympic rowing the other night on TV and I realized that rowing is an intense sport that requires a high level of strength, stamina, and teamwork.

Rowing is a team sport like no other, because in rowing there are no substitutes. If someone hurts themselves in the middle of a race or gets tired, the rest of the team has to work even harder because no one can sub in or out when the athletes are in a boat that is surrounded by water! Everyone has to pull their weight and work hard so that they do not let the team down. This sport also requires synchronization skills because everyone on the boat has to paddle at the same time and really work well together.

There is a rowing team at my high school. All the people who are part of the rowing team (also known as crew) are very dedicated to the team. They have practices early in the morning before school starts and so they have to wake up as early as 4 most days of the week. Commitment like that is admirable – I don’t know if I would be able to wake up that early many days a week!

What do you think about rowing? Comment below and tell me about sports that you have learned more about because of the Olympics.

The Fall and Rise

They’re saying my sport might be dead.

That’s right...reporters and commentators who’ve been watching track and field in this year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, China have said that Americans may be done dominating the oval as the have for so many years in events from sprints to jumps to long distances. The country that is home to sprinting greats Maurice Green and Marion Jones, and even long distance champions, like 1,500-meter runner Bernard Lagat, is no longer in control.

Who’s in the driver’s seat now? Jamaica, that’s who. In the past week, they’ve won both the men’s and women’s 100-meter dashes and on the men’s side, Jamaican Usain Bolt (what a cool name for a sprinter!) set the world record, bounding across the finish line in 9.69 seconds to break his own record, set earlier this year.

So what do Americans like me do? What do you do when you realize that your country is being outplayed in a sport that it considers its own on the world stage. Well, for this Olympics, there isn’t much we can do except hope to edge out a victory or two in the remaining events. But over the next four years, runners like me will be running even faster, training even longer and focusing even harder than usual on gold because we want to win in the sport that is ours.

How do you rebound from a loss or a series of downfalls? What do you think Team USA track should change to get back on the winner’s podium for next year?

Stomach Butterflies

Today in my dance class I made a few big mistakes and got really frazzled, which made me make even more mistakes. I only have 12 days before I have to perform by myself in front of 300 people and I am getting very, very nervous.

Today in class, I did not just make mistakes - I made completely uncharacteristic mistakes like forgetting entire sections of the pieces. I have not forgotten parts such big chunks of my pieces since I first started learning them, months ago. Lately I have been getting stressed out because my performance day is getting so close that it is causing me to make mistakes like that.

I used to be in musical theatre when I was in middle school and whenever I had to perform on stage, my hands would get clammy and I would get butterflies in my stomach. Let’s just say that I have a history of minor stage fright. Usually once I get on stage I am ok, but before I get out there I am very uneasy and anxious. I am telling myself that if I am prepared, I will do fine and there is no need to be nervous, but I think some nerves are natural in this situation.

Has a high pressure situation or important sporting event ever made you tense and unable to perform as well as you usually do? Comment below and tell me what you would do to cope with the tension in a situation like that – maybe you can help me out!

Staying Dedicated

As the Olympic Games march on, one thing that is taken for granted is the work of all of the 10,000 athletes competing in the various events. Everyone knows that these folks “work hard”, but few people know what it is to do that to a level to compete with the world’s best. I think this comes in two parts: doing hard workouts and working everyday. A few people might think of Olympic training as doing those big workouts, but the place where we can all be like the Olympians is in practicing our sport as many days as we can.

Some people are naturally talented, but even they have to do their job day in and day out. Practicing to do the same thing, every time one does it is really where an athlete gets his or her skill, by fixing the little flaws in their technique that could keep them from beating the competition. This is tremendously important to being a great athlete. But sometimes, it isn’t even as easy as just telling yourself to practice; you have to work to find a time to get it done.

This happened to me this morning. My workout calendar called for a long morning run, but I had to be at work really early, too. I had a few choices. I could have slept through the workout and saved my strength for my job. Or I could get up a little earlier, and make the run. That’s what I picked. I love my sport and can’t stand a day where I didn’t do anything to get better. I was a little more tired than usual, but I felt good knowing that I made the right call and that I’d be better for it.

What kinds of choices do you have to make to get your workouts done around your life changes? Tell us how you feel about training to be the better athlete!

The People Who Make It Happen

I love playing sports, and I am grateful for my parents and my school because they help make it possible for me to play sports. My parents sign me up, pay, and take me to practices and games. If they didn’t take care of all that stuff, then it would be really hard for me to play sports. Also, if the school didn’t have sports teams, then I wouldn’t be able to run track and play soccer for my school.

Similarly, the Olympics would not be there if there were not people working behind the scenes. There are so many people that work on organizing the Olympics, taking care of the athletes, taking care of the venues, and so much more. Even though the athletes are the stars of the Olympics, we should remember that there are many people who work behind the scenes to make the Olympics amazing.

In fact, all sports and sporting events would not exist if it wasn’t for all those people and all that work that goes into making sports amazing. There are committees that make up and update the rules of various sports and committees that decide which players will be attending the Olympics. There is an immense amount of organizing and planning that goes into sports and I did not realize this until I started watching the Olympics. The Olympics is such a huge event, and I never thought about what had to be done to make it that way. I assumed the athletes were the most important part, but I now realize that the organizers are important as well because they make the Olympics possible.

Comment below and tell me about the people that make it possible for you to play sports.

The People Who Make It Happen

I love playing sports, and I am grateful for my parents and my school because they help make it possible for me to play sports. My parents sign me up, pay, and take me to practices and games. If they didn’t take care of all that stuff, then it would be really hard for me to play sports. Also, if the school didn’t have sports teams, then I wouldn’t be able to run track and play soccer for my school.

Similarly, the Olympics would not be there if there were not people working behind the scenes. There are so many people that work on organizing the Olympics, taking care of the athletes, taking care of the venues, and so much more. Even though the athletes are the stars of the Olympics, we should remember that there are many people who work behind the scenes to make the Olympics amazing.

In fact, all sports and sporting events would not exist if it wasn’t for all those people and all that work that goes into making sports amazing. There are committees that make up and update the rules of various sports and committees that decide which players will be attending the Olympics. There is an immense amount of organizing and planning that goes into sports and I did not realize this until I started watching the Olympics. The Olympics is such a huge event, and I never thought about what had to be done to make it that way. I assumed the athletes were the most important part, but I now realize that the organizers are important as well because they make the Olympics possible.

Comment below and tell me about the people that make it possible for you to play sports.

The Agony of Defeat

The Olympics is best known for the winners--those who at the end of the day take home the medals gold, silver and bronze. Those victories are easy to celebrate and be happy about because we can see how big all of an athlete’s hard work has paid off by the award they’ve won. But what about athletes who work hard and never see that pay off, because of injury?

I was reminded of this part of the Olympics while watching weightlifting competitions earlier this week. The event was the “clean and jerk”, an exercise where athletes take a large amount of weight on the bar, squat it and then thrust their body upward to lift the bar high over their head. It’s a complicated move for anyone, but at this heavy a weight, it’s a true test.

Everyone had been training for their entire lives, putting in hours getting ready for this one lift. One man, a Brazilian lifter, had been training especially hard for the last four years, trying to come back from failing to medal at the 2004 games. But on this day, his thumb was wrapped in an ace bandage. The announcers wondered if that one small wrap would be the downfall of this mighty man.

Sadly, it was. Twice he squatted down, closed his eyes, let out a breath and tried to lift the bar for the squat. And twice, his left arm popped off the bar from the pain in his thumb. He simply couldn’t lock on to the heavy weight with his grip. Four years of work had all been for nothing.

Despite his sadness, the lifter held his emotions in well. When asked what he would do, he said that all he could do was work hard and try again. That, I think, is one of the most important lessons in sports: hard times can’t be conquered with a bad attitude, just by hard work.

Have you had any difficult times in the sports you’ve played? What hard work have you done to overcome it?

Making The Right Call

Normally when we think about the Olympics, we think about all the amazing athletes who will be competing there, but we forget about one set of very important people – the referees. Their job is extremely important and without them sports would be vastly different.

The referees make sure that the game runs smoothly, all the participants are following the rules, and in some sports they even determine the winners. For example, in gymnastics, the judges score the gymnasts therefore determining who has the highest score and will win the competition.

I used to ref soccer games and believe me, it can be very tough. There is lots of pressure from the players, parents, coaches, and fans and it can really stress you out. A main reason officiating can be so tough is because the referee’s calls can change the outcome of a game/event. That places a huge burden on the referees and gives them a huge responsibility.

Officiating at such a high level like the Olympics must be especially hard – so many people watch the Olympics and have the opportunity to criticize or challenge the referee’s calls. I was watching Beach Volleyball the other day and the referee made a controversial call. The team that the call was made against complained and challenged the call. If that had happened in a final round or had determined the winner of the game, that referee would have faced a lot of harassment.

Have you ever given any thought to the officials in a game? What do you think about the importance of their job?

Taking a Well-Earned Day Off

Let’s face it: sports is about a lot of hard work. Winning in your event or your next big game is all about putting in the time and effort to build the right muscles and build up endurance to last for the big play. Given all of that, how could taking a day off possibly help an athlete get better?

Well, the fact is that those hard-working muscles, no matter how well-conditioned, sometimes need a break. I’ve learned this through the almost five years that I have been running long-distance workouts. Running for me is really fun. Sometimes, it is tempting to run every day, especially when my times are looking good and I’m feeling really strong in my workouts. That’s kind of where I am today actually, with two good weeks of really solid running since my last day off. So why should I stop for a minute, let alone a day?

The importance of rest in athletes is that those muscles can use the day to rebuild the small tears that hard exercise of practice makes. Don’t worry, these tears aren’t harmful. Given the right rest, the tears repair to make the muscle better than it was before. This, an not more tears from constant work, is what builds muscles up. Basically, it’s the rest that makes us stronger from the work we do.

What kind of training do you do for your sports? When do you take rest days? Tell us if taking a day helps you perform better or if working everyday is really your thing!

Winning Streak

Lately I have been watching a lot of beach volleyball on TV, a sport that does not usually get much coverage. It is a sport that I do not usually watch, but by watching it so much recently I realized that I actually like watching it. The women’s beach volleyball team is made up of Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor who are the reigning beach volleyball champions. They won Gold in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and are expected to medal in the Beijing Olympics as well.

They won 104 straight games and have not lost a game since 2007! A 104 win streak is unimaginable in the world of sports, but it seems that Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor are truly the world champions right now. I am surprised that there hasn’t even been a fluke game where they lost in the last 104 games. Also, since beach volleyball is a team sport it means that both the players have to play well or they will lose. Therefore having a winning streak that is so long means two amazing players, not just one.

Winning so many games in a row must be exhilarating and very exciting but also turns the pressure on. I mean, what if you had won 99 games and then had to play a tough team? I would be nervous because I wouldn’t want to lose when I had a chance to win 100 straight games. There is also pressure to remain the champions and to always perform amazingly.

Have you ever had a long winning streak? Comment below and tell me how that felt or how that affected your playing.

The Greatest Olympian Ever

Yesterday when I was coming home from my dance class, I turned on the radio and I heard sports commentators say the phrase “Greatest Olympian Ever” when they were referring to Michael Phelps. Then when I got home my sister was watching the Olympics on TV and I heard that phrase again describing Michael Phelps.

Phelps is without doubt an extremely talented swimmer – in fact, he has won a gold medal in each of the five events he has competed in so far at the Beijing Olympic Games. Those five victories combined with the six gold medals he won in the last Olympic Games give him the title of “Greatest Olympian Ever”. No other Olympian has ever won more than nine gold medals and Phelps has already won 11 with three events left to compete in!

All this talk about the “Greatest Olympian Ever” got me thinking about what made someone a great athlete. Yes, Phelps is an amazing swimmer and has won an impressive number of medals. But calling someone the “Greatest Olympian Ever” because of the number of Gold medals they won seems a little unfair. What about those athletes who compete in events like soccer and volleyball – they don’t have as many events to compete in, and therefore as many opportunities to win Gold medals, as Phelps did.

What do you think determines if an athlete is great? What is your opinion about Phelps’ major accomplishments and new title of “Greatest Olympian Ever”? Who do you consider to be a great athlete or Olympian and why?

Finding Friends Through Sports!

We all know that sports are good for your body. They build muscles, expand the lungs, and strengthen the bones of athletes of any age, from kids to older adults like your parents. But sports help you do another thing, as I’ll be finding out this fall: they can help you make some great friends!

Finding awesome people to hang out with is going to be important for me in about a week in a half, because I’m moving to another state to go to college. When I finally get settled in, I’ll be 1,000 miles from the nearest person who’s a friend of mine or family. You can probably imagine that I’d end up feeling pretty lonely and at first I was kind of scared of being all by myself so far away. But then, I found people who are going to help me get through it.

It turns out that there is a huge club of people in my college town who run together every day. I’m really into running long distances and training for races like marathons, just like they are! They let people from anywhere join their club and run with them, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

I feel really lucky to find people like the folks in this club. Sports is fun, but its even better when you’ve got friends to share that excitement with. Not only will the runners in this club help me get over homesickness, but they’ll help me learn about and have more fun with the sport I love. I can’t wait to join!

Men's Gymnastics

Although the Chinese men’s team started off with a rocky start, it ended up dominating the gymnastics competition and winning the gold. The United States also competed well and exceeded expectations by winning a bronze medal. It was only the fourth time the United States men’s team had won any medal and the first time China won a gold medal in men’s gymnastics.

The United States team met with a lot of confusion and last minute changes early on in the competition. Two star competitors (twins Paul and Morgan Hamm) gave up their spots on the team because of injuries and two alternates (Raj Bhavsar and Sasha Artemev) were put in the game. In fact, Artemev was notified that he would be competing in the Olympics less than one day before the competition began! Through the changes, the men pulled it together and gave a commendable performance for which they won a deserved bronze medal.

China too had its share of tough moments as it began the competition with a bit of bad luck and a few mistakes. In the end though China performed well and got the points it needed to win gold.

Have you ever played on a team when last minute changes or early mess-ups got you frazzled? What did you do in that situation?

A Sight to See

A group of people danced on a huge sheet of paper – as they danced a picture began to appear on the paper – the dancers were drawing with their feet and arms AS THEY DANCED! Hundreds of Tai Chi Masters performed perfectly synchronized Tai Chi movements in a circle around a group children (symbolizing the future). These amazing events as well as other amazing feats were performed during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

I unfortunately did not catch the opening ceremony live. Everyone who saw it told me it was amazing and that I just had to see it. They told me that there were hundreds of people perfectly synchronized who moved, drummed, and danced in perfect harmony. They told me there was a flying man who lit the torch. They told me about impressive flames and lights and fireworks.

I wish I had seen the entire thing live but after hearing rave reviews I began watching bits and pieces online. Even though watching the ceremony like that was not ideal, it did not diminish the incredible performance.

This opening ceremony attracted a huge number of television viewers – more than almost any other opening ceremony since television was invented. Were you one of those viewers - did you watch the opening ceremony? Comment below and tell me your favorite parts of it.

Those "Other" Olympic Sports

Today is a happy and sad day for me. It’s two days after the lucky day of 8-8-08. First the sad part: the Olympics have now been in progress for two days in Bejing, China and finally I have just now gotten a chance to settle down and watch the world’s finest athletes compete with other nations. I’ve already missed 48 hours of some of the world’s most intense competition and even one of American swimmer Michael Phelp’s gold medal races!

But there’s a happy part to this, the fact that I finally do get to see the Olympics. Today, I had planned to watch Team USA’s basketball squad try to get back on top of the world scene (we finished with a bronze medal in 2004). But basketball wasn’t on any of the five channels I checked that were carrying the Olympics. Instead I saw a bunch of sports no one ever says anything about: rowing, synchronized diving, rifling, badminton, and gymnastics. But these sports made today an even cooler day to tune in, and for good reason.

I thought I knew what Olympic sports were really worth watching and which really interested me. I thought that today would be no different from four years ago, when I watched the Games from Athens, Greece. Instead I ended up having a totally different experience and getting a chance to see some sports I had never given a second thought. For me, and really all true sports fans who admire the fact that people are competing, seeing new sports was an even bigger thrill because I got to learn something and still get that thrill of others vying for a win. To me, that learning is bigger than getting anything I expected.

What sports have you watched in these Olympic Games? Were there any new ones that inspired you to learn more about them?