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?