Harrison didn't let it stop her

Queen Harrison claimed one of three spots on the Olympic 400 meter hurdle team when she came in second during the Olympic Trials. Harrison has overcome many obstacles to make it this far, including injuries and a race day obstacle.

Harrison prepared for the race with an injured hamstring that she had injured only 18 days earlier, but she didn’t let that stop her. She was considered an underdog from the start and nobody expected her to do well in this race, but she didn’t let that stop her. During the race, a runner in the lane beside her fell into her lane, but Harrison didn’t let that stop her. She jumped over the other runner and kept her eye on the prize, not letting anything stop her from finishing second and advancing to the Olympics.

I really admire Harrison’s drive and ability to overcome obstacles to achieve her dreams. She did not let her injury, her obscurity, or the other runner stop her from achieving her goal. As a hurdler myself, I find it amazing that she was not fazed when the other runner fell into her lane. She is an inspiration to not only other hurdlers, but to all athletes. By finishing second and overcoming so many obstacles, she has proved that anything is possible if you set your mind to it and try your hardest.

Have you ever had to overcome any obstacles in order to play a sport? Comment below and tell me about it.

Giving Back...and still breaking a sweat

Every day we read in the newspapers and hear on television about how another sports superstar has landed a huge-money contract, paying them hundreds of millions of dollars to play their game for whatever team has the deepest pockets. These guys and gals are great athletes, but I think the people who truly show what sports are supposed to mean are those who get a simple “thanks” at the end of their hard day’s work of playing.

I read online that the running club that I want to join in the fall spends a couple nights a week holding practices for middle school kids who want to run but don’t yet have a high school team to represent them.

Thinking of these adults coming out to the track after their work day to run laps in the muggy Midwestern heat just “for the kids” made me realize how special volunteers are to sports. Mostly they’re coaches, but these volunteers also are also the people who get those tracks ready for the runs, bring water for the tired out kids and even the people cheering them on.

All of these people give something to a sport to make it more enjoyable for someone else because they are thankful someone made sports fun for them too. I’m definitely looking forward to this part of the club, because a lot people made my first runs really special, all at no cost to me.

I know a lot of kid athletes dream of landing that big contract with the New York Yankees or the San Francisco 49ers or the Los Angeles Lakers. But I think everyone should at least start their careers by volunteering to help others in sports. Not only does this pass along the joy of teaching someone to compete, but it also puts those big numbers in perspective: that simple “thanks” from a day’s work is worth more than all the millions in this world could buy.

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.

I’m sure we will be seeing fans of that nature this summer because of the Beijing Olympics. National pride and excitement for a team will encourage people to get dressed up and go out to celebrate their teams.

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?

Sports in Disguise

The things we do that we know as “sports” are probably the same things we see on Gatorade commercials or SportsCenter: guys and girls breaking a major sweat by sprinting across fields, diving onto grass for the spectacular play or leaping for awesome slam dunk.

But what about sports that most people don’t think of as “sports”? What about athletic efforts that a lot of folks don’t see as breaking that major sweat or making a sudden heroic play? Are they still sports and their players still athletes?

I personally had a brush with one of those gentler sports today in sailing. Think about it: does coasting along on rippling waters under sunny skies sound like sport to you. I didn’t think so either, until our boat flipped on its side and I splashed into the water.

I didn’t get hurt, but I understood why boating’s a sport when my instructor pulled me back into the boat. He told me to watch him carefully as he turned and pitched the boat. I noticed that his actions actually took a lot of fine muscle coordination and focus.

When we came back ashore, I came back with really a new sense of what sport is. Yes, it is those games that make you sweat and your heart pump. But it’s also those that challenge your mind and make you focus on using your body to its best. That’s the kind of sport sailing is.

Have you ever watched or been part of a sport that you didn’t think was the same workout as the “normal” sports. Tell us what you did and how you think of sports now that you did it.

Family Tradition

Gymnast Anastasia Valeryevna Liukin, more commonly known as Nastia, is part of the United States gymnastics team and will be competing in Beijing. She was born in Moscow in the fall of 1989 and moved to the United States when she was only 2 ½ years old. Her parents, Anna and Valeri Liukin, were both Olympic gymnasts themselves and became gymnastic coaches once they moved to the United States. While training other athletes to be gymnasts, they would bring Nastia along. When they saw how much potential she had, they began coaching her as well.

I think many people start to play sports because of their family’s interest in sports or because of a history their family has with a sport. Often times it is because they grow up in an environment where that is the predominant sport being played or talked about. For example, I know two families in which the parents are huge soccer fans and grew up playing soccer, in fact, those parents are still playing soccer today. All the children in both of those families play competitive soccer now and love the game. Another more personal example has to do with my mother and I - My mother used to dance when she was growing up and when I was five years old, she signed me up for the same type of dance classes.

Do you play any sports that someone else in your family likes or plays? How did you get introduced to some of the sports you play?

Better Than on Paper

I’m really excited today. It’s not just because I had a great six-mile run to start off my day, although that was definitely a plus. I got excited because of what I saw laying on the floor under the mail slot in our house, seconds after the postman’s hand clattered through, delivering a gift I look forward to every month:

My issue of Bicycling Magazine.

Now, I should say that even though I am a big Bicycling fan and a cyclist myself, it’s not that particular magazine that makes me happy every month. In fact, there are three or four days a month that I am so excited, because on those three or four days, one of the many sports magazines I subscribe to comes clattering through the mail slot.

I know what you’re thinking: Dude, it’s just a magazine. But for me these magazines are more than glossy pictures and blabbering text about a sport I am interested in. For me, such magazines are a connection to the outside world of experts and pro athletes who have taken these sports to another level. It is between these covers that the best of the best spill their training secrets and share what they think about their sport, staying in shape and just about life in general and how they connect to it. The best part for me is when I can connect with what they think and realize that sometimes our thoughts on sports are almost the same.

I, like most people, probably won’t grow up to be a professional athlete and my morning ride through the hills may be as close as I get to the Tour de France, physically. But mentally, I can feel closer the pro cyclists just by knowing what they think. That makes all the sweat and grind of being a biker worth it in the first place.

What sports magazines do you read and for what sports? Tell us about athletes you’ve enjoyed reading about and what they thought of the game so we can share too!

8/8/08

August 8, 2008 will be the first day of the Beijing Olympics. Olympic hype has been everywhere for months now, but the real deal is about to begin. Some of my friends are traveling to Beijing and will be there during the Olympics. I wish I could travel to Beijing and see everything in person, but even though I will be watching everything on the TV from my living room couch, I am very excited.

One event that I can’t wait to watch is soccer. I play soccer and I also love to watch it. I can’t wait to see which teams come out on top and watch all my favorite players matched up against each other. I remember the last big tournament that I followed closely was the World Cup in 2006. I watched as many games as I could and made sure I caught the final. And boy am I glad I did, the final was filled with suspense and drama and resulted in an extremely tense ending of penalty kicks. I hope the Olympics will be just as exciting and fun to watch!

Another event which I always watch is gymnastics. The things those gymnasts can do completely amazes me! Whenever I watch gymnastics, I sit transfixed. The balance, flexibility, flips, jumps, and turns are incredible to watch. Diving is another sport that fascinates me and I am looking forward to seeing divers from around the world compete together in Beijing. Synchronized diving amazes me – not only can those athletes perform remarkable movements with their bodies, but they can do it perfectly coordinated with another person!

I am so excited that this year is an Olympic year and that we can watch tons of sports on TV! What Olympic events will you be tuning into? Which events do you find the most interesting and exciting to watch?