Middle of the Court

FOOOOOORE!!!

Last modified on 2009-12-14 21:02:52 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

There are many different forms of golf..
1. Putt Putt golf
2. Professonial golf
3. Plastic golf

Surprisingly, golf has been around many many years:

The Early Romans played a game very similar like golf by hitting a feather-stuffed ball with club-shaped tree branches. Pictures in books also show the Dutch playing a similar type of game on their frozen canals during the 1500s. Cross-country versions of the game were also popular in France and Belgium

It is interesting to note that even though Scotland is the mother of the game, golf was banned there for a time. This ban was put in place during the middle part of the fifteenth century when Scotland was preparing to defend itself against an English invasion. History tells us that many people in Scotland became so obsessed with golf that they neglected the military training that would be required if the English were to be driven back, so the Scottish Parliament of James II quite literally banned the game. Although the ban was reintroduced in 1470 and 1491 its popularity continued to grow – the Scots simply ignored the ban.

Scotland is the home of the world’s oldest golf course, St. Andrews, which was used as early as the sixteenth century.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews, the birth place of golf, was founded in 1754.

http://www.collegesportsscholarships.com/history-golf.htm

Shot That Ball!

Last modified on 2009-12-09 21:38:37 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Dr. James Naismith invented the sport basketball in 1891. Unlike now there was only a set of 13 rules which consisted of..

#1 The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
#2 The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands, but never with the fist.
#3 A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man running at good speed.
#4 The ball must be held in or between the hands. The arms or body must not be used for holding it.
#5 No shouldering, holding, pushing, striking or tripping in any way of an opponent. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul; the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game. No substitution shall be allowed.
#6 A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violations of Rules 3 and 4 and such as described in Rule 5.
#7 If either side make three consecutive fouls it shall count as a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the meantime making a foul).
#8 Goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the ground into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edge and the opponents move the basket, it shall count as a goal.
#9 When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it. In case of dispute the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds. If he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them.
#10 The umpire shall be judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have the power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.
#11 The referee shall be the judge of the ball and decide when it is in play in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.
#12 The time shall be two 15-minute halves with five minutes’ rest between.
#13 The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winners.

( http://www.kansasheritage.org/people/naismith.html )

In 1898 the National Basketball League was formed. It was created to protect basketball players from exploitation and to enforce a less rough game. This league only lasted five years.

Finally, in 1949, the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association united and became the National Basketball Association (NBA).
(http://library.thinkquest.org/10615/no-frames/basketball/history.html)

Top 10 Obscure Sports

Last modified on 2009-11-17 20:33:27 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Have you ever found yourself thinking why certain activities are considered sports? Well buckle up because after I inform you about these “sports”, you’re going to go nuts!

TOP 10 OBSCURE SPORTS:

10. World Highland games - http://www.visitscotland.com/guide/see-and-do/events/highlandgames/highland-games2009

9. Professional Putt-Putt tour -
http://www.proputters.com/

8. Surf Lifesaving - http://www.slsa.asn.au/
7. American Cribbage Congress - http://www.cribbage.org/
6. Dog sledding, dog racing, dog tossing - http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/03/dog_sledding.html
5. World Footbag Association - http://worldfootbag.com/
4. Rock Paper Scissors League - http://www.usarps.com/
3. World Adult Kickball League - http://www.kickball.com/rules
2. Unicycle Hockey World Championship - http://www.mpch-mainz.mpg.de/~sander/uni/unicon8.html
1. The Extreme Ironing World Championships - http://www.natives.co.uk/news/2002/0502/08iron.htm

I’m sure you don’t even know what half of these sports are? Yeah..Me either

End of Season

Last modified on 2009-11-14 21:13:30 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Most sport seasons are ending at UHS this week.

Luckily, volleyball still has a few weeks to go.

The UHS varsity volleyball team finished our season by attending the Eureka tournament this weekend. We went 4-1, winning second place. We played Eureka in the Championship game, taking them to 3.

We are going into our first regional game with a 19-14 record. UHS volleyball has not had a winning record in many years, and have not been anywhere close to reaching the 20 win mark. We were placed in the top 10, representing seed 9, right in front of Central High School.

Our regional game is on Thursday, October 29th, at Mt.Zion against Mt.Zion.
We were seeded 2nd, right below Centennial, ahead of Eisenhower, Macarthur, and Mt.Zion. We were predicted to lose to Centennial in the game before sectionals. Hopefully we prove those people wrong!

You Can Do it!

Last modified on 2009-11-14 21:12:26 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Being active is something that all people should have in common. If you’re not in a sport, there should still be some sort of way that you get physical activity in your routine. It could consist of going on a walk with your dog, jogging, or even going to the gym.

“I don’t have enough money for a gym membership”
-You do not need to go to the gym to work out and not having access to a gym should never be an excuse for not working out. You can do sit ups, push ups, jumping jacks, jog around your neighborhood, go to a local park and walk, play a game involving activity with your friends (i.e. flag football, capture the flag, swim, jumping on the trampoline, etc.) and all of these things are FREE!

“I don’t have time to exercise”
-If you can find time to watch t.v., eat food when you’re bored, talk on your cellphone for ridiculous amounts of time, or do things that you don’t NEED, then you do have time to exercise. Physical activity is something that our bodies need. We should not be lazy and choose to do these other things instead. If you really are too busy to exercise, then try adding exercise to your everyday routine. Instead of taking the elevator, walk up the stairs, or you can ride your bike, or walk to your destination instead of driving. Small things can make big differences

“I play sports, so I can eat and rely only on practice for exercise”
-Although you participate in sports, you still need to watch what you eat. If you are eating all fattening food and then exercising to get ride of that food, you are never going to get past the food you ate that day. Also, athletes need to eat healthy because you do exercise so much. Practicing two hours a day is plenty, but when season is over, it is your job as an athlete to stay in shape.

Being in shape and healthy is a commitment that people need to make. Nothing feels better than the feeling after a hard workout and the calories burned!

Pink, Purple, Blue

Last modified on 2009-11-14 21:11:08 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

My brother (who is 14) plays hockey, in Peoria, on the high school team. He got assigned these “home workouts” sheets that require him to do arm and ab workouts. “Home workouts” are workouts that you are assigned to do at home, in your spare time. Most coaches give athletes these workouts to do to make sure they are working out on days that they do not have practice. Me, being the nice sister that I am, decided to do the workouts with him and give him positive encouragement. I thought they would be difficult considering the fact that these are workouts for 15-18 year old boys…

My brother couldn’t keep up with me. Once we were done has asked me a question… “How come I have better abs than you, but you can do these workouts so easily…you must eat more food than I do.”

I doubted that his conclusion was true so I began considering all factors. Could it have been easier for me because I am a year-round athlete and he isn’t, or maybe because I was excited about doing these exercises while he complained the whole time. Could it have been the atmosphere and the distractions around us? Or the fact that I’m older and he is younger. This is something that I am definitely interested in, and hopefully will find some answers in a different blog.

The Violent Sport

Last modified on 2009-11-14 21:10:45 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

I attended a Peoria Hockey game this weekend and I learned a lot of information…

When you play, each team has 5 skaters on the ice at a time. There is one center, two wingers, and two defensive men on the ice. A center is the man who takes the face off. The two wingers support the center on the face off, and the center tries to pull it back through his legs to the defensive men to start the game. After every goal they go back to the middle of the ice for a new face off.

If you get a penalty you have to serve 2 minutes in the penalty box (could be more depending on what you did). When your team gets a penalty, you have one less player on the ice skating for you team… if you have two men in the penalty box then two less players on the ice for your team, etc. When people from the opposing team have penalties, your team is on a “power play” which mean that your team has an advantage and is most likely to stay on offense.

There are three red lines and two blue lines. The blue lines are what consists of being “off-sides”. This happens when the puck crosses over the blue line after you, or one of your teammates do. If the puck goes out of the blue line, you and your whole team have to cross the blue line as well, before the puck can cross the same blue line again.

It can get very confusing but once you understand it, like many other sports, it’s quite enjoyable. Now that I am beginning to understand, I actually like watching it. Every time someone gets hit into the boards or a new face off occurs, my toes squeeze together and I can’t help but cheer! It is one of those sports where you can’t sit still! I recommend everyone going to at least one hockey game in your life.

Motorcross: Hobby or Sport?

Last modified on 2009-11-14 21:10:16 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

I was talking to a friend a few days ago and the topic of sports came up. I told him about my blog, and how I have been looking for unfamiliar sports to learn about. He began telling me how he use to play lacrosse and is now into motocross. I never knew motocross was considered a sport, more like a hobby… but I thought wrong. According to http://www.answers.com/topic/motocross, motocross is a dangerous sport. “Form of motorcycle racing in which cyclists compete on a closed course marked out over natural or simulated rough terrain. Courses vary widely but must be 1.5 – 5 km (1 – 3 mi) in length, with steep inclines, hairpin turns, and mud. Motorcycles are grouped into classes according to engine displacement (e.g., 125-, 250-, 500-cc). It is probably the most physically demanding motorcycle sport.”

He told me how people that are into motocross also want to be in shape because it affects the way the bike jumps over the mounds and how fast your bike can go. Another thing you need it good balance. I am sure it is very difficult to keep balance turning the corners going too fast and landing the jumps with equal weight.

I was really curious about this so I went home, pulled out my brothers dirt bike, and hit our “home-made” track. Unfortunately, I was too scared to go as fast as needed, and was not ready to literally jump the jumps. So I went and got my brother and told him what I was trying to do. He ran around the track for about 30 minutes and then explained to me what he discovered. He told me how when he went slowly over the hills his balance was off and difficult to maintain. Also, the same thing occurred when he went slowly around the curves. Then he explained that when he put all his weight on the bike, it went slower then when he stood on the pedals or put one knee on the seat.

Ummm Cheerleading IS a Sport

Last modified on 2009-11-14 21:09:54 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Why do so many people think that cheerleading is not a sport?

We cheerleaders have to run and stay in shape just like in any other sport! Practices can be really tough… 5x of each jump-toe-touch,left hurdler, right hurdler, left herkie, right herkie, left pike, right pike, and double toe. On top of that, WE LIFT PEOPLE! And the people that we lift have to learn how to do all kinds of crazy things (which take months to perfect). Many other sports don’t take hours and hours to perfect one trick. Not only do we have to be prepared for games, but also competitions. You are expected to have supurb form, high jumps (with excellent form in the air), strong stunts, loud cheers, and “on-rythm” dancing.

I use to think similar to many of the other people… that cheerleading could never be hard and should not be considered a “sport”, but then I tried it. I don’t think anyone should express that cheerleaders and not athletes until they actually try to live a day in the life of a cheerleader… you might be surpirsed.

Welcome

Last modified on 2009-11-14 21:09:36 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Whadddddup? I’m Shelby. I’ve always been interested in sports, which should be expected considering the fact that I’m a tri-athlete. I play volleyball, softball, and cheerleading. Not only do they interest me, but I also have my own opinion about each one. Sports are fun, good for you, and a great conversation starter! Plus, there’s so many… I wonder how many sports are out there that I don’t even know about? Mmm… Have you ever thought about how many hours of your life you spend being active?
Ok, well I’m sure that I will have PLENTY to say in this blog.

Stay tuned.