Stress Caused by Sports

There are many stresses and things that could go wrong being an athlete. The biggest thing for me is the time management. I have practices every day along with the homework and family priorities. I often find myself very busy with little free time to relax or do activities. This is the worst during the busiest part of school season and the busiest part of club season when we are gone for days at a time. When you miss school, you have to do all the make up work along with all the current work. It can get very tiring and annoying. Also, it is VERY hard not to get distracted by your phone or other devices, especially after a game day or tournament, when you want to check what people said about the game.
Another stressful thing about playing a sport is being frustrated about being in a rough patch. Sometimes, when you are working at things and trying to get better, you feel like you're getting worse before you get better. There are a lot of failures before success, but eventually you get it. Also, people get frustrated when they are  not doing so well in practice or in a game. In volleyball this is easy to do, and because so much of the game is mental, one mistake could affect the next play and sometimes the one after that if you get mad, upset, or let it bother you. We just have to remember that it is okay to make mistakes and that you learn from them. 

Another problem with some athletes is getting tired of your sport. If someone is constantly practicing and playing with no breaks, they might get burnt out and not enjoy playing or not want to play anymore. This is probably more likely to happen if the practices seem repetitive, like they're doing the same things all the time in practice. Some people will get burnt out, but some who really enjoy the game won't. It just depends on the person. Some ways to prevent this from happening is to take a break from it, or in your free time do things non sports related, so you're not always thinking about it and you're not always with the same people all the time. Sometimes it's not always the sport you get tired of, but the people. 

In sports, it's important to have good team chemistry. It is important for the team to get along so they can play well together, and when they don't it can be frustrating. That is another tough thing about playing sports; getting along with your teammates and how to deal with it if you don't. When people don't get along or if players have bad attitudes it can affect the whole team, even if it is just a couple people from the team because it can make the game not fun to play. 

 

sports are for everyone

I believe anyone should have the chance to play sports. No matter what your talent is, there should never be a restriction on playing a sport. Sports are activities that bring different kinds of people together to start friendships. Its not all about the talents you have or the winning of the games, its about getting people involved in something that is good for the body and social life. Yes there are times and a level where its competitive and where its not all about friendship, but that is not always true.

In high school there is a level that is called Varsity. The Varsity level is for the athletes that are advanced in their skills are competitive at the sport they play. These girls are more likely to have been playing the sport since they were little. These girls don't have to be taught how to play, they already know how to, its just coaching them to become better players at that particular sport. To play at this level you have to know what you are doing, and you can't be out for the sport for fun or to hangout and meet new friends.

Any other level at a high school, people can play and go out for the sport. Doesn't matter what your talents are or the reasoning why you are going out, you just can be going out to meet people. I believe that sports should start to encourage kids with special needs to go out for certain sports and be involved with kids that they see throughout the school day. This could make them feel more appreciated and feel like they are apart of something like every other regular kid. I think this would extremely cool and would have a huge impact on the high school overall. It would show that we are more than just a winning or athletic school, but that we are apart of something bigger than that.

The cost of Club Sports

Club sports are costly for parents. Every sport has a club fee for playing the game. They not only have a fee for playing, but they have to pay for their jerseys, team shoes and socks if the sport team requires that. They also have to pay for every tournament they enter in.

Every tournament has a fee, that the club will pay. It could be $100 to $800. The club then splits the amount among the athletes on the team. The more girls on a team the less the cost is going to be for one player. A volleyball team has up to 8 or 10 girls, they will not carry more than that. A basketball team usually will carry up to 10 players. There are perks to having more people on a team, because the cost will be lower. At the same time having more players on a team could be stressful, because some girls might not get a lot of playing time.

A lot of teams that are good and have players that are going to big places will having matching shoes, socks, and knee pads. Having to buy new apparel can get expensive. If a team is sponsored by a certain company like Nike, then they will have to wear nike things. Say you had mizuno shoes, and under armor knee pads, then that athlete will have to buy new apparel to play for the team.

To play for a team there are tryouts that athletes have to attend to. Tryouts have a cost to them too. Usually tryouts are hosted for a team, 3 or 4 times. They will cost around 60 dollars, but you get to go to every tryout. It isn't just one and done you can go to multiple to show what you got. Now say you didn't make the team, but you gave that club team 60 dollars, that is money that they get for doing nothing for your child. If you make the team, you have more to pay with everything that club requires.

Being fit

Every sport has its on kind of shape. Basketball is sprints going up and down the court multiple times for a certain amount of time. On top of sprinting basketball has defense which is staying in a squat position for awhile and moving side to side. Soccer is a jog sport that once in awhile you have to sprint up the field. Soccer is a sport that you start to sprint and play hard when the soccer ball comes near you. Volleyball is a totally different kind of sport. There is always a dead ball in volleyball for a time to rest. Front row is jumping to block and then running out to get a big transition to be able to jump high and get a kill. Back row is staying in a low squat position the entire time. They are in a base position and then move staying in a squat position to dig the ball from the hitter.

Transition from sport to sport is tough when you aren't in the shape for it. Going from soccer to basketball is not that bad, because you are already used to running constantly even if it is a light jog. Going from volleyball to basketball is extremely tough, because you are not used to a constant sprint. There is a comparison with the position of squatting. There is a constant squat position in the game of volleyball, so being able to play defense is much easier, because you are already used to that position.   

The first couple of weeks of practice when going to a new sport is seriously hell. The coaches work the athletes ass off until their bodies are used to the sport. You feel like you are dying on the inside. Now me, it feels like my mouth fills up with blood and that I'm tasting my own blood, but we all know that isn't true. You dread the first two weeks of practice, because you know you are just going to die. 

crossfit

Today's subject will Crossfit.  Some of you may have heard about it, personally I don't believe in anything that doesn't involve bench press or curls.  A quick Google search when I type "why is crossfit" the first recommendations are "why is crossfit bad for you", "why is crossfit bad for athletes", "why is crossfit bad for bodybuilding", and "why is crossfit dangerous".  Before one of the hippy, incorrect form teachers, and vegans talk you into crossfit let me metaphorically punch them in the face with Bro Science.
To start off, crossfit is a class..... I should just leave it there.  It like riding a train or a bus, everybody is going to the same place and you're not driving.  Crossfit is solely based around light weight Olympic exercises to infinity.  I truly do respect almost all types of fitness but crossfit should be a felony.  There are some crossfit people that are ripped up and jacked but they're on ESPN (Saturday afternoon on ESPN 18) flipping tractor tires, they're the .1%.  That's like joining a church intramural basketball league and hoping to get drafted in the NBA.  Not gonna happen.
The only thing great about crossfit is that you don't have to worry about exercising for a goal because exercise is the goal.  If you're looking to build a physique of greatness, crossfit isn't for you.  Maybe you should try doing some bench or curls or the correct form of a pull up for once.  Its the difference between building a house and being really good at putting nails in a board.
Crossfit is ideal for building cardiovascular endurance, or what i like to call the ability to lose gains.  Crossfit is good for intense athletic training for the professional non-athlete.  Crossfit is good for sports like..... water cooler polo, desk jockey, running your mouth about how awesome crossfit is, and another thing which i probably shouldn't say because it may offend some people then crossfit is for you.  You may ask what sport I do, its called walking around like a beast, live large, die large, leave a giant coffin.
Crossfit is a lifestyle, it starts in a place they call a gym (even though its not because there is no bench press), and ends on your Facebook profile.  With crossfit, now everybody can be elite, its a lot like getting a participation award and being proud of it.
Crossfit places a huge emphasis on form and how you don't need it.  Crossfit takes complicated movements and gets rid of all the useless stuff like effectiveness and safety and replaces it with cool stuff like violence and danger.  Crossfit has revolutionized the fitness industry by teaching people the correct way to do do an incorrect pull up.  My main point here is the keeping pull up (this is an example of a keeping pull up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAZaHzd6qAY) (this is an example of a correct pull up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB7L7XcDArs)  After all these facts, if you are currently doing crossfit I do hope with all my heart that you stop and if you have never done it before i sincerely hope that this has dissuaded you from ever trying it.

joining the gym

So you just joined a new gym and you're about to hit your first workout.  Don't expect to just walk in and jump right into your workout like its your old gym.  You're the new kid on the block and if you don't play your cards right you're going to be that one kid that's always playing 4-square by yourself at recess.  Your first workout is all about posture and trying really hard to look cool without looking like a try hard.  Follow this new gym checklist that is based on scientific facts (broscience) to make sure you'll be sitting with the cool kids.
Number one, make sure your gym doesn't say Planet Fitness or has any association to crossfit.
Number two, score a primo parking spot, this is your grand entrance and you want everyone to see you get all swagged up and take the stage before you get inside and realize you have no idea where you are even at.
Number three, the "I have no idea what I'm doing bicep pump".  This is accomplishes two things, you can scope around the gym without looking like a noob and you can grab a huge bicep pump before you walk around the gym and are judged extremely hard by everybody.
Number four, have a plan.  Don't ever look lost.  If the piece of equipment you plan to use next gets taken, don't panic and most of all don't stand around with your thumb up your butt.  This is the equivalent action to standing in the middle of the lunchroom with your tray in your hands counting how many friends you don't have.  Just jump on the nearest piece of equipment and start pumping out curls.
Number five, find the biggest dude in the gym.
Number six, make sure you're the biggest dude in the gym.  Some say that if you're the most successful person in the room you need to find a new room.  If you're the biggest dude in the room, make it your gym.
Number seven, maintain your hard face through the duration of your workout.  The key to looking cool is looking completely unapproachable like a rabid honey badger.  But when someone starts talking to you, you must become softer than a new born baby lamb.
Number eight, go heavy.  Even though there are no eyes on you and nobody even knows you're there, trust me everyone is looking at you.  You're under a huge microscope right now so give them something big to look at.
Number nine, pinpoint the spot in the gym with the best lighting.  There is one spot in every gym that has lighting like a real life Instagram filter, find this spot and do all of your lifts here.
And finally number ten, do some random show off workouts that have nothing to do with your current workout.  What ever your strongest lift is just drop down and do a set.  If you're hitting back but you can bang out 100's for dumbbell shoulder press go for a couple sets.  If you can hit up muscle ups like its no one's business then what are you waiting for?
And always remember #RepsforJesus

Fans and school Spirit

Fans play a major role in there teams success throughout the season in a major way. They can be like another player in the stands thats how big of a role they play. The student section or fan base of an athletic program causes a lot of pressure on the other team by attempting to get in there heads by being loud an obnoxious in the stands to mess up and get in the heads of the opposing teams.

At my high school we have a very good student section we were so good that we got put in a competition with other student sections from high schools around the United States. We didn't win it but we competed hard and did very good. We are a prime example of how the student section really does help the team perform better our football team is undefeated and is about play in the state championship game.

The student section just part of the team when our team is losing momentum we chant and attempt to get them more momentum and screw the other team up and when they have the momentum of the game we cheer extremely hard and keep it going. Also it can just be really cool to see what the fan base does during the game such as the theme of the game or the colors and patterns they do; and the chants about the other team can also be very creative.

Concussions

Concussions are a huge thing in sports with a lot of contact, a concussion is a brain injury caused by a violent blow or sudden impact to the head by an object. Concussions can cause confusion and drowsiness and sometimes even memory loss. They are very serious things that need to be controlled and watched if you've had them. Studies have shown that when people get multiple serious concussions have brain issues when older or if they just have a bad enough concussion you can have permanent brain damage.

 I think it is very important for kids playing football need to keep track of there concussions and how they are tacking because you do not want to lead with your helmet and spear someone and get hurt. In the long run it is not worth it this your brain the most important thing in your body the thing that causes you to live and function on a daily basis.

In recent years a lot of rules have been put into place on hitting and playing with concussions, such as it is a penalty and fine in the NFL to lead with your head. Many football apparel companies have began to manufacture new helmets with gel and other protective things to help protect your head when following to the ground or getting hit in the head. Another thing is is if you get so many concussions playing your sport doctors and the sport association most likely will not allow you to play the sport. It has become seen as a very huge problem in recent brain studies and retired NFL players now facing brain damage due to there actions in the past.

Kennedy Football

John F Kennedy High School has made school history this year with there football teams performances throughout the whole season. They have never had a perfect season before but they 13-0 right now and the season isn't over they will be playing in the championship game to determine whether or not they our the best team. The team Kennedy will be playing in the championship is Des Moines Dowling Catholic, they our a very good team. The last 2 years before this season they won the championships this is there 3rd year in a town going to it. This year though they are not as good as they used to be because they lost majority of there stars. 

Kennedy high schools football program has never been that outstanding or even looked at as a competitor to a school like Dowling. We have never even made it to a championship before in kennedy history. This could be our year to win it all, the future is looking bright. They are not the only athletic team this year for kennedy to make history, the girls varsity volleyball team did as well going undefeated in there conference play. They made it to state and lost in the first match at state. A key figure to all the athletic teams success this season has been there huge and very loud student section/fan base. We are also known as cougar nation, we hype the team up and always support them and help make an impact on the teams success.