They almost won...........
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
100-0: A GAME OF VICTORY
As everyone should know by now, there was a basketball game in Texas between two small private schools that ended up with a score of 100-0. My first thought when I read the article in the newspaper was, "wow, how bad do you have to be to get that kind of score?" I was thinking more about how terrible the losing team was and didn't give much thought to the team that won. But now the story about the game between Covenant School and Dallas Academy is all over the internet and everyone seems to have an opinion. Every adult that is.
I've read a few articles about the game and still could not figure out why people were bashing the winning team. This is high school basketball, so you shouldn't have to go easy on a team. If Dallas Academy had come to the game prepared and ready to play, than the score wouldn't have happened. They would have at least made a basket. But they weren't prepared, they weren't ready to play the game, and it showed. It's not the winning team's fault, they practiced and they deserve to show the results. They know this isn't YMCA basketball anymore and that they were playing well. They shouldn't have to punish themselves for the fact that the other team can't play.
The coach of the Covenant School was fired recently because he refused to apologize. I couldn't figure out why he needed to apologize, for winning the game? I mean, what would you say in your apology, "I'm sorry our team is so good. Next time we'll just stand there so you can make some baskets". I was in total support of the school until they fired the coach. Now the school was bowed under pressure and is too scared to make the right decisions, they only make the ones that other people think they should make.
The problem is, the people who think they should make the decision of firing the coach and whatever else, don't know the whole story. They know this story, the one with the opinons of parents on the losing team that are passed off as facts and that doesn't give the whole story. They don't give both sides of the story.
"A parent who attended the game said Covenant continued to make 3-pointers -- even in the fourth quarter. She praised the Covenant players but said spectators and an assistant coach were cheering wildly as their team edged closer to 100 points."
This part of the story obviously makes Covenant School look bad, they were shooting 3 pointers at the end. But look closer, this was a parent from the opposite team. There was no facts involved, the media just took the opinion of a losing parent to be the truth.
And what about the cheering? Why wouldn't there be cheering? I went to a middle school that was known for being terrible at sports. When people talk about my middle school and sports, they laugh. We knew we were bad, but we didn't give up. I played soccer in 8th grade to return the favor my friend gave me when she went out for track. The B team, the one I was on, scored one goal the entire season. It was at the very last game and by the way everyone was screaming and jumping up and down, you'd think we had won the game. None of the soccer teams won, but if we scored a goal, it was almost like we had. Later that year, the girl's track team consisted of 8 people. You can make a basketball team with 8 people, but with track you have no chance of winning a meet. We came in last at every single one, except the very last meet (we came in 2nd to last). Yet, when one of the members did well, there was so much screaming going on, more than the teams who won the meet. My sister is now on the basketball team there. Her team recently won their first game. They might actually win another. One of the other basketball teams hasn't won a game. A few weeks ago, they lost a game 72-9. This is middle school basketball. But those girls didn't give up because they have no choice.
Covenant School lost a game 82-6 only four years ago. They struggle to have a winning season. But they were winning the game, by a lot. Why wouldn't they cheer? I can only imagine what it would be like if that happened at my middle school. Parents would be standing up screaming and jumping. It would be like winning a championship game. I don't blame them for cheering. They didn't really have much of a choice though. Were they just supposed to sit there?
Another quote from the article is,
"Dallas Academy has eight girls on its varsity team and about 20 girls in its high school. The team remains winless during the last four seasons. The academy boasts of its small class sizes and specializes in teaching students struggling with "learning differences," such as short attention spans or dyslexia."
Every article I read has mentioned that Dallas Academy had eight players on the team. You only play schools of similar size, so Covenant had to have about the same number of people. Yet none of the articles ever mentions how many people were on the other team. I double checked on the school's roster to make sure, but Covenant School also had eight girls on their team. We seem to have overlooked that fact. In the article written by the winning coach, he mentions that they have had to end with only four people playing because of injuries, absences, and fouls.
It's great that they teach kids who have trouble learning but that should have nothing to do with how either team played. We shouldn't feel bad for the losing kids because they can't learn like others and we shouldn't think the winning team should have gone easier on them because of that. This would be along the lines of discriminating against people with disabilities. And since there is no physical disabilities involved, only a the fact that one team learns differently, there is no reason this should affect the game at all. One girl from the winning school was quoted as saying,
"I have ADD and ADHD. There is nothing that separates me from anyone on the Dallas Academy girls team, so there is nothing that should separate the value of our sides. What we did that night is what we are on this team for: to play basketball and win. As for the media calling our actions “unchristian”, that is very sad. For this team, and our coach are a living testimony. I am not sorry for how we played that night because I know that no harm was intended and I also know no harm occurred. I would hope America was more willing to read the lies in between the lines. The coach is as important to the team as we are—we are with him 100%."
As a high school athlete, I support the winning team. I have seen bad losses before but I still support Convenant School. The coach there sounds like he is very well liked by the team and he should be hired again. The other team was not prepared to play and now they are getting rewarded for that. I'm sure there are teams in every state that suffer these sort of losses all the time but keep playing. They don't give national attention because they don't whine about it. They also don't get Dallas Mavericks tickets. Instead, they practice harder, in a chance to better themselves in their sport. So that they can win like the Covenant School did. There is no reason this game should be forfeited or given all the attention that it has. Dallas Academy needs to find a basketball coach that can coach and the girls on the team need to learn how to play. They also need to know how to prepare for a game and do their best. If their best isn't good enough, they need to learn how to deal with it and not whine. That's how you become better, not just in basketball, but in life. Covenant School has learned this, that's why they are now a good team, because they overcame their losses. A team like this should not be punished but rewarded.
I've read a few articles about the game and still could not figure out why people were bashing the winning team. This is high school basketball, so you shouldn't have to go easy on a team. If Dallas Academy had come to the game prepared and ready to play, than the score wouldn't have happened. They would have at least made a basket. But they weren't prepared, they weren't ready to play the game, and it showed. It's not the winning team's fault, they practiced and they deserve to show the results. They know this isn't YMCA basketball anymore and that they were playing well. They shouldn't have to punish themselves for the fact that the other team can't play.
The coach of the Covenant School was fired recently because he refused to apologize. I couldn't figure out why he needed to apologize, for winning the game? I mean, what would you say in your apology, "I'm sorry our team is so good. Next time we'll just stand there so you can make some baskets". I was in total support of the school until they fired the coach. Now the school was bowed under pressure and is too scared to make the right decisions, they only make the ones that other people think they should make.
The problem is, the people who think they should make the decision of firing the coach and whatever else, don't know the whole story. They know this story, the one with the opinons of parents on the losing team that are passed off as facts and that doesn't give the whole story. They don't give both sides of the story.
"A parent who attended the game said Covenant continued to make 3-pointers -- even in the fourth quarter. She praised the Covenant players but said spectators and an assistant coach were cheering wildly as their team edged closer to 100 points."
This part of the story obviously makes Covenant School look bad, they were shooting 3 pointers at the end. But look closer, this was a parent from the opposite team. There was no facts involved, the media just took the opinion of a losing parent to be the truth.
And what about the cheering? Why wouldn't there be cheering? I went to a middle school that was known for being terrible at sports. When people talk about my middle school and sports, they laugh. We knew we were bad, but we didn't give up. I played soccer in 8th grade to return the favor my friend gave me when she went out for track. The B team, the one I was on, scored one goal the entire season. It was at the very last game and by the way everyone was screaming and jumping up and down, you'd think we had won the game. None of the soccer teams won, but if we scored a goal, it was almost like we had. Later that year, the girl's track team consisted of 8 people. You can make a basketball team with 8 people, but with track you have no chance of winning a meet. We came in last at every single one, except the very last meet (we came in 2nd to last). Yet, when one of the members did well, there was so much screaming going on, more than the teams who won the meet. My sister is now on the basketball team there. Her team recently won their first game. They might actually win another. One of the other basketball teams hasn't won a game. A few weeks ago, they lost a game 72-9. This is middle school basketball. But those girls didn't give up because they have no choice.
Covenant School lost a game 82-6 only four years ago. They struggle to have a winning season. But they were winning the game, by a lot. Why wouldn't they cheer? I can only imagine what it would be like if that happened at my middle school. Parents would be standing up screaming and jumping. It would be like winning a championship game. I don't blame them for cheering. They didn't really have much of a choice though. Were they just supposed to sit there?
Another quote from the article is,
"Dallas Academy has eight girls on its varsity team and about 20 girls in its high school. The team remains winless during the last four seasons. The academy boasts of its small class sizes and specializes in teaching students struggling with "learning differences," such as short attention spans or dyslexia."
Every article I read has mentioned that Dallas Academy had eight players on the team. You only play schools of similar size, so Covenant had to have about the same number of people. Yet none of the articles ever mentions how many people were on the other team. I double checked on the school's roster to make sure, but Covenant School also had eight girls on their team. We seem to have overlooked that fact. In the article written by the winning coach, he mentions that they have had to end with only four people playing because of injuries, absences, and fouls.
It's great that they teach kids who have trouble learning but that should have nothing to do with how either team played. We shouldn't feel bad for the losing kids because they can't learn like others and we shouldn't think the winning team should have gone easier on them because of that. This would be along the lines of discriminating against people with disabilities. And since there is no physical disabilities involved, only a the fact that one team learns differently, there is no reason this should affect the game at all. One girl from the winning school was quoted as saying,
"I have ADD and ADHD. There is nothing that separates me from anyone on the Dallas Academy girls team, so there is nothing that should separate the value of our sides. What we did that night is what we are on this team for: to play basketball and win. As for the media calling our actions “unchristian”, that is very sad. For this team, and our coach are a living testimony. I am not sorry for how we played that night because I know that no harm was intended and I also know no harm occurred. I would hope America was more willing to read the lies in between the lines. The coach is as important to the team as we are—we are with him 100%."
As a high school athlete, I support the winning team. I have seen bad losses before but I still support Convenant School. The coach there sounds like he is very well liked by the team and he should be hired again. The other team was not prepared to play and now they are getting rewarded for that. I'm sure there are teams in every state that suffer these sort of losses all the time but keep playing. They don't give national attention because they don't whine about it. They also don't get Dallas Mavericks tickets. Instead, they practice harder, in a chance to better themselves in their sport. So that they can win like the Covenant School did. There is no reason this game should be forfeited or given all the attention that it has. Dallas Academy needs to find a basketball coach that can coach and the girls on the team need to learn how to play. They also need to know how to prepare for a game and do their best. If their best isn't good enough, they need to learn how to deal with it and not whine. That's how you become better, not just in basketball, but in life. Covenant School has learned this, that's why they are now a good team, because they overcame their losses. A team like this should not be punished but rewarded.
Monday, January 12, 2009
EARLY OUT
Today after they announced school was getting out early and everyone erupted in cheers, they started making the obligatory weather related sports announcements. That meant that in almost every class I went to, there were various people complaining that their sport's practices were still on. What a bunch of lazy bums.
I guess I can kind of identify how they feel. I've been through too many announcements that come on and say "basically every sport is canceled except for track" or "all sports are canceled or indoors but long distance runners you still have to run outside". These announcements are terrible so once track starts, half days kind of lose their appeal. But these announcements also allow me to feel even more superior over other sports because weather doesn't stop us.
This superiority often makes me ridicule others when they complain. But some of my scorn is justified. The swimmers are complaining about practice- which is indoors. Basketball practices- indoors. Wrestling- also indoors. There are no sports that have their season during the winter that practice outdoors. Yet they complain when I know that regardless of the weather I will run outside. There's a reason we got out early, blizzard warnings, blowing snow including the three inches that was on the ground while I ran, plus it was cold outside. All those people complaining get to be inside so why are they complaining?
It was a warm 26 degrees when I ran today and not as windy as it has been. Sure, those 5.65 miles were incredibly slow because there was snow on the sidewalks and streets that made it hard to run on. Then there was the problem of the snow blowing into my face on the way back to my house. My long sleeve shirt was soaked and covered in snow. The snow had also covered my knee socks making my running tights underneath them, very wet. The worst part of the snow wasn't the fact that it stung my cheeks and made me cold, it was that it was freezing on my eyelashes, headband, and hair. I was constantly having to wipe off my face to see. And with the low visibility, that didn't help.
Running in the snow is, of course, magical at times, but not as much today. I was pretty focused on getting my run done so I could get warm and eat lunch (at 2:50) than noticing the quiet, snow globe like feel. I was trying to go faster too, but that wasn't working out as well. Overall, it wasn't a terrible run, just really hard. It's almost making me look forward to single digit temperatures.
I guess I can kind of identify how they feel. I've been through too many announcements that come on and say "basically every sport is canceled except for track" or "all sports are canceled or indoors but long distance runners you still have to run outside". These announcements are terrible so once track starts, half days kind of lose their appeal. But these announcements also allow me to feel even more superior over other sports because weather doesn't stop us.
This superiority often makes me ridicule others when they complain. But some of my scorn is justified. The swimmers are complaining about practice- which is indoors. Basketball practices- indoors. Wrestling- also indoors. There are no sports that have their season during the winter that practice outdoors. Yet they complain when I know that regardless of the weather I will run outside. There's a reason we got out early, blizzard warnings, blowing snow including the three inches that was on the ground while I ran, plus it was cold outside. All those people complaining get to be inside so why are they complaining?
It was a warm 26 degrees when I ran today and not as windy as it has been. Sure, those 5.65 miles were incredibly slow because there was snow on the sidewalks and streets that made it hard to run on. Then there was the problem of the snow blowing into my face on the way back to my house. My long sleeve shirt was soaked and covered in snow. The snow had also covered my knee socks making my running tights underneath them, very wet. The worst part of the snow wasn't the fact that it stung my cheeks and made me cold, it was that it was freezing on my eyelashes, headband, and hair. I was constantly having to wipe off my face to see. And with the low visibility, that didn't help.
Running in the snow is, of course, magical at times, but not as much today. I was pretty focused on getting my run done so I could get warm and eat lunch (at 2:50) than noticing the quiet, snow globe like feel. I was trying to go faster too, but that wasn't working out as well. Overall, it wasn't a terrible run, just really hard. It's almost making me look forward to single digit temperatures.
Friday, December 12, 2008
THE OVERLOOKED SPORT
I am willing to overlook the lack of people at our xc meets and the lack of support we get at school. I ignore the fact that there is almost no one running xc and that there are more girl's bowlers than xc runners. I, usually, deal with the fact that not many people care about my sport. Sometimes it gets to be a little too much.
At the pep assembly today, which are important for that fact that they eliminate 10 minutes off of each class, the AD started to announce "the achievements of the fall sports teams". He talks about how wonderful the football team is, girl's swimming, golf, volleyball......I thought they'd stick xc in the middle since we didn't go to state but at this point I realized we'd be at the end. Except then he talks about how our school received the sportsmanship trophy because of football and volleyball (what an honor). The football team didn't even officially get to state. They even talked about the dance team more than us. I don't even consider that a sport and I've taken 12 years of dance. Maybe if the routines were more advance than ones I could do 4 years ago it could graduate to a sport level.
Apparently the xc team didn't achieve anything in our season. Sure, we weren't super amazing, but we didn't place last at our meets. We put more time and effort into our sport than probably most of the other sports. Nobody else woke up at 6 in the summer to run before it got to be 90 degrees. They didn't practice in thunderstorms or with lightning flashing over them. They didn't run up hills that have been described as "giant" or that are popular for sledding. Other sports might practice when it is hot out, but they have something called drink breaks. We don't have those in xc.
At practice in August one day, we had to run for 42 minutes with more than 30 minutes of that sprinting, around a track in about 90 degree weather. There was two big gatorade coolers sitting by the football field that allowed the players to get drinks. I had to pass those coolers every single lap and imagine how wonderful a drink would feel. For 42 minutes without shade I looked at those coolers that held ice cold liquid. So when the football player who had just gotten a drink out of a hose cut in front of me on the track and said "I wish we could have practices like that, all they do is jog", I lost respect for other sports. We had been running for more than 20 minutes before he started his practice and there's no way he could've RUN our practice.
During the summer I would sometimes have to run at 9:00 at night so it would get down to 85 degrees. I went through countless amounts of ice throughout the season to make sure I could stumble through practice the next day. I ran a meet where I actually had to numb my leg with ice before hand so I could run. I put up with terrible repetitive sprint practices at Vito's, where I refuse to eat because those practices have ruined it for me.
True, there are fun parts or else nobody would join xc. But to overlook us in achieving something is not fair. I achieved so much in xc this season. I ran 10 miles. I PRed in basically every distance and can run 5 miles with under an 8 minute pace. I ran 7 miles in under an hour, when last season it took me 10 minutes longer. I PRed in my xc race by almost 30 seconds for a time of 16:24. I achieved something in xc. My team achieved something this season. Apparently no one cares.
At the pep assembly today, which are important for that fact that they eliminate 10 minutes off of each class, the AD started to announce "the achievements of the fall sports teams". He talks about how wonderful the football team is, girl's swimming, golf, volleyball......I thought they'd stick xc in the middle since we didn't go to state but at this point I realized we'd be at the end. Except then he talks about how our school received the sportsmanship trophy because of football and volleyball (what an honor). The football team didn't even officially get to state. They even talked about the dance team more than us. I don't even consider that a sport and I've taken 12 years of dance. Maybe if the routines were more advance than ones I could do 4 years ago it could graduate to a sport level.
Apparently the xc team didn't achieve anything in our season. Sure, we weren't super amazing, but we didn't place last at our meets. We put more time and effort into our sport than probably most of the other sports. Nobody else woke up at 6 in the summer to run before it got to be 90 degrees. They didn't practice in thunderstorms or with lightning flashing over them. They didn't run up hills that have been described as "giant" or that are popular for sledding. Other sports might practice when it is hot out, but they have something called drink breaks. We don't have those in xc.
At practice in August one day, we had to run for 42 minutes with more than 30 minutes of that sprinting, around a track in about 90 degree weather. There was two big gatorade coolers sitting by the football field that allowed the players to get drinks. I had to pass those coolers every single lap and imagine how wonderful a drink would feel. For 42 minutes without shade I looked at those coolers that held ice cold liquid. So when the football player who had just gotten a drink out of a hose cut in front of me on the track and said "I wish we could have practices like that, all they do is jog", I lost respect for other sports. We had been running for more than 20 minutes before he started his practice and there's no way he could've RUN our practice.
During the summer I would sometimes have to run at 9:00 at night so it would get down to 85 degrees. I went through countless amounts of ice throughout the season to make sure I could stumble through practice the next day. I ran a meet where I actually had to numb my leg with ice before hand so I could run. I put up with terrible repetitive sprint practices at Vito's, where I refuse to eat because those practices have ruined it for me.
True, there are fun parts or else nobody would join xc. But to overlook us in achieving something is not fair. I achieved so much in xc this season. I ran 10 miles. I PRed in basically every distance and can run 5 miles with under an 8 minute pace. I ran 7 miles in under an hour, when last season it took me 10 minutes longer. I PRed in my xc race by almost 30 seconds for a time of 16:24. I achieved something in xc. My team achieved something this season. Apparently no one cares.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
WHY I RUN
I have been waiting a long time (as in since October when I last had one of those days) to know the answer to this question and today I figured it out. Yesterday I was asking myself why couldn't I have played a sport with a ball that can be played indoors. Why didn't I take up volleyball, bowling, soccer, or basketball? Why, of all sports, did I have to run? Why do I run? Today I know the answer.
I run because of days like today, where you feel you can go on for forever. I was going to force myself to do 3 but instead I ran 7. Seven whole miles just because I felt like it. It was one of those days you don't want to stop. The days that happen when I allow myself to forget the soreness in my legs, forget the wind and cold, forget everything but running. I forget that I am required to run, that without these runs I won't be able to have more good runs. Instead I focus on the moment, my run, and it no longer is work. It becomes fun and turns into a passion.
I run because I am dedicated. Why else did I run seven miles when it is 17 degrees outside not factoring in the wind chill. When the people don't even bother shoveling their snow for thirty minutes. Days when all you want to do is snuggle under the covers instead of running. But you do it anyways. And sometimes, every once in awhile it doesn't feel like a chore. You are able to enjoy the cold because you know that the people in the cars can only wish to be as dedicated as you. That they might look at you and think you are crazy but deep down they think that being able to do that is amazing. No one else is outside but you, no one bothers to do anything except you which is what makes me dedicated. Running is dedication.
I run because of days like today, where you feel you can go on for forever. I was going to force myself to do 3 but instead I ran 7. Seven whole miles just because I felt like it. It was one of those days you don't want to stop. The days that happen when I allow myself to forget the soreness in my legs, forget the wind and cold, forget everything but running. I forget that I am required to run, that without these runs I won't be able to have more good runs. Instead I focus on the moment, my run, and it no longer is work. It becomes fun and turns into a passion.
I run because I am dedicated. Why else did I run seven miles when it is 17 degrees outside not factoring in the wind chill. When the people don't even bother shoveling their snow for thirty minutes. Days when all you want to do is snuggle under the covers instead of running. But you do it anyways. And sometimes, every once in awhile it doesn't feel like a chore. You are able to enjoy the cold because you know that the people in the cars can only wish to be as dedicated as you. That they might look at you and think you are crazy but deep down they think that being able to do that is amazing. No one else is outside but you, no one bothers to do anything except you which is what makes me dedicated. Running is dedication.
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