Coaches questionable behavior

In one of my classes we were talking about abuses that coaches can do to their players. Sometimes coaches have questionable behaviors when theironly concern is winning. A coach in Texas had football practice in 95 degree heat, with more than 90% humidity. You can only imagine how hot that actually is. One of his players only a little boy died of heat exhaustion. What coach in their right mind would even attmept to have practice in weather like that?
Also we talked about a story where coaches would stick players in a cage that are having problems and let them "settle their problems." This storymade my mouth literally drop. I didn't even know ow to respond to something like that. Of course when the school got wind of this the staff was let go.
How could coaches that act like this even be hired. Now there is a mandated background check on people who want to be hired as coaches. I think that is certainly needed. These stories just blew my mind. I know this is not on topic with exactly what my blog is about, but I thought that this needed to be addressed, because this jus amazed me.
Has anyone had a coach that winning was everything and the most important thing, even at the expense of his/her team?

Fans of men and women's sports

Fans are a very important aspect to sports today. Teams need fans and the money they spend at their events to keep going. But men and women's sports are treated differently. Fans always seem to go to men's sports like basketball and baseball over a women's basketball game. Granted there is not that many women's leagues to go to, but what is so much more interesting about guy's sports over women's sports? It could be the intensity and the speed of the game or also the fans can make a big difference. I have been to WNBA games and the fans get into the game but no where close to the insane behavior and the intensity of the fans at a men's game. Women's sports seem to be much more about the skill and teamwork of the players and the team as a whole. Today in society it is all about the slam dunks and the action. The one on one playing and the athleticism of each player individually and guys play up to that level. Don't get me wrong I get into the action of men's games and even join in on the craziness of each of the fans. I just always wondered why people don't seem to get into women's sports, even girls.

Lambert and Williams

Everyone has heard about the stories of Lambert violent behavior, and Serena'sthreatening lines toward the line judge at the US Open. Both of these stories shined a negtive light onfemale athletes. But I heard worse comments about Serena's story ove Lobo's.
When it came to Serena Williams and the comments she made, people said things like "I can't believe she would lose her temper like that. She should be able to control her emotions." Her fans and sports fans in general are disgusted by her behavior. Serena is an adult she should be able to control her emotions, and have responsibility for her actions. At the same time she is an athlete and she got angry like any passionate athlete would in a big game.
Elizabeth Lambert lost control at her soccer tournament in a game. She played very violently, even brought it to pulling a player downto the ground by her ponytail. She also tripped a girl right in front of one of her players clearing the ball and that caused the girl to get kicked square in the face with the ball. Lambert aso piunched another player in the back for absolutely no reason. A lot of people were surprised at the behavior that Lambert displayed during this game. Most people were surprised because female athletes are not supposed to behave like that. Lambert even said in an interview, "I let the intensity of the game get to me." I'm sorry but you pulling a girl to the ground b her ponytail is not because of the intensity of the game. I can not begin to explain why she did what she did, but people made a bigger deal out of Serena's over reaction than Lambert's actions.
They are both athletes and they both lost control. With the reactions from the fans it seems like people think Serena's story is worse. What do you guys think about each of these athletes story?

Football or Rugby

Everyone seems to be talking about the popularity of American football and how it has overtaken baseball as the new American past time. In not only this class have we read that article in Sports Talk, but in my EXS 197 class we have talked about it as well. I still think America will always be represented as the American sport no matter how popular football becomes. But what about in other countries? Football is not really all that popular no matter how much American tend to think it is. No, in other countries they have something like football. Rugby! It is a game with many similartities to the game of American football, and many tend to think that is where the origins for American football started.
Boys tend to start playing football from when they are younger until they reach high school. If they are good sometimes they go on to play in higher education and even the pros. Football is usually the sport to get the most support in high schools, and the kids on the team always seem to be the top of the school. What is so appealing about wearing pounds and pounds of gear, and playing a game with constant stopping after every play? Also why is it that only boys play football? There is not even a girls football league. I remember a girl in my high school had to sue our administration just to get on the team because the coach would not let her play. She won the case, but the coach never put her in. Girls always seem to be underestimated for their sports skills when it comes to "men's sports."
There is also no professional women's rugby team, but they do have club rugby teams in college, and they are starting to have them in high school. The violent game of no pads, full contact and forty minute halves with no times outs. The intensity is so much higher than that of a game of football. Girls atleast have a chance to play on club teams in school and are treated the same as the boys. The same rules are applied to both genders game.
Do you guys think that any guy who plays American football would ever step on to a rugby pitch? Or would women playing rugby finally be able to be looked at as an equal to the guys?

The land of tough guys and lesbians

Sports are a very important aspect of an anthletes' life. They could be the deciding factor of someone going to college, or just to help a player not go crazy from their busy schedules of work and school. However, is it really worth it to play sports if an athlete is going to be labeled for the game they play?
The dumb jock perspective is always the first thought that comes to mind when thinking of male athletes. In movies that is all that is shown. The jock in high school is always good looking, plays the most important position, gets all the girls, but is dumb as a brick. In college and high school today that is not always true. Actually, athletes often times have to do better in school to stay on the team. There is a minimum GPA an athlete needs to play sports, and if they do not keep up their grades they will be kicked off the team. Guy athletes are always the top in school. Very often they get big heads just from being an athlete, but if their team is doing well you better watch out because their egos will be so big they will have to catch up to it from down the hall. In college athletics is important. It could be the deciding factor when picking a school, or watching sports. It is hard to keep up grades as an athlete because it is very common to have to miss class for games. Guy athletes are not always the dumb jock persona that is shown in Hollywood. They are not always the toughest guys, or the big bullies.
Women athletes today are stereotyped for anything they do. If they play softball, basketball, or rugby they are automaticall lesbian. Oh, and if they are a physical education majors, FORGET ABOUT IT!! Probably the biggest dykes you will ever meet. Out of all the stereotypes I have heard about women athletes not one of them is true. Yes, some girls do fit into some of the stereotypes for girls playing sports, but not every girl is going to be a big tough lesbian. Girls who play sports need to keep up their grades to stay on the team and pass their classes. They have to stay in shape for their seasons. They also have to be able to have a social life. Going to Cortland, a majority of people as Phys Ed majors, when you see a girl in sweats and a short sleeve shirt, what is the first thing that pops into your head? Either she is a Phys Ed major, she is an athlete, or she is gay. Why can't that girl who wore sweatpants just simply not have felt like getting dressed.
Making judgments towards people happens everyday. Everyone does it. Even athletes do it towards other athletes, male and female. Think before passing judgements. Being on a team is hard work, without all the stereotypes already included that come along with sports.

The shot heard around the world

I' m not sure if anyone would really hear about this moment in college softball unless they actually are interested and watched it. Central Washington and Western Oregon were playing each other at Washington's home field. This was not a very popular game to watch, but it turned into one of the greatest moments in sportsmanship history ever seen. Sarah Tucholsky a player on Western Oregon ended her softball career that day. She had never hit a homerun in her entire softball career, and in that game she hit her first homerun. In the second inning, she steps up to the plate and hits a ball clear over the center field fence. That was probably the highlight of her career. Her teammates came running towards homeplate to wait for her to celebrate. As the runners round the bases and reach home, everyone wonders where Sarah was.
In the midst of Sarah's excitement she missed first base. She turned around to go back to touch it, and collapsed to the ground. She crawled back to first base in extreme pain. It turns out she tore her ACL. The first base coach told her she either has to get up and try to round the bases, or they could put a pinch runner in for her. Putting a pinch runner in would only let the home run count as a single. Her teammates could not help her up or else she would be called out. Mallory Holtmann, a player from Central Washington had an idea. Mallory has more homeruns than anyone in conference history. Liz Wallace and Mallory pick up Sarah and carry her around to each of the bases so she can touch them and complete her homerun.
If that isn't sportsmanship I don't know what is. Two players on the opposing team helping an injured player achieve their goal. That was something no one would ever even dream of seeing in their lives. That moment in sports won an ESPY in 2008 for great sportsmanship. It turns out that the ruling is that you can put a pich runner in for an injured player who has hit a homerun. That was the last at bat of Tucholsky's career, and ti was a very emotional at bat. It had to be one of the most amazing moments in sports I have ever witnessed.
Now, girls and guys games are played very differently. girls do play just as agressively and competitively as men. Women's sports are more played by the rules, and less lenient to things we can do in a game. Mens' sports have turned into a game of athleticism. It has turned into a game of one - on - one, and who can show off their skills better. No offense guys, but do you ever think that you would see something like that in a guys game of baseball. I agree that women should be able to play along to the same rules as men, and women's games should be allowed to have the same level of agressiveness. However, girls have more sportsmanship hands down. I am not saying guys don't have sportsmanship, but when it comes down to it, in a game sportsmanship is not brought out in guys.

If you have not seen this video type Sara Tucholsky in at Youtube. It is a very touching video!

Lacrosse Rules

The sport of lacrosse was invented a long time ago, by the Native Americans and was originally called bagadaway. That is originally translated to mean "game of ball and stick." It was played among long distances, not just on a field. It was played between towns not two teams, and as many players that wanted to play could just join in the game. More presently in time, that game of lacrosse is growing in popularity among both men and women in both high school and collegiate athletics. It is a very action packed game for both sides, and can be very exciting for a spectator to watch as well.
There are two halves that last twenty five minutes each, but that is mainly the only similarity between the boys and girls forms of lacrosse. In girls lacrosse, the only player that wears padding is the goalie who has padded shorts a chest pad goggles and a bigger stick than any of the other players. All the field players only wear goggles, and have the same size stick unlike in the boys leagues. Girls are not allowed to make contact with other players, if they want to try and get the ball away from their oppponent they can only try to block their opponents with their sticks and they can also try to hit their stick as well.
The boys play very differently. Before a game boys change into shoulder and chest pads, padded shorts and full head helmets. The defenders have the biggest sticks out of anyone on the field so they can block players that are farther away. Because of all the padding that all the boys have to wear the game is much more violent. Boys are allowed to hit, and knock into players to get the ball away from them. Lacrosse seems like a different version of football when watcing it being played.
Meetings have been held in past years about letting girls hit and just making them wear more padding, but all the comittee members have said no. Girls are still not allowed to hit, although it does happen on occasion.
If I played lacrosse I would be rather upset that the boys have such different rules when they play their game. Sometimes in games, teams do play dirty and girls will make contact with another player, and since it is against the rules the opponent has to just as sneakily try and get back at them. I don't think it should be such a big deal to let girls hit. I know sometimes girls can take getting hit personally but in sports things happen. If you get hit, you get hit it is part of the game. Things happen. If girls could just learn to not take things so personally on the field maybe the rules could be changed. What do you think? Do you think the rules should be changed, or should boys and girls lacrosse stay with the seperate rules?

Male or Female? World Record runner's gender questioned...

Imagine being able to run fast enough to break a world record, or just fast enough to be able to compete in the Olympics at all. Caster Semenya was able to do both of those things. Semenya is an 18 year old runner from South Africa, who blew everyone away in Berlin at the World Track and Field Championships in August. She won the 800 meter race by a wide margin of over 2 seconds, with a time of 1 minute and 55:45 seconds. Once she came into the Olympic track scene, people started to question her gender. It wasn't until after she won Worlds and set that unbelievable record that she was subjected to taking the gender tests. "The gender test, which requires a physical medical evaluation, and includes reports from a gynecologist, endocrineologist, psychologist an internal medicine specialist and an expert on gender." (http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/32477147/ns/sports-olympic_sports//) That is a lot of tests for an 18 year old to be subjected to, and not to mention the fact that they didn't tell her the reason for all of this testing. Semenya found out through the media. The only reason Semenya could be built like that -unless the tests prove she actually is indeed a man - is because of a condition called Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia. This is an endocrine disorder where the adrenal glands produce abnormally high levels of hormones, meaning that she could have unusally high amounts of testosterone produced in her body, and still be considered a woman.
Hearing about this did bother me a great amount, because the only reason they are subjecting her to these tests is because of the way she looks, and because she broke a world record. If she looked a little more feminine, or she was an average runner these tests wouldn't be going on. It was said in the article that people were questioning her gender from the time she came into the Olympic scene, but would it really matter to anyone if she wasn't as good of a runner. Caster is 18 and a great athlete. She trains hard just like any other person would have to, but now just because of the way she looks her hard work and dedication is being questioned.

Physical abilities of basketball players

In basketball, not many rules differ between girls' and boys' leagues. However, there are many noticeable differences between the level of respect that is shown towards the players, the expectations of the coaches, and the outlook that the athletes have toward their own teammates.

Boys basketball is highly recognized. Have you ever been to a girls game? In high school, the bleachers are filled with screaming fans during boys' games, yet scattered with a few supportive parents during girls' games. Everyone must pay a few dollars to be admitted to boys' games, and everyone does, but many people won't attend a girls' game unless it is free, which most are at the high school level, because they have few fans that girls' basketball manages to salvage. Even in the professional leagues, the NBA is massively more popular, while the WNBA grasps mild success with the tips of their fingers. In fact, many of the fans at WNBA games are simply NBA players who wish to sit back and relax during their off season. In one of my classes we talked about girls' versus boys' basketball, and the popularity of each. My class came to the conclusion that if a man had the oppritunity of tickets to the worst NBA team in the league or WNBA championship tickets, they would most likely pick the NBA game for the sole fact that guys are playing. It is safe to say that the most popular women's basketball is that of the collegiate level, although still nowhere near as widely publicized as men's.

Do you watch basketball? Have you ever watched a male play and question their physical abilities? Probably not, because you can most likely see that their coach helps them with strength training when their muscles pop out with every step that they take. But if you see the same physical characteristics in a female player, it is an oddity. A friend of mine who plays high school basketball becomes agitated at these differences. Her coach periodically tests the team members to see if they can do 10 pushups, something that half of the team cannot accomplish. As someone who is physically capable of more than 10 times this feat, she feels insulted at the expectations of her coaches. If a boy can't do 10 pushups, he is probably 6 years old. All in all, girls should be given the same amount of respect as boys are given from their coaches. Yes, boys are physically bigger, faster, and stronger, but if they can run, we can run, and our coaches should recognize this.

Notoriously, girls are stereotyped as caddy individuals. This comes to mind in basketball, when a teammate is trapped and nobody runs to an open area to help. Often times, girls fight with each other at practice for such reasons as "I'm having a bad day," "she pushed me really hard," or "I have my period." Besides the fact that boys don't have periods, they simply play the game. If they get pushed, they get pushed and if they are having a bad day, they do what they have to do and hope that tomorrow is better. When their teammate is trapped, they think, "Hey! That's my boy. I gotta go help him!" and run to an area where his teammate will be able to pass him the ball.

To have any type of equality between male and female sports, or anything close to equality, people need to start respecting females' athletic ability, drive, and talent as much as they do males'. However, to accomplish this, female athletes need to start respecting themselves as players and as people. If we work hard, our coaches will realize that we are physically capable of competing with boys, and even if we lose, we can say that we tried out hardest, and hopefully, someday, fans will respect us also.

Women are too delicate?

The differences from rules to customs in male and female sports are infinite. From high school to the professional level woman and men have always differed in athletics. Men are clearly stronger than women and thought to be better suited to handle sports. In history women were thought to be solely the caretakers of their husbands and other men in the family; even in athletics women are still looked upon as fragile and delicate, and respectful towards their opponents and coaches. In physical sport, like lacrosse, women are not allowed to hit or check their opponents even though the rules in boys lacrosse say the opposite. Women who participate in sports are just not looked at to be as strong as boys or as tough to be able to handle the physical activity that comes with the territory.