SportsXtreme

Xtreme

Sports Summer 2010

What can Brown do for You? Level Up BCS or BS?

The Whole World [Cup] is in our [Fan’s] Hands

By Jacob C.

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SP0RTS NUMBERS 98 days until the official start of the 2010 NFL season

9 days until the start of the 2010 FIFA World CUP

Sports

The All-Star Lineup 

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The Hardworking Post Player Kevin Luo

Boston Celtics Favorite Sport- Swimming Favorite Athlete- Michael Phelps Best Event Ever Watched- 400 Freestyle Relay 2008 Summer Olympics

The Accurate 3 Point Shooter Matias Kalaswad

30 days the World Cup will last

San Antonio Spurs Favorite Sport- Soccer Favorite Athlete- Lionel Messi Best Event Ever Watched- Argentina vs Brazil

64 games that will be played in the World CUp

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Summer 2010

The Agressive Point Guard Jacob Cantu

Orlando Magic Favorite Sport- Soccer Favorite Athlete- Steve Nash Best Event Ever Watched- 2005 College Football National Championship Texas vs USC

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Summer 2010

The Ranks 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP

World Cup Groups, Brackets and Polls

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Departments 1 2 3 4 5 7

All-Star Lineup

9 11 12 13 17 19

Coaching

The Ranks Play-By-Play Swimming NFL Sports Tally Who’s Got Green?

Home Field World Cup 2010 Tennis College Football

Baseball

Barry Bonds Bonds continues abusing the rules and punishments are being dealt By Kevin L.

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Pro Football

NFL Overtime After years of sudden-death overtimes, the NFL considers alternatives By Matias K.

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Soccer

2010 World Cup The spirit of the game and its impact on its fans By Jacob C.

The FIFA 2010 World Cup starts June 11th in South Africa SportsXtreme

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Play-by-Play

by Jacob C.

Nashed Up

Steve Nash is arguably the toughest player in the National Basketball League. In the playoffs he has already been elbowed in the face three times resulting in a busted nose, a broken nose, and a huge bruise above his eye. His determination to win has helped the Phoenix Suns make to their fisrt western conference finals since 2006, which included a 4 game sweep o fthe San Antonio Spurs, a team the lost to the

“This is the second year we have held the Spain vs France soccer game here at LASA. It represents the battle between the Spanish and the French in the battle of Puebla in 1862.”

Señora Hernandez, LASA/LBJ Spanish Teacher

The Spanish vs French game has been played for the past two years now. It is played between the LASA spanish classes and the french classes, around the fifth of May. It is the first part of the spanish classes Cinco De Mayo, which is followed by a small fiesta the next day.

USA! USA! USA?

The United States men’s national soccer team will participating in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. However, many analysts and diehard fans don’t know what to expect from the team. The question is, which side will show up? The team that upset Spain in the 2009 Confederations Cup and took a 2-0 lead on Brazil or the team that broke down and lost 3-2 in the same game against Brazil?

Only time will tell, but an early match-up against England will be a good test for them.

The Mile High Messiah

was the new nickname given to first-round NFL draft pick Tim Tebow by the fans. Tebow, a former Florida Gator and Heisman trophy winner, was projected by many analysts to be

taken somewhere between the mid- second-round to as far as the late fourth-round.

However, the very faith-driven rookie, will be challenged in team mini-camps because he is in a three-way competition.

Already waiting in Denver are the two other quaterbakcs who will be competing for the team’s starting spot, Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn. The rest of the veterans on the team will also be waiting to see what Tebow can play like and if he will live up to the hype.

national team in the 2008 Summer Olympics and won a gold medal there. Other free agents that played in the Olympics for their country include Dirk Nowitzki, Yao Ming, and Manu Ginobli.

There are another seven NBA All-Stars that will be free agents which means a lot of teams will be looking to make big additions to their teams or keep their stars. Some teams, like the New Jersey Nets, have been making changes recently that will open up cap salary room for multiple stars. They had to do this because of the limit of money a team can play its players. Will teams like this be able to attract big stars like James or Wade? We don’t know yet, but this upcoming off season should be very exciting and eventful.

last three times they played in the playoffs. The question everyone wants to know though is, Will all this pay off? The Suns still have to get through the Los Angeles Lakers to make it to the NBA Finals, and even if they do make it they will have to play either the Boston Celtics or the Orlando Magic, two physical Teams.

NBA Free Agents

This offseason in the National Basketball League (NBA) big stars will be free agents unless their teams can manage to resign them. Some of these stars will be LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and Michael Redd, all players who played for the USA men’s

Crazy News

A 21 year-old man from NEw Jersey plead guilty to vomiting on a another man and his 11 year-old daughter at a Phillies game.

For more information you can visit our blog or join our group on facebook. You can check out our new podcast at www.sportsxtreme13@blogspot.com

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Swimming

Swimming for Life Grab your goggles and swim suit, and get ready to dive in By Kevin L.

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vascular workout, strengthens the lungs, and promotes weight loss through the formation of lean muscle groups.Maybe you are a runner, training on a regular basis, and want to find an activity that keeps your heart rate up but takes some of the impact stress off of your body. Perhaps you have been doing some other form of land exercise, andnow an injury prevents you from putting

weight on a knee or ankle. Swimming can help you. Kicking workouts, water aerobics, pool running, or a regular swimming workout can all give you a great exercise session with out the weight of your body pounding you with each move. Regular swimming builds endurance, muscle strength and cardio-vascular fitness.

It can serve as a crosstraining element to

cooling effects of being in the water. While you do use a lot of calories swimming, once you get out of the pool much of that calorie burning stops.

Doing land based exercise like running or cycling may not use up the same amount of calories per hour as swimming, but once you stop exercising the land-based workout usually leads to continued increase in calorie use for as long as 18 hours after the workout. Why? Because when you are in the pool you don’t heat up as much as you do on land, and your body does not have to work to cool you down as much once the exercise session concludes.

Swimming does exercise almost the entire body - heart, lungs, and muscles - with very little joint strain. It is great for general fitness, just not a great way to drop excess pounds. Swimming is a form of endurance training that easily elevates the heart rate and stimulates the circulation. While swimming, all muscle groups are worked simultaneously, providing a challenging total body workout. As endurance is built up over time, workouts will become easier. Workout length or intensity can then be increased to promote further cardiovascular strengthening. X

Summer 2010

Sports Xtreme

Top, Amad AL-Saif; Bottom, Jonne Roriz

wimming is an excellent choice for exercise any time of the year, but becomes especially popular during the warm summer months. People of all ages can enjoy swimming as a workout because it is such a low impact sport and therefore protects joints from damage.

The health benefits that can be gained from swimming are endless. Swimming is an excellent cardio-

your regular workouts. Before a land workout, you can use the pool for a warm-up session. Swimming with increasing effort to gradually increase your heart rate and stimulate your muscle activity is easily accomplished in the water. After a land workout, swimming a few laps can help you cooldown, move blood through your muscles to help them recover, and help you relax as you glide through the water.

Spending time in a group workout, whether water aerobics or a master’s swim practice, is a great social outlet. Exchanging stories, challenging each other, and sharing in the hard work make swimming with others a rewarding experience.

There are other psychological benefits to swimming, if you allow it to occur. Relax and swim with a very low effort.

Let your mind wander, focusing on nothing but the rhythm of your stroke. This form of meditation can help you gain a feeling of well-being, leaving your water session refreshed and ready to go on with the rest of your day. Many swimmers find an in-direct benefit form swimming. They develop life skills such as sportsmanship, time-management, self-discipline, goal-setting, and an increased sense of selfworth through their participation in the sport. Swimmers seem to do better in school, in general terms, than nonswimmers as a group One thing swimming is not good for is losing a lot of weight.

Swimming is not the best way to lose weight because of the

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Ping PonG The official rules to Ping Pong, otherwise known as table tennis, are internationally recognized and easy to learn. Rules of play rely on standard equipment, serving, scoring, and illegal moves. The basic equipment is two paddles, a smooth netted table, and regulation Ping Pong balls.

Ping Pong rules begin with having a level table equipped with a short net across the center. For singles games, the white lines on the table do not mean anything. In doubles, one must serve diagonally from right to left.

Paddles have rubber mats; sandpaper surfaces are not permitted. A game is won when one player reaches 11 points, as long as they are ahead by two points. Several games in a row can create a match, such that the champion wins the most out of an odd number of games, such as 4 out of 7. You switch sides between each game of a match.

It’s Over, Time

You win some, you lose some. In the NFL, overtime wins and losses may be tainted BY MATIAS K.

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rett Favre stands in the middle of the field, anxiously awaiting the coin toss. The coin is flipped and the New Orleans Saints choose to receive the ball first. Favre watches his team’s defense crumble as the Saint’s offense inches closer towards the end zone. He can only hope against all odds that he will be able to get his hands on the ball before the game is over. Now within field goal range, the Saints bring out their kicker, Garett Hartley. As Hartley punched it through the uprights of the Metrodome, Favre watched his chances of winning another Super Bowl fly by right before him.

This is the case for the majority of overtime games played; the team who receives the ball first in overtime has

an easier chance to win. True, the overtime rule saves time but it is driven by money, not the game’s best interests.

The current NFL overtime rule should be changed; the rule gives the first team to receive the ball an unfair advantage, it is not a true test of each team’s offense and defense and most other sports have fair overtimes. Mike Sando, an NFC west blogger, writes: “Both teams would get at least one possession in overtime unless one team scored a touchdown on the first possession.

This would prevent a team from moving quickly into range for the winning field goal before the other team had a chance to get its offense on the field.”

On the other hand, most people will argue that the current overtime rule is quick and keeps viewers hooked. However, the truth is that the overtime rule is being played by broadcasting compa-

All photos courtesy of ESPN

nies. The rule is not one that has been made for the good of football, but rather it is a rule that saves broadcasting channels time and money. Since broadcasters don’t want to lose viewers for their other programs (such as Lost), they want football games to end quickly, making overtime football games less exciting and less suspenseful.

Broadcasting companies pay the NFL big bucks so that they can air football games on their channel. In 1993, Fox bid $1.58 billion for four years of rights to the NFC. If the NFL was to make a longer overtime rule, the NFL might see a decline in broadcasting companies willing to pay as much money. To put it simply, the whole of the overtime rule is driven by greed.

According to the NFL, 325 overtime games have been played since the rule was put into play in 1974. The overtime rule states: “The sudden death system of determining the winner shall prevail when score is tied at the end of the regulation playing time of all NFL games. The team scoring first during overtime play shall be the winner and the game automatically ends upon any score (by safety, field goal, or touchdown) or when a score is awarded by referee for a palpably unfair act.” Of

those 325 sudden-death then went on to take down the 18-0 New WRESLING games, 52 percent have been THE ODDS England Patriots in the Super Bowl. If won by the team who won Pismolenit iril the overtime rule wasn’t based on sudthe coin toss. Also, a whop- ulluptatio er acin den death, the Colts might not have won ping 69 percent of the games ea facip et luptat. their divisional playoff, which means the have been won by a mere Ut praesecte feu Patriots could have had a perfect year. field goal. Therefore, the Most other sports have fair overtimes. team to win the coin toss in overtime For example, soccer games end in penalties, is much more likely to win the game. in which both teams have an equal opporBoth teams typically don’t get an equal tunity to win the game. Each soccer team chance to show their true skills. Either the gets to shoot 5 penalty shots; the team with the most penalty shots wins. This should further pressure the NFL to do something about the current overtime rule.

The NFL should feel pressured by their viewers and followers to take action regarding the overtime rule. The NFL must understand how the overtime rule can taint football games and how important it is that the rule gets changed.

By changing the rule, viewers of all ages defense or offense gets to play in the overtime, could enjoy longer and more exciting but rarely both. This doesn’t allow each team to games. We would see more balanced show their full abilities. If a really good offense statistics that do not favor either team gets the ball first in overtime, they are much and possibly even higher viewer ratings. more likely to win. For example, in the 2008 NFC divisional playoff, the Indianapolis Colts scored a field goal to squeak by with an overtime win against the Green Bay Packers. The Colts 43

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Summer 2010

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Sports Tally

More Juice for Bonds

The use of steroids in baseball is becoming far too common BY KEVIN L.

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Summer 2010

all time home run record.

On the other hand, many people will argue that steroids weren’t banned from use until the year 2005, and that Bonds tested positive for steroids before that year. However, he also tested positive for amphetamines, which became a banned substance in baseball in 2005, in a urine sample in the year 2006.

CNN also reports that Bonds also got four perjury charges against him because he knowingly lied to a federal grand jury in December 2003 about not using steroids, which he still denies using even after being convicted of the crime.

When an athlete chooses to break the rules of a sport, they not only create an uneven playing field for the other clean players, but they compromise the integrity of the sport in the eyes of the viewers and fans.

Imagine if a track runner had attached rocket boots to his feet during a meet in the summer Olympics. We

Bonds tested positive for three different steroids in 2000. would definitely not give him the gold medal even if he won. The same thing should apply to steroid use in baseball; if an athlete is caught using steroids then we shouldn’t give him any records that he might have won while doping. If rules are broken and no consequences are being dealt then the fans will think that they are no longer watching a fair sport in which both teams have an equal chance to win.

In other sports like boxing, martial arts and

weight lifting, if an athlete is caught using performance-enhancing drugs, then they are automatically stripped of their medals and titles. Even though gold medals and records are not the same, they still have the same significance because of the fact that it is acquired over a whole lifetime and it shows that the athlete is the best in the whole world at what they do. So if the MLB allows this tainted record to stand, then it would damage the integrity of the sport.

Photo by Kevin Rushforth

obody i n major league baseball (MLB) has ever hit as many home runs as Barry Bonds. However this record may be tainted. Barry Bonds did not just test positive for one type of steroids, ESPN and the New York Times states that he tested positive for at least 3 different types of steroids.

These were the 2000-2003 test results, the same time period when Barry Bonds broke the Major League record for home runs in a single season with 73 home runs. In 2006, one year before he broke the all-time home run record, the Huffington Post reported that Barry Bonds also tested positive for amphetamines in a urine sample.

The simple fact that Barry Bonds used multiple types of steroids over at least 5 seasons during his professional career should be enough to strip him of his

kylehess941 (Heyward); Sam Ballew (Strasburg); jmorris811 (Stanton); Dave Nelson (Posey); Keith Allison (Matusz)

SportsXtreme If MLB gives him the record and lets it stand, then we send out a message to other athletes and fans that cheating and lying can be a new strategy for winning.

It would give the other players that dishonesty pays off without punishment and so they would be more inclined to use them knowing that, even if they are caught, their achievements will still stand. Allowing cheaters to go unpunished would also give the rest of the world the image that we, as a country, turn our backs to cheaters and liars and let them stand with their records.

Barry Bonds achieved his record by cheating.

There should not even be a question as to whether or not it should stand.

There should not be an asterisk next to his name.

His name shouldn’t even be in the record books. To let it stand would blemish the great game of baseball.

Bonds cheated, and cheaters have to be punished.

Top MLB picks for 2010

1 Strasburg’s power breaking ball -- some call it a curve, others a slider -- is also a plus pitch that is virtually unhittable. He’s big, strong and durable with clean mechanics and good command.

2 3

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Posey can hit to all fields.

While not a huge power guy, he’s got plenty of extra-base pop. A very good athlete who runs well for a catcher and has a plus throwing arm.

There’s little Heyward can’t do. He’s got great bat speed, an excellent knowledge of the strike zone, a plus arm from the outfield, runs well and is an excellent base-runner.

Stanton’s calling card is clearly his raw power. He has power to all fields, good speed, and good range in right field to go along with an excellent arm that fits well for that position.

4 5

Matusz is a lefty with stuff and command. He has two outstanding breaking pitches, a curve and slider. His changeup is an above-average offering, as well. He throws strikes and keeps it down in the zone.

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Coaching

What Can Brown Do For You?

By Matias K.

break your collar bone and your softpassionate women.” By coaching apball season will be over.” But patience (above) A softproximately 50 kids per semester, paid off: about 10 years later, Brown ball in a softball Brown’s admirable dedication to her took-up an offer to coach women’s glove and ancoaching career resembles her grandwrestling. Like several other success- other softball on mothers’ dedication to raising children. ful coaches, Brown’s dedication came the ground (left).

When asked about who she felt was from a couple of sources of inspiration. the most influential person in her life, Brown said “I would have to say my grandmother’s are “my father.” “He is also a teacher and used to coach my heroes. One raised ten children. The other athletics,” said Brown. Brown and her father nevraised four children as a single mom. They did er stop developing new ways to make sports fun, it all on their own, without going insane,” Brown healthy and educational. “My father and continsays, “and I think they are incredible and com- ue to talk about game strategy, sports drills and conditioning that would be beneficial to include in my program,” says Brown, “I consider him to What I most enjoy is breaking down and teaching sport spebe my best resource in coaching and teaching.” cific skills, helping student athletes learn about the game and Brown’s career at LBJ/LASA came to a fast start, along with many accomplishments. This

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helping them to develop responsibility” Summer 2010

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Clockwise from top right:

As Marcella Brown heads up the stairs at 7:40, a long day awaits her. Brown teaches eight hours of health and PE, sponsors PALS and on top of all that, coaches softball, volleyball or wrestling for two more after-school.

But health and sports seems to come naturally to Brown, because she likes having such a sports-oriented career here at LASA. “What I most enjoy is breaking down and teaching sport specific skills, helping student athletes learn about the game and helping them to develop responsibility and accountability to themselves, their team and their school community,” says Brown.

Brown has only been teaching at LASA/LBJ for three years, but she has already piled up as many as six different classes and sports onto her schedule. In her first year alone she only taught health education, but by the second year she had racked up PE and wrestling in addition to health.

For Brown, taking on all these extracurricular activities is not as much a challenge as it is a pleasure. “I couldn’t have a job that would require me to be indoors all the time,” says Brown “I like teaching and coaching student athletes.” For Brown, coaching allows her to be outdoors for at least a couple of hours every day.

Sports have been a top priority in Brown’s life. In first grade, Brown took up tee-ball. She was the only girl in the entire league, but that didn’t bring her down. In fact, she continued to play tee-ball and even added piano lessons, dance and volleyball to her schedule. “My parents thought of every activity to register me for,” says Brown. Throughout her years in high school, Brown stayed true to softball and volleyball. In her junior year, Brown asked her dad if she could join the women’s wrestling team. His answer was simple: “No, absolutely not. You’ll

school year, Brown has driven her teams to win the girls regional wrestling championship in 2009-2010, unexpectedly SOFTBALL beat McCallum’s freshman Two regular, volleyball team and earn JV’s everday softball softball first win of the season bats (left) against McCallum. Brown’s teams haven’t been the only people to win things.

For the 2009-2010 school year, Brown won LASA’s Teacher of the Year, as well as Regional Wrestling Coach of the Year. Brown feels her biggest accomplishment here at LASA is creating a health and physical program specifically for LASA students, because before, students took health and PE in combined LASA/LBJ classes.

“I was able to start fresh and new by building a curriculum that fit the needs of LASA students.”

BCS or BS?

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n the night of January 7th, the undefeated Boise State football team was stuck watching the national championship game between the University of Texas and the University of Alabama football teams, a game they felt they should have been in. This was happening in other places as well, Cincinnati and Fort Worth to be more specific, where the football teams of Cincinnati and Texas Christian University (TCU) were feeling the same anguish because once again this year in college football undefeated teams were left out of the national championship game. These teams worked hard whether it was in 2-a-days in the summer, running wind sprints in the scorching heat or running hitting drills while completely exhausted.

But they didn’t get a chance to prove that they were the best in the nation, even though they won every game they played, and their players won’t be as recognized in the upcoming NFL Draft.

This is all thanks to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), a system that consists of multiple bowls played between different teams. However, there is only one national championship that is played between the top two teams in the country, which can cause some major problems. For example, what happens if there are more than two teams with the best regular season record?

You have to choose only two according to the

BCS. How do you know you have cho- Mark Ingram act to it.” A playoff system in college sen the two best teams? These are all broke 2 tackles to would be a great way to prepare a playflaws with the current BCS system col- make his toucher for the NFL and get them recognidown run against tion from many different professional lege football uses.

First, the main purpose of college the Carolina teams. A playoff system would also football is to prepare players for the Panthers. give scouts more chance to see players NFL and for the NFL scouts search for the best in important games. Usually during the regular players in the nation. Paul Mroczka, a sportswrit- season, top teams don’t play each other and so er for The Greek sports book, says, “ The QB is the games are relatively easy. In a playoff, teams typically the playmaker. He must be able to com- would play two or three really good teams that prehend a changing situation, analyze it, and re- would provide bigger challenges for the players.

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Who’s Got Green?

By Kevin L.

Tiger Woods

$110 Million > Golf

From Top: Keith Allison; JCz28; Downing Street; Keith Allison; Ed (supergolfdude) ; Ben de Jesus

Woods, despite all the bad rep he has been getting lately, is on track to pass $1 billion in earnings from winnings and endorsements from his 13 year career. Even with his recent chain of affairs, he tops the list for being the highest paid golfer and athlete in the world.

He not only has endorsements from Nike, Gillette, and Buick but he also has a golf-course design business, which is currently constructing a course in Dubai and N. Carolina.

Kobe Bryant

$45 Million > Basketball Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the NBA today. Known as the ‘Black Mamba’ Bryant earns $21 million a year, which is more than doubled by endorsement deals with Vitamin Water, Coca-Cola, and Nike. He is ranked the second highest paid athlete in the world.

David Beckham

Lebron James

$42 Million > Soccer Now one of the best known soccer players on the planet, David Beckham is also one of the high- est paid athletes in the world. He’s only getting $6.5 million/year through playing but is making much more through endorsements from Gillette, Pepsi, Adidas, Armani, and more.

$40 Million > Basketball “The King” became the league’s youngest MVP in the 05-06 season and then again received the

Most Valuable Player award in the 07-08 season. He signed on with the Cleveland Cavaliers for $20 million a year. His salary and endorsements with McDonalds, Nike and several others puts him at at least $40 Million.

Phil Mickelson

$40 Million > Golf Phil Mickelson is one of the two pro-golfers to make the list. With his endorsements frowm Callaway and Rolex and regularly won tournaments, he has definitely made himself very well known. He has won countless tournaments, not to mention The Masters twice.

Manny Pacquiao

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$40 Million > Boxing “Pac Man” has been claimed to be the #1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world. Pacquiao, with his speed and power, he has beaten champs such as Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. He makes

millions per fight and makes millions more through endorsements with Nike, McDonalds and

many more.

Summer 2010

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Home Field

The fields athletes here at LBJ play on VS the professionals’

by Jacob C.

Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium is currently the home field for The University of Texas Longhorns football team. It was built in 1924 and since then, has proven to be a great home field for the Longhorns, they have gone 342-91-10 (77.8%) while playing there. The stadium seats 100,119 people, making it the stadium with the largest seating capacity in the state of Texas.

Soccer City

was formely known as FNB Stadium and was first built in 1986. However, it was recently renovated in 2009 and now has a capacity of 94,700 people. It is located in the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa and hosts most of the country’s major events. It played host to the 1995 Finals of the Rugby World Cup and will also be the host of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and will be the site of the finals.

Fenway Park

is the home field for the Boston Red Sox baseball team. It was built in 1911 and was opened April 20, 1912 and is located in Boston, Massachussets. The park has also been the site of other sporting events as well. On January 1, 2010 the Boston Bruins played the 3rd annual National Hockey League Winter Classic game in the park. During the 1960’s the field was used for soccer and football and was used by many teams.

Noack Park

is the home field for many of the east side Austin Independent School District schools. It serves as a home field to LBJ/ LASA and Lanier.

There are baseball, as well as soccer, football, and lacrosse fields used by the schools for sports and other recreational activities. For example, LASA hold its annual field day competitions at the park and the soccer skillz extension course also used the fields.

Nelson Stadium

LBJ Fields

is one of the few stadiums used by AISD for sports and other UIL competitions. LBJ/ LASA share this as a home field also with Reagan. The soccer and football teams play on the artificial turf frequently and are fairly successful. This year, the LBJ/LASA varsity soccer team made it the farthest in playoffs than ever before after strong performances in the regular season at Nelson.

are the very fields located at the school itself. The fields provide enough space for all the teams at the school.

They are mostly used for practice by the teams, which include, football, girls and boys soccer, girls and boys lacrosse, boys and girls track, baseball, softball, and even ultimate frisbee. However, the lacrosse and JV soccer teams sometimes play games on the fields.

World Cup Wisdom

Interviews with fellow LASA students on the upcoming World Cup

by Jacob C.

The Players

Will you watch the World Cup?

Who is your favorite team?

Who is your favorite player?

Who will win the World Cup?

Who will be the MVP?

Who will be the surprise team if anyone?

I think that the “cinderella” will be South Africa The USA is going to win, even as an underdog

I will

Brazil

Lionel Messi

Argentina

Cristiano Ronaldo

A little bit

USA

Oguchi Onyewu

USA

Landon Donovan

Laeeq B.

The ones in the afternoon

Brazil

Ronaldinho

Spain... possibly

Fernando Torres

USA

England

Cristiano Ronaldo

Spain

Carles Puyol

Australia

Amy H.

Only at my friend’s house

Brooks B.

Connor P.-B.

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Underdog?

Connor has a strong belief that the USA will win the World Cup. He doesn’t think the US team should be seen as underdogs, but that they are real contenders that should be feared.

World Cup 2010

The Whole World [Cup] is in our [fan’s] hands

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he World Cup is undoubtedly the largest sporting event in the world. Every four years the best 32 national teams attempt to win their country one of the greatest titles in the world: World Soccer Champions. The event is huge; dreams come true and many people are inspired to strive for their own dreams. How would you feel knowing you, no matter what age, race, class, or gender you are, are a part of it all? Guess what?

You are a part of it, everyone is.

They didn’t go to the any of the past three World Cups, but they can still feel the impact of the event.

Thomas Massad and Fotis Kallivokas love the sport of soccer and enjoy watching the sport on its biggest stage: the World Cup.

“It’s only 12 inches high, it’s made of solid gold and it means England are the world champions,” said Bobby Moore, a member of the English team in the 1966 World Cup. The world Cup trophy is just a symbol of the power to inspire and excite people all over the world.

“This upcoming World Cup will be my third World Cup. Seeing all the people and how many countries there were and seeing the effect it had on other people in other countries really made me excited about soccer,” said Thomas M., a LASA freshman. This year it will be held in South Africa and once again many people will be inspired to play soccer, or strive to do their best in something else.

“Aw man, well when I see all those fans it sort of just reminds me that soccer is the world’s favorite sport. Billions of people are involved in it in some way and the World Cup signifies something that we

by JACOB C. Photograph by Simon Tong

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all have in common, which is soccer,” said Thomas, now a player for his high school team.

The World Cup affects many people, even teenagers, and shows how connected we are to people across the world. It is something that is very special and important to many people and inspires many people to do great. “…by watching the professionals you learn something yourself about the next time in a game when you

need to do in a position. It’s good to have some kind of hero or figure to look up to,” Fotis K., a school and club team player, said.

The importance of international players goes beyond trying to win the World Cup. They are role models for younger people and inspire those people to do the best the can and not be afraid of anything. Being respected, as a good player and role model could probably be one of the greatest things a soccer player

could receive. “My favorite player, I would definitely say Carles Puyol.

He’s a defender for the Spanish team, he’s not like the most known guy ever, but he’s pretty well respected. I just like his style of play, he is a really physical defender…. if I had a favorite player it would probably be Puyol,” said Thomas. The players in the World Cup not only provide people with role models , but they make it exciting. “For me that is everything I have worked toward. Every step

Repeat?

After winning the last World Cup, will Italy be able to stay on top of the world?

of the way, dwifficult as it has been, I have had the World Cup as my target,” said Charlie Davies, a US forward, while speaking to Yahoo Sports. Davies has trained and played hard to try to make it to the World Cup, even though he has been injured.

The players’ hard work make tournaments, like the World Cup, the amazing events they are.

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“…When they score, I go crazy. I saw two games Greece played in the Euro Cup 2008, although they lost their games, it was an amazing feeling being in the crowd and rooting for your team it’s really good to have some kind of like support for a very strong team,” Fotis said.

This excitement is why the World Cup

is so popular. The World Cup is being held in South Africa this year, but even though that is far awa you can expect to see thousands of people from other countries such as the United States, France, and Spain.

Games will be full with many fans there to see nations compete on the most competitive level of the sport.

“If I could go to the World Cup that would be the coolest thing that had ever happened to me… I think that it would be a really good opportunity for me to experience different cultures because so many different countries go to the World Cup.... it would be really exciting,” said Thomas.

The World Cup will provide many

PLAYING FOR THE WORLD

Get ready for summer, because the World Cup is kicking in

Algeria

Argentina

Australia

Brazil

Cameroon

Chile

Denmark

England

Karim Ziani

Lionel Messi

Tim Cahill

Kaká

Samuel Eto’o

Matias Fernandez

Christian Poulsen

Wayne Rooney

Midfield

Forward

Midfield

Midfield

Forward

Midfield

Midfield

Forward

Exceptional ball control and positive in his thinking.

His ball skills are second to none. His runs from midfield are usually lethal.

Finishes like a striker, without peer in positional instinct.

Highly skilful player, a great shooter, superb vision for a pass.

An expert at getting on the shoulder of the last defender and accelerating.

Skillful, great provider of goals and free kick specialist.

Great stamina, fierce in the tackle and a good work ethic.

Powerful and strong on the ball, his ability to pick a pass is excellent.

Mexico

Netherlands

New Zealand

Nigeria

North Korea

Paraguay

Portugal

Serbia

Cuauhtemoc Blanco Forward

Wesley Sneijder Midfield

Ryan Nelsen Defender

Obafemi Martins Forward

Chong Tese Forward

Roque Santa Cruz Forward

Cristiano Ronaldo Midfield

Nemanja Vidic Defender

Great player with exceptional skills.

Excelent forward.

Quick, strong and powerful with accurate shooting ability. Plays with both feet.

A quality player, who is proven at the highest level of domestic club football.

Blistering pace, accomplished in the air and possesses a fierce shot.

Quick, strong and good in the air. Strikes a fierce shot.

Height ups his aerial game and is the main weapon in his game.

Fast and tricky, he has a thunderous dipping, swerving shot.

A strong, powerful weapon from set-pieces at the opposite end.

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bonds this year between people, whether it’s because people have a common favorite player or thattheir cultures connect while watching the event. “It was pretty cool to meet Ashley, and we gave each other a lot of motivation,” said Davies, speaking of Ashley Cole, a defender for England. The two are rivals, but are a perfect example

of how international events, like the World Cup, can create even the most unlikely bonds.

“Well of course I’m rooting for my home country, Greece. Once Greece is out, I’m going to have to root for Spain because that’s where Cesc Fabregas plays,” said Fotis, who enjoys watching those teams play.

The World Cup will always provide people with inspiration, but it will connect them as well. “If I had a European team to root for usually I would go with Spain,” said Thomas. Fotis and Thomas both enjoy watching their favorite team play and in that they share a bond,, one that can be found throughout the whole world. X

France

Germany

Ghana

Greece

Honduras

Italy

Ivory Coast

Japan

Thierry Henry

Michael Ballack

Michael Essien

Theofanis Gekas

Wilson Palacios

Gianluigi Buffon

Didier Drogba

Shunsuke Nakamura

Forward

Midfield

Midfield

Forward

Midfield

Goal-Keeper

Forward

Midfield

One of the most complete forwards of recent times.

Ballack has admirable stamina levels to match his excellent ball use.

Has power, drive and relentless workrate. Possesses an incredible shot.

Fast and furious. Posesses great ballcontrol skills.

Valuable player.

Athletic and powerful, with a fearless attitude when it comes to tackling.

An agile, commanding shot-stopper who is hugely experienced.

Aerial prowess and power; there are few players in the world as strong.

Blessed with excellent vision and an admirable creative streak.

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

Switzerland

United States

Uruguay

Marke Hamsik Midfield

Robert Koren Midfield

Steven Pienaar Midfield

Ji-Sung Park Midfield

Fernando Torres Forward

Alexander Frei Forward

Landon Donovan Forward

Diego Forlan Forward

His best asset is being in the right place at the right time.

A creative player, with decent goal-scoring ability.

Has a great sight for placing the ball.

Awesome all-around player. Sets up beautiful plays.

A born scorer, he possesses all the qualities of a worldclass striker.

Frei is a poacher who is always in the right place at the right time.

His pace, ability to put the ball in the back of the net and tenacity.

A lethal finisher with either foot.

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Tennis

Upping Your Game

T

ennis is said to be a game one can participate in for a lifetime.

The great thing about playing tennis is the ability to improve a player’s tennis techniques at your own pace. Tennis is a complex game that revolves around proper stroke technique, physical agility and mental toughness. Start today on a path to an improved tennis game.

Any tennis player looking to up their game to the next level has to look at their fitness level. Fitness is an essential part of tennis, and its importance increases at the higher levels.

Playing a sport that requires many physical requirements, such as good flexibility, coordination, aerobic fitness, strength and a good mental ability, provides lots of room for improvement, in even the best athletes.

“Hard work is what gives you wins, not talent,” Krishna V said. Krishna is the senior captain of the LBJ tennis team and has qualified for the championship level for the 14s, 16s, and 18s age group in USTA tournaments. “Getting that far came only after years of lessons, hard work, and practice.”

One major factor in improving a tennis player’s game is how long the games last. For example, men’s Grand Slam matches

regularly last for around 5 hours, while the average for most games is around 3 ½ hours. The distance covered is also a factor. In a typical game of tennis, a player can expect to cover anywhere from three to five miles. However, unlike simply running a similar distance, in the course of a tennis match, most of this distance will be short side-toside spurts of energy, or sprints to and from the net. “For me, the running

“Hard work is what gives you wins, not talent”

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ways to increase a player’s upper body strength.

To increase one’s lower body strength, the main thing to do would be to practice sprints for short periods of time. Most tennis games start in the mornings and can go on well past noon. So to be fit to last the long hours of a tennis game, there are two main things that an athlete can do to improve their cardio: sprints and long distance jogging. As Krishna said, “My game is a lot about footwork. If I move well, I play well.” While tennis does not necessitate cardiovascular demands like swimming or running, they still need to sustain movement for several hours at a time and not be overly fatigued. Cardio fitness also helps with recovery time between points. Doing either of those alone can work one’s cardiovascular system differently, so by training with each of them, any athlete will be prepared for the short sprints around the court and for the lengthy games.

Vickihuang2001 (right, top), Symopp (left)

(right) preparing for a serve .

in tennis has always been the hardest and most difficult part of tennis,” Krishna said.

Because tennis is such a high impact game, it requires both upper and lower body strength to withstand the force of the impact. This requires a player to not only practice on the court, but also do some off-court strength training as well. There are a number of ways to do this. For example lifting weights (dumbbells or barbells) is an excellent way to gain strength.

However, push-ups, exercise bands and medicine balls are other great

“In the first game I ever played in, I was worn out before 1 hour of playing, but after jogging every other afternoon I could last a lot longer into the matches,” said Avi W, a LASA freshman.

Not only does tennis require the strength to hit the ball just once or twice, but because of the lengthy games that tennis players have to go through, they have to do this over and over again. This demands muscular endurance from an

athlete so that they Roger Feder- can quickly recover er (left) of from games and be Switzerland ready to play again hits a return with minimal rest in between. For an athlete to hit their last ball as well as their first one should be the goal for every tennis player, and practicing is what makes it happen. “Practice practice practice. That’s what tennis is all about,” Krishna said.

To develop muscular endurance a tennis player needs to add more repetitions to their routine rather than add more weight. Athletes can also use the same techniques for muscular endurance as they did for gaining strength.

However the point is to increase the number of reps and decrease the number of weights, and then gradually add more sets to the player’s routine.

Overhand shots, quick starts and stops to hit the ball and lunging out for wide shots all test a tennis player’s flexibility.

“Flexibility is one important skill that all tennis players need, and is what most people overlook,” Krishna said. Having a consistent stretching routine before

games and practices is crucial to prevent injuries.

The Achilles tendon, for example, is the strongest and yet one of the most easily damaged tendon in an athlete’s body. Simple stretching however can prevent most of the common injuries in the game.

“What some people may not know is that a big part of tennis is the mental aspect of the game,” Krishna said. Tennis players need to be both physically AND mentally ready for a game. Staying focused on the game, and thinking about nothing but the next point is essential for improving one’s game. “If you can’t learn to have a focused attitude, it’s hard to do well,” Krishna said.

A simple way to develop better focus and better results is to avert all of the attention a player has to a single object nearby and to focus on one’s breathing process. This easy exercise will help keep players focused between points and will help one get more prepared for the next point.

Tennis players have a lot to think about when designing a training program. In addition to developing muscular strength and endurance, aerobic fitness and flexibility, they also have to think about core work. Many athletes don’t realize that one’s core muscles are the base for the body’s hip and shoulder stability. Having a strong core is what helps move any tennis player’s limbs more efficiently and effectively. Perfect balance, coordination of strength and stability are just a few of the many things that a strong core can help players accomplish. A few excellent exercises to help strengthen one’s core are the bicycle maneuver, captain’s chair, exercise ball crunches and reverse crunches.

Performing these exercises at least three days per week will build a strong core, allowing other skills to be performed and worked on more effectively.

The combination of all these elements with an effective training routine will take hard work and dedication. “Make sure you enjoy tennis enough that you feel a personal desire to improve. With that, you will be able to push yourself to be a better player and will have fun at the same time,” Krishna said. X

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BCS or BS?

This is all thanks to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), a system that consists of multiple bowls played between different teams. However, there is only one national championship that is played between the top two teams in the country, which can cause some major problems. For example, what happens if there are more than two teams with the best regular season record? You have to choose only two according to the BCS. How do you know you have chosen the two best teams? These are all flaws with the current BCS system college football uses.

First, the main purpose of college football is to prepare players for the NFL and for the NFL scouts search for the best players in the nation. Paul Mroczka, a sportswriter for The Greek sports book, says, “ The QB is typically the playmaker. He must be able to comprehend a changing situation, analyze it, and

Photo courtesy of RMTip21

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the bowl games and all their adver the locations and sponsors of the year Citi financed the Rose Bowl dropping the sponsor, we can sim in the playoff. The only thing diff meaning even if it wasn’t the fina teams will move on. BCS suppor too much. Right now with the B 14 games. If conferences eliminat be unnecessary with playoffs, the have a total of 14 games. Critics be decided. This part is simple, ta

BY: JACOB C.

though in some cases they were the only undefeated team left in the nation.

That was the case in 2008 when undefeated Utah was left out and forced to play Alabama. Before the game, almost every sports analyst in the country gave Utah no shot at beating the might Crimson Tide. Utah then destroyed what was supposed to be the third best team in the nation in a very convincing manner, in a 31-17 win. In 2003, the USC Trojans were left out of the national championship game and dominated Ohio State so much, that the national championship was actually split between the Trojans and the Louisiana State University Tigers. At the end of each season, each voting poll (Associated Press, Coach’s, or BCS) crowns who they believe is the best team in the country, usually agreeing on one team. However, in 2003, the AP and Coach’s polls chose USC, while the BCS poll decided on LSU. Only allowing two teams to play for the national championship is unfair to other great teams and has only produced clear national champions a few times .”If I have to vote for somebody only because people have said these are the two teams that ought to be in the BCS championship game and I think they left somebody out that probably ought to be in it, that’s when I’ll feel a playoff ought to be appropriate. I’ve always been for a playoff,” said Penn State football coach Joe Paterno. Paterno, who has been the head coach for Penn State for over 40 years, has been fighting for a playoff system for the past decade.

Finally, these games are not just affecting college players and NFL teams, they’re also affecting high school players. Many high school stars watch the national championship game to evaluate the “best” teams in the nation. Teams left out of that game will not be recognized by high school standouts that don’t follow the team already. If the recruits are focused on the teams in the national championship game, they could possibly be hurting themselves if they are not looking for the program that would best fit them or that could help improve their skills the most. The over-exaggeration of the teams in the national championship game distracts recruits from what they really need to prepare themselves for the NFL, like a game-plan BCS Confusion that fits their style of play, or a The current system used has produced some uncoach that works with all play- clear national champions because they haven’t ers to develop their football included undeafeated, skills. Critics will say that that small school teams like TCU. if a playoff system is used, then

Photo courtesy of markr82

react to it.” A playoff system in college would be a great way to prepare a player for the NFL and get them recognition from many different professional teams. A playoff system would also give scouts more chance to see players in important games. Usually during the regular season, top teams don’t play each other and so the games are relatively easy. In a playoff, teams would play 2 or three really good teams that would provide bigger challenges for the players. This will show the scouts how players deal with different challenges and situations within the game. In the BCS system, you only see a player play against one team that they have been preparing for, this means scouts can’t determine a player’s ability to react to different strategies. A playoff system will also solve the problem of unclear national champions. In the past decade, there have been a total of 8 undefeated teams left out of the national championship game, even BCS Sponsors The playoff system will conserve the major sponsors of BCS bowl games and will not change the sites of where the games will be played.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

rtising will be lost. However, this would not be the case if e bowl games were used in the playoffs. For example, this in Pasadena, California. Instead of moving the game and mply keep them both and make it one of the final games fferent would be that they had national title implications, al game of the playoffs, it would still help decide which rters may also say that a playoff will lengthen the season BCS system a national championship team plays 13 or ted their conference championship games, which would en the teams that make it to the final game would only would also be wondering how the playoff teams would ake the top 8 teams in the country(based on the average

rankings) of the Associated Press and the Coaches’ Polls. That way it is guaranteed that the best teams have been chosen and no deserving team is left out. There will also be no automatic bids based on conference and no limit on how many teams from a conference can be included. On average, there are about three undefeated teams a year, but usually two happen to be left out of the national championship game because they are from minor conferences.

The flaws in the BCS system have been dealt with for over a decade now and it has caused huge problems over the past years. It should be changed as soon as possible to an eight team playoff which targets each flaw and provides a solution. Thisparticular system would also be able to please opposers with simple changes. We need this playoff system so that no more lives are affected and, for the fans’ and teams’ sake, a true national championship team is crowned. X

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Lebron James (center) propels himself towards the net at the 2003 McDonalds All American Game, where he was named the MVP of the game.