behind the scenes of
VOLLEYBALL fighting for safety
THE MIND OF A COACH History of
wrestling THE ART OF
TAILGATING
A Letter From the Editor
I always played sports growing up. I tried softball, soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, track, and even did other activites like ballet and gymnastics. I eventually settled on wrestling, and I’m so glad I found it. I’m excited about this magazine because sports-watching and playing themhave the ability to bring people together like nothing else. Everything is based around a team in sports. You win with a team, you lose with a team, you practice with a team, and you travel with a team. Everything is done with these teammates, who, have the potenPhoto by: Alyssa Walker tial to become so much than mere teammates. I have made profound, deep-rooted friendships through sports that I hope others can experience. Sports are also just a fun, healthy way to pass the time. They allow you to get outdoors and take a mental break from other issues in your life. I know when I’m stressed out or frustrated, wrestling puts me in a different midset and makes me feel better overall. So, I hope this magazine serves as some sort of guide and provides information about various sports that you may or may not know anything about. It might even intrigue you enough to try some of them.
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Elexis Kalar
Photo By: Elexis Kalar
“To uncover your true potential you must first find your own limits and then you have to have the courage to blow past them.” -– Picabo Street
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What’s Inside?
A guide to Hotshot magazine
Photo by FirmBee 4
Editor’s Vision................................. Page 2 Contributor’s Page........................ Page 6 Purple Nation................................. Page 10 Wrestling: The History
Page 12
The Art of Tailgating.................... Page 16 The Tailgater’s Guide to Success
Page 20
Fisticuffs........................................... Page 22 A Wicket Good Sport
Page 26
Faster.................................................Page 28 Rowing Explained
Page 32
Dig It!................................................. Page 34 Raqcuetball vs. Tennis
Page 38
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Meet The staff
Designed by Zayan Vohra, Written By Jacob Greendyk
Photo By Prahlaad Das
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Jacob Greendyk:
Jacob Greendyk plays JV Baseball for the LBJ Jaguars. He is a 14 year old freshman, and enjoys sports of any kind. His expansive knowledge of sports and his love for learning about the culture of sports made him a perfect fit for the sports team.
Zayan Vohra:
Zayan Vohra is an MMA fighter at Impact MMA. He’s 15 years old and goes to LASA high school. He’s been doing MMA for nearly 3 years and has attained a red belt. His favorite subject is computer science, and he loves tinkering with electronics.
Aydin O’Leary:
Aydin O’Leary is a 15 year old freshman at LASA. He spends most of free time rowing at the Texas Rowing Center or programming on his self-made computer. Because of his love of rowing, he was the perfect writer for our magazine.
Alex Winter:
Alex Winter‘s favorite sports are billiards, ping pong, and cricket. He is also a freshman at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy. He loves playing sports video games, and his passion for sports is the reason he chose to be a part of our magazine.
Elexis Kalar:
Elexis Kalar is a wrestler on the LBJ Girls Wrestling team. She is also a part of the LASA Choir. She is also a freshman at LASA, and is 15 years old. Her favorite class is World Geo, and she enjoys having the privilege of being able to make a magazine.
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Shea Smith, a football player for the Air Force Academy, prepares for a pass. Photo taken from Wikipedia (Labelled for reuse).
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purple nation The lights were dim in the dank gym, the ache in her muscles was unbearable. As she bridged to flip off her back, the stands were on fire, yelling and cheering, the rabble looking almost as exhausted as the one they were cheering for. She didn’t hear any of that though, she was too busy hipping over for the reversal. What is she doing? Wrestling. High school wrestling is a sport that requires very high levels of mental and physical toughness. It’s both a team sport and an individual sport. Like many other sports, it keeps you busy and healthy while teaching you defensive (and offensive) moves that can be used in real world situations. Wrestling has been around for 5000 years, dating back to the time of the Sumerians. It was later found in other places such as Ancient Egypt and Greece. Though the sport had the same concept universally, it varied slightly from culture to culture. In Greece, wrestlers wrestled naked, performing what was considered an art. The athletes fought in a form that is very similar to what is modern day freestyle, and the ultimate goal is pretty much the same: To take down the other wrestler. During the Roman 10
By: Elexis Kalar
times, wrestling was something people of high class enjoyed. It was practiced in castles and palaces during the renaissance times. By 1904, wrestling had been popularized in the United States, and was being played in the St. Louis Olympic Games. After this introduction, wrestling evolved to be a common sport that walks along the same lines as basketball, football, and soccer in American schools. In the Austin Independent School District, all of the school’s sports teams participate in Universal Interscholastic League (UIL) competitions. Wrestling is no exception. At the end of the season, each team goes to a district tournament. The districts are based upon size and district-AISD. So even though 2 schools may be a part of AISD, one may be a 6A school (bigger), and one may be 5A (smaller) and the wrestlers wouldn’t compete against each other. Region has the same concept as district and yet again, top 4 go to state. Going to state is an incredible accomplishment, and it’s something most serious wrestlers strive for.
Photo by: Elexis Kalar 2016 Texas State Tournament in Dallas
One particular school that has a wrestling program is the Lyndon B. Johnson High School, in Austin, Tx. Even though wrestling was stated as a sport of great intensity, the sport is different for each person, though. After joining the wrestling team, Teague Hartigan, a junior and team captain of the LBJ High School wrestling team enjoys many benefits of being on the team. “I’m significantly more in shape,” says Teague, “I’ve basically gotten to the point where I can just run not needing to stop, ‘cause I have enough stamina to keep going.” In practice, Teague and his teammates frequently run stairs and do sprints in order to keep their stamina up. “Wrestling for 6 minutes straight requires so much energy,” says Teague.
“I’m significantly more in shape. Then ya know, I’m stronger and everything. Wrestling for 6 minutes straight requires so much energy.” -Teague Hartigan
Photo by: LBJ Wrestling Team
“Coaching wrestling is like being an artist” -Randy Bryant
Wrestler Teague Hartigan in the process of pinning his opponent One thing that is different about LBJ’s team is that the coaches actually drill with their wrestlers. It’s not all that common of an occurrence. At many tournaments, other coaches verbally describe to the kids how to wrestle, as oppose to actually showing them.
Photo by: LBJ Wrestling Team
Head coach Randy Bryant sits with the team, interacting with his athletes. Photo by: LBJ Wrestling Team
Photo by: LBJ Wrestling Team
Coaches Randy Bryant, Tabithia Ramsey, and Pat Assistant coach Pat Timmons warms up with Teague Hartigan. Timmons coach their athlete.
Coaching wrestling is like being an artist,” says LBJ head coach Randy Bryant. “You have this idea in your head and you’re like, ‘yo, this is how I want it.’ When I’m done, if I’m painting, if I’m drawing, this is my idea of how I want it to look. And as a wrestling coach, everyday at practice, every time your athlete wrestles, they’re displaying your art, because you taught them and you orchestrated what you want to see. And then when they wrestle and you see it you’re like ‘AAHHHHHH there it is!’” Randy Bryant went to school in Chicago. He wrestled in high school, and had joined the team because it was made mandatory by his football coach. He had no great aspirations when he started, but eventually grew to love it. Before Randy Bryant took over as head coach, the team was coached by a man who many of the students adimately dislike. “Last year, our coach was not personable or fun,” says Teague. So just like how the quality of a class is determined so heavily by the teacher, the success of a team is determined by how good the coach is. And it’s not just the coach’s ability to coach that’s important, but how good of a person they are is just as important.
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“This year, our coaches like to joke around and have more personal relationships with the kids, which we didn’t have with our last coach,” says Teague, as he compares his experiences with each coach, “I enjoy it more.” Parents also enjoy watching their children wrestle.
“...It can be really really rewarding if you have your stepchild or your child win and do really well and get really excited about how they did”
-Erika Kalar “...It can be really really rewarding if you have your stepchild or your child win and do really well and get really excited about how they did,” says Erika Kalar, stepmom of a high school wrestler. Erika has watched her wrestler for one season now, and she finds it fascinating. Her wrestler is a first year wrestler and went on to state. Erika and her husband drive up to see her step-child at nearly every tournament, even though most of the venues are at least 30 minutes away. Parental involvement can also be beneficial for the athlete. Having someone in the stands cheering for you makes it that much better for the athlete. So as a senior holds up her piece of hardware at the end of the state tournament, she thinks of all 12
The entire team breaks down before a long day at a tournament. Photo by: LBJ Wrestling Team the gruelling conditioning and countless hours she spent in the weight room. She remembers all the purple bruises and pulled muscles. The blood, sweat, and tears that have been shed into pools on the mat. The coaches always pushing her a little bit harder than she thought she could be pushed. And she thinks to herself, ‘it was so
worth it.’
LBJ Wrestler in the middle of a match Photo by: LBJ Wrestling Team
LBJ wrestlers waiting for their matches. Photo by: LBJ Wrestling Team
Wrestler Ashton Corpuz winning his match. Photo by: LBJ Wrestling Team
LBJ wrestler at region. Photo by: LBJ Wrestling Team
LBJ Coaches prepping their wrestler before her match Photo by: LBJ Wresting Team
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Wrestling: Jargon-
The Basics By: Elexis Kalar
Takedown: When a wrestler gains control of the other while behind their fallen opponent. Escape: When the defensive wrestler gets out from under the opponent’s control. Stalemate: A situation where the referee can stop the match if/when neither wrestler can improve their position. Bout: A match. They are based on weight class and sometimes age. Graphic by: Elexis Kalar Photo by: Lizette Gabino
Wresting Gear • • • •
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Singlet Headgear Shoes Cap (long hair)
Photo by: Erika Kalar
Singlet
Headgear
Moves Photo by: Elexis Kalar
Half Nelson Photo by: Elexis Kalar
Stack
Photo by: Elexis Kalar
Single Leg Takedown Photo by: Elexis Kalar
Illegals
Photo by: Elexis Kalar
Locking Hands
Photo by: Elexis Kalar
Peterson Photo by: Elexis Kalar
Tilt
Leg Ride Graphic by: Elexis Kalar
(FOLKSTYLE ) Photo by: Elexis Kalar
Head Hold Without Arm
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The USC Trojans walk off the field during a timeout. Photo Credit: Bobak Ha’Eri
The Art of tailgating By Jacob Greendyk
The Longhorns celebrate a touchdown.
Photo Credit: Dave Wilson
Every year, roughly 80%(240 million people) of the American population tailgates at least once. In 2006, just 10 years ago, roughly 35 million people tailgated. From 06’ to now, that is growth of almost 700%. Tailgating is becoming an increasingly popular activity in the US. Many people in Austin tailgate the UT games every home game. “I keep coming back because it’s the party of the year, six times a year,” says Cooper. He and his family tailgate six of the yearly UT games every year, and for them it’s no joke. Annually, about 240 million people around america tailgate at least once. One of the most popular parts of tailgating is the social aspect. People come together on Saturdays to barbeque and to hang out with their best friends, as well as whoever comes by their tailgate. “My brother has a tailgate area reserved. It’s always a mix of all kinds of family, friends, and friends of friends. Even some new people that were just wondering
by,” says Liz Hello, a veteran tailgater. The tailgaters all gather in the parking lots outside of the UT stadium, and sometimes it can get pretty packed. The Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium, where UT plays its games, can hold over 102,000 people. Sometimes the tailgates can
“It’s always a mix of all kinds of family, friends, and friends of friends. Even some new people that were just wandering by.” get pretty crowded. “It’s like a huge backyard BBQ but on Congress Avenue,” says Cooper, about the amount of people present on game days.Even with all of the crowds, people still look forward to the barbeques. “My favorite part is the barbecue, and sometimes if you tailgate the right games you can meet some really funny drunk people,” says Walker Holmes, a student at LASA. College football is one of the most popular sports in America, and it is a big factor in
attracting people from all over to come tailgate at the games. Cooper is a huge fan of the sport. “I am definitely a fan of college football. The fan bases are ridiculously enthusiastic. In a weird way, the mistakes college football players make in a game lead will drive you crazy, both good and bad.” Elizabeth Hello, his cousin, also likes college football, but likes the NFL as well. “I am a fan of football. I grew up watching on television and playing in the neighborhood. I personally like pro football better but college can be fun to watch! The game can turn around at any time.” Another part of the allure of tailgating is the gaming aspect. The food, of course, is a major part, as many tailgates are built around the food, but the gaming helps with the friendly atmosphere and attracts more people to come socialize at the tailgate. “My favorite thing to do at our tailgates is play washers. Authentic Texas washers, single cup at 21 feet apart center to 17
center, and not 3-hole,” says Cooper. Many people can get emotional about their games at tailgating, just as they get intense about the sports. “And absolutely no cornhole. Save that nonsense for the Midwest.” Hello, his cousin, had something to say as well. “Food is so important. We always have a game of washers going and BBQ on the smoker.” Tailgating almost always gets only good reviews, but that doesn’t mean there are disappointing parts of it. The traffic can be a pain, but Hello doesn’t mind “It’s never bothered me to be in a little traffic trying to get there. There is traffic in Austin everyday now so at least if you have to be in it, it’s to get somewhere fun!” The other thing that could be viewed as putting a damper on a day of tailgating fun is being underage. I interviewed two adults, who are legal drinking age, but my third interviewee is an underage high school student. Although Walker can’t legally Nick and his tailgateing buddies get ready to start up.
drive or drink, he doesn’t think it puts too much of a damper on the fun. “I think being able to tailgate while I’m young will just make it more fun when I’m an adult, and have already experienced at it.” Holmes is obviously looking forward to a future of tailgating. Of course, through the years, many people come out with some memories that they cherish for a long time. Sometimes the stories are crazy, sometimes they’re just memories of a fun time with friends and family. “My personal favorite memory is from tailgating at a K State game. It started raining and we didn’t have cover, so me and the guys ended up on the bus with all the cheerleaders. I’ll never forget that story,” says Nick Patterson, who is K State alumni both in academics and tailgating. Holmes’ favorite memory, on the other hand, was more an experience with his family enjoying the good company and Courtesy Photo from: Nick Patterson
Liz and Andy at a family tailgate.
Courtesy Photo from: Elizabeth Hello-Brown
the sport. “My favorite tailgating memory is probably the first time I went. I was with my dad and were at a Saints game at the Superdome. Getting to see all of the people who come out and support their favorite team while having a good time is always really cool,” Holmes says. Tailgating’s popularity has been growing at an astonishing rate. People love tailgating because it’s a place where they can relax with friends and family, and make memories that wil last a lifetime. For people who are already tailgaters, the ride will only get better.
The average lunch at a tailgate. Photo Credit: 512Foodblog
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Kyle Field Pre Game time-Courtesy Photo from: Nathan Humphreys Lucas
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THE TAILGATER’s Guide to success The Top Ten Most Important things to a successful tailgate.
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The BOSE Soundlink III is one of the best speakers on the Market, with omni directional sound.
Photo By: Jacob Greendyk
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Before a game, all fans need something to protect themselves from the hot sun, especially down here in Texas. The EZ Up Sierra II is the best in the biz.
Photo By: Jacob Greendyk
Photo By: tailgater. com
Many people enjoy a good game of cornhole at their tailgate. GoSports makes a cost-effective model.
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Photo By: Jacob Greendyk
Photo By: tailgater. com
At any winter game, you will need protection from the ruthless elements. We recommend the Campmor Cocoon. 20
Among tailgaters, YETI coolers hold legendary status. They are pricey, at $200 a pop, but believe me when I say they will never let you down.
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Photo By: Jacob Greendyk
Photo By: bhphotovideo.com
The GCI Pico Arm Chair will never fail you. These comfortable tailgating necessities are easily fold able, and you can take them with you wherever you go.
Food is the most important part of a successful tailgate. We can’t help you with the food choicesthis depends on your personal preferences.
If you are in need of a grill, look no farther than the Weber Portable Charcoal Grill. At $45, it’s the best deal on the market, with the same dependable performance.
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Photo By: Nathan Humphreys Lucas
Photo By: tailgater. com
Another crucial element to your tailgate- the drinks. Many choose alcoholic drinks, but you can pick whatever you drink normally.
Photo By: Nathan Humphreys Lucas
In our humble opinion, no ones tailgate is complete without some merch from your favorite team. Whether it’s a jersey or a personalized football, you need some at your tailgate.
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Fisticuffs By: Zayan Vohra
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bout 20 years ago, there were no rules. It was an all-out fight until someone went down. Punches were thrown, kicks were swung, there was no limit to what you could do. And people died. But now that’s changed. Safety rules were implemented to keep injuries from happening. Mixed Martial Arts has changed for the better, and is now an incredibly popular sport around the world, enjoyed by children and adults alike. MMA is a contact sport that allows 2 people to fight it out in a cage. The match ends when a fighter either engages in an illegal move, forfeits, or is knocked out. If a fight lasts all 3 rounds, judges will decide who is the winner by performance of each player that night. However, controversy has arisen about the morality and safety of MMA fighting and willingly injuring another opponent, which has met fierce outcry from the MMA scene. Changes in rules and regulations over the years have been working to make it safer for the fighters who engage in it. There are injury risks across all sports, and those in MMA
are comparable to other sports, said IMMAF communications director Isobel Carnwath. “One of our jobs as a governing body is to improve rules, regulation and safety guidelines in the sport to minimise risk and make it as safe as possible for participants.” said Carnwath.
“Safety first is safety always” -Charles M. Hayes She also states that MMA in some places in the world is unsafe and unregulated. The IMMAF is currently working to fix this issue, hoping to stop injuries in more remote places of the world. “It is of concern that MMA in many parts of the world is not regulated,” said Carnwath. “there is currently a gap between promoters who are following best practice in their safety procedures and those who are not ensuring that athletes are properly protected.” Here in Austin, you see an MMA style with slight differences
to the world standard. When you achieve a 5 point lead on your opponent, or time runs out and the person with the most points wins. Jordan Doss, a local MMA fighter, spars in such tournaments, having won 5 and lost 1. Luckily I haven’t been injured so far” said Jordan Doss, MMA fighter said. “[Although] Mr.Young once cracked my rib during sparring in class. He’s a great martial artist and landed a beautiful sidekick on me” Doss states that it was a minor wound, taking only a month and a half to fully heal. He is an experienced fighter, and hasn’t taken major injuries in a fight. His gear consists of foam padded gloves, shin pads, and helmets, with an optional mouthpiece and cup. “It works very well, you wear gear not only for their safety but as well as yours. It’s very easy to break your foot on someone’s elbow” says Jordan Doss. “Honestly it’s not so much about the more gear you use it’s about who you’re training with. Nobody wants to get beat up and bruised so if I’m
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sparring with someone and its practice than I need them to be on the same level of control that I am using, I never try and use power in practice it’s always speed and I stop or slow down my punches and kicks before they make contact.” Carnwath states that the rules of MMA protect athletes through stipulating set round numbers and length (e.g. 3 x 5 mins at professional level, 5 x 5 mins for title bouts), through fouls for illegal strikes, through set weight categories and through various stoppages (doctor stoppage, referee stoppage, corner stoppage) as well as athlete being able to submit to end the bout. The match can essentially be stopped at any time if a competitor is not adequately defending himself, is too injured to continue or at risk in any way. Every UFC event has 5 doctors present, 2 ambulances with paramedics and special arrangements with a private, local emergency clinic. All athletes undergo medical exams, CT scans and blood tests in order to compete and then pre-and post-
Two blows are thrown in an MMA cage. Photo by Isobel Carnwath
“Fighting is fun when you’re hitting someone and not getting hit.” -Mike Tyson
A doctor examines a downed fighter. Photo by Isobel Carnwath.
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fight medicals. Where an athlete is injured he/ she will be medically suspended from competition for a period and will need permission following a doctor’s examination to return to full contact. These are just a few of the procedures UFC follows. They have also invested in a partnership with the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas in support of the Professional Fighters Brain Health Study; and are key sponsors of IMMAF in a commitment to social responsibility within the sport. Sweden is another country in which MMA is regulated under the government. In addition to medical and safety procedures around competition, all MMA gyms in Sweden are licensed. Competitors must work their way up an MMA Safety Ladder, which sees them initially compete in grappling, then shoot boxing, then under Swedish MMA rules before they reach an elite level and are permitted to compete under full Unified Rules. “Through its 50 member federations, IMMAF is working to see MMA regulated in countries
An MMA Tournament in Dallas, Texas. Photo by Jordan Doss.
where it is currently not. One of IMMAF’s key initiatives is an introduction of a progression pathway for participants, as other sports have, that provides guidelines for safe and structured learning.” said Carnwath. “Other examples of areas in which IMMAF is working to improve participant safety is in the education and licensing of officials and in the introduction of Anti-doping tests.” “You really want to fight in as low of a weight as you can” says Steve Doss, former fighter and father of Jordan Doss. “I’m really worried about the weight cutting, there really should be some restriction on that, it shouldn’t even be possible. If they can’t make the weight the should have to fight the class up.“ Steven Doss has also proposed new rules in addition to the current ones. MMA safety isn’t fully refined, and new rules, if fair, can always be helpful. “I think they should penalize open fingers, in case you poke someone in the eye, there should be more serious repercussions.” said Steven Doss. “I’m really worried about the weight cutting, there really should be some restriction on that, it shouldn’t even be possible. “ Differing rules around the world creates different fighting styles, although they try to stick to
a baseline to prevent major loss of function from the participants. “With different organizations there’s different rules and some have very strict rules on power and how much gear you must have on so nobody ever gets hurt and some just strap gloves on you and give you 5 minute rounds.” says Jordan Doss. “With training and kids learning I think it’s really not that dangerous. Kids like it a lot and sometimes they fall hard or something and with 10 seconds usually their back to having fun and never think of them banging their knee.” A study by the IMMAF has also concluded that as MMA focuses on more areas of the opponent’s body than boxing, which is limited to punches aimed at the head the head and torso, the MMA findings resulted in a greater overall injury rate. However the majority of these injuries came in the form of more minor soft tissue damage, contusions and bruising. In contrast, it was found that boxers came under a greater threat of serious injury due to increased risk of brain trauma and eye damage. “I think some of the concern around MMA, as with boxing, is ethical rather than injury related as in combat sports, opponents willingly work to cause damage to each other - which is not to say that
the injury rate or severity of injury is greater. Some of the perception of danger is also based on fear due to negative publicity, where the use of a “caged” enclosure has been misrepresented and where lack of regulation lends to concern over “underground”, “no rules” fighting.” says Carnwath. “The sensational early promotion of MMA in its formative days has also not helped, and MMA has struggled to shake off this ‘No Holds Barred’ image.” Carnwath states that it’s frustrating to see journalists with no interests in sports writing alarming articles about the lack of safety in MMA. “These writers have no interest in educating themselves about the material about which they are writing as they are just looking for cheap headlines. However, MMA at a grassroots level does need to put its own house in order in many parts of the world as unfortunately there are local promoters who lend themselves to this type of negative publicity. If a promoter is not hiring qualified and experienced medical staff at his/ her shows or is behaving irresponsibly in other ways, then he/ she is putting athletes and the sport’s reputation at risk.” says Carnwath.
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A Wicket Go A Guide To Playing Cricket By Zayan Vohra
Bowling:
The goal of the bowler in Cricket is to get the batter out. He winds up and throws the ball over his head so it bounces on the ground once, then flies towards the batsman. There are slow-fast bowlers, and there are spinners. Spinners can spin the ball so that when it hits the ground, the ball goes at a different angle then it was thrown.
Graphic by Zayan Vohra
Batting:
Graphic by Zayan Vohra
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The batter wants to defend the wicket(3 stakes in the ground behind him) and score as many runs as possible. Batting is all about timing and precision, if you hit the ball at the right time and angle, it’ll fly far. Batters can go for 3 different strategies, lofting the ball to the boundary, attacking the ball far enough so they can run, or playing defensively by keeping the ball from hitting the wicket. If the batsman doesn’t hit to the boundary, they have the option to run, each time they make a run adding to their score.
ood Sport Outs and Scoring:
There are 2 ways to score runs in cricket. If you hit the ball all the way to the boundary, you get 6 runs if the ball didn’t touch the ground on the way there, and 4 if it did. If you don’t hit it to the wicket, you have until the fielders get the ball back to the pitch to run between the two wickets as many times as you can, scoring 1 run each. If the fielding team can hit the wicket with the ball before the batter crosses the safety line, the batter is out. The batter also gets out if the doesn’t successfully defend the wicket, or if a fielder catches the ball. If the batter gets out, he has to be replaced by another batter from his team.
The Field:
1. The Bowler: Throws the Ball 2.The Second Batsman: Alternates with the current batsman when they run. 3.The Safety Line: Be past that line for your run to count. 4.The Current Batsman: The guy batting. 5.The Wickets: If these are hit while the batsman is behind the line, the batsman is out. 6.The Wicketkeeper: A special fielder, he stands behind the wicket to catch the ball and to get outs while the batters run. 7.Fielders: Either catch the balls or return them to the pitch. 8.The Pitch: Where bowling, batting, and running occurs 9.The Boundary: Hit the ball here to score runs.
Graphic by Zayan Vohra
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Rowing coach, Davis Colwell. Photo by Aydin O’Leary
FASTER By: Aydin O’Leary day is a new day “ Every-Davis ” Colwell
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t Texas Rowing Center, Davis Colwell is in his natural habitat. The smell of epoxy and the sound of drills fill the air as he works on fixing the rudder on his third boat of the day. Colwell coaches the varsity men’s rowing team at Texas Rowing Center (TRC). He also repairs boats, rigging, and onboard motors. Colwell is passionate and dedicated about all aspects of his life, from coaching to boat repair. He has a ‘go-getter’ attitude, with plenty of meticulous attention to detail. “Davis is very meticulous and passionate about his work with boat repair, rigging and engine repair.” says Falesha Thrash, head junior coach at TRC. “This is the greatest asset he brings to the table as everyone at TRC values his work in these areas and he takes a lot of pride in his work in these areas and it shows in what
he is able to produce from spending time on it.” Colwell also applies this philosophy to his coaching career. “You gotta be creative.” says Colwell. “It’s constantly, every day is a new day.” Austin High senior and varsity rower Mike Genovesi has been rowing at TRC for three years. His last coach at TRC was Colin Heneghan, a young former rower. “Often times [Colin] would do the workouts with us and beat us, and generally just try to keep the hype as high as possible. Davis, unlike Colin, was a coxswain, not a rower,” says Genovesi. “Davis is a little bit wiser, and less energetic. He always thinks about what he is going to say next, and has a plan for everything.” Colwell believes in prioritizing. “Some conditions you have control over and some you don’t. And the ones you can control, then you do,” says Colwell, “but the ones you
don’t have control over, you’ve got to simply accept it and roll with the punches.” He joined his high school’s rowing team at a young age. “My sister, she came home, she was a freshman in high school and she was like ‘mom! dad! I found this sport!’ We were like ‘what?’” says Colwell. “We’d never heard of it! But her grades went up, instead of down. Practices were obscenely long, our parents were upset at how long our practices went, but her grades went up!” Colwell enjoyed being a legacy to the rowing team. “She left behind all her friends after she had graduated, and here I was as a freshman, who knew all the seniors!” says Colwell. “So here I was, like my freshman friends were all ‘oh who is that they’re a senior’, and I was like ‘yeah I know them’.” He became inclined towards coaching near the end of high
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“I like the journey to get there. I like to get there, but I like the journey” - Davis Colwell
school. “My rowing coach, he and I had a really amazing conversation and for the first time, I got to hear the plans within plans, as I called them.” says Colwell. “He pulled back the drapes on what goes on inside a coach’s head. [...] He involved me [in his plan], he included me, and it was amazing. I was like, ‘I wanna be that one day. The change in roles from coxswain to coach was straightforward. “I was already predisposed to think that way: directing rowers, I was in charge, running practice, so it all came down to getting out of one boat and getting into another and so the transition was seamless.” says Colwell. “It just happened.” Colwell has several tips for coaches that are just starting out. “You gotta be honest with yourself. You’re gonna get frustrated at times, you’re not gonna get things to go the way you want them to go.” says Colwell. “There’s constantly gonna be
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things that distract, and interrupt, get in the way, and you’ve gotta be able to actively adapt to changing conditions.” He advises coaches to use creativity in problem-solving. “There are some coaches that don’t have any imagination to be flexible and think outside the box, and that really irks me.” says Colwell. “It’s the old saying, if you wanna stop hurting your head, stop banging it against the wall.” Colwell also warns other coaches to watch out for bad weather: “We have great weather here [in Austin], so weather is not necessarily the biggest problem we’d have,” says Colwell, “but in a lot of places, weather is a huge factor on whether or not you’d get to practice.” Colwell has a number of role models. “My dad was a role model. He was a really passionate guy, but he almost never ran. He was like the one guy that could be in a hurry, but he never ran. [...] He was never in such a hurry that he had to run. He
never put himself so far behind that he actually had to move faster than everybody else.” He also appreciates historical figures. “Ben Franklin was just an amazing person; if I had a chance to sit down with somebody and have dinner, I’d have dinner with him. It would just be an amazing conversation. And then with General Patton, he was military, he was a brilliant strategist.” says Colwell. “He didn’t make excuses for anything, he accomplished the mission, he didn’t always get the mission he wanted, but he took the missions he was given, and completed them to the best of his ability.” Colwell enjoys all aspects of the journey of coaching. “I am very goal-oriented. I am results-driven, but I am also people-driven. I don’t wanna sacrifice the people just to get the goal.” says Colwell. “I am a means justify the ends person, not the ends justify the means. I like the journey to get there. I like to get there, but I like the journey.”
Colwell, left, leads a boat into the water at the Heart of Texas regatta. Photo by Falesha Thrash
Texas Rowing Center. Photo by Aydin O’Leary
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ROWING
E PLAINed By: Aydin O’Leary
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The Blade: the part of the oar that propels the boat
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The Skeg: this part under the boat keeps the boat straight
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The Shaft: the section of the oar that connects the handle to the blade
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The Stern: the back of the boat
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Photo by Wikimedia user Joe Brunton
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The Oarlock: holds the oar in the boat, rotates around a pin to allow movement
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The Rigger: holds the oar and oarlock away from the boat
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The Bow: the front of the boat, with a foam ball to increase safety
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Photo by Juanedc
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Dig It! By: Alex Winter
“The hardest part of volleyball for me is not being as good as I want to be. I’m one of my harshest critics and I really want to be an awesome setter, but I’m constantly wishing I was better” - Setter Dayla Waller
A
player on the opposite team spikes the ball +30 mph over the net. The libero player is the team’s last hope of stopping the ball. The libero dives to the floor extremely fast, this is called a dig and it’s one of the hardest defensive moves in volleyball. This is a very common occurrence in volleyball. Volleyball is ranked by ESPN as the 20th most difficult sport in the world right behind long distance cycling. One of the most challenging positions in volleyball is the libero position because the whole defense is relying on you to be aware and ready to dig at a moment’s notice. “So, libero is definitely a challenging position because you have to be ready to pass all of the really big hits that come from the other team, and that can usually end in a lot of diving or courtburn,” says libero and setter player Ava Ponder. The libero contacts the first ball almost half of the time, so the libero must be able
to respond quickly and have a large endurance to last the whole game. To be able to this an athlete must have incredible stamina and be able to endure a little bit of pain when the ball hits their arm multiple times at speeds +20mph. “This can be difficult because if the first touch, usually a pass, isn’t directly towards the setter then he/she ends up having to run after it and their set doesn’t end up being as good,” says Ava Ponder. The setter is the person who “sets” the second ball so that the hitter can hit it. In volleyball, each team gets three touches before they have to send the ball back over the net, and the goal it to have the setter always get the second touch. Each team has six people on the court at all times, and so the court is divided into six areas so that each person has their own area they’re responsible for. Typically, there are two rows of three players, the “front row” being the row closest to the net and the “back row” being the row
closest to the end line. “I wear ankle braces because I used to roll them a lot, but I haven’t ever had any bad injuries,” says setter Dayla Waller. Because volleyball players repeatedly use their shoulders for spiking and blocking, overuse injuries of the shoulder are common. Sprains and strains, most often around ankle, also occur. Finger injuries, such as dislocations and tendon tears, frequently occur during setting and blocking. “Teams that play with a really fast tempo are hard to defend. They may run different combinations and it becomes more important for everyone on our team to be focused on what is happening on the other side of the net. If we don’t have a big block and are playing against tall hitters, it can be tough. It all depends on how you match up with other teams,” says the Liberal Arts and Science Academy head volleyball coach Juan Beltran. This is especially
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challenging when the opponent’s team is largely ahead. Research shows that the further ahead the opposite team is the more likely they are to win. This causes the losing team to be more discouraged and not try as hard. Once you have a mental lapse and change in attitude there is almost no chance of winning the game. “It’s obviously very discouraging when you lose a game, but last season especially I found that we would use our losses to motivate ourselves to work harder and train harder during practice,” says Ava Ponder. Hard work and achievable goals don’t guarantee a win. After a devastating loss it is always important to pick yourself up, and practice harder so that you can achieve your goals later. But this is very hard to do when the next play starts in less than a minute and the volleyball is most likely going to be served straight at you. “The hardest part of volleyball for me is not being as good as I want to be. I’m one of my harshest critics and I really want to be an awesome setter, but I’m constantly wishing I was better,” says Dayla Waller. “When we fail, or mess up, at things we tend to beat ourselves up, and criticize ourselves.You have to critique your mistake and learn from it in a constructive way,” says Juliana Breines Ph.D. But when you make a wrong move in volleyball there is no time for negatively criticizing yourself. without distracting yourself from the game, which is extremely difficult. “There’s not really much
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Seaman Wilfredo Jirauruiz blocks a spike in a game against a local volleyball game.
Photo by U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class RJ Stratchko
pressure in making the wrong move. Sure, everyone makes stupid mistakes sometimes. Remembering to “shake it off ” definitely helps with making mistakes. It just reminds you to move on, cause if you keep thinking about that single move you messed up on, the odds are that you’re not going to do great on any future moves either cause you’re distracted and angry,” says Ava Ponder. Every cause has an effect and so your negative attitude (cause) produces negative circumstances, which lead to bad decisions like moving into another player’s area of the court. Most people think it’s
the other way around, but that’s not the case. Volleyball is a very challenging sport in which being physically fit, and being able to have a large endurance is very important. Much to contrary belief volleyball is a challenging sport that is sure to rival any sport in difficulty.
(left) Setter Dayla Waller #15 prepares to set the ball to a teammate for the spike (below) Setter Dayla Waller #15 sets a volleyball over the net
Courtesy photos by Dayla Waller
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Raquetball Aren’t they the same? By: Alex Winter
Racquetball and tennis are very similar sports when it comes down to the basics. The most important essential of both of these sports is being able to accurately and consistantly hit the ball with a racquet. Photo by https://pixabay.com/en/racquetball-sport-facility-hotel-32352/
Indoor racquetball play takes place in a rectangular room with four walls that are 20 feet wide and 40 feet long. The front Raquetball has a wall is 20, while the shorter racquet, back wall is around which doesn’t 12 feet. A short line divides the court with exceed 21 inches. a service line five feet in front of the short line. 38
The winning team is the team that gets to15 points first.
VS. Tennis Photo by https://pixabay.com/en/tennissports-tennis-racket-man-296422
Tennis matches are best of 3 or best of 5 matches.
A tennis court is 78 feet long with a width of 27 feet for singles matchTennis raqcuets es and 36 feet for doubles. The midare longer, and dle of the court is can be as long as 29 inches from bisected by a net with a cord that is top to bottom 3.5 feet from the ground.
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DON’T HAVE TO
STOP YOU
“
OBSTACLES “
- Michael Jordan
Front photo by Aydin O’Leary Back photo from Pexels