Global Games

Fastpitch or Baseball What’s right for you?

Revealed on page 6

lobal ames Do you know your sports?

Find out on page 18

Learn how to to throw a disc on page 16+

Has ultimate made a comeback? Check it out on page 14 Photo courtesy of Neil Kearney

The Lake Awaits...

Ladybird Kayak Rentals • • • • 2

single and douple kayaks camps lessons tours

2622 Lake Dr. near the large lake Photo by Sarah Smith

Table of Contents Who created Volleyball?

Find out on page 26!

4 5 6 10 11 12 14 16

17 18 19

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Alternative Cities Sport Injuries: A Thing of the Past Baseball or Fastpitch?

Odd Olympic Events Could Your Sport be an Olympic Sport?

Foreign Sports The Ultimate Sport A Different Spin: How Can You Throw a Disc?

Martial Arts Quiz Sports Fun Fact Quiz Let’s Get Physical: The Secrets Behind Water Polo Author Biographies

Let’s Get Physical: The Secrets Behind Water Polo

Photo courtesy of The University of Texas at Austin Water Polo

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Alternative Cities

by Sarah Smith

What Makes a City Ideal for Alternative Sports?

Unlike traditional sports, alternative sports can’t be played just anywhere. They often require a specific physical environment; open minded people; a group of people interested in it; and some initiative. For these reasons your average city never thinks twice about these sports and we should praise the cities that have the impetus to organize them. Here are the top 5 cities for alternative sport players ranked with data from multiple most sporty, most athletic, most active, most open minded and most on-the-edge city rankings.

Denver CO.

Denver Colorado wins first place for best places to play alternative sports. It ranks within the top 10 in all most active city rankings and open minded rankings. Denver is home to 100 public tennis courts, 850 miles of bicycle trails and has the Rocky Mountains right next door.

Seattle Wa.

It’s no surprise that Seattle Washington wins second. All athletics seem to be welcome in Seattle’s moderate weather, mountainous landscape, and beautiful bays. Seattle takes first in many active city rankings, and within the top 10 for most “on-the-edge” awards.

Boulder CO.

Boulder Colorado may not sound familiar but it easily wins third place for alternativeness. Boulder has taken the extra mile for its bikers by installing special bike crosswalks and bike renting machines. But Boulder shouldn’t only be credited for its bikes. Boulder is also home to the Ultimate Frisbee Players Association and in the winter is the perfect destination for skiers and snowboarders.

Minneapolis MN.

Minneapolis Minnesota wins third for their biking. Minneapolis has been voted best biking city in America by Bicycling Magazine for its miles of bike lanes and trails. Minneapolis is also the alternative city that can also appeal to the traditional sports fan. Minneapolis just so happens to be home to three major league sports teams.

San Francisco CA.

San Francisco California places 5th for its easy access to water sports, golf courses and bicycle paths. In other rankings San Francisco makes second for most active and also places well in most open minded.

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A THING OF THE PAST Preventing Injuries of tommorrow!

by Isaac Ramirez

1.) Proper Conditioning!

‘‘Pay now or pay later’’ - Kennard Rydolph

Conditioning is involved in every sport and with the proper running and training, being tired and cramping during the game is a thing of the past!

3.) Stretching!

Stretching the night before and right before the game is one of the most effective ways to prevent muscle injuries such as torn muscles and cramping!

photos courtesy of LBJ Sports

LBJ football Players, condition at practice in preparation for their game.

“Condition at practice increases speed, and you go full speed during a game. If you don’t go full speed, you will end up getting hurt.

Conditioning is an important part of sports!’’ said Mark Moreno (pictured middle).

Photo by Isaac Ramirez

2.) Stay Hydrated!

Being Dehydrated can lead to fainting, wheezing and cramping. Enough water gives you the fluids to perform at your best!

photos courtesy of LBJ Sports

Sebastian Canizares (pictured right) shows how not getting enough fluids canl lead to future injuries. Alex Avila (pictured left) drinks water in order to stay hyrdrated and perform at his best.

Photo by Isaac Ramirez

James Dubose (pictured top) and Emery Reed (pictured bottom) strech their legs in order to prevent any muscle tears.

‘‘Stretching is important because it prevents any pulling of muscles. It also makes you more flexible during the game so you can perform at your best!’’ said Reed.

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Baseball or Fastpitch?

by Isaac Ramirez Most people in America know about the all-American, patriotic and historical sport known as baseball.

However, many people don’t know about men’s fastpitch softball.

In the 1950’s, fastpitch was a popular and growing sport. But as the decade passed and the generation changed, the struggle to make fastpitch popular grew, and by the 70’s, it was nearly dead.

The stereotype of the sport is that it is the same as softball and not hard to play.

What many people don’t know is that fastpitch is actually often harder than baseball.

First, dive into the batter prospective of the reaction time a batter has to hit the ball.

Let’s say a pitcher throws his fastball at 70 mph in fastpitch. That doesn’t sound

Photo Courtesy of Mexican American Fastpitch

6

like much, but with a .448 of a second reaction time, it actually gets to the plate faster than a 90 mph fastball in baseball (which has a .458 reaction time).

Now at the professional level, the average ace (best starting pitcher) of a team throws about 80 mph in fastpitch.

This gives the batter .392 of a second to react. That is .21 of a second less than a 100 mph fastball in baseball. .21 seconds may not seem like a lot, but in baseball, any batter will tell you that even a one hundreth of a second can make the difference in a home run and a strike out.

Now move to the defensive comparison.

In fastpitch, first and third base, also know as the corners of the infield, are 60 ft away from home plate. However in baseball the hotboxes (1st and 3rd base)

are 90 feet away.

This means that the defense has 1/3 less time to react and field a ball as well as throw to the base needed for an out. This makes it harder to field a ball properly as it reaches the defensive player 1/3 faster to the infield.

For the final example observe the basepath’s difference.

Although each base is 60 ft away (onethird shorter than baseball), stealing is incredibly challenging. In fastpitch, you cannot leave the base until the ball has released the pitcher’s hand and if you do it is an automatic out. This means no lead whatsoever making it harder for speed players to use their best talents.

For these three reasons, I can conclude that fastpitch is harder both offensively and defensively than baseball.

Tony Mancha, the number one ranked fastpitch pitcher in the United States, throws a fastpitch for a strike as he plays for the Misfits at the 2011 Rusk Athletic Club Tournament. The Tournament is held annually in Houston, Texas.

CHANGE GAMES:

By Isaac Ramirez

Israel Rey has played both baseball and fastpitch. Growing up, his life revolved around a baseball field. He didn’t discover fastpitch until fifteen, when his father finally let him play.

‘‘I remember the first time I stepped up to the batter’s box. I came into fastpitch from baseball and thought that it would be a piece of cake. Boy was I wrong. Honestly, the two sports are uncomparable. However fastpitch is a lot more fastpace. The bases are so much closer and nearly every out recorded is a bang bang play’’ says Rey.

A bang bang play is a play that is decided by a split second.

‘‘Fastpitch was fast for me, at least in the infield, so I made the decision to be primarily an outfield player. I can still play the infield, but the

A Player’s View

infield in fastpitch is so much smaller and the ball is so fast!’’ said Rey.

‘‘Also, in fastpitch, the ball can move five ways instead of four like baseball. The ball can move up in fastpitch where as baseball it can’t” said Rey. This famous pitch type is known as a ‘‘Riser’’ or a ‘‘Rise Ball.’’

‘‘I’ve noticed throughout my time playing both sports that there is a stereotype revolving around fastpitch.

Baseball players love to say that fastpitch is easy because its softball. I would love to challenge any baseball player to play fastpitch and see how hard it is for them” said Rey.

‘‘Fastpitch and baseball are two different sports. The motions, quickness and fields are different in each sport.

Fastpitch is faster, and in the batter’s box

you have to be ready for ‘heat’.‘‘ Heat in both sports is usually reffered to as a fastball or something coming quickly at you that you might not be ready for.

‘‘It’s really hard to compare the two, as they are totally different.

However in fastpitch, you must have a different mentality. From playing both sports, I have noticed that players, incuding myself, change their game and adapt to the two different sports.’’

‘‘Fastpitch might not be for everybody, but I highly recommend trying it before you call it easy,’’ says Rey.

Rey, who now attends the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor, plans to sit out his freshmman year of baseball to focus on sports. However, he still attends fastpitch tournaments on his free time.

Israel Rey, player for the Austin Reys, swings at a change up pitch at the annual Memorial Day Tournament in Austin, Texas.

The tournament is held by the Castro Concrete.

Photo Courtesy of Felisha Johnson

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Israel Rey, player for the Austin Reys, has played baseball since he was 4 years old and fastpitch since he was 15. He loads up as he gets ready for a pitch. ‘‘In fastpitch, you have to have a faster reaction time to the ball because it comes faster since its a lot more close’’ said Israel.

Photo Courtesy of Felisha Johnson

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Photo by Isaac Ramirez

Israel Rey Sr, Coach of the El Paso Amigos and Austin Reys, attempts to tag out a runner on their way to first base. Rey, who is now the coach of the El Paso Amigos and the Austin Reys, explains how he was ‘‘born into fastpitch.’’ ‘‘Ever since I can remember, I would go to the fastpitch fields with my dad.

At the age of 12 I had my first game.

I remember the feeling of being rushed to make a tag, force a throw to first and beat out a throw as a runner. It is so much different than baseball,’’ said Rey.

Photo Courtesy of Felisha Johnson

Ramon Rey, pitcher and coach for the Austin Reys, throws a fastball in his warm up routine. ‘‘It is so much different warming up in fastpitch than baseball. In fastpitch, you start out far but still keep your motion.

In baseball, you just throw to your partner in a nonpitching style until you get close. ’’ Ramon, who has played fastpitch since he was 13, also explained the different motions in both sports.

“In fastpitch, you have to have a solid steady motion. If anything changes the pitch goes wild.’’

Jaime ‘‘Chico’’ Rey, player for the Ausitn Reys, gets in his ready stance “Fastpitch is way harder defensively because you’re so close to the plate.

The ball comes to you like a rocket.

You could even say your putting your life on the line playing the corners.’’ Chico, who has been playing fastpitch since the age of 16 is known for his incredibly entertaining enthusiasm both on and off the field. He is often known as ‘‘Chico G’’ and the ‘‘ Flama Blanca.’’

Photo Courtesy by Felisha Johnson

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Odd Olympic Events By: Sarah Smith

Trampolining Trampoline may sound like something you’d do in your backyard, but trampoline has been part of the Olympics since 2000. Trampoline gymnasts preform routines constisting of flips and twists before judges.

photo used under Creative Commons licensing

Tug-of-War Tug-of-war was in the olympics from 1900 to 1920. Britian won the most medals in this event.

Live pigeon shooting showed up at the 1900 Paris olympics. Due to the bloody mess of 300 dead birds afterwards, live pigeon shooting hasn’t showed up at the Olympics since 1900.

Today professional pigeon shooting is only done with clay pigeons.

Live Pigeon Shooting

photo used under Creative Commons licensing

Long Jump for Horses Paris came up with another strange event at their 1900 olympics. Horse long jump didn’t survive as an olympic sport for long because the horses’ jumping lengths were not impressive. The record for a human long jump is two meters longer than the best horse jump.

photo used under Creative Commons licensing photo used under Creative Commons licensing

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Could Your Sport be an Olympic Sport?

By: Sarah Smith

[sport you want to propose] Is your sport played around the world?

The International Olympic Committee, (IOC) is in charge of deciding which sports are included in the Olympic games. The IOC’s first criterea for a sport is it being widely practiced around the world.

yes!

No.

Does your sport have an No. international federation to represent it?

Is your sport popular in the host country?

The country hosting the olympics has the power to pick some events that are popular Yes! in their country.

Most sports are represented by an international federation or atleast by an international governing body.

No.

Is there an international governing body Yes! to represent it?

No.

Does your sport depend on Mechanical Propulsion? (like motorboat racing)

Yes.

Is your sport a good spectator No. sport?

No!

Yes! Is there an opening?

Sports like underwater swimming in a lake don’t make it very long at the Olympics.

Yes!

Yes!

The IOC capped the possible amount of sports at the Olympics at 28.

Are there clear winners and losers?

Sports that are judged be judges need to have a clear set of guidelines for scoring.

No. Yes!

No.

Not an Olympic Sport

Could be in the Olympics 15

By: Sarah Smith

Foreign Sports

Most countries have one sport they excel in. Here are a few countries and their special sport.

Lucha Libre is a form of professinal wrestling known for the use of elaborate masks. Lucha libre is unique to spanish speaking countries and especially to Mexico. This form of wrestling is very similar to American wrestling, where the match is won by pinning the opponent to the mat for three seconds.

Spain Mexico

Brazil

Capoeira is a martial art that started as a form of dancing.

Today capoeira is only a martial art, but the fighting style can resemble a dance and is sometimes done with music.

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Futsal, from the spanish word for soccer, ‘futbol,’ and the word for indoor, ‘sala,’ are all exactly that: indoor soccer. Futsal began in South American countries like Brazil in the 1930’s but quickly spread to Spain. Now futsal is one of Spain’s most popular sports and Spain has the futsal top team.

Badminton is a racquet sport that resembles tennis. Like in tennis players stand on opposite sides of a net and try to hit the shuttle over. Badminton is China’s national sport and they have won more olympic metals for badmitton than any other country.

Pakistan

China

Australia

Cricket, a sport similar to baseball, was invented by the English and introduced to Pakistan during british rule over the area. Since then, Cricket has been the most popular sport there. Today, Pakistant’s player, Saeed Ajmal has been named the number one player in the sport.

Rugby, originally a varitation of football, is the biggest sport in Australia. It is much like football, in that it uses an oval shaped ball and goalposts, but instead of 11 players on each side of the field, there are 13.

Photo used under Creative Commons liscensing

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The Ultimate Sport

by Sarah Smith

Frisbee isn’t just something you play with your dog anymore. Ultimate is a frisbee sport that combines different qualities of basketball, soccer and football. Ultimate’s popularity has steadily grown since it was invented in 1966 and now leagues and championships are being set up around the country. Keivaun Waugh is one of the athletes who was attracted to the game.

Waugh was introduced to ultimate by a friend in middle school and began playing on the school team. He instantly fell in love with the sport and continued playing thorough high school. Now he’s co-captain of the LASA ultimate team. Waugh says, “ultimate is really great,” but he admits to not knowing the history of the sport.

History

Ultimate couldn’t have been invented without the invention of the frisbee. The first frisbees were foil pie tins that Frisbie Pie Company truck drivers threw at college students, when they realized that students

liked playing catch with them. Many Universities have claimed that their students invented the frisbee but it was most likely Yale students in the late 1800s.

During World War II, playing catch with pie tins was made more popular because of the popularity of it among soldiers.

After the war, in 1948 a man named Fred Morrison decided to sell a plastic version of the tins that he called Flying Saucers. They were a hit. Morrison began selling an alternate version of the flying saucers named “Pluto Platters.” Then, in 1955, the Wham-O Manufacturing Company bought Morrison’s patent and renamed his Flying Saucers and Pluto Platters “Frisbees,” in honor of the Frisbie Pie Company’s pie tins. Frisbee advertisements suggested that players invent ways to play with the Frisbee, so people began inventing.

In 1966, high school student Joel Silver invented the ultimate frisbee game and proposed it to his student council. In 1970, the first interscholastic game was played and in 1972 the first college game was played.

Tournaments were soon created and the sport began to take off.

Today, ultimate is ranked the world’s fastest growing sport. It is being played in 42 countries, including the United States, Europe, Japan, and now India. Of all the countries, ultimate is probably the most popular in the U.S. with its over five million players. In the U.S. ultimate is biggest among college students. Since 1966, over 700 colleges have set up teams and national championships for the teams to compete. But ultimate isn’t just a college sport. Men’s, women’s, and children’s leagues have been set up by ultimate groups trying to endorse the sport.

But even with its push for popularity ultimate still isn’t a traditional sport.

“It’s never been popular,” Waugh says, “If you just go up to someone and say ‘hey you want to play some ultimate,’ they’re probably not gonna know what you mean… but it’s getting there.”

Professional Leagues like the American Ultimate Disc league, (AUDL) and USA Ultimate are trying to help ultimate get there by creating camps, organizing events, and educating fans. Waugh is hopeful that with the help of organizations like these, ultimate could make it mainstream.

One of the things that could get ultimate the popularity it needs is its unique game play and its emphasis on fair play. Ultimate is never played with referees so players are responsible for calling their own fouls. This makes it essential for players to maintain good sportsmanship. “It requires players to be honest,” Waugh says, “each player has to know the rules.”

photo used under Creative Commons licensing

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But players are not the only ones who need to know the rules. If observers disagree with the players fouls they are able to overrule them. This makes for a more modern, democratic, sport that can involve even the spectators. This attitude definitely sets ultimate apart from other sports which have one or two refs that have the final say. The spirit of the game also binds the ultimate community together. There is no hostile environment that most traditional sport teams have. Instead there is a sense of community.

Another large factor in ultimate’s rising popularity is its similarity to other sports.

At a glance you can find traits from other more traditional sports within ultimate.

Ultimate adopted football’s intensity without the danger and injuries, soccer’s quickness, and basketball’s style.

Ultimate has also stolen some of its rules and field layout from different sports.

Ultimate has basketball’s limited amount of time to hold the ball and their no moving far with the ball rules. And like in football ultimate’s field has end zones where points are scored and also yard lines.

Because ultimate takes all of these qualities from other sports, athletes of those more traditional sports often decide to take up ultimate. And the athletes that take up ultimate often stay with it and even call it more physically demanding than previous sports they played. Ultimate is the up and coming sport of the decade. It may have started out as a joke with pie tins and hippies but it is working its way to the level of traditional sports. As Waugh says, “it’s getting there.”

photo used under Creative Commons licensing

photo used under Creative Commons licensing

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A Differnt Spin

How can you throw a disc?

By: Dylan Kreth

Push Pass The push pass is not extremely popular, but it is used a fair amount.

It is thrown by flicking the wrist the same way as in the forehand. The disc rolls off of the forefinger, and the forefinger snaps into a fist just before the discs leaves the finger, greatly increasing spin on the disc.

Photos used under Creative Comments liscensing

The Hammer The hammer is a throw used to get around a tall defender or a above a large group of defenders. It uses the same kind of grip as the forehand, but is tossed over the head instead of from the side.

The Back Hand The backhand throw is the typical throw everyone who has ever seen a frisbee knows. Whether it’s in an ultimate tournament game, or for just tossing it around with your friends, this throw is sure to fit your frisbee needs.

Photos used under Creative Comments liscensing

Photo courtesy of Madeira High School

Photos used under Creative Comments liscensing

The Thumber Commonly referred to as the forehand thumber, the peach, or the beach thumber, it is often used as a quick catch-and-release throw.

Though not quite as common in ultimate because of several drawbacks, it is commonly used in other disc based sports, such as “Guts.”

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The Forehand Also called the flick, the forehand is probably the second most commonly used throw. Though less known by the general population, it is very widely known by competive ultimate players.

Photos used under Creative Comments liscensing

Martial Arts Quiz By: Dylan Kreth

(1.) What is the term for a karate practitioner?

(A.)- Karater (B.)- Karateka (C.)- Karatier (D.)- Karatist (2.) What does the “kwon” in taekwondo translate to?

(A.)- Sword (B.)- to break with fist (C.)- to break with foot (D.)- deadly (3.) Which of the following is not one of the “Five Tenets of Tae Kwon Do”?

(A.)- Perseverance (B.)- Strength (C.)- Self Control (D.)- Courtesy (4.) Where did Karate originate?

(A.)- Vietnam (B.)- Indonesia (C.)- Japan (D.)- Korea (5.) Which wrestling sport refers to the winner as yatra and the belt worn around the waist as a ningri?

(A.)- Jeet Kune Do (B.)- Mukna (C.)- Kung Fu (D.)- Kuntao

(6.) What is the name of the weapon pictured to the left?

(A.)- Swedish halberd (B.)- Fauchard (C.)- Spontoon (D.)- Sickle Photo used under creative comments liscense

(11.) Which martial art is the primary user of the Ashuko Hand Claws?

(A.)- Ninjitsu (B.)- Tae Kwon Do (C.)- Karate (D.)- Pyon Moo Do

(7.) How often should a bo staff be cleanec?

(A.)- Weekly (B.)- Monthly (C.)- Yearly (D.)- Never

(12.) Which of the following is not one of the Daisho , the Samurai sword set of three swords?

(A.)- Katana (B.)- Wakizashi (C.)- Tanto (D.)- Sai

(8.) What family started the fighting television series UFC? (A.)- Martinez (B.)- Johnson (C.)- Brady (D.)- Gracies

(13.) What is the proper name for a throwing star?

(A.)- Ninja Star (B.)- Shuriken (C.)- Bal (D.)- Jumeog Photo used under creative comments liscense

(9.) What is also known as the samurai code of honor?

(A.)- Jujitsu (B.)- Ssaum (C.)- Bushido (D.)- Seung Li

(10.) What is the average length of a Bo staff?

(A.)- 4 feet (B.)- 5 feet (C.)- 6 feet (D.)- 7 feet

Answers: (1.)B. Karateka (2.)B. to break with fist (3.)C. Strength (4.)C. Japan (5.)A. Jeet Kune Do (6.)A. Swedish Halberd (7.)D. Never (8.)D. Gracies(9.)C. Bushido (10.)C. 6 feet (11.) A. Ninjitsu (12.)D. Sai (13.)B. Shuriken (10.)C. 6 feet

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SPORTS FUN FACT QUIZ! Are you an MVP? Find out!

By Isaac Ramirez and Dylan Kreth

(2.) Where was Cricket created?

(A)- India (B)- USA (C)- England (D)- Turkey (3.) Who has hit the most career

home runs in the MLB? (A)- Babe Ruth (B)- Barry Bonds (C)- David Ortiz (D)- Isaac Ramirez

(4.) What is the record for the

lowest attendance at a MLB game?

(A)- 3,562 (B)- 11, 248 (C)- 347 (D)- 784

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(5.) About how much did the

London 2012 Olympic games cost?

(A)- 20 Million (B)- 500 Million (C)- 5 Billion (D)- 15 Billion

(9.) What sport uses the term

“hacker”?

(A)- Soccer (B)- Tennis (C)- Baseball (D)- Basketball

Chloe Edmiston sets the ball to her fellow teammate.

(6.) Who was the ‘‘creator’’ of

Volleyball?

(A)- William Ellis (B)- William G. Morgan (C)- Prince Edward (D)- James DuBose (7.) Which of the following

sports does not use the term “ace”?

Photo courtesy of lbjsports.org

(A)- Tennis (B)- Track & Field (C)- Baseball (D)- Golf

(8.) Which of the following is not a real sport?

(A.)- Toe Wrestling (B.)- Underwater Hockey (C.)- Grease Wrestling (D.)- Queebly Ball Answers: 1.) A- England 2.) C- England 3.) B-William G. Morgan 4.) C- 347 5.) D- 15 Billion 6.) B- Barry Bonds 7.) B- Track & Field 8.) D- Quebby Ball 9.) B- Tennis

(1.) Where was Rugby invented?

(A)- England (B)- Spain (C)- Australia (D)- New Zealand

Let’s Get Physical The Secrets Behind Water Polo

By Isaac Ramirez

Photo Courtesy of University of Texas Water Polo

Collin Fish, water polo player for The University of Texas, defends a shot against San Jose.

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Let’s Get Physical

By Isaac Ramirez

Water polo is a game of handball in a swimming pool. Sounds simple right?

Since there is contact allowed in water polo players use it to their advantage in anyway possible.

‘‘Having to swim for an hour straight is tough enough, but that doesn’t include the continious physical play,’’ said Collin Fish, member of the University of Texas at Austin water polo team.

Collin Fish started playing water polo when he entered college.

‘‘ I swam in high school, so when I came to UT, I wanted to stay in the water. However water polo has a lot more aspects than swimming, especially the physical play’’ says Fish.

‘‘ I’ve played one year, but the little that I’ve played has taught to ‘take advantage of the lenient referees’. Since there is so much room and you can’t tell what is going on under water, players usually do things that ‘might not be ethical or legal’ says Fish,

In water polo, it is hard for referees to see everything, as it is challenging to see under water.

‘‘ At the beginning, I was aggrivated that refs didn’t call any fouls, but then I realized that they couldn’t do anything about most of them as they didn’t see it. So I decided to act as aggresive as my opponents. I will admit that the play got very dirty at points, ranging from grabbing, drowning. scratching and even kicking’’ dsecribes Fish. ‘‘ I’ve had to adapt to a lot of things, but the physicality was the hardest yet the most fun. I think once you adapt your playing style water polo can be as fun for you as it was for me. Once your

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Photo Courtesy of UniverTexas Water Polo

mind accepts that it is physical and ‘goes off a leash,’ the animal inside you will eventually come out,’’ says Fish.

Fish, who attends the University of Texas, plans to play water polo as much as he can, in hopes of one day making the school’s A team.

‘‘Although it will be a challenge both physically and mentally, with emough determination and a ‘little help’ by the referees, making the school’s A team is a possibility. It all starts with being physical on every side of the pool,’’ says Fish.

Water polo takes stamina, speed, strength and aggresiveness. From passing to a teamate, shooting a shot, or attemptjng to take the ball away from somone, you can bet water polo is a physical sport.

Collin Fish swimis for a ball as another player attempts to prevent him from getting the ball.

Courtesy of Creative Comments Liscence

Two teams go at it during a water polo game.

Photo Courtesy of UniverTexas Water Polo

Collin Fish, member of the University of Texas Water Polo, swims for a loose ball against San Jose.

Collin Fish searches for a team member to pass to in a game of water polo vs San Jose State.

Photo Courtesy of UniverTexas Water Polo

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Author Bios Dylan Kreth Dylan loves playing mellophone in his high school marching band. An intriguing young man, Dylan loves learning about sports from all around the world. He spends most of his time with the band, doing homework, sleeping, and hanging out with friends on the weekends, but he loves to watch UT football on TV.

Photo by Dylan Kreth

Photo by Dylan Kreth

Isaac Ramirez Isaac is known for his incredibly enthusiastic school spirit. He has never missed and never will miss a football game. He is incredibly passionate about football and baseball. In his free time he loves to write poetry and play sports. He listens to old school rap and country music and also writes songs for “Asian Attack,’’ a teen pop band.

Photo by Dylan Kreth

Photo by Dylan Kreth

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Sarah Smith Sarah is a student athlete: she gives it her all in education as well as in her sports.

She plays soccer, tennis and enjoys swimming. When she’s not hitting the books or playing sports, she listens to alternative music.

Keeping Austin Weird I see? She definitely shows her Austinite roots.

Photo by Peter Smith

Photo by Dylan Kreth

Letter From the Editors Dear Reader,

We the Editors of Global Games work to inform Americans about games and sports from around the world.

We believe that there are many sports that should get more attention than they have recieved. We hope that this magazine informs you on many sports from around the globe as we dive into connections, synopsis and points of view around the less popular sports.

Photo by James DuBose

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h l e t t A i c r E u q o u y i l p l m a at t en e t G

The J Spot Photos courtes y of Cr eative C ommen ts Lis

cense