6th Free Choice Magazine

Making the World a Better Place One Wish at a Time By: Leigha “All who come to this happy place welcome” Walt Disney’s words. Walt Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois; this is when all the magic started. Walt had a mom named Flora Call Disney and a dad named Elias Disney. Shortly after Walt was born his family moved to Marceline, MO to let Walt live most of his childhood there. While he was little he took on a love for drawing and art. When he was 7 years old he would sell his doodles to his neighbors and friends. He had a knack for enduring art forms. Some may say his sister Ruth was his “partner in crime”. One time Ruth helped Walt tar the side of his house to draw on! Walt had another sibling too his name was Roy. Roy helped Walt pursue his love and talents for art. Walt moved quickly through childhood. He failed at his attempt of “laugh-o-grams” when he was older and moved to Hollywood. In Hollywood Walt became a star and married one of his first employees, Lillian Bounds, who were later on blessed with two daughters, Diane and Sharon. In 1932 he won his first academy award for “Flowers and Trees”! Then Walt came out with some family favorites Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs, Bambi, Pinocchio, Dumbo, and Fantasia. Then Walt’s dream came true he opened up an amusement park in 1955 which he called Disneyland. Then Walt started another park Disney World. Then he sadly passed away on December 15, 1966. Roy, to carry on his brother’s memory finished WDW (Walt Disney World). Today Walt and Roy’s memory lives on through their park.

“All who come to this happy place, welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past.... and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America........ With the hope it will be a source of joy and inspiration to the entire world!” On a sunny afternoon in Anaheim, California the gates to Disneyland opened at 2:30PM on Sunday July 17,

1955. When Walt made Disneyland he intended it to be a theme park for all to enjoy. He made the park revolve around Mickey Mouse (his second character) and the gang. He threw in little kid rides, adult rides, shows, and attractions for all ages to love. Walt’s park was a smash hit! He decided to go bigger. He went on to Disney World. Walt loved the idea of both of his parks. Sadly, Walt died before Disney World was opened. Without Walt, progress stopped and no one knew what to do. To keep his brothers memory alive, Roy continued building the park. Roy missed his brother and to make sure no one thought it was Roy’s park he named it in honor of his brother, Walt Disney World. Roy knew his brother would be proud of him. Today even though Roy and Walt are dead, their park was a success! With something for everyone to enjoy anyone can call Disney World there “happy place”!

Cheerleading By: Amanda Cheerleading is a physical activity. That was started in the United States. It started as an allmale sport. In early 1877, Princeton University had a “Princeton Cheer” that was yelled on the sidelines by students. A graduate of Princeton University moved to Minnesota in 1884, and transplanted the idea of organized crowds cheering at football games at the University of Minnesota. There were 3 people who got the name “Cheerleader”: Thomas, Easton and Guerin from Princeton’s class of 1898 and 1899. Thomas, Eaton and Guerin would cheer the football players on at practice and had a special section in the stands to cheer. Women joined cheerleading in 1907, and began to dominate the sport because of World War II. Gymnastics, tumbling, and megaphones were incorporated in cheering, and are still used today.

In 1948, Lawrence “Herkie” Herkimer of Dallas, Texas, a former cheerleader of Southern Methodist University, formed the National Cheerleading Association (NCA) as a way to hold cheering clinics. The NCA held first clinic in Huntsville, Texas, with 52 girls in attendance. Herkimer contributed many firsts to the sports: the founding of the Cheerleader and Dance Team cheerleading uniform company, inventing the herky (The herky is a jump when cheerleaders have one leg bent behind you and the other leg straight in front of you.) and creating the “Spirit Stick”. In the 1960s, the college cheerleaders were introduced to competitions at World Champions Association (WCA).

In the NFL, the teams started organizing cheerleaders. The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders gained the spotlight with their outfits and sophisticated dance moves, which debuted in the 1972-1973 season, but were seen more widely in the Super Bowl in 1976. In the 1980s, the onset of modern cheerleading, the cheerleaders started doing harder stunts and gymnastics incorporated into routines.

All-Star teams started to pop up, and with them the United States of America All-Star Federation (USASF).

There are 2 styles of cheerleading, competitive cheerleading and school cheerleading. Competitive cheerleading competes at competitions. The competitions are across the United State and some of the competitions are held by WCA. If you get first place at a competition, you become the World Champion! A few examples of competitive cheerleading teams are Cheer Legendz and Athletic Champions. Cheer Legendz Wildcatz, got 1st place at their first competition on November 1st and 2nd.

The World of Volleyball By: Natalie Volleyball has been and still is one of the most loved sports around the world. It was invented

by William Morgan in 1895, and is still played to this day. Volleyball is a team sport played indoors in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. The play going on between the two teams is called a rally, which can be ended by the ball hitting the floor on either side. To start a rally, one player from a certain team will go behind the serving line and serve the ball. Each team is allowed three touches, most often the first touch being a pass, the second touch being a set, and the third touch being a hit, also known as a kill. Some of the many rules involved in volleyball include no catching the ball, no throwing the ball, and no touching the ball twice in a row.

Volleyball has been a Summer Olympic game since 1964. The opening edition of women’s volleyball was won by Japan in 1964, the host nation. There followed two victories in a row by the Soviet Union, in 1968 and 1972. Japan came back and won again in 1976 for one last Olympic gold volleyball win before losing their status. The first two edition of men’s volleyball was won by Soviet Union. Third in 1964 and runner-up in 1968, Japan won the gold in 1972.

If you are interested in playing volleyball, you have to really commit to it. Volleyball takes a great amount of blood, sweat, and tears when playing. You also need to have a lot of energy so you can keep going for tournaments that can last for several hours. So if you are ever interested in playing volleyball, make sure that you are ready to play as a team, and give it your all.

LIONEL MESSI By: Chris FC Barcelona has a player named Lionel Messi and right now he is the best in the world. He is a striker for FC Barcelona in Spain but Messi is originally from Argentina. He is the leader in goals on the charts and right behind him is Cristiano Ronaldo. Argentina has won 2 World Cups but has won 0 while Messi was on the team. Some people say he can’t be the best until has a World Cup but he really is the best. Messi lives in a place called Castelldefels in Barcelona with a few of his teammates.

Barcelona has won the UEFA (Union Europea de futbal) cup four times and Messi was on the team for two of those in 2009 and in 2011. They have won four other kinds of cups also. Barcelona plays in LA LIGA league with their rival Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo plays for them and Ronaldo and Messi always put on a good game. Messi plays on the second richest soccer team in the world.

Barcelona has 2 elite UEFA stadiums. FC Barcelona’s coach is Pep Guardiola and manager is Francesc Vilanova. FC Barcelona’s captain is Carles Puyol and their star midfielder is Fransesc Fabregas. Their goalie’s name is Victor Valdes. This is why Messi is the best soccer player in the world.

Wonderful Dolphins By: Katie Dolphins are one of the smartest sea animals! One example of how smart dolphins are is when a dolphin sees itself in the mirror they recognize themselves. Many people think dolphins are fish but actually, like their cousins the whale, they’re mammals. Dolphins hold their breath underwater and when they get to the surface they breathe air through their blowholes. Dolphins can have 60 to 100 teeth so they can hold their meal in their mouth. These amazing mammals can eat underwater and even knock out a shark. Mostly bottlenose dolphins can do this because of their hard bottle shaped nose.

Dolphins are very fast swimmers so this helps them get food easier. They can swim 32 miles per hour! They get in big schools of dolphins and surround small fish and let each dolphin take a turn eating. This is called bait-balls. Once they catch their prey they flick their heads back and eat the fish whole. To help them catch fish dolphins use echolocation, which is when a dolphin or other animal makes a clicking noise and the sound bounces off the prey and back to the dolphin. So even though dolphins don’t seem smart they are one of the smartest animals on earth!

Abrahams Lincoln’s Life By: Katlyn J. As the 16th president of the U.S Abraham Lincoln had a huge role to play. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky. His mother had died in Indiana from milk sickness. Milk sickness is sickness from milk or dairy products. Abraham as only nine when his mother died. Abraham’s father had remarried a woman named Sarah Bush Johnston. The family moved across the Ohio River into a free state. Growing up as a pre-teen, Lincoln did not like the hard labor on the farm. Some considered him to be lazy. As a teenager he became an axe man for building fences. In later years Lincoln often loaned his father money and became distant from his father partly because of his fathers’ lack of education. When he grew up he married Mary Todd Lincoln and had four children, Robert Todd Lincoln, William Wallace Lincoln, Tad Lincoln, and Edward Baker Lincoln. He then served in the Illinois militia as the captain.

After the militia, Abraham was now going to begin his road to presidency. Later he ran to be in the Illinois General Assembly but did not make it. Some say it may have had to do with his lack of education. In his second campaign he won! He ran for state legislature and ran as a “Whig.” A Whig is an American political party. After his campaign he returned to Springfield, Illinois, and became a successful lawyer. He was then elected the 16th president of the United States of America in November of 1860. Lincoln then issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862 and was put into effect on January 1, 1863. After a year and a half, Abraham Lincoln attended Ford’s Theater when he was shot in the head by a confederate spy named John Wilkes Booth. He later died after being in a coma for nine hours. A special funeral train carried Lincoln’s body from Washington D.C to Springfield, Illinois. Today Lincoln is still remembered and will never be forgotten as our 16th president.

Who is the Best Superhero?

By: Lyle BOOM! SMASH! POW! Superheroes are global icons, portrayed in huge blockbuster movies with all of their twists and turns that help them grow in their popularity and visibility around the world.

Cities like Gotham, Metropolis, and even realms like Asgard are places that are known throughout society, and some even have actual cities named after them, like Metropolis, Illinois. Superman is arguably the most known superhero of all time, but other people might have different opinions.

There are two main comic companies: Marvel and DC. Marvel is owned by Disney, and DC partners with Warner Bros. They have both made a lot of movies about superheroes, but personally my favorite DC movie is The Dark Knight Rises and my favorite Marvel movie is The Avengers.

I wanted to know who the most popular superhero was. So instead of asking a general question (which I am sure either Batman or Superman would be the answer!), I randomly picked 8 Marvel and 8 DC superheroes (both groupings of superheroes), without looking, and created matches between pairs of superheroes in a NCAA 8 team-style tournament bracket. Marvel is on one side of the 16-superhero tournament bracket; DC is on the other side of the bracket. I then asked lots of people who, in their opinion, is the better superhero. It was fun creating the tournament and discovering peoples’ answers to the question: WHO IS THE BEST SUPERHERO EVER? First, let me introduce the contenders in the tournament. In each description, there will be some facts about each superhero. There are 4 different facts about each one, which are what kinds of superpowers they have, their biggest villain, and who their alter ego is (what their real name is). I hope that you get to learn more about superheroes by these two tables.

Marvel Chart Hero

Captain America

Human Torch

Iron Man

Thor

Spider Man

Hulk

The Thing

Wolverine

Powers

Strength

Generate

Lasers, Fly,

Lightning

Cling to

Strength,

Strength

Heals Fast

(Super -)

and Shield

Fire and Fly

and Strength

and Hammer

Walls and Strength

Jumper, and Speed

and Stamina

and Metal Claws

Villain

Red Skull

Sardo

Mandarin

Loki

Dr. Octopus

The Leader

Doctor Doom

Magneto

Alter Ego

Steve Rogers

Johnny Storm

Tony Stark

None

Peter Parker

Bruce Banner

Benjamin Grimm

James Howlett

DC Chart Hero

Aquaman

Green Lantern

Cyborg

Martian Manhunter

Wonder Woman

Batman

Flash

Superman

Powers (Super)

Survive Under the Sea, Fast, and Strong in Water

Flight and Power Ring

Strength

Telepathy and Shapeshifting and Invisibility

Flight, Lasso of Truth, Golden Tiara

No real powers, but gadgets to help him

Speed, and Time Travel

Strength, Flight, and X - ray vision

Villain

Black Manta

Sinestro

Atlas

Darkseid

Cheetah

The Joker

Reverse - Flash

Lex Luthor

Alter Ego

Arthur Curry

Hal Jordan

Victor Stone

J’onn J’onnzz

Diana Prince

Bruce Wayne

Wally West

Clark Kent

Well, there you have it! Batman IS the best superhero ever! (at least according to my tournament). There were many good superhero face-offs throughout the tournament, but Batman is the winner. I guess the Dark Knight really does rise.

The Green Bay Packers By: Joey They wear the traditional green and yellow, are four time Super Bowl champions, and have won the most championships they are... the Green Bay Packers! The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members in the North division of the National Football Conference. The Packers are the third oldest franchise in the NFL (National Football League). The Packers home field is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. From 2000-2012, twenty three players have gone to the Pro Bowl including: Brett Favre, Donald Driver, Charles Woodson, Clay Matthews, and Aaron Rodgers. 26 players and 1 coach have gone to the Hall of Fame including: Vince Lombardi, Bart Starr, Reggie White, and Curly Lambeau.

The Packers are a really fun team watch. They’ve went to the Super Bowl four times in 1967, 1968, 1997, and in 2011 and won all four of them. Their home field is called Lambeau Field. The Super Bowl Trophy is named the Lombardi Trophy after Vince Lombardi. The Packers also played and won the first Super Bowl. The Chicago Bears are the Packers biggest and longest rivalry in the NFL. The Packers famous celebration is the Lambeau Leap. They don’t have a mascot because their name stands for a meat packer. Did you know the G on the Green Bay Packers helmet stands for Greatness? Did you know that Reggie White was the Packer’s first signed free agent? Did you know that Brett Favre’s first pass was to himself? Go Pack go!

Super School Secretaries By: Alyssa School secretaries have many jobs to do. They also have many tasks that they need to complete. I wasn’t sure what they were, so I went to our own school secretary, Mrs. Robertson. She told me exactly what she does. School secretaries are busy people.

Mrs. Robertson has many things to do. She takes attendance and orders office supplies. She makes copies and also repairs the copy machine. She answers the telephone when people call. Mrs. Robertson also helps Mrs. Montgomery, our principal, with whatever she needs. When the janitor or nurse is not there, she fills in for them. Keeping account of all the students when there is an emergency is another of her important jobs. All checks and money that are brought into the office are given to her to handle. She does all this and so much more. We are lucky to have her as our secretary.

Luckily, with hard work comes a great reward. She gets the day off when the school is closed. She is also off on holidays and weekends. During our summer vacation, she gets off earlier in the day. She is also given a two week vacation.

The next time you see Mrs. Robertson, be sure to tell her thank you for all she does for us!

Cute Cats By: Racquel Cats are very fun and playful animals that can be great household pets. They sway their tail as a sign of affection. They can have all sort of different coats with many colors. Your family can get a long haired or a short haired cat. Any family that has the time to care and give attention to a cat is a perfect family to own one. Cats can have many different personalities so you always have to look for one that would fit you. The best time to get a baby kitten is when it’s ten to twelve weeks old.

Sometimes it is better to get two cats if your family is not home during the day to play with them. The average cat can live up to sixteen years. Cats can be inside or outside this means that they either like spending their time inside the home or outside and around it. Make sure the cats whiskers are not cut off because they use them to navigate places like their own home. They can also see better at night then at day that is why outside cats go out at night a lot.

Cats are different from most animals because of the build in their body. A cat has thirty-two muscles in one ear. They also can jump about five to seven times taller than their tail. This is so they can reach high places because the higher they are, the larger, and more important they feel. Cats can be very different from each other too. The nose pad of a cat is ridged in a pattern that is unique, just like a fingerprint.

Cats are very good pets but require responsibility and affection.

Amelia Earhart: Flying, Life, and Disappearance By: Grace Amelia Earhart was an aviation pioneer and author. She was born July 24, 1897, in Atchison, Kansas. She had one younger sister, Grace Muriel Earhart, nicknamed “Pidge”. Nicknames were often used in her family and Amelia herself was nicknamed Meeley, and sometimes Millie. Her mother let them have freedom to choose what they wanted to do, and Amelia didn’t waste it.

Amelia was ten years old when she saw her first airplane and she wasn’t very impressed. “It was a thing of rusty wire and wood and looked not at all interesting” she quoted of the experience. The next time she saw a plane, (about a decade later) she was with a friend at a stunt flying exhibition. She was talking to her friend, and a pilot flew right over her, then she knew she had to fly an airplane.

On June 17, 1928, Amelia flew across the Atlantic as a passenger. She knew if she was going to fly across the Atlantic as a pilot, she had to witness a flight, and she had to practice. On that day she became the first woman passenger to fly across the Atlantic. Earhart’s boyfriend, George P. Putnam, had proposed many times before she said yes. They were married on February 7, 1931. Over a year later she set a big world record. On May 20, 1932 Amelia became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. She made many other records but on January 11, 1935, she became the first woman to fly from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California.

Sadly, on a flight to Howland Island, Amelia disappeared on July 2, 1937. She was declared dead on January 5, 1939, she would have been 41. There are many rumors about what happened to her. Some say that she died on the island of starvation and others say that she died because her plane crash. We may never know. Many scientists have claimed to have found evidence of Earhart, but none of them are known to be true. There was evidence on the Island, (to find out more click on

the link) but it may not be her items that they found. No one knows what happened to the great Amelia Earhart. She will always be known as an aviation pioneer, and an author, but most of all, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic.

For the evidence on the Island - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZDWOqPZ23A Other sources to find out more - http://www.ameliaearhart.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_earhart

Black Widow By: Mallory Natalia Romanova, aka Black Widow, is a S.H.I.E.L.D agent for Nick Fury. S.H.I.E.L.D originally stood for Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-Enforce Division. In 1991, it changed to Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate. She first appeared as a Soviet-spy in the comic book “Iron Man” in Tales of Suspense (April 1964) in No. 52. Widow assisted Boris Turgenov for the assassination of Professor Anton Vanko for defecting to the Soviet Union.

Boris and Widow infiltrated Stark Industries to care out the plan. Vanko later sacrifices himself for Tony Stark's life and he kills Boris a second before he dies with an experimental laser light pistol.

Widow meets the criminal archer Hawkeye (Clint) and puts him against Iron Man (Tony) and later helped him in battle.

They were still battling Iron Man when, Widow got injured and Clint retreated to save her life. In this time she tried to defect from Soviet Union and was falling in love with Clint, losing her loyalty to the country. Her employees later learned the truth, KGB gunned her down, sent her to a hospital and they convinced Hawkeye to get membership in the Avengers. The villain, Red Room kidnaps and brainwashes Widow and battles the Avengers with Swordsman and Power Man. Widow broke free from the brainwashing with Clint’s help and regained her memory. After having more adventures with Hawkeye, Spider-Man, and Daredevil, she joined the Avengers.

George Washington By: Kaitlyn Many know him as our first president, but he was a lot more than that. George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 and he died on December 14, 1799 when he was 67. He joined the army at age fourteen. He was president from April 30, 1789 - March 3, 1797. his number of terms was two. He helped plan the nation's new capital, but never got to live there He was the only president not to live in Washington. Instead he lived at home with the first lady Martha Dandridge Custis. His nickname was Father of our country because he was the first president. His father played a very big part in his life. He educated him and his father was a planter and part owner and director of an iron mine. At the time when he was president there were only sixteen stars on the flag that has change from then to now. Now there are currently 50 stars on the U.S. flag, which are 37 more stars then when he was president.

There are many folk tales about George Washington like the cherry tree, the story of the cherry tree is that he cut down a cherry tree and his parents asked him what had happened and he said I cut it down and I cannot tell a lie! He also was one of the first people to have the fake wooden teeth that show how much life has changed now we have dentures which are made of plastic teeth and acrylic gum coloring. When he was growing up he was one of six children. His sister was Elizabeth 17341797, his brother was Samuel 1734-1781, his other brother was John 1736-1781, his last real blood related brother was Charles 1738-1799, his step brother Butler 1716-1716, step brother Lawrence 1718-1752, last step brother Augustine Jr. 1720-1762, and his only step sister Jane 1722-1734 they are only some of his family.

Volleyball By: Peyton On February 9, 1895 volleyball was created by William G. Morgan in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Back then volleyball was called Mintonette, and wasn’t very popular. But now it has developed to become an Olympic sport. It was first in the Olympics in 1964. Now rules have been changed and added many times. Volleyball is a sport that is simple to play if you can memorize the rules and how to play.

Volleyball is a team sport. You have to work together to play well and win matches. There are six people on the court at a time for each team. There are two teams; one team is on half of the court while the other team is on the other half. You play with a net in the middle and with a light or heavy ball (depending on how old you are). It is usually played indoors but you can also play outdoors on sand. Each team is only allowed to have three touches. The teams want to have a set of order like pass, set, then hit! The other team will get a point if the volleyball touches the ground on the team’s side. Another way to get a point is if the volleyball doesn’t get over the net after the third touch, or if the team touches the ball more than three times.

There are different levels of volleyball you can play on. You can play on a club team, a recreational team, or a school team. If a player is looking for a more competitive team they should try out for a club team. For some athletes playing on a club team is a great accomplishment.

John F. Kennedy By: Zach John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35 president of The United States of America. He was born on May 22, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was a military service commander of Motor Torpedo Boats for PT-109 and PT-59 during WWII. He represented Massachusetts’ 11th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1947 to 1953 as a Democrat. Then in the U.S. Senate from 1953 to 1960 and then he beat Richard Nixon in the 1960 election. He was the second youngest to be elected office at the age of 43 (after Theodore Roosevelt). He is the only Catholic president and the only one to have won a Pulitzer Prize.

Many important events that occurred during his presidency are The Bay of Pigs Invasion, The Cuban Missile Crisis, The building of the Berlin Wall, Space Race, African-American Civil Rights Movement, and the early stages of The Vietnam War were all key events during his presidency. He was assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dallas by Lee Harvey Oswald; Oswald was then shot two days later by Jack Ruby before the trial could take place. The United States House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) said the investigations were flawed and he was assassinated by the result of conspiracy. In the long run he still has a high rank in the public opinion ratings of U.S. Presidents.

He is still a much appreciated president and he shall always be in our hearts, our souls, and our minds forever.

All info was found on Wikipedia.

Field Hockey By: Maddy You might think that field hockey is just like hockey on a field right? Well, the sport field hockey is actually much different. Field hockey uses a j-like stick, has a ball instead of a puck, and it is played on fields or turf. Field hockey has many rules. You can't put the stick above your head and the goalie can’t pass the 23 meter line on their side. There are 11 players on each side including the goalie and substitutes which is usually around five.

The point of field hockey like any other sports is to score points. You use the flat part of the stick to pass the ball and get it in the goal. You can get green, yellow, and red cards from penalties you make. You can’t use your feet to dribble the ball but there won’t be a penalty if the ball hits your feet. You may tackle but there are certain guidelines to use while tackling. Field hockey plays in tournaments like the Olympic Games and the Hockey World Cups. America hasn’t won many medals but it is still a fun sport to play.

Sports and their Development By: Bradley Sports didn't just start from scratch. For many years people thought of what they could do to entertain people who were bored. So people decided to create sports so people could hang out and have fun.

Volleyball began in a town called Holyoke, Massachusetts. The sport was developed at the YMCA by William G. Morgan. Originally called Mintonette, it took the net from tennis and took cues from basketball, baseball, and handball. The net was only 6’6 inches tall just above the average man’s height. The set and set and hit (spike) was developed in the Philippines in 1916 and changed the way the game was played. Later called volleyball because people “volleyed” the ball back and forth, the sport was embraced by the U.S. military and was played often in their free time. Soldiers stationed all over the world played volleyball and taught the locals to play well. Eventually it started spreading the sport to many nations.

The original game of basketball was started with eighteen men in a YMCA gym in Springfield, Massachusetts. Since then it has grown into a game that is played by more than 300 million people worldwide. Dr. James Naismith invented basketball under the directions from Luther Gulick. Naismith had fourteen days because it was close to being the winter to create an indoor game that would provide an "athlete distraction for the bad New England winters.

Baseball was invented in America in 1845. But even before that, people in the 1600s, people in England played a similar game called ‘rounders’. The players on the other team tried to tag the runner by throwing the ball at him to get the runner out. One Sunday in 1845, Alexander Cartwright came to the game very excited. He had brought a piece of paper with some new rules he had made. He had also drawn a field shaped like a diamond and called this game baseball. It was different from ‘rounders’ because batters would use bats instead of paddles and there would be four flat bases instead of posts and each team would only have nine players.

Boston Celtics By: Saffron The Boston Celtics is a team that many people admire. They were founded in 1946.The Celtics have won 17 championships, 21 Division Titles, and 21 Conference Titles, but the team needed good players to win that many championships and titles. Some players are Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Chris Wilcox, and Brandon Bass. These players are just some of the players on the Celtics team currently, out of the total of 14 active players. A team also needs to have a good coach to win that many championships and titles. That is why Doc Rivers coaches the Boston Celtics and Danny Ainge manages the Boston Celtics. The Boston Basketball Partners L.L.C. owns the Boston Celtics team. The Boston Celtics play many games during the season. Besides going to away to play at other courts, while some are on the road their home games are played at TD Gardens. This is where many fans of the Celtics’ come to watch their favorite players in action.

The Boston Celtics is a team with some special players and coaches. Only four players on the Celtics team have won 10 MVP awards for an NBA record total. Those four players are Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Dave Cowens, and Larry Bird, but they no longer play for the team. Even though those players don’t play anymore, they have affected the history of the Celtics team. Another thing they were famous for was their coach. His name is Red Auerbach, and what made him famous was that he would light up a victory cigar every time his team was winning towards the end of the games his team was playing, but that made the other team. The Celtics were playing would get mad. All through the history of the team and their coaches the Boston Celtics has been a team that most people enjoy watching on television and in person.

Volleying Volleyballs By: Elena In 1964, a new sport was introduced into the Summer Olympic Games, volleyball Volleyball was created on February 9, 1895 in Holyoke, Massachusetts by William G. Morgan. At first, the game only required a 6 ft. net, any amount of players could play, and an indefinite amount of hits. If, a player missed their serve on their first try, they could try again and a missed serve ended in a loss of point or side out. Over time, the rules were slowly altered. Now the net’s height varies with the age of the players on the team, only six players are allowed on the court at a time, and only three hits are allowed per side. No player can touch the ball twice in a row and if a player misses their serve, the other team receives the ball this is called a side out. Nowadays players set up for a hit, also called the spike, by digging the other team’s hit or the other team’s serve up high to the setter. The pass is passed to the setter’s position up about three feet from the net, and if the ball goes anywhere else the setter must run to get the ball. The setter sets the ball high, close to the net so the hitters can jump and spike the ball down into the other team’s court.

There are two different types of volleyball: club, which is also called select, and school. Club rules are a bit more challenging and require more athleticism and focus. When playing on a club volleyball team, you must learn how to ref a game and serve overhand from farther away from the net. You need to know how to pass, set, and hit the ball correctly. You need to be coachable and willing to take criticism in order to become a better player. “Club volleyball is fun and competitive, the coaches can be strict at times but it is just to help you improve!” says Katie who plays on Fusion, a select volleyball club. On a school volleyball team, you just need to know the basics, sometimes you don’t even need to know how to play and the coaches can teach you. School doesn’t hold tryouts or make you serve overhand, you just need to be coachable and at least be willing to be there for practices! “I like school volleyball, it’s fun, not as competitive, and not as tough as club volleyball!”

says Kaitlyn, who plays on Abiding Savior Lutheran’s school volleyball team. Whether it is club or school, volleyball is loved by girls and boys all around the world!

St. Louis Cardinals By: Patrick The Cardinals are the Major League Baseball team of St. Louis. Their home colors are red, navy, and white. Some of the nicknames for the Cardinals are Cards, Redbirds, Birds, and Birds on the Bat. The Cardinals were founded in the American Association in 1882 as the St. Louis Brown Stockings. The Cardinals joined the National League in 1892 and changed their name to the “Perfectos� in 1899 and took the Cardinals as their official name in 1900.

In 2006 they got a new stadium (Busch Stadium). Their arch rivals are the Chicago Cubs. On August 22, 2009 the Cardinals had their 10,000 win. In 2011 the Cardinals had an unexpected win as the wild card. They won the World Series against the Texas Rangers. In 2012 they lost Tony La Russa as their manager and Mike Matheny replaced him as their current coach. They are second in World Series wins with 11 behind the New York Yankees with 27. They have 18 pennants which ties them with the Dodgers. Thirty nine Cardinals have been selected into the MLB hall of fame.

From the beginning to now the Cardinals have not given up and followed their dreams of being a good baseball team from the start to the end.

Candy By: Madison There are lots of candy in the world and all different flavors. Some kids enjoy candy but some might not like it. Candy has all different flavors and all different colors. There flavors are like cherry red, lemon yellow, or green sour apple. There are a lot of candy to like Sour Heads, suckers, Chocolate Bars, Mike & Ike, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, and more than that. The one day of the year when Halloween comes kids get a lot of candy when they dress up in their favorite costume. Candy gets sold in stores to. Did you know that Milton S. Hershey invented the Hershey Bar! There is a lot more candy in the world.

Candy was first invented in the years of 300 A.D and 1500 A.D. Candy is actually sugar candy. The word Candy was first said in the 13th century. On special occasions some people like to eat candy or maybe too reward their kids for getting a good grade on a test. Candy is sold around the world to everyone.

Some candy that is small is called fun size. Candy is specifically called sugar candy some people say. Some candies can be hard, sour, sweet, or tart.

Boston Celtics By: Joe The Boston Celtics have been a successful organization for the past sixty six years. The Celtics started out in 1946 and has been winning since then with the most championships of any NBA franchise with 17 championships. They have had some of the best players in the NBA like Larry Bird, Bill Russell, Shaquille O’Neal and soon to be Kevin Garnett Ray Allen. They still have some young talent like Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo.

They always give up a good fight in their games their veterans are real leaders with Rajon Rondo averaging a double-double in assists and scoring. In the early two thousands they weren’t that good but in 2007 when they got Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen to join Paul Pierce they started winning from there. They have had some great rivalries like Philadelphia 76ers in the 60, the Pistons in the 80s, and the most popular ever the Los Angeles Lakers with Magic Johnson. Some people said it’s the biggest rivalry in the history of basketball.

Pittsburgh Steelers By: Jacob The Steelers were founded as the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 8th 1933. They are now called the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Their stadium is called Heinz Field.

They have 6 Super Bowl rings which is the most in the league. They are in the north division of the American Football Conference. The Pittsburgh Steelers have won Eight American Football Conference games and have hosted more American Football conference and National Football conference games than anyone in the sports.

They share the same amount of super bowl appearances with the Dallas Cowboys. They are headquartered in UMPC Sporting Performance Complex. The Steelers had five super bowl wins before 2009. The Pittsburgh Steelers have three primary rivalries within their division: the Bengals, Ravens, and Browns. They have used black and gold for their colors since the clubs inception.

Originally, the team wore solid gold-colored helmets and black jerseys. that was very unique to Pittsburgh. All Pittsburgh team use gold but they use different shades of gold.

The Steelers have no official fight song, but many fan versions of "Here we go Steelers" and the "Steelers Polka" by ethnic singer "Jimmy Pol", both originating in the 1970s, have been recorded.

During Steelers games, Styx's "Renegade" is often used to rally the crowd. Also, considered the fight song of the Pittsburgh Steelers is as of the 2010 NFL Season is Black and Yellow by Wiz Khalifa.