Let the games begin

Page 1

let the

GAMES BEGIN Preventing Injuries Tips on how to avoid injurying yourself while playing your sport

Team Rivalries

Team rivalries in basketball, baseball, and football

Eventing

Olympics most dangerous sport

Sport’s Brands

The best brands in athletics

Stephen Curry

One of the best in the NBA

Issue 1

Spring 2016


Table Of C Biography 1

Sports Inj Letter from the Editors 2 Team Rivalries 3

Sports Bra Stephen Curry 7


Contents

juries 11

ands 15

Eventing 19


Player Profiles Chay Hayes was born and raised in Woodford County. She is currently a sophomore at Woodford County High School. Chay started playing softball in fourth grade and basketball in eighth grade. She now plays softball and basketball for the highschool. She is also a member of the FCCLA and student council. Chay plans on going to the University of Kentucky for law.

Peyton Rose

Peyton Rose was born in St. Louis, Missouri and then she moved to Tennesee when she was three. Then she moved to Woodford County when she was eight. Peyton is now a sophomore at the Woodford County High School. She plays basketball and softball. She began basketball when she was four and she started softball when she was eight. She is a member of the student council and FCCLA. Peyton is undecided about her future.

Kristen Taylor has also spent her entire life in Woodford County. She is a sophomore at the Woodford County High School. Kristen started running cross-country in fourth grade and track when she was a freshman last year. She is a part of Y-Club, FCA, and the Knitting Guild. Kristen wants to go to Morehead University for nursing.

Avery Whisman

Chay Hayes

Kristen Taylor

Avery Whisman was born in Asheville, North Carolina. He moved to Woodford County when he was five. He is now a sophomore at the Woodford County High School, and he plays soccer and rides horses. Avery started playing soccer when he was four and he started running horses when he was in seventh grade. He wants to go to Auburn University because it is warm.

Nathan Worthington was born in Scott County, Kentucky. He moved to Woodford County when he was in the fifth grade. Now Nathan is a sophomore at Woodford County High School. He does not currently play any sports, but he wrestled in the eighth grade. He is also a member of the Hantis club. Nathan plans on going to Morehead University for physical therapy.

Nathan Worthington


Letter From the Editors

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Dear Readers,

The editors from Let the Games Begin have worked hard to create this informative sports magazine. This magazine will to keep you up to date on recent sports activity and exercises that will keep you in shape and prevent injuries. Not only will this magazine keep you up to date on professional sports, but it will also inform you on Woodford County sports. In addition, it will help you find the best sports brand for your sport. We hope you enjoy the information and tips we provide.

Peyton Rose

Nathan Worthington

Avery Whisman

Kristen Taylor

Chay Hayes


Team Rivalries

D

o you know who the University of Kentucky’s basketball team’s rival is? Coincidentally, the team is within Kentucky as well; the Louisville Cardinals. Many teams have a team rival. A team rival is the opposition that the team plans to beat for the season. Sometimes, the team rivalry can extend beyond just a season just like Kentucky’s and Louisville’s rivalry. Team rivalries has almost always been a major part in sports. It makes following sports more interesting and more intense. Significant NCAA Rivalries The NCAA has also had rivalries in their basketball seasons. One major rivalry was between (as stated above) Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals. Their rivalry started in 1983 at a NCAA tournament. At that time, the Louisville Cardinals was No.1 seed while the Kentucky Wildcats was No. 3. The game that started their rivalry was not a close one. However the tables have turned ever since John Calipari started coaching the Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky has won eight of the eleven recent games against Louisville. Another considerable rivalry in the NCAA was between Xavier and Cincinnati.

They have been rivaling since 1946. These two teams have caused many overtime games and victorious occasions. Cincinnati is leading the all-times series (49-33), but Xavier has won fourteen games of the recent twenty. The third most significant rivalry was between Indiana and Purdue. They met for the first time on March 2, 1901 in Bloomington and Purdue won that first game. There was a concerning game on February 23, 1985. The coach of Indiana, Bob Knight, was so irate with a call from a referee that he picked up a chair and threw it across the gym. These two teams are equals now with an even streak of 52 succesful games. Significant NBA Rivalries NBA stands for National Basketball Association. The NBA was founded on June 6, 1946 in New York. There are currently thirty teams within the NBA between Canada and the United States. The first president, until 1963, was Maurice Podoloff, but now it is Adam Silver.

One of the first team rivalries was between the New York Knicks and the Baltimore Bullets.


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These two teams are facing off in the championship where they almost always meet.

These two teams met in 1969 and it was obvious that they were superior. In the first year of their rivalry, the New York Knicks won over the Baltimore Bullets in the playoffs. In 1970 and 1971, the New York Knicks won again against the Baltimore Bullets in a 4 to 3 ratio. The New York Knicks also won again in 1972 but in a 4 to 2 ratio. The Baltimore Bullets lost to the New York Knicks again in 1973 a horrible ratio of 1 to 4. 1974 was a close year, but the Baltimore Bullets still lost to the new York Knicks in a 3 to 4 ratio. Another significant rivalry was between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. Their rivalry started in 1965 at the Eastern Conference Finals. They played many games, up until 1977 when they ended their feud. The Boston Celtics won more of the games than the 76ers did. The Boston Celtics won every postseason game within four years except in 1967 because the Philadelphia 76ers had a powerful team.

A third powerful rivalry within the NBA was between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Their rivalry started at a NBA Final game in 1959. They were in 12 Finals games which upheld their rivalry. The Boston Celtics were overpowering the Los Angeles Lakers when the rivalry began, but in 1985, the Los Angeles Lakers won six games and went on to win the next two championships. Even though their rivalry ended, they have renewed it in 2010. Significant NFL Rivalries NFL stands for National Football League. The NFL was founded on August 20, 1920 in Canton, Ohio. There are presently thirty two teams. The NFL is considered to be the most popular sport in the United States. Jim Thorpe was the first commissioner of the NFl but now it is Roger Goodell. A significant rivalry within the NFL is between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. They first met on September 9, 1967 in New Orleans. The New Orleans Saints were victorious leading with twenty-seven points to fourteen.


Team Rivalries

An intense game between the 76ers and the Celtics.

This is a geographical rivalry. Their first game was on June 16, 1997. The have played a total of 124 games against each other. The current regular season series is fifty five to forty nine with the White Sox leading. There are many rivalries within sports. They are what makes sports more interesting to watch and to follow. They have been around since every major sport became an official league. They have been around for almost a century. There are still many more rivalries that can be discussed. While a lot of rivalries have ended, there are still many being continued today. What rivalries do you follow? What sports do you like to watch? According to a recent survey, the NFL is the most popular, with the MLB in second, and the NBA in fifth place.

The New York Yankee’s Stadium.

The goal that young Michael Jordan shot on.


Pg. 6 Now the Atlanta Falcons leads the series (47-43). Their games are always close, usually victorious with only a touchdown or less. Since 2008, the New Orleans Saints has been considered superior to the Atlanta Falcons. Another significant rivalry is between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. Their first game against each other was on October 9, 1960 at the Griffith Stadium. The Washington Redskins started their winning streak that game. In all of their regular season games, the Dallas Cowboys have won sixty six games while the Washington Redskins have won forty two with two tied games. A fun fact about these two teams is that they are the two wealthiest teams in the NFL. A third major rivalry within the NFL is between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. Their rivalry started in 1921 in Chicago with a victorious win by the Chicago Bears. There have been an incredible 192 games played between the two teams (which is the most in history). The Chicago Bears have won ninety four of those games while the Green Bay Packers have won ninety two.

Significant MLB Rivalries MLB stands for Major League Baseball. It was founded in 1903 in Chicago. The MLB has thirty teams now in two divisions. The first commissioner of the MLB was Kenesaw Landis until 1944. The current commissioner is Rob Manfred. A significant rivalry is between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs. Their first game was on June 15, 1997, but their rivalry did not start until 1998. They have gone against each other 292 times. The Chicago Cubs currently leads the series between the teams. Another rivalry, which is similar to the rivalry between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Louisville Cardinals, is between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. Their first game was on June 16, 1997 at the Yankee Stadium in New York. The New York Yankees is currently leading the series with a sixty to forty four ratio. A third significant rivalry is between the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs. This is also similar to the Kentucky and Louisville rivalry.

Number of Chapionships The Yankees are leading the number of World Series Titles won drastically.


Stephen Curry

Steph Curry with the Shot By Peyton Rose

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he lights are bright. The crowd roars. The smell of stadium popcorn fills the air. The basketball rolls off of the fingers of the best player. He sprints down the court with four of his teammates. With a dribble and a hard chest pass, another three points are added to the Warrior’s score. He sprinted down the opposite end of the court to defend his opponent. Steph Curry was determined to win. With commitment and focus, Steph Curry lead his team, the Golden State Warriors, to the ultimate win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 National Basketball Association championship. Blood, sweat, and tears were shed on that court; he played his heart out no matter the circumstance. This is what a dedicated athlete performs like; keep pushing and pushing until your goals are achieved. Born on March 14, 1988, Wardell Stephen Curry II grew up Charlotte, North Carolina even though he was born in Akron, Ohio. Sharing a household with two other siblings, he lived in a fast- paced environment. From his father, Dell Curry, being a former NBA player for the Hornets to his mother, Sonya Curry, being a former division one volleyball player,

As Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal (#3) dribbl Curry (#30), defends him so he doesn’t score any

he was expected to become an athlete himself. Even though his dad was on the road for the most part, that didn’t give him an excuse for lighting up on training. His mom was a division one athlete, so the intensity was regulated. As he attended to his father’s games, Curry would take shots and practice his fundamentals on the court during shoot arounds. From this point forward, he knew he wanted to further learn the ways of playing and knowingness sport of basketball. Curry started to do this by playing for his middle school team, Queensway Christian. During the season, he would score thirty to forty points a game, yet he was the third smallest player on his team (6’3” and 190lbs). Curry started to get more serious about his basketball career in the small school of Charlotte Christian School in Charlotte, North Carolina. This is also where he got recognized by a small school, Davidson College. When enrolled to this school, he immediately


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les up the court, Golden State Warriors’, Stephen y additional baskets. Courtesy of Marcus Thompson.

showcased his skills by scoring 32 points against the University of Michigan in his second game and wound up earning Southern Conference Freshman of the Year. With a collection of high-scoring performances and leading the nation with an average of 28.6 points per game, Curry lead the Wildcats to an appearance in the regional finals of the NCAA tournament. Furthermore, Curry (an All-American) was selected with the seventh pick of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. Curry exceeded the school freshman scoring record with his five hundred and second point against Chattanooga on February 6, 2007. On March 15, 2007, Davidson marched into the NCAA tournament as a 13 seed set to play Maryland; despite Curry’s game-high 30 points, Davidson lost 82–70. At the end of his freshman season, Curry was named Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, SoCon Tournament MVP, and selected to the Allfreshman team.

In his following sophomore season in 2007– 08, Curry had grown to his height of six foot three in and again led the Southern Conference in scoring, averaging 25.5 points per game while adding 4.7 rebounds per game and 2.8 assists per game. He led the Wildcats to a 26–6 regular season record, and a 20–0 conference record. Resulting in Davidson earning its third straight NCAA Tournament bid. Steph Curry finished the season averaging 25.9 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. He was named to the Associated Press’ All-America Second Team on March 31, 2008. He also was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Region of the 2008 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship Tournament, becoming the first player from a team not making the Final Four to do so since 1994. After Davidson’s loss in the NCAA Regional Finals against Kansas, Curry announced that he would return for his junior year. Curry stated he wanted to grow as a point guard because that would be his position in the NBA. November 21, Curry created a career-high of 13 assists, to go along with 30 points, in Davidson’s 97–70 win over Winthrop.


Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry (#30) shoots a three pointer as an oppenent on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Matthew Dellavedova (#8), attempts to block his shot. Photograph by Tim Kawakami.

On November 25, against Loyola, he was held scoreless as Loyola attempted to double-teamed Curry. It was Curry’s only scoreless collegiate game and his second without double-digit points. He finished 0-for-3 from the field as Davidson won the game 78-48. In Davidson’s next game, Curry matched his career-high of 44 in a 72–67 win over North Carolina State. He finished his final season at Davidson averaging 28.6 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.5 steals. He was the NCAA scoring leader and was named first team All-American. Although he pulled out of his senior year at Davidson, Curry stated that he still planned to earn his degree. The 6’3” guard proved he was more than capable of this NBA position with his ballhandling and shooting talents. After the 2010 All- Star break, Curry averaged more than 22 points a game to finish second in the Rookie of the Year voting. His abilities lead him to a spot

on the men’s USA Basketball Senior National Team, which in fact won a gold medal in the 2010 World Championship; which Curry out up 9.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 19.4 minutes. His rookie contract was worth $12.7 million over four years. In his first career game, he scored 14 points and distributed 7 assists. With final season averages of 17.5 points, 5.9 assists, and 1.9 steals per game and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. On October 27, 2015, Curry scored 40 points in the Warriors’ season opening win over the New Orleans Pelicans, the most points scored by a reigning MVP in an opener. Two games later on October 31, Curry scored 53 points to lead the Warriors to a 134–120 win. Curry became the first player since Michael Jordan to score 118 points in the first three games of a season. On November 14 against the Brooklyn Nets, Curry passed his father on the NBA’s list of career three-point


Pg. 10 field goals made. He moved to 41st all-time in just 427 games, while Dell needed 1,083 games to reach 1,245 three-pointers. After scoring 20 points or more in the Warriors’ first 14 games of the season, Curry scored 19 in a November 22 win over the Denver Nuggets, helping Golden State tie the NBA record of 15 wins to start a season. On November 24, he scored 24 points in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers, as the Warriors set the record for best start in NBA history at 16–0. The Warriors improved to 24–0 with a double overtime win over the Boston Celtics, before finally having their streak broken the following day against the Milwaukee Bucks. After recovering from an ankle injury in 2012, Stephen Curry came back to set the NBA record with 272 three pointers for the 2012-2013 season. By leading the Warriors to an upset in the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets, he was named the Western Conference Player of the Month in April. With all of his accomplishments, there came an uprising in his popularity and performance. This lead the Warriors to a sixteen game winning streak in the 2015 basketball season. He also lead his team to victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, earning the team’s first NBA championship win since 1975. Curry proceeded to set new records in the league which include beating his own record of three pointers (286), along with the most steals. As he continued to beat new records, he earned himself the most valuable player award of the league. As much of an athlete he is, Steph Curry has a very respectful life off the court. Since his time as a student at Davidson, he has been involved with the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign, which gives insecticide-treated mosquito nets across Africa to help maintain malaria. Curry also raises resources for schools through the Stephen

Curry Foundation and annually hosts a pair of charity golf events. Outside of this, he married his his college sweetheart, in July of 2011. A year later, a smaller Curry was born and her name was Riley. Steph Curry started from the bottom and rose to the occasion of his father and exceeded that expectation. He used his talents and skills to give the full effort he could off and on the court and that’s truly inspiring. Anyone who wants to be a big shot whether in a job or in a sport, can use Curry as a role model. He continued to better his skills and had the desire to reach his full potential. So in the end, what really matters is how you spent your time and how you used your talents and capability.

Student Opinions on Stephen Curry

This inforgraphic potrays the survey results I sent out to the students of WCHS. They answered how good they believe Stephen Curry is on a scale 1 to 5.


Sports Injuries

There’s No “I” in Team, but There Are Injuries By Chay Hayes

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n the United States alone, about 46.5 million children and teens participate on some form of organized sports. Sports are a part of many people’s everyday lives. With sports come injuries, sometimes making injuries a part of people’s lives. All types of sports have a potential for injury, whether it be from contact with another player or misuse of a body part. Some may say that injuries are inevitable if you lead an active lifestyle, but this is not true. There are many ways to prevent injuries caused by playing sports and being physically active. More than 3.5 million children ages 14 and younger get hurt annually playing sports or by participating in recreational activities. In an interview with our schools athletic trainer, Walker Terhune, he stated that someone in our school gets an injury serious enough to require a doctor’s visit at least once a week. Only forty two percent of schools have access to a physical trainer, so we are in the fortunate minority. One in three children who play a team sport are likely to get hurt seriously enough to cause them to miss a game or a practice. More than 775,000 children, ages 14 and younger, are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries each year. This is a very high number, and there is a way to decrease

it, with proper knowledge on how to prevent injuries from physical activity.

Common Injuries You can get all kinds of injuries in sports, but some are far more common than others. In the interview with Walker Terhune, he concluded that sprains were the most common injury to occur. Most commonly in the wrist, ankle, or knee, sprains are the most common injury by far to be found in sports, followed by other knee injuries and fractures. A sprain is to wrench or twist the ligaments of a joint violently so as to cause pain and swelling but not dislocation. This can be very painful for anyone who suffers from it, and can lead to more serious problems if not treated properly. So it is very important to not only know how to prevent this type of injury, but also how to treat it. In his interview, Walker talked about ways to prevent these types of injuries. One is to stay in shape for your The graph on the left shows statistics of sport. right shows statistics in games in recrea by Chay Hayes


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Failing to do any of these may result in a sprain. The most common ways to obtain a sprain is not properly stretching or putting too much strain on a joint or ligament.

Diagram showing proper Icing and Wrapping techniques. Courtesy of Sports Nutrition

Exercising the muscles used most in your particular type of physical activity. For soccer players, it would be their legs, and for cheerleaders, it would be their cores. He said he gets a lot of injuries from cheerleading because they don’t exercise their core, the area they need the most strength in. Improper use of a muscle results in straining or spraining it. Try to be in shape to play your sport; don’t play your sport to get in shape. You need to warm up properly before you exercise, and then cool down after. You should avoid working out or doing anything physical or sports related when you are tired or exhausted. Also avoid running or exercising on an uneven surface, which can put extra, unecessary strain on ligaments. injuries in practices, and on the

ational sports ages 5-14. Infographic

Treating Injuries Just as there are several ways to prevent these injuries, there are several ways to treat a sprained ligament or joint. They can be found in the acronym RICE. The R in the word stands for rest. The affected joint must be rested in order to heal. If not, there could be tears or shredded ligaments later on. The I stands for Ice. Like every sore muscle that comes with playing sports and staying in shape, it must be iced to aid in healing. Try to ice the area as soon as possible after the injury and continue to ice it for 15 to 20 minutes, four to eight times a day, for the first 48 hours or until swelling improves. Be careful not to ice it too long, or else it could cause tissue damage. With this can raise the question what is more beneficial, heating or icing injuries? The answer lies in the science and process of these processes. Icing is for injuries, it calms down damaged superficial tissues that are inflamed, red, hot and swollen. It is to treat inflammation, and the ice provides a mild, drugless way of dulling the pain of inflammation. Heat is for muscles, chronic pain, and stress. It soothes the nervous system. Be careful when you use them, because heat can worsen inflammation, and ice can worsen muscle tension and spasms. If you have an injured muscle, usually apply ice, but only for the first few days, and for limited periods of time. The C stands for compress the area with a wrap or bandage. And the E stands for elevate, to protect from or limit the amount of swelling of the injured area. It is very important to follow all of these steps, not just one, to make sure your injury heals effectively.


Sports Injuries

The above graph shows the statistics for injuries on average per sport in high schools in the U.S. Statistics from Stanford Childrens Hospital

Throughout the interview conducted with Walker Terhune, he discussed how different sports are more likely to cause certain types of injuries, and it is different for boys and girls. He said that the sport with the most injuries for boys was football, and it was either soccer or cheerleading for the girls (probably soccer because they have more games). Girls are up to eight times more likely to have a knee injury than boys, which is why soccer is more dangerous in girls than in boys. Preventing Injuries Thankfully, there are effective ways to prevent injuries in these certain types of sports, specific to the physical demands of the activity. To prevent soccer injuries, make sure the field is nice to play on, not torn up or with a lot of holes to trip in and sprain ankles.

Also make sure to warm your legs up properly before running a lot. To prevent cheerleading injuries, make sure you exercise your core, it is the most used part of your body while cheering. reasons for injuries in football. To prevent injuries in football, make sure you stay hydrated, it is one of greatest reasons for injury in football. Also make sure you are wearing your equipment correctly, make sure you have on the right equipment, and reliable equipment. There are many ways to prevent injuries in general, for any type of exercise, whether it be for an organized sport or just going for a run. In organized sports related injuries, sixty two percent of them occur during practices rather than in games. You can be pushed really hard during practice trying to prepare yourself for game. A lot of the time, some of the extreme conditions simulated in practices will never happen in games, such as long periods without water breaks, or overexerting yourself for extended periods of time. Use proper technique when doing things, improper use of a muscle leads to damage over time. Take breaks, don’t go for an hour of straight exercise without resting. This can cause overuse or overexertion of whatever muscle you are using, damaging it. Stop exercising if there is any pain. Don’t ignore the pain, it is your body saying that you need to stop, you are pushing yourself too much. Ignoring this warning leads to all types of injuries. If you have a history of injuries, if an area has been injured before, then that area is much more likely to be injured again than a normal area. History of an injury is risk factor for future injury. Last but not least, stay hydrated while exercising.


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You should take time off, and wear the right gear when exercising. This means wearing face guards, pads, protective gear when needed. Also wearing braces on joints if necessary, to help stabilize them. Strengthen the muscles that are used the most during your exercise. Increase your flexibility by stretching before and after exercise, decreasing your risk of tearing or spraining a muscle or joint.

Examples of stretch exercises for runners with sore joints or muscles. Courtesy of Summit Medical Group

High school athletes, especially males, are at the highest risk of suffering heat illness. Two out of three children show up to practice already dehydrated, and this an awful way to start an already physically demanding physical workout. This takes a toll on your body, and if it gets too serious, your body just quits, and you pass out. Sometimes no matter how much you try to avoid it, accidents happen, no you can get injured. But afterwards, it is critical that you know how to care for your injury. There are different ways to care for different injuries. For example if you have a broken bone, you are going to care for it differently than a sprain, which we discussed earlier. There are also different doctors to go to treat your injury. You wouldn’t go to an an eye doctor to treat athlete’s foot. But as there are many different doctors to go to, different injuries require different treatments. If it is a minor injury, then you might be able to take care of it at home, such as icing or applying heat. There is physical therapy available. More serious ones may require surgery. There are varying recovery periods for the countless types of surgery available for injuries. This can cause time away from sports and physical activities, “rest periods”. One in three children who play a team sport are likely to get hurt seriously enough to cause them to miss a game or a practice. At our school, Walker said that he gets injuries serious enough to require a doctor’s visit at least once a week. All of this can be prevented by helping athletes to understand how they can easily prevent these injuries. We can greatly decrease the amount of injuries reported not only in our schools but nationally by making these methods of injury prevention


Sports Brands

First Hand with the Brands Kristen Taylor

LeBron James deal with Nike According to, espn.go.com, Cleveland Cavaliers basketball player, LeBron James has a lifetime deal with Nike. In the article Nike said, “we can confirm that we have agreed to a lifetime relationship with LeBron that provides significant value to our business, brand, and shareholders.” According to Nike they have already had a strong business with LeBron for the past 12 years.

the money for Nike. Derek Jeter, Kobe Bryant, Serena Williams, Johnny Manziel, Tiger Woods, and Cristiano Ronaldo are just a few more athletes who bring in a lot of money for Nike. James Harden’s deal with Adidas According to, bloomberg. com, Houston Rockets season and longer.

In an article on, forbes.com, it says LeBron earns approximately 20 million a year from Nike. In 2013-14 Lebron earned 19.1 million, and 53 million in endorsements. The total money made through Lebron was 72.3 million. But LeBron isn’t the only one bringing in guard, James Harden’s deal with Nike was expiring and was offered 200 million from adidas. Nike was not able to match the price Adidas offered. Adidas spokesman, Michael Ehrlich believed, “He can take the game. our brand, and the industry to new heights.” So James Harden signed with Adidas for 13 years and was greeted with enough shoes to last well into the next

But adidas doesn’t only have endorsements with athletes. They have recently started a campaign called, “all adidas.” According to, athletepromotions.com, it is a global brand campaign using a collection of adidas game faces. The campaign uses faces from superstars from music to sports icons. The campaign uses the slogan, “Show Us Your Game Face.” Some celebrities that have shown their game faces are Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose, Katy Perry, Jeremy Scott, Leo Messi, Louis Smith, David Beckham, Josh Smith, Chauncey Billups, and Tim Duncan. Steph Curry’s deal with Un-


Pg. 16 Adidas: 60 Under Armour: 3 Asics: 1 Nike: 20 I Don’t Know: 13 I Don’t Play a Sport: 30 Other: 12 This is the sports brands used in Woodford County High School other sports on land. The best brand is called Arena swimwear. In second is speedo swimwear, and last is TYR swimwear. According to, blog.djsports. com, Arena swimwear has unique compression points and a sleek material. For men and women the most popular options are, the Carbon Pro, XP, and R-EXO+. On swimoutlet.com, a review of Arena swimwear showed that the swimwear has great compression, and is comfortable. Track & Field/Cross country The top brands for track and field and cross country are similar to basketball, and football. The number one brand is Nike, in second is Salomon, and lastly is Asics. According to runrepeat.com,

the most popular running shoe is the Nike Lunaracer with a rating of 91, in second is the Nike Free Flyknit 4.0 with a rating of 91, and in third is the Nike LunarTempo. The Nike Lunaracer is lightweight and has arch support. Tennis Like football, the number one brand for tennis is Wilson. Second is Babolat and in third is Head. In thetoptens.com, a review was done for Wilson’s tennis rackets. It stated, “While Babolat will give you power and spin, Wilson will give you the versatility and feedback needed to take your game to next level. Placement can be a very effective tool, but not fully without Wilson.” Famous tennis athletes like Roger Federer,

Grigor Dimitrov, and Mardy Fish use Wilson tennis rackets. According to Sophie Edelen, Woodford County High School tennis player, Her favorite tennis racket brand is Wilson’s, then Head, and lastly Babolat. Emily Debold, a woodford county high school student, enjoys using a Wilson’s racket while playing tennis in her free time. As you can see there is a lot of brand rivalries. In each sport the number one brands were different, then the overall number one brand. It depends on the sport and the endorsements. While there are many brands to chose from, you get to decide which brand you like the best. Based on statistics Nike is the number one brand, Adidas is in second, and Under Armour comes in third. But these rankings and brands depend on the type of sport being played and the supplies needed. Nike is known for selling shoes, Adidas is known for shoes and clothing, and Under Armour is known for selling clothing. The advertising techniques and quality of the items being sold play a big part in the rankings of the brands. If a famous athlete is being endorsed by a certain brand, that can also be a deciding factor. Choose your favorite sport brand!


Sports Brands

This infographic is Woodford County Students opinion on the best sports brands NFL game has been played with a Wilson football.

reviews.guide, Asics shoes come in as number one with a score of 9.3.

Wellington Mara was named Wellington by the Duke of Wellington. When he was young the nickname, “The Duke” was given to him by the Giants players. In 1941 the NFL used a ball called, “The Duke” in honor of Mara. But“The Duke” was discontinued in 1969. The Wilson ball has been used by NFL for over 70 years now and is believed to be one of the longest sport partnerships.

The shoes that won number one was the GEL-rocket 7 volleyball shoe. This lightweight shoe has a rubber sole and a cushioned footbed. It also has a GEL cushioning system for courts. But Asics needs to watch out, because the brand Mizuno is coming in second with a score of 8.2. The Mizuno shoe has a cushioned sole with stability for jumping and landing. Unlike Asics, Mizuno does not have a GEL feature in its shoe.

Basketball Basketball has similar top brands as football. The number one brand for basketball is Nike. Coming in second is Wilson, and in third is Spalding. Although Jordan’s are popular shoes to wear in basketball, Nike still dominates in shoes worn in the NBA. Nike was founded by William Jay Bowerman and Philip H. Knight in 1964. 440 NBA players have endorsement deals, and 283 of them wear Nike shoes, 70 wears Adidas, 39 wear Jordan Brand, and 13 in Under Armour. The most popular shoe worn in the NBA is the Nike Hyperdunk.

Baseball Baseball and softball have similar popular brands with football. Coming in first place is Easton, in second is Wilson, and in third is Rawlings. Easton is popular for bats, and Wilson and Rawlings are popular for their gloves. Easton has all different kinds of bats based off of your age, skill level, batting style, and league requirements. For example, they sell adult bats, youth bats, fastpitch bats, big barrel bats, slowpitch bats, wood bats, 2016 power bridge, and so much more.

Volleyball Unlike the sports listed above, the best brand to use for volley ball is Asics. In second is Baden and lastly, Mikasa. According to, best-

Swimming The top brands for swimming are very different from the brands listed above, considering swimming takes place in the water and all the


Pg. 18 der Armour Two years ago Nike failed to match a deal less than 4 million a year with Golden State Warriors point guard, Stephen Curry, so Under Armour stepped in and signed Curry. His contract lasts until 2024. Under Armour helped him create his signature shoes, the Curry One. Under Armour struggled in the shoe department with getting sales, until Curry came along. Since Curry has signed with Under Armour, sales have gone up 40 percent and the Curry One made a record of 153 million in three months. Under Armour is still moving forward with Curry and the Curry Two was released October 24. But Curry isn’t the only player Under Armour has had success with, New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, golfer, Jordan Spieth, and Carolina Panthers quarterback, Cam Newton have helped Under Armour sales and businesses improve. There is a huge brand rivalry between Nike, Under Armour, and Adidas. But which brands is more popular? A student survey was sent out to students in Woodford County High School. It was taken by 148 people, 96 being female and 48 male. 114 out of 146 people thought Nike was the best brand. 67 out of 146

chose Adidas, and 48 chose Under Armour. But these are just opinions, what do the statistics show? In, thetoptens.com, It was shown that nike is the #1 overall brand, Adidas came in second and Reebok came in 3rd place. Unlike Woodford County High School Students opinion, Under Armour comes in 6th after the brands Puma and Jordan. Soccer Above you read about rivalries between sports brands overall. Nike might be best overall, but not in every sport. In soccer, research has shown that Adidas is the best brand to use. Coming in second is Nike and in third Puma. Adidas has been FIFA’s official soccer ball provider for several decades now. The first Adidas ball used in a FIFA World Cup tournament was in 1970 in Mexico. Adidas also has been manufacturing soccer balls for the Olympics since the 1984 summer olympics in Los Angeles, and the Adidas Tango Sevilla was the ball used. Football Football’s main brand is Wilson, in second is Nike, and last is Under Armour. Wilson and NFL joined forces in 1941 by George Halas and Tim Mara, since then every


Eventing

Olympic’s Most Dangerous Sport By: Avery Whisman

I

n the United States last year over 70,000 people went to the hospital with some kind of injury relating to horse back riding. That being said, Eventing is considered the most dangerous type of riding you can do for both the rider and the horse. So dangerous, in fact, that many have lobbied to have it eradicated from future Olympic events to protect the safety of both riders and horses.

The sport of eventing first started out in 1902 at the Championnat du Cheval d’Armes in France as a way to test Cavalry Officers’ chargers (word for horses during war) for their fitness and suitability. In the sport of eventing there are 3 phases the horse and rider have to compete in and the pair with the lowest score(least amount of penalties) are the ones who amount of penalties) are the ones who win.

In 2008, Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein (President of the International Equestrian Federation) said, “The International Olympic Committee has very reasonable and legitimate concerns about eventing safety, and walking away and saying ‘Thank God nobody died,’ isn’t good enough.” However, eventing made it into the 2008 London Olympics and luckily this time nobody was seriously hurt.

Eventing consist of 2 jumping phases, show Jumping and Cross Country, and a phase that accentuates the horse’s movement. Dressage originally sought to demonstrate the horse’s ability to perform on the parade ground, where elegance and obedience were key.

The sport of eventing first started out in 1902 at the Championnat du Cheval d’Armes in France as a way to test Cavalry Officers’ chargers (word for horses during war) for their fitness and suitability. In the sport of eventing there are 3 phases the horse and rider have to compete in and the pair with the lowest score(least amount of penalties) are the ones who win.

Dressage today is performed on the first day and the horse and rider with the lowest score (least amount of errors in dressage test) are in first going into the jumping phases. “Cross-country began as a test of stamina, courage, and bravery over difficult terrain, important for a charger on long marches or if the horse was asked to carry a dispatch across country”. It is considered the most grueling and dangerous of the three phases due to the speed from which the horses have to compete at and the daunting size of the jumps.


Pg. 20

Falls are rare in the sport but when they do occur there are sometimes deadly consequences. Rotational falls are the highest causes of severe injuries due to the increased possibility of the horse landing landing on the rider and crushing him/her or the horse could sustain major injuries themselves. When a horse breaks its leg most of the time it has to be euthanized, this is because they have to put their weight on it and they cannot do this with a broken leg. The sport seems to go through “unusual deadly periods”, for example between 2008 and 2009, 12 deaths occurred just from eventing.

The most recent occurred last Saturday where a seventeen-year-old girl named Olivia died after her horse had a rotational fall at an event in Australia. These events are definitely scary but not off-putting to a true eventer that loves the sport. And that’s why many still love it and it’s still very popular today. And lastly on April 10th at masterson Station Park a lexington natives horse had a heart attack on Cross Country and died and the rider was sent to the emergency room. Due to the amount of incidents that happen the USEF (United States Eventing Federation) has put it in many safety rules to hopefully lessen the amount of deaths that occur.

This amount of fatalities is rare due to all the safety standards put in place by the USEF and deaths of this proportion in such a short time period are usually not seen. Because of all the injuries that have occurred over the last decade many people have lobbied to have the sport removed from future Olympic events. William-Fox-Pitt, one of the leaders of the sport, recently had a serious injury in which he hit his head and and spent two weeks in the hospital in a coma. He is okay and riding today, but it shows how injuries can happen to anyone even the strongest most talented riders.Another incident that I witnessed was my trainer Elissa, who had a fall last winter where she broke her collarbone and her horse, Lenny, broke his leg. He was fortunate not to have to be put down and is almost completely healed today.

Photo Courtesy Of JJ Sillman

Buck Davidson has a close call at a log jump on Cross Country


Eventing

Photo Courtesy Of JJ Sillman

A demonstration of Grand Prix dressage at the Rolex Kentucky 3 day Event 4*

These rules state, “Any competitor who rides in such a way as to constitute a hazard to the safety or well-being of the competitor, horse, other competitors, their horses, spectators, or others will penalized accordingly.

“In the event of an accident in which a competitor is apparently injured or concussed, they must be examined by designated medical personnel to determine if they may take part in another test, ride another horse or if they are capable of leaving the grounds.

” “The Ground Jury and the Technical Delegate have the authority to stop a rider on the cross country course for dangerous riding, riding an exhausted horse, excessive pressing of a tired horse, riding an obviously lame horse, excessive use of the whip and/or spurs or riding in an unsafe way.”

Refusal to be examined shall be penalized by a fine of $100 (Payable to the Organizing Committee) at the discretion of the Ground Jury.” Along with these rules competitors are required to wear vest that protect their torsos on cross country and helmets at all times. And when jumping they are required to carry a medical arm-band that has blood-types, phone numbers and other essential information that the paramedics need to have access to.


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Even after all these debates on how dangerous the sport is and wether or not it should be stopped, eventing still is a prominent sport around the world and the riders have no intention to stop competeing. It is loved by many and as long as the riders follow all the safety standards set out to protect both the horse and riders this sport should last a very long time. And no, it is not too dangerous. This horse takes a big leap into the water over the log

Photo Courtesy Of JJ Sillman

Photo Courtesy Of JJ Sillman

Hope Walden jumps the black and grey Kentucky Horse Park jump on their stadium sourse


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