sport Blog and Journals

Is a place which most people hate.

I went back to school today. To be honest, it was great. Apart from the 800m and 1500m runs and working, it was great. I was coming second in the 800m run (during PE), then I remembered I dont want to do it in the carnival, so I walked the rest and lost LOL. I walked most of the 1500m and I did okay, not good enough to qualify for anything, but I am happy with that. Coming second in a race like that is huge for me. I have never been a runner, I will never be a runner. It just doesnt work, but latley I have been working on my fitness. I want to be able to do these things, but I dont need to be the best. I am now pretty darn proud of where I am at, and I think I might just keep it that way.

I also got accepted into the interschool basketball team. That really made my day. I have only ever been in interschool anything once, and that was some athletics in primary school. From there on in, things went down hill. I was not fit, I didnt care. Primary school I was average at everything. I didnt mind. Average was good enough for me. Saying that, average was 90% in everything. I loved primary school, it was so easy. Coming up to middle school I started to slip. I still didnt care what people thought of me, and some guys started teasing me because of my weight. I ignored them because I just thought they were being jerks. They were being jerks. But now, I do see their point. In year 8, everything turned sour. A rumor went around the school about me that I was a lesbian. Being young, and everyone being immature, that was a HUGE deal for everyone(by the way, i am straight) No one wanted to talk to me or hang with me. I was last chose for everything. Near the end of that year I started making friends again. Year 9 was just building that up. I failed every class in year 9. I am suprised, and thankful, that they didnt hold me down a year.

And then I met... him. Everything changed. I wanted him to notice me. I wanted to be accepted and be... known. He is smart. Really smart. I wanted to be in all his classes, so I started caring about my grades. Everything went up. I started achiving the highests in my class, and I even moved up my science class, then to get a grade in the science exam higher than his. Then, at the end of the year, I got told I was suppost to be in the top sose class, his class. Math I was pushing the limits as well. He is also fit and sporty. I became that. Basketball was my thing. I started bring a ball every day, playing every lunch and every recess. I now have quick reaction skills, generally faster runner, I am thin enough for me and more confident in my own skin. He also was confident and would talk to everyone. That was the harder one for me. I was not confident. Some people I didnt want to talk to at all. I hadnt talked to the guys for about 2 years, being in split classes and being an outcast and all. Once I got into it though, it worked. I have made some of the best mates I could ever have. The guys are great, i can just go hang out with them, and it doesnt really matter what I say, they dont try and compeate and be better than me all the time (there is always a little friendly compertion from time to time, and its hularious when I kick their ass. Being "beaten by a girl"), and the big one, they dont bitch about every human being on the planet. Its bliss being included in something like that.

He is my angel, my hero, my knight in shining armor. Yeah, all cleche names, but I truly believe it. I've decided now it doesnt matter if we become "together" or anything like that, I just want him to know that he has made a difference in someones life. He was just being himself, and it changed my world. I want to thank him, but how I am suppost to tell him something like that? For all he knows I was always like this. The way I am now. No matter how bad my day is, he can always make me smile.

Thankyou.

The game of chess is loved by those who play it and misunderstood by those who don't.

"A lot of people don't know about chess," said Mauricio Flores, the top-ranked member of the UTB-TSC Chess Team, which will be competing in the Final Four of College Chess in Dallas on Saturday and Sunday. "Chess is in its own world. Nothing else compares to it."

Many chess matches will take as long as five hours to complete at the Final Four. But through it all, members of the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Chess Team must remember one thing: Keep a straight face when competing. Chess is a game of little emotion and seriousness.

"That's something that I have improved on," team captain Daniel Fernandez, a junior, said. "I have a good poker face when I make a mistake. I keep my composure. Many years ago, you could see it on my face if I made a mistake. Now during a game, I don't have expression."

Keeping a straight face is vital to the success of the best players. Any facial expressions, especially those of disappointment, give an opponent the advantage of knowing that a mistake probably has been made. A good opponent will eventually find the mistake and attempt to capitalize on the error.

"I'm usually pretty good about hiding it," freshman Bradley Sawyer said. "I try not to show any expression. The less your opponent knows, the better."

Just like big stakes poker tournaments that last hours and test the stamina of participants, the length of time the matches also tests the patience of chess players.

"Chess gives you a lot of tension," sophomore Nadya Ortiz said. "You never know how you are doing until it's almost over. Sometimes, you may be down by one piece but have the advantage because of better positioning."

To have strong focus and stamina for long matches, UTB-TSC Chess team members turn to physical exercise to stay fit and strong.

"Physical exercise is important because sometimes you are playing 7-8 hours a day," Ortiz said. "Your mind is going to be tired in 1-2 hours. If you have a healthy body, your mind will be sharper."

Most members of the team play tennis for recreation. Others play basketball and pington.

But it's the love of the chess - the ultimate mind sport - that keeps them going.

"It's an addiction for me," Flores said. "A lot of people don't know you have to study chess like any other courses in college. A professional chess player needs to study the game to keep improving. We're always learning. From the editor: Many of you have expressed concerns about some of the harsh anonymous comments from readers. To remedy that, we are introducing new features. You can create your own blog, publish your news and share your photos with the community. Once you fill out a simple form and leave a verifiable e-mail address, you can set up your profile page. It will display all of your contributions and allow you to track issues and easily connect with others.

We want our site to be a place where people discuss and debate ideas that foster stronger communities. We built this for you. Please take care of it. Tolerate broad thinking, but take action against obscene or hateful material. Make it a credible and safe place worth preserving and sharing.

Hey everyone,

Today I'm going to introduce you to the world's "coolest" (please don't shoot me, I didn't come up with that!) sport: Curling!
PS: I'm going to try to explain it without using too many techincal words  ^_^

Fig 1. Stones

Curling can be described as lawn bowls, or petanque, on ice. The aim of the game is to get your team's stones closest to the centre of the rings, known as the house. The closest stone wins.

Q: In which sport do players throw stones at houses?
A: Curling  (haha....)

Fig 2. Centre of House

Each team consists of four players, who get to play "throw" two stones each. The two teams alternate taking turns to play the stones. When all the players have had their turns, it is called an End. A full game consists of eight Ends.

The Players:
Lead: This person goes first (the name is self explainatory)
Second: This person goes second (again, the name is self explainatory)
Third: Goes third, also helps the Skip strategise, and fills the position of Skip when the Skip throws his/her stones.
Skip: The cunning brains in the team, plans out all the moves. Plays their stones last.

When players are not throwing their own stones, they assist their other players by sweeping infront of their stones. Like housekeeping on ice. The action of sweeping helps smooth out the ice so the stones slide smoother, faster, further.

Fig 3. Brooms for sweeping

And why is this game called "Curling"?
As you let go of your stone, you can add a little twist to it (the skip will indicate if this is appropriate strategy-wise) so the stone "bends it like Beckham" at the last minute, allowing your stone to sneak behind other stones.

Now I'm sure I've done a terrible job of describing this suprisingly exciting game, so if you've got any questions please feel free to ask  :)

Shaken By Doping Scandal, Germany Mourns Death of Fair Play

By David Crossland in Berlin

Tearful confessions of doping by a host of cycling heroes has plunged Germany into a crisis of confidence. The scandal coincides with corruption probes at some of the country's most famous companies, and has left Germans wondering where the rot stops.

Bert Dietz, one of the Team Telekom racers who admitted to doping last week, in better days.

The triumphs of Team Telekom during the 1990s triggered a cycling craze in Germany. Little boys wanted to get racing bikes and grow up to be like Jan Ullrich, whose victory in the Tour de France in 1997 vaulted him into the hallowed ranks of German sporting heroes alongside Boris Becker, Michael Schumacher and Franz Beckenbauer.

Packs of amateur cyclists dressed like the pros in clinging lycra outfits whizzed down country roads. TV channels fought each other for the right to broadcast races live, and the then chief executive of team sponsor Deutsche Telekom AG, Ron Sommer, liked to be photographed alongside Ullrich, a symbol of success, dynamism, true grit, just what Germany needed.

That's all over and has been for a while. Persistent allegations that doping is endemic in professional cycling across Europe have done irreparable damage to the sport. But until now the cyclists, their doctors and trainers maintained a code of silence.

That silence was broken at the end of April by Belgian cycling masseur Jef D'hont, who worked for a host of cycling outfits and spent the years 1992 through 1996 at Team Telekom. In an article published in DER SPIEGEL, he described how doping has been commonplace in the sport for more than 40 years.

His revelations led to last week's avalanche of confessions by six former Team Telekom cyclists and two team doctors. It provoked a moral outcry from politicians, cycling federation chiefs and the media, and has left the country wonder what other sports may be infested with doping.

One Süddeutsche Zeitung commentator drew parallels with recent corruption scandals in German business such as the one that has engulfed Siemens AG, one of Germany's biggest and most venerable companies.

"It's the same with doping as it is with corruption: as long as everyone does it, those who go clean are the losers, while the dirty ones win," the paper wrote.

"The sport has failed dramatically. And nobody should be so naïve amid all the promises of improvement to believe that the sport will change its ways. The Spanish, Italians, and French have already experienced a scandal like that now being experienced by the Germans -- without anything having changed."

It's not just German cycling. The sport is reeling from two major doping scandals involving 2006 Tour de France winner Floyd Landis and Giro d'Italia champion Ivan Basso. Both have deny any wrongdoing.

Quarta-feira estranha. Passei a manhã inteira dormindo, foi sem querer, juro! #)  Acordei com o meu instrutor da autoescola ligando pra comunicar que não ía ter aula hoje. Engraçado, em Natal tá chovendo e a Cidade do Sol chegou a ficar alagada. 

Sexta-feira passada teve a abertura dos jogos internos do Neves, eu me apresentei. Foi bem legal, mas me machuquei.  Tô com um hematoma no joelho direito que já ficou de todas as cores possíveis. =| As fotos eu já tô postando aos poucos, em breve coloco as fotos associadas no fim do post. As do domingo no clube e depois com os meninos também. :D

Hoje e ontem a noite eu descobri que eu gostaria de entender o que é o "New Wave". Bom, é o seguinte.. Eu tava procurando umas mp3 dos anos 80 pra baixar e ouvir.. partindo de Bonnie Tyler e Cyndi Lauper. Mas eu fiquei curiosa pra saber ao certo qual o gênero musical delas, porque pra mim parece tudo muito parecido. E se eu fosse cantar alguma coisa algum dia seria tipo isso.. umas músicas da Bonnie, da Cyndi, da Joan Jett. Mas no fim das contas, eu descobri que eu não entendo nada de música mesmo. =P

Enfim, me parece que a Cyndi é um ícone do New Wave, a Joan é puro Rock'n roll, a Bonnie é puro "80's Brega" xD  Mas é isso.  =D  "Pop e rock dos anos 80" abrage todas né?

Hm... "PolkaDots" seria o nome que eu gostaria que tivesse a minha banda, se eu tivesse uma banda.  x)  Eu digo isso p eu tenho um amigo insano que me convidou pra ser vocalista de uma banda nova, e a banda não tinha nem um estilo de músicas pra seguir ainda.  hsuahuishauishauihsuiahsuiahuishasui,   "Estampa de bolinhas"   Eu acho muito lindo.

No fim das contas.., hoje, agora pouco, eu consegui finalmente entender o que é o tal do NEW WAVE! Encontrei uma foto da Cyndi!

[Cyndi Lauper]

Eu queeeero ser que nem ela!  xD

Isso é o tal do New Wave, agora sim entendi porque as outras eram tristes demais pra ser do NW. 

[Joan Jett]

 

[Bonnie Tyler]

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2008 FORMULA 1 ING AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX

Lewis Hamilton’s win for McLaren at the Australian Grand Prix almost went unnoticed in Albert Park this afternoon - and that tells you just what sort of race it was. The 23 year-old Briton dominated an event characterised by safety car interventions following a series of dramatic incidents that all happened behind him.

Hamilton would build a lead, lose it behind the safety car, build it again, lose it again. You get the picture. But if he was impressive here a year ago, he was even better on Sunday, never losing his composure as he took the lead of the world championship with almost insouciant ease.

If it was a great day for McLaren, it was a disaster for Ferrari. Felipe Massa spun on the first lap and was then involved in an incident with Red Bull’s David Coulthard before retiring, and Kimi Raikkonen, having benefited from the second safety car intervention, slid off the road trying to pass McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen and undid all that work. Then his Ferrari let him down when he was running seventh with three laps to go.

Indeed, McLaren should have had a one-two, but a third safety car intervention following a heavy accident for Toyota’s Timo Glock badly hurt Kovalainen’s chances as he had to pit when everyone had closed up. He dropped way back, was passed by Raikkonen, repassed him, then found himself overtaken by Renault’s Fernando Alonso as the Spaniard overtook both of his rivals in a wonderful move.

After fighting back, Kovalainen repassed the Renault with two laps to go, only to have his car falter momentarily as they crossed the line for the 57th time. As he wiped oil off his visor he accidentally triggered the pit-lane speed limiter and a relieved Alonso pounced to head his former team mate home in fourth place.

Ahead of them, Nick Heidfeld brought his BMW Sauber home an excellent second, chased by Nico Rosberg, whose Toyota-engined Williams was the fastest car on the track in the closing stages. It was the young German’s first podium.

The race began with drama as an incident in the first corner involved Honda’s Jenson Button, Force India’s Giancarlo Fisichella, Red Bull’s Mark Webber, Super Aguri’s Anthony Davidson and Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Vettel, and led directly or indirectly to their retirements.

Jarno Trulli looked set for good points until his Toyota let him down, and Nelson Piquet’s debut for Renault was little short of disastrous as he trailed at the back and failed to make it home.

Sebastien Bourdais and his Toro Rosso crew made a great call on strategy and were running fourth, ahead of Alonso and Kovalainen with three laps to go, but were stymied by engine failure. Force India’s Adrian Sutil and Super Aguri’s Takuma Sato similarly failed to make the finish.

/www.formula1.com/

2008 FORMULA 1 ING AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX

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Pos	No	Driver	Team	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid	Pts
1	22	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	58	1:34:50.616	1	10
2	3	Nick Heidfeld	BMW	58	+5.4 secs	5	8
3	7	Nico Rosberg	Williams-Toyota	58	+8.1 secs	7	6
4	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	58	+17.1 secs	11	5
5	23	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren-Mercedes	58	+18.0 secs	3	4
6	8	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams-Toyota	57	+1 Lap	13	3
7	14	Sebastien Bourdais	STR-Ferrari	55	+3 Laps	17	2
8	1	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	53	Engine	15	1
Ret	4	Robert Kubica	BMW	47	Accident	2
Ret	12	Timo Glock	Toyota	43	Accident	18
Ret	18	Takuma Sato	Super Aguri-Honda	32	Transmission	19
Ret	6	Nelsinho Piquet	Renault	30	Accident damage	20
Ret	2	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	29	Engine	4
Ret	9	David Coulthard	Red Bull-Renault	25	Accident	8
Ret	11	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	19	Electrical	6
Ret	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India-Ferrari	8	Hydraulics	22
Ret	10	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	0	Accident	14
Ret	16	Jenson Button	Honda	0	Accident	12
Ret	19	Anthony Davidson	Super Aguri-Honda	0	Accident	21
Ret	15	Sebastian Vettel	STR-Ferrari	0	Accident	9
Ret	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India-Ferrari	0	Accident	16
DSQ	17	Rubens Barrichello	Honda	58	+52.4 secs	10

• Abertura dos Jogos Internos do Neves; 1ª apresentação pelo neves;
• Nascimento de Sophia, a bebê mais linda desse mundo. Ela é a filhinha da minha ex-treinadora, a Melina. E eu acho que fui a primeira pesso, da ginástica a ir visitá-la;
  
• Festival de Ginástica, o 1º desse ano, no CIC; Minha segunda apresentação pelo Neves;
• Festival de Ginástica, o 2º; A equipe do Neves participou e durante nossa apresentação as caixas de som queimaram e a música ficou tocando só nos agudos;
• Viagem a Porto Alegre; V Copa Brasil e Sulamericano de Aeróbica e Fitness; Cidade maravilhosa, pessoas maravilhosas; que emoção conhecer o Cláudio Franzen e a Liciana pessoalmente; 3º Lugar brasileiro e 6º sulmericano;
• Jogos Escolares do Riogrande do Norte; Não competi nem arbitrei mas minha equipe linda participou. A Liciana tava aqui na cidade e se apresentou tb;
• Campeonato Estadual da FNG; participei da banca de arbitragem;
• Torneio Internacional de Ginástica Artística que foi realizado aqui em Natal com participação da equipes da Grã-bretanha, Canadá e Brasil;
• Coreografias que fiz em 2007: Ind. Jéssica Yasmin(CELM), Ind. Wanne Racilly(CELM), Ind. Taís Silva(CELM); Ind. Virna Ximenes(NEVES);
• Fora da ginástica: Dia 19 de fevereiro, pra sempre inesquecível;
• Fora da ginástica: Surpresinha que tive agora em novembro, certas coisas nunca mudam. Mas dessa me supreendi.
  

• Ser treinadora de GAE;
• Compor mais várias corografias;
• Conquistar boas colocações no brasileiro e sulamericano, não só como individual, mas como trio e dupla agora;
• Ser campeã estadual adulto, e trazer troféu de equipe campeã geral, junto com meu trio e dupla;
  
• Publicar meu artigos científicos.

Ah gente, espero que o ano de 2007 tenha sido tão amravilhoso pra todos como foi pra mim, e desejo que 2008 seja ainda melhor. Feliz Natal e um liindo ano novo. Um grande abraço aos amigos.

Pára tudo; hora de aeróbica!

Neves, Celm e Salé brilham na aeróbica

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Fonte: http://tribunadonorte.com.br/noticia.php?id=56964

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Jern´s 2007: aeróbica quebra recorde de público

De acordo com a professora Luciana Kelly, da Facex, a energia e o ritmo empolgante da ginástica aeróbica é o que atrai o público. “O público acaba sendo importante para a atleta, que prefere se apresentar com grandes platéias”, explicou Luciana.

“O público faz parte. É muito instigante pra gente se apresentar com platéia”, relatou Andressa Viviane, 17 anos, atleta do CAP. “A aeróbica é um show”, disparou Conceição Melo, técnica do Marista de Natal. Mas, enfrentar o grande público não é fácil e exige muita preparação.

“Nós preparamos as meninas para que elas possam enfrentar o público de forma positiva. A atleta tem que gostar de se apresentar em público.

Elas esperam o ano todo por este momento”, explicou Ceiça, como é conhecida a treinadora do Marista de Natal.

Técnica

O aumento no número de competições estaduais e o intercâmbio nacional - ainda que em quantidade incipiente - tem contribuído, e muito, para elevar o nível técnico da ginástica aeróbica nos Jern’s. “Hoje, não nos preparamos apenas para disputar os Jerns’, como antes. Já existe as competições estaduais e nacionais durante a temporada e isso apenas aprimora a parte técnica. Os Jern’s são a última competição do ano e elas dão tudo aqui, porque encaram esse evento com muita importância”, comentou Ceição.

A ginástica aeróbica dos Jern’s são disputadas nas três categorias: mirim, infantil e juvenil. E é dividada em trio, individual e grupo (5 ou 6 atletas). As apresentações variam, conforme a categoria. “A velocidade no mirim é de 150 batidas por minuto (em relação ao som); no infantil são 156 batidas e no juvenil, 165”, explicou Luciana Kelly.

As performances têm em média 1 minuto e 30 segundos, mas, segundo Melina Martins, técnica do CAP, este tempo parece mais uma “eternidade” no momento da apresentação. “A gente não pensa no tempo. E quando está se apresentando o tempo parece que não passa. Tem que haver muita agilidade, técnica, força e, claro, acompanhar o ritmo frenético das batidas”, disse Melina, lembrando dos tempos de atleta.

A competição de ginástica aeróbica segue até amanhã, quando acontecerá as finais no ginásio II do Marista de Natal.          

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Fonte: http://tribunadonorte.com.br/noticia.php?id=56680