Archive for February, 2006

Why do we need goals?

If you were going to dig for buried treasure on an island, you wouldn’t just start digging anywhere would you? No, you would need a map to get you to where the treasure is buried. You can think of goals in the same way. Not having goals is similar to digging for treasure without a map. Goals, like a map, help you to get to your destination much faster than digging up the whole island to find the treasure.

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Already in its 12th season of play, the Arizona Football League fields 12 teams from across the state, giving graduating high school players who haven’t signed with a college a chance to continue developing their skills and stay in shape and on film, while preparing to play at the next level.

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The organizers of Pat’s Run this year want high schools to show their true colors.

“We want high school kids from all over the Valley to show up this year and show their school spirit,” says Rob Gilmore, a teacher at Mountain Ridge High School and one of the many organizers for the event. “We’re encouraging them to form teams of five runners from each school, who will wear clothes and colors that represent their schools.” Gilmore is a former prep football coach who just recently took up marathon running to lose weight; in just the last year, he says he has lost 110 pounds.

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Two years ago, the sportswriters of the nationwide newspaper USA TODAY ran a feature that identified the 10 toughest athletes in sport. Professional golfer Tiger Woods was among those athletes chosen, but not for his physical toughness. What makes Tiger so tough, you ask? Simply put – his mental strength.

According to sport psychology researchers, mentally tough athletes are born with and can learn to develop a psychological edge that allows them to be better and more consistent than their opponents in remaining determined, focused, confident, and in control under pressure. I think you would agree that few athletes have more determination, focus, or confidence than Tiger.

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For any high school athlete, the most difficult situation to remedy is the return to competition following a major knee injury. In this issue, even though we’ll be focusing in on some of the challenges facing female athletes, the guys should note that these same devastating, and in many cases preventable, injuries are also on the rise for men.

Lost practice and play time, coupled with the injury, may produce the gap that denies you the ability to receive a collegiate scholarship and move to the next level.

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Instead of Banning Food Options, Teach Students About Nutrition

The Arizona Coaches Association is concerned about legislation that seeks to ban food options in Arizona under the guise that it will address the growing problem of childhood obesity. Unfortunately, such a simple approach may not produce the intended results and does not teach proper nutrition. Childhood obesity is a complex issue that must be addressed with nutrition and physical education, both at home and in school. We need to educate students about nutrition and fitness for life. Students need to make informed decisions by researching the facts. They need to be critical thinkers, which is a goal of our educational system. We want to educate the students about their health to make them responsible and accountable for their actions. We must teach a balanced approach to eating and living an active lifestyle to prevent obesity and obesity related illnesses. Since no one food or beverage is the cause of obesity, a ban will not work.

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This year’s Martin Luther King Basketball Classic at Well Fargo Arena in January culminated in a pair of thrilling boys and girls games that put the icing on a great day of basketball.

Mesa Dobson and Tempe Corona del Sol showcased their girls teams in the 1 o’clock opener, with Dobson getting the first win of the day, 68-43. Boys’ games followed, with Gilbert Mesquite using its size advantage for a 64-44 victory in the second game, and 5A defending champion Mesa Mountain View used a 11-3 run during the final minutes to win over No. 3 Desert Vista, 58-53, and avenge a December loss.

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This article was written by John Armhein, a member of the Tempe Junior Crew, to give others an appreciation for a sport that requires hard work and dedication, but gets little recognition. SportZine welcomes submissions from students and uses those that are appropriate for our readers.

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“I don’t need to workout, I’m the best athlete on the team.” There’s always one athlete on every team that has the God-given talent, but lacks the work integrity necessary to be the best at their sport.

“I’ll do whatever it takes, coach, just tell me what to do and I’ll do it!” There’s always one athlete on every team that has the work integrity but lacks the God-given talent necessary to become the best at his/her sport. Whatever your situation may be—hard work will always beat talent alone, when talent doesn’t work hard. Imagine two athletes with God-given talent, one works hard and one does not. Which one would you want to be?

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The Arizona Coaches Association congratulates the following coaches on being recognized for their efforts in the 2005 season. They will be honored at the awards banquet at the Mesa Holiday Inn in May.

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