So the father was lecturing his son. “When Abraham Lincoln was your age, he was walking eight miles to school,” the father said. Replied the son, “When Abraham Lincoln was your age, he was president.” See? Kids can lecture, too. So it not enough for parents and coaches to talk the talk. “What you do […]
Through it all … the Olympics … the NBA All-Star Game … the Super Bowl … the biggest sports success story could well be coming from Storrs, Conn. That’s home to the UConn women’s basketball team, which extended its winning streak to 64 games yesterday with a victory over St.John’s. Who dominates like the Huskies […]
Nothing prepares you for the death of a young athlete. When luger Nodar Kumaritashvili lost his life yesterday in a training run at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the tragedy spoke to everyone who has ever pursued a goal. Kumaritashvili, who was from the Republic of Georgia, had trained for years to do exactly what […]
Today Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News writes about the American team’s high hopes in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver: “While you were dozing these past four years, your fellow Americans somehow became proficient at biathlon, ice dancing, snowboarding, luge, Nordic combined, women’s bobsled and a lot of events that normally make you […]
A few days ago the Record newspaper of Bergen County, N.J., printed an essay from a student on the amount of homework today’s students receive. I know virtually nothing about modern homework: how much there is, what it consists of, etc. All I know is that the backpacks the kids use today seem bigger and […]
Anyone who knows how to walk has gone through the steps of mastery: See a skill, try it, fail at it, try it again with adjustments, and repeat the process until successful. That’s how people learn to walk, talk or play the violin. Trouble comes from the third step: fail. People don’t seem to mind […]
This weekend the Olympics arrive in our living rooms, and no doubt the TV commentators will be painting the picture of a winter wonderland. Their portrait will not necessarily match the reality. In its current edition, Newsweek is offering up a different look, called “Fool’s Gold.” Summing it all up is the subtitle: How the […]
Thomas Morstead is a hero in New Orleans today for his onside kick that helped the Saints win the Super Bowl. But it wasn’t always that way. On the day the Saints drafted him, they received criticism for “wasting” a pick on a kicker. And when he got to camp and started to practice field […]
Jerry Rice, along with six other players, is going into pro football’s Hall of Fame. His election surprised no one, but Rice himself didn’t want to assume anything. “On draft day, I didn’t take that (getting drafted) for granted,” Rice said yesterday at the Hall of Fame announcement. “I didn’t take this (election) for granted.” […]
A New York Times article just a few days ago offers a glimpse into why kids play sports. The simple answer: to have fun. This might shock some people, especially considering some of yesterday’s news. New Jersey’s top-ranked boys basketball team is facing expulsion over illegal practices, and a 13-year-old boy has committed to play […]