The Religion of Science: Fact or Faith

I have attempted to harvest from some of the greatest minds insight into the nature of God, human existence, and our ability to transcend what is commonly referred to as self-preservation - the "most powerful" human instinct. Further, I make the argument that debunks the myth that humans are mortal beings - simply living and ultimately dying.

If things were as simple as traditional biology tells us, then what accounts for a spouse or a parent willing to give his (her) life in exchange for his beloved? Perhaps love and the divine human spirit provide us with the innate spiritual supremacy to rise above our "greatest human instinct," and propel a person to outrival our "captive," namely, the primitive drive to survive. It goes without saying, we're back to where we began. The question that remains to be answered centers on whether human beings are eternal beings?

I did some research with respect to the probability of a person being alive at this very moment - living on the planet we call earth. We'll get back to this in a moment.

Bear in mind that our universe sprang into existence as "singularity" around 13.7 billion years ago.

Though I have been flirting with the possibility of eternal life (in some shape or form), and, something or Someone who was the grand designer of the cosmos, I haven't used the word "religion" - correct?

Comparing apples-to-apples, I will use the word "faith" when contrasting faith as a higher power vs. faith in the science underlying the Big Bang Theory.

We know that our universe was born almost 14 billion years ago, however, ask a scientist 'how the Big Bang occurred.' You will likely get a response that goes something like this, '14 billion years ago the universe burst into being from an unknown cosmic trigger." Hmm - an unknown cosmic trigger... what's an unknown cosmic trigger? Beats me, but surely it takes some faith to believe in one!

Logic tells me that faith comes in two competing forms, faith in the form of a scientific theory and faith in something or Someone, i.e. higher power. I tend to look for compelling evidence to support a given faith.

The supposition that some unknown cosmic trigger led to me sitting in front of my computer typing would require me to have faith in the existence of a cosmic trigger. So, what's a reasonable alternative to an unknown cosmic trigger? Probability and statistics, of course! I will illustrate my point without getting too deep into the mathematical discipline.

I noted above that I did some research with respect to the probability of a person being alive today - living on the planet we call earth. First and foremost, no matter what faith you embrace, you are a miracle - at least in the eyes of probability and statistics.

Throughout the violent and turbulent early moments of the Big Bang to the formation of earth 4.5 billion years ago, you "survived" the hundreds of millions of catastrophic events such as the meteor that hit earth killing 80% of all life on earth including the dinosaurs which occurred 66 million years ago.

From the Big Bang through the moment of your conception and birth, you are indeed a miracle given the statistical probability of you being here is somewhere around 1 in 400 trillion. I suggest that it's more likely for a person to win the lottery thousands of times consecutively than being alive.

Is statistical science fact or faith? Perhaps the probability (1 in 400 trillion) of you being alive, living on earth, is utter nonsense given that statistical analysis can be quite a daunting endeavor when it comes to controlling critical variables while analyzing and normalizing the data.

Frankly, it may be too difficult to arrive at a valid conclusion? I don't have a good answer, nonetheless, I think it more prudent to hitch a horse to a wagon that missing a wheel, i.e. unknown cosmic trigger.

Einstein went on to hold a deistic concept of God. He stood in awe at the beauty and complexity of the cosmos but could not bring himself to accept the idea of a God who meddles in human history.

Einstein's concept of beauty is that it resonates with the awe at the beauty and complexity of the cosmos. Certainly, something or Someone must have had a hand in the beautiful design of the cosmos.

Perhaps Einstein saw correctly that the beauty of the universe reflects the beauty of something or Someone beyond the universe. If God had remained silent, we could say no more than Einstein said - that "the vast darkness of the universe presents suggestions of a transcendent beauty."

Earnest Becker wrote "Man breaks through the bounds of mere cultural heroism; he destroys the character lie that had him perform as a hero in the everyday social scheme of things; and by doing so he opens himself up to infinity, to the possibility of cosmic heroism... He links his secret inner self, his authentic talent, his deepest feelings of uniqueness... to the very ground of creation. Out of the ruins of the broken cultural self there remains the mystery of the private, invisible, inner self which yearned for ultimate significance.

This invisible mystery at the heart of [the] creature now attains cosmic significance by affirming its connection with the invisible mystery at the heart of creation. "This," he concludes, "is the meaning of faith."

According to Becker, faith is the belief that despite one's "insignificance, weakness, death, one's existence has meaning in some ultimate sense because it exists within an eternal and infinite scheme of things brought about and maintained to design by some creative force.

Becker's ideas about cosmic design and a creative force is not as bold as Einstein's cosmic perspective that includes a non-traditional God, or "something or Someone" beyond the universe... I interpret this to mean a higher power.

I will end with a quote by Albert Einstein, "science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."

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Tips on How to Be a Jock

Being a jock is about more than being a three sport varsity star. Jocks get all the girls, make heaps of money and terrorize the nerds. In short, being a jock equals glory. A great physique, self assured attitude and disregard for any authority other than your coach guarantees a spot at the top of the high school hierarchy.

Start training early. Sign up for pee wee football, t-ball and soccer while still in preschool to get on the right path. Acclimate yourself to the grind of being a young sports star and do everything to make sure you get a spot on the best team in the league.

Get a starting spot on the middle school team. After a few years playing for the local park district, find yourself in middle school and in your first competitive school situation. Focus on turning your moves on the basketball court into popularity in the hallways. Drop friends that don't play sports and start flirting with the cheerleaders.

Devote yourself to sports when you enter high school. They say that to get into a good college you need to be well rounded. Select sports only. Act as though activities like student council and the debate team are a waste of time.

Train hard to maintain your position. There's always someone in the class below you who is a little quicker, a little sharper. Make sure that person doesn't have the opportunity to steal your thunder: practice hard in front of your coach and perform consistently on the field.

Put on your letterman's jacket, grab your head cheerleader girlfriend and strut around the school like you own the place. Hang out with other jocks, but allow one or two less celebrated students to follow you around. Pick smart kids to hang around to do your homework. Hoist the trophy after the big game and revel in your success.

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Become High School Basketball Referee

The game of high school basketball is a great way for young adults to learn sportsmanship and teamwork. The high school basketball referee is an integral manager of this growth on the court. Besides the rewarding influence on young adults, it is a great way to stay in shape and make money while doing so.

Be in good physical condition. High school basketball referees are required to be in almost constant motion in order to referee the action. If a physically unfit person tries to referee that person will not very long in the profession.

Possess an even-tempered personality. The referee has to keep their emotions in check while everyone around them is losing theirs. High school basketball can get very emotional for players, coaches and fans. The referee has to maintain order while not letting the action get out of control. To many times on the news people see a brawl at sporting event and wonder what happened. Well a properly trained and skilled referee can help appease situations such as these at times.

Make sure that there is time to commit to the vocation of being a referee. A person cannot just show up and referee a sporting event. They must understand that a time commitment to improve their craft and stay abreast of any rule changes to the sport is necessary.

Start by refereeing local youth and club tournaments. Once a referee has gained enough experience and references from the lower levels, they may use this experience as evidence of refereeing skill. Contact the local YMCA, recreational leagues or church leagues for refereeing opportunities. Any experience attained is a major plus when applying for a refereeing job at the high school level.

Contact the local High school basketball governing body. This number may be obtained through an Internet search. Call the local high schools athletic department directly. These people can tell a person exactly what is required to become a high school basketball referee. These requirements vary from location to location.

Go to a local high school basketball game and talk to a referee. Talking to someone who has been through the process is one of the best ways to determine what it entails. This also gives a person a better idea if refereeing is good for them personally.

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Get on High School Golf Team

To be on any high school team requires a lot of time, dedication and often, talent. If you want to be on a high school team, be prepared to sacrifice time with friends in favor of practice and meets. Golf is a great sport for student athletes who want to focus on individual improvement. Going out for the golf team may be the best thing you do this school year.

Go to the driving range as often as possible before tryouts. Buy a bucket of balls and practice hitting with the driver and irons.

Take dates to play miniature golf. Practice putting skills while simultaneously flirting with your date. Bring your own putter to get used to the heft of it.

Play 9 or 18 holes at least once a week. Plan out your swing before executing it. Try using different clubs to figure out which one works best in which situation.

Work on your stance and continue to practice your swing, often. Distribute your weight to the front and then back to see how it affects the swing. Hit the ball into sand traps and practice chipping out of them.

Speak with the school's golf coach about what is expected of players. Talk about past seasons and get a feel for the ability requirements she is looking for in team players.

Show up at tryouts with your clubs and shoes. A great attitude goes a long way with most high school coaches.

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Enjoy Sports After High School

High school seems to be synonymous with sports. Friday nights often brings a community together with high school football or basketball games. But there isn't just basketball and football, often there are more sports in the fall and spring seasons and during the winter. But for those students that love the game but don't make a team in college or can't play at 100 percent because of injury, there are several different opportunities for them to continue to play a sport they love.

Consider intramurals. Grab a bunch of your friends and make a team. You can take the team as seriously as you want. Some teams hold practices and set up play books while other do it just to get out of working on homework for the night. Fraternities and sororities often but teams together for points in their Greek systems.

Come summer time or those who are not in college another great avenue is the local park district. Again put a team together with co-workers or friends (or a mixture of both) and hit the court (or field). Often park districts have men's and women's leagues along with co-ed leagues for certain sports such as softball.

Find out the open gym times at park districts or gyms. Here is a great place to play a pick up team with people who want to play the sport just as bad as you. It is also a great way to get into shape if there is a regular group of men or women who play a couple days a week.

Get your friends together. Sure some of your friends may not be the best athletes in the world, but that doesn't mean they are not willing to give it a try. Play a pick up game with friends or schedule an annual softball (such as the 4th of July) or football game (before Thanksgiving).

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Start High School Football Team

The sound of pads popping, helmets colliding and whistles blowing ushers in the start of another high school football season for communities all over the country. The sport not only builds a competitive spirit, it teaches discipline and instills a camaraderie and confidence in student-athletes. Yet there are schools where the sport of football is a foreign concept, and where the hurdles are many to instituting or reinstating a varsity football program. Getting over those roadblocks means research, persistence and the support of both the school and a governing body of interscholastic athletic competition.

Attend a number of school board, district or committee meetings to get a realistic idea of the operating budget for the year. During this time, it's important to inquire as to the cost of other varsity sports programs being run by the school. If it's a sensitive fiscal time, it is less likely that money will be redirected from educational endeavors to support an athletic program. If there's money in the budget, however, it's time to take the next step and reach out beyond the local school board.

Gauge interest in high school football by floating the idea to other parents and students, and by reaching out to other local schools to plan what it would take, financially, to add the program. According to the Seattle Times, this was one of the steps taken by Bellevue Christian School to get its football program up and running, as it helped to form a plan that rallied the community and got people excited about the opportunity.

Start a high school booster club to help offset or defray costs for the football program. The Houston Chronicle noted in 2008 that booster clubs are becoming the latest line of defense against the financial hardships high school sports face, and most can file for tax-exempt status as nonprofit organizations. The money can also be used for things like equipment, a weight room, stadium costs and concessions.

Familiarize yourself with the governing body that oversees high school interscholastic athletics in your state. Your state scholastic athletic association regulates high school sports, including eligibility, safety and health rules for teams. It also organizes and controls championship games, and certifies referees.

Work with the school athletic director and other designated officials to iron out logistics such as where the team will play and where practices will be held. The athletic director and school board will also be instrumental in hiring a coaching staff and helping to field a full roster of players, as well as scheduling practices, scrimmages and games.

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Get Into High School Football Team

Making the high school football team isn't an easy thing to do but if you're committed and willing to put in the effort, there's always a chance you'll make the roster. Working hard in school and on the field as well as sacrificing some of your own personal time will get you headed in the right direction to making your high school football team.

Start Early
If your goal is to play high school football, you need to start early. Begin playing football as early as possible. Pee wee football is a good place to start, then simply transition to different teams as you move up in school. If you're already beyond your pee wee years, then get into a junior high program or whatever else is available to you. The more experience you have prior to trying out for high school football, the better chance you'll have of making the team.

Train on Your Own Time
Football season only lasts a few months, it would be to your benefit to use the rest of the year to train on your own. Maintain your fitness and work toward strength gains throughout the year. Recruit a friend or potential teammate to run drills with you. Sign up for a couple of football camps throughout the summer; many universities and high schools offer camps that give you the opportunity to work with coaches and current players to work on game fundamentals and improve your game.

Give it a Try
Try out for the team. Show up early, be prepared and give tryouts your all. Follow your routine the morning of tryouts; don't change up your habits by eating something different for breakfast or getting more or less sleep than usual. The last thing you want is to end up with an upset stomach or brain fog during tryouts.

Hit the Books
Being a high school football player is more than simply being an athlete; always remember you're a student first. You can be the best player on the team but if you can't pass algebra, you won't be padding up. Take your studies seriously and stay on top of your school work. Coaches know that players who work hard in the classroom will work hard on the field too.

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Write Letter of Resignation to Coach

Although you've enjoyed the time on your high school sports team, you may want to move on because you're too busy with academics or other activities. If your coach and your teammates depend on you, however, consider writing a formal letter of resignation to soften the blow and explain your reasons for leaving.

Give concrete reasons for quitting the team. Since the coach has put in a lot of effort to train you, he deserves a rational and intelligent explanation. If you find it difficult to come up with a solid list, perhaps you're reacting emotionally to something that happened recently and need to rethink your decision.

Thank your coach for her time and discuss the lessons and discipline she's taught you. Also, point out the ways you've benefited from the experience and by being a member of the team.

Explain how the team will benefit from your resignation. Talk about how you've been slacking off, getting distracted during games because you're preoccupied with other things or want to give a hard-working teammate a chance to play in your spot, for example.

Prepare to discuss your resignation in person with your coach. Consider the letter a way to completely express your reasons and feelings since you may become emotional and forgetful when you say goodbye in person.

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Tips to Play Girls Lacrosse

Although the name of the game sounds French, lacrosse is a sport that's native to America. In the 1800s a French missionary saw Native Americans striking at a ball with sticks, and referring to it as lacrosse, the sport grew with the new settlers. Today, it's popularity is sweeping the nation and girl's leagues are sprouting up everywhere.

Take the draw at the center of the field. This is how both halves of the game start to play and it occurs after either team scores a goal. Similar to a face off in hockey, the girls stand facing each other with their sticks touching with the ball placed between the girls. Once the whistle blows, the object is to scoop the ball to get it over to a team member to put it into play.

Run to catch an out-of-bounds ball. Although many fields lack boundary lines, the official will blow the whistle when the ball strays too far from the playing field and the player closest to the ball determines what team gets the ball.

Stop, don't move and follow the stand rule. The stand rule is one of the most important rules that girls must follow when playing lacrosse. Anytime the whistle blows, all girls must stop exactly where they are on the field and not move until the whistle blows again, signifying the game resuming. If it's a time-out where the team needs to gather, the girls leave their sticks on the field in the exact spot where they were last.

Practice the throw, which is like a jump-ball in basketball. The officials select two girls, normally the girls involved in the play right before an official rules possession of the ball as indeterminable. The girls stand next to each other while the other players have to stand back. The umpire blows the whistle, tosses the ball towards the girls who then try to grab it and either run towards the goal or pass it to another player.

Understand the new modified checking rule in place for younger players up to 8th grade and its difference from the full checking rule for those in 9th grade and older. Designed for safety, this rule allows the girls to practice the fundamentals of lacrosse without fear of being struck. A legal check for girls in 8th grade and younger is below the shoulders, hitting away from the other player's body.

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Tips to Earn Letterman Jacket

Students in high school and college who play on varsity sports teams often can be seen wearing letterman jackets. The jackets are usually mid-weight, consist of the school’s colors and likely display the student's name on the front and the school name on the back. Receiving a letterman jacket is considered an honor and it is representative of the student’s athletic achievement.

Meeting the Requirements
Most schools require that you participate on a varsity sports team, such as football, basketball, baseball or soccer, to obtain a letterman jacket. Often the coach has discretion over who will receive a letterman jacket. You may have to end the season in good standing and have played in a certain number of varsity games or competitions throughout the year. For example, a high school baseball player would earn a letterman jacket if he played in at least half of all scheduled baseball games. Some schools require a minimum grade point average to be eligible to play on a varsity team or to wear a corresponding letterman jacket. All requisites vary by school. Usually student athletes only receives one letterman jacket during their high school career. However, medallions or bars can be added for additional activities.

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Grants for Public School Athletic

During economic downturns, public schools can often suffer the most. With smaller operating budgets, school districts are sometimes forced to cut funding to their athletic programs. But thanks to some grant programs available to schools and other non-profits, youth sports teams and their facility needs can survive and thrive when their usual funding disappears.

Baseball Tomorrow Fund
One of the largest benefactors of grants specifically for baseball programs and their facilities is the Baseball Tomorrow Fund. The Baseball Tomorrow Fund, sponsored cooperatively by Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Union, has donated over $9 million to various programs.

In 2002, the Benoit School District in Benoit, Mississippi, received a grant from the BTF for equipment and uniforms to develop a baseball and softball program at its high school. In 2008, the BTF awarded a grant to the school district in Centreville, Michigan, for the construction of new baseball and softball fields.

The application process for the BTF takes three to six months. Applications and other information can be found online at mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/community/btf.jsp?content=grant_process, or you can correspond with the fund's trustees at MLB offices.

Baseball Tomorrow Fund
245 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10167

While there is no maximum amount put on the BTF grants, MLB estimates the average grant to be about $39,000.

Charlotte Martin Foundation
This foundation focuses on youth sports in the western United States, as well as cultural and academic opportunities for underprivileged or rural schools and groups. In 2008, the foundation awarded $17,000 to the Box Elder School District in Montana for gymnasium upgrades and $8,964 to make track and field improvements at Meridian Middle School in Idaho. Those are were just two recipients of more than $1.4 million the foundation distributed in the fiscal year 2008, $483,485 of which went specifically to athletic programs. The foundation has awarded more than $15 million since its inception in 1987.

The Charlotte Martin Foundation, based in Seattle, rarely funds any projects outside the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. Application information can be found online at charlottemartin.org.

NFL Grassroots Program
Like its major league baseball counterparts, the National Football League has endowed its Grassroots Program to assist with capital expenditures for the development or improvements to public football fields. For middle school or high school football fields, the Grassroots Program offers matching grants of up to $200,000 for the installation of artificial playing surfaces, or up to $100,000 for the installation or replacement of natural turf and sod fields. With its partner, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, the NFL will also fund grants of up to $50,000 for peripheral improvements, such as those to bleachers, lighting or concession stands.

To apply for a Grassroots grant, school organizations must be in an NFL target market and most importantly, be willing to show that the facilities will be used generously with the surrounding community.

The program is funded by the NFL's Youth Football Fund and managed by Local Initiatives Support Corporation. Applications and more information can be obtained through the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. Since 1998, the NFL, through LISC, has donated $12.5 million to develop football facilities.

NFL Grassroots Program
c/o Beverly Smith, Senior Program Director
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
501 7th Avenue, 7th floor
New York, NY 10018
(212) 455-9881
E-mail: bsmith@lisc.org

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Rules for Crease in Lacrosse

One of the most important position in lacrosse is the goalie. The goalie's job is to keep his opponent's team from scoring goals. However, because goalies have this unenviable task, they must be allowed some protection from the other side. This protection that a goalie gets is the goal crease.

What Is The Goal Crease?
The goal crease exists in both men's and women's lacrosse. The crease is a circle that has a radius of nine feet, which is intersected by the goal line. This means that the crease goes in front of and behind the net with an 18-foot diameter.

Rules For the Crease
Only the goalie is allowed to stand or be in the crease. An attacking player is allowed to try to scoop the ball from the crease, but may never enter the crease with his or her body. If an attacking player is caught in the crease, it is ruled a crease violation. The referee then stops play, and awards possession to the defending team.

Goalie's Rules For the Crease
The goalie may exit the crease at any time. The goalie may also not be checked while he is in the crease. However, if the goalie has possession of the ball in the crease, he has four seconds to exit or pass the ball off to his teammate. If the goalie does not do this in the four seconds, possession is awarded to the attacking team. In women's lacrosse, the rule is the goalie has 10 seconds to clear the crease. Also, once the goalie has possession, he may not return to the crease with possession of the ball. If he does that, possession is awarded to the other team.

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High School Cheerleading Rules Pennsylvania

Cheerleading is a competitive sport incorporating tumbling, routines, jumps and dance. In Pennsylvania cheerleading is not regulated by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Associate (PIAA), but most schools still follow the PIAA guidelines for cheerleading along with other sports. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference also provides a list of safety regulations that need to be followed by all Pennsylvania high school cheerleading teams.

Eligibility
In order for high school cheerleaders to be eligible to cheer at athletic events and/or participate in competitions there are several regulations for eligibility. Before any activity with the team begins, all athletes much undergo a physical examination and be cleared for participation in the activity. Also, before joining the cheerleading team, a parental consent form must be signed by a parent or legal guardian. The cheerleader must be enrolled in the school of the cheerleading team, and be present on days of competition in order to be eligible.

Coaching
According to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), a cheerleading coach or advisor must be present at all practices, games and competitions. The coach or advisor must be certified in first aid and CPR. Proper equipment and spotting measures and training are a must for cheerleading coaches. To stay within the safety regulations, cheerleading coaches must understand their squads ability and limit the squad's activity accordingly.

Practice
During practice, in accordance with the PSAC, cheerleaders must engage in a stretching routine before beginning activity. The cheerleaders also must take part in a strengthening program. Skills that have not been perfected should not be attempted by the cheerleaders during practice. The use of mini-trampolines and certain lifts are prohibited.

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High School Basketball Rules

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) regulates the official rules of high school basketball. The NFHS provides a detailed rule book for coaches and players each year. Approximately 18,500 high schools follow NFHS rules in their athletic programs. The NFHS has developed high school sporting rules since it began in 1920.

Sportsmanship
The NFHS states that during the warmup period players must not enter the warmup area of the opposing team. It also states that anyone leaving the court during play for an unauthorized reason will be called for a technical foul. If players fight during the game, they will receive an automatic ejection. Players who argue with the referees and each other are subject to technical fouls and ejection.

Uniform
Official high school basketball rules call for players on the home team to wear a white jersey. The number on the front must be at least 4 inches in size and the number on back at least 6 inches. Players must tuck their jerseys into their pants. Pants must remain above the hips. Only headgear for religious or medical purposes is allowed. Headbands and wristbands can be worn only if solid in color. Players may not wear jewelry.

Fouls
A foul occurs when a player initiates illegal contact with a member of the opposing team. Many rules govern foul calls, and they are up to the discretion of the officials. Fouls can result in loss of possession for the team that has the ball and in free throws for the opposing team. Players are allowed four personal fouls per game. A player who commits five is disqualified for the remainder of the game.

Court Size
High school basketball courts should not exceed 94 feet in length and should have a width of 50 feet; many high schools use an 84-foot court. The free-throw line is 15 feet from the backboard. The 3-point arc is 19 feet, 9 inches from the basket.

Equipment
The basketball hoop has a circumference of 18 inches and sits 10 feet above the ground. The back of the hoop's rim, the area closest to the backboard, must have a gap of 6 inches from the backboard. The backboard should measure 6 feet wide and 3 1/2 feet long. High school boys use regulation-size balls with a circumference of 29.5 inches to 30 inches. High school girls use a ball size of 28.5 inches to 29 inches in circumference.

Substitutions
A coach may make a substitution only when a dead ball occurs or during halftime. When a substitute enters the court during a dead ball, he must stay at midcourt until the official calls him.

Time
Each team can call three, 1-minute timeouts per game. The game consists of four, 8-minute quarters. Players have a 1-minute break between each quarter and a 10-minute break at halftime. In the case of a tie at the end of the game, teams play an extra 4-minute session without changing ends of the court.

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Speeches on Importance of Sports

Sports are revered around the world as activities that bring people and nations together. They inspire, give hope, teach determination and demonstrate that the underdog can win. When preparing a speech on the importance of sports, it is necessary to look to the athletes who make the sport possible. Examine personal and cultural influences, both positive and negative, and you will create a speech that will be as influential and effective as the sports you represent.

Unity
Sports build unity among a group of people pushing toward a specific goal. They may not have anything in common beside their love of the game, and that alone draws them together. Like any relationship, sports teach teamwork. An athlete is no longer a individual unit but part of a whole. Sports force people to deal with different personalities and temperaments. Speeches on this topic could include examples of Super Bowl teams or teams that overcame great diversity to succeed.

Discipline
Sports teach discipline. For the same reason parents send irresponsible children to military school to learn discipline, sports teach the skills necessary to become a responsible adult. In order to function properly, team members must learn to be on time to practice and games. To be the best, they must train their bodies, muscles and minds to meet the physical, mental and emotional requirements of the job at hand. This often means extra gym time, more weights and a restricted diet. Sports teach individuals to work hard. A speech on this topic could stress the importance of sports discipline in training young adults to apply discipline to all areas of their lives.

Life Skills
Sports teach important life skills. Leadership is necessary and important in our culture. Sports train people to be leaders, whether as sports stars or as leaders in their communities and schools. Life is a series of wins and losses. Sports teach people the art of becoming a gracious winner and loser and how to handle either circumstance. People also learn to set goals. An Olympian must first discipline her own body, then conquer practices, then trial runs, then small competitions and finally qualify for the Olympics. A speech on this topic could parallel life circumstances and the important role sports play in developing skills to conquer these circumstances.

Escape
Sports provide escape for students wrestling with the difficulties of life. Teens in the projects often struggle with home circumstances, grades and rocky futures. Playing a sport is a coping mechanism. It allows them to channel energy and focus on something they love and excel at. It is also a constructive task to keep them on the courts and fields and away from circumstances that could get them in trouble. Sports allow them to build dreams of college scholarships and give them role models to emulate and follow. Sports show them that anything is possible because those who succeed come from all walks of life. Speeches focusing on this topic should address the challenges of teens and the benefit of sports in their daily lives.

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Popular Youth Sports in America

Youth in the United States remain physically active through participating in sports. Led by schools or independent organizations, sports are often played by groups of children at the same time. In America, some sports are more popular to play and spectate than others around the world.

Football
Football is the most popular youth sport in America for boys. According to Pop Warner, more than 250,000 boys participate in their youth football program. Additionally, more than 1 million boys participate in high school football, according to TN Soccer. Football is a team sport that permits two teams of up to 11 players on the field at the same time. Football is especially popular in certain regions of the United States including the South (Texas, Florida) and the West (California).

Basketball
Basketball is a popular sport for both girls and boys. According to the U.S. Census, more than 450,000 girls played school-sponsored basketball as of 2008, making it the most popular among girls. Basketball is the second most popular sport for boys with more than 500,000 participants as of 2008. The team sport involves two teams of five players that try to score points by shooting a ball through a basketball hoop. The team with the most points is declared the winner. Basketball is most popular in eastern and northern regions of the United States.

Track and Field
Track and Field is a popular sport among both high school boys and girls. The sport includes several field games and different types of running activities. A group of runners for example, may participate in 400 m and 200 m relays, while individual athletes may participate in the long jump, discus throw and the triple jump. According to the U.S. Census, more than 540,000 boys participates in Track and Field, while more than 440,000 girls participate, as of 2008.

Soccer
Soccer is another sport in which participation is high in both girls and boys. In school-led programs, more than 380,000 boys and 340,000 girls participate as of 2008, according to the U.S. Census. Two teams of 11 players compete to attempt to get a spherical ball into the other team's goal. The team that scores the most goals after a period of time is declared the winner. Although other sports are more popular in the United States, soccer is regarded as the most popular sport in the world in terms of participation and viewership.

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Deal With Getting Cut From Team

Trying out for a competitive sports team often comes after years of hard work to become the best athlete possible. When that ends in rejection, it can be a traumatic experience that takes time to process. Everyone reacts to being cut differently, but several techniques can help you move beyond the bad news and keep your athletic career moving forward.

Talk It Out
It’s disappointing to be cut, but keeping that hurt inside isn’t healthy. Talking about how you feel can help. Call a friend or family member and discuss what happened. Pick someone who will be supportive, but who also knows you well and can keep you grounded. This serves two purposes -- it helps you process your feelings and communicate your hurt, and also lets others know what you're going through.

Put It in Perspective
Being cut from one team doesn’t mean all your efforts to get that far have been wasted. It just means that on that day, before those coaches, you weren’t one of the players picked. Remember all the sports teams you've made, and the accomplishments that helped you achieve the success you've had. Don’t use it as a sign to give up, but also avoid blaming the coach for being biased or shortsighted. You might try out for a different team instead -- focusing on a club squad if you're cut from a school team, for example.

Learn How to Get Better
Getting cut from a team is never fun, but one way to make sure it doesn’t happen again is to learn what you need to make the squad next time. Sometimes, those in charge tell players, or parents of youth league players, what they were looking for. If the coaches at a baseball tryout say they were looking for power hitting and arm strength, you know what needs to improve. There’s also no harm in going up to the coach and asking what you could do better. Don’t complain or cry, but ask what areas he suggests you work on.

Reflect
Just because one tryout doesn’t go well doesn’t mean you should abandon the sport – if that were the case, Michael Jordan would have dropped basketball after ninth grade. But it also offers an opportunity to reflect. Your athletic dreams shouldn’t hinge on whether a coach likes you or not, but if this is the latest of several teams to turn you down, consider whether your skills and talents would be better utilized in a different sport or activity.

Learn Your Lesson
Tryouts can be random events, and anyone can have a bad day at the worst possible time. But once that initial hurt of rejection passes, it's time to take an honest look at what transpired. If there's something you could have done differently, or an area of your game that was clearly not up to par, write that down so you'll know for next time. The more you can own what happened and determine what went wrong, the better prepared you'll be the next time tryouts roll around.

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Fun Cheerleading Cheers for Kids

Cheerleading is an old tradition that dates back to the late 19th century, and men were the first cheerleaders for many years until 1923 when women became a part of this activity. Many young men fought in World War II during the 1940s and in their absence more women had entered into this sport. During the 1960s cheering organizations sprang up at different schools throughout the nation. Since that time, girls and boys have been inspired to join cheerleading squads to promote team spirit and to motivate fans.

Inspiration
Cheerleaders must inspire athletic teams and their fans onward to victory. Raising the spirits of team members and spectators can play a crucial role with a win or loss for any given match. Children cheerleaders are expected to know some basic cheers that encourage the success of their team. One cheer that is child friendly and serves the purpose of inspiration is named "More, More, More". This cheer goes like this: "One, we are the (school's name); two, we couldn't be prouder; three, a little bit louder; four, more, more, more, more". Another inspirational cheer for children is called "Hustle" and it's cheered like this: "To the G! To the O! Go (team name)Go!".

Taunts and Cheers
Cheers and taunts are both used during sporting competitions and the major difference between the two is that cheers have a longer prose than taunts. Another goal of a cheerleading squad during a sporting event is to taunt the other team and cause them to lose spirit. Young cheerleaders can learn how to use taunts such as "Beat Em, Bust Em" in this manner: "Beat-um, B-U-S-T bust-um; beat-um, B-U-S-T bust-um; that's are custom now; it's time to re-udjust them go (Team Name). Another taunt is "Knock you Out" and it says: "Knock you out; I don't know what you talking about; but (Team Name) will knock you out."

Bragging
Children who cheer must learn how to brag on the sports team that they represent and their cheerleading squad. Cheers such as "All Across the Nation" are used for boasting and pride. Keep in mind this tactic is done to cause an opponent and their fans to lose spirit. "All Across the nation; there's a (team name) sensation; one by one we beat; we'll knock you off you're feet; a little bit, hey, a little bit; can't you feel it; a little bit, hey, a little bit; can't you feel it!" Another cheer entitled "Step Back" is about team boasting and it goes: "Step back; step back; relax, cause you don't know us; we are the (Team Name) and we got it all".

Standard Cheers
Young cheerleaders are expected to know at least some basic cheers that have been used by many squads for decades. Cheers such as "We Are Number 1" are a classic type that is familiar with many squads all over the country. "1, We are the (Team Name); 2, a little bit louder; 3, we still can't hear you; WE ARE NUMBER 1 (repeat chant 2x's). Another standard cheer that young cheerleaders should know is "Let's Go Team" and this particular cheer is performed in this manner: "Let's Go, team, Let's go (clap 3x's); Let's Go, team, Let's Go (stomp 3x's); Let's Go, team, Let's Go; and win this thing.

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