Why I like ice hockey

LeBlanc vs. Ponich/ArtBrom/Wikimedia Commons

1. Fighting: It is awesome because fighting is legal. Seeing a hockey match with a fight is like getting a 2-for-1 deal because you see a great (and funny) fight that involves two grown men trying to maintain their balance by grabbing each other's jersey with one hand and trying to rock the other person with the other. Furthermore, fighting in other sports, such as football, is highly illegal and looked down upon, where a fight on the field is a fineable offense of up to $50,000. In hockey, getting into a fight results in a five minute penalty in the penalty box, nothing more.

2. Energy: Being in Madison Square Garden during a big rivalry game, such as the Rangers vs. the Islanders is defeinitely a thing of beauty. There is more energy and "bad blood" in that building than any other event at Madison Square Garden. It is so intense that at times, you actually could cut the tension in the air with a knife.

3. Sudden Death Overtime: There is no time limit, and points are difficult to score. In soccer, you know that even if the game stays tied at the end of the overtime period, there is a shootout to determine the winner. Hockey is the opposite, where overtime ends only when someone scores. The stakes are high and the intensity higher. In basketball, there is a time limit and you do have a feeling when the game will end, regardless of who the winner is. In hockey, that feeling does not exist, as a split second separates complete jubilation and the sickening emptiness of defeat.

Stanley Cup at the NHL Hall of Fame/Wikimedia Commons

4. Integrity: Hockey is one of the only sports where most players are not paid an arm and a leg to play. In basketball, Kobe Bryant gets paid upwards of $20 million a year, regardless of whether or not he wins a playoff ring. Hockey players do not get paid that much, and they are mainly in it for the glory of becoming a Stanley Cup holder. Not only do they want to hold the Stanley Cup, they will do whatever it takes to win. They will block the puck with any body part, take big hits from large men, play with broken bones and deep bruises like it is nothing, all because of their desire to win.

In a recent playoff game, Ryan Smyth, a forward for the Edmonton Oilers, was hit in the face with a puck and lost several teeth. If this happened to a basketball or baseball player, they surely would not play for the rest of the game, and skip a few games/practices because of the pain and damaged image. In Smyth's case, the referee scooped the teeth off the ice, and within five minutes Smyth came back on the ice all stitched up and ready to play. They have an extremely high pain threshold, showing their determination and dedication to the sport they love to play.

5. Image: A hockey player's is against most of society's standards. In hockey, the more missing teeth you have, the more dedicated you are, and as a player you wear your lack of teeth with pride. Same thing with all the bruises and the deformed bones and cartiledge. In a society where everyone is into getting plastic surgery to fix the most minor mistakes and lacerations, I find it to be inspiring that NHL players live above the influence, ignore society pressure and ignore what is implied that they have to do.

Why I like squash

Many people do not know much, if anything, about squash. And those that have heard about it confuse if with lacrosse, tennis, or racquetball. Squash is a sport that originated in Europe and had its rise in popularity in the 20th century. The sport is played with two people on a court. Both players use their own squash racquet to hit a small rubber ball to a front wall. The objective of the game is to make sure that your opponent cannot hit the ball to the front wall.

Squash is a really fast paced sport, competitive sport. But it is also an extremely fun sport. . Collegiate squash is amazing because these athletes are great squash players and they do not work alone like the professionals. They work on a team. Each player only needs to count on him/herself to win the match, but counts on his entire team to beat the opponent. Squash allows one to have that sense of a team because each player practices with his/her team and hopes for them to win their matches just as much as they push for their own victory. Squash is also a sport that anyone can play. I have personally played with people who were amazing squash players and were 60 or 70 years old. Squash keeps people young. Someone may not be able to move as fast as he could when he was twenty, but he can definitely play better.

Squash is an amazing sport because it is all about deception. Good squash players keep an eye on their opponent in order to anticipate the next shot. Some one may think, "his body is back wall so he is probably going to hit a backhand boast," and most of the time, the anticipating person will be correct. But a great squash player knows how to deceive He can occasionally have a bad form and still make the shot. He can form up for a rail and hit a drop to the nick. Squash heightens one's reflexes just because of the unanticipated shots. Squash is plainly an amazing sport all around.

Why I like boxing

Boxing isn't just a sport, it gives one a sense of confidence by overcoming your fears and summoning courage by climbing through the ropes into the ring to face someone. It requires a huge quantity of strength, power, speed, endurance, reflexes, intelligence, and will power. Anyone can start out boxing as an average guy and come out feeling better about them selves physically and mentally. Knowing you can take a hit and give some back yourself is one of the greatest feelings ever. The feeling of helplessness fades away and gets replaced by a new, confident attitude. Boxing is a sport where you are tested to your limit, and where a strong will power can change everything. You can go from being knocked out around in one round, to total domination.

Boxing also is one of the best workouts and will get your body into shape faster than anything else. An average boxers body has hard, ripped muscles and barely any fat on him. Not only do you get to workout, you get to see people better than you workout and fight. Seeing a professional as a novice working out in the same gym inspires most people to work harder because they do not want to feel like the difference in skill and power is too great. I tend to find myself absorbed in my workouts and barely notice I am covered in sweat. Just having a spar is exhilarating and when you win, you feel great.

Reasons to love basketball

Basketball has been and still is one of the most popular and widely viewed sports in the world. But with this much popularity a question arises; why do we like basketball? It’s interesting that this simple game of two teams trying to put the leather ball into a circular net attracts so many. If you look at any school the chance that they have a basketball court is very high. Basketball courts are at most parks whereas football fields, soccer fields, and baseball fields are harder to find since they require so much space. Basketball has become so popular that there is even water basketball, beach basketball, and even wheelchair basketball.

Unlike other sports that require a group of people such as baseball, volleyball, and football, basketball can be played with only two people going head to head. Basketball is a sport that can be played indoors and outdoor, but sports like baseball require an outdoor field. Professional basketball requires a hoop and a ball, whereas football or baseball requires a bat, ball, helmet, and gloves.

One of my favorite things about basketball is that there is no limit to how you can score. You can make a lay-up, a jump shot, a three point shot, a dunk, etc. The creativity to basketball is endless, one can do a no look pass, alley-oop, full court shot, 360 dunk and so on. In football or soccer it takes a while for one team to score, but in basketball it simply takes 24 seconds or less to score a basket. Sports that take too long to score loses the interests of the viewers, therefore viewers who have no patience should watch basketball instead. Lastly the best thing about basketball is that it is an easy sport to learn therefore everyone can quickly adapt to it.

Stepping into the ring

Boxing is played with one goal in mind and that is to knock the opponent down for a ten count. The ring is a battlefield where it takes strategy, power and skills to survive. The fights take place on a canvas where blood and sweat paints the picture. Even if a boxer gets knock down, if they get up before the ten count then they are ready to head into battle once again. All boxers chase for victory because at the moment of victory, the lights are so bright and the cheers are so loud that one is entranced in a state of happiness. When the audiences flinch, cheer and scream then it truly becomes a fight to remember.

Boxers must revolve their whole life around boxing. Boxing is not only about battling your opponent but also with your own weakness. Confidence is essential for victory as it differentiates a full weighted punch from a light punch. Boxers must box with a strong mentality so that they can endure the pressure of being stared down and every punch that pierce through their defense. For those who do not have talent, they have hope in how much they practice. When boxers enter the ring, there is no one else to rely on except on yourself and the huge amount of training before the match.

Why I Like Cross Country Running

Race starting line at Van Cortlandt Park/ Tom Henning

Cross country running encompasses the most important values that one can take from sports. It is widely participated in when it comes to high school teams although it can also be considered an individual sport. Runners may practice together, but when it comes to race day, one is in a constant battle against every other runner and most importantly, oneself. The body's true stamina and capability are determined greatly by the mind when it comes to running. As a competitive sport, cross country demands one to have complete control over the thoughts that say its time to stop or slow down when you really should not. The mindset of a runner always has the ability to be honed since running a race is a having to constantly make decisions all the way through. A racer has to consider what how long to keep a certain pace, when to surge another racer and must also be conscious of the body. It always feels great to be in tune with your body's physical workings and have enough discipline to control yourself under strenuous activity.

The physiological aspect of running; as with any sport, is important although the right mental capability is needed to truly excel. The true magic of running is the learning experience that is gained about how your own body responds to stress and actually builds off of it for strength. Progression is the drive for running cross country and there is no other feeling like sprinting the last stretch of a race and demoralizing the unsuspecting victim who lets their guard down. As a result, there is a predatory instinct in overtaking another runner and it makes the whole thing exhilarating. After gaining experience from every race, I love getting more accustomed to identifying the runners who I can overtake early on and those who I'll take later on. Perhaps even more satisfying than getting ahead of someone is taking back the lead position from someone who has surged ahead of you. Learning how to respond to being beaten or left behind is one of the few things that helps me to grow as an athlete and a person. It feels great to see yourself recuperating from a tough loss and it propels you forward to set higher standards.

The standards that one chooses to pursue when taking up running define what kind of experience you draw from it. One can set goals to run at a certain pace, complete a longer distance or run in an event that bears some personal significance. The biggest sense of accomplishment for me is knowing that every ounce of effort I put into my workouts and practices all help me finish strong through the finish line of a race. With competitiveness aside, participating in the sport itself is an amazing experience because of the scenery one encounters. From the tree populated trails of parks to grassy riverside courses, they all produce an amazing sense of serenity. Running throughout every season also keeps you in tune with nature and allows you to fully experience it as you tread through the snow, endure the rain and withstand the overbearing heat. Running with the Flying Dragons however, is the most rewarding factor for me since it allows me to bond with great teammates and the incredible coach; Tom Henning.

Why I like tennis

I like tennis because the outcome of the match is completely dependent on the individual player. It's as simple as if you play better than your opponent you win and if you don't you lose. In other mainstream team sports one can feel like they did everything they could but their team came up short. This is difficult because on one hand you are happy you personally did your best but also upset that the team could not get a win. In tennis you don't have to deal with these conflicting emotions because it the sole responsibility of the player to either win or lose.

I also like tennis because it is not only physically tasking but also mentally challenging. Matches can be long and grueling and wear down a player physically however the most challenging aspect of tennis is the mental side. A player can win a hard fought point hitting shot after shot but if the player loses focus and misses his next forehand that negates all the hard work they had previously done. In sports like baseball, basketball, football and soccer players can have a momentary mental lapse and usually suffer no consequence. In tennis every mental lapse will almost surely cost a player the point.

Lastly tennis involves very little luck, you simply make shots or don't. In other sports you can catch a lucky break and win but in tennis the superior player will win.