Being proud of your country is a great thing. I am proud of my country! I am proud because we have lots of freedom. Having freedom is enjoyable because you don’t have restrictions of what you can and can’t do. Our country has laws but we still have freedom. The United States of America has a president. Our president is Barack Obama, he makes the decisions but he doesn’t “rule” us. There are kings and queens they’re rulers because they make you do things. In the olden days, there were slaves and around the world there were dictators. Since 1789 we have had a president of the United States. Currently, people should realize how lucky they are because of where they live and what country they live in.
In addition to freedom, our country helps other countries. When I see on the news all of the things are army and marines do overseas. Helping other countries, might help us because it could cause less fights or wars. Thinking that my country is helping others is amazing because it makes me feel happy. If I ever go to another country, I can set a good example because many people immigrate to the United States. People come here because they need a new life or there are many other reasons. I know I am lucky to be living where I am living.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
Basketball Legend
Authors Note: Larry Bird was a famous basketball legend who still is very well known today.
Squeaky shoes, basketballs bouncing, whistles blowing are all sounds of basketball. Being out on the court was an opportunity not everyone could have; Larry Bird didn’t take that for granted. Having an unfortunate childhood, basketball helped turn his life around.
Born on December 7th, 1956 Larry was raised in French Lick, Indiana. He had an awful childhood, including having a father who was an alcoholic. It is amazing how Larry was able to overcome his difficult childhood and make it to the NBA. Children with that kind of home life when they are young can have difficult adult lives, because they end up acting like their parents. Larry could have turned into an alcoholic, but sports in general helped him get through it.
Earning a Division One scholarship is a dream come true to most athletes. It was to Larry for sure, but he ended up switching schools during his first year. He switched to Indiana State, which was a little school compared to Indiana University. He did a phenomenal job at Indiana State and led his team to the National Championship. At the end of the game, they left with an unfortunate loss. Indiana State has never gone that far again since. Larry Bird was a huge leader and a great player for Indiana State.
In addition to a successful college career, Larry Bird was selected in the first round, with the first pick for the Boston Celtics. While he was on the Celtics, they won several World Championships. Larry, himself, won three Most Value Player (MVP) awards. Larry Bird has always been a humble player. Being six feet nine inches tall, he wasn’t a high jumper and was an underdog compared to other players. Getting this far in life was a great accomplishment considering where he started in life.
As one can see playing basketball at the highest level provided Larry with a fulfilling and productive life. His dedication, hard work, and commitment to excellence helped him become the person, the role model, the team leader and the legend he is today.
Squeaky shoes, basketballs bouncing, whistles blowing are all sounds of basketball. Being out on the court was an opportunity not everyone could have; Larry Bird didn’t take that for granted. Having an unfortunate childhood, basketball helped turn his life around.
Born on December 7th, 1956 Larry was raised in French Lick, Indiana. He had an awful childhood, including having a father who was an alcoholic. It is amazing how Larry was able to overcome his difficult childhood and make it to the NBA. Children with that kind of home life when they are young can have difficult adult lives, because they end up acting like their parents. Larry could have turned into an alcoholic, but sports in general helped him get through it.
Earning a Division One scholarship is a dream come true to most athletes. It was to Larry for sure, but he ended up switching schools during his first year. He switched to Indiana State, which was a little school compared to Indiana University. He did a phenomenal job at Indiana State and led his team to the National Championship. At the end of the game, they left with an unfortunate loss. Indiana State has never gone that far again since. Larry Bird was a huge leader and a great player for Indiana State.
In addition to a successful college career, Larry Bird was selected in the first round, with the first pick for the Boston Celtics. While he was on the Celtics, they won several World Championships. Larry, himself, won three Most Value Player (MVP) awards. Larry Bird has always been a humble player. Being six feet nine inches tall, he wasn’t a high jumper and was an underdog compared to other players. Getting this far in life was a great accomplishment considering where he started in life.
As one can see playing basketball at the highest level provided Larry with a fulfilling and productive life. His dedication, hard work, and commitment to excellence helped him become the person, the role model, the team leader and the legend he is today.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Money for the Young Atheltes
Authors Note: I wrote about how college athletes should be paid to play their sport and because I love watching college games.
Being a college athlete would be a pleasurable experience to anyone who enjoys playing a sport but it takes a lot of hard work. Has anyone ever thought of paying college athletes for playing? College athletes play because they love the sport not because they want money. They have to work hard to go one step closer to what they like to do, which is play the game. There are many reasons why colleges should pay for athletes for playing for their school.
Currently players and coaches are getting in trouble for breaking the rules of recruiting young athletes. Some players have been getting paid and/or receiving gifts secretly which is illegal. An example of a college breaking the rules recently is Ohio State. Men on the football team were getting incentives for playing the game and were receiving special privileges they weren’t supposed to. When people found out, the coach got fired and players were suspended. If athletes could get paid, then these coaches and players would not have gotten into trouble. Lots of athletes are playing because they love to play but they are also making sacrifices to play the game they love.
In addition to breaking the rules, paying athletes is an excellent idea because it would allow the big colleges to make more money. Most colleges, like University Wisconsin-Madison are considered big schools. If they paid their players then their school would get lots more money and it could bring more students to their school. Having a successful athletic program benefits the college and brings in more revenue. The more money a school can have the better education it can provide its students.
Lastly, the players that the colleges may recruit may have had unfortunate upbringings limiting their chances of bettering themselves by attending college. If they were to pay the players then those players would be able to buy things they need while also getting the education they need and playing the sport they love. The athletes that they don’t pay now might not be able to pay for food, clothes or other needed items. Paying the athletes can help them; it can help their families too.
In conclusion, paying college athletes is a great idea for the future. Paying students for playing a sport they love has lots of positive effects because it can not only help the students, but can help the families and the colleges too.
Being a college athlete would be a pleasurable experience to anyone who enjoys playing a sport but it takes a lot of hard work. Has anyone ever thought of paying college athletes for playing? College athletes play because they love the sport not because they want money. They have to work hard to go one step closer to what they like to do, which is play the game. There are many reasons why colleges should pay for athletes for playing for their school.
Currently players and coaches are getting in trouble for breaking the rules of recruiting young athletes. Some players have been getting paid and/or receiving gifts secretly which is illegal. An example of a college breaking the rules recently is Ohio State. Men on the football team were getting incentives for playing the game and were receiving special privileges they weren’t supposed to. When people found out, the coach got fired and players were suspended. If athletes could get paid, then these coaches and players would not have gotten into trouble. Lots of athletes are playing because they love to play but they are also making sacrifices to play the game they love.
In addition to breaking the rules, paying athletes is an excellent idea because it would allow the big colleges to make more money. Most colleges, like University Wisconsin-Madison are considered big schools. If they paid their players then their school would get lots more money and it could bring more students to their school. Having a successful athletic program benefits the college and brings in more revenue. The more money a school can have the better education it can provide its students.
Lastly, the players that the colleges may recruit may have had unfortunate upbringings limiting their chances of bettering themselves by attending college. If they were to pay the players then those players would be able to buy things they need while also getting the education they need and playing the sport they love. The athletes that they don’t pay now might not be able to pay for food, clothes or other needed items. Paying the athletes can help them; it can help their families too.
In conclusion, paying college athletes is a great idea for the future. Paying students for playing a sport they love has lots of positive effects because it can not only help the students, but can help the families and the colleges too.
Monday, October 3, 2011
How Casey Ruined the Game
Authors Note: This is a diary entry about how Casey ruined the game for his team; it is also from a former fan of his. (From the story, “Casey at the Bat”)
Dear Diary,
Today during Casey’s game his team was losing four to two and he totally lost the game for his team, all because of his ego. They were losing, but when Casey was up to bat the crowd went wild, expecting to see something amazing happen. I don’t understand why everyone thinks that Casey is amazing at baseball. He seems like he is just as skilled as the other players on his team. When he was up to bat, he didn’t focus on the ball or the pitcher, but he just focused on the crowd and the fans. He was so focused on what everybody saw; probably hoping he could be the star player. When Casey was batting, the pitcher threw the ball and strike one called the umpire. He said to the ump “That ain’t my style.” Which I think is really bad because it can either ruin your reputation or make your fans dislike you. People that were watching him wanted to kill the umpire, because Casey had gotten a strike. If he really wanted to win then he could have swung at one of the pitches. On the second pitch he gets another strike and eventually strikes out. I think that Casey could have changed the game if he would have tried and not tried to impress anyone.
Sincerely,
A fan
Dear Diary,
Today during Casey’s game his team was losing four to two and he totally lost the game for his team, all because of his ego. They were losing, but when Casey was up to bat the crowd went wild, expecting to see something amazing happen. I don’t understand why everyone thinks that Casey is amazing at baseball. He seems like he is just as skilled as the other players on his team. When he was up to bat, he didn’t focus on the ball or the pitcher, but he just focused on the crowd and the fans. He was so focused on what everybody saw; probably hoping he could be the star player. When Casey was batting, the pitcher threw the ball and strike one called the umpire. He said to the ump “That ain’t my style.” Which I think is really bad because it can either ruin your reputation or make your fans dislike you. People that were watching him wanted to kill the umpire, because Casey had gotten a strike. If he really wanted to win then he could have swung at one of the pitches. On the second pitch he gets another strike and eventually strikes out. I think that Casey could have changed the game if he would have tried and not tried to impress anyone.
Sincerely,
A fan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)