Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with athletics

Moments of poetic athleticism

woodway — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:54:43 -0800

Help me find video clips that capture athleticism at its most poetic. I'm looking for highlights that show an amazing shot, pass, turn, catch, jump, evasion, save that would appeal visually to a non-expert. No cringe-worthy injuries, sports oddities or bloopers, please. I want to help students get over the intimidation factor of reading literature by proving that while it helps knowing a little about the ground rules, you don't have to be an expert to pick up on the grace - excitement - power that makes one segment stand out from the rest of the "story." The tension of what's at stake can heighten the viewer's appreciation of a moment, or perhaps the moment is lyrical purely on its own. A little context for the clips would be really helpful, too.

He's the Next Tiger Woods.

Fairchild — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:48:02 -0800

How are American parenting practices unique? How are the parenting practices of Americans unique regarding the success of their children?

I know every family is unique but I'm looking for generalizations.

Do Europeans "groom" their kids like some American parents do? Is there an overemphasis on their children's resumes like there is in the USA? Are kids in other parts of the developed world taking test-prep courses and music lessons and being labeled as gifted at the same rate?

As an American parent I notice that many parents are hyperfocused on their kids' future and present abilities. We seem to worry a lot about how talented our kids are. Many are preoccupied with giving their children a "cutting edge".

Do other cultures invest this much time and energy in their kids academic and athletic success? What are the differences and attitudes?

I'm curious about these differences because I'm always seeking balance when it comes to parenting. I feel like I am a relaxed parent but admit to occasionally feeling competition and believing I should have "above-average" children.

Thanks.

walking

ebesan — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:38:18 -0800

I've heard that there is a way, a method, of WALKING, that is more efficient, and more productive, than others. I love walking long distances; and am curious if I could find a better way. Any ideas?

Discovering athletics late in life.

ebesan — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:31:58 -0800

Discovering athletics late. Looking for a reliable source for health, diet, exercise advise and ENCOURAGEMENT. This is for a middle-aged male, me. Some ideas to get me up and moving. What athletics are available outside of a gym?

.....BOING!!!!!!

Not Supplied — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:14:48 -0800

What is the highest ever jump done from standing? And how do people train to jump extremely high in martial arts and other jumping disciplines?

"Spanish Lice"?

Third — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:46:47 -0800

What exactly is wrong with this Spanish advertisement in which the Spanish basketball teams are slanting their eyes so as to appear stereotypically Asian? My friend, who is Spanish and just spent five weeks in Spain, and I were discussing this picture earlier this evening. We had just seen Tropic Thunder, where Robert Downey Jr.'s blackface performance and the derogatory nature with which mentally disabled people are depicted has drawn some criticism.

I asked my friend, N, what he thought about the teams' photograph. I was joking of course, but he seemed to take it seriously. He told me that there was hardly a reaction in Spain and that it's the rest of the world that is up in arms about the situation. He failed to see what exactly was wrong with the picture.

My other (American) friends in the car thought, like me, that the picture was racist. N said it would be the same thing if Spanish teams put on flat caps and held cups of tea at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Everyone else argued that it would only be on the same level as "slant eyes" if they put in nasty fake teeth. Then more examples came up:

What if the Spanish football team put on dark makeup at the World Cup in 2012?
What if a future set of Olympic Games were held in Munich, and they put on small dark mustaches?
What if the women's basketball team put on full burkas if the Games were held in Baku?

N realized that we thought the picture of the basketball teams was offensive, and asked why it was OK for Downey Jr. to get away with Tropic Thunder, and we responded that Downey Jr. is not representing his country in a worldwide sporting event.

The argument ended in a stalemate, with N calling bullshit on me when I told him that, regardless of the intended meaning of the picture (which he claims is innocuous), it's the perceived sentiment that matters.

When I got inside and sat down, I couldn't really think of a good reason as to why that picture is inappropriate. It's insensitive, sure, but what are the actual complaints being lodged against Spanish athletics? Does it have something to do with Aragonés and Spain's recent bouts of perceived racism in sport? Where is the line drawn between humorous cultural ribbing and outright racism? Would it be OK if, at the fictional Munich games mentioned above, they had mugs of beer and were eating sausages?

Sorry for such a long-winded explanation to a hard-to-answer question, but I happened to start seeing N's side of the story and I wanted to hear what the hive mind thinks.

Gandhigh Jump

Christ, what an asshole — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:20:20 -0800

After looking at this map, I'm curious as to why South Asian and Middle Eastern countries are vastly underrepresented in the Olympic games. What exactly are the economic, political, religious, or cultural factors that play into this?

Beach Volleyball Bikinis

caroljean63 — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:00:00 -0800

Olympic beach volleyball uniforms: Why are the women wearing bikinis? I've been watching both men's and women's beach volleyball and can't for the life of me figure out the practicality of the women wearing the skimpy bikini outfits. As a woman who has worn a bikini or two at the beach, in the sand, I am looking at them and thinking it's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. I'm just imagining them spending hours digging sand out of the nooks and crannies after the matches, thinking about 'sand burns' and other various hazards from being barely covered.

If this is the optimal performance uniform, why are the men not shirtless and in Speedos? I have to wonder if the women are just flaunting their perfect bodies and 6-packs of abs and whether it's merely part of the beach culture rather than a requirement for the sport.

Sports summary: does it exist?

Towelie — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:36:47 -0800

Is there a sports summary website? Where I can get quickly and simply up to date on any team? I don't want to be an expert in sports (in general.) But when I go to an event (like my local baseball/football game with friends), I'd like to have some general 'home team' and 'competitor team' knowledge; who is playing really well, things to watch for....etc.

Is there anything like this on the net; Ideally, I'm looking to read 2-3 paragraphs of where a team is right now (and possible a separate 2-3 paragraph 'summary' of any current crises/problems.)

College athletics: play, then study?

brianogilvie — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:55:37 -0800

HigherEdFilter: Who proposed that US college athletes should get scholarships that they could use after their sports career ends? Some years ago I read an essay on abuses in college athletics that suggested that college athletes in NCAA Division I sports should get scholarships that they could use after they had finished their sports career, when they could concentrate on developing useful skills and exploring their intellectual interests, instead of having to be "student-athletes" when the emphasis is almost always on "athlete."

Unfortunately, I didn't write down where I read this. Before I spend an hour or two doing research, I thought I'd query the erudite hive mind to see if any of y'all recall this argument and can refer me to a source. I think it's a brilliant idea and I'd like to give credit where credit is due.

Can a number be funny?

sourwookie — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:56:48 -0800

I have a show tomorrow night, I know nothing about sports, and I need to mod a hoodie. Help with funny/edgy names and numbers. So I'm playing with a band tomorrow night and it was decided our dress theme would be any shirt, jersey or jacket with athletic style, including numbers and maybe player names.

So my plan is to pick up a hoodie, and use iron on lettering to put a number and maybe a name on there, but I would like it to be a joke of some sort.

69 is so obvious it's lame, and 42, while a little better, is also too obvious.

Anyone got any name/number combinations to get me going.

Is anyone aware of facilities similar to AC Milan's Milan Lab?

BigBrownBear — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:28:47 -0800

Is anyone aware of facilities similar to AC Milan's Milan Lab? I'm doing a project on the effectiveness of sports rehabilitation-monitoring centres and I would like some other examples.

According to AC Milan, through their centre they have been able to reduce 80% of injuries and extend the playing life of veterans.

Here's a link.

How can I be a good soccer coach for a team of first graders?

jeremias — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 04:51:06 -0800

How can I be a good soccer coach for a team of first graders? The town soccer league was in desperate need of soccer coaches for the first grade set. They must have been desperate because my soccer experience is close to zero.

So I'm looking for ways to not suck, the league assures me that it's not so much about teaching skills at this age but more social. But any exercises, drills, advice for game time or just ways to keep it fun would be helpful. As an added element, my own 6 year old son will be playing, although I don't think I will be coaching him.

What does "XXL Athletics" stand for on the front of shirts?

davey_darling — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 13:07:44 -0800

What does "XXL Athletics" represent on t-shirts? I am doing some t-shirt design for my school and I was thinking of a varsity athletics style shirt - but I want to know what it means before throwing it on a shirt (see for a google image search results page with some examples)

I'm quite certain it's not the size - because the letters are the same on every shirt I see., no matter the size.

How to increase running . foot speed?

COD — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 06:09:55 -0800

How does one increase foot speed? My 12 year old son inherited his lack of foot speed from me. He's thin, skinny and a little below average height. This is not a weight issue, he is just slow. (All of which is subject to change when puberty kicks in full gear) In the meantime, are there exercises or drills he could do to increase his speed? He plays baseball and he fences - being a bit quicker would be a benefit in both.

Which athletes are the smartest?

dead_ — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 11:35:37 -0800

Which sport's athletes have the highest and lowest average IQ? This question came up at dinner the other night, and nobody had any real facts to back up their opinions... of course, the definition of sport may come into play here. For example, is chess a sport? Anyway, I'm curious what you'll say.

Are bicyclists athletes?

Fat Guy — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 05:43:49 -0800

Are bicyclists athletes? My cow-orker the Sports Guy saw Jason Whitlock on PTI saying that (paraphrasing) Lance was no where near the greatest athlete of all time, since he just pedals a bike, which we all can do. Sports Guy said he fully agreed with Jason Whitlock. Sports Guy feels that while MJ, Bo, and Michael Vick are athletes, Lance is not.

I disagreed, and provided Sports Guy with a definition of athlete: "A person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts."

Needless to say Sports Guy remains unconvinced. Help me make my point.

What to do about a student who plagiarized a paper for athletic eligibility?

ferociouskitty — Mon, 19 Apr 2004 15:24:59 -0800

What to do about a student who plagiarized a paper for athletic eligibility? [More inside, because that question by itself is a no brainer.] I’m currently student teaching, and a student who earned a 33% for the third marking period came to me begging to pass so that he would be eligible for track. I’m working in a school district where parents make all the decisions anyway, so we worked out a contract for him to complete all of the work he missed in exchange for a change to a D-. He hands me a stack of papers today, including a dry boring paper that I didn’t assign. I could tell it wasn’t his writing though, so I googled a sentence and, sure enough, he’d gotten the paper online. Now, obviously, turning in an internet paper as one’s own = failing. But I never assigned this paper. But kid needs to know it’s not cool. (Complicating things slightly is the fact that, although he handed me the paper as his own, it, and everything else he turned in, does not have his name on it.) What to do?