When someone says “modern dance,” the image that most often comes to mind is a dancer dressed in black spandex rolling around the floor. Though dancers do use alternative costuming and often dance barefoot, the style is much more than artsy people expressing themselves in strange ways.

Perfected in the early 20th century, modern dance was developed as a direct response to the rigid structure of ballet. Led by German and American women, a group of dancers went out to show that other forms of movement could be as graceful and beautiful as traditional forms of ballet, without the constraints of such baroque styles.

Many similar forms of expressive dance came before what we know today. Free dance and a style based on the philosophies of Nietzsche paved the way for the likes of Alvin Ailey, possibly the most famous choreographer of our time.

Modern Dance is expressive in ways that ballet doesn’t aspire to be; the use of emotions, moods, facial expressions and general self expression are integral parts that have no place in classical dance styles. Much of this came from the intense need of dancers to express themselves during the Great Depression, when modern dance underwent the final changes to reach its current form. Through movement, dancers tried to personify the ethical, social, and political problems of the day. At the foreground of the early American movement was Martha Graham, who used jagged motions and purposeful falls to the ground to rebel against the light airiness required by ballerinas.

Introduction

The extraterrestrials at the Olympics have been amazing. We are smitten with wonder, admiration and respect for the beyond-belief levels of sustained brutal training, laser focus and genius-level skills exhibited by those who rose to Olympian heights, let alone scaled the summits-called podiums. And then there are people like Katie Ledecky, Simone Biles, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and other Superpersons, who no way could have been born on this planet. Somethings going on here, and I hope Donald Trump will soon be asking pointed questions, raising suspicions about these Promethean heroes and heroines who infiltrated themselves amongst us mere mortals.

Speaking of Michael Phelps, let me raise a question: “What’s with those circular bruises?” A little investigating reveals that “Michael The Great” might suffer from some credulity concerning New Age, alternative/integrative/traditional Chinese medicine BS.

Cupping is a fad involving “the flow of one’s vital life force via the suction of heated glass bowls applied to the skin.” Holy hocus pocus. How come American or other Olympic officials indulged athletes flaunting their cups on prime time world TV? Such appearances were free ads for pseudoscience. The exposure of cupping marks on winners bestowed an air of legitimacy on baseless and potentially harmful treatments-all of it beamed into the consciousness of impressionable children and gullible adults. C’est dommage.

As for cupping, this silliness has no medical or scientific basis-and it can be quite dangerous, often leading to burns and infections.

Olympian Gullibility

Did you observe the indicators of woo woo testimonials during interviews? No, I’m not referring to the many signs of the cross before or after races (is that a good luck charm or a request for assistance from a deity?). I’m referring to interviewees who claimed, “I am so blessed” (as opposed to their rivals who did not get blessed?), the fingers in the air pointing to a god in the sky watching the event or other indications that some athletes rely upon and believe in homeopathy, acupuncture, kinesiology tape and yes, cupping.

What ever happened to the rabbit’s foot?

Cupping?

Basically, cupping entails having someone stick heated suction cups or glass bulbs on your skin. Olympians said they cupped to ease soreness in order to swim or run faster, jump higher, stay cooler, align their chakras and qi, and/or do whatever they wanted cupping to do for them. But, of course, they had to believe, that is, have faith, just like in religion.

In addition to the ancient Chinese, it seems some North American Indians engaged in cupping, as did Egyptians more than a thousand years before we got to AD 1. It was part of bloodletting at one time, which might now be seen as another form of alternative medicine that might make a comeback one of these days, if a movie star, celebrity or a Dr. Oz or Deepak recommends it.

In recent days since Phelps was shown before the 400 IM with cup marks on his upper body, images have popped up on the internet showing victims of cupping gone bad. It can be dangerous to allow a quack to suck “poisons” or “toxins” from your body. Medical doctors consider some cupping marks as second or even third-degree burns. Such wounds can become infected and possibly septic.

Consider what a renowned physician named David Gorski wrote on “The Science Blog” on July 1, 2016:

Cupping is nothing more than an ancient medical practice based on a prescientific understanding of the body and disease, much like bloodletting and treatments based on the ‘Four Humors.’ it’s all risk for no benefit. It has no place in modern medicine, or at least shouldn’t. After all, we don’t still believe in the four humors that Hippocrates and ancient ‘Western’ medicine invoked for many hundreds of years. TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) is based on much the same concepts, just with different names, substituting, for example, the ‘Five Elements’ for the ‘Four Humors’ and attributing disease to imbalances in them, just as ancient Western physicians attributed disease to imbalances in the ‘Four Humors.’ Yet ‘integrative medicine’ rejects one and embraces the other when it should be rejecting them both.

All Hail the Olympians, Anyway

Cupping and other superstitions aside, there is nothing but wonder and appreciation in my view for the magnificent performances shown by nearly all competitors (Hope Solo? Maybe not so much). Olympians are indeed amazing, even more so if not extraterrestrials, after all.

Maybe those who inadvertently promoted medical silliness will use their platforms in the future to promote evidence-based medicine, scientific acumen and skeptical inquiry, and maybe even REAL wellness, in the years to come.

Be well, enjoy the quest and die healthy, but not until you’re good and ready.

1895 William G. Morgan (1870-1942) invented volleyball, an Olympic sport since 1964, in Holyoke (Massachusetts).  

1917 American soldiers introduced volleyball to Europe. Volleyball is one of the most popular sports in Russia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia.  

1954 Flora “Flo” Hyman, an ex world-class player (1973-1984), was born on July 29, 1954 in Inglewood, California. This sportswoman was well-known for her fair play. She won two Norceca championships, one Olympic silver medal, one world bronze medal and other international titles.  

1960 Charles Frederick “Karch ” Kiraly was born on November 3, 1960 in Jackson (Michigan). He has won three Olympic gold medals (indoor and beach volleyball).  

1964 Under the leadership of Ron Lang, the United States competed in the Olympic Games in Japan-the first Olympic Volleyball Tournament.  

1973 The U.S. men’s squad earned the Norceca title in Tijuana (Mexico). In the final, they beat Cuba, Pan American champions and Olympic players, 3-0 (15-12, 15-11, 15-10).  

1974 Under the direction of Carl Mc Gown, head coach of the U.S men’s volleyball squad from 1973 to 1976, the American team visited Moscow (Soviet Union) and played friendly matches against the USSR, Cuba and Japan.  

1977 At the Women’s World Championships in Japan, the United States beat the USSR, world champion in 1973, 3-1.  

1978 The Cuban men’s team toured in Ohio (Dayton), Indiana (Cincinnati & Muncia) , Michigan (Indianapolis Bay) and Illinois (Madison & Wheaton).The USA and Cuba played seven matches…  

1979 The United States women’s team earned a silver medal in the Norceca championships and placed fourth in the Pan American Games in San Juan de Puerto Rico.  

1980 For political reasons, the American women squad could not trip to the Summer Olympics in the Soviet Union.  

1981 Doug Beal was named head coach of the U.S. men’s volleyball squad.  

1982 The U.S. women’s volleyball squad, under the direction of Arie Selinger, became the first North American team to win a world medal.  

1983 The female team gained the Norceca Tournament in Indianapolis. In August, it was runner-up at the Pan American Games in South America.  

1984 In Los Angeles, California (USA), the American men team, under the watchful eyes of Doug Beal, earned the Olympic title. America did not expect to win the global title. The best players were Karch Kiraly, Dusty Dvorak, Craig Buck, Paul Suderland, Aldis Berzins and Marc Waldie.  

1985 Rose Magers was one of the members of the World All-Star team. This Afro-American volleyball player was born on June 25, 1960 in Big Spring, Texas…The male team earned the Korea Cup. They defeated Japan, Mexico and South Korea.  

1987 The United States and Cuba played five friendly matches in Havana. The U.S. men’s squad won three matches. Subsequently, they were Pan American champions.  

1995 The female squad became the third national team to win the World Grand Prix.  

1996 The First Olympic Beach Volleyball Tournament was held in Atlanta, Georgia (USA).Two local pairs earned the gold and silver medals in the men’s tournament. America’s Karch Kiraly, a former star volleyball player, and Kent Steffes became the first American pair to take an Olympic gold medal.  

2000 The American national beach volleyball team, Dan Blanton & Eric Fonoimoana, earned the global title at the Sydney Olympic Games. In the final, they defeated Jose Marco Melo and Ricardo Santos (Brazil).  

2005 Lang Ping became the first woman to be named head coach of the U.S. women’s national team. Lang, best known as “Jenny”, was born and grew up in the People’s Republic of China. In 1982, she was considered the most valuable player in the world.  

2007 At the Norceca Tournament in Puerto Rico, the U.S. men’s squad took the regional title and won the right to compete at the FIVB World Cup in Tokyo (Japan).This team finished fourth place in Japan.  

2008 The American volleyball team won two medals, gold and silver, at the Summer Olympics in Beijing (China). This Olympic sport became one of the most popular sports in the United States…

Track and field is commonly known as athletics. The track and field events can be divided into three categories such as running, jumping, and throwing events. The origin of track and field was started way back in 776 BC, in Greece. Athletic competitions were regularly held in union with religious festivals. The events were arranged for men only and the women were not allowed to participate in it. This carried on for many centuries, but the real development started in England during the 19th century. Many students from schools and universities gave the momentum to track and field.

The origin of track and field started in Greece, is an individual sport. From 776 BC, the sport events were held in Olympia every four years and this carried out for almost 12 centuries. The track and field events included the three-foot races and events such as javelin, long jump, wrestling, boxing, etc. The start of 19th century really accelerated the events in France, Germany, and Great Britain. Track and field in the United States is reported to be started from 1860. The Amateur Athletic Union in 1888 held the first inter-college races and since then track and field is one of the most popular high school sports in the United States. Every year thousands of high school students started to participate in track and field events.

The rules of track and field events in modern days are quite different from the ancient times. The spirit of game is the same and each event developed into popularity as the days progressed. The only issue remained was the status of athletes because track and field event was considered a part time sport and the participants were not allowed to accept money or cash prizes. The athletes were even banned for life. Though the rules changed soon after and the track and field event got a professional modern look.

The origin of track and field event in modern Olympics was started in 1896. Slowly and steadily track and field became an international sport and in 1913 the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) was formed which included members from 16 countries. The IAAF established the standard rules for the sport and soon later, the course of sport was completely changed. The construction of fabulous stadiums soon started and the important term world record was approved in 1913.

Today the athletes have many options to participate in track and field events. You have the choice of participate in track events such as sprints, short and long distance running, hurdling, relays, etc. If you have sufficient stamina, you can take part in road running, race walking, or famous marathon event. The choice of javelin throw, shot put, hammer throw, and discus throws has been admired by many strong athletes. The events such as high jump, long jump, pole vault, triple jump, etc has added more excitement to the event.

Adhemar Ferreira da Silva became the second sportspeople in Brazil to win a gold medal in the Olympic Games when he won the jump triple at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki (Finland).

Rossana De Los Rios is a famous Paraguayan tennis player. She was junior world champion in 1992. Rossana is married to Gustavo Alfredo Neffa, who was a soccer football player. She once said, ” I could have come very far in tennis. In 1992 I won the Junior Roland Garros but I made decisions and I am happy with my life. [Gustavo] Played soccer in the leagues of Italy and Argentina, with the national team and in the Olympic Games and he was good in that, but now he talks more about tennis. The times changed for the women and he helps me to be able to play calm. Now my goal is to return to the top 100. I am well, but for two years I had knee and wrist injuries and I had to come back from that. Perhaps I will retire in a few years and then I would like to help so that the Paraguayan girls are developed and are able to have a future, but by then if I am in the top 30 maybe I will defer that project”. This sportswoman was born on September 16, 1975 in Asuncion, the capital city of Paraguay. Currently, she resides in the United States.

Francisco Cabañas became to first Mexican boxer to win an Olympic medal. He won a silver medal at the Los Angeles Games in 1932 .

Claudia Poll Ahrens (Costa Rica) became only the first Latin American female swimmer in the history of the Olympic Games to win two individual medals at one Games ( Sydney’2000 ). She is the greatest Central American athlete of all time…

Luis Brunetto won the silver medal in the triple jump at the 1924 Paris Games. Argentina’s Brunetto became the first sportsperson to win an Olympic medal for his country.

The Brazilian men’s volleyball team won the World Cup in 2007. The champions were Rezende Bruno, Marcelo Elgarten, André Heller, Samuel Fuchs, Gilberto Godoy Filho, Murilo Andres, André Luiz da Silva Nascimento, Sergio Dutra Santos, Anderson Rodrigues, Gustavo Endres, Rodrigo Santana, Dante Guimaraes Amaral.

Xavier Moreno and Jefferson Perez won gold medals at the Rio Pan American Games in 2007. The runners are sporting heroes in Ecuador now…

Cali (Colombia) hosted the FIBA Basketball Women’s World Cup in 1975. Final standings: 1.USSR / Soviet Union ( currently Russia ), 2.Japan, 3.Czechoslovakia ( currently Czech Republic / Slovak Republic ), 4.Italy, 5.South Korea, 6. Mexico, 7.Colombia, 8. United States, 9. Hungary, 10.Australia, 11.Canada, 12.Brazil, 13.Senegal.

The most popular sports in Mexico are soccer, wrestling, basketball, baseball, athletics, basque pelote, underwater sports, tennis, martial arts, boxing, cycling and equestrian.

Jeanette Campbell ( Argentina / swimmer ) was the first Latin American female athlete who won the Olympic medal. She won the silver medal in the 100m freestyle at the 1936 Berlin Games.

Brazil sent 10 athletes to the 2006 Winter Games in Turin ( Italy ). The Brazilian delegation had athletes competing in 4 sports: alpine skiing, bobsleigh, cross country skiing and snowboarding.

Paraguay has had many famous athletes. Who they are: Jose Luis Chilavert ( soccer / one of the best goalkeepers in the 1990s ), Victor Manuel Pecci ( tennis ), Nery Kennedy ( track and field / South American champion ), Carlos Gamarra ( Olympic football silver medalist, 2004 ), Ramon Jimenez Gaona ( athletics / South American champion)…

Baseball is the national sport of Panama…

Francisco “Morochito” Rodriguez (boxer) is the only Venezuelan sportspeople to win an Olympic gold medal. Francisco was born on September 20, 1945 in Cumana, Venezuela (South America).

Montevideo (Uruguay) hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1930. Final standings: 1.Uruguay, 2.Argentina, 3.Yugoslavia (currently Serbia), 4.USA, 5.Chile, 6.Brazil, 7.France, 8.Paraguay, 9.Romania, 10.Peru, 11.Belgium, 12.Bolivia, 13.Mexico.

Gustavo Kuerten was one of the best tennis players in the world. He has won 28 international tournaments ( Saint Petersburg, Brazil Open, Auckland, Roland Garros, Monte Carlo, Acapulco, Rome, Hamburg, Cincinnati, Buenos Aires, Lisboa, Indianapolis…).

Fact File

Name: Gustavo Kuerten

Nickname: “Guga”

Nationality: Brazilian

Ancestry: German

Residence: Florianopolis, Santa Catarina ( Brazil )

Born : 10 / 9 / 1976

Height : 1.91m

Weight : 75 kg

Idol: Mahatma Gandhi (former human rights activist)

Favorite singer: Bob Marley

Favorite writer / author: Paulo Coehlo

Perfume: “Eternity” ( by Calvin Klein )

Best friends: Carlos Moya ( Spanish tennis player ), Nicolas Lapentti ( Ecuadorian tennis player ), Fernando Meligeni ( Brazilian player ).

Men’s Tennis Association Ranking ( 1997-2000 )

2000: 1

1999: 10

1998: 20

1997: 66

A summary of the seminal case relating to Inaccessible Websites and Disability Discrimination Legislation

In June 1999 Bruce Maguire lodged a complaint with the Human Rights & Equal Opportunities Commission under the Australian Disability Discrimination Act. His complaint was that he was being discriminated against because he could not access the contents of the Olympic Games website.

As a highly skilled user of a refreshable Braille display he was used to being able to access the content of web pages, however, he was unable to access important content on the Olympic Games website.

He won the case, but the Olympic Committee did not make the required changes, and subsequently he was awarded $20,000 dollars in compensation.

The Olympic Games website contained the following accessibility issues:

• There were no labels on images or imagemaps.
• There was no access to the index of sport pages from the schedule page
• The contents of the results table were inaccessible.

The Olympic Committee defence

SOCOG said that:

• The issues with the alt attributes had been solved – and that labels had been added to all images.
• The sports pages could be accessed via an alternative route, i.e., by typing in URLs to the pages.
• The site was not subject to the act because it was ‘promotional’.
• The site was too big and to make the website accessible would entail ‘unjustifiable hardship’.
• It would require additional infrastructure, time and resources costing $2.2 million.
• 1, 295 templates would need to be altered.
• One person working 8 hours per day would take over a year to fix the problems.

SOCAG reasons were not accepted

All of the above reasons where conclusively repudiated by Australian Authorities and expert witnesses.

The Human Rights Committee did not agree that the site was only promotional and said that it was a service provided during the Sydney Olympic Games.

The Commission found that having to access pages by typing in a long URL did not constitute equal treatment,

“The proposed alternative is both unorthodox and cumbersome and need not be resorted to by a sighted person.”

Expert witnesses dismissed the arguments related to the site being too big to change; i.e., they refuted the claim that the cost, complexity and time involved would mean unjustifiable hardship for SOCOG.

Expert witnesses concluded that,

• Changes would take a developer with 4-10 helpers four weeks.
• Only 394 templates would be required.
• No new infrastructure would be required.
• The cost of making the site accessible would be modest.
• Accessibility tags are not different from other tags, therefore, would not take any longer to add.

Expert witness Tom Worthington, expressed the view that the corrections would take less time than the time which was consumed talking about it.

SOCOG lost the case and were ordered to make changes by adding alt attributes, providing access to the Sports pages and making the results tables accessible. They refused to comply and were fined $20,000 (Australian dollars).

The Commission found that Bruce Maguire had been discriminated against and that the attitude of SOCOG – who had not taken the complaint seriously – had caused ‘considerable feelings of hurt, humiliation and rejection’.

The Maguire v the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games set a worldwide precedent relating to the requirement for websites to be accessible in countries with similar disability discrimination legislation.

Links

• Nublog Reader’s guide to Sydney Olympics accessibility complaint: [http://www.contenu.nu/socog.html]
• Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission: http://www.hreoc.gov.au/
• Australian Disability Discrimination Act: http://www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/dda_guide/dda_guide.htm

The athletic triple jump is known as the most athletically event in track and field. A person will start running down the runway and as if by magic makes a long jump that sometimes looks as though they are flying through the air and landing in the sandpit. The triple jump history made its mark thousands of years ago when it was first introduced in the Tailteann games which took place in Scotland in 1829 BCE.

Among the ancient Irish and Greeks this event gained a lot of popularity. It was during its time in ancient Greece that this hop, step and jump became quite an sport attraction. The athlete would prepare with 3 long jumps and then one long jump right onto a sandpit.

During the year of 1896 this jump was put into the modern Olympics and it adopted a technique of only 2 hops and one long jump. The hop, hop and jump would be a practiced routine that would stay as a method used during that time period.

A more modern version of this athletic event made its way to the Olympics and was known as hop, step and jump. This newer technique would redefine the event as an athlete would jump and land down on the leg he or she took off from. This technique would stay as part of the athletes performance of this jump well into the present time.

Towards the end of the inaugural Olympics was when the first medal for this event was earned back in 1896. It was performed by using the two hops and one jump routine, but right after that the modern version came along and would stay as the commonly used method in this sporting event.

It is quite necessary for an athlete to know the knowledge and skills towards this event which makes this such a specialized event when in competition. In regard to track and field this has become one of popular and anticipated competitive sports events in the history of this jump and shall remain that way far into the future of athletic track and field competition.

Like many of today’s action sports, track and field has its origins in the first Olympics in Greece. When you begin to investigate who invented track and field, you find that, again, like soccer, track and field disappeared during the “dark” ages, and reappeared with modern organization during the 1800’s.

Since they did not have jeeps and tanks and trucks in the ancient world, soldiers took pride in their athleticism. Running was one of the very first competitive sports, and it is a favorite of today’s games as well. There is some dispute as to exactly when the Olympic Games began, with a gap in guesses from 776 BC to as early as the ninth or tenth century BC.

There was a gap in the games as well, during the Middle Ages. In 1896, they were again held in Athens, as organizers tried to bring back the ancient tradition. One feature of these games was what is now known as a “marathon race”. It was called “marathon” to honor the run made by Pheidippides in 490 BC from the Greek city of Marathon to Sparta. He ran the entire day in order to warn fellow soldiers of Persian invasions at Marathon. That distance was about 149 miles; today’s races are about 26 miles, considerably shorter. When London hosted the 1908 Olympics, their “marathon” run was 26 miles 385 yards (42,195 kilometers), from starting point to the stadium.

So, if you want to consider who invented track and field, you might want to give that honor to Pheidippides. However, bronze tripods were discovered that pre-date his run, to the tenth century BC, that some believe may have been awards for earlier games at Olympia. Or, if you want to look at the more sophisticated development of track and field, consider the year 1849, in England, when the Royal Military Academy organized their first track and field meet. Perhaps they should receive credit for who invented track and field?

Ancient games eventually expanded to include more races, boxing, wrestling, and a pentathlon with five running, throwing, and jumping events. In the US, organized track and field events date from the 1860’s. Collegiate and amateur groups were formed here in 1873 and 1888 respectively. Organized sporting events for men grew with the first NCAA national championships in 1921. Women, who had only recently received suffrage in the US, were included in the games in 1928. Making history, in 1952, the Soviet Union sent its first teams to the Olympics. The fierce competition between the USSR and the USA ran for the duration of the Cold War, over the next 30 years. In standard Olympic tradition, wars are suspended for the duration to enable all countries to participate in peace.

Today, favorite events include multiple sport competitions in the Pentathlon (5 sports), Heptathlon (7), and Decathlon (10). The Athletics Congress (US), and the International Amateur Athletics Congress determine the sporting rules. Games are limited to amateurs; professional athletes cannot participate or they are banned.

This being an Olympic year so many really don’t know the full extent of what goes into making an Olympic athlete. The physical and mental progression from one level to another as well as the financial expenditures to complete the journey from a youthful hopeful up the ranks until they are recognized as an elite caliber athlete is a life long pursuit. For too many the journey ends way to early. For others the financial strain is too great to overcome. Then there are still others whose physical attributes makes it impossible to reach the pinnacle of athletic success.

For elite and professional athletes reaching that level of excellence in your given sport comes at a price. When we look at the price one pays for the cost of athletics today we come away with a staggering realization of how much money is really involved. When we compare the costs involved with the cost of just 50 years ago is just another indication of how our society has become so consumed with wealth. Just look at what the New York Yankees did with signing a baseball player to an unprecedented multi million dollar contract this past year. To top it off if that athlete gets injured and can’t play they still are obligated to pay his full salary. This was unheard of back 60 years ago.

We should all remember that 60 years ago many a youngster played little league baseball and Pop Warner football. Myself I can remember every Saturday playing baseball rain or shine. I had a four finger leather baseball glove my father bought and I think that was the only expense we paid for me to play ball. When I got into high school there were no additional fees my parents had to pay in order for me to compete in interscholastic sports whether it was cross-country, swimming, or track. Our school uniforms, warm ups, and transportation to and from away meets was all covered by the school district. Just think that 60 years ago there were no real financial handicaps that blocked our parents from having one participate in interscholastic sports. Today, that is not the case. With school budget cuts in the forefront of debate in school districts all across the country so many athletic programs have been eliminated or the fees to participate are alarming. When the costs to partake in interscholastic sports increases so many hopefuls are denied the opportunity to do so just because many parents don’t have the extra financial means to have their children involved in after school activities.

Going back to my collegiate years how fortunate I was to be able to participate in intercollegiate sports though a partial sport scholarship that paid for the expenses incurred. We would should remember that tuition’s at state school universities were relatively low compared to today. All in all the cost to pursue an athletic career was by far less expensive than it is today. So much so in fact that athletes today spend more on high tech gadgetry to record and even enhance ones performance. I can fondly remember all we had during cross-country and track season were stop watches.

When money is involved today a gradual disintegration of conduct has occurred. It was during the course of my long athletic and professional career that I witnessed a decline of personal and professional behavior among many a professional athlete. The professionalism and comradely of the 50’s, 60’s, and early 70’s have given way to a self absorption, self serving, self gratifying, and self profiteering ideology where the individual is all consumed with monetary compensation and selflessness without the slightest regard for their fellow teammates, competitors, and the fans. Lost is the sense of fellowship that was once a prime motivation for being an athlete.

What has replaced playing for the “Love of the game” to now where players of all professional sports and a majority of collegiate sports as well have adopted the self serving philosophy. When and where they play for the excessive amounts of money that are being offered to them the professionalism, the respect for each player, fans and the general public has diminished so greatly that the players now expect the adoration, the attention, and the publicity to be bestowed upon them. This is not because of their ability, their respect for players, coaches and fans alike, but because of the amount of money they are being paid. Whether or not they actually produce the professionalism that must be displayed when individuals achieve that level of athletics is more often now not displayed.

I remember when I first competed in an athletic event. The excitement, the exhilaration, and the respect I had for myself, my coaches and the other competitors made me realize that just to be able to compete was an unbelievable experience. Whether I won or came in last wasn’t the main focus. My coaches realized that winning wasn’t the most important thing but just being able to strive to do the best that you can do is what competing is all about. Sure, everyone likes to win, but even if you lost or came in second as long as you tried you succeeded, and that is winning.

Today, an awful lot of High School and Collegiate athletes are lured by the prospect of lucrative professional sports contracts. Many have succumbed to the temptation to forgo a collegiate career or stop short of graduation and opt for the professional contract only to realize that once their career is over or an injury prevents them from competing they are left with very little qualifications to embark upon a career outside of sports.

Most of these individuals are not mentally, emotionally, and educationally able to comprehend the scope of the responsibilities that are involved in professional sports contracts. What has occurred today in professional sports is that they have really encouraged a type of behavior that is most unprofessional by the athletes themselves. I am not saying all professional sports athletes have fallen into this type of behavior but the media has continually exploited some individuals to where the general public actually further encourages student and professional athletes toward behavior that is most unprofessional.

“For the love of the game or sport! A time not so distant. The days when players and athletes actually played and competed because of the enjoyment of the sport itself and not because of how much money they are or will be paid. In the professional sports world winning is the ultimate goal. The key here is to recruit the caliber of players that when they actually play or compete a highest degree of excellence is displayed. To always do the best they can will produce the winning affect that is so important in today’s professional sports.

Aspiring young athletes today have to be taught restraint and to resist the temptation of forgoing an education in pursuit of that lucrative contract that seems like a sure bet when in actuality is a short sighted and misguided attempt to interrupt an individuals life process. What really matters are students and student athletes when they participate in their respective sports are held accountable for his or her behavior on and off the playing field. They must show a level of personal esteem and portray courtesy, respect, and a genuine fellowship toward everyone.

Can it be any wonder considering so many schools continually underfund physical education and so many other cultural rewarding activities in elementary and secondary school systems that today’s students and young aspiring athletes find it so difficult to have the same availability of programs that were considered an eternal part of an educational experience just 60 years ago? Until schools across the country realize the importance of athletics and the arts in ones educational experience and find ways that prevent handicapping families and individuals from participating just because these programs are too cost prohibitive many a promising athlete, musician or stage performer will be denied the opportunities to reach their fullest potential. The net result is one of the reasons why our society has drifted away from the moral values of a time not so distant. A very sad commentary for today.

Swimming is noted in many of the classics as relating to heroism and religion. Nicolas Wynman’s Dialogue Concerning the Art of Swimming (1538) is the first recorded written document on swimming methods. Swimming first appeared in the Olympics in 1896, paralleled to the development of the swimming pool. Swimming the English Channel is the most publicized non-Olympic event. It proves excellence in strength and endurance. Matthew Webb from England was the first man to cross the English Channel in 1875, and later Gertrude Ederle of the Unites States of America became the first woman to cross in 1926.

Snorkeling to view exotic fish and aquamarine life is a much-loved vacation adventure. In ancient times snorkels were crafted from hollow reeds found in lakes and marshes. Pliny the Elder, a first century A.D. Roman makes reference to the snorkel, so the activity holds rank as one of the oldest recorded water sports. Loenardo da Vinci created a more modern snorkel when the Venetian senate summonsed him to do so. Divers attached this hollow tube to leather helmets

The present-day diver’s snorkel is typically a J-shaped tube that is open at the top and has a mouthpiece at the other end, usually no more than 2 ft (61 cm) long.

American West-coasters go wild riding the waves on a wooden plank known as a surfboard. Originally, surfing developed in Hawaii in the nineteenth century. It became popular in California in the 1920s, and became a hit youth sport in the 1960s.

Surfers originally used long, cumbersome wooden boards but now ride lightweight synthetic boards that allow a greater degree of maneuverability. Hawaii holds annual international surfing championships.

Water polo originated in England in 1870, and American joined the bandwagon in the early 1900s. Many club and college teams exist for this rigorous sport. Americans gave the game a twist by using a softer rubber ball in a larger pool, a game known as softball water polo. Violence and rough play ended this faction of the sport, and today only the hardball version continues to be played worldwide. Men began Olympic level water polo in 1900, and women first played in the Olympics in 2000.

Diving, another favorite Olympic sport, initiated competition in 1871 off the London Bridge. Diving is now a popular sport at the high school and collegiate level, and is an amazing display of strength, control and agility.