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Volley ball

There are a lot of sports out there today. Most require a decent amount of physical effort in order to participate in. Some sports use lots of equipment to play, and others require none. There are even sports that many people cannot play because they can’t afford it. But, out of all sports that I could choose as my favorite, I would have to say Volleyball is the best. Volleyball is a great sport and let me tell you why. Many sports you may be familiar with have a certain playing field to them. Basketball has a basketball court, and baseball has a baseball diamond, and bowling has a bowling alley, and well you get the idea. And what makes volleyball so great is that it does’t require a special playing field. You can play anywhere you please with the proper amount of room. The most conventional place for playing volleyball is at the beach. The beach is a great place to have a sport played. There’s water to swim or surf in, sand to build sand castles with, and plenty of sun to tan with. Even if you don’t have a nearby beach, volleyball can be played in your own backyard. This way you won’t have to travel very far. Volleyball is a great way to entertain the guests of GraduaPersonally I love to play serious volleyball. But it's also good to know that I can get together with anybody at the beach and just hit the ball around for fun. Bowling for example takes a high level of skill to play. When you go to the beach many people are already playing volleyball with their own nets, and you can easily join in. You need bats of assorted sizes, gloves for all of the players, and a diamond field to play it on. Volleyball is a very good way to meet new people. Attempting to hit all of the pins down at once is no small feat either. I was invited to Grand Haven beach to hang out with some friends. There are only three ways to hit a ball: bump, set, and spike. If you do decide to buy a net for home or the beach the equipment is really affordable. Either way it's a lot more affordable then some of the other more popular sports out there. Volleyball has a way of attracting people to it whether you're watching people play or want to join in. Lucky for me there were about three games going on. Even this last weekend I was able to enjoy the company of some new people just because they were playing volleyball and I asked to join in. If volleyball seems like a game you really enjoy there are always other people that play serious competition.

TABLE TENNISE

Game played, usually indoors, by two or four players; it is more or less a miniature form of lawn tennis It is also called Ping-Pong, after the trade name that a manufacturer adopted (c.1900) for the equipment. The regulation game is played on a table that measures 9 ft by 5 ft (2.74 m by 1.52 m) and stands 2.5 ft (76 cm) from the floor. verse net 6 in. (15.25 cm) high divides the surface, which is generally dark in color, edged with white stripes, and halved longitudinally (for doubles play) by another white stripe. The celluloid ball is hollow, seamless, and about 1.5 in. (3.81 cm) in diameter, with a weight of .1 oz (2.8 grams); the racket, or bat, is a wooden paddle with a handle 3 in. (7.62 cm) long and a round blade about 6.5 in. (16.5 cm) long, covered with rubber. In the service (unlike tennis) the ball must bounce once before clearing the net and again bounce before being struck by the receiver. After the service (only one is allowed, not two as in tennis), the returns should go over the net without bouncing on the near surface. A point is scored when a service does not land properly in play or when a player fails to return the ball properly. Each player in turn serves consecutively five times until the winning score of 21 is reached. (If the score is tied at 20-all, play must continue until a 2-point margin is won.) In doubles matches partners rotate in units of five consecutive services, and the server must deliver the ball into the diagonally opposite box.
Table tennis originated in the late 19th cent. With cork or rubber balls. First popular in England, it spread to several European countries and to the United States in the early 20th cent. The International Table Tennis Federation was founded (1926) to standardize the rules and equipment. The U.S. Table Tennis Association was founded in 1933. Primarily a recreational sport in the United States, table tennis is a major competitive sport in Asia and parts of Europe. In 1971 the sport... Table tennis is a very fun and enjoyable game. Now it is not only a game, but a sport – an Olympic sport. Most historians will agree that table tennis originated centuries ago in England. It is thought that it was first played with makeshift equipment on dining room tables. Around the beginning of the 18th century people began using celluloid balls instead of the traditional rubber and cork. After this the game became very popular in England and in the united states. Some common names for it early on where gossamer, whiff-whaff, and ping pong.Ping-pong is the name that actually caught on and we still use it today. It became a patented trade name for table tennis. Around the early 1920s the game was becoming very popular and in several parts of the world a movement started to revive table tennis as a serious sport.There is also doubles play in table tennis. The ball must then hit the table on the server's side of the net first. In fact most people still play with the old ball size of 38 mm. ational table tennis federation or ittf. It has a few different rules to follow. The first is that the serve must be from the right hand court into the opponent's right hand court#2 each partner must alternate shots. A player must have at least a 2 point advantage to win the game. You stand on the ends that are 5 ft in width. One player serves until five points have been scored and then the opponent serves for the next 5 points. They also have this rule in tennis. 7 grams and is 40 millimeters in diameter. In the official rules it states that the racquet may be any shape size, or weight - although there are tons of tiny stipulations and conditions that go along with that. The table that you play on is 9 ft by 5 ft. Like in tennis, table tennis requires the players to hit the ball back and forth over the net until one of the players misses the ball, or hits it into the net or off the table; in either of these cases, the opponent’s scores. They have recently changed the ball size.

SWIMMING

As many of you already know, the sport of swimming is an immensely popular and highly competitive sport throughout the world. It is a large part of the Olympics and watched for entertainment by millions of people around. Not only is swimming a good choice of exercise for many people, but is often chosen as something to do for fun. People of all ages can enjoy the sport and can be essential to learn for emergency situations. Archaeological and other evidence has given us the belief that swimming has been practiced as early as 2500 BC. In the earliest times, it took place in Egypt, Assyria, Greece and Rome. In Japan, swimming dates back to the first century BC and in the Pacific areas, it was taught to children by the time they could walk. It was in Greece where a few, small races first began, and finally in 1837, London, England formed the first swimming organization. In the United States, swimming wasn't recognized until the year 1888. The Amateur Athletic Union created the first swimming organization in the United States. Before you decide to become competitive with the sport of swimming, you must first be fit and create strength in your arms and legs. There is quite a lot of competition today in swimming. Both males and females are equally active in the sport and compete in national championships. One woman is named Tracy Bonner. She is a five-time National Champion and did guite well in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Austrailia. At first she wasn't scheduled to perform there but suddenly worked extremely hard at her goal and was put in! What courage and perserverance! Another amazing swimmer is a man named Bobby Brewer. Swimming uses all the major muscle, so it increases muscle power and the level of physical activities, and it also helps to keep joints flexible, especially in the neck and shoulders. Learn and do it right now, and you must t be in good state both physically and mentally. Finally, swimming opens the door to lots of activities such as scuba diving or surfing. Swimming is involved in most water sports directly or indirectly, so if you don't know how to swim, you must hesitate to enjoy them and take much longer time for you to learn them. These days many people have been interested in leisure sports including water sports. As I mentioned above, there are many practical benefits which promote the enjoyment and charm of swimming. In addition, swimming can make you stay healthy. If you are good at swimming, you will learn them fast and easily, and can spend holidays enjoying other water sports. It makes weight loss of every part of your body in balance, so you would get fit and slim. Many other water sports demand swimming as a preliminary condition. Because you should hold your breath repeatedly, and it is demanding aerobically, your lung and heart will get stronger and healthier. It expends many calories without high impact on joints compared with other sports. Second of all, swimming is an effective exercise to lose weight.

LONGTENNIS

Tennis is a game which opposing players-one or two on each side-use rackets to hit a ball back and forth over a net. The game is played on a flat surface called a court. Each player tries to score points by hitting the ball so that the opposing player or players cannot return it over the net and inside the court. Tennis may be played indoors or outdoors. If two people play, the game is called singles. If four people play, it is called doubles. In most singles and doubles matches, men play men and women play women. In mixed doubles, a man and woman play on each side. The Court is a rectangle divided into halves by a net stretched across the middle. The net measures 3 feet high at the center and 3 1/2 feet high at the side posts that support it. The court is 78 feet long. The singles court measures 27 feet wide. The doubles court is 4 1/2 feet wider on each side. The most popular surfaces for outdoor courts are asphalt, clay, and concrete. Tennis Balls are hollow. They are made of rubber and covered with a felt fabric woven of Dacron, nylon, and wool. A tennis ball must have a diameter of more than 2 1/2 inches but less than 2 5/8 inches. It must weigh more than 2 ounces but less than 2 1/16 ounces. Balls used in tournaments. Tennis is scored in terms of points, games, and sets. A player or doubles team scores a point when the opposing side fails to return the ball properly or commits an error. To win a game, one side must score four points and lead by at least two points. The first point is called 15; the second, 30; the third, 40; and the fourth game point. A score of zero is called love. The server's score is always given first. If both sides win three points, the score is 40-40, which is called deuce. To win a deuce game, one side must lead by two points. The first point scored after deuce is called the advantage or ad. If the side with the advantage loses the next point, the game returns to deuce. The ball in play. After the serve, the receiver must hit the ball on the first bounce and return it over the net. The ball must land in the area bounded by the base line and the singles sidelines, or in team play, the doubles sidelines. After the ball has been served and returned, it may be hit either on the fly, which is called a volley, or after the first bounce, which is called a ground stroke. The players continue to rally until one side scores a point.

HISTORY ON HOCKEY

For more than a century, hockey historians have found that precisely tracing the sports origin is not only a difficult task but, a virtual impossibility. Therefore I can only try to deduce for myself, from the records, claims, and accounts, which are available to me, when, where, and by whom the first ice hockey was played. I'll also discuss the early problems and obstacles that the NHL encountered. Plus I will also tell a little bit about early equipment, along with early game play and ice conditions that players encountered. Lastly, the Stanley Cup, which is the most prized and oldest sports award of the NHL. It has been won many times, by many different teams. Ice hockey is traceable to games played on fields as far back as nearly 2500 years ago. In 478 BC, a Greek soldier, Hemostocoles, built a wall in Athens which contained a sculpture scene portraying two athletes in a faceoff-like stance holding sticks similar to those later used in field hockey. Perhaps Native Americans were the first to play hockey like games. The Indians of Canada invented the field game lacrosse, which is known by the legislative act as Canada's and national sport. The Alogonquins who inhabited the shores The NHL's infant seasons land from 1917-18 to 1924-25. They were to be years marked by financial pains, instances of superb play, and the establishment of one as-yet to on broken record and moment of terrible sadness in the Stanley cup play. 1917-18 - after deciding to play a 22-game season, the NHL went into action for the first time on December 19, 1917, sending Montreal against Toronto, which was played on Toronto's Home facility, the only artificial-ice rink in the circuit at the time, (Montreal took a 10-9 win). Unfortunately the game only attracted 700 fans, despite the fact that men in uniform were admitted with no charge. The meager crowd left no doubt that pro hockey, even under a new banner, was still suffering from the army scandal, most of the greatest players were off fighting at war. Again on the disaster side, the Westmount Arena burned to the ground in early 1918. Montreal had not drawn good crowds during the season and with arena lost, the owners decided to call it quits. What has long been one of Canada's finest amateurs than professional teams came to an end. The actual establishment of the NHL took a very short time, the whole thing boiled down to just one meeting on November 22, 1917 at Montreal Windsor Hotel. (The league is born). This meeting consisted of NHA owners representing the Canadians, the Wanderers, the Quebec Bulldogs, and the Ottawa Senators. (The NHA was an amateur league established before the NHL, in which Lord Stanley's Cup was awarded to the champion of the league). These teams and team owners came up with a radical plan in mind: the creation of new league. They were tired of the NHA's problems.

GOLF

Of all the games ever invented by man, golf, in my opinion, is by far the greatest. Golf is different than other games. Golf challenges the mind, body, and soul. Golf is not a game that is meant to be played against other people or even against the course; it is a game that challenges the individual. It forces a person to make decisions that can lead to a feeling of great accomplishment or to a feeling of hopelessness and despair. To the average person golf may be just a game, but to millions of golfers worldwide, it is more than just a game, it is a way of life. It is something that is lived and breathed, it is royal and ancient, and it is the greatest game ever invented. Golf is a game of tradition and ritual. From the Green Jacket Ceremony at the Masters, to the hallowed and haunted grounds of the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, people drawn to the sport because of its tradition and timelessness. It is an almost religious experience to walk the fairways of golf's sacred courses. As a person strolls down the lush fairways of course such as St. Andrews, one can almost hear the roars of patrons from championships past echoing through time. Most of the arguments over changes in golf do not come in the area of the golf course, but rather the newly developed technologies in golf equipment. Back in the beginning days of golf, players used balls of feather stuffed into a leather pouch. Golf clubs were made of thin steel blades with hickory shafts. Putters had loft because the balls didn't roll as true as they do today (Port and Prasso, 1). Shortly after the advent of metal woods came the development of the graphite composite shaft. The graphite shaft cut a lot of the weight off of the club. Graphite also had the advantage of flex control. By varying the amount of graphite in a shaft, the flex of the shaft could be custom fitted for the player who was using the club. The proper flex in a shaft allows for greater accuracy and distance (Kramer, 2).

FOOTBALL

The modern game of football, as we know it is in essence an invention of the 19th century. It is a game that was developed with particular aims in mind. It was these aims; of teamwork, discipline and respectability which defined both the way the game is organized and played. The modern game belongs to the era of the industrial revolution and the time that has passed since.Its origins are believed to lie from ancient times, it is widely accepted that both the Romans and Greeks [never an ancient Olympic sport] played a game very similar to what today we might identify as ‘football’. However this game was very violent and was viewed almost as a test of bravery. Actions such as hacking, punching and generally assaulting the opponent were accepted as part and parcel of the game.There are indications that the game existed in Britain in the 12th century. Here the game was a crude street game. The ball would be kicked and chased by groups of youngsters egged on by their parents. This form of the game often involved two hundred or more participants, always male. This type of football was entirely based within rural communities. It was often played on important days of the year; one such case is Shrove Tuesday and local festival days. Sport of all kinds, particularly football was essentially local as opposed to national. It was played to rules set often by the local participants.In a worldwide perspective, there are those who believe that an early version of the game played with the bladder of a pig existed in China as long ago as 2500 BC. Here the ball is believed to have been kicked between poles as high as thirty foot and may have served a military purpose, for example the training of warriors. By AD 50 the Chinese had named this game ‘tsu chu’ and early records compare the ball and square goal to Yin and Yang, the ancient symbols of harmony. Often matches were played to mark important dates of the calendar. Football can also be noted to have existed in Italy, particularly in the city-state of FlorenceIn regards to England it is known that in the time of Oliver Cromwell the puritans the dominant religious movement of the age banned the game. This sport was classified as unruly and ungodly. It was also banned, as were other forms of entertainment from being played on a Sunday. Nevertheless, despite the efforts of authority it continued to exist in rough form until the advent of industrialization, around the year 1750.From this time onwards at an ever-increasing pace, British society underwent a dramatic and fundamental change. The focus of work changed from the rural to the urban. As the years progressed more and more people left the countryside and went to live in the expanding towns and cities across the country. Though these people had left there, roots behind them did take with them aspects of their culture. One such aspect was sport and in particular football.Their now emerged a problem. The middle classes who where the driving and decision making force of this society found that they needed a particular type of workforce. They did not need one that was dominated by nature, e.g. whether, seasons etc, but one that was disciplined, complaint, and highly organized, dominated by the clock. The traditional form of football, which these migrants had brought with them, could not be tolerated as it promoted unruliness and ill discipline. It needed to conform to the new way of thinking.It quickly became obvious to the middle classes that a ban was impossible, as it had failed previously. Therefore, it was concluded that it had to be controlled and organized. It was from the universities and public schools of the country that many of the individuals who were to change the face of the game were from. For many of these establishments had already accepted football as a sport many years earlier.The Victorian age the era, which witnessed the introduction of the modern game, was superficially religious. In 1851 a religious census was conducted nationwide, this revealed that many of the working class did not attend church regularly. In an effort to rectify this situation the church, especially the Church of England adopted a radical new idea. It was to become, especially in towns and cities evangelical, they sort to attract the working class, particularly the young with non-religious activities.The most prominent activity being sport, and football in particular. It was those men entering the church from the universities and public schools who were the driving force in forming the modern game of football. In the expanding areas of England, particularly in the north and the midlands but not surprisingly London many clubs that are today still in existence were formed. Aston Villa for example were originally linked to a chapel at Aston cross, Birmingham, whilst Birmingham City owe there origins to St Andrews Church, Bordesley, [the ground still today carries that name]. Many others including such footballing giants as Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic can trace their origins to a similar religious source. The church was thus a vital part in the development of the game. Alongside this movement, there were also individuals who sought to boost the morale of their workforce. These factory-owning industrialists saw the game as a means of disciplining their workforce. Teams like West Ham United for example can trace their beginnings to factories in there case the local Hammer works, a large engineering complex [the connection is present today, their nickname being the Hammers].The many new teams that had sprung up initially were not organized into either any sort of league or fixture structure and were not controlled by a common set of rules. The northern clubs mainly followed the Sheffield code while many of the southern and midlands clubs adopted what became known as the London rules. Though there were many similarities between the two sets of codes for example marking out a playing area, therefore stopping the chaos of the street game, the differences were often quite basic. In the Sheffield game, no throwing was permitted, if a ball left play it was to be kicked back in, the London rules took the opposite view.The game expanded to such an extent that many clubs broke their association with the church and became self-reliant. The majority were soon set upon the path of independence, run by and for the working class. As the game continued to grow in popularity it began a new phase of development, that of a source of great entertainment, drawing paying spectators.It was at this time that men of vision such as Ebenezer Marley realized that the game could be organized on national level. On Monday, October 26 1863 representatives met at the Freemasons Tavern, London to form the Football Association. This association set up the world’s first organized football structure. One idea that was proposed at this meeting was the starting of an annual cup competition. This came to fruition in 1871 when 15 clubs first competed for the famous FA Cup.This was not enough for many however, spectators and clubs alike wanted more games, the friendly and cup games did not satisfy their demands. This wish to further expand led to the world’s first league with structured fixtures, The Football League forming in 1885 twelve teams entered in this first league, including such famous clubs as Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Derby, Everton and now the lowly Accrington Stanley. It can be noted no southern clubs. The forming of the FA and The Football League also witnessed the ending of the multiple codes. One set of rules came to dominate. So successful was this league structure that less than 10 years later a second division had been formed, including for the first times many from the south. The popularity of the game had reached such a point it had now become professional. The elite players were now paid and the amateur relegated to an almost secondary role, though the amateur game continued to flourish until the early 1970s when the football authorities decided, regardless of status that all players could be paid. . From this time, the game was dominated by the large, well-supported, wage paying clubs, such as Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End, and West Bromwich Albion.The development of the game however was not finished. As the clubs became ever increasingly commercial, dependent upon drawing in paying spectators to exist so they became ever increasingly business like. They became ‘businesses’ often run by local businessmen, who were prepared to part with large amounts of money to obtain the best players. The transfer fee quickly became a feature of football. Indeed, it was in 1905 that the first player to cost a four-figure sum figured in the history of the game. It was for an Alf Common that Ј1, 000 was paid, from Sunderland to Middleborough. The game though now national in outlook retained a ‘local’ identity, through its supporters, traditions and often its valued place within its community. Of course with this movement came the hooligan. Fans then as now were known to misbehave. The first recorded instance of hooliganism is believed to have occurred in 1885 after a match where PNE defeated Aston Villa 5-1.Nevertheless, the game of football had not yet finished developing. It was still to witness a move into the international arena, at both club and international levels. With the game booming across Britain it was perhaps not surprising that other countries followed suit and created their own leagues, still however sticking to the original football association rules.The first international game took place in 1888 between England and Scotland, finishing 0-0. In the early 20th century with international games becoming increasingly popular a man named Jules Rimet came up with the idea that football could be the ideal ways for opposing nations to compete in a friendly situation. His idea was that every four years a tournament would be held to determine which country was the best at football, the World Cup. Suprisingly the idea was not greeted with much enthusasium, at the first World Cup held in Uruguay only eight teams participated, England who were asked to go, refused, believing it to be of no importance. The tournament however continued regardless and the hosts Uruguay were crowned the greatest side in the world after conquering Brazil in front of over one hundred thousand people in Montevideo. Since this inaugural competion, the World Cup has grown from strength to strength; it is now considered by many to be the number one sporting event in the world. So popular have such international tournaments proved that many continents have formed their own competitions. The European Championships for example, which are competed for by countries exclusively from Europe and the Copa America were countries only from South America are allowed to attend.The game of football had therefore moved from the rural areas of Britain to the entire world. Britain was responsible for the formation of a game that spanned many countries, helping to provide for a worldwide understanding. Indeed Britain’s influence can still be seen even today via the names of many of the world’s greatest club sides. Inter Milan still use the British way of spelling the city as it was originated BT Englishmen. We may no longer rule the game but the rest of the world owes much to vision of those so many years ago.

CRICKET

Cricket has ruled the hears of people all over the world. Where there is cricket, Presidents, Prime minister and tycoons, all turn into fans. Even the newspapers and news channels can no longer remain aloof from this fact and have accepted cricket as an integral part of their process.Early realization of this is already paying dividends. If in the coming days the sports page is seen in the form of cricket columns then it will not be a surprise package because currently as 3/4th of the sports page is more or less occupied by the tit bits of cricket.Special time is allocated to the cricket news with different set of sponsors and all other games are grouped together, separately. This game has so much to talk about, so much to think about that even the news channel cannot escape its magic. Do share your views on the game of Cricket in the below given comment system. Craze courage, fear, fantasy, win and the list goes and on, of words that have found entry in the cricket lexicon.What do these words signify in their association with the world of cricket? Craze to grab the accessories of the favourite cricketers, courage to defer the important activities when one knows the load of work pending can prove fatal if not done in time, fear of losing the match when six runs are required on the lost ball, fantasy of imagining oneself among the names in the world of cricket is in nerves.We watch cricket six months in a year and talk about it for the next six months. Have we ever bothered so much of any other sport? Have we ever given a thought to the fact that compels a person to take interest in every bit of information on the day of match from reporting pitch conditions to the presentation? Some answered and some unanswered. Keeping aside intellectual reasons for the time being, we will realize that so much cricket has surpassed all possibilities for reasons. It is mania! Craze.For some people is an obsession, it's a way of life, it's a passion. Others enjoy themselves watching cricket and the real fanatic ones have a passion to know cricket. Playing and watching do not seem to satisfy their quest for cricket. Knowing about players both professionally and personally charm the fans. It is the hot topic of discussion in the crowd of those of those aspiring to ornate the career with the achievements in cricket. Should we take liberty to call it 'mania' or is it only an interest that has captured the prime importance in the life of individuals? Whatever it may be, the fact is that cricket entertains its fans, rejuvenates them and unites them on one platform. Cricket has grabbed the attention of its fans all over the world. Those who are really mad for cricket spare time from the busy schedule to play, watch, collect information, discuss, understand and appreciate cricket. In their words, "Cricket is a wonderfully civilized act of warfare, the greatest thing that God ever created". The craze, excitement and fun in cricket is the result of personal interests of the people. But somewhere, media has also come to play a vital role in the publicity of the game.

BASKETBALL

The American sport of basketball has come a long way since it was invented by James Naismith in 1891. Originally, the game was played with a soccer ball and peach baskets instead of a backboard and rim. There were no holes in the baskets and a ladder was used to retrieve the ball if it did stay in the basket! There were as much as fifty players on opposing teams and players who committed fouls were sent to a hockey-like penalty box. Today the game has changed dramatically and basketball has become one of the top three sports in North America.The game of basketball has been considerably refined. It is now played on a court, each team has a coach, and there are referees to enforce the rules. The coach plays a very important role in building the team into a unit. However, skill is a big factor and it is the coach's job to strengthen and improve a player's natural ability. The goal is to score more baskets than one's opposing team. Teams are composed of twelve players, five starters and seven substitutes. The starters are the more skilled players on the team. Each basket inside the three point line counts as two points and each basket outside the three point line counts as three points. As basketball's popularity increased, it developed into a very fast-paced game which required high efficiency equipment. Since basketball involves running, jumping and pivoting, a player's shoes are his most valuable assets. Shoes continue to change and can cost up to three hundred dollars! The great players of today have designed their own special shoes. High school and college players feel that these shoes can help them move their game to a higher level. In 1949, the National Basketball Association (NBA) was formed and this was a major turning point for basketball. The NBA showcased its top stars and fan interest took off like a rocket. Wilt Chamberlain at seven feet one, could not be contained and led the league in scoring on several occasions. He once scored one hundred points in a game, a world record that still stands to this date. When Michael Jordan came on the scene, he took basketball to a fantasy level. Nicknamed "Air Jordan" for his unique ability to soar to great heights, he is regarded as the greatest player who ever played the game. Even if someone had never watched an NBA game, he would have heard of Jordan. He dazzled the fans with his fadeaways and amazed them with his slam dunks. He was responsible for taking basketball to the international scene. Fans in China thought he was one of the two greatest men in history, not only basketball. When he retired in 1999, it made the headlines in even the Japanese newspapers. One superstar, even if he is Michael Jordan, cannot do it all and win games by himself. In order to play much more effectively, he must have team support. It is essential to play as a team and each player on the court has to make a contribution. Good, solid defensive play wins games, not flashy moves by one single player. It is also important to have a leader on the team who is the spark plug. He must motivate his team to play to its potential. You MUST have the correct attitude to be an outstanding basketball player. You can't just arrogantly step onto the court, thinking you are the best player. Good players in the NBA not only have the right attitude, but also work on their weaknesses. They give back to the sport as well. Players such as Shaquille O'Neil and Vince Carter are involved in extensive charity work and also featured in television commercials. They have indicated that this provides a big boost for their confidence level. Most players also accumulate confidence from their coaches. Good coaches will do almost anything to bring out the best in a player. They will share his experience, celebrate his victory and encourage him in defeat. They will always be willing to listen and suggest ways to get you to play at top level. They will convince you that you are an important member of the team. Calbert Cheany, former NBA star, has credited his coach for inspiring him to play to his absolute best. He has even compared his coach to God! Fans also inspire players to build up their confidence level. They support the home teams and make a significant difference between home and away games. Sometimes fans are the difference between winning and losing. Players in turn go all out to impress the fans and at the same time produce a winning effort. Fans provide teams with inspiration, confidence, courage and financial support. They are an essential part of basketball. The NBA provides high powered entertainment and people around the world are extremely excited about NBA competition. Since basketball has attracted such a huge audience, the NBA has become a flourishing business operation and provides substantial incomes for players. It has also supported us in the endeavor to improve multiculturalism and relations among different ethnic groups. It has brought people together. As the years pass by, basketball is rapidly gaining popularity. Now that Michael Jordan has retired, one would think that basketball might be taking a back seat to baseball or football. However, many new players with extraordinary and innovative talents are stepping in. Many dedicated fans are attending games just to see the new rising star, Vince Carter. They are especially excited with his "dunk" as he dominates the court and dazzles fans with his spectacular athletic ability. The NBA provides a player with a chance to become a role model and showcase his talents. Outstanding players such as Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain have laid a solid foundation. There is no doubt that if it were not for basketball, many talented kids would be just hanging out. Maybe even getting involved in drugs and other criminal activity. Becoming a professional NBA player has not only become the American dream, but the international dream as well.

BADMINTON

Badminton is one of the most popular sports in the world and has been around for a very long time. Its popularity is spreading rapidly across the US. In this paper I will discuss the history and origin of badminton, the rules, and facts that I found interesting in badminton. Badminton originated in India and then went on to China, Japan and Thailand. An early version of this game in china used a shuttlecock but not a racket. Instead the shuttle was manipulated with feet. In England it was called shuttlecock and was hit with a wooden paddle by children. British army officers began to play it as a competition in Pune, India where badminton got its first name; Poona. In 1877 the first ever set of rules were invented for badminton along with the first badminton club. In the traditional scoring system, men’s singles games were played to 15 points and women's singles which was played up to 11. A match was decided by the best of three games. Only the serving players were able to score a point. In doubles, both players of a pair would serve before the service returned to the other side. In 1992 people made new rules saying that if the players were tied at 13-13 or 14-14 (9-9 or 10-10 for women's singles), the player who had first reached that score could decide elect to set and play to 17 (or to 13 for women's singles). In December 2005 the IBF experimented with the scoring system, intending both to regulate the playing time and to simplify the system for television viewers. Games were lengthened to 21 points. However, the new scoring system makes the game duration significantly shorter. The experiment ended in May 2006, and the IBF ruled that the new scoring system would be adopted from August 2006 and on. Players win a rally by striking the shuttle onto the floor within the boundaries of their opponents' court. Players also win a rally if their opponents commit a fault. The most common fault in badminton is when the players fail to return the shuttle so that it passes over the net and lands inside their opponents' court. If a let is called, the rally is stopped and replayed with no change to the score. Let’s may occur due to some unexpected disturbance such as a shuttle landing on court.