Sports Then and Now

Sports tailgating can be a thrilling way to experience a sports team’s culture. The act of tailgating — where fans celebrate in the vicinity of a sports stadium before and after a game with drinks and food — often involves a variety of dedicated fans. In many cases, it can be a fun way to immerse yourself in the excitement of sports, though there are also a number of unexpected dangers associated with sports tailgating.

Tailgating can be fun and accident-free, and, being aware of potential mishaps, you can better avoid the potential of them occurring:

Rowdy Tailgaters

Even if you’re of sound mind, there’s always the potential of being confronted by intoxicated tailgaters in your vicinity. In fact, a study found one in 12 are people drunk at sporting events — that doesn’t include those sitting with a buzz. The research from the University of Minnesota found those who tailgate, specifically, were 14 times more likely to depart the game intoxicated.

Considering that drunkenness can lead to poor judgment and irrationality, fights and unnecessary confrontation may arise.

Expect some people tailgating near you to be intoxicated, and stick to a group of people you know can handle their alcohol. If confronted by another group who are intoxicated, do your best to avoid them or tailgate elsewhere. Even though it can be a nuisance, moving your tailgating elsewhere can be a better alternative than serious injury. Read the rest of this entry →

The National Football League is rich with history. The league, formed in 1920, hosted a variety of teams, some dissolved or renamed prior to the league’s first Super Bowl in 1967. The fact that only two current NFL teams, the Decatur Staleys – now the Chicago Bears – and the Chicago Cardinals – now the Arizona Cardinals – were founding members of the league shows how considerable and diverse the NFL’s team-based history is.

From the Boston Braves to the Portsmouth Spartans, some early NFL teams are unknown among fans today, though it’s well worthwhile to dig back into history to see their uniforms, success and overall history to get a better grasp of the league’s evolution:

Chicago Cardinals

The Cardinals are the oldest team in the NFL, acquiring the Cardinals name in 1901 while starting as the Morgan Athletic Club in Chicago’s South Side. Although showing a strong performance in recent years, the franchise has mostly suffered, only winning championships in 1925 and 1947. Despite being the oldest team, they have yet to win a Super Bowl, their last opportunity coming in January 2009 in Super Bowl XLIII when losing to the Steelers. Read the rest of this entry →

One of the most iconic aspects of a NASCAR race is the nonstop, top-speed action of the pit crew on the sidelines. These amazing individuals are in charge of high-speed maintenance and repairs for the cars that are tearing their way around the track. We’ve all probably watched them change a tire in a few seconds, but did you ever wonder how these pit crews got their start?

The Time Before

Races didn’t always need the skills of a pit crew. When racing became a mainstream sport back in the 1950s, most of the races were less than 100 miles, total. The only race that really needed the assistance of pit stop engineers was the Southern 500, which was arguably ahead of its time.

That didn’t mean the shorter NASCAR races didn’t have their own version of the pit crew. Cars would blow tires, bump fenders or destroy engine parts that required replacement in order to keep racing. Until the mid-1950s, all these changes were done by hand. The pneumatic air guns that we’re so used to seeing didn’t make a debut until later in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Back then, the fastest recorded time for a tire change was about 55 seconds utilizing manual tools.

Choreography and Timing

After the pneumatic air gun hit the mainstream and pit technicians were able to change tires and remove faulty parts faster than before, the focus switched to speed and efficiency. By using impact wrenches and much faster floor jacks, pit crews could reduce the time it took to change a tire by 17 seconds.

Adding choreography and practicing the motions that each pit crew position needed to do brought the overall pit stop time down to 33 seconds.

Specialized Pit Crew Roles

Until now, the idea of pit crews included the concept that everyone was interchangeable. The guy handling the fuel one pit stop could be slinging a tire at the next. Through the late 1970s and early 1980s, the idea of specialized pit crew roles began to emerge.

By creating these specialized roles, pit crews were able to practice and perfect the nuances of their specific role rather than trying to do everything.

Today, the average pit crew is made up of 12 people, each trained to perfect their specific role, including:

• Front and Rear Tire Carriers: As their name suggests, these are the people who carry the replacement tires into the pit and the worn tires away.
• Fire and Rear Tire Changers: Changes the tires, handling the impact gun to remove and replace the lug nuts.
• Jack Man: Operates the hydraulic jack that lifts and lowers the car.
• Gas Man: As the name suggest, he refuels the car usually using two 12-gallon cans.
• Support Crew: They pick up any slack and help the crew with little tasks.
• Car and Crew Chiefs: The car chief figures out the best adjustments to make on the car itself. The crew chief is in charge of the crew.
• Engineer: Works with the car chief to figure out the exact build for each race car.

There will also be a NASCAR official in the pit to make sure all rules are followed, as well as an extra man that may handle tasks like assisting the driver or cleaning the windshield.

By relying on these specialized roles, pit crews can pull off a four-tire change in an astonishing 12 seconds, getting their drivers back on the track that much faster.

The history of the NASCAR pit crew is an exciting and varied one, and every change and invention has helped it become the efficient machine that keeps races going. NASCAR wouldn’t be the same thing that it is today without the smooth motions and choreographed movements of the pit crew.

Twenty-eight. That is the number of medals won by Michael Phelps, putting him in the category of “Most Decorated Olympian of All Time.” Truly inspiring not only for Americans who take pride in winning, but also for the next generation of competitive swimmers. Exhibit A: the much-circulated photo of Phelps and Katie Ledecky taken in 2006. She would go on to win her own boatload of medals at the Rio Olympics alongside Michael. The young swimmers diving into the pool today might not have the opportunity to swim alongside Phelps on an Olympic Team, but that won’t diminish their hopes for the gold.

As parents, there are a lot of things you can do in support of your young swimmer beyond just dropping them off at the pool. Here’s what to know before getting your kids into competitive swimming:

You’ll Need to Start With the Basics

As with any type of sport, it is essential that your kid start with the basics. Swimming lessons are a great way to introduce your young swimmer to the various strokes and styles. They’ll quickly discover the challenges associated with competitive swimming, including the importance of a proper turn. These swimming lessons will become the foundation for all that follows in their competitive swimming career. Read the rest of this entry →

When you hear the word archer, some of the names you think about are Robin Hood, Legolas and the Green Arrow. However, credit for making archery cool in the U.S. goes to a different archer.

After the 2012 release of “The Hunger Games” showed audiences the heroics of Katniss Everdeen, portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence, the popularity of archery in the United States soared. Children dressed up as little archers for Halloween. Young adults started reading again, starting with the book series for the movie.

It wasn’t just that Katniss Everdeen was an archer – archers have been portrayed in movies before. Robin Hood is a legendary thief, Legolas is a somewhat magical elf and the Green Arrow is a superhero.

What made Katniss so cool is how ordinary she was outside of her skill with a bow and arrow. She was just a regular teenager from the poorest district in her country, and out of nowhere, she won an annual, deadly competition. Katniss gave archery a new coolness it hadn’t quite experienced before.

The influence of “The Hunger Games” has reached near and far throughout the country, making archery something of a phenomenon. Read the rest of this entry →

Many variables contribute to how a child develops in their early years, and while reading, puzzles, and other traditional “brain boosters” are vital, sports are just as important. Sports are also important to a child’s development for many reasons — promoting a healthy lifestyle as well as teaching teamwork and cooperation are just a couple of them.

As early physical activity and competition can help shape a child’s behavior, the debate that every parent faces is which sport(s) to sign their kids up for. With such a wide variety to choose from, the pressure to pick the right ones feels pretty heavy.

Here are five great sports for you to sign your kids up for at a young age:

1. Soccer

Soccer is considered one of the best sports for children to start at a very young age. It’s a low-maintenance, easy-to-teach game that encourages kids to just run around and have fun.

Unlike basketball, football and baseball, which require more finely-tuned motor skills to play properly, the core concept of soccer can still be enjoyed without perfect mastery of one’s foot-to-eye coordination. It’s the easiest game to teach to a child — run as fast as you can, kick the ball at the net and make sure the other team doesn’t kick the ball into your goal. Simple, right?

Soccer teaches children how to interact with others to work as a team. It also helps them become more coachable, learning to follow instructions and execute game plans.

Read the rest of this entry →