Weekend UFC Fights

This past saturday there were some real exciting UFC 145 fights. The light heavyweight championship fight was between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans. The fight went the entire duration and Jones came out on top with a unanimous decision from the judges. Jones' overall record is now 16-1 and now has three Titles.

SRU Health and Physical Education Mini Convention

Today, on Wednesday 18th, Slippery Rock PETE Club is holding their annual mini convention. This convention brings in professionals and students from all over the state to come together about health and physical education topics. There are speakers throughout the entire day as well as activities, demonstrations, presentations, and interactive events to participate in. This is a great opportunity to network with other people in the field and share your knowledge. This is a very highly recognized and appreciated event that has a high reputation for Slippery Rock Physical Education.

New Media and Technology

I was very interested in all of the presentations done by our sport communication class last week. There several new technologies that I have not heard about and thought they were awesome. My two favorite technologies were the GoPro camera and the way they make the yellow lines on the football fields. The GoPro camera is a great way to see the athletes perspective and is a view that many audience members would love to have but normally cannot get. As for the digital imaging, it is something that has changed the face of sports all over. Without those "invisible" lines while watching football, it would not be as fun and would probably be more confusing to the viewers. Technology has enhanced how one views spots in so many great ways.

Yankees Start off with a Series Loss

The New York Yankees left Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay empty handed this opening week. The Devil Rays had a 3-0 sweep over the Yanks. Nobody wants to start a season out like this, and it is quite disappointing to see it happen to the Yanks. Teixeira, first basemen of the Yankees, says that they need to use this as a learning experience and grow from it as a team. I am personally hoping that this is not a reflection of what the Yankee's season is going to look like.

MR. and Ms. SRU Body Building Competition

Yesterday, on March 25th, SRU held their annual body building competition for men and women. I worked at the competition as an expediter from 7:30 am until 5:30 pm. As an expediter, I was working back stage to make sure every competitor was on stage when they were supposed to be and pumping up when they were supposed to be. Without my job, the show would not run smooth and the competitors would not know where to be. These competitors trained so hard for this show and put so much dedication and effort into looking their best. I wish I could have the motivation and dedication that these performers have. I do not feel that body building is really looked into that much as a sport, but training is their sport, where as for other sports, training helps them perform their sport.

Penn State cruises through the NCAA Wrestling Championships

Last weekend, the NCAA National Wrestling Championships took place. For Penn State, it turned out to be a walk in the park. They cruised through the tournament having 5 finalists. Among these finalists, 4 of them won their titles. The lone Penn State wrestler who lost was Nikko Megaludis,who is a true freshman with an extremely bright future. Penn State only graduates a small amount of seniors, which makes them the most dominating team for years to come. Head coach Cael Sanderson, who is one of Americas greatest wrestlers of all time, in 3 short years has made the team the number one school for wrestling in the nation.

UFC Face-Off

UFC 145 airs on April 24^th, and it just so happens to be one of the biggest fight cards in UFC history. It features UFCs biggest face, Jon Jones. He takes on Rashad Evans for the light heavy weight belt. Rashad and Jon used to be teammates, and close friends. However, a conflict of interest took place when Jon and Rashad had to fight each other. Evans decided to leave the camp they were both training at, and left on very bad terms. This has provided UFC 145 with such hype that it is projected to be one of the biggest and most popular venues in UFC history. 

The Exciting World of Horse Racing

Horse racing is a sport that I feel is many times overlooked. It is an exciting sport that brings in a lot of money and fans, especially with the gambling that goes along with it. I worked at the Saratoga Horse Racing Track in Saratgoa, NY for 3 years and absolutely love the environment. A lot of the fans still follow the old fashioned ways of horse racing and come to the track all dressed up in their most fancy clothes and big fashionable hats. There are TV's everywhere with people perched in front of them, and lines waiting to get into the grand stands and up by the fence. It is really amazing to hear the crowd as the horses turn the last corner and enter the final stretch. Even if you are not that into horse racing, it is almost impossible not to join in with the fun. Some races really can put your stomach into knots when there are 2 or more horses neck and neck at the finish line. Then, when the race is over the place goes up in shambles with people who either won or lost large amounts of money. If you have not ever been to a horse race, I would suggest that it is one thing you need to witness in person at some time in your life.

Steeler Nation

Going to school in Western, PA from Albany, NY really is one interesting adventure. The one thing I want to make note of is the hard core Steeler fan base. I have never seen anything like Steeler fans before. Painting their houses, their cars, their rooms. Hanging posters, signs, and flags. Owning multiple jerseys, knowing every statistic, past and present players, and watching every single football game. These fans are truly the most dedicated sports fans I have ever known. The one thing that was such a huge shock to me was that the ladies are just as into football and just as knowledgeable as the guys! Back at home, football means nearly nothing to most of the girls/women and most of us probably couldn't tell you the names of more than 3 players on our so called "favorite" team. Another big difference is that all of Pennsylvania are for the most part dedicated Steeler fans whereas New York is split between the Buffalo Bills, the New York Jets, and the New York Giants. Being here in Western Pennsylvania really goes to show you the amount of impact that a single professional sports team can have on people.

New York State High School Wrestling Championships

This past Friday and Saturday was the NYS High School Wrestling Championship tournament located in Albany, New York. This tournament is near and dear to my heart for I was a wrestling manager for my high school team for five years and have been going to this tournament since middle school. I still know many of the boys who competed and was extremely sad to be missing it this year. For the second year in a row, the Shenendehowa Plainsmen took the state title turning up one champion, and three bronze medalists. On top of their team state title, their coach, Robert Weeks, was named New York State coach of the year. As for my high school's team, The Burnt Hills Spartans, they only had one wrestler compete and he did not earn a place in the tournament.  This tournament is truly an event that shows off great skill, dedication, and hard work. The boys competing here have been putting in months and years of hard work. Everything they do is in preparation for the state tournament. College coaches are on the look out and sit in the stands scouting out new wrestlers for their teams. This tournament really is my favorite sporting event.

Athletic Directing

I was never really sure on what I wanted to do when "I grew up," but I have done a lot of research within the last year and have been setting my mind on Athletic Directing. In the fall of my Sophomore year (this year) I switched my major to Health and Physical Education and picked up a minor in Sport Management. I love sports and being involved with athletics which is why these areas of study fit me well. My career plan is to start off teaching and coaching for several years in either an elementary or middle school setting. My goal is then to sink a postition as that school districts athletic director after my several years experience in the Physical Education department. I feel that this is the perfect career route for me because I love athletics and the interscholastic setting, but I know I do not want to teach my whole life. Athletic directing is the perfect way to stay in the setting that I enjoy while being on the business side instead of the teaching side.

New Technology in PE

As a Physical Education major, new technological advances are very important to me. Within the last decade, many new advancements have been and are in the process of being made in the Physical Education Department. Some of the new products that catch my eye are the game bikes and the 3 kick. Both of these machines are an interactive way for children to stay physically active and can be brought into a school's fitness room. Both of these machines provide a great cardiovascular workout while keeping it fun for the children. The 3-Kick also enhances speed and agility. Since it would be too expensive to buy enough for an entire class, I would add these machines in as part of a circuit where the kids would rotate using them with another type of physical activity. From what I have heard, the school's that use them now are seeing great success and the students really enjoy using new machines.