Pretty Basic

It’s easy to develop a routine. Sleep, eat, school, gym, work. Repeat. Everyday tasks can start to seem repetitive and mundane however, especially during  the winter months, and you start to wonder how to break free. Well, spring is the perfect time to get inspired! I just got back from a spring break trip to Paris. I had never been to Europe before... [Read more]

(This is part of a Pretty Tough series about the Summer Olympics. Consider it your Cliff Notes for all the events, athletes and trivia you need to know while watching the London Games.)   London 2012 Details Venue: North Greenwich Arena. The 20,000-seat venue will host artistic gymnastics, trampoline, and the basketball finals during the Olympic... [Read more]

(This is part of a Pretty Tough series about the Summer Olympics. Consider it your Cliff Notes for all the events, athletes and trivia you need to know while watching the London Games.) Competitive Diving is one of the most prestigious, competitive, drama-filled diving events at the Summer Games. The sport developed from gymnastics in the 18th century,... [Read more]

A Pretty Tough Tip: In some ways, guys have it easy: To pee in the great outdoors, they just aim and fire. No cold buns. No splatter factor. But there are things women can do to improve the projected outcome. Here are three methods preferred by the women at Backpacker Magazine. Find a place where you can sit with your feet propped up: two rocks close... [Read more]

  (Ed. Note: Pretty Tough Team Rider Melissa Becker Ponce de Leon is a pro mountainboarder with multiple U.S. Championships) Snowboarders, Surfers and all other boarders: What do you do when there’s  no snow or water to shred?? Check out Mountainboarding, an off-road board you can ride just about anywhere. What is Mountainboarding? A mountainboard... [Read more]

It’s always a challenge to come up with a name that epitomizes the team’s energy and philosophy. Add to that a name that everyone agrees on and the challenge increases. Check out our suggestions and feel free to customize as necessary. You can add your team or uniform color to any of the names either before or after e.g. Blue Athenas or... [Read more]

American Football: term used by non-Americans to distinguish the popular U.S. sport of football from soccer which they also call football. Assist: the pass or passes which immediately precede a goal; a maximum of two assists can be credited for one goal. Attacking Midfielder: the most forward-playing midfielder, playing right behind the forwards; she... [Read more]

Thinking about buying a snowboard this winter? There are about 50-100 different snowboard companies out there competing for your hard earned cash (or your mom’s hard-earned cash) so here are some things you should know. Riding Ability If your only snowboarding experience is playing SSX on your PS2, then consider yourself a beginner. If you board... [Read more]

As women’s wrestling gains momentum (it became an Olympic event in the 2004 Games) more and more female high school and college student-athletes are taking up the sport. Below are a few facts about girls’ wrestling and some online resources to learn more about this growing phenomenon: About 6000 girls wrestled at the high school level in... [Read more]

There are always a few players who stand out, players who have a real passion for the game and love to play and win. How do athletes and/or parents know when it’s time to move up and play in a more competitive sports league? The player has a high interest level in a particular sport and practices on her own or with friends The player is the... [Read more]

It used to be you could determine your ski length by reaching the tip of the ski to the top of your head. You’d add five to 10 centimeters according to skill and weight. Using the top of your head is still a good guide, but with shaped skis, the trend is to shorter skis. Shaped skis are wider and have more surface area touching the snow. They’re... [Read more]

“She got Maytaged in those rapids,” “At mile 15 she bonked and didn’t even finish,” “She scored a hat trick in the first half.” Any idea what we’re talking about? The sporting world has it’s own specialized vocabulary. If you want to walk the walk, you’ve got to talk the talk. ACE: serve that... [Read more]

1. Fencing is one of only four sports to be included in every modern Olympic Games, since the first in 1896. Fencing was also a sport in the original Olympic Games in ancient Greece. 2. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, was a fencer. 3. The tip of the fencing weapon is the second fastest moving object in sport; the first... [Read more]

Flag football is the latest rage for girls wanting fun and action without the intense pressure of many team sports. The game, which is a summer camp staple and often played at family picnics and in gym class, follows basic rules similar to those of mainstream football (often called “tackle football” for contrast).  Instead of tackling players... [Read more]

Combining the non-stop movement and athletic endurance of soccer with the aerial passing skills of football, a game of Ultimate is played by two seven-player squads with a high-tech plastic disc on a field similar to football. 10 Simple Rules THE FIELD – A rectangular shape with endzones at each end. A regulation field is 70 yards by 40 yards,... [Read more]