Softball: Throwing like a girl

Softball season is underway and girls everywhere are out there practicing their skills. So you probably know that if you’ve ever been told “You throw like a girl,” it means your throw kinda sucks.

The “girl throw” refers to a wimpy style a lot of girls seem to have. Girls often face the target with their forearm cocked back and the ball in their upturned palm. Then they throw with just the arm (rather than the whole body). The action is usually limited to a quick extension of the forearm. Essentially, girls tend to “push” the ball rather than hurl it.

Well, before we go any further – let’s get one thing straight. Girls can throw. In fact, many girls can throw harder and faster than a lot of guys. Softball players like Jennie Finch can pitch a ball close to 90 miles per hour.

Some people think the reason for the “girl throw” is based on physical differences between guys and girls. Not. If you ask an orthopedist, an anatomist, or a coach of a women’s softball team, they’ll tell you that there is no anatomical reason why boys and girls throw differently.

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Sporty Star Signs: Scorpio

October 23 – November 21
Symbol: Scorpion
Element: Water

You like…
Mystery novels, figuring out what makes your friends tick, trying new things, managing other people’s business.

You dislike…
People competing with you, mindless chatter, revealing your inner secrets and being asked embarrassing questions.

Strengths…
Your greatest strengths are your determination, passion and motivation.You don’t know the word quit, which is why you’ll usually get the job done. You pick yourself up when you’re down and you’ll work hard to make a success of your life. You ‘re clever, powerful, perceptive and you have a keen sense of intuition

Weaknesses…
You tend to look at the world as black and white and you have little use for gray. You also have a tendency to keep your emotions repressed, and you can take an insignificant matter and turn it into a huge slight. You may lose your temper and turn vindictive showing the world how stubborn and strong-willed you can be if you don’t get your way.

Career…
You’re hyper-focused and like to zero in on the essential questions making you well suited to be an executive, a private investigator, a doctor, ecologist, or engineer.

Fashion
Ruled by Pluto, the planet of transformation, you like to change your look as often as possible. You tend to favor comfortable, casual clothes, but prefer tight-fitting clothes to the baggy look. You’re overall image is pretty and you have the clever knack of making anything you wear look really original.

Friendship…
You are a lively, loving friend who enjoys deep conversations and gossip. Your friends soon learn that talking behind your back is a no-no, though. You expect them to be loyal to you and will lash out at them if they let you down.

Sports . . .
Scorpios love challenge and competition which is why you’ll fight it out on the field or court. Extreme sports are right up your alley, as is most anything which will test your determination and intensity. You love having an adversary, since it makes the game that much more fun. You also need more exercise than most so try kick-boxing, swimming and diving. Martial arts like Aikido will help you harness your power and concentrate your energy.

Celebrity Scorpios:
Soccer player Tiffeny Milbrett (10/23/72), Figure skater Sasha Cohen (10/26/84), Actor Julia Roberts (10/28/67), Actor Winona Ryder (10/29/71), Actor Calista Flockhart (11/11/64)), Figure skater Oksana Baiul (11/16/77), Track & Field champ Gail Devers (11/19/66), Actor Meg Ryan, (11/19/61), Gymnast DominiqueDawes (11/20/70), Singer Bjork (11/21/65), Actor Goldie Hawn (11/21/45)

The Ultimate Faceoff by Mel Majoros

(This guest blog by Mel Majoros is being reprinted by permission from the Grand Traverse Womans Magazine Oct 08 issue)

I have always had a wicked sense of humor. I get that from my dad. On Sept 18, 2007, when I was told, “It’s cancer,” I didn’t know how my sense of humor and my favorite game, hockey, would get me through perhaps the greatest challenge of my life.

Immediately I saw the irony in my breast cancer. I had just participated in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life a couple of months before and now I was a cancer survivor. My primary care physician broke the news and, since I had basically just met her, I was dubious at best. I remember she told me and then her voice sounded like the adults in the Peanuts cartoon. After that she made an appointment for me to see a surgeon, Dr. Brown. I immediately pictured Doc Brown from Back to the Future. If he starts talking flux capacitors and screams 1.21 jigawatts I am so out of there, I thought.

Fortunately he was nothing like that. We discussed my options and decided I would get a lumpectomy. “You could get a mastectomy so you can be sure the cancer doesn’t go into the other breast” he said. Well I am all for preventative medicine but let’s not get carried away. To quote one of my favorite TV shows, Seinfeld: “They are real and they are spectacular.” I decided to keep both of them.

Dr. Brown did two surgeries, one to remove the lump and one for the port. He told me the surgery would only take about a half hour. I got to the hospital around 10 a.m. Surgery was scheduled for around noon. I couldn’t have anything to eat or to drink after midnight. I was waiting in a private room, watching the video about my port. The time ticked by and soon it was 2 o’clock and I was still waiting. I happened to spy the doc walking by my room and yelled out, “So what did you do, forget about me?” He had some kind of cardiac emergency to take care of and told me I was next in line. He said “You must be pretty hungry, huh?” I was and said, “Yeah you owe me a pizza.” He said OK. As I was being wheeled into the OR the surgical nurse said, “OK now the doctor will be right in. He is just ordering your pizza.” “Haha,” I thought, “Funny joke to play on someone who is just about to be put under.” Sure enough when I woke up from surgery a Jet’s pizza was waiting for me.

Having cancer is not easy, and telling people is just as difficult. Some people I could tell right away, while others would have to wait. It is exhausting enough just having the disease, let alone rewinding and replaying the story for my friends and family. So how do you tell people? “Hey!! Haven’t seen you in a while, how ya doin’? I have cancer. How are the kids?” I never thought I wouldn’t be OK, even after I lost weight. People who didn’t know that I had cancer said, “Wow, you look great!!” “Yeah,” I said. “That cancer is the best diet ever!” Even after my first chemo treatment made me so dizzy and nauseous for three hours, I still knew I was going to be OK. No wonder I don’t drink. Chemo gave me the worst hangover I ever had.

Even after I had my stylist shave my head because the chemo was making my hair fall out I had to laugh. My mom wanted a current picture of me and, as it turned out, I got my head shaved on her birthday. Happy Birthday Mom!! My hair is growing back, and she is still waiting for that picture.

I really didn’t have the side-effects that many people do, with the exception of the first chemo hangover bedspins. I am convinced that working out to get ready to hit the ice really helped me battle this disease. All this was going on around the beginning of hockey season, something I look forward to. I am the captain of the Petoskey women’s hockey team and I always work out my hardest to get ready for that, and, because of my job at WMKT, I was able to go to the Red Wings Training Camp. I was diagnosed on the last day of training camp. The Wings save their best game for the last day. Unfortunately I did not make it to that game. Since I am a huge hockey fan, it really meant something special to me when the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. The Wings will hoist the Stanley Cup banner on Oct. 9. One year to the day of my lumpectomy surgery.

I use hockey as an analogy to fighting cancer. If you are on the ice and someone knocks you down, you don’t stay down. You get up and keep skating. That is what I will do. I will keep skating.

Red Wings Training camp photo copyright 2007 by Melinda Majoros taken during the 2007 training camp, that’s right, a few days before my diagnosis.

Mel is the producer of The Vic McCarty show. Listen live Monday-Friday 10am-Noon eastern time on wmktthetalkstation.com.

Mel also produces The Maria Shaw show on Empoweradio.com. Listen Live Monday-Friday Noon-3pm.

Cierra Smith – Mountain Biking

Sport: Mountain Biking – Downhill
Home: Nevada
Birthdate: 8/9/95
Other Sports/Accomplishments: volleyball, soccer,  and I get good grades. (or I can’t race)
Favorite Athletes: Steve Peat, Racheal Atherton
Favorite College Team: UNR – University of Reno Nevada. Go Wolf Pack!
Favorite Pro Team: Well, for bikes. Santa Cruz Syndicate.
Favorite Sports Drink: Gatorade!
Favorite Workout Music: Rap
Favorite Place to Shop: Hollister, Aeropostale
Hobbies and Interests: Listening to music, hanging out with friends, and riding my bike
Superstition: Hmmm, I don’t go to the bathroom before a race because I think it makes me go faster.
Best Moment: winning my first natioanl title
Dream Job: Professional downhill mountain bike racer.
Favorite Books/TV Shows: I have so many I can’t narrow it down.
Pet Peeves: Really thick socks

What has been your biggest accomplishment?
Getting on the team I’m on and winning three national titles.

What advice would you give to up and coming female athletes?
Don’t get frustrated. If someone tells you you’re not good enough or fast enough make that your motivation to prove them wrong.

Competitive Highlights: 2009 USA Cycling MTB National Championships, 1st Place; 2009 Mammoth Bar Downhill, 2nd Place Pro Women; 2009 National Gypsy Downhill, 3rdPlace  Pro Women; 2009 Northstar Downhill Series Race, 1st Place; 2009 Spring Thaw Downhill, 1st Place Expert; 2009 Sea Otter Downhill, 1st Place; 2009 Fontana City National, ist Place.

A Pretty Tough Halloween

No costume? No problem – we’ve got you covered.

If you don’t have a costume yet you could go to your local mall and buy something but that won’t really show your friends how creative you can be.

Not to worry. No matter what  your age, we’ve got loads of suggestions – just add a little attitude and you’ll make quite a statement.

Superstar Athlete
Dress up in your fave sports uniform and go as a famous softball, basketball, or soccer player. Whether it’s picking up a WNBA jersey to be new MVP Diana Taurasi or hanging figure skates around your neck in the image of Michelle Kwan, it’s easy to be a superstar for a night! And don’t limit yourself to individual sports – get your team together and go as the USA softball team or your favorite pro team.

Sports Fan
If you don’t think you can pull off dressing as a real athlete, go as your favorite team’s biggest fan. In this case, a little face paint can go a long way.

Body Builder
Paint or quilt muscles onto the front of a flesh-colored sweatshirt. Stuff arms to make biceps look big. You can also paint or quilt leg muscles onto flesh-colored pants, and wear a pair of shorts over it. For a barbell, attach two black balloons to a cardboard paper towel roll or gift wrap roll painted black.

Ninja
Dress in black pants, black hooded shirt, and grab a red sash to wear around your head. Wear soft black shoes. Carry a fake ninja sword, ninja stars made out of foil, and num-chucks made out of construction paper and black cord. Some people act tough, but you can show you’re the real thing.

Race Car/MX Driver
Don a jumpsuit & racing helmet and zoom off into the night.

Superhero
How ’bout Wonder Woman or Sugergirl? For Batwoman, wear a black faux leather shirt and skirt, black boots, yellow belt and black gloves. Make a yellow bat insignia out of cloth and attach it to your chest. Wear a black cat mask, and a black cape.

TV & Movie Characters
Lara Croft: Wear a tank top and a pair of shorts or a pair of camouflage pants. Put your hair in a braid. Carry a fake gun.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wear a blue and yellow cheerleading uniform with blue tights. Paint your face pale white and carry wooden stakes.

Referee
It’s your turn to call the game. Find yourself a pair of black pants or shorts, a striped shirt, and a whistle. Don’t forget your red and yellow cards – you can call the fouls tonight.

Sports Trading Card
Find a poster of a famous athlete (the face should be approximately the size of your face). Glue it to a large piece of foamcore or cardboard and cut a hole for your face to stick through. Attach straps so it hangs over your shoulders. Add your name and team name. If you want you can add another piece of cardboard to your back with statistics.

Pirate Woman
Ahoy matie. Be a swashbuckler with a skirt. Who says you can’t pillage in pink?

Got Milk?
You know milk builds strong bones. Share the love. Wear a sign that says “Got Milk?” Paint a milk mustache over your lip with make-up or other non-toxic white substance.

Group Costumes
Is your sorority, team or group of friends throwing a Halloween bash? Wear matching costumes to help you keep up with each other.

Dancers
If you want to be a group of dancers, your first choice is to figure out what kind of dancer you want to be. You can be belly dancers, ballerinas, tap dancers, Jazz Dancers, Irish folk Dancers, or flash dancers. You can get matching costumes from your local dance or costume shop.

Cheerleaders
Your only must-have for this group costume is pom-poms. The rest of the costume can be as simple as white t-shirts and short denim jeans. If you want to get fancy, however, you can go as far as to purchase real cheerleader uniforms for $50.00 each. Matching sweats will work well too.

Sports Team
Do you and your friends have a favorite sports team? If so, many of you may have Jerseys for that team. Add the appropriate sports equipment, which most of you will probably also own and you have a complete team. If you and your friend route for opposing teams, another option is for each person to be their own favorite player. Your options are numerous from soccer, to basketball, to hockey.

Bowling Pins and Ball
A fun costume for a group is bowling pins and a ball. For the pins, you all need white pants and hooded sweatshirts. Put two red stripes around the neck area. The shortest person would probably be the ball (or whoever draws the short stick). For the ball costume, you can cut two large felt circles and attatch them at the top (over the shoulders) and the sides (under the arms) add three smaller circles for the holes.

Pink Ladies (from Grease)
Your fifties style costume should include pink satin jacket, v-neck top, black capris, polka dot scarf and belt.

Survivor Cast
Dress up in ragged clothes, make yourselves look dirty, look hungry and carry torches.

Race Car Driver and Pit Crew
One driver and a bunch of grease monkeys. Racing gear should include helmet, jumpsuit, and gloves. The pit crew can wear matching caps and jackets. Don’t forget the checkered flags.

Dominoes
Everyone wears all black. Pin circles of white paper to yourselves in a domino pattern. When you arrive at a house, one person leans in, and everyone falls over.

DIY Decorations

Pumpkin Softball Player

1. Cut the pumpkin’s top off and hollow out the shell.
2. For eyes, carve holes in the shell and tack white paper behind them.
3. Use acrylic paints and colored markers to add eye black below the eyes.
4. Add yarn for hair. Then add a baseball cap for the finishing touch.

Any other ideas?

Podcast: Pretty Tough Peak Performance Episode 001

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:06 — 6.5MB)

Pretty Tough is proud to present the first in a series of weekly podcasts focusing on Peak Performance.

The PT Peak Performance series features leading experts from the fields of sports nutrition, diet, sports psychology and core and fitness training, as well as athletes, trainers and coaches. Each program is 6 – 8 minutes in length and provides cutting edge information and actionable advice to help athletes of all ages perform at their peak with a special focus on the female athlete.

Episode 001: Rebecca Scritchfield discusses how what an athlete eats will help her perform better.  Listen as Rebecca provide essential details about nutrition, hydration and maintaining good health.

About Rebecca Scritchfield: Rebecca Scritchfield is a Washington, D.C. based registered dietitian in private practice. Members of Congress, corporate executives, and professional and recreational athletes seek Rebecca’s  expertise to help them reach their performance goals. She received a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and was recognized by American Dietetic Association in 2009 as “Young Dietitian of the Year”.

Skateboard A – Z

Can you land a switch 360 kickflip over a six stair set?  If you’re not sure what that means, read on….

50-50 GRIND
grinding on both trucks equally

ACID DROP
to ride straight off of something and freefall to the ground.

AIR
when riders clear jumps or obstacles; riding with all four wheels off the ground

ALLEY OOP
when a trick is performed in the opposite direction of which the skater is moving.

BACKSIDE
When a turn or trick is executed in a direction that the back of the body is facing the arc of the trick.

BANK
any sloped area under 90 degrees.

BOARD
also called a deck; the platform that the hardware is mounted to.

BOARDSLIDE
to slide on an obstacle or lip with the contact point being the underside of the board.

BUCKET
a helmet; also called a lid.

CARVE
to make a long, curving arc while skating.

DARKSLIDE
grinding the top of the board while you ride it upside-down.

DECK
the flat standing surface of a skateboard, usually laminated maple.

DROP IN
to enter the ramp or obstacle from the top.

FACE PLANT
when one’s face meets the ground before any other part of one’s body.

FAKIE
riding backwards.

FEEBLE GRIND
In this maneuver, the back truck grinds a rail while the front truck hangs over the rail’s far side

GOOFY FOOT
to ride with the right foot forward.

GRAB
grabbing either or both boards with one or both hands.

GRIND
trick where the skateboarder slides on the hangers of the trucks.

HALF PIPE
type of ramp that is shaped like a “U” and used for vert skating.

HAND PLANT
type of trick where one hand grabs the skate while doing a one handed handstand on a ramp, or obstacle.

HEEL FLIP
while performing an Ollie, the heel pushed down on the edge of the board causing it to flip over.

HIP
spot where a ramp or obstacle comes to a point; tricks are done while flying over or off of it.

HIT
a jump

INVERT
another name for a hand plant.

JUMP RAMP
small ramp used to give the skater some air to perform a trick.

KICK TURN
when pressure is applied to the tail of the board, lifting the front and turning it in another direction.

KICKER
name for a jump ramp. Kickers usually have the property of throwing you up into the air rather than giving you distance.

KICK FLIP
same as a Heel Flip except the toe pushes down to flip the board.

LAUNCH
the moment a rider starts to execute a jump, and the time he is actually flying through the air.

LIP
top edge portion of the halfpipe wall.

LIP TRICK
any trick performed on or near the lip of the wall of the halfpipe.

LOAD UP
to put weight on one side of the trucks or the other.

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Seventeen: Play like a pro with Candice Wiggins’s tips

Basketball player Candice Wiggins, the star Stanford shooting guard, always had a goal of going pro. And after many obstacles, she’s finally there, playing in the WNBA for the Minnesota Lynx.

Her sponsor, Nike, recently announced they will feature Wiggins in a new program called Delicious Training, which is designed to inspire teen girls.

Seventeen.com caught up with the player recently. Read what Candice has learned about getting in shape (and making it fun), staying focused on the court, making sacrifices and dealing with the teammates she didn’t always like!

17: The new Nike ads you’re in are about “Delicious Training,” or making training fun for yourself. What are some of the workouts that are fun for you?
Candice Wiggins: As an athlete, I loved playing in the game. But there’s a whole other side of training, not necessarily just on the court. I love doing core workouts. In the [campaign photo] shoot, I was really doing boxing, and it was probably one of the hardest workouts of my life.

17: Are there any fun workout tips you can suggest for people who don’t necessarily like to train or work out?
CW: Being with friends is number one! Having fun means being around people who you can help motivate. There’s a lot of strength in numbers.

More of the interview at Seventeen.com

Tennis – Fun Facts

• Lawn Tennis: The game of tennis as it is played today comes from Great Britain, where it originated as lawn tennis in the mid-1800’s.
• Wimbledon: In 1884 the Ladies’ Singles at Wimbledon was inaugurated, and from a field of 13 players Maud Watson became the champion.
• Tennis Balls: A new tennis ball should weigh two ounces.
• Bouncing Balls: When dropped from a height of 100 inches onto concrete, a new tennis ball should bounce about 55 inches.
• Grand Slam Titles: Margaret Smith Court holds the record with 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
• Record Holder: Martina Navratilova holds the record for most career singles and doubles titles with over 325.
• 1884/1885: Ladies’ singles tennis competition was added to Wimbledon in 1884. Maud Watson won in both 1884 and 1885.
• Lottie Dod: Lottie Dod won the women’s Wimbledon Championship five times between 1887 and 1893.
• 1897: The first Women’s French Tennis Championship is held.
• Ball Boys & Girls: There are more than 200 ball boys and girls used to fetch tennis balls during Wimbledon.
• Lawn Mower: Wimbledon is the only major tennis tournament still played on grass. The lawn there is cut every day.
• Tennis Dresses: The first women to play in the Wimbledon tournament wore full length dresses.
• Australian Open: Martina Hingis was the youngest Australian Open Women’s Single Champion (16 years, three months) in 1997.
• Wimbledon Wood: A wooden racket was last used at Wimbledon in 1987.
• Equal Pay: In 2007, the men’s and women’s singles winners at Wimbledon each received £700,000. It was the first year that women got as much prize money as men.
• Wimbledon Winner: May Sutton of the United States became the first non-European champion in 1905 when she captured the women’s singles title.
• Love Match: Steffi Graff and Andre Agassi were the first married couple to have won both the men’s and women’s singles Wimbledon Championships.

PT Playbook: Badminton Basics

Badminton is distinguished from other racquet sports, all of which use a ball of some size, by two features: the use of a shuttlecock (birdie) and the fact the shuttlecock cannot touch the ground during a rally. It’s also considered the world’s fastest racquet sport since the shuttlecock (a small bouncy ball with a cone of feathers glued to it) can leave a player’s racquet at a mind boggling 200 miles per hour!

Competitive badminton is far different from the game played in the backyard at family gatherings.  Similar to tennis, it is played with two to four players (singles or doubles). The shuttlecock is volleyed over a five-foot high, narrow net and only the serving team scores points.

The lightning-fast sport demands constant, highly concentrated actions: running, jumping, twisting, stretching, running backwards and striking. Besides explosiveness, quick reflexes and rapid hand-eye coordination, competitive badminton players must also possess superb aerobic endurance.

In a typical two-game singles match, top players will cover nearly every inch of the court and travel the equivalent of a mile. The flight characteristics of the shuttlecock and the pace created by constant volleying combine to make badminton one of the most exciting sports to play and watch.

According to most sources, badminton was first played 2,000 years ago in ancient Greeced, India and China. By the 1600s, it had become a genteel pastime practiced by noble classes in many European countries. Having been a demonstration and exhibition sport in 1972 and 1988 respectively, the sport was finally granted Olympic status for the 1992 Barcelona Games.

For those interested in something more than the occassional friend game, there are badminton clubs where enthusiasts can meet like-minded players and improve their skills. To find a club near you, visit USA Badminton

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