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Allie Maternowski

4/4/2019

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Allie Maternowski - Kentucky
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo.
Nomination and Photography by Kustom Dezigns Photography.
 Featured in Issue 16 of Inspiring Teens Magazine.

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The Nomination: Allie Maternowski is so incredibly sweet and caring. She is always willing to help and is the first to step up when there is a need. The list of clubs, sports, volunteer & service projects she is a part of is incredible (many of them she has held a leadership position in); and she manages to maintain a 4.29 GPA and a perfect school attendance (since 6th grade). Allie really is an inspiration and joy to be around.
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​Tell me about your leadership roles in clubs and sports.
I have been involved in the Key Club at HCA since 9th grade, and I am the President this year. I have been involved in the National Honor Society at HCA since 10th grade, and I am the Vice President this year. I have been involved in the Spanish National Honor Society at HCA since 10th grade and had the leadership role as the chaplain last year. I have played volleyball for Heritage Christian Academy (HCA) since 5th grade. I played the setter position and was a co-captain on the team. I have played tennis for HCA since 7th grade, and I am the number one seed on my team.

What is your favorite thing about being a leader?
My favorite thing about being a leader is encouraging and motivating others. I feel the best way to do that is to lead by example. Showing others instead of just telling them what needs to be done to accomplish something is, I think, much better received. It is so important to encourage and lift up others during the process.

Why do you think you are so inspiring?
I feel that I am inspiring because I try to practice the golden rule. I treat others the way I would want to be treated. I think others can sense if you are who you really claim to be. I care about people and try to be helpful in any way that I can. In volleyball season during my senior year, I got an injury. I was accustomed to starting and playing the entire game, but then I had to sit out. This was a very humbling experience for me because instead of being cheered on, I cheered on my teammates from the sidelines. I truly enjoyed being helpful and encouraging to my teammates.
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​How do you maintain your GPA of a 4.29 with all your extra-curricular activities?
I am able to keep up my GPA along with other activities because I have learned that the busier I am, the more I can accomplish. I am very organized, and I always prioritize the things that I need to get done. I spend a substantial amount of time studying since it is very important to me to always do my best. I put my whole heart into all that I do to glorify God. I also have a strong work ethic and am very competitive. I do best when I am challenged, so being involved in many activities has helped me to better manage my time and keep my GPA up.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In five years, I plan to have a bachelor’s degree in Horticulture and work in that area. I love gardening, and I have been raising vegetables and flowers with my grandmother since I was very young. I even entered items in the Western Kentucky State Fair with my grandmother and was awarded many ribbons for our vegetables and flowers. I want to work in the field of Horticulture because I really enjoy it. Eventually, I hope to open my own nursery and teach others how to garden the way my grandmother taught me.

Allie was featured in Issue 16 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!
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Joe Gryboski

3/23/2019

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Joe Gryboski - Indiana
Interview by Zoe D’Angelo
Nomination and Photography by Jennifer Dunn Photography
Issue 16 Inspiring Teens Magazine

The Nomination:  I cannot say enough good things about Joe! Not only is he an Eagle Scout, he also plays varsity soccer and manages the girls’ basketball team. Joe is a great student and very driven. The best thing about Joe for me is how helpful and fun he is. He adds so much as the only guy on my model rep team. He makes each session so much fun for everyone! 
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How did you become interested in soccer?
I became interested in soccer as a kid who just wanted to get out of the house and have fun. I started playing soccer when I was three years old, and I haven’t stopped playing since. I started 
playing rec-league, but I decided that I wanted to improve my skills heading into high school, so I tried out for a travel team. I have played for the Kentucky Fire Jrs. and for the Southern Indiana United club teams. While travel ball was a lot of fun, I have made some of my best memories and friends playing soccer for my high school, Our Lady of Providence. Two of these incredible memories include getting to play in the Indiana State Championship game as a sophomore and leading my team to the Semi-State Finals as a senior. 

​What are your experiences of being the only guy on your model rep team?
Being the only guy on Jennifer Dunn Photography’s model rep team has been interesting to say the least. While the female models are usually doing similar things on shoots, Jennifer and I get come up with unique ways to include me. This results in me being the subject in photos that really stand out. I have been given the opportunity to be creative and express myself in ways that I hadn’t thought of before. My mom originally forced me to join Jennifer’s team, but I am thankful that she did because I have developed a real interest in photography. 


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Image by Dawn Gryboski
Tell me about your Eagle Scout leadership opportunities.
It had always been my goal to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout; I fulfilled this goal this past summer with the completion of my Eagle Scout Project. My project was providing Norton Children’s Hospital with two gaming carts that were equipped with a Wii, an Xbox, and a flatscreen TV. During this project I oversaw the fundraising, construction, and installation of these carts, which included working with over 50 people. Throughout this whole process, I learned that I was capable of leading others whether it was listening, guiding, or instructing them. I am very proud to have been able to help out my community.

​What are your plans for the future?
While I don’t currently know which college I will be attending this Fall, I do know that I want to major in Sports Medicine Physical Therapy, and possibly minor in Photography. I want to study Sports Medicine Physical Therapy because of my love of helping others and my love of sports. I have encountered numerous injuries during my athletic career, so I have seen firsthand how important the job of Physical Therapists can be. I want to minor in Photography because of my new interest in that creative field. I have always been intrigued by it because my mom has let me use her camera before, but the experiences of being on Jennifer Dunn’s model rep team has solidified my interest. 

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Joe was featured in Issue 16 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!


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Grant Eubanks

3/7/2019

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​Grant Eubanks - 18 - Mississippi
Interviewed by Zoe D'Angelo
Nomination & Photography by
​Sonja Shamblin from Keepsake Photography
Issue 18 | Sports

The Nomination: Grant Eubanks is a senior at George County High School, where he will be graduating with highest honors. Grant is inspirational for his drive and determination, not only in academics but sports. Grant has played tennis for his high school since 7th grade and qualified for state championships two years in a row. He hopes he qualifies this year as well his senior season. 
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How did you become interested in starting a career in tennis?

My interest in the game of tennis began out of curiosity. I had heard the stories of two of my uncles playing on their high school teams, and I decided that I wanted to try my hand at tennis, so my dad and I found a teaching pro at The Mobile Tennis Center. After every lesson, I began to enjoy the game more and more. My enjoyment quickly turned into a passion for a game that I had just started playing. I had no idea that 8 years later I would be the singles player for my school, two-time qualifier for the state championships, and ranked in the top forty in Mississippi at sixteen. 

How does playing tennis help you inspire others?
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I think that my involvement in tennis inspires others because tennis is not a sport that gets much attention. I do my best to inspire more people to play and have managed to grow the tennis community in my town considerably. I have helped many people discover the game that I love so dearly. 

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​Tell me about your experiences qualifying for the state championships.

When I was a sophomore, I became one of the few players from my school to qualify for the state championships and the first to qualify in boy’s singles. After qualifying, I was elated, and I celebrated with my teammates. The next year, I qualified playing mixed doubles, but in addition to qualifying, my partner and I won the district mixed doubles championships. 

What advice would you give to a young person who wants to be a tennis player?
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 Since I have the privilege of coaching and advising young players in my community, I would advise younger people that wanted to start playing tennis to go out and find a professional coach: this makes all the difference later in one’s tennis career. When I started going to tennis lessons, my knowledge of the game grew as well as my passion. 
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Do you plan in continuing to play tennis in the future?

 After finishing high school, I will play tennis for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. After playing in junior college, I am going to play in adult leagues and on USTA teams. I am also considering getting my USTA coaching certification. Tennis is the game that anyone can play for their entire life, and I plan on playing as long as I am able. 


Grant will be featured in Issue 18 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!
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Olivia McClure

3/7/2019

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Olivia McClure - 17 - Kentucky
Interview by Zoe D'Angelo
Nominations by Megan Spraggs, Raylee Thomas, & Amy Vaughn
Photography by Bailey & B Photography - Shawna Munger
Issue 19 | Sports

The Nominations:
Olivia McClure is inspiring to me because she never gives up. She didn’t make Cheer team during her 7th grade year, but instead of giving up, she worked harder and tried out again and made it. She tried out for Co-Ed cheer team in high school not having competitive cheer experience, but she worked hard, kept trying, and her coaches liked what they saw. She wanted to stunt. That is not where she was needed. The coaches needed her to base and spot. She did not complain or quit. She became a reliable base/spotter for her cheer team. One teammate told me “I like Olivia as my spotter, she just knows right where to put her hand to stabilize me.” Some things have not always gone her way, but she never gave up. That quality is inspiring to all around her and will take her far in life. ~ Amy Vaughn (Mom)
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Olivia McClure has a very inspiring personality. I want to say first that she has cheered for Graves County COED for all four years of high school and has kept her grades up while doing so. She also works three jobs, on top of that. With all these things on her plate, she also attends Saint Jerome Catholic Church and participates in a lot of the youth nights as well. ~ Raylee Thomas (BFF)
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Olivia McClure is inspiring because she’s has always kept up her grades while balancing her life outside of school. She has worked 3 jobs while being on the cheer team and volunteering in school clubs. She has also volunteered her time at Camp Connect where she did community work for the elderly. ~ Megan Spraggs (BFF)
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​Tell me about your experiences with cheerleading. 
I took my love of gymnastics and tried out for cheerleading in my 7th grade year. I didn’t make the team that year, but I made the team my 8th grade year. I enjoyed being on the cheer team but was undecided on if I wanted to try out for the high school cheer team. My friend, Kennedy, encouraged me to try out for the Co-Ed Cheer team at the high school, explaining that the Co-Ed Cheer team was a competitive team with tumbling and stunting. Graves County had a reputation of being one of the best Co-Ed teams in the nation - having won several regional, state, and national titles.

I started going to their open gym practices and fell in love. I loved the competitive nature, how close the team members seem to be to one another, and I loved the tumbling. I made the team going into my freshman year at Graves County High. My time in high school revolved around cheer. We practiced 2-3 hours; 3-4 days a week pretty much year around. We participated in numerous competitions and showcases across the state. I am ending my Co-Ed cheer team career with multiple runner up titles; 3 Regional titles, 2 State Titles, and 1 National title. I am also ending my Co-Ed cheer team career with thousands of memories, hundreds of laughs, and a few tears.

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Image by UCA
What did you like most about your CoEd team?
We are family. They are my best friends. We encourage each other, help each other when needed, and we celebrate everyone's accomplishments.

How did you keep yourself organized and your grades up while also maintaining 3 jobs?
Notes in my phone and writing everything in my Doug the Pug planner was a huge help. I like being busy and it seem that the busier I was, the better time management I had!

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Tell me about your 3 jobs you had.
I worked at my Great Uncle's restaurant as a hostess/waitress one to two days a week. I did give that job up though because my cheer schedule was interfering in the days that I could work. I work seasonally at the formal shop, Chrislyn's. I really like helping girls find the dress of their dreams and have been doing that for 2 years. I recently began working as a staff member for Mega Gym in my hometown. So now instead of 3 jobs, I just have 2. 
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What are your plans for the future?

I plan on attending Murray State University in the fall with a major in Biology/Pre-Physical Therapy. After I graduate from Murray State, I hope to be chosen for the University of Kentucky Physical Therapy program and become a Certified Physical Therapist. My goal is to open my own clinic one day helping people recover from sports related injuries. I also plan to stay active by trying out for the Murray State University Cheer team.


Olivia will be featured in Issue 18 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!
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Jordan Veldman

2/17/2019

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​Interview by Larissa Chelius
Nomination & Photography by
Heather Wanninger of Sweet Lemonade Photography
Illinois

The Nomination: ​Jordan is a 3-sport athlete in high school while also taking grades seriously and being highly involved in church, youth group and volunteering among other activities. He is strong in his faith and quick to share what lessons he learns through studying the bible. He's a great all-around young man!

What three sports do you play?
I play football, basketball, and baseball.

How has being in youth group changed you?
It has made me a better leader. In youth groups, there are times where people don’t feel comfortable sharing their ideas or beliefs and I have learned to step up and throw in my opinions and ideas. This creates a more comfortable atmosphere for everyone because now people feel better about sharing what they have to say. Youth Group has also changed the way I go after a religious lifestyle. This occurred in 7th grade church camp; this was the moment that I truly realized I needed a savior. I have been raised in a family where my grandparents were pastors and my whole family was very faith-based. I always understood to believe the stories of the bible, but at this camp, I finally learned that it is about our relationship with Jesus that makes us different. I figured out that I had to invest in a relationship with Jesus like I do with everyday friends. This has been vital in me developing as a Christian and making me joyful with this newfound hope I had.

What volunteer projects have you taken part in?
My favorite volunteer project that I have taken part in is when my church ran a vacation bible school (vbs) in a trailer park. We spent one day walking door to door to meet people and give them flyers about the event. This event was completely free and ran solely by my church and the volunteers. I was able to help with moving things around and organizing/setting things up as well as participate as a teacher in one of the ‘stations’ we did for the children. This was a great experience because it helped me get out of my comfort zone as well as learn that all the glory of those events truly goes to God. No one person claims or asks for credit, we just all give it to God.

Would you recommend others to take part in youth group?
Yes, it will change your life; you get to meet new people that are so genuine and care about you as a person. It gives you confidence to go into your school as a Christian and to be different because you see that you aren’t alone. One of the biggest helps from youth group is that when you’re around multiple other God-loving people that invite God’s presence into the room, God will speak through them. If everyone allows God to speak through them and put things on their heart, the atmosphere is so awesome, and you are directly hearing from God.

Do you have a saying or a story that you like to live by? If so, what is it?
“Rules without a relationship lead to rebellion”; I love this saying because it shows that when we go into life without God on our heart and mind, we are bound to break His commandments for us. God has these set in place to protect us and to keep us pure and holy with Him. When we are daily in His word and actively pursuing a relationship with Him, it will make following His commandments so much easier.

Jordan was featured in issue 15.
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Jackson Pearson

2/16/2019

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Interview with Zoe D’Angelo 
Nomination & Photography by Karen Stauffer Photography 
Illinois

The Nomination: ​Jackson's passion for football started in 2nd grade & has continued through his senior year. He has worked so hard and has dedicated many years on and off the field to be 100% ready to win the game. Jackson is hoping to play college football and study graphic design.
Another thing that is close to Jackson's heart is making others aware that bullying is not ok and especially with those who have special needs.
I really admire his gentle spirit.
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​How did you become interested in playing football?
I became interested in football when I was six years old. I started watching the Chicago Bears with my dad & I found the sport so intriguing because of how action packed it is & you never know what might happen from play to play.
I know you've been playing football for many years, so what kinds of people have you met along the way?
During the duration of my football career I've met so many great friends & coaches. So many people I have met from football have influenced me throughout the years & made me who I am today. 
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What are some of the things you do in the off season to help you be more prepared for the upcoming year?
In the off season it is very important to stay in shape & improve for the next season. I do this by working out as much as I can with my team & eating the right kinds of food.

If you encountered a child who wants to have a career like yours including football, what is one piece of advice you would give them?
I would tell them to never give up on their dreams & work hard to achieve them. I would also tell them to play every football game as if it were their last.

When you’re not playing football or working on school work, what do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time I like to do outdoor activities such as playing sports with my friends or go fishing. I also like to draw & play with my two dogs, Zoey & Frankie

Jackson was featured in issue 15.
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Tyler Graciano

1/22/2019

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Interview by Michelle Sicard 
Nomination and Photography by Alexis Graciano of Graciano Photography
Indiana ​


The Nomination: Tyler is a loving person. He enjoys singing in his free time and is in his school choir. He plays on his school basketball team as well as the AAU basketball team for our town. He was in private school most his life where they taught him Spanish and how to sign. At a young age he found his love for singing and theater at his private school but is very happy to now be in public school playing basketball and his school choir.
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How did you become interested in singing in the first place? Is there a specific artist/band you are inspired by?

Well it all started with the old originals like Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber but now it is more like Khalid, Halsey, Post Malone, Lil Uzi Vert, Nicki Minaj, and Juice World. To be honest it was just a feeling, that I just loved to do it, it made me happy and feel like I could be a part of something greater than myself.

How did you feel during your transition from private to public school? Was it that much different, and if so, how? 

I loved it. My old school wasn’t really the right fit for me and some of the kids were not what I needed, plus all my friends went to the public school. It is different but coming from that to this is a transition I wouldn’t change for the world. I’m so much happier I get to be with my real friends. Shoutout to The 6 Amigos, Griffin, and Cassidy.​
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Tell me a little bit about your AAU Basketball Team. Was there any experience where you had to be a leader or show leadership skills in the team?

So my AAU team is really hyper and were like a family to be honest. We have support for each other and have each other’s backs. There was a few times when I had to step up especially on my School team but we all worked together and we got second in conference.

What are some of your favorite pieces you have sang in choir and does your school have choir concerts or other activities?

Well my favorite piece in choir was singing Believe from the polar express, and yes we have a Winter, Spring, and ISMA pre-concert. My favorite musical I have ever done was at my old school and we did High School Musical.

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​With all your amazing extra-curriculars, how do you keep yourself organized and keep your grades up?
I have to stay organized or I get stressed. It’s weird and helpful at the same time, but I just try my best to get good grades just like I do.

What do you plan on doing after high school?
Well for college I was either thinking about staying local like IU Bloomington or Purdue but, I really wanted to go somewhere where its nicer like AADA which is an acting in school in California, or somewhere in Texas or Florida. And if neither of my passions work out, I would try to be an Interior Designer or Architect. 

​Tyler will be featured in Issue 16.
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How to  Paddle Board

10/15/2018

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Article & Image submitted By Larissa Chelius​

Paddle boarding is an easy leisure activity to do on calm summer days.
Here are some quick steps to the relaxing sport.
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1. Zip up your life jacket!
     When paddle boarding you can lose balance when a wave comes and fall into deep or shallow waters. Either way, a life jacket is necessary.

2. Check that both fins are pushed all the way down.
     If both fins aren’t all the way down when steering the paddle board, it will go in a circle when you try to move.

3. Slowly step onto the middle of the paddle board.
     This will distribute the weight evenly throughout the paddle board allowing you to balance.

4. Slowly push off the dock.
     Make sure that when you push off you maintain steady balance.

5. Paddle away!
     When paddle boarding you can either go straight or turn. To go straight try and move the paddle in a straight line as close to the board as possible. When trying to turn, make a half circle with the paddle moving from the front of the board to the back.

6. Dock the board.
     Slowly progress toward the docking area. When you are close turn the board, so the side is touching the dock. Attach the rope securely to a hook and place the paddle in its holding space.
7. Step off the paddle board.

     Slowly step off the paddle board so that as you get off the board it doesn’t tip and fall.

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Swim

10/5/2018

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Poem, Article by Ava Soloff, Image by Danielle Soloff

I AM

I am a swimmer, one with the water.
I wonder if I will journey to the Olympics
I hear the sound of my hands and feet crashing against
     the water
I see the other swimmers start to trail behind me
I yearn to make it to the finals
I am a swimmer, one with the water
I imagine the announcer claiming me as first place
I feel confident that I will speed ahead
I touch the scaly wall
I worry I didn’t make it
I cry tears of joy when I win
I am a swimmer, one with the water
I understand I must be a good sport
I congratulate the girls next to me
I try to get past the clusters of people cheering
        on the swimmers in the transparent water
I dream I will win my next race
I hope someday I make my mark
Why Swimming is Great for Your Mind and Body

Many people say that swimming is a very physical sport. While it is, there is another aspect which is mental. The physical part comes in during countless hours of drylands, practice, and meets. You work your hardest to get through tough sets and events. That really comes in handy in my everyday life because it helps me with other sports and it is great for your health. The mental part comes in when you get tired and you need to learn to push yourself or when you have to overcome nerves before races.
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Swimming also helps me prioritize my weekly schedule because it is a sport that requires daily commitment. Not only that, but it teaches you self-discipline. For example, meets are pretty much always early in the morning so I know the night before to go to bed early, eat a healthy dinner and breakfast, to drink lots of water, and to relax. Another great thing about swimming is that when I'm stressed, it really helps me to calm down.
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Tumbling

10/4/2018

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By Riley Devlin

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As far back as I can remember, I have always loved doing tumbling. Tumbling is performing acrobatics, such as back handsprings, cartwheels, aerials, and back tucks, usually on a mat or floor. At the age of five, I started cheerleading and tumbling is a big part of cheer. Tumbling pretty much came naturally to me. Tumbling takes a lot of practice to perfect.

My mom bought me tumbling mats and I practice every day. It is difficult and frustrating when learning a new tumble, but once you get it, it is so exciting and makes all the practice worth it. Right now, I am trying to perfect my back tuck. I practice at least an hour a day and sometimes I get it but not always. I will not stop until I perfect it!

​Being good at tumbling helps with my cheerleading. If you are good at doing flips, a lot of the time, cheer coaches will put you in the front of routines and give you solo performances, which makes me feel happy. I still have some work to do, but I will not stop until l I have all of my flips.
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Ultimate Frisbee

6/29/2018

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By Lily Anderson

When you think of a sport, what do you think of? Football? Soccer? Baseball? Maybe basketball? Well me, alongside 824,000 other people in the world, we think of Ultimate Frisbee. You might be asking yourself, “Frisbee is a sport?” Well, actually it is. It’s a team sport that utilizes running, quick thinking and incredible aim to get the disc to your teammate regardless of rain or wind. The most amazing thing isn’t the high jumps they do to catch the disc or the flips and amazing layouts they perform, it’s the fact that it is completely self reffed by the player. There are no referees and in some cases there aren’t even any coaches. The players make all the calls on the field themselves without any help from the sidelines. They must compromise with each other, come to an agreement, make honest calls and learn good sportsmanship. ​
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It really is a game of integrity. There are rarely fights or arguments during a game. You may be wondering, how do you even play a game like this? You start with 7 players from both teams lined up on opposite sides of the field. To start each game one of the teams throws a “pull”, which is when they throw the disc across the field to the other team. Then the team puts the disc in play by starting to throw the frisbee to their teammates within 10 seconds from when they get the frisbee until when they release it. Your teammates may run, but the person who has the frisbee can’t take any steps. To get a point, you have to have a successful throw/catch into the endzone without the defense intercepting it. The game ends when someone reaches 13 total points. ​
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At Pennsbury High school in Fairless Hills, I asked the team captain of the Varsity Ultimate Frisbee team (Colin Anderson) a few questions. “What would you want people to know about Ultimate?” He replied “I would want people to watch us play themselves before making assumptions on the sport. They’ll be surprised to see how much effort it takes to play and how cool it really is. Ultimate frisbee uses all types of skills. We run a lot, use hand eye coordination, aim, strength, and a bunch more.” Another question I had was, ”What’s the hardest thing about playing?” Colin’s answer was similar to what I expected, ”one of the hardest things is not getting mad if the wind carries the disc somewhere other than where I threw it. Especially when it matters most in the last few points of the game.” My favorite part of the game is the spirit the Pennsbury team has regardless of the score. You’ll always hear the team chanting and cheering during the game. The Pennsbury Ultimate Frisbee team has a very impressive record. They are Seven Time Pennsylvania State Champions, Northeastern US Regional Champions, Two Time Eastern US Regional Champions, Seven Time Tidewater Tuneup Champions, Three Time Amherst Invitational Champions and more to come. Watching the Pennsbury boy’s team has taught me many things about this unique sport and even encouraged me to become apart of the girls team. So next time you think of a sport, what will it be? Ultimate frisbee!
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Soccer in Disney

4/12/2018

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By Kari Jim

Every year, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Center located in Orlando Florida, holds a country-wide elite soccer showcase. And this past Thanksgiving, I had the chance to go. I have been playing soccer since I was 5 years old, and have been dreaming of going to this tournament ever since I first heard of it.
 
            This year my soccer team, PA Rush, qualified for the Disney Showcase Tournament. We have been trying to get in for the past two years and finally, our wish came true. When my team first found out we were going to this showcase, we were all so excited. We knew we were going to have fun on this trip, but we weren’t expecting to have as much fun as we did.
 
            We scheduled our flight to be on the last day before Thanksgiving break officially started. We arrived in Orlando around 8 o’clock that Tuesday. Only a couple of my teammates were already at the hotel so we decided to meet up with them. I remember not being able to sleep at all that first night, because I was too excited for the next couple of days.
           
            Wednesday was our only full day with nothing planned. Since we didn’t have any games scheduled for Wednesday, we decided to do something fun. Some of the girls went to Animal Kingdom while some went to Universal Studios. I was one of the few that went to Universal (and we had more fun than the girls that went to Animal Kingdom). We spent the whole day—from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.—walking around, going on practically every ride we could. We didn’t even realize how late it was until we saw people clearing the roads, getting ready for what looked to be a parade. And it was in fact a parade—a Christmas parade. The parade lasted for a good 30 minutes and then we decided to finally go back to the hotel and get some rest. The next day would be our first game and we honestly had no idea what to expect.
 
            Walking into the ESPN Wide World of Sports Center the next day, no one imagined it would look the way it did. We walked past the widely recognized big red globe, and it looked like we were walking into a 5-star resort. There were palm trees lining every sidewalk and there was an overwhelming sense of elite competition. With too many soccer fields to count, it took us almost 15 minutes to find our playing field.
 
            After warming up and walking over to the players side of the field, my teammates and I looked over to the sidelines to find many college coaches already seated and ready to watch us play. I was already nervous to begin with, and knowing that there were college coaches watching, made me even more nervous. But the game went pretty well: we ended up winning 2-1. By the time the game was over it was nearing 5:00, and everyone was hungry for some Thanksgiving dinner back at our hotel. Our whole team sat at one long table, enjoying our food, grateful for the opportunity to be in Orlando, and talking about how excited we were for our next game.
 
            The next day we had to get up early for our game. Although we were feeling very confident, we lost the game 3-1. None of us were too mad though, because we knew we played well. And since our game was early in the morning, everyone was too excited to go to a park afterwards. Most of my team decided to go to Magic Kingdom. Once arriving at the park, we realized that any other day would have been better to be in Disney’s Magic Kingdom. The sidewalks were so crowded; it took us 20 minutes to just get past the entrance. We didn’t end up doing a lot that day, all the lines were too long for our tired legs.
 
            The following day, walking out of the ESPN complex and towards the fields, there was incredibly dense fog everywhere. You couldn’t even see past the first field. And of course, our field was in the very very back. Once again we walked for about 20 minutes before we reached our playing field. We were competing against a team from Florida, and by the looks of these girls and the dense fog, we figured this game was going to be interesting. It was about 65 degrees outside, pretty warm if you’re from PA—but the team we were playing thought otherwise. About half of their players were wearing Under Armour long sleeves and gloves. One of the players even wore leggings under her shorts. We watched in amusement as they complained about how cold it was.
 
            The game was very tough but we came out winning 2-0. It was not an easy win by any standards. The girls were very aggressive. I ended up having to leave the game for a short time due to a bloody nose after a strong elbow to the face. After many many fouls and even a few opposing parents cursing at the referee in Spanish, we walked out of the complex with our heads held high. We were so proud of ourselves in this highly competitive tournament.
 
            Many of my teammates left that day, and the few who stayed went to yet another park. Some of us even managed to visit two parks. After spending a few hours in Hollywood Studios—riding Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster—we decided to head over to Epcot for our last park. After riding a few space rides and walking around the World Showcase, it was time to head back to the hotel totally exhausted for our last night.
 
            The plane ride home was pretty boring. No one was looking forward to going back to school the next day. Looking back at everything that happened on this trip, I hope I get the opportunity to could go back and compete in this incredible venue again. For any athlete that gets the chance to go to the ESPN Wide World of Sports center, do it. It was one of the best experiences of my life.
 
​
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