Toni Cade Bambara's story, “Raymond's run,” takes place in a neighborhood. Hazel, a runner, is about to be in a race a with Gretchen. Hazel has won many races and has gotten many medals. Hazel is determined to win. Gretchen thinks Hazel is going to lose and she will win because n Gretchen's mind she is the best. One lesson in the story is, be confident.…
Author Bruce Watson’s (2014) “How Theodore Roosevelt Saved Football” discussed how Theodore Roosevelt protected football from endangerment. Theodore Roosevelt had a great passion for football, however; the sport was considered treacherous. Many of the players received concussions, brain impairment, back injuries, and even death. During the early 1900’s football faced a lot of controversy claiming the football players would injure and potentially kill other players “to put them out of business” (Watson, 2014, Roosevelt Saved Football). When Theodore Roosevelt’s son, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., who was a member of the freshman team at Harvard, was injured with a black eye, broken arm and knocked unconscious he made major headlines (Watson, 2014,…
Super Bowl winning coach and author Tony Dungy reflects on what it takes to achieve significance in life in his book titled Uncommon. He is looked to by many as the epitome of the success and significance that is highly valued in our culture from the dominance of athleticism in society. In his book he gives examples of young men who are trying to achieve significance through football and all that goes with a professional athletic career, such as money, power, and a celebrity status. Tony Dungy has had all of that, but he passionately believes that there is a different path to significance, a path characterized by attitudes, ambitions, and loyalties that is rewarding in the end. Uncommon reveals lessons on achieving…
In this emotional novel Rabbit, Run, John Updike takes the main character, Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, on a roller coaster ride through the ups and downs of life. The once great basketball star runs into a mental crisis in his mid-twenties and decides to up and leave his son, Nelson, and pregnant wife Janice to escape to the easier life. Rabbit may have had a better relationship with the people in his life if he were not constantly running. His immaturities and insecurities hurt his family, especially his son who is dependent…
In the article, “When Theodore Roosevelt Saved Football”, the author Bruce Watson, discuss the many issues that dealt with football, the destruction that happened on gridirons, what key players intervened, and the steps they took to change the phenomenal game we know today as Football. President Theodore Roosevelt saved the game of football, as a result, he pursued peace on another battlefield. Theodore Roosevelt respected the game of football, in what he called “The Strenuous Life” For Roosevelt had “no patience with the people who declaim against it because it necessitates rough play and occasional injuries.” Football today stands to be accused of causing serious damage to the body; consequently, during Theodore Roosevelt’s time football…
There is a reason the 40 yard dash is the most talked about stat at the NFL combine. The NFL weeds out those who are too slow and separates the men from the boys. Those who play in the NFL are simply a different breed of man, the best athletes in the world.…
The narrative of Silver Linings Playbook is formed in the heart of Philadelphia around a middle class family at it’s breaking point. Pat’s, the protagonist, family has very much shaped his current situation; he has clinical bipolar disorder and struggles with stress-induced manic outbursts. After Pat’s release from a mandated rehabilitation center, he handles the next recuperating stage of his life in a similar way as a quarterback looking to make the next big play on the field; watching for possible blitzes and passes, anything to get the ball into the end zone, or in Pat’s case, to get in position for his life to get back on track, and preferably with his estranged wife, Nikki. The football metaphor does not stop there and is continually enforced by Pat Sr., Pat’s OCD and stress-induced manic outburst ridden father.…
In John Feinstein’s, Rush for the Gold, the main characters, Susan Carol, a swimming Olympian, her boyfriend, Stevie Thomson, who writes for the newspaper in their hometown, and Mr. Anderson, Susan Carol’s father, fight for Susan Carol’s goal of winning a gold medal. This story tells the tale of a young girl, her boyfriend, her dad, and her dream. Although, Stevie and Susan Carol face several obstacles, with the help of friendship and loyalty, Susan Carol achieves her dream of swimming in the London Summer Olympics. In his novel, Rush for the Gold, John Feinstein reveals the theme of friendship through the use of characters, conflict, and suspense.…
“A Pitch Too High for the Human Ear,” the second story from Cate Kennedy’s “Dark Roots” anthology, follows the bland, routine-centric life of a seemingly archetypal ‘family man’: Andrew, the narrator. Andrew, despite his docile façade, finds family life unfulfilling, not to mention grinding. His wife, Vicki, gossips about him, never not finding a flaw in his persona, incessantly nagging for him to let go of his nostalgia for his glory days of yesteryear. She requires for him to give into the rhythm of repetitive routine. His only means of figuratively chasing after his pre-family self thus are his long, late-night running sessions, accompanied by his dog, Kelly. That is, until Kelly loses his sense of hearing. For reasons not explicitly stated…
The story’s title main protagonist has the name Louis Zamperini,but he has an irregularity with his name and decides to call himself Louie . Living within the scarce community of Torrance, California, Louie shares his residence with his parents Tony and Louise, his brother and sisters. Due to the little amount of people within the town, Louie began to perpetrate petty thievery and started skirmishes with the other adolescents of the town. With a great amount of disdainment from his community, Louie began to go to high school and eventually, ended up joining track. Louie’s mindest drastically changes when he committed himself to a sport. Expertly becoming a track star through training and dedication, Louie gained a bright future with scholarships to major universities in California. Before he attended college, Louie astonishingly broke the state track record and soon become well known within his home state. With the distinction as great as his, Louie was approached by the Olympics Committee of the United States and given a formal invitation to represent the U.S. in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.…
This is an autobiography about Jesse Owens. This particular selection informs you about a famous african-american track runner and olympic gold medalist. The author's purpose for writing this book was to present to us how jesse owens beat all odds and did the impossible. “In less than an hour, he had set or tied four world records.” page 45…
I began playing football when I was eight years old. From the moment, I first stepped on the field for practice I knew that I loved this game. I was a little four-foot-nothing kid tackling, blocking, and learning plays all while barely being able to see out of my helmet let alone over the other players. I was always the smallest player on the team and everyone called me “squirt.” What I didn’t have in size I made up for with my speed, determination and heart. Even though I was the smallest player on the team I was quick and strong enough to play quarterback on offense and cornerback on defense. Being the fastest player on the team, I could outrun every player at practice, run seventy five plays, and still be able to go home after practice and play more football.…
The novel centers on, two men and their purpose of life. George was a small man who cursed a lot, although he was somewhat witty. He seemed to have a sixth sense, about the people he encountered. His life was dedicated to the pursuit of the American dream “he wanted a plot of land to call his own,” and the care of his lifelong friend. Lennie is mentally challenged and simple of speech. He possesses a large frame and has the strength of many men. Lennie was not aware of his strength, due to his disability. He also wanted a piece of the American dream. “He wanted a plot of land to call his own,” so he could raise rabbits.…
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner, by Alan Sillitoe deals with an athlete facing conformity. Smith, Sillitoe's character is a young "rebel," who is in a borstal for stealing money from a neighborhood bakery. Smith is a long-distance runner, who runs every morning while in the borstal. The borstal governor keeps on top of Smith to keep running and win the "Borstal Blue Ribbon Prize Cup for Long Distance Cross-Country Running (All England)."…
The Full Marathon will start outside the Newry Credit Union Building on Hill Street at 9.00 am.…