Sports Talk: I’m recruiting YOU for sports commentary

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Jan. 16, 2013.

I was already scolded by my mother for not keeping my word and I cannot be sure how many of you other faithful readers of my column might have shaken a finger at me for not following through last week and explaining my second new year’s resolution as promised… (I just got a little excited about the Sugar Bowl is all…!)

So here goes…

Reading comments on Facebook, hearing friends, coworkers, family, and even complete strangers talk sports often makes me feel as though I know nothing about the sports world. But let’s be honest: it’s a big world. It’s quite a job to keep up with all of it… In fact there is a name for that: ESPN, and even they need more than one channel (ESPN2, ESPNU…) and they still can’t cover it all.

I want to be inclusive and accurate in more of the coverage and insights included in this column and I’m recruiting your help to do it.

I love reader feedback and involvement. I know Casey County is full of sports-lovers and some more passionate than I about certain sports, events, players and coaches. I am going to use one of my columns a month to include your thoughts, commentary, predictions and feedback on events in the sports world.

This is how it will work:

1 – Look for a question posed at the end of my column. I will try to typically leave the question open for response for at least two weeks. Having said that, I will add that I will also try to include some timely feedback so the window for response may not always be too long.

2 – I’ll take responses primarily two ways:
Email: rita_peat@hotmail.com
Twitter: @ritapeata
***This blog counts also...feel free to comment! :)

3 – I’ll compile some of the top responses for print and make you an official sports commentator.

So for the first question…

While I did more actively participate in my husband’s fantasy football team this year, I still cannot claim to be an avid NFL follower and everyone (non-sports fans included) knows the Super Bowl is just around the corner.

I want to hear your predictions! We won’t know the match up until after this weekend, but when we do, tell me your predicted score and which player(s) will make it happen.

No need to be shy when the time comes. Believe me, Facebook and the Internet in general make it quite clear how opinionated we all are when it comes to sports we follow, so have a little fun with it and share it on a larger scale.

Feedback for Rita “Peat”: What is your score prediction for the 2013 Super Bowl and who will the pivotal players be? Give a few details…

Email: rita_peat@hotmail.com or Twitter: @RitaPeata

Sports Talk: Sugar Rush - Go Cards!

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Jan. 9, 2013. 

I know I am somewhat of a rare breed with my love of Kentucky sports teams as a whole (ie, I like both UK and UofL.), but let me just say, for those of us who can take joy and pride in both, it’s been a pretty nice year: a basketball championship last March and then a completely unexpected Sugar Bowl title last week.

I have probably mentioned before that I follow college football a little more than college basketball. This probably springs from being raised in a Buckeye influenced environment. I love the idea of good football in our state though.

We’ve seen flashes of it in the past, but never a long-standing strong program that builds a name for itself. You know… the kind where even if you have a few “bad seasons” you still have winning records and win some big games. The same way we view Wildcat basketball. Despite going well over a decade without a national title and having some troubling years, Kentucky was never removed from the “basketball powerhouse” list in this nation.

I want a football team that we can say that about in our state.

As you may have picked up from my article a few weeks back about Charlie Strong’s decision to stay at U of L, I am excited about the potential of the Cards building a strong program. Excitement aside, though, reality told me Florida was going to take the bowl title.

So when I came into watching the game part way into the first half and the Cards were up 14-0, I had to make sure I was seeing the screen right.

The North Caroline game being the only U of L game I attended this season, I could not help but not hold my breath even when we had a the 14-point lead at half time. (The Cardinals led 36-7 at halftime of the Sept. 15 UNC game only to allow North Carolina to make a comeback  of 27 points in the second half. The Cardinals only scored three points and won by five.)

But as we all know, the favored Gators fell and Cardinal fans celebrated not just a bowl title, but a new level of pride for their school and state in accomplishing what very few thought possible.

Being a Cards fan who does not follow the team as avidly as my coworkers and many others, on might ask why I am still so excited about Louisville’s win.  

It’s more than just the fact it was a bowl game. We all know that those games are chosen and not earned in the sense of a playoff system. It has more to do with the fact the odds were completely in Florida’s favor and the fact Florida is one of those football powerhouse teams. They are that football team expected by their fans, athletes, alums and administrators to have a dominant program year after year. They are part of what make the SEC, the SEC.

Naysayers and Cardinal haters can disagree because that’s the beauty of sports rivalry, but as for me, I’m hopeful that this is only the beginning of something big building in the Bluegrass.

Sports Talk: Top Casey County Stories of 2012

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Jan. 2, 2013. 

I love lists and I love Top 10’s; however, I hate making decisions.

I should have had the foresight of writing a year-in-review article and taken notes throughout 2012 rather than trying to flip through old Word documents to make sure I wasn’t leaving anything out.

Nevertheless, I’ve made a list and I hope no one takes offense to the order—as these were all memorable and proud moments for Casey Countians. (You’ll note I couldn’t cut the list down and it is a Top 15 instead of 10.) If I left something out, forgive me…

15 – The first Cabin Fever River Run was held in late March, putting a 5K event on Casey County’s calendar nearly ever quarter.

14 – Casey County continues to move toward a developed soccer program as the Middle School had its debut season last spring as the youth program continues to thrive.

13 – The Casey County baseball and softball teams hosted the district tournament last spring after improvements were put into the facilities during the off season. In his debut season, head baseball coach Greg Hammond earned a $1,000 grant for new equipment in addition to the facility upgrades already in place.

12 - Both the boys basketball team and the VolleyRebs earned their respective 47^th district runner-up titles and advanced to the regional tournament.

11 –Rebel tennis player Ryan Martin advanced to the state tournament after making it to the regional semifinals. The team nearly continued their undefeated streak, which began in 2008 under head coach Phil Williams. Ironically, the inevitable loss came at the hand of Williams’ son and former Rebel tennis star, Landon Williams, who now coaches for Marion County.

10  - Perhaps not an official school record, but VolleyRebel Tyra Sengkhamyong had a new team record with 17 consecutive good serves against Somerset this past fall.

9 – Former Casey County runner Jenna Lee is leaving her mark on the collegiate level. She helped the Bellarmine Unviersity Knights’ track and field women achieve their first conference championship title in school history last spring. This fall she was one of the seven girls who made up the women’s cross country team which qualified for the NCAA Division 2 national meet for the first time in school history.

8 -  Sophomore Blake Durham advanced to the state cross country meet as an individual for the first time. Durham ran as Casey’s only high school athlete through the entire season, giving him little practice competition.

7 - The eighth grade middle school football competed in the state playoffs advancing to the regional finals. Team members earned numerous area recognition awards, including Breece Hayes and Collin Miller being two of the 35 players selected to play for the Team Kentucky national team.

6 – Despite the unexpected early end to Megan Pittman’s senior season last winter, the Lady Rebels went on to win the 47^th District tournament and then claim the runner-up title in the 12^th Region; a feat many would have expected to be unattainable after the loss of Pittman so late in the season.

5 – Casey County cheerleaders competed on the national level along with over 300 teams. The squad had a top 10 finish in their division at the Universal Cheer Association competition in Orlando, Fl.

4 –  Shelby Stringer was named Kentucky’s 2A state pole vault runner-up after clearing 8’6”. Teammate Nicole Nagy was right there with her finishing in a 3-way tie for sixth place.

3 – It was a record setting season for the Lady Rebel tennis team. The team claimed the 12^th Region runner-up title for the first time in school history, led by Tylyn Leigh who was the regional singles champion. Leigh won 16 straight matches having an undefeated record with the exception of the state tournament. Additionally, two doubles teams qualified for state: Allie Tinsley and Haley Owens; Sara Coffman and Chelsey Lynn.

2 – Head Lady Rebel Coach Randy Salyers earned his 300^th victory in January. It came in a bittersweet win, as the same game saw the exit of 2012 graduate Pittman. Salyers, coaching since the mid 90s, has seen numerous district championships, regional championship games and even a trip to the Kentucky Sweet 16.

 1 – Alex Bolin destroyed his own yardage records for Casey County High School while also setting brand new ones. He is the first Rebel to surpass 2,000 yards in a season, rushing 2,028 this fall, and ends his career with over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns.

As for new year’s resolutions… Well, my first is to keep better notes of top headlines and accomplishments in one place for 2013. My second resolution… I’ll tell you about that next week.

Sports Talk: Holiday Tournament Memories

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Dec. 26, 2012. 

No matter who you are or how old you get, Christmas break is a thrill. Of course, as we get older, the profession we choose oftentimes shrinks the amount of time our “break” consists of and hopefully we at least get the 25^th itself!

The break while in school, though, is always such a relief. No studying, no books, no class, or waking up early. However, as a basketball player, it usually meant holiday tournament time.

There are pros and cons to the holiday tournaments. It means your “break” is less of a break than that of many friends. Your schedule is still very much dictated to you: practice times, game times, bus departure times, etc.

I played for the Lady Rebels as a freshman and sophomore, sophomore year being the only season I was a member of the varsity team. As a junior and senior I chose to forgo my hoops career but stayed on as a team manager, so I was still traveling with the team through Christmas break.

There was a part of me that did not like it at all at that time. The Christmas season is full of so many fun traditions: present wrapping, cards, music, baking, shopping—the list goes on and on.

However, I look back now and realize that some of my most prominent high school Christmas break memories come from my tournament traveling.

Christmas is a time for family and tradition, but as a high school athlete, your team does become a family of sorts. The fact I stayed on as a manager for the Lady Rebels proves just that. Giving up the sport was difficult in its own right, but what made the decision hardest was giving up the time investment I’d put into the team: my closest friends and coaches. Wanting to still be a part of that family, I became a manager.

Christmas tournaments were always competitive. We won games and lost games. It was an opportunity to see some competition outside of the normal district and regional teams we played every season, but it was also extra time and fun with most of my closest friends.

The traveling oftentimes meant staying overnight somewhere and eating out. Oftentimes there was down time between games when parents would take us shopping or out for other fun adventures together.

The Lady Rebels competed in Gatlinburg, Tenn. last weekend, a tournament I remember traveling for during my time with the team.  Sure, I loved being home at Christmas time, but looking back the memories from the travel are irreplaceable. Lots of late night laughs in hotel rooms; ice skating, shopping and simply experiencing Gatlinburg at Christmas time.

What I didn’t consider during those years was that my teammates and I were not the only ones giving up our holiday time for the sake of a sport. The coaches and parents were also giving us, the athletes, their time. Because they were willing to spend their breaks on demanding schedules, me and my teammates—my friends—had the opportunity to compete while also creating great memories together.

Family is such an important and meaningful part of this time of year and not just those in blood relation: everyone from your parents and siblings to your coaches and teammates. No matter who you are spending your winter break time with, enjoy it, cherish it, and be grateful for those people.

Sports Talk: Spin Around

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Dec. 19, 2012. 

I know this comes a little early, as we still have a week of Christmas goodie indulging to partake in (and might as well carry on until New Year’s), but the new spinning bikes at Back and Body Fitness Center are quite exciting—and just in time for anyone contemplating a New Year’s resolution!

Spin bikes are different from your standard stationary/exercise bikes. The spin bike has a “free wheel” that controls the resistance of the workout. The seat is adjustable and handlebars sit low. Basically, the bike is as close to a stationary road bike as you can get.

The lower handlebars can be found on a standard bike, but they tend to look less like real bike bars. These bikes also have more of a chair-like seat as opposed to a real bike seat.

Additionally, the spin bikes do not have digital settings to help an individual change settings and resistance in their workout. Because of this, spinning classes have became popular across the country, much like other group workout classes like zumba, yoga and pilates.

When still living in Louisville the gym I attended had spin classes; however, I never made it to any. I stuck with yoga and my own workouts that carried over from my previous Bellarmine training regimen.

The free weights, mats and medicine balls were just on the other side of the spin classroom, though, and I oftentimes heard the classes taking place. I would hear the instructor shouting instructions with the music pumping. I have to admit I was very curious about the classes.

While all of my friends who have used spin classes as their preferred workout method tell me of their love of the classes and how much fun their are, they never sugar coat the difficulty level.

But that’s exactly what any excellent workout or fitness routine should be, right? One that you thoroughly enjoy—partially because of the energy and power it demands. It should leave you utterly exhausted.

My hubs informed me of the gym’s new cycles last week, and I had the opportunity to test them myself.  Again, I have never myself been through a spin class, so the two of us guessed at our own style of a workout. I’m sure it was like a leisurely, afternoon ride in the park compared to what a certified instructor would put us through.

Maybe if he and I take a few of our ‘strolls’ we will still be capable of walking by the time we get the opportunity to partake in a real class.

It’s good to see Casey County’s gym continue to grow and bring the community new opportunities to maintain their health. If you are a member, be sure to stay tuned spinning classes are likely to be on the horizon. If you’re not a member, hey, there’s nothing like the new year to give you reason to join!