Being Beatific

Being sad is not fun. There are countless things that can make you sad- weather, grades, homework. But most of all, I think that people are the main cause of sadness. Siblings, friends, parents, and even random kids at school all have the ability to make you sad.  Not just other people, but yourself as well. Things like jealousy, low self confidence, letting people down, and more.

My go-to when I'm sad is usually going on a run or hitting the slopes. Releasing athletic endorphins can help a lot with gaining a new perspective, and helps release all of your sad or stressed energy. Here are some other things that tend to lift my spirits. ☟

1. Eating

Food is one of the best things on Earth, and can change your mood dramatically: bad tasting food can make you sad, and amazing food can make you happy. So amazing food it is. Chocolate, ice cream, and other sweets are life. Don't get too carried away, though. "The best form of revenge is a great body" -Kim Kardashian. Some of you will hate me for quoting her, but you have to admit that she's right. Plus, I've never even watched that show, so don't make assumptions.

2. Music

Music is well known to convey countless moods, emotions, and more. Turn on a happy, upbeat song to lift your mood. Happy by Pharrell Williams is a great choice, until you hear it so much on the radio that you "can't even." However, if you just need time to get all of the misery out of your system, blast some slow sad songs and pretend you're in a music video. 

3. Read/Watch TV

These don't necessarily make you happy, but they can distract you like crazy (not always a good thing). Reality TV, romantic comedies, action movies, dystopian novel, choose your pick!

4. Animals

When people are being bipolar and dramatic, turn to animals. Dogs, cats, fish, and other pets are always there for you. They'll listen to your rants and breakdowns, and will never judge. A lot of animals are also outstanding "cuddlers." Dogs and cats, mostly. Unless you want to snuggle up to the cold, hard surface of a fishbowl.

5. Last but not least, watching funny videos. The ones below relate to my blog because they're about sports (football concussion and soccer "injury"). Jenna Marbles, MadTV, Miranda Sings, and more are also funny youtube comedians/groups. My uncle likes Screen Junkies' Honest Trailers also. 

    (Watch more Key & Peele here)

School Rules!

I know what you're all thinking. YES OMIGOSH I LOVE SCHOOL SO MUCH. School isn't just about coming together with your "friends" to make some unforgettable memories. It's about taking our minds to the next level. For 12 years straight. Since everyone feels so strongly towards this place of sanctuary, here are my (and I'm sure a lot of other people's) thoughts during this wonderful time of learning.

What time is it?

SHH stomach lunch isn't for another two hours.

Oh that's amazing, keep talking and hugging your friends in the middle of the hallway. Don't mind the herd of teenagers rushing to be on time for their next class. No really, keep huddling and talking about your crushes and complimenting each others outfits. Please.

Yeahhh I'll just finish it as homework.

Did she get a hair cut?

What if I was switched at birth and my real parents are the president and first lady?

Common sense, Bridey. That could never happen, hospitals these days have super high security.

"YES it's finally Friday!"  Person next to me: "It's actually Wednesday"

Hungry.

*Sees someone waving to me*

"Oh he-"

*Person proceeds to hug someone behind me*

What if WE taught the teachers and all of them acted up like us and we just counted down and could send them to the office and tell them what to do.

If I was the principal, I would add a chocolate fountain in every room.

I should really think about my eating habits *Unwraps Poptart*

Thanks for flat tiring me I really needed to just get the back of my shoe off it was bothering me.

What are we supposed to do?

Whoa I should bring a sleeping bag to school and roll it out during class.

How would I look with a bowl cut?

How would Mr. Hase look with a bowl cut?

Hungry.

School is so weird the government is cramming 800 highly hormonal teenagers into a small building with a 25 to one ratio of students and adults, at best. What are they thinking?

Favorite place on Earth!
Photo courtesy of parkcity.us

Winter Wonderland

This is something that I get excited about. I love to ski, and obviously that can't be done without the best thing on Earth- snow. Don't get me wrong, I love the summer. I also love the fall, and crisp, cold weather, but what's the point of it if there's no snow?

There is none!

Most Treasure Mountain students would be able to see the white, sparse, and almost invisible flecks of snow floating towards the ground if they glanced out of their classroom window last Monday. Someone told be about it in the hall and I immediately ran into my next classroom to see if the rumor was true. Sure enough, if I squinted I could make out the snowflakes. YES! Thank you mother nature, I really needed something to get excited about.

But this was just the tip of the ice berg. This morning I dragged myself out of bed around nine and was shocked to see thousands of big clumps of snow falling to the ground like a waterfall. Now THIS is winter. It looked like a fluffy three inches had already stuck to the balconies and picnic table, which means there is probably 6 to 12 inches at the top of Park City Mountain Resort. Powder skiing here we come!

Taken around 9:30 am

I don't want to be the one to break this to you, but you shouldn't get your hopes up. According to The Weather Channel, the weather will clear up this week. It's back to muddy grass and slushy streets in Park City. Hopefully we'll start to have a lot more days like this one as the upcoming winter begins!

SÖLDEN

Last weekend, the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup opener was held on Rettenbach Glacier in Sölden, Austria. A lot of firsts happened during this race, including the Park City local, Ted Ligety, placing 10th in a race that he had won for the past three years.

Ligety pulled into the finish after his first run in second place, with a .40 second lead over Alexis Pinturault. In his second run, he made a mistake on the pitch before the flats and lost those crucial milliseconds, giving him a 2:31.11 to end the day in 10th. Alexis Pinturault finished third with a 2:30.15, Fritz Dopfer grabbed the silver with a 2:29.67, and Marcel Hirscher topped the podium with a 2:28.09. (Result times courtesy of FIS.)

Hirscher shredding this weekend in Sölden.
Photo courtesy of Yahoo

The women also had an interesting race. Mikaela Shiffrin, a 19 year old prodigy US skier, took the lead after the first run with a .09 second lead over Anna Fenninger. After the second run, Mikaela came through with her first Giant Slalom victory with a 2:39.85. Co-victory, that is. Fenninger clocked in the exact same time as Shiffrin, stepping up on top with the teen. Fellow Austrian teammate Eva-Maria Brem took the bronze with a 20:30.10. (Result times courtesy of FIS.)

Although the tie did upset me, I was so happy about this race. Mikaela is a phenomenal skier and I'm so excited to see where she goes from here. The fact that she is winning world cups at 19 years old is crazy!

Stay tuned for the opening World Cup Slalom race! Coming up this November in Finland.

Women's podium this weekend in Sölden.
Photo courtesy of http://www.longines.com

Tryouts!

Lacrosse tryouts are coming up! Wednesday November 5th and Saturday the 15th from 7-9 at Basin Recreation Fieldhouse. Tryouts consist of many different drills and tests, including a timed mile timed sprints, wall ball routines, and defense and offense drills.

Here are some great drills and practice things do to at home in preparation for tryouts...

1. WALL BALL

In my opinion, this is the most important aspect of lacrosse- stick skills (catching and throwing). All you need is a flat wall or bounce back, and you're set! 50 right, 50 left, see how high you can go! I also time myself and see how many I can get in a minute. Keep clear of windows, animals, and people all together while wall ball can get intense.

2. Shooting

Shooting is an important part of lacrosse for attackers. Most fields (City Park, Basin Rec, etc) have lacrosse goals, so bring some balls and work on placement and power. Just make sure nothing is behind the goal that you wouldn't want your ball to hit. I've had some bad experiences with balls running into people, glass, and well, things they shouldn't....

3. Ground balls

Get with a friend and roll some balls to each other. Mix it up and throw them to the side, bounce them, and more. If your friends are busy, you can always do this against a wall or to yourself. You can also invite your enemy and throw some "oops sorry my hand slipped" throws.

4. Go for a run!

Cardio is extremely important in lacrosse. Running back and forth across the field gets tiring, so build up your endurance and speed. Throw in some sprints and dodges while on your jog. A lot of coaches also tell you to bring your lacrosse stick to cradle while you run. This is a great way to become more comfortable with your stick in your hands.

Overall, your attitude during tryouts is most noticed. Stay positive, confident, and work well with your teammates and coaches.

Jeni Gordon, photo courtesy of parkcitylacrosse.org

Let's Get Physical, Physical

Working out. It's something we all dread yet know we need to do in order to get those bikini bodies and Channing Tatum abs.  Everyone thinks it takes hard work and time commitment, but a lot of the time you can fit it into your daily schedule seamlessly.

Most of the time, high school and club team sports contain some type of conditioning. For lacrosse, we run. Cardio cardio cardio. As for ski team dryland, work outs consist of anything to benefit our balance, endurance, and power while on skis. I've got my workouts covered, but if your'e struggling with getting active everyday, here are some tips to help you out.

1. Take the stairs

Yes, everyone has heard this before, but it can benefit you more than you think. Take the initiative to work your legs and lungs without having to go to the gym later. Other daily decisions can help improve your fitness, such as taking your bike or walking instead of driving.

2. Break it up

Doing homework? Baking a cake? Reading The Fault in Our Stars? Give your brain a break and take 30 seconds to do some push ups, crunches, or squats. "TV watchers" are a popular workout at dryland. They're just normal planks, but they're named what they are to motivate us to do them while watching TV. Even if you do them during commercials, your abs with thank you.

3. Toe taps and calve raises

These are some of my favorites. You can do these during class, waiting in line, almost anywhere. To do toe taps, keep your heels planted on the ground and raise and tap your toes as fast as you can. You can do these while sitting or while standing. Calve raises consist of starting flat footed, rising up onto your toes, coming back down, and repeating.

Trying out the drawing thing

Another important aspect of fitness is diet. Last year I took Journalism as an elective, and we published some of our articles onto an online newspaper, TMJH Park City Post. I happened to write a short article about sports nutrition, some tips about what to eat before and after working out. You can check it out here.

Update

This past two months have gone by crazy fast. Fall ball, ski team camping trips, Super 7s, and all of the dryland training began one day and seemed to end the next. 

Park City fall ball consists of one practice a week and a couple scrimmages to finish it off. Last Monday was our last official practice, and tonight will be our first scrimmage! Be at Matt Knoop Field at 5:30 pm to watch the upcoming PC lacrosse team take on Jordan. You might also catch a glimpse of me flailing around in goal.

Super 7s pick up games ended last week. These were fun scrimmages against the other HS teams, with just 7 girls on the field from each team (not including the goalie). Coaches weren't allowed to be there and parents weren't allowed to advise the players. This was the time for teams to bond and build their teamwork! Park City had to split into two teams since we have a large number of players- you can view the rosters here. Both teams played great, but Park City Black won the championships against Brighton!

Super 7s is also a great time to try new things and practice plays or moves in low-stake games. For me, this was practicing goalie. Coming into the spring lacrosse season at Park City High School, the position of goalie is currently vacant. And since I played goalie in the Junior league last year, I'm looking to split the position with Madeline Komisar, a new-comer to lacrosse. We'll see how that all works out...

Dryland training led up to USSA Testing (held at the CEO) last Sunday, the 12th. This was a standardized test for ski team athletes, and included tests like movement ability, vertical jump, tri-jump, box jumps, and a pacer test. The pacer test was a bust because of the rain- it was moved inside to the gym, where tennis shoes slide all over the place while pivoting. As for PCST dryland, it will continue into the winter season with indoor workouts. 

PC Lacrosse teammates Ellie and Hannah with assistant varsity coach, Kass Lemons

Introduction...

I'm a 14 year old girl with a way too busy schedule. School, sports, family, and friends barely leave time for sleeping and eating. However, that's what keeps me entertained. There is never (well... never say never) a dull moment in my chaotic life.

School is one of the main aspects of my life. I guess if you do something for eight hours every day, it becomes quite important. Math. Biology. Geography. English. Art. Spanish. Then there's the complication with my school and sports schedule.

Another slot in my schedule goes to sports. Running, hiking, biking, swimming, and sailing. Lacrosse and skiing, however, are the main sports that I play. Since lacrosse season is in the spring, tryouts for JV and Varsity lacrosse teams aren't until mid-winter. Instead, I am currently playing in Super 7's and Fall Ball. I am also on a club team called Mamaci. Skiing is another one of the main sports in my life. Not only do I ski with friends and family leisurely, I also ski race competitively with the Park City Ski Team. Our season starts even before the mountain opens, "dry land" training in strength, agility, and more. Once the mountain does open, we're training to prepare for the many races to come. 

Photo courtesy of skiracing.com and washingtonpost.com.

As for my family, we're all a lot alike. My mom and dad met at Snowbird, a ski resort here in Utah where they were both exploring the world and what it has to offer. My older sister is a kind, athletic overachiever who puts family first. As for my little brother, he's just a mess.