SWEAT, SWEAT, AND MORE SWEAT

Vroom!  The sound of my dad’s Toyota blasted my ear.  I could feel the chilly morning breeze, blowing in my face.  I could smell the tea my dad had, which was steaming hot.  I stepped into the car teeth chattering.

The Battlefield was a soccer tournament in Virginia that I competed in.  In the first game of the Battlefield, I did not play well, because I was playing at center-mid.  At center-mid, you are the quarterback of the soccer field.  You have to make the passes early; you have to switch the field.  You also have to be an option for everyone on the field.   Center-mid is very important and in the first game of The Battlefield tournament, I didn’t do my job.  We still won over the Black Dogs 5 to 2.  I was delighted and depressed, delighted that we won, but depressed about my play.  So I decided to pick it up a level.

In the second game, we won 4-0 over the Cardinals and I scored a goal; I was playing outside-mid.  “Pant, pant!”  The sweat made me uneasy as it trickled down my face.   Sam had the ball on the other side of the field.  Being Sam he was dribbling through everyone.   All the attention was focused on Sam, so I carefully snuck up towards the left goal post.  Once Sam got to the goal line, he nutmegged a pass to me.  Excellent!!!  All I had to do was tap it in and, GOAL!!   We were winning one to zero.   The game went on without them scoring a goal, and I got an assist as we won 4-0.

The day was almost over as my dad drove me home. The Plain White Ts were playing Hey There Delilah on the radio as I thought about how I played. Okay I thought, but I knew I could do better.

As I went to bed, I was still considering how I played.  My final considerations were to play like I did in the second game.

The next morning, I had to wake up at 6:40, because we needed to get to the tournament by 8 o’clock.  As the clock reached 6:30, I started to wake up.  I kept on commanding myself to sleep; you’ll need it, I thought.  It didn’t work and I spent the next 20 minutes in my bed, unaware of the time.  “6:50,” I shouted, astonished!

We got in the car at 7:20.  As I walked out the door, I realized how cold it was as the breeze blew through.   “BRRRR,” I exclaimed teeth chattering.

When we got to the park, we couldn’t locate the field.  We were supposed to go to softball field three or SB3.  When we found the field it was already 8:10.  We warmed-up effortlessly and then it was game time.  We were playing the JR Royals, an NVSC (Northern Virginia Soccer Club) team.  It was freezing. My nose was dripping snot; I sucked it back in and felt a warm sensation, that made me feel uncomfortable.  As I breathed moderately, I saw my breath as a small white cloud in front of my face.  “BRRR,” I shivered while rubbing my hands together for warmth.  As we started the game, I forgot about the cold weather.

We started the game and it went by rapidly.   At half-time it was 7-0 and my coach told us that we could only score goals off crosses.  The game finished with us winning 8-0. 

Now that we had won the first three games, we were onto the semis. 

“Who?”  I said in disbelief, when I heard who we were playing.  “The black team,” my Dad said annoyed.  The Black team was the lower team in Arlington.

The battle of the ages, I thought, as we walked to the soccer field.  When we got to the soccer field we warmed-up together.   We were goofing around in the warm-up saying things like; “Hey Owen!” or “It’s on!” as we exchanged grins.  Obviously, the coaches weren’t happy.   They made us do wind sprints!

I was excited as the game got underway.  I gave it my all.  “Huff, Puff!”  I sprinted down the sideline. PHHH!   Went the noise of my foot striking the ball, as I stole it from Jonathan.   I dribbled the ball and passed it to big Nick.  Nick took a lousy first touch and they stole it.  The game went on like this for the two halves and went into overtime with no one scoring.  We went onto a PK (penalty kick) shoot-out!  Everybody on the field at the end of overtime would participate.  As the teams huddled up, Coach Alexis asked who wanted to shoot first.  Everyone raised their hands but me.  I was too fearful.  I also had to urinate really badly.  As the shoot-out started, a warm liquid dripping down my leg made everything warm and sticky.  E.P shot first and scored, we cheered while I urinated.  The shoot-out went on until everyone had shot except for the goalie and I.  That meant that I was up.  As I walked up to the ball I urinated more rapidly.  The referee blew his whistle, and I started to shoot.  GOAL!!!

I stopped urinating.  Unfortunately, they made it so our goalie was up and he scored!!!  GOAL!!!  Now the other team had their final shot.  BHHTT!!!  The sound of the ball striking our goalie’s gloves.  DEHH!!!  DEHH!!  DEHHHH!!!  The sound of the whistle meant the game was over.  We had won!!!

We were on to the finals!  30 minutes later I was at the same field warming up.  At the time none of us realized how exhausted we were.  As the game started we scored the first goal.  Champions, I thought.  Not for long.  The Lee Mount Vernon Soccer Club Patriots scored two goals before half-time and we were losing it.

I went in to start the second half.  “Pant, Pant!”  My legs ached, my mouth was dried up, and I was exhausted.  I sprinted as fast as I could, but the other team out sprint me.  Sweat dripped down me, it plopped on my cleets as I stopped to catch a breath.  I was jogging towards the ball when number 18, a visiting player, swung his foot upward; I experienced a large amount of impact to my gut.  “UGHHH!!!”  I moaned in pain. I felt the pain of a giant bruise with a 10,000 pound weight being dropped on it.

As I got up the pain died down, a ball hit me in the eye.  Again, pain.  I walked to the sideline as the Patriots won 4-1.

We lost the tournament, and as I drove home my dad said that we would play that team again on Halloween.  The tournament was a blast even though we lost, but, I can’t wait until Halloween, because there will be no number 18!

 

Check Out This Kid

Fractions

          Once upon a time, in the realm of math, there lived a young lad named ¼.  ¼ was a very jolly lad.  He appreciated everyone and everything.  He was knowledgeable in the study of math.  But, ¼ didn’t know everything.  He wondered about many things.  He was partially depressed.  The day he met 1/2, he was very depressed.  ½ was very large; two times the size of 1/4.  ¼ wanted to meet, but still had never met anyone smaller than him.

            “Why can’t I meet anyone smaller than me?” wondered ¼.

“I know,” exclaimed ¼, “I shall set out on an adventure to find a fellow smaller than I am!”

            But there was one glitch to his plan.

            “Hmm, I shall need a companion on my journey,” exclaimed ¼. “Yes!  I shall see if 25% will help me,” said ¼ with joy.

            25% was ¼’s best friend because they were equivalent in size.  25% and ¼ were very similar.  They almost looked like identical twins.

            “25%,” said ¼, “Will you help me on my journey to find a fraction smaller than I?” 

            “Yeah! I mean yes!” exclaimed 25%.

            “Okay then, let’s go!”

They were off on their long journey, unaware of what was in store for them.

            ¼ and 25% walked and walked and walked.  It seemed as if they had been walking for an eternity.

            “Are we there yet?” whined 25%.

            “I wish!” complained ¼.  They had walked 57 miles without any sight of civilization.  They were in the middle of nowhere.  They trudged through the woods nearing a river.  They stomped over a bridge in pure rage not knowing what lied below.

            “Hey, who’s there?” shouted a sour-toned voice. 

            25% and ¼ tip-toed over 1/3 of the bridge before the fractions from below appeared.  It was the mighty ogre twins.  These two fearsome brutes were the most wanted fractions in the whole kingdom; 1 ½ and 3/2.

            “Oh-no!” exclaimed 25%.  They weren’t able to get over the last third of the bridge, because the ogres were in their way.

            “What shall we do?” wondered 25%.

            Now, ¼ wasn’t dumb, he had gone to school.  He knew that 3/2 and 1 ½ were equivalent (or the same.)  He would trick them into believing they were both 3/2 (true) and then they would argue and eventually brawl.  As they did this, 25% and ¼ would escape.

            “Hey 3/2 and 3/2,” said ¼ bravely.

            “Silly fraction!  I’m not 3/2.  I’m 1 ½!” bellowed 1 ½.

            “Well it doesn’t look that way to me,” improvised ¼.

            “HMM,” 1 ½ had a quizzical look on his face. “How could that be?” asked 1 ½. 

“Well, I’m just saying you look exactly the same,” said ¼ courageously. 

            1 ½ looked down at his “2” in 1 ½ and then he looked at the “2” in 3/2.  “You’re right’” exclaimed 1 ½.

            “No, you’re 1 ½ not 3/2,” said 3/2.

            “No you fool, we’re the same!” bellowed 1 ½.

            “Did you just call me a fool!” exclaimed 3/2 flabbergasted.

            “Oh yeah I did!” confessed 1 ½.

            “My plan’s working,” thought ¼. 

As the two beasts began to brawl, ¼ and 25% crept away.

“Yes!” exclaimed ¼ joyfully.

            The two skipped along looking for any sight of civilization.  25% eyed a cave and revealed it to ¼.

            “Look!” said 25%.  They were nearing the cave.  As they got closer, they saw smoke. 

            “Numbers!” shouted ¼ excited.  They turned a corner to see an intense inferno with several fractions sitting around it.  ¼ and 25% examined the fractions.

            “Uhhggg!” murmured ¼, “they’re all bigger than me.”

            Right at that very moment 1/12 walked out of the cave. 

            “Uhhh,” ¼ gasped, “finally, someone I can boast to.”

            1/12 glared at ¼.

            “Hey what’s your name?” said ¼ in a sly voice

            “1/12,” answered 1/12.

“Well, teeny tiny 1/12,” chuckled ¼.

“Hey, I’m bigger than you because 12 is bigger than 4,” yelled 1/12.

“Dummy,” muttered ¼, “I’m bigger than you because if you imagine two identically sized pies and cut them into slices; one has 12 equal-sized slices and the other has 4 equal-sized slices, each slice from the pie with 12 slices will be smaller than each slice from the pie with 4 slices.”

1/12 was getting enraged. 

“Yeah, well, well…..  You’re such a fatty!” squawked 1/12.

“What did you just say?” asked ¼.

“You heard me,” exclaimed 1/12.

“Why, I oughta….” ¼ headed toward 1/12, fist clenched; an intense glare in his eyes.

“Wait!” interrupted 25%, why are you fighting.  Both of you are important,” explained 25%

“He’s not.  He’s just a midget,” screamed ¼. 

“Stop!  You two are both important because you both are fractions.  Fractions are the parts of the number, without you we would not have tons of things.  Without you two there would not even be a fair currency. You guys make up so many things.  Imagine math with no fractions.  Scary, I know.”  Explained 25%

1/12 and ¼ were lost for words. 

“I, I’m so sorry,” apologized ¼.

“Me too,” agreed 1/12.

They then hugged and ¼ and 1/12 saw the realm of math from a different perspective.  Everyone was important. 

           

             

G.O.T.A.E

       Have you heard the saying “exercise is good for you”?  Well, it’s true!  I believe that people should get at least 60 minutes of exercise each and every day.  Exercise prevents obesity, decreases the risk of heart attack, and prevents diabetes.

          You probably already knew that exercise is the best way to prevent obesity.  In most countries 30 to 80% of adults are overweight.  If you exercise you won’t be in this huge group of people.  Exercise prevents obesity because exercise burns fat.  Run instead of sitting down and watching T.V.

          Did you know exercise decreases the risk of heart attack?  Well, it does!  Researchers at Harvard Medical found nearly 40,000 people who exercise and therefore are not at risk of heart attack.  There are numerous ways to prevent heart attack and exercise is one of the most effective.  It’s simple; your heart is a muscle and by exercising you will force your heart to work harder.  Thus, you train your heart.  If you want a healthy heart, exercise!

Finally, exercise prevents diabetes.  Only 39% of surveyed adults with diabetes exercised regularly.  This survey was conducted by the University of Colorado Health Sciences.  This proves that if you don’t exercise regularly you are more at risk of diabetes.  A study from Yale showed that an intense workout is very effective in preventing diabetes.  There are 57 million Americans at risk of diabetes.  Exercise can take you off of that list.

          Now do you think you’re going to exercise?  You should get at least 60 minutes of exercise every day.  It will prevent diabetes, decrease the risk of heart attack, and prevent obesity.  So exercise, it’s splendid for you!!!

(Information received from wellsphere.com, livestrong.com, webMD.com, and simming4all.com)

(G.O.T.A.E stands for: get out there and exercise)

Hedge Fund Managers the Richest of the Rich!

When I grow up I want to be hedge fund manager.  I saw a 60 minutes special on hedge fund management, and wow are they wicked rich!  I think it would be so cool to be a hedge fund manager and wicked rich!!!  The job might be a little boring, but with all my money I’ll have lots of hobbies.

Since I’ll be so rich, I’ll retire when I’m 30 and spend the rest of my life enjoying all my stuff and showing off how rich I am.  With money, there come responsibilities like giving generous gifts to my mom; like $10,000,000,000.  I’ll keep the other $10,000,000,000,000,000 for me.

You’re probably wondering what I’ll do with all my money; well, I’ll spend it on many important things like court-side seats to basketball games! I’m also going to buy the Washington Redskins from that weasel Dan Snyder!  I’m going to take the Skins to the super bowl in my first year of ownership! I’ll, also buy a sweet ride and a huge mansion!  With my other several $10,000,000,000 I’ll buy tons of other expensive things!

Pretty much when I grow up I’ll be super rich!!!     

THE END!