Ride ’Em, Cowboy
January 28, 2010
Any time bulls come to Madison Square Garden, you usually know what to expect: A walking advertisement for big-and-tall clothing purveyors, some intense above-the-rim athleticism, a healthy dose of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah and, if the past decade is any indication, a loss for the Knicks.
The bulls came to the Garden the weekend of January 8, but they had nothing to do with basketball. And instead of seven-footers, the half-filled arenas got to see 1,600-pounders. The athletes weren’t the Chicago Bulls but rather the bucking bulls of Professional Bull Riding’s fifth annual New York Invitational. [Read more]
Brief Break from the Courts
January 8, 2010
Right now, Curtis Roby is enjoying a much-needed break, one that he hopes will help heal his balky shoulder. But it won’t last long. Just like the professional version, the world of college tennis offers little rest during a truncated off-season. After only 10 weeks of recuperation, Roby and the rest of the Dartmouth men’s tennis team will step back onto the court in January.
“The season’s been going well so far,” he said. “We had a great fall. I can’t be more optimistic. We have a great group of guys together, really hard working. I have no doubts that I’m going to come back healthy and play well. We have a great vibe on our team right now, and we’re in a winning mood.” [Read more]
Hicks’ Lucky Kick
December 23, 2009
On rare—very rare—occasions, a soccer goalie gets to have a moment of glory on offense. Maybe the keeper is tall and plays well in the air, so he is brought up to play corner kicks. Maybe he is an excellent ball striker and is good at penalty shots.
Dan Hicks isn’t used in either way by the Bowdoin College soccer team, but he still managed to net a goal this season. Playing against New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) heavyweight Trinity Oct. 26, he took a free kick from the edge of his own box. After 80 yards and a deceptive bounce on the wet turf, the ball found its way past the opposing keeper. [Read more]
Girls on the Gridiron
December 3, 2009
Good teams need unanimity of purpose. Members of the girls’ flag football team from the Anderson School, West Prep Academy and the Computer School share unanimity of thought when it comes to their chosen sport. [Read more]
Kenyon Record-Breaker
October 9, 2009
Throughout his high school career, Will Smith considered himself primarily a defensive player. He started at shortstop for four straight years at Collegiate. But when he arrived at Kenyon College, he made an important discovery about getting playing time.
“All I really wanted to do was play every day,” Smith said. “I realized that in college if you can hit, you can play.”
He ended up doing plenty of both. By the time he graduated earlier this year, he owned the all-time Kenyon batting-average record with a .410 mark and on-base percentage (OBP) at a .506 rate. [Read more]
Celebrated Slugger Caps College Career
August 26, 2009
It’s late March in California, 2006, and Libby Copeland-Halperin steps up to the plate. She’s still a rookie, a freshman playing one of her first collegiate games for a team that will go 30-10. But on this day, Copeland-Halperin proves she belongs with her more experienced teammates. A poor pitch over the heart of the plate, a blur of aluminum as the bat flashes by and the ball takes off like a rocket, not landing until it clears the fence.
But wait! Hold on just a moment! [Read more]
NYC’s Tennis ‘Magician’
August 19, 2009
Among all the tennis players who have called New York City their home, perhaps no one has had a more unlikely journey to stardom than Max Segan.
“It’s pretty weird,” the 19-year-old conceded recently while reviewing his up-and-down career.
Segan has overcome injuries, burnout and apathy during the past half-dozen years. But undoubtedly the biggest impediment to his progress was the most obvious hallmark of his playing style: his two-handed forehand. [Read more]
The Handball Symphony
July 22, 2009
One harsh thwack of rubber ball meeting hand, then a moment later, a flatter, harder thwack of ball meeting wall. Then the same two beats over again. Soon, a rhythm emerges. These are the trademark sounds of a game of handball. Put several games together, as the Inner City Handball Association (ICHA) did last weekend at the North Meadow Recreation Center in Central Park, and you get a symphony of the sport: thwack-thwack, thwack-thwack, thwack-thwack, a squeak of sneakers, a grunt of exertion, an ultimate, determining thwack-thwack and finally a yell of exultation. [Read more]
That Elusive Perfect Game
June 24, 2009
Everyone was ready to see the magic happen again. From the players to the coaches to the spectators to the umpires—they were all hoping to see the lightning bolt of an arm that had just produced a perfect game deliver a repeat performance.
Lightning didn’t strike twice for Nolan Becker, the senior lefty from Stuyvesant High School. During this game, played earlier this spring in Central Park, he was facing a top squad in Norman Thomas, one that sported few weak hitters and went on to win the city championships a couple of weeks ago. [Read more]
On the Run
June 11, 2009
It’s raining furiously outside, so today Howard Lindsay is inside a narrow room at the United Nations International School (UNIS), putting his hurdlers through their paces.
“Attack the hurdle,” he urges with commanding repetition. “Don’t be scared of the hurdle. You can’t be scared of it because it won’t hurt you. Lean. Lean!”
Then, a crash. [Read more]
