SPORTS

salam and hai everybody.....

i would like to share with you about the sports,the shortest article. As you know that sports are good for health. i also like to play sports. There are many types of sports such as,archery,badminton,basketball,netball, and others. One of the sports that i involve since form 1 is archery. Archery is a confident game. When we are going to shoot, we are already focus and aim the target. This game are very fun if we are really enjoy it.

There are many advantages if we are involve in this game, firstly for our health. It could make our body more health,energetic and avoid from diseases. Secondly, our free time are focuses to the sports that we are involve. It means we are keep on training and exercising for everyday or at least 5 day per week. Thirdly,our personality look more smart, confident,strong and others. Last but not least as an athlete,we can get experience and allowance from our sports club so am I. I have many experience from it,which many tournament that i had performed. This game must always keep on training everday if we want to get the best performance.

As a conclusion, sports can be very fun, enjoyable and keep us health in life. Besides this game, we can do exercises such as jog, sit up,push up and others if we have no time to practise as above. So, at least, exercise 3 or 4 days per week in 20 minutes.

Enjoy your sports!!!

norfazlin bt husain,2008779957

My co-curricular activities

Okay firstly I want to introduce myself, my name is Muhammad Zakwan Bin Zaikhan, born on 22 December 1990 at Hospital Daerah Mersing, Johor. My first primary school is Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Sri Mersing. My first co-curricular body scout is Pengakap. I was a chief leader of my 12 series platoon of Mersing Pengakap scout. From this scout, I explore many experiences such as how to involve in parade and also camping. My favorites camping were on 11 October 2001 held on Kem Permai Santubong, Kuching, Sarawak. From this camping I get more new experience such as how to manage platoon, how to manage camping site, how to control behavior in jungle and also some excitement activities like flying fox and jungle tracking.
After I get my UPSR result, I register for my secondary school at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Mersing Johor. I joined Police Cadet for my co-curricular uniform unit. On July 2004, I attended a Police Cadet National Camping at Kem Tasik Utara, Johor Bahru. From there I also get more experience such as how to manage M-16 rifle that use by Police today.

PERPARED BY: Muhammad Zakwan Bin Zaikhan
MATRIX NUMBER: 2008763991
PREPARED FOR: Madam Jean Hoo & all My DPA 1B Classmate

THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF DICIPLINE

Nowadays people are talking and discussing about the importance of self discipline to the human beings. Through this blog, I would like to share with others about its importance to us as the student of UiTM. Actually, dicipline has lots of importances, but here i'm going to discuss about two of them.
As per we know, diciplines plays numbers of significant roles to ensure the successfulness of the student. Firstly, with 'self dicipline', we can administrate or organize our selves accordingly. Discipline is such a limitation or guidance that must be abide. Nothing can go beyond it. With dicipline, as student we can organize our self well, organize our times, when to study, when to go for leisure an so on.
Disciplne also teach us how to respect others, such as how to respects our parents, lectures, senior students, staffs and etc. There's no point if we a good in academic but we have the worst attitude and also worst self dicipline.
To be successful in our life, especially for the time beings as student, we must have good self discipline which is including good attitude, good self management, well organize time management, good relationship with others and
respects to the others.
As conclusion, there is no doubt about its importances. Diciplne is very important to us. It contributes lots of benefits to us in order to avchieve our aims, mission and our dreams.

NORMIZAN BIN SHAIDI
2008571725

Migraines

Nowadays, most of the people assume that a migraines is similar with headache. But the truth is, a migraine is the disease, while the headache is the symptom. Migraines are caused because of expansion of the blood vessel. and the headache causes by the narrowing of the blood vessel. During a migraine, an inflammation of the tissue surrouding of the brain intensifies the pain. Migraines may incapacitate migraine, for those who suffer from migraines for hoours or even days. howevevr, there is no cure for this diseases. furthermore, such treatment are not all effective, and migraines, may show a decrease of tolerance to a variety of madecations and treatments.
Lastly, it is important for migraineurs to aducate or protect themselves of this disease to live more harmoniously in their life...
that's all from me..

NOR FARIHAH BINTI BURHAN
2008747221

BOYCOTT

Semekum
BOYCOTT!!!!! What a good topic to share with you all, as we know, Israel put war on Palestine for their own interest, where the soldier of has Israel kills many innocent people at Palestine and American as their back up force.
Do you think we all can help Palestine? The answer for this question is “YES”. We can help this innocent people through many ways, but the easiest ways is through ‘BOYCOTT’….you know what, there are many things, product, and also fast foods’ court in Malaysia that supply by Israel, for example starbucks, pizza hut, mcd, johnsons baby, kotex, ,coca cola, nestle, and many more.. Their financial depends on all of this product..They use that money to improve their military strength and also upgrade their weapon system just only for their own interest.
So guys,
We can put the end of the Israel, by boycott their item and all the thing that came from U.S.A and Israel, by do this we can decrease their economy, just like what happen to America just now.
So whatever, please use our Malaysian made, n don’t buy anything that came from Israel and America.


MUHAMMAD AIMAN BIN MOHAMMAD SHUHAIMI
20083014811
DPA 1B

FRIEND!!!

Hi...
Today i want to talk about friend.I'am sure everyone have friends.A good friend is who can hear your problem, caring at you, kind, heplful and so many kinds thing.

But sometimes, we can not trust 100% to our friends this is because we do not know their heart. Some friend when be kind with them, they will stab our behind or when they have problem they be able to find us and when the problem was solve they forget us. Its so pathetic!!. Am i right? So be careful with thjis type of friends.

From education aspect, when we have a problem like do not know how to solve problem in certain subjects people will be able to find another parents, teacher, is friend. They are people who can help us and give advices if we have problem of family and others..

-SYAJARATUL 'AASYIQIN BT SUHAIMI-
-2008311931-

My Dream House

House is one of the necessary in our life. House is very important for us because it give protection from the hot sunshine, wetness cause by the rain and prevent from attack by the wild animals such as snake, iguana and others. Besides that, when we tired back from work or study, house be the best place for rest ourselves. At the same time, for a family, they sit together to strengthen their family relationship. So, everybody from us must has a dream house right? How about the characteristics your house that you dream? A bungalow? Or a house that make from gold?

Like me, I also have a dream house. I want my dream house side with the beach. It is because this area far from the busy town. I like more the silent surroundings. Because of that I prefer to have a house at the village especially near with the beach. Every morning I can jog at the side beach while see the sunrise. In the evening, I can sightsee around the beach while see the sunset. The view is very beautiful. In addition, every time I can hear wave sound if I have a house near with the beach. It makes me feel calm.

Around my house, I want to plant many tree whether it is vegetables, fruits or flower trees such as mustard, chili, mango tree, mangosteen tree, orchid, lily and others. It makes my area house colourful with varies of flowers and happening. Besides that, I can pick fresh vegetables and fruits from my garden. The trees also can produce oxygen that makes air fresh. So, because of that air at the village more fresh compare at the town. It suitable for me that not like pollutions.

About my design house, I like the house that has many stairs. But not mean that the house must storeyed. Actually I don’t like a very big house. It cause me difficult to clean it. Because I take a long time to do something work although it is just a simple work like cook. I take an hour or more just to cook fried rice. So, try all of you imagine, how a long time if I want to clean a house that at least have two storey. Maybe two day? Three day? Or more? Therefore, I prefer my dream house enough to place my family and me. The house must have a hall, a dining room and a kitchen. About rooms, I think at least four rooms. I have four siblings including me. All my other siblings are boy. So they can share in one room. The others room is for my parents, the additional room for guests and the one room for myself. In my room, I want to have my own bathroom. So in my house at least have two bathrooms. For my concept house, I want to choose modern and contemporary. This concept can save space. Although I have a small space but I still can put many furniture because this concept can make my hall look larger. Besides this concept is very interesting, it also simple. I like something simple. Because of that I choose this concept. But the important thing my room I want to use the girlish concept. It uses the soft colour like pink and pastel colour.

Although this is just my dream house but I hope one day it can be reality. All of you also can have your own dream house

NOR NASIHA AZHAR
2008756479

First Week At UiTM

First and foremost, I would like to introduce myself; my name is Norfarhana Binti Ismail. I live at Umbai Melaka. I’m glad to tell you all about my first week at UiTM, Lendu, Melaka.

Firstly, when I in ‘Minggu Mesra Siswa’ or it’s called ‘MMS’ i get many experience and sweets memory that I will not over forget it until forever. In my personal knowledge, this program is made for introduce what a mean by ‘LIFE IN UNIVERSITY’. Through this program I have gain many information about UiTM deeply. Some of the lecturers were give us briefing about all the place and function of it in UiTM Melaka. From this program I also get explanations about the rule and the regulation when I’m study at here. For example I can be suing if I not wear the matrix card at everywhere in UiTM.
Other than that, through this week I can accustom myself in the new environment that called UNIVERSITY environment that are very different situation from secondary school. From this program also I was teach how to manage time and how to manage ourselves by our own because we are far away from our family and learn how to be independent person. Apart from that week I and the entire new student were carrying to take a walk surround the University Technology MARA places.
Besides that, the other activities that I have been through including us all pray congregation in 5 times one day. It teaches us the importance spirits in our life that always remember who our Creator is. And the sweet memory is some student from my hostel are not take a bath for a one day because of the fix time that have been made for us to get ready at 3.30 am. It will always make us want to laugh because it is very funny when that day we recalled.
Lastly, I hope I will get what I wish from the first day when i make a footstep in UITM Melaka and I want to graduate with the excellent pointer that continues to make a degree and to make my family proud with my accession. Because of that will change my family status that I want to prove from the poor family also can get a successful children.

Norfarhana binti ismail
2008532113

Benefits Of Learning Martial Arts

Salam,
There are many types of martial arts in this world.For example of martial arts are taekwando,hapkido,akido,silat,judo,and many more.Did you know that learn martial give many benefits to us.One of the benefit learn martial is we can protect ourselves from any harm and danger.Ladies especially should learn martial because they were expose to target of criminal.
Besides that, if we learn martial arts also can fill our free time usefully activities and can prevent us involve with social problems.Whereas,by learn martial arts we can meet new friends and gain new experience.Futhermore,learn martial art also can make us healthy and can prevent from any dangerous diseases.On the other hand,if you learn martial art it can be as addition value and make you different from other people.
For conclusion,there are many benefits of learn martial arts that state above if you all want to know the other benefits of martial you must learn martial art than you will know.BYE
(zACK)

OUTDOOR ACTIVITY

Assalamulaikum to madam and all my friends..

I think I want to write an article about outdoor activity. It is because I like to join an outdoor activity and it is one of my hobbies. We can maintain our health by joining this activity. We also can strengthen the friendship between our friends.

One of the activities that I had joined is mountain climbing. I had climbed Gunung Nuang at Hulu Langat, Selangor on December 2007 after SPM with my scout crew. There are about 22 members that joined this activity. Before we went to the mountain, we met at my friend’s house. After all of our member arrived at my friend’s house, we went to the mountain by a cars. 2 ½ hours later, we had arrived at the mountain. The period of this activity is two days.

Before we started our journey, we recited a pray to protect us from any danger. After that we all started our journey. In our journey, we took some pictures of the forest life such as various types of plants and insects. After three hours, we had arrived at the half of the journey, we took a rest for one hour near the river. One hour later, we continued our journey to the top of the mountain. In our journey, we met many plants that we had never seen before. We took more plants pictures to make it as our memories. Two hours later, we had arrived at the top of the mountain. What we can saw there were a very beautiful view of the peak of the mountain. We reach at the peak at the evening. After we found a suitable place for our camp site, we built our camp so that we can get a shelter for that night. After we built the camp, we took a rest and cleaned ourselves at the nearby river. At night, we made sentry to keep our safety.

We continued our journey to the foot mountain at 9.00 am. At the half of the journey, there was raining. We kept all electronic things and wallet into the plastic and put the plastic into our bag. 4 hours later, we arrived at the foot mountain. After that, we went to our home. I had arrived at my house at 6.00 pm.

That’s all from me..
I hope all of you enjoy reading this article..

From : Muhammad Firdaus Bin Ahmad
Matrix No. : 2008553421

TRUE friend

assalammualaikum!!!
hallo everyone :-)

Do you know what the meaning for friend?? Hmmm...most of us just know fiend is member for happy and laughing..Right??
it is exactly wrong for me.. because if you realize, friend always being in our side..even you face many problem in your life he/she is the first person know and will advice you as well as he/she can!

We all have friend..A lot gets talked about friendship..everyone wants a true friend..and many of us believe that we have a friend who can be called a true friend!
hmm..what kind of relations do friend share? and when can we call friend a true friend,and when can our friend take us their true friend..

A true friend is a little more than a very good friend..a true friend will support you even if it hurts his/her interest..a true friend will understand your needs and will be wiht you without any criticism..a true friend will come forward to help you without any request.. And the importantly a true friend will not makes any excuses althought he/she having work or anything but will be with you whenever you need him/her..So.. if you have a true friend,said yourself lucky,but be a true friend first!! OK..:)

From: Nur Zafirah Bte Laili..
Matrix No: 2008572927

SIMPLY DELICIOUS....CHOCOLATE!!!!

When we talk about chocolate, does someone knows exactly when? How? Or what are chocolate is been made of. Let me share with you what do I know about chocolate and lots more, and at the end you will get a little information about chocolate and yet you can tell it to your friends about it.
We tend to think of chocolate as a sweet candy created during modern times. But actually, chocolate dates back to the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica who drank chocolate as a bitter beverage. For these people, chocolate wasn’t just a favourite food—it also played an important role in their religious and social lives. The ancient Maya grew cacao and made it into a beverage. The first people clearly known to have discovered the secret of cacao were the Classic Period Maya (250-900 C.E. [A.D.]). The Maya and their ancestors in Mesoamerica took the tree from the rainforest and grew it in their own backyards, where they harvested, fermented, roasted, and ground the seeds into a paste. When mixed with water, chile peppers, cornmeal, and other ingredients, this paste made a frothy, spicy chocolate drink.
Candy bars, milk shakes, cookies, flavored coffee—even cereal and medicine! Chocolate is a key ingredient in many foods. In fact, it ranks as the favorite flavor of most Americans. And yet, few of us know the unique origins of this popular treat. The story of chocolate spans more than 2,000 years and now circles the globe. The tale began in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America where cacao (kah KOW) first grew. Now, as rainforests dwindle and the demand for chocolate increases, scientists and researchers are looking into new ways to better manage cacao farms and preserve the environment.
As I was say in the begining, I will tell a bit about chocolate based on when? How? What are chocolate are made of. Now chocolate are easy to make and find, with these information you know that chocolate were found acient foods. Maybe in
the future chocolate will be important food for all, do not afraid to eat it.

-NOR NASUHA BINTI JASMAN-
-2008571731-

Remove Bars On University Students

We continue to ponder why our students are still lagging far behind students in other countries.

This question of students’ progress or backwardness can be approached from many angles.Let us examine how awareness is sparked among them,which may indicate how the intellect is nurtured.

In the past,they were at the forefront of progress and led the struggle to help poor people.

The history of the student movement in Malaysia began even before independence.During that time,a couple of nationalist youth movements had emerged,such as the Kesatuan Melayu Muda and Kesatuan Melayu Singapura.

Later,the student movement faced many challenges.Its high point was in 1974 when it successfully mobilized people to join demonstrations at Merdeka Square to fight for the poor.That even is remembered today as “Demonstrasi Baling”.

As a result,the government tightened the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) and barred students from expressing their opinion.This weakened the student movement considerably.

Through Parliament amended the UUCA last week,students are still not allowed to join political parties.

The government should repeal all draconian sections in the Act to develop a new generation of progressive-thinking students.


Nor Aida binti Rosely
2008572595

L.O.V.E.

Love. Nothing interesting about the word but it is interesting about the feeling. Love is not just a word. Love is everything. Love is about sincerity, loyalty, happiness, sadness, family, friends and also siblings. Listen to your heart and you will find it. Yeah. It’s true. We just can feel the love in our heart. Love sometimes can be true and can also be fake. Love also can change someone from bad to good and the other ways.

For me love is about relationship. All relation needs love. The best example is in our own family. There is one feeling between members of the family which is love. A mother cares about her children. Father work hard to make sure his family live happily. All of this shows us the feeling of love. It is because loves need responsibilities for us to care for it.

Love is also about the sincerity. There are no loves without sincerity. Guess what will happen in your family when your mom and dad are always lying for each others? Is this shows love to you? Trust me. Love is always there when we have this kind of sincerity between each others.

Remember guys, we cannot simply get the loves. Loves need us to work hard to get it. Then, we need to care it. There are three things to make us happy in this world which is someone to love, something to do and something to hope for. Love is what makes us happy. This is why people get excited when we talk about love. Everyone wants to be happy and me too. For people who have found their love, please care it likes you will never lose it. And for people who never found their love, why not you guys try to search for it starting today. You will never regret once you have found your true love. Good luck ya!


Post by : Nor Shamimi Binti Muhamad Ridza
Matrix No: 2008347651

Salam...

Two years ago, I was took part in “Competition of Inovation”. There are 5 members of my group include me which is we were representatives our school, SM Teknik Muadzam Shah to take part in this competition. This competition was held at SM Teknik Pertanian Chenor, Pahang. There are twelve technic schools were took part in this competition in different innovations. My group made innovation of wheelbarrow became “EZ-Barrow” that has easy functions such as, it has breaks and 3tyres which is easy to do 360˚ of rotation. EZ-Barrow is useful for all of people especially labourers. In this competition, my group was won and we were success to take part in International Level. It was memorable day for me because this is the first time I was took part in this competition and I won. So, I hope all of you can application the innovation in our daily life...

NUR AMMINIRAH BINTI AMNIZAR
2008360523

My Memorable Day

Two years ago, I was took part in “Competition of Inovation”. There are 5 members of my group include me which is we were representatives our school, SM Teknik Muadzam Shah to take part in this competition. This competition was held at SM Teknik Pertanian Chenor, Pahang. There are twelve technic schools were took part in this competition in different innovations. My group made innovation of wheelbarrow became “EZ-Barrow” that has easy functions such as, it has breaks and 3tyres which is easy to do 360˚ of rotation. EZ-Barrow is useful for all of people especially labourers. In this competition, my group was won and we were success to take part in International Level. It was memorable day for me because this is the first time I was took part in this competition and I won.

MELAKA

Salam..

'MELAKA'..such a nice article i would like to share with all of you..
Hope you enjoy reading it..

Melaka or previously known as 'Malacca' is one of the thirteen(13) states in Malaysia. Its has its own attractiveness, so that many tourists from the other country choose Melaka as a place to visit. Melaka has many interesting and historical places which is located in Central Melaka and mostly in the town area.
The building in Melaka have a unique engraving which is blend of eastern and western architecture. Every building has their own story and rich background of history. As far as the early 15th century.

Name: Norul Hidayu Binti Othman
Matrix number: 2008361535

interesting experience

Hyee.. and assalamualaikum...

Actually, there are many things happen in my life. There are whether interesting experience or bitter experience. One of it is when i was enjoying Kedah's Teakwondo Club. My parents that encourage me to participate since i was in standard 2.. i was got the "poom" belt when i was in standard 5.

The meaning of "poom" is red black belt where when someone have achieve black belt before 16 years old. when i was in form 4, i got the certificate of black belt certificate from korea, but the certificate kept by my coach, Sir mohd Fendi Bin Mohd Fisol. i only kept the malaysian certificate... how sad i am... :-( i also participate in many tournament especially when i was in secondary school. i have got many medals and many interesting experiences such as i was fight my partner till felt down. Other than that i also being the referee for two years from form 5 until now.. That's the best experience i've ever own..

Usually people not believed when they knew that i am the Kedah's teakwondo fighter because of my cute face and polite behavior..
hehe.. k.. that all from me... if u want to know more, u can proceed to the next article... with THE GOD'S will.. assalamualaikum...

From: Nurul Amira Bt Jamal
Matrix no: 2008359105

March 11, 2009 3:19 AM

Actually, there are many things happen in my life. There are whether interesting experience or bitter experience. One of it is when i was enjoying Kedah's Teakwondo Club. My parents that encourage me to participate since i was in standard 2.. i was got the "poom" belt when i was in standard 5. The meaning of "poom" is red black belt where when someone have achieve black belt before 16 years old. when i was in form 4, i got the certificate of black belt certificate from korea, but the certificate kept by my coach, Sir mohd Fendi Bin Mohd Fisol. i only kept the malaysian certificate... how sad i am... :-( i also participate in many tournament especially when i was in secondary school. i have got many medals and many interesting experiences such as i was fight my partner till felt down. Other than that i also being the referee for two years from form 5 until now.. That's the best experience i've ever own..

Usually people not believed when they knew that i am the Kedah's teakwondo fighter because of my cute face and polite behavior..
hehe.. k.. that all from me... if u want to know more, u can proceed to the next article... with THE GOD'S will.. assalamualaikum...

From: Nurul Amira Bt Jamal
Matrix no: 2008359105

March 11, 2009 3:19 AM

Teenagers

Teenager is the level of age when they have to make decision about right and wrong. This is because the decision they make will be the direction for their way of life. At this stage they will facing many problems throughout their life journey, understand what is the meaning of life and how to manage it . Nowadays, teenagers always influenced by wrong peers and unhealthy activities. They must be control to prevent them from falling under wrong influences which will destroy their future. Therefore, they needs guidance by parents and support from the society. As a saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”.

Norashiela Saiful Bahry
2008550281

Assalamualaikum and good evening....

I would like to share my story during my last holiday...Actually i was being bussiness girl before i went for study untill now...i was helping my mom to do mushroom bussiness...It is hard work to do it because it need man's energy to organize it...So my mom said "wah you are strong enough to make this job and your energy same like man's energy"...Even it is the hardest work but i really enjoy it because it gave me a lot of experience...Maybe some day i will become a bussiness woman one day....Just wait....I hope all of u can enjoy read my story and dont forget 'MUSHROOM IS GOOD FOR HEALTH'...Hehe...
bye...

From-noorfareena binti faiz
2008505955

campus life

hello everyone :)
As we all knew...we're not in da school life anymore.we're in university,,further our study n nw we're trying our best to get what we wanna be...what we dream for..
i'm myself over here.frther ma study in dz course (public admiistration) n hoping someday i could take a degree in LAW.n insyaallaah i wanna achieve ma ambition to be a LAWYER.wish me luck aite :) tq.
ma new life in campus was so great.im in dpa1b clas.i'm enjying maself der.wit ma friends n lecturers.they were so great n dey all rawxs yaww.haha.
So far..i guess ma lessons here was good.i'm enjoyng all d sbjct dt i sit 4.espclly BEL 120 sbject :) (madam Jean Hoo was d lctrer)
here.i bcme so indepndent where i did evy each thing by ma own.
it's cool.i learn so mumuch overhere.::))
last but not least.i love being here.n wish me luck in my exam with flying clrs n fyi,i did pray fer all ma classmates n lctrers.
to madam Jean.thanxs a lot fer teaching us with patient n may God bless u.



-withlove-
~nadzierah bte arifan(^^,)~

Hye everyone..
Actually,i don't have any idea on what article to post..
At last,i decided to write about my view towards 'LOVE'.
I promise it wont be a long article.

Love itself have a variety of meaning which been given by various people.
As for myself,i felt grateful because my life is full with love..
My parents taught me to love my God,Allah Almighty.
My parents and i love each other very hard..
I have sisters and brothers,which i love so much..
I've been taught to love and respect all my relative by my family..
I have friends and importantly i have bestfriends that i know we love each other..
I own teachers and lecturers,that i give love and respect..
Last but not least,i have my special one..
That i feel we share our love together..


With that i,thank you.
~mEa~

New discussion for u to do.

Elo everyone,

I've been reading & viewing ur blog for the past 6 weeks and i noticed that all of CUT, COPY & PASTE articles which u have downloaded from the internet. It's boring to read & some comments are ridiculous too!

So wat i want u to do for this week is, i want ALL OF U to write something interesting in not more than 100 words in this blog so that all of us can enjoy reading n give comments. Remember it must be ur OWN work!

please do it before 16th March.

Enjoy writing... am looking forward to reading it. :)

THE BENEFITS OF YOUTH SPORTS

The Young Athlete: A Sports Doctor's Complete Guide for Parents
By Jordan D. Metzl, M.D., Carol Shookhoff, Ph.D.

Amateur sports used to mean varsity and JV teams in high school and college, but today more than thirty million kids play on a wide range of recreational and competitive or select teams at younger and younger ages. Parents want to encourage safe sports for their children, both on the field and off. Whether your athlete is a five-year-old beginner or the star of a varsity team, The Young Athlete provides guidance on everything from working with the coach to preventing and treating sports-related injuries.

Jordan D. Metzl, M.D., co-founder and medical director of The Sports Medicine Institute for Young Athletes and one of America's premier pediatric sports physicians, explains:

How to keep your child athlete healthy in mind and body

How to deal with the coach and other parents and help your child handle team pressure

How to recognize and prevent injuries such as fractures, ligament tears, and repetitive stress injuries

How to recognize when your child is doing "too much"

How to judge the impact of daily physical practice on growing bodies

The Young Athlete provides two kinds of guidelines. First, it helps both you and your child keep a sensible perspective on the benefits of organized sports and avoid a "win at all costs" mentality. Through personal advice and anecdotes from his medical practice, Dr. Metzl, a marathon runner, Ironman triathelete, and former college soccer player, helps parents evaluate real-life situations and decisions. He addresses the concerns of parents who have no experience in sports but want to encourage their children to achieve their utmost potential.

Second, this book focuses on strategies that can help prevent injuries and promote health. Dr. Metzl tells you how to recognize the most common injuries and determine their degree of seriousness. He also discusses the nutritional needs of the developing athlete and the benefits of strength and preventive conditioning before and during the season. The Young Athlete is a comprehensive guide that will enable your young athlete to be the best that he or she can be, both on and off the field.


MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO (A SOUND MIND IN A SOUND BODY)

Sports are for fun, but they also offer benefits and lessons that carry
over into all aspects of life.

When kids are asked why they play sports, here's what they say:

To have fun
To improve their skills
To learn new skills
To be with their friends
To make new friends
To succeed or win
To become physically fit
Kids usually get the benefits they seek from sports and more. Kids need attention and respect (in that order), but they have few ways to get them. What is unique about sports is that they offer kids an arena where they can earn attention and respect by exerting their natural abilities. Kids are good at sports because sports are essentially about speed, strength, coordination, vision, creativity, and responsiveness-the necessary physical attributes are the attributes of youth.

Given that athletics involves all aspects of the human being, it is not surprising that participants benefit in all of the areas they mention. According to researchers at the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University, kids who participate in organized sports do better in school, have better interpersonal skills, are more team oriented, and are generally healthier.

Participation in sports provides opportunities for leadership and socialization, as well as the development of skills for handling success and failure.

Moreover, when playing games, children learn how rules work. They see how groups need rules to keep order, that the individual must accept the rules for the good of the group, that rules entail a consideration of the rights of others. They also learn about competition, but within a restricted and safe system where the consequences of losing are minimized.

Benefits for girls have been of particular interest to researchers. The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports reports many developmental benefits of participating in youth sports for girls, including increased self-esteem and self-confidence, healthier body image, significant experiences of competency and success, as well as reduced risk of chronic disease. Furthermore, female athletes "do better academically and have lower school dropout rates than their nonathletic counterparts."

The Women's Sports Foundation lists many ways that sports specifically benefit female athletes. These include their being less likely to become pregnant as teenagers, less likely to begin smoking, more likely to quit smoking, more likely to do well in science, and more likely to graduate from high school and college than female nonathletes. Female athletes also take greater pride in their physical and social selves than their sedentary peers; they are more active physically as they age; they suffer less depression. There is also some evidence that recreational physical activity decreases a woman's chances of developing breast cancer and helps prevent osteoporosis.

I am convinced that sports offer a unique arena in which children can successfully exert their talents. The arena is unique for two reasons. First, sports engage the child as a complete human being: all facets-not just physical, but also social, cognitive, and psychological-are engaged harmoniously in striving toward peak fulfillment. Second, sports involve youths working in an ongoing community composed of their peers as well as their peers' families. Sports, that is, offer children an exhilarating, satisfying, rewarding way to participate in a larger world not generally accessible to nonathletes.

Physical BenefitS

Fitness. Kids who play sports develop general physical fitness in a way that's fun, and they establish lifelong habits for good health. This is particularly important at a time when obesity in the United States has reached epidemic proportions: the incidence of obesity has increased by more than 50 percent among America's children and teens since 1976 and continues to grow at a staggering rate!

Stress relief. Sports allow kids to clear their minds of academic and social pressures, to literally run off the tension that's accumulated in their muscles. In the words of one patient, "If you play really hard, you feel better because playing takes your mind off things that bother you, and afterwards you can concentrate better." Most doctors recognize the positive mental effect of physical exertion, even though we're not sure exactly why this is so. I know that my ability to study in college and medical school was greatly enhanced when I ran during the day, and I'm not the only athlete to find this true. Many athletes get better grades in-season (theories posit the discipline and the need to manage time, along with an increased ability to concentrate). During exams, Duke University opens its gyms twenty-four hours a day to provide stress relief for its students.

Mastery. Sports give kids a satisfying, enjoyable way to develop their own talents: through personal effort they get good at something they're interested in. Doing something well makes them feel good about themselves, but equally important, it teaches them about the process of how to improve and work more effectively. Learning a skill-to dribble left-handed, say, or to execute an effective second serve-entails a recognition that practice is essential and that improvement is incremental. The process of repetition teaches the athlete how to master a move and also how to experiment with different approaches to improve a skill. The feedback in sports is usually immediate and visible-does the ball go into the basket?-so that the athlete can change or repeat what she's doing and figure out how to get better. Not only that, the whole process of seeing practice lead to improvement gives kids a feeling of control, a feeling all too rare in their lives.

Healthy habits. Because sports increase an awareness of one's body and how it responds to different stimuli and circumstances, sports help prevent drug and alcohol abuse. Most athletes value what their bodies can do and want to maintain those abilities. Being an athlete also gives kids an acceptable reason for telling their friends no to drugs, booze, and other high-risk, unhealthy behaviors. (Of course, not all athletes avoid drugs and alcohol.)

Personal Benefits

Valuing preparation. Sports help kids learn to distinguish between effort and ability. Sports increase self-discipline and the awareness of the value of preparation because kids can see the difference in their performance.

Competitive athletes learn the importance of effort, being prepared (mentally and physically), and enlightened risk-taking. They see that raw physical talent is not always sufficient to win the game, but that preparation is essential. This includes mental preparation (staying focused) and physical fitness as well as practicing the plays with their teammates in team sports. They learn to evaluate risk versus reward. Another invaluable lesson is discovering that mistakes are part of learning; they signal that a particular approach is unsuccessful and you must try another. Kids also learn to deal productively with criticism as part of improvement and preparation.

Resilience. Sports provide an unparalleled model for dealing with disappointment and misfortune. Young athletes learn to handle adversity, whether it's picking themselves up after losing a big game or not getting as many minutes as they wanted. They find ways to deal with losing and go on, because there's another big game next week or next year. They figure out what to do to get what they want for themselves. They put in extra time on fitness or work on specific weaknesses in their game (long-ball trapping, hitting to the opposite field, looking the ball into their hands).

Athletes also learn to deal with the physical and psychological effects of injury. I broke my jaw playing soccer and missed most of the season my junior year in high school. I went through the classic stages of grief, from "This can't be true" to ultimate acceptance. Two months of sitting out, waiting to heal, and dealing with physical and emotional pain was devastating. There were times early on when I sat in my bed whimpering from pain. But as time went on and my jaw began to heal, I somehow began to realize what almost all athletes in pain realize: the only person who is going to help you is yourself. You find the limits of what you can ask of yourself and know that you will deliver. This learning to get the best out of yourself carries over into all aspects of life. People can find their internal drive through training and hard work, but adversity really brings it out. In my case, I came back with stronger resolve. In my senior year I became an all-district soccer player and was propelled toward a college soccer career.

Attitude control. Older teens learn that a confident attitude improves their performance, and that they have some control over their attitude. They learn to disregard comparative stats in preparing for an opponent and instead to adopt "attitude enhancers" such as visualization exercises, team or individual rituals, singing specific songs together, or having dinner as a team the night before the game. Some might call these superstitions, others, self-fulfilling prophecies, but they work.

Leadership opportunities. Team sports offer kids a rare opportunity to serve as leaders. Kids can be in a position to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their various teammates and help to exploit their strengths and compensate for their weaknesses. They can minimize conflicts among players. They can reinforce values-such as fair play, teamsmanship, hard work, mental preparation-by speaking up when appropriate and setting a good example. They can also take the initiative in arranging for team dress on game days (football players wear their jerseys to class, female basketball players wear their warm-up pants), organizing team dinners or team movie nights, and inviting teachers and administrators to their games.

Identity and balance. Being part of a group is inordinately important to kids, and sports make kids feel like they belong, whether it's to the group of athletes in general or their team in particular. Sports also contribute to a teenager's sense of a stable identity with particular values. "I'm a football player" is a very different statement than "I play football." People are complicated, however; no individual is just one thing. It's better to encourage children-and adults-not to assume a single identity to the exclusion of all else.

Time management. Young athletes learn to manage their time productively. They know they have to get their homework done, so they learn not to waste time (some of them even quit watching television and hanging out at the mall). They plan ahead, so that big school projects don't catch them by surprise. They even figure out they have to eat well and get a good night's sleep. Countless athletes, in school and the workplace, say that being an athlete taught them discipline that is invaluable in their lives on and off the field.

Long-term thinking. Athletes learn the fundamental lesson of sacrificing immediate gratification for long-term gain. This is the basis for personal success as well as for civilization in general, and no lesson can be more valuable.

Social Benefits

Sports are a social activity. Team sports are obviously done with other people, but even individual sports are often done as a team (tennis, golf, track). All sports, however, are intended to be performed in front of others, and the social ramifications are many. Here are some of them.

Relationships with other kids. Athletes develop relationships with their teammates. For boys, sports are a primary, and unfortunately sometimes the sole, way of socializing with others. In many schools and communities, nonathletic males find it difficult to develop a social network at all. For girls, who according to the feminist theorist Carol Gilligan tend to define themselves through their relationships rather than their achievements, sports offer yet another way to make friends and create an alternate peer group. According to Mike Nerney, a consultant in substance abuse prevention and education, multiple peer groups are always a good idea for teens, who have an intense need for inclusion and belonging, but who can also be volatile, cruel to each other, and foment destructive behavior as a group. Having a refuge when relations go wrong with one group can alleviate a great deal of stress and offer an alternative for kids who feel uncomfortable or frightened by peers who engage in high-risk activities.

Teamwork. On a team, kids learn about cooperation, camaraderie, give-and-take. They learn that while their natural position might be wide receiver, the team needs a cornerback, so they sacrifice their personal desires and play defense. They learn that you don't have to like someone in order to work together toward a common goal. They also discover that you can work for people you don't respect and still be productive, improve your skills, and have fun. A team is a natural environment in which to learn responsibility to others: you can't stay out carousing the night before a game; sometimes you need to pass up a party in order to show up and play well.

Kids learn these lessons from their teammates and, most important, a coach who encourages the good of the team over the needs of an individual player. This attitude is sometimes rare in today's sports climate, where what's glorified is to "be the man." I think the earlier the message is instilled about the good of the larger whole, the better for kids in the long run.

Diversity. Organized sports sponsored by clubs or youth leagues not affiliated with schools offer players an opportunity to meet a variety of kids from different backgrounds. Students from public, private, and parochial schools come together in a common enterprise, crossing socioeconomic and ethnic lines, so that over time all players broaden their sense of how other people live. The genuinely multicultural environment is of tremendous importance in our polarized society. Kids play on the same team, wear the same uniform, share the same objectives and experiences. Sports are a great equalizer: rich or poor, black, brown, or white, are irrelevant. What counts is talent and heart.

Relationships with adults. When coaches, parents, and kids see each other at practice and games week after week, year after year, the adults learn to admire and praise the kids' prowess and progress, even when kids are as young as third graders. This kind of attention helps youngsters learn to balance their own evaluation of their improving skills with the appraisal of others who are not blood relatives; they also begin the lifelong process of figuring out whom to listen to when they hear conflicting advice or assessments. In addition, for young athletes of all ages, attention from interested adults is not only flattering but also helps them overcome shyness and develop poise when talking to relative strangers in social situations. The ability to feel comfortable in a variety of social circumstances will be progressively more valuable in a world of multiple cultures and decreasing numbers of supportive communities.

Sports give kids an opportunity to spend ongoing periods of time with an adult in a shared endeavor. Indeed, kids may spend more time with their coach than with any other adult in their lives, especially if they're on a school team or a club team that practices two or more times a week. Ideally this coach cares about them as whole beings rather than particular talents who can run for touchdowns or block opponents' shots. To thrive, kids need to be with adults who want them to do well in a variety of endeavors, who notice their improvements and hard work, who manifest sound values, and who don't pay attention to them solely because of their contributions to the win column.

The coach-player relationship can be very strong, and even parentlike. Coaches of young athletes take on a tremendous responsibility to set a good example and treat their players respectfully. Thankfully, most coaches take this responsibility very seriously.

Sometimes, the coach-player relationship can even be life-saving. A female coach of a varsity boys' team reported that one of her players came to her saying, "I need to talk to you. I found blood in my urine."

"Let me ask you something," the coach replied. "Have you been having unprotected sex?"

"No, of course not. I can't believe you asked me that," he said. "Well, I need to know what direction to take you in. No matter what happened, you need to see a doctor."

The coach recalled, "This boy was very good looking and very popular. I knew what was going on. The doctor found he had picked up a venereal disease which could have made him infertile. The boy called me from the doctor's office to say thank you."

Participating in a community. Sports foster a sense of community: they give both participants and spectators the experience of belonging to something larger than themselves, the need for which seems to be hard-wired into the human brain. This is why kids love playing for their schools, why high school football games in small cities can draw tens of thousands of spectators week after week, and why adults identify with their college teams years after they have graduated. Playing for an institution or a community gives kids a chance to feel that they are making a genuine contribution to a larger group.

Highs and Lows

Sports can actually change the physiology of athletes and fans. Physical exertion can raise the level of pheronemes and endorphins, brain chemicals that cause exhilaration. Exercise can also elevate the serum testosterone level, which makes the heart beat faster. Spectators can feel depressed when their team loses and elated when their team wins. They, too, undergo physiological changes when watching their team: fans of the winning team experience an increase in testosterone, whereas supporters of the losers undergo a decrease in testosterone.


When playing for school or club teams, young athletes are afforded the opportunity to see how grownups and children treat one another and how this treatment has long-term consequences. They can see which adults care about kids, are willing to do their fair share and more, and take a stand for what they believe in. They see which parents are cooperative-pitching in to help with snacks, driving their kids' teammates to games, serving as team treasurer, volunteering to line the fields on cold, rainy mornings. They hear parents screaming at the officials and recognize which ones know the rules and which don't. They see who supports their own children and others, who bullies their children or the officials. They see parents who teach their children to assume they are always right, are better than the other players, and that someone else, anyone else, is always at fault if things go wrong. They also see how the kids in these families emulate or reject their parents' behavior. They think about how they will treat their own children and how they will behave with their friends as members of groups.

One hockey father says, "Part of the benefit of sports is that children observe its complex social dynamic among coaches, parents, players, and officials. There's a wide range of ethics, such as the attitude toward authority. Do you try to abide by the spirit of the rules, get away with what you can, accept what an official says, or do you argue and yell at him, or complain about it? Another major element they encounter is the difference between teammates who are good at communicating and sharing versus those who are out to get what they can for themselves. This is a dichotomy adults face throughout life. Kids involved in sports have to consciously or subconsciously figure out where they fit into those various spectrums."

Participating for years on the same team not only improves the play, because the players learn each other's strengths and weaknesses and where they'll be on the field or court, but it gives kids a wider view of the world and the people in it.