Too Much Pressure?

Just go with me on this one. It's only Wednesday so the region championship game hasn't been played yet. However, I'm guessing most people won't be reading this until sometime after the game. I'm hoping Beulah won but if not, who cares. "What? Did he really just say that? Who cares? I care!" many people might be thinking. The reason I feel this way is simple. In a few years, all it's going to be is a cool story to tell to your friends.

Of course I want them to win. I want them to win very badly. I'm going to cheer until my voice goes out and after that I'll have to just keep clapping. However, at the end of the day, win or lose, life goes on. There are so many more things to look forward to. I wish everyone realized this, not just the players. Fans and parents put too much pressure on high school athletes.

Pressure can be one of the biggest influences on someones performance. People crack under pressure. It happens. Some people may play well under pressure but that doesn't mean they're better with it. I feel bad for the players that have the pressure of an elephant on their back. Maybe they can deal with it well? I just know that it affected me in wrestling and that's not even close to as big of a stage as basketball.

I think people need to lay off high school atheletes. It's not the pros. No ones getting paid to do it. They're out there for fun, so just let them be. Let them have fun. After the game don't worry about who won or lost, go congratulate the players for all of their success and hard work.

The Harlem Shake

Watch "Harlem Shake NFL Combine-Style at IMG Academy" on YouTube
Thirty seconds of madness. The Harlem shake is the definition of madness. For those of you who haven't seen the Harlem shake, watch this video, this is my favorite one so far. Crazy, right? Well this is the new internet craze. Everyones doing it. Any college that's anyone has made one. I've even seen an underwater one created by a swim team. You should really check it out.

A Harlem shake video usually starts with one person wearing something on his or her head and doing a subtle dance with a few people standing by. It is always accompanied by the same music. The tune is an electronic beat that starts somewhat slow. After about 15 seconds there is a change in pace of the beat and a man yells, "Do the Harlem shake!" At this point the people instantly multiply and appear with crazy costumes and props. Everyone does there own mind boggling dance. I wouldn't so much call them dances,they're more like random motions. This goes on for approximately 30 seconds with a couple slow motion shots mixed in to match the beat of the music.

The rise in popularity of these new videos has got me thinking. What does it take to start the next internet sensation? Nothing. Planking? Owling? Tebowing? Oh and who could forget those two days when standing a broom was cool? And the most recent, and my least favorite, if i get a million likes, i get a puppy.

Now days its easy to make something popular on the internet. Look at planking. I wonder what events lead to the creation of that.
"Hey let me take a picture of you."
"Ok, but first I'm going to lay as straight as i can."
"Like a plank?"
"Ya!"
"Dude, that's a great idea! "
Maybe it didn't go exactly like that, but seriously how difficult could that have been. I don't have a problem with these fads, I just wanted to bring attention to how ridiculously easy it is for our generation to entertain ourselves.

Congrats Grad

It's almost here. Just over three months away. Graduation. I'm so...what's the word I'm looking for? Excited? No, that's not it. Sad. Yes, you heard me right, sad. While many people look forward to graduation, I do not. Don't get me wrong, I am relieved that I will be done with high school. Of course I am pumped for the endless freedom I will have. Seems great, right? You may be asking who wouldn't want that? Well, the answer is me.

Responsibilty. The single biggest reason I'm not ready. I can handle the responsibilites that I will be faced with, but the truth is, I don't want to. I like life the way it is. Going out and having fun, no taxes or a job, it's perfect. Life's good. I don't want it to change one bit.

The second reason is friends. We have grown such strong bonds with each other. Twelve plus years of playground fun, backyard football, and much much more. It's coming to an end, just like that. They can't do this to us. Plucking us like feathers and tossing us all around the globe. I'm sure I'll meet some great people in college and I'll get some new insight on things, but I just don't like change.

If it were up to me, there would be two paths at graduation. The first labeled "I'm Ready" and the other "Let's Do It Again". People that want to go off to college, get a degree, and start making the big bucks could go right ahead. Others, like me would choose the second path. It wouldn't take me back in time to get another chance. I would simply stay for another year, start new adventures, make the most of it. If I'm ready by the time next years graduation rolls around then I could take the first path.

I realize that this is complete fantasy and would never happen, but I just wish it could be that way. One of the main purposes of high school is to prepare students for college, which then prepares them for their desired occupation. I'm not prepared so why can't I stay just a little bit longer. This is my plea. Please, all I want is one more year, I'm not ready...yet.