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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 2013)
P R IN T : Sports ß »*• Wednesday, November 6,2013 Sports literacy and foosball Ok R E TÌPO | | | ^fÌO N WBÍ R"^ Brittany Home Co-Editor-in-Chief Are you a sports newb? Were you more interested in video ;.<• games, ‘girly’ things or education to learn about i ports oi tXpeflewu adequate exposure to the ‘game night’ culture? And then maybe one day you found yourself going out to a football game with friends, your child started playing volleyball or you started dating a basketball fanatic. Whatever your story is, you find yourself wondering what is going on in the game. What is everyone so excited about, all I see is players fighting over a ball up and down the field. Why does that guy get a free shot? How do ! help my child practice and train if i don’t f know a thing about soccer? How can I be a part o f my significant others biggest interest?, I’m here to save the day! Or, ‘ well, at least to lead the adventure - ‘ o f sports literacy. I will be research ing and experiencing a variety o f sports and interviewing sport-gifted individuals to provide a sort o f sports-for-newbs crash course. The best part is that I’ll be learning with, you, so hopefully what is new to me w ill be new to you. Each week will be focused on a specific sport and include some history, objective and rules, game related terms and culture tid-bits. This week we will explore foosball r > as an example, providing some his tory, culture and rules. Foosball is “a tabletop version , . o f soccer in which players turn f rods fixed on top of a playing box and attached to miniature figures o f ‘ players, in order to flick the ball and strike it toward the goal,” according S to Google definitions. Also known as: tabletop football, fussball o r kicker. The origins o f this sport game are hard to trace, but it is believed that many countries befc,an develop- ' i n g different, variations of fooshail in roughly the Mine Hint penod. Organized soccer made its debut in the 1860s; the soccer table version appearing shortly after. The first foosball table patent in th f O . . was registered in 1901, a lth o ^ f ft is agreed upon that its origins ate western European like soccer. According to Le Stxr Jllustre, a Belgian magazine, a Frenchman named Lucien Rosengart is cred ited for the invention o f the foosball table. He is also accredited with the minicar, frontwheel drive and the seat belt. A popular belief is that foosball was invented to rehabilitate war veterans. This is not true. However, foosball has been used for reha bilitative purposes and is great for rebuilding hand-eye coordination. . Today it is used for social rehabili- ; ' tation as seen offered by corrections facilities for recreational use. So let’s get playing! Below are the rules, according to wwwfoos- ball.com. The Three Golden Rules: 1. The tables have niire balls and play the best out o f nine, or the first team to five goals. . . 2. If a ball goes into the goal legally, then a point is scored, no exceptions. 3. Do not spin the rods! Some other rules you may want * to ase as well: * 4. To find out who goes first, flip a coin. 5. Serve the ball through the hole using any technique, but you must touch the ball with a ‘man’ before you can score. 6. After a goal is made, the last team scored upon receives the ball. 7. If a ball goes off the table, the . ' last team scored upon receives the ball. 8. If the ball has stopped and is unreachable, the “Dead Ball” is given to the last team scored upon. 9. If the ball is in your posses sion, you may call ‘Time Out’, but must make sure the other team is ready when you call ‘Time In’. ’ 10. Do not reach on the table for the ball or use your hand while it is in play. 11. Have fun and respect others while playing. 12. The ball should notbe in any one place for more than 15 seconds. 1 hope you learned some basics o f foosball in the first week o f ‘Sports for Newbs’. Tracking Cougar Gil-Juarez and his cross country dreams Chris Browarski The Clackamas Print Running through mud, grass, hills and the occasional gravel road, all in the rain or shine. Cross country isn’t the sport for every one; it’s a long grinding battle from start to finish all on unpaved trails. It’s more than just talent or training. A cross country runner needs both determination and heart to cross the finish line first. Clackamas cross country run ner Jorge Gil-Juarez has what it takes to be an excellent cross-coun try runner. On Oct. 26, Gil-Juarez took home second place in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Southern Region Championship, help ing to seal a spot för Clackamas Community College in the upcoming NWAACC champion ship. Gil-Juarez is a very talented young man. His excellent running ability is the product of intense training and determination. He pushes himself to run farther and faster. “The more miles you run, the faster you can go,” said Gil- Juarez. Gil-Juarez trains by running 70 to 80 miles a week, alternating weekdays between long distance legs and speed training to stay in top physical condition. Saturday is usually race day where the two styles come together to really test the body. Allison Pugsley, a close friend testified to his drive. “He’s not one to slack off at all,” said Pugsley. “I’ve never met anyone who is so positive and strong-hearted for this sport.” Pugsley says Gil-Jäurez will run no matter the conditions; he’s out training every single day. While the ideal running day is a nice cool 60 degree overcast day, Gil-Juarez doesn’t hesitate to run in rain, snow, or heat. He says the only condition that might keep him from training is a lightning storm. Gil-Juarez wasn’t always in love with running; it wasn’t until his junior year at Phoenix High School that his friends pushed him and he decided to try out for cross country. “My best friend wanted me to start running so I tried it... That was like my catalyst,” he said. Gil-Juarez started slow but found that his times quickly improved with training. So he constantly pushed himself. Training harder and harder, Gil- Juarez’s running improved until it clicked for him his senior year. He became the best distance run ner on his high school team. His high school and college friend Zach Hibbs believes Gil-Juarez’s natural talent gives him an edge. “He trained with the rest of us and did the same thing,” said Hibbs. “In fact going into our sophomore year at Clackamas I was putting in more miles than he was but I still couldn’t compete at his level.” Natural talent aside, Gil- Juarez’s determination for his sport would come under trial his sophomore year as a severe camping accident put his running career in jeopardy. While cutting wood with a hatchet, Jorge took a swing a bit too close and chopped through his shoe, cutting the mid dle toe of his right foot in half. A nasty injury for anyone, but truly reason to panic for a runner. The injury sidetracked his sophomore year and left him using red-shirt status to preserve a year of eligibility for a third year at Clackamas. When he was able to get back on his feet and run ning, Gil-Juarez wasn’t anywhere near the pace he left at the end of his freshman year. “I was really worried about not being able to compete at the same level,” said Gil-Juarez. Gil-Juarez was back to square one and had to train hard to resume being competitive again. For four grueling months he ran every day, building up to the same pace he had left off at. Despite his reputation for hardcore training, Gil-Juarez is an easy-going and fun-loving guy. He has an athletic body, floppy hair and a big smile. Hibbs calls him super hilarious. “Wherever he goes, he’s the life of the party,” said Hibbs. He is studying animal science as he loves animals, particularly household pets. He hopes to trans fer to a university with an animal studies major as well as a good cross country program. Currently he is hopeful to finish the season high at the NWAACC championship with the strong Clackamas team. Teammates Badane Sultessa and Jackson Baker are also top run ners, and Gil-Juarez feels that having three elite athletes at the head of the pack is intimidating to other teams and gives Clackamas an advantage. Gil-Juarez’s goals seem attain able with his incredible work ethic. Grinding away at every challenge, there is no limit to what this young man can achieve. GIL-JUAREZ Gil-Juarez, who is from Pheonix, Ore. realized he was a good runner his last race o f his high school Junior year. When he was beaten to state by a teammate, he was determined to make it to state his high school Senior year. He won third in state that year. A t the Southern Region Championship, Gil-Juarez placed second fo r m en’s cross country.
