Insiders Look Into Girls Sports

MMA- Origin: Mix Mixed Martial Arts also known as MMA Mixed martial arts, is a combination of boxing, wrestling, judo, jujitsu, karate, Muay Thai also called Thai boxing, there are other disciplines added. MMA dates back to the ancient Olympic games in 648 BCE, when pankration—the martial training of Greek armies—was considered the combat sport of ancient Greece. The brutal contest combined wrestling, boxing, and street fighting. The game The fighters fight in an octagon shaped cage.In general there are three rounds per fight, but if the participants are fighting they title it could be extended to five rounds. There are usually 5 minutes per round but it could vary. Unlike boxing there is no time difference for men and women fights. The largest MMA organization is the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). The winner is if the player taps out or gets knocked out. If neither happens then the winner is decided by the score which is based on effective striking/grappling, octagon control, and aggressiveness. Fighters can also get their points deducted and there are several ways. The most common is and the one that deducts points are fouls. Usually there are warnings before the point is actually taken away. But here are some fouls; Eye pokes Fence grabs Groin strikes Unsportsmanlike conduct

Soccer- Origin: Soccer is actually called football, it originated in Britain in the 19th century. It has been played since medieval times and it was called “folk football” it had varied rules, it then began to be standardized when it became a winter game at public schools. Then the Football Association (FA), formed in 1863. They codified the rules of football and hosted the first cup competition between regional football clubs in Britain. The game Football has two teams of 11 players per team, using any part of their bodies except their hands and arms, to try to maneuver the ball into the opposing team’s goal. The field is a rectangular shape. The team with the most goals scored wins. The positions are set into a 4-2-3-1. The center forward is at the very top, their main goal is to score goals. There are the wingers who can play on the right or left side of the field near the touch lines. Their goal is to quickly dribble past their opposing full-backs and pass the ball to a striker. If a team plays a more narrow formation in the midfield, they may not even use wingers. The centre midfield offers dual support in offensive plays as well as attempting to get the ball back when on defense. They are placed on the center of the field so they have the most control over the flow of a match and they have the best view of the action on both ends of the field. Defensive midfielders are placed in front of defenders for extra protection. They typically lay back when their team goes on the attack. The main goal is to tackle the opposing players and potentially drive them out to the sides. Attacking midfielders is an offensive role that is placed between the central midfield and the forwards. This role can be divided into the left, right, or central midfield. Their main duty is to create opportunities for strikers by finding passes that can cut through the defense of the opposition. The centre-back is also known as a central defender, the role that the centre-defender has is to stop the players on the opposing team from shooting. It is common for 2 center backs on the field, they can either cover a specific area or a specific player. The full-back is positioned on either side of the center-back. They defend against opposing wingers in the flanks who try to drive the ball past them or pass to other attackers. They do not traditionally support attacking plays. And finally, the goalkeeper they are the only one that can touch the ball. Their job is to prevent the opposing team from scoring.

Flag Football- Origin: Flag football originated during World War 2, around the 1940s. Soldiers stationed on military bases played flag football to stay active and maintain physical fitness without the risks associated with full-contact tackle football. Instead of using flags, they would use strips of cloth or towels attached to their waist, which allowed for a safer, non-contact version of the sport. The military wanted to ensure soldiers were entertained while avoiding injuries that could impact their fitness for duty. By using flags instead of tackling, they could enjoy the competitive elements of football more safely. The game Flag football is similar to regular football except for the tackling part. Flag football is played with two teams of 5-8 players per team, the offense attempts to score points by moving the ball down the field across the goal line. There are different types of positions for example, for offense there are wide receivers the receiver runs designated routes to catch a pass , the running backs takes a hand off and runs with the ball or throws it. They’re also eligible to receive passes, the tight ends are part of the offensive line and they can block and they are eligible as a receiver, the quarterback The quarterback receives the snap and passes the ball or hands it off they are also not allowed to run with the ball after the snap, and the center snaps the ball to the quarterback and then can run for a pass as a receiver. And for defensive positions there are the defensive backs who try to cover the wide receivers either man to man or they are in a zone, a safety stands further back from the line of scrimmage and they are responsible for stopping the opponents that get loose, and a rusher attempts to prevent the quarterback from passing the ball. There are 4 downs to get 10 yards for a touchdown. If you pass 10 yards then you get another 4 downs. If your flag gets pulled then that counts as a down. Then the next down starts where the player’s flag got pulled.

Origin: The traditional Polynesian dance comes in many different forms. Hula originated on the island of Hawaii, Tahitian came from the island of Tahiti, the Haka and Poi Balls started in New Zealand, and lastly, fire knife dancing comes from Somoa. These dances might all be performed at a Polynesian show, but they are all beautiful, unique in different ways, and represent various cultures. Hula- Hula is a dance from the natives of Hawaii, if you go to Hawaii you may see some graceful and delicate Hula Auana, or powerful Hula Kahiko. There is a legend that hula was originally performed for Pele, the goddess of fire, performed by her sister, Hi`iaka. Many of the hula chants are an oral record of the history of Hawaii. After the arrival of the missionaries on the Hawaiian islands in 1820, hula was banned. The dance was sort of revived years later for the purpose of religion freedom. Ori Tahitian- The Ori Tahitian is the dance of the Tahitian people. You might see the Otea, which consists of gyrating hip movements to drumming, or Aprima, a dance where they tell a story through the song. Tahitian people are known to love songs and dance. In ancient times, the native people of Tahiti would perform different dances for special occasions, one dance was to greet visitors at a ceremony, and dances for prayer and worship. Other dances were dedicated to the ancient gods. Haka- Haka is one of New Zeland's traditional dances. There are many forms of Haka, for example, the most popular form is “Ka Mate. Haka portrays a strong war like gesture. Fire knife dancing- The fire dance comes from Samoa. The dance involves the brave twirling of a war knife. It has been passed down from generation to generation. Traditionally the dance was used in ancient times to prepare a warrior's mind for battle. Now the fire dancers add more style and boldness to the dance.

Basketball- About Basketball: The evolution of the basketball hoop: The first hoop, the peach basket- The first basketball hoop was a peach basket. James Naismith hung a peach basket on an elevated track about 10 feet off the ground. This hoop introduced a new game on December 21, 1891. But every time the ball went in the hoop, someone would have to retrieve it, which was a struggle and time-consuming. The second evolution, metal rim and backboard- The second era of the basketball hoop was the metal rim and backboard. In 1893, Naismith replaced the peach basket with a metal rim and backboard, which made it less time-consuming. He later added a net in 1912. The third evolution, Standardized Hoop The third era was the standardized hoop. The standard diameter of the hoop is 18 in. and the backboard size was set. This started in 1936 and the era ended in 1975. The fourth evolution, the Modern Hoop The fourth era began in 1975. They had to change the hoop because when the basketball players Shaquil O'Neil and David Thompson came into the league, they had to change the strength and durability of the boards. Breakaway rims were then added to prevent the boards from breaking. In 1986, the first adjustable hoop was invented. The game The original rules were very different from today. Naismith's original rules were basic, with 13 players on each team and a prohibition against running with the ball. Over the next decade, as the sport gained popularity, the rules evolved to include dribbling, free throws, and the concept of a five-player team. The free throw was introduced when a player was fouled. The free throw line's distance, 15 feet from the basket, has remained unchanged since its introduction. Today the game has changed a lot and here are some of the rules: Basketball is a team sport. Two teams of five players each try to score by shooting a ball through a hoop elevated 10 feet above the ground. The game is played on a rectangular floor called the court, with a hoop at each end. The court is divided into two main sections by the mid-court line. When a team makes a basket, they score two points and the ball goes to the other team. If a basket, or field goal, is made outside of the three-point arc, then that basket is worth three points. A free throw is worth one point. Free throws are awarded to a team according to some formats involving the number of fouls committed in a half and/or the type of foul committed. Fouling a shooter always results in two or three free throws being awarded to the shooter, depending upon where he was when he shot. If he was beyond the three-point line, then he gets three shots.