You may be tired of talking about the Alabama game, but please humor me.
There are two schools of thought for facing the situation that Penn State had in the Alabama game.
1. Tell your guys that they can win and pull out all stops to do so. The facial expression and the body language of Joe Paterno on the sideline of that game did not reflect someone who had that mindset. It was the body language of someone who knew he was going to get beat, didn't like it and had to endure it.
That brings us to the second option for approaching this game.
2. Approach the game with the attitude of surviving without getting embarrassed or having one's bodies and psyche destroyed. I read recently where someone talked about all the young phenom quarterbacks they have seen be ruined by bringing them on too soon. I believe that Coach Paterno hoped to get his quarterback through this game without destroying his confidence. Take the loss and try to get the team to come back and be a decent team by the end of the year.
That said, that game frustrated me so much I went out to the farm and, in the dark, seeded a roadway.
It sure makes you wonder why we have to watch slow-motion Royster run into a mass of humanity over and over again and end up with a yard or two.
So many things make you wonder. I really would like to know what the coaches told the team before that game.
Were they told they could win it?
C. Arnold McClure
Shirleysburg
AAHS?must face challenge
Altoona High School football has a great field, lots of kids out, a new scoreboard and losses to Hollidaysburg, McKeesport and Fox Chapel.
I'm sorry to predict, but I think they'll be lucky to win two games this year. The WPIAL is good year in and year out. Excuses are easy, but if we're going to compete, we need to be competent from the top to the bottom.
Unless the Altoona Area School District will be happy being the doormat of the league, a change will need to be made at the top. The only question is how long will it take?
Don Spielvogle
Altoona
Belief in extreme sports
A 13-year-old teenager died Sunday, Aug. 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Peter Lenz fell off his motorcycle and was struck by a 12-year-old motorcyclist. In response to this accident, a psychologist who specializes in child and teen development, Dr. Robyn Silverman said, "They really need to be able to understand the risks. It looks so cool, and teens have this process in their heads: 'It's cool, let's just do it.' There's not the, 'Let's step back and look at the pros and cons of the situation,' as adults would."
But the people who say, "Let's just do it," are pioneers. They are the innovators. They are our future leaders.
In May, 13-year-old Jordan Romero became the youngest climber to scale Mount Everest. The youngest person to circumnavigate the globe on her own without stopping was 16-year-old Jessica Watson, who is currently being challenged by 14-year-old Laura Dekker from the Netherlands.
What's so different about these young trailblazers compared to Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus? The young teenagers that tackle these feats are risking their lives, yes, but they are developing life-long skills in the process.
Extreme sports foster discipline, perseverance, and ambition - all great qualities of leaders.
Let's face it: Extreme sports are here to stay. Society does not have the right to impose age restrictions on these young radicals.
Popular team sports like basketball and football are not going out of style, but extreme sports are becoming more popular with high school adolescents and young adults. These young athletes compete in sports that require a considerable amount of commitment, excellent dexterity, and strength and endurance.
Not to mention these kids discover themselves through these sports. Society cannot tell them who they should be or who they are allowed to be.
Extreme sports allow participants to become their own individual.
Zach Lonsinger
PSU Altoona student
