Waltman

** A Pre-Game Warm-up **
 * Winter/Spring 2012 Mr. Dunne **

What do sports mean to you as an athlete and as a fan? Sports have always been something I can lose myself in for awhile.

What has been your experience with youth sports? Describe your best and worst experiences. I've participated in youth sports since I was probably 4 or 5, when I first played organized tee-ball. Since then, I've played organized soccer, lacrosse, wrestling, baseball, cross country and track. Some of these I was rather poor at, namely baseball and soccer, though I continue to enjoy to watch these sports more than any others. Other sports I was simply decent at like cross country, and some like wrestling I have become good at. Wrestling in particular brings to mind some of my most passionate sports memories and feelings. I've wrestled for 7 years as of this year, and I can still remember many memories from that very first year, where as I can't remember memories from that years Thayer soccer team. Many of these memories have to deal with success, the feel of coming in second at a big tournament in seventh grade, to simply getting a win or pinning someone in a regular meet. But many also come from the hard moments of wrestling. Some of my proudest sports memories are those when I simply didn't get pinned by a vastly superior opponent. I think I have had positive experiences with all the sports I have played, no matter my talent level. I have learned things from all of them.

Do athletes make good role models? Identify one or two professional athletes to make your case. I think that athletes do make good role models, only sometimes however. There are instances of great personal character in sports, thinks like comeback stories, and the determination that dedicated athletes like Tom Brady or

What sports/teams do you pay attention to the most? How much time do sports occupy in your life? How do you spend that time (attending, watching, reading, talking, participating)? I would say that my most favorite sports team would be the Red Sox. I have always had a strong emotional attachment to them, and watch them the most, almost every night in the summer. I also follow the Bruins, the Patriots, and soccer though slightly less intensely. Sports are a big part of my life, both spending at least 2 hours a day playing in the school year, and watching them and following them year round.

What sports-related issues would you be disappointed //not// to cover in this class? Why?