LAX JAM

My favorite part of every season is, Lax Jam.  Lax Jam is a big tournament, where a ton of teams come to Cranbrook to play.  The team that you're on, plays a bunch of different teams and you try and win as many games as you can.  The tough part about it is, it goes til about 6 in the morning to 6 at night.  So, you can imagine it's pretty tiring.  Everything's upbeat though, there's music and clothes you can buy and a lot of food.  Last year it was super hot.  Our whole team was tired and sore.  But, we kept fighting and playing.  I remember we didn't do that great, but we still tried our hardest.  A few years ago, our team did amazing.  We won almost every game, and worked so well as a team.  That was probably one of our best Lax Jams for Bloomfield Lacrosse.  Even though I'm too old to play at Lax Jam anymore, I will always remember how fun it was and all the memories we made as a team.

-Claire Henderson   

  

What You Need For Volleyball

When you're a volleyball player, you will need equipment and certain things just for your sport. First, you practice in spandex and you play games in them too. For practice you can you any kind you want but for games you may have to wear all black, a certain brand, or if they give you a new pair thats a different color, those. Next, you need shoes. Mainly you will see people wearing Mizuno volleyball shoes. They help you not slip, jump, and stability. Then, you need jerseys. If you play for a school team they will give them to you. They usually are either short sleeve or long sleeve. Also they will have your number and school name. If you play for a club team you will have to buy them. A whole uniform package for club can cost up to $250.  Next, which is optional, ankle braces. I have ankle braces because two years ago I broke my ankle playing volleyball. Finally, kneepads. You will need these because they attempt to protect you knees when you slide on the floor and dive.

-Olivia Smith-

Reasons to Love Tennis

Anyone who’s ever met me will know: I love tennis. It gets a little more complicated when I think about why I love it though, and what it really comes down to is not explainable in one simple sentence.  Tennis relieves stress.  I feel that if I am very stressed out over something school related or outside of school when I go play tennis it takes my mind off of everything in the "outside world" and its all about tennis.  When I step onto the tennis court I am basically stepping into a new world.  Also, whenever I step on to a tennis court its just me and the ball. It does not even matter who is on the other side playing.  I love this because if you win you're the reason why and if you loose, its also your fault.  They are no teammates to blame for this action.  Finally, I have learned from tennis that "Love Means Nothing."

I love Lacrosse. My passion for the sport keeps growing and growing. I never really enjoyed a sport like I enjoy Lacrosse. The sport is just really fun and you can always learn new things. Your skills improve and improve every time you play. I usually don't like learning new things but with Lacrosse I love it. I love it because I know that every time you learn something new you just get better. The excitement is great. I love Lacrosse and I think I always will. I really hope I can go far with the sport.
-Mackenzi Michael

When I started Lacrosse

I became interested in lacrosse when I was in fourth or fifth grade. My neighbors played it and there older brother was really good and played for Brother Rice. So I always got good practice when I went over there. I did a few camps in fourth and fifth grade but I wasn't really good so I stopped doing camps and clinics. Back in seventh grade I started playing again. I forgot all of my skills that I learned so I was not really good. About 2-3 weeks into the season I got the hang of the game again. After my first season of playing again I wasn't so bad. Before the season started in the Spring of eighth grade I did All American Lacrosse. All American Lacrosse was a month camp where we learned new skills and scrimmaged against each other. After that month I felt pretty confident with myself and the game. When the season started up I was really excited. We had our first game and won. I could tell that this season would be great and it was. Now this year I hope to make JV lacrosse. I am gonna be involved in as many camps and clinics that I can be in to improve my skills!
-Mackenzi Michael

Volleyball Timeline

   In the fifth grade at St. Hugo you could start playing sports. My two best friends had decided they wanted to play volleyball so I decided to try out. One of my friends made the A team, the other made the B team, and I made the C team. The C team is basically where they put the kids who should get cut, but they don't cut them. I was not good. In my white Nike kneepads and my white Mizuno shoes with pink and green laces, I was ready to play. Everyone played all around so you could decide what you would want to play in the future. I thought I wanted to set, but that obviously changed.
   After the season was over, I did camps with my two friends so I could improve. Then, in sixth grade I made the A Team! I wanted to be an outside hitter at this point but since I wasn't the best hitter on first string, I had to hit right side. I never got set and it wasn't fun. During this season I kept trying to tell my coach to let me overhand serve because I could do it over the big net, but she still wouldn't let me.
   I did travel that year at Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy (MEVBA). I was an outside hitter here and my coach actually let me overhand and found it ridiculous that I wasn't allowed to in school. This season was so much fun and I loved my coach so much.
   Next, I played St. Hugo volleyball in the fall of seventh grade (Even though I switched schools I played here still). I was on the B team because I was in the younger grade. This season was very fun and we had a great team. Also in seventh grade, I played fro the East Hills team in the winter. This was fun too because I was with all my new friends and got elected captain of the team.
    Then, after that season was over I played travel at SuperNOVA. This was fun too because I got to meet so many new people and have a fun spring. When that was over I played eighth grade volleyball at East Hills and was elected captain again. This season was even better than the last. I loved it so much and couldn't wait for high school. I didn't play travel that year but I did do open gyms during the summer.
    Now high school is here and I am planning on playing on JV as a freshman. I am planning on playing travel this year and maybe even doing beach in the summer!
-Olivia Smith-

Tennis Basics

     If you are thinking about being a tennis player, I highly suggest that you do so.  It is very easy to start getting into tennis lessons and groups at a beginning level for fun.  If you are thinking about this, their are some basics that you need to know.  When you start a game against someone you spin the racquet to see who serves.  For example, on a Wilson racquet on the cap (bottom) there is an W or M.  If you call M and  when the opponent spins it and it lands on W then they get to decide if they would like to serve or receive.  If your opponent wins the call then you decide which side you go on. In most women matches you play 2 out of  3 sets to 6 and if you switch sets determining on the tournament, you either play a third set or a tiebreaker to ten points.  Also, to win a game you need to win four points. You start from love meaning zero then it goes 15-30-40-game.  Nobody knows why tennis score is kept like that but it can become confusing if you do not confirm that you know the score.  So therefore, 40-40 is deuce and from there you need to win two more points in a row to win that game.  Every game that you play you switch off serves, you get two serves, if you miss the first serve you get a second serve then if you miss the second serve it is considered a "double fault" which confirms that you have lost the point. 

     Always remember to display good sportsmanship during a match. As there are most likely many parents, other tennis players, and coaches watching you.  In addition, there are also officials walking around and can call points on you if you are not displaying good sportsmanship. It is always important to remember this because even if you do not win the match, you can still win the sportsmanship award for that tournament which is still considered winning!  Its always good to keep a good reputation when it comes to your sportsmanship in tennis. Lastly, remember to always shake your opponents hand when you're done with your match and keep a smile on your face no matter what the results! Tennis is all about the fun.