Monthly Archives: July 2012

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Twitter Competition!

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Enter our Twitter competition for the chance to be featured in your own personal athlete’s profile feature on our blog! With over 80,000 monthly views of the FirstPoint USA blog, you will gain an incredible amount of exposure, to a wide audience of coaches, clients, universities and more!

twitter competition firstpoint usa

To enter, simply tweet ‘#iloveFPUSAbecause’, then your answer, and we will retweet the best answers. Out of the best answers, the winning answer will be chosen by FirstPoint USA staff and your blog feature will be posted the following week.*

 

Terms & Conditions

1. You must be a current client of FirstPoint USA or have been placed on a scholarship through FirstPoint USA at any time
2. Entries are not limited, so tweet as many times as you want!

3. You must enter the competition on and between the 31st July 2012 – 7th August 2012

4. Your comments about FirstPoint USA may be used as testimonials on our website
5. The winner will be chosen by FirstPoint USA staff and will be announced on the 8th August 2012 on Twitter
*6. The winner will be contacted and required to provide FirstPoint with their information for the blog feature, when asked, by 12th August 2012
*7. The winner’s ‘Spotlight’ feature on the blog will be posted on the 15th August 2012

 

Best of luck, tweeters!

 

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10 Past and Present Olympic Sports You Didn’t Know Existed

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Present

Race-Walking

Turns out watching some of the fastest walkers in the world can be strangely hypnotising!

 

BMX Cycling
olympics bmx

The fast and furious sport of BMX makes only its second Olympic appearance at the London 2012 Games.

BMX (Bicycle Motocross) began to take off in the late 1960s in California, around the time that motocross became popular in the US. The motorised sport was the inspiration for the pedal-powered version – a breathtaking spectacle that’s since become popular all over the world.

 

Handball

Team handball was introduced as an Olympic sport for men at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, but dropped after that, only to be resumed at the 1972 Summer Olympics, again on German territory. Women’s team handball competition was introduced at the 1976 Summer Olympics. So handball is new to most of us, both on and off the court. But its arrival at the Games has certainly been greeted with enthusiasm. There wasn’t an empty seat in the 7,000-capacity Copper Box arena and people are starting to wonder why they haven’t seen much of the sport before.

As I understand it, the rules are as follows. People run up and down a five-a-side court, throw a medium-sized ball from side to side across the semi-circular  penalty area for a while like a hot potato, and then fling it into a small goal with great force.


Rhythmic Gymnastics

Rhythmic gymnastics involves team competitions where you can opt for a hoop, ball, clubs or rope, or ribbon. Think of it as synchronised swimming, but with juggling added…

 

Table Tennis

Table tennis competition has been in the Summer Olympic Games since 1988, with singles and doubles events for both men and women.  Athletes from China have dominated the sport, winning a total of 41 medals in 24 events, including 20 gold medals.

 

Past

Solo Synchronised Swimming

solo synchronised swimming

Unsurprisingly, this seemingly contradictory sport earned little respect when it made its initial splash at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Despite the absurdity of staying in sync with yourself – though the event’s supporters claim that the synchronization is with the music — the event reappeared at the Seoul Games four years later and again at Barcelona in 1992. From there on out, the solo synchronized swim competition was folded into a team event and the sport has since risen in prominence, though men haven’t been allowed to compete in either Olympic discipline.

 

Firefighting

olympic firefighting

Maybe the oddest year for the Olympics was 1900 when the games were held in Paris. They coincided with Paris’ hosting of the World’s Fair.

A trial event that year that (surprisingly) didn’t make it to 1904 was firefighting. According to How Stuff Works, there wasn’t much documentation of the event, but buildings in Paris were set ablaze and medals were awarded to the firefighters who extinguished the flames the fastest.

 

Long Jump for Horses

horse long jump

While the long jump event has tested the athletic prowess of track and field stars from around the world, back in the Paris Games of 1900, horses were given the chance to show off how far they could leap. As part of the equestrian events, horse long jump only had one Olympics to make its mark and it failed to do so spectacularly. No one could accuse equestrian horses of not being athletic, yet the winning leap, from Belgium’s Constant van Langendonck atop the horse Extra Dry, measured only 6.10 meters. Not too shabby, until you consider the world record for long jump, by a human, is 8.95 meters.

 

Poodle-Clipping

Poodle Grooming Olympics
Also in 1900, a man named Avril Lafoule was awarded the gold medal in the poodle-clipping event, also a trial competition. He was able to trim 17 dogs in 2 hours, more than any of his 127 competitors and in front of a crowd numbered 6,000.

 

Rope Climbing

olympic rope climbing
The bane of physical education classes everywhere, the rope climb was actually an official event in the earliest modern Olympics–Athens, 1896. While competitors were originally judged on both speed and style, Olympian rope climbers competing in the 20th century merely had to race to the top. Arguably the most impressive win in the history of the event – which was taken off the program after the Los Angeles Olympics of 1932 – took place in St. Louis 1904, when U.S. gymnast George Eyser won gold despite having a wooden leg.

 

 

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Jorge Miguel Sambu

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Congratulations to Jorge Miguel Sambu who has secured a soccer scholarship to Bryant and Stratton College

Well done Jorge! We wish you well for your time in the United States!

Are You Ready For The Next Step?

Apply for a soccer scholarship with FirstPoint USA and get an

assessment!

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College vs University

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In conversation, many people in the US use the words ‘college’ and ‘university’ interchangeably, but what is the difference between the two?  Is there really a difference between the two?  And how will it impact your education?

college or uni?

Colleges

The level of degree obtained at either a 4 year college or university in the US is generally the same.  However, colleges such as ‘junior’ or ‘community’ colleges, more commonly just run 2 year programs, resulting in a different type of degree, e.g. an associates degree.  In most states, gaining a 2 year degree will allow you entry into a 4 year college or university (however, rules vary depending on the college/uni, so check for your chosen school specifically if in doubt).

Overall, colleges are usually smaller than universities, with fewer students and smaller class sizes.  Both 4 year colleges and universities are authorised to grant various levels of degrees.

 

Universities

The regulations set to define a university vary from state to state, but generally, universities offer a wider range of undergraduate and post-graduate courses than colleges, with a greater focus on research and with some classes being taught by post-grad students as well as professors.

Universities can be broken down into colleges, e.g. college of arts, within a university.  Colleges within a uni can then be broken down into schools, e.g. school of visual design, within the college of arts, within the university.

 

But remember – the name of your chosen school isn’t as important as the school’s ability to meet your educational needs.  You must ensure your chosen school runs classes that will interest you and that the school environment is right for you, regardless of whether it’s a college or university.

 

Do you think you have what it takes to secure a academic and athletic scholarship to the US?  Apply here for your assessment!

 

 

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7 of The Weirdest College Mascots

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1. Sammy the Banana Slug (UC Santa Cruz)

santa cruz slug

A banana slug is a slimy yellow mollusk found near the northern California coastal community of Santa Cruz. The school adopted the slug as a mascot as a commentary on the overemphasis of athletics at many universities. Attempts to change to mascot to something else have all failed.

 

2. Stanford Tree (Stanford University)

Stanford Tree

The Stanford tree has been the mascot for Stanford since the early 1980s and has been in the middle of controversy ever since.

It has been thrown out of college basketball games, has gotten into fights with rival mascots, and has been caught drinking out of a flask during a game, which caused it to be suspended for the rest of the season because its BAC was twice the legal limit.

Because of that, it has become an embarrassment to Stanford, one of the classiest institutions in the country.

 

3. Billiken (Saint Louis University)

The Saint Louis University Billiken mascot is completely open to interpretation. Each person who describes it has a different story. Most agree, though, that it is a good-luck figure that represents things as they ought to be.

 

4. The Fighting Okra (Delta State)

Fighting Okra

According to the Okra’s website, FeartheOkra.com, the Fighting Okra is the unofficial mascot of Delta State and is a bit of an urban legend. It appears on campus at random times usually just to torment students and athletes.  Even though Delta State’s official mascot is the Statesmen, this is far cooler. Not sure how many vegetable mascots exist in college sports, but this has got to be one of the greatest.

 

5. WuShock (Wichita State)

Wu Shock

Wichita State University’s mascot is WuShock – a fierce bundle of…wheat…

 

6. Boll Weevill (University of Arkansas)

Arkansas Boll Weevil

Unlike the teams that choose scary animals or mighty kings for mascot’s name, University of Arkansas at Monticello chose an insect. Boll Weevil is six millimeters long insect known for damaging crops. According to the school’s site, the mascot was chosen in the early 20th century, when the pest was admired for its toughness and the terror it could strike to the farmers. In the end, it seems that Boll Weevils is not such an easy opponent.

 

7. Geoducks (Evergreen State)

goeduck mascot

Pronounced “gooey duck”, the geoduck is a mollusk, native to the Pacific Northwest, which explains why the college chose it as a mascot (here’s a real geoduck).

 

Which mascot do you think is the weirdest?

 

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12 of the Most Bizarre US College Courses

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1. Simpsons and Philosophy (University of California, Berkeley)

simpsons

“The Simpsons,” believe it or not, now grace the syllabus of at least one course at Cal, one of the country’s most prestigious public universities, home to Nobel Prize winners and renowned scientists.  You’ll need to know more than Simpsons trivia – the class takes an in-depth look at how the long-running cartoon depicts social issues such as racism and politics. Passing the class, which includes writing a 22-minute show for the final exam, earns students two credits.

 

2. Goldberg’s Canon: Makin Whoopi (Bates College, Maine)

Labeled “A Symposium on the Career of Whoopi Goldberg,” Bates College offers a series-like lecture on the significance of Ms. Goldberg. Topics include Whoopi in Africana Woman Tradition, Religion in the Color Purple, and Dreaded Whoopi. This course provides a fresh perspective for students studying rhetoric.

 

3. Getting Dressed (Princeton University)

Some days getting dressed takes a lot more effort than it should. Enter Princeton’s “Getting Dressed” class, a freshmen-only course that lets students discuss controversial topics such as jeans, baseball caps, tattoos, flip-flops and Chuck Taylors. It’s more complicated than just figuring out what to wear in the morning, though. The class discussed how people use fashion to do everything from study history to assess character. Although it doesn’t appear that the class is offered any longer, Princeton does offer other interesting-sounding freshmen seminars, including “Google and Ye Shall Find?” and “Good to be Shifty: American Swindlers.”

 

4. Sociology of Fame and Lady Gaga (University of South Carolina)

As the syllabus warns, “This is not a course in Lady Gaga but in sociology; and it is not a course about Lady Gaga as much as about the culture of the fame as exemplified by the career of Lady Gaga. There will be no PowerPoint presentations in this class nor any music or videos.”

 

5. Zombies in Popular Media (Columbia College, Chicago)

From Columbia College:

“This course explores the history, significance, and representation of the zombie as a figure in horror and fantasy texts. Instruction follows an intense schedule, using critical theory and source media (literature, comics, and films) to spur discussion and exploration of the figures many incarnations. Daily assignments focus on reflection and commentary, while final projects foster thoughtful connections between student disciplines and the figure of the zombie.”

 

6. How to Watch Television (Montclair State University)

how to watch television

A few of the 57 Montclair students who packed the class last semester were disappointed when they learned How to Watch Television involved more than sitting in a lecture hall watching “Friends”

“This course, open to both broadcasting majors and non-majors, is about analyzing television in the ways and to the extent to which it needs to be understood by its audience. The aim is for students to critically evaluate the role and impact of television in their lives as well as in the life of the culture. The means to achieve this aim is an approach that combines media theory and criticism with media education”

Students get to watch popular shows – ”CSI,” later in the semester – but never with the same pleasure once they’ve heard Professor Gencarelli’s thought-provoking lectures on the effect the medium has on the culture.
Do his students appreciate what he’s teaching them? Perhaps, he says. By the end of the semester, they give him his highest praise: ”You’ve ruined TV-watching for us.”

 

7. The Textual Appeal of Tupac Shakur (University of Washington)

Though Tupac has been gone for nearly 15 years, he lives on at the University of Washington. The course “explores the philosophical, historical and literary influences of the late rapper and activist, Tupac Shakur.”

 

8. Philosophy and Star Trek (Georgetown University)

star trek

Philosophy classes often use pop culture to start discussion, there are even plenty of books out there with similar themes as this college class, but still, when it comes down to it, this course and the philosophical under trappings are just being used as an excuse to talk a little Star Trek. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

 

9. The Joy of Garbage (Santa Clara University)

The Joy of Garbage is a Santa Clara University course that actually deals with real science through the lens of garbage. Students study decomposition, what makes soil rot, the chemicals that give garbage an unpleasant odor, and they also learn about sustainability when it comes to the things we throw away. In other words, it’s a real down-and-dirty version of the stuff you’d learn from online colleges for environmental science. Classes don’t just study household garbage either; there’s also a section on nuclear waste. And topping things off, there are even field trips, with students visiting local sanitation plants and landfills.

 

10. The Unbearable Whiteness of Barbie (Johns Hopkins University, Maryland)

A mandatory course for some freshmen at Occidental College, ‘The Unbearable Whiteness of Barbie-Race and Popular Culture in the United States” tries to explore ways in which “scientific racism has been put to use in the making of Barbie.” Elizabeth Chin, the instructor of this course warns students that the course itself is no child’s play. With assigned readings ranging from Sandra Kisneros to Karl Marx, the course incorporates some pretty hardcore academic content.

 

11. Arguing with Judge Judy: Popular ‘Logic’ on TV Judge Shows (University of California, Berkeley)

judge judy

The professor of this course emphasizes repeatedly in the course listing that this class is “NOT a course about law or ‘legal reasoning’.” It is instead an exploration of logical fallacies that are often presented by defendants and plaintiffs on court television shows like Judge Judy and The People’s Court. Seems right up the alley of most college students, as they are squarely in the demographic of afternoon television programming (which also targets the elderly and unemployed)

 

12. The Art of Walking (Centre College, Kentucky)

This might sound like the epitome of college fluff, but it’s actually a class dealing with Immanuel Kant’s “Critique of Judgment”. The course offers a mixture of lectures and walks around the Danville, Kentucky area including strolls through “nature preserves, battlefields, cemeteries, the nearby Shaker Village, campuses and farms”. Students are also given freelance walking assignments in addition to more traditional college work like reading and term papers.

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