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Show Wednesday,. MMW29,_ 2006 £3 e Utah Statesman Kids take kickball seriously Kids are brutal. If you need They seemed pretty confident drilling the ball across the field any proof, pick up a copy of in tneir kickball abilities, but to short bunts. I was amazed "Lord of the Flies" or visit any I had a hard time taking them to see that some of the best seriously. I couldn't help but players for the Owls were the elementary school. Feeling completely defeated think, "These kids don't stand Kindergarten kids. How they by my recent attempt at water a chance. I might not be a star could kick that ball so well polo, I realized I needed to athlete, but I can definitely take and run so fast is a mystery a bunch of kids in to me. By the end of their scale down on the first at kick, the score was 9kickball." intensity of sports It was one0. I wasn't worried about it, and go back to my Seth Hawkins of those moments though, because now we had childhood roots. This when I had to eat the chance to boot the ball involved a trip to my words. The over the schoolyard fence. Adams Elementary kids' team, which Our first kicker sent the ball School here in we will call the flying so high and far I was Logan. Owls (their school sure it would take the kids five Adams Elementary mascot), were up minutes to get it back. I had has an after-school to kick first. The a panic attack when they had program where chilMr. Unadults'team, which the ball back in the infield right dren can come for ____ we will call the as our player got to home. The extra-curricular learn__ _ Athletic ~~~~~ Geriatrics, spread score was now 9-1, but I could ing and to play active across the field. I see these kids knew how to games. One of which includes a sport so violent it covered third base, which was play this game. As our next kicker came to has been banned from every in fact, a hula hoop. No kickmajor university across the ball game is complete without the plate, a little girl in kindergarten said, "Go easy on us, makeshift bases. country: kickball. What? You don't think kickI felt confident we had this we're just kids. Geez!" Her appeal for mercy must ball has been banned because game in the bag until the first it's violent? Then why doesn't player on the Owls pounded have twinged something in our Utah State have a school kick- the ball across the field and hearts, because they proceedball team? Answer: they'd sent our outfielders scrambling ed to get us out quickly after have to play exhibition games to catch it. Lucky kick, we'll that. The score was 9-3 when against elementary schools and get them next time. The trash the Owls got up to kick again. they would get clobbered. Yes, talking started about this time. I took the pitcher's mound for kids these days are as intense I don't know where kids these this inning. Kickball pitching is about kickball as an Ohio State day? learn how to trash talk, an art. You have to roll the ball and Michigan rivalry. but they're sure good at it. They gently so it doesn't bounce on When I stepped onto the could make any pro football the way to the kicker, but roll it with enough power that it's not kickball field, I was amused to player cry. see people half my height and a The game did not start out an easy kick. quarter my weight staring back well for the Geriatrics. The The Owls had a couple star at me. They demanded a game Owls ran us into the ground. players that could really kick of adult leaders versus the kids. They varied their kicks from the ball. One was named Jake. He was the Mark McGwire of kickball (minus the steroids). Every time he kicked the ball, he would send our out-ofshape outfield running to try to catch it. When he got up to bat this time, one of the Geriatric star players, Miss Amber, tried to get into his head by trash talking. "Easy out!" yelled Miss Amber. Jake's response was, "Whatever! We got you out. My grandma can kick better than you!" Jake's verbal victory was short lived, however, as he kicked the ball right into Miss Amber's arms. He was completely demoralized and collapsed on the sidelines. At our last at kick, we pulled out our own rally monkey. We went on a scoring spree that discouraged the Kids to the point where they decided they didn't want to play anymore. The final score was 18-9 in favor of the Owls. As I walked off the field, I shook my head in disbelief that I couldn't even pull off a win against a group of elementary school kids. This was yet another proof of my definite place in the sports middle class. Seth Hawkins is a sophomore majoring in public relations. Comments and mini footballs can be sent to sethhawkins@cc.usu.edu. Softball games get rained out CLASS ADS GET READ. 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Great deals on R/T airfare: Costa Rica from $ 3 7 5 * BY UTAH STATF UNIVERSITY Lima from $ 5 7 0 * Athletic Media Relations Utah State's softball team will have to wait even longer to begin the home part of its schedule as the Aggies doubleheader against Harvard scheduled for Tbesday, March 28 has been cancelled due to weather. Utah State will have played in four early season tournaments and a total of 23 road games before hosting a home game. The Aggies new home opener will be Wednesday, March 29 as Utah State plays host to Utah at 2 p.m. The Aggies will then open WAC play against 23rdranked Fresno State on Friday, March 31 at 1 p.m. followed by a doubleheader against the Bulldogs on Saturday, April 1 starting at noon. Utah State makes the jump to the WAC after spending 15 seasons in the Big West Conference where it had a 175-237 record, a .424 winning percentage. Tyler lonon/tmlorsontia.usu.edu USU's BRYAN MERCHANT powers up for the ball when the the Tennis team played Mesa State on Friday at the Sports Academy. Winning streak snapped Team was 11-0 at home before loss Bv JOFY HISLOP Staff Writer As one streak ends, another begins. After compiling a somewhat unnoticed 11-match home winning streak, the USU men's tennis team lost three in a row this past weekend to bring their team record to 8-8 this year. The above-mentioned winning streak, which is now history, dates back to last year when the Aggies won six consecutive home matches to close out the '05 spring season. It continued through the first half of this season as the Aggies christened their new facility in style, winning five home matches in a row. But the luck stops there. The winning streak, which began, with a 6-1 rout- 11 ing of Weber State Feb. 1, 2005, ended Friday with a 6-1 loss to another Big Sky team, the Montana State Bobcats. Friday's match pitted the No. 1 ranked team in the Big Sky against the shorthanded Aggies who were competing without their No. 2 singles player, senior Joao Pinho. Pinho was unable to play due to illness and was replaced in the lineup by junior Dantley Young. The match began with the Aggies losing the doubles point and then dropping five of six singles matches. The lone singles win for the Aggies came at the No. 3 spot where freshman Bryan Marchant defeated MSU's Marek Gibiki, 7-6,1-6, 6-1. Saturday afternoon, the Aggies played host to Loyola Marymount in a match that saw the return of Pinho to the lineup and a continuation of Friday's frustrations. Loyola Marymount won the doubles point and then proceeded to win five of the six singles points. Once again, USU's Marchant recorded the Aggies1 only victory, though doing it this time from the No. 4 spot. He beat LMU's Linas Cicenas, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Nearly winning at the No. 3 spot for the Aggies was Young, who lost his match with LMU's Reyniere Roxas in a final set tie-breaker, 36, 6-3, 6-7In Sundays action, the Aggies took on the Grizzlies of the University of Montana in a close match that the Aggies lost, 4-3. The match began with the Aggies winning the doubles point with victories by the No's 1 and 3 teams. At the No. 1 spot, the team of sophomore Johannes Zele and Pinho pulled out a hard-fought 98 victory over UM's Colin > SWEPT see page 10 Bangkok from $ 9 9 0 * Trekking Thailand 6 days from $225* Inca Discovery 8 days from $595' i-to-i:save 13%* on all teaching courses HtrAf MLW 'Prices subject to chango And availability Taxes antf applicable food noflnclud«d,' Sorrio*! blackouts may occur. All prices art correct at lime of print. Airfare rB out erf Salt Lake CityCSTfll017660-40 Call or come in to book today: 2144 S Highland Dr, Suite 120 (801)582.5840 fffflTRAVEL www.statravel.com Ags practice with full pads for first time BY U T A H STATE UNIVERSITY Athletic Media Relations Utah States football put on full pads for the first time this spring and proceeded to do a lot of live work on Monday. The Aggies held three nonpadded workouts last week to open spring practice. "It was good to go live and do some hitting and really get the football mentality back," said senior wide receiver Tony Pennyman. "It felt good to get running around out here." USU head coach Brent Guy was pleased with his team's practice, especially junior college running back Marcus Cross. "We had good tempo for the first day (in pads)," Guy said. "Marcus Cross made some good plays when we went live. When he learns more of the offense and what we expect of him, he will get better." Finding an improved running game is an Emphasis for the Aggies this year. Last season, USU rushed for just 117.0 yards per game and ranked 92nd in the nation. Cross, who signed in December, rushed for 1,163 yards and 14 touchdowns in 10 games at Garden City (Kan.) Junior College last year. NO ASSEMBLY REQUIRED UNLESS SHE FALLS TO PIECES Q'ke ^Diamond ^jollevy, (fine. Qewelnj, ^IJsur Sftf/agernetif (Ring, SfteeiathV 45 MOPTh MAIM • \ d l . M \ l IC 435-753-4870 ASK ABOUT OUR USU STUDENT DISCOUNT |