Get Healthy, Go Golfing!
by
Ireland Batchelor and Rileigh Huskey
April, 2024
“No more golf!” yelled the Scottish people a long time ago. Not many people know that golf was banned three times for years after it was invented because the Scottish government believed it interfered with military training (Florida’s Deer Creek Golf Club’s website). Since then, however, golf has grown in popularity and has proven to be beneficial to its participants, both physically and mentally. Many schools now offer golf teams.
Lincoln Middle School has an amazing golf team, and we, the team, want you to join. We want people to be inspired by golf and join the sport because it is a competitive sport that people would want to do. Practice takes place at Fox Creek and American Legion. The first practice was March 11, 2024. Their first match was Thursday April 4th after school. People should join the golf team because it will help mental and emotional health, and it’s a great way to get in touch with friends.
How does golf affect mental, physical and emotional health? Golf can help individuals improve their confidence, self-esteem and anxiety level; these benefits then offer anxiety and depression relief, which are just some of the reasons why over 25.6% of Americans play this sport (statista.com). The relaxed physical activity outdoors reduces stress. Golfers can also stay fit and improve muscle tone and endurance by walking from tee to green and stuff in between.
Golf also provides individuals with an opportunity to spend time with friends in great surroundings. It’s a great way to get in touch with friends and helps develop a sense of community connection. When asked why he started golf, Carson Warta (member of the LMS golf team) answered, “Taking on a tradition.” Carson Warta has been playing golf for two years and thinks it’s fun.
“Golf can be beneficial for kids in several ways! It can help improve their physical health by providing exercise, especially if they walk the course. It can help kids develop their focus, concentration, and problem-solving skills as they strategize their shots. Additionally, golf is a social sport that can help kids build friendships and learn how to interact with others in a positive and respectful manner,” Mr. Schafluetzel stated.
At the end of the school year, there is the annual middle school golf classic; it happens on May 17th every year. The annual golf classic is when the coaches from the Edwardsvillle middle schools take the top 8 boys and girls from Lincoln and Liberty. These golfers face off in an all-day golf tournament.
Joining the golf team allows people to experience this special sport and all its benefits. Talk to Mr. Schafluetzel at LMS (cschafluetzel@ecusd7.org) and he will give you a paper talking about the golf classic and the matches you can do, and it’s all optional.
In conclusion, people should join golf. It helps stimulate their brain, meet new people, and helps with physical and mental health.
Join The Lincoln Wrestling Team
By
Ryker Buckingham
Every year, from approximately October through March, hundreds of boys and girls participate in wrestling in Edwardsville.
Why should children wrestle? Professionals from Carmel USA Wrestling Club have proven that this sport increases physical strength and mental confidence:
“Increasing physical strength is the goal of strength training, one of many types of training that occurs during wrestling practices. Agility is another skill increased by wrestling moves” (carmelusawrestling.org).
Wrestling can also boost your mental confidence because you learn to think about the opponent’s strategies and feel empowered when you are successful. We, wrestlers, feel confident in ourselves and believe in our abilities. In turn, we build a protective barrier for negativity and criticism, shifting our attention to what matters.
Coach Mead from Lincoln Middle School agrees that wrestling is a fantastic sport, “Wrestling did so much for me as a person, and I coach to try to give back to the sport that gave so much to me. I hope I can teach the young wrestlers all the same lessons I learned.”
Coach Mead has been wrestling since he was in 6th grade. Coach Mead got into wrestling because his brother was really into it, and all his family was really into it. His dedication to the sport is yet another example of how much wrestling helps people.
Without a doubt, you should join the Lincoln Wrestling team next year so you can get faster and build up your confidence.
BASEBALL
by
Jon Brown and Jericho Parker
Do you want to become a better baseball player? Many athletes from Edwardsville, Illinois would encourage you to play because they have experienced a lot of joy and success playing for their high school team.
The Edwardsville High School baseball team located in Illinois has won a state championship four separate times over the past 30 years. In 1998, the EHS baseball team had a 40-0 record, and all the players say they could not have done it without their coach playing the leading role (theintelligencer.com/sports/). The baseball team has also placed second at the state level three separate times.
When reporters from the Edwardsville Intelligencer asked the players and coaches about how they have managed to have so much success for so many years, they stated that there are many skills necessary for a winning team:
-
Hand eye coordination is one of the necessities of baseball.
-
Hitting is the most basic baseball skill. To be a great hitter, you need to have good hand eye coordination. The sport is about hitting the baseball with your bat.
-
It takes more than just physical process to become an elite baseball player. Mental agility is essential for success in the game.
-
Being a great baseball player is not just about being able to hit a ball hard and far or throw it fast and accurately: understanding the game is just as important. What are you if you do not know how to play it correctly?
The baseball players on the Lincoln Middle School baseball team, also located in Edwardsville, Illinois, enjoy the sport. Hunter Vivian, starting shortstop, stated, “We always had fun no matter what the score was.”
The LMS baseball head coach, Matt Rogers, says his favorite thing was, “Watching the kids do what they learned in practice in an actual game.”
All in all, now you know all the necessities about baseball and creating a winning team. You also know about the EHS baseball team and the LMS baseball team and know why they are so successful.
(Picture from EDWARSVILLE INTELLEGENCER). This is the Edwardsville High School baseball team after winning state in 2022. They had a record of 36 wins and 4 losses that season.