Beijing will be exciting! New Olympic sports to debut in August

From Scholastic News Kid Reporter Joe Wlos

All right, it looks like this is the end of the Olympic Media Summit. I've learned a lot of great things from the athletes, and some of the last were the best. The last athletes were part of BMX Biking. This is one of the newest sports in the Olympics and the athletes are very excited about their rising sport.

"I'm real thrilled that BMX is finally a part of the Olympics. My dream of possibly being a gold medalist can finally become a reality," said Donnie Robinson, the 3rd ranked rider in the world.

BMX is a fast paced sport that can often result in injuries. Another rider, Mike Day, jokingly wondered if he would still be able to walk at the end of his sporting career. But Nike's gear is something that keeps the athletes safe. They all believed that Nike had great products such as a shoe that connects to their bike so that they don't fly off when they crash. Falling off your bike and being run over by riders going 45 mph is definitely something that you don't want to experience.

BMX is a growing sport that hopes to use the Beijing Olympics as a coming out party, just as the Chinese Government does.

Over the course of the Summit, we talked to both indoor and beach volleyball. In beach volleyball, the women have a partner, while indoors volleyball involves a whole team. They also play in extremely different atmospheres. Although sports may seem similar, they can sometimes be vastly different in interesting ways.

Table Tennis is another sport that is drastically different than its sister sport, Tennis. In fact, Jun Gao, a table tennis player, said that she had never even played outdoor tennis before!

Besides summer athletes, I talked to winter speed skaters too. The speed skaters were both very young and they said that  they are currently preparing for the 2010 Olympics. But they came to the summit to learn what meeting the press and communicating with fans indirectly is like. They both had a lot of fun and hope to see the Beijing Olympics on TV.

The Beijing Olympics are sure to be a great showcase for American athletes who wish to prove themselves. It will not only be a coming out party for China, but also for many American rookies. I'm sure they'll perform well!

Disabilities don’t hold these Olympians back

From Scholastic News Kid Reporter Allie Sakowicz

The afternoon session featured athletes from the Paralympics and BMX, the newest sport to be added to the Olympic Games. One thing that I noticed this afternoon is the fact that all of the athletes are so determined to succeed. This was especially true with the athletes from the Paralympics, who are not hindered by their disabilities.

Joshua Olson was very interesting to me because he said that his injury turned out to be “a blessing in disguise.” Without it, he said, he wouldn’t have been able to travel around the world and participate in the Paralympics.  Olson would be the first active-duty soldier to compete in the Paralympics. 

Another trait that I noticed throughout the day was a sense of humor. All of the athletes in the Paralympics were extremely fun to be around and joked with us throughout their interviews.  I found them to be very inspiring, and their advice echoed throughout the room: Just because you have a disability doesn’t mean that you can’t do the things that able-bodied athletes do.

Scott Winkler, an Iraq War veteran and Paralympian, holds the world record for shot put.  He is inspired by other people who have disabilities, and is currently the hospital chairman of the Paralyzed Veterans Association, which helps disabled veterans live a normal life. When we were taking pictures with him, he pulled a shot put out of his backpack and handed it to me like it was a regular ball. It was HEAVY!

All in all, it was a very fun day here at the Olympic Media Summit. I got to meet many Olympic hopefuls, and I can’t wait to watch them compete in Beijing! 

Allie Sakowicz with Iraq War veteran and Paralympian Scott Winkler at the Olympic Media Summit in Chicago, Illinois, April 16, 2008. (Photo by Suzanne Freeman)

 

Hard work (and broken furniture) leads to Olympic dreams

From Scholastic News Kid Reporter Joe Wlos

Olympic athletes all have someone who inspires them to carry on in their sport. Many say their inspiration comes from their parents. Some of their parents encouraged them to start the sport to get them away from the furniture!

"I used to have a lot of energy when I was a kid, jumping and bouncing around on my mom's furniture and she didn't want me to kill myself, so she got me involved in sports," said gymnast Shawn Golden.

Other parents encouraged their young athletes to stay in the sport no matter how hard it was. These athletes depended on their families for inspiration, and they've decided that they want to be inspirations for other people too.

To pass on their inspiration they  have chosen professions where they can help people like grade school teachers. Many of their students find it very exciting to be taught by Olympians who compete in fencing or track and field events. Their students probably have very exciting lessons!

Today, athletes have also told us how much work it takes to be a participant in the Olympics. Some of them leave their jobs, and begin training every single day for hours at a time. Also, the athletes

Reese Hoffa, who participates in shot put, said that the most difficult part of sports is "probably the travel. When I first started out, I loved seeing all the other countries," he said. "But now that I'm married, I just like to stay home as much as possible."

Being an Olympic athlete isn't all about the fun and games. A lot of work goes into to being a success!

Gymnast Sean Golden (center) with Joe Wlos and Allie Sakowicz.(Photo by Suzanne Freeman)

What the athletes have in common: desire to win!

From Scholastic News Kid Reporter Allie Sakowicz

Hello Scholastic Kids!  We are here in Chicago at the Olympic Media Summit for yet another day of exciting athlete interviews. The experience of being in the room with such remarkable athletes has been very exciting.  The men and women that have come through the room so far have a real chance of winning a medal in Beijing. 

All of the athletes that Scholastic interviewed came from unique situations. Lashinda Demus is a mother of twins. Tim Morehouse was a 7th grade teacher for Teach For America. Nicole Davis has a black belt in martial arts. As different as they are, all athletes have one thing in common: the desire to win a medal.

Terrence Trammel, a track athlete, has won two silver medals in the 2000 and 2004 Summer Games. This year, he is going for the gold. "It is an honor just to make it to the podium, but this year I want to stand there with the gold medal around my neck."

Allyson Felix, a track star from California recently graduated from USC with a degree in elementary education. She hopes to be a teacher when her run with athletics is over. She looks forward to being "just a regular schoolteacher." But, until then, she is lighting up the track with her amazing sprinting ability.

Stay tuned to this blog throughout the day, as Scholastic will be conducting more interviews with athletes from the Paralympics and BMX.

Joe Wlos and Allie Sakowicz with track and field star Lashinda Demus, the mother of 10-month-old twin boys. Photo by Suzanne Freeman

Is it the end of baseball in the Olympic Games?

From Scholastic News Kid Reporter Joe Wlos

Bob Watson and Davey Johnson are two of the driving forces behind the Men's Olympic Baseball team. Both of these men started playing baseball as kids and knew as pre-teens that they wanted a successful career in sports. They have certainly realized those youthful dreams.

Johnson coached a World Series winning MLB team and is now coaching the U.S. Olympic team. General Manager Watson hired him for the job because of his great talent and because of his passion for the job.

"The opportunity to wear the letters USA across your jersey is a big thrill for me," Johnson said.

But the 2008 Olympics could be the last time baseball players will get to wear the red, white, and blue in the games. After these games, Men's Baseball and Women's Softball will no longer be a part of the competition.

That hasn’t stopped the fierce competitive spirit on this last team. And America’s dominance in the sport will be tested as they face rivals from every corner of the globe. According to Johnson and Watson, those rivals are growing stronger every year.

"America used to send players to Japan, but now the Japanese send players here and they are big stars. That's how much baseball has grown," Johnson said.

Even though baseball at the Olympics may end, Watson said he thought a true World Series between teams from around the globe could happen as soon as 2016. The world is already on that path. The World Classic played its first competition in March 2006.

But there's still hope for baseball fans in London for the 2012 Olympics. In 2009, the IOC will vote on whether to reinstate baseball to the largest sporting competition in the world. Both Johnson and Watson are very optimistic that the sport will return.

Women’s soccer is a real kick!

From Scholastic News Kid Reporter Michael Geheren

Soccer is one of the world's biggest sports and Team USA has some of the best players. Their performance in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics could mean the difference between the success and failure of a newly formed professional soccer league in America. I talked to Abby Wambach the captain of the U.S. Women's Olympic soccer team about the new league, Women's Professional Soccer (WPS).

"A gold medal would bring a lot of press and attention to the sport in the U.S.," she said. "A gold medal really could positively affect its standing. The state of soccer in America is improving."

Team coach Pia Sundhage, who was also a great player agreed, but said the pressure would make the players better on the field. Sundage is the 6th head coach for the US Women's National Team. In 22 years of playing soccer she is considered one of the best women players in the world.

I also spoke to team hopefuls Kate Markgraf and Heather O'Reilly. I learned that he Women's Soccer Team is very excited to go to Beijing and I say Go, Team U.S.A.!

How personalities fit the sports

From Joe Wlos and Michael Geheren

Recently, we interviewed athletes who compete in the pentathlon. The pentathlon consists of swimming, shooting, horse back riding, running, and fencing. Because of the variety of the sport, the athletes have very difficult training sessions. Many times they can only train in a few areas at a time, because there aren't enough hours in a day!

But they don't have to be masters at every event. Two of the pentatheletes we talked to said that they never worry when a performance isn't good enough, because they always have another area to compete in. Pentathlon athletes really show how to be confidant no matter what.

These athletes had very different attitudes toward their sport, based mostly on their own individual personalities. While one said he enjoyted getting out there and feeling the rush of racing, another said he preferred the precision and slow pace of shooting.

Eli Bremer prefers the fast paced sports.

"Shooting is more methodical," he said. "It doesn't fit my personality. I'd rather get out there and run and swim my hardest than stand and shoot."

Dennis Bowsher is just the opposite. He prefers the shooting event. Why? "You get to stand there," he said. "It's a calm sport and I'm a calm person."

Fashion Madness

Tonight the world will learn what the U.S. team uniforms will look like. Nike, which designed and produced the uniforms, is hosting an "apparel presentation." We use quote marks here because the media insist on calling it a "fashion show." Nike doesn't like that. "It's a presentation, not a fashion show," one representative scolded us. "Stop calling it a fashion show." Done!

The players are as interested in the clothing as the rest of us. One of the athletes most interested in the clothing is swimmer Kaitlin Sandeno who said that after she retires as an athlete she wants to design the swim suits for future Olympic games.

Scholastic will have more blogs tonight and tomorrow. We will cover the Apparel presentation on tomorrow's blog posting.

Don’t mix politics and sports say Olympic hopefuls

From Scholastic Kid Reporters Joe Wlos and Michael Geheren

You know that Olympic level athletes are amazing at their sport, but something you might not know is that they feel very strongly either about superstitions or rituals or NOT having superstitions or rituals. One swimmer likes to eat dark chocolate just before she jumps into the pool. But most say they work to relax and "just be in the moment." Many shy away from rituals in case they don't have time to do them before their competition begins.

"If I win or do badly it's because of the way I performed, not because of some ritual or superstition," said one athlete.

The tough job at the media summit is not for the athletes I think—it's for the reporters. The questions are tough to think of and you have a lot of competition from other reporters to get your questions in and to make them good. (Some of the journalists have stolen our questions!)

But the athletes are also having a tough time, especially when ask some of the tougher political questions. We have asked most of the athletes how they feel about the call from some people to boycott the opening ceremonies because of China's human rights violations. We are also asking about how the athletes will deal with the pollution in Beijing.

So far we've interviewed nine athletes—with more coming. Each has a different and fascinating story to tell. Some of the swimmers talked about being, "water-babies" since they have been swimming since they were really young. We found that interesting. A lot of the athletes started with their sports really young.

Other athletes struggled to find their niche as kids, trying out different sports before landing on their specialty. All of them are now world-class athletes who concentrate on their sports.

Despite their dedication to training, they also have a world-wide perspective on current events. Some swimmers, runners, and soccer players expressed concern about conflicts in the world today. They don't think the Olympics should be part of that conflict.

"Sports and politics should be kept separate," said Casey Burgener, who competes in weightlifting. When he's not lifting weights, Casey likes to read, listen to music (including classical), and play his guitar. These athletes are all really smart, well read, and just plain interesting people.

They are all big on teamwork. The USA swimming team has an especially tight bond. They have been working together for years. "We travel and work together and share so much time together, we have really bonded," said swimmer Tara Kirk. At one time, Tara's sister was on the team. Talk about growing up together!

From left: Scholastic Kid Reporter Joe Wlos, weightlifter Casey Burgener, and Scholastic Kid Reporter Michael Geheren. (Photo by Suzanne Freeman)

Even the Olympians want to be Kid Reporters!

From Scholastic Kid Reporters Gabyliz Machado and Rudy Marschke

Athletes aren’t the only interesting people at the Olympic Media Summit this week. We met a lot of cool reporters today. One group, from the TV Guide Channel, gave us some tips on how to do a better job. Vanessa McDonald is the reporter. She shared a lot of her experience with interviewing on camera. She said she loves to interview celebrities like Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana).

“I thought she was really cool,” Vanessa said. “She was really nice.”

Her producer Patrick Rampson showed us what he called “high tech” equipment. It was a wooden clothespin, which he called a C-47 (as in clamp number 47). An actual C-47 costs a lot of money, he said. A clothespin costs just a few pennies and works just as well. Patrick uses it to hold gel filters (like plastic wrap for sandwiches) over the lights to dim them.

The director of photography Don Murphy has his own trick, which involves masking tape. The TV guide channel displays a daily guide to TV shows on the screen. Programming runs in the upper right-hand corner, taking up only about a third of the screen. They don’t shrink the picture to fit the space. Don has to be sure that he shoots his footage so that the image is mainly in that corner. He puts tape on the screen to mark where the image has to be.

What a Day!

We interviewed almost 70 athletes today, working from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.! We learned more than we could ever imagine—about the Olympic games, China, sports and reporting.

The afternoon highlight was when two archers came in with their gear. We had to make room for them to get past us. Brady Ellison and Jennifer Nichols showed off their bows, which come with sights and balances. Each one costs about $2,000—not including the arrows!

We also talked to Voice of America cameraman Roger Hsu, whose first language is Chinese. We are currently learning that language at our school, Walt Disney Magnet in Chicago.  We learned how to write his first name in Chinese characters.

After a long hard day of on-camera interviews, we found out something else important: most of the journalists and athletes are jealous of OUR jobs! They all said they wished they could have been kid reporters when they were in school.

More importantly, however, we learned that determination and families working together are all important ingredients to Olympic success. We also learned a lot about reporting on deadline and thinking on our feet!

Gabyliz and Rudy with the gold medal winning Lopez family (top from left): Jean (the coach) and Mark, (bottom from left) Diana and Steven. The Lopez’s are from Nicaragua and have turned tae kwon do into a family business. (Photo by Gary Norcross)

Afternoon Update from the Olympic Media Summit in Chicago, Illinois

From Scholastic Kid Reporters Gabyliz Machado and Rudy Marschke

After interviewing Olympic athletes for a few hours, we received our gift bags. We got Nike book bags filled with a lot of awesome gifts. Inside the bag was a bag of dark chocolate Hershey kisses, a camera, two Nike hats, another smaller book bag, a water bottle container, a disposable camera, and some other stuff.

The lunch boxes were super expensive so we went out to go get a quick bite to eat somewhere that we could afford. Instead of $125 for lunch boxes filled with food we couldn’t see, we ate pasta and sandwiches at the corner bakery for less than $50!

We are now about to begin our second half of the Olympic interviews, which includes speaking to softball, judo, wrestling, boxing, and fencing athletes. The athletes are as young as 15, and as old as 39.  Age doesn’t seem to make a difference to the athlete’s motivation level.  The youngest and oldest Olympians are equally excited for this year’s Olympic Games.

We also learned that there is a new scoring system for gymnastics this year. The perfect 10, the ultimate goal for Olympians for decades past, no longer exists. The new scoring system is more complicated.

Most of the gymnasts said they were fine with the new scoring code.

“I don’t like it [the new scoring system] as much,” said gold medalist Paul Hamm, who came in with his brother Morgan. “It’s harder to understand and I think people will be more confused, but it’s OK.”

Athletes don’t seem too worried about the pollution in Beijing.

“Hey, I’m from New York,” said fencer Ivan Lee, with a laugh.

Softball players said that once the spirit of the Olympics hits you, you don’t notice anything but the competition.

“We played there [China] in 2006,” said softball gold medal pitcher Jenny Finch. “It’s fine.”

The athletes all talked about training hard and staying focused. They don’t let anything stand in the way of working and training hard.  Some of the athletes practice 12 hours a day!

Photo: Kid Reporters Gabyliz Machado and Rudy Marschke with Crystl Bustos and Jennie Finch, members of the U.S. Softball Team.  Photo courtesy of Suzanne Freeman.