America

Introduction

Sport is very important in American culture, just think at the universities: in addition to their educational function, organized student teams.

The universities offer scholarships and university sport degree to attract the most talented athletes.

These incentives interest many people from all over the world, in fact, American universities are full of European and Asian students.

Sport is not only strong in the universities, but it is felt by the entire population because it is followed by sportive people from all over the world.

The most popular sport is Baseball and it is considered the national sport; it is also very important American Football, which is very practiced in colleges and universities.

The most popular American sport in Italy is Basketball in particular the spectacular NBA, which attracts many fan in its country.

Sport can be considered a real economic source for USA, because it attracts many tourists who spend here many times and money but not only to assist to one or more sport events but also to visit the fabulous cities.

The Olympic Games are also a economic source and in America were hosted 8 editions of these.

American athletes are among the strongest in the world in Olympic disciplines!

Here, there is the possibility to practice many outdoor activities like tennis, surfing, windsurfing, sailing, trekking, skiing and many others.

Finally it must be said that America is the land of sports, because here you can practice all kind of sport you want to do.

- Martina Faccioli, number 214 -

Baseball

Baseball is the most famous sport in USA. This game consist in a competicion between two teams of nine players each.

The aim of baseball is complete one tour of the field to get a point. The mach is diveded in two parts: the offense and the difense. The team that plays on offense must throw the ball with a baseball bat as far as possible so that the player, who have throw the ball will complete the tour of the field, winning every basis without being eliminated from opponents in defense. The team on difese most catch the ball and try to eliminated the player that tours the field touching the oppones with the ball. The aim of the team on difese is hinder the player who is completing a tour of the field.

Baseball is more important for Americans beacause is one of the homesick sport, all americans on their chilhood used to play baseball with their parents. That is a magic sign in their memory. But is important also because this game can be played by all people because it is a simple.

The first baseball professional league took place in 1871. A few years later, nearly every major city east of the United States had its own professional baseball team.

The Major League Baseball is more popular. This is diveded in American League and National League. The first teams that win this two league plus the best second in each league play the Playoff. The final competition between two teams is called the World series.

For those tourists who want to live an unmissible experience, we propose to take part of a baseballmach. This is a spectacular experience where all the fans build an atmosphere of joy and serenity. During the macht you can buy hotdogs, tacos, beers and other drinks. In the pause from every inning you can assist a marriege proposal or a funny jokes planed by the organizer of the mach. You can buy the ticket on internet web site of the teams and the prize range from 10.00 to 115.00 dollars.

If you don't want to wacht a baseball macht you can visit the stadium of one team. At the stadium where the Texas Ranger plays you can visit the players' bench, the field and the press gallery and, during the days in which no matches are played, you can also visit the sports club, with a beautiful collection of posters or films related to baseball, and look to the private rooms of the players of the most prestigious teams. All this visit cost 50 dollars.

You can visit also the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum of Cooperstwn in New York with 30 dollars.

- Alice Sassi, number 197 -



Cheerleader

"Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-u-mah, Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah!"

Cheerleading is a physical activity, a competitive sport, based on organized choreographies that contain elements of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers and stunting, sometimes with pom poms.  It usually lasts from one to three minutes and cheerleaders, the name of the athletes, have to encourage the crowd to support and cheer on their own team and to generate spirit and pride in its school or community. In fact most colleges and universities have a cheerleading squad.

Cheerleading originated in the United States, and remains a predominantly American activity, but it’s also practiced in the rest of the world; for example in countries like Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

They became one of the mayor icons of the American dream: in fact they are symbols of prestige, attractiveness, leadership and popularity, but also of wholesome sex appeal.

Cheerleading starts at the University of Minnesota around 1898 when a student, Johnny Campbell, directed a crowd at a football game to chant and cheer. He directed a crowd in cheering "Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-u-mah, Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah!" and after that he founded the first cheerleading fraternity, Gamma Sigma. This cheer in a Minnesota sporting event  is still in use today, also in different forms.

At the beginning in a squad there were six male students, so was an all-male activity; but during the Second World War women began to participate and it became an activity predominantly female and are they that began to incorporate gymnastics, pyramids and throws.

There are no Olympic Teams but there are professional cheerleading leagues all around the world like for example the NBA Cheerleading League or the NFL Cheerleading League.

Sports such as football, basketball, baseball, wrestling, or hockey are cheering by professional cheerleaders.

There are a lot of movies based on this sport where you can see the beautiful and creative choreographies of cheerleaders, and also Nintendo has released some video games on it.

- Federica Plebani, number 196 -

Gymnastic Artistic

In the world there is a sport that unfortunately hasn't the fame which it deserves, considering that it’s also one of the oldest sport in history, always present in Olympic competitions. This sport is gymnastics, and maybe it’s so underestimated than other sports because people stops at the appearance: colored body, hair spray, glitter everywhere. But behind it all, gymnastics is much more and the USA national team especially knows this reality, as it is the best and stronger team in the world, in fact it won the gold medal in the last World Championship in Tokyo. In the world of gymnastics, the athletes of USA national team are admirable and feared opponents; the WOGA (World Olympic Gymnastics Academy) is an Olympic training center, with three locations in Dallas Metroplex (Texas-Usa), which trains male and female gymnasts from beginning to elite levels, and these gymnasts have won 24 World and Olympic medals, and have been a major contributor to the US Team’s success since 2002. To become an elite gymnast, athletes must train hardly to develop superior strength, flexibility, coordination, grace, balance, and agility, and they must make sacrifices and adopt a lifestyle that allow them to bring their gymnastics skill to their maximum potential; this implies a time at least between 5 and 10 years of time. Gymnastics is a really hard and difficult sport, which aims for perfection, in which a little mistake can be a big penalty and for this reason it requires concentration, determination and self-control.
It’s a sport for a few people, but everyone can be fascinated by the exhibition of these athletes who, for example, do back flips on a beam which is 10 cm wide. So if you want to discover this amazing world or you are already a lover of gymnastics, you can see the USA national team in some events, such as:

2012 Visa Championships
June 7-10, 2012
Chaifetz Arena
St. Louis, Mo

2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Gymnastics
June 28-July 1, 2012
HP Pavilion
San Jose, Calif.

2012 USA Gymnastics Open Championships
May 31-June 3, 2012
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

2013 Level 9 East/West Championships
May 2-5, 2013

2013 J.O. National Championships
May 9-11, 2013

2013 J.O. National Invitational Tournament
May 12, 2013

2013-20 JO Compulsory Master Workshop - East
May 31-June 2, 2013
Orlando, Fla.

2013-20 JO Compulsory Master Workshop - West
June 7-9, 2013
Reno, Nev.

- Roberta Rubagotti, number 126 -

Into Alaska Wilderness

« Happiness is real only when shared »

Christopher Johnson McCandless (alias Alexander Supertramp)

Those are the latest words that Christopher McCandless wrote in 1992 before he died. He discovered Alaskan wilderness, running away from his well-being condition, full of facilities and wealth, experienced the last adventure of his life in order to find out what he was searching for. In the final corner of America, in Alaska, he comprehended, among fjords and green forests - and also in his heart in deep contact with this nature - an immeasurable feeling: Happiness, which is real, perceptible only when someone shares it with you.

Before his death, Christopher McCandless, a 26 years old man, shared with us this little thoughts which is quite a contradiction, because he realized it when he was completely alone, surrounded only by unspoiled nature, suggesting us to share our every day moment with someone by our side.

Our company had realized a special trip in those isolated lands in order to re-live this touching experience. In Alaska winter are very cold but they carry with them the spectacular of northern lights. During the summer, instead, the country is immersed in the sunlight and wild creature can be easily admired.

In Alaska, especially in Stampede (the starting point of our tour) there aren't many and clear beaten tracks and you have to move around by your own and our company now, will give to you some precious 

and important advice in order to make your hike ad safe as enjoyable. Stampede trail, the "memorial" paths, crossed by Christopher was created in late 30s by an Alaskan miner called Earl Pilgrim to access to his property. Stampede road is chosen by many hikers coming from all over the world, their desire is to reach the Bus 142, the place where Christopher took his final breaths, remember to respect this spot in order to leave to the following generation of hikers the chance to enjoy a little part of Christopher's wisdom and adventure.

Hiking in Stampede trail will be the best experience ever but you must not forget that also the smaller error could threaten your life; you must bring with you compass, GPS locator, extra food and water, warm spare clothes, first kit-aid and remember to use bear proof holders.

This 40 miles trip is as exciting as danger, don't cross deep rivers if you haven't any kind of experience, use common sense and your instinct, at least, to hike with some friends is far better.

During your trip you will befriend with others hikers just like you, with them you will share your own thoughts and reflections about how nature can change our life in order to make you experience more and more precious.

- Ambra Califfo, number 23 -