You have to study. You have to be smart. We arent wasting our time on sports. It isnt meant for us. This was my parents mantra. Weeknights were reserved for reviewing algebra problems or reading a novel. Participating in sports, my parents decided, wasnt an ideal fit for my life.Their reluctance to embrace sports stemmed from their upbringing in India. Physical fitness just wasnt a part of the culture in which they grew up. For them, the Eastern idea of exercise dwelled in the spiritual -- yoga and meditation were preferred to activities like running, basketball or tennis. When they settled in America, this mindset followed. Although they watched football and other sports, my father believed education offered the best opportunity for success. The idea of pursuing a sport with the same dedication as education seemed frivolous.So I devoted my energy to spectating. I stood on the sidelines, watching my peers dunk a basketball or round the bases during softball. My achievements came in the form of an A on the geometry test or crafting a debate response to a controversial issue. I accepted that my strengths resided in the cerebral; Id hide near the bleachers during P.E., even though I longed to know what it felt like to move with grace, running on the gym floor or landing a volley on the tennis court.During school I heard about a team hoisting a trophy or a coach congratulating players on a good game. What would it mean to hit a home run or high-five my teammates after a win? Sports morphed into a foreign language I sought to not only understand but experience. But instead of pushing my parents to sign me up for volleyball or softball, I acquiesced to their wishes and continued to focus on intellectual pursuits.Now, as a parent to a 10-year-old daughter, I carry on the encouragement for her to solve math problems and read books. I also emphasize practicing tennis. Every week, she devotes several evenings to her serves, backhands and forehands. On the weekends, she competes in tournaments. In a short amount of time, Ive witnessed her grow in ways I didnt get to experience in my youth.When she lost matches in her early tournaments, she would hunch her shoulders and shed a tear, unable to control her emotions on the court. She asked to quit, but my husband and I encouraged her to sit with her angst. Navigating this terrain wasnt always easy since it introduced a level of unease, irritation and, well, loss. It also introduced resolve.Together, we would endure losing streaks, painful practices and tears. Then, in the middle of raw irritation, shed hit a brilliant backhand or ace a serve. The flashes of her hard work started to sprinkle the court in unexpected moments. As her tennis game gained momentum, she would talk about how much she enjoyed the rallies on the court.When she swings her racket, her shoulders relax and a smile appears on her face. During a match, she pumps her fist and acknowledges how much winning a point means to her. A few weeks ago, she said, I love tennis. It helps me relax.Maintaining a balance between?sports and academics isnt easy. We encourage her?to employ time-management skills, limit her?screen usage and anticipate the unexpected and imperfect when splitting time?between schoolwork and tennis. Some days may be academic heavy, while other afternoons and evenings might sway more toward athletics.?Weve seen the balance pay off. Earlier this month, down 3-1 in a set, she evened the score and eventually won the match. I watched as her nervousness and frustration turned into grit and glee, all in a single afternoon.On the ride home from that memorable win, I reminded her she still had to finish the last few problems of her math assignment. I smiled, realizing shes embracing a well-rounded education, one that teaches her the importance of studying and working hard on and off the court.Rudri Bhatt Patels?work has appeared in the Washington Post, Brain, Child Magazine, Role Reboot and elsewhere.?Follow her on?Twitter? and?Facebook?or her website,?Being?Rudri. Ray Lewis Jersey . Howard Ganz, an MLB lawyer, said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos that Rodriguezs claims do not come "remotely close" to what is needed to overturn an arbitration decision in federal court. Cheap Baltimore Ravens Jerseys . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. http://www.cheapravensjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-joe-flacco-jersey . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. 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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazilian prosecutors have filed charges against a high-ranking Olympic official in connection to a ticket-scalping case that unfolded during last months Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.Marcos Kac, a state prosecutor, said on Tuesday he decided to charge Olympic Council of Ireland President Patrick Hickey and nine others with ticket scalping, conspiracy and ambush marketing, after reviewing the police investigation.We found enough evidence linking Hickey to this plot to sell tickets by a company that was not authorized, Kac told The Associated Press. These are tickets that were sold for up to $8,000.Earlier Tuesday, Hickey arrived at police headquarters, but declined to answer additional questions after he was summoned in the wake of new findings. Hickey, 71, also made no comment to reporters upon leaving.The OCI head was arrested on Aug. 17 during the games in his Rio hotel room. Also the head of Europes Olympic bodies, Hickey was jailed in a prison complex after a two-day stay in a local hospital to undergo tests because of his medical history.He was set free last week when a judge ruled that he wasnt a risk to the public or the investigation. His passport was confiscated, and he must remain in Brazil until the case is concluded.Police have said that Hickey plotted with businessmen to transfer tickets illegally from a sports company called Pro 10 to hospitality provider THG Sports, which was a non-authorized vendor and alleegedly sold them for very high fees.dddddddddddd Police investigators said the scheme was planned to rake in $3 million.The head of THG Sports, Kevin James Mallon, was arrested on Aug. 5 in the case, but was set free, like Hickey. He is also facing the same charges and must remain in Brazil.The eight other suspects are businessmen with Pro10 and THG Sports who are not in Brazil, including Marcus Evans, who owns THG Sports parent company, as well as English soccer club Ipswich Town.Hickey has stepped aside temporarily as an IOC member and all his other Olympic positions.Police investigator Aloysio Falcao said they wanted to talk to IOC President Thomas Bach about email exchanges between him and Hickey related to ticket allocations to Ireland but learned he canceled his trip to Brazil for the Paralympic Games. The IOC said Tuesday that Bach had to attend the official state mourning ceremony for Walter Scheel, the former West Germany president.During his stay, we were going to summon him to speak to us, he said. Still, investigators said they have not found any evidence of Bachs knowledge of the alleged scheme.Investigators have also found evidence linking 35 other National Olympic Committees to the Marcus Evans group. Rio police will communicate this to other governments but are not expanding their own investigationts but are not expanding their own ballchinajerseys.com/]Wholesale Football Jerseys[/url] Wholesale Basketball JerseysWholesale Baseball Jerseys ' ' '