Tuesdays with Muerte

Pexels Brigham Young University (BYU) students, like students anywhere else, are susceptible to the winter blues. Here are some common ways students might cope with the winter season: Outdoor Activities : Taking advantage of  winter intramural sports and activities  can be a great way to stay active and enjoy the season. Additionally, students might prefer going out on their own by taking advantage of local, world-class skiing or snowboarding resorts Alta or Snowbird , or simply taking a walk in the snow. Don't like the cold? Soak in the sunshine by heading to St. George for a day. Indoor Recreation : Keep up with exercise routines and plan weekly activities to break the winter routine. BYU and Provo offer indoor recreational facilities where students can engage in activities like pickleball, or  swimming at the Richards Building (RB), rock climbing at the Quarry, or playing indoor activities with friends during open court times at the RB gyms. Whatever indoor activit...

Why Djoker Will Win the 2023 Aussie Open I just finished watching Novak Djokovic's 4th-round, post-game, on-court interview, and I can just tell he will win. On top of all the other incredible things he has going for him, there is about his confident swagger and playful demeanor cinched it for me. Here's what he said in the interview:  Jim Courier: ' I'm not going to ask you HOW you beat him so convincingly; I'm gonna ask you WHY you beat him so convincingly. ' ― American tennis great Jim Courier said to Novak Djoker  Djokovic after the later dismantled his opponent Alex de Minaur in straight sets.  Djoker : ' Because I wanted to ,' Djoker calmly replied with a grin on his face.  *Mic drop* Did you catch it? Did you sense Djokovic's X-factor in the interview ?  It resides somewhere in the mental/emotional domain. This elusive element, combined with his physical preparation will make him unstoppable. I'm still unsure how to exactly define this X-...

Jim's Amazing Story I was reminded of this PowerTales ™  story on Facebook today: “This is Jim Thorpe. Look closely at the photo. You can see that he's wearing different socks and shoes. This wasn't a fashion statement. It was the 1912 Olympics, and Jim was a Native American from Oklahoma representing the U.S. in track and field. On the morning of his competitions, his shoes were stolen. Luckily, Jim ended up finding two shoes in a garbage can. That's the pair that he's wearing in the photo. But one of the shoes was too big, so he had to wear an extra sock. Wearing these shoes, Jim won two gold medals that day.” Why I Want to Be Like Jim Thorpe I knew who Jim Thorpe was from an early age. A common Sunday afternoon activity for me was to listen along to recordings as I read,  PowerTales ™,  popular character-development books for children in the 80s. Jim Thorpe's book on Sportsmanship was my favorite. Thorpe's multiple extraordinary athleticism and praisewor...

Bryan vs. Collegiate Innertube Waterpolo Bryan's Lessons Learned This week, I played in my first Collegiate Intramural Innertube Waterpolo game.  Before I forget my initial impressions, I will quickly jot down the five most-important lessons I learned throughout the evening (and the morning after). Innertube Waterpolo is not for the weak of abs. While I didn't move my legs the entire match, my arms were constantly aflail.  The morning after, my arms surprisingly felt fine—the pain was isolated in my abs.  Look out Pilates & Zumba! I should have entitled this post, "How I Got a 6-Pack in Less Than 1 Hour." I also assumed my jaw would be sore.  During the first half, I paddled up to defend the opposing team's most-talented attacker.  I must have been really quiet because just as our innertubes were about to collide, he swung his massive elbow around and connected with my face, knocking me, and my tube, back 10-15 feet.  Attempting to draw att...

The Secret to Success is a Proactive Defense When you're playing defense, many players think that how they handle the hard drives and how they pass are the most important things. Yes, those are critical skills, but more important is to  make sure you are in the right place at the right time.  A  lot of players are so concerned with their form, they end up just standing there with "stone feet" and not moving anywhere.   You don't need to worry about passing the ball if you are not getting there in the first place! Follow these tips to make sure you are playing defense at the highest level possible.  1. Get in proper defensive stance -  You will find it hard to move to the right place if you are standing incorrectly. You should have your knees bent, on your toes, keeping your arms relaxed and in front of you. There is nothing that drives a coach more crazy than to see a player playing defense standing straight up with their knees locked. The bottom lin...