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The Art of Kinesio Taping

November 20, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

 

 

IMG_0430    –by Anna Kleckerova

Anna Kleckerova is a very talented athlete–basketball player, volleyball player, soccer player, tennis player, ping pong player, softball player, ice skater, snowboarder, skier, swimmer, runner, etc. But being skilled still makes you vulnerable to accidents. This is especially true in Anna’s case. Lucky for her, Kinesio Taping is a thing! In a few short minutes, she can apply the tapes to give her weak knees support that last her through a whole game.–Senior Blog Editor Treyvn Lucatero

What is kinesio taping? Why is it useful, and how can it help people? Kinesio taping is an athletic method for fixing, improving, and supporting acute or chronic injuries. Elastic tapes of all colors are used for this method. Kinesio tapes help to relieve pain in muscles and bones. It also improves blood flow and the lymphatic circulation. This technique was first discovered in South Korea and Japan. There are various methods of use. For example, many athletes use kinesio taping on their knees.

Knee taping is used to support the knee and reduce stress on it during activity. It can be used for both the treatment and prevention of knee injuries. There are several different methods on how to apply the tape.

A) Full knee supportIMG_0431
First, the knee has to be in a position of 90 degrees. Then, we take a half size of the regular length tape and put it down under the kneecap. Next, we take a whole tape and put it right on the quadricep muscle and go all the way down around the kneecap above the first tape. We will then do the same thing on the opposite side of our knee. But we also must not forget to rub our tapes to create a little heat which allows the tape to better adhere to our skin.

B) GenIMG_0432eral knee pain
For this, we have to make a hole in the middle of the tape. It separates it to two parts, but the edges stay together. The tape is placed right above your knee. We take one part of the tape and set it to the outside of our knee and the other one to the inside of the knee. This technique is used when we are not certain where the pain is located.

C) Patella
Taping of a kneecap can be done in different ways. It depends what causes the pain. If your kneecap moves and hits the cartilage, it starts destroying it. It begins with weakening and pain in your knee. Eventually, your knees begin to give way and buckle. In this point, the only thing you can do by yourself is to ice and tape it. The first way to help this buckling is to place a half a regular-sized tapeIMG_0433 under your knee cap and lift the edges up so your knees look like two smiling faces, thus holding the patella up. This type of pain can be also caused by not enough strength in your quadricep muscle. IMG_0434In this case, you have to take a long piece of tape and place it with the contour of the muscle, around the knee, down. The tape has to be separated to two parts at the end. Otherwise you won’t be able to put it around the knee.

I have never believed that something this non-invasive can help people. I had to try it to discover the magic in it. I have huge problems with my knees, and kinesio taping makes my athletic life easier.

Junior Shasta Stone, Varsity Volleyball player, is a consumer of kinesio-tape products, and she has nothing but good words for their great effects on her athletic life: “KT tape . . . relieved pain in my knees after my surgery. It is easy to use and very effective.”

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: kinesio, knees, legs, sports injuries

Curse of the Black Sox

November 19, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

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Still celebrating the excitement of the recent conclusion of the 2015 baseball season, blogger Chloe Sweeney continues her look into notorious baseball curses and superstitions. This is the second installment.

–by Chloe Sweeney

In 1919, the Chicago White Sox was playing in the Worlds Series against the Cincinnati Reds when the scandal began. Although the White SoIMG_1307x became a top team in the league after its victory in the 1917 World Series, Charles Comiskey, the owner of the team, was known for underpaying his players. White Sox players resented Comiskey. Because the players were unable to leave their contracts, they turned to gamblers in an effort to make some extra cash. In return for a huge payoff, eight White Sox players decided to fix the World Series. They intentionally lost as large bets kept piling up for Cincinnati. After seven games, the Cincinnati Reds won the Series. The public caught wind of the massive scandal in the 1920 season, and a grand jury assembled to investigate. All eight players were acquitted in a criminal trial in 1921, but they did not escape unscathed. The Commissioner of Baseball, Kenesaw Landis, issued a statement following the acquittal. He said, “Regardless of the verdict of juries, no player who throws a ball game, no player who undertakes or promises to throw a ball game, no player who sits in confidence with a bunch of crooked ballplayers and gamblers, where the ways and means of throwing a game are discussed and does not promptly tell his club about it, will ever play professional baseball.” All eight players were indefinitely suspended from playing professional baseball. The huge scandal was dubbed the Curse of the Black Sox.A World Series victory had eluded Chicago for 76 years. In 2005, the curse was finally broken as the Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros and won the championship!

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–Edited by Amber Zheng

Filed Under: Sports, Uncategorized Tagged With: baseball, Black Sox, Chicago, Curses, Shoeless Joe

Chicago Cubs: The Curse of the Billy Goat

October 26, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

It’s World Series time, and Blog Editor/Correspondent Chloe Sweeney is interested in the Curses of Baseball. Here is the first story in a three-part sequence–starting with the eternally doomed Chicago Cubs.

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–by Chloe Sweeney
Last Wednesday we watched as the Chicago Cubs were once again defeated in the playoffs. There was collective sorrow as a dedicated fan base was again denied the ultimate titleIMG_1249 in baseball. Sadly, this will not be the year that the Cubs break the Curse of the Billy Goat.

 

The curse began on October 7, 1945, when a fan, Billy Sianis, was asked to leave a World Series game because the odor of his pet billy goat was disturbing other fans. As he was escorted out, he uttered the infamous words, “Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more.” 1945 was subsequently the last time the Chicago Cubs played in a World Series. The last time they won the World Series was in 1908. Generations of fans were never able to see their beloved team win. Many thought this year would be the end to the longest drought in baseball.

 

In the past, there have been numerous attempts to break the curse but to no avail. The nephew of Billy Sianis, Sam Sianis, was brought out to Wrigley Field with a goat in 1984, 1989, 1994, and 1989. They have brought priests to sprinkle holy water and bless the field; they have hung severed goat heads, and even started a charity, Reverse the Curse, that donates goats to impoverished families in third world countries. With so much futile effort put into lifting the curse, some wonder if the Cubs will ever win again.

 

JON L. HENDRICKS | THE TIMES The Rev. Jim Greanias of St. Iakovos Church in Valparaiso is a Greek Orthodox priest and Cubs fan who blessed the Cubs dugout before the first game of the National League Division Series.

The Rev. Jim Greanias is a Greek Orthodox priest and Cubs fan who blessed the Cubs dugout before the first game of the National League Division Series.

Mr. Krause, Social Sciences teacher here at Palm Valley, is a die-hard Cubs fan. After the Cubs’ devastating loss, he said: “As the season ended on a frustrating note, I had to remind myself how well the 2015 Chicago Cubs played all season. They surpassed, far and FullSizeRender-5above, many expectations, from baseball experts to the die-hard Cubs fan. I’m excited for what the future holds for the Cubs, as they return almost all of their starters and hold a lot of potential in their young, talented team. Just another reason why the Chicago Cubs will soon be the World Champions in the coming years.”

 

Some of their younger fans are obviously still in denial! Do you know where Mr. Krause is right now? Sitting in an empty Wrigley Field, waiting for his . . . Cubs.

 

IMG_1251

–Edited by Trey Lucatero

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Billy Goat, Chicago, Cubs, Curses, Mr. Krause, Wrigley Field

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We are the Palm Valley Firebirds of Rancho Mirage, California. Join us in our endeavors. Venture through the school year with us, perusing the artwork of our students, community, and staff. Our goal is to share the poems, stories, drawings and photographs, essays and parodies that come out of our school. Welcome aboard!