A LOOK AT THE WEEK AHEADAugust 10 - August 17, 2001OFFICE OF NEWS AND MEDIA RELATIONS(215) 204-7476 Fax: (215) 204-4403
HAS THE ESPN-ING OF LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES HURT KIDS? -- For more than 50 years, teams of 11- and 12-year-olds from around the country and world have come to Williamsport, PA, to take part in the Little League World Series. But with 19 televised games, including the prime-time broadcast of the championship, are we putting too much pressure on these aspiring athletes? "I don't see it as being too big a thing," says Temple sports psychologist Michael Sachs. "This is what these kids have been shooting for all season, and if anything, I think they're excited that the fans back home can watch them play." And while losing is never easy, Sachs doesn't think being defeated on television makes the players feel any worse. "What's important is how the coaches and community react to a loss, and usually they're going to be positive and happy the team got as far as it did."
Sachs says there's also a great deal of difference between playing in the Little League World Series and being a young star in some of the other sports--like gymnastics or tennis. "In those sports, coaches can have a pretty good idea of how good you can be at a very young age. In baseball, you can't really tell if someone could be a pro until they're much older."
Reach Dr. Sachs through the Office of News and Media Relations, 215-204-7476.
INVENTIVENESS, CREATIVITY AT HEART OF X GAMES -- Ben Franklin on a BMX bike? If the grand, old, bespectacled inventor were alive--and gout free--today, Temple psychologist Frank Farley says Franklin might just be leading the pack of athletes participating in the X Games, which begin in Philadelphia this weekend. Extreme sports, says Farley, highlight the same types of qualities--inventiveness, creativity, risk-taking--exhibited by America's founding fathers...and the nation as a whole.
"If Ben Franklin were around, he'd be riding a BMX bike doing all kinds of flips and stunts," says Farley, who has studied thrill-seeking behavior for decades. "He's our symbol of the inventive, creative, risk-taking side of the nation, everything America was built upon. Inventiveness is at the heart of this country. And the X Games highlight the fast-paced, creative, inventive, thrill-driven side of American physical life in a way other sports don't. In extreme sports, there's an emphasis on new twists, new ideas, new technologies. There's a break away from the rules." Farley predicts that extreme sports--and the X Games--will only grow in popularity, particularly with young people. "Extreme sports are not focused totally on skill. It's not about spending hours hitting a ball or shooting a basket over and over. A lot of kids who go in for extreme sports can't stand still. The sports are an escape from boredom for a lot of them."
Reach Dr. Farley at his office, 215-204-6024, at home, 215-881-7776, or through the Office of News & Media Relations.
BUSH LOOKING FOR ATTENTION -- President George Bush is having difficulty gaining attention for his presidency. "It is striking evidence of the declining power and status of the office," says Temple history professor James Hilty. "We have moved from the imperial presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon, to the irrelevant presidencies of George Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush," Hilty says. "George W. doesn't have enough charisma, leadership abilities, or perhaps enough notoriety to merit much attention--he's received 54 percent less coverage in Newsweek to this point in his presidency, compared to Clinton--so he has to make some 'news' himself. Not a happy development for the institution of the presidency, but, all considered, nothing to become excited about for the state of union, because 'normalcy,' or ordinary times, don't require extraordinary leadership and we can get by with what we have."
Reach Dr. Hilty at his office, 215-204-5581, or contact him through the Office of News and Media Relations.
Cheryl AfonsoTemple UniversityOffice of News andMedia Relations215.204.7476[email protected]
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