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Starting Points

© Sue Poremba

A recent trip to an NHL hockey game reminded me that, while I can talk intelligently about nearly any sport, I'm really clueless when it comes to strategies, rules, and sometimes players. I was also frustrated that, when needed, I couldn't easily find the phone number or information for the arena.

I'm sure that I'm not the only one to feel lost at sporting events (although for me, it was a new, eye-opening experience). With sports like lacrosse, field hockey, and volleyball becoming more popular, adults and kids alike will be searching for information. So I did some web surfing over the holidays.

One of the best general information sites I came across is WWW of Sports at http://www.tns.lcs.mit.edu/cgi-bin/sport... The site is a menu of every sport known to humankind. I checked out the volleyball link and found a page with links to youth volleyball leagues, NCAA volleyball, the national team, rules, general information, schedules - you name it, and I found it.

Two other good general information sites are Interrogue's Mega Sports List at http://interrogue.com/1sports.htm and Sports Media: International Sports Links at http://www.ping.be/~ping7330/internat.ht...

For many children, their introduction to many sports (particularly the ones without major professional teams) is through their school's physical education classes. I found a physical education site that discusses sports, coaching, physical eduation, and exercise. It's called Physical Education and can be found at http://www.educationindex.com/physed

The Student/Athlete Resource Center at http://www.chap.com/greet/index.htm is a good starting point for the athlete who is balancing school with athletic activities.

And finally, since most athletes are also fans, a list of stadiums and the sports teams that play in them can be found at http://www.wwcd.com/stadiums.html

Next time I go to a hockey game, you can be sure I'll be much better prepared.