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 ftball 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 std 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 flr or landing a volley on the tennis court.During schl I heard about a team hoisting a trophy or a coach congratulating players on a gd 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 bks. 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 schlwork and tennis. Some days may be academic heavy, while other afternns 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 afternn.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 Rebt and elsewhere.?Follow her on?Twitter? and?Facebk?or her website,?Being?Rudri. Boty Nike Air Max Vyprodej . Meanwhile, there were huge victories for Sunderland and West Ham over fellow relegation rivals, leaving the battle to avoid the drop up for grabs with the bottom 11 teams separated by just six points. Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres scored second-half goals to seal a fourth straight victory for Chelsea, which climbed above Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings ahead of their games on Monday and Sunday respectively. Nike Air Max Levně . PAUL, Minn. http://www.levneairmax.cz/ . -- Bryant McKinnie came out of his stance and lowered his shoulder into a practice squad player, causing a crisp thud to reverberate in the Miami Dolphins practice bubble. Nike Air Max Cz Eshop . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the bst it needed to edge host Sherbrke Phoenix 3-2 in a shtout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Nejlevnější Boty Nike Air Max . As the crowd erupted, Davis knocked the ball off the glass and back into his hands. With 1:14 to go in overtime, Davis sixth block also became his 17th rebound. That, along with his 32 points -- which tied a career high -- proved t much for Denver to overcome, and the Pelicans held on for their third straight victory, 111-107 on Sunday night. CLEVELAND -- Fresh off one of their most rousing victories of the season, the Cleveland Indians will host the Houston Astros Monday night in the first game of a four-game series that will conclude the Indians 10-game homestand.The Indians have won the first six games of the homestand, sweeping three-game series from Minnesota and Miami. The finale of the Miami series on Sunday featured an electrifying finish.After giving up two runs in the top of the ninth inning to fall behind 5-3, the Indians rallied to score three runs in the bottom of the ninth to win 6-5. The winning run scored on a two-out RBI single by Lonnie Chisenhall.Its Clevelands ninth walk-off victory of the season, the second most in the major leagues. We just keep playing, said manager Terry Francona.It seems like its a different guy every night, Chisenhall said. Everybody contributes. We never give up.The Indians are now 23 games above .500 (79-56), their high water mark of the season, and their highest mark since finishing the 2007 season with a record of 96-66.The Indians are also piling up the wins at home. They have won seven in a row at Progressive Field. They have won 15 of their last 18 home games. Since June 2, they are 33-11 at home, the best home record in the majors. Overall, they are 45-23 at Progressive Field, the second-best home record in the American League.The Astros are trying to stay in the hunt for the second AL wild-card spot. Since Aug. 19, they are 11-4, and that includes having lost two of three to Texas over the weekend. The Astros did salvage the third game of that series by winning 7-6 on Sunday.Its a gd feeling,, obviously, to salvage a game, said Astros manager A.ddddddddddddJ. Hinch. You cant control the first two games after theyre over, so all we could do was try to win today.The Astros are in the middle of a seven-game trip. They lost two of three in Texas, and will now play four games in Cleveland. Houston is 72-64 and in second place in the AL West, 9 1/2 games behind the division-leading Rangers. The Astros are two games out of the second wild-card spot.Anything is possible, said Chris Devenski, the winning pitcher in the victory over Texas Sunday. Down the stretch, its September baseball. My first September, and Im lking forward to it. Weve got a shot.Mondays pitching matchup will be Clevelands Mike Clevinger (2-1, 5.30) vs. Houstons Mike Fiers (9-6, 4.31). Clevinger is taking the place of struggling Josh Tomlin, whose turn in the rotation is being skipped. Manager Terry Francona said Clevinger will start the game, but that it could be a bullpen game, with several relievers taking part.Clevinger spent most of this season at Triple-A Columbus, where he was 11-1 with a 3.00 ERA. In a couple of stints with the Indians, he has appeared in 11 games. In five games as a starter, he is 1-1 with a 6.29 ERA. In six relief appearances, he is 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA. Clevinger has never faced the Astros.Fiers has been much better at home than on the road. He is 6-3 with a 3.33 ERA at home and 3-3 with a 5.57 ERA on the road. He is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in one start against Cleveland this year. ' ' '