amateur. Someone who is not paid for participating in an activity.
bachelor’s degree. Degree given by a four-year college or university.
calisthenics. Exercises that promote physical fitness.
cardio. Exercises that raise the heart rate.
certification. Given to people who have completed special training in a field. Tells potential employers that you know what you’re doing.
client. Person who is represented by a company.
It’s always about wanting to one-up myself from the day before. There’s never an absolute 100 percent perfect performance, but going out and striving for that perfect performance is what keeps me going.
Cat Osterman
SOFTBALL PLAYER AND COACH
Division I. Highest level of collegiate sports, followed by Division II and Division III.
draft. To choose a player for a sports organization.
endorsing. Using a product and saying good things about it or allowing a company to use someone’s name and image to advertise its products.
extracurricular. Something that is done outside of school, such as belonging to a club or team.
freelancer. Someone who works for several different companies without being on staff.
independent league. In baseball, professional teams that aren’t affiliated with a major league team.
internship. Opportunity to work in an organization and learn what that career is like. Usually arranged through a college or other educational institution. Generally unpaid but can often be used for college credit toward a degree.
MLB. Major League Baseball.
master’s degree. Degree given for study after a bachelor’s degree, usually requiring about two years of further study.
You have to train your mind like you train your body.
Bruce Jenner
TRACK-AND-FIELD ATHLETE
median. Number exactly in the middle of a series of numbers.
memorabilia. Items with historical connections, such as equipment used in a major sporting event or owned by a famous athlete.
minor league. In baseball, professional teams where new players can work on their skills or injured or older players can play.
modified sports. Program that makes sports and sports competitions more accessible for younger children and children of different abilities.
NBA. National Basketball Association.
NCAA. National Collegiate Athletic Association, the governing body for all college sports in the United States.
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
John Wooden
BASKETBALL PLAYER AND COACH
NFL. National Football League.
NHL. National Hockey League.
penalty. Punishment given for breaking the rules.
professional. Someone who is paid for participating in an activity.
If the French nobles had been capable of playing cricket with their peasants, their chateaux would never have been burnt.
G. M. Trevelyan
HISTORIAN
rehab. Short for rehabilitation, the process of recovering and regaining strength and skills after an injury or surgery.
referee. Official who makes sure athletes follow the rules during a competition.
scout. Person who looks for new talent to sign to a team.
season. Time of the year when a sport is played.
sponsors. Businesses who pay an athlete’s expenses.
sports agent. Someone who represents professional athletes in business and legal opportunities.
sports commentator. Someone who broadcasts a game or sporting event, describing the action.
A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.
Wayne Gretzky
HOCKEY PLAYER, COACH, AND EXECUTIVE
stamina. Ability to keep doing an activity without getting tired.
statistics. Sets of numbers that provide information about a player or a sport.
stipend. Small payment given to someone for work or to cover expenses.
umpires. In baseball and hockey, officials who make sure athletes follow the rules during a competition.
WNBA. Women’s National Basketball League.
