How to find the correct softball bat

April 14, 2023 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Hannah Gliedman

One of the most important parts of softball is hitting. A good hitter is what makes a team gain points and win games. For a swing, speed is the most important thing. Being able to time a pitch to hit it in the strike zone, and generating enough speed to drive the ball, is what creates a good hitter.

Normally, when buying a bat whilst in high school, you don’t only have to think of what bat, but also what size and weight of bat. A general rule is that from ages 13-15, bat length should be about 31-32 inches.

Once players reach ages 16+ a bat like 33-34 inches is good. The USSSA prohibits bats over 34 inches.

A test to see if the bat is the right size is to hold the bat where the knob is in the center of your chest. If you can reach the end of the bat with your fingertips, it’s the correct size.

One thing to note is the diameter of the barrel. Most fast-pitch bats have a barrel of 2 3⁄4 inches. and standard bats are 2 1⁄2 inches. Having a bigger barrel creates a bigger sweet spot, meaning more pitches are likely to result in bigger hits; however, a bigger barrel creates a heavier bat. For players desiring a faster swing, a bigger barrel might not be right.

As for the weight of the bat, Worth Sports created a chart that shows the best weight of the bat for players:

The USSSA prohibits bats over 31.5 oz, this includes tape and grip additions.

Finding the proper weight is extremely important to creating power and hitting hard. Finding the sweet spot between a too heavy or too light bat is critical. If a bat is too heavy, the player won’t be able to generate speed and won’t be able to hit pitches in motion whilst in the strike zone.

On the opposite side, if a bat is too light, the player will open up too early in the pitch, which can cause players to top the ball.

A simple way to find the right weight for your bat is to extend your arm out and hold the bat straight out. Hold it there for 20 seconds, if you can’t, the bat is too heavy. However, if it’s too easy the bat might be too light.

If there is a choice between a too heavy and a too light bat, skew on the side of a lighter bat.

Last thing to note, is to make sure the bat is USSSA approved before you buy it.

Editorials/Student Voice

Thoughts on History Day

April 14, 2023 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Julia Yang

This is my opinion on History Day, and my opinion only. You might feel different, and that’s alright.

For those of you who haven’t had, or know about History Day, let me give you a quick summary; History Day is a school event where students have to research an event in history and make a project about it, usually, a presentation board. After that’s done, everyone places in an open area with tables and everybody walks around to look at other projects.

With that out of the way, let’s continue.

I really don’t think History Day is all that helpful to a child’s education. I’ve already forgotten what I learned on my chosen event. The concept of History Day doesn’t make any sense to me – Why are we just learning ONE thing in our entire history? Or who has actually learned something and remembered it from it?

It just seems like a burden.

I know so many students and teachers that agree with me, so I’m not too sure why it’s still a thing we need to do.

National History Day says, “National History Day teaches critical thinking, writing, and research skills; prepares students for college, work, and citizenship; and inspires students to do more than they ever thought they could.”

History day didn’t help me with any of that. If anything, all it did was raise my stress levels. I did this project in middle school, so I didn’t even know what I was doing. By then, I had just learned what a presentation board was.

In the end, I don’t know why History Day exists. I found it irritable, boring, and stress inducing.

Getting To Know/History, Science/Nature

The importance of nature

April 14, 2023 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Tasha Cudinski

Nature is all around us. There are 66 state parks in Minnesota and many other natural areas that are open for visitors. Even though we have all of this natural space it is rarely taken advantage of, instead choosing to spend time in cities made of concrete.

Studies have shown that there are massive benefits to people who spend time outside with others. According to several studies on visitors to parks, spending time outside can actually boost your immune system by doing things such as lowering your blood pressure and increasing the amount of white blood cells in your body.

There have also been studies that indicate that spending time outdoors can help with your mental health, such as one study which showed time in nature to help decrease symptoms of PTSD in military veterans by 21%. There is not much understanding about how nature is capable of this, but one theory is that this happens because of the awe that nature inspires in those that observe it.

Nature is a wonderful resource but it also has a long and dark history of racial violence and segregation. For a very long time minorities were kept out of the picture when it came to natural spaces. For the people who come from a background of racial bias and discrimination, nature is not associated with the same thoughts and feelings that it may be for white people. In many instances nature is associated with the idea of violence and even lynchings. Because of this there are significantly fewer people of color who visit outdoor areas.

Nature has been shown to be beneficial to people’s health and if you have the opportunity to, try and spend some time outside with people you care about. It will not only help you make some happy memories, but it will also help boost your physical and mental health.

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Basketball

Biography of Klay Thompson

April 14, 2023 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

By: Nagad Omar

4 time NBA Champion Klay Alexander Thompson was born on February 8th, 1990, in
Los Angeles, California. Born to parents Julie and Mychal Thompson.

Thompson didn’t have the “normal upbringing.” When he was just 2, his father was the first pick in the 1978 NBA draft.

He moved around the country until he was 14 where he was brought back to California where he later graduated from Rancho Santa Margarita High School. Klay had scout attention, all of high school, and played for many different club teams along with winning many awards.

Klay attended Washington State University where he led in 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage. Washington State University later retired his jersey number 1.

In 2011 Klay declared for the NBA draft and was drafted 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors. Shortly after, Thompson’s career took off and he scored 32 points in 2013 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thompson was also voted to the NBA All-Rookie first team.

That same year, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry would earn the title “Splash Bros” after setting the NBA record for 484 combined threes in a single season.

In 2017 Thompson also became the 11th player in franchise history to hit 9,000 career points, which he has well surpassed now.

After many trips to the NBA playoffs in 2015 Thompson finally won his first ring against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a tight 108-100 overtime win. The Warriors would end up being back-to-back champions in 2017 and 2018 to bring Klay his 2nd and third ring, before also winning in 2022, to make Klay a 4-time NBA champion.

Klay has now made 2,190 3-point field goals in his career (at the time of this writing), is a 5x NBA All Star and 2x all NBA Third Team.

Thompson also holds the NBA record for most points scored in a quarter, most three pointers scored in a single playoffs, and most three pointers scored in a game.

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