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 football 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 stood 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 floor or landing a volley on the tennis court.During school I heard about a team hoisting a trophy or a coach congratulating players on a good 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 books. 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 schoolwork and tennis. Some days may be academic heavy, while other afternoons 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 afternoon.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 Reboot and elsewhere.?Follow her on?Twitter? and?Facebook?or her website,?Being?Rudri. Ecco Shoes Wholesale . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. Ecco Shoes Australia Sale . Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon. http://www.cheapeccoaustralia.com/ . Barcelona also left injured defenders Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba out of its squad for the trip to Glasgow. That means that Marc Bartra will probably start again in the centre of the defence alongside Gerard Pique. Ecco Shoes On Sale Australia . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. Ecco Shoes Clearance Australia .R. Smith realized how easily basketball can be taken from him, and he wasnt going to take his place in the NBA for granted anymore. RIO DE JANEIRO -- The IAAF said Saturday it has banned the only Russian in Olympic track and field from competition and that she is appealing the ruling.The eligibility of long jumper Darya Klishina was revoked by the IAAF based on new information it received last week, spokesman Yannis Nikolaou told The Associated Press.He would not specify what the new information is or who delivered it, though Klishinas attorney, Paul Greene, told the AP the case revolves around scratch marks on Klishinas doping sample bottles, identified as part of World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLarens work.McLaren has alleged that Russian security services were able to open supposedly tamper-proof bottles with the intent of swapping out tainted samples for clean urine, leaving behind telltale scratch marks on the glass.The basic idea here is that even a clean athlete like Darya is the victim of the state sponsored doping system, Greene added in a text message. At least thats the IAAF position.Greene said he had not seen the underlying evidence in confidential parts of McLarens report.Klishina, a former European indoor champion, previously was the only one of 68 Russians allowed to compete in the sport amid a massive doping scandal. The IAAF had accepted her application because she is based in the United States. The rest of the Russian team was banned over allegations of a widespread, state-sponsored doping program.The Court of Arbitration for Sport said it had received Klishinas appeal of the decision imposed by the IAAFs doping review board. The IOC and Russian Olympic Committee were invited to take part in the hearing. CAS said it hopes to issue its verdict by Sunday night.I am a clean athlete and have proved that already many times and beyond any doubt, Klishina said in a statement on her Facebook page.Based in the U.S. for three years now, I have been almost exclusively tested outside of the anti-doping system in question, she added, an apparent reference to the Russian anti-doping agenccy, which remains suspended over doping cover-ups.ddddddddddddI am falling victim to those who created a system of manipulating our beautiful sport and is guilty of using it for political purposes, she said.I will take every possible effort to protect my clean image as an athlete, Klishina said. At this moment, I cannot help but feel betrayed by a system that is not focused on keeping the sport clean and supporting rank-and-file athletes, but rather seeking victories outside sport arenas.The president of the Russian Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov, condemned the IAAF decision. Overall, all of this looks like a mockery of the athlete by the IAAF, he said in a video message posted by the Russian Olympic Committee.The International Olympic Committee ruled out a blanket ban on Russia last month but imposed new rules which have barred some Russian athletes in various sports because their names were implicated in a report by McLaren, who alleged a major doping cover-up.McLaren said he had received leaked emails in which senior Russian Sports Ministry officials discussed whether or not to conceal doping cases related to hundreds of athletes across dozens of Olympic and non-Olympic sports.Some Russian athletes who were named in that report were able to regain their Olympic spots on appeal to the CAS, although others were refused.If Darya Klishina is in the McLaren list, then the IAAF must have been aware of it for a long time, Zhukov said. They, as I understand it, only addressed questions to Klishina on Aug. 6. She answered them, and they only took this decision today, Aug. 13. Why it couldnt have been done while all the other federations were examining the problems with athletes who were in the McLaren list is completely incomprehensible.McLaren has said his investigation is continuing and that more athletes could be implicated as more evidence emerges. ' ' '