The Beginning of the Juggle Cycle (CLICK ME TO READ ME) (1)
Hello and
welcome to my first blog post!
As soon as I was introduced to the Genius Hour project, I immediately thought of water polo, a true passion of mine. I started playing the sport this year, after 9 years of swimming (9 years I will never get back). You're probably a bit confused, because the title of my blog is "Anna JUGGLES Life" not "Anna Plays Water Polo Through Life" - which wouldn't make a good title anyway. Well, I knew mastering water polo wouldn't be a feasible topic for the project; I don't have regular access to a pool which is necessary to play water polo.
As soon as I was introduced to the Genius Hour project, I immediately thought of water polo, a true passion of mine. I started playing the sport this year, after 9 years of swimming (9 years I will never get back). You're probably a bit confused, because the title of my blog is "Anna JUGGLES Life" not "Anna Plays Water Polo Through Life" - which wouldn't make a good title anyway. Well, I knew mastering water polo wouldn't be a feasible topic for the project; I don't have regular access to a pool which is necessary to play water polo.
G-WaPo 2016 after our win at Beast of the East Tournament
Instead, I
thought of my water polo dry land practices. We would use tennis balls and throw
them against the wall for different coordination exercises. Every day, my
coach, Greg, would attempt to juggle three tennis balls. At first, we all
laughed at his "juggling" because it looked more like an arm spasm. The tennis balls flew left and right. But, after our 45 minute dry lands every day for our 2-month season, Greg began
to master juggling.
I really think juggling is such an interesting and unique skill to have, especially as a teenage girl. How cool would it be to just whip out a sick juggling skill at the next hangout??? I know all my friends would LOVE that.
I began to
research juggling. Everyone knows the basic 3
ball juggling, which I read is actually quite simple to learn. If you dedicate
an entire day to it, you could definitely master it. After my research, I knew I couldn't study 3 ball juggling for the entire two months. I found
this website that showcases different 3 ball juggling types. I always thought there was just one type of 3 ball juggling, but boy was I wrong! A part of my timeline is to learn two new 3 ball juggling type . I'm ready and willing to take a challenge, so explore the juggling library and leave a comment saying which type you think I should
learn!!
At the end
of the project I hope to have mastered 3 skills: 3 ball juggling, 4 ball
juggling, and juggling club juggling. Juggling clubs are basically bowling
pins, but the International Jugglers' Association felt very strongly to inform
readers that they are NOT bowling pins but rather clubs made specifically for
juggling (in my opinion, juggling clubs = bowling pins, but don’t tell the IJA that I said that).
Possessing
the ability to complete these juggling types will be proof of my mastery in
itself, but I plan to measure my goals by using time. I want to be able to
juggle 3 balls, 4 balls, and juggling clubs for 30 seconds straight. In
addition, I plan to take my ambition to the next level with a Juggle
Competition against Greg. Whoever can juggle 3 balls for the longest will win!!
Hopefully he won't cut my playing time when he's mad because I won…. Haha.
My timeline is as follows:
Week 1:
- Research history, physics, and how to learn using YouTube and IJA website
Week 2:
- learn and perfect the basic mechanics of juggling using YouTube
- learn new type of 3 ball juggling each week using the Library of Juggling link
- perfect each juggling type
Week 5:
- learn how to juggle 4 balls
- perfect the skill
- apply research
Week 6:
- learn how to juggle juggling clubs
- perfect the skill
- apply research
I was going to learn how to juggle fire... but the project is only for so long :(
Come back
every day 6 of the cycle for updates and juggle tricks!! Remember to leave a
comment about which 3 ball juggle type I should learn!
Juggle it
up!!
Anna :)
Anna :)
5 comments
Good start!
ReplyDeleteFirst things first, I have major props for you for picking juggling! The last time I tried to seriously learn juggling, I somehow managed to tear a ligament in my ankle (I'm still not sure how that happened haha). I've always wondered if juggling has a mathematical aspect behind it. I know there are some people who can play basketball by mapping out the trajectory and stuff so it would be interesting to see if the same applies to juggling. Your blog has such a nice aesthetic and I can't wait to see your juggling skills at the end of this project!
ReplyDeletePS. The meme you added is hilarious hahahaha
Wow! Juggling is something that is truly unique and is something that I will love to see how you progress in your juggling skills. I find it very interesting your thought process about which way to take your Genius Project because I had the same exact thoughts, except for me it was about running. I am wondering what is your application educationally because juggling is something that seems more of a recreational activity (to me). Your blog looks great and very professional. I will definitely continue to check up on your blog all the time!
ReplyDeleteJuggling to me is a “sport?” that looks cool in the moment but has no benefit in life. When I first came upon your blog I though to myself, “Why on earth would someone spend 6 weeks earning to throw tree balls in the air with no true reason?” However as I read I was awe stuck at the skill and potential benefits of juggling. Your motivation seems very sound and your topic seems very feasible, as long as you don't rage quit : ). Your blog looks very well made and the humorous tone in which you wrote in was very enjoyable and I hope you can put your juggling skill to good use!
ReplyDeleteI like how unique your topic is! Not only is it a cool skill but it can also apply to water polo. It's also a great topic to track progress with because you can move up in difficulty levels with jugging. It might be a bit hard to find a juggling expert, but the overall idea is really interesting and I look forward to seeing your progress on your blog!
ReplyDelete