My 7-year-old doesnt aspire to play in the NFL or NBA or NHL; he wants to be a ninja warrior.Raptly watching Monday nights season finale of American Ninja Warrior on NBC, he pleaded for an extension to his bedtime so he could watch it all the way through.My second-grader plays a number of sports -- soccer, basketball, flag football -- but given the option at recess, he would rather fling himself across the playground bars specifically to hone his ninja skills than play foursquare or anything else.For his upcoming 8th birthday, all he wants is a backyard pull-up bar contraption to work on his grip strength, the north-star physical quality for would-be ninja warriors -- like 40 time for a football player, velocity for a promising pitcher or length for NBA prospects.He obsessively follows his favorite ninjas: No different than his geography-infused love of other teams and athletes based in DC, his favorite is sports-TV cameraman Geoff Britten of suburban Maryland, who last season became the first official American Ninja Warrior. But he also loves Joe The Weatherman Moravsky (an actual meteorologist), Drew The Real Ninja Dreschel and this seasons breakout sensation, stuntwoman Jessi Graff, who got further in ANW than any other woman competitor.My kid is hardly alone. Throughout school, kids enthusiastically discuss the show and universally respect the sport. When I post photos or videos of him at a local ninja gym, I typically get multiple follow-ups from parents: Where is that? Do they have kids classes?Why do kids gravitate toward this activity? I think it is mainly three factors:Simplicity: Climbing, hanging, sliding, jumping -- these are basic physical moves virtually any kid can do. It appeals to a raw primal instinct for moving, adapting and surviving, Chris Wilczewski said. He is an American Ninja Warrior 2016 national finalist, owner of Movement Lab in New Jersey and founder of the nascent National Ninja League. It mimics movements found on playgrounds.Accessibility: Drawing inspiration from its philosophical partner, parkour, kids doing ninja workouts require very little beyond the physical space around them. Any equipment found at a school playground or neighborhood park can work, but I have also learned to refrain from auto-scolding my kids when they hop on (and off) a random sidewalk bench or propel themselves under (or over) railings. Other sports depend heavily on mastering different pieces of equipment, Wilczewski said. Ninja Warrior relies so heavily on utilizing ones own body.(A note on safety: Like any parent, I often cringe when my kid climbs on the playground equipment -- or plays any sport where there might be contact, either with people or objects. As with every activity, being taught proper techniques when appropriate and proceeding with a commensurate level of caution are paramount to the experience.)As much as anything, the competitors are normal-sized (although as in the case of Britten, they often have Popeye-sized forearms); the kids can see themselves in the pro ninjas far more easily than they can in the goliath athletes of traditional pro sports. Also, the sport is still small enough that you can still connect with top competitors on social media. Britten liked a Twitter video of my son doing a youth-sized rings obstacle, and the kid was thrilled.Fun: Even when you watch the elite level on TV, the competitors are cheering each other on and marveling at new displays of technique or fitness. Kids are naturally competitive, but the obstacles are challenging enough that personal best is largely the standard. Kids can push themselves without pushing others around, and playground credibility is earned just as much by designing a challenging new obstacle pattern as it is from successfully navigating it.When ninja competitors on TV fail -- and virtually everyone inevitably fails -- they smile and appreciate the process, rather than focus on the outcome. Plus, the pop-culture phenomenon of Ninja Warrior has put just enough structure around the sport to legitimize it for kids while still encouraging free play.I always imagined my first travel sports experience as a parent would be to some far-flung AAU basketball tournament. A month from now, I will be driving my 7-year-old two hours away to a Pennsylvania gym for an 8-and-under regional competition for the National Ninja League. I couldnt be more thrilled that he has found a sport he loves, but for the moment, I am equally happy to lean on the advice that Wilczewski had for any parent whose kids are similarly ninja-obsessed but cant necessarily truck to some obstacle-course warehouse or regional competition: Just take them to the playground.Dan Shanoff writes about parenting for espnW. You can connect with him on Twitter at @danshanoff or follow the youth-sports journey of his kids on Instagram at @danshanoff. Matthias Farley Jersey . Houston won 3-0 to advance to face New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Last in the game, Di Vaio and Romero got into a shoving match with several Houston players. Romero appeared to elbow and kick Houston defender Kofi Sarkodie. Nate Hairston Jersey . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. http://www.coltsfansshop.com/Colts-Al-Woods-Draft-Jersey/ . Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said. Pierre Desir Jersey . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season. T.Y. Hilton Jersey . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week. LOS ANGELES -- The Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers will have two similar, yet distinct, goals for their offenses when they play Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.The Dodgers, who earned a 5-0 victory over the Rockies on Friday night, hope to extend that success beyond one day. Though Los Angeles compiled a 16-12 record with 37 home runs last month, several Dodgers experienced a miserable June offensively.Seven players hit less than .225 for the month, ranging from Adrian Gonzalezs .223 to Enrique Hernandezs .158. Among those seven are four other regulars: Chase Utley (.209), Trayce Thompson (.207), A.J. Ellis (.188) and Yasmani Grandal (.169).Throughout the lineup, weve got to have some more production, manager Dave Roberts recently told MLB.com.Hurting Los Angeles cause will be the absence of Joc Pederson, who went on the disabled list Friday after injuring his right shoulder by running into the outfield wall in Milwaukees Miller Park on Tuesday night to catch a fly ball. Pedersons 13 homers rank second on the club.However, Corey Seager remains healthy and productive. The shortstop -- who leads the Dodgers with 17 home runs, 40 RBI, 95 hits, 20 doubles and a .590 slugging percentage -- will bring a 14-game hitting streak into Saturday nights contestThe Rockies, meanwhile, hope to return to the offensive success that marked their June. Colorado batted .275 as a team during the month while amassing 61 doubles, five triples, 39 home runs and 149 RBI.Carlos Gonzalez contributed a .364 average and 29 RBI in June. Nolan Arenado and Mark Reynolds had 12-game and nine-game streaks, respectively, during the month.As a result, Colorado went 13-14 during June, the first time the team won 13 games in a month in three years. Nevertheless, the Rockies enter Saturday nights game having lost tthree in succession and six of their last nine.ddddddddddddWere playing decent baseball, but were not playing good baseball, Gonzalez told the Denver Post. Even though things are more positive than in the past, its still not good enough. You cant be satisfied with being a close to .500 club.The Rockies played three of their last four games without two important components, rookie shortstop Trevor Story and veteran second baseman DJ LeMahieu. Story has a bruised right finger that he aggravated Tuesday in a 14-9 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, while LeMahieu is battling a bruised left knee.Story leads all major league rookies with 19 home runs and 50 RBI. LeMahieu is with tied Gonzalez for fourth place among National League batters with a .326 average.Colorado manager Walt Weiss said before Friday nights game that LeMahieu could have played after performing some pregame drills, but he opted to give his All-Star second baseman an extra day of rest.Right-hander Chad Bettis (6-5, 5.84 ERA) will start for the Rockies against Dodgers left-hander Scott Kazmir (6-3, 4.67). Both pitchers will try to extend personal winning streaks at the others expense.Bettis, who has not lost since June 4, seeks his third consecutive victory, while Kazmir hopes to earn his fourth successive win. Despite not losing since May 9, Kazmir has itched beyond the sixth inning just once this season.In six career games (three starts) against the Dodgers, Bettis has no decisions and a 4.58 ERA. He has not faced Los Angeles this year.Kazmir is 1-0 with a 5.73 ERA in two all-time starts against the Rockies. He got a no-decision at Coors Field on April 22, when he allowed four runs in five innings. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '