Latest news with #SlowMotion
Fox Sports
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox Sports
College softball players bring light-hearted cheers to the dugout, in an ultra-competitive sport
Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Women's college softball games offer a constant soundtrack of players loudly cheering their teammates from the dugouts. The sport is ultra-competitive, yet for decades, softball players have brought a light-hearted nature to dugouts and the vibe of the games, complete with cheers, chants, dances and props. Some creations are elaborate and some are simple, but something interesting is almost always happening. The sport's surge in popularity in recent years has drawn more attention to the antics. The vibrant tradition will be on display again on Wednesday, when Texas plays Texas Tech in Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series at Oklahoma City's Devon Park. 'I think energy is just a huge part of this game and just in women's sports in general,' Texas star Reese Atwood said. 'We show a lot of passion, and I think it shows our heart and love for the game. And I think it brings just like the team together as one instead of being all about yourself.' Beneath the light-heartedness is a serious purpose — supporting teammates, regardless of circumstances. 'Coach Z (Texas assistant coach Kristen Zaleski) says you're either doing a thing or supporting a thing, and I think that puts it really well,' Texas ace Teagan Kavan said. The source of ideas for dugout support comes from a variety of places. Some chants are based on songs — Arizona State tweaked a line from Juvenile's 2003 song, 'Slow Motion.' 'Ooh, I like it like that, she's working that bat, I don't know how to act!' Others chants and cheers are plays on names or jersey numbers. It's an ever-changing art form. 'Every single year, we get new cheers because new freshmen come in, our transfers come in and they have new cheers," Connecticut catcher Grace Jenkins said during the Big East tournament. "But we just keep it loud and energized. We know that energy wins these types of games, and when we can gain the momentum in the dugout, we can also contribute that to the field as well.' Oklahoma's Nelly McEnroe-Marinas said some chants follow players from their younger days. The Sooners don't have designated people to create them. 'A lot of the cheers we do are ones that we've been doing since travel ball,' she said. 'Anybody can come up with a cheer at any time and we'll just bring it out on the spot, but we just like to have fun with it and kind of make things up as we go.' Oklahoma has been one of the most animated teams in recent years on their run of four straight national titles from 2021 to 2024. The Sooners say there's plenty of room for creativity. 'I feel like sometimes it'll just be like, if someone's screaming something, we'll repeat it, but just — we're just playing the game,' Oklahoma's Abigale Dayton said. 'So if something comes to mind, that's what happens.' Jenkins said the constant noise is not a distraction. The players have gotten used to it and wouldn't know what to do without it. 'It actually helps,' she said. 'I think when the dugout's loud, especially when I'm up to bat, it keeps me in the zone.' Atwood, a first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American, said the cheering helps players keep their minds in the proper place. She said it makes it easier to bounce back if things aren't working. 'I think if you're cheering for everyone else, it makes you a little less focused on yourself and focus on the team,' she said. 'This team — we have seen when we don't have the energy, we don't play as well. And something coach (Mike) White harps on all the time is bringing full energy, which includes all the cheers and communication.' In the end, players say it's about having fun and making the game a better experience. 'The energy helps the game, keeps the energy, brings a lot of momentum and passion and support for each other,' Texas outfielder Kayden Henry said. 'The game doesn't know who is supposed to win, but when you have that energy at that point, anybody can take over.' ___ AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston contributed to this report. ___ AP sports: recommended in this topic
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
College softball players bring light-hearted cheers to the dugout, in an ultra-competitive sport
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Women's college softball games offer a constant soundtrack of players loudly cheering their teammates from the dugouts. The sport is ultra-competitive, yet for decades, softball players have brought a light-hearted nature to dugouts and the vibe of the games, complete with cheers, chants, dances and props. Some creations are elaborate and some are simple, but something interesting is almost always happening. The sport's surge in popularity in recent years has drawn more attention to the antics. The vibrant tradition will be on display again on Wednesday, when Texas plays Texas Tech in Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series at Oklahoma City's Devon Park. 'I think energy is just a huge part of this game and just in women's sports in general,' Texas star Reese Atwood said. 'We show a lot of passion, and I think it shows our heart and love for the game. And I think it brings just like the team together as one instead of being all about yourself.' Beneath the light-heartedness is a serious purpose — supporting teammates, regardless of circumstances. 'Coach Z (Texas assistant coach Kristen Zaleski) says you're either doing a thing or supporting a thing, and I think that puts it really well,' Texas ace Teagan Kavan said. The source of ideas for dugout support comes from a variety of places. Some chants are based on songs — Arizona State tweaked a line from Juvenile's 2003 song, 'Slow Motion.' 'Ooh, I like it like that, she's working that bat, I don't know how to act!' Others chants and cheers are plays on names or jersey numbers. It's an ever-changing art form. 'Every single year, we get new cheers because new freshmen come in, our transfers come in and they have new cheers,' Connecticut catcher Grace Jenkins said during the Big East tournament. 'But we just keep it loud and energized. We know that energy wins these types of games, and when we can gain the momentum in the dugout, we can also contribute that to the field as well.' Oklahoma's Nelly McEnroe-Marinas said some chants follow players from their younger days. The Sooners don't have designated people to create them. 'A lot of the cheers we do are ones that we've been doing since travel ball,' she said. 'Anybody can come up with a cheer at any time and we'll just bring it out on the spot, but we just like to have fun with it and kind of make things up as we go.' Oklahoma has been one of the most animated teams in recent years on their run of four straight national titles from 2021 to 2024. The Sooners say there's plenty of room for creativity. 'I feel like sometimes it'll just be like, if someone's screaming something, we'll repeat it, but just — we're just playing the game,' Oklahoma's Abigale Dayton said. 'So if something comes to mind, that's what happens.' Jenkins said the constant noise is not a distraction. The players have gotten used to it and wouldn't know what to do without it. 'It actually helps,' she said. 'I think when the dugout's loud, especially when I'm up to bat, it keeps me in the zone.' Atwood, a first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American, said the cheering helps players keep their minds in the proper place. She said it makes it easier to bounce back if things aren't working. 'I think if you're cheering for everyone else, it makes you a little less focused on yourself and focus on the team,' she said. 'This team — we have seen when we don't have the energy, we don't play as well. And something coach (Mike) White harps on all the time is bringing full energy, which includes all the cheers and communication.' In the end, players say it's about having fun and making the game a better experience. 'The energy helps the game, keeps the energy, brings a lot of momentum and passion and support for each other,' Texas outfielder Kayden Henry said. 'The game doesn't know who is supposed to win, but when you have that energy at that point, anybody can take over.' ___ AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston contributed to this report. ___ AP sports:
See - Sada Elbalad
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Jonas Brothers Announce Release Date for Single "Love Me To Heaven"
Yara Sameh The Jonas Brothers are gearing up to release their brand new single, 'Love Me to Heaven". The follow-up to the sibling trio's recent singles with Marshmello ('Slow Motion') and Rascal Flatts ('I Dare You') is due out on March 21. They announced the news in an Instagram post on Thursday in which all three modeled Canadian tuxedoes while flipping and jumping through the sky. The band previewed the uptempo pop tune during their 20th-anniversary celebration show in Toronto last month, busting out the live debut of the track on which they sing, 'Could give me everything, but it ain't enough/ You can't put a price on the human touch/ I could be down, but you love me to heaven/ Love me to heaven, babe.' Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas will continue their celebration of two decades of familial pop rocking with the upcoming one-day JONASCON at the American Dream Mall in their native New Jersey on March 23. The event will feature live performances, DJ sets, Q&A panels, fan activations, pop-up surprises, retail takeovers, a Jonas trading post, trivia, games, immersive experiences, an interactive art installation, keynote event, karaoke, a Camp Rock bar, special guests, mini golf and exclusive merch. 'From their early beginnings to global pop icons, JONASCON will honor the band's incredible journey while also showing their appreciation to the fans who have been with them from the beginning,' a statement promised. While no specific information has been released about where the new single will land, earlier this year the trio promised that their 20th-anniversary celebrations will include a 'year of music,' featuring new songs, a live album, soundtrack, solo music and a holiday movie for Disney titled Jonas Brothers Christmas Music. They will also be featured on Rascal Flatt's upcoming duets album, Life Is a Highway: Refueled Duet via 'I Dare You,' which was written by Nick Jonas with Dan + Shay's Shay Mooney, Dewain Whitmore Jr, and Tommy English. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jonas Brothers (@jonasbrothers)
CBC
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Alessia Cara's irresistible reverie, and 4 more songs you need to hear this week
Songs you need to hear is CBC Music's weekly list of hot new Canadian tracks. Scroll down to discover the songs our producers are loving right now. 'Slow Motion,' Alessia Cara Sometimes falling head over heels for someone can feel swift like a whirlwind. Other times, it can feel like a beautiful haze, like time has slowed to an intoxicating reverie. The latter is what Alessia Cara explores on her latest single, "Slow Motion." The track opens with the Toronto artist singing with a keen sense of rhythm and urgency as she admits that she's "dizzy, I see stars all around my head." As the grooving bass, gentle hi-hats and cool guitar riff come rushing in, Cara's words start stretching out a bit more, until she hits the chorus where she truly luxuriates over her proclamation: "I see everything in slow motion (Like a movie scene)/ All heavens suddenly open (Hear the angels sing, ah)." "Slow Motion" will lure listeners into an irresistible trance with its slinky melodies. — Melody Lau 'Focus,' Aqyila Aqyila is kicking off 2025 with a simmering heater, the new single "Focus." On it she's direct and demanding, accompanied by lush and groovy production. In a press release, the rising R&B star shared that she was pleased to be stepping into the new year with this single. She had a whirlwind 2024, with her first Juno Award win for traditional R&B/soul recording of the year for "Hello" and the success of sleeper hit "Bloom," which was among CBC Music's top 10 songs of the year. "2024 was a year of so many firsts and so much growth for me…'Focus' is all about feeling confident and knowing my worth — that's the energy I'm bringing to 2025." Aqyila is in impeccable form on "Focus," weaving in and out of multiple vocal styles. It's a safe bet that more promising music will be on the way later this year. — Kelsey Adams 'Jeans (Fall On My Knees),' Katie Tupper When soul singer Katie Tupper opened for folk band Wild Rivers in December, she performed her then-not-released single, "Jeans (Fall On My Knees)," a slow-burn ballad about reaching a crossroads in a relationship. Her powerful voice swept through the room, filling it with warmth. Luckily for anyone who missed the show, the recorded track contains that same fire. Her voice aches on the chorus as she sings, "I can't fall on my knees again/ Gravel in my palms and now my jeans are tearing." Those lines are a snapshot of her vivid lyricism, which shapes the song. She also candidly details her anxiously bitten fingernails, showing that she feels just as torn up inside as the pair of ripped denim. Slowly, she recognizes it's best to loosen her grasp on the relationship: "It's so hard, when you feel so good," she sings. Staccato piano playing helps elevate the sound, with Tupper somberly repeating the chorus as the song comes to a close. "I think recognizing that even the best relationships whether they're friendships or romantic can sometimes cause a lot of harm while feeling really good," she shared in a press release. "I realized that caring for myself and my happiness was more important than whatever I was convincing myself was good about this situation and this person." — Natalie Harmsen 'Sunk,' Motherhood What better way to propel yourself out of January than with an unforgettable surf riff? Fredericton misfit rockers Motherhood came blistering out of mid-winter with Thunder Perfect Mind, the trio's fifth full-length, and a concept album that's "basically a sci-fi novel," as bassist and keyboardist Penny Stevens explained in the press release. Following a protagonist who was abducted by the Cloud, described as an "ever-growing otherworldly force," "Sunk" is the light at the end of the escape tunnel. "Black Hole Bennie/ pack up blast off/ Black Hole Bennie/ pack up blast off back already," Stevens sings on the chorus, along with drummer Adam Sipkema and guitarist/vocalist Brydon Crain, combining for an earworm gang vocal that'll ricochet around your head for days. Thunder Perfect Mind, co-produced by Kyle Cunjak and mixed by Deerhoof's Greg Saunier, is raucous, organized chaos — and you'll be happy for the chance to lean into it. — Holly Gordon 'Ruff Ride,' Samant and Lou Val Close friends, Montreal's Samant and Toronto's Lou Val, lean into the imperfections of romance on "Ruff Ride." The song is endearingly optimistic in its belief that love will guide you through any hardships. On Instagram, Samant shared that the two spent a whole day discussing what love means to them and the reservations they have around it before writing the song. "Life shows us that we're capable of dealing with anything by leading with our hearts, [and] gaining a greater capacity to give and receive, 'Ruff Ride' sets out to honour those qualities," he wrote in the caption. "Ruff Ride" is reminiscent of early River Tiber, with a breezy, lo-fi sound that suits both vocalists, from Samant's soaring falsetto to Lou Val's coy sing-talking. It's not the first time the singers have collaborated, and hopefully won't be the last. — KA
