CYBER PARTY TIME!

I'm over at Linda Gerber's blog today celebrating the release of her newest sensational book, DEATH BY BIKINI. Check it out and comment for a chance to win a ton of great novels. :) Have a great weekend! 

Why is Soccer called Soccer?

I'm researching the origin of soccer for a magazine article and I finally answered a question I've thought about for years. Why is European football called soccer in the United States? 

The English played two types football: rugby football which allowed hand and foot play, nicknamed rugger and association football which prohibited hand play, named assoc. When soccer started gaining popularity in the US during the 1960's, gridiron football (National Football League) was already in existence. Therefore, the US adopted the English nickname, assoc, which eventually turned into soccer because it's easier to pronounce. 

What is something you're currently mulling over? Or something you've pondered in the past? 

Contest Alert: Pretty Tough is sponsoring a SCREWBALL contest. Check it out! All you have to do is tell me your SCREWBALL story to enter a chance to win a Pretty Tough profile, a copy of SCREWBALL, and a subscription to Fastpitch Forever magazine. Tell me about a time, like Ashley Clarke in SCREWBALL, when you had to sacrifice something for your sport (Prom, friends, another sport, party, etc.). Send your story to screwball@prettytough.com. Three winners will be selected at random. The contest runs from March 11th - 30th, 2008. Winners will be notified by email on April 1st, 2008. Good luck!