Football "punch"

This week in football and in physics i learned how to be a better football player.  Coach Cropsey always tells us to punch our opponents hard so that they will fall down.  All season I've been trying to make my punches harder and this past week i have learned how to in physics.  i took this knowledge with me to the football field at practice and it worked.  At practice my coach was asking me if i have been lifting more, but i just told him that i understand how to punch because of physics.  He asked me what i was talking about so i explained what we learned about impulse and momentum.  I told him that there was no way i could apply more force unless i magically got stronger overnight.  So the way i accomplished this almost impossible feat was by using physics.  we learned that J=Ft=delta p=mvf-mvi.  the part that i used in football was the J=Ft.  By applying the same force over more time i could increase my momentum and also my impulse on the opponent.  This will cause them to experience a greater force and will give me a better chances of winning the "battle" on the field.  My coach was so amazed at this that he applauded me and said "keep up the good work." i was very proud and i look forward to using this new technique out on the field during our upcoming homecoming game.

pushing defensive linemen

This past weekend our football team played the St. Louis Crusaders.  We ended up losing the game.  But in losing i learned a lot, not only about football, but also about physics.  What i learned about football was that sometimes even when you play your hardest you can still lose.  What i learned about physics was that f=ma.  I discovered this while i was blocking a big defesive lineman from St. Louis. My coach told me that i was moving my guy too slowly so i realized that if i want to move him faster then i will need to accelerate him more.  and since he is the same mass as before i will need to push him with more force.  this thinking can be represented by this equation F=mA, where the upper case bolded letters represent the values that must increase for me to move the lineman faster.