The Art of Shotput

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Ben Groff, LRHS shot putter, practices while the shot put coach watches. Shot put is a fun and exciting sport to play, but also requires countless hours of hard work and practice. (Photo courtesy of McKenna Daley)

Whether you want to meet new people or get in shape, shot put is an all around sport many Leesville students love. Shot put is a field event at Leesville that is offered during indoor and outdoor track.

Shot put originally dates back to the 12th century as a Scottish tradition, used to figure out who the strongest soldiers were. Nowadays, shot put is a popular field event that utilizes a ball of solid steel or iron, called an implement, that the athlete throws as far as they can.

To throw a shot, the athlete first steps into a seven foot wide circle that includes a stop board, a four inch tall piece of hard plastic at the front of the circle to stop athletes from stepping outside the circle when throwing. Shot put has a few simple rules that all athletes must follow: the implement must stay against the throwers neck, no stepping outside the circle, no touching the stop board, and after the athlete throws they must exit through the back of the circle.

Geoffrey Travagline, the shot put coach at Leesville, encourages anyone interested to try out shot put. “Shot put is a fun all around sport that encompass’ everything the human body has to offer,” said Travagline.

Shot put is an exciting sport that has something to offer for everyone. Sidney Adcock, LRHS track team member and thrower, said, “I like shot put because it’s very interesting. It’s helping me build my strength and learn new technique.”

The lessons and preparation that go into shot put not only helps an athlete’s sport life, but also transfers over into academic life. Travagline said, “Shot put definitely has a lot to offer outside of just throwing — there’s a lot of preparation, a lot of focus, and a lot of organization that goes into it.”

Shot put is a great all around sport that can appeal to everyone. Travagline said, “It’s just like art; you need to perfect over a long period of time”.

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