INPUT ARTICLE: Article: . Know that you are an important, strong, capable person, and show that in your interactions with others. Walk, stand and sit with correct posture. Don't talk down about yourself. Research shows that people who play on varsity sports teams for their schools show greater self-confidence, self-respect, and leadership. Participation in group sports will help you be confident. Research shows it leads to many characteristics, including courage, honesty, integrity, perseverance, fairness, cooperation, and respect. Jocks are notoriously popular. This comes with confidence, kindness, and openness. Talk to a wide variety of people in your school. Often times there are different social cliques based on mutual interests and/or cultural groups. Make an effort to talk to different people so that you develop a balanced understanding of your social world. This will also show people you are approachable and nonjudgmental. Spend time in and out of school cultivating friendships with the people you care about most. It's important to build camaraderie with your teammates on and off the field. Take the time to get to know your team so that your chemistry improves. Keep in mind that not every person can be your best friend. It's acceptable to establish boundaries with people and have different levels of closeness. If you are kind and honest, often times people will end up respecting you for it. When your peers celebrate birthdays, team victories, major school events (i.e. prom, homecoming), or are simply hosting an event to have fun and socialize, be sure to attend. Jocks are athletes first, but just as importantly they have active and engaging social lives. Be a source of cheer, spirit, and respectfulness among your friends; bring gifts if it's appropriate for the occasion and join in any fun and games. Although the numbers are declining in recent years, it is still common for athletes to drink alcohol, often in excess. Keep in mind it is illegal to drink under the age of 21. Also, alcohol has a negative effect on your health and performance as an athlete. Dating shows you have the confidence to approach people and be vulnerable. Dating fellow athletes will multiply your appearance as cool and important. The jock identity is used a majority of the time to describe men, but some women also identify as jocks. For both men and women, dating another athlete will increase your social standing. US and UK sports culture are sometimes associated with homophobia and misogyny. However, it's best not to follow all generalizations. Even though dating someone of the same sex as you might not win the same approval and affirmation of your jock identity as being in a heterosexual couple, it's important to never deny part of who you are for other people's approval. Professional athletes like Michael Sam are beginning to publicly come out as gay. The public association of athletes and jocks with homophobia may be decreasing. Being a jock also means being a leader, and this is far easier to accomplish with the guidance of elders. Look for adults you admire; this could be your coach, teachers, and other members of your community at large. Talk to them one-on-one about your life, the challenges you face, and learn what you can about how to live with grace, courage, and happiness. Expanding your social life beyond your peers will expand your perspective and help you navigate the different worlds in which you spend your time. Share the advice you receive with your peers when you feel they can benefit. Pep rallies are common in middle and high schools. Students often gather in gym bleachers separated by graduation year and cheer on each sports team as they enter the building. Once you have joined a school team, be sure to show up in uniform to represent during the pep rally. This is an opportunity to build morale, school pride, and optimism. Often times pep rallies are competitions to see which class can be the loudest. Come with plenty of energy and pump up your classmates.

SUMMARY: Be confident Befriend many of your peers. Go to parties and celebrations. Date other athletes. Cultivate positive relationships with adults. Join school pep rallies.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Before you make any decisions regarding the method you'll use to stretch your ears, consider how much you want to stretch them. If you're only moving up a size, the most pain-free option would be gently pulling your ears until they stretched out enough to accommodate new earrings. If you're looking to stretch your ears considerably, however, explore other options. Tapering is the most common method to stretch out your ears. If done correctly, this method is relatively painless. Tapers are sets of rods that gradually increase in diameter. To stretch your ears, you would get a set of tapers, push the taper all the way through the hole, and replace it with a gauge the same size as the end of the taper. By the time you complete the set, your ears should be stretched as large as you want. Never wear tapers as jewelry. This will make your ears heal unevenly because of uneven weight distribution. Some people use spiral gauges as tapers, they can be work for long periods of time and allow for longer stretching periods If you want to stretch your ears slowly, consider taping. This allows you to gradually stretch your ears, which can reduce pain, but in smaller increments than you would use with tapers. To tape, use non-adhesive tape. Wrap this tape around the parts of your earrings entering your ear. Increase by one or two layers at a time until you've stretched your ears to your desired diameter. Wash your earrings after taping to prevent infection. You should not wear silicone plugs until your ears are fully stretched and healed. If used when stretching, silicone can tear the lining of the ears and potentially cause infection. Double flared jewelry as flares are sometimes large enough to cause pain and possible permanent damage to your ear.

SUMMARY:
Tug gently on your ears. Consider tapers. Try taping for gradual adjustments. Avoid silicone and double flared jewelry.