ner who changed the mood after lunch. First he had R

CHICAGO -- Long before the Olympics, Kami Craig was just another homesick kid at her first travel water polo tournament. She called her mom, Dale, and mothers being who they are, she drove from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles to see her little girl.She brought along a bag of Almond Joys and a little stuffed kitten. Almost 20 years later, the candy is long gone, but Mama Kitty is still going strong.She goes `Well, I want you to keep it in your bag and if you ever miss me youll have her and she can remind you of me, and so I said `OK, Craig said.Thats how Mama Kitty became a fixture in Craigs water polo bag as she rose to prominence at the University of Southern California and traveled the world with the U.S. national team. And when the 29-year-old Craig tries to win a second straight gold medal this summer, the stuffed animal will be right by her side in Rio.For Gevvie Stone, its a beaded bracelet she got from her sister. Evelyn Stevens also has a lucky bracelet, and Oakley sunglasses for her races. April Ross wears a necklace she got from her mom while she was in high school.The Associated Press asked several Olympians about the most important thing theyre packing for Brazil. Their responses covered the spectrum from sentimental to practical, with many tracing back to their very beginnings in their respective sports.APRIL ROSS, BEACH VOLLEYBALLI now wear a necklace with the first letter of my moms name (Margie) on it to honor her and her contribution to me as a person and an athlete. At the Games, though, I will wear the necklace she gave me in high school, its the traditional heart from Tiffanys, and it was such a big deal when she gave it to me that it just brings back really great memories as well as feeling like I have a physical piece of her close to my heart. Everyone else will be there in person and while I know shell be watching from above I like having a little something else to represent her presence.STEVEN LOPEZ, TAEKWONDOFaith/spirituality I feel has been a huge component to my success. It brings me solace and strength and no matter how many times you read the bible you find something more you can learn from it. That is why I always bring my bible with me.I bring a journal with me because it helps me express what I am feeling/thinking and going through in such an important time in my life. Its also a great way to go back and reflect when time has gone by to bring you back to that moment in your life.EVELYN STEVENS, CYCLINGI will pack my lucky bracelet and Oakley glasses for Rio. The bracelet is from a shop called Eden on Cape Cod, my mother gave it to me for my birthday in 2012 and I havent taken it off since (it has a few scratches from a couple of crashes). It is a nice reminder of my family when I am on the road and I will definitely be wearing it during the Games. I have been racing in Oakley glasses for the past 4 years. I am definitely superstitious but I think more than anything when I put on the glasses, I know it is race day and I am ready to give it my all. They are coming as well.GEVVIE STONE, ROWINGAbout a month prior to my competing at the London Olympics, my sister was hospitalized. She was inpatient on my birthday and made me a beaded bracelet as a gift. I tied it to the shoes in my boat in London to remind me how lucky I am. It then came home with me and was tied to the shoes in my boat in Boston until I switched boats this fall. Its lost length in the tying and retying and is now too short to be tied to the shoes, but I will bring it with me to Rio.JAY SHI, FREE PISTOLIf theres one thing I must have, it would be the music on my phone. About an hour before a match, we start to zoom in and filter everything out. I listen to music before the match to get myself into that moment. For me, I like Eminem. That gets me into it. Linkin Park also is good. I listen to it pretty much to get myself calm before the match and into the focus. Eminem has a song, I forget the name, where he describes how he felt all the way to the bottom and how he had to do everything to get back up. Thats kind of like me because after my first nationals, I pretty much went straight down the cliff. I didnt know it at the time it was because I didnt have the fundamentals, I was trying different things, everything was just not working. Once I hit rock bottom, I started figuring things out then I started to balance that back up, which is kind of like his career and I can relate to that.DAVID BOUDIA, DIVINGI always bring, and will certainly have my shammy, Sammy with me. It is so important to be dry during your dive so that your hands do not slip while getting into your dive positions, by grabbing your legs and your hands, upon entry into the water. It can be a game changer!---AP Sports Writer John Marshall contributed to this report.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap Ryan Finley Jersey . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Michael Jordan Youth Jersey . Marincin has played in two NHL games so far this season with two penalty minutes. The 21-year-old has three goals, four assists and a plus-5 rating in 24 games with the American Hockey Leagues Oklahoma City Barons this season. http://www.bengalsrookiestore.com/Bengals-Drew-Sample-Jersey/ . Philadelphia is 2-0 against the Senators this season and scored five goals in each victory. The Flyers recorded a 5-0 win in Ottawa on Nov. 12 and then earned a 5-2 home decision on Nov. 19. The Flyers have claimed three straight and four of the last five encounters with the Sens overall and Philly has won two in a row and three of its past four tests in Canadas capital city. Boomer Esiason Youth Jersey . -- Ryan Getzlaf grabbed the three pucks wrapped in tape and held them up to his chest in the Anaheim Ducks dressing room for a celebration nine seasons in the making. Germaine Pratt Youth Jersey . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers. Afghanistan 273 for 9 (Stanikzai 51, Nabi 51, Roland-Jones 5-73) trail England Lions 279 (Westley 84, Foakes 70, Alsop 40, Rashid Khan 4-48) by six runs Scorecard Toby Roland-Jones led from the front as England Lions battled for a first-innings lead on the second day of their first-class match against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi.The Middlesex bowler, who was appointed the Lions third captain in four matches in the UAE following Keaton Jennings and Nick Gubbins, took 5 for 73 as the Afghans reached 273 for 9 in reply to a Lions total of 279.It was the 15th five-wicket haul of his first-class career and his second in consecutive matches, after he completed figures of 6 for 54 with a famous hat-trick in his last first-class appearance to seal the Specsavers County Championship at Lords in September.He received good support from his Middlesex team-mate Ollie Rayner and Surreys Tom Curran, who each took two wickets and an excellent catch in another impressive Lions fielding display.The day had started badly for the Lions as they lost the last wicket in their first innings without adding to the overnight total of 279, as Jack Leach was pinned lbw by Yamin Ahmadzai - leaving Curran unbeaten on 18.So they needed to start well with the ball, and Roland-Jones delivered as Afghanistans opener Javed Ahmadi edged a catch to Ben Foakes in the fifth over.But the rest of the morning session belonged to the Afghans as Raimat Shah joined Ihsanulllah to take the score to 72 for 1, despite an impressive but luckless five-over burst from the younger of the Curran brothers in the team, Sam.ddddddddddddIt was Rayner who changed the mood after lunch. First he had Raimat pulling a short ball to midwicket, where Tom Westley took a sharp catch, and off the first ball of the next over Rayner dived to his right at second slip to give Roland-Jones the wicket of Ihsanullah.Roland-Jones was indebted to another brilliant catch for his third wicket, this time by Tom Curran diving to his right at mid-on to dismiss Nasir Jamal.But again Afghanistan hit back, this time with a fifth-wicket stand of 74 between Hashmatullah Shahidi and Asghar Stanikzai, their experienced captain.Again it was Rayner who was the partnership breaker, this time pinning Shahidi leg before. In the next over Roland-Jones bowled Stanikzai for an excellent 51, and three balls later had Karim Janat pouched by Liam Livingstone at first slip.That left the Afghans on 175 for 7, with all the wickets taken by Middlesex bowlers. Afsar Zazai then joined Mohammad Nabi, the elder statesman of their side, to frustrate the Lions with an eighth-wicket stand of 51.The Middlesex monopoly was finally broken by Surreys Tom Curran, who had Zazai lbw before bowling Nabi for a defiant and entertaining 51. ' ' '