Best Cool Sports

By (c) Anna Overweight No More

It is sports time! A good time to burn fat and pursue our weight loss program while watching our favorite sports. What are your favorite sports? BASKETBALL, SOCCER, BASEBALL, TENNIS, VOLLEY BALL, CRICKET … then, by all means, take advantage of the ADRENALINE and use it to burn fat. Certainly, losing weight can be entertaining!

Let’s think for a moment, a game is usually between 60 to 90 minutes. Can you imagine all the exercises we can do while watching a game? Listen, do not panic, you do not have to exercise the entire time… but let’s say, you can take 10 - 30 minutes to exercise while watching your game and pursue your weight loss program. Sounds good? Awesome!

HINT: Keep a COLD PITCHER of GREEN TEA and try to finish it during the game… it will speed up your BURNING FAT mode, increasing the metabolism.

Do you get motivated while watching your favorite sport, or favorite players? Hey, you can use that motivation to complete your exercise routine! For instance, I get highly motivated when seeing my favorite teams, did I say MILAN? and nervous when they are losing. Hence, my exercise routine while watching a game depends on MOODS ha ha ha ha How about for you?

I encourage you to prepare a basic routine and enjoy your game while toning your muscles. Squats, ABS exercises and upper weight lifting training are great to release tension while watching a game. If you have a treadmill at home, it is even better!

For soccer fans, here it comes the Champions League, Serie A, La Liga, EPL, MLS, Liga Mexicana, Argentina, Brazil … wowwww so many to mention! What is your suggested exercise routine? For me, it is time to modify my exercise routine to improve my weight loss program and fitness maintenance, which means back to soccer drills, strengthening, resistance, the elliptical, and abs toning.

Since I am a soccer fan, let me share with you my predictions for the Champions League.

Group A
FC Bayern Mnchen, Juventus FC, Club Brugge KV, SK Rapid Wien
Favorite: Juventus

Group B
Arsenal FC, AFC Ajax, AC Sparta Praha, FC Thun
Favorite: Arsenal

Group C
FC Barcelona, Panathinaikos FC, Werder Bremen, Udinese Calcio
Favorite: Barcelona

Group D
Manchester United FC, Villarreal CF, LOSC Lille Mtropole, SL Benfica
Favorite: Manchester United

Group E
AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven, FC Schalke 04, Fenerbahe SK
Favorite: AC MILAN

Group F
Real Madrid CF, Olympique Lyonnais, Olympiacos CFP, Rosenborg BK
Favorite: REAL MADRID

Group G
Liverpool FC, Chelsea FC, RSC Anderlecht, Real Betis Balompi
Favorite: CHELSEA

Group H
FC Internazionale Milano, FC Porto, Rangers FC, FC Artmedia Bratislava
Favorite: INTER

Now, let us enjoy our games and continue losing weight while having fun! Who said losing weight was a burden? Just a reminder avoid having JUNK FOOD at home, especially when watching TV!!!

Until next time … cheer up, prepare to lose weight and check your favorite sport schedule. Remember, we are committed to keep our commitment “Official Overweight No More!”

About the author:
Anna “Overweight? NO MORE!” lost over 80 pounds from 230 pounds and has kept the weight off for 3 years.
http://www.officialoverweightnomore.com
Your Online Shop for your vitamins, weight loss products, nutritional supplements, weight loss articles, motivation, home business opportunities, and more…
Subscribe to my Free Weekly Newsletter http://www.officialoverweightnomore.com/mystory.html
Join the Official Overweight No More in yahoo group http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/officialoverweightnomore

Before starting any nutritional program, exercise or diet program, we advise you to consult with your physician.

By (c) Anna Overweight No More

It is sports time! A good time to burn fat and pursue our weight loss program while watching our favorite sports. What are your favorite sports? BASKETBALL, SOCCER, BASEBALL, TENNIS, VOLLEY BALL, CRICKET … then, by all means, take advantage of the ADRENALINE and use it to burn fat. Certainly, losing weight can be entertaining!

Let’s think for a moment, a game is usually between 60 to 90 minutes. Can you imagine all the exercises we can do while watching a game? Listen, do not panic, you do not have to exercise the entire time… but let’s say, you can take 10 - 30 minutes to exercise while watching your game and pursue your weight loss program. Sounds good? Awesome!

HINT: Keep a COLD PITCHER of GREEN TEA and try to finish it during the game… it will speed up your BURNING FAT mode, increasing the metabolism.

Do you get motivated while watching your favorite sport, or favorite players? Hey, you can use that motivation to complete your exercise routine! For instance, I get highly motivated when seeing my favorite teams, did I say MILAN? and nervous when they are losing. Hence, my exercise routine while watching a game depends on MOODS ha ha ha ha How about for you?

I encourage you to prepare a basic routine and enjoy your game while toning your muscles. Squats, ABS exercises and upper weight lifting training are great to release tension while watching a game. If you have a treadmill at home, it is even better!

For soccer fans, here it comes the Champions League, Serie A, La Liga, EPL, MLS, Liga Mexicana, Argentina, Brazil … wowwww so many to mention! What is your suggested exercise routine? For me, it is time to modify my exercise routine to improve my weight loss program and fitness maintenance, which means back to soccer drills, strengthening, resistance, the elliptical, and abs toning.

Since I am a soccer fan, let me share with you my predictions for the Champions League.

Group A
FC Bayern Mnchen, Juventus FC, Club Brugge KV, SK Rapid Wien
Favorite: Juventus

Group B
Arsenal FC, AFC Ajax, AC Sparta Praha, FC Thun
Favorite: Arsenal

Group C
FC Barcelona, Panathinaikos FC, Werder Bremen, Udinese Calcio
Favorite: Barcelona

Group D
Manchester United FC, Villarreal CF, LOSC Lille Mtropole, SL Benfica
Favorite: Manchester United

Group E
AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven, FC Schalke 04, Fenerbahe SK
Favorite: AC MILAN

Group F
Real Madrid CF, Olympique Lyonnais, Olympiacos CFP, Rosenborg BK
Favorite: REAL MADRID

Group G
Liverpool FC, Chelsea FC, RSC Anderlecht, Real Betis Balompi
Favorite: CHELSEA

Group H
FC Internazionale Milano, FC Porto, Rangers FC, FC Artmedia Bratislava
Favorite: INTER

Now, let us enjoy our games and continue losing weight while having fun! Who said losing weight was a burden? Just a reminder avoid having JUNK FOOD at home, especially when watching TV!!!

Until next time … cheer up, prepare to lose weight and check your favorite sport schedule. Remember, we are committed to keep our commitment “Official Overweight No More!”

About the author:
Anna “Overweight? NO MORE!” lost over 80 pounds from 230 pounds and has kept the weight off for 3 years.
http://www.officialoverweightnomore.com
Your Online Shop for your vitamins, weight loss products, nutritional supplements, weight loss articles, motivation, home business opportunities, and more…
Subscribe to my Free Weekly Newsletter http://www.officialoverweightnomore.com/mystory.html
Join the Official Overweight No More in yahoo group http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/officialoverweightnomore

Before starting any nutritional program, exercise or diet program, we advise you to consult with your physician.

Ok so you have been on a few softball or soccer teams where there is one good kid who players much better then all the rest. Most of the games he/she carries the team and it is expected that he/she will raise to any occasion if needed. How do you deal with this as a coach? What is the reason for the team? To win right? That should be simple then. Play the good kid all the time. Wrong and here is why.

We will take a not so big step from youth sports to military training. What do they have in common? Just about everything. Lets take a look at it more closely. They both have individuals of different abilities when they start. They have one goal. Many ways to achieve it. Rules to play (or fight as it were) within. They have to hang together to be effective. And they have to like one another.

There are two aspects to a team. First its physical aspect. How fast it is. How strong and so on. Then we have the mental aspect. How well it can think. React. Keep it together. Deal with stress. You can train the first all you want but without the second you will have no chance at all to succeed. Why is this? Because we are only as good as we think we are. Allow me to illustrate with a story about children and flees. In South America children would put flees into a jar and place the lid back on. Once the flee started to jump it would bump into the lid of the jar. After only a few minutes the flee would stop jumping as high and just jump low enough to avoid the lid. At this point the flee was let out of the jar, but would never again jump higher then the lit had allowed. We are no different, we too react to limitations. We will not keep running into a locked door or try to walk on water. We learn very quickly from observation. it has long been thought that the military will break you down so they can build you up to be a robot that follows orders. That is a load of stuff for sure. Nobody is broken down ever. A broken soldier is worth nothing. A soldier who stops thinking he is better then the guy next to him, is. When you should a group of people they can do something they did not think they could, they bold through the positive experience. Don’t get me wrong, they bond through negative too, but that is for another article.

The power of positive. So let’s say we have to show some year olds how to be a better soccer team. Would it be better to tell them what they did wrong or to tell them what they did right? Yeah, you got it. Stick with the positive here. So in order to get them on the right track, break down the task at hand and feed them a part at a time. In the example we are trying to show them how to pass the ball more effectively. What is involved in this? Well we have the ability to understand where to shoot the ball in the first place. To the open stop or right to the player. That would depend on some guide lines so take the simpler, pass the player. Next we have the act of kicking the ball straight and hard enough. Then we have the act of receiving the ball without it bouncing off our foot and away from us.

Don’t line up the group and ask them to pass one another. Why? Because you will have some kids who will ave played at home and can already do it and some that cannot. All you do is divide the team into the “can” and “cannot” groups. Fear that state, fear it with your life. Instead what you do is say, “We are going to play a new game”. Make up some game that is allowing the players to perform the action you want to practice, but without the negative of “why do I have to, I already know how to shoot”. This is not the time for individuals, this is the time for team. Now have all the kids do the game, make it simple enough so that they all can do it, but at the same time hard enough so that it actually helps them. Once you ave mastered this, move on to some other exercise that build upon the first. Again, keeping a keep eye out for making the whole team arrive at the goal together. All or none. Must be together.

What you will have in the end of this is a team that thinks well of each other. Where gifted player had respect for the not so gifted player because they both can do what is required. The team also needs to learn that they only get to the end by arriving together. If you have any reservations about this, just remember that if it is good enough for the special forces around the world, it is good enough for you. They train as a team, they live as a team and they win as a team.

Now go and build your team.

About the author:
Nick Gustavsson writes about sports and coaching from the perspective of team and team building. No coach should be without these powerful insights. Please visit http://bluetree.primateonline.com/youthsport/for more great tips.

The Glove

It was during a March evening in 2002 that I received word that my grandfather was dying. I drove the four and a half hours to Ironwood, Michigan in a snowstorm to say goodbye. I was able to see my grandpa and he was able to recognize me and acknowledge that I was there.

The next morning, he was gone. The doctors said that they were not sure how he had survived for so long. He had many health conditions and a lot of pain that he hadnt really shown on the outside. Yet, he had visited my grandmother every day in the nursing home where she had moved just a few months before. The staff marveled at the fact that my grandpa could even make it up the stairs each day. But, he did it. He was always there to help someone else.

I stayed in the town where my grandfather had been born, lived and now passed on. The funeral was scheduled for just a couple of days later. I thought a lot about my grandfather during this time. He had inspired me to be an athlete and coach. I remember him showing me the pictures and ribbons that he had won as a hurdler in track and field. But his real love was baseball. He was a great first baseman who played for a while with the Union City Greyhounds farm team and even had a try out for the St. Louis Cardinals. Rumor has it that he left baseball to come back for my grandmother. He continued to play ball in his home town. When times were tough and jobs were scarce, my grandfather was offered a job at the mine… if he would also play on the companys baseball team.

Two days passed and the preparations for the funeral were made. I spent a lot of the time at my aunts house with the rest of my family. Late in the morning, there was a knock on the door. An older gentleman stood outside and carried a small object under one arm. My aunt answered the door and had a short conversation with the man. He then handed her the object, said goodbye and walked off.

My aunt entered the room looking sad but strangely happy at the same time. In her hands, she cradled a baseball glove. It was old and battered and some of the laces were missing but you could still see the words US ARMY branded into the leather. My aunt set the glove on the table and filled the rest of us in on what had just happened.

This was Dads glove from the Army, she said. Remember that when he got back from the war, he helped to start the first little league here in town. That man was a member of Dads first team. His family didnt have much money and he couldnt afford to buy a baseball glove. Dad gave him his so that he could play like the rest of the boys.

The man had gone on to say that he had never forgotten my grandfathers generosity. He had kept and cherished the glove for over 45 years. He had seen my grandpas obituary in the newspaper and had wanted to return the glove to the family and let us know what a great coach, and man, my grandfather had been.

The glove was put on display at my grandpas funeral. And, of course, the ministers sermon contained many allusions to sports and frequent quotes from A Field of Dreams. All this made me ever so proud of my grandfather who enjoyed coaching and passing on his love of athletics to the youth in his town. It also made me remember why I chose to be a coach.

How many times have you wondered, Why do people coach? Why do they give up their time and energy for little or no money, sometimes even less respect and the opportunity to be targeted by parents and fans alike?

That cold and snowy March day, I was reminded of the answers to those questions. We coach to touch the youth. To instill values into young people that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. We coach to make a difference and to show the right way to play, work and live. We coach so that, even 45 years can pass without a man forgetting his coach and the impact that he had made on a young boys life.

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2005

This article is protected by copyright, 2005,

Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved.
http://www.makesyoufast.com

About The Author Tim Alan Kauppinen, or Coach K, has over 20 years experience as an athlete and coach. He has worked with athletes of all ages and abiltities in track and field, football, speed training and strength and conditioning. This has given him the privilege and the opportunity to coach athletes who have become conference champions, state champions and Division I college players. Coach K publishes a free daily fitness email with current tips on getting stronger, faster and in the best shape of your life. To sign up for this no cost service, visit Coach K’s website at http://www.makesyoufast.com/contact.html

This is a Harry Potter article origionally written for HarryPotterFacts.Com. It is free for use, provided that you put my name and email with it.
It has come to my attention that there may have been other sports, besides Quidditch, in the wizarding world. I would like to share this idea with you in the form of a report about what I’ve imagined to be the previous wizarding sports.

This report was constructed to examine the wizarding sports. The main reason behind this report was to see why Quidditch has become the wizarding world’s main sport. This report will look at various wizarding sports of the past and why they failed. You will see why Quidditch has now become the wizards’ sport of choice.

Long ago, flying carpet races were held in Eastern Europe and northern Africa. Wizards came from all over the world to see these races take place, as the high speeds and the beautiful carpets attracted many visitors. However, when flying carpets were outlawed, this sport ceased to exist, except in hidden areas, illegally.

Flying Bumper Cars was another pastime that became obsolete recently. The problem was that thee was no way for the entire car to be protected all of the way around it, while still allowing the driver to see. These enchanted bumper cars flew about at such high speeds that, after one hit, wizards could be easily hurt.

Enchanted Golf also used to be a popular wizarding sport. Several balls were enchanted to fly about to knock the balls off course. However, these small balls were traveling at such high speeds that people were being hurt by these balls, as they were as strong as bludgers and focused all of their energy on a small area. This sport is were the term for an annoying person came up, “little bludger.”

Magical Spoons was a family, home-based game of a few years ago. It borrowed the idea from the muggle game of Spoons, but the spoons were enchanted to fight back. This game was outlawed, however, when wizards’ schoolchildren were loosing an alarming number of fingers as a result of playing this game at school.

This is, by no means, a complete list of the wizard games of the past. However, this report should give a brief overview of other wizarding sports and help you to realize that Quidditch, with some dangers, still only has a few deaths and vanishings and is much safer than some older, stranger magical games.

About the Author

Amanda Smith is a writer who specializes in children’s writing. She is a columnist for HarryPotterFacts.Com and is an active poet and writer. Her website is http://www.amandawriter.0catch.com and her email is amandasmith@columnist.com.

Changing the rules in the middle of the game, moving the goalposts, two-minute drill, no harm/no foul, franchise player, lay up, knockout blow, on the ropes, quarterback, the best defense is a good offense, three-pointer, at the buzzer, brush back pitch, hole in one, skating to the puck, ground game, blocking and tackling. Lay siege, barrage, trench warfare, sniper, collateral damage, surgical strike, campaign, carpet bombing, shot across the bow, frontal attack, unconditional surrender, guerilla warfare.

How many of these terms or catch-phrases have you seen or heard or read in presentations, meetings, conference calls, management books, or on motivational posters in the company break room? Enough is enough in my view. Our business culture needs to move past these and similar terms that convey conflict, and assume a predominately male sensibility. We need to develop a new lexicon that is much more inclusive and much less hostile.

For decades, there has been a working assumption in business that sportsand even waroffers a language of common understanding and also a language that supports a business culture that values winning above all and sees it as a zero sum gameour gain is necessarily someone elses loss.

While some sports and even martial metaphors have become so ingrained in our language that everyone understands them (who doesnt know what a time out is?), so much of this language is obscure to those who arent sports fans or military history buffs. As more women, people of color, and gays and lesbians are assuming positions of leadership in the workplace, the language of business can and I believe will change to reflect a new, more diverse and inclusive workforce.

As important as increasing the inclusiveness of language is moving past the hostility of so much of the sports and especially military language used in the workplace.

How many of you have been told to read SunTzus The Art of War as a guide to business strategy? Or Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun?

The truth is that business is not a zero sum game. Yes, its often very competitive, but success doesnt always have to be measured by someone elses failure. This kind of thinking is toxic, and it is ultimately not beneficial. When people are conditioned to view competitors as the enemy, they are closed off to new ways of thinking, including partnering with competitors where it makes sense, or viewing what they do as growing the pie for everyone, rather than preventing someone else from having a slice. In most fields, there is enough business for more than one competitor to thrive and taking a broader, less combative approach may serve you better in the long run.

So when you go to work tomorrow, try to notice how often these phrases come up, or whether you are using them yourself. And when it happens, ask a few simple, evaluative questions. Would your Latino co-worker or Asian-American supervisor, or lesbian CEO understand or relate to the term? Would any of them be offended by it?

Also ask whether the term frames issues in an overly competitive, us-versus-them manner. If so, ask whether the business is really served by having such a narrow, essentially hostile and defensive view of the marketplace.

Chances are, the test will lead you toward an understanding that business needs a new metaphoric foundation. Its a different world today, and it can be a much better one. When we reframe our language to be more inclusive and collaborative in nature, I believe that well all experience a higher level of success!

© 2005

About The Author Jim Jenkins President and Chief Inspiration Officer With more than twenty years of corporate experience and coaching success, Jim Jenkins is following his destiny: to inspire others to live up to their full potential. In doing so, he has worked with many businesses and individuals in achieving and sustaining success. Jim works with clients to help them determine their goals…what and who they want to be. Whether it’s working with entire companies, organizational teams or individuals, Jim’s goal is to have clients refocus and experience new ways of seeing, thinking and doing. His mission is to help clients achieve long-term success in todays volatile marketplace. jimj@cvc-inc.com

Copyright 2005 Richard Lane

Massage before an event can be an integral component of the pre-event preparation for many athletes. Pre-event massage can create a state of readiness in the muscles and tissues so that the athletes performance can be optimized. Whilst some therapists consider that a pre-event massage can take place up to 48 hours before an event, most Sports Massage therapists judge that, strictly speaking a pre-event massage is one given just before the time an athlete is scheduled to compete (ideally 15-45 minutes before the event). This article will concentrate on massage immediately prior to the event.

A question that is often posed is should the pre-event massage happen before or after the athlete warms up. To answer this one needs to understand the physiological effects of a warm-up: to increase heart rate, body temperature and respiratory rate; and to prepare the bodys nervous system. Hence a pre-event massage done after the warm-up would defeat its purpose and you would not want the athletes heart rate, body temperature and respiratory rate to drop during the massage.

In general a pre-event massage should assist in increasing the circulation of blood to the muscles to allow the muscles to be flushed and oxygenated. Tight muscles may be relaxed so that joints can be moved through their range of motion. Emphasis should be placed on the muscles used during the activity so improve performance and also reduce the chance of injuries. The athlete can use the time to focus on their event, to relax or complete their mental preparation. At the end of the massage, the athlete should feel great!

More specifically before giving a pre-event massage, the therapist should ask several key questions which relate back to the article Sports Massage An Introduction(1)
namely what techniques should be used and what is the intent. These question include
- what type of event is the athlete competing in? Are lightening quick reactions required as a pre-event massage given too close to the event may dull reaction times?
- does the athletes sports permit the use of oils or lotions during the pre-event massage?
- is the athlete required to be loose prior to the event (eg boxing) or relaxed (bowling)?

The massage should generally be done at a moderate pace, non-specific, relatively light, warming and short in duration (no more than around 15-20 minutes). It certainly does not have to be a complete routine. As with most massage treatments, it is preferable to be conservative too little is better than too much. The massage must not be painful or include high impact techniques such as deep cross-fibre frictions or deep muscle therapy. The techniques most commonly used are general Swedish techniques (petrissage, vibration or percussion), compression, jostling, broadening strokes and general frictions.

It is important to note that no two individuals respond to massage in quite the same way and this can present a problem to the therapist seeing an athlete for the first time for a pre-event massage or in the last couple of days before an event. For example, two days before an event the massage can be deep so that the athlete can obtain the maximum recuperative benefit from the pre-event taper. However the depth required to address specific problem areas will vary considerably between athletes. An athlete should see how they respond to a massage in the last 48 hours/pre-event at a competition (or simulated training session) that is non-critical. So please dont leave it until the day before the City to Surf or your big event to have your first massage!

(1) Sports Massage An Introduction. Richard Lane. www.innerwestmassage.com.au/sports_massage_introduction.php

About the author:
Richard Lane is a qualified remedial and sports massage therapist, with a mobile massage practice in Sydney’s Inner West (www.innerwestmassage.comau). Health fund rebates. ATMS 13020. Phone 0421 410057

Copyright 2005 Richard Lane

Many therapists offer Sports Massage on their Massage Menu yet few understand what Sports Massage is about. When a client comes in requesting a Sports Massage, some therapists merely react by going in deep. Sports Massage is so much more.

Whilst Sports Massage does have some aims in common with other forms of massage therapy, the usual experience in conventional massage is to aim to restore the normal function when someone is injured. But in sport there is no normal and athletes are always looking to improve and gain a competitive edge. Most athletes aim to reach a level of performance they can never achieve.

A Sports Massage therapist has great potential to assist the athlete to become better, rather than merely normal. In striving to be better, the athlete attempts to systematically increase the level of training and thereby subjecting the body to gradual and controlled overuse. This overuse can often create imbalances and problems in the soft tissues, which if ignored may become chronic. Clearly this may hinder the athletes performance and/or rate of improvement. Sports Massage can become a key ingredient in an athletes success and this is why top competitors incorporate it as an integral part of their training regime.

So what is Sports Massage? McGillicuddy(1) defines Sports Massage as the specific application of massage techniques, hydrotherapy protocols, range of motion/flexibility protocol and strength-training principles utilized to achieve a specific goal when treating athletes. He considers that there are three principles that are vital to understanding what type of Sports Massage to apply to an athlete at any given time. These principles are:
&61623; Timing
&61623; Technique and
&61623; Intent

The timing of Sports Massage is related to when the massage is applied, is it pre-event or post-event, during a maintenance period or possibly post-injury when rehabilitation is required. The technique refers to what massage/stretching/strengthening methods the therapists employs to attempt to achieve the intent, the desired outcome.

The intent of pre-event massage is to warm up the muscles and to get blood flowing through the muscles. The massage techniques generally used are petrissage, vibration, percussion, compression, muscle broadening strokes, etc. With post-event massage, the intent is assist in the recovery process by increasing venous and lymphatic circulation to assist with removal of metabolic by-products and thereby decreasing muscle soreness so that the athlete can return to full training faster. The massage techniques would include effleurage, compression, petrissage, passive movements and light stretching. The intent of maintenance massage is to keep the athletes muscles and tissue in optimum condition and is generally scheduled at a regular frequency (be it weekly or fortnightly), closely married to the athletes training program.

Thus Sports Massage is not about going deep nor it is learning one technique. The requirement for the therapist is to apply the appropriate treatment at the appropriate time, which takes education, skill and experience.

(1) M. McGillicuddy. Three Key Principles of Sports Massage. MassageToday.com May 2003, Volume03 Issue 05.

---

About the author:

Richard Lane is a qualified remedial and sports massage therapist, with a mobile massage practice in Sydney’s Inner West (www.innerwestmassage.comau or info@innerwestmassage.comau). Health fund rebates. ATMS 13020

San Diego’s great year-round weather makes spectator and recreational outdoor activities a pleasurable pastime.
San Diegos major outdoor sports are played at Qualcomm Stadium (619-641-3131) in Mission Valley, just off interstates 8 and 15. Its home to the San Diego Padres and the San Diego Chargers. At the San Diego Sports Arena in Point Loma (619-224-4171), you can see basketball, hockey, soccer, wrestling, ice skating, special events and concerts. In fact, The Rolling Stones will end their touring concert career here Nov. 14, 2002. The spectacular San Diego Convention Center (619-525-5000) is in downtown San Diego at the Embarcadero. In addition to conventions, it hosts trade shows, car shows, forums and assemblies.

About the Author

Barry Berndes celebrates 35 years as San Diego’s Dean of Restaurant Reviewers. He visited over 100 restaurants, went unnanounced, inspected their kitchens, paid for his own meals and wrote about his findings in the SAN DIEGAN. The SAN DIEGAN is your travel & liesure review resource for attractions, hotels and dining in America’s Finest City, San Diego.

This is a review of Vans Company..Written by the EVIL Ones at EVILBMX. 7/24/03

To view this article with pictures and links go to “www.evilbmx.biz/themedfordscene/id42.html”.

It would be hard to believe that anybody reading this article has never heard of Vans. The name is symbiosis (connection with) BMX biking, skateboarding and other extreme sports. I bought a pair of Vans shoes 3 years ago and I still use them. I like to wear them when I ride my BMX bike on the hot black asphalt slab scuffing like a madman trying to land that same flatland trick. The Vans seem to hook easier to the tire when scuffing compared to my other biking shoes. The Vans Shoe company has been around a long time so we did some research on the company.

Here are some of the facts of Vans. The California based company opened their first skatepark in the Midwest. It is a 53,000 square foot indoor and outdoor located in Novi, Michigan (Detroit). Other Vans skateparks include cities Moorestown, NJ, Woodbridge, VA, Buford, GA, Houston, TX, Phoenix, AZ, Orange, CA, Milpitas, CA and Westminster, CO. Some of Van’s top professional riders include Tony Alva, Omar Hassan and Salman Agah for skateboarding and for BMX riders T.J. Lavin and Heath Pinter. It is a known fact they hold some major contests such as the Vans Triple Crown. But something that was just started is the Annual Mountain Dew Free Flow Tour. The tour travels across the nation holding amateur skateboarding contests. This tour is dedicated only to the amateur skateboarder.

The company has done a lot to give back to the consumer of Vans products. You can check out Van’s product line by clicking on the link below.

EVILBMX free newsletter can be subscribed at “www.evilbmx.biz”.

Building a BMX Bunny Hop Trainer.Written by: Ivan Gotta Crotchful

Learning to get enough height to start grinding and stalling can be a real challenge for the beginning BMX biker. Here is something that can be built and used to get the heights needed. The best part about it that it is cheap and easy to build. Materials can found at your local lumber/hardware store. The materials needed are as follows;
2-2″x4″x3′board
1-1/2″x8′ piece of hard plastic water pipe.
20-2″ finish nails.
1-3/4″x1′x4′ plywood
4-3″deck screws

With the materials assemble as the diagram illustrates.
“You can see the detailed picture at www.evilbmx.biz under articles page”.

The 3″ deck screws come up from the bottom of the plywood into the 2″x4″x3′ boards.
The finishing nails are nailed into the board about ” to ” The nails provide a place for the plastic pipe to hang. You can put the nails 1″ apart going up on each side.

Using the Bunny Hop Trainer.
Set the trainer in the middle of the area you are going practice. Set the pipe on the lowest nail to get use to it. Start from the opposite side where the pipe hangs and ride towards the pipe and hop over it. If you hit the pipe it will simply fall off the hanger. When you clear the pipe with ease raise it another 1″.
You will find after using the Bunny Hop Trainer your grinding and stalls will be easier at the Skate Park or street riding. You can amaze your BMX and skateboarding hombres with your new learned skills.

Ivan Crotchful is a BMX flatlander who contributes articles to EVILBMX. He claimed to be a nymphomaniac until he found out what it really meant. He use to listen to a punk band called The Nymrods and he thought a nympho was a band groupie. You can read this article and others at www.evilbmx.biz.

Athletes Versus Employees

Most athletes are young, open to improvement, eager to learn and anxious to receive what a coach can provide. For the athlete, there is a defined season and something tangible to compete for. Feedback is automatic, immediate, and specific; and athletes can easily change coaches and/or teams. Employees, on the other hand, arent as emotionally committed. When have you seen an adult cry or rant and rage when a goal was not achieved? For employees, feedback and performance are hard to quantify. Work goes on; there is no end and often only vague scorecards. Lastly, employees do not demand corporate coaching or search critically for performance improvement. Without belaboring the point or making value judgments, suffice it to say that the two have different values and motivations. However, these differences do not change what constitutes effective coaching behaviors.

The application of CMOEs Eight Step Coaching model may differ, but the concepts will not. All coaches for example, need to create a supportive, trusting relationship (Step One). Further, all coaches need to create the internal motivation or initiate a desire to pursue a more effective course of action (Step Two).

Sports Coaching Versus Corporate Coaching
In sports, the coach can rarely outperform those coached, yet in business the coach will probably be an accomplished player. One of the most successful coaches in the National Basketball Association never played professional basketball. Is it possible to conceive of a successful sales manager who never was a salesperson? In sports, coaching is a full-time job supported in many cases with assistant coaches; in business the coach has many diverse responsibilities. In gymnastics the coachs span of control is usually on-on-one. The number of suits on the bench, during a college basketball game, often equals or outnumbers the uniforms or actual players. Athletes can practice before the game and take time-outs; in business the clock is always running. Most athletic coaches see themselves as, first and foremost, teachers. Even though the word “coach has become a popular addition to most managers job descriptions, we doubt that many would also include teacher. So while the playing field and conditions are different, we believe that there are some unique lessons to be learned from sports coaching and applied to corporate coaching.

About the author:
If you would like more information on Corporate Coaching or to learn what 100,000 managers have learned around the world, contact CMOE at (801)569-3444 or visit http://www.cmoe.com/corporate-coaching.htm.