tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56181863967667762482024-02-20T02:23:41.127-08:00Sport Gallerysemihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09909360270293341792noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618186396766776248.post-10001233798698698552012-11-29T00:30:00.000-08:002012-11-29T09:09:25.316-08:00Modern Technology has Given Us a Wonderful Range of Sports Sunglasses<div style="text-align: justify;">
Modern technology has given us a wonderful range of sports sunglasses frames and sports sunglasses lenses made to both enhance and stand up to the demands of the sports enthusiast with lightweight, flexible, durable materials, no-slip frames and a wide variety of lens options. The sports sunglasses and discount sunglasses are made to suit whatever sporting activity you might be considering whether it be golfing, skiing, snow boarding, playing tennis, motorcycling, cycling, kayaking, boating, water skiing, fishing, mountain climbing, snow shoeing, mountain biking, playing baseball, running or jogging the options have never been more abundant.<br /><br />One of the most important aspects of the sports sunglasses is the lenses. The optical quality and visual enhancement of sports lenses has never been better. Lens colors such as brown, yellow, green, gray, rose, amber and orange can help enhance your sports performance by filtering out colors and allowing you to see what is most important. Polycarbonate lenses are a popular choice as they are impact resistant and very strong which is helpful when it comes to sports. Having lenses that are impact resistant is also a necessary factor when it comes to children wearing sunglasses, impact resistant means the lenses won't shatter if bumped or knocked.<br /><br />The sports sunglasses frames available are just as important as the lenses you choose. Sports sunglasses frames can be found in lightweight and durable frame materials such as polyamide which keeps it shape even when under stress. Goggle frames made of softer flexible materials like rubber, nylon and propionate prove to be excellent as they hold their shape and will not become brittle in the cold temperatures when skiing or snow boarding and therefore will not injure your face. It is possible to find good quality discounted sunglasses, replica sunglasses and sports sunglasses frames to accommodate whatever sporting activity you choose to participate in.<br /><br />When it comes to sports sunglasses polarized lenses are another popular option as they are ideal for water and winter sports where water and snow can increase the reflective glare, especially on flat surfaces. Polarized sunglasses lenses absorb approximately ninety eight percent of reflective glare offering glare free vision for your sporting activities. Polarized sunglasses are excellent choices for boating, water skiing, skiing, snow boarding, golfing, motorcycling, cycling and jogging with polarized lenses also available in ski goggles. Polarized sunglasses come in a wide variety of designs, colors and styles and can be found on discount sunglasses sites at affordable prices for everyone.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />With so many wonderful sports sunglasses, polarized sunglasses, discounted sunglasses and replica sunglasses to choose from you might have difficulty selecting just one or two pairs of sunglasses. With that said the following are just a few of the sports sunglasses trends you might encounter and can include; no-slip temple grips and nose pads (quite often made of rubber); polarized sunglasses lenses that enhance sports performance by absorbing ninety eight percent of reflective glare; lightweight and durable sports sunglasses frames made with polyamide which keeps it shape even when under stress; sports sunglasses with changeable lens systems that allow you to use dark lenses under sunny skies or clear lenses for darker conditions; and sports specific sunglasses with color enhance lenses.<br /><br />Ski goggles like sports sunglasses have also benefited from modern technology with the materials used to make them. Ski goggles not only provide protection for the face but for the eyes as well, with some ski goggles covering the whole upper portion of the face (smaller goggles are also available). Ski goggles are made with a lens area large enough to give the wearer a wide field of view and good peripheral vision. Unlike sports sunglasses ski goggle frames are made of softer more flexible materials like rubber, nylon and propionate as they hold their shape and will not become brittle in the cold and injure your face. Available in rose, yellow-orange and pink tints ski goggles allow you to make out the shapes, objects and bumps in the snow. Like sports sunglasses ski goggles are also available with polarized lenses which filter out the glare.<br /><br />Due to the large number of sports related eye injuries each year, the importance of athletes wearing protective sunglasses and sport eyewear becomes obvious.<br /><br />Whether you wear ski goggles for snow boarding and skiing or protective eye shields made of polycarbonate (impact resistant) for baseball eye safety is necessary.<br /><br />Sports sunglasses will not shatter or bend like regular sunglasses might. Another reason for wearing protective sports sunglasses is simply for their UV (ultraviolet) protection, you should look for at least ninety eight percent UVA and UVB protection when selecting your sports sunglasses because without proper eye protection keratitis (sunburn) of the eyes can occur. The tinted ski goggles available can also assist with seeing the subtle bumps and lines of the ski hill which in turn can ensure your overall safety.<br /><br />A popular trend in sports sunglasses is that of sunglasses for enhancing sports performance. Some of the sports enhancing sunglasses can include; yellow tinted sports sunglasses used for tennis where the balls are usually yellow; green tinted sports sunglasses excellent for golf as they give more contrast and visual acuity so the objects in the course such as flag stick and ball will stand out; specially tinted sports sunglasses for trap shooting and baseball; amber or rose ski goggles which enhance the soft grays that mark shadows on a ski slope, these shadows allow you to distinguish the ridges or bumps in the surface. The sports sunglasses that you select should also offer protection for your eyes.<br /><br />There are sports sunglasses available for whatever types of sports you and your family are interested in. Whether you purchase your sports sunglasses or polarized sunglasses from discounted sunglasses, replica sunglasses or fake sunglasses sites you should always be sure that the quality of your sports sunglasses is high. By selecting high quality designer sunglasses lenses and sports sunglasses frames you will be protecting your eyes from damage, while at the same time enhancing your sporting activity to the fullest.<br /><br /><br />semihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09909360270293341792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618186396766776248.post-19707796795642224472012-11-29T00:00:00.000-08:002012-11-29T09:02:31.620-08:00Female Tattoo Gallery - Tattoos for Women<div style="text-align: justify;">
Feminine tattoos are very popular with a lot of women. Female tattoos have become very popular during the past two decades. Until then women sporting ink were frowned upon by the society. They were looked down upon as being women of loose moral values. They were known as being rebellious in nature and being wanton women. Tattoos were considered to be a purely male domain. However, these things started changing when female celebrities started sporting tattoos during the later part of the 1970's. Very soon it became such a craze amongst women that it is no longer considered to be a taboo if a woman sports a tattoo.<br /><br />If you are looking for good female tattoos, then you must visit an online female tattoo gallery. A female tattoo gallery is an online store that is exclusive meant for women looking for tattoos. Since the internet is an ocean, it is important that you choose a female tattoo gallery that has a very large collection of female tattoos. It is generally believed that women prefer to sport small and pretty looking tattoos. Normally, women tattoos are less aggressive and do not reflect violence and aggression. The tattoos generally tend to have thinner lines than men's tattoos.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />However, not every woman prefers to have small and pretty tattoos. In fact many women prefer to have large tattoos inked on their bodies. Women nowadays are no longer averse to showing off their bodies inked with tattoos. Showing it off with heart designs, star, roses, etc are becoming very popular with the younger crowd. Visiting an online female tattoo gallery allows the women to experiment with different kinds of tattoos before selecting a suitable tattoo. In a female tattoo gallery you will come across a variety of designs in different shapes and sizes. Most women take quite a long time before settling on a particular tattoo that actually suits their personality, style and attitude.<br /><br />I am here to make things really easy for you however. There are close to 700 tattoo membership's site out there but we know the top 3. How? Because I have access to a site that lets me know stats such as users, return rates and consumer ratings. So my wife and I made a blog of the top 3 tattoo sites out there. We did a male and female section since some are more geared toward women and vice versa.<br /><br />semihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09909360270293341792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618186396766776248.post-9805680278572654242012-11-21T03:30:00.000-08:002012-11-29T09:11:11.945-08:00Online Sports Trading - A Viable Investment?<div style="text-align: justify;">
What if there was some way to tap into the ever-growing popularity of world-wide sport that could turn the gambling factor of sports betting into an investment vehicle producing sustainable results over the long-term such as equity trading?<br /><br />Sports Trading was conceptualized and bridge between conventional sports betting and real-world stock trading was built.<br /><br />Please note: generalizations are used in this article because sport trading exchanges can differ in nature and offerings.<br /><br />What is Sports Trading?<br /><br />You may immediately associate sports trading with that of card trading but until fairly recently, sports trading has taken on another exciting meaning.<br /><br />Although the actual definition of sports trading may differ exactly depending on the type of exchange in question, it is essentially the act of investing in virtual sports issues or contracts (i.e. sports teams, players or markets).<br /><br />Sports trading is not to be confused with sports betting (betting against a bookmaker) or some other form of fancy gambling, sports trading runs along the same investment lines as trading on a conventional stock market exchange (e.g. Wall Street).<br /><br />Participants of:<br /><br /> Fantasy sports games<br /> Stock trading simulation games<br /> Sports betting exchanges<br /><br /><br />will identify a commonalty with a typical sports trading exchange.<br /><br />Although sport trading is still somewhat dwarfed by the sports betting and real-world trading industries, there is no question of the future popularity for this concept as people from all backgrounds are coming together to trade be it virtual stocks or issues or real contracts for real money on any sports related market, offered by the online sport trading exchange.<br /><br />Sports trading exchanges are developing sophisticated technology, commonly employing a proprietary trading platform and in most cases, with a Level II type trading interface.<br /><br />It is typical of a global sports trading exchange to offer around-the-clock (i.e. 24/7) trading as exchange members are not inhibited with limited or set trading hours so are free trade anytime, from anyplace around the world.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />Sports Trading<br />Advantages over Sports Betting<br /><br />Sports trading has the thrill of sports betting but without the inherit risk of gambling that sports betting produces.<br /><br />Some notable advantages sport trading has over conventional sports betting are (trading exchange dependent):<br /><br /> Far less risk; eliminates the 'all or nothing' situation<br /> Can still profit even from an event loss<br /> Capital appreciation<br /> Dividend income<br /> Not solely competing against professionals<br /> Greater chance of success (not limited to above reason)<br /> Can be invested with minimal effort<br /><br /><br />Sport trading eliminates the gambling factor associated with sports betting; traders seldom lose their total investment in a stock holding (i.e. they have the ability to trade out to prevent further loss), the sports bettor loses their entire wager with an incorrect guess.<br /><br />The sports trader is not competing solely against professional bookmakers whose job is to get the better of you - more often. Sport trading exchanges are about people-to-people interaction so you are pitting your skill, judgement and knowledge against fairer competition. Learn to be savvy and you end up with the edge.<br /><br />Once invested, the sports trader can theoretically sit-back and monitor their investments passively; the sports bettor must normally wager every time to potentially make money and therefore, incur greater risk on each and every bet.<br /><br />Advantages over conventional stock trading<br /><br />Participants of stock trading already will find other useful benefits from a typical sport trading exchange such as:<br /><br /> Lower trading fees due to being solely online trading<br /> Greater participation from a wider audience<br /> Not being exclusive to professionals<br /> Around the clock trading (no set trading sessions)<br /> Wider-economy independence<br /> Readily accessible sport information for all<br /> Global trading stock exchanges<br /><br /><br />The global online sport trader is conveniently afforded time-zone irrelevant trading from an online trading environment that typically does not shut for trading.<br /><br />With the world-wide following sport increasingly enjoys (activity is seldom subject to prevailing economic factors that affect conventional trading exchanges) and the substantial amount of publicly available information not subject to a privileged few, sport traders can finally compete on fairer terms with other traders.<br /><br />Online sports trading on virtual trading exchanges provide a wonderfully unique cross over between conventional sports betting and real-world stock trading in essence; they combine many of the advantages of the two, in a single investment product.<br /><br />semihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09909360270293341792noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618186396766776248.post-89688785073065308642012-11-21T02:30:00.000-08:002012-11-29T09:05:02.257-08:00Female Tattoo Gallery - Popular Tattoos Women Want<div style="text-align: justify;">
Female tattoos or feminine designed tattoos are usually favored by women or girls are becoming increasingly familiar as tattooing became more socially acceptable, largely due to the many celebrities who publicly sported tattoos. These can be usually found in a great female tattoo gallery.<br /><br />This kind of female tattoo gallery has tattoos that are usually smaller and prettier. Popular designs might include a butterfly, a flower or a Celtic design. Women's tattoo designs are also less heavy, less aggressive-looking. They tend to have thinner lines, though this is, of course, a generalization rather than a rule.<br /><br />Women nowadays are gradually opting for large tattoos. 'New school' hearts, stars, roses and tribal tattoo designs on the lower back are increasingly being asked for by females. Therefore these days, a female tattoo gallery will have these popular designs as women are becoming more experimental in the shapes and sizes of their designs.<br /><br />Many tattooists and female tattoo gallery report that when musicians, especially hip-hop artists get tattoos, there is usually a particular tattoo that is very popular. The popularity of lower back and stomach placement of tattoos suggests that most women still don't want their tattoos to be too obvious and also a desire for a more sexual placement of the tattoo.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />Many female tattoo gallery will normally recommend women to get their tattoos done on the more popular spot such as the lower back and ankle.<br /><br />First, lower back is a very sexy spot to have a tattoo. It seldom shows, but can be 'flashed' as the woman bends over. Catching a glimpse of a lower back tattoo on a woman, you almost get the feeling that you're seeing something you shouldn't be - very tempting!<br /><br />Ankle tattoos in any female tattoo gallery are usually small. Other tattoo location for girls include the shoulder - the left shoulder is traditionally the feminine side - because shoulder tattoos are a great accent when you're wearing a tank top or halter top in the summer.<br /><br />When it comes down to it, it's what makes you feel good. It's going to be around for quite a while so you may as well choose a tattoo that has lasting appeal in the female tattoo gallery.<br /><br />There are so many good tattoo designs and custom pieces a tattoo artists can do nowadays so don't be tempted to get some designs which will date really fast and end up looking shoddy.<br /><br />Generally female tattoos in any female tattoo gallery are very sexy and striking, and they certainly don't need to be offensive in any way. Do a search for 'female tattoos' on the internet in order to get more ideas with regard to tattoo designs.<br /><br /><br /><br />semihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09909360270293341792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618186396766776248.post-13546357357171852012012-11-14T01:30:00.000-08:002012-11-29T09:12:51.296-08:00Sports Magazines For The Sports Enthusiasts<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sports journalism in dedicated sports magazines offers reports on events like competitions and tournaments and related sports news. There are many sports magazines that have been mocked and called "toy magazines" for showing no concern for the 'serious' topics covered by various news desks. Today, sports coverage has grown in importance, just as the different sports themselves have grown in wealth and influence and a lot of subsequent power and recognition.<br /><br />Sports journalism in sports magazines is an essential component of the news media organization. Sports journalism in sports magazines includes a sports department that is devoted solely to diligent sports reporting. Some of the world renowned magazines dedicated to sports are Sports Illustrated and Sports Round Up.<br /><br />The reporters of various sports magazines have a tough time with sports teams from around the world. While some are not always very accommodating with sports journalists, others are known to allow sports reporters into locker rooms for interviews and some extra information. There are also sports teams that provide extensive information support, even if the reporting proves unfavorable to them. There are certain countries where sports coverage is often barely tolerated by the clubs and players.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />Sports journalists who work for the various sports magazines are like any other reporters. They too have to find the story rather than simply rely on information that is generated by the sports teams or institution or the dedicated coaching staff. The reporters on sporting events are expected to first and foremost be conversant with the particular game they are covering and the nuances involved. Sports journalists have to verify facts given to them by the teams and organizations they are covering, before getting the content into the sports magazines.<br /><br />Often, the coaches of the different games and teams and players and even the sports organization management rescind the access credentials of the reporters covering a particular controversy or sporting event. This is done entirely in retaliation for printing accurate, but disparaging information about a team, player, coach or the organization in question.<br /><br />Today, sports reporters cover extensively sports journalism for professional and intercollegiate sports such as American football, ice hockey, basketball, baseball and football. The sports magazines are segregated to either cater to the target 'reader' group for a particular sport or into sections within that cover different sports and offer better coverage to the sports enthusiasts. The sports magazines are headed by a team of professionals either from the games themselves or avid enthusiasts from around the world, who have followed the games religiously.<br /><br />Sports magazines all over the world have now become a part of the integrated world online. The online sports magazines are increasing in popularity due to the private and comfortable access to live news and reviews possible because of the internet technology. There are many sports magazines that cater to both, the online and virtual segments successfully.<br /><br /><br /><br />semihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09909360270293341792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618186396766776248.post-31799159281719393792012-11-07T06:00:00.000-08:002012-11-29T09:15:25.475-08:00Sports Collectibles Mean Big Bucks For Retailers and Individuals Alike<div style="text-align: justify;">
There is no doubt that sports generate big bucks in the U.S. One needs only to look at the salaries of top professional players or the attendance at major sporting events to realize there's lots and lots of money changing hands.<br /><br />The NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB bring in about $11 billion in annual revenue, and that's after expenses that include paying their average players anywhere from $1.25 million (on the low end in the National Football League) to nearly $5 million for the average player in the National Basketball Association.<br /><br />Add to that the $52 billion spent each year in the U.S. on sports equipment and the $57 billion on sports apparel and shoes, and the money just keeps piling up. No matter what resource you use to define the overall sports marketplace, the numbers are staggering. A reasonable estimate for the money brought in by sports to our U.S. economy is $425 billion a year.<br /><br />So it should be no surprise to learn that, when it comes to sports memorabilia and sports collectibles, there's also money to be made. From sports franchises and giant retailers to individuals selling on line, there are people making money with sports collectibles every single day.<br /><br />The great thing about sports collectibles is that their popularity crosses the line from professional to amateur and collegiate sports. Fans buy miniature Oklahoma Sooners football helmets, autographed hockey pucks by pro stars, and virtually anything with the logo of their favorite football or baseball team. Tiger Woods is a pro athlete without a team, but on any given day you'll find over 3000 items on eBay related to him, and his personal line of golf apparel, the Tiger Woods Collection, makes hundreds of millions every year.<br /><br />Since there are no hard and fast numbers associated specifically with sports collectibles, one can only assume that individuals, online and retail stores, large corporations, and sports franchises in the sports memorabilia business are all making money. You can also assume that the numbers just keep on growing.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />Obviously the personal popularity of a particular athlete or the rise and fall of a particular team's success makes a difference in the value of collectibles.<br /><br />When Lance Armstrong was still racing and winning the Tour de France, his merchandise sold like hot cakes. Although still popular today within the biking community, Lance's merchandise is not moving like it once did. The same can be said for fallen stars like Atlanta Falcon's former standout Michael Vick, whose merchandise was pulled from store shelves. Today it goes for pennies on the dollar on eBay.<br /><br />So what are the trends in sports collectibles and can people make money by collecting? The trends are constantly shifting, say experts. The National Basketball Association reports that sales of the NBA Hardwood Classics jerseys have tripled in the last three years. NASCAR is the fastest growing sports earner as the popularity of the sport has spread nationwide.<br /><br />Many online retail stores have a unique advantage of being able to move quickly too capitalize on the victories and popularity of sports teams. When a team wins the Super Bowl or an NBA World Championship, the sale of that team's merchandise and collectibles soars. Online retailers can often move much swifter than their bricks and mortar counterparts, quickly posting hot merchandise online and taking advantage of striking while the fire is hot.<br /><br />The recent trade of Green Bay's Brett Favre to the New York Jets led to a nearly immediate posting of Favre merchandise on online retail sites. From 24 karat gold New York Jets or NFL coins to brand new "#4" Jets jerseys, sales were immediately brisk.<br /><br />What fuels the sports collectibles and memorabilia industry the most is the breadth and depth of the field. Street & Smith Sports Business Journal recently concluded that fans spend the same amount each year on NFL licensed products as they do on college licensed products, with both bringing in more than $2.5 billion a year.<br /><br />Sports collectibles mean something to the person who buys them. Whether you pay $20 for a licensed ball cap for your favorite MLB team or $100 for an authentic helmet with the logo of your favorite NFL team, fans buy merchandise and sports memorabilia because they love their team and want to be a part of something they view as very special.<br /><br />Collecting sports memorabilia is much like collecting art. People do it more because they love what they are buying, not so much because they expect it to grow in value. Although collectibles, and even sports items that no one considers at the time to be collectibles, can definitely appreciate.<br /><br />In 1893, when a nine man hockey team from Montreal won the first Stanley Cup, no one thought to save a jersey. Photos from the era do exist that show the jerseys, but one has never surfaced. According to sports experts, if one of the jerseys would turn up, it could fetch as much as $400,000, most likely from curators at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.<br /><br />So with appreciation dreams and the love of sport both working in its favor, sports collectibles will remain big business, just like the sports they celebrate. In fact, officially licensed merchandise from professional U.S. sports teams and colleges will fetch more than $10 billion this year for the leagues and retailers lucky enough to be in this very hot industry.<br /><br /></div>
semihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09909360270293341792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618186396766776248.post-5944111837915276252012-10-30T09:17:00.000-07:002012-11-29T09:18:21.417-08:00Tips on Finding Sports Betting Picks Available<div style="text-align: justify;">
Are you interested in sports betting? Are you looking for some sports betting picks online? If your answer is yes, then I have some really great news for you! Written in this article are tips in helping you find sports betting picks available online. There are thousands of sites online nowadays that offer this service so in the event that you are looking for a place, there's a pretty darn good chance you won't have a problem finding you. Listed below are just a few of some of the best sites that can be found online today. If you are really serious about your search for picks, then there is no reason in the world to check these out!<br /><br />Vegas D Sports -<br /><br />Vegas D Sports is finally here to give you some of the best sports betting picks available. Also, this site offers a unique service focused on delivering the most powerful information for sports betting available. With their commitment to offering sports services, it's no wonder that Vegas D Sports successfully achieved the very best in sports betting selections and obtained experts sports analysis from some of the top sports handicappers in Las Vegas.<br /><br />Ultimate Capper -<br /><br />I bet you have heard Ultimate Capper as being one of the largest sports betting sites on the web these days. Well, this website in particular offers free sports betting picks for those who are looking for it. Their sports picks include free baseball picks, NBA basketball picks, NFL football picks, and hockey picks. And, perhaps what's nice to know about Ultimate Capper's picks is that Doc's Sports, one of their clients, has consistently beat the books with the use of their college and NBA basketball picks for more than 30 years.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />UHChallenge -<br /><br />UHChallenge is the official site of Ultimate Handicapping Challenge, one of the well-known sites for handicapping and sports betting. Just like the above-mentioned sites, UHChallenge offers sports betting picks in all available sports for free. To find their free picks, all you need to do is to simply click on their links provided under their free picks page. You can also buy picks from them.<br /><br />Doc Sports -<br /><br />Doc Sports is by far one of the most well-known currently active sports service on the net. The company is actually family owned and operated since 1971 and serving the handicapping industry with the most reliable handicapping services. Doc Sports is now offering free sports betting picks that range from football picks, to college BB picks, NBA picks, baseball picks, NHL hockey picks, and boxing picks. So whatever type of sport you are interested to bet on, Doc Sports has the best sports betting picks for you. And, aside from their free picks, you can also purchase sports betting picks from them.<br /><br />National Sports Monitor -<br /><br />National Sports Monitor is another great site to check out for the best sports betting picks available. The National Sports Monitor is actually the only professional sports monitor that promotes the leading handicappers of the nation in print, radio and the Internet. They offer sports betting picks for free from more than 175 of the nation's best handicappers. It is further interesting to know that all of their free sports betting picks are submitted by their handicappers, and are made available to the public right after the start of every event.<br /></div>
semihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09909360270293341792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618186396766776248.post-55337990530841159382012-10-23T03:30:00.000-07:002012-11-29T09:20:50.718-08:00Modern Trends in Sports Administration and Management<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the major factors militating against the development of sports in Nigeria today is lack of effective management. A lot of solutions are being proffered by concerned and patriotic Nigerians daily to bail us out the quagmire. One of such solutions is this text entitled "Modern Trends in Sports Administration and Management". It is written by Dr. Joseph Awoyinfa, a lecturer in the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, Nigeria; a researcher and educational consultant. I was the person invited by the author and the university to review the book when it was presented to the public on December 4, 2008 in Nigeria.<br /><br />According to Awoyinfa, it is a truism all over the world that sport is now a reference issue which can no longer be ignored at various sectors of the economy and spheres of life. The author adds that this text thus takes a critical look at topical issues in sports administration and management, dwelling on theories and principles of modern trends in sports administration and management such as leadership, organisation, planning, motivation, etc.<br /><br />The text contains 16 chapters. Chapter one is christened "the concept of sports management". Here, Awoyinfa says management is a concept that implies different things to different people at different times, thus leading to its multiplicity of definitions. He explains that management has been variously described as an art, a science, a person or people, a discipline and a process.<br /><br />This author expatiates that as an art, sports management is all about carrying out sports organisational functions and tasks through people; while as a science, sports management is about establishing sports philosophy, laws, theories, principles, processes and practices. As an organisation, according to him, sports management is defined as a means of creating formal structures and an establishment based on a mission, objectives, targets, functions and tasks.<br /><br />Awoyinfa says as a person or group of people, sports management may refer to the head alone or to all the senior staff, committee, etc.; while as a discipline, management is a field of study with various subjects and topics. The author illuminates that sports management as a process is about a systematic way of doing things. Awoyinfa highlights management functions in sports administration as planning, organising, staffing, directing/leading, controlling, coordination, budgeting and evaluation. On whom a sports manager is, this author educates that a sports manager is anyone at any level of sport organisation who directs<br />the efforts of other people towards the achievement of organisational goals sport-wise.<br /><br />Chapter two is based on the subject matter of evolution and trends of sports management thought. Here, Awoyinfa discloses that the development of thoughts on sports management dates back to the days when people first attempted to accomplish goals by working together in a group. In his words, "There was serious thinking and theorising about managing many years before the dawn of the twentieth (20th) century, which marked the beginning of modern sports management thought. Major efforts to develop theories and principles of sports management began from the early twentieth (20th) century with the work of Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol. The industrial revolution of the nineteenth (19th) century probably provided the climate for this very serious theorising."<br /><br />Awoyinfa adds that since the turn of the 20th century, writers on sports management and business theory have been propounding different theories about how to manage work and personnel more efficiently and effectively. This author educates that the three main schools of management thought are: the classical; the human-behavioural; and the integrative. Awoyinfa also highlights early sports management theorists; principles and characteristics of scientific management; appraisal of the scientific management theory, etc., in this chapter.<br /><br />Chapter three is thematically labelled "principles of sports management". In this chapter, the educational consultant explains that sports principles are the basic laws on which the practice of sports management is built. He adds that management principles must therefore be based on general terms for them to be applicable within sport organisations of varying sizes and character. "Modern sports managers and administrators are expected to be able to identify and use appropriate principles that are relevant to particular situations. This is because no single principle can suit all administrative situations," submits Awoyinfa.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />He says the fundamental principles of sports are those applicable to all sports organisations and as a result of their general acceptability, they are sometimes referred to as "universal principles of sports management". This author expatiates that some of these principles are: responsibility; delegation of authority and communication. As regards humanitarian principles of sports management, Awoyinfa identifies these as democracy, justice, human relations, sympathy, empathy, consideration and humility.<br /><br />In chapter four based on the concept of behavioural and motivational theories in sports organisation, the author says human beings are unique creatures as they behave differently under different conditions and are mostly difficult to predict. Awoyinfa stresses that since human beings constitute the most important element in sports organisation, sports managers need some understanding of why people behave in one way or the other, so that they (sports managers) can influence people to perform exactly the way sports organisations find desirable.<br /><br />One potent instrument this author suggests that can be used to elicit performance in athletes is motivation. In his words, "Motivation is something needed in sports organisations to make employees perform.<br />However, it has been an important and a puzzling subject for sports managers." Awoyinfa further discusses development of motivational concepts in sports organisation; application of motivational theories to sports management; methods of behaviour modification, etc., in this chapter.<br /><br />In chapters five to ten, the author beams his analytical searchlight on subject matters such as management techniques in sports organisation; the concept of sports organisation; setting design in sports organisation; the concept of planning in sports administration; making sports organisations more effective in Nigeria and staffing in sports organisations.<br /><br />Chapter 11 is based on communication strategies in sports organisation. According to Awoyinfa here, communication is a crucial factor in any organisational effectiveness because organisations cannot function effectively when communication skills are lacking among members. "Since communication is the moving spirit in an organisation, its absence may make organisations standstill," asserts this author.<br />In chapters 12 to 16, Awoyinfa X-rays concepts such as organisational changes and development in sports administration; leadership in sports administration and management; administration and management of soccer as a coach; teaching human kinetics and health education in schools and colleges; and organisation and administration of schools at various levels of education.<br /><br />As regards mode of presentation, this text scores a pass mark. For instance, the language is comprehensible and the ideas are brilliantly articulated. The simplicity of the language is expected, given the author's dual professional background as a lecturer and pastor. To ensure easy study of the text on readers' part, Awoyinfa highlights the objectives of each chapter at the beginning and ends with review/revision questions.<br /><br />What's more, he creatively embroiders the text with graphics (pages 50, 97, 317, 330, 338, 395, etc.) to enhance readers' understanding through visual communication. Awoyinfa includes references at the end of each chapter to fulfil academic obligation of source disclosure and offer readers opportunities to read more. Inclusion of many references also confirms the depth of his research. His use of visual distinction for the phrase "Modern Trends" in the title is emphatically creative.<br /><br />If there are chapters that really make this text qualified as a compendium of modern solutions to the administrative and management problems plaguing our sports development in Nigeria, they are chapters four, eight, 11 and 13. This is because they discuss motivation, planning, communication and leadership respectively.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the thematically greatest chapter of all is chapter four. The fact that it is consciously or unconsciously taken to be the greatest chapter finds practical expression in the deeper communication and cohesion between its subject matter on the one hand and the outer front cover's allegorical visuals or metaphorical images such as goal post, cyclists racing, a lawn tennis player poised for action with her bat, sprinters competing and footballers struggling for ball possession, on the other hand. These are images used for illustration in motivational discourse.<br /><br />However, some errors are noticed in this text. The errors are "Acknowledgement" (page iii), instead of "Acknowledgements"; non-paragraphing of the natural first few paragraphs of "Preface"; "Loosing" (pages 396 and 404), instead of "Losing", etc. These errors need to be corrected in the next edition.<br /><br />semihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09909360270293341792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618186396766776248.post-24936811416372761732012-10-15T04:00:00.000-07:002012-11-29T09:22:49.325-08:00The National Service Factor in Sports Development<div style="text-align: justify;">
National Service (NS) is one of the key foundations, together with multiculturalism and religious harmony, in Singapore's unique social fabric. Every male of the modern generation has gone through the rites of NS, including our very best athletes. These athletes leave their schools as future sports champions of our nation, but very few of them actually fulfill their potential to do Singapore proud in international competitions. What happened to these potential sports stars? Did NS hinder their passion and motivation to excel in their sports? Why do so few carry on in their sports after school and NS? In our national quest for more sporting excellence and glories, perhaps it is time to re-look at our NS policy and see how we can truly support and encourage the journeys of these potential sports stars without necessarily compromising the security of the nation.<br /><br />The argument that NS is detrimental to the development and continuous journey of our budding athletes from school is not new. Athletes who are affected have been fighting for years to get the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) to make special concessions and arrangements for them to continue with their training programs with their sports coaches. In most cases, MINDEF has adopted a general guide line that athletes can still continue with their sports career as long as their obligations with their respective NS units are not compromised. This basically means that athletes will have to count on the good graces of their commanding officers to make special arrangements for them to continue training, and at the same time fulfill their training and duties with their units. A most difficult task at best. Any top class athlete will tell you that in order to be successful and be competitive with the rest of the other world class athletes, training twice a day, seven day a week, with full nutritional and physiological support is common practice. NS training by itself is already tough, and asking our athletes to spend time in NS and train at the same time is just not possible. When faced with this situation, most of our athletes have no choice but to drop out. Only a handful, with good fortunate and determination will be able to find the time to balance the NS commitments and training to the effect that some measure of success is possible. Even these athletes do not compare well when competing against other sportsmen from around the world. How do sportsmen in countries without compulsory NS fair? Let us investigate a bit further.<br /><br />In the Olympic Games, the usual powerhouses that garner the most medals include countries like China, USA, Russia, Australia, Britain, Germany, and to a certain extend South Korea and Japan. Do these countries have compulsory military service? The answer is no. A logical conclusion here is that their athletes have unimpeded paths towards their sporting ambitions and peak performance in sports. Of course some might argue that these countries are large in terms of their population size. China has a population of 1.3 billion. Surely, from these mass of people, champions for various sports can be found. That is true. Let us now examine countries with similar population as Singapore and compare their sport achievements.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />A search on the internet will reveal that the following countries have comparable population size as Singapore (5m); Norway (4.8m), Ireland (4.5m), Croatia (4.4m), New Zealand (4.3m), Finland (5.3m) and Denmark (5.5m). What strikes you as you view this list? These are all countries with well known sports achievements despite their limited population size. The three Scandinavian Countries listed above have won in access of 350 Gold Medals in all Olympics Games, and they are also well represented in World Sports Events. Norway and Denmark has featured in many football World Cups. Finland is consistent in producing NHL professional ice-hockey players. As for Ireland and Croatia, they have won 8 and 3 Olympic Gold medals respectively in their history. But let us not forget these two countries are also power houses in other sports. Ireland features highly in World Cup Football, Rugby and even golf. Croatia produces the best water-polo and handball teams regularly on the World Stage. Need we say more about New Zealand? Apart from the All Blacks, New Zealand has also produced 36 Olympic Gold in their history. These countries did not have huge population bases like China and Russia, but yet they have been consistently successful in peak performance in sports. By the way, did I mention that these countries have no compulsory military service for their citizens?<br /><br />If we change our perspective and look at a country that Singapore is modeled after, maybe the effect of NS on sports become clearer. Israel has a population of 7.5m, a fraction greater than Singapore's. They also have compulsory military service because of their security concerns. How many Olympic Gold Medals have they won? One. Are they prominent in other international sports? Not quite yet. Israel like Singapore has also been actively sending contingents for major competitions, but successes are far and few. The question is 'has compulsory military service somehow affected their sporting achievements?' If we look at the evidence presented here, we cannot deny the fact that NS does have a part to play in limiting peak performance in sports.<br /><br />NS takes away the prime period of an athlete's development. At 17-20 years of age, our body is reaching their full sporting potential. This is the time whereby, sports talents need to be continuously nurtured. The disruption caused by NS will break this important cycle and de-motivate our athletes to stop sports development in their lives. How many of our national school record breakers continue on to run and swim beyond their school and NS years? Hardly. Imagine how much achievement is possible if these athletes are supported and encouraged to continue on training in their sports. The sporting achievement for Singapore can be so much more than what we have achieved so far.<br /><br />There are of course opponents to freeing these athletes up for full time sports development. Many argue that not doing NS will break the social fabric of Singapore. Many parents of servicemen feel that it is unfair for their sons to serve NS while sportsmen 'take the easy way out'. There is no denying that NS is important. We must never take that away. Our very security and prosperity depends on it. But we are also at an age of dynamic change whereby different peaks of excellence are important in nation building. We need to add on to our social fabric by sewing on peak performance in sports and other areas. And people who contribute to these areas are far and few. Hence, if we are to achieve more sporting success, we must have policies that support these talented people; otherwise they will never reach their full potential because we as a nation have snuffed out the passion for these areas. What of those who feel that sports an easy way is out compared to serving NS? My answer to these critics is that they have never gone through what a true top class sports person has gone through. In many ways, the training regime of a top class athlete is more demanding than a typical NSF in Singapore. If you do not believe, try training twice a day, seven days a week. Try, eating sports diets seven days a week. Try foregoing social life for a few years to train for a competition. It is a tough job to try and win a Gold Medal.<br /><br /><br /><br />semihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09909360270293341792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618186396766776248.post-34441731778639318802012-10-09T01:00:00.000-07:002012-11-29T09:25:10.054-08:00Peak Performance in Sports<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the sports arena, peak performance in sports has always been a much sought after state by players and coaches of all levels. Whether the athletes are school boys soccer players or Olympians striving for their Gold medals, peak performance in sports has always attracted athletes and coaches alike. In our modern age of sports, where sports science is at a stratospheric level and rising, what are the factors that when applied correctly can lead sports participants to peak performance in sports? Are there secrets to sporting excellence? Are these factors easily manipulated for the benefits of the athletes? This article discusses the factors that can lead athletes and coaches to peak performance in sports.<br /><br />There has been many articles and books detailing principles, programs, success factors and the like that can lead to peak performance in sports. Many authors have written at length about them and in many ways, the principles and factors are universal. The principles of progressive resistance, variety, goal specific training, recovery, etc are all undisputed underlying reasons that allows athletes to achieve peak performance in sports. This article goes a step further by exploring these universal factors in a different light. In the process, I hope to give athletes and coaches alike how to practically apply these principles and which are the factors with higher weightage in terms of achieving success and peak performance in sports.<br /><br />There are basically two set of factors we need to look into. Technical and human factors. Let us take a look at the former set of factors first;<br /><br />Technical Factors<br /><br />1. Quality Preparation<br />2. Mastering Individual Skills<br />3. High Fitness Levels<br />4. Understanding Overall Team Play<br />5. Filling Up Key Positions of the Team<br />6. Minimise Errors in Games<br /><br />1. Quality Preparation<br /><br />The hard work for any sports season begins with the preseason training which is very intensive. No body likes this season, as the work and training required is often very boring and painful. But this has to be done for the athletes to be optimally prepared for the rigours of the competitive phase. The endurance, strength, speed and skill volumes must be done. Not just the volume of work, but how much quality is put into the preparation phase is vital as well. When players cut corners and put in training at face value without their heart and soul, it will show up later in the competition as fatigue, injuries or lack of sharpness in their performance. Peak performance in sports cannot be possible under such circumstances. The quality of preseason preparation is even more important in youth sports.<br /><br />Very often in schools, the playing seasons for many sports start almost immediately when the school year starts. With our children away for long vacations, our athletes very often return to school to face competitions with very little training time. Team play, fitness building and mental preparation are supposed to be done in 2-3 weeks, which in a sports world is almost impossible and impractical. This kind of preparation is also detrimental to the development of our children. Under these circumstances, coaches and teachers (and parents if possible) have a very important responsibility to ensure that our athletes are well prepared for competition. Training programmes for sports ought to be drawn up and implemented at year's end previously. Our athletes need to understand that that their season effectively began when their examinations are over. With a training programme started, coaches and teachers can than instruct athletes about a vacation training programme as well. Each athlete should have one whereby, they can do something to improve their playing abilities during their break away from school. It could include things like maintain a certain standard of fitness through endurance activities like cycling, running or swimming, playing catch and pitching in the backyard with their siblings, or even individual practices to improve certain skills. The main thing here is to preserve and improve what has been attained in the preceding season, so that athletes do not return back to school and start from scratch. Simply planning and training this way will ensure quality preparation for the sports teams to attain peak performance in sports later.<br /><br />2. Mastering Individual Skills<br /><br />In all sports and games, there are certain skill sets and skills that are considered basic and necessary. These must be achieved by athletes before they can play at a higher level later. In basketball, dribbling and executing a proper lay-up are crucial. Throwing, catching and fielding skills are a must in baseball and softball. The push-pass and receiving a pass are necessary skills in hockey and floor ball. The list goes on. In preseason training, or at the earliest playing stage, these essential skills must be made known to our young players, and all efforts and time must be spent on mastering these basic skills. Without these skills, a coach will find it very difficult to execute more complex team plays to achieve peak performance in sports. If strikers cannot even control a long pass from a teammate, how can we expect the same player to hold up the ball well up field against oppositions defenders and execute lay-off passed to oncoming teammates in support. It will be wise for coaches to develop these skills early and also for players to keep improving themselves in these skills even though they might feel that they are good enough already.<br /><br />Even at professional levels, these basic skills for their sports is important for peak performance in sports. The repertoire of skills required and the intensity of how these skills are performed at the highest levels are even more acute. At the highest levels where opponents are very evenly match in all areas, one mistake can often result in a win or loss. It is even more important for professionals to master all the skills required of the game or sports. Only under such intense conditions can peak performance in sports be possible.<br /><br />3. High Fitness Levels<br /><br />At high school levels, many athletes would not have reached their maximal physical development yet no matter how much they train. Physiologically speaking, the development in this area in youths is very varied. Some children reach a high fitness standard faster than others, while others have body types that will only respond to training optimally when they get older. Hence, it can be assumed that a team with the fittest group of players will have the most advantage. No matter how skillful your opponents are, if you are fitter than him or her, you will be able to overcome your lack of fitness by reacting rapidly to overcome your short fall. Let's say, you are out dribbled by a more skillful opponent in soccer. But if you are fitter than your opponent who have just out-dribbled you, you will be able to track back fast enough to cover your position again. This edge in fitness for youth is very important at the later stages of the game too, as players tend to tire faster at this age. A fitter team will definitely be able to prevail and score more later in the game. Players at this age need to be convinced of this need for fitness, and be encouraged to do whatever they can to attain the highest level of fitness possible.<br /><br />How about professionals? Without a doubt, professional athletes are expected to possess fitness at the highest levels. If they are not, their opponents will be and consequently, they will outperform them and reach their peak performance in sports. Generally speaking, professional sportsmen know how to get into great shape and maintain that till the end of the season. Their physical bodies are also in the best state to be developed to their fullest potential.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />4. Understanding Overall Team Play<br /><br />The next factor of great importance in achieving peak performance in sports is understanding the overall team play by the players. Imagine a coach telling his charges to clear the balls down the flanks in any invasion game. You will be surprise how many players actually understand why they are told to do this. More often than not, the players will just do what is required or told by the coaches. The understanding behind their action is very often very little. They might not know that by playing the ball down the flanks or wing, it actually forces the opponents defence to spread wider, thus leaving more gaps in the middle for the attacker to exploit subsequently. Another statistically advantage is that plays down the flanks generally result in the attacker getting the ball back if it is knocked out of bound. That is why, you often hear players or coaches shouting to their charges to 'throw it down the line'. Young players love the direct route to goal and very often that means playing through the middle. Whatever is taught in tactics to the players, coaches must make every effort to explain and make sure that all the players understand the tactical significance of their plays. This form of coaching if done properly, makes the players better players and improve their decision making on the pitch. And we are always looking for more thinking players in our pitch which will give the team a higher chance of achieving peak performance in sports.<br /><br />5. Filling Up Key Positions of the Team<br /><br />The fifth factor that can produce peak performance in sports is actually finding the right players to fill up the most key positions of the team first. In any sport teams, there will be key positions that must be filled first. The point guard in a basketball team is the driver of the team. he controls all plays. A centre in ice-hockey is pivot in both defense and attack, hence he must be the best and fittest and most abled player. The catcher in baseball is the key man, as he dictates and calls the pitches, and also sees the entire fielding situation. These key positions must be filled first, even if it means fielding someone out of position. I use to have a very talented and strong striker who loves to score goals. Unfortunately, I also have a big gap in goal-keeping and he happens to be the best handler of balls in the team. After much persuasion and sacrifice, he finally converted to a goal-keeper. Thanks to his selfless act, the team did extremely well as very few goals were scored against us. It was not easy to make this move. But as the coach than, I felt that the goal-keeper is too important a player to let any Tom, Dick or Harry player, hence it must be the best. These result was the least number of silly errors from our goal-keeping department and that gave the team a much better chance to win games.This brings us to the last technical factor that influence peak performance in sports - making fewest errors.<br /><br />6. Minimise Errors in Games<br /><br />In sports these days, errors often decide the outcome of the game. Errors will be more plentiful at youth and children levels. The fact that children are playing at lower technical and tactical levels makes it inevitable that errors will be made. The team that makes the fewest errors in any game will generally perform at their peak. Its a mentality that must be drilled into players to make the fewest error individually as well as as a team. If you do not believe this, watch your next game with a watchful eye over how goals or points are scored. More often than not, you will realize that a goal started from an error from the opponents somewhere. Or a point or run is a result of some players fumbling the ball. Making many silly errors will not lead a team to peak performance in sports. A team that is doing well makes the fewest errors. So coaches, make sure you train your players to understand this and do the right things in the game. Show them evidence through videos or live games, and they will be convinced that the team with the fewest errors win games and peak in their sports performance.<br /><br />So far we have discussed the technical factors that will lead your team to peak performance in sports. Coaches and players must make sure that these factors are well looked into to ensure that your teams will attain peak performance in sports. Otherwise, it will be a waste of effort and time no matter how talented the team and players are.<br /><br />In trying to achieve peak performance in sports, human factors are also very important. Understand and master these factors, and success and peak performance in sports is almost a sure thing. But very often these factors are often the hardest to achieved. Here we are drawing on the qualities of human beings to excel in different areas in order for them to reach their peak performance in sports. Very often, these qualities form the foundation of all athletic performances in sports. The players and coaches will find mastering these factors most difficult because we are dealing with intangible elements of human nature. Its easy to improve on your pitching skills, but to improve team spirit it has a lot more to do with just practicing a skill.<br /><br />Fortunately, we only need to focus on two human factors here in order to achieve peak performance in sports.<br /><br />Human Factors<br /><br />1. Players' Dedication and Commitment 2. Team Work and Team Spirit<br /><br />The first factor deals with having dedicated and committed players. This is very much an individual player factor, but it is also the coach's responsibility to reap the highest commitment and dedication from each player. We all know that every player is different, hence it requires different strategies to motivate different players. For some players, simply setting goals, both team and individual goals, will suffice because maybe the players themselves are already intrinsically motivated. For players with poor motivation and a star attitude, some form of carrot and stick methods might be required to get the most out of them. Whatever the strategies, failure to get the highest commitment and dedication from players will mean that training and match play will not be optimum thus resulting in poorer peak performance in sports.<br /><br />The second human factor that leads to peak performance in sports is team work and team spirit. When a team is able to work together to a level whereby players' understanding is so good, than the team will have reach the ultimate potential. Not just will tactical plays be good all round, but the effort to play for each other in the team will be so high that the level of satisfaction and sacrifice will be so immense that team play will improve. Players are willing to run and cover for each other more, and there is almost a magical factor in the team play. Team effectiveness will improve. Players will not be playing for selfish reasons but rather for the common team goals. History provides wonderful elements for us to see team work in action. Very often, it was not teams with the most skills that won the competitions, but rather, the teams with the greatest team spirit and team work, When players are willing to set aside personal differences to play for greater team goals. In Euro 2004, Greece was not the team with the greatest fair or skills,but they still won, because the coach was able to mold a team of seemingly nobody into a cohesive unit that was willing to play hard for each other.<br /><br /><br /><br />semihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09909360270293341792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618186396766776248.post-45695072050614205432012-09-18T00:30:00.000-07:002012-11-29T09:26:56.604-08:00The Effective Sports Coach<div style="text-align: justify;">
In this day and age of mega salaries for professional athletes in any sports, it is not surprising that many still consider the talented players key to any successful sports team. Owners of professional teams and fans very commonly forget the effective sports coach is the most important person in the team. Instead of spending obscene amounts to lure the best players to the club, owners of sports franchises should invest the most optimum money in the effective sports coach.<br /><br />He will determine the success or failure of the team. But what exactly does an effective coach possess? How does an effective coach deal with his players? How can the sports coach plan and conduct his campaign such that his players and team ultimate reach their peak performance in sports? These are some of the questions we will explore in a good coach in this article. If you were to study the history of effective coaching, you will not fail to notice that very often these coaches produce very cohesive teams.<br /><br />Teams with a common goal, and players put the team and others before themselves. There is something magical about a team build on successful team spirit, and all effective sports coaches know this. That is why it is paramount from the on start that the coach builds this strong team spirit and cohesion right from the start. More than anything else, it is a team who knows the true value of team work, team spirit and team cohesion that will produce the most successful results and performances at the end of the day. Sports coaches do not need star players who play for themselves. They need players (not necessarily the most talented) who will die for the team. With these players, the coach can do wonders. Hence, for any aspiring person who wants to be an effective sports coach, build a team first before you train a team.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />When team work and team spirit is no longer an issue, the sports coach can next turn his full attention to preparing a solid team for competition. To be successful, thorough preparation for sports competition must be the main aim of a coach when it comes to training the team. Thorough plans must be made for the season, right down to when and where the team breaks for their off-season. No details must be spared to prepare the team for competition. In every training session, the effective sports coach must let everyone know his own personal goals for that session. He must also dictate down to the number of repetitions each player must do for their drills. In effect, the he is reducing practice and competition to a science. As in science, the more certain an input is the more obvious will be the result. So when he decides even what time players must sleep before games, he is not overdoing it. The effective sports coach does his job well by merely being thoroughly prepared on all fronts.<br /><br />One of these fronts that sports coach must ensure that it is at its optimum is in the field of sports psychology. He must include in his plans, target setting as a group, mental imagery practice, relaxation training, visualization training, mental psyching methods, and constant affirmation training and so on. All these sports psychology training must become part and parcel of a player's regime that he breathes, eats and sleeps on them. He must ensure that this aspect of training is believed by players. Players who do not believe in this form of approach to sports must be weeded out right from the start. Which explain why the effective sports coach must begin his preparation by building the best team with the most common goals and perspectives in sports? Sports psychology, more than anything now, will determine whether the effective sports coach can produce results.<br /><br />Knowing and executing the fundamentals of the game is also important. The sports coach must strive to ensure that his players master these basics fast until they become habits to the players. No matter how simple these skills are, players must understand their importance and perform them to their best. He will always have these skills practices included regularly in his training plans. If at any time these fundamentals are forgotten or taken for granted, then he must return to the beginning and tell the players about the very basics of the game, without which, peak performance in sports will not be possible.<br /><br />Another important thing that sports coaches pay attention to knows his opponents and his team. Only when the effective sports coach understand his opponents and his team, will he be able to come up with the right game strategies to win the game. In this respect, the coach must consider his job to seek out scouting opportunities of his opponents and seek out their strengths and weaknesses. Once that is known, he can than derive the most creative and effective tactics to overcome his opponents and ensure that his team come out on top. The old maxim of "know thy enemy and thyself, and victory is assured!" holds true all the time under these sports situation.<br /><br />And finally, part of knowing his own team, is management of his own players. Every team will be different. Therefore it is important for the effective sports coach be able to handle his players individually under differing circumstances. The job will no doubt be easier if the team has been first built right at the start. That is why the first factor is so important for the effective sports coach. To be an effective sport coach requires not just a passion for the sport or game. The sports coach must be able to build a team from a bunch of individuals, prepare them thoroughly, instilling sports psychology concepts in the players, work on the fundamentals, study his opponents and his team, and also manage his players effectively. Only when the sports coach masters these few areas will he be successfully in achieving peak performance in sports.<br /><br /></div>
semihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09909360270293341792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618186396766776248.post-64863947550988941602012-09-11T20:30:00.000-07:002012-11-29T09:29:36.641-08:00The Sports Nation<div style="text-align: justify;">
In this day and age, it is very difficult to find a country that does not have a strong emphasis to develop a Sports Nation. Apart from very under-privilege countries, most countries now have some form of initiative or structured programmes that drive them towards a becoming one. But what exact is a Sports Nation? What are the things different countries do in order to aspire to reach that status? Is it national policy that sports must play a prominent role in societies? These are some of the questions we will explore as we uncover the nature of a Sports Nation.<br /><br />All aspiring Sports Nations have a hidden agenda these days, and that is to develop a healthier nation. Healthy people require less cost to look after as they age and develop. Encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle is an indirect way to tackle the demographic issues of higher life expectancy and rising health care cost. In countries that are considered welfare states, like Australia, Britain, France, and Canada, the health care cost of citizens are mainly bourn by government coffers. This could present a significant burden on the countries resources as health care cost has skyrocketed or will continue to skyrocket with time. Since 1965, health care cost has exploded exponential.<br /><br />This geometric rise poses a very challenging problem to governments of the world as population growth has not receded. In fact the global population is forecast to breach the 9 billion mark by 2020. How than can governments cope with such pressing need to sustain their peoples? Developing a Sports Nation can be one long-term strategy to deal with this issue. The key is to keep people fit and strong and hopefully keep illnesses and diseases at bay, such that health care costs could be contained.<br /><br />Another feature of why Sports Nations need to be developed more and more is the quest for greater publicity and positive image creation. In the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, China for the first time emerged the overall winner in terms of Gold Medals garnered during the games. It marks the rise and return of China to the peak ranks of world order. As a Sports Nation, China has created for itself lasting image and publicity that will last a long time. This kind of positive image gained has rubbed off effects on other countries in the world. Because of this Sports Nation image created, people suddenly view many things about China differently. For example, the sports training systems now become the darling for the world over to follow. Its sports equipment and products suddenly become more heavily bought. Chinese sports heroes became role models. In short, the country gets a shot in the arm, and the overall health of the country has improved. Sports Nations has a way to promote and excite people from all over the world, and it is a good thing to have.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />Sports Nations do not just get an image boost and allow health care costs to be tackled, they also bring in revenue for the country. As the world continue to move towards a sporting world, nations that are successfully becoming Sports Nations, become the destination of numerous international games, sports conferences, sports exhibitions, training tours and camps, even investment destinations for companies producing sports goods and services. Just think of the building of stadia in South Africa for the World Cup of soccer. How many billions of dollars are invested, and how many billions more will flow in during this kind of events. With the kind of money generated, it is no wonder that countries around the world try their very best to become Sports Nations and in the process eludes the kind of features that only Sports Nations have.<br /><br />One of these features is the abundance of sports facilities and programmes in a Sports Nation. In established and successful Sports Nations, the lifestyle and infrastructure gives the feel of a truly healthy and active people in them. Stadia are monuments and symbols of progress, parks and running routes are accessible to the masses, sports events for the masses are common, advertising campaigns are washed with sports publicity, families engage in sports whole-hearted and holistically. Government initiatives and support in terms of resource allocation is also very evident in such countries. The whole nation is just breathing the sporting culture. Because of all these present in a Sports Nation, it is not surprising that the standard of living in the country can be exceedingly high as well. The benefits of sports offer people a way of life that is much more desirable. If you look at successful countries, like Australia, New Zealand, Germany, America, and even China, there is a feel of peace and freshness, and this is reflected by the great desire of people wanting to make them their migration and travel destinations.<br /><br />Sports Nations are desirable destinations and living places for people to flourish. They lead to lower health care cost eventually, increase public image of the country, generate revenue and allow the populace to enjoy high standards of living. These are all very positive motivation for nations to strive towards becoming one. In the long run, it will happen, but getting there might not be as easy as there are many challenges that nations face in becoming Sports Nations.<br /><br />semihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09909360270293341792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618186396766776248.post-8972893117463489342012-09-04T15:00:00.000-07:002012-11-29T09:31:53.059-08:00Learn Sports Betting Vocabulary - The 1st Step to Make Money Betting on Sports<div style="text-align: justify;">
Those who've learned how to make money betting on sports a long time ago frequently try to give beginners or newbies the impression that the sports betting process is easy. Seasoned sports bettors may say things like: "Yeah, if you want to get in on the action, you just bet up to 10% of your bankroll, then the bookie gets the opening line from Vegas, but the oddsmaker may move the line to protect his vig-and of course you'll want to pay close attention to the spread, which is essentially a handicap that sportsbooks use to increase game competitiveness from your perspective; that also affects the overall handle." What? If that makes little or no sense to you at all, you'll want to read on to learn sports betting vocabulary-the 1st step to make money betting on sports.<br /><br />SPORTS BETTING VOCABULARY YOU NEED TO KNOW<br /><br />Action: Any kind of betting activity including sports betting.<br /><br />Bankroll: The overall amount of money that you are comfortably willing to lose on all of your sports bets.<br /><br />Bookie: An individual [as opposed to a business organization] who accepts and processes bets.<br /><br />Handicap: Within the sports betting sphere, handicap means to give one team or opponent a point or scoring advantage in an attempt to level the level the sports betting field. Handicapping is practice of predicting the result of a competition for purposes like betting against the point spread. A favored team that wins by less than the point spread still wins the game, but all bets on that favored team would lose.<br /><br />Handle: The total amount of money wagered on bets for a particular sports event.<br /><br />Juice: The amount charged by the bookie or sportsbook for their services; same as profit or vig.<br /><br />Money Line: Used instead of point spreads as a sort of handicapping method in low-scoring sports like baseball, ice hockey, and soccer.<br /><br />Oddsmaker: Those who constantly study and research sports and set the money lines.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />Sportsbook: A business organization that accepts and processes bets.<br /><br />Spread: Commonly known as "the point spread" is basically a handicap used in high-scoring sports such as basketball and football to make games and matches competitive from the bettors' perspective.<br /><br />Vig: The percentage of all bets that the sportsbook or bookie takes as profit; bookmaker's commission on losing bets; charges taken on bets by casinos or any gambling establishment. [Origin: Short for "Vigorish", which is derived from Yiddish slang term "Vyigrish", the Russian word for "winnings"]<br /><br />The preceding sports betting vocabulary list will get you started, but it's really just proverbial "tip of the iceberg" when comes to learning how to actually make money betting on sports. Now, the question is: do you want to spend many hours, days or weeks of your valuable time learning about sports betting or do you want to start to make money sports betting right now?<br /><br />If you want to consistently make money betting on sports you have to constantly pick winners-plain & simple. In order to achieve that objective, you can either spend a tremendous amount of trial & error time devising your own sports betting system and repeatedly tweaking it as several potentially lucrative sports seasons pass you by, or you can just use the proven surefire sports betting system Cornell University PhD Statistician and Seasoned Sports Betting Pro Jim Morrison that empowers you to consistently win your sports bets with 97% accuracy. The choice is yours...<br /><br />A key factor of Jim's proven sports betting system is that quite a number of first-time sport bettors who consistently make serious money betting on sports using this system have completely no interest in sports; their primary interest in making money on a consistent basis, which is precisely what they have done and continue to achieve with this unique and highly accurate system as you will see and hear directly from just some of those Successful First-Time Sports Bettors.<br /><br />No, you won't need to be a math genius or a statistics guru. In fact, as long as you're at least 9 years old and you know how to count, this surefire sports betting system can transform you into one of the most accurate and profitable bettors in the world starting as early as tomorrow -- even if you know absolutely nothing about betting or sports!<br /><br />Just imagine what YOU can do with a fool-proof betting system that will propel your earnings to heights most can only dream of. Only there's no need to imagine this scenario anymore because you can start to make money betting on sports from this moment on.<br /><br /><br /><br />semihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09909360270293341792noreply@blogger.com0