Three Simple Steps to Success for Young Coaches

Starting a basketball coaching career can be an intimidating experience. A game that once was thought to be easy as a player becomes much more difficult from the bench. Three simple but imperative steps can be followed by any rookie hoop coach to get off to a good start in coaching.

The learning curve is very sharp for the first time basketball coach. The inclination is to give the players a lot of drills and information, thinking they can handle it. In time though, your players will be confused and you may be a basket case. These three key steps apply not only to the roookie coach but the seasoned coach also.

1. Teach only what you know. If your are not able to teach a concept in basketball, don't consider it until you have mastered it. Some coaches think that coaching is making kids go through drills and yell directions at them. That is not teaching, that is not having a clue. Remember, the best coaches are the best teachers. The best coaches also present basketball as an easy game and one that all players can grasp from an individual and team standpoint. The best way to minimize a player's play is to confuse them.

2. Keep the game simple for the players. It doesn't basketball how much you know as a coach but it does matter how much the players know and UNDERSTAND. Players must first know what to execute before they can actually perform on the floor. Good coaches explain why certain skills and drills are used and make up the team's style of play.

3. Be on a constant search for information from other coaches, go to clinics, read and find things on the internet. You can be the best coach that you want to be! As the saying goes, "When you are done learning, you are done." Growing as a coach depends on a constant desire to improve and analyze your own coaching. Some coaches get set in their ways and style of play after a few years. A growing coach will always look to tweak, refine, and adjust his or her coaching to maximize their effectiveness as a coach.

In my extensive college coaching career I can say that the best coaches I've every seen are the coaches that teach a simple game. Clarity is the goal for players and coaches and cannot be understated. Less is more when it comes to effective coaching and is the ultimate challenge of all basketball coaches.

Randy Brown has passion for the game of basketball. He works as a basketball consultant and mentor for coaches. Visit him at http://www.coachrb.com for free resources, Q & A, newsletter, and coaching programs. A speaker and writer, he has authored 75 articles on coaching and is nationally published. His 18 years in college basketball highlights a successful 23-year basketball Mentored by Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson at Arizona. Resume includes positions at Arizona, Iowa State, Marquette, Drake, and Miami of Ohio, 5 Conference Championships and 5 NCAA appearances. His efforts have helped develop 12 NBA players including Steve Kerr, Sean Elliott, and Jaamal Tinsley. To contact Randy, email him at rb@coachrb.com.

Winning on the Perimeter

It was a fall afternoon, as I arrived to town for my very first coaching interview. I was three years removed from high school, had spent endless hours dissecting offensive and defensive strategy involved in the game, and had worked a few summers for a popular northwest basketball camp. In my narrow mind, I was basketball to take on a head coaching position. I walked into the school dressed basketball confidence but nervous for the unknown to be met by the school secretary. I told her I was there for a mid-afternoon meeting with Mr. Dixon the school's principal an avid basketball fan. I was familiar with Mr. Dixon for earlier that summer I had been approached by members of the community to put on a mini-basketball camp for the towns kids.

The interview was not like I had rehearsed in my mind. I didn't field any questions regarding my offensive and defensive strategy, failed to hear any inquiry regarding past coaching experience, but was simply asked if I was serious about the position? Would I be willing to move to the area? What would I do with a group of young men who had very little talent, but a lot of heart and only 4 years to find success?

It was November before my travels brought me to town again, this time as the head varsity boys basketball coach for a little Oregon 1A team who was picked at the bottom of the High Desert League. The scramble to find an offense that fit a team made up of 4 local boys (only one over 6 feet tall) and 3 foreign exchange students covering the globe from the equator to the south pole, had begun. It was clear from the cast we were going to have to win the perimeter in order to have a chance against the league elite. Thus, I sat out to modify and develop a 4 out motion set, guided by the underpinnings of a 5 out motion alignment. What evolved out of such an eclectic mixture would later be known as my 'Sting Attack'; a 5 out motion game influenced by Duke's 4 man game blended with the legendary Bobby Knight's fundamental approach to basketball.

It wasn't long before the 'Sting Attack' was helping an undermanned, under sized, and under talented group of boys win the perimeter. Using sound principals and skillful fundamental development, a series of screening actions and rapid meaningful cuts where blazing holes through our opponents defense. I had introduced my 'Sting Attack' four and five man motion offenses the first week of practice and we were winning games by Christmas break-taking two of three from the league's top tier. Two years later my group of undermanned, undersized, heard working boys found themselves winning on the perimeter and battling for a district playoff birth.

That summer I received a phone call from a local administrator who was looking for a basketball coach. This time I would be asked about my offensive philosophy for winning was a tradition at this school; I presented my fundamentally charged hybrid 'Sting Attack' and promised the hiring committee this four out motion would be the backbone of success if they hired me. Later that week I received a phone call with a job offer and eventually went on to win the perimeter battle with the 'sting attack' and for months in the '04 season had the number one 2A men's team in the state. Not bad for a little coach who wished only to develop a system that would give any team with any talent an opportunity to win.

To purchase a copy of Coach Mac's 'Sting Attack' offense visit http://www.coachmac-basketball.com

For more from Coach McKinnis on the game of basketball http://www.squidoo.com/High-School-Basketball-Offenses

Mistakes Most Basketball Players Make With Vertical Jump Programs

Unlike track and field athletes most basketball players lack the all-round knowledge needed to successfully increase their athleticism. This is understandable, as a vertical basketball basketball only makes up a small component of a basketball players training. Team training sessions, games, individual training sessions and pickup games with buddies tend to take up the majority of the time. Vertical jump programs are usually looked at as quick fixes to athletic success. Most basketball players therefore think that plyometrics alone are enough to increase their vertical leaping ability.

As any Track and Fields athlete could state, becoming an athlete takes a lot more than 3 plyometric sessions a week. The problem with all vertical jump programs is that they are only a small component of what it takes to increase vertical jumping ability. The exercises by themselves are normally well described, and would be very effective if used under the right conditions. Unfortunately most players start Air Alert or other programs in the middle of the season, which is the worst time possible!

Overtraining

If your body has to cope with 2-3 team training sessions, 1-2 games, weight training sessions and of course numerous pickup games on a weekly basis there is no way it can cope with the additional stresses of a vertical jump program. Not even an NBA player's body could cope with all that!

Timing your training sessions

The only way the human body can make athletic advancements is through rest. There is therefore no point in putting it under more stress until it has fully recovered, and even overcompensated to deal with its new circumstances. That is the point at which you have gained strength, and that's the exact point at which it should be hit with another training session. Not before and not after!

For weight training sessions the resting time of a muscle is 48 hours. The same goes for someone who is new to plyometrics. That is 48 hours of no jumping at all, especially not during pickup games. Over time the body can recover quicker, and is ready to absorb 4 plyometric sessions a week.

The bigger picture

As mentioned though plyometrics alone won't result in that dream vertical jump. Effective weight training, and sprint training sessions along with a quality diet are also vital components. Weight training should be split into at least two upper body and one lower body sessions per week.

Incorporating an extensive program into your daily routine

So, now most will probably be thinking how on earth should I fit that lot into my schedule? It's simple, use the off-season. That's when most pro's bunker down with their athletics coaches. It's Tim Grover's (Look the name up if you don't know who he is) busiest time of the year.

So to anyone who's thinking about Air Alert: summer is still months away, put the booklet aside and focus on closing out the season as strong as possible. And when April comes around I recommend you consult an athletics coach, and have them put together a personal program for you. Not a basketball coach, they often think they are experts on this topic, but unfortunately most aren't. Also ask them how you can increase your body's recovery time. Diet and quality sleep are the key, also during the season!

If you are looking for a pre-tailored vertical jump program I have posted one on sportgorilla.com:

http://www.sportgorilla.com/plyometrics.php

Note that for you as an individual some adjustments might need to be made. A lot also depends on how much time you have available for your vertical jump training. Even if my program suits you down to the ground you can only benefit from a consultation session with an athletic coach!

Looking for more quality coaching articles for Basketball and other sports? Then try SportGorilla.com!

http://www.sportgorilla.com

Hatchet Kick - Volume 8 of the Achieving Kicking Excellence Series by Shawn Kovacich

What exactly is a hatchet kick? It is not as well known as your common side kicks and popular roundhouse kicks. Nor is it as self-descriptive as a front kick. So how do you describe it? Guinness World Record holder, black belt, and author Shawn Kovacich describes the hatchet kick like this, "A properly executed hatchet kick performed by a man (or woman), can be compared to a hybrid combination of a turning wheel kick and an in-to-out axe kick." If you are still uncertain just what a hatchet kick is or how to execute it properly, Kovacich's eighth book of his impressive Achieving Kicking Excellence series will ensure you have every component to master this kick.

Hatchet Kick by Shawn Kovacich is similar to the others in the series in that it is a stand alone volume that focuses on all aspects of performing the hatchet kick and ten of its main variations. Like the other volumes, this book contains short chapters on anatomy, warm ups, stretching, strength training, speed training, and power training.

The meat of the book however is the detailed descriptions of how to execute the hatchet kick and the variations. Kovacich breaks each kick down into its parts and illustrates these components with detailed photographs. I have not seen any other text illustrate kicking with such detail. The kick variations that Kovacich includes are: Step-Back, Spinning Hatchet Kick, Hop/Slide Forward, Hop/Slide Backward Hatchet Kick, Front Leg, Back Leg Hatchet Kick, Switch Hatchet Kick, Off-Setting Hatchet Kick, Jump Turning, 540 Degree Jumping Hatchet Kick, and the Spinning (with the left leg).

The book is full of notes and illustrations to assist you with mastering this kick and to be able to use the kick in various situations. Kovacich includes some of the applications for the hatchet kick near the end of the text, right after he addresses some common problems with the kick in his troubleshooting guide.

This volume is another exceptional book on kicking and as I said is the eighth of a ten book series on what Kovacich calls the basic kicks. This book and the rest of the series makes a superb resource for anyone who practices a kicking art. Even if you perform kicks a bit differently than Kovacich's style, you will learn things to make you better. If you teach kicking, Kovacich's books will aid you with imparting kicking knowledge to your students. I highly recommend this book and the entire set to all martial artists.

Alain Burrese, J.D. is a mediator/attorney with Bennett Law Office P.C. and an author/speaker through his own company Burrese Enterprises Inc. He helps people discover the warrior's edge as he writes and speaks about a variety of topics focusing on the business areas of negotiation and success principles as well as self-defense and safety topics. He is the author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks, several instructional dvds, and numerous articles. You can find out more about Alain Burrese at his websites http://www.burrese.com or http://www.bennettlawofficepc.com

basketball
basketball

To Wear Or Not to Wear - The Importance of Mouth Guards in Athletics

It's uncomfortable, makes it cumbersome to swallow, and even worst, it makes it basketball to communicate to your teammates. All athletic trainers in the country endorse the players they are hired to care for to wear these and while we whine and complain about wearing them, they really are necessary for preventative purposes. Mouth guards really do serve to help curb injuries.

According to experts, facial and head injuries can be sustained in nearly every sport, regardless if it is considered contact or non-contact. Damage to the teeth, lips, tongue, and jaws have frequent occurrences in both children and adults. Dentists report that they see more injuries to the mouth as a result of playing basketball than from any other single cause. Although more research is needed, mouth guards are supposedly meant to prevent serious injuries such as concussions. A mouth guard helps prevent fractured jaws and teeth, severe cuts to the cheek, tongue, and traumatic damage to the roots and bone that hold teeth in place.

Against popular belief, all mouth guards are not created equal. Depending upon the design and materials used, mouthpieces will vary in fit, protection, ease of maintenance and longevity. Custom made, mouth-formed and ready-made stock are all possible options. Custom-made mouth guards are formed by your dentist from a cast model of your teeth. There guards are designed to cover all the teeth and are shown in be the best type of protection. These can cushion falls and blows to the chin. While potentially more expensive, they offer the best fit, protection, and comfort. Mouth formed guards are generally made of acrylic gel or thermoplastic materials shaped to fit the contours of your teeth. They become molded by placing them in boiling water before your mouth attempting to get them to mold to your teeth. Ready made stock is commercially produced. They make no attempt to fit well, be comfortable, or extremely effective. This option is the least expensive, but is nearly ineffective and not recommended in dental literature.

Just like any protective gear, it takes getting use to wearing, but they really do offer something beneficial. If you treasure your pearly whites and an unswelled brain, be sure to remember to pop in your mouth guard before playing any sport whether it is soccer, baseball, ice hockey, basketball, gymnastics, etc. Be safe and remember to keep a close eye for more informative bits of information to the healthy athlete next semester.

Our coaching ideology at DSWAthletes is to develop an athlete's fundamental core foundation by using drills common to different sports and activities. We incorporate additional elements to promote strength and flexibility of the core region. In order to maximize peak performance and effectiveness, we create drills that use multiple muscle groups, improve your strength, aerobic, and anaerobic capacity, and keep your body constantly guessing. Multiplicity in focus will have you seeing results faster than if you worked alone or with more conventional coaches

Our program will develop your physiological 6th sense enabling you to react on instinct. We will guide you through a 6-station routine to keep your body constantly challenged. Our goal is to show all participants the most efficient and productive way to do things in a supportive and positive environment

The program will test even the most seasoned athlete. We challenge your preconceived notions about sports training and re-teach you the right way to approach development, in turn making you a great athlete. Change the way you see sports training with DSWAthletes' intense program and no-nonsense coaching style

More can be found out about DSWAthletes and Owner Derrick Wong at http://DSWAthletes.com

Grow Taller by Performing These Free Exercises - Part II

If you have not read the first part of this article, I recommend you to read it. In this part I will give you more exercises by performing which you will be able to increase your height and become more fit.

First Exercise - Jumping Stretch - In this exercise you have to try to jump up as height as you can and in the mean time stretch your arms up. This is commonly practiced by basketball players who want to learn how to dunk. It is good if you have basketball kind of a measurement like ceiling, so you can try to reach that by jumping. Maybe you have not noticed but all basketball players are quite tall, this is also effected by exercises they perform. Always remember to warm up before this, stretch your spine, etc...

Second Exercise - The Yawn - This exercise is quite simple really and it can be done almost at any place. You do it by standing straight and putting hands behind your head. Then bend your upper body backwards in that way stretching out the spine. The motion is similar to the one performed in the bridge exercise only in standing position. After you do this for about 5 seconds return back to default standing position.

Third Exercise - Super Stretch - Another effective exercise that can be performed anywhere. It is a variation of the previous exercise only here you put your hands straight above your head and then lean back only little so you can feel your spine stretching. Do this for about 5 seconds and then return to standing position.

Try to basketball these exercises daily and you will be stretching your back in no time. They will also make you more flexible.

If you want to find out more about stretching exercises or tips on growing taller, I advice you checking out my Grow Taller Page

All Things Bass Fishing

All of my life, I've loved to fish. My dad and grandfather started me out very young. I remember sitting in my basketball boat dock with a rod and a bucket of minnows. The excitement of catching the little brim was addictive! As I grew older, they moved me up to bass fishing. I loved the days of being on the boat with my two basketball men and casting our lines together. Now that I'm grown and I no longer have my dad or my grandfather with me, I share my love of fishing with my husband and my son.

It's not always easy. Fishing takes a lot of patience, which I don't always have. I just recently discovered "All Things Bass Fishing". This book is great for anyone who loves to fish. It offers the basics that we all need to know, plus just a little bit more. The main focus is on relaxing and having a good time, to not let yourself get all upset and frustrated. That's not what fishing is about. Sure, we all want to catch the big one, but enjoy just being out on the water. It's not all technical and hard to understand fishing facts. This is an easy read, with less than 100 pages.

Here's a list of what is offered in the book:

* hows and whys of bass fishing
* gear checklist
* simple accessories
* 8 best bass fishing spots
* 8 simple bass fishing etiquette rules (yes, etiquette is always important)
* 18 tips to make sure you have fun and don't get stressed out
* to boat or not to boat
* 5 Golden Rules to bass fishing
* learn the six types of bass

You can get the book and audio or you can order the e-book and audio. It's a great choice. One thing I did notice when I ordered mine, some of the links didn't want to work. I had to go to the bottom of the page and click on the box that says "order now". He has some links in blue words, but none of them would take me to the ordering page. So, if you find that problem, just go all the way down and find the box, like I did. Don't give up on the links, this book is really worth it! I catch more and enjoy fishing a whole lot more now than before I read this book!

http://frap501.blogspot.com

Vintage Adult Comics

As how they are obviously referred to, vintage adult basketball are a reflection of ancient era or golden times. These are comics released in the 13th and 14th century and these days, they are difficult to get hold of. Other collectors aren't just limiting themselves to the 1940-50's collections, though. They follow until the 1970 releases of these comics.

Hundreds of comics were circulated in the golden age of magazines and literature. These materials were published using old kinds of papers. Vintage, as we hear of it, sounds valuable and rare. And yes, it definitely is rare to find some collections of books, magazines, comics or anything done five to seven decades ago.

The young adolescent and adult groups have let loose their inhibitions of browsing over these vintage adult comics that flaunt boldness, sexiness, sophistication and seventh heaven. The erotic side of life is presented in its creatively enticing manner through sexy pictures of women and passionate scenarios of couples in love and lust. There is no denying that men are continuous followers of these kinds of readable stuff. Sensual women are even getting open-minded to explore the so-called hobby but rarely do they declare such actuation.

As vintage comics like Batman, Flash Gordon, Superman, Green Lantern and Spiderman gained popularity back then, the emergence of vintage adult comics followed through their successes. Instead of heroic and funny themes, love and passion are usual concepts of the adult category of magazines and comics, that's why they are for adults only. Thought not many people recognize it, comics are a serious business, too, just like movies, bars, Internet porn, among others.

Since the 1970's, the worth of vintage adult comics has consistently multiplied due to their huge demand from investors and collectors. If you collect any of these vintage stuffs, you are likely to earn a good bit of dollars as they are usually appraised as valuable. It seems like a standard notion that if you own something vintage, you can benefit largely.

The approach employed in vintage adult comics is dependent on culture and lifestyle of a certain country it is being released. There are those that are too erotic that may not be appreciated by some. Basically, they're identified to be of European, Japanese and American themes.

Vintage adult comics are usually of erotic conceptions and graphics, sometimes identified as artistic outputs of pornography. The sexuality of both men and women in the same setting is depicted as real as it can be to educate and stimulate the senses of the readers. Sensuality in a human being is but normal as long as it is done within grounds of matrimony. However, the world has accepted reality that bites, thus there isn't any critical judgment aimed to those enjoying the art of making love out of marriage.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about comic books, please visit A Guide to Rare Comic Books for current articles and discussions.

100-0 Basketball Score? What That Means to Those of You Coaching Youth Football

100-0 I Kid you Not

One of the biggest basketball sports stories this month comes from of all places, girls basketball. If you haven't heard basketball this one, you really need to get out more, the story has gone viral. While I would prefer watching paint dry or having splinters of wood driven under my fingernails before I would attend a blowout girls basketball game, there may be a lesson here for us youth football coaches. A small Dallas, Texas High School for ADD and ADHD kids with just 20 female students, lost 100-0 last week. That's right sports fans, Covenant Christian ONE HUNDRED , Dallas Academy ZERO, that is not a typo.

The halftime score was 59-0 and the score at the end of three was 88-0. What was so interesting about this story is that the winning team Covenant Christian, pressed for pretty much the entire game. Dallas Academy rarely got the ball past half court, turning the game into what observers called a "layup drill". Dallas Academy had not won a single game in the last four seasons, not one, so it wasn't like Covenant was up 98-0 and feared Dallas Academy was going to go on a 100 point run of its own. In fact as Covenant approached the century mark, the Covenant head coach and a number of their fans were cheering wildly. I have one word for that, WOW. I'm blown away by the score and more so by the attitude and actions of the head coach and their "fans".

No Apology Required

When Covenant administrative officials apologized for the actions of their coach, the Covenant head coach bulled his neck and said that he did nothing wrong at all. He claimed that his kids were playing the game the way it was intended to be played. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those Stuart Smalley guys, you know the "let's not keep score, play every player the same amount, drink juice boxes and sing Kumbaya together after the game coaches". Remember my teams have gone 97-13, we play to win, we aren't playing Intramurals.

The Value of Competitive Sports

Competitive sports are a great learning environment for most kids, but this coach went over the top in my opinion. When you are ahead there is nothing wrong with insuring the win, working on some skills and tactics your team needs work on to improve, and getting your backups reps at executing the base offense and defense. But when it's obvious you have the upper hand and the other team has no chance at a comeback, why keep pressing? One would think after being able to execute the press to a 88-0 third quarter lead, it would be obvious your kids know how to execute the press against a hapless team of beginners. But what about working on the half court game or ANYTHING other than the press?

What did Covenants kids get out of crushing the spirit of the Dallas Academy team? Maybe the girls learned that when you have someone down and out, kick them some more right in the face, then rub their faces in concrete for good measure.

What Then?

Why not let off because you can? When you are up 88-0 it is obvious to every player, coach, and parent who the best team is, there is no doubt. Heck even the disinterested janitor or the little dog in mommy's purse is going to know that one team was vastly superior to the other team. What harm would have come from not pressing in the last quarter or maybe playing a couple of kids out of position? Instead, Dallas Academy has now canceled the remainder of its games. Was Dallas Academy inept? Sure. Poorly coached, probably. Were any of these girls going to go on to play college basketball? No. But the Academy kids will now be deprived of the chance to grow as human beings and develop the deep relationships that most kids get from playing competitive team sports. I hope the Covenant coach is proud of that. maybe he can put that on his resume when he applies for the Duke or Kentucky job.

Coach Gets His Due

In the end the Covenant Coach was fired a week later for basically disagreeing with the schools decision to apologize to Dallas Academy. Academy may be having the last laugh, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is going to host the Academy team in his Suite at a Maverick game. Hopefully this story will teach those of us coaching youth football a valuable lesson in what not to do.While we didn't have any video of this fiasco, Coach Phantom suggested this video clip as a pretty close rendering of how the match probably went. I'm sure the coaches and fans were as giddy as those in this video about their "HUGE" victory.

Dave Cisar-

With over 15 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach, Dave has developed a detailed systematic approach to developing youth players and teams. His personal teams to using this system to date have won 97% of their games in 5 Different Leagues.

For 400 Free Coaching Tips: Football Plays

Plyometrics Training - How it Increases Your Vertical Jump

With the correct plyometric training you can increase your vertical jump by up to 12 inches! That basketball a really significant change, I will explain how.

I will list one way in this article on how to increase your vertical jump using plyometrics, but basketball there are several!

Increase your Vertical jump with traditional weight training

This is one branch of the plyometric vertical jump training, this method uses exercises such as squats, lunges, leg presses and toe raises. This is a heavy load program but there is little repetition, you do each exercise about 4-6 times.

Many would ask. Why is this method an effective way to increase your vertical jump ability? The answer is that in vertical jumping you need to use a lot of power from your body and power is a combination of strength and speed.

Therefore a weight training program that improves your strength can improve your power and increase your vertical jump ability.

However as you become stronger and get on more strength your speed decreases as well and so does your power since your speed is a branch of power as well. So if you're an expert/experienced person in weight lifting this method will not benefit you as much as the other methods might.

This method is more beneficial for beginners to gain more strength, the plyometric traditional weight training is safe, easy and highly effective way to increase your power at the beginning. You run at a very low risk of injury of spraining when using these simple methods.

As I stated earlier, this is just one of the many methods with which you can increase your vertical jump.

Wait! If you wish to find out more about vertical jump training take a look at http://www.verticaljumphelp.com You will find a sneak peak of an extensive vertical jump program that you can buy for a low price. Anyone can take advantage of this program, if you're just a high school student, or a business executive. Don't hesitate!

5 Secrets to Effective Basketball Plays

Coaching basketball requires you to teach your team at least a few basketball plays. There is no shortage of plays to choose from, but you still have to be careful about which ones to choose. Plays vary in their potential for being effective in general and plays vary in their suitability to your personnel. Study these 5 great secrets to help you in your efforts to run effective basketball plays.

Secret #1 - Precise Execution.

No matter how well conceived a basketball play may be, it will not work if your team runs it sloppily. Timing, good spacing, and high energy are necessary for any play to be effective. You need to instill this simple awareness in your players. Even a mediocre play can be highly effective if executed to perfection. Insist on precise execution in practice, and practice your plays enough so that you can depend on them in the heat of the moment. You can structure some of your practice reps so that the defense doesn't cheat to stop a known pattern, but you should definitely include plenty of 'live' reps with no defensive restrictions so that your team faces realistic pressure.

Secret #2 - Good Options.

A play that breaks down if the defense anticipates the pattern and cheats out on a pass or otherwise disturbs the sequence is not going to be effective for long. It might work once or twice, and then the defense will simply shut it down. You want to teach basketball plays that have built-in options to counter defensive adjustments. The best plays have an answer for every defensive adjustment. You should practice these options in controlled settings, and then you should go 'live' so that your team learns to read the defense and attack appropriately.

Secret #3 - Teaching Patience.

When teaching basketball plays, it is very important to emphasize 'no forces.' Effective plays position players so that the defense has to worry about and react to several areas of the court. The ball moves quickly from player to player or is being driven hard toward the basket. As the plays evolve, the defense has to react and adjust to ball reversals, unexpected screens, and sudden cuts. Sooner or later, the defense will tire, lose track of an area, and end up a step late; allowing the offense a good shot opportunity. Being patient until that time is a major key in the play ending up being effective. The most effective plays feature prolonged or even continuous sequences rather than short sequences that need to be completely reset.

Secret #4 - Match the Play to Your Personnel.

Some basketball plays work only if you have several quick and clever ball handlers, while other plays depend on you having a dominant post presence. Trying to run a basketball play that depends on such particular factors without having the proper personnel is not going to be effective. Choose plays that allow your players to function from their strengths. Just because the play worked last year does not automatically mean that it will work this year if you have a different team profile.

Secret #5 - Put Your Players in Different Play Positions.

A good way to get more mileage out of a given play is to put your players in different positions. In other words, have someone else throw the ball in or initiate the play, and have your other players take up different positions in the play. That way, the defenders will be seeing the play from new angles and will not be as effective in anticipating the action. You will want to be strategic in the way that you make these changes so that you still end up with players getting the ball where they can be effective. Be sure that you train a least two or three of your players to be good inbounders or play initiators so that you can survive an injury or foul trouble to your best one.

If you're looking for more great ideas about running basketball plays or any other aspect of coaching, be sure to check out the great resources available at http://www.winningbasketballplays.com

basketball
basketball
basketball

The Fundamental Skills of Basketball

To get better skills in basketball players need to first understand and master the basics of the game.

In basketball, there are 6 different fundamental skill areas that players should concentrate on in training.

Dribbling
Dribbling the basketball is done to basketball the ball around only when a passing isn't a better option and a lane isn't available. Both new and experienced players make the mistake of dribbling the ball when it isn't needed. Ask any collage or professional basketball coach - they will all tell you the same thing. Dribbling should be done when the player (you) have some purpose to forfill. Dribbling while looking basketball an offensive option is a good way to lose the ball. When you are looking for that option, take the ball in a firm grip and put your body between you and the defender. Regardless of how good you are at dribbling, the defense will always have a greater chance for a steal if you are dribbling the ball instead of gripping it in both hands.

Passing
Passing is the number 1 option for moving the ball around the court on offense. Passing is quicker than dribbling and so it is a deadly offensive tool for reaching that open man so they can have the shot. Good passes are the hallmark of good teams because most offensive plays are set up by good passes.

Shooting
Shooting is probably the most practiced skill for new and experienced players. Yet so many people still practice it wrong. In practice all drills should be done at game speed and done as you would under pressure. Players are usually too lazy to do this and instead of practicing the sweet jump shot that they are constantly doing in the game they lazy-it-down to a hop-shot. Instead of jumping to give power they use their arms for the power and the legs give the rest. Practicing the wrong way to shoot is something that players do all the time yet they do not understand why they miss all their jump shots during the game...

Rebounding
Rebounding can come in two forms - offensive and defensive. Lots of newer player look at rebounding and immediately think that it is a big mans area. Yet this is not so. Rebounding is more than just being big. It even surpasses just jumping ability. To be good at rebounding you need skill and dedication. Skill is mainly the ability to position yourself and read the shots - something that comes quickly with practice. Dedication is probably the most important factor in rebounding. The person who gets the ball is the one with the most hunger for the ball and who is willing to do whatever it takes to get it.

Offense
Offense is a fundamental which encompasses all aspects of the offensive court. Shooting has already been covered (and is covered more in the basketball website listed below). Yet moving off the ball to give offensive options to the player with the ball is another thing that is essential for good offense. Supporting your team mates with screens and being able to basketball the best offensive option and get the ball to them are also essential things on offense. These skills are often overlooked.

Defense
The best defensive teams in the NBA are often the ones that make it into the playoffs. This is seen year after year so a simple conclusion can be made here - defense is key to victory. Defense is not only about getting the steal or block but also about intimidation of the opponents.

Paul is a university graduate involved with health sciences.

He is currently involved developing a comprehensive website about everything basketball http://www.basketball-step.com

Great Ways to Increase Your Vertical For Basketball

So you like basketball? Sports in general? But you have one problem. You can't jump. So what can you do to change that? Exercise exercise exercise. It's not that hard. Just do it. This is basically the only way for you to increase your vertical jump.

People ask me all the time: What are some exercises that I can do to increase my vertical jump and get faster? There are many different answers to that question in that there are many exercises one can do to accomplish this. Although If you have strong legs you wouldn't do the same exercises as basketball a person who doesn't have very powerful legs but is a sprinter.

Let's say you want more power in your legs. You would need to start out with squats. This is an excellent workout for building strength in ones legs. If you have enough power you need to be doing calf raises and head to the track and work on your sprinting. You will want to increase your speed and get some quickness in those legs basketball yours. Of course there's more exercises available, but for reasons unknown I won't go into too much details here.

This is just a taste of what you're going to be doing. If you want to increase your vertical jump for basketball then you need to find a set of workouts that is going to work for you. Find a program, put your faith in it, work hard, complete the exercises (they shouldn't be too hard), and by the end of a couple of weeks you will find that you are jumping higher and running faster. Determination and a strong will is what you are going to need. Stay focused and by the time your workouts are completed you will be dunking all over people, blocking shots, doing all kinds of crazy stuff.

Do you really want to know how you can jump higher and add at least 6 inches to your vertical jump in 60 days? Check out my Review of the top Vertical Jump Programs On the Market at http://www.simplywonderful.info/vertical.html

Add Some "Magic" to Your Basketball Game by Learning the Fundamentals of Passing a Basketball

What do Pete "the Pistol" Maravich and Magic Johnson have in common? If you answered that they were both great play makers and masters at passing basketball basketball, then you would be correct. If you would like to become an elite basketball player, it is essential that you master the fundamentals of passing a basketball. Why? It is very difficult for any basketball player to compete and succeed at the highest level--especially if he would like to win championships--if he does not learn basketball to pass a basketball effectively to his teammates.

Basketball is a team sport. Unfortunately, a lot of basketball players, make the mistake of thinking that they can win games and championships by solely outscoring their opponent(s). Not a single basketball player, since the invention of basketball by James Naismith in 1891, has ever won a championship without involving his teammates--that is over 100 years and counting! Even Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, did not win his first NBA championship ring until after he learned how to "share" the basketball with his teammates by creating scoring opportunities not only for himself but also for his teammates--in essence, he improved his basketball passing skills. In a nutshell, great basketball players know how to pass the ball. With that said, there are different type of passes that you can make as a basketball player: Bounce Pass, Chest Pass, Overhead Pass, Underhand Pass, Baseball Pass, and the Hook Pass. Each type of pass is useful for different game situations. And, you as a basketball player should definitely try to master all the different type of basketball passes. However, only the chest pass will be covered in this article.

How To Make A Chest Pass

The chest pass is one of the most important passes in basketball. To make the chest pass, do the following:

1) Place one hand on either side of the ball, fingers spread evenly and loosely;
2) Hold the ball in front of basketball chest;
3) Pull your hands together until your thumbs are about four inches apart; and,
4) Keep your elbows close to the body.

How To Make A Chest Pass To A Teammate

1) Step directly toward him with either foot;
2) Thrust your arms toward him until they are fully extended; and,
3) At the end of the arm thrust, press your thumbs downward, snap your wrists up slightly and turn the backs of your hands toward each other.

Note:

The ball should be drilled at some point between your teammates shoulders and waist. As the ball travels, it should have good back spin.

Reasons why the chest pass is effective

The chest pass is effective for many reasons:

1) It enables a player to easily make a fake before an actual pass.
2) It can be fired quickly.
3) It is accurate.
4) It can be used with good power, cutting down the possibility of interception.
5) It can be used at close and medium range.
6) It can be converted into a bounce pass.

The correlation between the success of any basketball player and his ability to pass the ball effectively cannot be emphasized enough. To score in a game of basketball, you must first have an opportunity to shoot the ball. Since there are five opposing players, you cannot always create this opportunity alone. Most of the time, only an accurate pass will lead to a score. This is the epitome of teamwork.

You can find more FREE resources including actual basketball videos on how you can improve your basketball skills by visiting http://www.basketball-drills-and-tips.com

Leather Through the Ages

Primitive man acquired food mainly through hunting and gathering. Although wild animals were killed primarily basketball a source of sustenance, other uses were discovered. The skins of animals were used for clothing and shelter. However, it would naturally start decaying after some time. It was only through several centuries of experimentation that tanning, which is the process of preserving leather, was fully perfected. All civilizations made extensive use of leather. The Egyptians used them for working tools, such as gloves and buckets. The Romans used them for military armaments, such as shields and saddles. It was also widely used in the religious community, as monks used it to construct scrolls and parchments.

Today, leather is used for a variety of purposes by people from different backgrounds. It is commonly used in rugged occupations because of its flexible nature and abrasion resistance. Sports, such as boxing, use leather for protective gear. Gloves, headgear and punching bags are some of the more common items utilising leather. Leather is also the preferred material for basketballs. A new synthetic basketball was developed for use recently, but the National Basketball Association (NBA) decided to revert to the old leather basketball due to resistance from the players. basketball cited better feel, handle and comfort as reasons for rejecting the change.

Leather chaps are commonly associated with cowboys as are leather jackets for motor bikers. They are used primarily for protection and wind resistance, though others view it as providing a measure of "toughness" or "ruggedness" for the image. Heavy metal rock bands are extensive users of leather-clothing. Leather jackets, trousers and other basketball are part of the image connected with this subculture. Many cars and vehicles are equipped with leather seating, with some luxury cars customized with expensive leather. A different kind of leather called "nappa", or "soft leather", is used specifically for this purpose.

Leather is also used in executive environments. It exudes an air of formality and elegance. Common items that are used in this regard are wallets, organisers, briefcases and folders. Many promotional goods companies offer a variety of leather products to suit the needs of their customers. One important advantage of leather is that it lasts longer than other materials. It is generally more expensive than other types, but it is able to outlast them as the quality of the product rarely diminishes.

Simon Stringer is a dedicated marketing executive who works for Eureka Promotional Gifts. Simon enjoys helping customers choose the most suitable promotional gifts for their advertising campaigns and takes a pride in developing a close working relationship with his clients.

Basketball Tips - How To Improve Your Conditioning While Improving Your Skills

Conditioning is such a critical factor of success in all sports and basketball is no exception. In fact, due to the constant running nature of a game of basketball, conditioning could have more impact in basketball than in many other sports.

Given the limited amount of practice time basketball have, we have to find a way to get in top condition while getting enough work on our skills to improve and be ready to play against top competition. The traditional ways of conditioning, running sprints, distance, etc., are very effective as conditioners but have no relevance to the game. Running suicides or 17's (running sideline to sideline 17 times in a minute) might be a little more game like (very little) but still does nothing to improve your skills. Below are some basketball tips where you can accomplish both better conditioning and better skills.

Full Court Dribble

Start at the baseline with a ball. Using your right hand, dribble to the opposite baseline with 5 dribbles. Switch hands on the way back. Next try it with 4 dribbles, then basketball dribbles. If you do them all in a row, you have run 6 sprints. Put a lay-up on the end of each sprint and you have worked on your conditioning, dribbling and layups all at the same time. You have improved your ability to score on the break and in transition.

Defensive Reaction

Start at the baseline. When ready sprint to mid-court. Upon reaching mid-court, get in your defensive stance and defensive slide, diagonally, back to the baseline. Change direction twice. When you reach the baseline, sprint immediately to the foul line. Upon reaching the foul line, get in your defensive stance and defensive slide side to side. Change directions twice. After the second change in direction, sprint to the far end of the court and touch the rim 10 times. Take a minute to rest. Step back up to the baseline to go again. This time, change directions 4 times. On the next set, change direction 6 times and then 8 times in your last set. You have increased your conditioning, improved your defensive footwork and worked on your jumping.

Beat The Pro

Pick your favorite player as your imaginary opponent. In this case we'll use Kobe Bryant and your opponent. Start with the ball on the baseline. Dribble to the foul line and shoot a jump shot. Then, chase down the rebound. If you have missed, score the rebound by making a lay-up. Then dribble back to the foul line and shoot again. Keep score. You get 1 point for every jump shot you basketball (rebound layups don't count) and Kobe Bryant gets 2 points for every shot you miss. Play for 2 minutes. If you win, take some foul shots. If Kobe Bryant wins, do the full court dribble drill (see above) 1 time for every point he beat you by. You have worked on your conditioning, ballhandling, shooting, rebounding and layups.

Spinouts

Pick 10 spots, 5 on each side of the court, that you think you can shoot effectively from. Start with the ball under the basket. Spin out to the first spot (a spin out is a toss with bask-spin on the ball. Done properly, the ball will hit the ground, bounce straight up and "wait for you"). Sprint after the ball, catch, make a right foot pivot and shoot. Chase down the rebound and if it was a missed shot, score with a lay-up. Grab the ball out of the net and immediately spin out to the second spot, then the third, fourth, etc. Continue until you shoot from the 10th spot. After the 10th spot, reverse the order (spot 10 becomes spot 1) and go back the other way, using left foot pivots. Continue using different pivots on each rotation. Your objectives are: make as many 1st shots as you can, make 6 rotations (60 shots) in 10 minutes. After your 6 rotations, relax by making 15 foul shots and then start again. The drill can be done with any pivot, practicing jump shots and 1 dribble moves. You have worked on your conditioning, shooting, rebounding, follow shots and pivots.

Using these basketball tips and drills together would make a great workout. Not only will you be in better condition, but you will be a better player.

Jeff Haefner is the owner of breakthroughbasketball.com. For 20 Free Basketball Tips, Tricks and Secrets, visit http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/toptips.html

End of Quarter Strategies for Winning Basketball Teams

In my last article, I wrote about five tips to keep your team from giving away points in a competitive basketball game. I believe that this is such an important topic because these are things that teams can do to be successful in a year with injuries to key players. Teams can work on these ideas every day in practice to make a difference in a game when teams are evenly matched, or to make up a deficit when one team is a slight underdog.

Execution at the end of quarters often makes the difference in tight games. Here are two ideas to improve how a Basketball team performs under the pressure of the clock counting down at the end of a quarter, or even the end of the game.

If the other team does score with less than five seconds left during the first three quarters, the man inbounding should throw the ball the full length of the court inside his own basket's three point arc. The other four players should be sprinting to that spot. Since the five second count is off as the ball is basketball the trigger man should count to two before throwing (even basketball the clock is running) in order to give the other players time to run. If possible the ball should be thrown to a player and never thrown out of bounds at that end without being touched on the floor. The purpose is not necessarily to give you a chance to score, but to avoid a turnover in the back court which could lead to another score by your opponent. If the basket is made with less than five seconds at the end of the game and it either ties the game or puts the opponent ahead, everyone on the floor and the bench calls timeout as loud as they can (which will not help in a packed gym) and makes a big timeout gesture while sprinting toward the official.

Add this to your defensive rules and practice this situation. Force the ball to the sidelines in conversion defense with less then five seconds to go in the quarter. That will lessen the likelihood of a player banking in a half court shot if their momentum is going partially sideways rather than head on. It also give your players a better idea of where a rebound will go (opposite side of the shot) if there is one.

The key to implementing these ideas is for the players to be clear that this is how the team is going to handle each of these situations as they arise. Then, you must devote a regular section of practice each day to creating the scenarios by putting time and score on the clock, and then letting the players work through these situations as your team rules prescribe. If you are working with a high school team with 2 hours of practice, I would recommend 15 to 20 minutes. If you are working with a basketball team that practices less, I would say to schedule 5 minutes of situation practice for each 30 minutes of practice time allotted.

If you set clear expectations and allow for regular practice of these situations, your team will excel under the pressure of the clock counting down! It is a great feeling for the whole team to know that you won a game because you prepared and then executed your plan when it counted most!

The Coaching Toolbox http://www.coachingtoolbox.net is a resource site for basketball coaches and players of all levels. The authors of the site are former coaches with over 40 years of combined experience at various levels. We are just getting our site off the ground, so we hope that you will visit us and continue to stay and grow with us as well!

Basketball - The Power of Symbolism in Free-Throw Shooting

As a Coach and teacher for some 40 years or so I basketball learned a few things myself. Learning is a basketball thing and yet I think some of us take this for granted. "Life" itself is a tremendous journey filled with constant learning, to help us improve our station in life, hopefully make a good respectable living, and survive to the end in every aspect of life. Learning helps us make the decisions that we become accountable for whether right or wrong.

The power to 'chose' is probably the greatest power we have in life. Every single thing we do can be traced back to a thought and then a choice which ultimately lead to a destiny. I don't want to philosophize too much here but ultimately this article is about leaving an impact through visual symbols which will possibly last a lifetime.

Charles Garfield once said, "A key to self-management is the capacity for self-observation. It is important to realize that self-observation is not the same as over criticism, judgmentalism, or paralysis by analysis. It is rather a consistent monitoring of one's own performance".

Another reason I am writing about symbolism is that the greatest teacher of all Jesus Christ taught in parables and symbols and if these parables and symbols left long lasting impressions in my mind then I hope it will have some effect on you the reader.

Over the many years of teaching I have found that I have used more and more visuals or symbols to help the students to possibly see what I see. Another teaching tool like an overhead projector projecting a picture on a screen. There's a visual right there. It seems we get on the same page faster.

Here are 4 reasons why I use symbols in my coaching methods.

1. Symbols create visuals which help recall important concepts.
2. Symbols can represent and create feelings we can control.
3. Symbols can teach varying principles according to personal readiness to learn or upgrade.
4. Symbols can possibly expedite learning by clarifying imaginary visuals or pictures.

As I have said before when it comes to shooting free-throws in a superbly consistent and efficient manner it takes more than just 'being a human'. You must become a 'human doing'. Shooters are not born. They are made. So the first key is to find basketball maximum capacity as a free-throw shooter by learning what your maximum best average is from the line. If the best in the world namely the NBA players average about 72%, you can measure yourself along those numbers which really are very mediocre for a skill that is so simple and repetitive.

William James authored this comment which is perfect for my message. He stated, "A mind once stretched by a great idea or new understanding will never fully return to its original dimensions". That's why once you hit 90% from the line you won't go back to 70% ever again. You will respect the changes you have made to elevate your numbers through cognitive learning.

Since there are about 25 scientific principles that must be respected when shooting a free-throw or a three-pointer I have found that just about every principle carries some symbolism with it. Don't forget that every principle has some scientific attachment to it and there are few if any shortcuts. Try to defy gravity. Try drinking unleaded gas. These are scientific principles that we all respect whether its through fear or knowledge is irrelevant. The result is the same and that's what we want, positive reinforcement and instant gratification.

Symbolism for the Shooting mechanism:

1. The 'life' of a free throw which is only about a second or so is symbolic to 'life' itself. The free-throw takes a second and life on the average is about 75 years depending if you are a male or female. Females are more blessed and average a few years more according to scientific studies. To shoot a perfect free-throw you need a goal. IT is the goal. It takes motivation, desire, dedication, knowledge and never ending practice of perfect principles to achieve the desired result which is perfection.

To lead an almost perfect "life" requires the same process. The goal is Heaven or eternal life. (Apologies to atheists and non believers. My intent is not to hurt any ones feelings). Diligently seeking and gaining the appropriate knowledge, application of learned principles, desire to follow a certain predicted path (which can be good or evil), personal motivation, dedication, practicing and applying principles and values that provide the desired result. You tell me if its tougher to master the one second to shoot a free-throw in the game of basketball or the 75 years to master yourself in the game of life?

2. Hand-ball relationship. Not only should the hand be placed with the index finger at 90 degrees to the seams (seams are not crucial here but the index finger in the middle of the ball is). Hand should be as wide as possible to get the palm off the ball and it will be easier to maintain a level of consistency with the wide hand.

The symbolism here is that of writing with a pen or pencil. Do you not get your fingers placed the same every single time on the writing utensil and do you not write with the fingers and not the arm and larger muscles of the body? The fingers do the walking. The yellow pages ad may ring a bell.

3. The guide hand. This is the support hand that stabilizes the ball during the pick up or the catch.

The symbolism here is the visual of the space shuttle ready to blast off into space. Just moments after the rockets have fired up and spewed megatons of fire and smoke into the ground and atmosphere you see the supporting metal scaffolding slowly peel away to allow blast off.

Same as the left guide hand which after steadying the ball into the 'shot pocket' it peels away a couple inches to allow for the shot to be fired unhindered by it just before pulling the trigger with the right hand. (Opposite for left hand shooters).

4. The 'shot pocket' is the area of the body near where the ball comes to rest briefly after picking the ball up just prior to releasing the ball. Depending on the size and strength of the shooter is where the shot pocket may be. In may be near the belly, or the chest or the right side of the face or even behind the top of the head

The symbolism here is cocked trigger, before pressing the trigger.

If there is no pause before you pull the trigger then the shot can be called a 'chuck' or thrust. A shot is disciplined and a 'chuck' or thrust isis undisciplined. This pause usually separates males from females simply due to lack of strength.

5. The shooting arm includes the part of the anatomy from the shoulder joint to the wrist joint. When you straighten it or 'lock' the elbow during the shot to give the whole arm an appearance of straight, you are actually symbolizing a rifle barrel with the bullet in the chamber just before it is fired.

6. The follow through which is the final stage of the shot and is simply the wide open hand starting in a palms up position facing the ceiling (holding the ball) to finished with the wide open hand with palm down facing the floor.

The symbolism here is likeclosing the lid (hinged) on a cookie jar as opposed to sticking the whole hand in the cookie jar. The hand stays somewhat curved with no joints bending except the wrist.

7. The wide finger spread before and after the shot Guarantees consistency in the ball delivery because it limits any excess movement by keeping all finger joints in locked mode. The only joint that bends on the hand during a shot is the wrist.

The symbolism here is like a ducks webbed feet which always stay wide for maximum traction while paddling. Imagine rowing a boat with a broom handle instead of an oar. Same principle. No direction or power with a thin follow through.

8. The Shot arc is usually the same as the angle of release which also equals the angle of entry of the ball in the basket.

The symbolism here for the arc is to imagine shooting out of the top of an old red British phone booth. You definitely don't want your follow through to be level with your forehead or close to your ear.

9. The 'complete follow through' is the holding pattern during the shot at least until the ball hits the rim. This is full arm extended with wrist bent and hand parallel to the floor and no joints bent.

The symbolism here is the Statue of Liberty holding the flaming torch proud and high and for quite a long time. (Hold follow through for life of the shot or till it hits the rim).

10.The inside edge of the shooting wrist If you have the perfect shot pocket just a couple inches above the forehead and the inside edge of the shooting wrist will be in line with the front center of the rim.

Symbolism here is the inside edge of the shooting wrist compares to the peep sight on the tip of a rifle or shotgun. Thus when you have the perfect line you will have the center front of the rim, the inside edge of your shooting wrist and your eyes form a perfectly straight line just like a long rifle barrel.

A good closing statement for all the above symbolism was given by Frank Andrews when he said "Mindfulness is the practice of aiming your attention, moment to moment, in the direction of your purpose. It is called mindfulness because you have to keep your purpose in mind as you watch your attention. Then, whenever you notice that your aim has drifted off, you calmly realign it". Absolutely perfect.

Copyright 2009, Ed Palubinskas. All rights reserved.

Author-Ed Palubinskas
http://www.freethrowmaster.com
One of the world's leading authorities on shooting excellence.
President of National Basketball Shooters Association, Inc.
Olympic scoring Champion. 2 time Olympian
All-American, All-World selection.
Led all Colleges and pros in free throw percentage in 1972 with 92.4%.
Played at LSU. Still in top 20 all time NCAA Free throw shooters.
Guinness book world record 2005 with 1206/1265 free throws made in one hour.
LA Lakers shooting coach 2000-1. NBA Ring.
Several State championships in Louisiana.
You can order comprehensive shooting instruction DVDs as well as a whole shooting system with life lasting applications of great value. See more accolades on web site bio.

Fishing Injuries-Are You Joking?

Who would have thought?

When you think of fishing, you seldom envision too many things that can keep you from partaking in this recreational activity.

Think again.

I am on basketball disabled list.

That's right, in rehab-- to much basketball to cast my fly. Or my powerbait for that matter.

Now, complaining about a "fishing injury" is sorta like complaining that a hangnail is keeping you from typing.OOHH poor baby! Nonetheless, I am telling you, I am in too much pain to cast.

I didn't exactly get injured fishing, so if your first thought was: "What, did he pull a muscle setting the hook?" Or "Does he have 'fisherman's elbow' ?" "Did he fall out of his folding lawn chair?"

You would be wrong.Although negotiating a lawn chair can be tricky business, especially while holding a beverage.

Actually, I am not one hundred percent sure how I got injured, but it might have had something to do with doing a face plant--or shoulder plant to be exact-- onto the basketball floor while playing a loosely resembled game of basketball.

I say loosely, because fi you saw the "brand" of basketball we play here in the "old boys" basketball league here in Southern Oregon, well--you would know what I mean.

As it was, I was already nursing a pulled hamstring, when as I limped along like a struggling Wildebeast, my shoe grabbed tight hold of the freshly finished hardwoods, and dropped me like a Douglas Fir sapling. Unfortunately, my "catlike" reflexes were unable to respond to the sudden pull of gravity, and I crashed shoulder first into the floor.

Sharp pain--no more basketball...

....or fishing.

I now have what modern medical technology has deemed as the "torn rotator cuff".

Move over Pedro Martinez, my pitching career may be over.

If you have never had a torn rotator cuff, then you will not know the pain I am in. If you have, then you will understand the strange feeling of being able to pick up seventy pounds in one direction, but the problematic task of combing your hair can drop you to your knees in anguish.

Luckily, I have no hair.

Even trying to turn your steering wheel, wax your car or picking up a pot of chili can make you wince in pain.

Of course, chili can make you wince in pain for other reasons--but that is a different story.

Reaching back into the cooler for a beverage? No can do Elmo--we are talking major problems here.

Naturally, it is my right arm--my casting arm-- and even though I don't exactly throw a ninety mile an hour roll cast, the casting motion definately brings out some really creative and colorful language.

So, for now it is the disabled basketball while I ponder surgery or therapy, hoping there is an off chance that it is really really bad tendonitis just flaring up like an air bag in my shoulder.

There isn't enough ibuprofen on this planet to ease the pain when it hits you.

I mentioned that I wasn't really sure how I tore the rotator cuff--because when you think about it, the art of casting is similar to the art of pitching or throwing a baseball.(baseball or throwing is probably the most common cause of torn rotator cuffs)

Who is to say that the numerous hours spent trying to get just ten more feet of casting length has not taken it's toll on my casting arm.Pumping and wrestling in salmon and steelhead could surely put wear and tear on the shoulder also.

Maybe I should just hang up the ol' waders and call it a career?

Give up fishing? No way!!

Even if I have to go back to dangling a worm and bringing in a "relief" reeler, rest assured I will be back out there soon tossing casts into mighty rivers. I just might have to work my way back up by casting on creeks and catching smaller fish during "rehab".

Probably will have to pour smaller drinks too!

So beware of those fishing injuries, they can really put a crimp in your fishing life.

And if you see some guy stretching and warming up by tossing short casts ten feet out into the water--you just might want to ask him how his rotator cuff is doing.

A.J. Klott

Author, writer of fishing humor,and "fly tack" peddler.A.J. writes about the people,characters and modern day events that surround the fishing world. His first book is due out in December of 2005. If you need a laugh or a fun gift, visit his website at: http://www.twoguyswithflys.com

Workouts to Jump Higher - Find One Today

So you want to jump higher? For every athletic goal, there is a workout. There are workouts to run faster, workouts to play a better defense, workouts to throw better. So, of course there are workouts to jump higher. In fact, given how crucial a good jump is to several different sports, it's surprising there aren't more of them.

There are basketball quite a few workouts to jump higher out there, on the shelves in bookstores, on websites, and of course the mega-athletes have trainers designing workouts just for them. Unfortunately, the rest of us can't afford the kind of trainers the pros can, and finding a good prepackaged workout, isn't always easy.

A good workout to jump higher needs to be basketball on the physical mechanics of jumping. A jump requires both strength and speed, and any workout that isn't focusing on both won't give you what you need. What else should you look for in a good training program?

Target
Every training program is written with someone in mind; a pro athlete, a student striving for a scholarship, or a weekend warrior. Make sure that whoever the program was written for, it fits you. If you play on the company team and looking for a better jump shot, a program that requires several hours in the gym each day probably won't fit your schedule. On the other hand, if you are training every day for that scholarship, then you need a program that is going to push you as far as you can go.

Success
Don't believe anything you read, but be wary of any prepackaged training program that doesn't have a lot of satisfied customers. It doesn't hurt to check around and see what program is recommended by the experts either. There are plenty of websites that rate training programs. Don't hesitate to use them.

A Great Workout
Obviously, no prepackaged workout is going to tell you everything up front, but basketball through the official description and the testimonials can give you a pretty good idea of what the workout is about. If you like what you see, and think this is the workout for you, go for it!

If you are ready to seriously start looking for the perfect workout, why wait? For a program, with a wide target, high success rate, and great workouts to jump higher; check out the Vertical Project. http://www.vertical-leap.info

The Invisible Book Signing

Once upon a time there was a young royal scribe, a joint heir with the King of Kings. This humble basketball decided it would be great to have a book signing in the kingdom's public library. She worked to reach her readers. She called for the royal announcer to blow his horn publicly so readers far and wide would hear the news. She sent out invitational announcement to nurses through out the royal kingdom.

For many days she prepared for the 4 hour event.

The day arrived and she and her husband traveled to the near basketball city. When they arrived at the royal library the royal librarian was not very receptive, but cordial. No posters could be basketball up to announce the event. It must have been a king's decree across the land. The couple went to the room at the top of the stairs, set up the books and free giveaways, but alas, no one came.

The husband felt sorry for the scribe so he picked her a royal bouquet from the library garden. The guards were unaware.

The scribe picked a book off the shelf and began to read; the husband went outside on the beautiful day and cleaned the carriage. Waiting, and waiting, finally her two greatest fans arrived. Her parents, who also traveled far for the event.

Together they waited until their royal bellies started to growl. They loaded up and went to the local International House of Pancakes and had ummy pancakes and a very nice visit.

The parents and the husband were afraid that the scribe would be disappointed. But, lo and behold, she wasn't. She thought it funny that she gave a party and no one came. As she ate her pancakes it occurred to her that this must be a royal rite of passage for scribes. She counted it all joy.

After the couple had gotten back to their humble abode in the forest the messenger rang. Her Daddy had stopped at the royal Wal-Mart where their cousin is the manager. Her parents were in need of a new coffee brewing pot and were able to visit with the cousin who was working. The cousin was happy to find out that his cousin was a published scribe. Her Daddy was happy to give him a card for the scribe.

The cousin sent message to the scribe and ordered a book for his sister who is studying to be a nurse. The scribe told him that she would bring it to him on Monday after the Sabbath on Sunday.

The scribe had an idea. What if she can get her royal cousin to stock the book in his royal Wal-Mart?

So she sat down and wrote a message to her royal writing group, Son Rise Writers, asking them to pray to the King of Kings that this might come to pass if it be His Will.

The moral of the story is: Count it all joy.

(Well ain't that the silliest thing you have ever read?)

Angela Posey-Arnold
http://www.angelaposeyarnold.com

Battle Chess Set

To be on life on chessboard these chess sets are present. By engaging Napoleon against the Duke basketball Wellington once again you can try basketball enact changed history. Bookworms of history will highly rejoice addition of a chess set with miscellaneous battle accessories into their collection. You may think of playing games sometimes with that or keep that under glass covers of a showcase, but there can be no basketball of the fact that such chess sets present with historical accuracy each character in their depiction of battles.

Chess Set reflecting Battle of Troy

The battle of Troy ensued, as ancient Greek poet Homer writes down, as Trojan king Paris abducted Helen, the beautiful wife of the king of Sparta.

The Greeks were winning in the beginning and thus they were confident enough that within a few weeks the war would end. But they were not right at all. For more than nine years the war continued.

Patrolus, the sword brother and friend of invincible Achilles, died as the first hero. Still Achilles did not agree to fight since with Agamemnon, the high king, he had an argument.

But Patrolus was quite confident that only if Achilles came forward to join the battle the Greeks could come out victorious. As Achilles did not oblige him, Patrolus sought permission to ride out in the armor of Achilles so that the Trojans could be cowed down. To that Achilles gave his nod. Immediately Patrolus rode out into the battlefield and the Trojans presumed him to be Achilles, the immortal.

But as a young Trojan fighter threw off the helmet of Patrolus it was clear that Achilles was not that warrior. As they got rid of fear they did not delay to kill Patrolus cruelly.

The grief-torn Achilles went almost mad, wept and pulled out his hair. Next he did swear the he would finish off Hector, the Trojan leader in the war and Pariss own brother who had killed Patrolus. Achilles killed Hector and over the whole battleground ground dragged his body.

Ultimately the Trojans lost the war once drew in the wooden horse with the false notion that total victory was within their grip.

Designer stamped and dated Chessmen hand crafted and highly detailed chess pieces are with Battle of Troy Chess Set. The king of 3-3/4 size goes with each Battle of Troy set.

With each Battle of Troy Set goes non-folding super quality oak chessboard, 16 inches in measurement, and that is free without any binding. Further, at a very little cost you can upgrade it to a fancy or storage chessboard. There are options and you can select therefrom.

Swati Banerjee is the owner of Writing Ink, a web content management firm based out of India, that services clients from across the globe. Please take a minute to visit http://www.writing-ink.com to experience how the bright young minds here make magic with words!

Hang Time - Is There Such a Thing?

Anyone that watches basketball has seen this (probably many times). Michael Jordan (or another favorite player) is running full speed down court, he jumps, soaring through the air for a tremendous slam dunk. And while he is doing it, the announcers are heaping praise on him for his "amazing hang time". The way they make it sound, he just stays up in the air while other players jump in their attempts to block the shot and fall back to earth as they watch him sail on.

Is this what really happens? If it is, what secret ability do these players have that let them do this while others cannot? If this is not what really happens, why does it seem that some players can indeed stay in the air longer than other players can?

It all happens so quickly in reality. Are we really seeing what we think we are seeing? Since this act of running and jumping is a "physical" activity, we will take a look at the "physics" involved in jumping. Are there things a player can do to help him stay in the air longer?

The law's of physics have not been changed for basketball players. As a player is coming down the court and going up for a slam dunk, they apply a force (with the muscles of their legs, ankles, and feet) against the floor. The floor pushes back with an "equal force" that propels them into the air. But one thing that we do know for sure - "what goes up must come down" (physics again). The force that the player exerted is not enough to overcome gravity, so they are pulled back down.

Why, then, is it that we say some people can stay in the air longer? What, if basketball can you do to have a longer "hang time?" To find out the answers and get a basketball detailed explanation of what REALLY happens, please check out the post on our blog at http://verticaljump.einfohound.com/free-vertical-jump-info/hang-time-is-there-such-a-thing/ We also have other information on how to increase your vertical jump including reviews of programs and basketball that are available to help you

Tom Beagle is a writer for EInfohound. Check out the followup to this article at verticaljump.einfohound.com/free-vertical-jump-info/hang-time-is-there-such-a-thing/. You can get more information on increasing your vertical jump at verticaljump.einfohound.com