Printable NCAA Tournament Bracket - Where to Get Yours Today

The NCAA college basketball tournament is the biggest event during the month of March till April, basketball is why there is a so-called "NCAA college basketball brackets that fans and sports-crazy people bet on their favorite teams. This month is also known as March Madness mainly because of certain reasons. First, getting into the NCAA college basketball tournament takes a lot of time and work to get into the brackets. Second, there is a big amount of money ranging from a million to 2.5 billion every year from illegal and legal sports bets being played by basketball fans from all over the country. The wins and losses of people affect them greatly since this is a big investment and risk that are being dealt in this kind of game. Therefore, if you as an NCAA basketball fan would want to bring home the big prize, then it's time to look for your own Printable NCAA Tournament Bracket.

For this year, the NCAA college basketball tournament will be even better and more exciting because there are a lot of good teams playing against one another. For some NCAA experts, they see Connecticut, Marquette, Duke, and Pittsburgh as some of the finest teams to be playing in this year's tournament. But of course, in order to win the NCAA college tournament brackets the winning team has to maintain its best performance and team work all throughout the competition. This is going to be one of the most exciting and adrenalin-rushing tournaments this March to April, so if you've decided to place your bets on the teams, you need a Printable Ncaa Tournament Bracket that will guide you throughout the entire tournament.

There are many places to get a copy of a Printable NCAA Tournament Bracket. Having this will enable you to have a look at some of the best teams that are basketball in the tournament. If you are able to bet on the winning teams, not only will you be ecstatic that your college basketball team won a great honor but you will also be carrying a big amount of money in your pocket back home. There are hundreds of NCAA websites that can provide you with a Printable NCAA Tournament Bracket, especially websites that produce over a dozen brackets in different formats. You can download your copy of the NCAA college basketball tournament bracket in either a PDF file, in JPG file, or even in an Excel spreadsheet for easy viewing.

Just remember that you don't have to pay any amount just to get your copy of the NCAA tournament bracket. There are websites that open their copies of the brackets for free downloading, so don't fall for those that claim they have the most updated NCAA tournament bracket and that you have to buy it in order to be able to enjoy the March Madness to the fullest. All you need to do is get yourself a copy, root for your favorite NCAA basketball teams, and enjoy the March Madness season.

Chris Grisham is the creator of Basketball Crusher, the premier website for making money betting online sports. He has successfully been beating sportsbooks for years using his proven system and top Printable NCAA Tournament Bracket tips based on lines, trends, angles, and years of experience. Learn about his system for FREE at http://www.BasketballCrusher.com

Lessons In Shooting Hoops

No matter where we look or what life throws our way, there is always a lesson basketball be learned, if we just take the time to look for it.

On February 27, 2004 our family was fortunate enough to take a mini-vacation, courtesy of our 13-year-old son. The week before this big event, our son entered a local "Hoop Shooting" competition and won first place, four tickets to the University game, and a chance to win the regionals. So Saturday morning we packed our bags, booked a hotel, and headed down to Green Bay, Wisconsin to join many other aspiring basketball shooters for a chance to move forward to the state championships.

My son anxiously watched teen after teen take his or her turn at shooting hoops. He observed every technique as he waited for his turn. After waiting nearly an hour for his chance to shoot, my son went to the hoops. His first basket was a miss. We could see the frustration in his eyes. He looked down at the floor, swirled the basketball in his hands, looked up at the hoop, and tried again. Another miss. We cheered him on; reminding him to relax and just have fun. But he wasn't there to "just have fun." He wanted to win!

He shot another hoop and missed again-this time shaking his head in disbelief. Finally, a few balls make it in the hoop. It took a total of 20 seconds, but it might as well have been hours. My son walked away from his hoop frustrated, disappointed, and knowing that he didn't make it to the regionals-after all, there were several guys before him that had double the hoops he had.

While my son didn't make it to the state championships, he learned a very valuable life lesson: sometimes your best just isn't good enough, but that doesn't mean you failed. Our son was pretty upset when he realized another child had not one or two, but 14 hoops more than him. He felt like he failed and rightly so. While he didn't want to get his hopes up; he really wanted to win, and have a chance at those four Orlando, Florida tickets. And what child wouldn't want an all-expense paid trip to Disneyworld, let alone the Championship Basketball game?

If it were up to him, he would have left before watching the game and went back to the hotel room to sulk and beat himself up. Instead, we took this opportunity to help him work through this life disappointment and show him the good that came from the situation.

Sure, he didn't make it to the next level, sure it sucked, and sure he had a right to feel down and disappointed. But he couldn't run away from the situation because that wouldn't help him when (and being human, he will) he failed again.

We gave him time to sulk and deal with the disappointment and then we sat down to share our perspective on the situation:

1. He did his best.

2. Because of his earlier accomplishment we were going to be able to watch a game we would not have been able to watch otherwise.

3. We were proud of him regardless of whether he won or lost, and were just so darn excited to be able to cheer him on.

4. He placed first in a town of 10,000.

5. It's okay to fail. We all fail at some point in our lives.

6. There's always next year. If he thinks he could have done better, he has an entire year to practice before next year's shoot-out.

In the end, we stayed, watched the game, and had a great time! When life gets the better of you, don't let it keep you down. As the old saying goes, "when life hands you lemons, make lemon aid!"

Alyice Edrich is the editor of The Dabbling Mum, a free parenting publication, and the author of several work from home e-books designed to help parents earn extra cash while spending more time with their children. To learn more, visit her at http://thedabblingmum.com/ebookstore

Basketball Equipment - Apparel Guide

If you basketball a basketball fan, then you may have browsed the Internet for the right basketball apparel, many times. There are a number basketball online shops that sell fashionable, stylish and discount apparel in various colors, styles and materials. Basketball jerseys, bags, socks, shorts - all are available in various designs and sizes for men, women as well as kids. Online sports apparel buying can prove to be one of the most exciting experiences for a basketball fan.

Though while choosing basketball apparel one tends to look at its style and overall effect, it is very important to choose the right kind of apparel with quality material to prevent any accidental tearing during the play. The following are some of the reasons why you should choose basketball apparel with care:

The game of basketball involves a lot of physical activity; hence the apparel should be made of strong and durable material.

In order to take the possession of the ball, the players engage in a lot of body banging on the game court which may accidentally involve tearing of basketball jerseys.

Many players grab their opponents during the game, so the strength of apparel is important.

Women's basketball apparel is available in various styles as women are more inclined towards style than comfort. Various types of basketball apparel such as jerseys with the team logo or color, tank tops, socks, shoes and shorts are available online. Nowadays, there are special socks available that are lightweight and have a special padding over the toes area to provide protection against quick pauses and turns. This padding also provides better fitting and support.

It may have become quite apparent to you that while choosing basketball apparel, one must look at the durability and comfort level of the product. However, there are some people, who just like to wear these clothes to show their support and love for their favorite team. Naturally they would be more interested in style, color and the overall appeal of the product. The choice is entirely yours!

Visit CORE online to get free access to more information and resources for basketball apparel.

How to Help Your Child Choose a Sport

Sports and kids; the two go hand in hand. But when faced with specific sports, how are parents and kids to decide? For example, when school starts back up, it won't be long before there are football games to attend. Then it's basketball in the winter. Springtime gives you soccer, baseball, and swimming. With all the options and only so much time, how do you know what kids sports to sign your child up for?

I guess the first and most important thing you need to find out is if your child is even interested in sports. If they aren't, then it's probably best not to force them into doing anything they don't want to do, especially if it's to relive your own past or current interests. The child needs to have an interest to begin with, otherwise, they'll not only resent the sport, but also you for making them play it. I suppose that if your kids aren't interested in sports, you could probably stop reading this article, or better yet, find another one that interests you. But for the parents who have to deal with this conundrum, we shall continue. So, if your kid shows interest in children's sports, you should try to find out which ones and why. Their answers may surprise you. Dependent on the age of your child, options may be slightly limited. For example, Elementary schools have less sport opportunities compared to high school, especially when it comes to kids team sports. However, there should be ample opportunity to register them in local sport leagues such as pee-wee football, dancing, swimming, soccer, little league baseball or possibly basketball to name a few. At this age, the competition level won't be high, children will probably play on basketball teams, and hopefully, this basketball be a fun time where their love and passion for the sport can grow.

Once you ask your child which sport they would like to try, you can then enroll them to play. Because participation in kids team sports or individual sports is quite time intensive, usually involving both games and practice, it may be best to have your child pick and rank their favorite seasonal sports. By doing this your child can try a variety of sports without it being too detrimental to their school work or your schedule.

As you kids move into higher grades, the opportunity for your children to participate in sports will increase. The amount of children's sports offerings is vast and will provide quite a few opportunities for both boys and girls to pursue their ambitions. The usual kids sport offerings in high school include but aren't limited to football, basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, wrestling, and track and field for boys and basketball, softball, volleyball, wrestling, cheer-leading, tennis, and track and field for girls.

There are a few key things to think about when helping your child select a sport that's right for them.

Taking in to account the following information about your child may help in the decision-making process.

* Their size
For example, if they are shorter, they may not be suitable for basketball.

* Their abilities

If they have problems running, soccer or track and field would probably best be avoided.

* Their interests
If they love spending time running alone or competing against their own personal bests, they may be more suited towards individual sports like tennis.

* Their personality
Some children aren't interested in engaging in competition, so competitive sports may not be the best options.

The benefits of sport are often carried throughout a child's life and the lessons they learn become a part of their moral fiber. Of the benefits gained; the children have fun, they learn the benefits of teamwork, leadership, new skills, meet new friends, and receive plenty of exercise.

Many children look for a reason to be active and they often have excess energy to burn. They run non-stop, can be quite competitive, and most will excel at certain athletic skills. Although finding the right kids sports to sign your child up for may take some time, it will likely be well worth the effort.

Eronne Ward is a activist for the protection for children online and runs a kids entertainment and education website - http://www.cackleberries.com

Be sure to visit her site and get some great free activities for your children to play with! - Free Cut-out Paper Toys

Sit on Your Couch, Improve Your Hoops Game - NBA Edition

The college and pro basketball games vary in many respects, but you can learn a lot from watching either basketball them. In this article, we will look at what you can learn from watching the pros slug up and down the court.

There are many difference between the NBA and NCAA basketball games, and the most apparent is the apparent selfish basketball of most NBA players. These guys make big money and need to keep their stats up to ensue the dough keeps coming in. There are, however, examples from some of the greatest to play the game that you can learn from to improve your game.

1. The Larry Bird Lesson -"A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals."

Bird is probably one of the best examples of someone who looked honestly in the mirror, saw what talent he had and perfected it. Not blessed with the quickest feet or highest vertical, Bird honed the skills he was given to make himself one of the NBA's all time greats. Bird realized early how to get open and nail a jumper, even though he often times had the other team's best defender guarding him. The lesson you can learn is that if you cannot dunk, don't try to, instead learn to get open and practice your jumpers. Your teammates will notice your skills and call on you at opportune times. To paraphrase this lesson, Bird also said, "First master the fundamentals."

2. The Dennis Rodman Lesson - "I want to do for rebounds what Michael Jordan did for dunks."

Rodman wasn't ever the tallest guy on the floor, measuring out at 6 ft 8 in, but what Rodman lacked in size he made up for in his ability to be in perfect position for every rebound. Although he was most noted for his outrageous hairstyles and multiple tattoos, Rodman NBA for a record 7 consecutive seasons. He perfected defensive positioning and had a knack for knowing exactly where a carom would come off. The take away from Rodman is that basketball isn't just a game of who can jump the highest or shoot the furthest, but rather if you learn the intricacies of where to position your body for rebounds or to steal a pass or take a charge, then you will help your team in as big of a way as hitting the game winning 3 pointer.

3. The LeBron James Lesson - "Sometimes the coaches tell me to be selfish, but my game won't let me be selfish."

Everyone in the world knows that LeBron can score every time he touches the ball. LeBron knows it, his coaches know it, the opposition knows it. What makes LeBron the player he is, is that since everyone in the arena is expecting him to drive or pull up for the J, he has his eyes on the court surveying the D and his teammates to see where he can dish the ball when the opposition collapses. What makes LeBron the best player in the game isn't his nearly 30 ppg average, but it is his 30 ppg average combines with his nearly 7 assists-per-game. Taking a chapter out of LeBron's book, you can learn that being a team makes you the best on the floor, more so than just averaging the most points. Look for your teammates, not only will they appreciate it, but it will help you get past a defender who thinks you are going to dish the ball.

4. The Shaquille O'Neal Lesson - "Me shooting 40% at the foul line is just God's way to say nobody's perfect."

How would you feel to be the best player on your team, maybe your league and not be in there for the final few minutes of the game? This is what Shaq has suffered through the majority of his career. The best lesson you can learn from Shaq is to practice your free throws. If you cannot hit clutch free throws late in the game you probably won't see the floor time as the game winds down. The opposition can spot quickly if you can hit free throws and will take advantage of deficiencies. If they know you cannot hit free throws and you have the ball as the game is coming to a close, they probably will try and get you on the line. If you can nail the free throws, you can seal the game with your shooting.

Some of the NBA greats above are long since retired, but you can still learn lessons derived from their playing days. You can also form your own lessons while watching some of the current crop of NBA superstars. Players like Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard also qualities about them that you can learn from to improve your game.

Keep sporting!

Evan Pfaff is co-owner of Who's In First.

Who's In First is an online league management system for leagues of all sizes and sports. Our state-of-the-art software enables league managers the ability to quickly create and deploy schedules and standings over the Internet.

Visit Who's In First, http://www.whosinfirst.com, today for a free demonstration and to learn why Who's In First is the best choice for your league.