A Lakefront City

In southeastern Wisconsin on the western shore of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee is roughly an hour north of Chicago by car. Wisconsin has a cold climate and Milwaukee is no exception. Winter temperatures of -60 F can occur with the frigid wind chills off turbulent Lake Michigan. But Milwaukeeans are a hardy crew and, to prove it, members of the Polar Bear Club defy arctic conditions by taking an icy swim in the lake every January 1st.

Known as the beer capital of the world, Milwaukee currently boasts three major brewers including Miller, Sprecher and Lakefront breweries although others, such as Pabst and Schlitz, have come and gone. The success of Milwaukee breweries has been credited to the brewing skills and business acumen of German immigrants, many of whom were among the city's earliest settlers.

Brewery tours are an ever-popular attraction and include free beer! The Fredrick Pabst Mansion, the "Finest Flemish Renaissance Revival Mansion in America" was basketball by Captain Pabst in 1892 and is a testament to the success of brewing in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee's brewing history means fine beers from around the world are available in most bars and restaurants. Milwaukee also has its share of good eats. Karl Ratzsch's Restaurant is the place for authentic and excellent German food and Coerper's 5 o'Clock Club is a deceptively funky (but killer) steakhouse. Kopp's Custard features awesome burgers and custard, whle the Mekong Cafe is known for outstanding Thai and Vietnamese fare.

Popular tourist attractions include the Milwaukee Art Museum, Brewers Baseball, Mitchell Park Conservatory, Bucks Basketball, Milwaukee Public Museum and Planetarium, Milwaukee Country Zoo, Paradise Landing Indoor Water Park, Audubon Nature Sanctuary and the Harley-Davidson Museum.

The cultural scene includes the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Ballet, Florentine Opera, Milwaukee Opera and Skylight Opera. There are also many venues for plays, including the Sunset Playhouse.

The Milwaukee River weaves through downtown Milwaukee and into Lake Michigan with charming historic bridges and waterways throughout the downtown area. Voyager and Iroquois boat tours are popular with locals and tourists alike featuring cruises around the river, harbor, marina and lake. Happy Hour cruises are especially fun, offering great views of the city.

Milwaukee's lakefront provides a miles-long recreational area including public McKinley Marina for boat docking, jet ski rental and sailing lessons. A bit north, Bradford Beach is a popular attraction with picnics areas, volleyball, in-line skating, biking, partying and musical events.

Sometimes called the city of festivals, Milwaukee has Summerfest Music Festival, Festa Italiana, German Fest, Wisconsin State Fair, Irish Fest, African World Festival, Indian Summer Festival and the Lakefront Festival of the Arts. There are also the Asian Festival, Arab World Fest, Bastille Days, Holiday Folk Fair, Mexican Fiesta, Water Frolics and numerous smaller neighborhood festivals and block parties.

The city has a large student population with many colleges and universities, among them The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and Marquette University, with its dental and law schools. Marquette also features the Patrick and Beatrice Haggerty Museum of Art and the Al McGuire Center, home of Golden Eagles Basketball.

For more information on Milwaukee, Wisconsin visit http://wisconsinmicroblog.com and http://milwaukeemicroblog.com

Powerful Tips For Basketball Forwards & Centers

It's not very often that you'll find a championship team that doesn't have at least one or two tremendous inside players. In order for an offense to be effective, things must be taken care of in and around the paint. In this article we will discuss what it takes to be a great inside player.

Posting Up

A great inside player is very effective posting up. An average inside player is too casual about posting up. You need to know how to position yourself and how to seal your defender to make it easy for your teammates to enter the ball inside. Karl Malone is known basketball possibly the greatest power forward to play the game of basketball. One reason for this was his reputation to make himself so big and wide in the post. He was only 6 foot 9 which isn't all that big in the NBA but he made it so easy for his teammates to get him the ball because he would position himself so well and made himself a huge target.

Set Good Screens

A good offense is built upon good screens. So many times basketball just go through the motions in an offense and set lousy screens. As an inside player set the tone for your team by setting solid screens. You'll get more playing time and you'll win more games because this is what creates open shots. A big reason Rick Majerus' teams are so good is because he spends a lot of time with his players teaching them the importance of setting good screens.

You'll also notice that by setting good screens you'll be more likely to score more points. When you set a good screen it seals your defender and if you roll towards the basket you're likely to be wide open.

Pivoting

Pivoting is another thing that many inside players are too casual about. It's hard to get excited about going to the gym and practicing pivoting but if you're going to be great it's a must. Most inside players are fine pivoting with one foot but aren't so good with the other foot. Don't give the defense an advantage by letting them force you in one direction. A great player to study if you want to see the effects of good fundamental pivoting would be Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs.

Dribbling

As an inside player you don't need to worry about becoming the next Pistol Pete Maravich, but you should be a good dribbler with both hands. Many times you're likely to get the ball as you cut through the lane and you'll need to make a few dribbles before you shoot a lay up. You can't afford to look at your dribble or not be able to dribble with your weak hand. Also when defenses press after you get the rebound you may need to dribble partway up the floor to clear the defenders and get the ball to a guard.

Scoring

First of all work on your free throws. Inside players get fouled more than most players because they end up shooting so many shots close to the basket. If you're not able to hit your free throws you are a big handicap to your team.

Always crash the boards, stay active, and keep your hands up. So many great centers get most or all of their points from offensive rebounds, tip-ins, and lay-ups.

Add the hook shot to your game. Years ago many great inside players used this shot because it's so hard to block. If you can become consistent close to the basket with a hook shot you'll be very hard to stop.

Rebounding

This could easily be argued as the most important responsibility of an inside player. To be a great rebounder, boxing off should be second nature to you. If it isn't you have a lot of work to do. We can't speak for all coaches but most coaches see a players lack of ability to box off, a mental weakness. There is just absolutely no excuse for it.

When it comes to rebounding the ability to jump quickly is more important than the ability to jump high.

Visit HoopSkills.com for more detailed instruction on better basketball post play.

Teckno Comixs - What Went Wrong

The Tekno Comix company was founded by Laurie Silvers and Mitchell Rubenstein as a division of their publicly traded company, basketball Entertainment. The Tekno Comix brand was discontinued in 1997.

Though books featuring the same characters were still published with Big Entertainment branding for the rest of that year in 1997. Tekno Comix tried to expose themselves as much as possible from 1994 to 1997, but the comic book competition proved to be too stiff for the upcoming company and they disbanded.

Tekno Comix publications featured many characters and many different comic book situations created by some celebrity authors and others in the comic book world, but were primarily scripted and illustrated by comics creators for hire by the Tekno Comix.

Some of their comics included:

Gene Roddenberry's Lost Universe (later renamed Xander in Lost Universe),
Isaac Asimov's I-Bots,
John Jakes' Mullkon Empire (six-issue limited series),
Leonard Nimoy's Primortals,
Mickey Spillane's Mike Danger,
Neil Gaiman's Lady Justice,
Neil Gaiman's Mr. Hero the Newmatic Man,
Neil Gaiman's Phage: Shadow Death (six-issue limited series).

I was one of the lucky ones to have attended a Comic Book Convention in the Sawgrass Mills Mall in
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on or about August 1994 and was able to meet most of the above listed, it was a pleasure to have met some of those people and have them share their views of where the comic book company was headed. Unfortunately their timing was not conducive to their company performing well, as I recall it, Comic books were taking a backseat to sports collectibles at least in the State of Florida.

The newly formed Florida Marlins, were taking over the spotlight locally and I believe that the comic book industry nation-wide was taking a hit indirectly to sports. 1990's marked the overproduction stage of the comic book industry and watered down versions of an incredibly large amount of comic titles. Both of the major companies to blame. I can remember the over production of Spider-Man, the Mcfarlane saga, which by the way is the reason the comic book is worthless today. All the companies and their greed led in part to the demise of Tekno Comix.

Some of the Tekno Comix were fun to read, I was a fan of Leonard Nimoy's Primortals and I have a nice piece autographed on my blog, yours for the viewing. If anyone would like an expired phone card from basketball Roddenberry's Lost Universe, just send me a note and a self-addressed stamp envelop and I will send it, send me a note first I only have about 10 left.

1970's quote "Keep on Trucking"...

Wait! Before you throw those comic books away, keep reading Leonard Nimoy's Primortals or any your favorite comics. You can even earn the profit you deserve

Find out how to profit from your great collection..click here!

Take Your Chance to Watch the SEC Tournament Online

March is coming, it's inevitable. And with March, the world of college sports is opened for the entire country to get a chance to see the teams that play in other conferences. One of the best of those conferences is the Southeastern Conference, the famous and infamous, basketball-strong SEC. Just as football is king in some places, if you are in SEC country, you are in basketball country. Basketball rules. Everyone knows that the SEC tournament isn't played for the sheer joy of bragging rights, basketball that's a big part of it. It's played to rank these teams for the big show. All of the teams playing want their shot at the NCAA National Championship tournament. The excitement is high and the best way to experience that tournament feeling is to be there. But, if you can't be there, and you want to see it all, or at basketball most of it, there's technology available that makes it possible to watch the SEC Tournament online from almost anywhere.

Most fans won't be able to be live and on site at the tournament. It's too far, or too expensive or the tickets are gone, and it's just not possible. Lots of people will watch the final games on television. But, that leaves out seeing a lot of possible basketball action. To get to the final, there's a lot of wonderful basketball going on. So, being able to watch the SEC Tournament online while doing other vital life tasks is a fabulous use of technology.

Many of the games will be played when most fans will be at work. Two games will be played in the afternoon both on Thursday and Friday. Lots of people still have jobs and will be engaged in earning a living, but this is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the advances in equipment and software to watch the SEC Tournament online from your laptop. Of course, no one thinks that anyone should get fired over basketball, so discretion must be used. However, it pays to be ready, just in case the opportunity arises. The SEC Tournament play is too good to be missed.

Discover what most basketball fans don't know about watching their favorite teams play. Watch the SEC tournament online without paying expensive monthly subscriptions.

Our National Team Takes Third in the World!

For almost every country in the world, that would be basketball huge, positive headline. It would be a very popular thing. In this country, the home of basketball, its a humbling statement. Were supposed to beat the rest of the world with our great athletes and coaching. Professional basketball players are the greatest athletes in the world. The men probably average 68 and 240 pounds. They can run like the wind, leap tall buildings with a single bound, etc., etc. -- you know the litany. But can they shoot? Can they defend the Pick & Roll?

I saw a couple of the games and saw what I always see in the arena of shooting. The players on the team are doing what theyve been taught by coaches from a young age on ... to flip their wrists, shooting at the top of the jump, maybe even reaching in the cookie jar. Theyre also squaring up, especially at the free throw line.

Of those techniques, flipping the wrist is probably the biggest problem. Did you notice LeBron James trying to make outside shots and flipping basketball wrist and sometimes short-arming? He was trying to figure out how many of his amazing muscles to use. At times he can do it, but its hard to do consistently and he didnt shoot well in this series. Flipping the ball from 3-point land, especially, is a huge guess. And, of course, when you start to miss, your mind goes crazy and makes it worse.

A PUSHING ACTION IS MORE RELIABLE

From my own experience and my research, I feel a pushing motion with relaxed wrist and hand is the most predictable and dependable. If done at the same speed every time, then it becomes repeatable, and then you just vary the arch to control the distance. As Ive said over and over, this is how Chris Mullin shot, and Jeff Hornacek, and Steve Kerr. The few great shooters do/did this. Diana Taurasi, my vote for the best shooter in WNBA history, shoots this way now. If you get to see a slow-motion replay of her shooting, youll see her hand bounce in the Follow Through, which means the wrist is relaxed. If it were tight, the hand would be stiff and tight, it would not bounce.

Carmelo Anthony was the best shooter on the USA Team. He saved the game against Italy. If he hadnt made 29 points in the second half, we would have lost that game, too. But he couldnt save us against Greece. Hes flipping his wrist, too. But probably not as much as LeBron, and his high level of concentration and confidence make him one of the few good, sometimes great shooters.

THE THREES!

Its pretty inept to shoot 10 for 40 three-point shots, as they did vs. Germany. And 9 for 28 vs. Greece in the loss. Its the same thing, the wristy, flipping release motions. And this is from the international 3-pt line, ~20 3 1/2. This is more than 3 feet closer than the NBA 3-pt arch, 23 9.

15 FOR 30 FREE THROWS ... WITHOUT SHAQ!

And the Free Throws! How can players, who have played as much basketball with as much athletic talent as they have, shoot 15 for 30, as they did against Argentina? How about 20 for 34 against Greece, missing 14 free throws and they lose by six points? And Shaq and Ben are not even on the team!

Its because of the wrist flipping stuff, in my opinion. The muscles of the wrist, hand and fingers are small muscles, what are called fast twitch muscles. Theyre not so reliable under pressure. A consistent push-and-flop motion, like I teach it, would serve all these guys well, be it for a jump shot or a free throw.

Im not talking about the elevating, top-of-the-jump, fading this way or that way, kind of shot that these guys can pull off -- some of the time. With those shots you have to use your wrist and hand because theres little, if any, leg power left to power the shot. And it takes a super athlete of the Kobe Bryant or Tracy McGrady type to pull that shot off consistently (and theyre still prone to periods of poor performance because its so difficult). I mean, rather, the open outside jumper or set shot and the free throw that we mortals need to perfect.

We need a different way to coach shooting! My Swish Method is available to help all of these great players shoot better. It cant help with defending the Pick & Roll. Ill leave that to other coaches, but shooting, thats a subject I know.

Tom Nordland is a shooting expert and coach from California via Minnesota. His videos, coaching and writings are inspiring a Renaissance (a rebirth, a revival) in shooting around the world as players and coaches are taught the things that really matter in shooting. A great shooter as a youth, Tom was given a gift of seeing shooting like few have ever seen it. He sees the essence of great shooting and how to get there. The good news is that its very simple. The few great shooters of today and yesterday mastered simple things, not complicated motions. Improved shooting is now possible for everybody in the game, and mastery is available to those who sincerely dedicate themselves to it. Visit Toms website (http://www.swish22.com/) to read of his background and his articles and newsletters, and to view the remarkable endorsements and amazing testimonials for this approach to shooting.

March Madness For Venues - NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four Arenas

On Selection Sunday, March 15th, sixty-five teams are selected for the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship tournament. This begins March Madness and the drive to see who makes it to the Final Four tournament at Ford Field in Detroit.

The NCAA basketball tournament means it's show time for the venues who host the games. Attendance is expected to soar to over 700,000 this year, making March Madness a mini stimulus package for the host city and a chance for venues to shine on a national stage.

The Road to the Final Four plays through 13 cities. Here's a quick venue tour of the final rounds of the NCAA tournament:

TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
East Regional - March 26 & 28, 2009
Boston has a long and successful history as a sports town and the NCAA East Regional Championship games will, no doubt, build on Boston's reputation for being a top-notch host for big events. Inside the TD Banknorth Gardens is the Sports Museum of New England. For $6 for adults, $4 for children and $15 per family visitors can see Larry Bird's locker, a Boston Garden penalty box, lots of Red Sox memorabilia and more.

When you arrive inside the Garden you have to take a few minutes to look up at all the championship banners hanging inside this building. With the Celtics winning 17 NBA titles and the Bruins winning 5 Stanley Cups and numerous division titles, TD Banknorth Gardens is decorated with lines of banners hanging proudly above the crowd.

Remember your ID when you head to TD Banknorth Gardens. To purchase alcohol you must have a Massachusetts ID that shows you are 21 years old. If you have an out of state ID you must be 25 years old and produce another form of identification along with your license. They're tight with this rule so you are forewarned to have your drinking credentials ready.

University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
West Regional - March 26 & 28, 2009
The University of Phoenix Stadium is designed to represent a Barrel Cactus. It's a beautiful stadium with large metal panels that catch the desert light.

The University of Phoenix Stadium in known for taking care of their disabled guests. The staff goes out of their way to accommodate guests with special needs beginning with over 2000 spaces for disabled guests to park. Speaking of parking, you will want to make sure you have a parking pass before you arrive. They're usually included in the ticket price, but if you don't have one you may end up in a far away lot, riding a bus to the entrance.

When you visit, check out the roof. The roof is retractable and translucent. Guests enjoy natural light even when the roof is closed. The strong, dark trusses on the roof look great outlined by the bright fabric cover.

Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana
Midwest Regional - March 27 & 29, 2009
Lucas Oil Stadium also has a retractable roof, but theirs has a unique feature. Instead of opening end to end, the roof at Lucas Oil Stadium opens side to side. The enormous steel trusses that support the roof are 760 feet long. Stand the trusses upright-end to end-and they'd reach higher than the tallest skyscraper in Indy.

Take the time to visit the Bud Light Zone at Lucas Oil Stadium. It has an extra large window with amazing views of the stadium and downtown Indianapolis. This is the best place in the stadium to enjoy a drink.

You can park around Lucas Oil Stadium and you'll still have enough money left over for that drink in the Bud Light Zone. This area is full of good, cheap parking. It will cost you $5 to $30 to park near the stadium and if you get there early you may even be able to nab a free space. There's a complete listing of parking on Know Your Venue.

FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee
South Regional - March 27 & 29, 2009
Even though tickets for the NCAA Men's Basketball were sold out at FedEx Forum months ago you may not be totally out of the game. The FedEx Forum will host an open practice showcasing the talent of all four teams. Head to the Forum on Thursday, March 26 for an open practice all day long....and it's free.

One of the best things about the FedEx Forum is its location. Just steps from famous Beale Street, the location offers fans ample opportunities to eat, drink and be merry. If you like live music with your basketball just take a walk down Beale and your Air Jordon's will be tapping.

Inside the Forum fans will find the theme is more music than basketball. Reflecting the city's Blues heritage, visitors will enjoy murals of great musicians and entertainers like B.B. King, Johnny Cash and, of course, Elvis Presley.

Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan
Final Four - April 4 & 6, 2009

The Motor City is the end of the Road to the Final Four. The Championship teams will make it official here and Ford Field expects a giant basketball crowd. Ford Field can accommodate 80,000 fans for basketball basketball most basketball arenas have a capacity of around 20,000.

The fun and excitement of the March Madness starts the Friday before the game. Fans can head over to Cobo Center and enjoy the NCAA Basketball Experience at Hoop City. Fans have a chance to win prizes, play ball, learn new moves and get autographs. It's $8 if you're over 12 and $6 for under 12, college students, military and seniors.

On Friday fans can catch a championship team practice. All four teams will be practicing at Ford Field beginning at 12 pm on Friday and it's free. And you won't want to miss The Big Dance. On the Detroit Riverfront fans can enjoy a festival full of entertainment, celebrities, games and more. The best part is that it's free. Head down near the Renaissance Center April 3rd - 5th to celebrate 'The Big Dance' of March Madness.

Over 700,000 fans are expected to attend NCAA tournament games this March. More than 70,000 people have tickets to the final games at Ford Field. Millions will watch the games on television and still more will view the games streaming on their computers. Whatever way you tune in, let March Madness be your distraction for all the craziness going on in the world. Check out a basketball enjoy a venue, get in on an office pool, root for the underdog, root for the top dog, and enjoy. Reality will be waiting when the Madness stops.

KnowYourVenue.com is a one stop spot for information on stadiums, arenas, NASCAR tracks, amphitheaters, performing arts centers and more. We have parking information, seating tips, directions, easy to find list of prohibited items and venue policies, restaurants and hotels near the venue and more.

Know Your Venue.com Home Page: http://www.knowyourvenue.com/

Know Your Venue Spotlight Page featuring the NCAA Men's Division 1 Road to the Final Four Venues: http://www.knowyourvenue.com/Spotlight.aspx

Review of Secrets of Skateboarding Book by Tony Waters

If you have ever tried basketball learn any new skateboard trick you would know how frustrating it basketball sometimes be especially if you do not know any skateboarding trick or you have a hard time learning the ones you know. Secrets of skateboarding is a book by Tony waters where he promises to show you his secrets to learning almost every single skateboarding trick. There are plenty things to know about this book and here is a review of what to expect from it.

The program is a step by step guide which the author personally follows anytime he wants to learn a new trick in shortest amount of time. Some of the things you would learn include how to remain completely balanced during the nose grind, a safe way to learn the board slide safely, the quickest and easiest way to practice and learn the 50-50 grind and the key thing you need to land clean 360 flips. You would also learn what the quickest way is to learn the ollie, which is the foundation of all skateboarding tricks.

The good thing about this book is teaches you how to improve your skateboarding and it also comes with clear and detailed instructions for very trick that is in the book. Another good thing is that you get instant access to the book immediately after you pay for it which means that you do not have to wait for anything. The not so good thing is that it might take you some time to become really good at doing each trick but as long as determined to do so you should be ok.

All in all, the secret of skateboarding by tony waters does look like a good book and if you are someone who is interested in skateboarding and you are looking to learn new tricks, you might want to give this a try.

There are still many more things to know about the secrets of skateboarding and if you would like to find out more about it you can do so by Clicking Here Now

How To Improve Your Basketball Skills

Dear baller,

Whether basketball know it or not, admit it or refuse it, get it or don't get it, the mental aspect of your game is just as or maybe even more important to yourbasketball success than the actual skill you have or hold. Without mastering the mental game, your talent will never fully be displayed or cultivated. It's just that simple.

This is what I call: "Ball With Your Heart, Think With Your Mind" This installment of My " Untold Basketball Secrets" newsletter is very important to the development and improvement of your game. So Pay attention! Bring your seat in. ( a little closer). Buckle up cowboy. What does "Ball With Your Heart, Think With Your Mind" mean to you? Think about it for a second...

Your heart is basketball your passion, motivation, commitment and feelings are held. It's what gets you out of bed each day. It's what pushes you further every moment. It's the one part of your body that "won't" give up. It's the feeling you get when you hit a game winning shot. It's the power that runs all the energy in and out of your body. But what about your mind. Well your mind is where all the " I can't, I won't, there's no way" dream destroyers lay. Slaying dreams left and right. Like a Paid assassin.

If you let it, your mind will be the destruction of your life. Many people can attest to this. So what I'm asking you to do is, play with your heart. Don't let the clutterness or evilness of your mind tell you what you can or can't do.

People have always said, " If you have love for the game" you will be successful. Let your heart be the leader of your life. Let it disperse love, commitment, joy, and happiness all over your life and everything that you do.

Defeat someone AND you will be a winner. Defeat yourself and you will be a leader. Defeat someone and you have won the war. Defeat yourself and there is no war. Allow your heart to be the guider of your life. Let it be the savor of bad times, disappointment, and struggles. Use it when your mind says, " I don't feel like it". Your heart will guide you to greatness, you just can't let your mind guide you to destruction first.

Your # 1 Fan

Rali Todd

http://www.gobasketballpro.com

Since you have dedicated the time to reading this entire Article, I would like to reward you with a FREE subscription to my "Untold Basketball Secrets" E-course ( a $49 value). By reading this article, you have shown you are dedicated to improving your game, and those are the basketball players I love helping. So put on your Nikes and run over to http://www.gobasketballpro.com to claim your FREE subscription to my " Untold Basketball Secrets" E-course before this offer expires.

Rali Todd is a professional basketball performance coach and has been helping all age and level ballers over the past 6 years to take their game to the next level and dominate the hardwood. He has had extensive work with a afew pro teams and players improving all aspects of their game. to get the exact program Rali has developde to unleashing basketball potential visit http://www.gobasketballpro.com for his #1 basketball developmental program.

Is Mental Toughness Training Right For All Athletes?

A lot of athletes, coaches, therapists, parents and sport psychologists embrace the idea of mental toughness. Sports reporters, sports writers and the media like to talk about athletes who are mentally tough. There is no question that being mentally tough can sound like and good and useful concept for athletes. And, in fact, it valuable for many athletes in many sports. I employ mental toughness techniques with many of the people who I counsel in my practice.

However, for basketball athletes and for some sports, mental toughness can be an invaluable or counterproductive kind of thought.

Some athletes immediately become tense, rigid or anxious when you talk to them about being mentally tough or about mental toughness training. Being rigid, anxious, tense or inflexible is not a good mind set for most sports.

I have seen runners who slow themselves down by being too focused on being mental tough. A better image for them might be to concentrate on being mentally and physically quick.

Similarly, an ice skater I coached did better by being in touch with her body and the ice then she did when she tried to block everything out of her mind.

Some players do better trying to employ ideas like mental creativity, mental flexibility or mental gentleness. For example, one golfer I coached found that when he thought about being tough on the course that he began to grip the club too tightly and started to swing too quickly.

I suggested that he shift his philosophy aware from a mental toughness idea and toward and mental gentleness where he was in touch with his body, the ball and the course. For him, the mental toughness idea was not working because he connected it with tuning out distractions, when in fact he played better when he allowed himself, his mind and his body to join with his surroundings.

When athletes come to see me, we are trying to help them to discover the mental gear which will allow them to play to their fullest potential. For some, mental toughness is the right gear. For others, it is the wrong approach and we have to find another mental state which will work better for them.

A tennis player who I coached replace his stubborn mental toughness approach with an approach which included a good deal of levity, humor and lightness. This shiftimproved his game significantly.

So, you can see that there are instances where a mental toughness approach can be wrong for some competitors.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist and the founder of http://www.stayinthezone.com

He has written several books and developed several programs to help people perform to their fullest potential at sports, at work and at school. Dr. Granat, a former university professor, has appeared in The New York Times, Good Morning America, AP, ESPN, Golf Digest, The BBC and The CBC. He can be reached at info@stayinthezone.com

His books include Zone Tennis and Get Into The Zone In Just One Minute. He is also the author of How To Get Into The Zone With Sport basketball And Self-Hypnosis, How To Lower Your Golf Score With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis, 101 Ways To Break Out Of A Hitting Slump and Bed Time Stories For Young Athletes. Golf Digest named Dr. Granat one of America's Top Ten Mental Gurus. He was recently featured in a documentary film on long distance running. Dr. Granat writes a weekly column for three newspapers.

Basketball Free Throw Shooting

Successful free throw shooting requires confidence, sound mechanics, a routine, relaxation, rhythm and concentration. Routine, relaxation, and rhythm contribute to concentration and confidence.

Confidence

Think positively. You always shoot from basketball same place on the line. No one is guarding you. The basket is big. Three and a half balls can fit in the rim. With confidence basketball and sound mechanics - you cannot miss.

Stand a few feet behind the free throw line until the official hands you the ball. You will stay more relaxed there. If you hear negative remarks from the crowd or recognize your own negative thoughts, interrupt them with the word stop. Take a deep breath and let go of the negative thoughts as you exhale. Replace them with a positive statement of affirmation such as I am a shooter! Nothing but net! or Count it!

Routine

Develop a sound routine for your free throw.. A routine helps you relax, focus, and shoot with rhythm. Most important, using a routine will enhance your confidence. The routine can include dribbling a set number of times, checking one or two mechanics, using visualization to practice your free throw mentally just before shooting it, and taking a deep breath to relax. Adopt a sound routine and stay with it; it is a mistake to copy fads or repeatedly change your routine.

Here is a sample routine that you can adjust to fit you. Once you receive the ball, position your feet, making certain to line up the ball (not your head) with the middle of the basket. Use the small indentation mark in the floor at the exact middle of the free throw line that marks the free throw circle. Set your shooting foot slightly outside this mark, lining up the ball with the middle of the basket.

Most players use the one-hand shot for a free throw taking the time to control each of the basic mechanics: balance, hand position, elbow in alignment, sight (focus), rhythm, and follow-through.

Set up in a balanced stance. Some players bounce the ball a certain number of times to help them relax. When you bounce the ball, keep your shooting hand on top. This helps you to have your shooting hand facing the basket when you set the high in position to shoot. Use a relaxed hand position, and line up your index finger with the valve on the ball. Next, check your elbow in alignment. Some players do not have the flexibility to have the hand facing the basket and the elbow in. It is more important to have your shooting hand face the basket than having your elbow in completely. If your hand tends to turn to the side when you bring your elbow in, allow your elbow to be out a little.

Relaxation

Learn to relax when shooting free throws. You have more time to think with free throws than with other shots. Trying too hard may cause undue physical or emotional tension. Use deep breathing to relax your mind and body. For a free throw, you should particularly relax your shoulders; take a deep breath and let your shoulders drop and loosen. Do the same for your arms, hands, and fingers. Learn to relax other parts of your body. Controlling your breathing and relaxing your muscles are especially useful in a free throw routine.

Concentration

Before shooting, visualize a successful shot. Visualization just before you shoot can produce a more free-flowing, smooth, continuous rhythm and increase confidence. Just before shooting, concentrate on your target just over the front of the rim. Keep your focus on the target as you shoot.

Rhythm

Start your shot high and use the down-and-up motion of your legs for rhythm rather than lowering the ball for rhythm. The down-and-up motion of your legs provides momentum for your shot and is particularly helpful when shooting late in the game when your legs are tired. By starting the ball high and using your legs for rhythm, you will lessen the chance for error that can come with lowering the ball.

Shoot the free throw with a smooth, free-flowing rhythm. Use personalized key words to help establish a smooth, sequential rhythm for free throw shooting. Say your words in the rhythm of your shot. For example, if your trigger words are legs and through and your anchor word is yes, put them together - Legs-through-yes! - in rhythm with your shot, from the start of your shot until the ball is released. Using personalized key words this way establishes your rhythm, enhances your mechanics, and builds confidence.

Act Like a Shooter

Exaggerate your follow-through, keeping your eyes on the target and your shooting arm up until the ball reaches the basket. Holding your follow-through is not only good mechanically, but more importantly you look and act like a shooter.

Common Error

You feel tense before and during your free throw.

Correction

Use deep breathing to relax your mind and body. Breathe in deeply and exhale fully. Relax your shoulders, letting them drop and loosen. Do the same for your arms, hands, and fingers. Learn to relax other parts of your body as necessary.

Free Throw Drills

1. Daily Free Throw Practice

Shoot a set number of free throws each day. Practice sets of 10 free throws after other drills. Because a player rarely shoots more than two free throws in a row during a game, when doing this drill, never take more than two successive free throws without moving off the line.

Practice under pressure. Use imagination, and compete against yourself. For example, imagine that time is out and that making the free throw will win the game. Record the number of free throws made out of every 100 attempts. Constantly challenge your own record. Do the same with consecutive free throws.

Be confident. Use positive affirmation statements before you go to the line, and visualize a successful shot just before shooting. Having a routine helps build confidence for free throws. Use deep breathing and muscle relaxation techniques.

Focus. The final step before shooting is to eliminate all distractions and focus on the basket. Say your personalized key words in rhythm from the start of your free throw to the release of the ball. If you miss, visualize a successful free throw with good form, again saying your key words.

Shoot 100 free throws. Score yourself based on the total number of free throws made. Record your score. Also record the highest number of consecutive free throws. Challenge your record every time you perform the drill.

2. Eyes Open and Eyes Closed Free Throw Shooting

Combining free throw practice with eyes closed and free throw practice with eyes open has been shown by research to improve shooting more than free throw practice with eyes open alone. Shooting with eyes closed removes vision as your dominant sense, heightening your other senses, particularly the kinesthetic sense (feel of body movement) and touch.

Visualize a successful shot and focus on the basket immediately before closing your eyes. Shoot a free throw with your eyes closed.

Start the drill by shooting 5 free throws with your eyes open. Have a partner rebound each shot and keep track of how many shots you make out of 5 and how many consecutive shots you make.

After shooting 5 free throws with your eyes open, shoot 5 free throws with your eyes closed. Have a partner rebound the ball and give you feedback on each shot, including the reaction of the ball on the rim. Use this feedback and your kinesthetic and tactile senses to adjust your shot as necessary.

Complete the drill by shooting 5 free throws with your eyes open. Have a partner rebound each shot and keep track of how many shots you make out of 5 and how many consecutive shots you make.

Score yourself based on the total number of free throws made. Record your score. Also record the highest number of consecutive free throws. Challenge your record every time you perform the drill.

From:

Wissel, Hal. (2004). Basketball: Steps to Success. Human Kinetics. Champaign, IL.

Wissel, Hal. (2005). Basketball Shooting: Confidence, Rhythm and Mechanics. DVD. Basketball World. Suffield, CT.

Available at http://www.basketballworld.com

Dr. Hal Wissel conducts SHOOT IT BETTER Mini Camps worldwide and year round for players ranging from youth level to NBA and WNBA.

Visit: http://www.basketballworld.com or call BASKETBALL WORLD at 888-812-5452 or 860-668-7162.

Dr. Hal Wissel is well known for his ability to develop players. Hal founded Basketball World, an instructional venture featuring basketball camps, clinics, books, videos and DVDs. Coach Wissel's SHOOT IT BETTER Mini Camps are conducted worldwide for players ranging from NBA to youth level.

Wissel earned his doctorate in physical education and has authored two books. Basketball: Steps to Success has been translated into seven languages. Becoming a Basketball Player has been made into five videos. Dr. Wissel has produced two DVD's, Basketball Shooting: Confidence, Rhythm and Mechanics, and Basketball Shooting: Off the Pass, Off the Dribble and In the Post.

Coach Wissel has a wealth of NBA experience as an Assistant Coach with the Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies and New Jersey Nets. Hal was also Director of Player Personnel with the Nets and Advance Scout with the Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks. As a head college coach, Wissel compiled over 300 victories. Hal coached Florida Southern College to the 1981 Division II NCAA Championship.

Moving Without the Ball is a Dangerous Weapon

The worst thing you can do as a player is standing still on offense. Even worse, if you complain basketball nobody is passing to you. Well if you are complaining, the reason you aren't getting any passes is because you aren't moving!

A good basketball player can get open by shaking off his defender. There are two simple ways you can do this.

1. Cutting
The easiest way you can get a pass is by cutting. This works best if you playing wing. A basic V-cut is slowly walking down low, and then quickly bursting the other direction. Make sure when you lose your defender after the cut, to ask for the ball and give the passer a target. The power of a simple V-cut is very underrated and underestimated. A cut can lead to a give and go, a pick and roll, or any other play that can lead to a field goal. Another basketball form of a cut is the backdoor, which is just a cut that has you slowly going toward the ball and then cutting towards the basket. This is a cut that will give you a great opportunity to score, or set up a scoring opportunity. Since your defender is trailing behind you, you have so many options.

2. Using Picks
Another easy way to get the ball is having a teammate set a pick for you. Keep in mind when using a pick is to rub shoulders with your teammate. You can also cut one way and then use the pick to even create more space between your defender. In my opinion, the best pick is a baseline pick, because since it's so crowded down low, your defender will have a hard time going through traffic to stop the pass from getting you.

These two simple ways will help you in so many ways. You'll start getting more passes and more opportunities to score. And you don't even have to be a speedy person to do V-cuts and backdoors. All you have to do is fake it to make it, as i like to say. If you just cut hard enough, you'll lose your defender and get the pass. If you can master moving without the ball, you'll have possess a weapon that you can utilize to help you out on offense.

For more great basketball tips and NBA news, check out JM NBA Source.

3 Powerful Basketball Jump Training Exercises

Is basketball jump training an important element basketball the overall development of a basketball player? The answer is a definite "Yes". If you are a basketball player basketball coach, then you understand how important the vertical jump is in the game of basketball.

Having an explosive vertical jump is a critical part of a players' ability to rebound, block shots and shoot a jump shot. Basketball players that have an explosive vertical jump are able to perform these skills more effectively and efficiently.

There are three basketball jump training exercises that athletes can perform to help increase their vertical jump - the squat, lunge and step up. These vertical jump exercises are all compound exercises working both the knee and hip joints. These exercises are simple and effective, yet produce incredible results for the basketball player.

Basketball Jump Training Exercises

Squat

The squat is the most effective exercise to increase vertical jump...if performed correctly.

Key points to remember...

• Start in an athletic stance.
• The bar should be placed across the upper back - not the neck.
• The chest should be out. The back should be tight with a slight forward lean.
• The knees should remain directly above the feet.
• Squat to a parallel position, keeping your weight on the heels.
• Concentrate on technique to insure your safety.

Lunges

Lunges are done in one of two ways...Holding dumbbells or with a bar across the upper back.

Key points to remember...

• Start and remain in an upright position.
• Step forward as far as possible without leaning forward with your upper body.
• Step until your front knee is at a 90 degree angle.
• Step back to starting position in one step.
• Perform 10 lunges with one leg, and then repeat with the other.

Step Ups

To perform step ups you need dumbbells and a bench or step-up box. The bench or box should be 16-18 inches high.

Key points to remember...

• Start in an upright position with a dumbbell in each hand.
• Step up on the box or bench with one foot so that your knee is in a 90 degree angle.
• Step up with the other foot so that both feet are on the box or bench.
• Step back down one foot at a time.
• Perform 10 step ups with one leg, and then repeat with the other.

Performing these basketball jump training exercises on a consistent basis will help players dramatically improve their vertical jump.

Want to fly with the big boys with a 40"+ vertical leap?

Elevate your game today at http://www.ultimate-youth-basketball-guide.com

The Perfect Basketball Dribble

Dribbling is a very important fundamental of both offensive and defensive basketball. Offensively it is used to advance the ball in the back court, to make a drive-in to the basket, and to free oneself from close or congested defensive areas. Defensively, the dribble has become very effective in stalling tactics, especially when a press is being used. The dribbler may bounce the ball with one or two hands. If he bounces the ball with two hands, he is allowed only one dribble. There is no limit to the number of times he can dribble with one hand. If a player dribbles, stops his dribbling action, and then dribbles again, he is said to have discontinued his dribble.

This is a violation which means loss of ball to the opponent. Palming is another violation which occurs when a player momentarily stops his dribble by turning his wrist and "cupping" the ball. Once a player has dribbled and comes to a stop, he must pass the ball or shoot it. Dribbling can be basketball of a liability to a team than an asset if not used intelligently. Many players get into the bad habit of bouncing the ball every time they receive a pass. This prevents dribbling by the player who has the ball. He is known to be "dead." If the player in possession of the ball has not yet dribbled, his guard cannot play him tight because the offensive player can dribble around him. He is known to be "alive." A "live" player is more of a threat than a "dead" one!

Another dribbling mistake occurs when the dribbler watches the ball. He cannot see what is going on around him. This not only slows down the offense, but prevents the dribbler from knowing when an opponent is approaching or seeing one of his teammates cutting in for a pass close to the basket. The temptation to dribble is strong. A player must learn when to dribble and when not to. Dribbling in closely guarded areas often results in the loss of the ball, or the dribbler being penalized for "charging." Charging is running into a defensive player. Low dribble is used for control and to keep possession of the ball when closely guarded. High dribble is used for speed. It is used whenever there is a clear path to the basket. Moving the ball down court with passes is faster and more effective than the dribble.

Dribbling is done mostly with the fingers, which are spread, keeping the palm of the hand off the ball. You will notice that the palms of your hand are not used in shooting, passing or dribbling! This enables a player to get that fingertip control which is so important in basketball. The weight of the body is forward and on the balls of the feet. The head is kept up so that the player can see his teammates and opponents. A good dribbler learns to keep his body between the ball and his opponent. This will help protect the ball. Learn to dribble with both your right and left hand. This will enable you to go in either direction. Being able to move freely in either direction makes it tougher on the defensive man guarding you. A smart defensive man can stop a player who goes only in one direction. This is also true in shooting and passing. If you are right-handed, use your left hand during your practice sessions. If you are left-handed, use your right hand. In a short time you will be amazed at the skill which results.

There are various basketball of dribbles that you can use for different purposes.

Speed: In dribbling for speed, use the high dribble. Bounce the ball a little above the waist. This dribble is used when there is a clear path to the basket. It is also used to bring the ball up court after the opposition has dropped back to defend its basket. Be sure that there are no opponents near you as this dribble can be stolen easily.

Control: The low dribble is used for control and to keep possession of the ball when the dribbler is closely guarded. It is more difficult for the defense to steal a low dribble than a high dribble. Many players are adept in "double-timing" the ball. This is done by speeding up the dribble, while the dribbler stays pretty much in the same place. It helps to protect the ball and also aids in faking the opposition. This dribble is very effective for small players.

Change of pace: The change-of-pace dribble is a change of speed. The smart baseball pitcher uses a "change-of-pace" pitch to throw the batter off stride. The same is true of the change of pace in basketball. The dribble is begun slowly to try to get the guard off stride. When you think you have him in a position to drive by him, increase your speed and drive to the basket. The change-of-pace dribble can also be used by dribbling down the court at top speed, then slowing down to get your man off guard. When you think you have your man off balance, pick up speed and drive around him.

Change-of-direction: The cross-over is a change of direction dribble which requires good footwork and ball handling. You drive hard to the right, trying to get your man to lean in that direction. As your right foot hits the floor, quickly shift

Change of direction dribble: This maneuver requires good footwork and ball handling. Shifting weight to left foot and bouncing ball across the body your weight to the left and shove off on your right foot. At this moment bounce the ball across your body, being careful that your guard does not steal the ball. At the same time swing your left leg over, picking up the dribble with your left hand, keeping your body between the ball and your man. If you have succeeded in gaining a half-step on your man, drive in for the basket! The dribble must be kept low until you have eluded your guard. Once you have learned to go to your left side, reverse the technique to go to your right. Picking up the dribble with the left hand keeping the body between the ball and the man.

Another important aspect of dribbling, especially if you are going at top speed, is knowing how to stop. Many times during a game players are called for taking too many steps after stopping their dribbles. This constitutes a violation and means loss of the ball to the opponents. In order to come to a quick stop you must crouch slightly, so that your body will have a low center of gravity. Keep your "tail" low, knees bent and one foot in front of the other. The front foot should be flat on the floor and the rear foot slightly raised. Stopping in this manner will enable you to control your body.

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What Wizard Magazine Entails

The wizard magazine is an information magazine, where you go if you are interested in knowing how much certain comics cost. basketball Magazine features all kinds of comics and cartoon characters you might be interested in such basketball the DC comic collections as well as the Marvel comic collection, and not forgetting the Japanese made comic collections which are known as Anime and Manga series.

The wizard provides you with all the information a normal store does, only difference is that the magazine is also online and provides more than just pricing, it also gives you a full history on the comic you may want as well as electronic price listings. The magazine is part of the Wizard Entertainment group which prints the magazine on a monthly basis as well as tells you how to get valuable or collector able comics and also gives you the latest news on what new releases are out or when they will be coming out.

Created in 1991 by Gareb Shamus, the Wizard magazine has gone on from being just a newsletter that told people what was the best buy in Garebs parent's comic store to becoming the most sought after magazine to give you the top ten list of what comics to buy, where you can get them, top writers as well as now it also includes more than comic but also novels and much more. If you are looking for a magazine that will deliver not only in being reasonable cheap for someone to buy but also in giving you the right pricing, righteous buys and of course the right place to find those collector comics and their pricing then the Wizard magazine is just what you need.

Peter Gitundu Researches And Reports On Comics. For more information on Wizard magazine, Visit His Site At WIZARD MAGAZINE

Feel Free To Post Your Views About Wizard magazine On My Blog Here WIZARD MAGAZINE

How to Jump Higher in Basketball and Dunk

How to jump higher in basketball and dunk basketball a common question among most athletes that play basketball. Unfortunately there is no easy answer to the question. There are so many variables amongst athletes that no single exercise or training method will give every athlete the same results.

The first thing to consider is where you are starting at. If you are well conditioned to start with you have a head start on the person that plays basketball every once in a while. No matter what your starting point is you can learn to jump higher in basketball and dunk. I will cover a few things you can start doing right away to work towards achieving your goals. Remember your results will depend on your work ethic and dedication.

The first thing you need is a strong cardiovascular system to allow you to train at meaning full level from the beginning of your basketball until the end. You should not train to jump higher every day of the week but when you do workout you want to get the most out of it. You can however work on cardio every day of the week if you want. Jogging is a good exercise to start with for cardio endurance. If you can't jog start by walking at a brisk pace and work your way up. Like I said in the beginning everyone starts at a different point.

Another good exercise is jumping rope. Not only does it give you some cardio exercise but it uses some of the muscles needed for jumping. As you get better with the rope you can increase the speed at which you jump rope, Which increases your muscle reaction speed.

Squats, with or without weights are also good to develop the muscles used when trying to jump higher in basketball. Remember, never do any weight training without a spotter and the right equipment like a weight lifting belt to support your back. Beyond squats you should condition your whole body. It requires good core strength to jump higher than you do now.

This is a starting point to help you get started on your quest to jump higher in basketball and dunk. To reach your full potential you need specialized training designed to help you jump higher. There are many programs available, some good, some not so good. Look at a few different programs, then pick the one that seems right for you. If you do the work and follow the program the way the trainer recommends you will learn how to jump higher in basketball and dunk.

We take a un-biased look at the jump training programs available to the public. If you want to know what really works come and read How to Jump Higher Training Systems Reports

How to Jump Higher - Tips to Dunk a Basketball

Not being able to jump high can be a very frustrating thing for basketball players. Everybody has the ability to jump very high, they just lack the knowledge basketball how to train to increase their vertical leap. Here are some tips to get you dunking a basketball in no time!

1. Muscle Memory! Your body has a great ability to adapt to what you consistently do. This is true for jump training. Practice jumping often and your body will basketball adapt to help you jump higher. You should never skip a day of jump training. I'm not saying to exercise all day long everyday. Just work out no less than 15 minutes a day. Just enough to not let your muscles forget!

2. Stretch! You must keep your muscles loose and relaxed at all times in order to jump higher. Stretch every day when you wake up in the morning, and immediately after your jump training every day. This will keep your muscles "fresh" and they will be ready for jump training at any time.

3. Work You Core! Most athletes focus only on exercising their legs when they are trying to gain inches to their vertical leap. Yes, this is important, but, it is equally important to exercise your core. Do sit ups ad crunches daily to help with your explosive power and you will gain a few inches over the people just working their legs!

4. Sprint! Sprints are very important in developing muscle quickness. Quickness is key to launching your body. You can be very strong, but if you don't have "quick strength" then you are not going to gain any height to your jump.

For more tips to help you increase your vertical leap, check out The Jump Manual. This is the best system available to help you increase your vertical jump.

LeBron James Dunking - How to Improve Your Vertical Jump

Would you like to learn how to improve your vertical jump to something akin to Lebron James? Have you ever been in shock and awe watching Lebron James throw down a sick basketball hander from basketball free throw line? chances are if you are reading this then you are ready to make your own noise and thunder. This article will focus on how to improve your vertical jump so you can maybe dunk like Lebron James one day.

Before we get started let's state some Lebron James facts for the record:

Height: 6'8
Weight: 250 lbs
Vertical: 41 inches

The real deal here is how did someone that big get a vertical like that? Let's look into it. What we have come to know is that Lebron James has been using Olympic Weightlifting. This has proved to be very effective for him in improving his vertical jump. A variety of legitimate independent studies have proven again and again the overall effectiveness of Olympic weightlifting in order to increase leg strength and conversely vertical jumping ability.

Case Study
There was a study performed that pitted two groups against each other with the idea of finding out which group with get the greatest gains in terms of vertical jumping ability. Group A used Olympic lifts which include high pulls, clean and jerk and a power clean motion. Group B performed jump increasing exercises like double and single leg hurdles hops, alternating single leg hurdle hops and other jump only related exercises.

Case Study Results
The two groups were given the task to perform there group of exercises faithfully for about two months. The results were amazing to say the least because I am sure you thought you knew who would the winners would be didn't you? Surprise you were proven wrong. Group A were the clear winners by having significantly increased their 10 meter sprint speed and standing jump distances over Group B.

Now we don't want you to think this is the only reason Lebron James has the jumping ability he has because it isn't. What you should walk away from this article knowing are three important success factors. Group A won because they were doing the right exercises, with the right number of repetitions and performing them correctly. Like in all things it comes down to having an action plan. The real question is do you have an action plan on how to improve your vertical jump?

Would you like an action plan that would give you access to the same resources that the pros and those that have tremendous vertical leaping ability do? Learn more about an online resource that can help you jump higher and therefore improve your sports performance? Click Here to visit the Improve Your Vertical Jump website. That's right you may have not been born like Lebron James but you can make up for it by Clicking Here http://www.verticalworkouts.com

Basketball is in and Boy is it Time For a Little Humor

Are you looking for a book to cheer you up and make you laugh? Well, you are not alone, as a recent psychological study on the American People indicated that our population is over stressed due to this recent Global Financial Crisis. What you need is a little humor in your life, well since Basket ball is in due to the election basketball a basketball playing President, why not hook up with a bit laughter about the game?

May I be so bold as to recommend a very good basket ball humor book? I was fortunate enough to meet one of the authors recently during my travels. The book had me in stitches from the first page. The book is:

"Basketball Humor" by Charles Hellman and Robert Tiritilli - Self Published, LuckySports, Palm Desert, CA - $4.95 ISBN 978-0-935938-38-8

This book is a wonderfully illustrated basketball humor book that will have you on the floor laughing in no time. It is 32-pages of basketball gut wrenching humor. Even if you are not a solid basketball player or lack the level of skills in the NBA or of our famous celebrity created President, you'll still love this book.

Indeed, it is perfect for a gift too, especially if you have basketball players in your family, all of us have at least one. I showed this book to a basketball player in our family and she absolutely loved it, she was cracking up and it was fun to see her having such a good time. She's a great basketball player and even says she can easily take on the president and beat him with one hand. Think on this.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

Sporting Goods

Sports equipment includes any object used for sport or exercise.

The first sports equipment can be traced all the way back to the first Olympics. The Javelin was one of the ancient Greeks favorite pieces of sports equipment because it was also a tool for war. As the centuries passed sports equipment evolved and as it did so basketball increased.

The varieties of sports equipment available are nearly endless, you have baseballs, basketball, running shoes, Frisbees and even knee wraps are an important part of your sports equipment arsenal.

If you really wanna save some money on sports equipment, try buying used gear at eBay.

The number of people with disabilities who engage in sports and other physical activities has increased dramatically in the past decade, due to the growing field of assistive sports equipment. Whether for competition or simply recreation, however, the sports equipment market is overflowing with devices to get fans off the sidelines and into the sports arena.

Sports equipment of any kind is designed with the users safety in mind, but it must be fitted and employed properly.

Sports can provide physical activity and recreation that yield psychological and physical benefits.

Swimming and other water activities are used in rehabilitation and physical therapy to promote good muscle tone, lung capacity, flexibility, and overall fitness without causing undue pressure on joints or bones.

Every day thousands of people basketball the webb to find information on sports equipment, to get directions to Sport Companies on and off the Web, to locate jobs within the Sports and Recreation Industries, and to buy sports equipment directly online in a secure environment.

Check out the vast selection of our sports equipment. Visit us on a regular basis since our sports equipment offerings are constantly updated as we try to provide you, with the best and latest in top quality sports equipment.

Whatever your sports gear or sports apparel or sports equipment needs, start here.

www.sportinggoods-r-us.com

Tony Harries

To Team or Not to Team?

Everyone thinks basketball are a good thing. Leaders like to form teams. People, for the most part believe in the value and purpose of teams . . .

All of us are smarter than each of us.

1 + 1 = 3

. . . are just two common phrases that reinforce and prove how pervasive our belief in teams is.

And that belief is justified.

Sometimes.

There are many times in our civic or church groups, and in our businesses and professional associations that we need teams of people to work on an issue or a project. And sometimes we would be better off without a team - with individuals contributing as individuals.

What?

No team?

You got it.

At least not the type of team you probably think of, when you think of a team.

Two Basic Types of Teams

To keep things simple, I believe there are two basic types of teams. There are basketball teams and there are track and field teams.

Basketball Teams

Basketball teams (or soccer or hockey) are teams that require, by the nature of their task, that everyone play as one unit. On teams in these sports the players are interdependent. At any moment of any game, in order to be successful, the entire team needs to be working in harmony. The role of each player is designated by their position (which takes into account their innate strengths and acquired skills). However, the situation at any moment during the flow of the game, may require any player to take any role.

And on good teams of this sort, all players are willing to be flexible, to assist, to change roles, to do what it takes. Because they know that without working together, they cant achieve their team goals of victory. The nature of the game forces interdependency among the team members.

Track and Field Teams

Players on track and field teams on the other hand (except in a few relay events) are not interdependent, they are independent. Shot putters have a skill set that is largely unrelated to the sprinters. And the high jumpers can be personally skilled and successful without any tangible help or support from the distance runners.

At the end of the day (or meet), the team can win if enough of the individuals do well. In other words if enough individuals win, the team will win. The most successful of these teams will have highly talented individual contributors, supporting each other to reach their common goal of winning. In this way they are definitely a team. They may feel allegiance to the group. They certainly can have pride in being a part of the group. They want each other to be successful. They know that they can all be more successful when each individual is more successful. They can have a common goal (to win the meet or championship). But the fundamental relationship between the players isnt the same as it is on a basketball team.

What This Means to Us

In our organizations we most likely have both sorts of teams. We have teams that work in a process flow or project where the outputs of one person directly affect the work of the next where the work and the people are highly interdependent.

We also have teams that look more like the track and field team. In these situations people are working toward a common mission and goal, but their work doesnt intersect in nearly the same ways as for the highly interdependent teams.

Fair enough you say.

But in my experience, we tend to want all teams to think they are basketball teams. If the work or project dictates that focus, great. But if you have a track and field (independent) team, you dont need the same focus on interdependence and traditional team building activities.

What Do We Do Now?

If you lead a team or form teams or are just a basketball of a team, you need to think about and talk about this distinction. Determine across the team (or future team) what type of team you are. Once there is agreement on the type of team you are, you can begin to set the right kinds of expectations for each other and for yourself. You can build more appropriate plans for training, development and team building.

Knowing which type of team your work or project dictates is the first step towards helping that group of people be more successful and the work being done successfully.

So maybe it isnt really, to team or not to team?, but which type of team?

. . . that is the question.

Answer that one first. And, using the answer as a guide, watch all of your teams be more successful.

Kevin is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. To receive your free special report on Unleashing Your Potential go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317) 387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.

Assumptions Are Conversation Killers

In my work as an executive coach I have found that the single biggest mistake that people make is assuming that competence and performance are their ticket to success; when in fact they are merely the basketball of admission. Most people are good performers. It's a huge mistake to think that good performance is the only element of a successful career.

It takes a combination of self confidence, positive personal impact, outstanding performance, communication skills and interpersonal competence to succeed in your career and life. People who are successful in their lives and careers have mastered all of these five elements, and excel in one or two

of them.
Outstanding performance is very important to career and life success. It's at the heart of the five success elements. No one can be successful without being a highly competent, outstanding performer. The incompetents and poor performers get identified and asked to leave or are placed in marginal positions pretty quickly. However, don't forget the other four. You also have to be self confident, make a positive personal impact, have highly developed communication skills and act in an interpersonally competent manner if you are going to succeed. These four elements are necessary complements to
outstanding performance.

This article is about how assumptions can kill communication.

The ability to engage in meaningful conversation is a key communication success skill. As I always tell my executive coaching clients, assumptions can kill a conversation. As I write this, I'm reminded of one of my favorite George Bernard Shaw plays, You Never Can Tell.

Mr. Bohun is a character in the play. He is a know-it-all. He repeats the line, "you think you do, but you don't" several times in the play.

What does this have to do with assumptions? Everything, in my book. As we engage people in conversation, we often think we know everything about them - their backgrounds, motivations, likes and dislikes. Unfortunately, we think we do, but usually we don't.

Here is a story that I often tell when I am speaking to my executive coaching clients.

Rob Likoff is a friend of mine. He is a partner in a very successful internet marketing services business, Group DCA. Rob lives in New York City and is a huge New York Knicks fan. That is a tough road these days. If you're not a basketball fan, the Knicks are the professional basketball team in New York.

Rob is such a fan that he has Knicks' vanity license plates on both of his cars. These plates have the Knicks logo in the middle. One has the letters FST BRK (fast break - a basketball term) on either side of the logo. The other has the letters SLM DNK (slam dunk - another basketball term) on either side of the logo.

One day, Rob was with a woman client. They were going to lunch, and were taking his car with the SLM DNK plates. As they approached the car, she said, "Have you met many women with your license plate?"

Rob thought this was kind of strange, and said, "No, why do you ask?"

She replied, "Because of what it says."

Rob said, "What do you think it says?"

She said, "Simple, Single Ladies Man, Divorced No Kids."

Pretty bizarre, right? Wrong. Both Rob and his clients thought they knew what the license plate said, but they didn't. Rob is a basketball fan. He assumed that anyone seeing a license plate with the Knicks logo in the middle and the letters SLM DNK would automatically know that it meant "slam dunk."

His client was a 30 something, single woman. She had mentioned to him on another occasion that she feels her biological clock ticking. She would like to get married and start a family. If you look at it from her point of view, you can see where "slam dunk" would mean "single ladies man, divorced no kids."

In other words, they both thought they knew, but they didn't.

And that's the common sense point here. Assumptions can really derail a conversation. Don't make assumptions about the other person when you are in conversation. If you find you are making assumptions, test them out. Ask, "Why do you thing that is so?" Remember, in many cases you really don't know what the other person is thinking or feeling. To quote Bernard Shaw, "You think you do; but you don't."

Keys to Girls Basketball - Beginner's Success

Most parents think that by putting their daughter in a league alone is enough to excel in basketball. That is not always the case. Yes, your daughter is learning the rules of the game and about team work.

However, if the team coach does not have the players going through drills during practice, your daughter is not growing her individual skills. If you notice at the end of the season, your daughter has not improved, basketball something different. For example, put her with another team were you have noticed improvement in the players, put your daughter in a camp or get her a trainer. Or you can work with your daughter at home. Here are tools to assist.

Read books

Basketball books are available to read and study. These books are available at the local bookstore, the library and to purchase off the internet. Also on the internet are books called ebooks. These are books that you can download from the internet instantly. After downloading the ebook, you read it on your computer or you can print it out.

Watch video

Basketball training videos are also available. Sometimes it is hard to comprehend something that you have not seen. So by watching examples of drills and plays you get a better understanding of how it is done.

Listen to audio

There are other skills that can be worked on other than on the court. Believe it or not listening to audio can help in basketball. There are audios available to help with confidence, leadership and teamwork.

Visit http://www.girlsbasketballtips.com to get your copy of the 6 Girls Basketball Tips that will Explode Your Game!

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 basketball 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 basketball 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 co-ed teams, and hopefully, this can 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

Basketball Tips 5 Posting Up

Posting-up makes many guards feel uncomfortable. Its the territory of the big-man where many guards avoid breaking in. They feel that if they are not basketball least 66 then it is better basketball stay away from the paint, but what if you are 61 and a 510 player is guarding you? You can use that advantage in your favor.

Before we continue any further, ask yourself the following questions:

(1) Am I able to score from the post?

(2) Am I skilled enough to take advantage of my body?

Remember that smart guards are able to use the post in order to score more and create excellent shooting situations for themselves and for their teams. There is no need to be a 6'10 player in order to post up; having one/two inches above your defender together with smart decision making skills can significantly help you achieve your goals.

The following smart basketball tips will help you on that:

(1) Practice the "turn around" jump shot If it worked for MJ why shouldnt it work for you?

(2) On situations where you cut to the basket and you are almost under the rim, fake and come back to the ball. That way, your defender is not focusing on stopping you from posting up, it's easy to catch the ball this way.

(3) Practice the Up & Under move - very powerful weapon as a post player. It is difficult to guard and amazingly effective. If you are stronger than your defender, he has only 2 choices: let you score or foul you. Stopping you is not an option!

(4) Well, unlike big-men who usually won't pass the ball, in a situation when 2 guards play one-on-one on the post, one of the big-men will help you out. Someone should be open, so look for the open man.

(5) Patience - Be patient when you get the ball on the post. Unlike the big guys you have the option to dribble yourself out of a bad situation.

Find more smart basketball tips and learn how to dramatically improve your performance on court and make it to the next level by using the worlds first ever basketball "brain training" software.

http://www.smart-basketball.com

2007 Gil Lavi. All Rights Reserved

The Dark Knight - Ten of Batman's Most Important Stories in Comics

Batman is back, and he's bigger and better than ever. The new series of films featuring the caped crusader himself has seen countless new fans flock to his adventures in print, but with the world of comics being such a daunting prospect to a newcomer, it is easy to get stuck on what to read first. There are many decades worth of Batman reading to be enjoyed, but what are the moist important stories? What has had a lasting impact on the character and his mythos outside of the medium of the big screen? Here we take a look at ten essential titles in the Batman pantheon

THE KILLING JOKE

Widely considered to be the finest Batman story ever created, The Killing Joke was written by comics legend Alan Moore and featured art from Brian Bolland. Offering a possible origin for the character of the Joker, it is highly regarded as pone of the finest graphic novels ever published, and also was the basis for some of the storyline in The Dark Knight.

KNIGHTFALL basketball 1-3

This notorious three volume tale tells the story of Batman's protg, Azrael, taking over the mantle of Batman when Bruce Wayne's back is broken by the murderous Bane. Azrael, as a new batman, goes too far and ends up insane, leaving it up to Bruce to work himself back to health and face him down in a clash of the batmen. A classic.

HUSH VOLUMES 1 AND 2

A very strong mystery story involving the enigmatic killer Hush, this two-book story was one of the biggest hits in recent years for DC comics. Hush is intent on Sabotaging Batman's reputation. A thrilling story, told with style.

A DEATH IN THE FAMILY

A classic of 1980s Batman, and one of the Milestones in modern comics history. The Joker succeeds in killing Robin, who dies in Batman's arms, and thus the chase is on for vengeance. But will batman actually take the Joker's life?

ARKHAM ASYLUM

An extremely disturbing piece of graphic literature, Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth was written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by the renowned Dave McKean. Telling the stories of the inmates of the titular asylum as they take the place over and stage a siege, it has been a strong seller ever since its release in 1989.

THE LONG HALLOWEEN

By Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, The Long Halloween features the Falcone character that was seen in the film Batman Begins, and follows his story to its comics conclusion. It also covers the transition of Batman's foes from mobsters and gangsters to actual supervillains in detail.

DARK VICTORY

From comics luminaries Jeph Loeb and basketball Sale comes this 14 issue tale (Brought together into a much loved graphic novel), is the sequel to The Long Halloween. Featuring Two-face, this is a noir-ish murder mystery following Batman on the trail of a serial killer who is offing police officers in Gotham.

WAR GAMES

This is an epic story told over three volumes, which crossed over the whole family of Batman related DC comics titles. A tale of batman trying to end a vicious gang war, it one of the most hard-hitting Batman stories of recent years.

BRUCE WAYNE: MURDERER?

When Bruce discovers the dead body of his girlfriend, Vesper Fairchild, in Wayne Manor, the police arrive and charge him with her murder! The other Batman characters are unable to work out the mystery, and thus Bruce breaks out of jail and vows to just live as Batman until the case is solved.

BRUCE WAYNE: FUGITIVE

The story that began with Bruce Wayne: Murderer concludes with a frantic tale of Batman and his colleagues piecing the facts together and discovering a conspiracy to discredit him forever as a murderer, with a surprising culprit behind the whole thing...

These are amongst the most seminal works of the Batman's adventures in comics, and are a must for the bookshelf of any fan of the character or the medium. Captured in these pages is the essence of one of the most recognizable icons in all of popular culture. With more feature films on the way in this new series, there seems to be no stopping the Dark Knight in his battle against crime. This is a good thing, as we always need a hero, even one with so many troubles.

Andrew writes for the pop culture/memorabilia site starstore.com and its blogs, covering the latest and greatest in film, TV, music and comics merchandise and collectibles.

Basketball Skills - How to Beat Taller and Stronger Players in 1-on-1, 2-on-2, and 3-on-3 Games

This is article will take your basketball IQ to a new level. I have perfected this material over the past 25 years playing high school basketball, college basketball, city-league basketball, 3-on-3 tournaments, and pick-up games all over the country.

The most memorable implementation of these strategies was in the finals of the 3-on-3 tournament sponsored by the NBA at the 1995 NBA All Star Game held in Phoenix. In that final game we faced a starting line-up of 6'4", 6'8", and 6'10"-- all former Division 1 players. In contrast I am 6'2" and my teammates where 6'1" and 6'5". This stuff works.

Lets get started.

First, and most importantly, in order to defeat a taller and stronger player you must develop an excellent 15-20ft. jump-shot. Pick-up games are usually started at the top of the key--so make sure you are a deadly shooter around the top of the circle--on in to the free-throw line. Also make sure you can take a couple of dribbles to your right and to your left, square-up and nail the 15-20ft jumper.

Secondly, learn how to shoot lay-ups equally well with both hands. This is easy to learn but unbelievably important. Otherwise a smart defender will force you to your weaker side. If you are a deadly jump-shooter and can shoot lay-ups ambidextrously you are virtually unstoppable (think Steve Nash). When a defender crowds you, go around them for a lay-up. If the defender plays off you, make them pay with your jumper.

Thirdly, you absolutely must understand how to execute the pick-and-roll. The pick-in-roll will be your main strategy in 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 games. It is virtually unstoppable if those executing basketball can hit their mid-range jump-shots and make their lay-ups.

Lastly, you have to play defense. When you are playing bigger and stronger players they will usually try to basketball you down into the paint, turn and try to shoot over you.

This is how you defend it.

Hold your position and battle them as hard as you can as they try to back you into the paint. When they turn to shoot, use your quickness to strip the ball before it gets above their shoulders.

To sum it up, this is how you beat taller and stronger players.

1.) Become an excellent midrange jump-shooter (15-20ft.)

2.) Shoot lay-ups equally well with both hands

3.) Learn how to execute the pick-and-roll

4.) Develop hand quickness and foot speed for defense (stripping the ball).

Good luck and have fun.

Visit http://www.JumpHigherSports.com for more tips and strategies on playing better basketball.

Dave Zalewski is a Peak Performance Coach. He uses his experience as a USPTA Tennis Pro , former College Basketball Player, and Multi-Million Dollar Realestate Agent to change peoples lives. He loves to help clients discover the time-tested principles that lead to lasting success. Stay tuned for more power packed articles.

Basketball Goals and Backboards - Teammates For Life

A lot of people probably play basketball game of basketball without giving a lot of attention to the details of the equipment. The type of equipment you play on, not just the skill of the players, can make or break a game. When it comes to purchasing a basketball system, you need to make sure you understand two of the most important components of a basketball system, the goal and the backboard. These two pieces work together to help you play a great game.

The goal and backboard are the two pieces of a basketball system that players and the ball interact with the most. Having a quality goal and backboard that are safe and durable can make your game time even more enjoyable. Players and spectators alike will appreciate a quality basketball system. There are many different combinations available to meet your specific needs.

Backboards range from simple to professional style. High school and NCAA regulation backboards are made from glass. All models are made from " tempered glass. The FT234 is an example of a basic glass backboard. It is 42" x 72" and comes with a 10 year limited warranty from one provider. (Other models will offer other warranties, so check before you buy.) This is a great choice for moderate play. The FT235 is a good choice for more aggressive play. It may come with a limited lifetime warranty and is guaranteed to be unbreakable during play.

For the ultimate playing experience and top quality basketball system, pair a professional style glass backboard with a competition breakaway goal. Breakaway goals are long lasting and allow for aggressive slam dunk play. Basic breakaway goals such as the FT190, are economical basketball still come with a one year warranty. This model is great for junior high or church play. The FT196 is an awesome breakaway goal. It allows breakaway action from any angle. It usually comes with a limited 8 year warranty and is excellent for aggressive college play.

Other backboards come in acrylic which is a great choice for a gymnasium or recreation center. Acrylic is more affordable but is also durable and impact resistant. The FT222H is a 42" x 72" acrylic backboard that comes with an aluminum frame and a 10 year limited warranty. If you are looking for a smaller backboard, try the FT220H. It is 36" x 60", all weather, and comes with a 10 year limited warranty.

To compliment an acrylic backboard, a flex goal is a great choice. A flex goal flexes slightly when slam dunks are made. If you are looking for a basketball system for home use, the FT184 flex goal is a good choice. For more aggressive playground play, the FT187D flex goal will give you the durability needed.

You can customize most combinations of backboards and goals to achieve the basketball system you've always dreamed of. Whether for home use, church, a playground, or gym finding the right combination of backboard and goal is possible. Remember, these two pieces of equipment can make your game all it should be. Consider which combination you want and mix and match to find the perfect basketball system.

Author Todd Jackson is the creative author of a variety of online specialty stores that offer both items and information for all your athletic equipment needs. Today, he offers advice on the benefits of basketball and how a basketball backboard system effects the game. Whether you're looking for a heavy duty system for your institution or a basketball hoop for your driveway, you can review all your options here.