December 2, 2023
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July 2022

How Does A High School Athletic Program Become Great?

Laura09 mins

I have often wondered what makes excellence in high school athletics? I grew up in an high school that demanded excellence in all of their sports programs, boys and girls. But, it was not always that way. Actually, when I attended this high school, our school was very average in sports. But, during my senior year, something magical happened. It just seemed like all of our sports teams started to get better and better. We won the state championship that year in both boys basketball and football. The next year, the school won state in football, track, cross country and girls tennis. After that, my high school has never looked back. What happened? How did we go from being average to being great? What was the tipping point? Was it just a great class of kids? Was it the coaching staff? What happened?
Well, before I Get There, Excellence In High School Athletics Is Earned…
By comparison, many years later, I know of a high school that is just the opposite. Academics in the school are great. I really believe the teachers, administrators and coaching staff are terrific. And… so are the kids. But, on the athletic field or court, they just don’t have it. They finish at the bottom of the pack every year in every sport. Why? How can one school set records for the number of state championships, while another school sets records for the number of losing seasons?
I have had the fortune of being involved with both types of athletic programs. You would think that being involved with a winning program is much easier. I would beg to differ. Being involved with a winning program is much tougher than being involved with a losing program. It’s tougher on the administrator, the coach staff, the parents, and especially the players.
Excellence In High School Athletics – Here’s Why It’s Tougher…
Being involved in a winning athletic program demands excellence. Everyone in a winning program knows that winning requires a total commitment to excellence. Winners don’t take shortcuts. Winners come in early and stay late. Winners work-out in the off-season. The community demands winning. The school demands winning. The parents, the school administrators, the coaches… they all demand winning. In order to win… everyone must do their job. It’s just not performance on the field. That is actually the end result of each person’s everyday effort to reach the same goal… to win.
But, how does a high school get to that position? How to you go from bad to average to great. I believe it starts with the school administrators. The administrators of the school must develop this attitude. This attitude must then be demanded of the entire coaching staff. Being average is no longer an option. If the coach is not willing to demand excellence, to put in a 110% effort toward the development of their sports program… they are out. The coaches need to develop their current high school players. And… they need to …

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The Benefits Of Backyard Playground Sets

Laura05 mins

The Benefits Of Backyard Playground Sets

The benefits of consistent exercise are well known; however, backyard playground sets for children have a number of additional paybacks. Every summer children scream the inevitable “I’m bored,” and “Can I go outside?” Why not provide the ultimate backyard playground? Play area sets deliver an easily accessible alternative to long drives to the local park. They also provide children with a sense of close adventure, plenty of exercise and imaginative freedom. Wood swings also offer added fun to any setting.

What Are the Benefits of Backyard Playground Sets?

The benefits of outdoor play areas reach beyond the obvious. Of course children get plenty of exercise and exposure to fresh air; however, play sets offer a number of unique benefits. For example, well-constructed sets provide children the opportunity to use their cognitive reasoning and problem solving skills. Play area sets constructed with twists and turns, different levels of height and interesting knickknacks, such as a built-in puzzle, can increase a child’s reasoning and problem solving skills. Younger children benefit from increased ability to use their motor skills.

Research also shows that children who participate on playgrounds develop good social skills. For example, children engaged on playgrounds typically decide to play games with other children. They may opt to play tag or hide-and-go-seek using the playground set as the foundation for the game. In addition to a backyard area set, wooden swing sets provide an additional activity for children to engage in.

What Are My Options for Wood Swing Sets?

Wooden swings offer a classic approach to passing time. Swinging is fun, for children and adults. They also provide several benefits. The movement of a swing is simple enough; however, a lot of internal processes are at work during the act of swinging. Children benefit from swinging by focusing the distribution of their energy. This provides physical benefits. It also requires that a child focus on the body’s control and energy during the swinging process. Wood swings are the perfect introduction to a lesson in physics that a child controls.

There are several types of wooden swings available. You can select a configuration that meets the needs of your family size. For example, you can select a one, two or three swing set, which allows for a number of children to play together. Combination sets include one or two swings attached to a play jungle. You can also purchase standalone wood swing sets.

Backyard play sets offer a sense of adventure and imagination. They also provide the exercise, cognitive development and motor skills practice children need to grow up happy and healthy. Wood swings are a classic approach to summertime fun and provide a child with one of their first independent experiences.…

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Rock Climbing – Great Physical Challenge and Excitement

Laura05 mins

Rock climbing is an extremely challenging but exciting sport. It has great physical demands and can pose the risk of bodily harm. But for those who pursue this sport, the risks and challenges are part of make this so much fun and rewarding. Here is some further information on this sport along with the kinds of equipment used.
Rock climbing is a sport where people climb up natural rock formations or artificial rock formations. They do so with the objective of reaching the top of these formations.
This sport is an extremely challenging one both physically and mentally. It challenges the strength, endurance, balance and skill of the climber. The sport can be very dangerous since it can result in damaging falls if proper safety equipment is not utilized.
So we will talk about the critical types of equipment used to try to make this sport much safer and reduce accidents from falls.
In its purest form, rock climbing entails climbing up a route using only one’s hands and feet to climb up and along small boulders and hand holds protruding from the rock face.
However as these routes get ever higher, the risk of injury or death becomes greater without using safety measures. To minimize this risk, certain techniques and climbing equipment are used to ensure that climbers can properly utilize a system of ropes attached to anchors which are embedded in the rock face to help break a fall.
There are certain kinds of techniques developed to help provide more safety for climbers. We’ll review a few of the more common techniques.
Top Roping. In this technique, an anchor is established at the summit of a route prior to the commencement of the climb. The rope is fed through this anchor such that one end is attached to the climber and the other end is held by a belayer whose job it is to keep the rope taut during the climb and therefore prevent unnecessarily long falls if this accident occurs.
This technique is regarded as one of the safest ways to climb and it gives the climber a great deal of flexibility in choosing the best route up the face of the mountain.
Lead Climbing. This technique entails using someone who is determined to be the lead climber move up the rocks with a rope attached to him. As he moves up the rope face, he attaches an anchor into the rocks which he then attaches a rope to it.
As the lead climber moves up the rock face, he is never normally more than a few feet beyond the point where he is attached to the anchor. Therefore in the event of an accidental fall, the lead climbers drop should be minimized and hopefully avoid anything more than minor injury.
Rock climbing is a very rewarding and challenging sport. But the use of critical safety equipment is a vital aspect towards making the sport just as challenging but much safer for the participants.…

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Playground Equipment For Residences – Considerations Before Buying

Laura07 mins

Playground Equipment For Residences – Considerations Before Buying

If you are planning to create a playground for your kids in the backyard, you should bear some important things in mind. Plan and design your playground with much concern to avoid any mistake that may lead to any kind of injury.

Playground equipment are not restricted to playgrounds, parks and schools any longer, these are found at malls, airports, pediatrician’s offices and many other places. Most people nowadays are installing these in their homes as well. If you are also considering installing playground equipment in your homes, you should first of all plan your budget and design the playground according to that. You need to find the right balance between the type of equipment and your budget. While shopping for the equipment, you should bear a few things in mind.

Choice Of Kids

When it comes to choosing the playground equipment for your kids, you should consider the choice of your kids. The most preferred choices of kids are swing sets and slides. However, some kids like the thrill of classic merry go rounds and have fun playing with the funnel balls. To know the exact requirements of your kids, you should have a chat with them to find out what they like to have in their personal playgrounds. If your kids are too young to help in taking such decision, you can always go for the play sets. These sets consist of various structures. For example, a single set has slides, tunnels, ball pool and climbing tower. Each play set has different assortment of structures to offer multiple play varieties.

Age Group

Age of the kids is another important factor that needs to be thought over when choosing the play equipment. If your kids are under the age of eight, you may not want to purchase structures with large climbing towers and bump wave slides. These are meant for children over the age of ten and more. For the young ones, you can get sandboxes, spring riders, swing sets and others. A number of companies offering playground equipment have them categorized according to different age groups. This will make your job easier.

Material Used

The material used for manufacturing the equipment is of utmost importance. In the market, you will come across playground equipment made of different materials like metal, plastic, recycled plastic and wood. Metal has been in use for years but is slowly being replaced by plastic. The main reasons for that is that it heats up in the summers and have sharp edges that may injure kids. Overtime, wood also gets deteriorated due to the varying weather conditions. Plastic, on the other hand has no negative effects of the weather. Plastic can be molded easily in a variety of shapes and attractive designs. With the whole world going green, manufacturers have also started using the recycled plastic. It cleans up the ecosystem a bit and brings forth the equipment with various designs.

Safety Standards

When it comes …

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The Ice Breaker

Laura08 mins

I had moved from my sleepy little hometown to the city, about twenty-five miles away. Fresh out of our tiny college, I was making my way as a junior copy-editor at a small magazine. Small magazine, small salary, small apartment… and a lot of homesickness. It’s not easy being truly on your own. Even through college, I’d stayed close (about five miles, actually) to my family. Now, although twenty-five miles is not technically a long distance, I was really separated from them. I couldn’t just run over to Mom’s for dinner after a long day of classes. When I called the house, everyone was busy, following their usual routine. Their lives were clearly still in motion in my absence. But mine was stalling a little, in theirs.
Still, I adored my job. It was so much fun, and I was gradually making friends, waiting to meet people who really shared my interests. And… I had my eye on one of my co-workers, who happened to be English. Fabulous accent, of course. He seemed really, really nice, and I was pretty sure from the office gossip that he was single. My only trouble was meeting him. I know this is bad, but I have a tendency to let people come to me. It’s really hard for me to be “outgoing,” and when I try, I feel like I’m acting the role of the ultra-friendly girl.
Unfortunately, it seemed that Mr. Nice was also on the reserved side. Actually, it seemed more like he just didn’t notice me, which was discouraging. But an awesome icebreaker was to come my way, in the shape of a tiny gold cufflink.
Something of a classy dresser, Mr. Nice always sported a pair of engraved gold cufflinks in a classic, old-Hollywood font. It was one of those little details that you kind of obsess about when you don’t really know someone. I was mentally building up this image of him as a young Orson Welles. So when I passed him in the hallway one day, I paused once I had gotten past the corner (this is embarrassing), just so I could peep around it for a second look.
I peeped. Thinking back, I am extremely glad he wasn’t taking a second look at me. Well, actually, that might have been nice. But I digress. I peeped, and noticed a little golden shiny object on the floor. A cufflink! Slowly I picked it up, imagining myself returning it in a Jane Eyre-type scene, full of witty, yet moving dialogue. Then my pragmatic self stepped in. ‘This is ridiculous. Stop being so goofy-he’s just an ordinary guy, no big deal, definitely not Orson Welles. Return the cufflink, or put it in the Lost and Found, for Pete’s sake! But do NOT cast yourself as Joan Fontaine or you’ll make an idiot out of yourself, in front of him!’
Ha. Resolute. That was me. I walked confidently, briskly down the hall to his office, rapped smartly at the door, …

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Wondering How Much It Will Cost To Restore Your Home After A Flood?

Laura08 mins

If you’ve suffered from flood damage in Freehold, New Jersey, you’ll likely wonder how much it will cost to restore your home. First, consider the scope of flood damage. Both natural and artificial sources cause floods. A restoration company will work to salvage as many of the home’s components as possible. Depending on the extent of your sustained damage, the cost of flood damage restoration in Freehold will likely vary significantly.

Costs of water damage restoration in Freehold

The cost of water damage restoration Freehold depends on several factors, including the area affected by the water, the amount of damaged material, and the available resources. Water damage is divided into three categories: category one, the least expensive, is considered relatively minor damage, while category two is more extensive and can result in costly and extensive restoration work. On the other hand, blackwater contains toxic debris and is considered extremely dangerous.

Depending on the size of the affected area, water damage restoration Freehold can range anywhere from $2,400 to $4,250. The price of water damage restoration is impacted by factors such as the type of water, the extent of damage, and the labor cost in your area. Listed below are the typical costs associated with water damage restoration. To help determine the cost of water damage restoration in Freehold, use our free cost estimator to estimate the cost of the work needed.

Companies that provide the service

If you live in Freehold, NJ, you probably have some experience with water damage. It can happen to you through a burst pipe, a malfunctioning sump pump, or even due to weather. No matter what caused the injury, it would help if you got it out quickly and correctly dried before mold takes hold. In Freehold, NJ, you have many options for water damage restoration.

First of all, floods are an awful thing to deal with. No homeowner wants to deal with the aftermath, and it is an unfortunate reality that no home is safe from flood damage. Floods can severely damage a home, both inside and out. Restoring your property can be backbreaking, and it takes an expert to do it right. Many factors determine the cost of flood damage restoration in Freehold.

Artificial and natural causes of water damage in Freehold

There are several causes of residential water damage, ranging from broken and damaged pipes to natural disasters. Regardless of the source, if you take proper precautions, you can protect your property for years. Here are a few things to remember:

Water damage from a burst pipe can affect a lot of property. The underlying foundation can also be damaged. A leaking pipe, a broken pipe, or a flood can all affect the foundation of a home. Water can also infiltrate walls, flooring, and furniture. It can also soak up drywall. These factors make water damage a costly problem. So, the first step in preventing water damage in your Freehold home is to avoid a leaking pipe and water damage by getting …

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How to Choose the Right Playground Equipment for Your Kid

Laura03 mins

How to Choose the Right Playground Equipment for Your Kid

It is the playground where your child enjoys himself, relaxes, and plays with his other kids. But do you think your child will enjoy spending time in the playground without appropriate playground equipment? Definitely no! Outdoor play toys will not only improve the social skills of your child, but also develop his self confidence as he mingles with other children.

Playground equipment are known to improve development skills in children, when not selected properly can create certain safety issues. Here are certain tips which would guide you to set up a safe playground for children:

• As a rule of thumb, check if the playground equipment has any improper surfaces. The ultimate rule is to check if the equipment has sharp edges.

• Make certain that you bear by safety guidelines while you set up a playground.

• You can even encourage children to engage in safe play so that the chances of getting themselves injured will be less.

• Look for strong outdoor activity toys.

• Make sure that you choose age appropriate outdoor play toys.

• Check whether the playground equipment will be safe in all weather conditions.

• Make sure that the playground equipment is easy to maintain.

• Spend a couple of time to check whether the equipment that you choose to buy has undergone durability tests.

These days there are numerous online dealers offering safe outdoor activity toys as per your requirements. So with the help of these points in mind, if you are looking for safe and sturdy outdoor activity toys you can try online stores. These stores have outdoor play toys,pool toys and accessories, Mindwalk toys, toddler riding toys.…

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Aid Your Memory With Lists

Laura03 mins

If you feel like you’re constantly forgetting things, you’re not alone. Memory problems plague a lot of people. You might think it’s a sign of age, but even younger people get forgetful, especially if they have a lot going on. Just look at any parent. Their lives are so complicated with getting kids to school, sports events and dance recitals and so on that things do tend to get forgotten in the hustle and bustle.
One way that you can give your memory a little nudge is by writing lists. You might think it’s cheating or a sign of weakness, but it really isn’t. It’s just a way to give your mind a little nudge in the right direction.
Of course, you have to make your lists in some sort of orderly fashion. If you have notes all over the house, it won’t help you. So, either keep your lists on your computer and check them a few times a day or, for even more convenience, write them and leave them in the same place all the time, such as on the kitchen table.
Also, remember to keep your lists in order. For instance, if you plan to go to three different stores, write the names of those stores and what you need at each one under the proper name. That way, you’ll stay organized.
Another good idea is to take paper and a pen with you wherever you go. That way, you can make a reminder for yourself as soon as you think of something that you want to remember.…

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Which is the Easiest Football Betting System?

Laura03 mins

Sitting and watching the football game with the boys just lifts the spirits of most guys. Over the years, the typical guy party has extended to using many a football betting system to increase the pleasure of healthy competition off the field. That is why it is important that you read this review to understand that there is an easy system that you can use without risking your bank account in the process.
The easiest football betting system is by far one with fixed odds. In fact, such a system allows you to identify patterns in varied matches and add in necessary data by using simple and proven mathematical type formulas. Instead of wishing and hoping, you use simple logic and methods that are affordable and well-recognized by most bookmakers. In fact, most bookmakers recommend this type of system. So, let’s have a look which ones stand up to the test of time and proven profits:
• Compiler System – works best over the long-term using odds-on, short-priced picks on all football games; it doesn’t guarantee getting rich fast, but works by giving you an easy to use system for getting that edge on betting on games
• Football Maestro System – offers a proven striking rate around eighty percent with the ability to generate steady, but proven and legitimate profits over the long-term; can be easily programmed for small to high payouts; encourages money management and controlled gambling which is key to making consistent types of wins
Both of these hold the number one position as the easiest systems to use. If you want consistent winnings over the long-term, and are willing to be patient, either one of these will do as a good football betting system. In fact, you can find them online and try them out for at least a month to see if they work for you. Best of all, both are very affordable which means you can earn back your investment in the software systems as you slowly reel in your winnings.…

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Scolari Backs Brazil And Barca

Laura05 mins

Well, Bunyodkor are champions of the Uzbek League and Scolari is looking forward to the challenge of leading his team to the AFC Champions League title as well as a place at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. But the man behind Scolari taking this coaching job is Brazilian Rivaldo, who now plays for Bunyodkor. Scolari admits that he was also, “…fascinated by the ambition of the Bunyodkor chiefs. A project of this scale is a fantasy!”
Soccer Crazy!
Coach Scolari, who is currently on an 18 month contract with Bunyodkor, is confident that Uzbekistan has a great future in the world of soccer. He feels that they have a lot to offer and will make their mark in due course. He complimented the talented young team for having qualified for the U-20 World Cup in Egypt this year. According to Scolari, this soccer crazy nation plays a game closer to the improvisational South American style than the tactical European style. “Uzbekistan soccer is half tactical and half technical,” is how coach Scolari puts it.
Big Ambitions
As of now, Scolari’s eyes are set on the Asian Champions League, which he hopes his team wins. His ambitions for Bunyodkor and himself are quite high, considering he wants the team to win every single tournament they participate in! That’s a tall ambition for any coach, even one of Scolari’s ranking! Talking about ambition, Bunyodkor recently made headlines with its claim that it was about to sign on famous Internazionale soccer shirt number 9, Samuel Eto’o! Though Scolari refused to say anything about the Eto’o deal, he did reveal that he definitely has plans to bring some big stars to Bunyodkor soon and is on the lookout.
Brazil & Barca rule!
A candid Scolari admitted that being a Brazilian, he considers Brazil as the world’s best international team. On the club level, he thinks Barcelona is the best. Having been around for so many years, Scolari has seen the game of soccer change drastically. He feels that it’s become more of a money making business with soccer players constantly transferring from one club to another. Earlier, players were worried about earning the reputation of being mercenaries. This ace coach is happy to note the great improvements in science, technology and marketing, which are now so much a part of the game. He even feels coaching has changed over the years, with teams relying a lot more on their coaches.
Well, Scolari, your team is certainly relying on you and knowing you it won’t be long before Uzbekistan takes centre stage on the pitch in their national team’s World Cup soccer uniforms! As for Scolari’s ultimate dream, it is to go back to his country and end his career in Brazil before retiring……

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