March 25, 2023
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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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Beef Up Your Team Or Business With Sports Shaped Stress Balls

Laura04 mins

Promotional sports balls have emerged as one of the most popular tools for building up a brand. Their appeal lies on the fact that they are more affordable compared to the traditional modes of advertising. Giving out sports shaped stress balls brings out the fun in promoting your business or team to the industry. They can ensure continuous promotions for your business because the customer will most likely use the merchandise during stressful conditions.
Sports shaped stress balls come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The most popular types of balls are from various sports such as soccer, rugby, cricket, football, baseball, among others. Balls have even been patterned after popular sports figures, such as coaches or referees. According to a 2009 survey, American football has emerged as the most popular shape of stress ball.
When considering sports shaped stress balls, you need to make sure that it will be compatible to what your team or business represent. If your squad is playing football, then choose a shape or design that is associated with the sport. In the choice of color, it should not be dominant to your team logo. They are not only ideal to give out during sporting events but also excellent corporate gifts.
Sports balls can ensure continuous promotions for your business because whenever your customer uses them to cheer for their favorites, your business will surely be promoted. There are different varieties of sports balls available at your disposal so you can choose the one that suits your budget. Chocolate sports balls can make watching a sporting event more enjoyable and sweet.
Sports balls are more affordable than billboards or newspaper advertisements. For optimum results, you can order them in bulk. This will free you from having to worry about what item to give out on your next campaign. However, provide at least four weeks for your order so provide ample time for the production and delivery with the date of your event.
Finding the most appropriate stress balls for your business is easy with the proliferation of so many promotional products suppliers. It will always be best to shop around and compare various offers before settling with one supplier. Feel free to ask for a sample to help you make a sound decision. This is one way of checking the quality of the products of the supplier.
Despite the minimal investment, promotional sports balls can deliver optimum results for your business. You could be enjoying the benefits sooner than expected. Market with sports balls and make a difference in your industry.…

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Things Parents Should Never Say to Athletes

Laura04 mins

In my many years of teaching baseball and softball, coaching and parenting, I have noticed that parents often put pressure on kids without even realizing that is what they are doing. This pressure leads to tension between parents and their sports playing kids that may never go away. Parents feel like they are just trying to help their kids but the kids are getting a different message.
Of course, it is important to realize that small amounts of tension between parents and kids are unavoidable because of the various emotions that playing youth sports creates for all. Occasional tension, frustration and failure to meet expectations is normal and does not threaten long-term relationships. However, parents often overdo their scrutiny of their child’s play and stain their relationship with their kids.
Following are things parents should observe that will help them to know if they are putting excessive pressure on their kids.
1. Kids get mad every time you say something about their play.
2. Kids will not practice with parent or always leaves practice mad at their parent.
3. Kids are constantly looking to parent when they do something good or bad on the field.
4. Kids seem to perform better when parent is not at game.
Additionally, some parental statements seem pretty innocuous on the surface but eventually they create tension and resentment. At the very least, these statements and questions can take the fun out of play for kids. (Listed from bad to worse)
1. Why did you do that?
2. What were you thinking out there?
3. Why didn’t you do what I told you to do?
4. When I was your age, I could already do
5. You have to practice more
6. Look at me when I talk to you
7. I thought you wanted to play
8. That was embarrassing
9. You will never get anywhere doing that
10. Do what I tell you and not what your coach tells you to do
11. I am not paying for you to play if that is how you are going to play
12. Forget it; I am not coming to your games anymore
Once again, some of these may seem like legitimate questions but the emotional way they are said or asked, automatically create tension in kids. The good news is that positive parents, who avoid using these statements, will eliminate unnecessary tension with their kids.…

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Arizona Diamondbacks 2009 Review

Laura03 mins

The Arizona Diamondbacks finished the regular season with a 70-92 record last in the National League West Division. The Diamondbacks didn’t have the season they hoped for giving up more runs then they scored. The D-backs as a team batted only .253 with on base percentage of .324. One of the young bright stars in the game is Justin Upton – who at 21 years old batted .300 (16th in the National League) with 26 HR.
Mark Reynolds had a career year as well with 44 HR (4th in the National League) and 102 RBI. Since Reynolds major league debut in 2007 he has increased his home run total every year.
The D-backs pitching wasn’t much better with the exception of Dan Haren. Haren had a career with an era of 3.14, a 14-10 record. and 223 strikeouts. Haren will surely have a Cy Young Award in his trophy case in the near future if he continues to improve. The D-backs have a very team and will look to improve and become a .500 team come 2010.
The D-backs had some success this decade winning the World Series in 2001 behind the outstanding pitching from Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. While the D-backs do not have Hall of Fame type played on their roster yet they will continue to build towards the future if they can manage to keep Upton, Reynolds, and Haren.
The D-backs have some way to go before they are contenders in the West Division with the L.A. Dodgers. A major loss for the D-backs was the loss of ace pitcher Brandon Webb. With Webb being back in 2010 – the combination of Webb and Haren should be a nice one two punch. When Brandon Webb was healthy in 2008 he went 22-7 finishing second in the Cy Young voting losing to San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum.…

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Tips to Getting Your Luxury Sports Car Fixed Properly

Laura04 mins

There are some brands of cars that have a great reputation for quality and excellence. Most luxury sports cars are not produced in the United States. That means that when you have one, getting repair work done on it might prove to be more challenging if you don’t follow a few tips when it comes to repair time. For example, even though you can’t get back to the dealer for work, don’t settle for someone less than certified to handle the repairs of that vehicle.
No matter what type of make or model of car you have, getting someone who is certified on that specific engine or system will be the best option for you. When someone isn’t certified on luxury motors or components, it can lead to more headaches down the road in the repair process. A person trained specifically on a system will be able to not only diagnose problems faster, but they will be able to repair and solve those problems in a faster way.
When repairs are solved quicker, it means a lot of good things for you and your family. The faster a problem is corrected, the sooner you will be out and on the road. When there are children with practices and games to attend, down time with a vehicle can be crucial. No one wants to bum rides or not come and go as they please. The certified technician can work speedily to repair the parts of your car because they are trained and familiar with them.
A specific and certified repair tech can also cost you less in the long run. A person who is just used to any old vehicle might think they have the answer to a problem, but not know for sure. This could mean a repair is done on something that really isn’t the problem. Now you have paid for a repair and still don’t have the original problem solved! Now it is going to take more time and even more money for you to get back on the road. Certified repair professionals don’t have to guess because they are familiar with a model a lot better than just anyone in a repair shop.
Lastly, using a certified mechanic will give you more peace of mind. After all, you wouldn’t go to a vet when you or your wife was going to deliver a baby now, would you? Generics are nice to have, but specialties are able to pinpoint problems in a more efficient manner. A specialist or certified mechanic will ensure you have someone who knows exactly what they are doing looking at your engine and what might be wrong with it.…

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Sports And Money

Laura03 mins

The sports industry is one of the areas that did not suffer a lot during the economic recession. In fact, this is one of the areas where people go to release the stresses and strains that were experienced at the peak of the recession. Let us take soccer for instance.
The various European teams have had one of the most successful and also expensive transfers that has ever been seen. Talk about Christiano Ronaldo from Manchester United to Real Madrid, or Kaka to Real Madrid from Milan. Just to mention but a few. You see, these teams do not mind spending these huge sums of money on these players because they know that they will get a return on investment very soon.
When you take the N.B.A for example, that has numerous players like Lebron James, who are paid 7 figure digit salaries. Why not you? You can take advantage of the huge and faithful fans that are loyal to these clubs and make yourself rich while doing so on the internet. There are various ways in which you can do this: one of them is opening up a website that auctions off peoples seasons tickets for various games. However before doing so, you must set up an authentication scheme to ward off illegitimate fraudsters. How can you do this? I will cover various safety methods that you can use to achieve the desired results in my next article. Take these decisive steps to realize your dreams of becoming an internet millionaire.…

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Improve Your Football Game With These Top Tips!

Laura05 mins

Football is a game enjoyed by people all around the nation. Whether paying in a little league, at school or with friends, it is an enjoyable hobby which, for some, even turns into a career. If you want to better your skills so you can show off on the field, read on.

One of the best things you can do as a football player is to listen to your coach. While you may not agree with what your coach has to say, they are in charge of directing the team, not just you as an individual. Without the coach, there would be 11 guys running around in circles on the field.

If you want to involve the whole family in a game of football, make it flag football that you play. Flag football is much safer than tackling, so it works well for all generations of players and all genders too. You can have a whole bunch of family bonding time with the game.

As you go onto the field, be prepared to win. Don’t settle for anything less and keep that in mind as you play. If you are positive and focused on winning the game, you’re more likely to reach your goals. If you have any misgivings in your mind, you will fail.

The tips, techniques, schemes and strategies associated with football are ever growing and improving, so there’s always something to learn. You can make up for lack of speed or strength with agility or quick reflexes. If you can’t beat them physically, do it mentally.

Treat all of your fellow players, even your opposition, with the respect they deserve. Football is a taxing sport on body and mind. Everyone that plays is a warrior in his own right. It shows great courage and teamwork. Keep that in mind, and don’t react poorly to misplays and losing. Treat your fellow players the way you’d want to be treated.

Never be the stereotype. Often people see football players as jocks with few brain cells. You all know that’s far from the truth. Football works all aspects of who you are. Your mind needs to be as agile as your feet. So don’t play to this silly stereotype. Show people that athletes excel in all aspects of life.

If you want to become a great football player, you have to stick to your routine and training. This can be one of the most difficult parts of the game because you are not playing the game while training. Yet, without the routine and training when you are not playing, you will suffer come game time.

Take every chance you can to study football footage, but when you can, study footage of yourself. Try and see yourself through an opponent’s eyes. Look for tells or signs of what you are about to do, as well as habits you have that are predictable. Always have a way to keep your opponent guessing.

With all of this great information available to you, you …

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Every Last Tip We Provide On Basketball Is Top Notch

Laura05 mins

Don’t worry about becoming Michael Jordan or LeBron James, focus on becoming the best player you can be. Well don’t just keep wishing you were that good, get out there and make it happen. Keep reading to learn more about the game of basketball.

When you are practicing your shooting, make sure that you practice shots that you may be required to make during a game. You should try to shoot the ball while moving around, standing still, and right after you receive a pass. You can have someone toss you a ball while you’re running in order to practice taking a shot after the ball has been passed to you.

To become a better dribbler in basketball, practice with your eyes closed. This will help you to be able to dribble while keeping a close watch on the action of the game. Be sure to practice while you’re moving too, so that you can dribble and maneuver around the court without ever having to look down at the ball.

If you are in a good position to receive a pass, put your hand up in the air so the current dribbler can see you. The basketball court is surprisingly small when you’re actually on it. And when you’re playing in a game filled with ten people, there’s a lot of chaos going on in that small space. Sometimes that hand is necessary so that the dribbler sees the option.

Keep in mind that basketball shoes don’t last forever. Ask questions at the store or do research to find out just how many games or months a good pair should last before needing replacement. You need to feel safe in the quality of your footwear when moving on the court.

Be careful not to travel when dribbling the basketball. Traveling occurs when you take too many steps in between dribbles. It’s most likely to happen when going up for a shot. Just one extra step will mean the difference between a score and a turnover, so practice shooting as often as you can.

Learn how to turn on your pivot foot when stopped with the ball. Being able to pivot is an important skill to learn. If you’ve pulled up your dribble, you can no longer take any steps forward. That means your back foot can’t move. But you can pivot on it to face different directions and fake out an opponent. It can help you out of a jam.

Being a good player isn’t all about displaying physical skills and making all the shots. There is a lot of mental preparation that goes into being a team player. Don;t just focus on what you can do to be better but think about what you can do to be a better team member too.

Now that you have had a chance to read up on some great pointers, it’s time to get out and practice. Be consistent and confident. Play your best game of basketball using the information you learned …

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Tips And Tricks To Enhance Your Basketball Skills

Laura05 mins

Sports are America’s greatest pastime. From the players to the coaches, parents and spectators, it seems a majority of people are involved in sport somehow. Basketball is one of those sports that garners a lot of attention. But in order to help your team gain the wins and get the attention they deserve, you have to bring skills to the court and score points. So here are some ways to get those skills and bring your team to a winning season.

When you are practicing your shooting, make sure that you practice shots that you may be required to make during a game. You should try to shoot the ball while moving around, standing still, and right after you receive a pass. You can have someone toss you a ball while you’re running in order to practice taking a shot after the ball has been passed to you.

When you dribble a basketball, you are supposed to use your fingertips. Many people think you are supposed to use your palm, but this is incorrect. Using the tips of your fingers when you are dribbling the ball will result in you being able to dribble more in a shorter amount of time.

Make sure that you practice teamwork when you are on the court, or people may have a hard time dealing with you. You may want to impress others on the court, and this may give you the idea that you should shoot the ball yourself, but it would be best to pass the ball to someone who is open.

Always protect the ball when you are in possession of it. Keep your dribble off to the side of your body to make it more difficult for another player to steal the ball. While you generally want to avoid dribbling in front of you, you can do so if there are no other players in your immediate vicinity.

Practice dribbling the ball on a number of different surfaces. As you get used to how the ball reacts, you will be able to adjust your game accordingly. How you handle the ball can make or break the game. Turnovers lead to points that your team may not be able to recover from, so your skills in this area need to be solid.

Really practice the types of shots that you’d get in a typical game experience. Yes, it’s fun to play HORSE and try crazy shots, but that’s not prepping you for actual game play. You want to get the types of shots you usually see down cold. Practice them over and over.

As you can see, learning a skill can be easy bit practicing and perfecting it may take time. But that is fine because as long as you are enjoying what you do, you will only get better at it. Practicing as often as you can may mean that you spend time alone doing it with no one to cheer you. But keep in mind that every bit of …

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