Ryan Galiotto

Posts Tagged ‘sports’

No matter how much the adage ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ is used or heard, its truth never gets old. Kids need to develop in a balanced way so that they are able to deal with all the challenges and demands that life will later put on their shoulders.

Learning should be encouraged in a wide a field as possible in this regard and sports provide one of the most versatile and dynamic platforms for this to happen. The misconception that reigns in some places that sports participation in children should be restricted is one that causes a lot damage to the way they grow up.

Sports as a field contains a lot of activities especially for the kids that if applied in the right way will allow kids to learn valuable lessons about life. It is not uncommon for kids to extend the discipline, creativity, hard work and team building skills attained in engaging in sports activities to other areas of their lives such as school work.

The thing is, sports especially at children’s level is carried out in a simple way in a friendly and healthy environment that allows kids to let themselves go and come out of their small cocoons to discover what lies in the outside world.

The simplicity of sports does not, however, compromise its ability to provide the necessary learning and development necessary for balanced growth. It is indeed this same simplicity that causes the lessons learnt to stick into the kids psyches to be used later on in life. How important therefore that the lessons adopted through sports be positive ones rather than negative ones. The ball is now therefore firmly set in the courts of parents, teachers and guardians of children to recognize the awesome potential of sports in developing children to be upstanding members of the world community.

Through sports kids learn to share with others, the power of team work and positive competition can be fostered in the muddy soccer and hockey fields that the classroom can only fantasize about. Through competitive games and sports kids can learn what it takes to win and how to deal with unexpected outcomes in life. The beauty of sports is that through its many intense activity, interaction among kids themselves and also with adults is essential.

Kids can learn how to express themselves and respect authority, traits that can be hard to develop in adults. Starting them on such at a young age will reap fruits that will be the pride of all.

Sports activities come in many forms. Mainstream sports like baseball, soccer, basketball, hockey and tennis to name but five are used to instill the traits described above. With creativity, learning activities can be converted into fun sporting activities. Music and art and crafts are among the best candidates for this. It’s high time the true potential of sports be tapped. Take a cue from Tiger Woods and the Williams sisters.

Getting yourself a sports equipment or gear always needs scrutinizing especially if the equipment or gear plays a major role in your performance. In the case of water sports and in particular, getting yourself a wetsuit, your choice may depend largely on what you are looking for in your suit. You may just want to have that top of the line wetsuit, or you can check for the quality and material that you prefer without having to pay too much for it.

Especially if you are looking for a triathlon wetsuit or scuba diving wetsuit which requires some special features, you should check the quality and the materials that make up your wetsuit so you will know what fits you.

Some of the important things to check when getting a new wetsuit are flexibility of the suit, the comfort it gives and the warmth it provides. Of course, the cost and style would also be considerations after you have examined the more important aspects of the suit. Here are some basic information on wetsuit quality and materials.

Wetsuits are made of neoprene. Although this material is generally flexible, the flexibility of wetsuits varies from the type of neoprene being used and this may vary from brand to brand and from models to models.

The most flexible neoprene is called the super stretch neoprene. It is also easier to determine the quality and flexibility of your wetsuit when it comes to super stretch neoprene as it is determined by the percentage used in the wetsuit. A wetsuit could have 30%, 60% or 100 % super stretch neoprene on it.

Of course, the more super stretch material your wetsuit has, the higher is its price, so wetsuits are made in different combinations of materials to suit any budget, flexibility requirement and skill level of the user.

If you are still starting out with your water sport, you may want to settle for some wetsuits that are less expensive and start with a 10% or 30% super stretch wetsuit. The more flexible parts of these suits usually are the portions on the shoulders, the arms and on the back of the knee.

For more experienced users, a 60% super stretch or a 100% super stretch wetsuit can be ideal although the choice largely depends on your budget.

Wetsuit manufacturers have even incorporated other materials to add more flexibility and comfort to wetsuits. It is not uncommon to see wetsuits having lycra, spandex or Merino wool in them for added comfort and flexibility.

In today’s hot and happening world, the custom low rider bicycle has acquired a special status. Everyone seems to dream of possessing this style of bicycle. Are you wondering why this has happened? Well, simply because riding this bicycle is an experience in itself. One feels a great sense of adventure and freedom while riding this bicycle. No wonder it has become almost a fashion statement to own a custom low rider bicycle.

To put the record straight, these bicycles are not a modern invention. In fact, they go as far back as the ‘The Munsters’, a television show from the 60s. The central character Eddie Munster was the initial owner of this style of bicycle and he seems to have owned a Schwinn Stingray and that too a modified version. Even though this style faded away for some time, today it has bounced back and the Eddie style lowered and elongated look for this bicycle has become a ’symbol’ of the new century.

The defining characteristic of these low rider bicycles is style. As a result of the rising demand for these bicycles, you have a lot of options in today’s market. No one wants a low rider bicycle just like the ones owned by the others. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that people seek to express their individuality and personality by designing the low rider bicycles according to their desires.

So it is very common to see customized low rider bikes where experimentation has been done on the upholstery, and you have other special features like sound systems, rims, special whitewall tires etc. Some low rider bicycles have risen to the level of art and they are equipped with neon, murals that are hand painted, and even hydraulics and steering wheels. All of these also escalate the prices of these bicycles and people at times spend thousands of dollars on their customized low rider bicycles.

Passion for these bicycles has risen to the extent that clubs have mushroomed in many places for exchanging ideas about low rider bicycles. Riding and creating different personalized designs seems to be the main thrust of these clubs. All the members help each other in the creation process and customized bicycles that are new are displayed as and when available. Clubs in different areas also organize meetings and have fun showing off their latest bicycles.

If you are new to the low rider bicycle scenario, there is no need for you to worry. You can purchase a low end bicycle for as much as $210. If you are interested in adding other features like rims, tires, murals etc. then the cost could go up by a thousand dollars or so. There is no dearth of manufacturers for custom low rider bicycles. You have plenty of options like manufacturing a bicycle particularly for you or getting a simple low rider and enhancing it with hydraulics or murals or special bicycle parts from an expert.

The John Wayne Pioneer Trail is located in Washington State and travels two-thirds of the way across the state. It offers a trail for all kinds of activities like hiking, bicycling and cross-country skiing.

The 100-mile portion from Cedar Falls (near North Bend) to the Columbia River near Vantage is managed as Iron Horse State Park.

Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul-Pacific Railroad abandoned this corridor and it was later turned into a trail in the 1980s when Washington State Parks acquired it. In the past, the Milwaukee Road was a vital trade link between Seattle and the Midwest. This article is about the trail between exit 38 East of North bend to exit 54 at Hyak on the Eastside of Snoqualmie Pass.

Some people call the trail the John Wayne Trail west of Snoqualmie Pass and the Iron Horse Trail east of Snoqualmie Pass, while others call the entire trail the Iron Horse Trail.

The trail is relatively smooth, but not paved and because of this along with its length, most people use it as a mountain bike trail. It’s an easy ride with spectacular views. On average, the trail is about half a mile from the highway and about 300 feet higher, so that the noise and exhaust fumes of the trucks on the highway are not bothersome.

If you look at a map there are two Exits 38: Exit 38 west and Exit 38 east, about two miles apart and connected by a side road. You can access the trail from either exit.

The river down below is called the Snoqualmie River. The trail itself is approximately 16.5 miles to Hyak and rises steadily from exit 38 to an elevation of approximately 2500 feet.

At the top, the trail enters Snoqualmie Tunnel (a 2-mile long tunnel). This is located at Snoqualmie Pass, the lowest point in these mountains to cross over. Because of the snowfall here the builders of the railroad decided to make a tunnel through the mountain at this point.

NOTE: The ride through the tunnel can be extremely DARK. At two miles in length, the far end is just a small pinpoint of light. Be sure to have a good light and where a jacket. The tunnel is very dark, wet and cool inside. As for the trail its self, the gravel path is level and smooth making for an easy ride. Also, the tunnel is usually closed from November 1 to May 1.

When you pass through the East end of the tunnel at Hyak, its time to return. The return to the car is all downhill making for a quick ride back (the whole trip is approximately 33 miles, round-trip).

Another option is to drop off a car at each end and then just ride one way or start at the East end of Snoqualmie Tunnel and ride downhill one-way.

For directions and current conditions check out the Washington State Parks website at http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/?selectedpark=Iron Horse

The son of legendary racer (and DIRT Motorsports Hall of Famer) Emil “Buzzy” Reuitman, David Reutimann is the third generation in his family to take up the sport, sometimes racing with his father at Florida’s East Bay Raceway Park (known as the Clay by the Bay by fans).

He started as a dirt track racer and moved his way up into the ranks of NASCAR racers, being the 1997 Rookie of the Year in the Slim Jim All Pro Series as well as 2004’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Rookie of the Year. With many top ten finishes, although few wins, Reutimann is a racer to watch.

In 2005, he won the Toyota Tundra 200 in Nashville and in 2007, he moved to the Nextel Cup Series where he won the 2007 Sam’s Town 250 in Memphis for his first win in the Busch Series car. He ran the full Busch Series schedule in 2007 and finished second in the standings.

Since joining the NASCAR Southeast Series in 1997, Reutimann has been the winner of several awards. He spent a long time preparing on Florida’s many short tracks, where he was an avid modified racer.

For the last few years, he has been racing in the Nationwide Series as well as the Sprint Cup series for Michael Waltrip Racing. He hasn’t achieved the level of success of some NASCAR stars, but he has been a consistently high performing racer with top finishes in a lot of the sport’s most important races.

In 2009, David Reutimann has named one of his old racing peers as his crew chief for his No. 00 Toyota car, Rodney Childers, who first met him back during the 1999 Slim Jim All Pro race. Childers sites David Reutimann’s sense of humor and personality as a reason he searched out the position, when it became available.

NASCAR fans would be well advised to watch Reutimann this year; he has built up a lot of momentum and his crew and some racing experts predict that he will bring in some top ten and top five finishes this year, perhaps even some wins.

With this being Rodney Childers fifth season as a crew chief on the Sprint Cup level, it may be the advantage that Michael Waltrip Racing and David Reutimann need. The relationship with Toyota and NASCAR is a promising future because of their commitment to the racing world and faith in the team.

David Reutimann may not be the first racer who comes to mind when thinking of NASCAR, but this year may change things. Reutimann will be sharing driving duties on Number 00, Aaron’s Dream Machine. Fans are eager to see the return of Waltrip to racing as well as interested in how well Reutimann will perform.

With top 10 finishes in the Nationwide Series and ever better performance in the Sprint Cup, Waltrip racing is excited about David Reutimann’s prospects in the upcoming season.

No doubt, if you have an athlete involved in youth baseball today, he has experienced some disappointment. Thats ok, its part of athletics; it builds character. The problem I want to dissect here is how and why these game to game disappointments sometimes turn into prolonged slumps, or long-term struggles.

The game to game disappointments athletes often experience are usually the result from a particular skill that isnt developed as well as it could be. Long-term slumps on the other hand, are caused by much more complex issues. Long-term struggles are generally caused from a combination of physical skill inabilities as well as confidence problems and self-doubt. Those two problems (physical and mental) occurring at the same time can be devastating to a players game.

Before I talk about how to solve a long-term slump, its important to understand how small game-to-game failures grow into full blown long-term slumps. Its really a simple concept to understand. Your mind records images of your performances, especially if the performance is accompanied by a strong emotion. If the performance is poor, the mind will save the image of your poor performance in your short-term memory allowing you to review it over and over again. The problem gets tough when the amount of negative images pile up in the short-term memory.

When a collection of small negative images flood the minds eye, it caused extreme emotions in the athlete. The longer the player experiences these emotions, the greater chance there is for a long-term slump to occur. There are a couple ways to tackle this problem. One is physical practice, and the other is mental practice. For now, Ill give you the mental skill set you need to avoid slumps.

The solution to fixing a struggling mental game is to change the mental image your mind has stored. Instead of seeing the failure or series of failures, begin to see those failures turn into successes. Rather than seeing yourself strike out looking at bat, see yourself hit the pitch into the left-center gap for a double. Rather than seeing yourself make an error in the infield, see yourself backhand the ball and throw out the runner at first base. This skill is a bit tricky and strange at first since you are essentially lying to your brain. But, with time and frequent practice, youll be able to lessen the impact of failures and experience continued growth as an athlete.

Even if you end up mortgaging your home to purchase the most best golf equipment this side of Scotland and you plan to play on top notch golf courses, it will be an exercise in vain with your time and money if you don’t consider the other side of the golf coin: quality golf instruction. For the beginner golfer, this is must-have equipment alongside your drivers and putters.

Those lessons may come in the form of public group lessons (at a much reduced rate) or private lessons with a pro. A combination of both is ideal because you get to struggle with others and you get a chance to hone in on your individual weaknesses.

Taking private lessons from a professional has clear advantages: let’s face it, if you are paying $40-130 per hour learning how to play the game, you will do what you can when you’re not with the pro to improve your skill. A pro can take you further than a friend or family member could ever take you.

Secondly, the local pro can objectively critique your swing and mannerisms on the course. Your friends will not be as free after the thirtieth or fiftieth correction (in normal relationships). Also, the local pro will strengthen your strengths while getting you over your weaknesses. Getting encouragement from a professional goes further than your longest drive in the confidence game.

Thirdly, the pro you choose is an experienced professional. This is the profession he has chosen to excel in. He’s good at the game and he teaches others for a living; that should say something. The local course pro has been good enough to be called a professional, so that person had to be good (if you don’t think the value for your money’s, select someone else).

There are a whole host of instructors who would be willing to teach beginning golfers the art and skill of driving a ball 250 yards or chipping the ball out of the bunker. To be fair, though, not all pros are good teachers, and that’s something you will need to think about too.

Lastly, a pro will help you with your stance, grip, swing, control, follow through, aim, strategy, club selection, and game psychology. You will be able to enjoy the game more fully. The professional instructor is normally worth the extra money you spend to learn the game.

Budget a quality golf professional into the game strategy when you’re first learning how to play. He (or she) is a welcome addition to the golf gear you have so carefully placed in your designer bag.

Ever wonder why some guys catch more fish than others? There are several reasons this could be. The right location, the right lures, and you being quiet are the keys to success. Some folks never think about how being quiet may hurt their odds of catching fish.

Staying silent and quiet during the fishing time is what I have been telling my clients who want to learn fishing. Fishing is just like hunting animals. You must stay quiet and calm if you do not want to startle them and let them run farther away from you. This is also applicable to fishing. If you want to catch big trout or redfish, you would really keep your calmness and you would never do such things that may scare the fish away. Even those people who are with you in the boat should also give importance to silence.

Another important thing to consider is the location. Locating fish is quite hard most of the time. If you want to fish for more trout, or if you want to catch more fish in just one site, look for the best location to fish. The best location that I can advice you is the one in the off-colored water. I noticed that when I drop the bait at off-colored water, more fish are getting aggressive to feed on it.

Off-colored water does not mean muddy water or dirty water. Clear water makes the fish see you because of their visibility, but on off-colored water, their visibility becomes less, leading you to more hook ups. But I like better the grass flats for fishing.

When I go fishing on the grass flat, I would rather wait for the tides. As the tide rises, the fish will come as well into the flats. On the deeper water, I use the Sea Devils by Brown Lures in the Amber color. Sometimes the Redfish would ignore the lures on the flats. What I usually do is to toss a hook right beside them and once they smell the lures, they will surely feed on it. This was the fishing experiences I have at the Matagorda Bay System.

See you all there this summer.

Living an active life makes a person fit and healthy. Movement and activity are essential to everyone who wants to stay fit and not limited to only those with weight problems.

The world presents lots of opportunities to get moving, like jogging around the block or playing sports with friends and family. But if you aspire to do something more specific than being generally healthy, such as building muscle mass, then the gym is the best place to be.

Why people go to the gym

There are three reasons why people go to the gym:

* They want to lose excess weight and can’t seem to do it without doing an intense stint at the gym-and eating sensibly, of course.

* They are hoping to build muscle mass by lifting weights and doing other intensive exercises.

* They just want to stay in shape and enjoy the social interaction at the same time.

* A well-balanced fitness program should include cardiovascular and weight training exercises. These programs burn up a lot of calories and increase muscle-to-fat ratio to raise your metabolic rate to gain or lose weight.

What You Can Expect To Gain

1. Ward off many illnesses and slow the aging process.

2. Control the production of stress hormones like cortisol and exchange it for endorphins, which will infuse you with good feelings.

3. A person engaged in an active lifestyle lives longer than one who is inactive and sedentary.

Reaching your fitness goal will not happen over night. You will need to work your way toward total fitness by gradually stepping up your workout routine. A reasonable fitness program will allow you to reach your goals over time and offers extraordinary rewards.

Eating your way to good health

No fitness regimen would be complete without a quality diet behind it. Maintaining your diet is often the hardest part of getting fit and staying that way, but regular exercise can help make it easier. The two work together to make your body strong and healthy.

A good eating and exercise regimen will get your body functioning at maximum setting without supplements and costly gym equipment. Bear in mind that dieting doesn’t require you to starve yourself. You can eat portions of your favorite foods. Just be sure to burn those extra calories through regular exercise.

Eat primarily foods that are high in vitamins and fiber. Good sources of these include potatoes, rice, nuts, and whole grains. The easiest and most efficient way to get your nutrients is by eating fruits and veggies, which supply you with phytochemicals. These substances are made up of micronutrients and enzymes and are indispensable to your health.

Those fats found in fish and vegetables, mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, are also important to include in your diet. Animal fats, which are associated with health problems like heart disease, should be avoided. Just remember that fat can potentially increase the calories in the food you eat by up to two times.

Choose clean living

If you smoke or take alcohol, then you must quit at once. Smoking causes lung cancer as well as creates complications in pregnant women. Excessive drinking likewise causes liver disease and hypertension.

Good habits do not form overnight, just like bad ones take more than a few days to break. Just be patient and you will find that your new habits are taking root and becoming an incontrovertible part of your life.

Raised in French Lick, Florida after being born in West Baden Springs, Larry Joe Bird had a talent for basketball which was apparent from an early age. At Springs Valley High School, he was the school’s all-time scoring leader; an achievement which secured him a scholarship to the University of Indiana.

Larry Bird felt out of place on the large campus and dropped out, taking a year off before returning to college and the game of basketball at Indiana State. Bird led the team to the NCAA championships in 1979 against Magic Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans. Although the Spartans were victorious this time, the team finished with a 33-1 record and cemented Bird’s 30.3 points per game average as a college player.

In 1979, the Boston Celtics called on Larry Bird as their number one draft pick and he signed with them for a record $650,000 a year. With the Celtics, he averaged 21.3 points per game and earned the title NBA Rookie of the Year. He also dealt up 10.4 rebounds per game, 143 steals and led his team in minutes played at 2,955. He also led the Celtics to a playoff qualifier with 61 wins and 21 losses. Losing to Philadelphia’s 76ers, the fans of Boston loved their number thirty-tree as they had seen some sad times in the early 1970’s-the fans hoped for the return of greatness to Boston and with Bird, they could see their vision coming true.

By 1980, the Celtics moved their playing court into the Robert Parrish Center and drafted Kevin McHale. These two men would become what have been dubbed the “best frontline in NBA history.” The 1980-81 seasons saw the Celtics go to the NBA finals where they took down the Houston Rockets in six games-this would be Larry’s first NBA Championship-but not his last. Larry was a leader and this was seen by general manager Red Auerbach, who happily watched his team become one of the two most exciting and winning teams in the NBA during the 1980’s. In fact, almost every NBA final would feature either the Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers, or both.

Bill Fitch, the Celtics’ coach nicknamed Bird “Kodak”, since as Fitch said: “it’s for his ability to picture how a play would unfold. He can turn a play into points.”. Bird was also a formidable defensive player and his statistics are truly amazing - his tallies in the 1981-1982 season reached the double digits. The Celtics became even more of a force to be reckoned with in 1983, when guard Dennis Johnson signed on and new coach KC Jones came on board.

The Celtics took the NBA championship in the 1983-1984 season in a seven game series against the Lakers, with an 111-102 score in the final game. In this series, Bird averaged 14 rebounds and 27 points per game, also taking the MVP awards for the series and for the season. Bird also won the MVP award the next season, even after a loss to the Lakers. Bird and Magic Johnson had a friendly rivalry which fans still talk about.

The Celtics returned to finals once again in the 1985-1986 season; they defeated the Houston Rockets in six games and finished with a 76-15 record for the year. Bird again won the series MVP in this, his third NBA championship victory with an average of 24 points per game, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. This year also saw him winning the league MVP award, the third player to do so. Bird’s Celtics would also come out on top in the finals the next year, beating the Lakers in six games. Bird, like his rival Magic Johnson was becoming synonymous with the game of basketball.

Bird’s biggest season in terms of numbers was 1987-1988 with an average of 29.9 points per game in 30 minutes per game. His field goal percentage was .527 and his free throws .916. He had to sit out the 1988-1989 season due to a bone spur, but came back for the following season; however, he knew it was getting close to time to retire. His status as legend was cemented in 1992, when he joined Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson on the US Olympic “Dream Team”, winning the gold medal. With his career average of 24 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists per game, his 49.6% field goal average and a stunning 88.6% average on free throws, as well as a 37.6% three-pointer average and twelve All-Star games, Bird is a legend and his name is a synonym for basketball with fans all over the world.