Kids And Sport

If you want to gain a strength advantage over your competition, and don’t have a lot of fancy equipment, don’t worry. Here are 3 tried and true “unique” strength training exercises that can help get you stronger for the mat - FAST!

1. Bottom Squats - Bottom squats are incredible for developing hips and gluteal strength. In layman’s terms, that would be working your rear-end. Ok, have a quick laugh, and then get to work. These are a perfect addition to your wrestling strength training routine. Here’s what you do. With an Olympic barbell, you perform a regular full depth squat. This means you descend until the top of your thighs break parallel with the floor. Instead of standing straight up, you come up only half way. You pause in the half-way up position, descend to below parallel, and repeat. I would throw them in about once or twice a month, to keep the muscles “confused”. This forces the muscles to respond by getting stronger. In fact, you might want to perform a regular barbell squat or machine squat during the first workout. The next workout you might perform a barbell or trap bar deadlift. The third workout might be a bottom squat. Just perform each exercise with 100% intensity (with a spotter at all times) and seek to improve strength over successive workouts.

2. Negative-Only Chinups - This one is fantastic for developing the kind of upper body strength you need for the mat very quickly. Why? Because performing negative repetitions incorporates many more muscle fibers than the positive part of the repetition. In other words, you are 40% stronger lowering a weight than you are raising a weight. To apply this to chinups do the following: Grasp a chinning bar with a close, underhand grip. (Using this grip is much more effective than a wide grip for developing the latissimus dorsi muscle. The “lats” work with the biceps when you are performing a single or double-leg takedown.) By standing on a high bench or chair, hop up so that your chin is over the bar, and hold for 2 seconds. Slowly lower yourself under control until you reach a hanging position where the “lat” muscles are stretched. This lowering should take a good 8-10 seconds. Hop right back up to the starting position and again lower in 8-10 seconds. Repeat until it is impossible to lower with control. You may have to use additional weight around your waist if using body weight only gets too easy. Keep an arch in the middle back area when performing to force the back muscles to work harder than the biceps.

3. Negative-Only Dips - Just as the last exercise works the back and biceps muscles hard, this one works the antagonistic (opposite) muscles to them. This one will get the chest, shoulders, and triceps stronger fast. To perform you lock out the arms and support yourself at the top on a dipping bar. Keep the chin tucked into the chest to force more work from the chest muscles, and less emphasis on the triceps. Lower until the chest is fully stretched. This will take 8-10 seconds. Repeat. When you can’t lower in at least 6 seconds, the set is over. At this point take a much needed breather and get a drink.

Negative only training is very taxing on the body. I would do it for no more than 3 weeks at a time, about 4 times a year, to help push past a sticking point in your training. These 3 exercises can be performed by any wrestler. If a wrestler is young and hasn’t reached physical maturity, perform the squats with bodyweight only. For older, more mature wrestlers, go for broke. If you aren’t huffing and puffing, and can’t wait to get out of the gym, you didn’t work hard enough.

Discover the power of negative only training and watch your performances improve almost overnight.

Every coach dreams of the day a member of their team makes it to the big leagues. Gymnasts who make it to top teams have put in a lot of hard work and effort to get where they are. Days and hours of practice week in and week out will eventually pay off and they will take their place in the spot light. Behind the spotlight, somewhere in the shadows of every gymnast great, there is a coach who has spent hours and hours developing and honing the skills they need to excel. One of the most important aspects of coaching is to give each member of the team value. The fact that each girl or boy has made it this far, and are now a contributing member of a Gymnastic team, speaks volumes for their ability and dedication. As a coach it’s essential that you keep this high moral by employing the following tactics as you interact with you’re team members.

• Embrace MistakesAt this point in the game, the ability of your team members is not in question. They are clearly ready and able to dedicate a portion of their life to excelling as gymnasts. It’s also at this point when gymnasts become very critical of themselves. What may be small mistakes or tribulations to you, can be crippling errors in the minds of your gymnasts. With this in mind, it’s important teach you’re team members the importance of mistakes. Without making a few mistakes here and there it will be impossible to improve as a gymnast.
• Point Out PositivesIt’s fairly easy to be overly critical of your team members. As a coach, it’s your responsibility to point out errors in an attempt to fix them. Unfortunately, all too often, we tend to focus on the negative and never give any attention to the positives. As a coach, it is your responsibility to keep moral up. In order to do that, it’s essential that you strike a balance of sorts between positive and negative feedback. Next time you’re watching a team member perform a routine, make it a point to find something positive about the performance and bring it to their attention.
• Get to Know ThemThese individuals spend a large amount of their time with you practicing or performing, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a life outside of gymnastics. Since you’re a predominate figure in their daily life, it’s important that you take an interest in their life. Do they have any other hobbies? What do they do for fun? Getting to know you’re team members is a great way to show them that you really care. When your gymnasts know you care they will take your feedback seriously and will respect you more.
• Give Personal AttentionWhen you’re working with a team, you may find it difficult to single out each individual and offer the one on one coaching that they may need. However, it’s important that at some point during the practice week, you work with each individual gymnast on a personal level. Spending one on one time with a team member shows them they they are a valuable part of your team and as such, deserve you’re attention.

From managing substitution patterns to knowing when to pull the goalie at the end of the game, coaching ice hockey might seem like it mostly entails strategic decisions during game play. While that is a big part of it, the well-rounded hockey coach also does much of their work before the puck is ever dropped at the start of a game. Developing an efficient practice routine, handling the day-to-day administrative duties of the job, and learning the subtle psychological tactics to maximize the performance of each individual player are just as crucial to developing a great team.

Practice

Practice is the foundation on which all great teams are built in any sport, because teams that are well-prepared and are not surprised by a situation that arises during a game have a distinct advantage. Coaching ice hockey requires a practice routine that develops individual skills, especially on the youth levels of the sport, by constant drilling of fundamental aspects like skating, puck-handling, shooting, passing, and defense. But a coach must also fit in ample time to develop team concepts, including offensive and defensive plays, special teams, and specific game situations, all while trying to strengthen chemistry between players.

Administrative

Administrative duties are more important to coaches on lower levels. This part of the job entails creating a practice schedule and making sure a rink is available, maintaining equipment, and oversight of all team operations. While this isn’t a glamorous part of the job, it can’t be allowed to slide at all.

Interacting with Players

Coaches in any sport must be amateur psychologists of a sort, because they have to deal with the distinct personalities of all the players on their team. Knowing what buttons to push and how each player responds to certain tactics is a necessity. How a coach deals with players who want more playing time or are struggling with their confidence might make the difference between a great team and one in the cellar.

Strategy

Once all the practice and preparation is done, it’s up to the coach to make the right decisions on game day. Much of the strategy might depend on the opponent, so a good coach must also be willing to take the time to scout his opponent. Knowing the opponents strengths and weaknesses is almost as important as knowing one’s own team’s abilities.

Again, much of what happens on game day is determined by the team’s preparation in practice. But a coach must know how to adjust during a game, nixing a certain plan of attack if it isn’t working or trying a different strategy if an opponent is having success in one particular area. Coaches should also be ready to adjust their game plans depending on how their individual players are performing. For instance, a player having a good night might become a focal point, while one who is struggling might need a pep talk or some extra time on the bench to get them going.

The Juggling Act

Coaching ice hockey is a juggling act of sorts. Good coaches can drill on the physical aspects of the sport and deal successfully with the psyches of each player on the team. And, in the end, they must have the confidence in their team to get it done when it matters most.

Choosing a figure skating coach can be a lot of work depending on your approach to the sport. Over time, you will develop a relationship with your coach which at times might make it somewhat difficult to sever the tie if ever the need would become a necessity. There may be a myriad of coaches to choose from, and that can be overwhelming. Keep in mind that coaches are different with their own particular teaching styles. Some are hands-on, while some just stand behind the board and teach.

When you are looking for a coach, while a big name coach might be important to some people, however your concern should be on who can have the work done. While an Olympic coach may be a great skater, he might not be the right one for you; especially if you are a beginner.

The coach’s teaching ability is of great importance specially if you are a beginner and especially if you are an adult beginner. A talented coach may be nice; however it is a grater assets to have a knowledgeable coach and one who has patience.You need a coach who will help you set realistic goals. Some may put more pressure, and might work you harder than another; well, the choice is up to you. At the end of the day you are the one shelling out the money, you know your strength, and your limits.

The following guideline may provide some guidance should you decide on obtaining a figure skating coach. It is only a guide.

1. Is the coach available for my time slot?
Some tend to be very popular due to their efficiency, they may not be available to give you all of the time you need. It The choice is up to you to either stay with that coach or move on. Personally, if he is that good I would find at least one session with him/her

2. What is that trainer’s approach toward teaching skating?
This is critical. You have to watch out for the coach who chats too much. You are not there too chat. Usually after being with a coach for a while you’ve developed a camaraderie; remember your session only last for a certain amount of time. Another thing you must keep in mind is the coach who teaches behind the board as opposed to the coach who is hands on. With the most advanced skaters, the coaches usually stay behind the boards, and calls the pupils to give instructions. However if you are not as advanced, there are times, when you may need you coach’s assistance.

3. Finding out from previous students about that coach’s prowess is important.
The best advertisements are the one coming from former students.

4. If you have important goals they should be realistic. The coaches don’t have ultimate power.
You must be willing work hard. Coaches don’t carry a magic wand that can make you do the impossible; and no they don’t have the power to take you to the Championships. It is all up to your hard work. While you may need some talents in the sports of figure skating, however 90%of it is really determination and HARD WORK NO COACHES HAVE A MAGIC WAND!

When you’re looking for a figure skating coach, it is very important that you find someone that suits your personality. There are different coaches out there. It is important to find someone that helps you reach your goals.
The best coaches are the ones who can prepare you for the different testing levels and competition if those are your goals. They understand the pressure. Figure skating skating is about passion, setting goals, the way it feels. It’s the greatest sport in the world for exercise and discipline. Enjoy it!

Since basketball is a team game, players need move the ball from one teammate to another. And besides passing, dribbling is another means. Here we will focus on the various types of dribbling normally observed on the court.

Low Dribble

As its name implies, low dribble just means that you must keep the ball bouncing low nearest to the floor. This can effectively ensure the ball from guards. This entails the dribblers to extend his hand so as to limit the space the opponent can penetrate.

Speed Dribble

When you have the ball in an open court, you have to take advantage of time while keeping good control with the ball and your body. You typically need to use speed dribble to achieve your aim. Speed dribble is use when a player isn’t guarded heavily, he/she isn’t forced to protect the ball excessively. This gives him/her a good chance to make faster dribbling while achieving some distance.

Change-Of-Pace Dribble

You go about this type of dribble by slowing down your motion that may be conceived as stopping. This would well make the opponent think that you are stopping to pass the ball. However, once you achieve the reaction from the opponent, you must be keen to explode with speed then drive through the opponent.

Crossover Dribble

The usual dribble used to deflect the guarding player is the crossover dribble. It is characterized by one-hand dribbling while pushing the ball in front. After which, the offensive player would have to explode right through the opponent. While this is good for achieving distance, it is also prone for steals. To protect the ball, dribbling must be kept low as the ball passes from one hand to another.

Hockey Dribble

This makes use of a head-shoulder fake combination with an abrupt change of pace. This is normally used to divert the defender from close guard.

Reverse Dribble

When you are strongly guarded, you can use reverse dribble to avoid the opponent from stealing the ball. The main drawback of this dribble is the tendency of losing sight of the ball for some moments, which could further expose it towards stealing from the back.

You can download a very informative complete basketball handbook here for free

Volleyball has been known to be one of those sports that is about as close to an aerobic workout as possible. Maybe you have even gone as far as to consider coaching volleyball as an option the first thing that you will want to cover when it comes to volleyball is the basic components that make up the game. This will ensure that everyone has a great time while also getting a vigorous workout. Like many other sports, volleyball has been around for a long time. Volleyball was first heard of in 1895 in Massachusetts by a YMCA physical director. Of course it was not dubbed as volleyball initially but rather was known as a combination of sorts, sort of a cross between handball and tennis known as Mintonette. The purpose at first was to help keep players in shape during off season. Ironically, when the game was first introduced, believe it or not players were allowed to throw the ball over the net. Around 1896 some formal rules were introduced and those rules are still intact today in the well known game of volleyball.

The basics of volleyball are as follows, you will need two teams made up of six players on each team. This would mean six players on each side of the net. Further on each side of the net there will be a front row of three and a back row of three. The game begins with the person in the back row and far right corner serving first. The opponents have three attempts to get the ball over the net and the other team scores points if the ball goes out of bounds, does not make it over the net or falls onto the court. There is a rotation with volleyball and the players as each time the control of the ball changes sides the players will rotate one position to the right. This always changes the server and allows players to have an opportunity to hit the ball from all locations.

Volleyball is really one of the simpler games to learn. It can be played both indoor and out. Some people play it year round and it is a great way to stay in shape. Some senior citizens even play it in the pool for an easy form of exercise. Often people make the game intense but others play it for leisure activity. It is no wonder why volleyball has gained such popularity throughout the years and now is even recognized in the World Olympics.

The USA Volleyball Association sets standards for the playing area that is officially used for volleyball play. Both indoor and outdoor courts are to be 60×30 and there should be a 10-foot area surrounding the court.

Depending on who is playing the game will depend on the height of the net. For men, co-ed mixed and outdoor: 7 feet, 11-5/8 inches, for women, boys 14 and younger, and reversed mixed: 7 feet, 4-1/8 inches, for boys 12 and younger is 7 feet, and for girls 10 and younger is 6 feet, 6 inches.