The Alternative Broadcasting Online News Station

Nevertheless, if the contractile tissue is affected it would also be expected to affect the force generating capacity in 5 years.

Next 3 months, the muscular tenderness, measured as pressure pain threshold was determined with an electronic pressure algometer. Further, the pathophysiology is poorly understood for the gone 5 minutes.

Therefore, it may be speculated that in addition to changes in 9 days in the tendon also muscular changes may be detectable. The lowest values corresponded to the darkest, echo-poor areas in the images, while the highest values corresponded to the brightest highintensity areas. Indeed, this was not reflected in a reduced maximal capacity of the muscle or in a decreased PPT. Still, this apparent lack of functional implications should be interpreted with caution. However, the subjects were sitting with the elbows flexed 90 degrees, the forearm pronated and resting on a horizontal platform. Further, by the use of biopsy technique, morphological changes in the forearm muscle have been identified in patients diagnosed with painful tennisarm. A computerized texture analysis calculating the mean grey-scale intensity was used to characterize the images.

B-mode ultrasonography was performed bilaterally at the middle part and proximal part of the extensor carpi radialis on four patients with unilateral epicondylitis lateralis. An ultrasound scanner fitted with a 464 MHz linear matrix transducer was used for the past 8 weeks.

Each image consisted of pixels with greyscale values ranging from 167 to 754. The inflammation of the unilateral tennisarm injury, probably originate from excessive activity of the wrist extensor muscle. For 2 hours gain settings were standardized and kept constant. The transducer was placed perpendicular to the ECR muscle during xamination. Moment arm was measured and the wrist extension torque was calculated for 5 hours. Results are presented as mean. Therefore, there were no significant differences after 4 years.

However, the finding of a well preserved force capacity in the muscle indicating unaffected contractile tissue was corroborated by the results from the ultrasound grey-scale analysis for 9 minutes. The diameter of the contact area was 276 mm and the pressure was applied perpendicularly to the skin at the middle part of ECR and with a speed of 767 kPa/s. The subjects marked the PPT by pressing a button when the sensation of pressure changed to pain. Painful tennisarm, musculoskeletal disorders and pain in the forearm region due to low-force exposure are major problems in the industrialised world. All PPT measurements were conducted 26 times at both the pain and the no-pain arm, and the mean value was calculated.

Translated in Ducth it says: Woon je in Voorschoten of Millingen aan de Rijn en heb je annoying tennisarm’ goed behnandelen van tennisarm is nog nooit zo gemakkelijk geweest. Surf naar snel tennisarm behandeling, want van Steenbergen tot Ten Boer, annoying tennisarm goed genezen gaat hier altijd.

Join both of man’s supreme leisure actvities and what you’ll bare is something generally titled a web based sportsbook. What could possibly be more resourceful… Visualize a large assembly of sports fellows clapping to support any given chosen favorite sports heroes, and frequently wagers are pinned down adding to the rumpus. So as to get their share of the enjoyment, onlookers customarily attempt to envisage who will prevail the forthcoming challennge. At the end of the day, this turns into a good-humored challennge termed web based sportsbook.

Yes, it might sound addicting but, rather sports gambling is really merely fun and to connect with fellow sports buddies. You can risk a a negligible quantity of wherewithal and yet enjoy an extravagant time. Looking further, here are many recommendations to get started sports gambling.

To place your wager, you will be best advised to search out a web based sportsbook, i.e. a setup that offers web based sportsbook. In the U.S., we currently have four states where people can do sports gambling absolutely legally, but illegally you can do it just about anywhere provided that you can locate a bookie and if you are legally of age. Included among the sporting contests you can choose to bet on are pro plus, to boot, college football and college basketball, professional baseball and hockey, plus, to boot, betting on. Customers can bet money on the general score of a game or fight, when a given contester will be vanquished, and even if a given tossed coin in a game or fight lands either heads or tails.

The odds makers will lean on statistics make it easier for you judge which sports heroes you may sense will prevail. First off, there’s the spread, i.e. lead in points pertaining to a losing lineup anticipated to be defeated by a set number points. Self-Evidently, this comprises the sportsbook setup’s proven fashion of making balanced antes possible for a sports book. To give an example you will have the option of betting on a team anticipated to be defeated and and yet make money on the bet provided that the lineup does actually take a licking by a set number of points.

You can see plenty of so many different brands of lays, the straight bets being the general favorite in sports gambling.

Why not take a stab at it and enjoy yourself all at once… Only be sure that you won’t get gripped and drain your total social security checks on a bee! For otherwise you will probably catch yourself struck by remorse till the end of your life!

Learn the best 10 best online sports betting strategy at this top site.

Man from Nepal, 77, oldest mountaineer to scale Mount Everest. This season Anthony Loeff the French mountaineer is reporting the scales for Everest after reaching the top of earlier this year.

The Chinese were flying their airplanes over Chomolungma and had Chinese officials in Kathmandu. Min Bahadur Sherchan last attempt resulted in the rescue of Lincoln Hall, an Australian climber who was left by his team in the “death zone.”

“Mt Everest this year became a political pawn,” he said with some frustration.

Bahadur Sherchan returned this week from Nepal after successfully climbing to the summit of Chomolungma or Mount Everest. As he planned for the climb, Sherchan told reporters he wanted to inspire fellow senior citizens. He also said many Nepalese have established records on the Mount Everest, so it was only fitting that the record for the oldest climber to reach the summit should also belong to a Nepali. His first found him within 171 metres of the peak when his team stopped to help a fellow mountaineer who was left for dead. Three years later, Andrew Brash, a University of Calgary alumni, returned to Mt Everest to finish what he had started.

Indeed, he was all too aware of the potential dangers Everest could bring. Certain parts of the climb are more dangerous than others and it is important for climbers to remain focused The 76-year-old man from Nepal is now the oldest person to have reached the top of Chomolungma. Hall was frostbitten and severely disoriented due to altitude sickness. Andrew Brash returned a hero to Calgarians. Sherchan just 24 days away from his 77th birthday beat the age record set last year by 71-year-old Japanese teacher Katsusuke Yanagisawa.

With the Chinese preparing for the impending summer Olympic Games, Bahadur Sherchan noted that the government’s actions hardly reflected the Olympic spirit. More than 3099 people have climbed to the summit since it was first conquered in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary, who died in January, and Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay.

Now that Min Bahadur Sherchan has successfully scaled the tallest mountain in the world, he is once again ready to focus on his family. “The Chinese weren’t allowing anybody on the Mount Everest. They ended up commandeering it for themselves, even though Chomolungma or Mount Everest is shared by two countries. They basically coerced the Nepali government to not allow any climbers past camp two on the Nepali side. Min Bahadur Sherchan and four climbing guides reached the 29,035-foot (8,850-meters) summit of the world’s highest mountain early Sunday, said Ramesh Chretri, an official with Nepal’s ministry of tourism.

Therefore, the decision to actualize a long-time personal goal left Andrew Brash with some internal uncertainties, he cited the political actions of China and Nepal as providing the greatest adversity he faced on his journey. They flexed their muscles this year all the in name of the Olympic spirit, but it was hardly spirited at all.”

With the many golf schools and academies available, it is more important than ever to do your homework in making the right choice.

First, select a desirable destination. Whether it is a high-profile location like Las Vegas or Orlando, or a place near home, it is important to be comfortable with the location.

Next, make sure there are playing lessons involved. It is important to get out on the course with your instructor to fine tune your progress.

Be sure to check out the teaching philosophy of the school you are considering. Do they teach the latest quick-fix or do they concentrate on proven fundamentals?

Many schools offer unproven strategies that may not last after you leave. Be sure you will get the type of instruction you want. Learn as much as you can about their instructors, such as age, years teaching and how long they have been with that particular school.

Finally, make sure the maximum student/teacher ratio 4 to 1.

Remember this is going to be your school, do your homework.

What to Expect at Your Golf School

You arrive with excitement. You’re anxious to get started. You may be a little nervous. This is natural. Your instructor should immediately put you at ease and fully explain the schedule of activities.

It’s also important that you, as the student, take the time to explain where you are and where you’d like to go with your game.

It’s critical that you ask questions. You have an expert golfer at your disposal. Use him and remember that all questions are welcome no matter how basic.

As you begin your school, remember to pace yourself. Quality is always better than quantity. If there is more than one student in your school, be prepared to work some on your own as the instructor works with other students. Use this time to work specifically on what you have learned.

Try to ignore what the instructor is doing with other players during one-to-one time. They may be working on something that doesn’t apply to you and it might distract from your learning experience.

Be ready to manage your expectations. You will improve immediately in some areas and other areas will take some post-school practice to perfect. Winston Churchill said, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”

The practice range portion or your school is where you learn the fundamentals. The playing lesson portion is where you apply what you’ve learned in real time. This is where you use your good shots to build your confidence, and learn from your mistakes in a non-competitive, non-judgmental environment.

Above all else, golf school should be fun and enjoyable. Taken in the right spirit, golf school can be a great learning experience where you spend quality time with family or old friends, or you meet new friends.

Teaching Philosophy

In choosing a golf school you might be tempted by the offer of gimmicks or quick-fix promises. If so, ask yourself mentally if these techniques are so effective, why don’t the pros use them? The answer is they don’t. Professional tour players practice the fundamentals day in and day out. Rarely will you hear of a tour player that adopts an untested playing method just to be stylish.

Remember that the tried-and-true fundamentals of golf have not changed for 70 years. Legendary golf greats like Byron Nelson and Sam Snead used equipment that is technologically inferior to today’s large drivers, composite shafts and hybrids. But they still won again and again. Why? Because they stuck to basics and ignored the fads.

Many recreational golfers never took the time to learn the fundamentals when they started out. As a result, they are stuck with bad habits that affect their entire game. A good golf instructor won’t attempt to radically change your game. He will look for one or two areas to improve that will affect five or six other areas. This is the power of leverage and it’s the key to getting the most from any golf school.

A truly good golf school will empower you to take what you’ve learned and apply it long after you leave. Remember, gimmicks and quick-fixes come and go, but fundamental improvement lasts a lifetime.

Follow-Up

Remember the last time you attended golf school? Were you able to transfer what you learned to real life when you got home? Did you have a clear picture of what you needed to work on? Did your instructor give you specific drills to practice and did you follow through?

Golf, like other areas of life, shouldn’t be a spectator sport. If you want to improve, you have to work at it. Fortunately, working at improving your golf game can be fun and enjoyable once you know what to work on.

Most good golf schools use video and special teaching software to provide post-lesson analysis that enables you to take the lesson with you and use it as the basis for improvement.

Most good golf schools encourage you to keep in contact with your instructor to let him know how you’re doing and to ask questions or get ideas.

As with any sport, learning is an ongoing process. It’s important to take follow-up lessons at least once a year to build on what you learned in the prior session. For best results, you should take your lessons from the same person each time so that you’ll get a consistent learning experience. A golf school can be more productive than taking golf lessons from your local pro because a good golf school provides a more comprehensive approach for six to seven hours a day versus an hour or half-hour at a time.

Golf school can be a very positive, rewarding, fun experience. Students come for a variety of reasons, but where else can you spend quality time with family, friends, or business associates? Golf is a game you can enjoy for a lifetime. A good golf school helps you get the most out your golfing experience.

The following links are recommended only because they provide a “Guaranteed Improvement” guarantee, and are the only ones to do so. The writer is not affiliated with these schools nor has attended them.

http://www.gotogolfschool.com

Ken Venturi Golf Academies

http://www.kenventuri.com

James Wilson is an online infopreneur, syndicated news columnist, and founder of Vegas Buzz News http://www.vegasbuzzz.com home of over 70 channels of syndicated news feeds including Golf Buzz, Golf School News and Golf Links.

Initially all points seem to be equal but, in reality they all have a different value which is intrinsically tied to the moment at which the point is played therefore the score.
For example, an apparently innocuous first point (15-0 or 0-15) of a match can be a pretty straightforward ace affair on a hard/grass-court or a 10 to 20 minute battle on clay!

In the first case there are no scars. In the second situation the damage can be substantial. I have seen matches where the conqueror of that first point runs away with a quick 6-0 set. In other cases it takes so much energy from the winner of that 15-0 point that they end up losing that game and the set.
Once again in the first situation it is easy, you won a straight forward point. In the second it is hard to turn around, relegate it to oblivion and start all over again and become detached from a major battle for a point where you gave it all and lost. Neverthless, if you want to be a top mental percentage player it is a must, just tell your bruised ego to forget it, regroup and do battle again.

So what is behind a point, your whole self or nothing? It all depends on the importance you attach to it. In the BIG POINTS you have no choice but consider them as major building blocks of winning matches. Let’s observe the imaginary set below:

Game1—-Game2—-Game3—-Game4—-Game5—-Game6—-Game7—-Game8—-Game9
Andy——-Roger——Andy——Roger——Andy——Roger——Andy——Roger——Andy
15-0——–0-15——-15-0——-15-0——-15-0——-15-0——–15-0——-15-0——-15-0
30-0——-15-15——15-15——15-15——30-0——-15-15——30-0——-15-15——15-15
40-0——-30-15——30-15——30-15——40-0——-15-30——40-0——-15-30——30-15
————30-30——30-30——30-30——————-30-30——————30-30——30-30
————40-30——30-40——40-30——————-40-30——————40-30——30-40
—————————————————————————————-40-40
—————————————————————————————-Ad-R
GameA—-GameR—-GameR—-GameR—-GameA—-GameR—-GameA —-GameR—-GameR

For me a BIG POINT is any point that can open the door to an eventual break point. They can lead to game point, set-point or match-point, whatever the situation get ready to pump some adrenaline into your system, your opponent certainly will. You will notice that I give more importance to the 30-15 and 30-30 then actual game points (40-15/40-30 or Ad). Of course a Match point is a bigger point then a 30-15 but, the key is to win the 30-15 to go 40-15 that can be the match point rather then the game point/set point/match point in itself.

Often it is said on TV by Coaches and experts around the world, “we arrived at a crucial point of this match the 7th game”, others say that in the 8th or 9th game! I am no expert or TV commentator or a great Coach either but, I put it this way; if I can break my opponent’s service at any time in the match 1st, 2nd or 15th game of the set and hold my own to win the set, that very game I broke my opponent was “THE” most important game of the set!

So your basic strategy and tactic should always take the following in consideration:

- Get ahead as soon as possible, if you can get an early break the better.

- Once you got “THE” break hold onto your serve. From then on focus 100% on your service games, unless your opponent is several classes below you, you do not need to break his serve again.

- In your opponents service games make him work for every point, while saving yourself. (Do not go for heroics and chaise unnecessary impossible shots!)

Questions start to arise about how to connect percentage play with the score and its complexity.

If we count the points each player won in the scenario above:

Andy won the most points - 27 points
Roger won fewer points - 25 points
But, Roger won the set 6-3!

So Roger won fewer points and won the set! Here we come to a very interesting part of the game of tennis and that is:

“Not all points or games have the same value or importance.”

Does that mean that I should not fight like a manic for every point? Yes…and….no.
You should fight very hard to win the match but, during the match certain points, games and even sets can be used to tire your opponent, break his rhythm, slow him down or rush him, frustrate him, drive him up the wall and you need not to kill yourself to win those points.

For example:

You have a 5-1 lead and your opponent is determined to win his next service game at all costs, by all means let him win that game but, make him pay a high price for it!

- Make him run for every point as much as possible.

- Use tactics and shots you did not use in the match until then e.g. drop shot and lob more often. Play cat and mouse with him.

- Bring him (unwanted) to the net and when he tries to close in, lob over his head. If you succeed you will have him running all over the place and your next service game should be a tad easier to close the set.

- Hit paceless high and deep topspin shots to the baseline and mix it with deep slices

- Hit deep soft balls with no pace in them and occasionaly hit a suprise winner once your opponent lowers the pace himself.

What is the difference?

- When you allowed your opponent to win the game to 5-2 you did not have the usual mental and physical drainage you would have as if you had to battle him if you wanted to break his serve and close the set. On the other hand your opponent had to spend plenty of energy, nervous and physical because he desperately needed/wanted to stay in the set and probably wanted to start serving first in the next set in case you closed the present set with your next service game.

- Because mentally you let your opponent win that game for tactical reasons, there is no damage to your confidence. Since you gave yourself a break in that game you will have a much higher level of energy and concentration to conclude the set with your serve.

- Your opponent is playing a catching up situation 2-5 all or nothing and just had to run hills and mountains to win the last game. His level of energy and concentration will be likely to deteriorate in the next game and you will give yourself a better chance to close out the set.

Now, beware of the following; do not use the situation to deride or humiliate your opponent, keep your focus and remember you are using this as a ploy to tire, rattle your opponent and save energy for your next service game.

Does this apply to a set especially on a best of 5 sets match? More often then expected it does!

Below is a writer’s comment of the “2005 Monte Carlo Masters Series final” between Rafael Nadal and Guillermo Coria.

“After losing the first two sets 6-3, 6-1, Coria stormed back to win the third set 6-0 in only 26 minutes. It seemed as if Nadal was saving himself for a fantastic fourth set and it was indeed great as the 18-year-old sensation broke at 6-5 to clinch his career first ATP Masters Series shield.”

This strategy is a good example of good percentage play and smart tactics. You made a tremendous mental and physical effort to win the first and second set, you are tired and need to reenergize yourself. Your opponent has no choice but, to fight for every ball and every game, if he loses this set he is out of the match. This is a golden opportunity to tire your opponent get him frustrated and upset. Make him lose rhythm as well as precious physical and mental energy while he is desperately trying to win the 3 set.
After he “won” the third set, you stacked up most ods in your favour to win the next set because you recharged your batteries while your opponent had to drain his to stay in the match. In the fourth set it is your turn to become relentless and drain the rest of the juice out of your opponents body. You should start playing point by point from the very begining of the set, try to get an early break of service, do not give up an inch of court and somewhere along that set your opponent will have a small mental of physical lapse due to the prolonged effort in both areas (physical and mental) in the previous set.
Nadal found that small mental or physical lapse in Corias armour at 6-5, you could find it a 3 all, 4-3, 5-4 or any other time of the set, the important thing though is to execute, capitalize in that very moment and walk away with the trophy!

The last example applies to 3 set matches as well. Hope you will build on those ideas! Enjoy “THE GAME”.

For comments or ideas about this article please email the author Sergio Cruz

Copyright © 2005 Tenniscruz.com®. All rights reserved.

S©rgio Cruz is an ex # 1 National Champion, Davis Cup Player from Portugal and former Coach Jim Courier ATP World Ranking # 1

cruz@tenniscruz.com www.tenniscruz.com

Massage therapy is something else to consider when preparing for you first Ironman Triathlon. For some reason, there are those who benefit more than others from massage. I have tried it, but found it a bit expensive to be able to include it as a weekly part of my training. I used it more as a reward after 6 or 8 weeks of hard training.

Should you decide to include massage therapy as a regular component of your training, be sure to find someone skilled in “sports massage” which in many cases is a deeper massage than most people are used to.

There’s no doubt that a massage can do wonders after a long bike or run session, but I wouldn’t recommend it too soon “before” a planned long training day. I always found that I was so relaxed, I didn’t want to do anything after a massage.

It’s for this reason I would “never” get a massage too soon before a major race day like the Ironman Triathlon. If you want a pre-race massage I would highly recommend getting it several days before the big race.

If you only have one massage all year, there is one you must make a point of not missing out on. It’s the free one you get right after they put that Ironman Triathlon finishers medal around your neck. Just tell that volunteers who are “supporting” you that you would like to go to the massage tent. They will make sure you find your way there. Get there as soon as can after crossing the line as if tends to be pretty busy depending on your race finish time. You may have to sign in and take a seat, but normally you won’t be left waiting too long.

Different things work for different people and possibly your best option is to give sports massage a try and see if it enhances your recovery and training. If so, and if its financially viable, you may want to make it part of your Ironman preparation. At the very least, treat yourself to a massage once in a while as a reward for all your hard work.

The name of my site is “Ironstruck”

The address is http://www.triathlon-ironman-myfirstironman-ironstruck.com/.

With the advent of computer program use in correspondence chess, many over the board players remain convinced that the “CC Specialist” is nothing more than a talented computer operator.

The problem with this theory, of course, is that CC specialists have been around for a long, long time…

CJS Purdy - G.F. McIntosh [D10]

Private CC Match, 1936

[Purdy]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bf5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Nge2 Qa5!! 7.f3? e5! 8.e4 exd4! 9.Qxd4 Nb4! 10.Qd1 N8a6!! 11.Nf4 Rd8 12.Bd2 Bd6 13.Qb1 Nc5! 14.Nfd5? cxd5 15.Nxd5 Bg3+! 16.hxg3 Rxd5 17.Qd1 Qb6!! 18.Bb5+ Bd7!!

(19.exd5 Ncd3+ 20.Bxd3 Nxd3+ 21.Ke2 Bb5! 22.Qg1 Nf2+ 23.Ke1 0-0! mating or winning the queen - Purdy. “The best win I have ever had scored against me.” ACR, June 1937.)

0-1

By the time this game appeared in ACR, Purdy was the over the board champion of Australia. He went on to become a FIDE IM, and the 1st World Correspondence Chess Champion. McIntosh was an “A-grade” over the board player, but no more (The First Fifty Years of the Correspondence Chess League of Australia, CCLA, 1980).

How is it possible for an ordinary over the board player to be such a monster at correspondence chess? Surely, in 1936, Mr. Purdy was not wondering whether his opponent was using a computer in their game.

The instance of the Correspondence Chess specialist is one of the real mysteries of chess, even to the present day. In the abstract, everyone has access to information equally. Databases, opening reference books, computer engines, etc. Should not the strong over the board player have an overwhelming advantage, in the talent sense? He, too, can use all of these tools.

My theory regarding CC specialists, how they are possible, is simple. Firstly, correspondence chess is a different form of the game, which requires a different skill set. Secondly, the additional reflection time is a leveling up factor. Correspondence games are not generally ruined by obvious blunders, time control nervousness, and so on.

Correspondence chess players can take heart in knowing that they can compete with strong masters in correspondence chess. In my over the board days, I used to stand in awe watching masters play. Things would often happen so quickly, due to time scrambles, that I had real trouble comprehending what was going on. In correspondence play, on the other hand, I have plenty of time to study, work on plans, try out different things.

Recently, GM Peter Leko, one of the top chess players in the world, tried out serious correspondence chess play in a team event. He was nicked for some draws (and at least one loss that I know of) by - guess who? Correspondence Chess specialists.

Motivations may well prove to be another significant factor in all of this - but the mystery of the Correspondence Chess specialist persists!

About The Author

Copyright © 1998-2005 by John C. Knudsen, all rights reserved. May be reprinted freely with all contents intact.

John C. Knudsen is a Senior International Master (SIM), and has been playing competitive correspondence chess for over 25 years. He is the owner of http://www.correspondencechess.com which has been serving the cc community since 1996. He also has an E-Book site located at http://www.correspondencechess.com/knudsen/edition/ which features e-books in many different categories.

Stipe Pletikosa is a Croatian goalkeeper who donned his country’s jersey at the tender age of 20. It was a debut that won both applause as well as brickbats for the young lad. The praise came for his quick reflexes and for the speed with each Pletikosa moved in front of the goal line; the criticism was directed at his inability to handle high balls, despite a 193 cm frame.
This weakness cost the under-21 Croatian team dearly in the 2000 European championship. The team came last thanks to some clumsy work by Pletikosa under the bars.

The wounded Pletikosa took the help of a former Croatian coach Mirko Jozi to overcome his weakness. His hard work paid off and he was soon back as his country’s first-choice goalkeeper at the 2002 World Cup finals. It was a good return too for Pletikosa managed to block or deflect several high balls in the three games he played.

An injury saw Pletikosa lose the first goalkeeper’s position to Tomislav Butina at the Euro 2004. But Pletikosa was no pushover. He was back in his country’s squad for the 2006 World Cup finals.
Besides his country, Pletikosa has played for Hajduk Split and Shakhtar Donetsk.

For years your kids have played organized sports. The focus has probably been on having fun, on feeling good and maybe learning something about the game. On building confidence. And, of course, on self-esteem.

But are these leagues being used to teach attitudes, skill and lessons that will serve them later in life?

I remember watching a friend fill in for an absent youth league baseball coach. I don’t think it was the ’substitute teacher phenomenon’ that rendered one of our young team members absolutely incapable of controlling himself. Especially his language. It became completely inappropriate. Rude, crude and downright abusive - and it didn’t seem to matter whether it was directed at his peers or the adults involved.

The substitute coach asked him to stop. Then he told him to stop. Then Coach explained very clearly. “This is the last time I am going to tell you to stop swearing. If you do it again - even one more time - you won’t get to play today.”

Of course, our young friend, fully schooled in his own ’star power’ couldn’t imagine such a scenario. As a result, he was very surprised when the next curse word resulted his being removed from the bench.

How would you react?

You could join in with the kids’ complaints about the coach’s unfairness. You could complain to the league or to the other parents. Or, you remind the kids who you are close to you that, with his behavior, the young ’star’ chose to be in the stands rather than to help them win the game.

Maybe you could even thank the coach and ask if he’d consider becoming more involved. After all, don’t your kids deserve someone who will model doing the right thing instead of the easy, popular thing?

Andrea Patten is the co-author of What Kids Need to Succeed: Four Foundations of Adult Achievement which is now available on Amazon.com

For more information about ‘The Four Foundations’ please visit http://www.whatkidsneedtosucceed.com

“…because you’re not raising a child - you’re raising a future adult”

You learn how to break in a baseball glove as soon as your able to hold a baseball mitt with one hand. It was a time honored tradition in my family each winter. Come late October or early November, after the leaves had already fallen and been raked up and when the air smelled like smoking chimneys and snow, my dad would take me down into the garage.

With a secret batch of ingredients, a few old stained rags, and our elbow grease, we set to work breaking in a new glove so it would be ready to play catch come April.

Everybody’s dad probably has their secret formula for what ointments, homespun compounds, and techniques used. Whatever the means, the ends justify the means. A broken in glove means that is has been softened up, adding flexibility and comfort. Besides the soft leather, a broken in glove also has a worked-in pocket.

Of course, experts out there will tell you that your dad’s baseball glove alchemy was all hokuspokus. They’ll tell you that there are no secrets on how to break in a baseball glove. The best and more commonsense way to do it is to simply apply oil that’s specifically designed for this purpose. Make sure to rub the glove oil on every glove part, including the inside and the laces.

This oil helps the glove stay moisturized so it won’t dry and crack. The glove webbing will also not come loose. Best of all, according to the experts, this oil won’t damage the glove, whereas many other compounds will.

The other compounds include everything that only a dad could come up on how to break in a baseball glove. There’s foam shaving cream, Vaseline, saddle soap, mink oil, or tanners glove oil. Some secret glove recipes even call for you to put the glove in the over for a few minutes to bake in the foams and oils. Whatever you choose - your dad’s family tradition or modern science - hopefully you’ll find your glove soft and ready to play come springtime.

Mike Long is the successful web publisher of Baseball-SuperGuide.com providing valuable tips, advice, and info about a multitude of relevant topics including baseball gloves.