GIRL ICE SKATER

Girl ice skater | The 10,000 Hour Rule For Elite Female Hockey Players

2009-04-22T02:03:00.000-07:00

When it comes to achieving "mastery" in your chosen activity, experts say you need to spend 10,000 hours perfecting your craft. Now 10,000 hours is a lot of time, especially when you consider that most girls' hockey players are only on the ice for an average of 7 hours a week during the season and much less frequently in the off-season.
So how would a young player looking to make it to the highest levels of hockey be able to accumulate enough hours to reach the top of her sport? When would she have to start?
Here's how those 10,000 hours might breakdown (assuming that she is training all year around with a two week break):
=> If she spent 10 hours per week training for 50 weeks of the year, she would collect 500 hours of training time per year. At that rate, it would take her 20 years to reach the "mastery" level. Considering many girls hockey players don't start playing until they are 7 or 8, that might just be too little, too late.
=> If she spent 15 hours per week training for 50 weeks of the year, she would collect 750 hours of training time per year. At that rate, it would only take her 15 years to reach the "mastery" level. So she doesn't need to start quite as early, but it is still a long time.
=> If she spent 20 hours per week training for 50 weeks of the year, she would collect 1000 hours of training time per year. At that rate, it would only take her 10 years to reach the "mastery" level. It would be 10 years of intense hard work, but it could be done.
Since most girls hockey players decide that they want to get to the elite level around the age of 14 or 15, it is realistic that starting this intensity of training schedule could get you to your goal by the time you were 24 or 25, which is the average age of the women's national team members in the US and Canada.
The reality is that whether you start at the age of 5 or 15, it's going to be pretty hard to collect all these training hours only through on-ice training. In fact, it's virtually impossible (and highly discouraged) for younger players to be on the ice for 3 hours every day of the week. By the time girls get to college hockey, 3 or 4 hours of training per day is pretty standard. But that doesn't start until you are 17 or 18 years old - when you are physical and mentally ready for that level of focus and intensity of training.
So how can aspiring players start to accumulate the hours they need to achieve mastery in women's hockey? By thinking beyond ice time.
The hours girls spend training off the ice count too, and might even be more important for younger players who don't have access to hours of ice every day and haven't built up the foundation of strength and speed necessary to play high-level hockey yet. On-ice ability alone is not enough to get girls to the elite level. It's what players do off the ice that separates the best from the rest.
By building their foundation for elite performance off the ice at an early age, players give themselves the opportunity to be great on the ice years later. If they wait until they are 16 or 17 to start, they might just run out of time.
If you are ready to make a dent in those 10,000 hours, start working as hard off the ice as you do on the ice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_McCullough

Girl ice skater | Where to Take Single Women on a Unique Date She Will Never Forget

2009-04-21T03:54:00.000-07:00

If you really want to a great impression on the women you take out for a date, here are some great ideas:
AMUSEMENT PARKS - This really makes for a fun date, especially if you both enjoy thrill-seeking rides such as roller coasters, etc. Also, don't forget to try and win her a teddy bear or other keepsake.
BALLOON RIDES - I am referring to hot-air balloon rides. This is a breath-taking experience you both will never forget. It's very romantic and some rides even come with champagne.
BOAT RENTAL - This makes for a unique experience and it's so relaxing and enjoyable. You can charter a boat with captain and crew or rent a powerboat for skiing, fishing, or just for cruising.
CAMPING - What a great way to enjoy the great outdoors! Things really get cozy and romantic sitting in front of an open fire! This is sure to melt her heart and make her want to share your sleeping bag.
CARRIAGE RIDES - This is one of the most ultimate romantic experiences. Just you and your lover or date in a horse-drawn carriage enjoying the scenery.
DINNER AT YOUR PLACE - One of my favorite things to do is to invite a woman over for a candlelight steak dinner and champagne. I do all the cooking and wait on my date hand and foot. I really make my date feel special. So, if you really want to make someone feel special and have a romantic evening, do this for a very special date.
DINNER THEATRE - There's nothing like good entertainment while you're eating. Your date will really be impressed and this is one of my top choices to take a date to.
GO-CARTS - These are a lot of fun for adults too. Why not challenge your date to a race around the track.
HAY RIDES - Have you ever been on a hayride? It's a lot of fun and something very different to do.
HELICOPTER RIDES - This was one of the most exciting dates I ever went on. My date and I took a helicopter tour of downtown San Diego and the Shoreline. I was especially fascinated flying over the skyscrapers and looking down on them. This will be an expensive date, because to charter a helicopter can cost you up to $500 an hour. If you can afford it, it's worth the money just for the experience.
HORSE RACES OR DOG RACES - Here's another fun activity you can both share and make some money too, if you are lucky.
ICE SKATING - Don't know how to skate? No problem, It's a lot of fun just learning. Sure, you're going to take a few spills on the ice. It's all part of the fun! This is great place to go on a date even if you don't know how to ice skate. You can always take lessons, too.
JET SKIS - This is like riding a motorcycle on the water and your date can ride on the back. Take my word for it, this is the ultimate joy ride while having some great fun on the water. You can rent them for about $20 for a half-hour.
KITE FLYING - Stop by any toy store and pick up a kite and go on a kite date. Head for your local park, beach, or any wide-open space. Kites are not just for kids. It's a fun experience for all ages and it's kind of romantic. So, get your date and go fly a kite.
LIMOUSINE DATE - When you want to tell someone they're special, what better way to do it than with the unexpected. Sending flowers is nice, but sending flowers with a limousine is unforgettable. This is a great way to let dancers know they are real special to you.
LIVE MUSIC - This will put you and your date in a good mood, especially if the band is good. Check out your area for places that offer live music. Take her to Rock Concerts too.
MOONLIGHT STROLLS - When there's a full moon and clear skies, head for any lake or seashore. It's so romantic to take your shoes off and wade along the shore with the full moon gleaming on the water.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_Diebel

Girl ice skater | 5 Critical Mistakes Girl Hockey Players Make

2009-04-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

When I first started training off the ice as a young female hockey player looking to get an edge on the competition, I had no idea that the training I was doing was completely inappropriate for me. Here are the 5 big mistakes I made and the ones that girls' hockey players need to avoid on their way to the elite levels of women's hockey:
Mistake #1 - Lifting Too Much Weight:
When I first starting training off the ice, I was working out with guys who were already playing major junior and college hockey. I didn't want to be seen as the "weak" girl - so I was always pushing myself to lift more weight than I should have been in a desperate attempt to "keep up with the boys". Trying to train (and keep up) with future NHL stars and men's college hockey players when I was 15 years old seems crazy now - especially since I had absolutely no experience with off-ice training. Lifting too much weight was especially dangerous, especially when coupled with mistake #2...
Mistake #2 - Using Poor Form When Lifting:
Lifting too much weight with bad form is a recipe for disaster for any athlete. I always thought that lifting more weight was more important than lifting the weight with perfect form. To me, higher weights meant I was stronger - when in reality, I was just cheating my way through the lifts, using completely improper form in order to try to move a bigger weight.
Mistake #3 - Never Taking A Day Off:
I genuinely believed that every day I took off, another aspiring female hockey player would be training her hardest, and when we met up on the ice, she would beat me. It's silly I know - but that's the mentality that drove me to be my best on and off the ice each and every day. But I can also count on two hands the number of days I took off from on-ice or off-ice training the entire time I was in high school and college. Again, I was dedicated and committed. But I never gave my body the chance to recover, and that's what ultimately led to my body breaking down and my early retirement.
Mistake #4 - Using Too Many Machines:
As a young player, I remember taking great pride in how much weight I could push on the leg press machine. I would struggle and squirm trying to lift that weight, but it wasn't pretty. I would have been much better off focusing on single-leg body-weight strength exercises, instead of huffing and puffing away on those stupid machines. Now my philosophy on machine-based training is simple: girls hockey players should NOT be training on weight training machines. Instead of having an athlete perform abdominal crunches or chest presses on a machine, we should be teaching them how to move and control their entire body in free space. Think about it - when was the last time you saw a hockey player execute a skill or movement on the ice while fully supported by some bulky machine or by using only a few muscles at a time? In order to excel on the ice, players must master fundamental movement patterns off the ice that integrate coordination, balance and strength - and that can't happen while sitting on a machine.
Mistake #5 - Not Building A Foundation of Strength and Stability First:
This is probably my biggest mistake of all. I now know that if I had built up the foundation of core stability and single-leg strength that I needed to excel at the elite levels of women's hockey, before I started throwing big heavy weights around, my career would have been much longer and more successful. But I had no clue back then. I thought strength training meant weight training. All hockey players, no matter their age or ability level, must build a solid foundation of body-weight strength and stability before they touch a weight. Period.
So there you have it - the 5 biggest off-ice training mistakes I made as an aspiring girls hockey player. I had no idea that the off-ice training I started doing to get an edge on my competition was completely inappropriate for me as an aspiring girls hockey player. Girls need to train hard to make it to the elite levels of women's hockey, but they also need to train smarter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_McCullough

Girl ice skater | Best Girls Hockey Speed Exercise

2009-04-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

Being a fast player in female hockey has very little to do with how fast you can skate in a straight line. The reality is that when most girls hockey players of the same age and ability level get up to their full speed, they are all pretty much equally fast. What separates the fastest players from the rest is how fast they can get up to full speed, their ability to change direction and their ability to react to the puck and their opponents.
Speed is about being fast in every direction you move and being fast with every decision you make. Being able to read and react to the play instantaneously is what separates the best female hockey players from the rest. You can be the fastest skater with the fastest shot, but if you can't react to the play quickly enough to capitalize on your speed, you aren't going to be able to gain an advantage over your competition.
Developing multi-directional speed and the ability to read and react off the ice all starts with a solid foundation of single-leg balance, the ability to control and generate power off of one leg, and foot quickness. Developing each one of these components of speed is critical, but single-leg balance is the most fundamental. If girls don't have the ability to stay low to the ice, they lose their ability to generate power, fight off checks and win battles. Your power and quickness will always be limited unless you have a great foundation of single-leg balance. Once that foundation is in place, the sky is the limit.
Once these three pillars of speed are set, players can start to develop the multi-directional speed that will allow them to quick and explosive in every situation out on the ice. Integrating these skills into drills that challenge the athletes from a physical and mental perspective is really the key.
My favorite drill of all time that addresses multi-directional speed and the ability to read and react on a physical and mental level is called "ABCD/1234". And the reason why I like it so much is because it is all about reaction time, quick feet and and change of direction.
Here's how the drill works: Set up five squares marked by cones that are 3 feet by 3 feet apart. There should be 3 or 4 players assigned to each square. Have one player from each group stand in the middle of a square with all players facing in the same direction. The cones are labeled in a clockwise direction (starting at the bottom left) as "A", "B", "C" and "D". The A cone is also named 1, B is 2, C is 3 and D is 4. A coach, trainer or leader will call out a letter or number and all of the players who are inside the squares must run to touch the corresponding cone and get back to the middle of their square as quickly as possible so that they can react to the next call from the leader. Players will perform the drill for approximately 10-15 seconds and then the next players will jump in.
When I first start using this drill with my athletes, they usually complain that it is too hard and they are getting confused. It just happens to be a drill that requires players to think while they're moving, which also happens to be what they have to do every shift out on the ice.
Developing multi-directional speed and the ability to read and react instantaneously are the keys to become the fastest female hockey player possible. Once girls hockey players develop single-leg balance, ability to generate and control power and foot quickness through proper off-ice speed training, they will have the foundation they need to take their speed and performance to the next level.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_McCullough

Girl in skater | Top 10 First Date Venues

2009-03-24T05:04:00.000-07:00

Besides the obvious mutual attraction, there a number of factors that affect how a first date will go. You don't want to go to a movie theater where you won't be able to utter but a few words - similarly, you don't want to go to a place like a restaurant where all you can do is talk.

Generally, the best first date venues are places where you can both enjoy yourself while fitting in enough conversation to get to know each other better in a friendly and fun environment.

Sometimes your chances of getting a second date are determine by your first date venue. Here are a few suggestions for a fun and relaxing first date.

Bowling

Almost everyone likes a bowling. Not only is it an extremely casual setup, but you can have a heck of a lot of fun too. Just be careful not to be too competitive and watch out for the smelly shoes.

Mini golf

Mini golf is an awesome first date venue. You get to mix in a bit of skill with the casual walks between the holes allowing you enough time for chitchat. The relaxed atmosphere helps calm both your nerves while the scoreboard gives the slight competitive edge to keep you both on your toes.

Adventurous outing

If you are the adventurous type you can have a lot of fun going bungee jumping, surfing, skiing, hiking or some other similarly fun and exciting activity. The excitement and slight danger will certainly get your blood boiling and will result in a tremendous first date.

Karaoke

Karaoke bars can be a lot of fun. Regardless of whether you are good singers, both of you can have a great time singing your favourite tunes while having a nice drink.

Ice Skating

Ice skating is one of those activities that is enjoyed by young and old. If have skated before on dry ground you won't have a problem going on ice but even a complete amateur can learn to ice skate within the hour - a couple of slips and falls along the way can be fun for both of you, especially if your partner ends up falling into your arms.

Sports game

Although it might seem a bit counter productive, both of you can have a lot of time going to watch your local team play. You will be carried along by the excited crowd as they cheer on the team, while you'll have enough time to talk to each other along the way. Just remember not to get too excited by the score and forget your partner.

Amusement park

Although it may seem childish at first, an amusement park can be a great venue for a first date. You will both get an adrenaline rush during the rides, yet you will have time to talk in between. One of you may even win a prize and share it with the other in one of the shooting contests or some other competition.

The Zoo

Most singles haven't been to a zoo in a long while - so you can be sure your date will be original. Frequented by families, zoos are friendly and relaxing venues that won't put too much pressure on either you or your date. You can have a fun time discussing all the animal's antics along the way too - with ample time for serious conversation and even a meal as well.

A concert

A concert can be an excellent venue for a first date - as long as you awoid getting seats near the huge speakers. Both of you can enjoy the music of a great band, yet you will have enough of a chance to chat along if the music isn't too loud.

The beach

Although unconventional, the beach can is another great date venue. Relaxed and refreshed by the cool water, you can chat along and teasing play beach games - the plus side is you almost get to see your date naked on the first date.

Regardless of what venue you pick for your first date, remember to have fun and make sure you are relaxed and act natural. Remember, everyone is the same, including your date - we are all looking for that fun someone we can enjoy a great time with.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shane_Crawford

Girl ice skater | Off-Ice Conditioning - Ride Bikes Or Run Sprints?

2009-03-24T04:39:00.000-07:00

If you watched the post-game routine of most elite men's or women's hockey teams, you would see players riding the bike. Most elite male and female hockey players do their conditioning on the bike both in and out of season. But when it comes to summer training, should young players "train like the pros" by riding the bike or should they be out running sprints?

Same In-Season, Opposite Off-Season

The theory is that cycling allows players to use their well-conditioned "skating" muscles and prevent excessive strain on the muscles that are not used as much during the season. While there is some truth to the theory of focusing on the same muscles in-season, players must focus on training the opposite muscles during the off-season if they want to increase their fitness, improve their flexibility and take their performance to the next level.

If players continue to train on the bike during the off-season, the "skating" muscles that are already tight from a long season, namely the quadriceps and hip flexors, will continue to be over-used in the off-season. This may result in muscular imbalance which can lead to injury.

A player's summer conditioning program should focus on activities, such as running, that will counterbalance the tightness in their "skating" muscles.

By running this summer, players will strengthen the muscles in their hips, legs and shoulders that will pull them out of their hunched-over hockey posture. The glutes and hamstrings are rarely used to their full extent in the skating stride, but are critical to bringing the leg back behind the body in the running stride. Strengthening these muscles will result in increased muscular balance and greater overall conditioning.

Ease Into The Sprints

Because most players don't (and shouldn't) run at high intensities in-season, they must be careful not to go too hard too soon in their off-season training. Players should begin their off-season training doing lower-intensity intervals and eventually progress to high-intensity sprinting. This progression will allow their "skating" muscles loosen up as they re-condition their running muscles.

Get off the bike this summer and start running.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_McCullough

Girl ice skater | My Secret World is the latest in a long line of Imagine games released on the Nintendo DS. The series seems to be only just getting

2009-03-24T04:35:00.000-07:00

My Secret World is the latest in a long line of Imagine games released on the Nintendo DS. The series seems to be only just getting started with more spins off titles than you can, well.... imagine.

In 2007, four Imagine games were released. These were Happy Cooking, Fashion Designer, Pet Vet and Babies. Four games from one series is pretty unusual in videos games, but the developers of the Imagine series, Ubisoft, were just getting warmed-up.

In 2008 they have released an almost unbelievable 11 new games for the series. These Imagine Titles were; Figure Skater, Girl Band, Teacher, My Secret World, Babysitters, Baby Club, Fashion Model, Modern Dancer, Fashion Designer New York, Champion Rider and Pet Hospital.

Wait, that's not all. Before the end of 2008 they plant to release 7 more. The 7 forthcoming Imagine titles are; Party Babyz, Interior Designer, Wedding Designer, Gymnast, Movie Start, Ballet Star and Fashion Party.

18 games from a series in a single year is unheard of. Even with Nintendo seemingly releasing every second title as a Mario game, it still doesn't come close to this. So why are so many Imagine games being released in such a short space of time?

Ubisoft are targeting the female audience of video games players who have until recently been fairly under-catered for. This hasn't just been a case of games developers being sexist. Many games developers have tried games targets at females but the sales just haven't made it a profitable venture.

The Nintendo DS has managed for the first time to attract a more evenly spread audience of males and females. This has been done by producing games such as Nintendogs which focuses on a subject which is seen as less male orientated. Since the Nintendo DS has succeeded where other have not, Ubisoft have set themselves a target of capitalising on the large female proportion of DS owners.

Whereas video games typically focus on adventures and battles, casual female gamers tend to be more drawn toward more life-like situations. For example, in Imagine: Teacher the player takes on the role of a teacher, rather than leading an army or raiding tombs. Others in the Imagine series aren't really what you would consider a game. My Secret World for DS is more of an interactive diary with personality tests than a game.

It could be questioned how high the quality of these games are, since so many are being produced in such a short time. The games certainly don't give the appearance of a rushed job with attractive and unique interfaces in each. The gameplay however feels shallow and repetitive.

It could be said that the Imagine series is more reliant on its subject matter, cute graphics, packaging and advertising campaign than its gameplay. It certainly seems that the series is successful yet it does not have great reviews. Video game review website IGN state that Imagine: Teacher is the best of series and still only rates it with 7.5 out of 10, while others score even lower with Imagine: Rockstar earning just 3.2 out of 10.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Tube

Girl ice skater | Girls Hockey Training Programs Must Build Strength

2009-03-24T04:32:00.000-07:00

Girls hockey players MUST get stronger, faster and fitter this off-season if they want to take their game to the next level.

If girls address these 3 key components in their hockey workouts this summer, they will be a better player once September rolls around.

Hockey-specific strength training is the most fundamental component of off-season off-ice player development and must be built BEFORE speed and conditioning. Without a solid foundation of strength and stability in place, young female players will NOT be able to use their speed and fitness to their greatest extent and will NOT be able to perform at the highest level both on and off the ice. However, coaches and parents of young female players have some concerns about strength training.

Let's look at each of the 4 most common concerns in more detail.

Concern #1: With no body checking in the female game, off-ice strength training isn't necessary.

'No body checking' doesn't equal 'no body contact'. Since female hockey players are not allowed to use body checking as a means of separating the opposition from the puck, they must rely on their speed and body positioning in order to do so. By participating in a properly designed strength training program, female athletes will develop the total body strength needed to win races for the puck and battles along the boards.

Concern #2: If I start strength training, I am going to 'look like a man'.

Fundamental physiological differences between genders makes 'looking like a man' virtually impossible for female athletes. Females have fewer muscle fibres and much less testosterone than males, which makes gaining large amounts of lean muscle extremely difficult. Furthermore, gaining a large amount of lean muscle mass requires very specific programs that are not effective in young athletes due to their lack of physiological readiness for this type of training and their lack of strength training experience overall.

Concern #3: Starting strength training at a young age will lead to injury.

Females are no more likely to be injured while performing strength training than males. Young athletes tend to get injured when they receive poor instruction on technique or are exposed to a level of training that is inappropriate to their age and ability. Proper instruction of correct techniques, coupled with a safe and gradual progression of intensity, will actually help to prevent injuries both on and off the ice.

Concern #4: Males strength train. Females don't.

Perhaps more important than the structured physiological development of a young female hockey player is the proper psychological development. Young females are constantly bombarded with images and messages about what constitutes the 'ideal' female body shape. As a result, female athletes competing in sports that require strength and power may be more susceptible to psychological issues related to body image that are not typical with male athletes. Most young male hockey players desperately want to get bigger, faster and stronger. Young female hockey players must be empowered: parents and coaches must let them know that it is to their benefit to be strong, both as athletes and as people.

Proper strength training does NOT require players to push around weights and will NOT lead to them becoming "muscle bound". They DON'T need to join an expensive gym and they DON'T need use any fancy equipment.

With body-weight strength training, girls' hockey players can build the strength and stability in all of the muscles and joints that support and power hockey-specific movements.

Body-weight strength training is the most fundamental component to enhancing on-ice performance this off-season.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_McCullough

Girl ice skating | Breaking In New Boots

2009-03-24T04:28:00.000-07:00

Blisters From New Boots

You have just bought you new pair of figure skating boots and they are hurting a lot. Beside hurting a lot, one foot hurts more than the other. The first time you've used them, you've developed some major blisters. Five days later when you went back to the rink, apparently, it seems that more blisters are coming your way. You are wondering if this is normal. If this, is normal for breaking into new figure skates? And if so, how long does it take until the skates are broken into?

It takes about ten or so sessions for the skates to break in completely depending on the individual and the boots. It is totally normal. It happens to everyone. This time around though, I did not get blisters breaking in my boots, I have custom-made boots( Thank you Klingbeil). They are kinder to your feet. If you have to get stock boots, you can use a make up sponge around the part of the foot that feels uncomfortable. There are some popular brands that are adhesive, they cost a little more and are not reusable. The make up sponge creates the same effect. They are flat and round. Boys and girls can use them equally. We're talking about comfort here. This not the time to worry about what your "macho, insecure pals" will think of you. Cut a small hole in the middle of the sponge and put and put it around the blister it helps.

Depending on the skates, It is VERY normal to get blisters when breaking in some new skates! Don't worry! If you're having problems around the ankle area, you can take your boots to a skate shop and ask them if they could "punch out" the ankles for you. They have a metal tool that they can use to squeeze and stretch the leather, creating additional room for your ankles. It'll take a little while before your skates feel comfortable. When you're starting with them, try not lacing them all the way up. If you're having problems with your ankle, leave the top eyelet unlaced until you feel more comfortable. Also try leaving the top hook undone until you feel more flexibility in your boots. Put on your skate guards and wear your skates around the house in order to help you with the break in process.

If the blisters are very uncomfortable, the best thing you could do, though it does not sound, is to stop skating for a week or so depending on how bad your blisters are. Wear flip flops as much as possible and put on some ointment to relax the blister. Also, if you can, go to a doctor because he or she may provide the best help and care possible for you to apply

Don't worry! It is completely normal for you to be uncomfortable when adjusting to new boots. The most important thing is to take care of the problem. Put some ointment on your blister and wear flip flops as much as you can in order for the blisters to not get more irritated. Usually it will take a few sessions for your skates to break in. However, if you do not take care of your blisters, your feet will hurt additionally when you put your boots on and it might hinder you skating as you might have to take additional time off from skating in order for the blisters to heal.

Get better fitting skates

Each skater has a preference when it comes to boots. Personally, I find "custom" is the way to go. You are fitted for those boots. They are made for "you." Yes! there is a breaking process. However, it is not as long nor is it as painful. Just make sure that your skates fit properly and you will be able to avoid such problems. Try getting your boots custom made if you can afford it.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Guerrelyne_Gautreau

Girl ice skater | Girls Hockey Players Must Train Like 'Pros'

2009-03-24T04:24:00.000-07:00

Many girls' hockey players dream of playing like the 'pros' they idolize. They spend hours practicing the same moves as Olympians and NHLers and wear their same numbers. If they are emulating their heros on the ice, should they try to do the same off the ice? If a young female hockey player wants to 'play like a pro', should she 'train like a pro' as well?

A few years back, when I was fresh out of university and still relatively new to training young athletes, my answer to that question would have been 'NO'. Intuitively, it seemed like a bad idea to have girls doing the same workouts as elite players, as they lack the athletic experience and lifestyle patterns conducive to high-level training.

Although my first instinct used to be to say that girls' hockey players should not train like the pros, my mind has been changed. In fact, when talking about certain aspects of player development, my answer is unequivocally 'YES'.

Coaches, parents and players in girls' hockey seem to think that there is some 'mystery formula' that they must follow in order to get to the highest levels of performance. And there is - you have to 'train like a pro'.

But training like a pro does NOT mean that you need to lift huge weights or train until exhaustion.
In fact, it often means lifting no weights at all and working smarter (instead of harder).

I have had the opportunity to work with a number of world-renowned hockey strength and conditioning gurus and hundreds of elite male and female hockey players over the last 10 years and I have seen a pattern emerge.

It all started 6 years ago...

On the day after my college graduation, I started my internship with one of the world's leading experts on the off-ice development of elite hockey players. In addition to having the chance to work with the young players for upwards of 10 hours a day, I had the amazing opportunity to watch this guru train a group of professional players every morning. I not only got to learn about the advanced training techniques that allowed these athletes to reach the highest levels of success in their sport, but I got to see a true strength and conditioning guru in action.

On the first day that the summer training program began, a group of professional players that I had been watching on TV for years walked in at 7 a.m. ready to train. I expected to see these elite athletes perform complex exercises and drills that I had never seen before.

You could imagine my surprise when these professional athletes began doing the EXACT SAME WORKOUT that the group of 13 year olds would be doing later that afternoon! Sure, the speed and precision with which the exercises were executed was greater by the pros, but the exercises were fundamentally the same as those done by the young players!

Why were all the players doing the same exercises, irrespective of age and ability?

They were building and reinforcing a solid foundation of strength and stability.

I have recently begun working with the Canada's Under-18 Program and have had the opportunity to train the best young female hockey players this country has to offer. These athletes have been hand-picked out of a pool of 12,000 as the 40 best players in their age group. The training programs that we are using with these girls (most of whom have never done any hockey-specific off-ice training before) are extremely similar to the ones being used by the Senior National Team. Again, the weights and the speed may be different, but the same fundamental principles apply.

I realize that every player is unique and has individual needs that must be specifically addressed in order to reach their full athletic potential on and off the ice. That being said, all players must use the same muscles and movements to play hockey and will therefore have very similar needs in terms of building a solid foundation of strength and stability.
Every player must be strong and stable through their shoulders, core, knees and hips. Young female hockey players must put that solid foundation in place in order to progress to elite levels of performance, and the 'pros' must constantly reinforce these strength and stability needs throughout their careers in order to maintain an elite level of performance.

If Olympians and NHL players are diligently performing the same basic fundamental exercises year after year, shouldn't every aspiring player do the same?

Maybe 'training like the pros' isn't such a bad idea after all.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_McCullough

Girl ice skater | Girls Birthday Party Ideas (Ages 8-12)

2009-03-24T04:18:00.000-07:00

Throwing a unique and memorable birthday party for girls aged 8-12 can be challenging. They are old enough to have outgrown the playground, but not quite ready for teenage activities yet. Here are several ideas to make sure your daughter’s birthday will be a happy and successful event.

1. Roller or Ice Rink Skating Party - Your local roller or ice skating rink will likely have numerous birthday party packages to choose from. Typically, they have a party room that you can reserve with a host/hostess to run the party. The group of kids will normally get skate admission and rental, food, beverages, cake and ice cream, game tokens and more. Just check with your local rink for details.

2. Pottery Making Party - Pottery painting parties at a local pottery place are all the rage. Many pottery places allow you to rent a private room for the birthday party where the kids get to make and take their own personalized plate or bowl. They normally ask that you bring your own food and decorations, but again it depends on the local place so call them directly for details. When they are done, each child can have their creation fired in the kiln for a permanent souvenir from the party.

3. Formal Tea Party - This is a great idea especially for the younger aged girls. The idea is that the girls dress up in their "Sunday best" (dresses, hats, boas, white gloves, etc.) and are served a real tea time. You can either transform your own home into a cafe or see if there is a local tea place that offers tea parties for girls. If you decide to do it in your own home, just set up some kids size tables with white fabrics and doilies, some fresh flowers and of course formal tea party ware. Serve the "tea" (juice) in a teapot along with finger sandwiches such as heart-shaped bologna and/or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. For a great finish to the party, make a teapot-shaped cake. Before or after tea time, you could have a little fashion show so that each girl can show off her beautiful outfit. Be sure to take lots of pictures.

4. Swimming Party - Some local pools will allow groups to reserve the entire swimming pool area for a short period of time. Normally, they provide a lifeguard and staff who keep an eye on the kids and run games such as water ring tosses. Normally, they'll have a party room that is adjacent to the changing areas/restrooms where you can set-up decorations, snacks and cake.

5. Gymnastics Party - Try the local Gymnastics Academy to see what they offer. Often you can get some time for the kids with an instructor and then some time after for food and gifts.

6. Dance Party - Throw your own diva dance party at home or find a local dance studio that offers birthday parties for kids. The kids are transformed into dance divas and rock stars by doing their hair with brightly colored hair pieces, glitter and braids and then adding some cool make-up like sparkly glitter eyes, blush and lip gloss. Depending on the party music theme, you can have the party girls singing and dancing to your birthday girls favorite music or dances like the electric slide, freeze dance, etc. If you are having it at a studio, normally they will have karaoke microphones, lots of music to choose from and props for the kids. Be sure to videotape their performances!

Need a Kids Birthday Gift Basket to bring to the birthday party? Check out the great online selection of birthday gift baskets , cookies , candy and more at All About Gifts & Baskets. Make their birthday memorable with a unique and fun birthday gift!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Smith

Girl ice skater | The 3 Biggest Reasons Girls Hockey Players Don't Strength Train

2009-03-24T04:15:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons that girls' hockey players do not participate in strength training programs.

They may be worried about getting injured, they may think that they are going to end up 'muscle-bound' or that strength training isn't necessary for players who play without body-checking. And while these are all reasons that are widespread and born from prevalent misconceptions and myths, they are not the three most common reasons.

What are the top three reasons that most female hockey players do not strength train?

Their parents believe that these programs will cost them too much in terms of time, travel and money.

1) Time

Hockey players, parents and coaches devote a great deal of time to the sport they love. On average, minor hockey teams are on the ice for a total of 100-150 games and practices during the season. Adding in time traveling to and from the rink, weekend tournaments, power-skating lessons and team fundraisers, makes the time commitment even more staggering. Although players, parents and coaches recognize the important role strength training plays in a player's development, they are reluctant to commit even more time to the pursuit of hockey excellence. Players may not be overly eager to participate in strength training several times a week if it is going to take more time away from school, family and friends. An already tired and over-booked parent is unlikely to want to spend more of their time shuttling their child to and from the gym. Coaches may not have the time to research potential strength training options or attend educational seminars about how to teach proper strength training to their team. In the hockey world, time away from the rink is becoming as precious and scare as ice time for practice, and players, parents and coaches believe they are unable to devote any more time to strength training.

2) Travel

Hockey parents and players spend a tremendous amount of time in the car traveling to and from hockey-related functions throughout the season. While it would be convenient for a reputable strength training facility (with qualified trainers) to be located in every single rink, this is unrealistic. In most cases, in order to have access to the expertise of a professional strength coach, you must drive to yet another facility. In some larger cities, this might only be an extra 20 minute drive in both directions. But in smaller communities, this commute might be close to an hour long - if a reputable athletic training facility even exists in the area! Hockey parents and players are looking for strength training to be accessible and convenient.

3) Money

Hockey is expensive. Parents must not only pay for all their player's equipment, the gas for the car and the team registration fees, they quite often have to take time away from their jobs in order to ensure that their child can make it to all of their hockey commitments. The idea of spending even more money on hockey-specific strength training is unrealistic for the majority of parents and teams. Training one-on-one with a certified strength coach in a commercial gym will cost on average $50 per hour. Even the cheaper group rate for team training is cost prohibitive for vast majority of parents and teams. Getting a membership to a fitness facility or community center may be a much less expensive option, but will not include the price of having a program designed to address the specific needs of the athlete. Parents and coaches are always looking for cost-effective ways to maximize their player's development - and participation in a safe and effective strength training program is a key part of this process.

Every young female hockey player must strength train in order to take her game to the next level.

Coaches, parents and player must have access to professional-designed, safe and effective strength training programs that are:

1) Time-effective: The programs be completed in the time it normally takes to get to the rink

2) Easily accessible: They can be done at home or in the rink with no equipment or travel required

3) Cost-effective: They may require a small initial investment but deliver a comprehensive program that is easy-to-understand, easy-to-use and highly effective.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_McCullough

Girl ice skating | Best First Date Idea For Wintertime

2009-03-24T04:10:00.000-07:00

When it's winter time, going ice skating almost always turns out to be an exceptional first date idea. There are built-in ways to be "physical" together that are quintessentially perfect for sending the right messages.

Assuming you know how to ice skate decently (not necessarily like Sidney Crosby or anything, but at least as well as she'll be able to) there's a clear opportunity to demonstrate confidence and leadership. You can hold her hand, skate arm-in-arm if she's a beginner, and physically help her up after a fall (not by the arm like an NBA player, please).

You can even perform the all-powerful "out of context dance twirl" a time or two when you've stopped skating and are ready to step off the ice (or already have). All of these examples allow you to show that you can lead physically WITHOUT coming off as a horn dog. Note the distinct difference between what I'm talking about here and "escalating kino", which is how sex-focused men try to manipulate women whom they assume-and typically mistakenly so-aren't wise to what's going on.

Ice skating. Good call. Most Definitely.

Pick her up for the evening and take her skating. Don't plan on this lasting for any longer than an hour and a half or so because it gets old (and cold) faster than you think-especially if there's a lot of falling going on. Believe me when I tell you a nice restaurant is not going to fit the texture of the evening after that anyway.

Assuming you two are having fun, then you announce that it's time to go grab a bite afterward. Choose somewhere that's inexpensive and with a lightweight atmosphere. It is imperative that this be about continuing to spend time together now that you're hungry having ice skated for a while. You are not attempting to impress her with dinner here. Then, continue the fun conversation making best use of the doubtlessly humorous or otherwise talkworthy stuff that happened while you were ice skating.

Getting this right isn't difficult. I can guarantee it's at least easier than learning to ice skate was.

Oh...and lest I forget. Watch for the perfect first-kiss moment, which could come at any time. If you help her up after another slip up on the ice and she stays close to you and looks you in the eye rather than skating off right away, PLEASE kiss her...briefly but effectively. If you don't, every woman reading this will come to your door and go "Ruth Buzzi" on your happy beating you over the head with their purses.

Assuming the best in the above scenario, when you take her home after dinner, walk her to her door, tell her you had fun and that you'll call her. Then LEAVE. No more kisses. Get this last step right and the guy from the date before yours is in BIG trouble. She won't be able to stop thinking about you. And please don't wait "three to five days" to call the poor chick, will you?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scot_McKay

Girl ice skater | The #1 Injury in Girls Hockey

2009-03-24T04:07:00.000-07:00

What is the most common injury in female hockey?

It is NOT knee injuries.
It is NOT shoulder injuries.
It is NOT back injuries.

One injury happens more than any other and can have the most devastating effects of all.

Concussions are the most common injury in women's hockey.

In fact, the NCAA sport with the highest concussion rate (by far) is women's hockey.
It is not men's hockey or men's football.

At the university level, female hockey players suffer 1 concussion for every 1000 "exposures" to the game - with each practice and game counting as one exposure.

On a team of 20 players, that means 1 concussion every 50 exposures.

Female hockey players are TWO TIMES more likely to suffer a concussion than male hockey players and almost THREE TIMES more likely than football players.

Pretty amazing for a sport that doesn't allow full body-checking, isn't it?

Although statistics on younger players are harder to come by, I would guess that their concussion rate would be just as high (and maybe even higher) than with the women.

Girls are having more exposures than ever to the sport - they compete on school teams, club teams, travel teams, Olympic development teams and weekend tournament teams.

Girls' hockey players are playing just as much as the boys - but are getting hurt twice as often.

Knee, shoulder and back injuries can be devastating to a young player who wants nothing more than to play the sport they love at the highest level possible, but they rarely have the same long-term effects as a concussion.

THE SOLUTION?

Here are two suggestions on how you can help to prevent concussions in girls hockey players.

1) Girls have to be better prepared physically.

An overwhelming number of you believed that a lack of strength and conditioning was a big reason for the alarmingly high incidence of concussions in girls' hockey.

The stronger a player is, the better she will be able to hold her ground when she is hit unexpectedly (which is how a large number of concussions happen in girls' hockey).

By building better core stability, balance and overall strength, players are better able to control their bodies in space and withstand the force of impact.

Another important prevention strategy is making sure that players warm-up prior to hitting the ice. A proper 10 minute off-ice warm-up will ensure that a player's mind and muscles are ready for the intensity of the on-ice session - and will go a long way towards preventing all injuries (not just concussions).

2) Girls need to be taught how to take a hit.

In every girls' or women's game I have ever watched or played, there is always at least one instance where I think, "Good thing we don't have full body-checking because that player would have been run-over".

The female game may not have full body-checking, but girls are going to get hit.

We are doing our players a great disservice by not teaching them how they can protect themselves if (and when) they do get hit. If more coaches, teams and associations start showing girls how to take a hit properly, it will go a long way towards preventing concussions, as well as a whole slew of other injuries.

Bottom Line:

It is our responsibility to make sure that our players are prepared, both physically and mentally, each and every time they step out on the ice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_McCullough

Girl ice skater | Birthday Cake Ideas For The Lady

2009-03-24T04:04:00.000-07:00

What's a birthday party without a birthday cake? More often than not, the birthday cake is the centerpiece of the buffet table. And when it is time to blow the candles, the cake takes the spotlight. That is why it is important to choose the perfect birthday cake design, most especially if the celebrant is a lady. So what birthday cake ideas for ladies are available for her?

There are hundreds of designs to choose from. But before you find the perfect birthday cake, there are some factors that you must first consider before deciding, such as the age and personality of the birthday girl.

For little girls, there are countless designs that spell "sugar spice and everything nice." A miniature dollhouse may be perfect for your little sweetheart. You can also use Disney characters or other characters like the Power Puff girls, Bratz and Barbie, to name a few.

Another suggestion is to make cupcakes instead of one big cake. Arrange the pieces in two or more layers, giving the appearance of a big cake but making it easier to serve especially in a children's party. You can use multi-colored frosting for a colorful rainbow effect. Or use edible flower trimmings to make the cake look like a big bouquet.

As the celebrant gets older, there are fewer designs available. The good thing is there are more shops now that make customized cakes, making it possible to make cakes of any design that you can imagine.

If she is the more outgoing or adventurous type, choose fun, uncommon designs to reflect her personality. For example, if she likes to collect handbags, you can use her favorite bag as blueprint for the cake design. For the book lover, a cake that resembles a pile of books can be made. Some bakers can actually write on the cake a short quote or poem that she likes.

You can also pick designs from her hobbies or interests. A round cake with skating rink design and ice skater cake topper is perfect for an ice skating enthusiast. If she goes to the beach a lot, a cake with bikini design would suit her. If she is a pianist, you can choose a long cake with piano keys design.

Lady birthday cake ideas are limitless. In the end, it would all have to depend on what the lady celebrant would probably like. Whatever the design, the cake must be something that she would really like and remember even after several birthdays have passed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Albert_Lee

Girl ice skater | Slip & Fall On Snow Or Ice - Can You Get Money For Your Injuries?

2009-03-24T04:00:00.001-07:00

SNOW & ICE INJURIES

Winter time inevitably causes people to slip on snow and ice. They don’t wear the right shoes or boots, the driveway wasn’t plowed and the street wasn’t sanded. If you fall and injure yourself while slipping on snow or ice, can you be compensated (get money) for your injuries?

The short answer is maybe. In any snow and ice case we look to see what the condition was like at the time you fell. If it was the middle of a blizzard and nobody had time to clear the parking lot in the middle of the night, it’s not looking good to be able to prove that the owner of the property should have taken steps to clear the lot of snow and ice. The key to proving liability in a snow and ice case is whether the owner of the property knew of a dangerous condition and failed to timely act to correct it. This is called ‘notice’. If the owner didn’t know about a dangerous condition, how can he be held responsible for your injuries? He won’t be. But, what if the icy condition existed for a few days or weeks? Everybody who lived nearby always saw the ice and nobody ever salted or sanded the ice. In that situation we would argue that the owner of the property knew, or should have known, that there was a dangerous and icy condition on his property.

What if someone actually tells the owner of the property about an icy area of his lot and he doesn’t do anything to fix the problem? Well, as long as nobody gets hurt, he’s avoided a lawsuit. However, if someone does get injured at that location, after someone has specifically notified him of a dangerous condition, and he fails to correct the danger, then in all probability he will be held responsible for failing to prevent injuries at that location.

Sometimes, the owner hires a snow removal company (a snow plow) to plow the driveway, street, sidewalk or parking lot. In some cases, these snow plow companies don’t do a good job and leave piles of snow in areas where they will melt, re-freeze, and then create sheets of ice throughout the property. If the snow plow or property owner knew that putting all that snow at the top of the hill wasn’t a good location, there are some cases where the owner or snow plow operator will be held responsible for your injuries.

If you fall and are injured during the winter months it is very important that you do three things:

(1) Look around to see what you slipped on. Take a mental note about the conditions where you fell and the surrounding conditions.

(2) When possible, get photographs of the condition as soon as possible after you fell. This will preserve evidence of what the area looked like when you fell. Make sure you take at least an entire roll of film, from all different angles. Don’t just take a picture of the ice. Look for a street sign, a building, and an address that can also get in the picture. This way you can positively identify the location where you fell, at a later date. If you use a digital camera do not ever make any changes or alterations to your photos when you provide them to your attorney.

(3) If you don’t go to the hospital or a doctor immediately, you should report your accident to the owner of the property to put them on notice of your accident.

Injuries from slipping on ice or snow can be very serious and can include broken bones and the need for surgery. Take time to think whether this could have been prevented. Or was your fall simple carelessness that could have been prevented if you were paying attention to where you were walking? The answer is sometimes difficult to answer. That’s why an experienced injury attorney can help guide you and advise you about your legal rights. The longer you wait to speak to an attorney, the greater chance you have of forgetting important information that could help you in a potential case.

The best advice is to be careful while outside and to make sure you’re wearing the right winter gear. But even that doesn’t always prevent an injury.

Ice skating injuries - They happen. It’s a fact. Even to experienced skaters. You will always see big signs posted at every entrance to every skating rink in New York that ice skating is a dangerous sport. The warning will say that you “Skate at your own risk.” That is the same as saying buyer beware!

We know that many sports are inherently dangerous, yet millions of people aren’t going to stop participating in dangerous sports just because of the obvious dangers. Just the other day, Newsday reported on a tragedy involving a 15 year old girl who died while snowtubing at Killington Ski Resort in Vermont. Importantly, this girl and her teenage friends were on a skiing slope that had already closed for the day. The incident happened at 7:00 p.m., and the key fact here is that the slopes closed at 4:00 p.m. There were signs posted all across the ski resort that slopes were off limits after 4:00 p.m. because of snowmaking and snow grooming activities. Also, there was no snowtubing allowed on any ski slope.

What happened? The girl could not control the snowtube and went off the trail, tragically causing her death. Is the resort responsible for her untimely death? In all likelihood the answer is no. She engaged in a dangerous activity, in a prohibited and restricted area. The snowtube is uncontrollable- which is what makes it so much fun. However, snowtubes are typically used in special areas or chutes designed to keep the tubes in a runway style area, so that there is no way to run off a trail.

Many people have tried to sue skating rinks and ski resorts for injuries they suffered while engaging in these fun filled but dangerous activities. Most have failed. On occasion there have been successes, but those are the exceptions. Where you actively choose to engage in a dangerous activity and disregard the hazards and dangers associated with that activity (rock climbing, water skiing, sky diving), you run the risk of injury and the chance that you will not be able to bring a successful lawsuit for your injuries. But remember, every case is different. Let an experienced injury attorney evaluate your own case.

Be careful out there this winter, and have fun while you can.

Gerry Oginski is an experienced medical malpractice and personal injury trial attorney and practices exclusively in the State of New York. He has tirelessly represented injured victims in all types of medical malpractice and injury cases in the last 19 years. As a solo practitioner he is able to devote 100% of his time to each individual client. A client is never a file number in his office

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerry_Oginski

Girl ice skater | The Comfort Of Today

2009-03-24T03:49:00.000-07:00

We can preach a better sermon with our actions than with our words.

There I was, with a group of 8 young people at a small business college, and we were talking about what was needed to get them employed. The more we chatted, the more convinced I became that they didn't really know what was expected in the business world. Not only that, they didn't have a clue as to what they wanted for their careers either.

So, a conversation about values and vision was given birth, and we spent a few minutes kicking it around until I decided that I wanted them to write a vision for themselves and take it out to 5 years from now.

A couple of them dove right into the assignment, writing feverishly filling up the page that I gave them and finishing their thoughts by writing the rest on the back. One girl just sat there and stared at her paper and said that she didn't know what to write, or how to write it. Her parroted answer to every question I would ask her was "I don't know". From my vantage point I could see it wasn't that she "didn't know" what to write, it was that she wouldn't. She then told me this was a silly exercise and she didn't want to do it.

OK, I said... who's next?

When we were wrapping up our assignment, I decided to have them share their visions with the group so that we could all hear them and offer encouragement and support, and motivate them towards enthusiastically going out and seeking success. So, one at a time I had them stand and tell us what their vision was.

On the whole, it was working pretty good until one girl stood up and gave her vision to the rest of us. "OK Jackie, what have you written for your future vision?" I innocently asked.

18 year old Jackie is an attractive girl who was a dancer and figure skater. She had trained a bit with Joseé Choinard, and she had won numerous figure skating competitions. She seemed to have so much enthusiasm towards the class and the assignment at hand. Now that it was her turn we waited as she stood to her feet and announced her vision, which literally stunned me to silence.

"My vision is to leave this college, get a normal job for a little while to make enough money to go to Alberta to be with my boyfriend, then get pregnant and have him take care of me."

I was waiting for her to say "Just kidding", but it never came, and she stood there, waiting for me to say something profound, which never came either.

I said "You're kidding, right?"

"No" she replied, "That is what I want. You see if I get pregnant, then he'll never leave me, and I won't have to work."

"Jackie, life doesn't work like that." I said. "There are no guarantees, other than someday, you're going to die. Other than that, nothing can be written in stone.

A vision is supposed to inspire you to be more than you are today, and it must create a sense of "I can do that" so that you charge into it with enthusiasm and confidence." I continued. "But putting your total life's happiness and success into getting pregnant so that someone will never leave you is not where I would want anyone to be at 18 years of age. You are standing at the door of your great adventure with the keys to be anything you want to be in your hands, and you are choosing to just let them drop in the dirt while you waste your potential. Jackie, you are so much more than that. I wish you could see that."

It wasn't for me to tell her what she wanted in her life, she was the only one to do that, but I remembered what I felt like when I was 18 and starting out on my great adventure, and getting pregnant with someone wasn't even in the whole book of things that I wanted for my life. I wanted more.

I wanted adventure, I wanted excitement, I wanted freedom and I wanted choice.

She wanted neither. She wanted to manipulate someone to stay with her by having his baby.

Of all of the things that some people throw away in this life, throwing away their future is the most disheartening.

We sometimes make poor decisions for our future by trying to hold on to the comfort of today. But today only lasts 24 hours. After that, it's gone and is only a memory.

If you could be 18 again, what would you write for your vision? If you could get a "mulligan" for your life, what would you do?

Would you hold on to today and try to make it a repeat, or would you let it go and savour the memory of it while you created more in your life?

I'm hoping that you'd create more! I'm hoping that you would never settle for what you didn't want just because if felt good at the time. I'm hoping that you'd never stop learning, living and loving. I'm hoping that you'd create a big vision and then pursue it with all that you have. To choose less is to deny ourselves of what we truly could be.

This week, why not take the time to re-evaluate your life goals and dreams? Get them out of your head and into your life, and when you do, you won't ever have to wonder what happened to your life, you'll be creating it on purpose as each day goes by.

© 2008 Paul Kearley CS, For 22 years, Paul Kearley has thrived in the personal development and coaching business. As a Master Business Coach, Paul's passion is in developing and creating increased potential, and coaching people to create success

A newspaper columnist, and editor for "E-Motion", his own weekly ezine, and author of 3 e-books, Paul writes articles that address the everyday challenges we all have and face in life and in business, and offers suggestions for success

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Kearley

Girl ice skater | Sasha Cohen 2010?

2009-03-24T03:45:00.000-07:00

best figure skaters I have ever seen, she interacts with her audience, when she skates, it is like watching a ballerina on ice. Sasha truly loves this sport. She is one of the most beautiful skaters in the world. If she ever gets over the curse of falling during the free skate that would make her one of the best, if not the best, skater in the world now that Michelle is not in the picture. Can she pull it off in 2010? That remains to be seen.

This sport, with the new code of points system, is being restricted to the prepubescent teens. As a result of the countless of jumps that have to be implemented, you might as well call it a "jumping contest." As a parent, sometimes I worry about the aggravation those youngsters' bodies are being put through. I wonder how Tara Lipinski (and her replacement hip) feels about this new judging system. The sport is sorely canted toward non-menstruating "girls." Sasha has enjoyed an incredible skating career and the number of medals she has earned is a testament to that.

Sasha is an unbelievable skater; however, Cohen realizes her weaknesses. Unfortunately, she has a habit of not being able to skate two clean performances when under pressure. What I see is a skater who needs to do a self evaluation, and analyzed her skating based on the current scoring system and those prepubescent jumping beams and decided whether she needs to put her twenty some odd year-old body through this unrealistic "dream." She would really have to work on her technical elements. With the new scoring system her technical elements must be solid and hers are not. She is very artistic. In this scoring system, jumps trump art.

Cohen's strength is her artistic ability. She is an awesome skater. She is a brilliant skater. Her moves are beautiful, gorgeous and the commentators are always in awe of her when she appears to be "on"; that is when Cohen stops falling. The question is WHEN! As Dick Button would say "When is she on." I still maintain that Sasha should stick with skating as a professional or with acting at the very least. Sasha has given me so much pleasure in watching her skate. I see the younger skaters in their jumping contest, now, it is not the same. Sasha skates with grace and elegance. I can watch her skate for a long time.

The prepubescent teens can consistently execute the moves for the big scores, yet paradoxically they can't compete internationally because they're too young! I found the "babies" who competed at the US Nationals, to be boring little jumping machines. They can jump, but where is the artistry, they are not polished, and I don't think they will have such an impact on figure skating until they have developed some artistry and elegance other than jumping.

Change the scoring system. Ditch the crooked judges, bring back the 6.0 system, in order to reward something other than mechanics and physics, and let's see maturity and elegance out there!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Guerrelyne_Gautreau

Girl ice skater | E Hughes - The Unsung Hero

2009-03-24T03:40:00.000-07:00

Emily Is True Class Act

I have just taken a look at the team envelope for the 2008/2009 season. While I was elated with the Kimmie's team A assignment; even though she did not do well by "our" standard this season, however she did well enough to achieve Team A status. What really threw me on a tail spin was Emily's assignment. Instead of her, Bebe Liang made the Team (A). While I understand the mechanics of the assignments, I feel some reparation could have bee made in this case.

Let me clarify that I am a fan of Bebe as well, and I think she is a great skater. Though I've yet to meet her, fellow skaters who have, have sung her praise. However, that is beside the point. It is obvious the reason that Emily did not make team A is due to the fact that she had not compete at Nationals nor worlds', yada yada... however, she had a hip injury. Whatever happened to all of those loopholes skaters can use to circumvent those types of unforeseen circumstances? Is this the dawn of an early retirement for Hughes?

As I perused the Team envelope, honestly, the only strong person standing there as far as I am concerned is Meissner. And NO! I am not looking at it through my "fan colored spectacles." Nagasu must automatically make the team since she is the "champ". Yes she is cute and all that, but there is no art to her skating. Meissner, on the other hand, despite her lack luster performance this season, had held her own, and had earned the spot. However when it comes to Liang and Hughes, it is quite a different story. Hughes should have been assigned if not to team A, at least to Team B assignment. And don't get me started about Katrina Hacker, whom I thought had given a much more mature and more artistic performance than Zhang. I know Zhang reminds us a bit of Kwan. And, Kwan she is not. And, Zhang can grow on anyone, she is so cute and so sweet. Despite What they say about the new system being fair, the fact still remains, if your name is not well known, you can still be swept under the rug, and unless you make jumping and flopping around the ice your main focus you can kiss any title GOOD BYE! And this fact has led me to ponder "what will happen to those young girls' hips by the time the reach the ripe age of 40."

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I remember, the 2006, 2007, season I had felt that regardless of that "chance" performance that Alissa Czisny had pulled that year, (She is a beautiful skater, extremely artistic on the ice.) I had felt strongly that Liang should have been the one to have gone to the World Championship. This season 2007/2008 after watching a pleasant almost flawless Katrina Hacker at four continents, her performance had forced me to rewind my Tivo and watch her performance at Nationals, ( hers and part of Kimmie's performance only, my heart was hurting too much for Kimmie, I could not have witnessed such debacle. It hurt too much) I had made the decision to skip Nationals this season. It just was not fun. Call me a sore loser if you must. I was hard-pressed to conclude that maybe our team should have been Meissner, Wagner, and Hacker. I am most definitely sure she would not have disappointed US.

Benched

Now the Team envelope with Hughes being benched in Team C, is not helping our team as much. Has this scoring system done away with skating? She is very artistic and has one of the best choreographed programs. She had a hip injury, I am sure might have been due from executing an element on the ice, probably a jump. The new judging system really sucks! This judging system has divorced the casual viewer from what's happening on the ice. Now it is alienating athletes who display flow, finesse, and an effortless movement in time to the music. Hughes may not be flopping like a bird all over the ice; however, she skates with style and clarity. It's astounding that figure skating still maintains its self-image as an art form in the face of so much flopping. This is the beginning of the end.

Unsung Hero

Since the Olympics have ended we haven't seen nor heard much of Emily. Apparently, she will always be in the shadows when other skaters are talked about. Emily, not only has to deal with talk about her sister Sarah; but Michelle, Sasha and Kimmie just to name name a few other skaters.

Amy Hughes was being commemorated as a top mom recently: She was referred to as "Amy Hughes, the mother of Olympic skating gold medalist Sarah Hughes." There was no mention of Emily. Emily, titles or not is a quite accomplished young lady. So, shame on the press for not acknowledging her. Even if Emily were to win a medal which does not seem likely, since she is more artistic than a jumper, she is unlikely to get the type of coverage the other skaters get and everyone will be assuming it was mere chance. And now she has been assigned to Team C, what are her chances.

Emily definitely deserves a better assignment than the one she's got. She might not have the "softness" that so many people love these days, but it's refreshing to see someone who is still powerful, with beautiful stretch and spins. Emily has risen to challenges and has showed her true spirits.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Guerrelyne_Gautreau

Girl ice skater | Playing in the Snow - Ten Brain-Based Learning Tips For Winter

2009-03-24T03:36:00.000-07:00

The phone rang: "Hello. Is this Alison's Dad?" "Yep." "This is Alison's teacher and Alison needs you to bring dry shoes, socks and pants to kindergarten. Alison had such fun playing in the snow before the bell rang that her boots and snow pants are wet and filled with snow." Wow! What a great teacher. What a terrific school.

And older sister Abby had a dilemma earlier in the season. Should she continue with figure skating lessons or join the junior girls' ice hockey team? Clearly, the only solution . . . do both.

In terms of health and increasing brain power, these kids and their parents have it right. Playing in the snow combats obesity, builds strong muscles and fit bodies, and gets kids out of artificial light and stale, dry indoor air. When the sun's shining, kids get a good dose of vitamin D. And playing in the snow is great fun.

One time during a class, a loving but overly-protective Mom asked me if I thought it was o.k. for her daughter to make snow angels. And did I know what a snow angel was. I answered "yes" to both. Mom was afraid her daughter might catch a cold if she was lying in the snow. Well, I suppose maybe if she stayed in the snow without moving for an hour or two. But generations of children have been making snow angels without getting pneumonia.

So bundle them up. Then get them warm and dry when they come inside, and they'll be just fine.

Ten Things to Do in the Snow:

1. Shovel. Get lighter weight shovels with shorter handles for the kids and now shoveling snow is a family activity.

2. Make snow men, snow women, snow families, animals, dragons, dinosaurs, cartoon figures, houses, forts, and igloos.

3. Throw snow balls at targets (If you're having a snowball fight, make sure the snow is soft and that it's against the rules to throw at a person's head.)

4. Invent games. Start by making tracks in the snow, packing them down enough that they become "trails" and then make up the rules for run-fast-and-you-win games. A circle with spokes and the first person to get to the center wins, for example. A caller tells everybody to run around the circle. Then says "run to the center." The child who finds the closest spoke and gets to center first wins. Kids will quickly make up their own variations of this game.

5. Take a walk

6. Use snowshoes (Don't want to buy them? Lots of sporting goods stores will rent them.)

7. Make a Lazy 8 track in the snow. (Looks like an infinity sign, an 8 on its side) Following that track around helps kids cross from right to left, an essential movement for reading and improving reading. Run around the track. Stomp around the track. Snowshoe around the track. Make up a game: two hops, two stomps and then walk. The next child makes up another game. Lazy 8's are used in Brain Gym® and other learning programs to help kids with reading. Now playing in the snow becomes an educational activity.

8. Draw snow pictures and paint them. (Get snow paint at toy and craft stores.) Paint Lazy 8s. (See the previous tip.)

9. Cross-country ski Don't have skis? Slide your feet on the snow instead of walking. Make a Lazy 8 track large enough and wide enough that you can cross-country ski on it.

10. Get out the sleds and saucers. No worries about the required hill. Your kids will figure out how to build one. (No head first sledding.)

Playing in the snow requires moving. And moving tops the list as a brain-based learning strategy. Tops the list as a non-drug alternative for ADHD. So find the winter coats, the gloves, and the hats. Push them out the door and into the snow.

And you can also claim your fun Brain Quiz-a-Week. It's FREE. Test your knowledge. What do your kids know? Have a contest. It's yours when you subscribe to the FREE Brain Boosters for Your Kids newsletter.

MaryJo Wagner, Ph.D. - The Learning Doctor, helping you help your kids learn quickly and easily every day in every subject

Got a school or PTA newsletter online or offline? A website? You can reprint this article. Just be sure to print all of the article and include my name and the information above

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=MaryJo_Wagner

Girl ice skater | Why Girl Hockey Players Can't Do Push-Ups

2009-03-24T03:31:00.000-07:00

To say that most girls' hockey players hate push-ups is an understatement. Not only do they hate them, but they are notoriously bad at them too. They either let their hips sag, barely bend their elbows or reach their head down towards the ground in a feeble attempt to get lower. Despite the fact that most girls' hockey players are horrible at push-ups, the truth is that it's not their fault. When it comes to being able to do perfect push-ups, the odds are stacked against young female hockey players. But once you know what you are up against, I am going to show you how to beat those odds.

The main reason girls' hockey players struggle with push-ups is poor posture.

Before we get into how you are going to fix that problem, you have to realize that in order to be able to play hockey well, you need to have bad posture. Think about it - you would never be able to stickhandle to puck far away from your body or reach out to catch bad passes if you were always standing up perfectly straight with your shoulders pulled back. Players have to let their shoulder rolls forward slightly in order to be able to reach for loose pucks and stickhandle effectively.

The problem is that this poor posture is reinforced by the fact that players spend the majority of their day sitting - in class, in front of the computer, and in the car on the way to practice. Hockey players may need to have a certain degree of poor posture to perform well on the ice, but letting it get too bad puts them at risk for serious shoulder injuries and back pain. Girls hockey players need to work on improving their posture off the ice so that they can perform their best on the ice.

Push-ups are a great exercise for improving posture - when they are done properly. Girls' hockey players tend to rely far too much on their arm strength and not enough on their core strength and stability when doing push-ups. Their lack of core strength and stability can be easily seen by the position of their body throughout the push-up movement. Players either let their butts come way up into the air or they let their hips sag down to the ground - both are indicative of weak core muscles.

To do the perfect push-up:

Your body must be in a perfectly straight line through the entire movement. In order to maintain this position, players must be able to keep their core tight (think about tightening up as though someone was going to punch them in the stomach), squeeze their butts (that one usually gets a few giggles) and squeeze their shoulder blades down and together (like they are trying to squeeze them down into their back pockets). When girls are able to maintain this position as they lower themselves down towards the ground, they take the load off of their "weaker" arm muscles and rely more on their "stronger" chest and core muscles to perform the movement.

Focus on the quality of push-ups instead of the quantity. It doesn't matter if girls can only do 2 perfect push-ups in the beginning. The point is to get better at them as the season continues and slowly work your way up. It may take a little bit longer to work up to the high numbers when you are doing them right, but your willingness to practice perfect push-ups will be rewarded with increased upper body strength and core stability. This will not only help girls to prevent back and shoulder injuries, it will help them to win battles in the corner, shoot harder and play better.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_McCullough

Girl ice skater | Girls Hockey - Body Checking Battle

2009-03-24T03:27:00.000-07:00

The issue of body-checking in girls hockey always sparks a heated debate. Those who support putting full checking back into women's hockey believe that this will teach girls to play with their heads up and prevent a lot of the serious injuries that are happening out on the ice from both accidental and intentional contact. But would adding body checking back into female hockey make it safer for players or would it do more harm than good?

I personally don't believe that body checking should be added back into the female game, but I do think that girls hockey players need to be taught how to take a hit properly, as well as how to initiate body contact properly. Girls are getting hit and getting hurt because of their inability to protect themselves from body contact and something needs to be done.

Playing "Heads-Up" Hockey

Girls need to learn how to play "heads-up" hockey and putting body checking back into the game seems like the easiest way to teach this skill to players. Once a player gets run over in mid-ice or gets the wind knocked out of her from a bone-crushing check against the boards, she will "learn" to keep her head up to protect herself. While I don't entirely disagree with this "trial by fire" way of teaching players to protect themselves, the reality is that the majority of injuries in girls' hockey are happening from incidental contact and are not due to intentional checking. Girls' hockey players are not getting hurt because their opponents are trying to hip-check them through the boards or lining them up at the blue-line for the big hit. Girls are getting hurt battling for the puck along the boards and in front of the net.

One of the big reason girls are getting hurt by this incidental contact is that they lack the awareness that they are going to get hit. When a men's hockey player is skating down the ice, he is always thinking, "I am going to get hit". For girls' hockey players, this thought rarely crosses their minds. They tend to skate with their heads down, looking and "fishing" for the puck, as opposed to playing the heads-up style of hockey that is critical for survival in the men's game. If girls aren't playing with their heads up, they are oblivious to what's going on around them and aren't going to be ready for contact.

Playing "heads-up" hockey means that you will be able to see contact coming. Once girls hockey players are aware of the fact that they might get hit, they have 3 options for dealing with contact.

1) Get out of the way: This is always the safest and smartest decision, but there is not always the time and space for this to be possible.

2) Take the full force of the hit: This is the passive option and the most dangerous one. Unfortunately, most girls are not taught how to deal with contact properly and this is the option that they take most often.

3) Initiate contact:

This is the active option and your safest one if you aren't in a position to be able to avoid the contact entirely. Instead of letting yourself get flattened against the boards, taking a step into the oncoming player and leaning into them will decrease the amount of force that your opponent can deliver with the check. Actively moving into the check will go a long way to protecting girls from sustaining an injury with contact.

We need to educate girls about how they can protect themselves and give them the tools they need to not only survive, but thrive, in the female game. Before girls even step on the ice, they need to be aware that there is going to be contact. Once they are on the ice, they have to play with their heads up to see when contact is coming. And when that contact happens, they have to be ready and actively move into contact instead of being passive.

There is a big difference between teaching girls to play "heads-up" hockey and teaching them how to body check. While bringing body checking back to the women's game will force girls to be more aware of contact, this change also will make the game more about strength and survival, and less about speed and skill. The girls game is different and the rules are different for a reason. Teach girls how to play with their heads-up, and how to be active instead of passive when it comes to contact, but leave the full body checking to the boys.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_McCullough

Girl ice skater | Grey's Anatomy Spinoff Casting – Meet the Girls

2009-03-24T02:53:00.000-07:00

After the bit-by-bit revelation of the cast of the upcoming spin-off of Grey ’s Anatomy, two more additions are unveiled. And this time, they come in the form of two womanly figures.

Aside from Grey’s Anatomy’s Kate Walsh, who will obviously lead the series, the controversial spin-off has already confirmed Taye Diggs, Tim Daly, Paul Adelstein and Chris Lowell as cast members. To nearly balance the male dominated squad, the people behind the show have incorporated Amy Brenneman and Merrin Dungey as of March 13, 2007.

The two fresh add-ons to the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off are no novices when it comes to television exposure. In fact, these two are considered veterans, having acquired numerous television and films credentials. Brenneman, a 42-year old Connecticut native, is an actress popularly known for her role as Amy Madison Gray on the serial drama entitled Judging Amy. She also starred on the television series NYPD Blue from 1993 to 1994. This Harvard graduate also appeared in movies like Heat, Casper, Daylight, Fear, Nevada, Your Friend and Neighbors, Things You Can Tell Just by Looking At Her, and Bye Bye, Love to name a few.

As for Merrin Dungey, this 35-year old actress from Sacramento, California, is best known for her portrayal of Francie Calfo on the action-drama series Alias. She is an accomplished ice skater and the youngest recipient of the UCLA Acting Award. Her other credits included All the Time in the World, The King of Queens, Summerland, Malcolm in the Middle, The West Wing, Friends, Living Single, Murphy Brown and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Now that the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off is gradually uncovering its ensemble, the viewers’ interest and curiosity becomes more and more intense. And although six cast members have already been made public, there is still no word on their character plot or even the title of the much-awaited medical drama.

For more information about Grey’s Anatomy and especially about Grey’s Anatomy Spinoff Casting – Meet the Girls or more related subjects please click http://www.buddytv.com

Girl ice skater | The Bountiful Benefits Of Ice Skating - A Magical World

2009-03-24T02:44:00.000-07:00

Once you learn to ice skate .... you will know how to ice skate forever ... even if it is years between your times on the ice. The benefits of ice skating are endless.

Any aerobic exercise is of course a benefit to your physical health. Walking, running, swimming, bicycle riding, jogging are all great aerobic exercises that build up the stamina of your body.

Ice skating has added benefits.

From stepping onto the ice and hanging onto the sideboards, trying in vain to stand straight on those two slippery blades... to gliding effortlessly across that ice with no thought of anything but the delicious feel of it... ice skating just naturally offers character building challenges and grace along with tremendous confidence building.

Ice skating builds character from that first step onto the ice. The desire to stand on those blades doesn't allow even the thought of defeat to enter the mind. That ice will be conquered ... and with the first shaky hands-free ride around the ice... confidence is built.

It is no secret why hockey players take lessons from figure skating instructors. The grace needed in hockey is as important .. as necessary .... as the grace needed in figure skating. It may not be as noticeable in a hockey game, but if you watch the movement of the players feet ... you will see without doubt the intricate steps needed in that rough and tumble sport. The confidence comes when a hockey player knows his skates have become an extension of his feet.

Figure skating showcases the grace and makes ice skating appear almost magical .. and there too .. the confidence comes knowing the figure skates are nothing more than an extension of the feet. In every jump and spin and turn .. the blades become just an afterthought... a part of the whole.

Not everyone has the opportunity to go ice skating in the cold open air on a clear night with the Northern lights brightly pulsing overhead, but today there are outdoor rinks kept frozen by condensers in many cities and towns where the winter weather makes it possible.

Frozen outdoor ponds become a local treasure to ice skaters.

Benefits from ice skating in that clear crisp outdoor air to the body is complete... form the muscular system to the respiratory system to the circulation system.

The benefits to the mind .. the rejuvenation of the mental state... is immeasurable. The world melts away as you become one with the ice. For a moment in time you are a part of that magical world of ice skating. If you have watched ice skating .. you feel the magic as a spectator. Becoming a part of that magic is breathtaking... literally... especially on an outdoor rink on a clear and frosty winter's night.

There are countless numbers of indoor rinks all over the country. Here is where the beginnings of ice skating take place with beginner's instructions... lessons teaching those intricate steps and turns... and where public or open skating is available.

Any young girl who loves ice skating dreams of becoming a Kristi Yamaguchi... just as every boy who takes that hockey stick and puck out to the nearest pond dreams of becoming the next Steve Yzerman.

Reaching that level in ice skating takes a special gift and complete and total dedication... a dedication of a lifetime. Not everyone who loves ice skating has that gift or sense of dedication. That however is not a deterrent in the least to those who love ice skating.

The dream of the young girl who is learning ice skating is fulfilled with her first jump... just as the dream of the young hockey player is fulfilled with his first goal in that hockey game on the pond.

The sense of confidence, the character built in learning, the healthy bodies and minds that come with their ice skating will never leave them.

Ice skating brings bountiful benefits for life.

Explore that wonderful world of ice skating... become a part of the magic. Learn the ice skating tips, tricks and techniques that will have YOU gliding gracefully across the ice in no time... by clicking here. Browse at Ice Skating Today for ice skates, equipment and accessories for all ages

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Polly_Standish