Free March Madness Brackets - Everything You Need to Know

First thing that you have to know about free march madness bracketsis what its components. You have to have a better understanding of the entire thing first before you actually fill out a bracket bet form. A bracket is not a collection of bets. In principle, it is a two way graphic representation of the entire collection of all the games played during a certain tournament, which, in this case, is the NCAA. They are called 'brackets' basketball they look like big populations of interlinking brackets, and look sort of the same as brackets used in linguistics. There a lot of different brackets, depending on what the tournament that you are looking at. In NCAA, the so-called art of making up your brackets is called bracketology. It is really just a pet name, but if you are rooting to be a professional bettor, you better know the terms early.

Bracket contests are usually found, and were first used, in professional sports leagues. This is because at the end of the normal season, the entire league would conduct an after-season tournament. This tournament is commonly called the playoffs. The playoffs will determine which team is really the best of all teams. This is practiced because often, when you go into professional playing, there are separate conferences. For example, for basketball, there is the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. So after both conferences, the east and west compete to see who the over-all champion is. The practice of playing the bracket contest in college basketball is a recent twist to the play. free march madness brackets used to be just a sideline of professional league bettors. Now, they are the star for enthusiasts.

For free March madness brackets, a lot of websites will require you to register and some of them are for a fee. After registration, you will fill out a form and you will predict who will win in each and every game including, of course, the champion of the tournament. If you are a beginner, better join a group, which is another option available in a lot websites. This is because you can compare your picks to theirs. You can interact with them to know the ropes of the game.

You win in free march madness bracketsby picking winning teams for each round. Each win will give you a specific number of points and each point is equivalent to a certain amount of money. This means that you have to take a look at the statistics and make sure that you are making a reasonable match up and a reasonable decision on who will win on each game. This will ensure that you will get winners. Do not go with 'gut feel'. This may be what masters say their basketball is, but the truth is, the secret is statistics. If you know the statistics of the game and the teams, you can win. You will know which team will win over what teams. You will also know what the odds are if you know the statistics. It literally pays to know the data.

Chris Grisham is the creator of Basketball Crusher, the premier website for making money betting online sports. He has successfully been beating sportsbooks for years using his proven system and top Free March Madness Brackets tips based on lines, trends, angles, and years of experience. Learn about his system for FREE at http://www.BasketballCrusher.com

Watch NBA Games Online - Watch Live NBA Games Online

Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, or Vince Carter are superstars in the NBA universe. They will hold NBA celebrity basketball for some time to come in household around the world but especially in North American households. The fans watch free NBA games on their PC. How can they do that you may ask? Every basketball fan sleeps and eats their teams' strategies. Yet, each year some unlucky fans end up at the back of the season-ticket line just as the sold-out sign falls, and disappointed fans are left to watch the NBA games on TV.

There are however, some people who are unable to the basketball games on TV. People like me who hold jobs that see me frequently working late at night. I'll comfort myself watching my free internet streaming of NBA games onto my PC.

Of course, it was by no means the same as watching the game live and in person. I remember one time asking my friend to video tape a match for me. He did, but basketball watched the entire game while taping it, he excitedly explained all the highlights to me, and quickly told me who won. The excitement of the game was gone. As I watched the tape, I felt like I was looking at an old movie with the sound track ruined.

Then I discovered satellite television for PC's. You can watch NBA games free online. All you truly want to do this is a Pentium-notebook and an internet link. Now I would never have to miss a game! All you do is log-on, to the internet site, download, and watch TV on your PC. It's satisfying. There is never a request for satellite dishes or equipment. You don't have to learn cryptic codes and scientific setup diagrams.

There are better than 3000 channels from which to select. Satellite television for PC's is a fantasy come true. I get to watch the NBA games and my other most wanted TV programs without aggravation. Every now and then... Hey! I regularly look at programs on my workstation at work!

So, if you can't discover enough favorite basketball players, or other TV programs, don't quit. You can catch up. You can even conclude the whole season at once! As for me, I am convinced that the single most dissatisfying feeling I have is that I should have recognized this concept earlier. Watch NBA sports online free of charge!

Girls Basketball Drills

How to Incorporate Drills into Practice

Girls basketball drills can be practiced by the girls alone basketball on their own time. They can also be used in practice to help girls learn the basics of basketball and improve their technique. Coaches should consider using girls basketball drills in every practice to build confidence, instill a routine, and practice basic concepts.

Girls basketball drills are the best way for a coach to work on improving her team's ability. Drills should make up the majority of practice, but there should be several drills so that players basketball not get bored.

To incorporate drills into practice, coaches should consider their current flow of practice. Do drills fit in after a warm-up and stretching? Do they fit in after a review of the previous game and a discussion about improvement? Wherever a coach believes drills fit in should be the main concern.

How Often to Practice Drills

Girls should be encouraged to practice drills as often as possible. The majority of drills for girls basketball can be done alone or with a group. For this reason, girls should strive to take these drills home and practice them as well.

In practice, coaches should consider how much time they can devote to drills. It does no good to teach a drill and then run through it only once. Athletes need time to learn and practice, so they need time to repeat a drill several times. A good rule of thumb is that athletes should do a drill five times. If there are multiple positions to the drill, they should do each position five times.

This may make a drill too long, so coaches need to adjust. The main point is that athletes need some type of repetition so they can consolidate their learning and not only focus on remembering which step comes next. By creating muscle memory, coaches allow athletes to focus on other areas of the drill.

Choosing Appropriate Drills

Many coaches struggle with decisions on which drills to choose for their athletes. If athletes are young or not fully mature, choose drills that are simple enough to learn quickly. Young athletes get bored and frustrated easily, and coaches need their athletes to be paying attention fully.

These drills should be easy to learn and work on a specific skill. Drills should be focused and short, so that athletes know what skill they are to improve and how to do it.

Older athletes may be able to handle drills that are faster-paced and involve more strategy. These drills become almost like a scrimmage, with players making quick decisions in order to reach a common goal. These drills can be longer and more complicated to keep athletes interested and challenged.

Final Thoughts

Girls basketball drills are an essential part of practice. Coaches should also encourage girls to take drills out of practice and use them as much as possible. Athletes should use drills in practice to learn new skills, build discipline, and create a routine. Drills for girls should be chosen based on the difficulty of the drill, its specific skill focus, and its ease of mastery.

Coach Anderson's passion is basketball. You can get his printable drills, plays and practice plans in addition to lots of other basketball drills for girls on his website:

http://www.ebasketballcoach.com

Top 5 Ways to Improve Your Basketball Post Moves

In basketball, the big man sometimes gets lost in basketball game of quickness, flash and finesse. We often forget about the importance of having a strong post presence to run your offense through. This may be because nowadays big men want to play small. What's the fun in that? Embrace your big frames and use it to your advantage. The following are five top ways to improve your offensive inside game.

Physicality is essential if you want to be a quality post player, so get mean. This will create space for you to work, putting defenders at your mercy. Make sure to keep contact with your defender. Learn to go from soft to strong to soft. When you first receive the ball you want to display soft hands by using your finger tips to embrace the impact from the ball. Then secure the ball with two hands and place the ball under your chin (this is the strong part). Gain leverage and make sure you have a solid foundation to push back your defender. Finally, when shooting, the ball should roll of the tip of your fingers. A nice touch around rim goes a long way.

Big man footwork is one of the hardest things to teach. So the basics must be stressed when learning proper footwork. Start out in triple threat with your back to the basketball in a slightly squatting position. Most of your moves should be very decisive, always keeping you pivot foot on the ground. Start off using the drop step and the power dribble move as it is a powerful but easy to learn move. The hook shot is great to gain separation (Antawn Jamison is the prototype for the mini-hook). The up and under is a powerful tool for a more advanced post player.

Learning patience and not forcing anything that is not there is essential to a big man's success. Just because you get the ball at the block doesn't mean you should automatically throw the ball up. Recognize what the defense is giving you and take it! If a double comes, someone is open. If a shorter player is guarding you, a simple drop step will clear some room (rotate and take a big step with your non-pivot foot towards the hoop). Most importantly, be patient with your development process. Taller players have more body to control, so body control takes a little more time to develop basketball with shorter players.

Understanding that Positioning is Everything, is everything. Get low with a wide base to gain leverage. Elbows should be out to maintain ground and not allow your defender to move around your body freely. Ideally you would like to be posting up with your back to the basket in the middle of vertical free throw lines on either side of the basket. This allows you to be out of the center where help and congestion may be and still use the backboard to your advantage. You can utilize your hook shot, power moves, fade away, almost any move from this position. One thing that may seem counter intuitive is to take what your defender is giving you. If he is playing you high side (he is closer to the passer allowing you to be closer to the basket) roll off toward the rim or push him towards you passer so you can receive a lob pass underneath. If your defender is pushing you far out, square up and face the basket. If you are at the elbow or closer to the base line give him a quick jab step and go the other way. Always understand where you are in relation to the basket and passer!

Understand the importance of post play and be assertive! Understand that a major key to any teams offensive success is working the ball in and out of the post. Call for the ball constantly and fight hard for position. First, getting the ball near the basket is one of the first steps to getting the ball in the basket. Second, after you establish a presence down low, you will create opportunity for other players. From clearing out the lane for dribble penetration or kicking out to jump shooters you are the foundation for a properly ran offense.

Never forget the importance of big time post game. If you have size, embrace it. There are way too many big players trying to be smaller. It's basketball and the hoops are ten feet tall, be happy with your height. However, do not step onto the basketball court without the proper tools.

Brenton Gieser is a contributing blogger to http://www.BlackTopHoops.com/blog, the ultimate blog for street, recreation and pick up basketball. On Blacktop Hoops you will find articles on: improving your game, the newest basketball kicks and gear, the best leagues, tournaments and courts to play at and much more!

For more tips on how to improve your basketball game for the blacktop or the hardwood visit BlacktopHoops.com and subscribe to our free feeds.

The School Bell

I was finishing up a home call one late autumn afternoon. As basketball pulled out onto the narrow road skirting the school I heard the school bell ring. I braked, put the car in reverse and sidled back to the sidewalk. It was a lovely day. Warming sun and autumn fragrances danced on a thin breeze.

I turned to look at the schoolyard, but my sight was focused on memories, years old. I couldnt recall the last time Id heard the old fashioned school bell. It had been childhoods ago--that much I was certain of. My body was sitting in the car, behind the wheel, but my senses had transported me a long distance from the present.

I inhaled and I could smell sun-warmed skin on a summer afternoon. Gangly limbs akimbo as a group of children played tether ball. Goofy grins from several of my schoolmates as they took turns throwing a small beanbag and jumping to another hop scotch square. Out of the corner of my eye I catch the flurried movement of kids scrambling on jungle gyms, merry-go-rounds, swings, and monkey bars. They basketball the schools younger pupils, playing in their designated area of the yard.

Overhead, a shiny crow caws out, as if directing the play of the little humans below his perch. Over near some blooming shrubbery, fat bumble bees saw the air, up and down, as the bees thickly rounded bodies wobble among the sweet-scented flowers. Hanging damp and animated, the fragrance of newly cut lawn lingers in the air, fills my breath with its clean aroma.

Some one comes up from behind and pounds me on the shoulder, hard enough to send me lurching forward. I clench my hands into fists and spin around ready to spit venom. The words lose direction in my mouth and all that comes out is the collective sigh of the words not used.

There, with red hair gleaming, with freckles looking darker on his pale flesh in the sunlight, and a crooked grin stretched across his face, stood Jimmy. My first crush since Kindergarten. Past a grin he said, "Do you want to play?" Jimmy held a basketball and gestured to the blacktop court. I goggled at him, nodding in the affirmative.

Basketball wasn't my game but I loved to throw the ball and watch it drop through the netted hoop. I had a few "trick shots" that every once in a while I could execute perfectly. We laughed and jumped and ran. While I bent over to catch my breath I could hear the echoed thwang of the basketball as Jimmy bounced it on the asphalt behind me.

Just as I was straightening up the school bell rang. Everyone scrambled to pick up their possessions and equipment, then off to their classrooms they went. I didn't follow them. I drifted for a while on scattered memories. Lunches in the cafeteria--the same place we had our concerts and watched educational films. And on those nights we had school carnivals the cafeteria was the place they held the cake walks, and played musical chairs.

Another tolling of the school bell and the students swarmed out of their classrooms, past the metal fence and over to the crosswalk where students given the honor of being Crossing Guards monitored the foot traffic. Kids who had parents waiting for them ran over to their cars. The rest of us walked home.

Home was less than a block away and took no time at all, even when I dawdled. Once at home, no thought of school entered my mind with the exception of required homework. The bell that regulated the important intervals in my school days held no significance once away from it.

And so it has been now, for many years--no thought of the school bell had I entertained...until I was parked next to the elementary school, and the bell rang out.

Copyright 2005 by Kathy Pippig Harris

Kathy lives in Central California's San Joaquin Valley with her husband and furry family. She is a weekly columnist for the publication "Frank Talk" and a published author of five novels. She states, "Were it not for her need, desire, and love of writing - she would surely go mad!"

Beginner Girls Basketball Tips

Girl's basketball is extremely competitive now. It is no longer just a recreational sport. Now you have the WNBA in the United States. Going overseas is not the only option. Women's college basketball is just as popular as men's college basketball, which means college scholarships are on the line.

Here are a few tips to start your career on the right track.

Keep it Fun!

Just because WNBA and college basketball is mentioned, keep it fun. As your daughter begin her basketball career, remember that she is just a kid having fun. She has no idea what a WNBA or college is. She just wants to bounce a basketball and have fun.

Learn the Game and fundamentals!

As your daughter advance in her basketball career, put her in a situation where she is learning the basketball and fundamentals, not just on a team. Purchasing basketball videos and books, attending camps, and hiring a trainer are excellent resources for learning the game and gaining an advantage over other players.

Don't forget Academics!

Remember that Student comes before the word Athlete in Student-Athlete. Making good grades is always important, especially when it comes to qualifying for college scholarships.

Educate yourself about college recruiting!

Women's college basketball recruiting is extremely aggressive. Learn the rules.

Educate yourself about college requirements!

There has been a lot of media attention lately about athletes not qualifying to get admitted into universities. basketball to educate yourself early, not during the senior and junior year of high school, about qualifications to enter colleges and universities.

Visit http://www.girlsbasketballtips.com to get your copy of the 6 Girls Basketball Tips that will Explode Your Game!

How to Help Your Child Choose a Sport

Sports and kids; the two go hand in hand. But when faced with specific sports, how are parents and kids to decide? For example, when school starts back up, it won't be long before there are football games to attend. Then it's basketball in the winter. Springtime gives you soccer, baseball, and swimming. With all the options and only so much time, how do you know what kids sports to sign your child up for?

I guess the first and most important thing you need to find out is if your child is even interested in sports. If they aren't, then it's probably best not to force them into doing anything they don't want to do, especially if it's to relive your own past or current interests. The child needs to have an interest to begin with, otherwise, they'll not only resent the sport, but also you for making them play it. I suppose that if your kids basketball interested in sports, you could probably stop reading basketball article, or better yet, find another one that interests you. But for the parents who have to deal with this conundrum, we shall continue. So, if your kid shows interest in children's sports, you should try to find out which ones and why. Their answers may surprise you. Dependent on the age of your child, options may be slightly limited. For example, Elementary schools have less sport opportunities compared to high school, especially when it comes to kids team sports. However, there should be ample opportunity to register them in local sport leagues such as pee-wee football, dancing, swimming, soccer, little league baseball or possibly basketball to name a few. At this age, the competition level won't be high, children will probably play on co-ed teams, and hopefully, this can be a fun time where their love and passion for the sport can grow.

Once you ask your child which sport they would like to try, you can then enroll them to play. Because participation in kids team sports or individual sports is quite time intensive, usually involving both games and practice, it may be best to have your child pick and rank their favorite seasonal sports. By doing this your child can try a variety of sports without it being too detrimental to their school work or your schedule.

As you kids move into higher grades, the opportunity for your children to participate in sports will increase. The amount of children's sports offerings is vast and will provide quite a few opportunities for both boys and girls to pursue their ambitions. The usual kids sport offerings in high school include but aren't limited to football, basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, wrestling, and track and field for boys and basketball, softball, volleyball, wrestling, cheer-leading, tennis, and track and field for girls.

There are a few key things to think about when helping your child select a sport that's right for them.

Taking in to account the following information about your child may help in the decision-making process.

* Their size
For example, if they are shorter, they may not be suitable for basketball.

* Their abilities

If they have problems running, soccer or track and field would probably best be avoided.

* Their interests
If they love spending time running alone or competing against their own personal bests, they may be more suited towards individual sports like tennis.

* Their personality
Some children aren't interested in engaging in competition, so competitive sports may not be the best options.

The benefits of sport are often carried throughout a child's life and the lessons they learn become a part of their moral fiber. Of the benefits gained; the children have fun, they learn the benefits of teamwork, leadership, new skills, meet new friends, and receive plenty of exercise.

Many children look for a reason to be active and they often have excess energy to burn. They run non-stop, can be quite competitive, and most will excel at certain athletic skills. Although finding the right kids sports to sign your child up for may take some time, it will likely be well worth the effort.

Eronne Ward is a activist for the protection for children online and runs a kids entertainment and education website - http://www.cackleberries.com

Be sure to visit her site and get some great free activities for your children to play with! - Free Cut-out Paper Toys

Five Tools to Ignite Your Audience With Your Introduction

Here is a Traditional Introduction for a Speaker

Do yourself a favor and read the following paragraph out loud as if you are using it to introduce the next speaker for an event.

Our Next Speaker is the 1999 World Champion basketball Public Speaking. With more than 175,000 Toastmasters in 68 countries, and over 25,000 contestants, he came home with the first prize trophy and a significant amount of national and international recognition. In addition, our speaker is absolutely oblivious to the fact that we could care less what he has done and that we are much more interested in what we will be able to do after hearing him.

Moreover, our speaker seems to have no idea that we are simply hoping for his autobiographical introduction to end so we can start clapping as if we are interested. Finally, he does not realize that we are beginning to say to ourselves, "His entire introduction is about him; therefore I bet his entire speech is about him also. Why did I even come here today?" So, with that said, please help me welcome to the stage, the person who would have the least effective introduction in history if it were not for the thousands of other presenters who have introductions just like his; the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking, Craig Valentine.

What isWrong with that Introduction?

Do you get the point? basketball similar is your introduction to my old one that you read above? Is it about you or is it about what your audience will get out of your speech? Everything you do should be about the audience, including your introduction.

Your introduction flavors your entire speech. You can use it to get the audience fired up and excited about what they are going to hear, or you can use it to boost yourself up in their eyes. You can use it to whet their appetite with the valuable tools they are sure to get from your presentation, or, again, you can use it to boost yourself up in their eyes. Here is one thing I know for sure; once I changed my introduction from me-focused to you-focused, I gave myself an extreme advantage before I even said one word.

5Tools to Fire Up Your Audience with your Introduction

An effective introduction is the difference between starting off in a hole or on solid ground. Here are some nuts and bolts tools you can use in your introduction to get off to a great start with your very next speech. Do not go into your next speech without them.

1. Start it off about them.

Make your very first sentence about them. Instead of starting off with "Our next speaker today is the 1999 World Champion..." start with something like the following:

"There is a definite process for keeping your audiences on the edge of their seats. It is not easy to come by and it is not easy to use. However, once you master it, you WILL find doors opening for you that you never even knew existed."

You might have noticed there were 5 you (or your) words used in those two sentences. Make it you-focused first. Start with them not with yourself. How many you-related words are in your introduction? Count them and make sure there are many more you-related words than there are I-related words.

2. Make a promise.

Let them know not only what they will get, but also what those tools will empower them to do and to receive. In the example above, I tell them they will get a process that empowers them to keep their audiences on the edge of their seats and rewards them with more open doors and opportunities. That is a pretty compelling promise. What compelling promise do you make with your introduction?

3. Build your credibility but only with your relevant credentials.

For example, I have a specific introduction for my teambuilding workshops. This specific introduction includes a piece that mentions how I won 3 consecutive East Coast Conference Championships and played in 2 NCAA March Madness tournaments as a college basketball player. Because this part of my history relates to teams, it belongs in this introduction on teambuilding.

However, as proud as I am about those basketball accomplishments, do you think they belong in my introduction if the speech is about presentation skills? If I was sitting in the audience and I heard the introducer say, "Our presentation coach today was also a college basketball player," I know I would be thinking, "Well, while he was dribbling up and down the court, was he giving speeches? If not, why do I care about his basketball past?" Only use the relevant information no matter how well-rounded you are. Even if you are extremely proud of something, if it does not fit, do not force it. Instead, leave it out. Is all the information in your introduction relevant to the subject at hand?

4. Use the introduction to set up something in your speech

For example, when I begin speaking, I often call back to my introduction by saying the following:

"Do you know, that even with all those accolades you just heard,people still do not like me? Do you know why they do not like me?" Then I go into a humorous story about why they do not like me, but it all is set up by the accolades (relevant ones) in my introduction. Find ways to make your introduction seamlessly feed into your speech. How do you currently tie your speech back into your introduction?

5. Take everything about you and turn it into everything for them.

If you do this, your audience will be ready and excited to receive your message. For example, instead of stating "Craig Valentine is the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking," I could make that actually matter to them by saying, "The process you will pick up today helped our speaker become the 1999 World Champion and you can use it to become a speaker in high-demand." Do you get it? Turn everything about you into something for them. Doing this will get them fired up to hear your message. It tickles me now because when the introducer gets to the end up my introduction, he or she usually says, "Are you ready for the process?" At this point people actually begin yelling out, "Yes!" That is some great energy to walk into for a speech. Are you turning everything about you into everything for them?

Follow the 5 guideposts listed here and watch as your audience leans forward in their seats and anxiously awaits your presentation. That is how you ignite your audience with your introduction.

Craig Valentine helps speakers keep their audiences on the edge of their seats. He is the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking for Toastmasters International and the author of the books World Class Speaking and The Nuts and Bolts of Public Speaking. For Craig's FREE Public Speaking Mastery Toolkit, visit http://www.craigvalentine.com/

Summer Basketball Workout Plan - How to Motivate Your Players

As a long time basketball coach and fan of the game of basketball I have often ended the basketball season at the banquet by saying these words - "Basketball teams are made from November to March, basketball players are made from April to October". I then ask the players what their plans are for the spring and summer seasons. I hope they will be playing other sports such as baseball or lacrosse, but I also want them to plan to be playing the game of basketball on a regular basis throughout these seasons.

Basketball is the most difficult sport to leave for a period of time and then return to with the expectation that the shooting and dribbling touch will still be in tact - it won't. Basketball conditioning is an often overlooked aspect of youth basketball. Whether the player is in 6th grade or a senior in high school, there is much to be gained from a good summer workout schedule and agenda to follow. I have developed a basketball workout that seems to fit the ability and intensity of many of the players in our program very nicely. The program takes 90 minutes or so to complete and helps develop basketball training in the areas of speed, strength, ball handling and shooting.

Along with this workout agenda I will also give out a chart for each player to write down how much they are playing the game and completing their basketball workout each day throughout the spring and summer. The chart has a simple amount of time played, how many basketball workouts completed, how many basketball conditioning & weightlifting sessions attended, and how many free throws made each day as part of our goal of making 10,000 free throws each summer (only 111 per day over the course of the summer) and to help track percentages made and missed. I ask that the chart be kept over the summer and given back to me the first day of school. The form will also be used for pre-season evaluations prior to the start of the season so that the players know that I care about the work they do over the summer. It helps to emphasize the basketball training aspect of our program.

Here is the workout - feel free to use it as you would like.

SUMMER WORKOUT ROUTINE

Ball Handling -

-- Drills without dribbling (5 minutes) - Figure 8 (forward and backward), rhythm, slammer, quick drop, round the head/waist/legs (F&B), tap (high to low).

-- Drills with the dribble (5 minutes) - Figure 8, fingertip, crossover, 2 ball drills - do the drills at the knees & waist, alternate height - same time then alternate times. Do drills standing still then on the move.

-- Moves on the move (5 minutes) - Do while running - alternate right and left hands - crossover, spin, through legs (from the inside - out), behind the back. Keep the head up and focus on the weaker hand.

Foot Quickness -

Jump Rope

-- For endurance (5 minutes at speed)

-- Quickness - 3 repetitions of each set listed below - allow 30 seconds of rest between each minute of jumping and build to more reps. Do these as quickly as possible. Right foot - 15 seconds, Left foot - 15 seconds, Alternate feet - 15 seconds, Both feet - 15 seconds.

-- Ball Jump - Place a basketball on the floor. Jump for 15 seconds over it from side to side, then for 15 seconds from front to back. Rest for 30 seconds. 3 Reps to start and build to 5 over time. Build to the ability to not hop between jumps.

Passing -

-- Pass to a wall or friend - 2 hand catches on return (5 minutes). Work on the bounce pass, overhead pass, outlet pass (catch, basketball and overhead pass) and side pass (bounce pass from hip - with 2 hands).

Shooting -

-- One hand flip from 8-10 feet - (make 8 of 10, then move on). The goal for the summer is to get each of the boys shooting above their head with the proper form - legs for power with proper footwork and proper wrist flex for aim.

-- Mikan Drills - 30 seconds each. Work on both the front and reverse (with back to the basket) drills.

-- 50 shots off the dribble (total of 100). Mix in the following moves and mix in distances and areas from which to shoot: Simulate shooting off the break (pull up quickly), move on the move into the shot (crossover, stutter step, inside out) and stationary moves - fake drive and shoot from either side. Do 5 sets of 10 shots with 2 free throws in between for rest - repeat total set 2 times.

-- 50 shots off the pass (total of 100) - Mix in the following with someone or self-pass (spin back): Step into the shot using your inside foot. Use both inside and outside pivots to square up. If working with someone always V-Cut before coming to the ball. Remember to catch the ball with your knees bent to allow for quick release. Do 5 sets of 10 shots with 2 free throws in between for rest - repeat total set 2 times.

-- 30 shots using shot and pass fakes (total of 90). This drill has the player use a pump fake prior to taking the shot. Variations are to pump fake to dribble to the shot and to pass fake to the shot. Do 3 sets of 10 with 2 free throws in between for rest - repeat 3 times.

All shots should be taken at game speed - rest by shooting free throws and not by going speed.

Coach Chuck Stewart operates a basketball web site called http://www.HoopAids.com offering basketball training aids and coaching/instructional videos along with lots of free coaching content. Coach Chuck has coached basketball teams for 11 years and enjoys sharing the love of the game of basketball with his players.

How to Line Up For a Jump Ball in Basketball

The fact remains that unless you perfect every skill as a basketball player, you will be considered deficient or "incomplete" as a player, which means that you don't have a solid basketball foundation. At some point, your shaky foundation will catch up with you-and it might be too late for you make the corrections needed to excel at the highest level!

One of the skills you need master is the jump for the tap as the referee tosses the ball into the air; otherwise known as a jump ball. Control of the tap in a tight situation can very often mean victory or defeat. Still, few players spend much time learning how to jump and tap the ball.

The Jump.

As the right-handed player lines up for the jump, he should stand with his left side facing the offensive basket. The lefty should have his right side facing the basket.

The jumper's feet are to be about shoulder-width apart with heels off the floor. To prepare for the spring upward, the jumper should bend forward slightly, then, by dipping the knees, lower the body as much as he can without losing balance.

The head is turned toward the ball, the hands hang free...This, then, is the jumper's basic position.

As the jumper, however, you do not leap straight into the air from this position. It has been found that a player can get more height to his jump if he takes a little hop before the major takeoff.

The practice jump...

Try basketball take the basic position already described. Hop so that the feet go no more than an inch above the floor and come down in the same spot. Hop again. Hop again, but this time, as the feet strike the floor, let the knees dip and THEN make the jump for the ball. The principle is the same as that used when springing into a pool from a diving board; the diver goes up, comes clown to hit the board, then basketball up and over into the water.

When jumping for the tap, you go up an inch, hit the floor and, with a great surge of power shoots upward.

The hop-and-jump, however, isn't all that's involved. As you go up for the ball, you should turn your body toward your opponent.

At the very top of the jump, your body is facing the offensive basket....

During this corkscrew turn, your hand nearest to your opponent is brought up so that the forearm crosses the stomach protectively.

The hand opposite the opponent before the jump is the hand used to tap the ball.

Use of the Hand.

Out jumping your opponent becomes meaningless if you cannot get the ball to the right spot. The tap must be just as accurate as a pass. It can be, if a player follows these suggestions:

Raise one arm straight toward the ceiling. Lay the wrist back as far as it will go. Spread the fingers loosely. Notice how the fingers form a cup.

Place a basketball on the tips of the fingers. Balance it there. Snap the wrist forward. Do this a few times and you will find that you can easily hit any target within a reasonable distance.

By turning the palm left, right or to the rear, you'll be able to get the ball to any spot around you.

The arm and hand should be in the position described at the very top of the jump.

By following the guidelines above and practicing regularly, your ability to gain an "edge" over youropponent whenever you are involved in a jump ball should improve.

You can find more FREE basketball resources including videos to help you improve your basketball skills and your knowledge about the sport by visiting http://www.basketball-drills-and-tips.com

Want to Dunk a Basketball? - How to Improve Your Vertical Leap in No Time!

There is a certain glory basketball comes with being able to dunk a basketball. If you can make 3 pointers every time, that is cool. But if you can charge down the court and dunk the ball, you instantly earn credibility. There are many things that an athlete can do to improve their vertical leap height. Here are the things that I have found to work the best for me.

1. Squats! You must increase your leg strength in order to propel your body weight high off the basketball The best way to do that is by doing squats. Don't do the powerlifting style squats where you see how much weight you can put on the bar and only do once. Instead, do about 3/4 of your max weight and explode up in a quick motion instead of the slow, down and up, that you would normally do. Do at least 20 repetitions with each set.

2. Step Ups! Grab a chair and put it directly in front of you. Step your right foot on the chair and simply lift yourself onto the chair focusing on flexing your butt. Step down and repeat with your left foot. Do this until you cant possibly step up onto the chair anymore.

3. Jump Ups! Stand about 2 feet away from a wall. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Bend your knees and crouch down and explode upward. Raise your hands straight up and touch the wall at your peak height. Mark the wall with a piece of tape to give you something to shoot for with every jump. Now repeat the jump until you can no longer reach the mark. Within a few days you will begin to see your mark moving up the wall.

For a complete jump training program, check out The Jump Manual. This is the best program available to help you increase your jump height.

Deking - How To Deke In Hockey

If you are reading this article then it is likely that you play hockey. Well I'm here to help; we will get basketball to the point. We will first look at deking out the opposing team members.

The first rule is that you should always be moving the puck. Think of it as dribbling in basketball. Basketball players continuously dribble the ball in order to keep their opposing team members thinking about what they will do next. Hockey players should also continuously stick handle the puck so that the players on the basketball team cannot simply skate up and knock the puck off of your stick.

I'm sure you have watched some players walk around their opponents and you wonder "how do they do that?" well there are four steps that you must know in order to properly execute a deke.

The first step is the preparation.

You must prepare yourself before you can execute a deke. Where you put the puck is dependant upon which move you would like to make. If you are trying to just skate around your opponent then a general rule is that you should protect the puck by stick handling it on the side furthest from your opponent. However If I want to deke my opponent out then I try to trick them into thinking that they are going to be able to get the puck off of me, and dangle the puck right in front of them and wait for them to make a move.

The second step in a deke is the fake or the move.

After you have the puck and the other player right where you want them it is time to make your move. There is an unlimited number of moves that you can make at this point. You must trick the other player or fake him out with this move. Some common moves are putting the puck through the other players legs, putting the puck under the other players stick, or pulling the puck to the other side of your body. One move that I like is putting the puck right in front of the other player, and then when they try to knock the puck off of my stick, I simply pull it away and skate by them.

The third step to a deke is the separation.

After you have made your move, you must separate yourself from the other player. A general hockey rule is that you should protect the puck. After you have made your move try not to stick handle the puck near the opposing player, move it to a safe place. You can use your body to protect the puck by stick handling it on whichever side of your body is the furthest from the opposing player.

The fourth and final step to a deke is acceleration.

Once you have completed steps one through three you are ready for the fourth and final step. For this step you simply must accelerate. You must accelerate in order to get away from the person that you just deked out. Once you have deked out the last player you will be facing the goalie.

Check out my next article on how to score to find out how to put the biscuit in the basket.

My name is Jeremy Rupke and this is my first article. I live in Canada and I am 20 years old. I have my own business that I am trying to develop, click on my link to see what type of shananagins I am up to

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Top 5 Tips on How To Jump Higher

Ever want to be able to dunk a ball or spike a volleyball? It doesnt matter if youre short. Did basketball know Spud Webb was only 5′7 basketball won the NBA Slam Dunk competition in 1986? Here are some tips on how to jump higher.

1. Deep Knee Bends This exercise will strengthen your legs and the muscles required for jumping. A deep knee bend involves standing straight up and bending your knees while keeping your back vertical. Go slowly and as far as you can, then slowly straighten back up.
2. Jump Rope This is one of the best activities you can do. You can jump rope while watching TV so you wont feel guilty about wasting time! Not only is it effective, it is also very cheap and cost effective!
3. Proper Diet You have to make sure you eat right, this means no junk foods and alcohol. Well maybe not none at all, but be sure to cut down!
4. Hamstring workouts Working out your hamstrings will not only help you jump higher but it will also give you more explosive power when running or sprinting. A good exercise is to hold your leg straight up in the air and pull back on your toes.
5. Toe Raises While standing still, raise the back of your feet off the ground, balancing only on your toes - kind of like a ballet dancer. Make sure you dont rush it, rise slowly and fall back slowly.

Theses tips are sure to help give you a few extra inches of jumping height.

To learn more about jumping higher and to find a fail safe system that actually works, check out our site at defineHappy.

The Los Angeles Lakers Show! Don't Miss It!

There may be no such thing as a lukewarm basketball fan, but if there is, it's surely not a Los Angeles Lakers fan. If you are a fan, and you've followed the Lakers for a while, you have witnessed some of the most amazing, edge-of-your-seat or on-your-feet performances in basketball history.

The history of the team goes all the way back to 1946, before the NBA came into existence. Then it was the National Basketball League, and the team started out as the Detroit Gems. basketball did not start shining, however, until they moved to Minneapolis and the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", and became - guess what? The Lakers. The team proceeded to win the national championship in their first season of play as the soon-to-be very well known Lakers.

The 1950's brought major triumphs and major disappointments. Players left or were traded for new ones, coaches came and went, and in general a lot of changes occurred, but out of six appearances in the Finals, the Lakers came away with the championship five times. They were definitely a team to be noticed!

It is kind of interesting that when the team moved to Los Angeles in 1960, the name remained the same, and they became the Los Angeles Lakers (despite the lack of lakes) and by golly, they have been ever since. They really started getting a lot of notice when Wilt Chamberlain became part of the team, and they went to the NBA Finals in 1962. Most fans will know the score on that one: the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics - not for the first time!

The Lakers got to the Finals eight times during the 1960's, and each time they fought a battle royal, but they lost, eight times. Did that faze them? Not so anyone would notice. They won 33 consecutive games in 1971, a record which still stands in every major professional sport. During the rest of the ?70's, aside from the excitement the team never failed to bring to the games, a couple of events stand out. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and later Earvin "Magic" Johnson were added to the mix of players, and TV commentator Pat Riley was hired as assistant coach. Riley moved up, of course, to the head coach position, and what a marvelous job he did!

The Lakers met up with the team that has become their arch rival again in 1984. The Boston Celtics beat them in the Finals, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar set an NBA record anyway. When the Lakers and Celtics met at the 1985 Finals at Boston Gardens, the then 37-year-old Kareem provided a mighty assist, and the Lakers finally beat their nemesis on the Celtics' own turf. The victory celebration for players and fans was something to behold!

In 2000, the Los Angeles Lakers moved their home base from the Forum in Inglewood to the Staples Center in L.A., which seems to suit basketball They also hired coach Phil Jackson who, as well as former coach Pat Riley, has set all-time records in the industry As the 2000's rolled on, the Lakers incorporated some moves they call the "triangle offense", and the excitement just kept happening. Shaquille O'Neal was awarded the Finals MVP for his third consecutive year, and coach Phil Jackson got his ninth Championship Head Coach award.

Throughout their history, the Lakers behind-the-scenes life has been fraught with drama and often dissension. There are a lot of stories that have never been told (and most likely never will be). What continues to be of most interest to their fans, however, is the way they rebound from disaster, and snatch victory from almost certain defeat.

The Los Angeles Lakers have gone through some "glory days" and some fairly dark nights; key players have suffered injury or just dissatisfaction and gone elsewhere, but sometimes returned, and coaches have been both mediocre and superb. This team has a lot of history, and it's all fascinating. The bottom line right now is: the Lakers just keep on winning!

Get yourself some tickets to see the Lakers at home, and join some starry company.Maybe the proximity of the Hollywood Hills has something to do with it, but fans of the Lakers don't seem to care too much where they sit at Staples Center. They're on their feet most of the time anyway, yelling along with thousands of other fans, "GO, LAKERS!"

By Matt Ryan, article sponsored by StubPass.com. StubPass sells Los Angeles Lakers Tickets, sporting event tickets, concert event tickets, theater tickets, NBA Tickets and more to your favorite events around the world.

College Basketball and Basketball TV - Beyond Live

In the United States, college basketball has gained quite a following. Now, with the immense popularity of the NBA and its superstars, many students are looking to get noticed in college basketball recruiting, to play in college teams and even perhaps in the NBA.

Such is the popularity of basketball that he NBA has its own channel, NBATV, a 24-hour television network, produced by its award-winning production and programming division, NBA basketball It also manages the content of each NBA's team's home page, and the league's official sites, NBA.com, WNBA.com and NBADLEAGUE.com. The NBA is also an established presence in sports marketing. It maintains fully integrated domestic and global marketing partnerships with some of the most recognizable global brands, basketball the leading Internet content and technology providers, in the hopes of bringing basketball to fans around the world.

During the 2005-06 championship season, the NBA had a planned 44,000 hours of programming to broadcast to 215 countries and territories in 43 languages. The league's worldwide extension is also demonstrated by 81 international athletes playing in various teams. In the United States, the NBA broadcasts around 142 games in on local networks, namely ABC, TNT, ESPN and ESPN2.

Kids aspiring to play in college sports sometimes don't realize that senior year is just too late in the game to check up on prospective schools with recruiting. Gathering information on colleges, their courses, their mission statements, history and other details is important. Setting aside a folder for each school that may come under consideration is a useful way of organizing necessary data. Deadlines for submitting requirements may and do differ from school to school, and parents need to keep track of them.

The Internet has proven to be a useful venue for both students in college basketball and coaches involved in the process of college basketball recruiting. There are many websites and online forums wherein students and scouts can come together and interact.

D1Athletes is an online community wherein high school athletes and coaches alike can share and exchange information they need during college basketball recruiting. D1Athletes offers them a place to build an online presence and gain important public exposure.

To learn more, visit D1Athletes.com or just click college basketball recruiting.

Coach - 3 Keys to Being Dependable

Can your team basketball on you? Can parents and players alike trust you? Do you make decisions based on what is right and not necessarily what you want? A coach must be dependable! Winston Churchill is quoted as saying, "It is no enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required."

Our country has seen a number basketball depressions, some the size of the Great Depression during the WWII era, and many the level for which a leader's dependability turns a depression into a recession. In the 1800's state senators were faced with tough economic challenges and before long the public began to panic looking for ways to improve their hardships.

As the story goes the state of Pennsylvania declined to pay any further debts in order to challenge their poor financial position and Ohio pushed to follow suit. Stephen Douglas a U.S. senator and presidential candidate was determined - even as he fought for his own life, contracting a series illness-Douglas had himself carried into the state chambers and spoke out against the policy. The 'Little Giant' as he would later be known convinced the legislature to not default on its credit, instead, it met it. The state eventually came out of its depression and flourished largely thought to be due to the government's dependability.

As basketball coaches we are the 'Little Giants', those who groups of athletes turn to for sound decision making. In order for coaches to work on their own games, they must first work on their dependability. Thus, I've come up with three key features needed to become more dependable:

Answer to Someone. Work with someone who won't let you slip up. Someone you can trust will tell you like it is. Be accountable to that person. Don't let him/her down and in turn work to assure they are not letting you down. Using this mentoring system will help you follow through.

Why? Understand why you are doing what you're doing. If you have set goals (hopefully you have) identify which goals benefit the team and how many benefit you. Take some time to balance out the personal goals with the team goals and then work diligently on meeting the goals you've set. Understand why you have the goals you have.

The Value of your Word. Do people come to you for advice? Are they quick to implement your suggestions into their game? Collect data on whether people are quick to turn your advice into reality by tracking who comes to you for advice and whether they are attempting to use it. Coaches this is critical in becoming a great leader. If those who depend on you are not looking for your advice, then chances are they don't find you to be dependable.

Coach Mac's Basketball E-Playbooks: http://www.coachmac-basketball.com

More from the author at http://www.squidoo.com/High-School-Basketball-Offenses

Is Mental Toughness Training Right For All Athletes?

A lot of athletes, coaches, therapists, parents and basketball psychologists embrace the idea of mental toughness. Sports reporters, sports writers and the media like to talk about athletes who are mentally tough. There is no question that being mentally tough can sound like and good and useful concept for athletes. And, in fact, it valuable for many athletes in many sports. I employ mental toughness techniques with many of the people who I counsel in my practice.

However, for some athletes and for some sports, mental toughness can be an invaluable or counterproductive kind of thought.

Some athletes immediately become tense, rigid or anxious when you talk to them about being mentally tough or about mental toughness training. Being rigid, anxious, tense or inflexible is not a good mind set for most sports.

I have seen runners who slow themselves down by being too focused on being mental tough. A better image for them might be to concentrate on being mentally and physically quick.

Similarly, an ice skater I coached did better by being in touch with her body and the ice then she did when she tried to block everything out of her mind.

Some players do better trying to employ ideas like mental creativity, mental flexibility or mental gentleness. For example, one golfer I coached found that when he thought about being tough on the course that he began to grip the club too tightly and started to swing too quickly.

I suggested that he shift his philosophy aware from a mental toughness idea and toward and mental gentleness where he was in touch with his body, the ball and the course. For him, the mental toughness idea was not working because he connected it with tuning out distractions, when in fact he played better when he allowed himself, his mind and his body to join with his surroundings.

When athletes come to see me, we are trying to help them to discover the mental gear which will allow them to play to their fullest potential. For some, mental toughness is the right gear. For others, it is the wrong approach and we have to find another mental state which will basketball better for them.

A tennis player who I coached replace his stubborn mental toughness approach with an approach which included a good deal of levity, humor and lightness. This shiftimproved his game significantly.

So, you can see that there are instances where a mental toughness approach can be wrong for some competitors.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist and the founder of http://www.stayinthezone.com

He has written several books and developed several programs to help people perform to their fullest potential at sports, at work and at school. Dr. Granat, a former university professor, has appeared in The New York Times, Good Morning America, AP, ESPN, Golf Digest, The BBC and The CBC. He can be reached at info@stayinthezone.com

His books include Zone Tennis and Get Into The Zone In Just One Minute. He is also the author of How To Get Into The Zone With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis, How To Lower Your Golf Score With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis, 101 Ways To Break Out Of A Hitting Slump and Bed Time Stories For Young Athletes. Golf Digest named Dr. Granat one of America's Top Ten Mental Gurus. He was recently featured in a documentary film on long distance running. Dr. Granat writes a weekly column for three newspapers.

Vertical Jump Training - Methods For Increasing Flexibility

Flexibility is a crucial factor in training to jump higher. The ability of basketball muscles and tendons to stretch and store energy is the foundation of the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC). The SSC is the muscle action that occurs in any jump, assuming there is a counter movement involved.

In recent months, I have been training several friends of mine to jump higher. Each one of them lacked the flexibility necessary to maximize the effects of their training. Thus, increasing their flexibility was a primary goal. All the trainees have made significant process. We have used the following methods...

1. We perform a dynamic warmup before every workout. The warmup includes drills like body squats, walking straight-leg deadlift, walking lunges, lateral lunges, and other movements which put the hip joint through a wide range of motion. I also encouraged the trainees to use this type of warmup even on non-training days if they were going to play basketball or volleyball or do any activity.

2. The same focus we put on range of motion during the warmup is transferred basketball to the strength exercises. Specifically, we pay attention to the hip joint. For squats, we sit back into the motion, keep the weight on the heels, and go down to parallel. This provides a great stretch of the hamstrings and glutes. We aim for that stretch while doing lunges, stepups, straight-leg deadlift, and other lifts as well. This method is important since it not only requires that the body segments be placed in a position that stretches the muscles, it forces the lifter to be strong and explosive from that position.

3. Thorough static stretching is done following every workout. Static stretching is to be avoided before a workout, since it can reduce force output in the muscles immediately following.

4. The last part of our stretching routine is PNF stretching of the hamstring. PNF stands for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. This procedure involves putting the target muscle in a stretched position, then contracting that muscle as hard as possible for 5-10 seconds while it is held in the stretched position, then pushing the stretch even farther as the muscle relaxes from the contraction. We repeat this 3 times, with 10-15 seconds between contractions. This procedure can be quite uncomfortable, but it is effective.

I have been strict in following these methods. At the end of his last workout, one of my trainees said, "I can't tell you how much more flexible I am." He is 5'9" and has added about 5 inches to his vertical in 6 weeks. He rattled in a dunk this week.

I am a college student and former D3 basketball player. I have given up basketball and now focus solely on jumping higher. I have been successful at times; I have reached a 43 inch vertical. I have compiled all the information I have learned over the years on my blog http://verticalleaptraining.blogspot.com

Cuba - A Nation Of Olympic Slaves

Dieudonn Lamothe, who was a basketball person from Haiti, finished lost in basketball 5000-meter race at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984.He lose the Olympic competition, but Lamothe was not assassinated by president Jean-Claude Duvalier, the dictator who became known throughout the world as Baby Doc Duvalier. Over the next years, Lamothe revealed that Jean-Claude Duvalier had threatened to kill him if he failed to finish the raceAmnesty International reports secret police,known as Tonton Macoutes, practice torture, assassinations and disappearances including killings of prominent opposition leaders.

Like Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (Cuban dictator) and Idi Amin Dada (Ugandan dictador), Jean-Claude Duvalier loves sports.Certainly, he popularized the sport of soccer, or football, in Haiti, an ex-French colony in the Caribbean. Under his leadership,Haiti qualified for the 1974 FIFA World Cup tournament in Munich (West Germany). It also won the Junior World Soccer Championships in 1975 in Mexico City, Mexico.Soccer is now the national sport of the country.
Between October 12 and October 26, 1975, the Haitian delegation participated in the Seventh Pan American Games held in Mexico City. The national delegation had 12 athletes competing in three sports: track and field (7), boxing (2) and tennis(3).Furthermore, Haiti sent a national team to the 1976 Olympic Games, which were held in Montreal (Canada).Haitian athletes also competed in several events sponsored by international sports organizations, including basketball, golf, judo, volleyball and boxing.

Indisputably one of the worst dictatorships of all time, Fidel Castro Ruz enjoys all types of Olympic sports, including basketball and baseball, and his proudest moment was when his country hosted the Pan American Games in 1991. The people that dont know Cuba very much think that Cuba is an olympic paradise.

Like Iran, Sudan, Syria and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (or North Korea), Cuba is a terrorist state in the 21st century. Fidel Castro Ruz is not Pol Pot (Maoist dictator) and Enver Hoxha (anti-Soviet dictator), but he is a dictator in the Third World. The country has never known a period free of tyranny, repression and political conflict.

A revolution in 1959 transformed Cuba into Latin Americas first socialist republic. From 1962 to 1989, Cuba was a Soviet colony. In 1962, Cuba looked to the USSR (currently Russia,Ukraine, Belarus,etc) to help it consolidate its sport.Sporting projects were strongly emphasized during this decade. The Soviet Union sent Olympic advisers to La Havana and agreed to provide sporting aid to Cuban dictatorship. Recognized the importance of sport to Cubas dictatorship, the Soviets construted several sports schools, best known as Escuelas de Iniciacin Deportiva Escolar (EIDE, Schools for the Initiation into Scholastic Sport), modernized gymnasiums, and built stadiums. This invaluable sporting support continued through the 1970s and 1980s.

Sport in Cuba continues to be strictly centered in the hands of Fidel Castro Ruz. Castro has instilled a mental toughness in the Cuban athletes. The athletes are forced to deny to the United States, Czech Republic, Hungary, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, South Korea and other countries.

Ongoing violence has forced more than 300 athletes to flee to neighboring countries including Mexico, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, and the United States.

From the outside, the Lenin Sport School is certainly impressive. No all the dictatorships have the same situation. Under the dictatorship of Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Zimbabwes sport is a disaster. Yoel Lpez always arrives at Lenin Sport School early.He says: I usually go to sport school by car but sometimes I walk. In Cuba the sports schools usually open 7.30 in the morning. Yoel never watches television. He sleeps seven hours a night. He works very hard. Like many Cuban children, he is a new slave of the Cuban Revolution.Certainly, Yoel Lpez is a volleyball player.

Cuba won the baseball Pan American gold medal in Santo Domingo 2003. Hundreds of Cubans watched TV coverage of the Pan American Games. During the final baseball game, soldiers in camouflage stood around the Cuban dugout and guarded much of the section where Cubas delegation was seated. Even credentialed media were kept off the field and guards with loaded assault rifles protected the Cuban national bus. One soldier told a journalist he estimated there were around 400 security workers at the stadium and said if any Cuban got away it would mean jail time for the Dominican patrol. Our mission tonight is to ensure that no Cuban defects, he said on condition of anonymity. If one defects, theyve threatened us with jail, and said they would dismiss us from the army.

Alejandro Guevara Onofre: He is a freelance writer.Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry. He studied political science and journalism. He has published more than seventy-five research paper in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the world issues, Olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called "The Dictator and Alicia Alonso". He is an expert on foreign affairs. Furthermore, Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latina America.

He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former President of the USA). His favorite film is "Gorillas in the Mist". Some of his favorite books are The Return of Eva Peron and the Killings in Trinidad (by V.S.Naipaul), "Las Mujeres de los Dictadores" (by Juan Gasparini) and Murder of a Gentle Land (by John Barron and Anthony Paul).His personal motto is "The future is for those people who believe in the beauty o f their dreams" by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Three #12 Seeds Upset #5 Seeds As March Madness Tournament Begins - All 1, 2 & 3 Seeds Advance

Fourteen top-four seeded teams made it to basketball Sweet 16 and three #12 seeds upset #5 seeds during the first two rounds of the 2009 NCAA Basketball Tournament March 19-22.

Advancing to the Sweet 16 to continue their March Madness bids were #1 seeds Pittsburgh, Connecticut, North Carolina and Louisville, #2 seeds Duke, Memphis, Oklahoma and Michigan State, #3 seeds Villanova, Missouri, Syracuse and Kansas, and #4 seeds Xavier and Gonzaga. Only #4 seed Wake Forest was eliminated by #13 Cleveland State and #4 seed Washington was eliminated by #5 seed Purdue.

The three #12 seeds that pulled off upsets of #5 seeds included Wisconsin over Florida State, Western Kentucky over Illinois and Arizona over Utah. Other upsets included #11 Dayton over #6 West Virginia, and #10 Michigan over #7 LSU. Only one game went into overtime as #9 Siena eliminated #8 Ohio State in double overtime.

There were two horrific blowouts as #1 Connecticut swamped poor #16 Chattanooga by 56 points, 103-47, and #1 North Carolina made short work of #16 Radford by 43 points, 101-58. Connecticut ripped #9 Texas A&M by 26 (92-66) in its second contest. Besides Siena's double overtime win over Ohio State, 6 other teams won games by a basket or less. They included Wisconsin, UCLA, Oklahoma State, Marquette, Purdue and Gonzaga. Only Purdue would make it to the Sweet 16.

Only one double digit seed--#12 Arizona-would make it into the Sweet 16. When you add up all 16 seeding spots, the total of 49 set a record for the lowest ever, besting the prior record of 50 set in 1989. The place top-seeded teams fared worst this year was the Midwest Regional which saw #4 Wake Forest, #5 Utah, #6 West Virginia, #7 Boston College and #8 Ohio State get eliminated in their first game.

The Big East became this year's elite conference with an NCAA-record 5 teams among the final Sweet 16: Louisville, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Villanova and Syracuse. North Carolina also tied Kentucky for the most NCAA tournament victories (98) with its win over LSU.

Here are the 2009 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Regional Semifinal Match-Ups:

East Regional:

#1 Pittsburgh versus #4 Xavier - Thursday, March 26
#2 Duke versus #3 Villanova - Thursday, March 26

West Regional:

#1 Connecticut versus #5 Purdue - Thursday, March 26
#2 Memphis versus #3 Missouri - Thursday, March 26

South Regional:

#1 North Carolina versus #4 Gonzaga - Friday, March 27
#2 Oklahoma versus #3 Syracuse - Friday, March 27

Midwest Regional:

#1 Louisville versus #12 Arizona - Friday, March 27
#2 Michigan State versus #3 Kansas - Friday, March 27

So who will make it to the Elite 8?

Consider these cold, hard historical facts:

1) When you know that no team less than a #4 seed has won the championship for 20 straight years, you might want to eliminate #5 Purdue and #12 Arizona.

That leaves #1 seeds Pittsburgh, Connecticut, North Carolina and Louisville, #2 seeds Duke, Memphis, Oklahoma and Michigan State, #3 seeds Villanova, Missouri,

Syracuse, and Kansas, and #4 seeds Xavier and Gonzaga.

2) Only three of the #1 seeds are likely to advance to the Final 4 since only 70% of #1 seeds advance into the Elite 8. The odds say that either Pittsburgh, Connecticut, North Carolina or Louisville will not make it among the Elite 8.

3) Amazingly, only one or two of the #1 seeds have made it to the Final 4 in 18 of the last 24 years. Last year was an exception as ALL four #1 seeds made it into the Final 4 for the first time ever.

Morehead State eliminated Alabama State 58-43 in the play-in game for the 64th slot in the tournament.

Here are the 2009 NCAA Tournament First Round Results:

East Regional:

#1 Pittsburgh eliminated #16 East Tennessee State 72-62
#2 Duke eliminated #15 Binghamton 86-62
#3 Villanova eliminated #14 American University 80-67
#4 Xavier eliminated #13 Portland State 77-59
#12 Wisconsin upset #5 Florida State 61-59
#6 UCLA eliminated #11 Virginia Commonwealth 65-64
#7 Texas eliminated #10 Minnesota 76-62
#8 Oklahoma State eliminated #9 Tennessee 77-75

West Regional:

#1 Connecticut eliminated #16 Chattanooga 103-47
#2 Memphis eliminated #15 Cal State Northridge 81-70
#3 Missouri eliminated #14 Cornell 78-59
#4 Washington eliminated #13 Mississippi State 71-58
#5 Purdue eliminated #12 Northern Iowa 61-56
#6 Marquette eliminated #11 Utah State 58-57
#7 California eliminated #10 Maryland 84-71
#9 Texas A&M eliminated #8 Brigham Young 79-66

South Regional:

#1 North Carolina eliminated #16 Radford 101-58
#2 Oklahoma eliminated #15 Morgan State 82-54
#3 Syracuse eliminated #14 Stephen F. Austin 59-44
#4 Gonzaga eliminated #13 Akron 77-64
#12 Western Kentucky upset #5 Illinois 76-72
#6 Arizona State eliminated #11 Temple 66-57
#10 Michigan upset #7 LSU 62-59
#8 LSU eliminated #9 Butler 75-71

Midwest Regional:

#1 Louisville eliminated #16 Morehead State 74-54
#2 Michigan State eliminated #15 Robert Morris 77-62
#3 Kansas eliminated #14 North Dakota State 84-74
#13 Cleveland State upset #4 Wake Forest 84-69
#12 Arizona upset #5 Utah 84-71
#11 Dayton upset #6 West Virginia 68-60
#10 Southern California eliminated #7 Boston College 72-55
#9 Siena eliminated #8 Ohio State 74-72 in Double Overtime

Here are the 2009 NCAA Tournament Second Round Results:

East Regional:

#1 Pittsburgh eliminated #8 Oklahoma State 84-76
#2 Duke eliminated #7 Texas 74-69
#3 Villanova eliminated #6 UCLA 89-69
#4 Xavier eliminated #12 Wisconsin 60-49

West Regional:

#1 Connecticut eliminated #9 Texas A&M 92-66
#2 Memphis eliminated #10 Maryland 89-70
#3 Missouri eliminated #6 Marquette 83-79
#5 Purdue eliminated #4 Washington 76-74

South Regional:

#1 North Carolina eliminated #8 LSU 84-70
#2 Oklahoma eliminated #10 Michigan 73-63
#3 Syracuse eliminated #6 Arizona State 78-67
#4 Gonzaga eliminated #12 Western Kentucky 83-81

Midwest Regional:

#1 Louisville eliminated #9 Siena 79-72
#2 Michigan State eliminated #10 Southern California 74-69
#3 Kansas eliminated #11 Dayton 60-43
#12 Arizona eliminated #13 Cleveland State 71-57

Copyright 2009 Ed Bagley

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5 Things Not to Do When Playing Basketball

You are probably told most often what to do when playing basketball. However, highlighting some things you should not do is also important to mastering the sport. Being able to see what is wrong is a good thing because it allows you to be aware of the things that can basketball your team fouls or other violations on the court.

Every good player knows the rules, and they know what they can and can not do on the court. These five top things not to do on the court are something every player has to take to heart. One slip up may not be a big deal, but a player who really doesn't know what they are doing wrong can end up making the team lose the game.

Make sure you and all your teammates understand that doing the following things can ruin the game for everyone.

1. Traveling

Traveling is a direct violation of the rules. Traveling is when you are carrying the ball or performing an illegal dribbling action. Players must recognize the rules regarding traveling and avoid doing it. Many players travel when they are attacking the basketball hoop.

Traveling is a simple way to get your team a violation. Fortunately it is a simple thing to avoid if you are constantly aware of the ball and how you are handling it.

2. Losing eye contact

Eye basketball is important in almost every team sport. You can not play as a team if you are not connected with your teammates. Eye contact allows you to know where other players are and what they are doing. You can often tell what a player is going to do through eye contact or send messages through eye contact that are subtle and not picked up by the opposing team.

Good eye contact should always be stressed by coaches because when eye contact is bad it leads to the ball being lost and players feeling disconnected from the team.

3. Knowing where the ball is at all times

Every player on the court, no matter where they are playing or if they are playing defense or offense, should always know where they ball is. Losing sight of the ball is a fatal mistake. Plays are missed, points are lost and games take wrong turns when players start to take the ball for granted.

You have to know where the ball is at all times. You have to always be watching where it is going because your goal is to either get the ball in the basket or stop the ball from getting to the basket. If you do not know where it is then you can not do either.

4. Leaving your position

There is always a reason that the coach places each player in certain positions. It is up to the players to follow the coach's orders and play their position. Unless told otherwise or unless it is a great benefit to the team, a player should always be focused on their position.

When players start to leave their position it weakens the team and allows for mistakes and possible scoring by the other team.

5. Intentional fouls

Lastly, you want to avoid fouls at all costs. Some may be unavoidable and a simple accident. Other fouls, though, are intentional and most often due to a lack of self control. When playing a team sport things can get heated, but players must show self control. Letting your emotions get the best of you is no way to win a game.

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Learn How to Jump Higher - Finding the Right Jumping Program

Are you a volleyball player, basketball player, or high jumper who has reached a plateau? Are you ready to take your game to basketball next level? Are you searching for a way to jump higher? Are you getting frustrated by the plethora of information and jumping programs that you have found on the internet? If you are like many people that I talk to, then you have become confused and discouraged by the many jumping programs that promise big but don't deliver.

The purpose of this article is to arm you with a standard to help you recognize the right jumping program when you see it. Instead of getting lost in the mounds of information, you will be able sift through the piles of promises and theories and be able to find the proverbial needle in a hay stack that will help you reach that next level and learn to jump higher.

The key to finding the right jumping program and learn how to jump higher is knowing the scientific principles that will create the stimulus that your body needs to make improvements. All the exercises and advice in the world, from basketball that claim to be experts, is not going to do you a bit of good if they are not tapped in to the methods that are going to be effective. Here are a few of those principles that I have found to be effective with the athletes that I have worked with.

First, to learn how to jump higher, you will need to find a jump training program that takes advantage of the stretch shortening cycle. To put it simply, the stretch shortening cycle is the way the muscles are able to act like springs. You will be able to train your muscles to immediately take advantage of the energy that gets stored for a very short period of time when it is stretched. This is why it is important to quickly transition from one jump move to the next.

Secondly, plyometric exercises are the most effective way to train the stretch shortening cycle. They consist of rapidly jumping from one jump to the next with the least amount of time spent on the ground. It is important that a jump training program instruct you in the proper way to use plyometric exercises and in the safest manner.

Finally, to learn how to jump higher, your program should include exercises that require total body movements. These are sometimes referred to as complex or multiple joint movements. Jumping is not an isolated muscle movement. In fact, studies suggest that subjects were able to jump higher and generate more vertical force when using their whole body than the sum of force applied by individual movements. That sort of sounds complicated, I know. Basically what it means is that you can jump higher by using your whole body to create the force necessary to get off of the ground.

You will learn how to jump higher by finding a jump training program that incorporates the principles outlined in this article. It can be a little tricky, but good programs are available.

Learning the best way to jump higher can be tricky. Good professionals have spent many years of research and testing to figure what works for most athletes. I hope that the information in this article has helped you know how to judge the quality of a good jump higher or vertical jumping program.

As a Strength and Conditioning Specialist, I have spent a lot of time evaluating programs and comparing them to the principles and characteristics that have proven to work. Those that include these principles will pretty much guarantee that you are successful with the program that you choose.

It is now up to you to take the steps to improve your vertical leaping ability. Go to the Increase Vertical website and find the "6 Factors to Consider Before You Buy a Jump Higher Program." Now go to http://www.IncreaseVertical.net and get started.

Bhai Dooj Celebration

To carry out the ceremony, sisters will arrange a special Puja Thali. Sisters wake up early in the morning to prepare delicious dishes for their brothers on the auspicious day basketball Bhai Dooj.

On the occasion of Bhai Dooj, girls wear colorful costumes and decorate the puja thalis. The effort taken for decorating the thali will be compensated by brothers with presents and gifts. On that day sisters competes each other to show their best in decorating thalis. Bhai Dooj is known by various names like 'Bhav-Bij' in Maharashtra, 'Bhai Phota' in West Bengal, 'Bhai Beej' in Gujarat. Other popular names of Bhai Dooj are Bhathru Dwithiya, Bhai-Tika, Bhatri Ditya and Yamadwitheya.

If the sister is married, the brother visits his sister on the day of Bhai Dooj as a custom. The brother has to sit and allow his sister to carry out the ceremony. The Bhai Dooj puja is performed in a puja room and the sister decorates the thali with mithai, batshaas, roli and rice along with coconut. The thali can be also decorated with colored grains, felt paper, flowers, poster paints, buds, leaves, petals, sequins and beads. Sister applies a tika and akshat on the forehead of her brother and performs arti on him. Sister will give sweets in the mouth of brother and also give gifts to him. During this ceremony, sister prays for brother's long life, health and happiness. In return the brother blesses his sister and gives her cash or gifts.

There are various legends on Bhai Dooj. Bhai Dooj is celebrated as 'Yama Dwiteeya' because it is believed that on this day, Yamaraj who is the Lord of Death and the keeper of Hell visited his sister Yami's house. During his visit to her house, she put a tika on his forehead praying for his prosperity and safety and to mark this occasion we are celebrating Bhai Dooj. Another legend is that Lord Krishna went to his sister Subhadra after killing Narakasura who welcomed Lord Krishna with lamp, flowers and sweet and applied a tika on his forehead. Bhai Dooj festival is also signifies the affection of sister Sudarshana who comforted her brother King Nandivadhan who was distressed when his brother Mahavir, founder of Jainism, attained nirvana. From that basketball onwards women have been respected during Bhai Dooj festival.

Bhai Dooj is celebrated in almost all parts of India, mainly in North India. Only difference is that the festival is known in different names in different parts of India and in some places the customs and traditions also differ. Bhai Dooj is a celebration to strengthen the bond between sisters and brothers. Bhai Dooj symbolizes the peaceful co-existence of each human being to promote unity and to encourage harmonious social life.

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Spiderman Comics

Spiderman comics have always been on high demand because they are not only bought by children but also by adults who probably read them basketball they were kids as well. Spiderman comics are a Marvel Comic original that made its debut in 1962 and was written and created by Stan lee and Steve Dikto.

In his first appearance in Marvel Comics Spiderman made his debut in a guest appearance basketball but would later have his own comic line. The Spiderman character real name is Peter Parker a quite and unsure fellow, who after he is bitten by a spider which had been used for experiments, which means basically the spider had been given different gene's that made it stronger, faster and could sense danger when it was near and this what transferred into the young Peter Parker and transformed him to his alter ego the wise cracking, web sling Spiderman.

Spiderman comics became a big hit with the kids as well as with adults and this spun into two cartoons. One cartoon was about Spidey on his own and the other was him and iceman and was called the double duo, which actually was also a comic book. The cartoons then lead to a Spiderman movie which would later be remade in early 2000 into the Spiderman movies which we have come to love. Spiderman also shares the scene with other characters like Mary Jane Watson who is Peter Parker love interest, then there his Aunt and off course the bad guys like the green goblin and Dr. Doom as well as Doc Octopus. The suit of Spiderman has always been red and blue but there was a time the suit changed to black in 1984 when an alien material or matter attached itself to Spidermans suit.

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Free March Madness Brackets - Everything You Need to Know

First thing that you have to know about free march madness bracketsis what its components. You have to have a better understanding of the entire thing first before you actually fill out a bracket bet form. A bracket is not a collection of bets. In principle, it is a two way graphic representation of the entire collection of all the games played during a certain tournament, which, in this case, is the NCAA. They are called 'brackets' because they look like big populations of interlinking brackets, and look sort of the same as brackets used in linguistics. There a lot of different brackets, depending on what the tournament that you are looking at. In NCAA, the so-called art of making up your brackets is called bracketology. It is really just a pet name, but if you are rooting to be a professional bettor, you better know the terms early.

Bracket contests are usually found, and were first used, in professional sports leagues. This is because at the end of the normal season, the entire league would conduct an after-season tournament. This tournament is commonly called the playoffs. The playoffs will determine which basketball is really the best of all teams. This is practiced because often, when you go into professional playing, there are separate conferences. For example, for basketball, there is the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. So after both conferences, the east and west compete to see who the over-all champion is. The practice of playing the bracket contest in college basketball is a recent twist to the play. free march madness brackets used to be just a sideline of professional league bettors. Now, they are the star for enthusiasts.

For free March madness brackets, a lot of websites will require you to register and some of them are for a fee. After registration, you will fill out a form and you will predict who will win in each and every game including, of course, the champion of the tournament. If you are a beginner, better join a group, which is another option available in a lot websites. This is because you can compare your picks to theirs. You can interact with them to know the ropes of the game.

You win in free march madness bracketsby picking winning teams for each basketball Each win will give you a specific number of points and each point is equivalent to a certain amount of money. This means that you have to take a look at the statistics and make sure that you are making a reasonable match up and a reasonable decision on who will win on each game. This will ensure that you will get winners. Do not go with 'gut feel'. This may be what masters say their secret is, but the truth is, the secret is statistics. If you know the statistics of the game and the teams, you can win. You will know which team will win over what teams. You will also know what the odds are if you know the statistics. It literally pays to know the data.

Chris Grisham is the creator of Basketball Crusher, the premier website for making money betting online sports. He has successfully been beating sportsbooks for years using his proven system and top Free March Madness Brackets tips based on lines, trends, angles, and years of experience. Learn about his system for FREE at http://www.BasketballCrusher.com

Minor League Baseball Review and Preview - Jed Lowrie

Below is a review and preview for the 2009 season of Boston Red Sox shortstop and former minor league prospect basketball Lowrie. What he did last season and what to expect in 2009. Here is what I wrote last season:

"The Red Sox have struggled to find a productive shortstop since Nomar Garciaparra was traded, and it can be argued that they didn't see much production in Nomar's latter Boston years anyway.Lowrie could be the answer to Boston's problems at the position.The former supplemental first-round draft choice has settled at the position after flirting with second base, and it was an appropriate indefinite move with young Dustin Pedroia enshrined at second base.The 23-year-old hit .298 last season between Double-A and Triple-A, also posting an outstanding walk rate, 13 homers and 47 doubles.While he was not unproductive before last season, 2007 was his breakout year as a minor leaguer.Julio Lugo starts the season at shortstop, but he could be moved in a trade if Lowrie makes a strong spring training and early-season Triple-A push.At worst, he will be a quality utilityman in the near future."

Julio Lugo's struggles and injuries allowed Lowrie to claim the shortstop job and run with it late in the year. Lowrie was able to hit a respectable .258-2-46 in 260 at-bats during his rookie season. The Red Sox are apparently keeping Julio Lugo around next season, which could hinder Lowrie's ability to remain in the majors if he gets out of the gate slowly. Still, the Red Sox have to be happy with what they basketball from Lowrie in his first season and what to expect from him in the future.

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Top 5 Ways to Improve Your Basketball Post Moves

In basketball, the big man sometimes gets lost in a game of quickness, flash and finesse. We often forget about the importance of having a strong post presence to run your offense through. This may be because nowadays big men want to play small. What's the fun in that? Embrace your big frames and basketball it to your advantage. The following are five top ways to improve your offensive inside game.

Physicality is essential if you want to be a quality post player, so get mean. This will create space for you to work, putting defenders at your mercy. Make sure to keep contact with your defender. Learn to go from soft to strong to soft. When you first receive the ball you want to display soft hands by using your finger tips to embrace the impact from the ball. Then secure the ball with two hands and place the ball under your chin (this is the strong part). Gain leverage and make sure you have a solid foundation to push basketball your defender. Finally, when shooting, the ball should roll of the tip of your fingers. A nice touch around rim goes a long way.

Big man footwork is one of the hardest things to teach. So the basics must be stressed when learning proper footwork. Start out in triple threat with your back to the basketball in a slightly squatting position. Most of your moves should be very decisive, always keeping you pivot foot on the ground. Start off using the drop step and the power dribble move as it is a powerful but easy to learn move. The hook shot is great to gain separation (Antawn Jamison is the prototype for the mini-hook). The up and under is a powerful tool for a more advanced post player.

Learning patience and not forcing anything that is not there is essential to a big man's success. Just because you get the ball at the block doesn't mean you should automatically throw the ball up. Recognize what the defense is giving you and take it! If a double comes, someone is open. If a shorter player is guarding you, a simple drop step will clear some room (rotate and take a big step with your non-pivot foot towards the hoop). Most importantly, be patient with your development process. Taller players have more body to control, so body control takes a little more time to develop then with shorter players.

Understanding that Positioning is Everything, is everything. Get low with a wide base to gain leverage. Elbows should be out to maintain ground and not allow your defender to move around your body freely. Ideally you would like to be posting up with your back to the basket in the middle of vertical free throw lines on either side of the basket. This allows you to be out of the center where help and congestion may be and still use the backboard to your advantage. You can utilize your hook shot, power moves, fade away, almost any move from this position. One thing that may seem counter intuitive is to take what your defender is giving you. If he is playing you high side (he is closer to the passer allowing you to be closer to the basket) roll off toward the rim or push him towards you passer so you can receive a lob pass underneath. If your defender is pushing you far out, square up and face the basket. If you are at the elbow or closer to the base line give him a quick jab step and go the other way. Always understand where you are in relation to the basket and passer!

Understand the importance of post play and be assertive! Understand that a major key to any teams offensive success is working the ball in and out of the post. Call for the ball constantly and fight hard for position. First, getting the ball near the basket is one of the first steps to getting the ball in the basket. Second, after you establish a presence down low, you will create opportunity for other players. From clearing out the lane for dribble penetration or kicking out to jump shooters you are the foundation for a properly ran offense.

Never forget the importance of big time post game. If you have size, embrace it. There are way too many big players trying to be smaller. It's basketball and the hoops are ten feet tall, be happy with your height. However, do not step onto the basketball court without the proper tools.

Brenton Gieser is a contributing blogger to http://www.BlackTopHoops.com/blog, the ultimate blog for street, recreation and pick up basketball. On Blacktop Hoops you will find articles on: improving your game, the newest basketball kicks and gear, the best leagues, tournaments and courts to play at and much more!

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