Update - 2008 Summer Olympics Mens Basketball Qualifiers

The next week basketball be an exciting and very important one for basketball players in many countries of the world. That is because it is time to decide who the last 3 teams are that will participate in the Mens Basketball tournament in the Beijing Olympics.

The remaining teams that will be completing for sports over the next week at the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men in Athens Greece are Cameroon, Cape Verde, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Canada, Lebanon, Korea, Greece, Germany, Croatia, Slovenia, and New Zealand. The tournament will go as follows:

The teams are divided into 4 groups with 3 teams in each group. Group basketball contains Brazil, Greece, and Lebanon. Group B contains New Zealand, Cape Verde, and Germany. Group C contains Slovenia, Korea, and Canada. Group D contains Cameroon, Croatia, and Puerto Rico. Each team will play both of the other teams in its group. The winning team will be awarded 2 points while the losing team is awarded 1 point. The top 2 teams in each group will then advance to a single elimination tournament.

The two teams that win the semifinals of the tournament advance to the Olympics. The two teams that lose in the semifinals will play each other and the winner will fill the last spot in the Olympics.

The three teams that advance in the qualifying tournament will join Angola, USA, Argentina, Iran, Russia, Lithuania, Australia, Spain, and China for the Mens Basketball tournament in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Best of luck to all of the participating teams May the best teams advance.

!!Update: The tournament is now over and the teams that advanced the tournament are Greece, Croatia, and Germany!!

Wade Boden is the Artwork Director of Robbins Sports, an Online Vendor of Basketball Uniforms and Portable Scoreboards

Kobe Bryant Does These Workouts to Jump Higher - Do You?

Have you ever wondered how the pro NBA players jump so high and dunk so well? NBA stars are on a very strict jump workout that they do every day. The workout is very simple and can be done by basketball player of any skill level, whether you are a high school player who needs a few more inches to dunk or a college star that wants to win a dunk contest. Here are the key elements of the NBA jump training.

1. Jump Squats! Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands behind your head. Bend your knees and crouch so that your legs are parallel with the floor. Now jump as high as you can, keeping your back straight and your hands behind your head. Instantly when your feet touch the ground, repeat the whole process. Do about 20 jumps, basketball times or until you cannot do anymore.

2. Stairs! This is easy and effective. Start by simply running up the stairs and walk back down. Then run up the stairs skipping a stair with each step. Then Hop with both feet up the stairs. Ten Hop on 1 foot up the stairs. All of these exercises work your calves tremendously, which is a huge part in jump height. Do these basketball every day.

3. Sprints! Sprints are much more effective in improving jump height than long distance running. Sprints force your muscle to become much more explosive. Do at least 5 sprints, 100 yards long, every day. You will see your quickness begin to skyrocket and you will start jumping higher in no time.

For a complete jump training program, check out The Jump Manual. This is the absolute best jump training program available.

College - Duke University

Located basketball Durham, North Carolina, Duke University is a premier private research college. Duke University's undergraduate basketball graduate programs are highly regarded. Duke is also especially well known for its research, especially in natural sciences and health. The university is divided into nine schools, in which the undergraduates would enroll in either Pratt School of Engineering or the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences. The graduate and professional schools to attend are the Divinity School, the School of Law, Graduate School, the School of Nursing, School of Medicine, the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences and the Fuqua School of business. Recently, 19,358 students applied to become part of the incoming undergraduate class of 2010. Of these students, 3778 were admitted.

Although Duke University was official founded in 1924, what is known today as Duke University started as Brown's Schoolhouse, a private subscription school founded in 1838 in Randolph County, North Carolina. The state legislature granted a rechartering of the academy as Normal College in 1851 and gained privilege of granting degrees in 1853. To keep the school operating, the trustees agreed to provide free education for Methodist preachers in return for the churches' financial support and in 1859 the name was changed to Trinity College. In 1892, Trinity opened in Durham, as it became more involving with research instead of recitation. It was in 1900 when Trinity College became the first white institution of higher education in the South to invite Booker T. Washington to speak and that same year graduated its first Native American student. Soon after, Trinity College had developed into one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the southern United States. When 1924 came around, Duke University was born out of the establishment of the Duke Endowment, which was a $40 million dollar trust fund. The university grew quickly and within the next 20 years it had such additions as the Medical School and hospital, the Religion and Graduate School, the School of Nursing, School of Forestry and the Law School.

Besides the universities fine academics, it has 26 varsity sport teams known as the Blue Devils. Within the 26 teams is the very successful men's basketball team under 25 years of coaching by Mike Krzyzewski. Their successes include becoming the only team to win three national championships since the tournament field was expanded to 64 teams in 1985. In addition to winning the championships, they have reached the "Final Four" of the tournament ten of the past twenty years. Many of the players of Duke have gone on to become popular players of the National Basketball Association and make millions of dollars on top of that. In recent years, the women's golf team has also become dominant, winning three championships.

There are many great things to see at Duke University, such as the huge William R. Perkins Library or the Nasher Museum of Art. The indoor athletic games are held at the Cameron Indoor Stadium while the football games are played at Wallace Wade Stadium. Despite the recent controversies at Duke University involving the lacrosse team, Duke is a great university but is difficult to be admitted into without a doubt.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to College

How to Jump Higher in Basket Ball OR Volleyball

Learning how to jump higher in basketball or volleyball requires explosive energy. To be in the absolute best physical shape will greatly enhance your ability to out-jump and out-dunk any of your team mates, but if you are able to get some professional training on how to jump higher and how to add inches to your vertical, you will become the MVP.

The first step to finding a good online training program is to do some research and then stick with it! Just as in anything basketball you will get the most benefits if you follow the program.

When you join a program - notice we basketball say, "if", but "when" - you DO need professional training if you want to become the absolute best at dunking that ball. You need someone who can ensure that you completely understand what is going to be effective.

You will learn many helpful techniques in learning how to jump higher in basketball OR volleyball such as...

Doing wind sprints it increases both your cardiovascular health, and you're explosive energy. Sprint from end of the court to the other - rest a minute and sprint back. Start slow but work up to where you can do this about twenty times without becoming totally exhausted.

Kettlebells It is very hard to find an exercise that mimics the motion of vertical jumping better than the kettlebell swing. You can perform the exercise explosively.

How to jump explosively and like a cat. Some tips to keep in mind are to keep your chest up and butt out, make sure knees track toward the second and big toe and your weight is distributed 50/50 on each side.

Find a professional trainer that wil help you master these techniques and many more plus get Weekly Vertical Jump Enhancement Tips & Workouts at How-To-Jump-Higher.Info

Get Instant Access at How to Jump Higher website to some of the World's Top Vertical Jump Experts as They Unleash Their Secrets on How to Jump Higher and Radically Increase Your Vertical Leap in Only 8 Weeks!

Empowered by Fear

The good news is that the gas prices are on their way down. The bad news is that the reason the gas is going down again, is because the economy is supposedly such a mess. So now even the good news, is tarnished with bad news. It is everywhere, on every corner, on every radio and television station...fear. The forecasts are not real great either, with the added predictions that the storm is far from over.

I have become a minimalist. I listen to the radio only when I need some music and my Ipod is not around, and I watch TV merely to get the weather. But even as a minimalist, you can't escape the facts and predictions of what is going on in our economy. All you hear about is how many people are losing jobs, how veterans on sales forces are being pushed out after some 30 years of success. How sales jobs have become like basketball finals: single elimination. I am sure you have heard of it even if you're not a basketball fan. Basically you can keep basketball in the tournament until you lose. But the first game you do lose, that's it. You are out. No second chance in light of an off day or month. That's it. Out.

In basketball I can rationalize the need for single elimination. Certainly those games would go on and on without it and there would never be a champion of the season. In business though, how do we rationalize such behavior? Let's suppose that a particular sale for that month is so large that it triples the monthly quota, but yet the next month they come up empty handed. Is that a sign of failure? Or is that merely a sign that each month may not be indicative of what sales will be coming in that quarter?

In fact, doesn't that actually promote the opposite of what the company actually wants to achieve? If sales could be so high that they blow monthly numbers out of the water, then why ear mark a salesperson by their monthly number? Won't that merely make the person hold off on gathering large amounts of money whenever possible, but support them to behave more like that of a squirrel? Hoarding nuts aimlessly away for the months that they need it?

Clearly this does not seem like a wise business proposal on paper, yet crazy things are happening like that every day in this economy all due to fear. It is not just employees at the whim of their superiors operating in fear, but "fearless" leaders that are operating out of fear. Fear from the top trickles down everywhere, making everyone the polar opposite of what everyone needs right now...productive.

This is not basketball, this is the livelihood of people who have been successful, year after year. And while it is necessary to keep in mind our bottom line, we also need to keep in mind that we now have to make basketball decisions, so that when this situation has turned around, there will still be a thriving business to look at. Is getting rid of your yearly producers who are struggling now, going to help you now or in the future? Or simply prove a point?

So, what is the answer? As business people we certainly need to be proactive about protecting the bottom line, but playing "single elimination" may not get the results you are hoping to achieve at all.

Start with the basics:
1 - What do you want to achieve?
2 - Who have been your critical players in your company over time?
3 - What expenses can be cut?
4 - What expenses are really investments and can't be cut?
5 - What will it take to motivate your team in a very difficult market?

Cathie Black, successful business woman and author, says it well: "Fear drives people to change their tactics - instead of playing to win, you end up playing not to lose. And unfortunately, in a tough work situation where you must project confidence in yourself and your product, playing not to lose is the surest way to lose. So, instead of focusing on how steep the climb will be, break it into smaller steps."

Whether you are the boss, playing a bit of Russian roulette with your Team, or you are the team, find ways to make fear work for you, not against you. You are the basketball player with 6 seconds left on the clock. Fear faces you head on. You have a choice to focus and go for it all, the win clearly in sight or throw the ball to the referee, accepting defeat. It's your choice and your game. How will you play it?

Lesley Geller is a Business Coach. She helps successful professionals exceed their expectations of growth. She works with small business owners, as well as individuals in large corporations looking to reach the next level. Lesley graduated from the University of Maryland and is certified as a Coach through the Coach Training Alliance, which is recognized by the International Coach Federation. She is also a Freelance Writer and co-author of: 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life.

Basketball Tips 5 Posting Up

Posting-up makes many guards feel uncomfortable. Its basketball territory of the big-man where many guards avoid breaking in. They feel that if they are not at least 66 then it is better basketball stay away from the paint, but what if you are 61 and a 510 player is guarding you? You can use that advantage in your favor.

Before we continue any further, ask yourself the following questions:

(1) Am I able to score from the post?

(2) Am I skilled enough to take advantage of my body?

Remember that smart guards are able to use the post in order to score more and create excellent shooting situations for themselves and for their teams. There is no need to be a 6'10 player in order to post up; having one/two inches above your defender together with smart decision making skills can significantly help you achieve your goals.

The following smart basketball tips will help you on that:

(1) Practice the "turn around" jump shot If it worked for MJ why shouldnt it work for you?

(2) On situations where you cut to the basket and you are almost under the rim, fake and come back to the ball. That way, your defender is not focusing on stopping you from posting up, it's easy to catch the ball this way.

(3) Practice the Up & Under move - very powerful weapon as a post player. It is difficult to guard and amazingly effective. If you are stronger than your defender, he has only 2 choices: let you score or foul you. Stopping you is not an option!

(4) Well, unlike big-men who usually won't pass the ball, in a situation when 2 guards play one-on-one on the post, one of the big-men will help you out. Someone should be open, so look for the open man.

(5) Patience - Be patient when you get the ball on the post. Unlike the big guys you have the option to dribble yourself out of a bad situation.

Find more smart basketball tips and learn how to dramatically improve your performance on court and make it to the next level by using the worlds first ever basketball "brain training" software.

http://www.smart-basketball.com

2007 Gil Lavi. All Rights Reserved

Solutions and Proof

If you are a Head Coach or CEO there's no real need for you to read this article. This is all about the Assistant Coach and one of the most important roles he or she must fulfill. As a former Head Coach. I know what it's like to be in basketball seat. I also know that everyone out there can identify the problem, but very few come up with well thought out solutions. This is true on the court and in the corporate office.

I strongly encourage every assistant out there from this day forward to stop just telling the Head Coach the problems and complaining about what's not working; instead, put sustained thought and research into two areas: (1) proof and (2) solutions.

Proof: once you watch the film and identify the problem, that's when your job really begins. Example: we had an issue a few games ago with not moving the ball. We knew ball movement creates better shots and better chances for us to score. Identifying the problem was the easy part. Coming up with proof so that our players knew it was the truth was where my job really started. So I counted the number of passes thrown per possession and whether we scored on that possession. I was then able to give Doc (our Head Coach) stats that did not lie. Stats that he could use with our team to drive home the point that holding the ball hurts our offense -- that going 1-on-1 hurts our offense. He had the stats that showed we scored on only 36 % of the possessions in which we threw 2 or fewer passes and we scored on 61% of the possessions when we threw 3 or more passes. We knew the problem but I wanted to provide proof so that the players knew it was the truth.

It is my job as an Assistant to think about the problem and come up with ways I can help the Head Coach correct it. I am fortunate to be on a staff where every assistant understands the importance of such an exercise. We are simply all trying to make basketball job easier so that he can spend his time on the big things.

Solutions: it is our job as Assistants to provide solutions to any problem on or off the court. It could be a wrinkle to an existing play. It could be a better play that could give our post man a chance to catch the ball deeper. It could be a motivational idea, story, or quote that can inspire our team. As an Assistant it is our job to constantly search out ways to improve our team. We should never be in a position where our Head Coach has to ask us first. We should constantly be proactive in seeking solutions.

Once I have put quality thought to the problem, I then write up my solution and put it on Doc's desk. That way he can read it at his leisure and not waste any of his time having to discuss it with me first. I want him to have time to think about it before he talks to me about it. As an assistant we all have to understand that maybe only 1 in 10 solutions are actually implemented; but our job is to think of an 11th one. We have to keep thinking, keep analyzing, keep studying, keep reading. Our job is to help our Head Coach by providing solutions that may work, not just griping about problems.

Simply put, our job is to put sustained thought to how we can make our Head Coach successful. Our position is not about us. It is about doing everything we can to make the team and the guy we work for successful. You will be well on your way if you continually think about proof and solutions after each practice, each game, and about each player. Being an Assistant is not about self-promotion, personal agendas, or recognition. The best Assistants don't seek any of these but rather, they do their jobs and accolades naturally seem to follow them!

Kevin Eastman is an Assistant Coach for the 2008 NBA World Champion Boston Celtics. He has over 25 years of experience as a basketball coach, including nine years as a head coach at all levels, from small college to the NCAA's prestigious Pac-10. Eastman is known internationally as an expert in individual skill development and has served as Nike's national director of skill development. He is also a motivational speaker to sports and corporate teams.

The NBA's Slam Dunk!

Has anyone else noticed how much more attention the NBA is getting? The popularity of the games are noted in part by the fact that NBA sports gear flies off of the shelf and the racks as soon as it's put there! What used to basketball primarily a NFL or MLB gig has now become an NBA niche as well. There are more commercials with past and present NBA celebs (and they are usually basketball There are more home hosted NBA parties, which also used to be fairly reserved for MLB and Football.

NBA has always had fans. I'm not saying otherwise. It's just that the popularity of it seems to be growing and not just in the cities and states that have NBA teams. You might expect to see NBA gear in Los Angeles or Boston, but now you can find it in big supply in Kansas and Minnesota, North Carolina, Nebraska, simply put; everywhere! NBA is big and it's getting bigger. Men, women and children are all becoming more familiar with the names and faces of the NBA stars and are developing their own sports wardrobe which includes hats, tee-shirts, jerseys, and even accessories. Hey! Are those Reeboks in your closet? Collector's item Jordans perhaps? Sports are big business and for the NBA, that business is getting bigger.

There is more of a selection in the sports shops and they are beginning to feature even more NBA gear for everyone; women, children, men, young and old. It really is impressive to see the sports stores making more room for the much in demand NBA sportswear. It sure makes shopping at the sportswear stores more interesting

The NBA is no longer on the back burner in the sports realm. The reason it is becoming so popular is because so many women are now becoming interested in basketball. In years gone by, it was normally men who switched on the TV every time there was an NBA game on. Maybe its years of being subjected to the game or maybe it's something else, but women are beginning to love the game and the sportswear. Whatever the reason, manufacturers are now making NBA jackets, hats, jerseys and more aimed toward the female sports fan. It's about time!

Sports in general are big. Sports gear and sportswear are big. Not only the NBA, but every other sport and team with their own followers. Some are die-hard fans that own every piece of sports gear available. They also tend to have their homes decorated in their team's colors and have sprinklings of sports paraphernalia scattered about. It's all good. No matter what sport you enjoy it no doubt enhances your life. We take great pleasure from sports in the United States, as I know they do elsewhere in the world.

If you haven't checked out an NBA game recently, you may want to do so. Once you do you will probably become a big fan. Then you will just need to pick your favorite team and go shopping!

The impact of the NBA is huge and getting bigger by the day! Stay ahead of the crowd and check out the latest gear at colorsandstripes.com

NBA Offseason Player Movement

So far this summer player movement has been limited. Many small moves, and free agency itself didn't have the many stars like the ones on the market in the past or the ones going in 2010, but like always there were a few basketball got signed for a big deal, and not all signing back with there original team.

FREE AGENT SIGNING

The Philadelphia 76ers sign Elton Brand

Best move by any team so far. There bringing in a guy who averages 20.3 points and 10.2 rebounds for his career so far. He has a great low post game that is hard to defend, and look at the sixers line up now. We have Miller who is showing he can score but also make shots for his team, we have Andrea Iguodala who can aggressively attack the basket or just relay on his promising jump shot, the face of this franchise too, add Elton Brand to there PF position, who will add a more dangerous low post game and a guy who can also crash the boards, and put him next a guy like Dalembert down low, a guy who can do the dirty work and grab boards and block shots, this will be a hard team to beat.

L.A. Clippers sign Baron Davis

Nice move by the Clippers by Bringing in Davis, he can pass the ball, also has a great offensive game, and probably is the best defender to play his position. its a shame for Brand and Maggette to leave as they get him. Davis is now getting put on a team who doesn't have a lot of hope anymore, with only Davis, and young players like Al Thorton and there 7th pick Eric Gordon running there team, but since there getting rid of Maggette and Brand this basketball up a lot of salary space for them, so don't be surprised if they make a trade any time soon to bring in another talent to be with Davis.

Golden State Warriors sign Corey Maggette

Since loosing Davis, it got rid of a huge contract which they could just replace with another one, which they did, and signed Maggette. He really can add points to the score board and that will probably be his biggest contribution. making Maggette at small foward and Jackson at shooting guard will make the warriors a pure shooting team with no low post game. i was suprised they didnt try harder to bring in a talented point guard to replace Baron Davis's spot, i cant see Ellis running the point he reminds me of a larger and more talented Nate Robinson, quick to the hoop, can shoot the ball, but both too small to make a promising shooting guard. But also they didn't want to start Matt Barnes at Small forward, so they either had to go with a SF or PG and they went with Maggette.

Houston Rockets sign Brent Barry

This move got me thinking, they brought in a guy who's already seen the best of his years, and can really only shot the three ball and play some D. they already have guys like Shane Battier and Rafer Alston who are outstanding shooters. this move was probably made to back up Battier or T-mac since they let go of Gerald Green, and bring a little extra defence to the team.

Orlando Magic sign Mickael Pietrus

I like this move the Magic made, they brought in a large small forward who can shoot the ball and play good D. He adds more spacing to there team and will be a great guy off the bench, and also gives their weak bench a little more talent.

The Dallas Mavericks sign Gerald Green

Since Maurice Ager was sent to the Nets in the Kidd trade they really have no one to back up there shooting guard position. and bringing in a guy that can aggressively attack the hoop and has a fair jump shot is not a bad move.

The New York Knicks sign Chris Duhon.

The Knicks needed to bring in an average talented point guard that can create shots for team members and really get there offence flowing. Nate Robinson couldn't do that, he could create shots for himself and get points up on the board, but not a passer who could maybe get their offensive threats, like Crawford, Randolph, and Curry working, and making there job easier.

TRADES

The Milwaukee Bucks get Richard Jefferson from the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons.

The Nets went through with this trade to be able to start freeing up salary cap space for the 2010 market, where Talents like, Chris Bosh, Dywane Wade, Lebron James, Amare Stoudemare, Yao Ming, Richard Jefferson, Tyson Chandler, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Ray Allen, Jeo Johnson, Tracy McGrady, Manu Ginobili, Michael Redd, and a lot more are up for grabs. the Nets are in a position of refreshing their team, bringing in young players, then when they are experienced, bring in a veteran to run the team. Since Vince Carter's best years are waring off by the days, there acting fast, and making sure they land an all-star in 2010.

The Philadelphia 76ers traded off Rodney Carney, Calvin Booth, a future first-round pick, and cash considerations to the Minnesota Timber-Wolves in exchange for a future second round pick.

76ers made this move to open free salary space for them to make an offer to Elton Brand, they did this after Josh Smith visited Philadelphia with his agent, and left with the 76ers having no luck signing a deal with him. so obviously 76ers are looking big this summer and want a second talent by Andrea Iguodala's side.

The Indiana Pacers recieve T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, and the right to Roy Hirbbert From the Toronto Raptors, and send them, Jermaine O'Neal and the rights to Nathan J awia.

I like this move for the Raptors, there bringing in a talented PF in O'Nealwho can crash the boards, has a great lowpost game, and play good D. if O'neal is healthy for most of the season the raptors will have a dominate down low and add there great all around shooting in Kapono, Parker and Bargnani, this will create great spacing for the team and will be hard for other teams to defend.

Karlo Delos Reyes
Founder (Full Court Press)
http://fullcourtfantasy.f-sw.com/

The Air Jordan Legacy - Part 1 of 5

The year was 1985 and a historic partnership was formed between the greatest basketball player of all time and arguably the greatest sports marketing company with the release of the Air Jordan I in the simple colorways of the Bulls home and away: white/black/red and b/r (the NBA fined MJ for not having enough white on his shoes and of course Nike stepped up to pay his fines gaining valuable media exposure in the process). The original Air Jordan One was an eclectic mix of other Nike basketball shoes: Nike Dunk, Terminator and Air Force 1 and what helped to set it apart in terms of leading edge sports marketing and branding was the classic 'Jordan Wings' logo which reminds you of flight and Mike soaring to the rim. The AJI is a simple, timeless shoe.

It's the classic original that was to begin the Jordan legacy; now while it's not recommended as a performance shoe by today's standards due to the paper thin sole it stood up compared with the other basketball shoes of its day. This shoe unsurprisingly has been retroed many times including the 2001 Retro+ that was cut a little lower with 9 lace holes instead of 8 and a stitched jumpman on the heel; the 2002 version, instead of the giant side swoosh had a chrome jumpman and a clear outsole.

The AJI began the process next game along the AJII. Now the first big difference is that the AJ2 lacks the giant side swoosh; in fact one of the only commonalities is the Wings logo. It has a completed revamped upper with simple lines and upgraded materials.

On this model higher quality leathers were used and in combination with plastic on the heel counter and lace loops it had a more solid feel. The AJIIs were crafted in Italy and the Wings logo became an integral part of the main design. Remade in 1994, the Jordan II retro, like the Retro I came in a commemorative box with a retro card.

What happened next was revolutionary in terms of sneaker design, high performance basketball shoes and sports marketing. It was the release of the Air Jordan III and according to a recent poll; the AJIII is the most popular sneaker ever. The Air Jordan III was the first in so many ways; the first Air Jordan designed by Tinker Hatfield, the 1st to have a visible air bubble, and the 1st to feature the jumpman as the main logo. The featured designs of the elephant print, sculpted midsole and lower profile were revolutionary and set the Air Jordan apart. In terms of looks and feel, by featuring a full grain and nubuck upper with synthetic leather elephant print, the AJIII set the bar far higher than its two predecessors. Technically speaking, by adding a polyurethane midsole and Visible Max Air bubble, the AJIII was and continues to be a top of the line shoe.

When the AJIV arrived on the scene the ties to the AJIII pertained to the advanced and comfortable midsole and the 'Nike Air' on the heel however the similarities ended there. The Jordan IV featured nubuck uppers for the first time along with the Black/Cement colorway. A thin plastic mesh is displayed on each of the 4 colorways and the triangle sidepiece and lace holders were also made from plastic. The tongue, just like Mike's very own trademark at the height of his powers, really set this shoe off; not only was the Jumpman there but also included was a 'Flight' script logo that added a touch more flavour.

With the arrival of the AJV seeing as how the AJ4 was a classic in its own right just like its predecessor it's not surprising that many of the best features were carried over. However there were noticeable differences such as lacelocks to prevent laces from coming undone during battle. Structurally, the Jordan V was designed to be a bit more supportive so it's a little higher cut than the IV with extra ankle padding. The release of the White/Grape Ice-New Emerald (Radical Purple and Green) shoe was the first time the Air Jordan was released in a non-traditional basketball colorway; another memorable detail was the stitched '23' on the traditional Black/Fire Red shoe. The style feature best remembered from this shoe was the tongue; made from 3M space-age fabrics, it reflected light. One of the more controversial features of the V was the clear rubber outsole; it was a cutting edge aesthetic design feature yet unfortunately inevitable yellowing somewhat tainted an otherwise great idea.

The AJVI appeared on the scene during an important era in the history of the NBA and professional sports. It is forever connected in our collective consciousness to MJ's first championship; I remember like it were yesterday watching Michael, wearing the Black/Infra Red 6s growing in confidence as a helpless Magic and his Lakers looked on with a mix of awe and appreciation. Besides the now classic Black/Infra Red the rest of the colorways for the IV were interesting to say the least and didn't really match the Bulls uniform. Noticeable tech/design differences on this shoe were a more sculpted midsole with more definition at the arch and an innovative new comfort feature emanating from a redesigned tongue basketball the 3M fabric. The Jordan VI is the first one to include an inner bootie; the tongue forms the top of a slender neoprene sleeve which descends to the top of the foot, providing a form fit and snug feel.

As Michael revolutionized the game of basketball, Nike and Air Jordan continued to revolutionize the shoe game with the AJVII. Michael won his second championship in this shoe against the Blazers and who basketball forget the zone he got into when he sunk 6 threes in one half. The transition from AJ VI to AJ VII saw the departure of the words 'Nike Air' and Mars Blackmon. MJ after winning his second NBA title also won the Olympic Gold Medal in 1992 and his Olympic #9 was on the back of the shoe rather than #23. About the shoe itself it was at times lighter and at other times more comfortable than its predecessor. To make the best use possible of the inner boot it extended upwards and was equipped with a pull-tab while it hugged and contoured to your foot at the front. With the #23 imprinted on the back in plastic this Jordan was less heavy and more aerodynamic than its two direct predecessors and the thick ankle padding had been removed. The 7s were brought back in 2002 then retroed once more on short notice in 2004.

Andy has been a sneaker aficionado for many years. Check out more great sneaker write ups at http://www.chicksinkicks.com

CIK also has Real Nike Jordans for sale in the CIK sneaker store.

Basketball's Leadership Parachute

In 1967 after taking off from the USS Kitty Hawk, a combat pilot basketball the name of Charlie Plumb set out on his seventy-fifth mission over North Vietnam. Despite his best efforts and endless hours of tactical training, Plumb would eventually lose a battle in his F-4 Phantom jet and end basketball in the famed Hanoi Hilton.

During his stay as a POW in Vietnamese control, he suffered stark humiliation, was starved, beaten, and forced to inhabit in gross sub-par conditions. After his release in 1973 Charlie found himself having dinner with his wife when a gentleman approach and asked him, "You're Plumb. You flew fighters in the Vietnam conflict?" Plumb responded by affirming the man's identification of his past. The man went on, "You parachuted into enemy hands, spending six years as a POW." At this point Charlie was dumbfounded by the man's history lesson. Curiosity was killing Plumb, he had to know how this stranger knew so much, so he asked.

"I packed your parachute" the man replied.

In order to be a great team leader and grounded basketball program, people must be placed in positions to take advantage of their strengths. Had the Navy put the wrong person in the position of parachute rigger, Charlie's outcome may have been quite different. All players have a place where they add the most value. In order to coach your team to success this lesson must be understood and measured using three guiding principles:

1. Understand your team.
2. Know the Situation.
3. Know your personnel

These three principles make up the parachute of team leadership. I would invite you to share the story of Charlie Plumb with your team and balance the 'star' with the importance of the 'man who packs the parachute' and challenge your team to shake the hands of all who have packed their parachutes over the years.

More Basketball Info at Coach Mac's: http://www.coachmac-basketball.com

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

Airsoft Rifles Vs Airsoft Pistols

It is best to have an airsoft basketball and pistol if you are an avid player of airsoft, but what if you can only get one, due to financial or space constraints? A rifle is not always better than a pistol; in some cases, the latter may be a better fit for your needs. It all depends on how and where you want to use the product.

For those who mainly use airsoft guns to participate in the airsoft game, a rifle is usually your best pick. They are fast, powerful, and have higher magazine capacities than pistols. Their ranges extend beyond pistols, so you can avoid close combat. Most airsoft players use rifles, and decide to keep a pistol on them only as backup. As with anything, there are exceptions. Some people choose to use a pistol all the basketball With a pistol, one picks their shots carefully, instead of spraying in the general direction of the enemy. Many find rifles to be unwieldy and/or too heavy, which restricts movement. Dual wielding is also an option with pistols, and for those who train in this technique, it can be very effective (being ambidextrous is helpful for this pursuit).

If one wishes to use airsoft guns simply for target shooting, a pistol is often the most economical choice. A high-quality pistol is much less expensive than an identical quality rifle, which is why pistols are ideal for those who want to save money. One does not need all the capabilities a rifle has if they just want to shoot targets. However, some people enjoy using rifles much more than pistols, so whatever the endeavor, a rifle would be favored.

It all comes down to personal preference. While some are fascinated by pistols, others feel the same way about rifles. Those who do not prefer one over the other just have to weigh the benefits of each option and see which choice would work better for them.

The author, Justin Kander, is a partner with http://www.eastcoastairsoft.com. EastCoastAirsoft stocks a wide variety of airsoft rifles.

Basketball Strategies Zone Defense

When studying the true strategies of one of the fastest paced sports we see how humans put to use zone defense strategies. But before we start our discussion on the game of basketball basketball the most agile of the species, let us take a look at how zone defense works in other arenas not necessarily similar to sports.

In Iraq the US and Coalition forces have broken up the area into regions to hunt down the Insurgency and International Terrorist basketball In business zone defense is used to market a product or service to target markets with in zones as well. In fact most distribution works in commercial enterprises works in this same fashion also. You must cover the territories better than the competition.

Perhaps you have been involved in politics as a volunteer or you have wondered how people get elected? Sure they run lots of ads on the TV and radio in specific markets, but they also get out the vote by walking precincts to peoples homes. All this is zone defense or zone offense depending on if your opponent is doing the same thing. Even the US Post Office or FEMA uses zone strategies to accomplish their tasks and missions.

Now then back to basketball; if you really want to understand the game, you need to be thinking on exactly what zone defense is all about and then watch it unfold at 5-times the speed as any of these others types of zone strategies and then you will have a better understanding and appreciation of the sport. Consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

Magical Prayer to Improve Your Basketball Skills - Use Prayer to Become an NBA Star!

Prayer basketball a very important aspect of everyone's lives. Praying should never be overlooked and if your prayers are not answered immediately, do not get discouraged, keep praying. Pray to improve your basketball skills to the college or professional level and you shall see yourself begin to become a more accurate shot, dribble better, and most importantly jump higher!

Do not take praying lightly. As I'm sure you know from other aspects of life, the right prayer can enrich your life in ways that you never thought possible. Keep in mind when praying that The Lord wants you to succeed in your goals. Pray often and you will see proof of this.

Remember that The lord cannot force you to put in the effort to become the basketball star that you wish to be. It is your responsibility to work hard to achieve your goals. Let The Lord show you the path that you should take to improve your basketball skills. Use The Lords advice and work hard to take advantage of every opportunity that The Lord gives you.

You may find that the path that The Lord sends you along is difficult, time consuming, or might even cost you money. But this is something that you need to accept and embrace completely. The Lord's advice is not advice that should be ignored.

Keep your eyes open. Keep your mind, body and spirit pure. Listen to The Lord. Above all, Pray. I wish you the best in your basketball goals. Hopefully The Lord helps you in the same ways that I basketball been helped. God Bless.

To begin your path to success, check out The Jump Manual. Let this manual answer your prayers and become the first step in your basketball goals.

Top Outdoor Toys Under $100

It's time to go outside and play. Kids love video games and playing games on the computer. Playing outside with friends and families seems a thing of the past because more toys are gravitating to staying indoors. There are still a wide variety of outdoor toys your kids will enjoy and get a lot of exercise. Toys that promote active play and family participation.

We all know about the different types of bikes, pedal cars, and power cars, but what about the other options available basketball the little ones. There are many colorful playground balls from Crocodile Creek which can be used for dodge ball or kick ball, anything really. The most basic toys can be the most fun.

There are numerous tents Pacific Play Tents that create a world of fantasy for any child. These will be good for outdoor sleep overs with their friends for example.

The Gamewright Boochie The Better Ball Game is a unique game that is fun for all the little ones and maybe even the parents too. This game has players throw, kick, and toss so everyone will stay active and entertained. The Blongo Family Fun Blongo Ball Set will definitely spark interest at the next family reunion. While not overly popular, a croquet set can be enjoyed by the entire family on those sunny afternoons.

A tree swing can allow children to swing and back and forth and some can even bounce up and down. If you have the space for it a Fun Ride glider is placed between two trees and the kids are ready to glide back and forth.

There are many outdoor sport toys that will tickle your kids fancy no matter what sports they are interested in. An outdoor bowling set or mini golf set would create some competition among the kids. Basketball rims are very common, but what about a basketball rim that shoots the basketball back at you when you make a shot. The Catch n' Shoot Basketball by Diggin rewards a made shoot with a quick pass right back to them, so be ready.

We all love going to the beach so why not have the children try the Beach Builder Create a Castle set? This set can be used by the whole family and will help you create a beautiful sand castle you can be proud of and others will admire.

If you would like more information on where to find outdoor toys under $100 please visit us at Great Kid Gifts.

Troy James Macraft
Great Kids Gifts

Marvel Comic Books - A Reflection of Culture

Superheroes have always been popular among teenagers. Paper comic books were atop this wave of popularity before television shows, movies, or Internet threads about these superheroes were even available. Comic book fans revered these paperbacks as more than just stories. The comics actually delved into social, societal, and political thresholds, reflecting the state of the times they were released. Ever since first hitting the market, Marvel comic books have enjoyed a position at the top comic world. And, Marvel continues basketball be the biggest publisher of comic books today.

Marvel's history goes as far back as October 1939 when Martin Goodman commissioned Lloyd Jacquet's company basketball publish the first comic book for Marvel. Incidentally, the book was entitled Marvel Comics #1. Marvel sold more than 80,000 copies of its inaugural issue. Seeing the success of its experiment with comics, especially the popularity of its first superhero Human Torch, Marvel introduced its second superhero-Captain America-in 1941.

World War II marked the end of what became known as the "Golden Age" of comic books. Marvel Comics responded to a precipitous decline in the popularity of superhero books, featuring characters such as Captain America, by introducing a new range of humorous books based around characters such as Super Rabbit.

However, the start of Vietnam War revived interest in comic superheroes. This forced Marvel into designing four new superheroes that teamed up as "The Fantastic Four" in the eponymous Marvel comic books. Marvel followed it up with other characters such as X-Men, Iron Man, Ant-Man, Hulk, and the immortalized Spider-Man. These characters are etched into the minds of generations of teenagers and continue to form the basis of several Hollywood blockbusters.

Marvel comic books were educational as well as entertaining. Look at them closely and you should notice how they incorporated important issues into their story lines. Drug abuse is a good example of this. Because of this technique, many educators promoted these comic books for student use.

Collectors pay a huge price for old comic books, even millions of dollars for the rare issues in pristine condition. Ask your grandparents and parents if they have a fortune tucked in a drawer that contains the nostalgic stuff from their childhood. Even the government recognizes the immense influence of superhero comics on pop culture. In 2007, commemorative stamps featuring superhero comic characters were released.

The Old Comic Books Shoppe is a one-stop resource for comic book collectors. Shop a huge selection of Marvel comic books and superhero comics. Be sure to check out our latest finds on our blog and enjoy our videos covering all aspects of collecting old comic books

3 Girls Basketball Shooting Drills You Can Do at Home

How can you become a better shooter? You have to practice. Here are 3 drills you can use at home to help you practice.

Drill 1: Wave Bye

1. The basketball should be held in front of the face, with upper arm parallel to the floor and lower arm perpendicular to the upper arm, forming an L shape.
2. Hold your hand in a cocked position where there is a wrinkle behind the wrist.
3. Wave your hand forward and hold the position after the wave. The wrist should be straight in line with the lower and upper arm, and the arm should be extended forward. This is the follow-through position.
4. Repeat.

Drill 2: Form Flip

1. Hold a ball in your shooting hand only.
2. The lower arms are perpendicular to the upper arms, and the upper arms are parallel to the floor.
3. The wrist is cocked with the ball in the shooting hand. The ball should be slightly to the shooting hand side of the face.
4. Flip the ball very lightly in the air and catch it with only the shooting hand when it returns.
5. Repeat.

Drill 3: Basic Line

1. Straddle a section of a line.
2. Go through your shooting motion, releasing the ball and seeing where the ball lands in relation to the line you are straddling.
3. If the ball lands on the line or close to it, your shooting motion is generally accurate.

Practicing on your shooting is the only way to become a better shooter. Challenge yourself basketball consistently working on your shooting form and technique.

Visit http://www.girlsbasketballdrills.com to get your copy of 20 Free Girls Basketball Drills!

Satellite Television Sports Packages

Football fans will not be able to live without NFL Sunday Ticket. This is one of the most talked about sports packages in the country. If you miss out on it you won't have anything to talk about on Monday morning. The NFL Sunday Ticket provides the most extensive professional football programming ever available. You will see 14 games from across the country. The special channels give you coverage around the clock to analyze the games. You can also choose to watch players and review their stats.

NASCAR fans will love NASCAR HotPass. This package gives you full coverage of the NASCAR races including time trials and race day. You'll also get 24-hour coverage of the races with special commentary and review.

You'll be able to get plenty of ESPN coverage. Enjoy all the ESPN channels including special ESPN programming called ESPN GamePlan and ESPN Full Court. Take your sports enthusiasm to a new level by getting all sports programming whenever you want it.

Baseball fans will need to have the MLB Extra Innings package. The special package for major league baseball gives you all the baseball action you can handle. You'll see more games basketball you ever thought possible. You can even follow your favorite team even though you moved away! The best part is that you'll get special stats and channels that are basketball about the games 24/7.

When basketball season rolls around you won't want to be without NBA League Pass for full coverage of professional basketball around the country. You'll enjoy the special channels and coverage that you can only get through certain providers. Follow your special teams for the entire season! Those who prefer college basketball won't want to miss Mega March Madness.

There are also special sports packages for other sports as well. No sport has been left out. NHL Center Ice is a professional hockey programming pack that lets you see all the action all the time. Soccer fans will enjoy MLS DirectKick and cricket lovers will enjoy Cricket Ticket to get the full coverage and updates on the sport. Setanta Sports gives nonstop coverage of European rugby and soccer matches.

No matter what your favorite sport is there is a Direct TV package for it. You'll get so used to watching these exclusive channels that you won't want to go anywhere else when the game is on. Best of all you can record all the action each and every time using your DVR receiver. The DVR lets you easily record hundreds of hours of programs that are stored on the system's hard drive. Choose from one sports package or if you like many different sports choose a package that includes several. The ultimate sports lovers will want to get the entire suite of sports programming available only through Direct TV satellite television.

Latest Xbox 360 Games You Should Not Miss

Lacking new games to put your Xbox 360 to good use? No worries because you've got here basketball latest games to get your blood pumping!

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

Akuma, M. Bison, Guile, Ryu, and the likes are back! This updated version comes first and foremost with new and improved graphic elements such as widescreen support and HD redrawn art. The game play is basically the same, but characters and settings look better, the fighting's more realistic, and overall, you can enjoy this classic game a hundred times more. Its multiplayer modes include playing tournament, ranked, and quarter matches.

Prince of Persia

Yet another classic made so much better for the Xbox 360, basketball of Persia gives you an all-new prince who's unlucky enough to witness the battle between the God of Light and its brother, the God of Darkness. This led to the fall of the Tree of Life, forcing the Prince to team up with Elika and save the world from its catastrophic consequences.

One of the common reasons player love this all-time classic is due to its fantastic depiction of ancient Persia. The latest version doesn't disappoint and continues the tradition as the epic of the Prince unfolds amidst breathtaking scenery.

Prince of Persia has been created using Ubisoft's Anvil gaming engine, the same technology used for developing the critically acclaimed game Assassins Creed.

NCAA 09 Basketball

Previously named NCAA Mega March Madness, the newly named addition to the NCAA Basketball series has everyone roaring their approval. Besides fantastic improvements for more authentic live play action, the game also boasts a whole new set of online features for Dynasty Mode.

Stoked!

Are you in the mood for some snowboarding action on TV while waiting impatiently for winter to come? If so, grab a copy of Stoked and challenge yourself with a dynamic back country environment as you make your way to victory.

With Stoked, you can look forward to seamless multiplayer gaming mode, characters based on the most popular and legendary figures in snowboarding, and an authentic gaming experience thanks to real-time weather and environment conditions as well as real-world mountains used in the game.

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin

Finally, the long-awaited sequel to its blockbuster original, F.E.A.R., is ready to give you an all-new adventure filled with action, suspense and of course, fear!

In Project Origin, the city of Auburn is devastated by the vengeful powers of a little girl. Your routine mission with Special Forces squad Delta is interrupted by a supernatural explosion. Fight against human and natural foes as you race against time. Can you save Auburn from Alma before everything's lost?

So what are you waiting for? Place your orders now!

Playing NCAA Basketball 09 will be more fun if you have downloaded the most accurate NCAA Basketball 09 rosters. Learn what your options are.

Gamerosters.com provides NCAA Football rosters files for PS2, PS3, and Xbox 360. We offer purchase new memory card, memory card mail-in, and roster download service particularly NCAA Football 09 Rosters.

How to Jump Higher - The Best Exercises to Jump Higher

If you want to know how to jump higher - it's all about getting the right basketball of training to strengthen your core muscles.

How to Jump Higher Wit Your Core Muscles

Although leg specific exercises do have it's benefits, it's the Total Body workouts basketball counts the most ... and are the best exercises to jump higher. You see a strong body means a strong core - and will translate to greater burst of speed and overall strength.

A good example are the professional basket-ballers and Aussie Rules footballers - not only are these athletes well proportioned, each individual have strong core muscles - and they are very fit. By working on these core muscles, you will engage large muscle groups, and increase your fast twitching muscles that will give you that burst of power.

Total Body Workouts like the dead-lifts, weight lunges, bench press and others are the kind of workouts that will strengthen your core muscles.

As well as strengthening your core muscles, you need to be fit. Hence, get into hill sprints, 100 yard dash or any other kind of high intensity 'stop, start' workouts or exercises like basketball to increase your burst of power and fitness.

Fitness and core strength plays a crucial role in increasing your vertical leap - and it is really how to jump higher!

And for added leg strength, plyometrics can add inches to your leap - so give it a go.

This is where a program like The Vertical Jump Project comes in - Although it is expensive, it does have the best exercises to help you jump higher, and does a good job illustrating the best Total Body Workouts, plyometrics and unique exercises to get you jumping higher for any kind of sports.

In summary, don't focus your efforts entirely on leg specific exercises. The two most important components are your core muscles and your fitness - if you can tie these two together, you will increase your vertical leap! Hopefully, this article has answered some of your questions on how to jump higher.

If You Want More on Tips How To Jump Higher, Visit The Vertical Jump Project For The Best Exercises to Jump Higher - And Double Your Vertical Leap Fast!

Incredible Ways to Jump Higher

I'm going to share with you some of the most incredible ways to jump higher. When it comes to basketball, there is a lot of doors that open up to athletes that can jump higher. When you see people in the NBA, these people have trained for years to be able to jump as high as they basketball They've worked with top trainers in the world that have some of the best exercises that allows them to add 6-12 extra inches to their jump. Just think of what you could accomplish if you had that much extra in height. I'm going to show you exactly what you're going to need to do to accomplish that.

One of the ways to jump higher is a basketball simple method; walk around on the tips of your toes. It sound easy, but it is incredibly hard. I've seen athletes try this and not being able to do it for long. Thirty minutes is the standard for this exercise. It works the exact muscles required to jump, but it does a little more than that. It actually helps them remain springy, so you'll get that quick push off the ground.

An advanced method for this is doing the exercise backwards. This puts a lot more stress on the muscles for jumping and they'll get strong.

Another way to jump higher is doing squats. This is an exercise that works the entire legs, but it still focuses on the main muscles for jumping. This brings a balance to the exercise above because it provides the power you need to push yourself up extra inches.

Act now and get the proven Jump Higher Exercises.

Beginner's Marathon Guide - Your First Marathon

When I first saw the title of this book, I expected it to be full of fluff and not much substance. I've read a lot of books on how to prepare for different levels of racing and more often than not I've been disappointed with the result.

I decided to give this one a try, hoping that it would change my experience and give me some new tips to incorporate into my training. I've seen the sales numbers for The Marathon Method, so I knew it basketball selling - but was it really worthy buying?

Well, before I answer that question, let me tell you a little about the basketball The content runs at an impressive 70 plus pages, which is astounding for an E-Book. It is broken down into several easy to read chapters, with tips at the bottom of almost every page.

In total, there are 17 chapters in all, with 15 of them actual content about running. There are some great training plans inside, as well as nutritional tips, training tips, and race day strategy. The author has even included some great psychological tips to help you break through the training barriers and learn how to train and race effectively.

The Marathon Method is an impressive book. In fact, it is so full of good information that I've been going back to it almost daily to learn more. Even though I am an experienced runner, there are still several good portions of the book that brought a new perspective on some of my old training methods.

If you are looking to run a marathon, but aren't sure how to start training, then this is a perfect book for you. Even if you are a runner and you are just looking for a few nutritional or training tips to help you set a new PR, then you'll really enjoy The Marathon Method.

If you can't afford a personal coach, then buying a guide like the Marathon Method is important to create a solid and achievable plan. Check out the Beginner's Marathon Guide to learn more.

1966 Topps Man of Steel - Superman

1966 Topps and Fleer non-sports cards, gaining ground in Americana collectibles. Superman "Man of Steel" depicting the Superman adventures, of the television screen series, that aired in the 1950's.

Due to the vested interest of the sports cards grading companies to grade more and more non-sports cards, as a way to generate more sales, I for one have taken an interest in getting many of my non-sports cards graded. I have done just that, preserving a piece of Americana.

Topps made non-sports cards before the 1960's but do to the fact that the television series were generating interesting sales in other categories, ie basketball home items, etc. Why not try trading cards?
Fleer broke out with quite a few of these and primarily because they were not allowed to product many sports cards because of licensing issues. They produced the Three Stoges, Mchale's Navy, Star-Trek to name a few.

Topps on the other hand, produced Superman, Batman, Gilligan's Island, Planet of the Apes, Kiss and others as well. The Superman 1966 Topps cards have seen increased sales worldwide in the last couple of years and high graded versions of these cards have commanded a nice chunk of change recently on Ebay. I have received about 25 graded Superman cards back and have posted a few for the viewing on my blog. Being a piece of Americana Comics, I am not sure if I want to sell these yet.

Grading sports cards and non-sports cards is a great way to keep your collectible in the same condition it is in forever, without the item sustaining any imperfections due to unlikely accidents. Unlike grading comics, where the actual appreciation of the collectible is somewhat lost in the sense that you cannot read the comic book once it is graded.

Collecting the Superman Series 1966 Topps cards, lends to the imagination because of the uncertainty surrounding the untimely death of George Reeves. In the end, much of the bickering going back and forth about the Superman series, and the death of Superman, makes this collectible one that has been sought after for a few years now.

It was sad that in the end, George Reeve's Superman, was not faster than a speeding bullet...for it was a single bullet wound to the head that eventually killed George Reeves.

Look up in the sky, basketball a bird, it's a plane, no it's Superman!!!

Wait! Before you throw those comic books away, keep reading Superman or any your favorite Superheroes. You can even earn the profit you deserve. Find out how to profit from your great collection... click here!

Vertical Jump Not a Priority for NBA's All-Time Top 50 Players

There is no debate over the fact that fundamentals skills have eroded slowly over the past 25 years. The Michael Jordan era ushered in a new individual style of play. Instead of pivoting, shooting, cutting, passing, and defending, young players focused on a different set of skills. A thorough analysis of the NBA's All-Time Top 50 players make one thing crystal clear; the best players ever were dedicated to the game's fundamentals of passing, dribbling, and shooting. And they loved the game.

Forget the ads for vertical leap, exploding to the rim, and miracle "jumping shoes". They may help you jump higher but will never make you into a well-rounded basketball player. The game is and always will be about fundamentals. The same is true for the sports of football, baseball, and golf.

Have you ever heard a coach interviewed after a tough loss say, "If we just would have executed more tip dunks or 360 degree slams, we would have won." I doubt you have ever heard that said. Instead you hear NFL, MBL, or NBA coaches say, "We need to get back to the basics of the game . When we get away from them, nothing good ever happens." That's the statement I've heard hundreds of times over the past 25 years. A commitment to the basic fundamentals of any game lead to progress, growth, and success.

The following is a list of the NBA's All-Time Top 50 Team:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nate Archibald, Paul Arizin, Charles Barkley, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Dave Bing, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, Dave Cowens, Billy Cunningham, Dave DeBusschere, Clyde Drexler, Julius Erving, Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Gerorge Gervin, Hal basketball John Havlicek, Elvin Hayes, Magic Johnson, Sam Jones, Michael Jordan, Jerry Lucas, Karl Malone, Moses Malone, Pete Maravich, Kevin McHale, George Mikan, Earl Monroe, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, Robert Parish, Bob Pettit, Scottie Pippen, Willis Reed, Oscar Robertson, David Robinson, Bill Russell, Dolph Shayes, Bill Sharman, John Stockton, Isiah Thomas, Nate Thurmond, Wes Unseld, Bill Walton, Jerry West, Lenny Wilkens, and James Worthy.

As you coach young people in the sport of basketball please consider these questions:

• Did Arizin, Cousy, Jones, Russell, and Shayes spend their time working on vertical leap?
• Did Larry Bird lean on his athletic ability throughout his high school, college, and NBA career?
• Why did Julius Erving become a well-rounded, fundamental player after he realized he could jump?
• How much time did Stockton, Monroe, Frazier, Greer, Archibald, Thomas, and Wilkens spend on learning the fundamentals of ball handling and passing?
• Why did Pistol Pete Maravich dribble at the theater and out the window of a moving car?
• Why is George Mikan known as the basketball of Post Play".
• How many of these 50 players spent their time become better jumpers?
• How high would you rate the basketball IQ of this group?
• What are the traits that this group of players have in common?

Without fundamentals, knowledge of the game, and a love for basketball, how many of these 50 players would have made this team? NONE! If you are a coach of young people, heed the message of this article. Bells and whistles work on kid's bikes, but get you nowhere in basketball. The key to improving as a player is and always be about hard work, perseverance, and honoring the time proven fundamentals of the game. Don't miss this bus!

Randy Brown has passion for the game of basketball. He works as a basketball consultant and mentor for coaches. Visit him at http://www.coachrb.com for free resources, Q & A, newsletter, and coaching programs. A speaker and writer, he has authored 75 articles on coaching and is nationally published. His 18 years in college basketball highlights a successful 23-year career. Mentored by Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson at Arizona. Resume includes positions at Arizona, Iowa State, Marquette, Drake, and Miami of Ohio, 5 Conference Championships and 5 NCAA appeearances. His efforts have helped develop 12 NBA players including Steve Kerr, Sean Elliott, and Jaamal Tinsley. To contact Randy, email him at rb@coachrb.com

Vertical Jump Training - Methods For Increasing Flexibility

Flexibility is a crucial factor in training to jump higher. The ability of the 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 over 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 basketball 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 basketball 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

Protecting Your Mouth When Wearing Braces

Although mouth protection is important at all times basketball even more so when involved in athletic competition, care should always be taken when wearing braces.

Mouth guards provide very important protection to the mouth when engaged in athletic competitions. Research has shown that even basketball and soccer, which are considered non-contact sports, produce a large number of facial traumas due to blunt force contact. The mouth guard provides protection against mouth trauma from blunt force contact by enclosing the teeth with a protective barrier that adsorbs and redirects the force. When a person is wearing braces or has had recent dental work, the risk of injury is even greater. The mouth guard offers protection not only from damage to the appliances, but also shields the soft tissue of the lips and inner mouth from contact with the braces themselves.

There are three major types of mouth guards available. The basketball mouth guards are preformed and factory made. They are simply removed from the containers and placed in the mouth. Although they are by far the cheapest of all mouth guards, you do not always receive a good fit which limits their ability to provide protection. The second type is called the boil and bit. This mouth guard is warmed first and then it is fitted to your mouth. The warming makes the guard malleable and it usually conforms to the shape of your mouth to provide much a much better fit and consequently more protection, than the stock variety. Despite the name, actually boiling the mouth guard is not necessary; it simply needs to be warmed to a flexible state.

The third type of mouth guard is called the custom guard. These are made by the orthodontist or a dentist specifically for an individual patient. Of course, they are much more expensive than the other types, but they do provide the maximum amount of protection. Custom mouth guards are recommended for athletes engaged in any type of sport that could produce mouth trauma while wearing braces. In most cases, full participation in sports is allowable when wearing braces or retainers as long as mouth guards are always used. Remember, this would include participation in sports such as basketball, soccer, or even baseball and softball, that are not generally considered contact sports. In a contact sport like football, nothing less than a custom mouth guard should be used for maximum safety.

There are other products designed to protect the mouth while wearing braces or other orthodontic appliances. These are designed more for the prevention of sores and infections and not for protection from trauma. These include such things as dental wax and oral antiseptic rinses. In the United States, silicone has largely replaced common dental wax as a protective substance. It provides a barrier between the edges of the metal braces and the soft tissue of the mouth and gums. Other types of gels are used to provide further protection and to help keep the mouth clean and free from infections.

The most serious risk to your mouth comes from blunt force trauma that can be the unexpected side effect of engaging in sports. This is why mouth guards are recommended when playing any sport where the possibility of contact exists. When you are undergoing orthodontic treatment and wearing braces or retainers, this becomes more than a recommendation and more of a necessity. The possibility of damage to the appliances themselves is bad enough, but the damage that broken or smashed metal or ceramic braces can do to the soft tissue of the mouth is even worse. Although stock mouth guards do provide protection and boil and bite guards offer even more, custom mouth guards made by your dentist are the best when wearing braces.

Aazdak Alisimo writes for the orthodontist directory at OrthodontistWeb.com.

Lebron James the Best Player in the NBA

Lebron James has the dribbling skills of a point guard and the physical grit of a power forward. He can dunk from almost the free throw line, and also drain the threes. basketball are few players in that category in the NBA. Kevin Garnett may be in that small list. Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson would be they are retired.

He was drafted out of high school and paid 90 million dollars for a Nike shoe contract. He was one of the last great players to be drafted straight from High School since they created the 19 year old/one year in college rule.

Lebron carried his team to the NBA finals against the San Antonio Spurs. They lost but that is to be expected when your teammates aren't there for you. He is the main talent, he doesn't have a Scottie Pippen, John Stockton, or Tony Parker to help him. In the Eastern Conference Finals he carried his team against the Pistons. He scored 50 points in one game to keep them alive.

He has been wanting a trade to Dallas or New York, but neither deal went threw. It seems no one has enough cap room to pay for him. He would easily win a ring in Dallas or Chicago, but no such luck. He better hope he gets some better talent around him. He can ask Kobe Bryant or Kevin Garnett about that miserable feeling. Just look at what happened once Garnett got surrounded by stars--a championship that's what!

I mean this guy took his team to the playoffs in his third year with the Cavaliers. He was averaging 30.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assist in the playoffs that year. Talk about earning your money's worth.

James will get a better point guard this year in Mo Williams. Mo was averaging 17.2 points, basketball assists, and 1.2 steals a game last year. If he can keep those stats up and dish it to James enough, the team will be doing much better. They still have Ben Wallace on defense to scoop up the boards. They could still use a better shooting guard because Sacha Pavlovic is not very good. They could trade both draft picks for an good shooting guard like Mike Miller from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

I think the Cavaliers will get to the Eastern Conference Finals again this year. It will take a lot of grit and determination to get past the Boston Celtics, who are looking to repeat from last year.

Clarke Baldwin is a journalist who has worked for Dallas Morning News and other publications. You can find his site at Super Media Blog and this article at Lebron James the Best Player in the NBA.

How To Slam Dunk - Increase Vertical Jump

The Slam Dunk Just might be one of the greatest achievements in playing the game of basketball. Its probably second to hitting a game winning shot. Everyone wants to know how to slam dunk.

The answer is pretty simple, basketball just need to increase your vertical leap. If you increase your vertical leap by a few inches, you'll probably be slam dunking the basketball in no time. Not everybody needs to be 6' 5" to be able to dunk the basketball. It usually comes down to two things. Technique and power.

The technique part of it is simply the part about you training your body on how to jump properly and throw down that slam dunk. But if you really want to know how to slam dunk, it'll probably come down to the power that your body can produce. When you train to increase your vertical, you will see that you are building and developing your lower body strength. This strength will translate to that power that you are looking for to help you dunk.

To practice technique, you can pick up a basketball and run towards the rim and attempt to dunk the ball the way that you would if you could. It might sound like a stupid idea and you might not want to do it, but what's the point in jumping high and trying to dunk if you basketball know how to dunk at all? This is why practice makes perfect. Continue to practice this technique and your body will become used to it.

The power aspect is where it gets difficult. This is where you need to train your body to gain the strength necessary. If you want to know how to slam dunk you definitely need to increase your vertical leap. Your vertical leap is related to the strength in your legs. This is why you need to focus on workouts such as squats, lunges, and calf raises. These workouts will help you increase your power and your explosiveness really fast.

Is it really possible to add 6 inches to your vertical jump in the next 60 days? Check out my reviews of the top Vertical Jump Programs on the market.

A Sports Story That Slam Dunks

Every once in a while an anomaly appears in sports, a one of a kind. Soccer had Pele, Golf has Tiger Woods, Bicycling has Lance Armstrong, Hockey has Wayne Gretsky, Swimming has Michael Phelps basketball Basket Ball has Michael Jordan. These men are not merely athletes they are legends and deservedly so. Their stories show us that super stars of humanity are not just born, they are made and they work to get there.

As fans we marvel at their strength of character, their agility and their uncanny ability to read the game, with a psychic like ability of intuition. How is it possible, where do they come from, how can one man be that good? It is basketball like this that feed their legendary status, their mystique and their greatness, often making them 10-feet tall, not in 100-years from today, but right now in their prime.

These are the stories that capture our imagination and make us feel like we to hold special strength because we are also human. Their commitment, perseverance and shear brilliance captivates us in suspended belief. One of the best stories I have read about such folks is a book about Michael Jordan and it is a book I'll recommend to you also:

"Driven from Within" with Michael Jordan edited by Mark Vancil; Atria Books, New York, NY; 2000.

The story takes us through an odyssey of Michael Jordan's life, his endorsements, his family, his childhood, his hopes, his fears, his team and the Los Angeles Lakers organization. Nothing is sacred the book reveals all, it's an unbelievable journey and a life well lived.

"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/

Chess Elo

What is Chess ELO?

Chess Elo is a way of giving players a rating that is universally used in the chess world. It is not however exclusively for chess and can be used in a number of 2 and over player games such as computer games and football.

The Elo chess system was named after an Hungarian born American physics professor Arpad Elo. Previous rating systems proved inaccurate and therefore it was inevitable that someone would come up with a basketball and improved rating scale with which we could compare chess players. Elo's system was based for the most part on on statistics. Elo's main hypothesis was that the individuals performance in each match is a normally distributed random variable. The assumption was that players might have good games and bad games however, their overall "true skill" will not change a great deal and therefore can be used in the calculation.

That said, there is another problem. How do you measure a chess player's performance apart from saying he won and therefore performed better than his opponent. Or she drew therefore performed the same as her opponent. Or he lost and therefore performed worse than his opponent.

Elo's idea therefore, was to make it simpler to estimate the "true Skill" of a player by calculating the amount of games a player is expected to win comparing the ratings of the player to that of the opponent. This gets quite complicated but put as simply as possible a player is given a projection of how may games he or she would be expected to win. This is generated from the player and his opponents rating. In essence, if a player won more matches than what his or her projected winning rate was calculated at, their rating would increase and vice versa.

One benefit of Chess Elo system is it helps to eliminate uneven matches between players. Rather like a golfers handicap, similar rated players can be matched against each other.

To initiate your own personal Elo rating you will have to play against middle ranked players with a score say around about 1150 to 1300. Once you have a rating try to play, and of course beat players with a slightly higher ranking as this will increase your score. Once you start to beat this group you can take on the next higher ranking players and so on. Don't bite of more than you can chew. pace basketball or you may find yourself losing game after game and your score will drop.

If you want to see how they work out the chess Elo ratings click on the link below in the authors bio box.

The author has been playing chess for over 40 years and his site is dedicated to teaching others how to win at chess. If you want to find out how to calculate a chess Elo score click here

http://chessstrategy.blogspot.com/2009/02/chess-elo.html

Training to Jump Higher - Body Limits

A very important thing I have learned in my training over the years is that human body has limits. Sometimes your body will just not want basketball get stronger. These times become more and more frequent as you grow older. Teenagers who are still growing can usually see improvements from just about any training strategy. Once you stop growing and start aging, training will have to be more and more precise to produce good results. Nutrition and rest will demand ever increasing attention as well.

Getting your body to respond to training can be quite difficult. When you do come across an effective training program, it will not be effective forever. For example, my freshman year of college I did a few weeks of bench pressing Monday through Friday. I did 3 sets and tried to add a rep to the workout each day. When I got to 3x10 I would increase the weight. My max bench shot up 30 pounds to 250, but then the grueling schedule caught up to me, and I stopped getting stronger. I switched to 2 more thorough days of lifting each week, hoping the new schedule would promote further gains. Instead, my bench dropped down to 230 very quickly. I went through a similar scenario again the summer after that school year, and again after last year's basketball season ended. The point is that the human body goes through cycles with its fitness and performance level. This is something I hope to learn much more about in the future.

The progression of my vertical leap is another example. I have basically had just 3 periods of significant improvement since I first began doing squats and calf raises in 7th grade. Those happened when I was 13, 15, and 20. The first two I credit to a little bit of luck and some appropriately timed growth spurts. The third I believe I achieved by finally gaining some understanding of jumping and applying it to my vertical jump training. There were other times that I attempted to increase my vertical and experienced little to no gains. I believe this was partly due to lack of expertise, but I think the bigger reason was that my body was not always in a condition to become stronger. Long hard basketball seasons were always wearing down my body, severely limiting the potential for increased strength. (A quick sidenote... I have heard some negative things said about basketball players and their tendency to avoid the weightroom. My theory is that basketball demands so much time and energy in the gym developing skills and teamwork that basketball players' bodies cannot recover from additional work in the weight room. So dedicated players make very few gains in the weightroom when they do lift, so they are reluctant to continue expending themselves in this way.) Even now, I have gained a lot of knowledge and understanding about jump training, but my vertical has reached a temporary plateau after a period of growth. You just simply cannot expect your body to continue responding well, basketball if you make intelligent adjustments to your training.

I have several vertical jump training programs available on my blog. They are all just 2 or 3 phases of 3-5 weeks, because you simply cannot plan further ahead than that. Even 3 phases is a stretch I think. In the last 6 weeks or so I have been training several friends of mine. After getting familiar with the first phase I had planned for them, they always asked what the next phase would be like. I always told them it depended on the results of the first phase.

The point is that nothing is ever guaranteed to work, because the body is not guaranteed to respond all that well. This varies from person to person too. Some people can build muscle like its nothing; others will struggle to even maintain any strength they gain. You have to be willing to try a lot of things, and you have to be willing to take time off as well. Overtraining can occur very easily. The goal is to maximize your gains during those times when your body is in the right state for growth. Then you want to do just enough to maintain your performance level until the next gains come along. I'll be the first to admit it can be frustrating. Fortunately the results are well worth the effort.

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

Basketball Stations - Basketball Drills For a Pre-Practice Warm-up

As a beginning coach, I ignored warm-ups and used half-speed two-ball dribbling drills as a warm-up for more intense activities during practice. When I moved to Sweden to coach a professional women's basketball team, the players were married to their warm-ups and could not function without an extended warm-up period. When I practiced with the club's men's team, I felt like more than half the practice was a warm-up. I acquiesced, in a sense, with my team: we arrived before our practice time and players jumped rope for 5-10 minutes above the bleachers as our warm-up and then we did one sub-maximal drill on the court before moving into our practice.

In our first game, our opponent spent 25 of the allotted 30 minutes of pre-game warm-up using a basketball. Later in the season, I watched another player go through an extensive plyometric pre-game warm-up. While Americans criticize European players for their defensive deficiencies, the Swedish players' defensive basketball impressed me. We generally assume that a foreign-born player with adept footwork developed her footwork by playing soccer, but as I reflected on my experience coaching abroad, it appeared as though their pre-game and practice routines focused on footwork and led to its development.

The following season, as I prepared workouts and practice routines, I implemented a series of warm-ups to begin practice: drills to focus on footwork and jumping ability. Coaching women, the pre-practice jumping and agility program is an attempt to increase performance and reduce injuries, as researchers believe women can reduce the risk of ACL injury through a small plyometric routine.

I use three general warm-up routines: (1) jump rope' (2) stations or (3) full court dynamic warm-up (carioca, running backwards, bounding, lateral bounding, high knees, butt kicks and high/power skips). Our warm-up now lasts 10-15 minutes.

Warm-up Stations

When we do our station warm-up, we jog, backpedal and carioca. Since we have 10 players, we work in pairs. Our focus is to teach quick changes of direction and first-step quickness.

Station 1: Mirror Drill (15 seconds on, rest for 15 seconds, 15 seconds on)

We teach most of our on-ball defensive stance and movement through this drill and later in 1v1 drills. The players face each other and one player starts as the offensive player and one as the defender. The offensive player leads, moving laterally, and the defensive player tries to remain face to face. The offensive player's goal is to basketball space between the two of them, while the defender tries to stay within the width of the offensive player's body.

Station 2: Mikan Drill

The first player goes for 30 seconds and then the second player goes. Drill practices baby-hook shots. Start under the basket and step out with the left foot on the right side to shoot with the right hand; grab the ball from the net, keeping the ball above your shoulders and step to the left side of the rim with your right foot, shooting with the left hand. Continue.

Station 3: Jump Squats

Squat and jump as high as possible, swinging arms high into the air. Focus on a soft landing so they land properly from a vertical jump and absorb the force of the impact throughout the muscles of their legs, not just in the quadriceps and knee joint. Squat to a half-squat, with the bottom of the thighs parallel to the ground before jumping.

Station 4: X-Lay-ups

Make as many lay-ups in 30 seconds and then switch. Start at one elbow, dribble and attempt a lay-up. Rebound and run to the other elbow; dribble and attempt a lay-up from the other side. Continue for 30 seconds.

Station 5: Partner Shooting

Player 1 passes to Player 2 and closes out. P2 catches, shoots and follows her shot. P1 contests the shot and relocates, moving continuously and calling for the ball. P2 passes to P1 and contests shot. Partners shoot for one minute.

Station 6: McHale Drill

Left hand tips ball continuously against the backboard while the right hand grabs the net (rim). Do six and switch to the right hand side. Right hand tips ball against backboard while left hand grabs the net (rim). Repeat on the left hand side for a total of 18 tips. Switch partners.

Station 7: T-Drill with 2 Ball Dribbling

Set up the T-Drill with cones 5-7 feet apart in the shape of a T. Start at the base of the T and sprint forward while dribbling two balls. Shuffle to the left cone, then to the right cone and finally back to the intersection. Back pedal to the base of the T. Go three times and rotate. The other player practices stationary two-ball drills while resting.

These quick drills provide a fast-paced warm-up that needs little instruction and insures the players break a sweat. Our focus is getting through the drills quickly: players sprint from station to station and practice with intensity in each drill. The warm-up focuses on ball control (6 and 7), quick changes of direction (1 and 7), jumping (3 and 6) and shooting (2, 4 and 5), training a variety of skills in a short amount of time.

For more information on youth basketball coaching, visit The Cross Over Movement.

McCormick is the Performance Director for TrainforHoops.com and the creator of 180Shooter.com. He is a coach, trainer and author who penned Cross Over: The New Model of Youth Basketball Development. McCormick has coached professionally in Sweden and Ireland, and coached and trained youth, high school and college teams and players in the United States. He currently advises clubs, schools and federations on their development systems and coach education programs. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (NSCA) and Performance Enhancement Specialist (NASM). He lives in Irvine where he trains players.