tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50567893541207547112024-03-21T10:50:56.088-04:00Coach Chic's Hockey DiaryUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-40935802513606293892025-03-07T16:41:00.000-05:002017-10-24T14:07:00.428-04:00Welcome to Coach Chic's Hockey Diary<script data-cfasync="false" src="https://videopal.me/js/vp_player.min.js?v=1.1.4"></script>
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This Message from Coach Chic...<br />
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Just so visitors know, I've been writing about hockey for a good thirty or so years, and that has almost always included advice -- about coaching the game, about being a hockey parent, and about improving ones playing abilities. <br />
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Over recent years, much of that more technical kind of writing -- and my video products -- have been hosted on a very popular hockey site, <a href="http://www.coachchic.com/"><b>CoachChic.com</b></a>.<br />
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Nowhere in there did I have the chance to do opinion pieces.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSxS59_3iO2SxSvqpZZwidbsRwgnkxNhK8F38h0WC6DlMvACDmAcrx7sUH3ARutrrrLvXj7MMSiN9rLXmYEkca8vVDRGBk9wC6Iv8PrXN2bbO0CpJeLz1EhFrfg4Yz5FPffC5cBaEv6rg/s1600/Hockey+Diary+for+site.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSxS59_3iO2SxSvqpZZwidbsRwgnkxNhK8F38h0WC6DlMvACDmAcrx7sUH3ARutrrrLvXj7MMSiN9rLXmYEkca8vVDRGBk9wC6Iv8PrXN2bbO0CpJeLz1EhFrfg4Yz5FPffC5cBaEv6rg/s320/Hockey+Diary+for+site.png" width="320" /></a>Enter my "Hockey Diary", which always seems to include at least a little about "The Life of a Hockey Coach".<br />
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With all that, I hope you'll scroll on through, and maybe even give me your opinions (God knows, I'm not shy about sharing mine).<br />
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Thanks for stopping by,<br />
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Dennis Chighisola <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-68273513807599681102017-09-25T21:32:00.003-04:002017-09-25T21:36:58.807-04:00Not On These Given Sundays!If you don't recognize that "given Sunday" reference, that's close to the title of an Oliver Stone movie called on "Any Given Sunday'. A football flick starring Al Pacino, I guess that title suggested that anything could happen -- or anyone could win -- on any given Sunday. As for my borrowing some of that title, let me get back to that momentarily.<br />
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Taking a step backwards in time for a sec, let me say that I played high school football and a rinky-dink level of semi-pro. Still in our twenties, an old high school teammate and I bought New England Patriots season tickets for their new stadium just being built in Foxboro, MA. We had a pair of seats each at the start, but I took on all four within a few years. It was both fun and a hassle keeping up with the Pats' schedule, but I had to give up the seats when my hockey obligations caused far too many conflicts. </blockquote>
That bit of history aside, I don't think one ever loses a love of a sport he or she has been involved in at several levels. And so it was for me, with football, baseball and hockey. <br />
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Time permitting, Patriots games frequently owned our Sunday afternoons. Those times were as much social, as I looked forward to watching a game with my dad, one of my brothers, or my brother in-law.<br />
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Fast forward to a few years ago, when Brenda and I moved from the frozen north to the Sunshine State. Florida has its share of pro football teams down here, so the local airwaves were easily dominated with broadcasts of the local Buccaneers, the Miami team or the team up in Jacksonville.<br />
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Over that span, I've had to often rely on Internet reports or play-by-play posts by my social media friends. Ya, I cared that much, hanging on every post or comment provided me by friends up around "Patriots Nation".<br />
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If you get my drift, I've been hooked on the Pats for a very long time, and I kinda lived or died with how they did on "any given Sunday". I suffered through the years when the Sullivan family owned the team, and I've loved it all these recent years while Robert Kraft, Coach Bill and Tom Brady have been at the helm. As a long time coach myself, I thought it something special when a pro team could project a one for all, all for one way of doing things -- ala Lombardi teams in Green Bay or Shula teams down in Miami.<br />
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That was then, though, and this is a day when I'm dealing with the aftermath of the most recent "given Sunday". Actually, I missed this past Sunday's game because of other obligations, but I surely got the news about a bunch of Patriot players kneeling during the anthem. I guess one player was heard to say something to the effect, "<a href="http://www.weei.com/blogs/ty-anderson/patriots-give-reasons-kneeling-during-anthem-we-want-respect-and-unity" target="_blank"><b>We want respect and unity.</b></a>" Well, good for him -- or good for the lot of them. As for me, though, I'm off the bandwagon. <br />
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As most friends know, I've been a coach for more than 45-years. And, I guess I'm also an old fashion sort. So, while I know NFL types are wanting to handle things differently nowadays, I'd be inclined to fire any player who can't put his nation and his teammates before all else. To my way of thinking, there are other ways to protest. But...</blockquote>
I'm going to end here by saying that I could care less about the Patriots. I'm also going to ask my northern friends not to relay scores to me anymore -- I mean that, I'm done.<br />
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Will I follow the NFL in the future? Hmmmmmm... I might be interested to hear how the Cowboys respond to their owner tonight, and I might jump on that bandwagon if Jones' players put football, their team, their fans and their country ahead of all else.<br />
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PS: I recall Vince Lombardi prioritizing things for his players, and it didn't sound so far fetched to me... As memory serves me, Lombardi believed that their God should come first to his players, their families should come next, and then the Packers team should come next -- above all else. Of course, if Colin Kaepernick had been on that team, his preference for a certain ice cream flavor might well come just before or just after his commitment to the team.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-45273346864863236842016-11-24T21:46:00.000-05:002017-02-20T16:15:04.996-05:00How To Be ThankfulLet me start by saying that Brenda and I have tried a number of churches since we landed in Central Florida. <br />
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I don't think it's fair to suggest that any we visited weren't very nice, and more than good enough for a couple of sinners. (Oh, we're not bad people at all, but we have learned to accept that <u>we're all sinners</u>, and we're all just trying our best to be right in the eyes of our God.)<br />
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Not so ironically, Brenda and I both spent most of our young lives attending services at churches our parents or ancestors picked for us. Yes, think about that one... Although growing up in different countries, our grandparents picked the churches their children would attend, and our parents just naturally continued a tradition that takes place in almost all families. <br />
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As for picking our own church, I think Brenda would agree that our choice had to be "us". Do you know what I mean? </blockquote>
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Speaking for myself for a sec, I'd say that I seldom left the religious services of my youth feeling all that inspired, motivated, cleansed, or whatever it is many God-fearing people seek. Ya, that's a big part of what I mean by a church being "us", or maybe striking an undefinable chord within either Brenda or me. (Truth be told, we thought we found the perfect church just before leaving Kissimmee. Still, I guess God would have kept us there if that was his plan.) </blockquote>
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With all that.... </blockquote>
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Enter an awesome little congregation in a tiny town not far from where we are now, a little further south near Tampa.<br />
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Truly, none of the following should be taken in a negative way -- when I say that this church and its people are kinda old fashion, or kinda folksy, because I think the atmosphere there is totally "us".<br />
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We were made to feel at home from the very start, and nothing has changed over the many months we've been attending services there. In fact, only missing a single service over that span -- due to a wicked flu bug, Brenda and I agree that Sunday morning is our very favorite time of the week. Moreover, we usually go out for a bite after services, and we spend a great deal of time sipping coffee and hashing over our Pastor's latest message.<br />
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Yup, our Pastor... Actually, this piece has a lot to do with the way he recently helped every member in his congregation to be thankful. Of course, his lovely wife attracted everyone to that special night with her homemade chicken soup and dumplings. (And, let me tell you, I was trying not to appear too piggish by limiting myself to just two bowls of that awesome stuff.)<br />
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Still, the best part of the night -- after some prayer, some talk of scripture, and a few warmth-inspiring Christian songs -- was a little game the Pastor had everyone in attendance play. Here's how it went...<br />
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He gave everyone in the hall a small bowl, a small stack of notepaper and a pen.<br />
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The Pastor then asked everyone to take a piece of the paper, and jot on it something they were extremely thankful for. Actually, he next turned to me at a nearby table, and I immediately pointed at Brenda. Aaaaaah, for sure, the thing I'm most thankful for is having that always smiling young lady in my life.<br />
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He went on to ask us to fill our small bowls -- no, wait, he wanted us to overfill those bowls -- with all the things we were thankful for. </blockquote>
A few days after that stirring evening, Brenda asked me what I'd
written on the remaining slips I heaped in my bowl. That was easy...
Again, my first was about Brenda. The next one I wrote with a lump in
my throat, thanking God for the best upbringing a young guy could have ever
have had. The third one could have filled a bowl by itself, had I
decided to list each detail separately. But it was something simpler, as I
expressed my thanks for "a life full of unbelievable experiences". I
mean, how many folks do you know who have made their favorite pastime
their living? How many do you know who got to study their sport in the old Soviet
Union, to mix with many of the top people in their profession, or got to lecture in front of National Hockey League coaches and
GMs? Mixed in with all that, hardly a day goes by that I don't see
something on TV and tell Brenda, "I've been there," or "I've done
that."<br />
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To be honest, I've been into inspirational stuff since my earliest years of adulthood -- or even earlier. And I'd long ago seen some ideas close to what the Pastor had us do. A reader could even use the following version, especially if he or she is a little down in the dumps...<br />
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As I recall, the idea is to divide a long sheet of paper down the middle, and then go about listing all the negatives in your life on one side, and all the positives on the other. As one usually discovers, the nice things tend to go far down the sheet, and sometimes even overflow onto another. And, while the negatives might gnaw at you more than any others, this exercises tends to put things quickly into perspective. I mean, no matter what might be bothering us at any given moment, we'd seldom ever give up all the great things that have happened to us over a lifetime.</blockquote>
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As long time friends might know, I was literally wiped out a few years ago
-- partly from a rather ugly divorce, with the finishing touches coming
when I entrusted my coaching career to some extremely unscrupulous
hockey people. No matter, Brenda and I have spent little time crying.
We didn't even need any formal exercises to shake us out of those
downers. No, we've kinda known all along that we've been lucky, and
we'll take the negatives in exchange for all the truly nice things that
have happened for us in recent years. <br />
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So, did we find
the right church "for us"? I kinda think so. And, while we don't have
much flexibility in our lifestyle right now -- having to care for my
ailing mom, Brenda and I truly want to get more involved in what we see
as "our church".<br />
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As for being thankful, well... After
over 40-years in coaching, I learned to rely on a lot of little mental
games like those described above. They were useful to me, I think they
helped my players at times, and I'm hoping they might help my readers,
too.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-88477371687861386802016-05-13T22:54:00.000-04:002018-06-17T22:04:25.694-04:00The 15-second CommuteActually, I lied about that... My commute is probably more like 5-seconds -- from the bedroom to my laptop. But then, it takes a goodly amount of time to get my first morning coffee. :)<br />
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As for that expression -- about the short commute, it's well known and well worn in Internet marketing circles. In other words, few of those guys and gals spend hours in rush hour traffic, and squeezing their steering wheels 'til their knuckles turn white.<br />
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Today, though, my sweetheart, Brenda, got me on this subject. I mean, as I could tell she was running the day's schedule through her head, I posed a question I knew would ease here mind... Ya, once I asked her how long her commute was this morning, she started to smile. And that smile broadened quite a bit when I reminded her about the morning and nightly traffic jams that dominated her earlier life.<br />
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For me, the 15-second commute trickled into my life about 30-years ago, although it was never a full-time thing. No, I was still running hockey clinics or camps or team practices and games out at rinks around New England. Those usually weren't hectic trips, though, and I still got to do my 15-second commutes on most days. (There was a stretch over about a decade when I had to have a downtown office, but even that didn't confine me to what you'd call "office hours".)<br />
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A quick Internet search had a company called "<a href="http://www.12secondcommute.com/" target="_blank"><b>12 Second Commute</b></a>" dominating Google's first page. Buried far down the page was another company describing itself as "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-2-second-Commute-Exploding-Assistants/dp/1564147924" target="_blank"><b>The 2-second Commute</b></a>", with other so-many-seconds commuters showing on subsequent pages. My points being: 1) that the expression is pretty prevalent in Internet marketing circles, and 2) that there are a lot of people trying to earn a living without the possibility of dying on a local highway.</blockquote>
Truthfully, I'm not here to promote anything -- except a lifestyle I've grown to love and thrive in. And I'd like to tell you why I think I've thrived.<br />
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My hockey friends know well the story I tell about "<a href="http://coachchic.com/the-start-of-creative-hockey-coaching-in-my-bunker/" target="_blank"><b>The Start of Creative Hockey Coaching – My Bunker</b></a>", and they know my bunker is not a specific place, but more like a state of mind. The real point of that piece is that different places are more or less conducive to being creative. In my case, I can go nuts under certain circumstances -- like at poolside, on a beach, at a campsite, or in the mountains.<br />
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I don't mean to imply that I need an exotic place to be creative, but... The last two favorite "bunkers" have included a nice area I set up in my backyard up in Massachusetts, and then a comfy patio we had at a townhouse when we first reached Florida.</blockquote>
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Neither location was exotic at all, but the ambient sounds -- like birds chirping -- along with a little cockapoo named <a href="http://my-hockey-diary.blogspot.com/2016/02/forever-chasing-butterflies.html" target="_blank"><b>Raggs</b></a> sleeping at my feet -- really helped to get my creative juices flowing.</blockquote>
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If you're getting the gist of what I'm saying, I don't appreciate just sitting inside and staring at four walls, and having someone suggest to me, "Write!" Ugh. I can do it, but it definitely isn't fun<b> -- </b>and it's not going to represent my best work. No, the ideas aren't going to be flowing as they would in a nice, bunker-type situation. </blockquote>
Now, quite some time ago, I penned an article called "<a href="http://my-hockey-diary.blogspot.com/2014/12/performing-within-your-areas-of.html" target="_blank"><b>Performing Within Your Areas of Brilliance</b></a>". I wrote that partly to needle a few friends and family members who constantly advise me on how I should spend my time -- as if they know better. But I also wanted to explain how none of us will ever be at our very best unless we're doing something we can become totally engrossed in. <br />
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As for my personal story, I've spent an adult lifetime working at hockey. Sure, I worked "in" hockey -- teaching, coaching and lecturing, but I also spent my time away from the rinks and podiums, studying and studying and studying the game.</blockquote>
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Along came the Internet, which helped me tremendously in so many different ways. It started with an old fashion static webpage, but soon blossomed into my <a href="http://coachchic.com/"><b>CoachChic.com</b></a> hockey advice site, and it ultimately led to my digitizing my instructional videos, some training manuals I'd previously sold as hardcopy, </blockquote>
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PS: As I was writing this piece, Brenda was speaking on the phone with a young lady who had just lost her job. Imagine: she showed for work on Monday morning and was told then. Sadly, that's how things work today, though -- no staying with one employer for a lifetime, being faithful for all that time, and getting your gold watch in the end. No, what was once thought to be job security doesn't exist anymore -- unless, of course, your boss is you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-45233995535899391072016-03-11T20:55:00.000-05:002016-03-21T00:09:01.062-04:00Understanding The Latest Internet Craze - 2This being Part 2 on a rather unique topic, I might suggest that "<a href="http://my-hockey-diary.blogspot.com/2016/03/understanding-latest-internet-craze.html" target="_blank"><b>Understanding The Latest Internet Craze - 1</b></a>" was written for those who aren't all that familiar with either podcasting or Internet radio. This entry, on the other hand, is especially directed towards those who are already into running their own online shows. <br />
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Why speak directly to those who should already know all there is to know about digital audio? It's because, I think, they know more about podcasting than they do the Internet radio side of things.<br />
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With that, what I feel the need to emphasize is the way I'd previously distinguished podcasts from online radio.<br />
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If you'll recall from that earlier piece, listening to our favorite podcast can be awesome. If you'll also recall, though, that can be a bit of a hassle, too.</blockquote>
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Yes, if there's a problem, a podcast generally stands alone, it plays from beginning to end, and then that's it. </blockquote>
I'm not talking about quality here, or the fact that some listeners might choose to replay a given episode again, and maybe even again. Sooner or later, however, that is it, and the listener -- and even the hardcore fan -- has to move on.<br />
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Does the listener move on to another episode, or to another site hosted by a different podcaster? I'm not sure that matters in the context of what I'm going to suggest, but I'll instead state that the amount of time a listen hangs around is probably only once through the recording.<br />
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Yet another question that comes to mind has to do with the number of times a podcaster's advertisement will play on the visitor's ears. Hmmmm... </blockquote>
Still another question -- and perhaps the one that I want to emphasize here -- has to do with luck. I mean, a podcaster can promote and promote, but that's a lot of work -- for what? Oh, I know that being in a number of podcasting search engines is important and helpful. However, how much help is it really? In other words, is a podcaster going to be found because of subject matter? Of course, although that probably means it'll be buried among a kzillion other programs of the same type. Is a program going to be found because of its name or its host's name? Sure, but then listeners are probably going to find that program anyway, in any number of ways.<br />
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Enter the single themed Internet radio station. For a start, the station is likely to be listed in all the right search groups. Far better yet, though, and using my Internet radio station as an example, here's where improved luck comes in...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://hockeytalkradio.us/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://hockeytalkradio.us/" border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqU_qvt8vdWE3h8IuuvnGKsjRQcaQLrLvCUI2tpgRyT_4SW1FdcDRwWMWlgUs6gq6bEa_ePs8dOkLAP-0GmckJQmiT54x6Y4MqOhXkAnUu0vOs1DLHTd8S5uz7BV7HhghFywRLCBN7mkoc/s320/HockeyTalkRadio-X.png" width="320" /></a>I know for a fact that a lot of folks come to <a href="http://hockeytalkradio.us/" target="_blank"><b>Hockey Talk Radio</b></a> purely because of their interest in my sport.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Almost hourly throughout the daytime hours, I'm promoting one or another educational prodcast, and during the nighttime I'm pushing a different NHL fan based show. Each of those posts go to about 16,000 contacts in social media -- that's 16-thousand, which means that a lot of hockey folks are ultimately going to recognize the names of the shows I promote.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
That's not the half of it, however. For, the luck I've been getting at goes something like this... A listener tunes in because he or she knows the show host I just mentioned, or listeners are initially attracted to the station because they're interested in something like skill development, goaltending, nutrition, mental or physical training, or talk about the NHL.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It doesn't matter what attracted them, but it surely does matter the way all the podcasters on my station luck into being heard by folks who initially tuned in to hear someone else. Actually, a number of folks have told me it works exactly like that. </blockquote>
Then, one more thing... I'm a numbers guy, and I see something that others seem to be split over. What I'm getting at is that one show promoting to maybe a thousand connections is one thing, and it's quite another if I promote our station with close to 20,000 followers, and then about 15 show hosts do the same with their 1,000-ish contacts.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RJXPF6O7PwnluqQpXPaMRphKKk_6gYy9WgeCbT89ediv3Tc7y5nriTO3POrwdmfnW-uaAglhVWWTTGwYnBgceu0KwXdvcTt7PRnQhFlD0IYGPdpXpm1YrD24ZONbRsEEmw49KyM21Z_v/s1600/Microphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RJXPF6O7PwnluqQpXPaMRphKKk_6gYy9WgeCbT89ediv3Tc7y5nriTO3POrwdmfnW-uaAglhVWWTTGwYnBgceu0KwXdvcTt7PRnQhFlD0IYGPdpXpm1YrD24ZONbRsEEmw49KyM21Z_v/s200/Microphone.jpg" width="102" /></a>In other words, take your pick... One show promotes by itself to about a thousand connections, or everyone works together to bring something like 30,000 or so followers to one Internet radio station. To me, it's a no-brainer, that spells the difference between great popularity and working in a virtual closet.<br />
<br />
Ya, the things I've outlined above just seems to make sense to me, but I'd surely like to hear from others who run their own Internet radio stations. As Part 1 should have convinced readers, this whole online radio thing is new, and I suspect it's going to evolve as each of us station producers keep experimenting and learning. Sharing ideas along the way would surely help further what is right now just the start of an Internet craze.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Considering that we all live and learn, and considering that we're all human, I'm going to suggest a sports analogy when it comes to a program's involvement with a station. Or, as I've mentioned sometimes to the shows I work with, there's a need for everyone involved with our station to work as "team players". I notice that comes naturally to some, and not so to others.<br />
<br />
As for the human part, guess what an old hockey coach does as he looks to spread those hourly promos... It's human nature, I think, that I promote more often those earlier described team players, and often skip over those who tend not to help the other shows. </div>
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*</div>
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Something most individual podcasters can't do... As I've been able to pull off over recent weeks, my station's feed can now be placed on any welcoming hockey website in the form of a <a href="http://my-hockey-diary.blogspot.com/2016/01/listen-to-hockey-talk-radio.html" target="_blank"><b>Hockey Talk Radio player</b></a>. <br />
<br />
Actually, both the player down below and the one over in the right sidebar can be clicked so that you can listen to the station in progress. In any case, the popup window can be moved out of the way or minimized, so that a visitor can move around the site, browse and listen to the station. </div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5056789354120754711#" onclick="loadWindow()"><img src="https://coachchic2.s3.amazonaws.com/HockeyTalkRadio/LinkExchange/-HTR-Logo1.png" width="225" /></a>
<script>
function loadWindow(){
window.open ("http://hockeytalkradio.us/radio.html",
"mywindow","menubar=1,resizable=1,width=350,height=450");
}
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function loadWindow(){
window.open ("http://hockeytalkradio.us/radio.html",
"mywindow","menubar=1,resizable=1,width=350,height=450");
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-28921141328510321382016-03-07T00:05:00.000-05:002016-03-11T21:23:31.564-05:00Understanding The Latest Internet Craze - 1<br />
The more I read, the more I find I'm once again faaaaar ahead of the proverbial curve.<br />
<br />
Ya, Internet radio is becoming more and more accepted, or it's being discovered by more and more fans of traditional radio. But, if I'm ahead on something else, I'm also going to suggest that the biggest problem producers like me face today is a lack of understanding on the parts of potential listeners.<br />
<br />
Here's what I mean...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Number One, although I'm sure most folks now have a sense of what a podcast is, I hear from some friends who don't understand how a bunch of podcasts can be strung together -- or placed back to back -- to make a full day and night of online programming. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RJXPF6O7PwnluqQpXPaMRphKKk_6gYy9WgeCbT89ediv3Tc7y5nriTO3POrwdmfnW-uaAglhVWWTTGwYnBgceu0KwXdvcTt7PRnQhFlD0IYGPdpXpm1YrD24ZONbRsEEmw49KyM21Z_v/s1600/Microphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RJXPF6O7PwnluqQpXPaMRphKKk_6gYy9WgeCbT89ediv3Tc7y5nriTO3POrwdmfnW-uaAglhVWWTTGwYnBgceu0KwXdvcTt7PRnQhFlD0IYGPdpXpm1YrD24ZONbRsEEmw49KyM21Z_v/s320/Microphone.jpg" width="164" /></a></div>
Secondly, while I often like surfing the Net for podcasts of my liking, I'm usually done on the host website when the program I selected is over. From there, then, I have to either load another program from that site, or conduct another search for a new host site. And, while that might be fairly easy to do on my laptop, it's not so convenient to pull off on my smartphone.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Thirdly, I'll suggest that a lot of folks don't realize how much can be accomplished online nowadays. I mean, the radio station I now run can be listened to on a computer from my website. Better yet, it can be accessed by way of a simple and free app that can be downloaded from either type of smartphone store.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Fourth, sports fans ought to recall that some traditional AM radio stations were told they'd never make it by switching to all-sports talk programming. Ya, I can remember that happening in Boston some time ago, but that station took off like gang busters. And today, biggies like ESPN have their own around-the-clock sports stations. </blockquote>
Part of the reason I'm writing this is because of a Facebook post I saw from an old teammate of mine back in Massachusetts. Like me, he's into old rock music. So, he was wishing aloud for a station that played everything from his teen years. I countered with the fact that I'd actually built something like that a few months ago, as a way of practicing for the new Hockey Talk Radio station I had on the drawingboard. <br />
<br />
That old rock station was actually awesome -- and it was super-easy to put together. But it died a slow death, mainly because I was preoccupied with building the hockey station, and not able to promote it enough.<br />
<br />
Again, though, it was easy as pie to put such a station online, and the friends who listened to it -- most of them being in my age bracket -- seemed to love the music. The reason it was so easy, is because I was able to pretty quickly gather several hundred songs from about 1955 to 1965, place them in seven different orders, and then program each of those 24-hour collections into Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and so forth. From there, things ran smoothly, without much cause for me to change anything. Oh, I'd have done a lot of things differently, if I was going to keep that station going. But, since all that work was really just to get myself familiar with the required software and programming methods, I let it go after just a few weeks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqU_qvt8vdWE3h8IuuvnGKsjRQcaQLrLvCUI2tpgRyT_4SW1FdcDRwWMWlgUs6gq6bEa_ePs8dOkLAP-0GmckJQmiT54x6Y4MqOhXkAnUu0vOs1DLHTd8S5uz7BV7HhghFywRLCBN7mkoc/s1600/HockeyTalkRadio-X.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqU_qvt8vdWE3h8IuuvnGKsjRQcaQLrLvCUI2tpgRyT_4SW1FdcDRwWMWlgUs6gq6bEa_ePs8dOkLAP-0GmckJQmiT54x6Y4MqOhXkAnUu0vOs1DLHTd8S5uz7BV7HhghFywRLCBN7mkoc/s320/HockeyTalkRadio-X.png" width="320" /></a></div>
As I said, all that was purely practice for my planned "around-the-clock, all hockey talk" station. And that, of course, was going to be quite different, and a whole lot harder to pull off. Unlike a music station -- where the songs never really get old -- as long as they're not over-played, talk shows lose their newness pretty quickly. So, such a station as <a href="http://hockeytalkradio.us/" target="_blank"><b>Hockey Talk Radio</b></a> requires constant attention, and a constant change to newer podcast episodes.<br />
<br />
If the reader doesn't know, I've been an ice hockey coach for over 40-years. So, I was especially excited about gathering a bunch of podcasters who like to teach, or who like to share their particular areas of expertise -- like in hockey skill development and coaching, nutrition, mental training and goaltending. Those shows rotate through the daytime and so-called drive-time hours, while I had something different in mind for the late-night and overnight hours. That's when a number of entertaining NHL, fan-based shows air, from about 9pm through the wee hours. Mixed in between all the different shows is some truly upbeat "bumper music" and short advertisements. <br />
<br />
Now, I hope I didn't bore anyone by explaining all that. I did, however, want to give you a sense of the way an online radio station might go together and operate. In other words, if you understand the rough workings of what I've done behind the scenes, it might make the final outcome -- an online radio station -- more understandable.<br />
<br />
As I mentioned earlier, it's pretty likely you can find a ton of awesome podcasts online. They're everywhere, and they're available in every topic imaginable. As I also mentioned, though, it can be a hassle to play more than one episode at a time. That's where an online radio station comes in handy, so long as it's playing the type of music or other content you really want to hear. <br />
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Personally, I work an awful lot on my laptop, writing for this blog and my <a href="http://coachchic.com/"><b>CoachChic.com</b></a> site, promoting a lot in social media, and a whole lot more. During those times, I have Hockey Talk Radio playing from my <a href="http://hockeytalkradio.us/radio.html" target="_blank"><b>desktop</b></a>. I just lost my faithful little pooch, <a href="http://my-hockey-diary.blogspot.com/2016/02/forever-chasing-butterflies.html" target="_blank"><b>Raggs</b></a>, but I long ago loaded a <a href="http://hockeytalkradio.us/listen-by-smartphone/" target="_blank"><b>free app</b></a> on my Android smartphone, so I could listen to my station as we walked the neighborhood during all hours of the day and night. Better yet (LOL), I take my phone with me when Brenda drags my butt to places I'm not crazy about going, so I can listen to my station and keep smiling.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsQu77D8Qem5rsd1ciVDxVnDizJiZijs_gYw8W7pzB4Q-zWVMtiYYyx5MsyvmRIerbS4dWZH8znvJcVAkype-onNgW-eI4vsVI5fP0Vf7yoQmUOFIba8_nfu4ok3yODqfWhiZOH2BX8R3/s1600/HTR+-+Player.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsQu77D8Qem5rsd1ciVDxVnDizJiZijs_gYw8W7pzB4Q-zWVMtiYYyx5MsyvmRIerbS4dWZH8znvJcVAkype-onNgW-eI4vsVI5fP0Vf7yoQmUOFIba8_nfu4ok3yODqfWhiZOH2BX8R3/s320/HTR+-+Player.png" width="320" /></a></div>
More recently, I found a way for my radio player to be installed on any hockey related blog or website. It's getting out and around already, and I can envision the day when it will bring my station's hockey programming to hundreds of sites around the world. </blockquote>
I happen to use a special service called <a href="http://hockeytalkradio.playtheradio.com/" target="_blank"><b>Radionomy</b></a> to host Hockey Talk Radio. And, while my station can be listened to directly from there, I've done what most other broadcasters do, and also host the station from <a href="http://hockeytalkradio.us/" target="_blank"><b>a pretty nice website</b></a>. There, I can have a page for each podcaster, so listeners get the chance to put some faces and background information with the voices they hear on the air. I can also provide news there, as well as highlight a top "Show of the Week".<br />
<br />
Now, there's a popular expression I've been known to use pretty often, mainly because I dare to dabble with things far in advance of others. That expression: "If you want to know the innovator, he's the one with arrows in his back." Okay, it's not as bad as all that, but I have been knocked for some of my hockey inventions and drill ideas that later became mainstream, and I've also taken plenty of abuse for claiming something that didn't ultimately become accepted until 5- or 10-years later. <br />
<br />
In the case of Internet radio, I'm betting it's going to be a biggie fairly soon. It's way too easy to listen to -- on a computer, walking or puttering around the yard, driving, wherever. So, while I'm sure I'll take a few arrows in the back over this one, I sense it'll be like most of my other strays from the norm, and prove me right in the end.<br />
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I've just added an <a href="http://my-hockey-diary.blogspot.com/2016/03/understanding-latest-internet-craze-2.html" target="_blank"><b>Understanding The Latest Internet Craze - Part 2</b></a>, and I've geared that more to folks who run their own podcasts. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-51918042754062903032016-03-03T21:06:00.000-05:002018-06-17T22:04:25.516-04:00Must I Apologize For Talking Politics?Ya, that's the question -- not only today, but for the past few years. Why? Well, let me count the ways...<br />
<br />
Up front, everyone in the world knows I tend to think about teaching or coaching hockey -- morning to bedtime (and, a lot of folks probably think I'm inventing new hockey drills in my dreams).<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I have to go off on a tangent for a sec here, because it matters a lot to my title question. What I'm getting at right now is my personal climb up the hockey ladder.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvxOLW2Le4PqYOtnGqM8JX3thmPYD_EOFtlumoqYiwkFABpP4B-Y8qcM0hYMs0XjsDit4FvnHu4NFr3MToxU9XsL3s4rMTRt_El7rxKqpPIX-c5Lo8IVvUNQCBfXl1f0aVnmx4NPHhPdK/s1600/Dennis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGvxOLW2Le4PqYOtnGqM8JX3thmPYD_EOFtlumoqYiwkFABpP4B-Y8qcM0hYMs0XjsDit4FvnHu4NFr3MToxU9XsL3s4rMTRt_El7rxKqpPIX-c5Lo8IVvUNQCBfXl1f0aVnmx4NPHhPdK/s1600/Dennis.jpg" /></a></div>
In every case, I was on my own -- to leave an engineering job I felt stifling, and to experience numerous failures and successes moving up that ladder.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Even in recent years, the choice has been mine. For example, while I'm no longer coaching teams or running hockey skill clinics and schools, I've been able to determine my own fate in a number of online projects -- from <a href="http://natureoficehockey.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b>book writing</b></a> to running an <a href="http://hockeytalkradio.us/" target="_blank"><b>online radio station</b></a> to <a href="http://www.coachchic.com/" target="_blank"><b>virtually helping hockey coaches, parents and players with their game</b></a>.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
And, while I spent most of my life in the hometown my ancestors chose long before I was born, only 3-years ago I was free to move 2000-miles away -- for a new job and a warmer climate. </blockquote>
In reality, though, family comes first to me. As an example, I can't
tell you what it meant to lose my dad, the best friend a young guy could
ever have. Anyone who sees us together, or follows our online
exchanges, knows that Brenda and I are soulmates -- no question, case
closed. And, friends are probably tired of me frequently mentioning
other family members, including the stories I tell about helping raise
my <a href="http://listentomypodcasts.blogspot.com/2014/11/7-hockey-problem-solving-especially-for.html" target="_blank"><b>grandson</b></a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67H2vHb4-9I" target="_blank"><b>Tony Chic</b></a>. Then, of course, I wrote that piece recently on losing my best little buddy, the <a href="http://my-hockey-diary.blogspot.com/2016/02/forever-chasing-butterflies.html" target="_blank"><b>Raggamuffin</b></a>. <br />
<br />
So, why do I say all this? It's because of all those things that matter so much to me can be either taken away or greatly influenced by politics.<br />
<br />
Let me go a little further with that, however, by sharing something that really got me going today. Shown below is something that appeared on Facebook earlier today, and I implore my friends to read it...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-YtiyAxeH02XRelANzszElkGUoZmAYpjyopvL07eX_-0nzhmdP9gEBFobJA6zq9mimpxprlBkFy_tYXrtNnuoqQw94nEl8dKBkid80Jm2PBD6Zb0PHM1DbHmgenF_Z-g2kVLBWaO8hdI/s1600/Socialism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-YtiyAxeH02XRelANzszElkGUoZmAYpjyopvL07eX_-0nzhmdP9gEBFobJA6zq9mimpxprlBkFy_tYXrtNnuoqQw94nEl8dKBkid80Jm2PBD6Zb0PHM1DbHmgenF_Z-g2kVLBWaO8hdI/s400/Socialism.jpg" width="387" /></a></div>
<br />
Seeing that, I added a comment that includes something my friends here may not know...<span data-offset-key="6al7b-0-0"><span data-text="true"> </span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span data-offset-key="6al7b-0-0"><span data-text="true">"I studied in Moscow when it was still under Communist control. And, while their sports and hockey programs were unbelievable to learn from, I felt so badly for the common people I saw and met there.:</span></span></blockquote>
<span data-offset-key="6al7b-0-0"><span data-text="true">Oh, man, I can't emphasize enough the looks on the faces of average Russians, each and every one of them showing a busted spirit, or no hope for a better life than the one assigned to them. That's right: citizens under the Socialist/Communist Party were assigned their roles, they were assigned where they'd live, and so much more.</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span data-offset-key="6al7b-0-0"><span data-text="true">A sad aside... I made friends with several of my study group's Russian interpreters, including a young, former figure skater who told me, "I can always recognize Americans, because they're always laughing." Man, that broke my heart, because I knew exactly what she meant.</span></span></blockquote>
<span data-offset-key="6al7b-0-0"><span data-text="true">So, must I apologize for talking politics on occasion in my Facebook posts and Twitter tweets? Hmmmmm... </span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-offset-key="6al7b-0-0"><span data-text="true">I think my grandparents would have had heart attacks if a Socialist was getting serious consideration for the presidency during their time on earth. In fact, something like that probably would have stalled their going through all the hardships they did in order to get to the US. And, while I can't speak for the reader's ancestors, I do ask you to please consider that one.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-offset-key="6al7b-0-0"><span data-text="true">That's not even the half of it, though... I mean, a couple of generations later -- even without any supposed non-Capitalists running our country, things have changed for the worse. Little by little, rights have been lost, and our Constitution has been eroded. </span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span data-offset-key="6al7b-0-0"><span data-text="true">Which brings me to another reflection... When I was an older teen or a young 20-something, the USSR's leader, </span></span><span data-offset-key="6al7b-0-0"><span data-text="true"><span class="st">Nikita Khrushchev, announced something to the effect that, "</span></span></span><a href="http://www.azquotes.com/quote/632105" target="_blank"><b>We do not have to invade the United States, we will destroy you from within.</b></a>" That sounded absurd to my young ears at the time, but I'm surely wondering how far-fetched it seems today.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdiXhdWZGOdDxS2CzYRmgnud9W_RMKAJZWUHAsxE7iFEyL1UvFk89OxzeKx_oRKKWM-JezDotVYCrAfe7JRV2xu1jsK-xIumXT9MYEKqlFQY0kqrABlhkWoiVH73LEbzG8WKM3soqnRoK-/s1600/Dennis+and+Brenda3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdiXhdWZGOdDxS2CzYRmgnud9W_RMKAJZWUHAsxE7iFEyL1UvFk89OxzeKx_oRKKWM-JezDotVYCrAfe7JRV2xu1jsK-xIumXT9MYEKqlFQY0kqrABlhkWoiVH73LEbzG8WKM3soqnRoK-/s200/Dennis+and+Brenda3a.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span data-offset-key="6al7b-0-0"><span data-text="true">All that said, I think caring so much about my family and friends is good enough reason to worry about the direction of my country. Even more importantly, I care about what life will be like after I'm gone, for my grandchildren and their children. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-offset-key="6al7b-0-0"><span data-text="true">I'm hoping they're able to choose to work at something that gives them satisfaction, and I'm hoping they'll be able to travel or strive for the home of their dreams.</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span data-offset-key="6al7b-0-0"><span data-text="true">I tend to lose a few Facebook friends right after I post a political opinion -- could it be that my fair-weather friends were afraid to hear a contrary position.</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
And, I had a long time friend post to no one in particular on his Facebook wall, something to the effect that he wasn't going to tolerate any more political discussions. </blockquote>
Still, none of the above seems possible -- at least to me, unless I and thousands of others keep a vigil, and not apologize for talking politics.<br />
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PS: The following came to my inbox today. I don't think one has to get into political party choices here, but we definitely should look carefully at anyone who espouses the following (from a book by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Alinsky" target="_blank">Saul Alinsky</a>, these noted as "eight levels of control..."</div>
<br />
The first is the most important.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
1) Healthcare– Control healthcare and you control the people.<br />
<br />
2) Poverty – Increase the Poverty level as high as possible, poor people are easier to control and will not fight back if you are providing everything for them to live.<br />
<br />
3) Debt – Increase the debt to an unsustainable level. That way you are able to increase taxes, and this will produce more poverty.<br />
<br />
4) Gun Control– Remove the ability to defend themselves from the Government. That way you are able to create a police state.<br />
<br />
5) Welfare – Take control of every aspect of their lives (Food, Housing, and Income).<br />
<br />
6) Education – Take control of what people read and listen to – take control of what children learn in school.<br />
<br />
7) Religion – Remove the belief in the God from the Government and schools.<br />
<br />
8) Class Warfare – Divide the people into the wealthy and the poor. This will cause more discontent, and it will be easier to take (Tax) the wealthy with the support of the poor.</blockquote>
Sound familiar? As a matter of fact, does it sound like anything <span data-offset-key="6al7b-0-0"><span data-text="true"><span class="st">Khrushchev would have proposed? Ya, I think so.</span></span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-22429687075955048932016-02-20T22:04:00.000-05:002016-02-20T22:04:34.790-05:00The Meaning of Happiness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hmmmmmm... The Meaning of Happiness... <br />
<br />
I kinda like Wikipedia's definition, as in it being "a mental or emotional state of well-being defined by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy." And it goes on to suggest that, "A variety of biological, psychological, religious and philosophical approaches have striven to define happiness and identify its sources."<br />
<br />
Every time we take on this line of thinking, though, doesn't happiness ultimately boil down to the last part of that statement? I mean, the biggest challenge -- for you and for me -- seems to have so much to do with identifying the sources of happiness, or discovering exactly what makes us happy.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
My guess is that a lot of folks are already thinking about money -- or the lack there of -- as one major cause of being either happy or unhappy. Yet, a quick Internet search will find all sorts of wild tales about people who came into riches and quickly lost it all -- see "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lottery-winners-who-lost-everything-2015-2" target="_blank"><b>21 lottery winners who blew it all</b></a>" and "<a href="http://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/Lottery-Horror-Stories-33026559" target="_blank"><b>Lottery Horror Stories That Will Make You Think Twice About Buying That Ticket</b></a>" as examples of what I'm getting at. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Closer to my kind of thinking... Years ago, a friend asked me to stop at a convenience store in a not-so-nice part of a city back in Massachusetts. As I waited in my car, I watched a pantomime starring a bedraggled young lady sitting on a curb and scratching lottery ticket after lottery ticket. Oh, I might have felt badly for the young lady -- she truly was a mess, but I told my friend as she got into the car, "See that girl over there? Even if she does hit big on one of those tickets, she'll be broke in no time, mainly because I can almost tell she doesn't have the skill-set or mentality to live smartly and make that money last." </blockquote>
Honestly, I don't want to come off meanly on this topic, but please do consider what I'm trying to suggest. Anyway, let me come back to the issue of money a little later.<br />
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Now, I'm an older guy, and I've seen and experienced plenty in my time on this planet. My soulmate, Brenda, is 20-years younger than I, but she'll be the first to tell you that she's an "old soul". In fact, we'd both been through a lot -- I mean a REAL lot -- before meeting, and I sense that has brought us to pretty close to the same feelings when it comes to happiness.<br />
<br />
What do I think are the feelings we share on this topic? I believe it's to put a premium on a combination of relatively good physical and mental health. Oh, God and genetics will in a way determine those. But so can Brenda and I influence both. In fact, I don't think many folks will argue with the probability that our mental status will have a huge bearing on our physical health. Ya, keeping a rosy attitude -- something that seems to come naturally to both Brenda and me -- seems the first step in our striving for happiness.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
With my mom aging and ailing, we're now living with and caring for her in a nice retirement community in Central Florida. If there's a problem, that puts us smack dab in the middle of a lot of sickness. I mean, as many of my mom's neighbors drive walkers and wheelchairs as automobiles. Making matters worse, such surroundings make it difficult for us to avoid talk about this ache, that pain, this illness and the person in apartment #___ who just passed away. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Then, here's something interesting from my 40+ years in hockey coaching... More times than not, I discovered that an oft injured or oft sick player was the son of a nurse or doctor. I'm not kidding about that. I great defenseman, who always seemed dinged in one limb or another, turned out to be the son of a top sports medicine doctor. And the talented young forward, who was always quoting the Latin terms for the muscles that hurt him, was also the son of a doctor. It didn't end there, either, because there were as many kids belonging to nurses who similarly limped on a regular basis, and weren't sure if they'd be able to participate in the next shift or the next game. My thinking was/is that medical issues were a constant topic of conversation around their households. And, while I'm not blaming anyone, I am pointing to the probability that thinking and constantly talking about unhealthy things leads one to, sooner or later, take on those very symptoms. </blockquote>
If I could add one more element to happiness -- beyond good mental and physical health, I'd have to suggest that happy people mostly do things they love. Actually, I covered this pretty intently in an early post called "<a href="http://my-hockey-diary.blogspot.com/2014/12/performing-within-your-areas-of.html" target="_blank"><b>Performing Within Your Areas of Brilliance</b></a>". Case in point... I spent a number of miserable years in a job others picked for me, and one that would sound pretty good from a distance. Thank God I dared walk away from that job, to submerge myself in a sport and lifestyle I absolutely love. Or, as that past article explains, I've been able to feel successful doing things I'm usually pretty good at.<br />
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Of course, the above has a lot to do with what we choose as a career. At the same time, I have to suggest that it also involves what we do with our spare time. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I can recall old friends telling me they got their relaxation from things like a hot bath, reading a good book, or taking a brisk walk. If there was something wrong with those examples, my friends seemed just as tense and unhappy after doing what they said relaxed them. ??? </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Am I suggesting we shouldn't lie to ourselves about what does or what doesn't make us happier? Ya, you bet. </blockquote>
Summing things up to this point, I'll suggest that happiness can be
found in 1) having an extremely positive attitude or mindset, 2) being
reasonably physically healthy, and 3) spending the bulk of our time on
things we truly love.<br />
<br />
Personalizing all this...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I built what I believe is an awesome post around a video by my Internet marketing friend, Sean D'Souza. The article is called "<a href="http://my-hockey-diary.blogspot.com/2015/03/three-obstacles-to-happiness.html" target="_blank"><b>Three Obstacles To Happiness</b></a>", and it gave me the opportunity to describe two things Brenda and I have found contributing to our good health and positive states of mind. I'm talking about taking nighttime walks together right after dinner, and spending some time each afternoon at the swimming pool. And, while it's by no means a scientific study, I truly believe I've felt worse during times when life got in the way, and we were unable to do those two very simple things.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When it comes to money, don't let any of what I said above sound like I don't like it or want it. To the contrary, I've been both fairly well off and not so well off, and you can just imagine which I'd choose. All I tried to convey earlier is that the green stuff isn't the end all to be all, and it isn't going to help us if we're not mentally and physically well, and mostly doing things we enjoy doing. </blockquote>
Then, one other thing about money... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In Internet marketing circles, a
lot is made about the negatives of trading time for money. In other
words, we punch a clock at 9am, punch out a 5pm, and only get paid on
days when we do just that -- trading our 40-hours of labor for the
weekly paycheck. I'm not knocking all those who perform traditional jobs, and keep our economy and our American way of life going. I'm only suggesting that there is also another -- maybe better -- way.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Ya, that other way is through what's referred to as "residual income". That mode of making a living has been around for years, but it's even more prevalent today owing to the Internet. In its most basic sense, digital and other products can now be offered online, and the sales can be carried out online without the seller's personal attention.</blockquote>
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Understand that earning a residual income isn't necessarily easier, it's just different from a traditional job. For example, I busted my buns to write the two books offered over in the right margin, and I can guarantee you that I spent more than 40-hours putting everything together. What's different, though, is that I don't have to keep rewriting that book -- or keep producing one of my videos -- each time I record a sale. As a matter of fact, I'm hoping my heirs keep reaping the benefits of those products long after I'm gone. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Almost in the residual income category is my <a href="http://coachchic.com/"><b>CoachChic.com</b></a> membership website -- which takes an awful lot of behind the scenes work, and my new <a href="http://hockeytalkradio.us/" target="_blank"><b>Hockey Talk Radio</b></a> station. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The similarity in all those projects is that -- while I have to work some long and hard hours for each, I'm able to choose the hours I wish to work. In other words, if Brenda and I want to take a break and get some exercise in the pool, I can take time to do that. If Brenda wants me to join her for a run to the store, I can do that. And, if I want to take Brenda out for lunch or dinner, I can fit that into my schedule, too.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
On the negative side, here's a big LOL I joke about often... What I'm getting at is that I can't call in sick for a week, nor is anyone else going to do my work if I'm not able to. Yet, if that's the worst of it, I'll take it</blockquote>
As a wrap up, I'd love to hear others' opinion on that all-elusive
experience known as happiness. Have I nailed it, or have I missed
something? Again, I'm saying that my version of happiness includes a
relatively positive attitude, having reasonably good physical health,
spending a bulk of our time doing things we really enjoy, and maybe
having a job that permits relatively flexible hours. <br />
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Personally, I believe money is important to our happiness, and an adequate amount should mean that we worry less than those who toss and turn due to overwhelming bills. Of course, "enough money" seems relative to me, because I know some with a lot of money who still worry about paying their bills, and I know as many with far less money having their financial life well under control.<br />
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As a PS to all the above, I'm getting the feeling that this might just be the first post in a new blog site. Ya, over recent days, Brenda and I have become involved in something new and exciting, and something we might want to tell our friends about. To me, that new venture has a lot to do with nurturing a more positive mindset, in improving our physical health, in having the chance to do something very enjoyable for a living, in having flexible work hours, and in improving our financial status to about any degree we wish. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-40483885651613380312016-02-05T23:56:00.000-05:002016-02-06T19:49:38.873-05:00Forever Chasing Butterflies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Aaaaaah, those butterflies... Here's the story behind that story...<br />
<br />
At 10-years old, my grandson wasn't giving up on his want for a dog. His grandma and I had been through that before, and we were looking for every way possible to get around all the responsibilities that come with such a move. So, over most of a late-winter, spring and early-summer, the conversations with my grandson went something like this...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Grampa, after the tropical fish die, can I have a puppy?"</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Gramps, after the finches die, can I have a puppy?"</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Gramps, after... "</blockquote>
Okay, it was getting to be late-summer -- actually, Labor Day Weekend in '99, and we were running out of other pet options, as well as the warmer weather when it would be easiest to house-train a new puppy. So, off we headed, early on a Sunday morning -- August 29, 1999, to be exact, with a list of pet shops, a cell phone and the classified ads in hand. Hours upon hours passed as we three rejected just about every sickly looking pup we saw in stores -- from our home area around Whitman, MA to the outskirts of Boston. So were we running out of places to call, with most puppies sold or whatever.<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_1165850182"></span><span id="goog_1165850183"></span>It was getting late -- and we had one half-excited, half-disappointed young guy sitting in the backseat, when we connected with a small-dog breeder some 2-hours away in Western Massachusetts. She had three cockerpoos remaining from a recent litter, although we hadn't a clue what a cockerpoo was.<br />
<br />
Man, we were in for a treat... Before the days of GPSs, we wound our way through unmarked mountain roads until finding a small farm as rustic as ones I'd grown up around in Eastern Mass during the 1950's. Talk about rural... As I recall, the owner didn't have electricity or cable, and her kids were home-schooled. Roaming around the yard were typical barnyard animals, including a cow and at least one goat.<br />
<br />
Following the usual niceties, the lady left and then rejoined us in the yard with three adorable little balls of fur. As I discovered, the cocker spaniel we saw nearby was the litter's dad, but we never did get to see the (toy?) poodle mom. <br />
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Two of the pups sat cutely and calmly where the breeder placed them, but that wasn't the case with the third little rascal. No, he was off to chasing the cow, then the goat, and then a butterfly or three that dared violate his space. Ya, and he didn't give up on those butterflies like most pups would.<br />
<br />
"Oh, no!" I thought to myself, as my grandson said he wanted the butterfly chaser. "Are you really sure?" I asked more than once. He was sure, of course, and our lives were never to be the same from that day forward. ("Did we pick that pup, or did he pick us?" That I've asked myself often over 16-plus years.)<br />
<br />
A couple of interesting things that happened on our way to the pup's new home...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The three of us seem to have different stories about how that pup came by his name. I swear it was my grandson's idea, because I was looking for hints on signs along the highway. I mean, I saw a sign to one town, and thought that a beauty -- as in "Lincoln" or "Linc" I also thought that "Hobart" sounded like a noble name, and one suitable for the stately looking little rascal staring back at me through the rearview mirror. Somehow it became "Raggamuffin", though, with the nickname "Raggs" -- ya, and it had to be with two gees.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I figured it would be neat if we grabbed some burgers and such at a highway take-out window, and stop somewhere for a roadside picnic. And that coincided with the pup's sudden crying in the backseat. Huh? "Could it be -- that this only-weeks-old pup was crying because he needed to pee or poop?" Yup! Quite amazingly, he was already house-trained, and he held a poop until we found a place to stop! Unbelievable! (Mentioning this little thing still being a mere baby, I just checked to see that our new pup was born on a Sunday, June 20th, and this day was August 29 of '99, or something like 9-weeks later.) </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
If there was a problem with stopping, we'd left that morning not exactly prepared to bring home a new puppy. I mean, we didn't pack a leash, and there was nothing to be found in the car to use as a substitute. So, my grandson carried the new "Raggs" to a spot where we could arrange our picnic, right at the edge of a small pond. And, while Raggs ate a little, he was most interested in wading in that pond. "Ya," I thought, "that's the cocker in him." If there was a problem, Raggs refused to be corralled. I mean, we couldn't catch him. So, I suggested we try a game, and make our way to our distant car without him. Thank God, because that hot little potato didn't want to lose us; he just wanted to go along under his own terms.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Hours later, when we finally arrived at home, my grandson and his grandmother went inside to prepare and puppy-proof things, while I watched Raggs in the backyard. Looking to pass some time, I grabbed a twig, rubbed it under Raggs' nose, and then tossed it about 10' away. I motioned for him to get it, and get it he did. Oh, man, this little guy was as sharp as a tack, and he was going to continue to amaze us for years to come. (If there's anything we had to learn about Raggs, it was that he had a short attention span. In other words, he'd amaze you with a trick, and then let you know he was done. Ya, two or three fetches -- or whatever, and he was done.) </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Thinking about his stubbornness and smarts... We used to offer Raggs about three or four different kinds of treats at a time. Offer him one, and he'd push it aside with his snout. Offer him another, and he'd push it or peck at it, also to signify he didn't want it. He might even go through all of them more than once, finally settling on the treat of his choice.</blockquote>
A Funny thing... Growing up around farms, I was more into collies and sheepdogs, and not very much into what I considered "sissy dogs". Actually, I always thought cocker spaniels were cute, but I definitely didn't care for the sissy-est dogs of all, the poodles. Yet, I learned to appreciate (at least my own interpretation of) Raggs' unusual lineage. For sure, the noble look and a little surliness came from the cocker side, while the smarts were all-poodle. I've shared these feelings with other cockerpoo and poodle owners, with all of them agreeing on the latter. <br />
<br />
I kid you not, that we had to spell upwards of 20 words within ear-shot of Raggs -- just like you'd have to do with a toddler. Mention going out for a "walk", and he'd take off like a shot for where his leash hung in the back hall. Ask someone if we had any "cookies", and you were in BIG trouble. I'm not talking about us overtly saying those words in front of him, but I'm talking about him overhearing conversations from a room away and his coming peeling in to say he wanted in. And I'm also telling you that he acted like a little toddler when he knew you were tied up with something important -- you know, like when a little kid gets into the pots and pans because he or she knows you're trapped on the phone. Ya, that was Raggs, knowing exactly when he could get into stuff. <br />
<br />
I have to laugh now, that he perceived himself as our watchdog. And he'd somehow, when the need arose, make his bark -- coming from all of his 25-pounds -- sound just like a big dog...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sEt4_ULe_UoZI6GW0n2OjNIcr-Q8OS2sAdGDYPepZM9Hno6oreoNKXKbVWqQJ8jTH_VpMYyTe9YkCvme1EtDBaKcvS7vxZXtqLYFlMGHm_1ZpswPC3rPwvffoTT-PNf_UjXKsU1uDB5F/s1600/Raggs+-+on+rug2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sEt4_ULe_UoZI6GW0n2OjNIcr-Q8OS2sAdGDYPepZM9Hno6oreoNKXKbVWqQJ8jTH_VpMYyTe9YkCvme1EtDBaKcvS7vxZXtqLYFlMGHm_1ZpswPC3rPwvffoTT-PNf_UjXKsU1uDB5F/s200/Raggs+-+on+rug2.jpg" width="166" /></a>There was a TV commercial that used a digital bell in it, and the sound was exactly the same as our front doorbell. So, don't you know, that he'd go tearing towards the front door -- growling and barking all the way, every time that commercial aired.</blockquote>
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He'd watch our body language, too... Like, I could be standing in the middle of our front livingroom, glance to see something outside, and Raggs would spring to the top of a sofa or loveseat to see what I was seeing. I wouldn't have to move much, either, because he'd often just react to my eyes. </blockquote>
One thing I think is sad -- at least for the moment, is that I recall more of his first days with us, and then his last. Like all our human lives, I guess, it seems the many, many years in the middle are just a blur. That's not right, of course, because little Raggs brought us to smile or laugh from the belly nearly every day he was with us.<br />
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Oh, another beauty of a thought... It was hard to explain our Raggamuffin's intelligence to anyone who didn't live with him. I mean, he did instinctively all the things you see dogs in the TV programs and movies doing. If there was a difference, the cinema stars were trained to do something they didn't have a clue about, while Raggs knew exactly what he was doing.</blockquote>
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Case in point... Late at night, he would go to his grandmother and try to pull her, because it was time to go upstairs to bed. I'm not kidding here... At first, he'd just stare. However, if that didn't work, he'd next grab her by the blouse sleeve and try to tug her off the sofa. And if that didn't work, he'd bark at her until he got his way. Again, I used to watch Lassie do things like that on TV, but those trained dogs were just doing what they were told for the treat they'd later get. Raggs actually lived those thing daily with us, he knew exactly what he was doing, and he knew exactly how to communicate with us. </blockquote>
Actually, there's something I feel terribly about... I don't know whether I caused or worsened our little buddy's fear of thunder and lightening or not but, in my attempts to integrate him into all we did, I several times made him go to fireworks displays where there was nowhere for him to hide. Anyway, as smart as he was, he always associated any kind of flash with the thunder that should soon follow...<br />
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The nearby photo most folks in social media are quite familiar with actually had to be staged -- big time. In other words, you couldn't raise a camera to your eye, because someone had once used a flash when taking his picture. You couldn't even pretend with empty hands, without him scurrying for cover. So, in order to get the pic I ultimately did, I arranged a small video camera and tripod on the diningroom table, and then teased Raggs to sit for one of his favorite treats, an Oreo cookie. </blockquote>
Oh, boy, did Raggs also love Chicken McNuggets. And he'd get pretty psyched when he saw us pull up to the drive-thru window at a local fastfood place. <br />
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That's nothing, though, because he'd also start to salivate and run all over the car before he learned the difference between a MacDonald's and my bank's drive-thru window. The girls at my bank thought he was a doll, and they used to call him "Funny Face". He wasn't accepting their stale old biscuits, though, and he'd push my hand aside just like he did with other treats he didn't want.</blockquote>
Something I noticed about Raggs, that I'll never quite understand. He seemed to warm quickly to any female who stopped at our house, while he wasn't nearly as welcoming to the males. He even growled at my brother until we welcomed him in, and I noticed he was the same with a nephew. It wasn't just relatives, though, but those were the males who would visit most often, and the ones I noticed drew that kind of reaction.<br />
<br />
Anyone we'd tell Raggs stories to would always give us the old, "Ya, sure" thing as a typical response. No, they weren't believing the stunts he'd perform -- I guess you had to be there to really appreciate them. My son discovered the truth, though, once he visited Raggs and me down here in Florida. Raggs drove him crazy, he bossed him around most of the time, and my son could never have a snack without having to share -- like in, "Grrrrrrrr... I want mine!" Little wonder, the stories about Raggs spread further once my son left. And, every time he'd call thereafter, he'd end the conversation with, "Oh, and kick that dog for me, will you!" <br />
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Speaking of Florida... I guess that's our final chapter together, but it's as significant or meaningful as all the years prior...<br />
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God must have told me to build a special seatbelt arrangement for Raggs. I did it initially for my sake, because he wouldn't stay in the backseat of my SUV, and once up front, he wanted to be halfway across my lap. So I devised a very nice configuration that kept him in the passenger seat, with just enough play that he could touch me if he wished (and he usually did), or he could fall asleep if he wished. Oh, and Raggs also told me when he wanted the window down or up. Anyway, that seatbelt probably saved his life on the long drive down Route 95 from Whitman to Kissimmee. We experienced what was nearly a fatal brush with the guardrail somewhere in Northern Florida -- at 70mph, and I'll never forget the look on Raggs' face as we got back to the pavement and under control. It was much like the pose in the above photo, except his mouth was wide open, as if to ask, "Are we okay, Grampa?" Honest to God -- and thanks to God, I never ever will forget that look -- just Raggs and me together, on a long mission, and suddenly scared to death.</blockquote>
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As far as Raggs was concerned, Brenda was the "Ginny Come Lately" when she joined him and me in Kissimmee. In other words, he wasn't about to let her sit next to me or anything like that. If he saw her heading to join me on the sofa, he'd jump up first, and growl for her to stay away. If he missed her sitting down, he'd jump up between us after the fact, and start his growling act. The funny thing was, while he seemed indifferent sometimes, whenever he sensed any kind of intimacy between Brenda and me, he was right back to pushing himself in between. </blockquote>
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Of course, Florida is the thunder and lightening capital of the world, which meant that Raggs spent many a restless nights since arriving. That might have also been a blessing, though, because Brenda was the answer to our little man's prayers. In fact, I'll never forget one night when I awoke to a sweet voice singing a lullaby in our master bathroom. It was about 3am, I think, and Brenda had brought Raggs into the darkness of that room to shelter him from seeing the lightening. She was hugging him, and calming him by singing that lullaby. Man, talk about my two favorite two people in the world. And, talk about Raggs' newfound friend and protector.</blockquote>
From about that point on -- or from about 3-years ago, Raggs saw her as his mom. And he looked to her for everything thereafter. Even when we moved to be with my aging mom in Tampa, Raggs went to Brenda for everything. Where he used to come to me and whack me with a paw to get my attention, it was "his Brenda" he went to these last few years.<br />
<br />
Another interesting thing about my little buddy... I've heard this about other dogs, and Brenda says that one of her dogs did the same. But Raggs was often able to notice your aches and pains just by sniffing. I'd come home from a rink some nights, and he'd know right where I'd sustained my latest ding. And he'd several times per week sit next to me on the sofa and sniff my left eye, which has been slowly failing me for probably 25-years. He'd never do that to my right eye, but he would sniff all around that left cheek, up and around toward the brow, and right on the eye, itself. Hmmm...<br />
<br />
About the only thing he couldn't tell us about was the way his little body was eventually failing him. <br />
<br />
Where he was able to jump all the way from the ground to my SUV's passenger seat before we left for Florida, it wasn't long before he'd have to get up there in stages. In other words, I'd have to coax him to the floor, and then up to the seat. Oh, he looked and acted as energetic as ever, but at about 13-years old, he was beginning to lose his strength. By the time we arrived in Tampa, he was having good and not-so-good days climbing the long flight of stairs to mom's second floor apartment. Just last year -- when he was 15, I decided not to push him to climb the stairs anymore, but instead let him use the elevator. He'd begun limping a bit with a front paw, which I know was from being dropped as a young pup.<br />
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About 6-months ago, Raggs' testicles seemed to be enlarging, and a visit to a vet gave us news we didn't want to hear... First, he had a tumor there. Secondly, at his advancing age, an operation wasn't really recommended. <br />
<br />
Although no one ever wants to face up to it, Brenda and I kinda knew that our little buddy's time with us was waning. The worst of it, though, was this past week, when Raggs ate little, and then stopped drinking. He'd always been an incessant water drinker -- going through three and four pretty large bowls per day. But only once in the past few days were we even able to force him to drink a little...<br />
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Another funny story that just came to mind... No matter where you were in our huge house back in Massachusetts, in our two story townhouse in Kissimmee, or in mom's apartment in Tampa, you always knew if Raggs was out of water or dry food. He'd always begin with a little tap of his bowls. But, if no one reacted to that quickly enough, he'd pick up one bowl -- or the whole arrangement, and toss it up in the air. "Crash!" Yup, Raggs was out of water (or food), and he knew how to communicate that.</blockquote>
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Oh, and Raggs also talked to himself -- or whomever... There would be times when I'd awake and hear him standing near me, grunting this and that. Ya, it's hard to explain, but it was usually some grunts, but strung together with rising and lowering pitches. Again, there's no doubt he would be talking, with that up and down mumbling. Sometimes he did seem like he was talking to himself, but a lot of times it was purely a prelude to his yapping to me or someone else. In other words, he might start by grumbling quietly, but then he'd bark to let someone nearby know he was really talking to them.</blockquote>
Anyway, yesterday our vet suggested keeping Raggs overnight for a slow intravenous feed. Our collective hope was that he might regain some strength, maybe regain an appetite and thirst, and maybe come home again. Of course, late news that the vets had found yet another tumor should have forewarned us that such chances were moving between slim and none.<br />
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Now, I've had a ton of great words of comfort from social media friends from around the world, and I wish I could do more than just thank them all here. However, a conversation last night with a fellow hockey coach from Canada echoed in my mind while we were at the vet's office today... "Ya," I told Doug S in a Facebook message, something to the effect that, "we hockey guys might seem tough, but we're pretty soft when it comes to our pets."</blockquote>
Well, we got to the vet's office this morning, shortly after 11am, and we were ushered down to visit with Raggs in the cage where they'd placed him the night before. He was still on the intravenous drip, but he wasn't up and around as we'd prayed. No, there would be no miracle cure or storybook ending to this visit.<br />
<br />
Before the doctor was able to break away and meet with us, Brenda and I took a walk outside. One thing we hashed over was whether our keeping little Raggs going was for our sake or for his. And, we kinda knew the answer to that without much discussion. Truly, I wanted "my Raggy" for purely selfish reasons, and I wasn't taking his needs into account at all.<br />
<br />
Minutes later, the doctor raised the exact same question -- not about us, personally, but about the average pet lover keeping his or her best little friend going for selfish reasons. Of course, we knew it was time. And, with that, the vet very nicely explained our options.<br />
<br />
At about noon today -- Friday, February 5, 2016, the vet brought Raggs to us in a side room. He replaced the intravenous with a needle, and asked Brenda and me if we were ready. "Ya," we said, between tears. And for probably less than a minute, we took turns patting the Raggamuffin, rubbing him behind the ears like he always loved, and I kissed him on the nose and on his little head as he also liked. In time, that was it. Little Raggs was in pain no more.<br />
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Not much of a consolation, we expect Raggs' ashes to be put in an urn for us sometime early next week, and we'll at least have a little piece of him to go along with all the great memories.<br />
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Reviewing little Raggs' records again, he was born on a Sunday, June 20, 1999, I bought him weeks later on a Sunday, August 29, and he passed on a Friday, February 5, 2016. </div>
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After we got home today, I noticed Brenda crying as she looked at her laptop. In due time, I discovered she was reading some nice sayings about losing a pet. One she sent me said, "Dogs' lives are too short; the only fault they have, really." ~ Agnes Sligh Turnbull (That's making me think that I'll pray our next pet -- if there ever is one -- will have to out-live me!)<br />
<br />
Yet another great one Brenda pointed out to me was, "Dogs have a way of finding people who really need them, filling an emptiness we don't even know we have." ~ Thom Jones<br />
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And, man, did that one hit home with me... I actually broke up too much to tell that to our vet this morning, about growing up in my "Lassie World" as a kid, with my own loving, Lassie-look-alike collie, and about losing her when I was just 10-years old. She'd taught me a lot in the short time we grew up together, though, and I swear up and down that she's a major reason I am who I am today.</blockquote>
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My son grew up with an Old English Sheepdog named "Bilbo Baggins". And Bilbo stuck around long enough to see my son off to play Junior hockey in Canada, before disappearing in a snowstorm one night. I looked for Bilbo's tracks in the snow several times that night, and again in the morning, but... The dog office later told me that pets don't want their family to see them die, so they often go off to where they can't be found.</blockquote>
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Then, while Raggs might have been brought to our home for my grandson, it seems his job wasn't done when the young man went off to college. No, as the above message suggests, Raggy might have known all along that he'd be with me in my late-life transition and move to Florida. He might have even planned to ease Brenda's better than smooth move into my life.</blockquote>
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Growing up mainly through the 50's and 60's, I was on the edge of my seat watching "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lassie_Come_Home" target="_blank"><b>Lassie Come Home</b></a>", I cried my eyes out over "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Yeller_%28film%29" target="_blank"><b>Old Yeller</b></a>", and I later got at least a little choked up watching "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marley_%26_Me_%28film%29" target="_blank"><b>Marley & Me</b></a>" and "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachi:_A_Dog's_Tale" target="_blank"><b>Hachi: A Dog's Tale</b></a>". </blockquote>
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Still, the movie that tells the best story of all, as far as I'm concerned, is "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Dog_Skip_%28film%29#Plot" target="_blank"><b>My Dog Skip</b></a>". Like in most other dog movies, Skip seems to know what his job on earth is, and he also seems to know when his job down here is done. Anyway, as I begin choking up all over again, I'm thinking that Raggs somehow realized his job was done here, and in the classiest way I've ever seen. </blockquote>
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As I wind down here, I sense I'll remember a million more stories about my little buddy as the days, months and years go by. As a matter of fact, my Facebook flashback page seems to remind me often about some antic he was pulling -- last year, or on the same day several years ago. In other words, I sense I might add to this over time. I'm hoping Brenda might also have an urge to talk about "her little Raggs" here -- he and she deserve it.<br />
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Paul S, an old friend from back in MA, left me something to truly ponder, saying, "<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">I hope the happy memories will bring you many smiles." Hmmmmm... That's pretty interesting, because I'm thinking that the hurt will disappear with each passing day, and I'll be able to smile and laugh all the more at the crazy Raggs stories.</span></span></blockquote>
Then, two more friends tried to lift my spirits...<br />
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Mary M <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">suggested that, "He was the best loyal companion. Over the rainbow bridge he goes." </span></span></blockquote>
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Bonnie H added as neat a vision, suggesting that, "<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">He is probably romping around looking down on you, your 4
legged angel."</span></span> </blockquote>
Ya, my little Raggamuffin is probably "chasing butterflies" right this minute, and we should all live our lives the way he did.<br />
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I love you, little buddy, and I'll talk to you in my prayers -- tonight, and for many more days and nights to come -- I feel I owe you a lot.<br />
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PS: My professional video studio is in storage right now, and there are tons of great pics and videos of Raggs stored with that. So do I have some other nice videos I think I can add here soon from some CDs.<br />
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PPS: I
don't want to editorialize here, but I do have some strong feelings
when it comes to pets... And in Raggs' case, I don't think he got to be
16-years old by accident. No, I believe in God's will, I believe in
genetics, and I also believe our treating him most of his life as a
little junkyard dog had some bearing, too. I mean, Raggs was pampered
and then he wasn't. We watched his diet, but we also let him have
plenty of table scraps. He was in and out constantly in a yard that was
big to his little body, and he tore up and down backyard and inside
stairs like crazy. He wouldn't allow a bird or a squirrel hit the
ground in his backyard, and he killed two possums that I know of. He
climbed lots of snowbanks, and he dug plenty of holes under my shrubs
(grrrrrrrrr).<br />
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For
sure, Raggs didn't come from a so-called "puppy mill", and I'll suggest
that his being born and even raised briefly on that Western Mass farm
had a lot to do with his strong constitution. Oh, man, would I love to
someday chase down the lady who sold him to me. I'll bet that Raggs'
mom or dad and a number of siblings experienced similar long, healthy
lives.</div>
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Anyway,
while I'm not sure Brenda and I will ever take on the responsibilities
of owning another dog, I'll suggest a couple of things if we do... I
can't see getting anything but a cockerpoo, and I think it will have to
come from similar, rural circumstances, just like our One And Only
Raggamuffin. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-37987158442620994552016-02-02T22:37:00.000-05:002016-02-02T22:37:34.087-05:00Why You Have To Podcast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Now, while the article that sparked this post was released on January 27, 2016 -- only days ago, I have news for the author of that piece: I put my very first podcast online on a Wednesday night, October 31, 2007 In fact, "My Hockey Secrets" aired online once per week until I had to close my Whitman, MA studio to move south three years ago. Even that chaotic move didn't stall my belief in podcasting, though, because I eventually began a Florida-based version dubbed "<a href="http://myhockeypodcast.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b>Dennis Chighisola's Hockey Secrets Podcast</b></a>" on Sunday, November 23, 2014.<br />
<br />
Okay, so suddenly -- in early 2016, an article appears in an online sports mag announcing: <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"<i><a href="http://www.sporttechie.com/2016/01/27/the-podcast-era-for-athletes-has-started-and-j-j-redick-is-first-to-create-a-louder-voice/" target="_blank"><b>The Podcast Era For Athletes Has Started And...</b></a></i>"</div>
<br />
:) Better late than never? No, not really. I understand what the author was trying to say, because pro athletes aren't exactly Internet marketing gurus -- who have been podcasting for a lot longer than I, they're not business people (in the way we usually define business people), and they're not even advice-sharers (perhaps like this old hockey coach).<br />
<br />
Getting closer to what was meant, that article began with, "While sites like Players’ Tribune and Uninterrupted look to create a player’s voice in the printed word or the visual, the spoken word in the form of podcast may be taking hold as well as a medium for regular expression, and even news." And that piece went on to explain how "... L.A. Clippers veteran guard J.J. Redick would become the first NBA player (and only the second active pro athlete, joining A.J. Hawk) to take on a podcast during the regular season."<br />
<br />
Except for following my boyhood favorites, the Boston Celtics (along with other Boston or New England-based sports teams), I'm not that much into b-ball. None of us have to be, however, in order to get the gist of that article, in that podcasting can be super-helpful to anyone who wants to become better known or better understood by a broader audience.<br />
<br />
A couple of interesting asides my readers might not have considered to date...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPhg8rmfpsKhBkoGlZTw1fBEqA5nHry7p4i8Gn1l0A8hewgCyjjGnrAbfwzDkwtnEJdc_5zVbQD07t9XPRKLL1IEApNmvOh7SORDSxcFhag_5hwLfAec4dWBaablI8Z-mEAAd4IuywpPN/s1600/Auto+mechanic.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHPhg8rmfpsKhBkoGlZTw1fBEqA5nHry7p4i8Gn1l0A8hewgCyjjGnrAbfwzDkwtnEJdc_5zVbQD07t9XPRKLL1IEApNmvOh7SORDSxcFhag_5hwLfAec4dWBaablI8Z-mEAAd4IuywpPN/s200/Auto+mechanic.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Ever awake on a Saturday or Sunday morning to your favorite radio station broadcasting shows featuring either a local lawyer, a local gardener, a local estate planner or a local auto repair shop? I know those shows' hosts share a lot of valuable information with their listeners, but I'm also going to suggest that they border on being pure infomercials. Trying to put a nicer spin on this, though, let's just say that they do share a lot of useful info, while at the same time hoping you'll have learned to like them, and hoping you might even call them the first time you have a related problem.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hkV7bGli20NrD_URQUWSv67T-ewH2VFe39yBqkvH2ZgXwig1Y-m8DRZbDiomO8wRVdX1HTPxR2ZyHNscjW7MBC9Sa37ueC7kLY0kzVs49OMf8a3FF5PmqRQyrPqjoXtZkImFVEpVGWW9/s1600/Radio+TV.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hkV7bGli20NrD_URQUWSv67T-ewH2VFe39yBqkvH2ZgXwig1Y-m8DRZbDiomO8wRVdX1HTPxR2ZyHNscjW7MBC9Sa37ueC7kLY0kzVs49OMf8a3FF5PmqRQyrPqjoXtZkImFVEpVGWW9/s200/Radio+TV.png" width="200" /></a></div>
How about tuning in to your favorite radio or TV talk show, and hearing or seeing a favorite celebrity interviewed? Actually, that's also a two-way street, in that the celebrities and hosts entertain us a ton as they interact, while the celebrity gets to hype his or her latest book, movie, CD or what have you. (If you think about it, neither a radio or TV show could afford to pay for a famous actor to visit, for a pop idol to sing a song, or for a politician to make an appearance; but those types surely will go on a popular show -- for free, based on what's really at stake.) </blockquote>
If you get my drift here, such shows -- be they on radio or television -- are aiming to suit a bunch of needs -- from their own to their advertisers' to their guests' to those of their listeners.<br />
<br />
Now, tooting my own horn here for a few secs, new readers should know that I recently created the first ever online radio station that's basically all hockey talk. I say "basically", because <a href="http://hockeytalkradio.us/" target="_blank"><b>Hockey Talk Radio</b></a> mixes in some awesome rock music during show breaks, and it also includes a number of instructional podcasts that aren't specifically about hockey -- like shows on diet or nutrition, exercise, mental training and more.<br />
<br />
I tell you all this to also let you know that it hasn't been all that easy to fill 24-hours per day with quality shows. Oh, I've managed, and I do have some awesome shows involved. But what surprised me was how few people there are out there who are podcasting meaningful stuff.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3Bv4mIIkV_iYUkeDSSRLyrb_5qhi7YxTgItsOctiDJwRKBGlDcYsWdv6zInpNoO5wy3TmDzzYggoV8oTe6s0lfGbl3grOqK8JnbFZO3UbJLuoRKodGRbJql2aVGiDEsMECUIrBQZQKox/s1600/ProShop.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3Bv4mIIkV_iYUkeDSSRLyrb_5qhi7YxTgItsOctiDJwRKBGlDcYsWdv6zInpNoO5wy3TmDzzYggoV8oTe6s0lfGbl3grOqK8JnbFZO3UbJLuoRKodGRbJql2aVGiDEsMECUIrBQZQKox/s200/ProShop.png" width="200" /></a></div>
For example, I thought it might be an unbelievable idea to have a hockey equipment specialist do something like a 15-minute segment per week -- on gear selection, on skate sharpening, and anything else the typical hockey family wrestles with on a regular basis. And, although I belong to a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/skatesharpeninguniversity/" target="_blank"><b>Facebook group</b></a> that includes hundreds of hockey pro shop specialists, I've yet to get one taker to run a podcast. <br />
<br />
You might think it would be easier for me to find guys or gals to share tips on hockey skills and coaching, but that hasn't been the case, either. No, to date, only Jeremy Weiss and I do that (although I have been fortunate to feature a couple of great goalie coaches in Mike McCarthy, Justin Johnson and Chris Dyson.)<br />
<br />
And, while I think we have one of the best motivators when it comes to physical training -- in one Gino Arcaro, I can't believe I haven't yet found someone to advise our listeners on specific exercises for hockey, training methods and such.<br />
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Smiling to myself a bit, I'm recalling about a decade ago, back in the Boston-area, when a local radio station dared switch to an all-sports-talk format. They got bashed pretty good in the beginning, and the popular opinion was that such a format would never fly. LOL! Go through the AM radio listings today, however, and you'll find them all over the dial and all over North America. My point -- and the point of that cited article, is that podcasts are here to stay. And, let me add that, so is online radio.</blockquote>
Then, the article that got me going had something else I found interesting, and very much worthy of sharing. For, "... podcasting as a medium is not new but it is certainly fast-growing across all genres. Podcasts like 'Serial' garner thousands of downloads and a cult following while Bill Simmons’ podcast quickly became a must-listen on any device for fans of sports and pop culture. With an audience now growing accustomed to listening as part of storytelling, it’s an easy one on commuting, walking, going to gym; audio is becoming big business."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pay_cE9vUBVhWc_R6tV-jOtW9tic3TLLyIGEGMBw9Rbq51h0bPZKZM4zuOFKv98nV6unLNRZtAhgd2G97lxEpZeXM30GE93Ly7_gSmEsor-IoVp-FaR6rdDcdBgmu2pECtL_Rsgc2Biy/s1600/HTR+-+apps2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pay_cE9vUBVhWc_R6tV-jOtW9tic3TLLyIGEGMBw9Rbq51h0bPZKZM4zuOFKv98nV6unLNRZtAhgd2G97lxEpZeXM30GE93Ly7_gSmEsor-IoVp-FaR6rdDcdBgmu2pECtL_Rsgc2Biy/s200/HTR+-+apps2.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Ya, "With an audience now growing accustomed to listening as part of
storytelling, it’s an easy one on commuting, walking, going to gym;
audio is becoming big business." (I listen to Hockey Talk Radio on my laptop as I work, and then I use a <a href="http://hockeytalkradio.us/listen-by-smartphone/" target="_blank"><b>free app</b></a> to listen on my phone as I'm out and about.) So, while I'll take the arrows in the back that come with being an innovator, I'm kind proud of the fact that I've created another first in an around-the-clock, all-hockey talk, online radio station.<br />
<br />
Lastly, as most of the above suggests, there are still plenty of voids to be filled in a brand new field. The online world is waiting for more knowledgeable people to share what they know, to stake claim to some notoriety, and to truly help advance their area of expertise. And, if it has to do with hockey, <a href="http://hockeytalkradio.us/want-to-create-your-own-hockey-show/" target="_blank"><b>I'll be here to help however I can</b></a>.<br />
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* </div>
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PS: I was actually lured to Florida to be the GM and head coach of a new Junior team in a newly proposed Junior league. How that all fell apart is an entertaining story, to say the least. Still, what I discovered from Day One on the job was that the biggest challenge to building such a program is in recruiting good players. Of course, making sure your program or league is well known around the hockey world is a step in the right direction, which has organizations going to great lengths -- and great expense -- to accomplish just that. So, you can imagine how I smiled when someone from one North American Junior league recently contacted me about maybe doing a weekly show highlighting their players and teams. "Oh, man," I thought, "wouldn't I have loved to have put my planned team on the map with such ease!" <br />
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*</div>
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Want to read the cited article? Just click here: "<a href="http://www.sporttechie.com/2016/01/27/the-podcast-era-for-athletes-has-started-and-j-j-redick-is-first-to-create-a-louder-voice/" target="_blank"><b>The Podcast Era For Athletes Has Started And J.J. Redick Is First To Create A Louder Voice</b></a>"<br />
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Many friends have been asking lately about adding a Hockey Talk Radio player to their hockey blogs and sites, and I tell them it's easy and powerful. I just provide the code, the player looks just like the following one, and anyone visiting the site can hear the station -- 24/7 -- just by clicking the arrow...</div>
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<script>(function (win, doc, script, source, objectName) { (win.RadionomyPlayerObject = win.RadionomyPlayerObject || []).push(objectName); win[objectName] = win[objectName] || function (k, v) { (win[objectName].parameters = win[objectName].parameters || { src: source, version: '1.1' })[k] = v; }; var js, rjs = doc.getElementsByTagName(script)[0]; js = doc.createElement(script); js.async = 1; js.src = source; rjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, rjs); }(window, document, 'script', 'http://www.radionomy.com/js/radionomy.player.js', 'radplayer'));
radplayer('url', 'hockeytalkradio');
radplayer('type', 'medium');
radplayer('autoplay', '0');
radplayer('volume', '50');
radplayer('color1', '#000000');
radplayer('color2', '#ffffff');
</script>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-82846526135853009622016-01-18T19:24:00.000-05:002016-01-18T19:24:04.293-05:00Procrastination: It's Killing Me (And You)!Ugh... Procrastination. Whether it's in the front of our minds or not, I think it's always there, at least often -- and to some degree -- affecting all of us.<br />
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Up front, you ought to know that I wasn't looking for help in that area when a link to a <a href="http://lifehacker.com/" target="_blank"><b>lifehacker</b></a> article arrived in my inbox yesterday. Actually, it wasn't the "Procrastination" part of its title that jumped out at me, but instead the hidden reference to Aristotle -- as in "The Akrasia Effect" -- that did.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA__-zq9RTJ5-nxWdQlmHc_G22BxjG6U1-DFd21pnWr42MmT-z63_35A5lu1641JMHCDovhUmF7lvIz_M8azISA4vw98Dq9LVV9zgwyiq2_ct1TMy1T0CnhzgFONYyurBWlh6kCqKWDp69/s1600/aristotle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA__-zq9RTJ5-nxWdQlmHc_G22BxjG6U1-DFd21pnWr42MmT-z63_35A5lu1641JMHCDovhUmF7lvIz_M8azISA4vw98Dq9LVV9zgwyiq2_ct1TMy1T0CnhzgFONYyurBWlh6kCqKWDp69/s200/aristotle.jpg" width="167" /></a></div>
Ya, Akrasia... As the article states, "... ancient Greek philosophers like Socrates and Aristotle developed a word to describe this type of behavior: Akrasia." And the author went on to describe it as "the state of acting against your better judgment. It is when you do one
thing even though you know you should do something else." Mr Clear goes on to say that, "Loosely
translated, you could say that akrasia is procrastination or a lack of self-control." <br />
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What caused me to read even further was the author's suggestion that, "Akrasia is what prevents you from following through on what you set out to do."<br />
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Who me -- not following through? <br />
<br />
Ya, me, and you, too...<br />
<br />
In what proved to be a well written, easy-to-read piece, James Clear goes on to explain that it's really not our fault, but more a matter of how the human mind works. On the one hand, we picture some well intended long range plans, with every intention of attaining them. On the other hand, Clear says that our brains -- kinda in the now -- prefer instant rewards rather than long-term payoffs. If we're talking diet here, we might envision a slim, trim body, while our brain at the moment is craving a triple-decker sandwich. Our long-term reasoning might also dream about the benefits of finishing a profitable project as soon as possible, while our thinking in the now undermines that with the urge to spend the next few hours on a computer game.<br />
<br />
Does that resonate with you? I know it describes my way of procrastination to a "T"! <br />
<br />
All is not lost, though, because Clear offers an antidote to Akrasia, with <u><b>3 Ways to Beat Procrastination</b></u> (which I'll paraphrase below)...<br />
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<b>Strategy 1: Design Your Future Actions</b><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn__yqQQqqma8c1hJAcXLHvpfyIphMxQv66qTjXnH2s6vj50GAn5lChcWcZ5rejMOPowMM6o8IhyphenhyphenPPQoAA5igC6Pb65Dbwz23z2Xvw7YJb3vvEEmdrLRf9zrv2PK_GVdoAB5KiJmG7KYCS/s1600/sandwich.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn__yqQQqqma8c1hJAcXLHvpfyIphMxQv66qTjXnH2s6vj50GAn5lChcWcZ5rejMOPowMM6o8IhyphenhyphenPPQoAA5igC6Pb65Dbwz23z2Xvw7YJb3vvEEmdrLRf9zrv2PK_GVdoAB5KiJmG7KYCS/s200/sandwich.jpg" width="200" /></a>In a way, I think this should have been titled "How To Undermine Your Underminers" -- :) . In other words, if those huge sandwiches are your downfall, the wise thing might be to undermine such an urge by having only healthy foods available. If you know that computer games are your undoing, delete them from your computer (hey, you can always bring them back as a reward for getting the most important work completed).<br />
<br />
For sure, your aims and underminers might be different than I've mentioned, but they can be attacked in similar ways. The main idea is to short-circuit the things you know hurt you, and to give them less opportunities to get in your way.<br />
<br />
<b>Strategy 2: Reduce the Friction of Starting</b><br />
<br />
Clear begins this section by quoting Eliezer Yudkowsky, as in, “On a moment-to-moment basis, being in the middle of doing the work is usually less painful than being in the middle of procrastinating.”<br /><br />Hmmmmmm... Were truer words ever spoken? I think not!<br />
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Of course, what Clear and Yudkowsky are both getting at is that the work isn't usually all that hard, but the getting started is.<br />
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With that, I'm going to refer to something I've written quite a bit on during my years in hockey coaching... For, I tell other coaches that my springs and summers each year -- or my hockey off-seasons -- were all about retreating to my "<a href="http://coachchic.com/the-start-of-creative-hockey-coaching-in-my-bunker/" target="_blank"><b>bunker</b></a>" to design the next season's coaching plans.<br />
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Interestingly, that's one area of my work where I instinctively knew the work was a blast, but getting started could be a headache. So I purposely put everything I needed for that work in a shoulder bag that could be grabbed instantly, and toted to a place where my creative juices could ultimately really get flowing. I went one better on the latter, too, knowing from experience that atmosphere was everything. Some of my best coaching ideas came about while walking a beach, driving through mountains, lolling at poolside, or soaking in a hot tub. Back home in Massachusetts, the everyday or every night bunker was a neat area I built in my backyard, while down here in Florida I prefer poolside or a quiet lanai.<br />
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My point, though: Find a comfortable place to work if you can, and have an easy way to get to work almost immediately. <br />
<br />
Clear ends this segment by suggesting, "Put all of your effort and energy into building a ritual and make it as
easy as possible to get started. Don’t worry about the results until
you’ve mastered the art of showing up.: <br />
<br /><b>Strategy 3: Utilize Implementation Intentions</b><br /><br />Clear says that, "There are hundreds of successful studies showing how implementation
intentions positively impact everything from exercise habits to flu
shots. In the flu shot study, researchers looked at a group of 3,272
employees at a Midwestern company and found that employees who wrote
down the specific date and time they planned to get their flu shot were
significantly more likely to follow through weeks later."<br />
<br />
So, what he's suggesting is that we set things like a specific <u>date</u>, <u>place</u> and <u>time</u> to implement our future plans. And he finishes with, "... implementation intentions can make you 2x to 3x more likely to perform an action in the future."<br />
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Then, four things in closing...<br />
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1) I'm going to add one more strategy to those outlined by James Clear -- call it:<br />
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<b>Strategy 4: Tell Someone Else About Your Intentions</b>. <br />
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Beginning this January 1st, I decided to do something unique for the first time ever, this having to do with my so-called New Years resolutions. Ya, what I've done is post something like the nearby photo every single day (that's not the specific new home I'm seeking, so I rotate several pics). If you get what I'm really doing, I'm telling my 16,000+ social media friends what I'm shooting for, and I know I'll be rather embarrassed if I don't attain that portion of my dreams sometime during 2016. You might not want to blast your aims all over the Internet, but even telling a friend or two could bring about the same effect.<br />
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2) Because all of our long-term goals are different, the above strategies obviously have to be adjusted to meet our own needs. So will you have to analyzing your failings, or those things you know are delaying you from getting to work. There definitely isn't a one-size-fits-all with the above process, but it doesn't seem all that difficult to adjust.<br />
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3) Interestingly, I think, is that just reading that article seems to have changed me quite a bit. I mean, knowing what's happening in my brain -- or knowing that it's a human problem -- eases my conscience more than a little. I especially feel helped by understanding my need to get over the typical delays and just get to it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_GSTwhhqgOe1WUGG2yKLffDQy4n39bW3nhyphenhyphenuoHzlf4UWXjMYabk02zJRXGHji0IRvCB0xwGxI4Uf16xwP9k4wRR1-p58_zgxRtt_3SuPLVpEs8D8_62rDAxJISY3pZAMGCDA7yYeuZw3/s1600/Sean_D%2527Souza_Interview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_GSTwhhqgOe1WUGG2yKLffDQy4n39bW3nhyphenhyphenuoHzlf4UWXjMYabk02zJRXGHji0IRvCB0xwGxI4Uf16xwP9k4wRR1-p58_zgxRtt_3SuPLVpEs8D8_62rDAxJISY3pZAMGCDA7yYeuZw3/s200/Sean_D%2527Souza_Interview.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
4) I'm re-introducing one of my favorite Internet gurus here -- Sean D'Souza was the feature of an earlier post having to do with attaining "<a href="http://my-hockey-diary.blogspot.com/2015/03/three-obstacles-to-happiness.html" target="_blank"><b>happiness</b></a>". Below you'll find a link to an awesome audio about procrastination by Sean. What I love about this one is mentioned in the title, "The 70% Principle..." For, what he's suggesting is that, "If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing 70% right." :) That's right, because it's our search for perfectionism that's killing us a lot of the time, and it's also one of the reasons we put off starting -- as if we're not quite ready to do <i>it</i> perfectly yet.<br />
<br />
Here's a link to Sean D'Souza's audio -- give a listen when you get a chance (it's worth it): "<a href="http://www.podcastchart.com/podcasts/the-three-month-vacation-podcast-vacations-online-small-business-sean-d-souza-psychotactics/episodes/19-the-70-principle-why-it-knocks-procrastination-out-of-the-ball-park" target="_blank"><b>The 70% Principle: Why It Knocks Procrastination Out of the Ball Park</b></a>".<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* </div>
<br />
If you'd like to read James Clear's article in its entirety, just click here: "<a href="http://lifehacker.com/the-akrasia-effect-why-we-make-plans-and-dont-follow-t-1752799091" target="_blank"><b>The Akrasia Effect: Why We Make Plans but Don't Follow Through</b></a>"<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-41497633636213426352016-01-15T21:46:00.001-05:002016-01-16T12:13:13.015-05:00Listen to Hockey Talk Radio<i>As a convenience to my many Hockey Diary visitors, I've placed a player here so that you might listen to Hockey Talk Radio. All you need to do is click on the arrow on the player down below to hear that station in progress -- with lots of advice packed shows and fan-based NHL podcasts.</i><br />
<span style="color: white;"><i>* </i></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>-- Dennis Chighisola</i></div>
<h3>
Listen to Hockey Talk Radio</h3>
<div>
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEh96iFdcNTcF1QqnEfgN7ePi1FMcU238dye58FQVrtw8Gyz-5mo35rIfwMQlm5zSZz5y6F9AjQJYSR8Bd07kv8YzqnvIEKixfjkDN2ScuSYhV7ee42th8kQK1vnwmpJpX_zEd0ePSxFFKRuF5jfNAUH9oteK3opmpzRYbHMv6cm3MFBtUsdoy3rdIv4rS-mAatl-UWy-N4ljYw=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Listen to Hockey Talk Radio" border="0" class="alignright wp-image-16441" src="http://coachchic2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/20160114153908/HeadSet1-300x169.jpg" height="103" width="183" /></a>Again, this page has been created to give members and passersby a chance to listen to Hockey Talk Radio. For sure, you can always come here if it suits your needs -- you get to hear the station exactly like it airs from our dedicate site. However, I highly recommend two other methods.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
- Many of our fans listen to Hockey Talk Radio from a special site at <a href="http://hockeytalkradio.us/" target="_blank"><b>hockeytalkradio.us</b></a>. There can be found profiles for all our hockey podcasters, a special area for Hockey Talk Radio NEWS, a highlighted "Show of the Week" -- which includes a sample show, and much, much more.</blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div>
<a href="http://hockeytalkradio.us/listen-by-smartphone/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Listen to Hockey Talk Radio" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-16442" src="http://coachchic2.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/20160114154149/HTR-apps-300x146.png" height="146" width="300" /></a>- Still, I'm sure a great many listeners access Hockey Talk Radio on-the-go, or with their smartphones. I do that often, myself, as I walk my little cockerpoo several times per day and night. Using the Radionomy app is really easy, and -- using the instructions <a href="http://hockeytalkradio.us/listen-by-smartphone/" target="_blank"><b>on a special page</b></a> about that, it's also easy to download and install on any kind of phone.</div>
</blockquote>
<div>
<span style="color: white;">*</span></div>
<div>
Again, the Hockey Talk Radio website contains a ton of information and help, and it also provides ways listeners can become actively involved with the station. You can ask questions or add comments at the bottom of each show host's page, you can suggest to me ways I might improve the station, and there's even quite a bit of information about creating your own podcast and joining our all-star podcast lineup.</div>
<div>
<span style="color: white;">*</span></div>
<div>
So, please listen to Hockey Talk Radio any way you'd like -- either from the main website, from your phone, or by pressing the arrow down below. And, enjoy...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
--------------------------------------------------</div>
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<br />
As it so happens, the research I quoted the most from included an awesome video I thought I'd share with my friends here. So, have a look and listen, and I'll meet you on the other side... <br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JC82Il2cjqA?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />I guess to some, that video represents a minute and a half of ho-hum. However, to anyone who knows even a little about teaching principles -- and especially about modern day teaching principles, that's 90-seconds of extremely powerful information. For, it truly does matter if we all understand that video's theme: you <u>can</u> learn anything.<br />
<br />
Actually, this subject is very much connected to a number of messages I've conveyed to both my Hockey Diary followers and my <b><a href="http://coachchic.com/">CoachChic.com</a></b> members. <br />
<br />
When it comes to the former, I've included an article here titled "<a href="http://my-hockey-diary.blogspot.com/2015/01/nature-versus-nuture.html" target="_blank"><b>Nature versus Nurture</b></a>", which explains that video info in even more depth.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmID96B8XvFet9TyF18025VSjpumaCPdUJxe3-k76lpfG0ya-gGrrH1lowiZn9YJrn7v_CBB9jSJ3FTQkRp2wv3ngTxnDGyotAjQMbbEjekrdau2k11mhYVTXTIf7ux37SzF-N_zhGroC/s1600/Russian+Squat+Bounce.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmID96B8XvFet9TyF18025VSjpumaCPdUJxe3-k76lpfG0ya-gGrrH1lowiZn9YJrn7v_CBB9jSJ3FTQkRp2wv3ngTxnDGyotAjQMbbEjekrdau2k11mhYVTXTIf7ux37SzF-N_zhGroC/s1600/Russian+Squat+Bounce.png" /></a></div>
As for the latter, I've related to my members-only how the idea behind genetics has been updated considerably, in a new science called <a href="http://coachchic.com/epigenetics-meets-ice-hockey/" target="_blank"><b>epigenetics</b></a>.<br />
<br />
With all that, let me comment specifically on the above video, and make some suggestions my followers might actually use...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
First, it's important to let your youngster know that his or her success isn't totally God-given, but more a matter of effort. (That's also the gist of that nature vs nurture thing.)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Keep that kind of dialogue going with your youngster -- that you can learn anything, and keep it going from as early as he or she can understand to as long as possible. </blockquote>
To be honest, I think a lot of great qualities come from the kind of mentality this approach develops, including a bit of mental toughness for when some bumps appear in the road.<br />
<br />
Finally, please think about the title of that article I just posted over on my other site: "Why Some Kids Try Harder", because it also deals with "why some kids don't". That, I believe, is the ultimate difference between a happy or not-so-happy youngster. And I think it also makes a huge difference in how a youngster is perceived by others -- like teachers, coaches and friends. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-9939018662958224742015-11-18T14:00:00.000-05:002018-06-17T22:04:25.803-04:00<html lang="en-US" prefix="og: http://ogp.me/ns#" xmlns:fb="http://www.facebook.com/2008/fbml" xmlns:og="http://opengraphprotocol.org/schema/" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><link href="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/cache/autoptimize/css/autoptimize_0da0512000930e90f0ff263fd9c2f2c0.css" media="all" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><title> 17 Benefits of Trampoline Exercise That May Make You Live Longer - Consultant of Trampoline Importers</title> <!--[if lte IE 8]> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/themes/blog-domijump/js/html5shiv.js"></script> <![endif]--><link href="http://blog-domijump.arcubeic.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/favicon.ico" rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon"></link><link href="http://www.domijump.net/trampoline-exercise-benefits/" rel="canonical"></link><link href="http://www.domijump.net/feed/" rel="alternate" title="Consultant of Trampoline Importers » Feed" type="application/rss+xml"></link><link href="http://www.domijump.net/comments/feed/" rel="alternate" title="Consultant of Trampoline Importers » Comments Feed" type="application/rss+xml"></link><link href="http://www.domijump.net/trampoline-exercise-benefits/feed/" rel="alternate" title="Consultant of Trampoline Importers » 17 Benefits of Trampoline Exercise That May Make You Live Longer Comments Feed" type="application/rss+xml"></link><!--[if lte IE 9]><link rel='stylesheet' id='avada-shortcodes-css' href='http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/themes/blog-domijump/shortcodes.css?ver=3.5.3' type='text/css' media='all' /> <![endif]--><!--[if lte IE 8]><link rel='stylesheet' id='avada-IE8-css' href='http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/themes/blog-domijump/css/ie8.css?ver=3.5.3' type='text/css' media='all' /> <![endif]--> <!--[if IE]><link rel='stylesheet' id='avada-IE-css' href='http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/themes/blog-domijump/css/ie.css?ver=3.5.3' type='text/css' media='all' /> <![endif]--><link href="http://www.domijump.net/xmlrpc.php?rsd" rel="EditURI" title="RSD" type="application/rsd+xml"></link><link href="http://www.domijump.net/wp-includes/wlwmanifest.xml" rel="wlwmanifest" type="application/wlwmanifest+xml"></link><link href="http://www.domijump.net/?p=95" rel="shortlink"></link> <!--[if lte IE 8]> <script type="text/javascript">jQuery(document).ready(function() {
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<div class="post post-95 type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-uncategorized tag-17-trampoline-exercise-health-benefits" id="post-95">
<h2 class="entry-title">
17 Benefits of Trampoline Exercise That May Make You Live Longer</h2>
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<div class="shareaholic-canvas" data-app-id="20932831" data-app="share_buttons" data-link="http://www.domijump.net/trampoline-exercise-benefits/" data-summary="" data-title="17 Benefits of Trampoline Exercise That May Make You Live Longer">
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<img alt="17 trampoline exercise benefits" class="alignright wp-image-116 size-full" height="266" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/17-trampoline-exercise-benefits.jpg" width="200" /><br />
Trampoline exercise is considered to be one of the best forms of exercise for adults,<br />
When you jump on the trampoline,<br />
you will experience a brief weightless state at the top of the jump,<br />
but when you reach the bottom of the mat,<br />
your body experiences as much as 4Gs of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton%27s_law_of_universal_gravitation" target="_blank">gravitational force</a>.<br />
You will be blown away by the myriad of<a href="http://www.brentwoodtc.org/health_benefits.htm" target="_blank"> health benefits </a> when doing this fun jumping,<br />
Why ?<br />
Because it provides a combination of health and fitness benefits that no other exercise can provide.<br />
In this article, you will learn 17 benefits of trampoline exercise , if you stick to follow anyone of them,surely your body will be stronger and with better health.<br />
<br />
Keep reading:<br />
<br />
<h2>
<strong>1.Fun Way of Losing Weight and Keeping Fit</strong></h2>
According to <a href="http://jap.physiology.org/content/49/5/881.abstract" target="_blank">NASAs Journal</a> of Applied Physiology, rebounding exercise is 68% more efficient than jogging.<br />
<img alt="NASA" class="aligncenter wp-image-121 size-full" height="350" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/NASA.gif" width="350" /><br />
A study from NASA also found that a 150 pound individual spending 1 hour on a rebounder,<br />
will burn more calories than the same person jogging for an hour.<br />
Long hours of Cardio exercise can actually back fire in weight loss attempts since prolonged period of ‘breathless’ exercise can lower your metabolism.<br />
<a href="http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/rebounding/" target="_blank">Rebounding on a trampoline</a> is a metabolic supporting exercise and therefore it’s very key when it comes to weight loss.<br />
<img alt="weight loss" class="aligncenter wp-image-122 size-full" height="426" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/belly-2354_640.jpg" width="640" /><br />
If you rebound at moderate pace, you can still breathe comfortably.<br />
It gets you moving without stressing your metabolism.<br />
For more effective weight loss, rebound 15-20 minutes moderate intensity at one period at minimum of 3 times per week.<br />
so just keep jumping and keep your fit.<br />
Other Resources of losing weight:<br />
<ul>
<li> <a href="http://authoritynutrition.com/how-to-lose-weight-as-fast-as-possible/" target="_blank">How to Lose Weight Fast: 3 Simple Steps, Based on Science</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.mensfitness.com/weight-loss/burn-fat-fast/102-ways-to-burn-fat-fast" target="_blank">102 WAYS TO BURN FAT FAST</a></li>
<li><a href="http://greatist.com/health/tips-lose-weight" target="_blank">Diet Tips: 67 Science-Backed Ways to Lose Weight</a></li>
<li><a href="http://skinnyms.com/27-ways-to-lose-weight-permanently/" target="_blank">27 Ways to Lose Weight Permanently</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.coachcalorie.com/how-to-lose-weight/" target="_blank">The Definitive Guide for How to Lose Weight</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>
<strong>2.Increase Lymphatic Flow in The Body</strong></h2>
The <a href="http://www.livescience.com/26983-lymphatic-system.html" target="_blank">lymphatic system</a> is a network of tissues and organs which help to get rid of the body toxins, waste and other unwanted materials in the body.<br />
<img alt="Lymphatic Flow" class="wp-image-129 size-full aligncenter" height="479" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Lymphatic-Flow.jpg" width="638" /><br />
It is the metabolic garbage can of the body.<br />
Unlike the <a href="http://www.innerbody.com/image/cardov.html" target="_blank">cardiovascular system</a> in which the heart automatically pumps blood, the lymphatic system purely relies on our body movement as a pump.<br />
<img alt="cardiovascular system" class="size-full wp-image-130 aligncenter" height="546" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/cardiovascular-system.jpg" width="728" /><br />
Lymphatic flow relies completely on our conscious movement.<br />
Rebounding on a trampoline is a whole body exercise.<br />
<img alt="Rebounding on a trampoline" class="size-full wp-image-131 aligncenter" height="268" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Rebounding-on-a-trampoline.jpg" width="450" /><br />
And it may cause the <a href="http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/valve+of+lymphatics" target="_blank">lymphatic valves</a> to open and close simultaneously which will increase lymph flow as much as 15 times<br />
Related articles :<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.wellbeingjournal.com/rebounding-good-for-the-lymph-system/" target="_blank">Rebounding: Good for the Lymph System</a></li>
<li><a href="https://yogainternational.com/article/view/5-natural-ways-to-relieve-lymphatic-congestion" target="_blank">5 Natural Ways to Relieve Lymphatic Congestion</a></li>
<li><a href="http://empoweredsustenance.com/support-the-lymphatic-system/" target="_blank">10 Ways to Support the Lymphatic System</a></li>
</ol>
<h2>
<strong>3.Increase Detoxification And Cleansing of The Body</strong></h2>
Trampoline exercise helps to facilitate the body’s natural<a href="http://www.iherblibrary.com/cleanse-book/mechanisms-of-detoxification" target="_blank"> detoxification mechanism</a>.<br />
<img alt="Detoxification" class="size-full wp-image-132 aligncenter" height="806" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Detoxification.jpg" width="612" /><br />
Rebounding is a unique form of exercise in which a weightless state is achieved at the top of each jump and landing ,<br />
also it achieves twice the force of gravity on each bounce.<br />
This shift in gravity benefits every muscle and cell of the body and provides huge benefits to the lymphatic system.<br />
As blood flows in the body the lymphatic fluid leaks out of the blood vessels into the body tissues.<br />
This fluid carries food to the cells and bathes the body tissues to form tissues fluid.<br />
The fluid then collects waste products, bacteria, and damaged cells.<br />
For detoxification, rebound for at least 15 min daily.<br />
Related source :<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/detox-foods" target="_blank">8 Foods That Boost Your Body’s Natural Detox Power</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.homeremedyfind.com/32-detox-drinks-for-cleansing-and-weight-loss/" target="_blank">32 detox drinks for cleansing and weight loss</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.womentowomen.com/detoxification/detoxification-and-how-to-support-your-body-naturally/" target="_blank">Detoxification And How To Support Your Body Naturally</a></li>
</ol>
<h2>
<strong>4.Improve The Functioning of The Immune System</strong></h2>
<img alt=" Immune System" class="size-full wp-image-133 aligncenter" height="693" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Immune-System.jpg" width="693" /><br />
The lymphatic system is a vital part of the<a href="http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/immune/immune-system.htm" target="_blank"> immune system</a>.<br />
It is a defense mechanism against viruses, bacteria, diseases and infection.<br />
The lymph contains a high number of a certain type of white blood cells called lymphocytes.<br />
The lymphocytes are responsible for fighting infections in the body.<br />
It also destroys damaged or abnormal cells in the body.<br />
Rebounding causes the valves in the lymphatic system to open and close simultaneously increasing lymph flow as much as 15 times.<br />
<img alt="a boy Rebounding on a trampoline" class="size-full wp-image-134 aligncenter" height="560" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/a-boy-Rebounding-on-a-trampoline.jpg" width="560" /><br />
This boosts immunity removes toxins and help slow down the aging process.<br />
It also improves the immune system by increasing the action of red bone marrow and supporting tissue repair.<br />
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<img alt="red bone marrow" class="size-full wp-image-135 aligncenter" height="564" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/red-bone-marrow.jpg" width="705" /></h2>
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<li><a href="http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/benefits-uses-castor-oil/" target="_blank">How to Use Castor Oil to Boost Your Immune System</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.healthambition.com/these-4-amazing-asanas-will-improve-your-immune-system/" target="_blank">These 4 Amazing Asanas Will Improve Your Immune System</a></li>
</ol>
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<strong>5.Help to Reduce or Get Rid of Cellulite</strong></h2>
Rebounding on a trampoline is like pumping your body.<br />
Pumping your body on the trampoline have some positive effects on the <a href="http://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/thyroid-gland" target="_blank">thyroid gland</a>.<br />
Rebounding helps stimulate the thyroid gland to start cleaning itself and the entire lymphatic system of stored fat, also in this case the targeted fat is cellulite.<br />
<img alt="Cellulite" class="size-full wp-image-136 aligncenter" height="399" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Cellulite.jpg" width="600" /><br />
Trampoline exercise is the most proven way of eliminating cellulite.<br />
This is one of the biggest benefits of trampoline exercise.<br />
Related articles:<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/nutrition/advice/g1270/how-to-get-rid-of-cellulite/?slide=4" target="_blank">10 Foods That Fight Cellulite</a></li>
<li><a href="http://wellnessmama.com/8608/natural-cellulite-remedies/" target="_blank">9 Natural Remedies for Cellulite</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.fitnessblender.com/blog/how-to-get-rid-of-cellulite-the-only-real-ways-to-reduce-cellulite" target="_blank">How to Get Rid of Cellulite – The Only Real Ways to Reduce Cellulite</a></li>
<li><a href="http://getridofcellulite-naturally.org/" target="_blank">How to get rid of cellulite naturally for women over 30</a></li>
</ol>
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<strong>6.Strengthen Skeletal System And Increase Bone Mass</strong></h2>
<img alt="Skeletal System" class="size-full wp-image-138 aligncenter" height="634" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Skeletal-System.jpg" width="500" /><br />
Studies have shown that the increased G force on the bones experienced while rebounding strengthens them without attending to injuries such as shin splints and fractures.<br />
Trampoline exercise strengthens bone density which helps in prevention of conditions such as osteoporosis.<br />
<img alt="osteoporosis" class="size-full wp-image-139 aligncenter" height="401" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/osteoporosis.jpg" width="697" /><br />
Astronauts loose bone mass as a response to the decreased need for strong bones in a zero gravity environment, trampoline exercise is a weight bearing exercise that will help increase the bone mass.<br />
It strengthens joints, tendons and ligaments which may also help in reducing the chances of suffering from some forms or arthritis.<br />
Rebounding is also beneficial to those of older age because it strengthens and lengthens muscles thus improving flexibility.<br />
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<img alt="old people play trampoline" class="size-full wp-image-140 aligncenter" height="268" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/old-people-play-trampoline.jpg" width="400" /></h2>
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<li><a href="http://www.nextavenue.org/7-easy-ways-build-strong-bones/" target="_blank">7 Easy Ways to Build Strong Bones</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.builtlean.com/2013/12/11/weight-lifting-bone-density/" target="_blank">Can Weight Lifting Increase Bone Density?</a></li>
</ol>
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<strong>7.Increas Oxygen Circulation in The Whole Body Leading to Increased Cell Energy</strong></h2>
The NASA Journal of Applied of Physiology listed interesting finding after doing a research on trampoline exercises.<br />
When comparing similar heart rates and oxygen consumption between mini trampoline exercises and running, they found a significant increase in “biomechanical stimuli” with rebounding.<br />
<img alt="running" class="size-full wp-image-142 aligncenter" height="420" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/running.jpg" width="630" /><br />
This means that bouncing on a trampoline is more beneficial to your body that running,<br />
and it’s because of this,they now use trampoline exercises to recondition astronauts after space walk, to prevent muscle and bone degeneration.<br />
<img alt="recondition astronauts" class="size-full wp-image-143 aligncenter" height="718" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/recondition-astronauts.jpg" width="600" /><br />
Related articles:<br />
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<li><a href="http://ecosalon.com/20-ways-to-boost-circulation/">20 Ways to Boost Circulation</a></li>
</ol>
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<strong>8.Increase Mitochondrial Production and Hence Increase Cellular Energy</strong></h2>
<img alt="Mitochondrial Production" class="size-full wp-image-145 aligncenter" height="479" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Mitochondrial-Production.jpg" width="500" /><br />
Rebounding on a trampoline will automatically increase the mitochondrial count I each cell due to the extra demand for energy by the cells in the body.<br />
This will increase your available energy as well as your body’s capacity for using that energy.<br />
<img alt="mini trampoline exercise " class="size-full wp-image-144 aligncenter" height="368" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/4a3e751b1503e7e65435c9e198b9bc91.jpg" width="236" /><br />
This means that with trampoline exercise, your metabolism is jump started and you will be losing weight long after you have finished exercising.<br />
In addition, you will also feel energetic throughout the day.<br />
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<strong>9.You Exercise The Entire Body Without Excess Pressure on The Feet and Legs</strong></h2>
Many of the cardiovascular exercises are those that increase the heat beat like running and jogging.<br />
<img alt="jogging family" class="size-full wp-image-147 aligncenter" height="288" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/jogging-family.jpg" width="431" /><br />
Unfortunately, running or jogging on the ground exerts the excess pressure on the joints, feet and legs.<br />
This may lead to pronation which can be painful and may even cause injury to your joint, ankles, knees and back.<br />
Jogging or jumping on the trampoline is more effective because you can exercise for a longer time without feeling tired or feeling pressure on your joints.<br />
With rebounding, there’s no high impact on the body that occurs when exercising on a hard surface.<br />
<img alt="jogging on a trampoline" class="size-full wp-image-148 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/jogging-on-a-trampoline.jpg" width="630" /><br />
The g- force produced by jumping on a trampoline also improves body tone because not only the heart the legs and heart that is exercised but the whole body.<br />
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<strong>10.Improve The General Body Balance And Posture.</strong></h2>
Improvement in balance and coordination are great results of rebounding.<br />
<img alt="Body Balance on a trampoline" class="size-full wp-image-150 aligncenter" height="560" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Body-Balance-on-a-trampoline.jpg" width="560" /><br />
Rebounding on a trampoline automatically improves your balance because it stimulates the vestibule in the middle ear.<br />
Balance bars can also be attached to a<a href="http://www.domijump.com/products/trampoline/mini-trampoline/" target="_blank"> mini trampoline</a> for those with balance issues.<br />
<a href="http://www.domijump.com/trampoline-exercise-class/" target="_blank">Trampoline exercise</a> has shown good results with children, the elderly and those recovering from injuries.<br />
Related articles:<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw49.htm" target="_blank">What Is The Best Workout For Increased Balance?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/5-foot-strengthening-exercises-to-improve-speed-power-and-balance" target="_blank">5 Foot Strengthening Exercises to Improve Speed, Power, and Balance</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bikejames.com/strength/how-to-improve-your-balance-and-body-position-on-your-mountain-bike/" target="_blank">How to Improve Your Balance and Body Position on Your Mountain Bike</a>.</li>
</ol>
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</h2>
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<strong>11.Reduce Body Fat and Increase Muscle to Fat Ratio</strong></h2>
Trampoline exercise is a quick way of building muscle and losing fat.<br />
<img alt="loss fat with a trampoline" class="size-full wp-image-151 aligncenter" height="457" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/loss-fat-with-a-trampoline.jpg" width="700" /><br />
It firms legs, thighs, abdomen, arms and hips, increases agility, and improves sense of balance.<br />
The gentle detoxification that occurs when you are rebounding encourages <a href="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/pro-advice-6-surprising-fat-loss-facts.html" target="_blank">fat loss</a>.<br />
Related articles:<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/the-7-body-fat-diet" target="_blank">the 7 body fat diet</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.muscleforlife.com/how-to-lose-body-fat/" target="_blank">How to Lose Body Fat and Not Muscle</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/how-get-lean" target="_blank">How to Get Single-Digit Body Fat</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.coachmag.co.uk/exercises/lose-weight/3756/lower-your-body-fat-percentage-10-easy-steps" target="_blank">Lower Your Body Fat Percentage (in 10 Easy Steps)</a></li>
</ol>
<h2>
<strong>12.Improve The Cardiovascular System</strong></h2>
<a href="http://www.innerbody.com/image/cardov.html" target="_blank">Cardiovascular system</a> functioning is improved by doing the cardiovascular exercises, which increase the heart rate such as running, jogging, walking, etc.<br />
The same way rebounding helps in lymphatic circulation, it also helps in blood circulation and hence improved cardiovascular system.<br />
<img alt="Cardiovascular System" class="size-full wp-image-152 aligncenter" height="300" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Cardiovascular-System.jpg" width="500" /><br />
Rebounding also reduces blood pooling in veins to prevent<a href="http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/heart-failure/edema-overview" target="_blank"> chronic edema</a>.<br />
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<strong>13.Reduce and Combat Varicose Veins</strong></h2>
Rebounding is a natural way of permanently getting rid of varicose veins.<br />
<a href="http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/vv" target="_blank">Varicose veins</a> is a condition that causes the veins in the leg to enlarge.<br />
<img alt="Varicose Veins" class="size-full wp-image-153 aligncenter" height="599" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Varicose-Veins.jpg" width="799" /><br />
It may have a lot of contributing factors ranging from body posture, emotions to many things that affect <a href="http://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/improve-blood-circulation-naturally/" target="_blank">blood circulation</a>.<br />
Frequent rebounding increases circulation of blood flow.<br />
This can greatly reduce the pressure that your veins have to endure and eliminate the inflammation and the pain that comes with varicose veins.<br />
To reduce them also, <a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/14-signs-youre-not-drinking-enough-water.html" target="_blank">drink enough water</a> throughout the day, always wear the right pair of shoes and maintain a healthy body weight.<br />
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<img alt=" drink enough water" class="size-full wp-image-154 aligncenter" height="565" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/girl-drinking-bottled-water.jpg" width="849" /></h2>
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</ol>
<h2>
<strong>14.Improve Effects of Other Exercises. </strong></h2>
Weight lifting great results are achieved by combining rebounding with other exercises such as<a href="http://stronglifts.com/weight-lifting-101-the-definitive-guide-to-weight-lifting/" target="_blank"> weight lifting</a>.<br />
<img alt="weight-lifting" class="size-full wp-image-155 aligncenter" height="333" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/weight-lifting.jpg" width="410" /><br />
Studies has shown that an individual who does other types of exercises such as weight lifting and also rebounds on the trampoline got better results than if the an person who lifts weights and run or jog.<br />
<img alt="play on a trampoline" class="size-full wp-image-156 aligncenter" height="624" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/play-on-a-trampoline.jpg" width="450" /><br />
It has been proved that greater result are ached by combining rebounding with other types of exercises.<br />
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</h2>
<h2>
<strong>15.Provide Low Impact, Safe Cardiovascular Exercise as Compared to Running or Jogging</strong></h2>
Trampoline exercise has more health benefits and other advantages than other exercises such as running, jogging or aerobic exercises that involve high impact on a surface.<br />
I agree that your body is designed to run but it is not designed to run on a concrete surface which is the case in most pavements.<br />
Majority of people who jog regularly may end up with micro-trauma injuries to their heels and knees.<br />
<img alt="micro-trauma injuries" class="size-full wp-image-157 aligncenter" height="490" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/micro-trauma-injuries.jpg" width="736" /><br />
The excess pressure is also transmitted through the hips to your spine.<br />
When rebounding, the impact is absorbed by the trampoline surface and the risk of injuring your muscle and fibers are reduced.<br />
The gravitational force measured at your ankles, back and forehead is more equally distributed when you bounce.<br />
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</h2>
<h2>
<strong>16.Help In Preventing and Eliminating Cancer</strong></h2>
Rebounding helps in improved circulation of the lymphatic fluid which help to destroy cancerous cells in the body.<br />
As the fluid collects waste products, bacteria and damaged cell, it also collects damaged <a href="http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/what-is-cancer" target="_blank">cancerous cells</a> if are present in the body and drains it in the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphatic_vessel" target="_blank"> lymphatic vessels</a>.<br />
<br />
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<strong>17.Truncate Fatigue and Menstrual Discomfort in Women Which Occurs Due to Hormonal Imbalances</strong></h2>
Rebounding is one of the most effective therapy that is recommended for women who are in desperate need to end their menstrual misery.<br />
<img alt="menstrual misery" class="size-full wp-image-158 aligncenter" height="320" src="http://www.domijump.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/menstrual-misery.jpg" width="423" /><br />
It detoxifies excess hormones and toxins which is key to a healthy endocrine system.<br />
So if you are one of the many women who suffer due to hormonal imbalance, I strongly recommend rebounding to help solve your problem.<br /> Rebounding also lowers blood pressure by aiding blood circulation.<br />
It improves efficiency with which the body burns carbohydrates and can help lower the blood pressure<br />
<h2>
<strong>Conclusion</strong></h2>
The health benefits of rebounding as you can see are much more than you thought.<br />
I am sure you will want to increase your trampoline exercises.<br />
So, why not purchase your own trampoline and reap all these benefits out of your trampoline?<br />
Buy trampolines that have sufficient padding to protect you and your children from hard surfaces.<br />
Also consider one with a <a href="http://www.domijump.com/products/trampoline-parts/trampoline-safety-nets/" target="_blank">safety net</a> to prevent someone from falling off the trampoline.<br />
You will really benefit a lot from the trampoline exercise and then have a great body !<br />
<br />
Now leave a comment and let me know if any other benefits or tell me your story with trampoline,any question is welcomed !<br />
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<img alt="" class="avatar avatar-54 photo" height="54" src="http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/26ea5d30f6b3dbe74030bbab42ee8f28?s=54&d=mm&r=g" srcset="http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/26ea5d30f6b3dbe74030bbab42ee8f28?s=108&d=mm&r=g 2x" width="54" /></div>
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<strong>Zelna</strong> October 13, 2015 at 5:37 pm</div>
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</body></html><a aria-label="Reply to Zelna" class="comment-reply-link" href="http://www.domijump.net/trampoline-exercise-benefits/?replytocom=3#respond" onclick="return addComment.moveForm( "comment-3", "3", "respond", "95" )" rel="nofollow"> - Reply</a><br />
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My son Luvan Bezuidenhout started trampoline in RSA at TUKS. He loved it for 6 years. He went to worlds 2 times 2010. And 2011. He have achived a 10th place. And a5th place…. Then he stop… Sad story. But today I know the answers</div>
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<img alt="" class="avatar avatar-54 photo" src="http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/b260a9901c0b9c7117941bfd9c23fd2c?s=54&d=mm&r=g" height="54" srcset="http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/b260a9901c0b9c7117941bfd9c23fd2c?s=108&d=mm&r=g 2x" width="54" /></div>
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<b>Eric</b> October 14, 2015 at 1:14 am</div>
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Hey Zelna,trampoline is really a cool thing for child,but can you tell me why he stopped ?</div>
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<b><a class="url" href="http://www.ebuzzspider.com/20151012/5-potential-dangers-of-cheap-trampolines" rel="external nofollow">5 Potential Dangers Of Cheap Trampolines | Ebuzz Spider</a></b> October 14, 2015 at 1:37 am</div>
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[…] Eric wrote a complete list of trampoline exercise benefit, you can check here to […]</div>
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<b><a class="url" href="http://www.nature-flo.com/super-5-health-benefits-of-red-reishi/" rel="external nofollow">Super 5 Health benefits of Red Reishi - NatureFlo Ingredients</a></b> October 28, 2015 at 3:25 am</div>
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[…] PS : Eric Yang also write an article about how how to use trampoline to strengthen the immune system,you may want to check it out here. […]</div>
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<b><a class="url" href="http://www.cocomelody.com/blog/top-5-outdoor-games-to-make-your-wedding-day-special/" rel="external nofollow">Top 5 Outdoor Games to Make Your Wedding Day Special | CocoMelody Blog</a></b> November 6, 2015 at 6:52 am</div>
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[…] make them enjoy the wedding function to their most. You may arrange a big trampoline for kids to enjoy rebounding together or you may arrange different medium sized trampolines. This arrangement makes kids to […]</div>
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<!-- super cache -->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-67979159233848235722015-10-19T23:42:00.002-04:002018-06-17T22:04:25.607-04:00The Three-Year Swim Club <h1 id="reader-title">
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Boston Globe</h1>
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Hawaii’s Three-Year Swim Club overcame WWII-era anti-Japanese sentiment on quest for Olympic glory</h1>
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By James Sullivan
Globe Correspondent
October 19, 2015</div>
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For
years now, we’ve been inundated with images of athletic rigor: “Just Do
It.” It might seem hard to believe, but not so long ago conventional
wisdom held that elite athletes were most effective when pampering
themselves, not submitting to grueling workouts. As recently as the
1930s, Ivy League swimmers were known to end their leisurely practices
with “a vigorous rubdown and a fine cigar.”
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So writes Newburyport native Julie Checkoway in her new book,
“The Three-Year Swim Club: The Untold Story of Maui’s Sugar Ditch Kids
and Their Quest for Olympic Glory.” The unlikely heroes of her
remarkable real-life account, a Japanese-American teacher and the
impoverished children from Hawaii’s sugar cane fields he turned into
record-setting swimmers, played a huge role in changing the belief that
athletes have a finite amount of energy that must be conserved. <br />
<div class="skip-nav article-more">
<a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/2015/10/18/hawaii-three-year-swim-club-overcame-wwii-era-anti-japanese-sentiment-quest-for-olympic-glory/X8J8OzLzaf7SuZSoEpz5kI/#skip-target1">Continue reading below</a>
</div>
When she first heard of the Three-Year
Swim Club, so called because of Soichi Sakamoto’s determination to get
his ragtag band of athletes to the 1940 Olympics in just three years,
Checkoway was amazed to learn that their achievements had been nearly
lost to history. Under Coach Sakamoto, swimmers such as Keo Nakama and
Halo Hirose were hailed as a new kind of aquatic competitor, earning
world renown at a time when anti-Japanese sentiment was high. The
outbreak of World War II stalled their Olympic dream, but in 1948 they
finally got to the sport’s biggest stage. <br />
<figure class="figure" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject">
<img alt="Coach Soichi Sakamoto at the Camp 5 pool, circa 1939." data-fullsrc="//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_460w/Boston/2011-2020/2015/10/19/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/3YSC 19-4097.JPG" itemprop="url" src="http://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_460w/Boston/2011-2020/2015/10/19/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/3YSC%2019-4097.JPG" /><figcaption class="figcaption">
<div class="credit">
The Alexander and Baldwin Sugar Museum</div>
Coach Soichi Sakamoto at the Camp 5 pool, circa 1939.<br />
</figcaption>
</figure>“They were on the front sports page of every major newspaper
in the world,” said Checkoway, a Harvard-Radcliffe graduate who studied
fiction at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, on the phone recently from her
home in Utah. <br />
But their journey to that point was about as
underdog as it gets. Their first practices took place in the filthy
irrigation ditches of their field-labor community. Sakamoto, a science
teacher, was not a swimmer himself. But after volunteering to monitor
the children’s playtime in the ditches, he visualized a way out of their
grinding circumstances. Obsessively detail-oriented, he was often
thwarted by school authorities who disagreed with his methods.<br />
“It
sounds like a made-up story,” said Checkoway, whose book is being
marketed to the same readers who made bestsellers of similar period
pieces about improbable triumph, including “Seabiscuit” and “The Boys in
the Boat.”<br />
By tailoring his coaching to the specific body types
and biomechanics of each of his top swimmers, Sakamoto maximized their
potential in unprecedented ways, Checkoway explains. “He was a glorious
amateur in the American style,” she writes.
<br />
He set the Olympics as the goal of his club even before most of
the children were remotely competitive in the pool. He taught his young
athletes to swim upstream, “like salmon.” He incorporated resistance
training, fast-slow progressions, dry-land exercises, and the use of
kickboards, all of which were either unheard-of or widely dismissed
techniques at the time. Virtually all of Sakamoto’s innovations have
become commonplace practices in modern swimming.<br />
<div class="wide">
<img alt="Halo Hirose (left, off block 3) and others diving into the pool in the club’s early years." data-fullsrc="//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_1920w/Boston/2011-2020/2015/10/19/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/3YSC 6-4098.JPG" src="http://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_1920w/Boston/2011-2020/2015/10/19/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/3YSC%206-4098.JPG" /><div class="figcaption">
<div class="credit">
The Alexander and Baldwin Sugar Museum</div>
Halo Hirose (left, off block 3) and others diving into the pool in the club’s early years.</div>
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Abe
Rogers is the current head coach at Cambridge Masters Swim Club. Like
most of his contemporaries, he’d never heard of the Three-Year Swim Club
until he was told the story last week. It seems clear that Sakamoto was
ahead of his time, he said. <br />
“In decades past, the technique
might have been driven by a ‘one size fits all’ philosophy,” said
Rogers, a former varsity swimmer at Colby College. “Today, you want to
find the best style that will fit the strengths and limitations of each
individual.” And the science has advanced tremendously since the
Hawaiians’ heyday. “Every college athletic department has trainers to
help coaches integrate sports science into the training regimen,” he
said. “I can only guess that resistance training was probably not that
popular decades ago.” <br />
Like Sakamoto, who died in 1997 after a
long career, Checkoway, the author of a memoir about China and director
of the documentary “Waiting for Hockney,” is not a swimmer herself.<br />
<div class="aside nr-graphic">
<img alt="Bill Smith (left) trained with Sakamoto and won a gold medal on the US men’s 800-meter relay at the 1948 London Olympics." data-fullsrc="//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_371w/Boston/2011-2020/2015/10/19/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/3YSC 36-4099.JPG" src="http://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_371w/Boston/2011-2020/2015/10/19/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/3YSC%2036-4099.JPG" /><div class="figcaption">
<div class="credit">
Moana Smith</div>
Bill Smith (left) trained with Sakamoto and won a gold medal on the US men’s 800-meter relay at the 1948 London Olympics.</div>
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“I
could’ve gotten into the pool,” she said. “But my justification was, I
wanted to be able to describe all this stuff from a non-swimmer’s
perspective to a non-swimmer. I’m not an athlete in any way. I just
really love highly detailed, technical things.”<br />
While she was
spending time in Hawaii for her research on “The Three-Year Swim Club,” a
film crew was working on a potential feature film on the historic
swimmers. From what she could tell, their version would be considerably
fictionalized.<br />
“It was so far from the reality that I’m learning,” she says.<br />
That
reality was pieced together from years of deep archival research and
extensive interviews with the surviving members of Sakamoto’s swim club,
many in their 90s. She notes that these teammates were never
particularly boastful of their own accomplishments. In later life, none
of the athletes wanted to be the one to step up and tell the story,
which is one reason it was almost forgotten, she says.<br />
As a
self-described “white woman from New England,” she was prepared to take
some time to earn the trust of the islanders. About a year after her
first visit to Hawaii for the book, she sat down to transcribe her
interviews. At one point, she realized she’d left the recorder running
when she excused herself to go to the bathroom. To her surprise, she
heard the voice of Blossom Young, a onetime member of the Swim Club, by
then grown old.<br />
Unaware she was still being recorded, Blossom
confided in a friend while the writer was out of the room. “I think
she’s sincere,” she whispered loudly. “What do you think?”<br />
When Checkoway heard that, she cried.<br />
On
a recent weekday, there were stacks of envelopes in the author’s front
foyer, each containing a copy of her new book, ready to be mailed to the
surviving swimmers and the children of the others.<br />
“I know I don’t own the story,” she said. “It’s theirs. I’m just opening up the door.”<br />
<div class="wide">
<img alt="Halo Hirose was 5 when he first swam in a Maui sugar-plantation camp irrigation ditch." data-fullsrc="//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_1920w/Boston/2011-2020/2015/10/19/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/3YSC 1-4100.JPG" src="http://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_1920w/Boston/2011-2020/2015/10/19/BostonGlobe.com/Lifestyle/Images/3YSC%201-4100.JPG" /><div class="figcaption">
<div class="credit">
Janet Ogawa</div>
Halo Hirose was 5 when he first swam in a Maui sugar-plantation camp irrigation ditch.</div>
</div>
<i>James Sullivan can be reached at <a class="a" href="mailto:jamesgsullivan@gmail.com">jamesgsullivan@gmail.com</a>. Follow him on Twitter <a class="a" href="http://twitter.com/sullivanjames">@sullivanjames</a>.</i></div>
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http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/2015/10/18/hawaii-three-year-swim-club-overcame-wwii-era-anti-japanese-sentiment-quest-for-olympic-glory/X8J8OzLzaf7SuZSoEpz5kI/story.html<br />
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https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCoQFjACahUKEwj2sM6LkNDIAhXCkh4KHbJfAZ4&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hawaiiswim.org%2Flegacy%2Fbunmei.html&usg=AFQjCNGgjbzLRID45lll3qWZq1U7S800mA&sig2=QzE-ra3RWj1Pz0Jqw1RJAg <br />
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<span class="title">Soichi Sakamoto founds Three-Year Swim Club</span><br /><img alt="" border="0" height="4" src="http://www.hawaiihistory.org/images/blank.gif" width="1" /><br />
With his sights on the Olympics of 1940, Soichi Sakamoto decided to
recruit and train a group of young swimmers to compete at an
international level. He called his group the Three-Year Swim Club,
requiring his athletes to follow strict rules of conduct, carry out a
rigorous training schedule, and commit to the program for a minimum
three years.<br /><br />In 1937, Sakamoto was an elementary science teacher
and Boy Scout master in Pu`unene, Maui with no previous experience as a
swim coach. His approach emphasized character building and athletic
discipline. He pioneered interval training - alternating sprint sessions
with long distance - and other coaching techniques. Using the available
resources of rural Maui, he trained his team in plantation irrigation
ditches owned by Hawai`i Commercial & Sugar Company, having his
athletes swim against the stream of irrigation water. <br /><br />After just
a year of Sakamoto's program, his swimmers began to meet with success.
In 1938 the Three-Year Swim Club won every Hawai`i swim meet they
entered. By 1939 they won the national title and in 1940 they were
slated to fill the majority of slots on the U.S. Olympic Team. Due to
World War II the Olympics were cancelled in both 1940 and 1944. In 1945
Sakamoto was hired as head swim coach at the University of Hawai`i where
he continued to train the best swimmers in the Islands. In 1948 the
U.S. Olympic Swim Team, again heavily weighted with Hawai`i athletes,
won every event and Sakamoto saw his dream of training champions come
true.
</div>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="relatedlinks"></a>
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<tr><td align="left"><span class="subtitle"> Sites for further information</span></td></tr>
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.hawaiihistory.org/images/blank.gif" width="1" /><br />
<span class="boxedlinks">
<b>A newspaper article remembers Sakamoto "Swimming coach `ahead of his time’"(Star-Bulletin)</b><br /><a href="http://starbulletin.com/1999/10/15/news/story7.html" target="_blank">starbulletin.com/1999/10/15/news/story7.html</a><br /><br /><b>Hawai`i Sports Hall of Fame: Soichi Sakamoto</b><br /><a href="http://www.alohafame.org/xsaka.htm" target="_blank">alohafame.org/xsaka.htm</a><br /><br /><b>Time Magazine Article "Sakamoto's Swimmers"</b><br /><a href="http://www.hawaiiswim.org/legacy/coach1.html" target="_blank">hawaiiswim.org/legacy/coach1.html</a><br /><br /><b>Hawai`i Swimming Legacy: Stories of Coach Sakamoto</b><br /><a href="http://www.hawaiiswim.org/legacy/index2.html" target="_blank">hawaiiswim.org/legacy/index2.html</a>
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-48374895545850572642015-10-18T14:53:00.000-04:002015-10-18T14:53:44.816-04:0011 Myths About Looking & Feeling Your Best<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbT1cl-JRi_XR4SZNJJFvGPH2zYEB3wiJoQHJekTqqthg7olyfCyx4UD5VOMuWTpP3zyk5KYU5xruyhXw8mY7Gp_u8BgV4Xtx_y8__wzOjgfXlpkwtQc4_0-K_mKink7LZwlF4_WuKgKM/s1600/Mike+M.jpg" /></div>
<i>When you get to be my age, you pay attention to titles like the one above. (I'm not telling you any more than that I won the 1957 Whitman, MA Little League batting championship, and my dad took me to see Rocket Richard's last game and Jacques Plante -- before and after he donned the first goalie mask.) With that, I've saved the following notes from my friend (shown to the right), Mike Mahony's <b>Fitness Expose</b> website -- for myself, and to someday share with you...</i></blockquote>
I found it interesting that Mike mentioned right away about "myths infiltrating every area of life and bodybuilding." Ya, I complain often about battling the same nonsense in hockey. I mean, coaches who know the sciences can talk 'til they're blue in the face about the right way to do things, and it only takes one egghead to dig up a totally wrong old myth to screw up a whole generation. <br />
<br />That out of the way, at least for now, Mike promised in his blog post to destroy eleven of the myths having to do with us looking and feeling our best.<br />
<br />
Oh, and while Mike might be talking to bodybuilders in his post, I'm here to tell you that every one of the following suggestions are relevant to your health and appearance, mine, and even our young athletes... <br />
<ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjJAl-cFxgDJ0p0EnHzLI3K0Ke-IOuLJLCfJ_GwqGr7U-Ec5dnvDKK0o7R1YAg9-rYyK5qegYQheoMIRhAd3X1LR7iNMQfUwI1NTGmPhCdW3m1RAYXQSZjHRF3v3mvTx7d1ZCfH27TaAp/s1600/core-strength-exercises.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>
<li>At the top of his list is the notion that a high weight on the scale means we're fat. Ha. Actually, I've been telling family and friends for years that they ought to just ditch the bathroom scale -- or at least put it away for weeks (or months) at a time. One reason why: Muscle weighs more than fat, which means that we're likely to gain some weight as we workout and turn fat to muscle.</li>
<li> I don't know as much about nutrition as I should, but Mike is obviously right in shooting down the notion that one can't build muscle by eating veggies. As he says, "In order to grow,
muscles need three types of stimulus -- consistent weight training,
calories and nutrients to support growth and recovery. Veggies have
slow-digesting carbs, vitamins and minerals in them. Along with some
lean protein, veggies are a major component towards building muscle."</li>
<li>Along the same line of thinking, he dispels the idea that fruit has no place in a bodybuilder's diet. And he goes on to suggest that, "Fruit, when eaten first
thing in the morning, is actually very important to a bodybuilder’s
diet. It helps to revive the metabolism after a night of sleep. It gives
you the energy needed to complete your workouts (or in our case, to take on the challenges in our work and play).</li>
<li>I actually touched base with Mike before I addressed this one, just to clarify something... For sure, women do talk a lot about "toning", rather than building bulk. That's not likely to happen, though, even if women undertake a fairly strenuous weightlifting program. Women don't have the same chemical quantities as men, so getting as big as them isn't going to happen. One thing I will add to this is that women who engage in strength training will be glad as they get older (and older and older -- see my ending comments).</li>
<li>Yet another myth is that taking a long break will have muscle turning to fat. No, what does happen often is that one may keep eating in the same way as when he or she was doing a lot of exercise, which tends to put on weight. Of course, it would be great if we continued our workouts, but altering our food intake according to the amount of calories we're burning is the true answer to this one.</li>
<li>Oh, boy, I'm all for this one, because I personally -- and long, long ago -- turned my back on the myth about salt being bad for us. As Mike says, "You need salt to be healthy. When you are low
on sodium your body holds on to it. You wind up getting bloated.
Instead, give your body enough salt and eventually it will get good at
letting it go."</li>
<li>Yet another myth is the idea that you can't keep in great shape throughout the year. Hmmmm... Although Mike might have had something else in mind, I'm going to suggest that "thinking long term" is the answer. In other words, weather and holidays may take their toll on a short term basis, but they're no big deal unless we quit exercising or watching our diet for a very long time. Personally, I am going to have that slab of birthday cake when the time arises, and I might even have two. I know I can make that up easily over a few days, if I have a mind to.</li>
<li>All the trendy diets can make ones head spin. However, forget the notion that carbs are bad for you. Anything but. Or, as Mike states, "Carbs fuel the intense workouts we go through" (and I'll suggest they fuel most everything else we do over the course of a day and night).</li>
<li>LOL!!! And no, lifting weights doesn't turn women into men. Still, as if he has to go into any detail on this, Mike says, "If women aren’t supposed
to have muscles, why do we have them? The definition of 'manly' differs
from one individual to another, but we all have a different body
structure. Some women have more feminine lines, others more androgynous.
Wide hip bones and narrow shoulders are typical female shapes, but that
doesn’t mean an athletic woman is less feminine. Our society forms our
ideals; you choose what you find attractive."</li>
<li>Mike also dispels the notion that we must avoid fats at all cost. And he adds, "Fat is necessary to
maintain a healthy level of hormones and to aid in our use of vitamins.
Leave fat out of your diet and your hopes of being lean and muscular go
with it."</li>
<li>I'm not familiar with the phrases used in his last point. However, Mike suggests that, "A refeed is a strategic meal
aimed at replenishing things in your body. A cheat meal is more
psychological, but has some physical benefits as well." And that, as he points out, means that so-called "cheat meals" are not the same as "refeeds".</li>
</ol>
As a wrap-up here, I have to say that Mike deals with serious bodybuilders, and his piece was written especially for them. At the same time, we're as in need of good advice as his followers, and we're as vulnerable to most of the above myths as they are. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQW0LhXV2CNqQ-1mXXXRQFRiCRgx2lYAI2bbkCRJthIEFQCCfgowyi0VHWlhgu7MdGOKNb1DNPBZeY0VTDI3dM6t2LVJNX1aWDc1_uaANvWvQ9TGKbesQBWyiRFtwDj4qKwHFoq3FaAJrg/s1600/Dennis+and+Brenda3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQW0LhXV2CNqQ-1mXXXRQFRiCRgx2lYAI2bbkCRJthIEFQCCfgowyi0VHWlhgu7MdGOKNb1DNPBZeY0VTDI3dM6t2LVJNX1aWDc1_uaANvWvQ9TGKbesQBWyiRFtwDj4qKwHFoq3FaAJrg/s200/Dennis+and+Brenda3a.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Then, ending as I began, let me remind my friends here that I'm likely quite a bit older than you. And, I can tell you that I am unbelievably thankful for all the workouts I undertook as a younger guy -- as an athlete, and then maybe out of vanity. I actually thank God every morning for the new day, and I'm amazed that I usually awake feeling the same as I did when I was 30, 40 and so on. <br />
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I might further add that Brenda and I are staying with my aging mom as she endures some severe physical difficulties. For the time being, then, we live in a retirement community where it's fairly easy to spot the results of folks who did and didn't take care of themselves at younger ages. Worse yet, while I would never dare say never, many of them would have a hard time bouncing back from where they are now.<br /><br />So, that's just a friendly warning, as well as a suggestion that you follow my buddy Mike over at <a href="http://fitnessexpose.com/" target="_blank"><b>Fitness Expose</b></a>. You can also read his article in its entirety at: <a href="http://fitnessexpose.com/11-myths-about-bodybuilding-destroyed/" target="_blank">http://fitnessexpose.com/11-myths-about-bodybuilding-destroyed/</a><b></b><b></b><b><br /></b><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-34604170019896636082015-08-06T20:58:00.000-04:002015-08-06T20:58:17.538-04:00A Thank You to My Dad<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>I've gotten to like Facebook's new flashback feature, or the feature that shows things I was doing a year ago, two years ago, and going back to my earliest days on that social media site. </i></blockquote>
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<i>As it turns out, I posted a link to the following story back on August 6, 2011, that link pointing to my long ago abandoned Hockey Diary site.</i><i><span><span class="fsm fwn fcg"><a class="_5pcq" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" target=""><abbr class="_5ptz" data-utime="1312645183" title="Saturday, August 6, 2011 at 11:39am"></abbr></a></span></span></i></blockquote>
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<i>It was not sparked by Father's Day (as mentioned in the post), but instead I attributed it to </i><i>receiving a "Like" from my Facebook friend Stevan Meek. For, it was my remembering that Stevan was originally from Orange, Massachusetts, which
reminded me of a Diary entry I did awhile back.... </i> </blockquote>
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It's ironic I thought of this story early today...<br />
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I really wasn't thinking in the realm of Father's Day at all. Instead, my grandson had just given me the latest news from around the sports world (he likes doing that), and it caused me to think of the way I was as a kid.<br />
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Hmmmmmm, though... Where DID that fascination with the latest sports news come from, anyway?<br />
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Aaaaah... Flash-back to a summer day when I was about 10-years old. Our family was packed into the classic sedan, winding our way through the hilly country of Central Massachusetts, and on our way to what had become a traditional summer vacation in those days. Come to think of it, I can pretty closely fix the date, because we always headed to my uncle's farm up in Vermont for the two weeks surrounding the July 4th holiday.<br />
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If there was anything unusual about that vacation, it's that we were delayed a bit when the car broke down in a quaint little town (Orange, MA, I believe). Darn, that place was beautiful. But, more on that a little later.<br />
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One thing you ought to know is that most folks who lived in farm country back in those days could do most of their own auto repairs (and so could I by the time I was a teen). I suppose it was a necessity for many, although it was also possible back then -- before the auto industry complicated matters. (Ya, I look under a hood nowadays and I can't find or see half of what makes the car run; a lot of years ago, the space under a hood was almost empty, with nearly every part pretty easy to find and access.)</div>
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Anyway, we were probably fortunate to have the family car falter close to town. And, with that, dad managed to find a service station that promised to repair things -- within the day. Yup, just imagine... Mom, dad and us kids (although I can't remember how many of the five ultimate Chighisola kids were born by then and on that trip).<br />
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Thankfully, it was a beautiful sunny day. Still, what was a family to do to kill almost an entire day, and in a strange town to boot?<br />
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Well, when dad returned from the service station, he and mom announced that we were going to spend the day having a picnic in the town park. (All right!)<br />
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Did I say we were fortunate to get plunked in that tiny burg? You bet! For, everything -- I mean, absolutely everything we needed -- was within easy walking distance. I recall that mom (and some younger ones) headed to a small grocery store located just across from the park, while dad and I browsed through the magazine racks at the nearby newsstand.<br />
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Okay, so here's where that getting-hooked-on-sports-news thing comes into play... While I recall dad grabbing a newspaper or two for himself, he also asked if I'd like to buy something to read. Ha. I didn't have a clue, really. But, I ultimately settled for a thick baseball magazine that promised to help kill plenty of hours.<br />
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Shortly later, mom spread a blanket (she'd remembered to grab from the car), and then she began making sandwiches, these accompanied by chips, sodas, and even a few after lunch sweets. Darn, could it get any better for a 10-year old?<br />
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Oh, I can still remember the scene today... We're laying there on that blanket in the park, and from there one could see the rustic downtown to one side, plus a river and a mountain to the other side. And, to top it all off, I had a very, very interesting baseball magazine to peruse.<br />
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Ya, that magazine... I wonder to this day if it was just fate that had me grab a mag that gave a breakdown on every single Major League team, and every single Major League baseball player. Man, I devoured that thing (maybe more than once). And, by the end of the day, I knew every player in baseball, including the guys who sat on the bench.<br />
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It's possible that the above doesn't really click with a lot of my readers. I don't blame you if it doesn't. But, you may have had a similar experience -- with one special book, one special movie, one special whatever. In other words, something that really hooked you, or really changed your life (either in a big or small way).</div>
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I'm sure mom and dad were relieved that we were finally able to resume our journey to Townsend, VT by early evening. Nor was I disappointed to ultimately get to my uncle's farm. Ya, when you're 10-years old, it's a pretty big deal to help milk cows, watch deer come down from the mountain near dusk, to splash and chase fish in a frigid mountain stream, to watch the loggers work in Uncle John's woods, to see his team of horses pull a plow, to...<br />
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Still, after all these years, why is it I haven't forgotten that sunny day in Central Mass? Hmmmmm...<br />
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This aside... Dad passed away from Parkinson's Disease about a year and a half ago. I'm still able to call my mom every few days, though, since she's down in Florida where she and dad had ultimately settled.</div>
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Stories like the one I've just shared with you make her sad, however (darn). They only remind her of how much she misses dad, while I keep on trying to convince her that we have memories a lot of others don't. (Oh, I could go on about the family cookouts, camping trips, Whiffle Ball games or games of Home Run Derby in the backyard, Christmas Eve at mom's and dad's house -- even when I was older.)</div>
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<a href="http://coachchic.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/dad.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="size-thumbnail wp-image-944 alignleft" src="http://coachchic.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/dad.jpg?w=117" height="150" title="Lou Chighisola" width="117" /></a>Okay, so you're wondering why this story is really about dad. After all, he didn't pick the town we'd be marooned in, nor did he pick the magazine that would at least slightly hook me on sport (and maybe even on someday being a coach?).<br />
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Naw, what I'd like anyone who passes by here to appreciate is that different human beings could have reacted very differently to that kind of setback. Ya, can't you just hear someone you know swearing bloody blue murder, because fate screwed-up their vacation?<br />
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Nope, not my dad. It never crossed my mind that day that anything was all that wrong. He just kept smiling and making the most of things.<br />
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Oh, as a grown-up myself now, my guess is that the whole scenario was eating at his insides. But, he wasn't about to let-on; nor was he about to let something like that affect his family in any way. Again, he just kept smiling and making the most of things.<br />
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Lastly, my mom was certainly a party to all I've described. But, I'll bet she'd also feel that my dad was the one who could make the most of a bad situation. In a way, that was HIM.<br />
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So, on this special day -- especially since I'm not able to get to visit his faraway grave, I want to say, "Thanks, Dad. I can only hope a little of you has rubbed-off on me."
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A very Happy Father's Day to all of my friends.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-24580635934382989252015-07-02T12:27:00.001-04:002018-06-17T22:04:25.154-04:00What we can learn from John Wooden<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="quotescollection-quote" id="quote-524">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"The coach is first of all a teacher."<cite class="author"></cite><cite class="author"><br />~ John Wooden</cite></i></span></blockquote>
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Non-hockey folks ought to know that a small battle rages on between many experienced hockey coaches and their governing bodies. In a nutshell -- or at least in the way I see it, USA Hockey and Hockey Canada think young players should be developed through a combination of on-ice teaching stations and what they'd refer to as "cross-ice games". Frankly, that notion brings my old Italian blood to boiling, but let me explain...<br />
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http://www.choralnet.org/view/426719<br />
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Others: http://www.choralnet.org/search?keys=John+Wooden+2&op=SearchUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-92223832477599703662015-06-28T11:35:00.000-04:002018-06-17T22:04:25.758-04:00The Importance of Confidence<br />
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<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qWi54NfaUS8?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-34608622166471492212015-06-02T00:20:00.001-04:002015-06-02T12:02:48.287-04:00A 7-part Hockey Video Series<div style="text-align: left;">
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Over a few years of penning this Hockey Diary (and other site posts), I'm sure I've mentioned my long ago studies in the old Soviet Union quite a few times. Ya, it kinda formed the basis for a lot of what I've done in the years since, and the way I still view hockey training today. It was THAT awe-inspiring.</div>
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<span style="color: white;">* </span><br />
Then, while readers probably never noticed it nearly as much, one of my college courses has affected my work at least as much of those studies in Mosow. That course was called "Principles of Motor Learning". </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b></b>Yes, motor learning... That line of study calls a ton of things into play, but the main idea of that course was to know how best to teach a given skill. It's about reading the athlete or group of athletes, how to practice a given skill, about the right pacing of drills, about the lead up skills, determining whether a coach should <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">teach the whole skill or break the skill into component parts, </span>it's about <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">matching practice
conditions with those in which the motor skill is going to be used, the rate of skill progressions, and so much more. </span></div>
</blockquote>
To be honest, you're not going to find any of that stuff on YouTube -- meaning either the science I learned from the Soviets, or the unique teaching principles I learned from my favorite college course. <br />
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With that, I've been promising for some time to share those ideas with others, and I'm doing it in a 7-part video series available through the link down below. Of course, I'm a hockey guy, and I'm talking about hockey in most of those videos. Still, a youth baseball, football, basketball or soccer coach would gain plenty from the ideas I'll be sharing. (And, while some of the information I provide is rather high level, one of my best skills as a teacher is to explain things like that in rather simple terms.)<br />
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If you'll click on the image below, you'll be taken to an opt-in form. All you'll need to enter is your email address and name, and you'll start receiving those videos. I promise you'll like them...<br />
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<a href="http://coachchic.com/get-this-awesome-hockey-gift/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://coachchic.com/get-this-awesome-hockey-gift/" border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnprbqYhTuEPTuGlve2vkd7erSiUARJAZ0qCyf8QKy6CV1Ec86_ID7b2F-jKsy2GFUqAHErAoxPACa0p7TFxqPnFEuFHhiF6fprcRoOepPwH8OTFfPP05zM9HJ7_ZpbDuo8U_sHeKA3Vn8/s400/YouDontNeedIce+-+Feature.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-59242885028861164682015-06-01T21:55:00.000-04:002018-06-17T22:04:25.560-04:00This Is What Happens When A Kid Leaves Traditional Education<br />
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<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/46La-hV_PLs?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-38138152597101286582015-05-24T01:17:00.000-04:002018-06-17T22:04:25.323-04:00My Apologies in Charging for My Services<br />
5-Star "Reputation Marketing"<br />
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<br />
3 Reasons Why It’s Important to Charge for Your Services - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/3-reasons-why-its-important-charge-your-services-heather-woodward<br />
<b>3. It’s an Energy Exchange</b><br />
<b>2. You’re Time Is Money</b><br />
<b><b>1. You Are Worth It.</b> </b><br />
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How Much Should I Charge for My Service? - http://www.entrepreneur.com/answer/222322<br />
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<div class="_5pbw" data-ft="{"tn":"C"}">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="fwb fcg" data-ft="{"tn":";"}"><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=5001472&extragetparams=%7B%22fref%22%3A%22nf%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/LGilner?fref=nf" id="js_1z">Lee Gilner</a> - works at</span> http://www.cetera.com/</span> - <span style="font-weight: normal;">Cetera Financial Group is the second largest independent financial advisor network in the nation by number of advisors</span></span></div>
<div class="_5pbw _11dd" data-ft="{"tn":"C"}">
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<div class="_5pbw _11dd" data-ft="{"tn":"C"}">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="fwb fcg" data-ft="{"tn":";"}"><a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1417681864&extragetparams=%7B%22fref%22%3A%22nf%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/lanehouk?fref=nf" id="js_29">Lane Houk</a> - works at </span><span class="fwb fcg" data-ft="{"tn":"k"}">Think Big Digital Marketing - </span></span>Think Big Digital Marketing is a full-service marketing agency with
particular expertise in 5-Star Reputation Marketing, Reputation
Management, Mobile/Responsive Web Design & Development, SEO, PPC and
Local SEO</div>
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while this was in progress, I was studying something having to do with "<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" id="eow-title" title="David Epstein: Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger?">Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger?" </span></span></span><br />
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<div class="entry-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">5 Unselfish Reasons to Charge for Your Content - http://michaelhyatt.com/paid-content-benefits.html</span></span><br />
<b>Your content will be better.</b></div>
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<b><b>You can go deeper with your audience.</b></b></div>
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<b><b><b>You will have more focus.</b></b></b></div>
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<b><b><b><b>You can reach more people.</b></b></b></b></div>
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<b><b><b><b><b>You will have more impact.</b> </b> </b> </b> </b></div>
<ul>
<li>It matters if you show up. You don’t get paid if you don’t.</li>
<li>It matters if you do quality work. People won’t buy if you don’t.</li>
<li>It matters if you are consistent. You won’t get repeat customers or grow your business if you don’t.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Entrepreneur<br />
How Much Should I Charge for My Service? - http://www.entrepreneur.com/answer/222322<br />
"Just remember to find ways to maintain your margins, and don't discount
just to get clients on your roster. In general, if you have a good value
proposition, you can charge any amount you wish, and you'll be working
with a better level of customer than if you rely on a discount or lower
fee model."<br />
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"<b>How much do you value your gifts?</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>
That is what your price reflects in the eyes of your clients. When you
don’t charge or charge very little your clients automatically make the
assumption that either you aren’t very good or that you don’t have any
faith in your abilities or that you don’t trust yourself. The kinds of
client that you attract are going to directly mirror the very beliefs
you have about yourself." <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" id="eow-title" title="David Epstein: Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger?">A couple of quick closing comparisons... </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" id="eow-title" title="David Epstein: Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger?">- membership to my site is $9.97 per month, while I good many of the earliest joiners still pay $595 per month</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" id="eow-title" title="David Epstein: Are athletes really getting faster, better, stronger?">- I wonder if </span></span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-13686334822840547062015-05-18T01:19:00.004-04:002015-05-18T12:10:25.096-04:00The Freedom to Change<i>This discussion actually began amid some <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CoachChic" target="_blank"><b>Facebook</b></a> comment exchanges with a long time UK friend. Actually, it started innocently enough, with my friend offering something to the effect that, "<span data-reactid=".ni.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810162827543:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".ni.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810162827543:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".ni.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810162827543:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".ni.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810162827543:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$2:0">A guy from Russia sent me a message saying they had beat the US, and now Canada is next." Hmmmmm...</span></span></span></span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfcyKX8GioUEXRIvO5rhyphenhyphenVmH8fjIJlz0syULrrxl7t2CTgNibAbvNwp8F6r7m7IgVXiyZZt5Sbi9H2BOhR7ola_7MYEGF1-bWkKBeF_zJaQSwnl6N1VbuJbescuLcEEI1Gn1cHs93-iOv/s1600/USSR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpfcyKX8GioUEXRIvO5rhyphenhyphenVmH8fjIJlz0syULrrxl7t2CTgNibAbvNwp8F6r7m7IgVXiyZZt5Sbi9H2BOhR7ola_7MYEGF1-bWkKBeF_zJaQSwnl6N1VbuJbescuLcEEI1Gn1cHs93-iOv/s1600/USSR.jpg" /></a></div>
<span data-reactid=".ni.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810162827543:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".ni.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810162827543:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".ni.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810162827543:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".ni.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810162827543:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$2:0">Just so readers know, I don't get riled by the rah-rah or flag waving stuff, but my blood does start to boil when I think I see wrong things happening within a given sport (especially if it's MY sport). So, my immediate reply was that, "</span></span></span></span><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">I figured it's only a matter of time before the Russians start
dominating again..." Between the lines, I meant that The Wall coming down had an unbelievably negative impact on Soviet sports for a time, and that it would take the new Russian program time to rebound, especially economically. They would do it, though, sooner or later.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">With that, my friend kinda added to my boil, noting, "</span></span></span></span></span><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814159287452:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814159287452:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814159287452:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814159287452:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0">The Japanese, Koreans and China all are making their way through the ranks. </span><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814159287452:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$2:0">By the next Olympics they will have made headway. </span><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814159287452:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$4:0">Now they are putting some money into the game and paying for the best coaches."</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">If I had to take issue with any of that, I might just have to qualify things a bit... I mean, the old Soviets didn't do what they did with money -- or, at least with the kind of money many other hockey playing nations had. And, although I'm all in for paying coaches well, I will suggest that it's "the right coaches" -- or those with the right mentality -- that will make the greatest impact on their countries.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">Can the Japanese do it? Can the Koreans or Chinese? Well, I think those questions are partly answered in the previous paragraph. As a matter of fact, I'll suggest that there might even be some other countries out there hiding in the weeds, and working their way toward worldclass hockey acceptance.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">What really got me going is the probability that the two North American federations are sitting ducks because, as I told him, "<span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">I sense that the US and Canada are too trapped in
their ways, and they can't easily break from them." Top-heavy or bloated might be better ways to describe them, or they're like a train trying to catch a chicken. Hence, too, my title, "The Freedom to Change", because some organizations have that ability, while some clearly don't.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">That theory is talked about often in business circles... Yes, the Fortune 500 companies might be able to bowl-over some smaller firms, but it's the smaller firms that have the ability to change course on a dime -- or chicken-like. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprmlxmJmhlBvy2UWKZmVq0Tgfetwb18AzNEgMnRn3ck1KeQjT1tByT9ebVuYCmWqBRm_pG4l_D6JfOHi83WCAqUt9KKF-xcQkLvNyH-47kYrPrG3sXPXZDMt20J9rPWK1IL_btq7e-QCZ/s1600/Outdoor+Ice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprmlxmJmhlBvy2UWKZmVq0Tgfetwb18AzNEgMnRn3ck1KeQjT1tByT9ebVuYCmWqBRm_pG4l_D6JfOHi83WCAqUt9KKF-xcQkLvNyH-47kYrPrG3sXPXZDMt20J9rPWK1IL_btq7e-QCZ/s200/Outdoor+Ice.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">I know I might be a bit hard on Hockey Canada here, and I think that country is ahead of the US in numerous ways (beyond the obvious). All I've seen AHAUS and USA Hockey do over most of my 40-ish years in the game is copy Canada (and some other nations). Maybe Lou Vairo got to lead for awhile long ago, and maybe Herb Brooks was left alone to lead for a couple of years. For the rest of the time, though, it seems to me that our top-heavy federation has had trouble getting out of its own way, and basically just copied what someone else was doing.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">Can any reader identify a playing style that might define hockey in the US? For the most part, I think not. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810180467984:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".25.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205814210248726:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">Then, remember this old saying: "Those who ignore history are destined to repeat it"? Ya, well... </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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When the old Soviets decided to create a hockey program, and compete at an international level, they placed a man in charge who had never before seen a hockey game. What they must have known, however, was that Anatoli Tarasov was a 24/7 kind of worker, a truly passionate guy, and also a very creative sort. Make no mistake about it, that Tarasov and his new hockey program were under great pressure, because USSR leaders saw success in their sports programs as translating into worldwide propaganda for the Communist system and its way of life. Snooze, you lose, and maybe you'll find yourself on the next train to Siberia.<br />
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I think it's well documented that "The Father of Soviet Hockey" studied the Canadians and Czechs, because they were the world powers when he took charge in Moscow. Yet, Tarasov knew darn well that, "To follow someone else is to be only second best." (Oh, if only someone in the USA Hockey hierarchy would tattoo that last statement on his or her forehead.) Again, he wasn't encumbered, and he had the freedom to change, if and whenever he saw that need.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__7L6m1IEp-lzzZ4rrZtLviBEkrWC4tKLoH3gNVU80bToK85HvLnM5wDmf6DBk2qllREkoF1Al79MoYFM7SmZszA_MX-6s4eZ7BJeCvD7v032fFDQUMAmeLL-0a73wHHfC28EYlDII-Xk/s1600/Tarasov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__7L6m1IEp-lzzZ4rrZtLviBEkrWC4tKLoH3gNVU80bToK85HvLnM5wDmf6DBk2qllREkoF1Al79MoYFM7SmZszA_MX-6s4eZ7BJeCvD7v032fFDQUMAmeLL-0a73wHHfC28EYlDII-Xk/s200/Tarasov.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>
No, Tarasov didn't borrow his team's style or training methods from others, but instead he developed different methods that would cause some of the best coaches in the world many sleepless nights. Virtually overnight, he built teams that could out-skate others, out-stickhandle others, out-pass others, and attack the net differently than anyone else. And, he ultimately developed tactics and strategies that other countries would eventually borrow from him.<br />
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A little later in that Facebook conversation, I mentioned to my UK friend about almost <a href="http://coachchic.com/the-politics-of-hockey/" target="_blank"><b>landing a job to oversee the development of a different old Eastern Bloc country</b></a>. I wasn't saying that to claim I'm the second coming of Tarasov, but I will say that I am an incessant worker -- when I'm into something I'm passionate about, and I'm as creative at what I do as anyone in the business. Perhaps as importantly, I'm a student of history, and I try to learn from what has and hasn't worked.<br />
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Oh, ya, I'd take all the money a federation would throw my way. Yet, I know I'd have achieved the necessary results, no matter what resources were available. The right equipment gets a job done, but its shininess doesn't matter. (Someday, I'll have to tell my readers about my long ago studies in the old USSR, and how that particular theory came to me.) The right kind of training also matters, and that's why I suggested earlier to my UK friend that, it would take the right kind of coaches to truly get the job done. <br />
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Before closing, I have a couple more impressions concerning hockey development...<br />
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For the most part, Canada is loaded with players, and their system allows for those players to beat heck out of each other until some truly outstanding young guys emerge in the end. Just think about it: thousands and thousand of players climbing their hockey ladder, and only a handful being needed in the end.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVH-4XkdwO7LVem75B3iHkh_yQl98Z5t22lSfrsic4cT86sloAyiYycCZFQmm9WLCDA0a-HLK1rAUsk5OpVrXO2i7-MegwEsf1n0wgxxG7if5apJibiw1RljRkB9Wk1SpUBu0JzEbLd8u/s1600/Skater's+R-bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVH-4XkdwO7LVem75B3iHkh_yQl98Z5t22lSfrsic4cT86sloAyiYycCZFQmm9WLCDA0a-HLK1rAUsk5OpVrXO2i7-MegwEsf1n0wgxxG7if5apJibiw1RljRkB9Wk1SpUBu0JzEbLd8u/s200/Skater's%2BR-bar.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Maybe USA Hockey would like to do the same, but their numbers aren't nearly as deep, and their system isn't nearly as effective (which is why I draw a comparison to the way Tarasov did things). It's also been said often by others that, "USA Hockey is a glorified insurance company," and I've waited in vain for our federation to prove them wrong. I think<b> <a href="http://coachchic.com/where-real-players-get-real-help/" target="_blank">private coaches and gyms do more for American kids' development</a></b> through their early years, with USA Hockey capturing those kids later on for National Teams, as if they're their own home grown pride and joy. I may not live to tell anyone "I told you so," but my guess is that the bottom could fall out for US hockey when the current crop of cross-ice and small area games trained kids reach their teens and twenties.<br />
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Again, the old Soviet system wasn't nearly as haphazard as current day North American federations. No, Tarasov and company arrived at a plan for developing thousands upon thousands of young players -- from beginner to The Big Red Machine, with plenty of science being employed along the way. (I'd actually seen the likes of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81pRYQa6MCA" target="_blank"><b>over-speed training</b></a> and plyometrics back in Moscow some 15-ish years before such things would become common knowledge in North America.)<br />
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One other thing... I don't think the Japanese, Koreans, Chinese and most other countries are driven crazy with political correctness, so their sports programs can just go about training their athletes. At the same time, <b><a href="http://listentomypodcasts.blogspot.com/2015/04/27-dont-fall-for-these-off-season-traps.html" target="_blank">PC Police are everywhere in North America</a></b>, and trying to destroy the very foundations of our sports programs.<br />
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Lastly, as I've intimated throughout this piece, I don't think we're going to see everything happen in a hurry. The Russians may or may not win this year's World Juniors, but the arrow is likely pointing up for them, as well as for a lot of other countries. Which way is it pointing for the North American programs? You be the judge. As for me, I think the freedom to change whenever necessary -- and not blindly following others -- will make the biggest difference in the end.<span data-reactid=".ni.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810162827543:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".ni.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810162827543:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".ni.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810162827543:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".ni.1:4:1:$comment10205810154627338_10205810162827543:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$2:0"></span></span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5056789354120754711.post-86873724210803338872015-04-27T21:53:00.000-04:002015-04-29T12:33:37.588-04:00An Open Letter to All AAA Hockey Programs<i>This post actually appeared a few years ago, as part of my old Hockey Diary blog. So, while the timing of some things might be off those couple of years, the information is no less appropriate to today's hockey.</i><br />
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Before I get rolling here, let me say that -- as usual, a number of things set me off on this topic...
First, after almost a lifetime of running my own programs, I've more recently had the chance (and the pleasure, really) to observe a number of other AA and AAA programs, both closely and long distance.
Secondly, the following question just arrived in my email inbox from LinkedIn...<br />
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"With the new checking rules moving legal checking to the bantam level, how does this impact high school freshmen teams, where the current ages span both the peewee and bantam levels?"</div>
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Why did that push me over the edge -- enough to send me reelin' at my 'riter? It's because the obvious answer to that coach's question lies in the need for some consistency within a given organization.
Okay, I obviously didn't explain myself very well with that answer, so here's both the short and the long of it...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEieF-SlAJJ4fFMFBgKOpqR8gRyUMbLpf9bbj7RVWD8gZJisPjB4rKVAJ9jMkHjl-TjjAaCQs5wWvExXxZk3EsuEhKcA675ebPPI06mmqrNiqdUKU_NH-lDPtcyAvEePz9zJ2nnUQwhnasiWreWOzo_gtndpb3pcFel4-Mg=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1852" src="http://coachchic.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/bump-ready.jpg" height="91" title="Basic Body-checking Skills" width="107" /></a>I think I'd answer the coach who submitted that question with the suggestion that <a href="http://listentomypodcasts.blogspot.com/2015/03/24-young-hockey-players-should-learn.html" target="_blank"><b>checking skills should have been taught to his kids almost from the very start of their development</b></a>. Hey, even though Mites aren't allowed to "body-check", collisions happen all the time. Moreover, nearly everything short of a big hit is not only permissible in the little guys' and gals' game, but I'll suggest that skills like steering and trapping an enemy puckcarrier are vital to every single level of our game. So, by the way, is it necessary to learn early-on to handle the puck with your dawgone eyes up!
Then -- oh, boy...<br />
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Probably better than a year ago, Boston University Head Coach Jack Parker raised the ire of New England area hockey folks by suggesting there just isn't the talent in these here parts to bring many local kids on board -- to his program or to most other local Division I colleges. And, man, did the fans scald the legendary BU coach on that one.
I hopped into one of the hockey forums to agree with Parker, citing "skills" as being one of the major culprits. Ya, skills...<br />
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Now, I dare anyone reading this to argue with my claim -- or partial blame -- here, that I actually started the trend towards the use of that term.</div>
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I'm guessing it was more than 20-years ago when I was invited to sit in on the founding of a revolutionary new hockey program. My part was only a small one, really, in that the owners of that new organization sought advice from several local hockey gurus as they attempted to put together the best developmental program they could for Southern New England high school players. And, believe it or not, the founders were gradually piecing together a program that would ultimately be followed by just about every other high level hockey program for decades to come. Where I jumped in was after they'd arrived at the typical weekly schedule of games and practices.</div>
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The owners did really want to provide more than others of that time, and they were asking my input about including a weekly "<a href="http://coachchic.com/so-called-powerskating/" target="_blank"><b>powerskating</b></a>" session for each organization member. I happened to flinch at hearing that term. For, to me, it infers that "power" is the most important component in hockey skating. Trust me: It is not. (Shortly after publishing this post, I did another on CoachChic.com that featured a new video on skating analysis by Dr Michael Bracko: "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=O6ZBZkwGjGU" target="_blank"><b>Michael Bracko Presentation</b></a>", the confirms all I've said here.)</div>
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Actually, the program that I'd become relatively famous for to that point in history had evolved to include far more than just an hour of skating work. Ya, <a href="http://coachchic.com/coach-chics-building-blocks-approach-to-skills/" target="_blank"><b>I'd increasingly viewed my students' needs in a more holistic way, to include skating, tons of puckhandling, introductory passing and receiving, and some occasional work on shooting</b></a>. (In ensuing years, I'd even include some basic "checking" skills.)</div>
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<a href="http://coachchic.com/coach-chics-building-blocks-approach-to-skills/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1858" src="http://coachchic.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/building-blocks.jpg?w=150" height="145" title="Coach Chic's Building Blocks view of Offensive Skills" width="200" /></a>That in mind, I suggested to the group that I wouldn't trap their coaches -- or mislead their customers -- by calling that weekly session Powerskating. Then, put on the spot to arrive at something more appropriate, I offered, "How about just Hockey Skills?" (Quite obviously, that expression was shortened to "Skills" by the time it hit their brochures.)</div>
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Again, what I was suggesting would be a fast paced hour of intense skating and puckhandling, with some later attention given to passing and receiving basics and even some help with the kids' shooting.</div>
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Ugh! If I had it all to do over again, I'd have offered something even more descriptive for what I really meant, by calling it "Individual Hockey Skills". For, as a whole bunch of copycat programs soon began sprouting around New England, each included a skills session that was a far cry from what I'd envisioned.</div>
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Ya, reminiscent of the old song by Melanie -- "Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma", I now shake my head as I walk through local rinks to see just what they've done to "my skills". I mean, it now appears that the actual individual skills part is long gone, and nearly every skills session is a mishmash of either unconnected stations or a series of numerical situation drills like 1 on 1's, 2 on 1's, etc. Worse yet, I've stopped to watch some of those situational match-ups in progress, and I've yet to see a single coach correct either an attacker or defender. (Geeeeeeze... As I recall from my long ago Phys Ed Degree studies, "<a href="http://coachchic.com/the-artistic-hockey-coach/" target="_blank"><b>A drill doesn't teach, coaches do!</b></a>")</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjCIyJi8QIGpuvvzU-Ub2iHV1mAX8EGpys1xqwnq89txrBNjGtgmoOTlALEOU_ygGTSJRB_6sGwwhjirFZsyx1sB6jSXtmh-KsL0F5-lQxuwSHPvdF7I-ki-Z9p-GQ2bxJ1SRhPUKdjm0xLV6cD1zHFOxbJJM3fQbhiwmtj1NynC0T_NoXYyxTo8pSh4w=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1863" src="http://coachchic.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/protecting-the-puck-150x150.jpg" height="150" title="Strength on the skates is important on both sides of a body-check!" width="150" /></a>Still, the total waste of skills time is probably compounded further by yet another shortcoming in most development programs, this brought to mind by that LinkedIn question. For, you see, to deal with something like body-checking would take some foresight and planning on the parts of program organizers. Or, as this old skills coach sees it, the very basics of checking must be taught at the youngest levels, progressions should be added at each next level of the players' development, until fairly sophisticated players emerge at the highest levels.
Okay, I know that one needs even more explaining, too. So, here goes...<br />
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The main point here isn't about "checking" or "body-checking". What I'm really getting at is that there has to be an overall, program-wide plan for every single hockey skill.</div>
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As an aside, just picture all the things that had to go wrong in a kid's development if he or she arrives at a the Bantam level with a lack in skating skills, puckhandling, passing, receiving, shooting, checking, or whatever. To my way of thinking, he or she has been let down along the way -- over about 5- or 6- or 7-years?</div>
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In the traditional hometown hockey program it might be the team coaches who were/are the culprits, but in the larger AAA programs I'm pointing a finger at those in charge of so-called "skills".</div>
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Oh, the latter group may have used the fanciest looking drills, and they may have impressed the heck out of onlookers. But they have also definitely let the kids down.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgSVxs0gSVRngWxrzVpbRL0uERyBgtg5-xp8efxHOpJluE_Ced1bm3rKSy_8P4NG34EN-SBj0CxfZYm_8w0zGb6p9297QxgiM0R-4JKSEX3aGSpmHq3eb8rkbrwRnPJnvi5QKpja-AY_5ghuIz9mVqDVe3DrpRq9lM3lQVhCA=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright size-full wp-image-1865" src="http://coachchic.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/boston-turns.jpg" height="155" title="Boston Turns" width="161" /></a>In other words, introductory skills have to be instilled at the very youngest levels, and those skills have to be heading somewhere. We might initially be talking about basic stopping or turning skills, but each of those have progressions that should ultimately take a player to an extremely high level of execution. And the same could be said about every other skating skill, puckhandling move, passing and so on.</div>
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As yet another aside, a while back I was shooting the bull on this very subject with someone who oversees a large hockey operation, and I ultimately blurted out something to the effect that, "Every organization should have a system almost akin to the <a href="http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/overview.html" target="_blank"><b>MCAS</b></a>!"</div>
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For those unfamiliar with that acronym, here in my home state it stands for "Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System", or a system in which public school students (and their teachers?) are tested periodically on the students' proficiencies in various school subjects.</div>
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What I was suggesting was something very similar to the MCASs being devised for a youth hockey organization, so that players had to achieve certain basic skills -- and perhaps even knowledge of some basic playing principles -- at this level, the next level, and so on.</div>
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And, as I intimated above in reference to the MCASs, I feel the teachers -- or coaches in this case -- have to have their feet held to the fire when it comes to their students' successes (or failures). Said yet another way... If players are arriving at Pee Wee and Bantam levels without some pretty decent skills, someone other than the kids has to be held accountable.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjQCzskAgpycvnXr5E88hVBfww8YDp-tlBx2pRG6uruNEaTpCAz3kHfac7yaggS8dohltJyqvZWagJDVSxYCqXBM2xJP1ycg9jWJ5bovvAwJ7pvrA8xTj7FJge49jUpSW9bcKZF_AUEx2f7BgJSwWpCwt1bVRy3n8U4GH9y79P7l3SiPEU=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1869" src="http://coachchic.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/body-checking.jpg?w=147" height="150" title="The coach involved in body-checking basics" width="147" /></a>Now, I poked a little needle at the guys and gals who might be using <a href="http://coachchic.com/hockey-flow-drills-or-not/" target="_blank"><b>fancy looking drills</b></a> in their skills sessions, perhaps partially to impress those in the bleachers. And, I know this is a problem -- maybe a huge one. Yes, parents generally are impressed with all sorts of activity -- players buzzing all over, 8-pucks going at the same time, etc. And they might not even be noticing high priced coaches standing still to blow a whistle or oversee a line of players. (What they're also missing, quite obviously, is the need for coaches to be actively involved in a given drill, and constantly providing feedback to the players as they pass by. Again, the drill seldom does much for a player, at least beyond a point.<br />
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No, it's the coach's help or advice that makes all the difference in the world.)<br />
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Oh, since I'm on a roll with asides today... I actually authored a manual years ago called "500 Drills" (and it was purchased by NHL, AHL and European teams, besides lots of amateur level coaches). My point? I know plenty of drills, simple to pretty fancy. Still, I never use a one of them that isn't appropriate to where my kids are at a given time, or what their needs are on a given night. Said yet another way: My drill selections are NOT based on impressing anyone; I pick drills that help bring my kids from one level of play to the next.</div>
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So, what to do about this problem?<br />
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Well, Number One, I don't believe those of us responsible for the players' development should be caving and doing wrongly when we know what's truly right. If you think about it, to do things solely to please the parents is to suggest that they know more than the guys overseeing the ice.</div>
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Number Two, I am not totally dismissing the paying parents in all this. Ya, in a way, the customer is supposed to be right. But, then again, no self-respecting mechanic is going to totally agree with a car owner who wants to frequently skip oil changes. Nor is any doctor worth his or her salt (pardon the pun) going to okay a diet high in chocolate cake, solely because the patient likes that best. Naw, at some point those of us who know better have to step up -- have some gumption, and do what's right for the customer. If this means better educating everyone involved in the program, so be it. But again, what's the choice: Keep doing wrongly, or start doing things the way we know in our hearts are right?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhlK849VwVXp0RNKEB8GHEUb8Mf83-EocXicLHAsuSjOgFFnZ-6PO5I3yVNLaUKCzrBpGR_w0CZ7Xs_E4sGSMWycShNow0MDsFra6zetoe3tQQ-gf0vdC2bjusHiMC_tDrGxNrJTmqBvtijnW42LjsUkjuZOV23gax8U8dCBMkp6x2g=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1872" src="http://coachchic.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/little-guys.jpg?w=150" height="110" title="Team coaches often get saddled with doing both skills and team play!" width="237" /></a>Then, before ending, I see yet another thing shortchanging the kids when an organization's skills program isn't quite right. For, if<i> individual</i> skills aren't dealt with properly during those supposedly dedicated weekly sessions, team coaches are faced with the need to skip work on team related stuff, instead having to devote a good portion of their weekly practices trying to do what others should have been doing.
So, there you have it, from a rather old skills coach who has been around the block (or rink) too many years to mention. And, for my money (if I was still a paying hockey parent)...<br />
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1) Organizations who see themselves as really class operations have to put true meaning back into skills by viewing them as "individual skill" sessions. In other words, get back to enhancing the capabilities of individual players by concentrating on skating, puckhandling, passing and receiving, shooting and checking skills.</div>
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2) There seems the need for a program to better educate parents, helping them to better appreciate how their youngsters can improve far more in the long run from such an approach.</div>
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3) Although a daunting task, I'm suggesting here that every program should have their own type of MCAS approach to individual skill development, this to include clearly defined progressions for every individual hockey skill, with defined levels for when such skills should be learned and then mastered.</div>
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Lastly, rather than getting upset at the likes of a Jack Parker -- for telling local hockey folks exactly the way it is, I think it's time we who know best get things back on the right track. For sure, it's going to be a long journey, and we just may need to accept the fact that we haven't done the greatest job with our current Pee Wees, Bantams and Midgets. Better late than never, though. And that reminds me of a quote I've seen a lot lately (I paraphrase):<br />
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"Plant a tree today, knowing full well
you'll never get to enjoy its shade."</div>
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Ya, perhaps it's time we look to our current Mites and Squirts as the next crop of local players to be among the best in North America. Whether we'll be around to see that happen shouldn't be our motivation. Doing what we know is right should be.
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Want a treat? Go to YouTube.com and listen to the wonderful words and voice of Melanie in "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKN6lYU5bZ4&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank"><b>Look What They've Done to My Song</b></a>"!<br />
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As it so happened, I received the following video in a newsletter I regularly receive from an exercise guru. I'd seen the video before -- long ago, actually, but it struck me in a different way today. In a way, it has nothing to do with the title of this entry -- or does it? You tell me..<br />
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Motivational speaker, Eric Thomas, is on a tear there, but he's actually talking about things that take place on a daily or nightly basis in the sports world. I happened to have been a team sport guy, but I'll suggest the traits Thomas is talking about are honed in athletes playing on either the team-type or individual sports. Once again, I'm saying that athletes learn those kinds of things every day, at a field, gym or rink.<br />
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From a personal perspective, I'm talking about broken noses in practice -- without missing my next turn, a few broken fingers -- still not missing time, along with the occasional sprain and pull. I'm lucky that the worst of my sports injuries involved serious ligament tears in my right ankle, that I bounced back quickly from -- DESPITE my doctor's orders. <br />
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I honestly don't believe that the physical bumps and bruises are what really makes an athlete grow, however -- at least beyond a point. No, being benched, being bumped from your starting job, or even having a coach suggest those things might happen are what will surely get the real athlete's attention. (I'll even go so far as to ask in a CoachChic.com article, "<a href="http://coachchic.com/are-bad-coaches-good-for-players/" target="_blank"><b>Are Bad Coaches Good For Players?</b></a>") <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0UOoAoeU7KosVHeWhT-IHyXr3UJHknNxFBmU61ieBYQgbM9h57V3oxeZdxNube0Jiq789IE4PG9i87v2l4zXZ2ZxYT2sJBaZ0bAXaIjzlcTpaYMpbTI5Bmyu7cFvi-G59IRl6jx5_L7T/s1600/baseball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0UOoAoeU7KosVHeWhT-IHyXr3UJHknNxFBmU61ieBYQgbM9h57V3oxeZdxNube0Jiq789IE4PG9i87v2l4zXZ2ZxYT2sJBaZ0bAXaIjzlcTpaYMpbTI5Bmyu7cFvi-G59IRl6jx5_L7T/s1600/baseball.jpg" /></a></div>
By the way... Although I only participated in team sports -- from baseball to football to hockey, I'm here to tell readers that the setbacks I've noted to this point are personal. In other words, although you're part of a team, you better know that teammates are worrying about their own injuries or fears of being replaced, and it's not their job to be worried about me (or your kid). That's why I'm saying it's a personal thing, or something the individual suffers through on his or her own. Sure, parents might commiserate, but that's about all they can do. It's up to the athlete to battle his or her way forward. Ya, it's a lonely time as an athlete goes through those trying times, but I'll suggest that it's those trying times when he or she has the best chance to grow.</blockquote>
I think the reason that video struck such a chord with me this morning is because I've been reflecting on some setbacks lately. Let me tell you, though, that "reflecting" is the right way to put it. I mean, I am not dwelling on any of them -- at all. In fact, Brenda and I were talking about the worst of occurrences that took place shortly after we met -- about the people who seemed only too glad to nearly wipe me out, and I told her I just had to put them out of my mind. Oh, that doesn't mean that I don't see a given face flash in my mind from time to time, but I use those more as motivation, and hardly as a chance to sulk. No, that wouldn't have worked battling through an injury, it wouldn't have helped keep my position on a team when it was in jeopardy, and it certainly wouldn't help me today to slowly but surely put my business life back together.<br />
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Then, hoping I've made my point here -- about how growing up in sports prepared me well for life's challenges, let me return to Eric Thomas' video. For, I think the real message in his story was the need for the young subject to realize whether or not he really "wanted it". To me, some things are worth paying a great price for, while others mean very little to me. <br />
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And, while I was ready to close on that last paragraph, something else hit me that I feel the need to share... To be honest, my mom and dad supported me unbelievably, but they never pushed -- one iota. One thing they never did to me, though, was to tell me what I was trying so hard at wasn't important. On the other hand, I see and hear a lot of the opposite nowadays -- be it due to political correctness or whatever. Don't forget what I said above, however, in that the athlete, himself or herself, takes things personally. Few others are going to care, but I think the parents surely could, at the very least, show their support -- without that support being a crutch. No, the parent doesn't want to take away the learning experiences that could last their youngster a lifetime.<br />
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If you liked this entry, you might like "<a href="http://coachchic.com/being-honest-with-our-hockey-players/" target="_blank"><b>Being Honest With Our Hockey Players</b></a>".</div>
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