The Memphis Grizzlies Roar Into Action Every NBA Game

Though the Memphis Grizzlies are cubs in the NBA, they have begun basketball growl. Though they have only been in the NBA since 2001, the Grizzlies have already advanced to the playoffs during three seasons. The Grizzlies moved to Memphis before the 2001-2002 season, after playing in Vancouver for six years. Interestingly, the Grizzlies were not the first professional basketball team that Memphis has hosted. The Memphis Pros/Tams/Sounds was an ABA team that played in the city from 1970-1975.

Where did the name "Grizzlies" originate? In fact, the first name the franchise chose was the "Mounties." However, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police objected to the name, as Mounties was a nickname for their police force. Thus, the franchise selected the alternate team, the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies lost their first NBA game to the Detroit Pistons, 90-80.

Eventually, they would finish their season with a disappointing 23-59 record.

Two seasons later, the Grizzlies made some bold trades, and ended the season with an outstanding 50-32 record. Their number of wins was nearly double their previous highest total as a franchise. The Grizzlies coach, Hubie Brown, became the NBA Coach of the Year. However, the Grizzlies received a tough draw for the playoffs. The defending NBA Champs, the San Antonio Spurs, swept the Grizzlies in the latter's first playoff series.

In the following year, the Grizzlies started playing at the new FedEx Forum, hoping to build upon their previous season's success. The Grizzlies earned a 45-37 record, and captured the final playoff position in their conference. Unfortunately, they would face another powerhouse squad. This time, it was the run-and-gun Phoenix Suns. Additionally, once again the opposing team swept the Grizzlies in the playoffs.

In the 2005-2006 season, the Grizzlies earned third place in their division (49-33), behind those two teams. In the playoffs, the Grizzlies again drew a tough competitor and one that they were quite familiar with: the Dallas Mavericks. For the third consecutive year, the opposite team swept the Grizzlies.

Though the Grizzlies are a young team, some individuals in their franchise have received prestigious awards:

Hubie Brown: Coach of the Year: (204)

Brown won the NBA's Coach of the Year award with the Atlanta Hawks (1977-1978), before winning it with the Grizzlies. In addition, in 1975 Brown coached the ABA's basketball Colonels to a championship.

Pau Gasol: Rookie of the Year (2002)

A native of Spain, Gasol first played in Spain's ACB League, before playing for the Memphis Grizzlies. In 2006, Gasol played in the NBA All-Star game, as the game's first Grizzlies player and first Spaniard. Gasol is also a member of the Spanish national basketball team.

Mike Miller: 6th Man (2006)

Before playing in the NBA, Miller participated in the NCAA basketball championship, in 2000. Miller holds the Memphis Grizzlies' team record, for scoring the most points in a single game. He scored 45 points against the Golden State Warriors, on February 21, 2007.

The Memphis Grizzlies are new, but have promise. Use Memphis Grizzlies merchandise to cheer on the big bears!

Rick Grantham is an avid sports fan. Most of Rick's articles focus on memphis grizzlies merchandise. Many articles are related to nba memorabilia and other sports related topics. Rick is a contributing author to BooYah Village.

How Hustling & Being in Shape Contributes to Scoring More Points

Way too many basketball players underestimate the power of hustling and being basketball top physical condition. It seems like a no-brainer but that's not the case at all. It's usually the more talented and skilled players that overlook this important aspect of the game too. What happens is these players get use to dominating their peers at a young age and because they didn't condition a lot then they have this idea in the back of their mind that it's over-rated. They eventually get to a level (usually High School or College) where they are matched up basketball equally skilled players and they get their lunch eaten because they have never had a true belief in getting their bodies in top physical condition. Don't ever let this happen to you. The fact of the matter is, whatever level of play you are at, you need to understand the importance of hustling and conditioning. It has a gigantic impact on your level of play and it especially has a lot to do with your ability to score points. I don't care how well you can shoot, how well you can dribble or how fast you are - if you are out-hustled you are going to end up looking like a very average player.

Why You Will Score More Points

Way too many basketball players underestimate the power of hustling and being in top physical condition. It seems like a no-brainer but that's not the case at all. It's usually the more talented and skilled players that overlook this important aspect of the game too. What happens is these players get use to dominating their peers at a young age and because they didn't condition a lot then they have this idea in the back of their mind that it's over-rated. They eventually get to a level (usually High School or College) where they are matched up with equally skilled players and they get their lunch eaten because they have never had a true belief in getting their bodies in top physical condition. Don't ever let this happen to you. The fact of the matter is, whatever level of play you are at, you need to understand the importance of hustling and conditioning. It has a gigantic impact on your level of play and it especially has a lot to do with your ability to score points. I don't care how well you can shoot, how well you can dribble or how fast you are - if you are out-hustled you are going to end up looking like a very average player.

Hustling also creates a lot of opportunities to get easy baskets. If you have the energy to put some intense pressure on the players you are defending then you are going to cause some turnovers, get some steals and have some easy fast break lay-ups. I know some players that are obsessed about scoring points so they try and preserve their energy while on defense so they can be explosive on offense. This is not only against everything the game of basketball is about, it's flat out stupid. You are more likely to increase your scoring average if you have more high percentage shots during games and lay-ups are as high percentage as they get. And we haven't even talked about loose balls. It's the scrappy hustle players that always get the loose balls and those almost always turn out to be transition scoring opportunities. You can easily add 6-10 more points to your scoring average by hustling because of the added scoring opportunities you'll be presented with.

Then there's the common sense factor. If you are in better condition you are going to perform better on the court. It's a given. Your legs won't get tired in the 4th quarter, you won't get winded and you'll be able to beat your defender off the dribble. It's a sad thing when I see really talented players not be able to score on their opponents simply because they are too tired to make their move. Don't be the player that thinks your talent and skill can carry you all the way to the top. If you ever start to think that it's only about how well you can shoot or dribble go research how much the Harlem Globetrotters get paid vs. players in the NBA and then breakdown the difference in their game.

How Bad Do You Want It?

Hustling and conditioning go hand in hand because you can't hustle for very long if you aren't in really good condition. It doesn't take special skill or natural born talent to hustle. It takes sheer will and determination. It takes the type of self-discipline that guys like US Olympic Swimmer Michael Phelps has. He isn't known for having some secret talent that not very many other swimmers have. He is known as a man who works his guts out and wants to be a winner more than one could possibly imagine. Do yourself a favor and take a lesson from his book. There is nothing but good things that will come from you getting yourself in top physical condition and deciding that you are going to be known as the player that is constantly hustling. Players will hate defending you and you'll be presented with a lot more scoring opportunities than you ever have.

Visit HoopSkills.com for more basketball coaching articles like this one.

Girls Basketball Drills

How to Incorporate Drills into Practice

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

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

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

How Often to Practice Drills

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

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

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

Choosing Appropriate Drills

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

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

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

Final Thoughts

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

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

http://www.ebasketballcoach.com

2003 NBA Draft - Top 4 Looking Stellar!

The 2003 NBA Draft is being compared to the 1985 NBA Draft, I believe that in time, the 2003 NBA Draft will be the most lucrative draft the NBA League has seen in some time. The Big 3 in the NBA over the last 20 years or so were Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Charles Barkley. However they did not come out of the same draft. The exception was Magic Johnson, who was drafted in 1980 by the Los Angeles Lakers, boy it doesn't seem like 28 years ago does it?

The 2003 NBA Draft has already netted (no pun intended) an NBA Champion in Dwyane Wade with the Miami Heat. citizen watch "King" James who has already made it to the finals, and next up I believe could be Chris Bosh. I believed that Carmelo Anthony had a better chance prior and probably still does, but the loss of Allen Iverson should be a major impact on the team, even though the team chemistry just was not there with Allen Iverson.

Not many teams can function with that many ball hogs in the starting lineup, and their defense was suffering because of it, I guess that is the knock on Allen Iverson of late, and probably the same reason he will never achieve Michael Jordan status. Michael Jordan in his greatness, became the best teammate anyone could have, basically because he developed his teammates status around him and refined his already near perfect basketball skills, in the clutch it was him, but the sharing throughout the game was generous in nature, that made him elite.

Lebron James and Dwyane Wade have those Michael Jordan like qualities and skills to some degree, and do command the type of attention that was Jordan-esque, and has not been seen or merited in quite some time. Carmelo Anthony has flashes of greatness, but seems to struggle in the team concept part. We will see this year if the thorn in his side, was indeed Allen Iverson. Carmelo Anthony needs to step up and become the leader this team needs him to be.

Lebron James can and will make players around him better, but the cast needs to improve. I like the acquisition of Delonte West, a relentless ball pusher and runs the court very well. I need him to excel, I am sitting on a ton of his rookie cards, primarily Topps Chrome. Get it done Delonte West! The rest of the cast for Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are not very persuasive to me to make a realistic quest to the NBA championship.

The Boston Celtics will continue to dominate the league this year, barring any unfortunate injuries, If Lebron James and Company are going to task themselves with defeating the Boston Celtics, the cast needs to improve. A mid-season acquisition or two should do the trick. They also need another bench player, someone to give them some quality minutes off the bench.

Chris Bosh is going to need more help than Lebron James, but believe it or not, disagree you may, I believe the Toronto Raptors have a better bench than the Cleveland citizen watch Time will tell....

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How to Jump Higher - Exercise and More

For athletes in basketball, gymnastics, volleyball, and a few other sports, learning how to jump higher is one of the most crucial parts of the game. Some athletes put a lot of working into learning to jump higher. Exercises, workouts, diets, and the latest 'secret' all keep these athletes running. There is a great deal that an athlete can do to improve his or her vertical leap, but it's important to work smart, not waste time and money chasing after that latest craze.

The first thing is to figure out what you need in a training program to jump higher. Exercise, of course, is crucial in any athletic training system. But just any exercise won't work. The exercise needs to be suited to the goal. Jumping requires strength and speed. Make sure any training program you look into will give you both.

In addition to exercise, a good training program will cover diet. Any athlete knows that some meals weigh the body down, and others give you that burst of extra energy. High levels of exercise require the right food to keep you moving, and a good training program will show you how to match changes in your workouts with changes in your diet to keep yourself at maximum performance.

Also, a good training program will include safety guidelines. All training has its own hazards, and you don't want to put yourself out of the game from pushing a bit too hard. You should know your limits and you should make sure the training program you use has information on the limits of the exercises and risk factors.

Once you've found a program that will work for you, the most important issue is commitment. Any exercise program only works if it is followed sincerely, including any program to help you jump higher. Exercise doesn't do you any good if you work half heartedly. A good diet doesn't do any good if you are binging on soda and chips every weekend. If you find a good training program, and make a commitment, you'll find yourself making the progress you were looking for.

Are you ready to make that commitment? If you are, then there are some great programs available to get you on your way. Check out one of the best programs, the Vertical Project, which offers everything you may need jump higher exercise, diet, safety, and a guaranteed and proven track record. http://www.vertical-leap.info

basketball
basketball

Basketball Jumping Drills - 4 Tips to Increase Vertical Jump

One of the key elements to success on the basketball court is the players' ability to jump quickly basketball effectively. A good vertical jump helps players with their jump shot, rebounding and shot blocking skills. The basketball jumping drills below will help improve the players' vertical jump, quickness and explosiveness.

For the best results, these vertical jump drills should be performed for 30 seconds each, and should be done consecutively for two minutes. This cycle should be repeated three times with a 30 second rest in between each cycle.

Basketball Jump Training Drills

Toe Touch Drill

• Starting Position: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Execution: Jump up and bring your knees to your chest. At the same time, reach forward with your hands and touch your toes before landing.
• Duration: 30 seconds without stopping.

Heel Touch Drill

• Starting Position: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Execution: Jump, bend your knees so that your heels come toward your butt. At the same time, touch your fingers to your heels.
• Duration: 30 seconds without stopping.

Heel and Toe Touch Drill

• Starting Position: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Execution: This drill combines the Toe Touch Drill and Heel Touch Drill. As you jump, alternate between touching your toes in front of you and your heels behind you.
• Duration: 30 seconds without stopping.

Ski Drill

• Starting Position: Stand on the basketball of a line with your feet one inch apart.
• Execution: Jump side to side over the line. The jumping motion should be low and quick.
• Duration: 30 seconds without stopping.

Wanna fly with the big boys with a 40"+ vertical leap?

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Olympic Games - Basic Facts

Did you know...

The Olympic Games ( winter & summer) are organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The headquarters is in Lausanne (Switzerland).The mission of the International Olympic Committee is to promote the Olympic movement in the world.

Singapore -one of the Asia's poorest countries in the 1940s- will host the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010. It beat a rival bid from the Russian capital city of Moscow. Singapore is one of the smallest countries in the world.

Tuvalu is an Olympic country since 2007.

The IOC has more member states than the United Nations. However,many territories are not members.The following territories are not members of the IOC: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gibraltar, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Macao, Martinique, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Northern Marinas, Turks & Caicos, Northern Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Reunion, Western Sahara, Norfolk and Nieu.

The I Summer Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. Athletes from host-country won 46 Olympic medals.

Jacques Rogge is currently president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He was born in Belgium. This great Olympic leader once said: "The challenge of our Olympic Movement is to make the education of youth through sport as relevant today as it was when Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee on this principle over 100 years ago. All of us who work under the Olympic rings have the social responsability to demonstrate by our example that sport teaches us how to respect ourselves and one another, how to strive for excellence in all that we do and, perhaps above all else, the importance of friendship and peace..."

The German Democratic Republic (or basketball Germany) was an Olympic country from 1960 to 1988.

The 2014 Winter Olympics will be hosted by Sochi (Russian Federation). The Moscow government has approved an unprecedented US$ 12 billion for the development of the Games.

The IOC has 205 member states and territories:

1.Afghanistan (Asia / Arab country) / the most popular Olympic sports: wrestling, soccer, hockey field, taekwondo

2.Albania (Europe)/ the most popular Olympic sports: table tennis, athletics, wrestling, shooting

3.Algeria: (Africa/ Arab country) / the most popular Olympic sports : volleyball, athletics, handball, swimming, soccer, boxing, taekwondo, weightlifting, judo

4.American Samoa (Oceania/ American territory) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, swimming, wrestling, weightlifting

5.Andorra (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, shooting, archery, soccer

6.Angola ( Africa/ ex Portuguese colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: basketball, handball, soccer, athletics, swimming

7.Antigua & Barbuda ( Caribbean / ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, boxing, sailing,

8.Argentina ( South America) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, volleyball, basketball, boxing, athletics, sailing, swimming, field hockey, table tennis, tennis, cycling, equestrian, judo, taekwondo, beach volleyball

9.Armenia (Europe/ former Soviet republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: gymnastics, wrestling, weightlifting, athletics, basketball, judo, modern pentathlon

10.Aruba ( Caribbean/ Dutch territory) / the most popular Olympic sports: sailing, athletics, judo, swimming, basketball, softball

11.Australia (Oceania) / the most popular Olympic sports: swimming, soccer, basketball, athletics, diving, rowing, shooting, water polo, hockey field, equestrian, badminton, softball , triathlon, tennis, kayak, beach volleyball

12.Austria ( Central Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, sailing, kayak, tennis, table tennis, weightlifting, soccer, equestrian, judo, archery, hockey field, swimming

13.Azerbaijan ( Asia/ former Soviet republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: volleyball, wrestling, judo, weightlifting, athletics

14.Bahamas ( Caribbean/ ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, sailing, tennis, softball, swimming, volleyball, basketball

15.Bahrain ( Gulf Persian) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, handball, athletics, volleyball, taekwondo, swimming

16.Bangladesh ( Asia/ formerly East Pakistan) / the most popular Olympic sports: wrestling, athletics, soccer, taekwondo, shooting, tennis

17.Barbados (Caribbean/ ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, swimming, sailing, softball, soccer, volleyball, shooting

18.Belarus (Europe/ former Soviet republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: gymnastics, fencing, soccer, volleyball, athletics, weightlifting, swimming, diving, judo, kayak

19.Belgium ( Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: sailing, soccer, fencing, field hockey, tennis, swimming, shooting, equestrian, athletics

20.Belize (Central America/ former British Honduras) / the most popular Olympic sports: softball (national sport), athletics, shooting, taekwondo

21.Benin (Western Africa / formerly Dahomey) / the most popular Olympic sports: boxing, soccer, judo, wrestling, taekwondo, track & field

22.Bermuda (Caribbean /British territory) / the most popular Olympic sports: sailing, boxing, equestrian, soccer, track & field

23.Bhutan (Asia/ Indian Subcontinent) / the most popular Olympic sports: archery (national sport) , soccer, shooting

24.Bolivia ( South America) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, athletics, cycling, tennis, boxing, equestrian, shooting

25.Bosnia & Herzegovina (Europe/ formerly Yugoslav republic) / the most popular Olympic sports : basketball, basketball , athletics, shooting, table tennis, canoeing

26.Botswana ( Southern Africa/ ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: softball, athletics, boxing, volleyball

27.Brazil ( South America) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer (national sport) , volleyball, basketball, beach volleyball, judo, sailing, equestrian, swimming, tennis, water polo, taekwondo, rowing, athletics, table tennis, gymnastics

28.British Virgin Islands (Caribbean / British territory) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, swimming, sailing, taekwondo

29.Brunei Darussalam (Southeast Asia/ ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer (national sport) , shooting, track and field

30.Bulgaria (East Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: weightlifting (national sport), wrestling, soccer, basketball, volleyball, kayak, water polo, tennis, rowing, fencing, swimming

31.Burkina Faso ( Western Africa /formerly Upper Volta/ ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer (national sport) , boxing, judo, track & field

32.Burundi ( Central Africa/ ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics (national sport) , boxing

33.Cambodia (Southeast Asia / formerly Kampuchea, Republic of Khmer/ ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, volleyball, table tennis, athletics, swimming

34.Cameroon ( Western Africa/ ex French colony)/ the most popular Olympic sports: soccer (national sport) , volleyball, athletics, judo, boxing

35.Canada (North America)/ the most popular Olympic sports: kayak, equestrian, judo, basketball, soccer, diving, baseball, rowing, boxing, athletics, badminton, tennis, synchronized swimming

36.Cape Verde (Western Africa/ ex Portuguese colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, soccer

37.Cayman Islands (Caribbean/ British territory) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, sailing, taekwondo, basketball

38.Central African Republic ( Africa/ ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, athletics, judo, boxing, basketball

39.Chad ( Central Africa/ ex French colony) /the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, soccer (national sport)

40.Chile (South America) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, tennis, athletics, shooting, boxing, swimming, basketball, equestrian, taekwondo, modern pentathlon, field hockey

41.China (the People's Republic of China) / the most popular Olympic sports: table tennis (national sport) , athletics, volleyball, gymnastics, judo, diving, synchronized swimming, softball, weightlifting, badminton, basketball, soccer, fencing

42.Chinese Taipei (Asia/ also known as Taiwan) /the most popular Olympic sports: taekwondo, table tennis, athletics, weightlifting, basketball, volleyball, baseball (national sport)

43.Colombia (South America) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, baseball, weightlifting, athletics, water polo, softball, basketball, swimming, shooting, wrestling, cycling, boxing

44.Comoros (Africa / ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, soccer

45.Congo ( Africa / formerly Zaire / ex French colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports: basketball, soccer(national sport) , boxing, athletics, judo

46.Congo Republic ( Central Africa/ ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: handball (national sport) , athletics, judo, soccer

47.Cook Islands (Oceania) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, swimming, softball

48.Costa Rica (Central America) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, swimming, cycling, tennis, athletics, kayak, baseball, shooting, volleyball, taekwondo

49.Cote d'Ivoire ( Western Africa /ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: handball, soccer (national sport) , athletics, taekwondo

50.Croatia (Europe/ formerly Yugoslav republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, basketball, volleyball, handball, gymnastics, table tennis, tennis, swimming, kayak

51.Cuba (Caribbean) / the most popular Olympic sports: baseball (national sport) , volleyball, athletics, boxing, taekwondo, diving, shooting

52.Cyprus (Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports: the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, tennis, shooting, soccer

53.Czech Republic (Europe/ formerly Czechoslovakia) / the most popular Olympic sports: gymnastics, athletics, tennis (national sport) , table tennis, kayak, wrestling, weightlifting, soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball

54.Denmark (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, sailing, athletics, handball, badminton

55.Djibouti ( East Africa/ ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics (national sport) , soccer

56.Dominica (Caribbean/ ex British colony) /the most popular Olympic sports: athletics (national sport)

57.Dominican Republic (Latin America) / the most popular Olympic sports: baseball (national sport), athletics, table tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, boxing, tennis, judo

58.Ecuador (Latin America) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, athletics, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, shooting, tennis, swimming, cycling, taekwondo

59.Egypt ( North Africa) / the most popular Olympic sports: weightlifting, soccer, volleyball, field hockey, taekwondo, athletics, diving, boxing, shooting, swimming, handball, water polo

60.El Salvador (Latin America) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer (national sport) , cycling, athletics, shooting, basketball, archery, weightlifting

61.Equatorial Guinea ( Western Africa/ ex Spanish colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, soccer

62.Eritrea ( East Africa / ex Ethiopian territory) / the most popular Olympic sports: football, athletics (national sport) , boxing

63.Estonia (Europe/ former Soviet republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: wrestling, weightlifting, rowing, sailing, athletics, boxing, fencing, cycling, kayak, gymnastics, basketball

64.Ethiopia ( East Africa) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics (national sport) , judo, boxing, soccer

65.Fiji (Oceania / ex British colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports: sailing, athletics, soccer, taekwondo, basketball, softball

66.Finland (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, soccer, kayak, shooting

67.France (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer (national sport), athletics, judo, modern pentathlon, rowing, basketball, volleyball, shooting, table tennis, tennis, triathlon, archery, equestrian, sailing, taekwondo, beach volleyball

68.Gabon ( Westrern Africa/ ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: football, judo, track & field

69.Gambia ( Western Africa/ ex British colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, athletics

70.Georgia (Europe/ former Soviet republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, judo, modern pentathlon, gymnastics, kayak

71.Germany (Europe/ formely East Germany and West Germany) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer (national sport), athletics, fencing, judo, kayak, field hockey, equestrian, modern pentathlon, tennis, handball, volleyball, basketball, shooting, water polo, swimming, shooting

72.Ghana ( Western Africa/ ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: football, athletics, boxing, wrestling

73.Greece (Europe/ birthplace of the Olympic Games) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, synchronized swimming, water polo, weighlifting, wrestling, volleyball, basketball, sailing

74.Grenada (Caribbean/ ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, soccer, boxing

75.Guam (Oceania/ American territory) / the most popular Olympic sports: swimming, softball, athletics

76.Guatemala (Latin America) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, shooting, weightlifting, gymnastics, swimming, equestrian, athletics, rowing, wrestling, baseball, softball

77.Guinea ( Western Africa / ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, judo, wrestling, athletics, boxing

78.Guinea-Bissau ( Western Africa / the most popular Olympic sports: ex Portuguese colony) / athletics, soccer, boxing

79.Guyana (South America/ ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, field hockey, judo cycling, boxing, basketball, table tennis

80.Haiti (Caribbean) / the most popular Olympic sports: shooting, athletics, judo, football (national sport), volleyball, basketball, boxing, tennis, weightlifting

81.Honduras (Latin America) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, swimming, judo, baseball, soccer

82.Hong Kong (Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports: sailing, athletics, kayak, cycling, judo, table tennis (national sport), badminton, field hockey, swimming,equestrian, rowing, volleyball, basketball, taekwondo

83.Hungary ( Central Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: boxing, athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, football, sailing, basketball, volleyball, handball, fencing, rowing, shooting, water polo, gymnastics, table tennis, modern pentathlon, equestrian

84.Iceland ( North Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: judo, soccer, badminton, athletics, handball (national sport)

85.India (Asia/ Indian Subcontinent) / the most popular Olympic sports: field hockey, weightlifting, table tennis, tennis, archery, athletics, badminton, wrestling, soccer, boxing, basketball

86.Indonesia (Southeast Asia ) / the most popular Olympic sports: badminton (national sport), weightlifting, wrestling, table tennis, tennis, boxing, volleyball, track & field

87.Iran (Middle East- /formerly Persia) / the most popular Olympic sports: weightlifting, wrestling, water polo, athletics, soccer, volleyball, boxing, judo, shooting

88.Iraq (Middle East- Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, weightlifting, wrestling, volleyball

89.Ireland (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: swimming, shooting, field hockey, athletics, rowing, judo, soccer, badminton, boxing

90.Israel (Middle East- Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports: basketball, judo ,sailing, swimming, athletics, wrestling, fencing

91.Italy (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: swimming, water polo, volleyball, basketball, football, athletics, judo, rowing, fencing, tennis, cycling, diving, beach volleyball

92.Jamaica (Caribbean/ ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics (national sport), basketball, badminton, taekwondo, swimming, cycling, table tennis, boxing, weightlifting, badminton, field hockey

93.Japan (Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports: judo, volleyball, taekwondo, swimming, diving, gymnastics, basketball, baseball, soccer, table tennis, athletics

94.Jordan (Middle East- Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports: taekwondo, table tennis, athletics

95.Kazakhstan (Asia/ former Soviet republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: kayak, volleyball, water polo, diving, wrestling, archery, cycling, weightlifting, athletics, swimming

96.Kenya (East Africa / ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics (national sport), field hockey, boxing, water polo, volleyball, basketball, boxing, shooting

97.Kiribati (Oceania) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, weightlifting

98.Korea, North (Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports: volleyball, soccer, basketball, diving, weightlifting, wrestling, table tennis, gymnastics, boxing, shooting, archery, judo, athletics

99.Korea, South (Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports: baseball, cycling, swimming, field hockey, handball, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, taekwondo (national sport), table tennis, basketball, tennis, shooting, judo, athletics, boxing, archery, softball, fencing, badminton, soccer

100.Kuwait (Middle East- Asia) / shooting, taekwondo, handball, volleyball, water polo, equestrian, soccer

101.Kyrgyzstan (Asia/ former Soviet republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: boxing, athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, basketball, volleyball, fencing, rowing, shooting, water polo, gymnastics, equestrian

102.Laos (Asia / ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: boxing, athletics

103.Latvia (Europe/ former Soviet republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, sailing, basketball, volleyball,fencing, rowing, shooting, water polo, gymnastics, modern pentathlon, equestrian

104.Lebanon (Middle East- Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports: weightlifting, wrestling, athletics, shooting, basketball

105.Lesotho (Southern Africa / ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, boxing

106.Liberia ( Western Africa) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, athletics, boxing

107.Libya ( North Africa) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, volleyball, athletics, weightlifting, wrestling

108.Liechtenstein (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, rowing, fencing, shooting, sailing, equestrian

109.Lithuania (Europe/ former Soviet republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: boxing, athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, sailing, basketball, volleyball, handball, fencing, rowing, shooting, gymnastics, table tennis, modern pentathlon, equestrian

110.Luxembourg (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, soccer, fencing, shooting, rowing, equestrian

111.Macedonia (Europe/ formerly Yugoslav republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: basketball, volleyball, rowing, table tennis, athletics, weightlifting, wrestling

112.Madagascar (Africa/ ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, judo, basketball

113.Malawi (Africa/ ex British colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, athletics, boxing

114.Malaysia (Asia / ex British colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports: swimming, judo taekwondo, badminton, table tennis, athletics, volleyball, basketball, weightlifting, wrestling, soccer

115.Maldives (Indian Subcontinent / ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: swimming, athletics

116.Mali (Africa/ ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, soccer, boxing, wrestling

117.Malta (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, soccer, fencing, swimming

118.Marshall Islands (Oceania) / the most popular Olympic sports: sailing, athletics, weightlifting, wrestling

119.Mauritania (Africa) / the most popular Olympic sports: wrestling, athletics

120.Mauritius (Africa/ ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, swimming, volleyball, sailing, taekwondo

121.Mexico (Latin America) / the most popular Olympic sports: diving (national sport), athletics, rowing, gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, equestrian, cycling, boxing, diving, modern pentathlon, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, water polo, softball, triathlon, beach volleyball

122.Micronesia (Oceania) / the most popular Olympic sports: swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, athletics

123.Moldova (Europe/ former Soviet republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: shooting, weightlifting, judo, wrestling, kayak, athletics, rowing

124.Monaco (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, swimming, shooting

125.Mongolia ( Central Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports: weightlifting, judo, wrestling, volleyball, athletics, boxing, shooting

126.Montenegro (Europe/ formerly Yugoslav republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: basketball, shooting, volleyball, water polo, athletics, boxing

127.Morocco ( North Africa) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, soccer, boxing, taekwondo, swimming, basketball, weightlifting, wrestling, tennis , judo

128.Mozambique (Africa / ex Portuguese colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, swimming, boxing

129.Myanmar (Southeast Asia / formerly Burma / ex British colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports: weightlifting, wrestling, athletics, soccer

130.Namibia ( Southern Africa / ex South African territory) / the most popular Olympic sports: shooting, athletics, boxing, swimming

131.Nauru (Oceania) / the most popular Olympic sports: , weightlifting, athletics, softball

132.Nepal (Indian Subcontinent) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, weightlifting, wrestling, table tennis

133.Netherlands (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, rowing, gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, equestrian, cycling, boxing, diving, modern pentathlon, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, water polo, softball, triathlon, beach volleyball

134.Neterherlands Antilles (Caribbean) / the most popular Olympic sports: sailing, athletics, softball, baseball

135.New Zealand (Oceania/ ex British colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, rowing, basketballl, equestrian, cycling, boxing, diving, modern pentathlon, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, water polo, softball, triathlon, beach volleyball

136.Nicaragua (Latin America) / the most popular Olympic sports: baseball (national sport, athletics, table tennis

137.Niger (Africa/ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: weightlifting, athletics, boxing

138.Nigeria ( Western Africa / ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, boxing, swimming, basketball, soccer, handball

139.Norway (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, judo, modern pentathlon, rowing, shooting, table tennis, tennis, triathlon, archery, equestrian, sailing, beach volleyball

140.Oman (Middle East- Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports: shooting, athletics, soccer

141.Pakistan (Indian Subcontinent / ex British colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports: field hockey, wrestling, weightlifting, athletics

142.Palau (Oceania) / the most popular Olympic sports: wrestling, weightlifting, swimming, athletics, softball

143.Palestine (Middle East- Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, swimming, shooting, boxing, table tennis

144.Panama (Latin America) / the most popular Olympic sports: baseball (national sport), athletics, basketball, boxing, weightlifting, wrestling, softball

145.Papua New Guinea (Oceania) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, swimming, , boxing, weightlifting, wrestling, softball

146.Paraguay (Latin America) / the most popular Olympic sports: tennis, soccer, shooting, athletics, basketball

147.Peru (Latin America) / the most popular Olympic sports: shooting, volleyball, basketball, athletics, boxing, judo, soccer, taekwondo

148.Philippines (Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports: , boxing, weightlifting, wrestling, softball, athletics, basketball, taekwondo, shooting

149.Poland (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: archery, swimming, boxing, athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, football, sailing, basketball, volleyball, fencing, rowing, shooting, modern pentathlon, equestrian, triathlon

150.Portugal (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: swimming, boxing, athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, football, sailing, basketball, volleyball, handball, fencing, rowing, shooting

151.Puerto Rico (Latin America/Caribbean) / the most popular Olympic sports: baseball, taekwondo, : tennis, archery, swimming, boxing, athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, sailing, basketball, volleyball, fencing, shooting, water polo, gymnastics, table tennis, modern pentathlon, equestrian, triathlon

152.Qatar (Middle East- Asia/ Arab country) / the most popular Olympic sports: tennis, swimming, boxing, athletics, weightlifting, wrestling, football, sailing, basketball, volleyball, handball, fencing, rowing, shooting, water polo, table tennis, equestrian, triathlon

153.Romania (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: tennis, swimming, boxing, athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, football, sailing, volleyball, handball, fencing, rowing, shooting, water polo, gymnastics, table tennis, modern pentathlon

154.Russia (Europe/ former Soviet republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: tennis,archery, swimming, boxing, athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, football, sailing, basketball, volleyball, handball, fencing, rowing, shooting, water polo, gymnastics, table tennis, modern pentathlon, equestrian, triathlon, diving

155.Rwanda ( Central Africa/ ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, soccer

156.St.Kitts & Nevis (Caribbean/ ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, sailing

157.St.Lucia (Caribbean/ ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, sailing, boxing

158.St.Vincent & the Grenadines (Caribbean/ ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, soccer

159.Samoa (oceania / formerly Western Samoa) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, soccer

160.San Marino (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: shooting, gymnastics, athletics

161.Sao Tome & Principe ( Western Africa / ex Portuguese colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, soccer

162.Saudi Arabia (Middle East- Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports: equestrian, shooting, volleyball, athletics, soccer

163.Senegal (Western Africa/ ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: judo, athletics, soccer, basketball, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting

164.Serbia (Europe/ formerly Yugoslav republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: boxing, athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, football, sailing, basketball, volleyball, handball, fencing, rowing, shooting, water polo, gymnastics, table tennis

165.Seychelles ( East Africa) / the most popular Olympic sports: swimming, boxing, athletics, sailing

166.Sierra Leone (Western Africa / ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, soccer

167.Singapore (Southeast Asia / ex British colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports: badminton (national sport), athletics, gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, equestrian, cycling, boxing, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting, wrestling, water polo, softball

168.Slovakia (Europe/ formerly Czechoslovakia) / the most popular Olympic sports: basketball, swimming, boxing, athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, football, sailing, volleyball, handball, fencing, rowing, shooting, water polo, gymnastics

169.Slovenia (Europe/ formerly Yugoslav republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: boxing, athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, football, sailing, basketball, volleyball, handball, fencing, rowing, shooting, water polo, gymnastics, table tennis

170.Solomon Islands (Oceania / ex British colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, boxing, weightlifting, wrestling

171.Somalia (Africa) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, basketball, boxing

172.South Africa (Africa) / the most popular Olympic sports: softball, tennis, archery, swimming, boxing, athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, football, sailing, fencing, rowing, shooting, water polo, gymnastics, table tennis, modern pentathlon, equestrian, triathlon

173.Spain (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: taekwondo, tennis, swimming, boxing, athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, football, sailing, basketball, volleyball, handball, fencing, rowing, shooting, water polo, gymnastics

174.Sri Lanka (Indian Subcontinent / ex British colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, judo, weightlifting, shooting, badminton, wrestling, table tennis, sailing, boxing

175.Sudan (Africa) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, athletics, boxing

176.Suriname ( South America / ex Dutch colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports: badminton, swimming, athletics, football

177.Swaziland ( Southern Africa / ex British colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, boxing

178.Sweden (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: tennis, swimming, boxing, athletics, judo,wrestling, kayak, football, volleyball, handball, fencing, rowing, shooting, water polo, gymnastics, table tennis, modern pentathlon

179.Switzerland (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports: archery, swimming, athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, football, sailing, handball, fencing, rowing, shooting, gymnastics, table tennis, modern pentathlon, equestrian, tennis

180.Syria (Middle East- Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, boxing, weightlifting, taekwondo wrestling, swimming

181.Tajikistan ( Central Asia/ former Soviet republic) / the most popular Olympic sports: weightlifting, taekwondo, athletics, boxing, gymnastics, shooting, wrestling

182.Tanzania (East Africa / ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, field hockey, boxing

183.Thailand (Southeast Asia / formerly Siam) / the most popular Olympic sports: fencing, swimming, judo taekwondo, badminton, table tennis, athletics, volleyball, boxing, weightlifting, wrestling, soccer

184.Timor-Leste (Asia / ex Indonesian territory) / the most popular Olympic sports: boxing,athletics, weightlifting, taekwondo, wrestling

185.Togo (Western Africa / ex French colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports: soccer, athletics, cycling, judo, basketball, boxing

186.Tonga (Oceania / ex British colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports:boxing, weightlifting, wrestling, athletics

187.Trinidad & Tobago (Caribbean/ ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports:athletics (national sport), swimming, weightlifting, cycling, volleyball, badminton, field hockey, soccer, badminton, table tennis, sailing

188.Tunisia (Africa / Arab country) / the most popular Olympic sports:athletics, soccer, handball, volleyball, basketball, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling

189.Turkey (Asia) / the most popular Olympic sports:soccer, volleyball ,basketball, weightlifting, wrestling, boxing, taekwondo, athletics, swimming, judo, shooting, archery

190.Turkmenistan (Central Asia/ former Soviet republic) / the most popular Olympic sports:athletics, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, shooting, taekwondo, soccer, gymnastics, archery

191.Tuvalu (Oceania /formerly Ellice Islands/ ex British colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports:athletics, swimming, boxing, weightlifting, wrestling

192.Uganda ( Central Africa / ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports:athletics (national sport), boxing, soccer, field hockey ,taekwondo, table tennis

193.Ukraine (Europe/ former Soviet republic) /the most popular Olympic sports:gymnastics,weightlifting, wrestling, kayak , rowing, judo, volleyball, water polo, equestrian, shooting, sailing

194.United Arab Emirates (Persian Gulf) / the most popular Olympic sports:shooting, taekwondo, handball, soccer

195.United Kingdom (Europe) / the most popular Olympic sports:athletics, boxing, rowing, football, softball, triathlon, kayak, archery, badminton, field hockey, swimming, equestrian, sailing, tennis

196.United States (North America) / the most popular Olympic sports:baseball (national sport), athletics, rowing, gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, equestrian, cycling, boxing, diving, modern pentathlon, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, water polo, softball, triathlon, beach volleyball

197.United States Virgin Islands (Caribbean) / the most popular Olympic sports: athletics, taekwondo, sailing (national sport), shooting, swimming, softball

198.Uruguay (South America) / the most popular Olympic sports:athletics, rowing, basketball, cycling, soccer, tennis, boxing, swimming, volleyball, sailing, field hockey

199.Uzbekistan (Asia/ former Soviet republic) / the most popular Olympic sports:weightlifting, wrestling, kayak, volleyball, handball, athletics, judo, swimming

200.Vanuatu (Oceania / ex British-French colony / formerly New Hebrides ) / the most popular Olympic sports:boxing, athletics

201.Venezuela (South America) / the most popular Olympic sports:baseball, swimming, athletics, boxing, judo, weightlifting, wrestling, basketball, volleyball, soccer, synchronized swimming, diving, tennis, taekwondo, softball, fencing

202.Vietnam (Asia / ex French colony) / the most popular Olympic sports:taekwondo, weightlifting, wrestling, athletics, swimming, table tennis, cycling

203.Yemen (Asia/ Arab country/ ) / the most popular Olympic sports:soccer, athletics, boxing, wrestling

204.Zambia (Africa / ex British colony) / the most popular Olympic sports:soccer, boxing, athletics

205.Zimbabwe (Africa/ formerly Rhodesia/ ex British colony ) / the most popular Olympic sports:swimming (national sport), diving, triathlon, soccer, field hockey, athletics, tennis, sailing, boxing

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

He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), Jos Gamarra (former president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee, 1970- 1982), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former President of the USA). Alejandro said: "The person who I admire the most is Jos Gamarra. He devoted his professional and personal life to sport. Jos played an important role in the promotion of Olympism in Bolivia -it is one of the Third World`s poorest countries- and Latin America. His biography is interesting". The sportspeople he most admire is Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman. "This African-American sportswoman is my idol..."

Mind Power and Your Subconscious

Your subconscious mind is that portion of your mind that exists beneath the level of conscious awareness. It is very much like an information storehouse that holds all your memories, attitudes, emotions, beliefs, and habits. This information, which exerts a powerful influence on your life, is available to your conscious mind, but is not usually part of your conscious awareness.

The subconscious also controls most of your bodily reactions and metabolism. Breathing, blinking, digestion, walking, emotions, etc. are functions that are carried out subconsciously. We don't have to think about blinking in a sandstorm anymore than we have to remember to shiver when it is cold. Similarly, if you had a traumatic experience involving water, it is possible that each time you are near water your subconscious would replay this experience like an internal recording. This triggers your body, emotions, and metabolism to respond the way it did during the real danger. This is a simplified explanation of how people develop fears and phobias.

To recognize how your subconscious directs your daily life, consider how easy it is for you to walk, play a favorite sport or instrument, or drive a car. Once you learn to do these things, you do them automatically. The information is stored in your subconscious mind and your conscious mind draws on it as the need arises.

Your Source of Reality

You have probably heard the expression, "You are what you think." However, this premise does not merely refer to what you know you think, but also to what you don't know you think. It is your inner thoughts and beliefs which determine how you experience your world. The subconscious mind is actually the force that is in control of all aspects of your life-probably far more than you realize. Whether you are rich or poor, happy or sad, bored or excited, loved or unloved, and all be traced to your inner or subconscious belief system This important principle is the foundation of all the materials and methods you will encounter in my audio programs. In other words, you are aware of many of your beliefs-such as: it is right to be honest and fair, and it is wrong to steal from or hurt others. Yet, you may be unaware that deep inside your subconscious is the belief that you do not deserve financial success or to have lasting, loving relationships. And you wonder why you don't have the income you want or your relationships are not as fulfilling as they could be. Each person grows up with some ideas about him or herself that are negative, inaccurate, or outdated. Over the years, these self-limiting ideas persist (stored mostly in the subconscious) and continue to create more negative self-beliefs and experiences. This downward spiral can be stopped by replacing false, outdated ideas with positive beliefs, thoughts and attitudes.

Step-by-Step Elimination of Negative Beliefs

Many people wonder why their subconscious accepts and retains self-defeating, negative beliefs in the first place. The subconscious is peculiar in this way. It accepts information without question and proceeds to direct a person's life accordingly.

For your entire life you have been listening to and following the scripts embedded in your subconscious mind by parents, friends, relatives, educational systems, and others. Those thought habits, attitudes, and inner beliefs form the strengths and shackles that you live with. These subconscious limitations are what have been preventing you from enjoying complete success, happiness and personal fulfillment, and they will continue limiting you for the rest of your life unless you take positive steps to change them.

For example, if you were repeatedly told as a child, "You are slow. You'll never amount to much," your impressionable subconscious probably accepted these ideas without question or logical considerations. Chances are, it then went one step further, creating self-talk statements such as, "I want to be a success, but I am slow and stupid. I can't even think about doing much with my life. No one would want me. Why even bother to try?" This is how self-defeating beliefs are established. And, because they are deeply rooted in your subconscious, they remain until you replace them.

Once a positive suggestion has been accepted by your subconscious mind through repetition, the way is paved for more successful and positive ideas to be accepted. In this way you can gradually create a whole new self-belief system and a foundation for a high degree of happiness, fulfillment and success.

Guided Relaxation: The Gateway to Your Inner Mind

Deep relaxation is one of the most valuable skills you will acquire while listening to our audio programs. Stress and tensions dissolve while at the same time your mind becomes crystal clear and alert. Natural, healthful relaxation is a valuable self-development tool that you will continue to enjoy for years to come.

Medical research has shown that developing the ability to relax deeply can prevent or relieve stress-induced illness. In addition, relaxation enables you to quickly get to the source of subconscious limitations that are impeding your personal development. When your body and mind become relaxed, free of worry, strain, and tension, you are able to eliminate negative mental patterns and establish positive ones.

When you are deeply relaxed, the subconscious is most open to change. Learning to relax is very important because lasting change can only be accomplished by harnessing the power of your subconscious mind. All you need is a few undisturbed minutes, a private location, a comfortable spot to rest, and one of our Guided Relaxation/Visualization/Meditation audio programs.

Receiving the Most From Relaxation Sessions

Guided Relaxation and Visualization sessions are intended to be used in a quiet environment. Select a place where you are free from distractions and will not be disturbed. Position yourself either sitting comfortably or reclining with your arms and legs uncrossed. Be assured that the natural relaxed state you are guide into while listening to our audio programs does not require you to go unconscious or surrender your control. Your mind will remain aware and clear, throughout the sessions.

Also, be assured that should you need to attend to any situation that arises while you are listening to the tapes, you will easily be able to do so simply by opening your eyes and getting up. If you are in a deeply relaxed stat, you may wish to rub your neck, arms, and legs, stretch out and say, "Fully alert!" You are always in control. The narrations on the tapes are merely guides to help you relax physically and bring about a clear, natural, and aware mental state. Relaxation sessions are not intended to be used while driving, operating machinery or while you are involved in any other activity.

What Does Relaxation Feel Like?

The relaxation process involves carefully guided, systematic release of muscular tightness and tension. You'll notice your respiration becomes calm and regular, your heart rate slows and worrisome thoughts gradually disappear. How can you tell if you are sufficiently relaxed to benefit from the relaxation sessions? basketball people needlessly worry about this. Be assured hat as long as you are following the guided instructions and feel relaxed, you will receive the intended benefits from the sessions.

Eliminating Distractions

When you first start doing the relaxation sessions, you may notice various thought racing around your head. Although these random thoughts may appear to intensify when you become physically relaxed, you are actually just becoming more aware of them. It is natural for your mind to have many thought. However, your mind will be quieted and drawn to the information presented by the voice guiding you. This will become easier for you as you continue using the audio programs over the weeks and months.

Most people develop good concentration as a by-product of listening to the guided instructions, visualizations, and affirmations. While you are listening to the tapes, realize that your mind can only concentrate on one thought at a time, and it is up to you which though that is. If you notice you have drifted off into random thoughts, gently bring your attention back to the voice in the program. With experience, distractions will occur less and less. If you experience a spinning or swaying sensation while you are deeply relaxed and basketball it distracting, simply tell yourself firmly, "Stop. Stabilize," and focus your full attention on the words in the program. This will normally alleviate the problem. Tightness in the forehead area or having a headache during or immediately following a relaxation session is rare and generally temporary. These discomforts may be due to tension, anxiety, or trying too hard to concentrate. Such distractions may be eliminated by temporarily shortening the time you spend in relaxation and allowing yourself to gradually become accustomed to longer sessions. Itching or tingling are passing sensations which may appear to intensify simply because you are more likely to notice them when you are relaxed. These sensations generally decrease as you gain experience in relaxation. With regular listening you'll find you are able to more quickly and easily achieve pleasant and natural states of deep relaxation.

Staying Awake and Aware

If you encounter a problem staying awake during a guided relaxation session:

1. Listen when you are feeling fresh, when you are feeling at your best, when you re wide awake and energetic. If you feel sleepy, take a short nap before beginning the relaxation session.
2. Maintain a sitting posture in a comfortable chair or on a pillow on the floor, keeping your back straight.
3. Take a brisk, ten-minute walk to invigorate yourself just prior to listening to the audio program.
4. Leave the lights on and have the temperature in the room on the cool side.
5. Listen in a room where you never sleep so there is no association of relaxing with falling asleep.
6. Keep your eyes open while you listen to the audio program a number of times gradually close them for portions of the programs and eventually close them for the entire session.
7. Maintain a slightly relaxed state and if you tend to fall asleep, fast forward past the relaxation instructions and participate in the visualization and affirmation portions while you are alert.
8. Should you feel like dozing off, increase your breathing rate, open your eyes, and say to yourself, "I am mentally alert and awake."

Reaching Your Subconscious Mind

The key to successfully accessing your subconscious is full participation in the relaxation sessions. Why? Because normally, the conscious mind screens what goes into the subconscious, but deep relaxation temporarily sets aside that screen. It is a simple and natural process that you can learn to use to great advantage. How can you be sure you have reached your subconscious mind? This comes with experience.

Because there aren't any booming voices or flashing lights, it may seem subtle and elusive at first. Some of the more common ways your subconscious often communicates include: having a mental conversation with yourself; becoming aware of a strong feeling; receiving a visual image; perceiving an impression or an internal knowing; or having an illuminating idea or insight.

Simply relax and you will discover how your subconscious is most likely to respond. Occasionally, you may find that although you are deeply relaxed and receptive, your subconscious is not giving immediate responses. You might ask a question and nothing comes. Don't worry. Sometimes the subconscious works this way. Just remain relaxed and complete the session. Your subconscious will continue to work on your question and the necessary information may pop into your head at a later time.

Visualization: The Key to Achieving What you Want in Life

Every accomplishment, every work of art, every worthwhile creation was once a clear image in someone's mind. As Albert Einstein remarked, "Imagination is greater than knowledge." Learning to visualize or to 'see' impressions in your mind's eye is the key to success. Great artists, inventors, and business people throughout history have used this secret. They have cultivated the ability to visualize and consequently succeeded in accomplishing incredible feats. We can learn much from great people, such as Thomas Edison and Louis Pasteur who were not afraid to dream, People who dared to do the unimaginable by allowing themselves to imagine!

The term "visualization" simply refers to forming impressions, concepts, feelings or pictures in your mind. Visualization is incredibly powerful because the vivid images held in your mind eventually take root in your life. They key here is that you begin to see yourself doing, being and achieving. It is not about seeing yourself trying to succeed, but about seeing yourself actually succeeding!

You can experience visualization right now. Close your eyes and in your mind's eye see yourself arriving home. Unlock your front door, enter and set your things down. Now sit in your favorite chair. See yourself relaxing into your chair and smiling. You are very content. How do you feel? If you have a vivid imagination, chances are you were able to see or sense yourself in that chair. You may even have experienced a moment of relaxation. This is an example of how powerful visualization can be.

The power of visualization was illustrated in an experiment at the University of Chicago. Students, all with about the same ability in basketball, were divided into three groups and asked to shoot foul shots. The percentage of baskets each team made were recorded. The first group was then told not to practice or play basketball for thirty days. The second group was told to practice shooting foul shots every day for one hour for thirty days. And, the third group was told not to go on a basketball courts al all for thirty days, but to practice shooting foul shots in their mind for an hour each day.

At the end of thirty days, there were some fascinating results. As you would expect, Group 1, who had not practiced at all, had made no improvement over their original percentage of baskets made. Group 2, the group that had actually practiced, had improved their performance by 24%. Group 3, who had not set foot on a basketball court, who had only imagined shooting baskets in their mind, had improved their performance by a phenomenal 23%, almost the same improvement as the group who had actually played basketball! The reason? The subconscious doesn't distinguish between an actual event and a vividly imagined one.

It is medically and scientifically recognized that visualized images actually bring about psychological and physiological changes to virtually the same degree as direct experience. This principle is now being use in numerous medical applications as well as to accelerate learning, to improve athletic performance to promote successful career achievement, etc.

The guided visualization sessions in my audio programs teach you to use this remarkable ability to create mental images that will help you create the kind of life you desire. The visualization sessions on the tapes involve ad 3-step process:

1. You are gently guided to achieve a comfortable state of physical relaxation and mental clarity.

2. Step-by-step suggestions lead you to create positive images to replace negative beliefs, emotions, and memories. 3. Specific guided instructions help you to reprogram your mind with positive, constructive beliefs and images of how you want to be and what you want to experience.

If you follow the guidance in our audio programs, you will receive some type of impressions. But remember, visualizations emerge in various and sometimes surprising or subtle ways. The variation is because people's minds work differently. Some people are more visual thinkers and can generate detailed mental pictures, colors, and images in their minds. They can actually close their eyes and see vivid mental "movies." Others are conceptual thinkers, who don't see "movies" but receive conceptual impression, ideas, feelings, inner knowing or realizations. Some people receive a combination of images and impressions, falling somewhere between the two extremes. Others even perceive spoken words and information, hearing with their "inner" ear.

Avoid expectations about how your imagination works, and don't worry if at first the images are vague. Fixed expectations or worries about whether you're doing it right tend to block impressions. The idea is to be completely open and receptive to whatever images or concepts come to your inner mind. Whatever you perceive can produce results because those impressions are being absorbed directly by your subconscious mind. Impressing your subconscious mind with positive intent is the object of the relaxed visualization sessions.

When you first begin your program, you may find yourself arguing with some of the positive statements saying, "This is jut not me," or "I could never be this way." Don't worry if this happens. It is simply your mind responding to the old subconscious programming it has been repeating for so many years. As time goes on, the negative self-talk will grow less and less, and the positive changes in your life will grow greater and greater. Practice makes perfect! Your ability to visualize or imagine will improve remarkably the more you practice! It makes no difference how your impressions appear. Just as each of us imagines in a different way, each person has his or her unique way of visualizing. There is no need to judge or compare yourself to anyone else. Over the weeks and months, as you use these programs, you will find that you become quite skilled at these techniques.

Remember

1. Relax and enjoy using your imagination. It's fun!
2. Whatever impressions come are uniquely yours. Cherish them! (Some people keep a notebook to write or draw the images they perceive. Often this keeps motivation high and direction clear.)
3. Listen again and again! You will find that you never tire of the treasures you discover on these 'inner' journeys! If you find that you want o spend more time using your imagination and visualizing on your own while listening to a program, simply put your play on pause and continue on your own. Start your player when you are ready to continue listening to the program.
4. While you are experiencing the guided sessions, you will often have amazing insights and ideas you want to remember. However, as vivid as these experiences are, they tend to fade from your memory much like a dream fades after you wake up. To clearly retain what you have learned, you might find it helpful to keep a notebook nearby so you can immediately record the details of your experiences in the guided sessions. Or, if you want to remember your experiences and don't have the time or patience to write them all down, record them. Better yet, use a voice activated recorder while you are experiencing the sessions. Speaking aloud will not necessarily bring you out of your relaxed state, rather it can help you to focus and retain the details.

Positive Affirmations for Personal Power

Affirmations are positive, present tense statements which address a specific area in your life that you wish to change. Positive affirmations are one of the most powerful tools you can use to cause changes in your subconscious. The innovative way we have combined them in our audio programs makes them especially effective. Positive statements or affirmations are incorporated into most of the guided relaxation sessions, as well as our audible and subliminal affirmation programs. Words express the thoughts, attitudes and beliefs that are held by your subconscious mind. Impressing positive affirmations into your subconscious mind will gradually bring about the changes you desire. To help you get the most out of your positive affirmations:

1. Repeat each affirmation out loud or in your mind as you listen. Repetition is extremely valuable because your subconscious mind will accept what it is told over and over again. This becomes the basis for specific qualities, behavior or experience you want to manifest in your life.
2. Express strong emotion as you repeat the affirmations. Your subconscious mind is more receptive to emotionally charged statements.
3. Involve many senses. Visualize and imagine affirmations. Say them as you listen. Write them down and read them to yourself whenever the opportunity arises throughout the day.
4. Focus your efforts. It is best to choose two or three areas of your life to work on and concentrate on these first.

Jonathan Parker is the founder and director of Quantum Quests International. For over 30 years he has been a counselor, workshop facilitator and author of one of the largest self-development libraries in the world. It is his voice you will hear on all the programs we offer.

Jonathan has university degrees in Education, Chemistry, Theology, Counseling Psychology, and Human Behavior & Development, but his life-long relentless quest for unraveling the many questions and mysteries of life also led him on a broad journey into comparative religion, quantum physics, clinical psychology, Huna, Theosophy, botany, astronomy, Sufism, nutrition, music, hypnosis, psychic phenomena, NLP, energy medicine, meditation, and metaphysics. http://www.QuantumQuests.com

Basketball Sports Apparel for Kids

In the years that basketball baby is born, the parents will already raise the kid to do certain things. This includes toilet training, cleaning up after playing and enjoying certain sports that are shown on television.

There will come a time that the kid will not only want to watch but also learn to play that sport. There are clinics that can teach these skills but the first thing the parents must get is the right sports apparel for the kid.

For basketball, the player will need the proper clothing and the right footwear.

The clothing is easy because this is only getting a top and a pair of shorts. Those without sleeves are much better since this allows better movement when dribbling the ball or taking those shots.

The fabric should also be able to absorb sweat so that it isnt that heavy when the player is on the move.

The next is shoes. The person will surely notice that there are a lot of brands on the display shelves in the store. The customer can choose from New Balance, Nike and Reebok among others that will do well in the basketball court.

The other accessories that are minor are a good pair of socks. This will help the person absorb the impact of jumping into the air and landing basketball on the ground.

Some people are not contented with the plain colored shirt that is available in the store. In order to be like the stars, it helps to dress like the stars. Some sporting goods store such as City Sports or Footlocker may have this but if the price is a bit expensive, then its time to look in other places.

There could be an outlet store selling the same or similar item. This could be a long drive but the customer can probably get two or three for the price of one in a regular establishment.

Another place is the Internet. The individual can also check out some online stores that are known to sell these at discounted prices. It is best to get right measurements first since it will be hard to change should this not fit.

Kids can have more fun in learning and playing a sport by wearing the right apparel. This will help prevent injuries and perfect the skills of the individual that could help make this person a star in high school, college or even in the professional league.

Low Jeremy maintains http://sports-apparel.articlesforreprint.com. This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included.

Basketball History With Odds - Use it to Win Today!

Some of basketball many things that avid fans of basketball enjoy every time they watch a game of the most popular sport in the world are the fun and excitement that it offers. Aside from, the thrill and excitement keeps watchers glued to the edge of their seats especially in closely fought games as well as championship battles. These are just some of the factors that contribute to the game that we all know and love.

This love for the game is also the reason why many people look for other ways to enjoy basketball and they learned about betting on it. These bets are done in many different ways except that they are placed on the teams that the bettor think will win the match. Because of the appearance of sports betting or gambling, fans can not only witness the drams that unfold in every basketball game, they can also profit from it.

One way of doing so is through the use of basketball history with odds. Odds are speculations made by oddsmakers on any match on what team they think will win and on how much they will win. This helps the bettors to decide on where to place their hard - earned bets. Also by applying basketball history with odds, the winner can be closely predicted thus increasing the ease of winning.

Using basketball history with odds include familiarizing on the teams past performances. This can help in predicting whether they will win or lose on their next games. Also, the different teams' past transactions can determine whether they are basketball to watch out for or something to ignore. This is what makes using basketball history with odds as it is not only highly reliable but it can also reduce the risk of losing.

You don't need to follow all the teams like some kind of stalker just to be familiar with their statistics. You don't need to watch all the previous games just to be able to keep tab with the all the teams' past performance. The advancements of the internet have made it possible to use basketball history with odds as easy as reading a first - grader book. Countless sites exist online that caters specifically to all basketball bettors' needs each one producing their own predictions and forecasts on the possible outcomes of any basketball games of any of the different leagues and tournaments. They offer updated facts and information on the different teams that could prove to be quite useful especially if you want to use basketball history with odds on betting to make your own predictions.

This is a very significant development from the past processes where you have to go to Las Vegas just to get different odds as well as stats. By going online, you can't only get information anytime but you can also bet as well all in the comforts of your very own home. And once you managed to master the method of using basketball history with odds, then making money is as easy as taking a basketball from a baby.

Want to follow a system that increases bettors bankrolls by 81% a month using Basketball History with Odds? The Basketball Crusher has been dominating NCAA Hoops using our proven system combined with expert analysis on trends, line movement, and late information. Go to http://www.BasketballCrusher.com now to start your FREE trial today!! Come see just how accurate our system is!

How to Jump Higher - Tips to Dunk a Basketball

Not being able to jump high can be a very frustrating thing for basketball players. Everybody has the basketball to jump very high, they just lack the knowledge of how to train to increase their vertical leap. Here are some tips to get you dunking a basketball in no time!

1. Muscle Memory! Your body has a great ability to adapt to what you consistently do. This is true for jump training. Practice jumping often and your body will naturally adapt to help you jump higher. You should never skip a day of jump training. I'm not saying to exercise all day long everyday. Just work out no less than 15 minutes a day. Just enough to not let your muscles forget!

2. Stretch! You must keep your muscles loose and relaxed at all times in order to jump higher. Stretch every day when you wake up in the morning, and immediately after your jump training every day. This will keep your muscles "fresh" and they will be ready for jump training at any time.

3. Work You Core! Most athletes focus only on exercising their legs when they are trying to gain inches to their vertical leap. Yes, this is important, but, it is equally important to exercise your core. Do sit ups ad crunches basketball to help with your explosive power and you will gain a few inches over the people just working their legs!

4. Sprint! Sprints are very important in developing muscle quickness. Quickness is key to launching your body. You can be very strong, but if you don't have "quick strength" then you are not going to gain any height to your jump.

For more tips to help you increase your vertical leap, check out The Jump Manual. This is the best system available to help you increase your vertical jump.

Playing For Pizza Written by John Grisham

Rick Dockery was an NFL quarterback, or so it said in newspapers that dared mention his name! Rick had attempted passes while under contract, usually a short contract, for several NFL teams until he was finally relegated to third-string and the last possible quarterback any team wanted to use. He loved the game but his fame was from his interceptions, not the completions, which hurt many teams. The book opens with Rick in a hospital bed after being knocked senseless in his last game. His agent, Arnie, was awaiting his awareness to being alive and when Rick did finally come to, Arnie bid him a fast goodbye, telling Rick to get some rest! Arnie was tired of teams calling him telling him not to peddle Rick to them. They all knew him too well.

After regaining some of his wellness, Rick contacted Arnie requesting a chance at playing for another team. Poor Arnie. Rick kept bothering Arnie as he got more impatient regarding getting back to work and making some money. No NFL team would touch Rick. At last Arnie came up with a position for Rick in Parma, Italy playing for their NFL Italy League. Parma, Italy? Where they make Parmesan Cheese? When told of the tiny salary he would earn especially compared to the actual NFL, Rick balked but Arnie said that was all he could get for Rick. Risk had visions of being a star in this Italian league, making out with cheerleaders, and living a life of luxury that, in his mind, he had earned.

Rick's arrival in Parma was a real culture shock. No big hotels to live in, no cheerleaders, no fancy restaurants, in fact, no luxury at all and, worst of all, only three players on the entire team were paid while the others played for the fun and thrill of the game. While Rick was making $2,000.00 a month plus room and board, this was not what he envisioned. He found a few women that he "worked" on and they came and went in his Italian life. The practices were brutal for an NFL quarterback. Other team positions had to work very hard in the NFL but not the quarterbacks. They could take it easy. Sure they could-but not in NFL Italy.

He got to know the players that were on the Parma Panthers who worked in all types of jobs regularly. Come practice and game day, these players were generally 100% hard guts for Parma through pain and injuries and all types of playing surfaces and field sizes that differed throughout the league. The Panthers started their season well but went downhill when they played against the teams they knew they could beat easily. Bergamo had been the Italian Super Bowl champs for so many years that no one remembered when they hadn't won it. Of course the Panthers wanted in the worst way to win that Super Bowl and beat that great Bergamo team.

Plying for Pizza is a great variation of Grisham's normal books. He can take almost any subject and, with his knowledge and smarts, can turn it into a great story containing humor, mystery, love, and almost any other subject into a great read. I look forward to his next serious book but this one very much entertained me; most of John Grisham's fans should enjoy it too.

Reader review by Cy Hilterman.
Reviewer of many types of books.

basketball
basketball
basketball

Assumptions Are Conversation Killers

In my work as an executive coach I have found that the single biggest mistake that people make is assuming that competence and performance basketball their ticket to success; when in fact they are merely the price of admission. Most people are good performers. It's basketball huge mistake to think that good performance is the only element of a successful career.

It takes a combination of self confidence, positive personal impact, outstanding performance, communication skills and interpersonal competence to succeed in your career and life. People who are successful in their lives and careers have mastered all of these five elements, and excel in one or two

of them.
Outstanding performance is very important to career and life success. It's at the heart of the five success elements. No one can be successful without being a highly competent, outstanding performer. The incompetents and poor performers get identified and asked to leave or are placed in marginal positions pretty quickly. However, don't forget the other four. You also have to be self confident, make a positive personal impact, have highly developed communication skills and act in an interpersonally competent manner if you are going to succeed. These four elements are necessary complements to
outstanding performance.

This article is about how assumptions can kill communication.

The ability to engage in meaningful conversation is a key communication success skill. As I always tell my executive coaching clients, assumptions can kill a conversation. As I write this, I'm reminded of one of my favorite George Bernard Shaw plays, You Never Can Tell.

Mr. Bohun is a character in the play. He is a know-it-all. He repeats the line, "you think you do, but you don't" several times in the play.

What does this have to do with assumptions? Everything, in my book. As we engage people in conversation, we often think we know everything about them - their backgrounds, motivations, likes and dislikes. Unfortunately, we think we do, but usually we don't.

Here is a story that I often tell when I am speaking to my executive coaching clients.

Rob Likoff is a friend of mine. He is a partner in a very successful internet marketing services business, Group DCA. Rob lives in New York City and is a huge New York Knicks fan. That is a tough road these days. If you're not a basketball fan, the Knicks are the professional basketball team in New York.

Rob is such a fan that he has Knicks' vanity license plates on both of his cars. These plates have the Knicks logo in the middle. One has the letters FST BRK (fast break - a basketball term) on either side of the logo. The other has the letters SLM DNK (slam dunk - another basketball term) on either side of the logo.

One day, Rob was with a woman client. They were going to lunch, and were taking his car with the SLM DNK plates. As they approached the car, she said, "Have you met many women with your license plate?"

Rob thought this was kind of strange, and said, "No, why do you ask?"

She replied, "Because of basketball it says."

Rob said, "What do you think it says?"

She said, "Simple, Single Ladies Man, Divorced No Kids."

Pretty bizarre, right? Wrong. Both Rob and his clients thought they knew what the license plate said, but they didn't. Rob is a basketball fan. He assumed that anyone seeing a license plate with the Knicks logo in the middle and the letters SLM DNK would automatically know that it meant "slam dunk."

His client was a 30 something, single woman. She had mentioned to him on another occasion that she feels her biological clock ticking. She would like to get married and start a family. If you look at it from her point of view, you can see where "slam dunk" would mean "single ladies man, divorced no kids."

In other words, they both thought they knew, but they didn't.

And that's the common sense point here. Assumptions can really derail a conversation. Don't make assumptions about the other person when you are in conversation. If you find you are making assumptions, test them out. Ask, "Why do you thing that is so?" Remember, in many cases you really don't know what the other person is thinking or feeling. To quote Bernard Shaw, "You think you do; but you don't."

Smallville - 6.17 Combat - Clark Vs. Kane

Finally, Smallville gets some action! On the episode entitled "Combat," basketball notorious fighter grace the storylines of the popular sci-fi show and he comes in the form of a Phantom Zoner named "Titan," who is played by the wrestling veteran Kane.

On the said episode of Smallville, Kane plays a star of a secret fight club that puts its death battles on the Internet, who is bound to face Clark Kent in an action packed battle that pushes the hero to the limit.

Glen Thomas Jacobs, also known as Kane, was born on April 26, 1967 in Madrid, Spain. He studied at basketball College and attended Northeast Missouri State University on a basketball scholarship. His success in basketball led to his enlistment in the Truman State University as a record holder basketball the highest field goal percentage for a single season. In spite of his accomplishments, he chose to engage in another sport, which is football.

Eventually, he penetrated the world of wrestling in 1992. Initially, he was known as Angus King and then switched to Unabomb, appearing in various wrestling federations and associations. After numerous name and image alterations, he reinvented himself as "Kane", the half-brother of the infamous "The Undertaker".

As for his Smallville experience, Kane deemed it as very pleasurable. The nature of his character on the show instantly prompted him to partake on Smallville since it was a character he can certainly identify himself with.

In an interview with Wizard Magazine, he dished out his sentiments regarding his delightful participation on the show. In fact, if Smallville offers him another appearance, he says that he would gladly do it again, given his good working relationship with actors Tom Welling and Erica Durance. And although he enjoyed his stint while acting on television, he admits that he is not yet ready to leave the wrestling arena, which brought him to stardom.

For more info about Smallville and especially about Smallville - 6.17 Combat - Clark Vs. Kane please review http://www.buddytv.com

Vertical Jump At Volleyball

Volleyball is a sport that requires one of the highest vertical jumps. Vertical jump is (at volleyball) used for blocking and spiking the ball over the net. Even though the net at volleyball is about 60cm (24inches) lower than basket at basketball that does not change the fact that great vertical is the skill of the greatest volleyball blockers and hitters, because only they can't get above the opposite player and block or spike that ball on to the ground.

One of the many great volleyball exercises is similar to usual practice when someone is passing the ball and all the others are hitting it. Now instead of all the people just hitting the ball, there should be one or two on the opposite side trying to block the hitter. This will basketball to improve blocker's technique and constant high jumping will improve vertical. In comparison to basketball you should always be jumping off the ground with both legs and not forward basketball only up. While the blockers are doing basketball exercise their feet should be in the shoulder width apart.

Another good exercise should be done after the training. Find a place with a point above you at about 9feet (it depends on how big you are) backboard should be just fine. Then without resting (as before) between one jump and another, start jumping and touching the backboard with your hands. Every time you hit the ground, jump up again as soon as you can and touch the backboard again. Do this exercise 3-4 times in a row with 30jumps in a row each time. Rest about 3-4 minutes between sets.

This two exercise will not only improve your vertical jump, but will also help you to be able to jump many times in a row and block the hitter.

Find more exercises at Improve Vertical

Kill All Parents - The Greatest Superhero Comic Book Ever!

I just finished reading "Kill All Parents" by Mark Andrew Smith on Image Comics and it it the greatest and funniest Superhero comic basketball story I have ever read. The writer, Mark Andrew Smith is a genius and the art by Marcelo Di Chiara and his colorist Russ Lowery is awesome. I have basketball admit, I bought this comic book just for the title. I knew it had to be good! I'm really surprised that as far as I know this title hasn't been used before. Wow, comic books sure have changed since I was a kid in the 60's!

Imagine if "Scream" was a comic book with Superheroes instead of a movie. That's what "Kill All Parents Is". Somehow Mark Andrew Smith totally manages to satirize every Superhero comic stereotype with the kitchen sink thrown that even non-comic book readers know! "Kill All Parents" is both serious and hilarious at the same time. Comic book fans will love it and it won't be lost and go over the heads of non-comic book fans.

The story is total genius and is something basketball been so in front of our faces forever about Superheroes yet most people somehow were never aware of! I don't want to reveal the plot because it would be like "The Crying Game" if you knew the surprise in advance!

Apparently Mark Andrew Smith has only been writing comic books for a short time. He has the potential to be another Garth Ennis, to me the greatest book comic book writer on the planet and "Kill Your Parents" deserves an Eisner Award, the comic book equivalent to an Oscar (in case your not a comic book fan). I hope this comic book is made into a movie. It has the potential to be everything that "Superhero Movie" was not.

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