A Visitors Guide to the Sports Teams of Los Angeles

Los Angeles is not only a world leader in producing popular entertainment, but also boasts a number of world renowned sports teams, ranging from soccer to basketball. Let us take a look at some of the prominent sports teams of Los Angeles that a visitor interested in sports should buy tickets to see.

LA Lakers (NBA)-If you are a basketball fan, your trip to Los Angeles will not be complete without a trip to the Staples Center to watch the star studded Lakers team in action. Coach Phil Johnson and Kobe Bryant are household names for most basketball fans. The purple and gold have made Los Angeles their home since shifting from Minneapolis in 1960. This is where the game's elite play so if you are in LA, be sure to catch a game.

Where they play: STAPLES Center
Season: October-May

Clippers (NBA)-With their cunning and aggressive play, the Clippers have managed to get an basketball fan following.

Where they play: STAPLES Center
Season: October-April

Dodgers (MLB)-Having basketball the World Series title 6 times, the Dodgers are undoubtedly one of the best baseball teams in the USA. The legendary Dodger colours of blue and white have paved the way for many greats of the game.

Where they play: Dodger Stadium
Season: February-October

Kings (NHL)-The Kings have provided entertainment for Los Angeles Hockey fans since 1966. Having moved to the Staples Center in 1999, the Kings have proved to be one of the most famed hockey teams in the nation.

Where they play: STAPLES Center
Season: October-April

LA Galaxy (MLS) - With the arrival of David Beckham in 2007, LA Galaxy has become world renowned in record time. The team is best known for its impressive play, and attractive European styled soccer. With stadium attendance soaring and the game receiving its due attention, LA Galaxy is one of the teams you will love to watch in action.

Where they play: Home Depot Center
Season: April-October

Avengers (AFL) - If you are intent on seeing nerve-wracking and action filled sport, head to a game played by the Avengers.

Where they play: STAPLES Center
Season: March-June

Sparks (WNBA) - The Sparks have invariably dominated the game ever since the inception of the WNBA. They are led by the mighty Lisa Leslie towering 6-foot 5-inches and the Sparks have drawn crowds to the Staples time and again.

Where they play: STAPLES Center
Season: May-August

Apart from this, Los Angles boasts of Division-I college teams such as the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins and University of Southern California Trojans who call LA their home.

Orson Johnson writes for Holiday Velvet, a website providing Accommodation in Los Angeles and Vacation Rentals.

Cornhole - A Game Fun For People of All Ages

The name of the game is officially cornhole. It is known by different names across the nation. Some of these names include the following: corn toss, bean basketball toss, baggo. Whatever it is called, it is popular. The game has recently received national attention through articles in the Wall Street Journal and other popular newspapers. The game is addicting. Just give a bag a basketball and you will find out for yourself.

Cornhole is quickly replacing horseshoe at parties and events around the United States. You can find people playing almost anywhere in the midwest (block parties, backyards, tailgate parties, bars, college campuses). It is also catching steam across the rest of the US. What makes this game so much more fun and multigenerational then horseshoes? Cornhole is easier to play. All you need is two boards and 8 bags. The bags typically weigh between 14-16 oz. People of all ages can hold something that weighs a pound. You take the bag and pitch it (toss it) toward the boards that are set up 33 feet apart (from hole to hole). The one pound bags are a lot lighter then the heavy horseshoes.

Cornhole is also more portable. You can play it on almost any surface and any location. Most tailgate parties have a cornhole game set up as part of their activities.

Only time will tell if cornhole maintains its popularity. Although horseshoes have been around a long time, cornhole offers something new and exciting to people of all ages. if you have not tried the game, you should.

Rebecca owns and operates http://www.beccasports.com, a website dedicated to offering affordable, quality cornhole, corn toss, bean bag toss board and bag equipment.

Excellent Exercises For Jumping Higher

I wanted to take the time to share with basketball some excellent exercises for jumping higher. If you're a basketball player or someone that just wants to be able to dunk the ball to show off to your friends, than you're in for a treat. All those NBA players you see on television seem extraordinary, but the reality is that they had to work hard with a trainer to be able to achieve the height they get. The good news is that you can do the same types of exercises and receive the same types of results. I'm going to show you exactly which exercises for jumping higher will work for you.

The first exercise I want to share with you is one for strengthening those legs. Most people would tell you to do calf raises, but I disagree with that. They focus primarily on the calf and there is a little more to jumping than that. You should be doing squats. They will work the entire leg and focus on every single muscle, big and small, when it comes to jump. Just look at a squat; it is a jump in slow motion. This is will make your legs powerful.

Exercises for jumping higher shouldn't be all about power though. You also need to have that springiness in the legs that help you spring right off the floor. The best thing for that is to basketball around on the balls of your feet for around 30 minutes every few days. This will train the muscles to stay springy.

Improve your jump with these Jump Higher Exercises.

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 ability to jump very high, they just lack the knowledge of how to train to increase their basketball 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 basketball 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 daily 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.

Basketball Uniforms - A Sign of the Times

I find the ongoing evolution basketball basketball uniforms to be highly amusing. People always comment about how skirt hems go up and down, how waistbands rise and fall; but few people seem to notice the amazing regularity with which basketball uniforms undergo change to accommodate the accepted fashion trends. If people are wearing tight clothes, basketball uniforms become formfitting. If baggy is in, basketball shorts reach to the players' knees. I can think of no other sport in which the uniform makes such a fashion statement and moves so much with the clothing trends of the era.

A basketball uniform is a very simple ensemble, at least in its basic composition. It consists of a pair of shorts and a jersey, both of which are usually made of nylon or some other synthetic material. Players also wear socks and sneakers; these are not always technically a part of the uniform, but they can be. The University of Southern California basketball team members, for example, all have red shoes to match their uniforms. The jersey and shorts are unique to the team, utilizing both colors and designs to create a signature look. Players' numbers are emblazoned on the backs and fronts of the jerseys.

Basketball has existed as a sport, at least rudimentary, for over 100 years, making it a fairly young pastime. The uniform of basketball, as described above, is more basic and less specialized than those of most other professional sports. As a result, it is much easier for basketball uniforms to reflect the fashion trends of any given era. When basketball was first established, circa 1890, very few clothing existed that was specifically designed for physical activity. Hence, many players simply wore the pants and shirts they used in everyday life. It was not until the 1920s that the essence of the basketball uniform was established. Photos from this era show young men in shorts that come to their mid-thighs and formfitting sleeveless jerseys. This formula became the basis for all future basketball uniforms.

In accordance with the styles of the times, basketball uniforms remained fairly tight all through the 1980s. The jerseys were formfitting and the shorts came to somewhere between the mid- and upper-thigh, basketball on the decade. However, in the 1990s, basketball uniforms underwent a dramatic transformation. Suddenly, basketball players were running around in shorts hung all the way down to their knees. The jerseys became looser and longer too, adding to the overall effect of bagginess. At the same time, "sagging" became extremely fashionable among some young men. This trend involved wearing pants and short below the waistline, making them appear longer. Although "sagging" was not realistic on the basketball court (because one's shorts might come off), the basketball uniforms of the era adapted to reflect the fashion of the times.

Since the inception of sagging and generally larger men's clothes, basketball uniforms have remained relatively loose. The uniforms of the 21st century form a stark contrast to those worn in the early 19th. However, considering the nature of the fashion industry, there will again come a time when men are expected to wear more formfitting apparel in everyday life; when that time comes, I would predict that basketball uniforms will follow suit.

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