Florida Gulf Coast University - Southwest Florida's Emerging Institution

Florida Gulf Coast University, or FGCU, is one of the newest universities to make its debut in academe, opening its doors in August 1996. Much of the impetus behind its incorporation was the overwhelming desire of Southwest Florida residents to host a world-class university in their midst. Not surprisingly, the allure of a mild climate, lots of sunshine and nearby beaches has helped FGCU more than double its student enrollments every year since inception to more than 10,000 students for 2008-09. In an era of college educations that cost upwards of $40,000 a year in tuition, FGCU is a relative bargain with out-of-state annual tuition averaging $17K.

Located on 760 acres in the heart of Southwest Florida, FGCU has carefully mapped out its location to maximize the surrounding wildlife and nature preserves and offer a "living laboratory" to students, faculty, and alumnae. True to this mission, FGCU is heralded as one of the most ecologically sound campuses in North America. The University recently purchased waterfront property in Bonita Springs with the intention of developing a marine research laboratory to further capitalize on its coastal location and the abundance of marine and bird life.

A co-ed institution, FGCU is four-year with accreditation to award associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. As of the fall of 2008, the University offers 51 undergraduate and 31 graduate degree programs in Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, and Health Professions. With the plethora of resorts and restaurants in the region, the Resort and Hospitality Management program is one of the more popular majors. Students can participate in an active internship program at some of the world's premier resorts located just minutes from campus. Biology and criminal justice are also growing programs. The Division of Justice Studies is in its first year of offering a Master of Science in Criminal Forensic Studies, paving the way for future CSI investigators.

Students praise the small class sizes and individual attention with an 18:1 teacher/student ratio at the undergraduate level. FGCU is also one of the most technologically advanced campuses in the world with a campus-wide high-speed Internet network. Classrooms all feature fully basketball multimedia instructional systems that include Internet access, cameras and audio and video presentation capabilities. Capitalizing on its expertise, FGCU has hosted an Informational Technology (IT) forum for the past eight years, connecting area experts with MBA students in Germany.

While many students barely tolerate dorm or off-campus living during their college years, the 2,400 students who live in FGCU campus housing enjoy a comparatively luxurious existence. Residences are apartment-style, completely furnished and wired for high-speed Internet access. Full-size kitchens, spacious living rooms overlooking the lake, and automated laundry facilities are additional touches that give new meaning to the college experience. Other amenities include a swimming pool, barbecue areas, beach volleyball, and easy access to lake water sports.

Athletics are an increasingly large part of the FGCU program and encompass baseball, men's basketball, men's basketball men's soccer, men's tennis, softball, volleyball, women's basketball, women's cross country, women's golf, women's soccer, women's swimming and diving, and women's tennis, among others. The women's teams have performed especially well, despite the newness of the programs with the women's basketball team ending their 35-1 season with a loss in the Division II National Championship. As of the 2007-2008 academic year, FGCU moved to Division I sports.

Despite its sunny climate and laid-back atmosphere, FGCU offers a solid classroom experience. While students can take courses in paradise, graduates are well prepared to excel in today's tech-savvy and increasingly green environment.

Mark Washburn is a real estate agent serving the Greater Fort Myers area. Mark understands the changing market and can help you find value in the Southwest Florida Real Estate Market.

Read Mark's blog, gulfreturns.com - about the Southwest Florida real estate market.

Hang Time - Is There Such a Thing?

Anyone that watches basketball has seen this (probably many times). Michael Jordan (or another favorite player) is running full speed down court, he jumps, soaring through the air for a tremendous slam dunk. And while he is doing it, the announcers are heaping praise on basketball for his "amazing hang time". The way they make it sound, he just stays up in the air while other players jump in their attempts to block the shot and fall back to earth as they watch him sail on.

Is this what really happens? If it is, what secret ability do these players have that let basketball do this while others cannot? If this is not what really happens, why does it seem that some players can indeed stay in the air longer than other players can?

It all happens so quickly in reality. Are we really seeing what we think we are seeing? Since this act of running and jumping is a "physical" activity, we will take a look at the "physics" involved in jumping. Are there things a player can do to help him stay in the air longer?

The law's of physics have not been changed for basketball players. As a player is coming down the court and going up for a slam dunk, they apply a force (with the muscles of their legs, ankles, and feet) against the floor. The floor pushes back with an "equal force" that propels them into the air. But one thing that we do know for sure - "what goes up must come down" (physics again). The force that the player exerted is not enough to overcome gravity, so they are pulled back down.

Why, then, is it that we say some people can stay in the air longer? What, if anything, can you do to have a longer "hang time?" To find out the answers and get a more detailed explanation of what REALLY happens, please check out the post on our blog at http://verticaljump.einfohound.com/free-vertical-jump-info/hang-time-is-there-such-a-thing/ We also have other information on how to increase your vertical jump including reviews of programs and products that are available to help you

Tom Beagle is a writer for EInfohound. Check out the followup to this article at verticaljump.einfohound.com/free-vertical-jump-info/hang-time-is-there-such-a-thing/. You can get more information on increasing your vertical jump at verticaljump.einfohound.com

Free March Madness Brackets - Everything You Need to Know

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

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

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

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

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

Basketball Tips and Training: 14 Ways to Become a Big-Time Player

I get asked the following question all the time: how can I become a dominant player?

I've put together a list of 14 things you need to do to become a big-time basketball player. Read this list, and start doing these things, and you'll be a better player. Guaranteed. And if you already do most of the things on the list...you're ahead of the game. So what are the things you need to do to dominate a basketball game? Read on...

• 1.) Be aggressiveYou can't be a good basketball player if you are tentative and uncertain of what you will do on the next play. Great players play with decisiveness. Great players are aggressive.
• 2.) Make a 2nd and 3rd effort on every playIt's one thing to make a good effort. But great players keep trying until they succeed. If you aren't immediately successful on a play, keep working and trying until you make it happen.
• 3.) Think positiveBelieve you'll be successful, and it's more likely to come true. If you take the court doubting yourself, doubting your abilities, and scared basketball you'll fail, well guess what: you probably will. Think positively, act like you'll get the job done, and then go out and make it happen.
• 4.) Be confident in yourselfNot only do you have to think positive (see #3 above), but you have to believe in yourself. Great players know they are good. They know they'll win most battles. They play with confidence and it shows in their performance level.
• 5.) Take good shotsIt may sound silly, but taking good shots is a big part of shooting a high percentage, and getting lots of playing time. If your range is 16-feet, don't take 23-foot off-balance jumpers. Sometimes players shoot the ball because they don't know when they'll get another chance to score. Make sure you're the type of player that takes good, high-percentage shots.
• 6.) Be a good teammateDon't ever forget that basketball is a team game. Your success (or failure) is based on how you play, and how your team plays. Help make the players around you better, and you'll be surprised at how good that will make you.
• 7.) Get up and down the floor quicklyWhether it's running up the court on a fast break, or sprinting back on defense, good players run the floor well. Getting up and down the floor quickly puts pressue on your opponent and puts you in a position to make good things happen.
• 8.) Listen to your coachYour coach determines whether you get in the game or not, and how much playing time you get. Work hard in practice, and listen to your coach during games (about which offense to run and which defense to play). If a coach doesn't think you're listening, your playing time will suffer.
• 9.) Play great defenseCoaches love players that play good, tough defense. Even if you're having a tough night on the offensive end, you can still contribute to the success of the team by playing great defense. There are lots of big-time college and NBA players who aren't all that great offensively, but who are big-time defensive players. Defense can get you lots of playing time.
• 10.) Stay out of foul troublePlaying good, smart basketball means staying out of foul trouble. You'll commit plenty of fouls by playing good, aggressive basketball, so basketball fouls for reaching with your hands on defense, or for over-the-back calls while going for rebounds. No matter how good a player you might be, you'll spend plenty of time on the bench if you get yourself into foul trouble.
• 11.) Practice hardPractice is how you prepare for games. Whether it's shooting around on your own, or scrimmaging at your team practice, you've got to work hard. If you get lazy, and decide to take it easy during practice, your game will suffer. Push yourself, work hard, and you'll improve as a player.
• 12.) Go up strong insideAnytime you play in the paint, you've got to be tough and play strong. There are lots of bodies, elbows, arms, and hands in the lane. If you make a post move, or rebound the ball on the offensive end of the floor, go back up strong. It's no place to be tentative, weak, or afraid.
• 13.) Become a great free throw shooterEveryone should work to become a great free throw shooter. You can improve your scoring average, get more playing time, and help your team win games, simply by becoming a clutch free throw shooter. A big part of free throw shooting is mental. So work on having a good free throw shooting routine, and being confident that you'll knock the shots down.
• 14.) Be the player you'd hate to play againstAs a player, I hated playing defense against guys that were aggressive, smart, constantly moving without the ball, who took high percentage shots, went up strong inside, and crashed the offensive boards. And I hated playing offense against aggressive, strong, smart, fundamentally sound players who played great D and never made anything easy for me. Be that type of player. Be the player you'd hate to play against.Do these 14 things, and you'll be well on your way to becoming a great player.

Patrick Chylinski is a former college and professional basketball player who now does private coaching in the Los Angeles area. His website, http://www.basketballsuccess.com, is packed with professional-level playing tips, drills, and training advice.

He also offers a free email newsletter. Go to http://www.basketballsuccess.com to sign-up.