Showing posts with label fishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fishing. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Backyard Croquet

All About Fishing
Backyard Croquet
by: Peter Jay
Backyard croquet is a gift that keeps on giving. You can use a croquet set and you can use it again and again and again and again for friend or family entertainment. I recently bought a croquet set and played a game of backyard croquet or poison croquet – another form of backyard croquet – with my family in my backyard. We had a nine-wicket, six player croquet set. Now that we have a set, we can play it as much as we want as a free, fun family outdoor activity. Anyone in the family can also invite their friends over for some cheap outdoor entertainment. They can also take it on dates or other group activities.
For my family it is especially nice to have outdoor games such as croquet to play. Each Friday we have a family barbecue and find ways to entertain ourselves during the barbecue. Outdoor games provide a form of entertainment that we can enjoy many times over for an affordable price. We also have other outdoor games like ping pong, frizbee, Kubb, and more. We just had to buy one croquet set and now we can use it as often as we like.

The last time that we played outdoor croquet in my backyard, during our barbecue, hardly anyone in my family had played it before, so I got to teach them all how to play. It is always fun when it is someone’s first time, especially when they learn the rule of roquet or of placing your foot on your ball, next to another player’s ball, to hit their ball far out of play.

During our first game, the lawn was not mowed, so it made the game a little more interesting. It was harder to aim and set the correct distance for your shot, so it made it more difficult for the experienced players to get an easy win. My brothers and sisters were able to keep up with me or at least keep pretty close throughout the game, although, I had not played for years myself. My sister just younger than me even pulled ahead of me near the end. I thought she might even beat me. My brothers and sisters thought it was fun to roquet or hit my ball, since I was the experienced player. Everyone always gangs up on the leading player in any game, it seems like.

My sister missed the wickets at the end and passed them, so it gave me the opportunity to pull ahead hit the final stick and become poison. I stayed close by my sister just younger than me for a while, threatening to kill her ball with my poison ball, to stop her, but also to give the other member of my family the chance to catch up and feel like they had a chance to win before I crushed them. Finally, I finished my sister off, and subsequently defeated all of the others. Even though none of them had ever played before, I still felt a sense of pride from defeating them.

We mowed the game for the second game, and this time everyone knew how to play and understood the rules, so I did not have to play that time. So it was a little better. I recommend playing on a nice cut lawn. It is more fun to be able to hit your ball a further distance without hitting it hard. The second game was probably a little more fun for everyone once they knew the rules. We did not have to stop and explain things to anyone either, so it flowed a little quicker and more smoothly.
Peter Jay is a Vice President with Yard Game Central and a manager and web administrator with PlayCroquet.com. For more information about croquet sets, visit http://www.PlayCroquet.com.


 



©2014 - All Rights Reserved

6 Winning Strategies Guaranteed to Improve Your Coaching Skills

All About Fishing
6 Winning Strategies Guaranteed to Improve Your Coaching Skills
by: Matt Zavadil
Are you sure you're doing everything you can to be the best
coach possible? Absolutely sure?

I've been a coach and I've had a lot of coaches. You know
what I've found? Some coaches put all the pieces together
and some just don't invest time developing the coaching
skills that make a difference.

I can't turn you into a coaching superstar overnight but I
can get you started with these six powerful communication
skills. I'll break them into two groups: Verbal and
Non-verbal.

Three verbal communication skills you must master:

1) Consistency

Don't send your players mixed messages by telling your team
something today and then two days from now completely
contradicting yourself. Your players must be able to trust
the words that come out of your mouth.

Also, keep your tone consistent with what your words are
intending to get across. I had a coach once who, when one of
us messed up, would say, "That was great" in a dripping wet
sarcastic tone. Talk about sending us a negative message and
beating team morale into the ground!

2) Honesty

Be honest with your team and always in a positive way. Your
team knows when mistakes are made so don't try to ignore
them. If you try to gloss over them, you'll lose your team's
respect. Just be sure to correct mistakes in a positive way
that helps a player see what was done correctly but also
feel good about fixing the mistake.

When pointing out a mistake, first say what was good, then
say "and if you follow through properly, you'll get the
proper spin on the ball", rather than "but if you follow
through properly, you'll get the proper spin on the ball".

3) Be Concise

Don't speak to your team unclearly. Think through what you
want to get across ahead of time and deliver your thoughts
in a clear, concise manner. Come right out and say it. Don't
go off on tangents and bore your players with unnecessary
talk. Get to the point and then get the troops moving.

Three non-verbal communication skills you must master:

4) Facial Expressions

Be aware of how closely your team pays attention to what
your face is "saying". Don't be a phony by trying to hide
what you really feel with a fake smile or a serious blank
stare.

Realize, also, that just a simple smile can do wonders for a
struggling player or a player unsure of what they're doing.
Show them that you're behind them, glad to be with them and
there to help.

Don't overdo this, though. Your players will pick up on
that. Be genuine in your coaching efforts.

5) Body Language

If you're standing on the sideline in a way that shows you
are happy to be there and confident, how will your players
respond as opposed to you scowling around all hunched over
and looking angry? Remember to present body language that
represents enthusiasm, class and character.

Body language can also be used in the form of physical
contact such as a pat, a handshake or an arm around the
shoulder. Stay ethical, of course, but physical contact can
show your players the many emotions you feel about them -
happiness, concern, affection, approval, etc.

6) Listen

This one's huge! You need to pay attention to your players.
You've got to focus on really seeing and hearing your
players' verbal and non-verbal signals.

If your players keep hearing you say, "What was that?" or
"Did you say something?", you're in trouble and you need to
work on your listening skills big time.

Start practicing this coaching skill and watch how much more
you instantly start to learn about your team. You'll see a
player is upset over something even though he's trying hard
to hide it. You'll see how each player reacts to not only
you but to one another.

Master these six coaching strategies and watch your coaching
skills skyrocket. Your players must know you care way before
they'll care about what you have to say. Remember this
because too many coaches don't.


Matt & Dave run
http://www.basketball-plays-and-tips.com/6strategy and
enjoy teaching basketball players and coaches more about
the basketball plays, drills, fundamentals and tips that
result in individual and team success. For our free report,
"5 Keys to Discovering the Successful Coach Inside You",
plus two additional player/coach reports, send a blank email
to mailto:basketballtip@aweber.com .

We give full permission for you to use this article in your
newsletter or on your site as long as you include our
Resource Box with our website link and email link included.


Matt & Dave of http://zero2hero2day.net have invested the last 6 years teaching others how to find the right business opportunity that lives up to the hype. Send blank email to mailto:thebestbizopp@aweber.com for our Free Special Report, "The Best Biz Opportunity You Can Find: How To Live the Life You Deserve!".

 



©2014 - All Rights Reserved

Monday, January 13, 2014

4 Steps to Sure-Fire Basketball Free Throws

All About Fishing
4 Steps to Sure-Fire Basketball Free Throws
by: Matt Zavadil
NBA Finals, Game 7...Your team is down one point...One
second left... A foul and two free throws coming... Who do
you want at the charity stripe?

Of course, we’d like to have a Reggie Miller or a Larry Bird
or even better Michael Jordan at the line to sink those
crucial shots. Chances are, though, they’re not on your team.
So now what? It’s up to you!

So how do you build the skill and confidence needed to win
the big games at the charity stripe? 4 simple steps:
Ritualize - Visualize - Optimize - Capitalize.

Free throws are an important part of your game. How many
times have we seen games come down to the final seconds and
either be won or lost at the free throw line? All the time!
So learn these 4 timeless secrets and join the ranks of John
Stockton and become a Great free throw shooter.

1. Ritualize

Ritualize means you create a specific repeating pattern of
behavior prior to performance, a regular pre-task routine,
which sharpens your focus, concentration and attention.

Reggie Miller would step up to the line holding the ball on
his hip with his left hand and place his feet about 12-14
inches apart with his right foot slightly forward. He then
would raise his arm straight up towards the basket with his
hand bent as if he had just released the ball. Then he would
take three consecutive dribbles, sit back into a slight crouch
and let if fly. Every free throw was exactly the same.

Karl Malone could be seen mouthing something to himself (We
have no idea what he was saying) right before he shot the
ball. Whatever ritual you develop for yourself, know that
it’s the most effective device for delivering yourself into
the mindset you must be in to sink every free throw.

"Repetition brings familiarity, and familiarity is the
opposite of the unknown." - Steven Levenkron

2. Visualize

Visualize means mentally rehearsing or "seeing" in your mind
what you intend to do before you do it. When you visualize
perfect form and a flawless shot that draws nothing but the
bottom of the net, it becomes exponentially more likely to
happen.

You’ve heard the saying, "What you see is what you get",
haven’t you? Focus on the process and see perfection. You’ll
find that visualization is a powerful tool.

"I see a mental movie before I hit every shot." - Jack
Nicklaus

3. Optimize

Optimize means allowing yourself to trust in yourself and
your capabilities, to have the self-confidence to pull the
ripcord, knowing the parachute will open. Simply put don’t
hesitate! Delay does damage.

Nike said it best with their million dollar slogan: "Just Do
It!" This is when shooting free throws just becomes automatic.

"You must seek to have control and then act with abandon!" -
Anonymous

4. Capitalize

Capitalize means celebrate your success as well as the
success of your teammates. Pat yourself on the back with
each success at the line. When you make your free throws
savor the success, nourish it, grow it, use it - capitalize on
it. Allow it to build your confidence in other aspects of
your game - defense, offense or whatever. Let this positive
energy ooze out all over you and your team.

"What I do best is share my enthusiasm." - Bill Gates

With these easy-to-follow principles you can become the
elite free throw shooter of your team. Actually, you can apply
these principles to every part of your game. Whatever you do,
keep on shooting!

Matt & Dave run
http://basketball-plays-and-tips.com/freethrow
and enjoy teaching basketball players and coaches more
about the basketball plays, drills, fundamentals and tips that
result in individual and team success. For our free report,
"5 Keys to Discovering the Successful Coach Inside You",
plus two additional player/coach reports, send a
blank email to mailto:basketballtip@aweber.com .

We give full permission for you to use this article in your
newsletter or on your site as long as you include our
Resource Box with our website link and email link included.


Matt & Dave of http://zero2hero2day.net have invested the last 6 years teaching others how to find the right business opportunity that lives up to the hype. Send blank email to mailto:thebestbizopp@aweber.com for our Free Special Report, "The Best Biz Opportunity You Can Find: How To Live the Life You Deserve!".

 



©2014 - All Rights Reserved