NAYSI Bookshelf - Mental Toughness

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Mental Toughness: Understanding the Game of Life
by Dr. Timothy S. Wakefield

IF LIFE IS A GAME, YOU NOW HAVE A PLAYBOOK

New book provides invaluable tips on how to face life’s challenges head-on

At 100 pages, Mental Toughness – understanding the game of life, by Dr. Timothy S. Wakefield, could possibly be the shortest and most helpful book you will ever read. Based on the idea that life is a ‘mental game,’ Wakefield guides readers through 61 short chapters offering tips on how to come out on top, and actually ‘win’ the game of life.

“People must be mentally strong to reject the distractions that impede success,” says Dr. Wakefield. “Many times I think people look back and find out the answers to their challenges in life too late. Why build a legacy of ‘I should haves’ throughout your life when you can do those things now!”

Although the book began as a letter Wakefield and his wife would share with their children at graduation, it turned into much more.

“I wanted to teach my children about the things that it took me 40+ years of listening to my family, friends, mentors, taking seminars, reading books, listening to the tapes/CD’s, etc. to learn to achieve success and happiness,” notes Wakefield. “With hundreds of self help books, CD’s, DVD’s and seminars out there for adults, I decided to develop something that is applicable to all ages.”

Perhaps one of the greatest lessons Dr. Wakefield teaches is that there is as much good as there is bad in the world. With negative news and worldwide crises surrounding us daily, it can be difficult to focus on the greatness and sheer majesty of life.

Mental Toughness – understanding the game of life is a truly universal self-help book that can positively benefit people from age 1 to 101. It can be used for self-analysis or to assist, develop and guide others. Parents can read the book to help themselves and their children. Grandparents can use the book the help themselves, their children and their grandchildren. Everyone can learn how to find a positive in every situation and can apply the tips to their own lives, regardless of age.

Mental Toughness – understanding the game of life dissects the following themes:

* Positive ways to respond to negativity
* The ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ areas of life and how to balance them in order to stay in control.
* Male and female relationships— how to understand and embrace the differences in the opposite sex
* Six steps to becoming a successful, respected leader
* How to control your attitude and use it to your advantage

About the author:

Dr. Wakefield has published books, articles and taught multiple programs in the area of sports injuries, physical fitness, health wellness, occupational health, athletic development, motivation, etc. He has been a guest on several radio shows.

Wakefield is a firm believer that the ‘mental game of life’ is ‘teachable and learnable.’ Before a person can teach the game of life a person must understand the game of life. To implement these life skills it is Dr. Wakefield’s opinion that people must be mentally strong to reject the distractions that impede our success. Thus the name of the book: Mental Toughness – understanding the game of life. Dr. Wakefield is married and a father of three.

www.developingmentaltoughness.com

NAYSI bookshelf - Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy

Book Review

Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy.
by Thomas B. Gilliam, Ph.D.

Facing the (Food & Fitness) Facts:
11 Myth-Busters to Help You Take Charge of the One Thing You Can Control These Days

With the dismal economy keeping you upset and the stressful holiday season looming, you may be searching for something you can control. Fitness expert Tom Gilliam suggests you take charge of your health—but first you must reject some persistent dieting and exercise myths.

Hudson, OH (November 2008)—No doubt about it: Most of us have never felt less in control of our destinies. The stock market is bottoming out and no one knows what to do about it. Jobs are down, food prices are up, who knows what's going on with gas, and to make things even more expensive, the holidays are upon us. Mix all these factors together and you have a recipe for runaway stress and anxiety. But according to Tom Gilliam, there is one thing you can control: your body weight. That's right. Now is the time to get fit, lose any extra pounds that might be hanging around, and develop the habits that will keep your weight at a healthful level over the long term.

"Soothing yourself with comfort food and spending hours on the couch obsessing over TV news reports won't make the economy better, and they certainly won't make you better," says Gilliam, coauthor (along with Jane Neill, R.D., L.D.) of Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy.: The Simple Truth About Achieving & Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight (Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy., LLC, 2008, ISBN-13: 978-0-9762703-5-5, ISBN-10: 0-9762703-5-8, $19.95). "If you want to feel more in control, take charge of your health. Not only will you feel better physically, your emotional state will improve as well."

Here's the problem, says Gilliam. Because we tend to live in a dieting-obsessed, "quick fix" society, most of us have absorbed some common misinformation that might actually be hindering our fitness goals.

"To really be successful, you must first debunk the myths that you might have read on the Internet or received as advice from friends or coworkers," says Gilliam.

Think you know your stuff? Read on for the revealing answers to common weight loss blunders that might trip you up in your quest to get healthy:

MYTH #1: Weight loss is all about the cardio. Anyone who believes cardio exercise alone will burn off the pounds hasn't gotten up an hour early every day for two months to hit the treadmill...only to be disappointed when the scale doesn't budge. While it's true that cardio is highly beneficial, you won't really see results until you add equal amounts of strength training to your exercise plan. That's because muscle burns more calories than fat in a process called protein metabolism.

"Quite simply, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn each day," says Gilliam. "Lifting weights is also critical as you grow older, because it will prevent you from losing muscle. In short, keep the cardio but add the strength training. The combination will help you to burn the fat and calories you desire in a healthy and balanced way."

MYTH #2: Salads are the best choice for healthy eating. A salad full of fresh vegetables can be packed with healthy vitamins and minerals, but depending on what else you throw on top, it can also be loaded with calories. For most people, cheese, croutons, and salad dressings are a must, but often these salad accessories are high in fat and calories, practically negating all the healthful veggies that lie underneath.

"Many people don't know that because of all of the extras they add, salads at fast food restaurants can contain more calories than a hamburger," says Gilliam. "Be conscious of the extras you're adding to your salads. If you can't stick to the vegetables and a light dressing on the side, you might be better off choosing a small burger and an order of fruit or a plain baked potato."

MYTH #3: Vegetarian = Healthy. When we hear the word "vegetarian," we automatically assume it's healthful. But the reality is that dishes at restaurants that are labeled as such can be deceiving to patrons trying to make a conscious choice about their meal.

"Many vegetarian options replace meat with flavor boosters like mayonnaise, cheese, and dressings, causing the calorie count to soar," says Gilliam. "Be wary of the ingredients in vegetarian dishes. Just because it sounds healthful, doesn't mean it is."

MYTH #4: Reduced fat means low in fat. It's easy to be persuaded to pick up items at the grocery store or out at restaurants that are labeled "reduced fat." But before you assume that reduced fat equals low fat, consider what the food's original fat content may have been.

"The FDA says in order for a label to claim a food has 'reduced' fat content, it must contain 25 percent less of the nutrient than the regular product," says Gilliam. "If an item contains 10 grams of fat, it need only reduce its fat content to 7 ½ grams to qualify for the reduced fat label. So, while it has less fat than its original counterpart, it's only marginally more healthful, and may still contain more fat than you need to consume."

MYTH #5: Fresh is better than frozen. With an increasing number of products being marketed as "organic" and "fresh" as part of the current health food trend, it can be easy to assume that fresh foods are naturally better for you than frozen ones. However, we forget that in order for the so-called "fresh" food to get to the stores, it often has to travel long distances from its place of origin. During the journey, fresh fruits and vegetables can lose some of their nutritional value. Fruits and vegetables that have been flash frozen (or even canned!) immediately after harvest maintain their nutritional value until they are consumed. As a bonus, frozen and canned goods can be much less expensive to buy when they are out of season, helping you to stay healthier year-round.

But if you still prefer your fruits and veggies fresh, Gilliam has these words of advice for you: "If you are able to buy locally grown produce, you should," he says. "Garden-grown foods do have the best flavor, and if it's grown locally, you can be sure that the time between picking and eating is reduced."

MYTH #6: All fat is bad for you. For years we have had it drilled into our brains that fat is public enemy number one when it comes to losing weight and staying fit. And it is true that you want to avoid saturated fats such as those found in fried foods, sweets, and full-cream dairy products. However, if you avoid all fat all the time, your body will be missing out on important nutrition that it needs to function properly.

"Of course, you should never overindulge, but you do need healthy fats in your diet to be on the top of your fitness game," says Gilliam. "Great options include moderate servings of nuts, seeds, and fish. Keeping your fat intake in check will make for a healthier lifestyle than one with no fat at all."

MYTH #7: If you exercise, you need to consume a sports drink. While sports drinks can be beneficial for those individuals involved in long continuous exercise routines (lasting more than 2 hours) or working out in a very hot and humid environment, most of us Average Joes and Jills don't need them. True, these drinks have electrolytes that are critical for normal body function such as muscle contraction and heart function, but these same electrolytes can be obtained from our daily diet. So unless you are exercising in extreme conditions or for an extended period of time, water is a better way to go.

"What people often forget is that sports drinks contain calories, which in many cases cancel out the ones you just burned during your workout," says Gilliam. "Stick with water. You'll get all the hydration and none of the added calories."

MYTH #8: You should work out as much as possible. If exercise has overall health benefits in addition to contributing to weight loss, the more we exercise, the better—right? Not so. Weight lifting should be done only every other day, three days a week. That's because strength training breaks down muscle, and the day off between workouts allows time for the muscle to rebuild. You should also be careful not to overdo it on cardio. Too much can cause excess wear and tear on your tendons and joints, which over time can lead to joint pain or discomfort, especially in the knees, lower back, and shoulders.

"You simply need to remember to give your body time to recover from its workout," says Gilliam. "Consider taking a day off once or twice a week as an 'exercise holiday.' If you abuse your body, you will have difficulty achieving the results you are looking for. Keep in mind the new federal guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine when you plan your workout routine for the week. It recommends 30 minutes of moderate activity five days a week plus your strength training. It may seem cliché, but the saying rings true—slow and steady does win the race."

MYTH #9: Stretching before exercising is critical. It's no secret that stretching after a workout can be beneficial and improve results. However, many people mistakenly assume that stretching before a workout is good as well. The truth is that stretching before a workout does not actually increase our range of motion, as previously thought.

"Warming up is actually a better pre-workout exercise than stretching," says Gilliam. "Great warm-up activities are running in place and jumping jacks. They will get your blood flowing and your heart pumping. Save the stretching for after your workout and look forward to maximizing your results."

MYTH #10: Your weight is the best way to tell if your "get healthy" efforts are working. Research is clear that weighing yourself every day is critical to a weight loss program, but many people don't realize that taking their waist measurement is just as important. A simple tape measure can tell you what kind of progress you are making and can sometimes be a better indicator than the scale.

"We've all stepped on a scale that won't budge and wondered why our weight isn't going down even though our clothes are feeling loose," says Gilliam. "Here's why that happens. When you first begin to exercise, two things will happen: 1. You will gain muscle mass, which is good, and 2. You will lose fat weight, which is also good. The increase in muscle mass offsets the loss of fat, which is why the scale has not changed, but your tape measure shows an improved waistline. This process occurs for about the first six months of your exercise program, and then finally the increase in muscle mass levels off or plateaus but your fat loss continues, which is then reflected on your scale."

MYTH #11: If you're sick, you can get better by sweating it out. Many people think that a great all-natural cure for what ails them is to hit the gym and try to "sweat out" their illness. "That's just not the case," says Gilliam. "If anything, it will only slow the recovery process. And chances are you won't benefit from your illness workout in any other way, because your performance will likely be below par. The best thing to do when you're sick is to take a break from exercising. Allowing your body to recover will quicken your response to the illness and get you back to working out at full steam before you know it."

"Successful weight management is really about education and mindfulness," says Gilliam. "It means rejecting the myths and making a conscious choice every day to eat the right foods and get the right amount of exercise. And there really is a tremendous satisfaction in making that choice. Once you realize that you can pursue and achieve good health, you'll feel calmer and more in control. Getting healthy is truly empowering. Whatever the future may hold, you're taking the best possible care of yourself—and that's a great feeling in any economy."

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About the Authors:

Thomas B. Gilliam, Ph.D., is the founder and president of T. Gilliam & Associates, coauthor of the book Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy.: The Simple Truth About Achieving & Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight, creator of the Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy.® wellness program, designed to teach workers how to achieve a healthy body weight, creator of moveitloseitlivehealthy.com, and founder and owner of Industrial Physical Capability Services, Inc. (IPCS).

Since 1982, Dr. Gilliam has designed and managed many corporate fitness centers ranging from 500 square feet to 34,000 square feet. He has established a variety of wellness programs to deal with such health issues as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, physical inactivity, stress, osteoporosis, low back pain, and many more.

In addition, Dr. Gilliam is a pioneer and acknowledged expert in the field of dynamic strength testing for industry based on the sports medicine model. Since 1982, he has provided isokinetic physical capability assessments for Fortune 1000 companies through his company Industrial Physical Capability Services, Inc. (IPCS) (ipcs-inc.com). Dr. Gilliam's programs have dramatically reduced workers' compensation costs and decreased injury incidence and severity rates for major industrial clients. In addition, Dr. Gilliam has been instrumental in identifying and presenting to industry the higher risk for injury and disease caused by obesity in the workplace.

Dr. Gilliam is the creator of the Heart "E" Heart program, which is a healthy lifestyle program for children and their families. He was the principal investigator in a National Institutes of Health research study investigating the impact of physical activity and nutritional habits on heart disease risk in young children. Conducted in the late 1970s, this research resulted in numerous scholarly publications and television and radio interviews throughout the world, including NBC's Today Show and NBC's Nightly News with its science editor, Robert Basel.

In 1973, Dr. Gilliam earned a doctorate degree in exercise physiology with a minor in graduate statistics and research design from Michigan State University. From 1974 to 1982, Dr. Gilliam was a tenured faculty member at the University of Michigan. Before resigning from his tenured faculty position, he was involved with numerous funded research projects (i.e., N.I.H., Kellogg Foundation, State of Michigan, and others) that resulted in twenty-nine refereed scholarly publications.

Jane C. Neill, R.D., L.D., is the 2004 recipient of the Nutritionist of the Year Award for the State of Alabama Public Health. She is an active member of the American Dietetic Association and currently employed by the Alabama Department of Public Health, where she works with the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program as a WIC coordinator and a licensed dietitian. She has worked in the WIC program for over ten years, providing daily nutrition counseling for women, infants, and children.

While on the staff as a registered dietitian at the University of Michigan Health System in the late 1970s, Jane was instrumental in working with Dr. Gilliam as an investigator on the National Institutes of Health research study to investigate the impact of physical activity and nutritional habits on heart disease risk in children ages six to eight years.

Ms. Neill is a member of the team that developed and wrote the Heart "E" Heart program for children and their families.

She received her bachelor's of science degree from the University of Alabama in 1977 in food, nutrition, and institutional management. Ms. Neill has been working as a registered dietitian for over twenty-seven years.

About the Book:

Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy.: The Simple Truth About Achieving & Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight (Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy., LLC, 2008, ISBN-13: 978-0-9762703-5-5, ISBN-10: 0-9762703-5-8, $19.95) is available in bookstores nationwide and through all major online booksellers.

For more information, visit moveitloseitlivehealthy.com.

NAYSInote: Jack Hutslar, author of the NAYSIblog, is a life long chub who has fought the battle of the bulge since he was old enough to understand dieting - since age 12 or 13. Right now he is losing the battle. Interestingly enough, every diet program he has ever tried has worked. The problem is that he always goes off the program after losing weight.

Can you guess what has put him back on track. Nope. It is not having those sculpted six pack abs shown in the TV commercials. It has been his desire to play tennis in a reasonably efficient manner. Well, when he gets inspired, he will go back on the diet and get back down to those trim 180s.

What is the lesson he imparts. Get involved in one or more sports that you find enjoyable and then work to become reasonably proficient at it/them. . . . jack

You cannot . . . by Abraham Lincoln

Lessons in living for children, parents, politicians and others

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot build character & courage by taking away people's
initiative & independence.

You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could & should do for themselves . . . Abraham Lincoln

Learning from the Pros in the NBA

Its all about your feet

It is commonly acknowledged as one of the more exciting players in the NBA is LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. One of the things that is keeping him from fulfilling his All-World potential is his erratic free throw shooting. In some games, he just keeps clanking one free throw after another at critical times. As a result, he is leaving a lot of points on the court.

Look at his form. What do you see. You see a young fellow standing there like he is shooting tiny basketballs in those arcade games. Clank. Clank. Clank. That is not All-World.

Ditto with Shaq. He actually "puts" the ball like a shot put. There is no unified rhythmic body motion at all in his free throws.

Like many sport skills, free throw shooting starts with the feet. It is a nice flowing total body movement from the ground up - - Body balance with proper placement of the feet; Knees bent slightly; Eyes on the target. Then the shot begins with an extension or straightening of the knees. The body or trunk straightens. The arms extend. The shooting-hand wrist extends in a smooth motion. Everything moves toward the goal.

LeBron will reach his full potential when he learns to shoot free throws.

TIP: Want to improve your free throw shooting. Close your eyes and shoot. This will help you feel your total body movement. Can you make five in a row, 10 in a row. If not, you need to work on your total body rhythm.

NAYSI bookshelf - Dream Team

Book Review

Dream Team: Saints and Gentle Souls from the World of Sports by Frederick J. Day; Nonfiction Hard cover $35.95; Paperback $25.95.

Motivational Book Features the Stories of 125 Athletes, Coaches, Sports Journalists, and Team Owners Who, Away from Sports Arenas and Playing Fields, Made Significant Contributions to the Lives of Others

These special individuals provide much-needed role models in this ever-changing and ever-challenging world

Tennis great Arthur Ashe said it well: "The purest joy in life comes with trying to help others." This belief is also the motivating factor underlying the stories collected in Dream Team: Saints and Gentle Souls from the World of Sports.

This book hones in on some of the most uniquely talented and compassionate individuals the sports world has ever known. On a decade-by-decade basis, starting with the 1890s and finishing up in 2007, Dream Team: Saints and Gentle Souls from the World of Sports tells the stories of 125 individuals ranging from sharpshooting legend Annie Oakley to baseball's Jackie Robinson to football's Pat Tillman. Uplifting and encouraging, it keeps the focus firmly on the character of these uniquely talented and giving individuals and features coaches, sports journalists, and team owners in addition to athletes.

With his faith in God and his love of sportsmanship abundant for all to see, author/attorney Frederick J. Day tells the fascinating and true stories of individuals who realized that what really matters in life occurs well beyond the court or field.

Dream Team: Saints and Gentle Souls from the World of Sports is available at www.barnesandnoble.com, www.amazon.com, www.iUniverse.com, and www.booksamillion.com.

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Dream Team: Saints and Gentle Souls from the World of Sports by Frederick J. Day; Nonfiction Hard cover $35.95; ISBN: 978-0-595-70071-4 Paperback $25.95; ISBN: 978-0-595-45406-8

Good stuff to know about being successful in sports

Good stuff to know about being successful in sports
by Jack Hutslar

Watch the ball
Move your feet
Practice and play against tough opponents

Defense wins games
Determination, play hard the whole game, do not give in or give up
Execute well

Minimize mistakes
Work to get better
Play your game

Dance with the one you brought to the dance
Do not get beat with less than your best stuff
Go to the ball. Do not wait for the ball to come to you

Become a student of your game
Don’t argue with people who buy ink by the gallon

Reprinted from KIDbits by Jack Hutslar, 2005.

NAYSI Book reviews and other interesting writings

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The more that you read,
the more things you will know.
The more that you learn,
the more places you'll go. . . . Dr. Seuss

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2008 Sports Market Place Directory. Grey House Publishing. P O Box 860. Millerton NY 12546. 2332 pp. $225.00 [plus shipping]

Need a name or address. Well, look it up in the 2008 Sports Market Place Directory. For instance, I was looking for the address of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League. I found them on page 113 under Single Sports: Football, Professional Leagues/Teams. In addition to the name and address, it includes the names of the various personnel who make it all happen.

That just taps the surface. It includes single and multi sport organizations, college and professional leagues and teams, newspapers and magazines, events and trade shows, sponsors [gotta like this], professional services such as agents, facilities of all types including race tracks for those who like to see things go round and round, and manufacturers.

It also contains 35 pages of statistics. For instance, the top participation sport in 2006 for ages seven and up was exercise walking at 87.5 million participants followed by swimming at 56.5 million. The sports that are generally considered top ones in the USA were basketball at 26.7 million, baseball at 14.6 million, soccer at 14.0 million and tackle football at 11.9 million participants. Ice hockey came in at 2.6 million. The top two sports by percentage of change were cross country skiing at 36.7 per cent and tackle football at 19.7 per cent.

Sports with the highest percentage of women participants were cheerleading, aerobic exercising, exercise walking and volleyball. The leaders in sports equipment purchasing were exercise followed by golf and then hunting and firearms. The 45 to 64 age group leads in the purchase of golf equipment. That same age group leads the way in equipment purchasing while females have a slight edge over males in purchasing.

The 2008 Sports Market Place Directory is a remarkable publication in content and weight. If your life depends on names and addresses, you cannot beat this publication. - Jack@naysi.com

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Book Review
Why a Curveball Curves: The Incredible Science of Sports, Frank Wizard, Editor. New York: Hearst Books (Popular Mechanics), 2008, 224 pp. $19.95

From the editors of Popular Mechanics, this fascinating collection features relevant contributions from Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella, pitcher-turned-announcer Jim Kaat, and sports-and-science journalist Peter Brancazio.

WHY A CURVEBALL CURVES focuses a scientific lens on athletic achievement while explaining the biology, chemistry, and physics behind the winning stroke hit, throw, dive, kick, punch, and slam dunk. An insightful foreword by sports columnist and author Robert Lipsyte kicks off this team of all-star contributors as they dispense plenty of solid, science-based advice to help readers improve their own game, whatever their sport might be.

It offers a wealth of science-based guidance on improving your own game, no matter what your particular sport might be. Readers will find tips on how to improve visual acuity, get the mind in sync with the body,, and even how to choose the right athletic shoe. Whether you are passionately science minded or sports-obsessed, a professional athlete or an amateur competitor, a golfer or a weekend three-point shooter, you will find this book informative and extremely useful.

Learn the science being . . . baseball, basketball, bowling, boxing, cycling, football, golf, hockey, running, skiing, soccer, dvving, tennis and training.

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Book Review
A Teen’s Game Plan for Live by Lou Holtz. Notre Dame, Indiana, Sorin Books, 2008, 128 pp., $10.95

Lou Holtz, legendary football coach and motivational speaker, wrote about his career of helping to mold youngsters. This is a blueprint, not only for teens striving for athletic success, but also for all teens who want to name their goals for life, and then go about reaching them. His game plan includes

- Choose your attitude
- Make sacrifices
- Get rid of excuses
- Understand what you are trying to do
- Dream big dreams

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Book Review
How Lance Does It: Put the success formula of a champion into everything you do by Brad Kearns. New York: McGraw Hill, 224 pp., 2006, $19.95

What drives someone like Lance Armstrong to consistent and phenomenal success? Is it something you are born with or is it something you can acquire, develop and perfect? Lance Armstrong’s longtime friend Brad Kearns has spent years with the sports icon and observed in him four “success factors” that have made Lance a symbol of remarkable strength and achievement. Now Kearns reveals how readers can adopt and develop these success factors into everything they do , from business to parenting to stress management. Learn about his powerful method of thinking, living and winning that will improve anyone’s performance in any endeavor.

- clarity of purpose
- pure confidence
- congruent lifestyle
- specialized intelligence

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Sports Market Place Directory 2005. Millerton NY: Grey House Publishing. 1887 pp. $245.00. ISBN 1-58237-077-2. www.greyhouse.com, books@greyhouse.com, 800 562-2139.

Need a door stop. This 30 pound directory covers the sports world from A through Z. The table of contents includes Single sport teams and organizations, Multi sports groups including halls of fame, colleges, Events, Media, Sponsors, Professional services, Facilities, Manufacturers and retailers, Statistics, and an extensive Index. If you are in the sports business, there is no better source of information that covers all bases. On top of that, it is available on CD and on-line.

Sponsors, for instance, is one of the important areas of inquiry for most profit and not-for-profit sport organizations. This section is broken down by category. Basketball sponsors, for instance, includes nearly 100 companies that are interested in that market group. Youth sport sponsors, in contrast, includes just one entry.

The Statistics section covers a variety of participation categories. Exercise walking totaled 84.7 million people in 2004 while basketball checks in at 27.8 million participants, baseball at 15.9 million, soccer at 13.3 million and tackle football at 8.2 million participants. The break downs are endless.

The Sports Market Place Directory is an incredible collection of names and numbers. Business professionals should not be without it. Sports buffs will find it interesting. Ask your library to order a copy of the $245 price tag is too steep for your budget. -jh

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Sport History

Have you ever considered bicycling through history. Instead of talking about it, students and families could cycle through historic areas that our ancestors have convered on foot. This would make an excellent physical education and history project rolled into one. See the following link for more information.

http://www.bicyclingthroughhistory.com/

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25 THOUGHTS

1. If you're too open minded, your brains will fall out.
2. Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.
3. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you a mechanic.

4. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
5. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.
6. Men's idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.

7. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
8. It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
9. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.

10. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
11. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
12. A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.

13. Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
14. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
15. No husband has ever been shot while doing the dishes.

16. A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.
17. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
18. Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.

19. Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three week before you need it.
20. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
21. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

22. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
23. Thou shall not weigh more than thy refrigerator.
24. Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.

25. Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused.

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Thots:

If "con" is the opposite of "pro," then what is the opposite of progress?

If a cow laughs, does milk come out of her nose?

If a firefighter fights fire and crime fighter fights crime, what does a freedom fighter fight?

If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

If a tin whistle is made out of tin (and it is), then what exactly is a fog horn made out of?

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to see it, do the other trees make fun of it?

If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?

If bankers can count, how come they have eight windows and only four tellers?

If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

If bills are rectangular, how come they keep rolling in?

If horrific means to make horrible, does terrific mean to make terrible?

If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?

If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?

If someone has a mid-life crisis while playing hide & seek, does he automatically lose because he can't find himself?

If space is a vacuum, who changes the bag?

If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?

If the cops arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?

If the shortest distance between two points is a line, why does waiting in a line take so long?

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EIGHT LAWS OF LEADERSHIP

Take a look around -- in business, education, politics. If there's one thing we don't have enough of it's good leaders: men and women who have the vision and the ability to change things for the better.

Former Air Force General William Cohen has written a fine book called "The Stuff of Heroes" where he identifies eight laws of leadership. Here are his rules:

* First, Maintain Absolute Integrity.
* Second, Know Your Stuff.
* Third, Declare Your Expectations.
* Fourth, Show Uncommon Commitment.
* Fifth, Expect Positive Results.
* Sixth, Take Care of Your People.
* Seventh, Put Duty Before Self.
* Eighth, Get Out in Front.

His laws embrace important competencies like knowledge, communication skills, commitment, optimism, caring, and a powerful sense of duty, but General Cohen recognizes that the foundation of the successful leader is character, including complete trustworthiness, honor and courage.

The best leaders draw on these moral qualities to influence others
through inspiration, persuasion, trust and loyalty. They do the right
thing despite the costs and risks and do it not because it will yield
approval or advantage, but simply because it is the right thing.

In these cynical times, it's easy to think such leadership is
unattainable; yet in every walk of life are hundreds of men and
women -- parents, teachers, coaches, civic activists -- who fit the
mold. What's more important, every one of us could be among them.

Source: Presented in the Character Counts Network, issue 266, by Michael Josephson on August 12, 2002

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Education means more money in your pocket

Several years ago my spouse read a report which revealed that people can save $400,000 over their lifetime by driving a car for ten years before swapping it out for another car. As we move through life, it eventually strikes most of us that money matters. Some pick up on this sooner than others.

I have been asked countless times about the benefits of playing sports. For the most part, we tend to think of those values in non-monetary terms. They include enjoyment (i.e., fun), fitness, improved resistance to illness, and improved physical mobility.

An overlooked benefit of sport participation is related to upward mobility. Coaches and teachers who recognize raw talent (i.e., potential) tend to push those who possess it toward higher levels of play. This applies to a number of other fields including writing, music, art and dance.

In sports, recreation and physical education, youth leaders tend to encourage their talented youngsters to work hard so that they can move up to the next higher level of play. Youth league players are pointed toward middle school and high school sports. High school players are pointed toward two year and four year colleges and the talented college players are primed for professional sports.

The same holds true to varying degrees for the individual sports like bowling, golf, gymnastics, ice skating, running, skiing, skiing, swimming, and tennis. However, most professional athletes still go through college doors.

Inherent in this developmental process is an educational foundation. Playing middle school, high school and college sports is based on satisfactory classroom performance. That is, players are required to do well in school while continuing to develop their sports skills.

A Census Bureau report, based on 1999 data, revealed that people with college undergraduate degrees can expect to earn $2.1 over their lifetime. This is over twice that of students who do not graduate from high school. Here are a few other numbers from the census bureau to support the idea that education means dollars.

Lifetime earning potential, ages 25 to 64

Less than $1.0 million for those who do not complete high school
$1.2 million for high school graduates
$1.5 million for students with some college work
$1.6 million for those with associate degrees
$2.1 million for those with bachelor degrees
$2.5 million for those with masters degrees
$3.4 million for those with doctoral degrees
$4.4 million for those with professional degrees

Playing sports offers additional incentives for youngsters. Inherent in the sporting life is the boost that the better players get from their mentors to do well and move on up to higher levels of play. Moving up the ladder educationally at the same time has monetary rewards, regardless of where players eventually top out. That monetary benefit is an added incentive that should be explained in simple terms to those students who are on the fence.

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The Complete Book of Model Fund-Raising Letters by Roland Kuniholm. Paramus NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2002, 378 pp. 49.99 (hard cover).

This book of fund-raising letters is the kind in which you might find just one useful letter. However, if that letter works, you could strike it rich. Pre-prepared letters include those that range from conventional or straight forward to more complex donations to complaint letters. They cover premiums, special events, petitions, surveys, renewals, lapsed donors, volunteers, board members and gift requests.

In his special events letter, Kuniholm provides the following tips. They include: emphasize the benefits, state why help is needed, make it easy to respond, and give a deadline (pp. 92-93). One of the three keys to success for this type of letter is to offer an early-bird prize.

Try these suggestions for a donor/member list letter. Mention the name of the donor who referred your prospect. Emphasize the exclusive nature of the nomination. Incorporate control copy elements in the letter. Feature the benefits of membership. Send the letter right after receiving the referral. Follow-up the referral with at least two letter (pp. 241-243).

All youth groups can use volunteers. To solicit them, work these pointers into your letter. Describe the benefits of being a volunteer. Outline the duties of a volunteer. Portray the values to the organization through volunteers. Issue a specific invitation. Show appreciation for the volunteer (pp. 269-271).

Writing fund raising letters is not a slam dunk. This book is full of valuable information but it takes serious research, input and reqriting to develop the most effective letters for your organization. My fund raising tip is to save your $50.00. Ask that your local Library to order a copy for their Reference Department.

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Some Rules of Life

Whether you like Bill Gates or not...this is pretty cool. Here's some advice Bill Gates recently dished out at a high school speech about 11 things they did not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good; politically correct teaching has created a full generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept sets them up for failure in the real world.

RULE 1

Life is not fair - get used to it

RULE 2

The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

RULE 3

You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone, until you earn both.

RULE 4

If you think your teacher is tough; wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.

RULE 5

Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping - they called it Opportunity.

RULE 6

If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

RULE 7

Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

RULE 8

Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

RULE 9

Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

RULE 10

Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

RULE 11
Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

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Cure Batting Slumps in Baseball, according to Pete Rose
by Jack Hutslar
April 16, 2001

Prior to hearing a radio program last Friday while driving through Ohio, I knew only that there were two remedies for batting slumps. Batters could either take extra batting practice or they could stop taking batting practice. One seemed as good or bad as the other.

According to Pete Rose, who was interviewed on ESPN radio (4/13/2001), he had six options when he went into a batting slump. First, he said that he did not change or mess around with his swing. Rather, he applied one of the following changes. He would either move up or move back in the batters box, move closer to or further way from the plate, or choke up on move down on the bat. He decided on the correct option based on what the ball did when it came off of his bat.

These Pete Rose options are worth trying as slump breakers. They may not be a cure for every batting slump, but his approach seems to be a bit more precise than any other method I have every heard.

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HOW TO MEASURE TENACITY

Failed in business.................................. 1831
Lost election for state legislature................. 1832
Failed again in business............................ 1834
Sweetheart died..................................... 1835
Nervous breakdown................................... 1836
Lost second political race.......................... 1838
Defeated for Congress............................... 1843
Defeated for Congress................................1846
Defeated for Congress............................... 1848
Defeated for US Senate.............................. 1855
Defeated for Vice President......................... 1856
Defeated for US Senate...............................1858
Elected President....................................1860

Who is this person? Abraham Lincoln

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Do’s and Don’ts for the next 1000 years

when working with youngsters in sport

DO

- be a positive role model to imitate
- provide opportunities to learn at least two team and two individual sports
- make sure that they do well in school and do all of their homework
- know what is going on in their lives
- help them learn the value of playing hard, playing fair and having fun
- give them responsibilities at home and around the house
- teach them positive values that will help them grow


DON’T

- mess around with drugs, alcohol and tobacco
- treat others in an aggressive manner

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A CALL TO ARMS is a national public education campaign designed to draw attention to the pressing needs of boys, and what happens when these needs are not met. It's primary goal is to expand modern definitions and perspectives about boys culture and manhood, and to inspire new cultural dialogue about what it means to be a boy or a man today. By opening new options to boys, A CALL TO ARMS intends to relieve many of the stresses and strains that lead boys to behave in ways which hurt themselves and others.
A CALL TO ARMS website is designed to reach out to and assist boys and all the girls, men and women who care about and love them.

Source: www.acalltoarms.org

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Myths involving boys

"A myth has been created of the young boy who is the rascal and the scamp, the mischievous lad who likes to run and be loud, whose pockets are filled with junk that he considers treasure, with a frisky puppy as his constant companion. He considers girls to be ‘yucky’. He likes to go fishing and ride a bike. The mythical teenage boy is obsessed with himself, sports, cars, sex, and --above all else--being cool. He’s tough. He breaks the rules. He talks back to his teachers. He would rather hang out with his hip friends than spend time with his...family."
Dr. William Pollack,
Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons
from the Myths of Boyhood


If you know boys, if you are a parent or teacher, you know in your heart that these stereotypes are false and limiting, as all stereotypes are. Even so, the power of these stereotypes and the myths that perpetuate them are bound to profoundly affect the boys you know and your relationships with them. These damaging myths are hindering the development of boys, how we raise them and boys’ ability to function at their best.

Myth or Reality?

Myth #1: Boys will be boys..."Where there are boys, there is testosterone, and where there is testosterone there is aggression, and where there is aggression, there is violence, or at least its potential."

Reality: Most people believe that testosterone controls a boy’s behavior. The truth is that while it may determine patterns of behavior, it does not predict a boy’s behavior. In fact, research shows that boys with higher levels of testosterone are NOT more prone to violence.

Myth #2: Boys should be boys...boys must fit the gender stereotype or ‘gender straitjacket’ society has tailored for them -- tough, dominant and macho.

Reality: There are many different kinds of masculinities. Sensitivity, a close maternal attachment, desire for connection with others and activities that are not traditionally ‘manly’ are natural and do not make a boy any less male in adulthood.

Myth #3: Boys are toxic...the belief that boys are "psychologically unaware, emotionally unsocialized creatures."

Reality: Boys are caring and sensitive individuals. They may have different patterns of behavior from girls, and learn and communicate through action, but they are as capable of being sensitive and empathic as girls are.

Male Myths

In Greek legend Odysseus does not see his family - including his son Telemachus - for twenty years as his journey home from the Trojan War is extended by adversity and many adventures. In our more recent mythology, we have figures such as the Lone Ranger and Zorro, who perform heroic feats, unfettered by wives and children. Commercials tell us that any young boy can become a real man by joining the Marines, getting physically tough and proving himself on the battlefield.

These mythic images of solitary men no longer apply to our modern lives. It is time we reevaluate the merits of our old-fashioned male archetypes - the distant warrior, the lone adventurer, the fearless hero - and reconsider what we as society expect and need from our boys and men, and what they need from us.

Although males express themselves in hundreds of ways, American culture tends to limit boys and men to extremely narrow definitions of behavior. What follows are several categories you may be familiar with:

THE STURDY OAK: Men should be stable, stoic and independent. A man never shows weakness. Boys are not to share pain or grieve openly. Boys are considered to have broken this guideline, for instance, if they whimper, cry or complain - or sometimes even if they simply ask for an explanation in a confusing or frightening situation.

The Sturdy Oak requirement drains boys’ energy because it calls upon them to perform a constant ‘acting job’ - to pretend to be confident when they may feel afraid, sturdy when they may feel shaky, independent when they may feel desperate for love, attention, and support.

GIVE ‘EM HELL: This is the stance of some of our sports coaches, of roles played by John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Bruce Lee, a stance based on the false self, of extreme daring, bravado and attraction to violence.

This injunction seems larger than the myth that ‘boys will be boys’- the misconception that somehow boys are biologically wired to act like macho, high-energy, even violent supermen. This aspect of male expectations leads many boys to ‘dare’ each other to engage in risky behaviors, while many parents often shrug off their son’s injuries, assuming that they are simply ‘normal’.

Rusty Age 7:
Setting The World On Fire
(adapted from Real Boys)

Rusty was a ‘fire setter.’ Children who start fires frighten psychologists even more than extremely violent children, because the impulse is poorly understood and may lead to serious harm to large numbers of people. But his didn’t seem to jibe with little Rusty’s sad eyes, meek demeanor, and sudden outbursts of tearfulness when he was confronted with his ‘crime.’

Sent to a locked psychiatric unit after he had induced two older boys to pour some lighter fluid on a pile of wood behind his housing project and to light a fire, Rusty, age seven, did not deny his actions. He didn’t show remorse either. Rather, Rusty seemed to be in a dreamlike state, disconnected from the seriousness of the events. People began to throw around diagnoses and suggestions for treatment, and it was determined that Rusty’s conduct disorders could involve ADD as well.

Rusty’s parents were of little help, as his mother felt that Rusty was ‘too clingy’, being the ‘baby’ of the family, so she had pushed him to spend more time at school and Little League. Rusty’s father had divorced his mother when Rusty was five, and he rarely, if ever, visited.

A request was made that Rusty come together in one room with his mother and father and talk about this boy’s pain. Arranging the meeting wasn’t easy, but it did finally take place. As might be expected, Rusty clung to his mother as soon as she entered, with her gently trying to redirect his attention. Then his father arrived. Rusty’s whole face appeared to change in structure: he beamed as he ran to embrace his father. Rusty’s dad was wearing some kind of badge—no surprise, as he worked as an investigator for the police department. In fact, Rusty’s father investigated ‘fires of suspicious origin’ for the city and he had often brought Rusty along on the job.

No victim of ADD, no veteran ‘fire setter’: Rusty was a sad little boy who had lost his emotional bonds with mother and father and was calling out through conduct and action—typical boy approaches—for love and response.

Luckily, most boys diagnosed with conduct or activity disorders don’t light fires. But perhaps by acting out, those boys are attempting through the language of behavior to light fires under us, to give us a wake-up call to their pain and desperation, feelings that will not be cured with medications or behavior modification.


Jack Hutslar, PhD
North American Youth Sport Institute . . . est 1979
www.naysi.com
800 767-4916