There are two kinds of parents who really bug a conscientious, caring Coach. Here is #1.

“I have never been a winner but my son is going to be a winner.”

Those are the words of Emmet Rucker — no, not the spoken words. In fact, Emmet would be surprised and indignant if the Coach were to ask, “Don’t you think that you’re trying to become successful through the efforts of your child, Tom? Let’s listen in as Emmet talks to Tom:

“Well, son, we have a lot of work to do to get you ready for the regional Tiddly Winks championships.”

“But, Dad, I am only 9 years old and some of the guys there are 12 years old. They will cream me.”

“I know that, Tom, but it is never too early to learn how to compete. And you should compete against players who are better than you. If my dad had started me out early enough, I would have been a champ. I never made it to the top but I am going to help you get there. I bought a new gizmo to help strengthen the muscles in your hands, I put new felt on the board so it’s like the one they’ll have at the tournament, and I set up a schedule for you to practice with a new coach. You need to cut down some of that time you been wasting on that computer, but it will pay off.”

“But, Dad, I love to work on the computer and I am learning how to write stories and …”

“You know, Tom, sometimes you simply do not appreciate what your Mom and I do for you kids. Like right now your Mom is working with your sister to make her a Ball and Jacks champ just like she was when she was a kid.”

“But Rachel wants to be the champ. I don’t”

“Now cut that out, Tom. You are beginning to sound like your brother, Ben. He had a great future in playing Scrabble. Could have gone all the way to the nationals, but he quit — embarrassed the whole family. Now it’s him and his stupid guitar. He’s even flunking Algebra. And the way he’s dressing! I don’t know where he went wrong.”

Instant Analysis:

1. Emmet is dealing with his goals instead of Tom’s goals.

2. Emmet and his wife are pleased with Rachel because she has accepted the same goals are theirs. Let’s hope that Rachel really wants them to be her goals and is not knuckling under to the pressure. We will see if she continues her quest or if she decides it is really not worth it and quits.

3. Emmet is not going to take any responsibility for Ben’s decision to quit the task they marked off for him. In fact, he is going to blame him for being strong enough to go his own way, for “going wrong.”

Are You an Emmet? Check the Appropriate Box:

___ Nope, that’s not me and will never be me.

___ Wow! That’s too close for comfort. Thanks for pointing this out to me.

___ Yes, that’s me and I will continue dealing with my child in this correct way.

Sometimes we parents blur the line between who we are and who our kids are. We don’t let them become the unique, special persons that they are and will be. It is our job, as parents, to make our children independent of us.

Peter S. Pierro, EdD parentscoachesasteam.com

Dr. Peter Pierro is a coach and parent who is concerned about how our young athletes are treated by their coaches and parents. He has degrees in Psychology, History, and Education from Northern Illinois University. He played professional softball, semi-pro baseball, college basketball, and with an all-star U.S. Navy basketball team. He coached jr./sr. high school basketball, a women’s softball team, a 12 and under boys baseball team, and was commissioner of a boys baseball league. He has been a consultant/contributor to the Amateur Softball Association and the Oklahoma Soccer Association. Dr. Pierro has taught in elementary, junior and senior high schools and has been Professor of Education at Elmhurst College and Oklahoma University.

James Malinchak is an expert youth and college inspirational speaker, who also specialises in the business of money. His youth, experience, success and enthusiasm has earned him the title of “America’s Hottest Young Speaker”, a title which I personally think is well deserved.

James was a former stockbroker before he became a public speaker at age 25 when he released his first book From College to the Real World, and from the success of the book started speaking to college and high school students all around America. Since then he has delivered over 2,200 speeches worldwide to a variety of audiences and has authored eight books. He has also spoken at events with former Boxing Champion George Foreman, creator of TV his show ‘Kids Say The Darndest Things’ Art Linkletter and basketball super-star Michael Jordan. He is also a contributing author to the internationally acclaimed book series, Chicken Soup for the Soul.

James has developed numerous products online for both youth and speakers. His main product is Big Money Speaker, a membership site devoted to becoming a youth speaker and the business of speaking. He has also created:

College Speaking Success Homestudy Course

How To Make Big Money As A Speaker As A Speaker Homestudy Course

He has also authored many books which can be purchased online, including Success Starts With Attitude, Teenagers Tips for Success and How to Be a Master Networker.

James has successfully conquered the business of public speaking, thus he is more than qualified to discuss the issue of becoming rich in public speaking. Also his experience in public speaking to high school and college students make him the number one person to talk about how to capture the attention of teenagers and young adults. His youth and energy makes him someone who can easily motivate you to do anything. His main ethos is to just get up on stage and do it, which is an important message for any new speaker.

However, he is also well known to shun technical training, therefore if you are looking for information on how to write and perform a speech, he is probably not someone who you would turn to.

You can find more information about James Malchinak at www.malchinak.com. Here you can find information about how to purchase his products, books and how to book him at your public speaking event.

Want more information about Public Speaking? Visit Christopher Carlin’s new website to read more articles, resources and expert reviews.

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http://www.successful-speaking.com

If you are planning to spend a vacation or holiday in Orlando or at Disney World, then one of the first things you need to do is to figure out what kind of accommodations are best for you. Are you coming with your whole family or coming with a few friends? If so, then one of the best things you can do is to get an Orlando villa rental rather than reserving rooms in a hotel.

Renting a villa or vacation home has become a preference for savvy vacationers in Orlando due to several factors including convenience, luxury, location and above all economy.

The convenience factor is due to the fact that many of the villa rentals are located within minutes of Disney World. You will not have to spend much time in your car going to and from Disney World or other attractions. In fact, if you chose a villa in a resort community like Windsor Hills, you won’t have to drive at all.

Windsor Hills is a gated community located 1.5 from the gates of Disney World. The resort offers a shuttle bus service to Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios. But that is not all you get in this community.

Each home and villa at Windsor Hills features a master suite with king or queen size bed, TV and a master bathroom with a garden tub and separate shower. All vacation homes and rental villas have a private screened swimming pool with spa and all townhomes have a small pool. Each has a fully equipped kitchen with breakfast area and formal dining area, TV, VCR or DVD player and a washer and dryer. Homes are available with game rooms that include billiards, table tennis and air hockey along with play stations for kids.

That is not all you get when you rent a villa in a community like Windsor Hills. The community also offers a variety of recreation and activities for all ages including a children’s playground, state-of-the-art fitness center, sand volleyball, basketball and tennis courts, 40-seat movie theatre, video arcade and billiards.

While you get all these community services similar to what you would get in a hotel, you also have the privacy of your own home or villa. You can have a barbeque outside your private pool at night. Put your kids to sleep in their own rooms and enjoy the comfort of a spacious villa.

It sounds ideal, and it is ideal especially when you consider the price. A four bedroom home or villa at Windsor Hills starts at $160 per night. Can you get four bedrooms, a private pool and all the amenities I have listed above for $160 per night in any hotel in Orlando? The answer is no, and that is why thousands of visitors have chosen to stay in Orlando villa rentals rather than hotels.

Take a look at the villas that are on offer on this website and make your reservation now. The best villas are usually rented months in advance and if you wait to the last moment you will miss out on great opportunities.

Mark Whichard writes frequently about Orlando tourism. He is the proprietor of http://www.qualityvillarentals.com. Visit his website for great deals on Orlando Villa Rentals.

Some teams are very aggressive on defense and try to pressure the ball as much as they can. When this happens you could easily find yourself in a situation where two or more players are chest-to-chest with you trying to get the ball after you have picked up your dribble. This is called a defensive trap. This article explains how effective players should handle trap situations.

#1 Avoid the Trap

Why even get trapped in the first place? Traps are typically set to happen at certain spots on the floor. If you notice those spots and avoid them then you are in good shape. I know that sometimes it can’t be avoided and we’ll cover those situations, but for now realize that most situations can be avoided by being smart and knowing what the defense wants to do. Most teams like to trap in corners so try to keep the ball in the middle of the floor. If you find yourself nearing a sideline try to make a pass or make a quick dribble getaway.

#2 Don’t Panic

You have teammates to help you. When in doubt you can probably call timeout. But teams want to force you to panic and make a poor choice. Don’t give in. Stay in a basketball position and learn to pivot. Every good player should be able to pivot in all directions without losing position. That means you stay low to the ground and maintain your space. I was watching a professional player during the playoffs get trapped and the player didn’t pivot correctly at all. He simply leaned back and lost his position and turned the ball over. This was a PRO player. It should never happen.

#3 Know the Rules

Once you pick up your dribble you have 5 seconds to make a decision. That may seem quick but you have teammates there to help you. Like I said earlier, most traps are done in the corners. I tell my players to attempt to keep their dribble if they can because it creates more options. If you give up your dribble and you are trapped then you are relying on everyone else to assist you out of the situation. You don’t want that if possible.

#4 Split the Trap

This is where you go in between the two players that are trapping. This isn’t done by everyone and needs to be a strong move. If you are afraid of contact then it won’t work for you. Make sure you are low to the ground and push right in between the defenders using your body to protect the ball. Be strong with the ball and don’t shy away from contact.

#5 Back the Ball off

This is my favorite way to avoid the trap. When I see the defenders in their trap position I simply take two hard fast dribbles backward and change direction. It works and it forces the defense to shift focus. Often it causes the defense to chase the ball and can create easy offensive opportunities if done right. If you learn to back the ball off to avoid pressure and you’ll be very hard to press.

#6 Score

When you beat a trap it creates an offensive advantage. Take advantage and score the ball. The more easy buckets you get the quicker the defense will come out of the trap in the first place. Punish them for what they are doing and force them to change. The point of offense is to score as many easy points as possible and that happens by taking advantage of situations. When a team presses you and traps you and you beat it, then you need to score quickly to get them to change. Nothing beats a trap like scoring 12 points on 6 layups in 6 possessions.

Brian Schofield is a former division I college basketball player and the sr. writer for HoopSkills.com. By visiting that site you’ll find more of his expert basketball training advice.

The easiest way to jazz up a scrapbooking page is with scrapbook stickers. There is no tricky or confusing technique that you have to learn to use them. They are quick and easy to apply. They are inexpensive. And best of all, they come in every design that you could possibly imagine!

The manufactures in the scrapbooking industry continue to wow us with fabulous design after fabulous design. Whether you are doing a page about basketball, your best friend’s new baby or your aunt’s visit, there is a sticker for everything.

There are also several different types of stickers. The most popular is the flat sticker. These can be matte, glossy, sparkly, glittery, pearl - any finish you like really. Most are precision cut but some do come with a white border. These are the types of stickers you grew up with, although now they are acid and lignin free to ensure your memories are well-preserved.

Cardstock stickers are also popular. They are precision cut so you do not end up with unwanted borders around your stickers. They are also relatively thick so that unevenness in the background they are stuck to does not show through the sticker.

Dimensional stickers like those made by Jolee’s Boutique continue to grow in popularity as they allow us to add dimension and texture to our pages with little efforts. Their composition generally includes non-paper items like fabric, beads and gemstones that are often tricky and time-consuming to use any other way.

With so many choices available, you will have no trouble finding what you want. The only trouble you may have is deciding which scrapbook stickers are your favourite!

Visit http://www.stickersnfun.com to discover 100s of designs of scrapbook stickers to suit any page. Don’t forget to sign up for the free newsletter so you don’t miss any of the free scrapbooking ideas.

When you are playing a competitive sport such as basketball, players will usually do anything possible to gain some type of advantage over the opposition. Players will do whatever it takes to get the win.

In the game of basketball there are a few things that separate the normal players from the really good players. One of these things is a players vertical jump. Players spend hours working on different vertical jump exercises in order to increase vertical jump.

Jumping plays a big part in the game of basketball. Without the ability to jump high, your effectiveness is really cut down. You can’t grab rebounds, you can’t attack the basket, you can’t block any shots. There is just so much that is not available to you with not being able to jump higher.

Here are a few vertical jump exercises you can do at home.

Toe Raises

Start out by standing straight with your arms to your sides. Slowly lift yourself up on your toes and when you reach the top, slowly lower yourself back down. Do 3 sets of 30 repetitions. Another way to increase the effectiveness of this workout is to perform this workout on the edge of some steps. Do the workout the same way and you will see that is is more effective.

Lunges

A great workout to help increase vertical. Stand straight with your arms to your sides. Take a step forward as far as possible. Make sure your knee is above your foot. Hold that position for two seconds. Return to the starting position. Perform the same technique with the other leg. Do this 15 to 20 repetitions of this workout. As you get better, increase the number.

Squats

One of the most effective workouts to increase vertical jump. Stand straight with your arms to your sides. Slowly bend your knees and crouch down as far down as possible, the rise back up to a starting position. Remember to do this workout slowly and to remain consistent. That is the most crucial thing about this workout. If you are consistent, you will increase vertical jump. Do 15 to 20 repetitions of this workout. As you get better, increase the number.

Is it really possible to add 6 inches to your vertical jump in the next 60 days? Check out my reviews of the top Vertical Jump Programs on the market.

Summer Camp Programs are perhaps the best way for students to spend their summer holidays. Summer camp programs include ordinary sports and educational camp programs to adventure tripping camps for teens, youth, and youth groups. Some of the main summer camp programs offered include ice hockey, whitewater kayaking, canoeing, basketball camp, rafting, field hockey, cross country running, rock climbing, football, fencing, golf, sailing, tennis, lacrosse, softball, swimming, soccer, mountain biking, wrestling, and windsurfing.

There are mainly three types of summer camp programs - day camps, residential camps, and travel programs. Day camp programs are offered for children from all age groups. Residential camps are mostly offered for children in the age group of 8 to 16. Travel camps are generally limited to children 14 to 18 years old. Sleep-away camp programs are offered throughout the United States and worldwide.

There are several organizations that solely deal with summer camp programs. But selecting an ideal summer camp program from these organizations will be a difficult task. In the case of parents selecting a summer camp program for the child, it is better to ask him or her which camp program he/she would like to join. Once the child states a preference, one can search a camp directory to know about the various camps organized, by specialty and location. The Internet is a great resource for information in this regard. The American Camping Association (ACA) accredits camps that feature all the necessary requirements. Selecting an ideal summer camp program which offers outstanding coaching by motivated trainers and energetic directors will help children increase their potential in a particular area, acquire better study habits and achieve their goals.

Summer Programs provides detailed information on Summer Programs, Summer Camp Programs, Summer School Programs, Summer Program For High School Students and more. Summer Programs is affiliated with Day Camp.

So you want to jump higher? For every athletic goal, there is a workout. There are workouts to run faster, workouts to play a better defense, workouts to throw better. So, of course there are workouts to jump higher. In fact, given how crucial a good jump is to several different sports, it’s surprising there aren’t more of them.

There are actually quite a few workouts to jump higher out there, on the shelves in bookstores, on websites, and of course the mega-athletes have trainers designing workouts just for them. Unfortunately, the rest of us can’t afford the kind of trainers the pros can, and finding a good prepackaged workout, isn’t always easy.

A good workout to jump higher needs to be based on the physical mechanics of jumping. A jump requires both strength and speed, and any workout that isn’t focusing on both won’t give you what you need. What else should you look for in a good training program?

Target
Every training program is written with someone in mind; a pro athlete, a student striving for a scholarship, or a weekend warrior. Make sure that whoever the program was written for, it fits you. If you play on the company team and looking for a better jump shot, a program that requires several hours in the gym each day probably won’t fit your schedule. On the other hand, if you are training every day for that scholarship, then you need a program that is going to push you as far as you can go.

Success
Don’t believe anything you read, but be wary of any prepackaged training program that doesn’t have a lot of satisfied customers. It doesn’t hurt to check around and see what program is recommended by the experts either. There are plenty of websites that rate training programs. Don’t hesitate to use them.

A Great Workout
Obviously, no prepackaged workout is going to tell you everything up front, but reading through the official description and the testimonials can give you a pretty good idea of what the workout is about. If you like what you see, and think this is the workout for you, go for it!

If you are ready to seriously start looking for the perfect workout, why wait? For a program, with a wide target, high success rate, and great workouts to jump higher; check out the Vertical Project. http://www.vertical-leap.info