Posts Tagged ‘Players’
Why Hockey Players Must Train Like They Play
Determining how to condition properly for hockey is a controversial subject that is debated by coaches from the atom ranks all the way up to the pros. When it comes to designing an off-season training program, most experts agree on how to best develop strength, speed and power in young hockey players, but there is always disagreement on how to best develop conditioning.
Slow & Steady Does NOT Win the Race
The game of hockey is characterized by short, explosive, high-intensity efforts interspersed with periods of complete rest. The best hockey players in the world are the ones who are strong, fast, agile and powerful – not those who can run at 10 miles in the fastest time. Hockey is simply not an endurance sport. In fact, the best players on the ice tend to be the ones who perform poorly on off-ice tests of endurance.
The challenge is that players feel as though they are becoming more fit for hockey by focusing on increasing their endurance in the off-season. Players who go for long slow distance runs over the summer will definitely develop their endurance, but this enhancement will come at the expense of their ability to perform at the highest intensity level consistently throughout the game.
Do You Want to Be “Fit” or “Fast”?
Ultimately, on the issue of proper conditioning for hockey, it comes down to choosing between being aerobically ‘fit’ or being strong, fast and powerful. Players must make a trade-off when it comes to conditioning. They can either possess a high level of endurance or game-breaking speed and quickness. It is physiologically impossible to develop both of these qualities to their highest extent in athletes.
Elite hockey players are speed and power athletes and must train to enhance those qualities. Players must develop their ability to perform repeated high-intensity intervals and maintain their ‘jump’ and explosiveness throughout an entire game, instead of focusing on their ability to go for long distances at a moderate pace.
In the majority of cases, young players are simply unaware that the endurance training they are devoting so much time and energy to is actually detrimental to their overall performance on the ice.
Bottom line: When young players focus on doing long slow distance training instead of high-intensity interval-based training, they are quite often training themselves OUT of hockey shape and are making themselves SLOW.
Football Can Be Enjoyed by Players, Fans and Collectors
A football jersey may be mass produced or custom made. The mass produced football jersey is the economical choice. A customer can choose the fabric, color, lettering and numbers when customizing a football jersey. Other choices for customization include length of sleeve and neckline shape.
Generally, the fabrics that are used to create a football jersey range from mesh, micromesh, polyester, Spandex, knit, twill and cotton blends. The fabrics are chosen because they are comfortable, durable, stretch, breathe and wash well under the circumstances. Depending on the weather, the jersey material may be lightweight or heavy.
The modern fabrics used in the construction of the football jersey are an improvement on football jersey material of the 1800s and later. The early football jersey were knit woolen shirts. Although these woolen jerseys were warm, they were prone to damage and soiling. Today, the woollen fabric is more expensive than the lightweight synthetic materials that are commonly used to make the modern football jersey.
Authentic jerseys have a larger size range than the football jerseys that are not authentic. An authentic jersey has a generous amount of room at the shoulders to accommodate the player’s shoulder pads. As well, an authentic football jersey needs extra length on the jersey because the shoulder pads will lift the shirt up on the wearer.
Feminine football fans can enjoy wearing a football jersey advertising their favorite football team. Football jerseys are available in women’s sizes similar to men’s sizes. Typically, women’s jerseys can be purchased in sizes ranging from small to extra large. A women’s football jersey has a smaller and more fitted shape. Youth sizes are available in S, M, L and XL for younger fans, too.
The autographed jersey is highly prized among fans and collectors. Many fans are lucky enough to have gotten an autographed jersey from their favorite player. Some autographed jerseys are auctioned off to the highest bidder for charity, public or private collection.
While football players choose from all two digit numbers for their number, there is a favorite number that pops up many times among football players on different teams. One of the most popular numbers that professional football players wear is the number 88. Football players, such as Marvin Harrison, Tony Gonzales, Michael Irvin, Alan Page and Lynn Swann, have chosen 88 as their number. 88 is also a popular number for fan football
jerseys.
Even though a football jersey was designed for the football player, the game’s popularity has made the football jersey a favorite apparel item among many football fans. Not only can the fan show support for their team, the comfort of the shirt enhances the wearer’s experience in the shirt. This effect is because the wearer is meant to be so comfortable and able to move in any direction possible necessary to make that touchdown.
The football jersey is a functional piece of clothing that has been adapted for everyday wear. The lightweight fabric, optional sleeve length, vibrant colors and affiliation with the game of football make the football jersey desirable enough to be worn in different seasons.
Independent Professional Baseball Players: Why They Play For Such Little Money
If you have attended an independent professional baseball game then you know that the level of play is equivalent to different levels of the regular “affiliated” Minor Leagues. What is not known by many fans, however, is how little money many of the independent baseball players make.
Unlike many jobs across North America, independent baseball players do not have a union or company department like Human Resources. They can be released almost at any time, for almost any reason, and there is usually nothing in their contracts which guarantees any sort of payment after players retire. When told all about this, many fans say, “Why would these players do that?!?”
Here are a few of the reasons:
A genuine love of the game: Many players in independent baseball believe that they have been overlooked by the Major League teams’ scouting departments. They genuinely believe that they deserve a chance to be in an “affiliated” farm team with one of the Major League organizations; and they truly love playing baseball. Many fans whom have attended independent baseball games comment on the hustle and passion of the players. A player who believes that he was overlooked may play with a “chip on his shoulder” in order to prove that he belongs with a Major League-affiliated farm team.
A need to be closer to home: Often, there are a few guys in each independent league who genuinely belong in a higher level of baseball. For whatever reason, however, they need to be closer to home with a less-grueling travel schedule. Sometimes players just started a family, others need to help out with a sick family member, and others need the support of friends and family in order to be comfortable with playing at the professional level.
A desire to continue his career in baseball: Many players will play in an independent baseball league in order to gain credibility for his post-playing career. Certain players want to manage or coach in professional baseball, others want to coach at the college level, and others want to transition to the front office of a professional sports team after they retire.
A need for camaraderie: If you have ever watched any documentary about “life in the minors” then you know that the players love playing baseball, enjoy crazy antics with their teammates, playing cards in the clubhouse, and the chance to develop lifelong friends especially on those long bus trips! If a player is good enough to be considered professional then many will take the opportunity to play in the independent leagues because he knows how competitive the demand is. Other players from around the continent are more than willing to take his spot, so he knows that he part of an elite level of baseball even though it is considered to be independent of the affiliated organizations.
A chance to rebuild his career: Sometimes an extremely talented player ends up in an independent league due to an injury, salary cap move, or simply due to “politics” in organized baseball. Such a player will play on an independent baseball team in order to prove to scouts that he is healthy, willing to go back at a more economical price, or simply that the other team which released him made a mistake. In a given year, dozens of players in independent baseball sign contracts with affiliated Minor League teams; and each year a few will get to play in the Major Leagues.
The next time you see an independent baseball game, or if you meet some independent baseball players around town, now you have a better understanding of why they do what they do regardless of the price at which they play. If you ever have said that you think pro athletes need to play with more passion and that they are overpaid, then be sure to attend an independent pro baseball game. You will be pleasantly surprised!