The Role of the Assistant Basketball Coach

“The best executive is the one who has enough sense to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” Theodore Roosevelt

The role of the assistant coach will vary program-to-program. However there are several qualities that must carry-over from program-to-program. These are:

1. Loyalty: Your assistant must support you in your efforts. Over the years, I have seen a number of Head Coaches lose their jobs because the Assistant Coach chose not to support the Head Coach.

2. Integrity and Values: They are a reflection of you.

3. Character: It is what they are when no one is around. Questionable character will not only get the assistant fired, but they may take you down as well.

4. Enthusiastic: They must bring a level of enthusiasm to practice every day.

5. Motivated: Motivation gets them going. If they are motivated, and you are motivated, your players will be motivated. Make motivation a habit.

6. Goal-setters: Your assistant coaches should be setting goals for their own coaching careers. And, if they exhibit the above traits, you should assist them in achieving those goals.

The assistant coach is vital to the success of the athletic program. Good assistant coaches are necessary regardless of the sport or the size of the school. With a shortage of both teachers and coaches, good assistants may be hard to come by. Once you find a good assistant, it is your job to prepare him/her to the best of your ability.

To be a good assistant the individual must want to coach in the school system they are in. A coach who has the background and the abilities, but isn’t happy with the situation, may wind up doing more harm than good to your program. You would be better off with a person who has the desire, but not the experience to assist you.

The assistant must be willing to work hard, know what the head coach wants, and must be willing to teach it. The assistant is an extension of the head coach. When the assistant doesn’t understand or questions the head coach’s philosophy, the head coach must be willing to spend the time to teach the assistant so they understand the big picture. However, the assistant must never question the head coach during practice or a game. The time for that is during staff meetings.

The assistant coach must look and act in a professional manner. During practice the assistant must help enforce discipline. If the assistant knows of a violation of team rules, it is their job to inform the head coach. The assistant must show a caring attitude for your players both on the court and in the classroom. By nature of the beast, the players will come to the assistant when they have a problem. Players should feel free to talk about their problems with the assistant. However, there is a very fine line that the assistant coach must not cross-they are the coach and the player is the player.

The role of the assistant coach is one of long hours, low pay, and often little recognition. It is up to the head coach to show his loyalty to the assistant coach. Give credit when credit is due. If the assistant did something to help the outcome of a game, let the media know it. On the same hand, if they make a coaching mistake, support them.

The head coach must delegate responsibility to the assistant coach. Then, make sure the assistant understands what is expected. Outline responsibilities ahead of time so the assistant has time to prepare himself or herself for the job expected of them.

When an assistant needs to be corrected or criticized, do it in private. And, never do it in public or in front of your players. Be open with your assistants-encourage them to brainstorm with you. The more they feel ownership of the program, the more they will do to make the program a success.

Help them get a head-coaching job. If they have a desire to be a head coach, and they are prepared, do everything possible to assist them. Write a letter of recommendation and make a phone call on their behalf. Don’t be neutral-if they’re not ready, tell them why they are not ready. Evaluate them so they can grow!

Some Examples of Assistant Coaches Game Day Duties:

a. Prior to the game: strategy – may be asked to write the game plan and match-ups on the board.
b. Check the scorebook for accuracy prior to the game – the worst thing you can do is to start the game with a technical because no one checked the book.
c. During the game: sit next to the Head Coach-Keep key game information charted. It may be to keep track of the fouls, timeouts or other pertinent game information.
d. Take game notes for half-time adjustments
e. Have the dry erase board available for the Head Coach during time-outs.
f. Help the Head Coach with Post Game Evaluation

Examples of Assistant Coaches Practice Duties:

1. Assist Head Coach with planning practice
2. Arrive early on the floor to make sure the gym is set for practice
3. Work with assigned position players
4. Help the Head Coach with stations as assigned
5. Serve as a buffer between the Head Coach and the players
6. Run the “B” team vs. the Varsity in practice scrimmages
7. Make sure the gym is picked-up after practice

Examples of Other Assistant Coaches Duties:

a. Help the Head Coach monitor academic progress. You may be asked to take charge of grade checks.
b. Scout the opponent as assigned – this may be breaking down video or seeing the opponent in person.
c. Assist the Head Coach with team scrapbook. You may be asked to keep track of any articles or photos in the area newspapers.
d. Call in game scores to the media as needed – especially when you are playing on the road.
e. Be available to break down game film upon request

Tom Hughes has been involved in coaching basketball for over 30 years. He has coached on the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. He serves as the National Program Director for the “Yes, I Can!” Basketball Camps held throughout the United States. He has written a book for coaches, Power Thoughts for Coaching Basketball – Innovative Coaching Ideas.

Tom has been writing a motivational newsletter, Motivational Moments since April 2001. He has spoken to business organizations, civic organizations, college, and high school groups, faculty and staff workshops and sports teams. His most popular program topics are Leadership, Teamwork, Attitude, Goal Setting, and Improving Performance.

An Exposition of the Beautiful Game of Football

The game of football is the number one sport in the world, with an estimated viewing audience exceeding more than 2 billion. Since its inception by the English in the 1960′s, football has grown in leaps and bounds, with the Federation of International Football (FIFA) World Cup being the climax of the football year for both players and countries affiliated to the World Football governing body.

The game of football can be so intense that emotions may spill over like it occurred in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final held in Germany when French star Zinedine Zidane head-butted Marco Matarazzi of Italy in a moment of rage. He was instantly shown the red card and his exit paved the way for the eventual triumph of Italy.

The game is played by eleven players from two teams and each team is usually allowed to have substitutes players who are expected to sit at the reserve bench together with the team officials. Three substitutes are normally allowed in an organized game of football including the goalkeeper.

A game of football can either end in a win or a scoreless/score draw. The center referee, assistant referee 1, assistant referee 2 and the fourth referee are usually in charge of officiating in the round leather game from the start to the end of the game.

In some countries like the United States of America and Canada, the game is referred to as Soccer, while it is popularly called Football in the rest part of the world. This popular sport consists of four departments- goalkeeping, defence, midfield and attack. The ability to coordinate all four departments will determine the success or failure of a team.

The English Premier League is presently the most glamorous and lucrative football league in the world while the Brazilian national football team- The Samba boys, are the most successful football nation in the history of the game.

Some common features that must be present in a standard field of play include: the center circle, the goal post, the corner flag post, the corner arc, the half way line, the penalty area and the penalty arc. These important features are usually marked with white paint to ensure that players see them properly in the course of a match.

Some popular football leagues in the world include the Spanish La Liga, the German Bundesliga, the French Ligue 1, the Italian Serie A and the Portuguese Liga. Some notable football players include:

  • Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele)
  • Diego Armando Maradona
  • Cristiano Ronaldo
  • Lionel Messi
  • Augustine Okocha
  • Luis Figo

Pink Basketball: Great Quality for Great Cause

Basketball has been a known sport all over the world. It is a team sport consisting five team players with the aim of having a higher score at the end of the game period. Scoring is done by shooting a ball through a basketball hoop. A set of rules and regulations are adapted in the said sports. Basic equipments used are basketball, a basketball court and a basketball ring. It is an art of dribbling and maneuvering the ball well. Thus, it is important that a quality basketball must also be used to provide a coarse surface for maximum handling or griping. Conventional basketballs come in colors brown and orange. But to this day, making an entry is the pink basketball. This has become the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) official game ball.

The pink basketball by Wilson is made up of leather cover that ensures its moisture absorbing property, preventing slippage due to perspiration and provides great hand grip. It also has a cushioning effect due to its sponge rubber composition. It has also been promoted globally by the Women Basketball Coaches Association. This is to create and spread breast cancer awareness all over the world as pink has been the symbolic color for the breast cancer society. In addition, another pallet by Wilson has been created. This is the pink purple mini basketball. This is developed as a recreational tool for toddlers. It is made up of recessed rubber suitable for maximum grip and great for recreational plays. It is perfect for children as an essential tool to initiate basketball interest among children. It has also been used for practices, amateur games and warm up games among some schools.

To this day, there have been a number of charity games that supported this product to collect an amount of funds that will further be used for breast cancer patients’ welfare. For every purchase of each pink basketball, a part of it is donated to the foundation. So if you are to buy basketballs for school or for personal use, you may consider this one. Thus, it is a product of great quality for great cause.

Crumb Rubber Infill – Toxic Doubts Creates Consumer Awareness

As a Connecticut community begins to explore the use of synthetic grass surfaces for local high school sports fields, a well-known, widely used job material called crumb rubber infill seems to take center stage.

Crumb rubber infill is generally made from processed and reclaimed (recycled) tire rubber. Town meeting officials, presenting plans for upcoming projects, find themselves fielding questions such as: “Recycled tire rubber is a waste product, isn’t it?” Whispers of mosquito infested tire heaps and smoldering piles of hazardous materials circulate the room; uncertainty is voiced as challenges: “Is it safe? Has it been tested?”

Considering what most of us assume to know about recycled tires, anyone can see why a layperson, unfamiliar with the job materials used to install a synthetic sport field system, might become concerned and call “FOUL BALL”; demanding proof of the recycled tire crumbs’ safety and validation of its need of use.

If familiarity breeds contempt, lack of it feeds doubt. In the case of the use of recycled crumb rubber, these doubts may cost one East Coast state $200,000 as concerned citizens of Westport, CT demand a moratorium on the building of new fields and testing of existing local projects already in use; claiming not enough is known about the potential of risks, if any, from the recycled crumb rubber infill.

The use of synthetic turf materials has been a sports-driven, field centric market for over 40 years and until recently, an investment made only by the sports elite; a group well known to spend lavishly on the safety and performance of their primary asset, their players. It may be a stark way of putting it, yet sports, for profit, is exactly that and bottom line, if the value, safety and performance proposition wasn’t there, neither would the demand for synthetic fields or the materials or expertise to build them.

Indoor and outdoor stadiums, covered in artificial surfaces abound, and safety testing and product improvements have been a priority for profit and non-profit organizations, alike. As the adoption of faux grass surfaces grows outside the traditional sports market, the exposure of synthetic grass products to new consumers provides an opportunity to talk about their value and uses to everyone; professional and layman, alike.

What we “laymen” probably don’t know is that there are environmental agencies of several North American and European countries, along with international sports authorities, schools, universities and sports organizations playing watch-dog over this conversation, as well as, every professional in the field of sports. They’ve been doing this for years. We [laymen] are not “alone” in our desire to make wise and educated decisions for our communities, our teams, and our families.

Unfortunately, there are a few mis-quoted “sound bites” and data points that tend to find their way into discussions and are interpreted as fact …. mostly hype and mis-information spawned by the lobbyists of the $40 billion dollar “natural” grass industry, driven by the efforts of Turf Producers International (TPI)*.

Mis-information or mis-interpretation will always stir things up; especially when you start talking about using relatively unknown and “un-natural” sounding products such as poly-olefin fibers with poly-urethane coated backings and recycled tire rubber infill, up close and personal with our children, family members and pets. As to the expense of additional studies, it’s always important to take a critical look at any system, every few years. Maybe these studies can help develop even better products for the future.

Synthetic turf represents approximately 0.02% of all the lawn and natural grass surfaces installed and maintained annually in the US, yet there are hundreds of millions of square feet of these products installed all over the planet in every conceivable set of environmental conditions. Because of their “nature” – artificial surfaces usually abound where grass could not or would not grow effectively.

Reality is, NFL Teams and amateur sports associations, care just as much about their players as you and I do about our families and communities. Before the first field was ever laid in the early 1960s, safety has driven the development of synthetic turf products and systems. Research and test studies, conducted by users, municipalities, environmental protection agencies, water districts, national and international sports associations that set safety standards have accumulated data spanning years; it all consistently shows that artificial grass and crumb rubber infill are safe and beneficial products.

Westport officials reviewed public concerns and are displaying their confidence in the results of existing, published studies and reports by moving forward to break ground on their much needed sports field projects. State officials have also committed to funding the two year testing program, so those community members who want to can monitor their concerns with tangible, verifiable and authoritative results, from their own backyard.

What Is Infill and Why Is It Needed?

Let’s start with the first generation of artificial turf that was installed, as a field, in the early 1960s, just a few years before the well-known AstroDome installation. It was a single, integrated surface, built of layers of synthetic materials and durable, artificial blades. Now, in their third generation, artificial turf surfaces resemble shag-like carpets, lushly tufted with soft, natural looking fibers and an additional component called infill.

Infill is spread across the TOP of the grass blades so that the materials will fill the voids in between the synthetic fibers and cover the backing, helping protect it and the base of the blade fibers from ultra-violet damage. Infill also provides weight, to hold the surface materials in place and additional structure to the surfaces, increasing vertical and horizontal strength, stability and resiliency for a safe, playable surface.

Four Types of Infill

Early guidelines for infill materials specified the use of small grains of fine silica sand. Current choices include recycled (SBR) and new rubber (EPDM) pellets (or crumb), round dust-less acrylic coated silica granules and (currently under development and testing in European markets) synthetic pellets (or beadlets) made from custom blended components called thermoplastic elastomers or (TPE).

Each type of infill has it’s own set of properties. The most commonly used, due to its effectiveness, availability and reasonable cost is recycled crumb rubber or SBR. Product quality can vary in the raw materials source, how it is processed, packaged and handled. Though most crumb rubber is sourced from within North American borders, imported materials are available and may not meet US standards.

No Slam Dunk – System Solutions Are Built to Perform and Last

System integrators and sports field builders engineer each field to specifications for local conditions and use. Plans specify materials, site preparation, excavation, drainage and base construction customized for each installation and budget. Systems have been developed over years of real-world, in-the-field experiences; honing each process and job material to optimize the complete set of components to deliver safety, durability, playability, along with a natural look and feel.

Professional builders using artificial turf materials for landscape and leisure sports uses, such as lawns, putting greens, tee lines, chipping areas and bocce ball courts, share the benefits of all the years of sport field product development with the home and commercial property owner. Recent fiber and tufting enhancements have evolved new styles that increase the appeal of faux grass materials to the property owner.

Landscape and leisure sports builders provide their own branded synthetic turf solutions, design and installation expertise, and base their product offerings upon best business practices for the project’s site, design and use goals.

Why a Neutral Spinal Alignment is Important

Research suggests that many back problems result from a combination of poor posture and body mechanics which create abnormal stress on the spine. This stress can eventually develop into structural changes in the spine which manifest as disc and joint degeneration, shortening or lengthening of support ligaments and muscles together with wear and tear on cartilage. All of these changes can lead to pain.

The key elements to keeping your spine healthy are learning and practicing good posture, using good body mechanics during everyday activities together with regular exercise.

The basis of effective back care begins with good posture. Poor posture can cause spinal pain as well as exacerbate existing pain, it can also delay rehabilitation. Poor posture has been associated with chronic headaches, Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) and shoulder pain.

People spend hours during their daily activities lifting, bending forward and sitting. Consider your lifestyle, how many times during the day do you compromise your spine when lifting, bending, or sitting at your computer.
If you can master maintaining a neutral spine, retaining the three natural curves of the spine as you move from one position to the next you will be closer to protecting your spine from unnecessary stress and strain. It is clear that once the spine is placed in a neutral position it needs to be kept there and it is the postural muscles that achieve this.

The muscles that hold the spine in correct alignment are found deep in the body close to the spine they are referred to as stabilisers naturally, because this is their function, to help stabilise the spine in readiness for activity.

These deep abdominals respond most effectively to a gentle contraction and together with a neutral pelvic alignment and a lateral thoracic (wide and full) breath create the correct intra-abdominal pressure to assist with spinal stability. (Richardson et al 1996, Queensland University). Another good reason to locate and activate them.

The deep abdominals or postural muscles are also commonly called the core. The core, simply, is the muscles that connect your lower body to your upper body, it is made up of four major muscles:

The Transversus Abdominis (TA) The Pelvic Floor The Diaphragm The Multifidus

The transversus abdominis (TA) is the body’s natural corset. It’s the muscle you use to pull in your tummy when you walk along the beach! The T.A. connects at the left of the spine, wraps around the abdomen attaching to the ribs and hips, until it reaches the right side, encasing the internal organs. The more superficial abdominal muscles that give you a six pack are layered on top of these support muscles. However if you want those washboard abs., to stay flat you will need to work your core as well as trim the fat and work the more aesthetic muscles. Of course another important function of the TA is to assist with spinal stability which is essential for good posture.

The pelvic floor (PF) are those muscles you use when you need a toilet and can’t find one. You will also be aware of them when you cough or sneeze as they tend to tense spontaneously under this pressure.

Unfortunately people generally do not pay enough attention to these important muscles. The PF is the structure, not unlike a basket that holds in and supports the abdominal organs, stablise the hips in association with the core and helps with balance as well as reducing the risk of stress incontinence.

(The diaphragm is a sheet of muscle that works with the muscles of the ribs to expand and contract the ribcage during respiration (breathing). We do not often take control of the diaphragm. The way we control our diaphragm is usually through breathing; rate, rhythm and depth, you don’t focus on the muscle but the inhale and exhale. The stronger we make the diaphragm, however, the deeper, slower and more paced our breathing will be.

The multifidus runs the length of the spine, it has a unique design which provides support as well as keeping us upright by providing scaffolding for the vertebral column. Researchers for the National Institute of Health found short stiff muscles packed in a finger-like covering; it is this particular design that is responsible for the extra strength and support the multifidus gives the spine.

Unlike most muscles when the multifidus is on stretch, (when we bend forward) it gets stronger. Generally if a muscles is lengthened it has a tendency to lose strength. Obviously the multifidus is operating under different rules.

(“Our research shows that it’s the strongest muscle in the back because of its unique design” states Richard L. Lieber, PhD. Lieber is the director of the National Center for Skeletal Muscle Rehabilitation Research, a professor and Vice Chair at UCSD’s Department of Orthopedic Surgery, and a senior research scientist at the VA in San Diego.

It is clear from the information above that learning to utilise the core to initiate movement whilst in a neutral pelvic alignment will not only reduce your risk of injury and low back pain but go a long way towards improving your general posture.

You now have all this information and are aware of the value of neutral spine, using your core and breathing properly, so how can you use it?

When you are participating in your sport of choice, or exercise class, initiate all movement by using this simple system: Set the bones – Neutral Pelvis. Engage the muscles, the core and use a wide and full breath. Once you have initiated this set up you are ready to add the more superficial muscles that will move your body into action.

The muscles of the core only need a mild contraction to become activated and function effectively (Richardson et el 1996) much like a light switch, they are either on or off. Once they are on you can confidently use the large muscles for the action phase of a movement now that you have stabilised the spine and reduced the effects of stress on the spine from the activity. Try this test exercise:

Lay on your back on a mat or towel with your knees bent and feet hip width apart.

Allow your complete spine to “let go” of tension

Roll your pelvis backward and forward to find the range of movement

Place your pelvis half way between the two extremes (neutral alignment)

Exhale and gently draw your naval inward

“gently” if level 1 is no contraction and 10 is the maximum draw into level 3

Try to maintain this alignment with a gentle contraction whilst you slide your right foot along the ground, keep this a closed chain activity, with your foot always in contact with the floor

Only slide your foot as far forward as you can maintain the neutral spine, level 3 contraction of the core whilst you breathe naturally.

Repeat the movement up to 5 times on the right foot, then change to the left. This simple test of challenging your ability to move your limbs whilst maintaining the set up will demonstrate to you the subtlety of the action.

I recommend that until you are satisfied that you have your neutral set up and can maintain minimal involvement of the superficial abdominal muscles when working with low load (sliding the foot) you do not complicate matters by practicing more challenging abdominal exercises.

The purpose of first working in such a non challenging manner is to fully understand the “feeling” of the core connection. Once you are confident of course you will utilise this stabilising activation as the foundation to all abdominal exercises. Use the neutral set up as the start and finish of a movement; throughout the activity you will ensure the deep abdominals remain engaged so that all abdominal exercises are effective.

Of course you do not spend all your time exercising, throughout your day you will need to think about the value of stabilising your spine. Picking up your child for example, or taking luggage from the boot of the car require your deep abdominals to be stable before you complete the lift. The most stress is placed on the spine when it is flexed (bent forward) and loaded (lifting). Reduce your risk of injury and take a second to activate your core when necessary.

Briefly, good posture is awareness and persistence. Poor posture takes a lifetime to manifest and will take time and effort to rectify. However, perfect practice makes perfect , soon you will find your neutral alignment to be “natural”.

The benefits are not only reduced risk of injury and reduction of low back pain, but a lengthened body appears slimmer and good posture can take 10 years off your age. So what are you waiting for? Start today.

About Nuala Coombs. With over 25 years experience in the fitness and Pilates industry Nuala has taught hundreds of students worldwide to teach Pilates. She is the author of Golf and Pilates published in 2005 as well as an international presenter and teacher trainer. Based in the south of France along with teacher training and workshops she offers career guidance to teachers in training and qualified Pilates teachers at a crossroads in their working life. Nuala also offer Pilates Retreats for Pilates enthusiasts.

Toronto – A True Global City

As the second largest country in the world, Canada is a colossal land mass stretching from the Atlantic Ocean on the east, up to the Artic Ocean in the north and all the way round to the Pacific Ocean in the west. But whilst it is indeed a massive country that spans across a myriad of terrains and climates, it actually has one of the lowest population densities in the world, with only around 3.5 inhabitants per square kilometre, compared with 246 per square kilometre in the UK.

However, it would be difficult to tell this in a place such as Toronto, the largest city in Canada, and the fifth most populous municipality in the whole of North America. As Canada’s economic capital, Toronto is generally considered to be a ‘global city’, playing a major part in the world’s economic system. And like any modern metropolis, Toronto’s skyline is a sea of skyscrapers and tall buildings; in particular the CN Tower taking centre stage.

At over half a kilometre tall, the CN Tower is the world’s second-tallest freestanding structure and the tallest tower in the western hemisphere. It also has the world’s highest man-made observatory, affording spectacular views across the city below. And for those who would like to make a night of it, a fantastic revolving restaurant is located a little over half-way up the tower, offering market-fresh cuisine and a vast selection of fine wine.

It’s impossible to speak of Toronto without mentioning its famous entertainment district and its claim of being the third largest theatre-centre in the English speaking world; with a plethora of plays, musicals and operas being staged throughout the year. Furthermore, only a short walk away from the city’s main railway station is the district’s ideal central location, with a number of activities available in the form of dining and drinking, to shopping and live sports. In addition, Toronto is home to six professional major-league sports teams in baseball, hockey, basketball, football, soccer and lacrosse, whilst the city’s two main state-of-the-art sport stadiums, the SkyDome and the Air Canada Centre, are located only a few blocks from each other in Toronto’s entertainment district.

But for those who wish to explore the history of Canada’s national pastime, Toronto is also home to the Hockey Hall of Fame, hosting exhibits of legendary players and NHL teams. The MCI Great Hall, one of the fifteen exhibit areas, contains portraits and biographical information about every person who has been admitted to the hall of fame.

Hockey on Synthetic Ice

One of the very challenging aspects of transforming into a professional hockey person is the opportunity to get enough practice in on the ice. Many people that could take into account enjoying hockey expertly never have the opportunity because there just work just like ice skating rinks inside their place to practice on.

The reason behind here is the cost of developing an ice rink is prohibitive. It is not only expensive to construct, but the cost of vitality today it’s also too costly to maintain. You simply can’t just permit the ice within the rink burn it uses very little and deep freeze it for the night time or day that you might want to utilize it. It will require a long time to obtain the ice frozen for the appropriate temperature so that you can skate on. You will need to ensure that is stays iced from the rink every time.

There’s what’s promising although, technology has come up with synthetic ice. It’s not as new as it looks although. There’s been synthetic ice for some time but there were constantly numerous difficulty with to be able to practice hockey on synthetic ice. For instance, before you had to help keep an optimal covering of silicone on the plastic-type or synthetic ice to acquire the glide from the ice skates. You’ll sometimes practice hockey on synthetic ice or  attempt to play a real video game onto it.

Some of the modern synthetic ice says he will have solved all the problems of the past and today many more people have the ability to practice hockey on synthetic ice. It’s the consequence of much more individuals wanting to play hockey. As the good synthetic ice is positioned in more locations, lots more people should be able to learn to ice skate and likewise be able to practice the many positions which are required by actively playing professional hockey.

Innovative amateur skaters, as well as those previously enjoying hockey skillfully, the development and use of synthetic ice will have a serious affect the overall game of hockey. Very first, the best way to will be trying to get good enough at the game to play expertly, and second, the specialist people will be able to get more time in practicing thereby the overall game will arrive at a much more impressive range of professionalism and reliability. 

The Food Industry’s Greed – How Misleading Omega 3 Labeling Undermines American Health

There’s an Omega-3 travesty a-foot and if the American consumer doesn’t become aware of it very soon, they’ll unfortunately know first hand the day inflammation rears its ugly head – and according to Harvard, for 3 out of 4 Americans, it already has.

FDA Qualifying Health Claim for EPA and DHA

When the FDA issued a Health Qualifying Claim for “EPA and DHA” from fatty fish in 2004, “Omega-3″ became big business. So big, food manufacturers freely began substituting “ALA” (alpha-linolenic acid) for EPA and DHA in bread, cookies, pasta to yogurt and now, a line of soybean-fed pork items that are “enriched with Omega-3 fatty acids.” The double-whammy contained in one ounce of those pork items is frightening with no end, supervision, or control in sight.

Is anyone home at the FDA?

Not only was ALA not part of the FDA Qualifying claim, science conclusively shows we convert Omega-3 ALA seed and plant oils into inflammatory Omega-6. And the end result? Consumers are being hoodwinked into purchasing these products while awareness of the health benefits from EPA and DHA are being compromised. How big of an issue is this? Read on and you’ll see why the word “travesty” applies.

Omega-3 ALA

Omega-3 ALA is plant and seed oils, soybean, corn, safflower, flaxseed, all polyunsaturates, and while they may be lumped together and referred to as “Omega-3 fatty acids” all they share in common with EPA and DHA is the classification “Omega-3 fatty acids.” There’s a far cry between any health benefits from ALA and those science has conclusively contributed to EPA and DHA.

An astonishing 94% of Omega-3 products line shelves today contain ALA while 6% contain minute amounts of algae or algal oil.

Omega-6s

Why is this so critical to the American consumer? Unless you’ve led a vegetarian lifestyle for years, rarely eat out, unknowingly you’ve been consuming an abundance of Omega-6s for decades hidden deceptively in packaged foods, snacks, cakes, dressings, as well as liberally used by restaurants and fast food chains. In other words, our bodies are so tipped in Omega-6s, we were in a state of perpetual inflammation before food manufacturers began adding more ALA to boast an Omega-3 label. How bad is this?

National Institutes of Health on Omega-6 Inflammation

Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, National institutes of Health, and world renowned Omega-3 researcher, and tireless crusader for American health, says:

“When you look at the percentages of Omega-6s to Omega-3s in the US diet, it’s about 90% of all the polyunsaturates in our tissues are Omega 6s and about 10% are Omega 3s. So you had a one-to-one balance to inflammation when we were evolving, and now it’s a 10-to-one balance in favor of inflammation because of the predominance in seed oils. Soybean oil is called the lubricant of the food industry, and it literally is.”

William Lands, retired biochemist with the National Institutes of Health, had this to say:

About 1960, when “soybean oil took over the U.S. food chain, it was like a tsunami. These two types of fatty acids have a biochemical yin-and-yang relationship. While omega-3s reduce our body’s inflammation response, Omega-6s encourage it. Each fatty acid is crucial. For example, if your inflammatory response is too weak, you won’t be able to fight infection properly. And in theory, the push and pull should create perfect balance. Instead, the excess of Omega-6s in our diets may have left us in a perpetual state of inflammation. That’s what’s really killing us – the balance of Omega 3s to 6s got out of whack.”

Center for Science in the Public Interest

And Bonnie Liebman, a nutritionist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says: “It’s all very confusing. Consumers are in real danger of being misled. Even a careful label reader won’t learn, for instance that a carton of Breyers Smart DHA Omega-3 yogurt has less DHA than a teaspoon of salmon.”

Consider this. Hellmann’s Mayonnaise says “Naturally Rich In Omega-3″ but remember, it’s just a name. What’s really in it? “Most mayonnaise is made with soybean oil which is a source of ALA. But that kind of Omega-3 fat, found most abundantly in flaxseed, has not been proven to convey the same health benefits as DHA plus EPA,” Liebman says.

Omega-6s and Inflammation

That Omega-6s create inflammation that leads to diet-related disease, poor heart health, arachidonic acid, to name but a few, is scientifically established. If this information is hard to grasp, look at our health statistics. We have unprecedented numbers of childhood obesity, juvenile diabetes and with each passing year, according to Harvard, those numbers rise dramatically. Did children suddenly become ravenous eaters?

The rise in health issues and obesity crosses all age groups but this rise in children is the most telling of all. What is the common denominator? It’s not the water supply – it’s our food supply that packs pounds leaving our bodies in a perpetual state of inflammation.

How critical to health is this misleading labeling of Omega-3 ALA? Let’s look at the conclusions of a 14 year study conducted by the National Cancer Institute about ALA:

“In this large prospective study, we found that ALA from non-animal sources and ALA from meat and dairy sources were associated or suggestively associated with an increased risk of advanced prostate cancer. This finding agrees with the finding of a single previous study that evaluated ALA intake by food source. EPA + DHA was suggestively related to a lower risk of advanced prostate cancer, which was mainly due to DHA and to a lesser extent to EPA.”

It is sad and disheartening that information from prestigious medical communities, globally, with study after study showing EPA and DHA are profoundly beneficial to a myriad of health issues from diet-related to cognitive, is becoming obscured and blinded by food manufacturers’ hype. With their long reach and deep pockets, the health of a nation is on the line.

And the result? The every-day, hard-working consumer overwhelmed with little time to do any personal in-depth research assumes all Omegas are created equal.

This travesty has been detailed in a thoroughly researched and investigative expose, “The Food Industry’s Greed: How Misleading Labeling of Omega-3 Foods Undermines American Health.” Learn how this began in 2004 with the FDA Health Qualifying claim, Omega-3 labeling violations by food manufacturers, complaints filed against the FDA that are being ignored, health warnings from prestigious medical communities, and what you can do to protect your health.

Hiring a Personal Trainer – Is It Really Worth the Money?

I recently had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine. We were talking about my training business, and inevitably hourly rates were discussed. A local gym franchises “personal training” rates were mentioned; the figure of $60 and hour comes to mind. His comment to me was “That’s a lot of money just to look good”. This got me thinking about a couple things, namely the perception of value within the training industry, and also the perception that the only reason to “workout” is to “look good”.

So is a $60 an hour training rate a lot of money? Maybe, maybe not. Depends on who is doing the training. For someone to stand next to you during a workout and count reps while he talks on the cell phone – Yes. For someone to shout in your ear “you can do it, come on, one more rep” – Yes. Unfortunately there is far too much of that in the business.

The second part of his objection actually annoyed me a bit. Do people hire personal trainers so they can look good? Absolutely! Is looking good a common goal of those who start working out on their own? I am sure it is. Is that the primary reason I train clients? – I can say absolutely truthfully that it is not. This isn’t why I train myself either. I view it as more of a beneficial side effect – a happy coincidence.

So why do I workout and why do I pass that knowledge on to others? There are a variety of reasons, but they generally fall into two categories; performance, and health.

Performance – This can mean different things to different people. The athlete wants to be able to run faster, jump higher, and have more endurance in the sport setting. A person in the general population may want to walk a few flights of stairs without getting winded, throw a ball around with his kids without getting sore, or even get out of bed in the morning without the aches and pains.

Health – This affects both the athlete as well as average folks, and it covers a wide range of disciplines; nutrition, joint function, body composition and disease prevention, just to name a few. A well rounded trainer will be able to either address these issues when in his scope of practice, or make the proper referral to other professionals when this is indicated.

So is hiring a trainer worth it? Cost aside, what is the value of hiring a trainer or physical preparation consultant? I would suggest a good trainer will:

  • Take the time to get to know the prospective client before entering into a training relationship with them. Let’s face it, no one gets along with everybody. Both parties should make sure they are compatible and comfortable with each other before the training begins. This can save a lot of frustration for both sides.
  • Take a complete history of the client, including medical history and background, training history, lifestyle and eating questionnaires, plus a motivation and goal worksheet. The more information that can be gathered the greater the chance for a successful outcome.
  • Perform a complete physical assessment of the client, to include but not limited to – Posture, gait, flexibility, and fitness analysis.
  • Communicate with the client and encourage input into program design and implementation. Yes, an individual is hiring a trainer for his expertise, but not many people like being dictated to and micro-managed. Give and take between trainer and client helps the trainer know better what is and isn’t working, and keeps the client engaged and active in the entire process.
  • Design programs with each individual client in mind – personalization. This is the point of all the assessment work; to evaluate strengths and weaknesses, and address these with the proper training. This does not always mean getting the client stronger, often times joint function and flexibility needs to be addressed first. Starting off every client with the same canned program is a recipe for failure.
  • Constantly reassess and seek improvement. In the client – a good trainer evaluates every rep of every set. Reassessments must be done on a regular basis in order to gauge improvement and adjust training. In the trainer – a good trainer is constantly seeking to improve his skill set and be more valuable to the client.

The bottom line is value vs. cost. If a trainer is in tune with his client and getting results, cost is not an issue. My goal is to never need to market my services; to be such a good trainer that I have to turn business away.

About Dean: Fed up with the way he looked and felt, Dean Carlson decided enough was enough. After wading through the conflicting diet and fitness information, and through much trial and error, he found himself 80 pounds lighter and with a new outlook on life. His desire to help other people get healthy and fit without going it alone led him to start Cr8 Health & Fitness, where he shares his knowledge and passion for fitness with others looking to get off the diet roller coaster.

National Basketball Association ‘Hard Court’ Dimensions

‘I love this game!’ This has been the famous tagline or motto the National Basketball Association uses to describe or express how players and fans a like respond to the excitement and entertainment the game of basketball provides. As a basketball enthusiast, one has a tendency to collect basketball paraphernalia from the simple basketball collectors’ cards to autographed jerseys of famous professional basketball players. Basketball’s influence or fad has in a way or another dictated fashion statement with regards to sports get up. Big time sports apparel manufacturers get endorsements from famous professional basketball players. That is how the game of basketball spells the formula in success of its market. To love basketball is to know the game.

The ‘Hard Court’

Watching a live NBA game is definitely one of the best experiences a basketball enthusiast could have. Nonetheless, as a fan, to be really ‘in the game’, it pays to know how big a standard National Basketball Association ‘hard court’ or ‘battlefield’. The area of this big rectangular space measures 94 feet in length and 50 feet wide. The basketball rim or ring stands 10 feet. The restraining circle gauges 4 feet in diameter. The Center circle of the court has 12 feet in diameter. The three point arc’s distance from the center of the basket measures between 22 to 23.75 feet. The shaded lane or the ‘key’ lane measures 16 feet while 15 feet is the distance of the free-throw line starting from the backboard.

Basketball is definitely one of the best sports that explain how winning is defined by team effort, moreover, team game. The usual basketball team is composed of five (5) players on each opposing teams and each player has special role throughout the game. The saying, ‘the best offense, is a good defense’ may certainly work well in prevailing a basketball game. There may be ‘off-nights’ or players cannot get to go with their offensive arsenal, but for sure, there is no so-called ‘off-nights’ in a defensive stance. Plays are executed or being called by their respective coaches greatly depends on the capability of the players in the court. Basketball is also a game of averages-meaning, momentum may shift from one team to the other based on how the game is being played with the plays being executed by the coaches and how players react to the plans. In playing basketball, one has to understand that winning also depends on the ‘breaks’ of the game.