adidas Euro 2008 Vienna Replique Soccer Ball

#615623 Great training ball. For use on all surfaces. A replica of the ball they will be playing with at the Euro 2008 Championship finals in Vienna

One of the key ways for youth soccer players to develop is to work on individual skills at home. It has always been my philosophy that dribbling and other individual skills should not be worked on at practice. Practice is a time to work on team skills and strategy.

The problem I found with this philosophy is that I was having a hard time getting my team to practice at home. I would reiterate the necessity at every practice, but I could tell that it wasn't happening. This is when I decided to implement homework into my team's training.

As a coach you should be able to judge which skills need to be worked on by your team as a whole. With my team it was ball control, especially off the chest and thighs. So I decided to come up with a list of items that needed to be worked on for an hour at least 5 days every week. This list was printed and handed out to each player at the end of practice. They were required to have their parents sign the paper when they finished and return the paper the next week.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that my homework regiment was met with very little resistance. I think that the parents and players understood that becoming a better player doesn't happen with only 1 hour of practice every week.

Over the next few weeks I noticed a marked improvement in the dribbling and trapping skills of my team. But the real results came when we beat a seemingly unbeatable team in the finals of a large tournament only 1 month after starting our homework regiment.

One very important part of this idea that I need to mention is, homework should only be a part of your team's workout during the summer months when they are not in school. With my players school is #1. Nothing comes ahead of school, not even soccer. There was no way I could require my team to practice an hour every day because I know that they would have neglected their school work. When the summer ended and they went back to school I let them know that their homework was no longer required, but that they should still practice at home when they were finished with their school work.

I know it seems very simple but try this idea out. You will be amazed at the rise in the skill level of your team. Your players will be more confident with the ball at their feet and will be able to make smarter and quicker decisions on the field because of this confidence.

--Chris Barber is a soccer player, coach, and enthusiast. His tips and advice can be found at youth-soccer-coach.blogspot.com

UEFA Euro 2008 Championships

adidas Euro 2008 Training Ball

#615733 Train in the EURO 2008

A lot of attention has been paid to the dangers of concussions in football since the death of former NFL defensive back Andre Waters and the release of a report that indicated concussions were tied to depression in ex-NFL players. Those incidents have led the NFL to undertake several new initiatives and, across the nation, football programs from the high-school to professional levels are taking a more proactive approach to preventing head injuries. A former Harvard quarterback and his innovative company are also contributing to the cause with their newest invention - the X1 football helmet.

The X1 is the product of Xenith LLC, a company established in 2004 by Vincent Ferrara - a Harvard quarterback in the mid-90s and a graduate of Columbia's business and medical schools. Ferrara founded Xenith with the mission of advancing safety and activity through innovation and education, and the company is currently focusing most of its attention on finding ways to reduce concussions through new technology. Much of the technology Xenith has developed so far is featured in the X1, which incorporates an innovative head protection system not currently seen in any other helmet. The system is called Xenith Adaptive Head Protection, and it's comprised of patent pending "Aware-Flow Shock Absorbers" and a new fitting method known as "Fit Seeker". According to Xenith, the combined effect of these two technologies is designed to reduce the risk and severity of concussions and other traumatic brain injuries.

Here's how the system works: the X1 is equipped with 18 Aware-Flow Shock Absorbers embedded between the outer shell of the helmet and a flexible interior head piece. Each shock absorber is a lightweight, hollow disk made from thermoplastic urethane, with a small hole in the center that allows air to flow in and out. Unlike the foam in standard football helmets, the shock absorbers respond differently to high, medium and low impacts. The disks absorb a low-impact hit by slowly letting air out and compressing. But with a more forceful (high-impact) hit, air pressure inside the disk creates greater resistance - slowing down the speed at which the disks compress even further. The overall purpose of the X1's shock absorption system is to reduce the sudden movements of the head that often cause concussions. Meanwhile, the "Fit Seeker" component assures that the helmet doesn't go flying off during impact.

Recently, the X1 football helmet received approval from the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) - a nonprofit organization that commissions research and attempts to establish standards for athletic equipment. No word yet on whether the NFL is looking into this new technology, or when the X1 will be available for retail purchase.

You can find more information about Xenith and the technology involved in the X1 football helmet at http://www.xenith.com

Shad Connelly,
Executive Editor -
Invention & Technology News (http://news.inventhelp.com)

UEFA Euro 2008 Championships

UEFA EURO 2008 Replique-metallic white/black/chrome

The Replica Ball of the 2008 European Championship

Poker, unlike a number of other card games isn't just down to luck - it requires a great deal of skill, strategy and dexterity to become a master of the chips. Knowing your hand is only one part of the battle - understanding your opponents and the psychology of the game is quite another and it is this crucial element of the game that separates the men from the boys. Whether you're an experienced player or first timer on the poker circuit, learning how to effectively manipulate the psychology of your game could be the quickest way for you to both improve as a player and to win more money more regularly.

Before you can begin to come to terms with the psychology of the table, you must first become familiar with the psychology of your own game. Of course this initially demands an understanding of the technicalities of the game, but anyone can learn the basic rules in less than ten minutes. What you really need to focus on is learning when you need to fold and when you can afford to push the boundaries. Knowing when to quit isn't an easy skill to learn, but it is imperative if you want to become a top player, whether that's online or at a real poker table. Likewise understanding the nature of your table is vital to learning what other people are up to, with a view to cashing in at the end of the night.

A good poker player will be able to keep his calm under heavy losses. He'll be able to know how to ride out the storm and when to play more aggressively, against a range of opponents of different skill levels and experience. What it requires, more than the ability to play a good hand, is the ability to read opponents and to understand their moves. By knowing when your opponent is bluffing against your strong hand, you can easily raise the stakes and cash in, provided you're accurate in your assessment of the opposite hand.

Poker isn't rocket science - it's all about human nature and understanding the way in which people react in certain situations. A great deal of that is derived from experience, but a lot of it can also be derived from watching the outcomes of different poker hands, and games overall, before attempting to map out the wider ranging game plans of the top, successful players to improve your chances of success.

Playing poker isn't just about being fortunate enough to have a good hand. It's about knowing when to fold and when to push through, even when you've got nothing. It's about working the strategy of the game and intimidating your opponents into thinking you're on to a winner, even where you hand leaves a lot to be desired. Whoever said poker was a game of luck was barking up the wrong tree - in the words of the great golfer Gary Player, the more you practice, the luckier you get.

About the Author:
Arne specializes in editorials about online poker and poker odds. Supplementary resources and editorials written by Arne on the matter of poker can be accessed on the internet.

2008 Uefa European Football Championship

adidas Euro 2008 Mini Soccer Ball (Chrome)

#615636 Great ball in a small package

Now, not a lot of people would argue that the premiership has perhaps the strongest top 4 teams in Europe as Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are very strong and would give any team in the world a run for their money.

Unfortunately teams in Italy and especially Spain cannot say the same as Italy has Inter Milan, Roma, AC Milan and Juventus that can compete but not as strongly as the premiership while Spain can only count on Barcelona and Real Madrid to do it on a regular basis.

But to be the best league in the world should offer more than that, it should offer a cluster of 10 or more top sides in the league but after watching Everton against Chelsea last night, I was just baffled as to how an ordinary side as Everton could be 5th in the league.

They have consistently lost to the top 4 sides and it is not just losing, it is the manner of defeat. Everton looked totally bereft of ideas last night and save for a couple of players, most of the squad of players looks ordinary on an individual basis.

Tony Hibbert has no business plying his trade in the top tier of any league let alone the so called best league in the world. Phil Neville is an international only because of his Manchester United connections as well as being the brother of Gary. I could go on an on about individuals but in all honesty only Mikel Arteta, Yakubu Aiyegbeni at his best could be said to be of pretty high quality.

Tim Howard, Joseph Yobo, Tim Cahill and Phil Jagielka are decent players that could do a good job for a mid-table side whilst Andy Johnson's pace makes him look better than he really is as is hapless displays on the international stage has proved.

At least the likes of Sevilla, Valencia, Espanyol, Mallorca, Getafe, Atletico Madrid, Athletico Bilbao, Villareal, Real Betis in Spain have players of international quality and in some cases genuine world class players.

In Italy there are too many teams to mention that have players with far better skill, technique and creativity than what I witnessed last night and the only thing preventing them from doing better is the mentality.

The premiership may be the most watched league in the world and its top 4 teams are the strongest at this point in time but the 5th placed team would not come 5th in Italy or Spain and the teams below them like Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Manchester City etc would be embarrassed in Italy or Spain.

For more Football news visit http://www.footballclubsblog.com

My name is Dennis and have written a number of articles on how to make it big online.

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UEFA Euro 2008

Euro 2008 Group Stage Schedule

Given that today the official Euro 2008 draw had determined the structure of the four starting groups, we also know the schedule for the first stage of the football championship.DateGroupHomeScoreAway07/06/08Grp ASwitzerland18:00Czech Republic07/06/08Grp APortugal20:45Turkey08/06/08Grp BAustria18:00Croatia08/06/08Grp BGermany20:45Poland09/06/08Grp CRomania18:00France09/06/08Grp CNetherlands20:45Italy10/06/08Grp DSpain18:00Russia10/06/08Grp DGreece20:45Sweden11/06/08Grp ACzech Republic18:00Portugal11/06/08Grp ASwitzerland20:45Turkey12/06/08Grp BCroatia18:00Germany12/06/08Grp

UEFA Euro 2008 Championships