The Sports Archives – The World’s Oldest Football!

Posted on April 23, 2012 by thesportsarchives

The latest issue of British stamps features famous landmarks from A to Z, including S for Stirling Castle…where the world’s oldest football was found in the private rooms of Mary Queen of Scots.

Dating from the 16th century, and made from cow hide with an internal pig’s bladder, it was discovered behind the paneling in the Queen’s Chamber – where it is believed to have been hidden since the 1540s.

The mother of James I of England was known later in life to take an interest in all sports, especially football and golf, and indeed recorded details of a game of football in her diaries while living at nearby Carlisle Castle.

The Queen’s Bedchamber

Now at the Smith Art Gallery and Museum in Stirling, the almost 500-year-old ball, half the size of a modern football, was discovered at Stirling Castle in the mid 1970s, when workmen were investigating behind the thickly oak-paneled walls of Mary’s bedchamber.

Expert examination has confirmed the ball to be from a period somewhere between the 1540s and 1570, during which time Mary Stuart was known to have spent time there.

A cricket ball sits at the center of this ancient sporting artifact, housed within a pig’s bladder which would have been used for the ball’s inflation, and inside a thick, round leather cover, originally stitched from the inside and with surface stitching presumed to have been undertaken later to carry out repairs.

Historians believe the ball could have been used in games between soldiers and staff in the castle courtyard, in a variation of the game which was then probably more associated with handball than football.

How it ended up behind the paneling in the Queen’s bedroom remains a mystery, although there is one possible – if somewhat odd – explanation.

Protection Against Witchcraft

In centuries past it was not uncommon to hide personal property as a protection against witchcraft…the thinking was that evil spirits would be attracted to the individual item rather than its owner, this keeping them safe from harm.

The Scottish Stuarts were, like many at the time, known to have been deeply superstitious…so perhaps it was Mary herself who hid the ball behind the wooden paneling?

Henry VIII, father of Elizabeth I – the ‘Virgin Queen’ who was responsible for her cousin Mary’s imprisonment and subsequent execution – is recorded as being one of the first royal exponents of football, having listed a pair of football boots in his Great Wardrobe catalog of 1526, a regal ‘shopping list’ drawn up towards the middle of his reign.

Perhaps his great-niece Mary had a similar fascination with the game?

Sadly, we will never know.

Nicki Williams works for Gear-Zone, one of the UK’s leading online retailers of outdoor gear and equipment ranging from football boots to rucksacks and hydration packs.

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The Sports Archives – 5 Fun iPhone Apps for Swimmers!

Posted on April 21, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Swimming is not only a fun pastime, but it can also be a competitive sport. If you are involved in swimming in any way – whether you are on the school swim team, a huge Olympics swim team fan, or even just someone who enjoys splashing around in the pool – your iPhone can be a great resource for you when it comes to all that is swim. Want to know how? Here are five fun iPhone apps for swimmers:

GoSwim. Swimming

If involving yourself with a community of swimmers and having an array of swimming content at your fingertips is what you want, then GoSwim is for you. This app is actually an extension of GoSwim.tv, which means you are plugged in to all of the great things that GoSwim.tv has to offer. You can read articles, skim through all kinds of swim-related content, view tutorials, get great advice for improving your swim skills, participate in a forum, and much more.

FitVideo: Swimming App.

This app, part of an athletics series developed for the iPhone, features a multitude of video tutorials to coach you through every aspect of swim, including strokes, workouts, training for triathalons, drills to help you improve your time, proper nutrition, and much, much more.

MorningSwimmingShow Podcast.

For those who are interested in following professional swimmers, this app is a must. Not only do you get a great podcast that features coach, swimmer, and trainer interviews from those who are top in the field, but you also get daily videos covering the latest in swim news, which you can access any time of the day.

Swim-Tracker.

If you are an avid swimmer and are serious about improving, then this is the perfect app for you. Using Swim-Tracker, you can log a wide array of data pertaining to your swim sessions and easily monitor your progress and areas that need improvement. Features include best swim times, stroke types, swim length by distance, nutrition tracking, and swim routine organization.

Swim Meet by Big Fish Software

If you are a swim team member, coach of a swim team, or even an enthused swim team fan, you can use this app to log swim meet results, as well as track and compare the results of other teams.

As you can see, your iPhone can be an invaluable tool when it comes to improving your stroke, staying abreast of the latest swim news, or even just interacting with other swimmers. Download these great apps to get the most out of your swimming, no matter what your level of involvement is.

About the Author: Hal Melot loves swimming and spends a ton of time looking for free apps for iPhone lovers into all different types of sports. He can’t wait for the summer Olympics (and the apps that will come out to support the games)!

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The Sports Archives – NBA’s Thrilling Moments In spite of Shorter Preseason and Game Schedule

Posted on April 18, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Michael JordanThere is a growing controversy about ill effects of a truncated preseason and trimmed game schedule for North America’s National Basketball Association (NBA), the top ranking professional basketball league for men. The basketball game season which is in full swing for its thirty member clubs had a curtailed preseason and is facing a 66-game schedule instead of one of 82 games.

A few experts have not taken positively to NBA’s game modifications. They are of the opinion that changes could result in inferior team performances and criticized it for turning out a money spinner, with more paydays for owners as well as players. However, most experts are not yet willing to state that changes will have a clear negative impact on the game this season. They are viewing below average performances and spate of injuries as a normal part of a game schedule and not as a direct result of changes.

Surely, they have not been too many exciting basketball nights with only five teams taking 100 points. Great teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and to some extent, the Dallas Mavericks are caught in a poor play rut. Is it the fatigue arising out of playing more games back to back? Mavericks appeared a tired team when they played their sixth game in the span of eight nights and lost comprehensively. The curtailed preseason had robbed teams of precious learning time.

The good news is that they have been many thrilling basketball NBA Logomoments to balance any negative impact of shorter preseason and game schedule. Great performances include the thrilling start by LeBron James, Kobe Bryant’s streak of 40 points and 20-20s courtesy Dwight Howard. There have been interesting developments too. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers are high up in the reckoning, the Utah Jazz are learning quickly and the Indiana Pacers are on the advance.

There were magical moments too.

The Miami Heat‘s stunning run of 17 points in the fourth-quarter helped them to a 99-95 victory against the Phoenix Suns. What an unbelievable comeback! At one time, Phoenix led 90-80 with just over seven minutes to the end. However, they were unable to score a point for over six minutes and Miami capitalized on the situation with nine free throws in the run, notching a dramatic lead of 97-90.

Miami’s Dwayne Wade,  with 19 points, told reporters immediately after the game, “It was either now or never. They were playing very well. We were down 10 and had to make a move.”  Chris Bosh scored 29 points, the highest in the game, with LeBron adding 20 points through six assists and eight rebounds. For Phoenix, with four straight wins taking them to the playoff stage, it was a shocker.

Though ‘Linsanity’ is fading, New York Knick fans are taking it in their stride what with the exciting charge of the Chicago Bulls who overpowered the Knicks with a 104-99 win. Jeremey Lin who rose from anonymous benchwarmer to NBA icon tried to rescue his team but his effort of scoring 15 points with eight assists was not enough. The Bull’s Derrick Rose attacked the Knicks and Lin without giving any quarter and scored 15 points with eight assists. The Bull’s victory over Knicks brought to mind another exciting victory that of 95-85 revenge victory by the Mavericks against Knicks.

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The Sports Archives – A Grand Day Out!

Posted on April 17, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Even people with little or no interest in horse racing will have heard of the Grand National, held every year at Aintree in Liverpool. This race is one of the most famous in the world, and attracts massive viewing figures on television. It also tempts many of us who never bet at other times in the year to take a chance with the hope of that 500/1 shot romping home in front and giving us a nice windfall.

Horse Racing

History

The National was first run in 1836, although in a different location from the present course at Aintree. The first few races were low-key, but in 1839 the race began to attract much more attention from horse owners and the general public. The appeal of the race was the unpredictability and the high fences the horses had to jump over, the same factors which still makes it a highlight of the racing calendar today. The National has been run every year since, excluding the years during the First and Second World Wars, and 1997 when the race had to be postponed until the Monday due to a bomb threat.

Famous Winners

The best known name in Grand National history is probably that of Red Rum, the horse who won three times in the 1970s. Other famous names from the past include Foinavon, the horse who completed the race alone after all the others fell, Mon Mome who came in at 100/1 in 2009, L’Escargot, Aldaniti and Devon Loch who took the race on the final straight run home. The beauty of the National is that the favorite is not a guaranteed winner, and this has been proven by the number of times a complete outsider has been at the winning post first.

Criticism and Welfare

Animal rights activists have often stated that they feel the Grand National is cruel, due to the number of injuries sustained by the horses each year. Trainers and owners reply to the criticism by stating that their horses are well cared for and given the best veterinary treatment which money can buy. Controls at the course are tight, with all horses being tested to ensure they are both healthy and drug free before racing. Many owners will give their animals equine herbal remedies to treat minor ailments, but these all have to be cleared with the authorities to make sure the horse does not fail the drugs test. Doping a horse to make it run faster or longer has long been an issue in racing, so to keep the sport’s clean image, even something as innocuous as an equine herbal remedy has to be declared.

Tips and Betting

Betting on the National is as much about chance as it is about knowledge. For every punter who spends hours analyzing the field, past performance, jockey’s history, whether the horse has been giving equine herbal remedies or other medication, trainer, owner and so on, there will be another who picks which horse to back based on their lucky number or a name which is in some way significant. Given the nature of the race, each method is probably equally effective.

Citations:

The Equine Warehouse has a great selection of essential equine herbal remedies available.

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The Sports Archives – Best Cycling Tracks in Melbourne

Posted on April 14, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Melbourne is one of the greatest cities in Australia for cycling lovers. There are many wonderful organizations that promote the benefits of bike riding to the Melbourne community, and their efforts have led to a steady increase in the number of bike tracks available for cyclists’ pleasure. Here is a guide to the best routes to explore on a bike in the city of Melbourne.

Capital City Trail

This is one of the most strenuous and delightful tracks in the whole city. Riders need to be quite fit to complete it, because it takes a half day to ride it at a brisk pace. The trail starts at the Princess Bridge and follows the Yarra River up to Dights Falls. This is a good spot to take a rest and enjoy watching the kayakers shoot the rapids.
Following Dights Falls, cyclists will take the Merri Creek Bike Trail along the creek. Riders exit the Merri Creek path at Rushall Station, and they then follow the bike path from the station that takes riders to Royal Park and Princes Park. This path joins up with a path that follows Moonee Ponds Creek. This will take riders back to the starting point along the Yarra River.

Yarra River Trail

Another splendid route runs along the Yarra River. This ride starts at the mouth of the river under the West Gate Bridge. The path goes through the city centre out to the suburbs, and then heads through Studley Park and Westerfolds Park.  Riders can then turn around and head back for West Gate Bridge.

A nice alternative is to start at Westerfolds Park and head inward to the West Gate Bridge. There is a free ferry that will take riders across the river. There is another bike track that they can take back on the far side of the river, and riders can get back to the original side of the Yarra by taking the Swan Street Bridge or MacRobertson Bridge.

Maribyrnong River Track

This fun ride is available on either bank of the river. It starts at Footscray and runs north to Dumbalk Park. There are plenty of parks and public restrooms available along this path. The views along the river are quite magnificent, and this makes it a very popular trail for both cyclists and foot traffic. Be sure to keep an eye out for pedestrians.

Gardiners Creek Trail

This is a beautiful track that begins at the junction of Gardiners Creek with the Yarra River. There is a magnificent suspension bridge at the beginning of the trail, and then it runs through endless green spaces that are a welcome respite from the hectic city. The path ends in the suburb of Glen Iris.

Bayside Bicycle Track

This path runs along the beach, offering spectacular water views throughout its length. It starts at Port Phillip Bay, and then goes though Port Melbourne on its way to Brighton. The path is very popular with rollerbladers, so be sure to watch out for them.

Steve is an avid cycling enthusiast and competitor. Since cycling is a way of life for Steve, he also works at one of the best bike shops Melbourne has to offer. You can often catch him on one of Melbourne’s many cycling tracks.

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The Sports Archives – Freedom to be Extreme in a Litigious Society

Posted on April 13, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Ultimate Waivers

Many years ago, I traveled to Perris, CA for the National Skydiving Championships. My husband at the time was competing in a 20-way formation competition. When we arrived and signed in we had to fill out an extensive release form and then sign it on video while reading aloud “Hi my name is… I am signing away my right to sue you if I do something reckless.” Drop zones had become so concerned about being sued by a skydiver’s family that they had to amend the waivers. My parents are Canadian; we don’t sue up there. Still, I called and told them that they must never, EVER, try to hold someone else accountable for my stupidity or risk-taking!

Can we Govern Ourselves Accordingly?

Apparently we can’t be trusted to do the right thing, ever. Of course, society needs rules but why make BASE jumpers into outlaws? Do they ever harm anyone but themselves? Instead of wasting resources chasing and arresting them, it would make more sense to make them accountable. If, for example, you jump off an antenna and get caught in the wires you should have to pay for your rescue and any damage you do to public property. Why waste time and energy trying to prosecute someone for that ? Surely seeing photos of themselves, hanging like a Christmas tree ornament, publicly posted on Facebook should be punishment enough.

Protect Your Assets

How can it be OK to throw yourself out of an airplane bareheaded but not be OK to ride a motorcycle without a helmet? When I started skydiving, I wore a silly leather frappe hat. I felt goofy, but it’s what most people wore to protect their heads, though many only wore goggles. The first time I caught an elbow to the temple on and exit and saw stars, I bought a real helmet. I understood immediately that I needed to be conscious to open and fly my canopy. There is no law requiring it, though obviously skydiving helmets save lives. I have never ridden a motorcycle without a helmet though I’ve had plenty of opportunity while riding in areas where they are not required. I’ve fallen on my head dozens of times and even in full dirt riding gear have managed to leave skin on the motocross track, so I fully understand the value of safety gear, but I don’t get making it a law.
Same thing for seat-belts. I always wear one, but when I lived in Guatemala there were often more people than seat-belts in the car, no car seats for kids, children on laps in the front seat. When you drive down the road with kids loose in the car and go by a little motorcycle with a family of 6 on board it’s just business as usual.  You don’t question whether the parents are irresponsible, or should pay a fine. It’s the only way they can get from point A to B. In fact, when several cities in Guatemala instituted a law prohibiting more than one person on a motorcycle, we rode in the protests for several weeks.

The bottom line is we must not take the freedoms we have for granted. Pretty soon it could be illegal to wear shorts because pants have been proven to be 90% effective in preventing skinned knees!

Gareth Smith is an adrenaline-junkie and general thrill seeker who works as a soccer coach in Nashville. He has also developed a writing hobby and often uses a grammar checker to proof his work before letting anyone read it. He still keeps in touch with him family in Blackpool thanks to his international calling cell phone.

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The Sports Archives – Top Five Sporting Scandals!

Posted on April 12, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Holyfield-Tyson: Ear biting

The two had been fighting dirty, with both parties complaining that the other had engaged in illegal moves and head butting. In the third round, Mike Tyson sank his teeth into Evander Holyfield’s ear and ripped out a one inch chunk, spitting it onto the ring. The incident prompted violent altercations in the arena. The boxer lost his license, and was fined $3 million. The fight was part of a comeback from a rape conviction and imprisonment (where he served just half of his sentence).

Tiger Woods : Sex & LiesTiger Woods

In 2009 a sex scandal broke, followed by Tiger Woods crashing his car into a fire hydrant, with a scratched face. The car window had been smashed by a golf club – the golfer claimed his wife had rescued him from his Cadillac; conjecture is that she had smashed the window in revenge for his numerous infidelities. The scandal lost him many endorsements and resulted in his divorce from his wife.

Nancy Kerrigan: Attack

Tonya Harding‘s husband conspired with two other men to break her rival’s leg, thus eliminating her from the competition. The attacker caught Ms. Kerrigan outside a training rink and hit her with a police baton. She was forced to pull out of the championship, but the plan backfired when the men ended up in prison and Harding was dismissed from the USFSA skating organization. Tonya always maintained her innocence. She has since been hit with scandals including a sex tape, drunk driving and domestic violence against her then boyfriend.

Ben Cousins : Drug Shame

Ben Cousins’ career has been dogged by substance abuse, both illegal and prescription. Commentators have speculated that he got away with it for so long through both luck and managing when he took drugs. In 2007, his team sacked him after years of drug abuse became a problem they could no longer ignore – especially after several attempts at rehab. In 2012 he appeared in court, charged with possessing meth-amphetamines.

Donald Trump : Vodka-gateDonald Trump

The aging entrepreneur’s Trump Vodka was a business failure. It also caused a scandal when an underage girl (aged 17) was serving vodka at his launch party – completely nude. Despite the fact that she was painted with the same Trump Vodka designs as the other hostesses, he tried to claim that she was a publicity seeking party crasher. They also said ‘all precautions’ were taken to ensure the girl’s age – except checking her ID, it seems.

Citations:

By Helen Gallagher, writer for Catwalk Golf

Posted in Boxing, Golf, Olympics, Other | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Sports Archives – Baseball Attendance May Increase Despite Economic Woes

Posted on April 11, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Grab a hot dog, a nice cold beer, and listen to a stirring round of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” It’s baseball season once again, which means it’s time to buy your season tickets.

Now that the weather is warming up, people are rushing out to buy their game tickets in hopes that this year, their team will go to the World Series. Unfortunately for team owners, thanks to tough economic times, many fans may be holding back on spending while they’re at the game.

Beer, Jerseys, and Tickets Get Expensive Fast

These days, most people are having to cut back on recreational spending. Dr. Joe Serra, a cosmetic dentist and Detroit Tigers fan, plans on heading to the baseball park this season; however, his family will be sticking to a budget.

“The challenge is keeping it under two or three hundred dollars because food is expensive,” he said. “We have to go with a plan. Other than the tickets, the concessions are the biggest expense.”

Baseball games have always been notorious for being expensive and quite long; the latter of which provides ample time for standing in food lines or shopping for memorabilia.

Dr. Serra tries to go on family trips to see the Detroit Tigers with his wife and two teenage kids as often as money permits; and this year, he and his family think they may be able to go to more games, as long as they stick to their plan.

“Our teenagers will eat from start to finish, so we tell them what they can get,” he says. “We don’t really buy souvenirs; it’s cheaper to go somewhere else prior to the game if we feel like it. We try to limit ourselves and we tell our kids, ‘you can have popcorn, pop, and hot dogs, and then you can’t eat for nine innings.'”

Baseball Games Can Be Pricey

These days, tickets and concessions vary greatly from city to city. Beer prices range from $4.00 to $7.25 a cup or bottle; hot dogs are $1.00 to $5.25 a dog; and ticket prices per person range anywhere from $15.74 to $53.38 for a typical seat. As Dr. Serra and many consumers like him have come to understand, these costs can add up quickly; however, this will not stop Dr. Serra from taking his family out to a game.

“The weight of the economy in the past few years has kept us from going to games because things have been tight all around,” he said. “But this year, it seems like things are getting a little better. It seems like people are getting tired of not doing anything because of the economy, so they are getting out a bit more.”

Many speculate that baseball attendance will pick up this year; however, overall spending may be down, as fans try to be more frugal while they’re watching the game. In the end, although it may be time to play ball; it doesn’t yet appear to be time for reckless spending.

Shanna Laub writes for Off-Topic Media. Photo by Ken Lund. Special thanks to Dr. Joseph Serra for taking the time to speak to us. Dr. Serra can be reached at his Michigan cosmetic dentist office at:

The Michigan Center for Advanced Dentistry
42010 Grand River Ave.
Novi, MI 48375
248-380-9330

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The Sports Archives – 5 Of The Greatest Formula 1 Drivers

Posted on April 10, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Formula 1 racing may be the most fast-paced and highly entertaining sport on the planet. In the many decades of professional competition, dozens of drivers have possessed skills and nerves that have allowed them to be considered among the greatest F1 drivers of all time.

After thoroughly searching the history books and combing the planet for the best F1 drivers of all time, here are our top five.

Michael Schumacher

Any list of F1 greats that does not include Michael Schumacher should be dismissed immediately. The 43-year-old German legend has been lapping the field since he burst onto the scene in the early 1990s, and he is very much a force to be reckoned with today.

A mind-boggling 91 wins in 290 F1 starts sounds too good to be true, but Schumacher has blended a natural driving acumen with a complete fearlessness en route to a dominating career. A few minor instances have irked those that don’t happen to be fans of his, but Schumacher’s 20-year reign is not yet over, and this racing legend deserves his place at the top of this list.

Juan Manuel Fangio

Born in the summer of 1911, Juan Manuel Fangio essentially grew up alongside the automobile. It has been said that Fangio came from a racing family, but his ancestors were riding on the backs of horses instead of inside of bullet-shaped cars. Fangio participated in the inaugural season of F1 in 1950 at the age of 39.

He led the blossoming sport through the 50s, attaining an incredible 24 wins in 51 career starts, and took 2nd or 3rd place another 11 times. Many consider the Argentinian-born Fangio to be the father of F1 racing, and experts often ponder the possibilities of him having been able to enter F1 racing as a 20-year-old.

Alain Prost

Curly-haired Frenchman Alain Prost was a winning machine during his 13-year career. Prost was the poster boy for F1 racing in the magical 1980s, as F1 began to gain attention in all corners of the globe. The third slot is a perfect place on this list for Prost, who won 51 races in his career, which ranks ahead of everyone on the planet other than Fangio and Schumacher.

Often referred to as “The Professor” due to his calm, calculated and tactical driving style, Prost was a fan favorite on the F1 circuit.

Ayrton Senna

Up until his tragic and seemingly avoidable death at a track in Imola, Italy in 1994, Ayrton Senna was carving out an incredible F1 racing career. Well on his way to eclipsing the win totals of the others on this list, Senna had accumulated 41 wins in 162 starts when he passed away at the age of 34.

An arch rival of the aforementioned Alain Prost, the two constantly pushed each other toward greatness in the second half of the 1980s. Senna employed a gutsy, all-out style that was both admired and feared by many of his competitors.

Jim Clark

Another racing legend in the making that died far too young was Englishman Jim Clark. Born in 1936, Clark made 72 stars for Team Lotus in the 1960s and won a highly impressive 25 races. Clark could drive anything with wheels to a victory and proved so by winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1965.

A mechanical mind allowed Clark to tune his engines to his preferred calibration personally, and his expertise showed on F1 courses all over the world. Sadly, Clark was killed in an accident at a German track in 1968.

Jim Jones writes for breakdowncover.org and covers a number of motoring related topics.

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The Sports Archives – How to Perform Better at Sports

Posted on April 9, 2012 by thesportsarchives
Michael Jordan

Will you be the next
Michael Jordan?

If you want to be better at sports, you need to know that there are no real secrets. Success in sports as in life lies in two things, hard work and determination. There are simply no shortcuts to being good at anything. You need to put in the hours before you can be excellent at anything. Do you honestly believe that Michael Jordan was born that way? Of course not. He worked to be the greatest basketball player of all time.

If you want to do better at sports – no matter what game you are playing – then here are some tips that you can use. Of course, there is no guarantee that you will be the next Michael Jordan but who knows?

Feed your body well

And by feed I mean you should consume food that will provide you with the nutrients that your body needs for it to perform at a high level. Do not use sports as an excuse for you to binge eat though. Do not overeat, especially right before a game. Wise men have always told us to eat in moderation. However, you are allowed to eat several small meals a day. In fact, this is encouraged because doing so can boost your metabolism. And no matter what some experts say about carbohydrates, it is still the best source of energy for the body.

Drink plenty of water

Don’t forget to drink plenty of water. Don’t fall into the hype that all those energy drinks are propagating. The most important liquid that your body needs is water. Everything else come secondary and are not really essential. When we are active, we lose a lot of water. This is why we need to replace the lost water by drinking enough water before, during and after competition. When are bodies are dehydrated we can become prone to cramping and other negative conditions that may affect our performance. If water is not supplied by your team then make sure that always have a bottle of water with you every time you compete.

Try a different workout

The problem with some athletes is that they are afraid to deviate from the things they have gotten used to. It is a good thing that many coaches nowadays are starting to recognize the value of different forms of methods to further improve the performance of their players. Many coaches nowadays, for example, are using eastern forms of exercise routines such as yoga and even Tai Chi to condition their players. If you are playing sports casually, then you can also try these exercises on your own. One beneficial exercise that you can try is rebounding. Just go get yourself a good rebounder such as a Needak rebounder.

Preparation lead to victory

Do not come to a game unprepared. Know exactly what you are going up against. Study your opponent’s strengths and their weaknesses. In a match between a well matched team or competitor, it all boils down to mental preparedness. The team or competitor that is more ready will certainly win. Preparation occurs days, weeks, months, or in some instances, years even before the day of the competition. And it is what separates plain winners from champions.

Keep in mind that in life as well as in sports, you have to work hard to emerge as a winner.

Written by Allen, staff writer at Needakusa.com.

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