The Sports Archives – The Science Of Fishing – Which Is Better Natural Or Artificial Bait?

Posted on March 31, 2014 by thesportsarchives

Green Highlander salmon flyI would like to point out from the beginning that I am not an angler, I have never held a rod and my knowledge of fish species is so limited that I am I am merely at the level of knowing that sharks have teeth and tuna steaks are tasty. You may well ask why I am writing about fishing and the answer is that my interest has been piqued by an argument over bait.

Hot Topic

I may have little interest in the art but I know a man who does and so I have heard the debate over the relative merits of different baits.  The question of whether natural or artificial bait would be best seemed to me to be rather obvious. Would I prefer to eat a tuna steak or a piece of plastic? However, the rain forests of Brazil have been severely diminished by the amount of print devoted to this subject and so I decided to do a little research into the matter. Either I was going to end up feeling like an idiot or millions of fishermen have been getting writer’s cramp for no good reason.

Important Discovery

As soon as I started reading I had an epiphany. I realised that I was actually in possession of some valuable insight into the subject of luring fish. You only have to scratch the surface of the issue of bait to realise that the crucial question is what makes a fish think that something is edible? The answer, it would appear, is appearance, movement and scent which brings me to my moment of enlightenment. A couple of years ago I was enjoying a holiday in Italy (apart from being stung by a jelly fish). There was plenty of aquatic life in the Mediterranean and I wondered if I could attract some of the fish closer to me. The only thing I had to hand was my lunch and so I sprinkled some on the water and it sparked a feeding frenzy. I had made the crucial discovery that fish like cheesy puffs!

Tasty Cheese

I didn’t give the incident much thought at the time but now I see that it was a revelation. Cheese is not a naturally occurring substance in the ocean and as such is not usually on the menu of any fish species and yet they were attacking each other to get to my puffs. There was something about the scent of those things that sent the fish wild. So perhaps the question of natural bait and artificial bait is more complicated than I first thought.

 

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The Sports Archives – Just What Is Sports Science?

Posted on March 29, 2014 by thesportsarchives
Maslow's Hierarchy of Ne

Psychologist Abraham Maslow in 1943 posted that humans have a hierarchy of needs, and it makes sense to fulfill the basic needs first (food, water etc.) before higher-order needs can be met.

Sports science is the study of player performance from the aspect of their physiological condition, nutrition and psychology. A careful study of a player during their career and the planning of training and diet with the results of statistical analysis in mind will not only improve performances but also help the athlete avoid injury. Biomechanics is an important part of the whole process, studying gait and muscle performance in particular. Computer programs to pull all the information together are essential – sports science methods can’t really be used effectively without a lot of IT input.

Choosing the best software

There are so many software packages on the market – some of them free to download in the basic model – that it is quite mind-boggling for the first time user. Choosing one with a specific platform for your specific sport is a good idea although some of them are for general use and don’t specify an actual sport as such. Those which analyse gait, muscle use and weight-bearing in play are good overall and there are some that analyse video footage to tell if someone is favouring one leg, has a bad gait or is looking weak in any specific movement. This is very handy if a sportsperson is getting a lot of injuries, because it may pinpoint why. If someone is having a specific problem with one element of a sport – most common in sports such as golf or tennis – then sports science software can come quickly to the rescue as the fault can be identified and eliminated. Amateurs can get a lot of use out of sports science software too.

 

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The Sports Archives – Denver’s Top Sporting Mascots!

Posted on March 27, 2014 by thesportsarchives

The Mile-High City has rather more than its fair share of professional-level and top college sports teams. As such, it is easily one of the most mascot-saturated cities in America. What many people don’t know is that these mascots actually have names and mascot, as well as long and sometimes turbulent histories that make them just as interesting as the teams they represent. Here are seven of the most popular mascots in Denver!

Rocky Mascot  
Rocky

Rocky the Mountain Lion, the mascot for the Denver Nuggets, is easily the most beloved icons in all of Denver’s sports. He has participated in over 1,000 games and as well-known for his off-court ambassadorial role and community service as for his notorious backwards half-court shot, which he once successfully made in nine consecutive games, the longest streak for this shot ever recorded. Rocky was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2013 by Shaquille O’Neal and comedian Nick Cannon. In early 2014, Rocky gave fans quite a scare when he reportedly passed out while being lowered to the court as part of the season opener. He was checked out by medical staff and missed the rest of that game, but returned in typical bouncy fashion for the next one.

Denver Thunder

Thunder

The beloved stallion currently bearing the name “Thunder” is the third to represent the Denver Broncos since 2004, and is always a fan favorite. For the 2014 Super Bowl, Thunder was flown via Federal Express with his trainer, Ann Judge-Wegener, to New Jersey for the clash between the Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks. In an NFL first, he and Ann led the team through the tunnel and onto the field for the pre-game introductions. Thunder is the only mascot to appear on this list who is an actual, live animal.

 

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The Sports Archives – Healthcare After College Sports: No Slam Dunk for Aging Athletes!

Posted on March 25, 2014 by thesportsarchives

NCAA HeadquartersMost of us know that college and professional athletes sustain at least some level of injury whether they play on the court or the field. But what many of us are not aware of is the price they pay in the form of both physical and financial pain once their youthful heyday is over. Life long injuries don’t just hurt and compromise the lifestyle of aging college athletes, they cut into their personal and family budgets as well. This is largely due to the fact that most of these star athletes were never made to prepare for the real world once their short-lived career as college competitors ended.

Because colleges often “push athletes through” their academic curriculums with very little consideration for their futures, many aging athletes—and even young athletes who are severely injured in their prime—don’t have a lot to fall back on. They often suffer from poorer-than-average college education, and are ill prepared to enter any kind of real workforce outside the world of sports, which is a pretty niched place that doesn’t offer a lot of room for retired or injured players unless they became famous on the world stage in the pro leagues.

Interestingly, most college-age athletes begin college in better health than their more academic counterparts, but the wear and tear they experience on the field leaves them in worse shape than those same-age peers. Sure, they may still maintain great weight and heart health, but things like bones, cartilage, tendons, and even the central nervous system have suffered far more than the average college graduate.

 

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The Sports Archives – A Snowboarder’s Essential Checklist

Posted on March 24, 2014 by thesportsarchives

SnowboardingThere are many things that a snowboarder needs to be aware of before he or she hits the slopes. In a lot of sports, you just get the basic safety necessities and get going. Snowboarding is different from a lot of sports in that in requires a meticulous amount of prep work. You need to know a lot about snowboarding before you can really begin snowboarding. Everything from the type of boots you wear, the snowboard you choose, and whether you want to wear gloves or mittens needs to be predetermined. As tedious as it may seem, being prepared will make your snowboarding experience much more fun, safe, and rewarding. Here are the top things that a snowboarder needs to prepare before hitting the slopes.

  • Helmet – This is one of the more important items on your checklist. Wearing a helmet will prevent you from serious injury. Snowboarders fall a lot, it comes with the territory. Make sure you have a helmet. You aren’t cool if you ride without one, you’re just dumb.
  • Boots – Boots are one of the most important elements to snowboarding. Picking the right pair of boots can make all the difference in your riding. REI has a guide for picking the right boots for you. Generally, this is determined by the flex of the boot.
  • Snowboard – You can’t go snowboarding without your snowboard. Tactics.com also has an excellent article for picking the right snowboard for you. Generally, this is determined by what kind of riding you want to do.
  • Goggles – There’s a reason snowboarders wear goggles: They protect your eyes from the glare and they keep ice from getting in your eyes. Getting ice in your eyes can be quite painful and can completely ruin your run. The sun also tends to glare off of the ice in the snow, which can distract you. Wearing goggles is essential.

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The Sports Archives – Top 10 Waves – The Surfer’s To Do List!

Posted on March 20, 2014 by thesportsarchives

Finding new spots and exciting breaks is one of the most appealing aspects of surfing. No two breaks are ever the same; ocean conditions, geography, nature, and overall friendliness towards visiting surfers can vary greatly from beach to beach.

But before heading off, make sure you’re kitted out. Matt is a keen surfer and is always seeking out new waves and challenges. He recommends getting a quality surfboard from Fellow, where you can also grab some unique apparel. Okay, now pick your destination.

The following 10 spots rank very highly among traveling surfers and are begging to be discovered by those who have not yet visited them.

1 –  Punta Roca in El Salvador: The community of La Libertad on the Pacific coast of El Salvador has a few choice breaks that are starting to attract quite a few surfers from all over the Americas. As its name implies, Punta Roca is a rocky point that produces very clean sets.

2 – Fuerteventura in Spain: The Canary Islands of Spain are major tourist destinations, but Fuerteventura welcomes more surfers than tourists, particularly towards the end of the year.

3 – Surfrider Beach in California: Malibu offers some of the smoothest rides in the world, and for this reason it is constantly crowded. This is however, one of the prettiest beaches of the Golden State.

Surfing

4 – Bali in Indonesia: This pristine island gets glassy 12-foot waves during most of the year, and it tends to get pretty crowded as well.

5 – Jeffrey’s Bay in South Africa: This spot has become one of the most important in pro surfing thanks to world-class breaks such as Boneyards and Kitchen Windows. As with a good portion of South Africa’s coastline, Jeffrey’s Bay shines in terms of ecological conservation. The best time to surf this break is from June to August, although it tends to get very crowded in July due to the Billabong tournaments.

6 – Playa Tamarindo in Costa Rica: This tiny country is known for having abolished its army more than six decades ago and for its commitment to peace and nature conservation Costa Rica has been blessed with more than a hundred pristine beaches on both Pacific and Caribbean coasts, and about half of them get decent sets year-round. Playa Tamarindo is a very surfer-friendly town with moderate and glassy conditions that form around an impressive natural rock sculpture near the beach.

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The Sports Archives – What Is Data Mining In Sports?

Posted on March 19, 2014 by thesportsarchives

The Normal Distribution

Data mining is used in most major sports these days to improve performance by using statistics and predictions to make the team stronger. A reverse data-mining technique can also be used to find out the weaknesses in an opposing team and plan play accordingly for the next time the teams meet. Using this kind of information used to be down to simple observation and acquired knowledge but now there are some very complicated computer programmes that take the guesswork out of the process. There are some that contend that there is nothing quite like the experienced eye of a coach to help build the perfect team but others point to the fact that if the only thing that data mining does is improve performance and help minimise injuries, it will have done its job. Why would any professionally minded sports team not want this,  less injuries and higher performance sounds ideal.

It’s all in the mind

Data mining is not just applied to physical prowess. Many sports now also employ psychometric testing, particularly at the scouting level, to make sure that a player has the right mindset to make them an asset on the field or pitch. In many sports, different positions call for a different personality and these tests can be applied to good all-rounders to see where they would be best employed. To take rugby as an example, the fly half, as well as being generally lighter and faster on his feet than a hooker must also be quick thinking and able to predict several moves ahead. The hooker on the other hand has to be fairly headstrong and able to push forward against the other team but doesn’t necessarily have to think outside the box. If these attributes are not obvious when the players are younger and still developing their physique, a psychometric test will help.

Spotting the strengths and weaknesses

By using computer programs specific to a sport, a coach or manager can compile the perfect team based on prior performance and also fitness levels. By also using the same information about a competing team, the right people can be put against them. The problem is of course that with the opposing coach using the same techniques, any advantage may well be cancelled out, but there could still be an edge. Statisticians are in some cases taking the place of managers and coaches who used simple experience to choose their teams, but in most cases, gut reaction will still carry the day.

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The Sports Archives – Mini Masters: Should Children Be Awarded Black Belts?

Posted on March 18, 2014 by thesportsarchives

Martial arts kids

In the 1970’s the martial arts scene exploded due to the rise of martial art style films that were seen in both the movies and TV. Martial artists turned actors such as Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris became household names after starring in action packed movies where they displayed a dazzling display of kicks and punches which always helped them to defeat the bad guy.

Not long after the initial explosion of these films a martial arts school or club could suddenly be found in almost every city and quite often in most strip malls in any given city block. The martial arts industry was growing as well as those that seek to capitalize on the opportunities now available.

With the explosion in schools came an explosion in black belts, which usually symbolizes a person that has mastered their chosen art or could be considered an “expert” who should be able to sufficiently defend themselves against an attacker, much like their hero’s did in the movies.

One very common practice has been the awarding of the coveted black belts to children who are often not even teenagers yet.

Should Children Get Black Belts?

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The Sports Archives – The Guide To Getting Better At Tennis When You Hit A Plateau!

Posted on March 15, 2014 by thesportsarchives

Reaching a plateau is tough to take. You’ve been going upwards for months and your play doesn’t seem to get any better. Everyone from the total novice to the hardened veteran has experienced this before. The important point is to never quit. All plateaus can be broken and anyone can become a better tennis player.

This is the essential guide you need for getting through the hard times and becoming better at the game you love.

1. The Second Serve

Treat every serve like a second serve. A common mistake players make is to fire their first serve in the hope of an ace. Most of the time, they’ll miss and place all the pressure on their slower second serve. You’ll have far more double faults than you will aces. Act like every serve is a second serve instead of firing in balls with reckless abandon.

2. Difference in Points

There are points you absolutely have to win and points you can’t lose. With the former, you’ll take more risks. In the latter case, you’ll play conservatively until your opponent makes an error. At the lower levels of the game, mistakes are high, so it’s better to simply wait your opponent out. Only when you reach the professional level do you have to start taking big risks.

3. Block Back Serve Returns

The block back serve return is perhaps the most underrated shot in tennis. Don’t put any power on the ball and just spin their serve back to them. This will encourage them to hit their serves harder next time, which increases the error rate and forces them to generate the power to hit the ball back.

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The Sports Archives – What Skills Do You Need To Become A Badminton Champ?

Posted on March 14, 2014 by thesportsarchives

If you’ve been curious about badminton, there’s been no better time than now to pick up a racquet and shuttlecock.  The badminton community has grown exponentially over the years — with resources and clinics just a click or phone call away.  Although many of us like to play badminton for recreational purposes, some of you may have a desire to kick things up a notch and take the sport to the next level.  If you’ve been wondering what type of skills it takes to become a badminton champ, then read on to find out!

Speed

Badminton is a fast-paced sport that is full of surprises and unexpected plays.  The ability to move quickly across the court is crucial for success.  The best badminton players have strong limbs and are strategic in their movements.  Badminton plays are highly calculated with each swing precisely timed and thought out.  Speed is absolutely necessary to outwit your opponent and handle those shuttlecocks that come at you from all angles of the court.

Strength

As mentioned earlier, strong limbs are crucial to becoming a badminton champ.  Good players make excellent use of their arms as they swing the racket throughout the game.  A powerful swing requires not only flexibility of your wrist muscles, but also good control of your forearm.  In badminton, however, strength does not refer to brute force.  There is a certain gracefulness about the game that many other sports lack.  Effective use of strength requires well-executed force that is delivered only when necessary for efficient plays.

Flexibility

The ability to change course during a game and quickly apply different techniques to unexpected scenarios is key to getting an edge over your opponents.  Too often, players get locked into certain game strategies and aren’t able to deviate from the plan even if it’s necessary to win the match.  Many coaches teach physical flexibility but not flexibility of the mental kind, which leads many badminton players down the wrong path.  Try to practice flexibility off the court, just as though you would on it.

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