Athletic mastery depends on understanding official gameplay rules, optimizing equipment technology, and implementing sport-specific conditioning drills.
All those pikes, herkies and split jumps may look easy when you see them on TV, but cheerleaders actually have to work pretty hard to pull off those feats with ease. If you're struggling to gain height in your jumps, spend a few days each week working on several types of training.
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Evander Holyfield began his boxing training when he was 8 years old and weighed 65 pounds. He went on to become an Olympic medalist and four-time world heavyweight champion. Your child may not ever become the heavyweight champion, but he or she can reap several benefits from the sport of boxing.
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The defensive end is one of the most important players on the football field. The defensive end has two major responsibilities: He must be able to stop the opponent's running game, and he must put significant pressure on opposing quarterbacks. His goal is to "sack,"
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In mountain biking, choosing a wheel size is akin to choosing a sports team. There are advocates for both 26-inch and 29-inch wheels, and the debate continues in manufacturing and competitive arenas. Mountain bikes have traditionally used 26-inch wheels, but the introduction of the "29er"
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In sports, “overtime” usually refers to the extension of a game or match to break a tie between two teams. When two baseball teams remain tied at the end of nine innings, the game continues into extra innings, a form of overtime.
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Racquetball and squash have many similarities at first glance, such as both games are played with rackets on enclosed courts. However, the sports are actually quite different in the way they are played. Because the ball bounces higher and can hit any surface, racquetball's pace is faster.
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The Olympic Movement officially recognizes women’s and men’s artistic gymnastics, women’s and men’s trampoline and women’s rhythmic gymnastics as Olympic gymnastics sports. Each sport requires specific equipment to compete in each event in the particular style of gymnastics.
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Bike trainers are pieces of equipment that allow you to use your regular bicycle as a stationary bike. Bike trainers rely on resistance applied to the rear wheel of the bike to simulate actual road riding, and there are several different types of trainers; wind, magnetic, roller, electronic and fluid.
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Although trout often are the preferred catch of fly fishermen, a fly is not the only bait that will attract the delicious fish. You can fish for trout using a light line and ultralight spinning tackle, and baiting your hook with natural bait--including dough bait you can make in your own kitchen.
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Many difficulty levels and body positions need to be accommodated in bicycling, and this has brought several types of shifters to the market. Mountain biking and road cycling exhibit the largest differences in style and location of shifters.
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If you think the sport of tennis is the only game that uses a tennis ball, think again. Many entertaining games exist that also use one of these fuzzy, yellow balls.
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Boxing shoes and wrestling shoes are similar. They are both lightweight, form-fitting, boot-like shoes made for sports that rely of fast footwork and traction. The differences lie in subtle, specific designs that make each shoe appropriate for its sport.
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US Masters Swimming defines long-distance swimming as any pool event of more than 1,650 yards, or an event of one hour or more. Because of the distance and duration demands of a long-distance swim event, adequate training is imperative to avoid injury, burnout, and fatigue.
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Some may argue this point, but the catcher might just have the most dynamic position on a softball team. She has more jobs than any other player -- giving signals, catching pitched balls, blocking bad pitches, throwing out base runners, catching foul balls, tagging players at home plate and fielding bunts.
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The opening of swimming pools marks an annual rite of passage from spring to summer. As temperatures rise, children and adults flock to pools to cool off and take advantage of the nice weather. Swimming pool water, if not properly maintained, can lead to skin disorders and bacterial infections.
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Saddle sores are the arch nemesis of any bicyclist. Body positioning on a bike requires balancing most of your weight on a small surface area which is in direct contact with the seat. Coupled with chaffing, discomfort in surface area pressure points can create saddle sore misery.
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Agonizing ski boot related ankle pain can interfere with your enjoyment of the sport. Determining the cause of your discomfort may be a complicated process. Contributing factors may include boot choice, boot fit, foot or ankle irregularities or a combination of all of the above.
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A singles match in badminton features one player on each side of the net. You'll get more of a cardiovascular workout in a singles game than in a game of doubles, because you are responsible for the entire side of your court.
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Tennis bracelets are 20th century inventions that use small diamonds to create a single bracelet. They weren't called "tennis" bracelets until after a tennis star's jewelry malfunction.
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As a youth basketball coach, before each game or practice, it’s important to review the plays and to make sure everyone knows their role. Just as important; however, is a team warm-up. Conducting a few basketball-specific drills helps your young players prepare mentally and physically.
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