As believers, we readily attribute our salvation to divine grace, but God’s unearned favor doesn’t stop the moment we become Christians. “This grace in which we stand” (Romans 5:2) is an ongoing reality, the very ground beneath our feet as we navigate everyday life.
So when difficulties come—and they will—we don’t have to approach them as if we’re starting from scratch. The same God who saved us has slowly and steadily been forming us. Through His Word, through prayer, through every trial we’ve already endured, He’s been equipping us with exactly what we’ll need for whatever challenge comes next. Keep reading......
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On any youth sports team, practice is by far the most important element of a program. How can that be? Aren’t the actual games more important? Well, hear me out! Time spent at practice makes the difference between a merely mediocre collection of individuals and a truly successful team. Players and coaches spend more time at practice than in competition – so that’s when a team develops its identity and character.
The organization of practice and the choice of activities is the responsibility of the head coach, so it’s crucial that a coach create practices that are both educational and fun. Players should look forward to practice, from the top player down to the last substitute! Keep everyone involved so they are prepared to play when called upon. There is nothing worse than having players who need to be “dragged” out to the practice field and who can’t wait for practice to be over.
A well-organized practice begins with a dynamic stretch to loosen up muscles and anaerobic conditioning to develop speed and quickness. I am a firm believer that most if not all aerobic conditioning be done in the off-season, unless of course you coach cross country or distance running. Once conditioning is completed a sound practice plan will work on a progression, starting with individual skills and then building up to scrimmaging and cross training. Cross training is a great way to condition players and develop skills by introducing some other sport or game for the kids to play.
With my lacrosse team I was a big fan of playing water polo, basketball, team handball, and even capturing the flag.
Perhaps one of the most important changes I have seen over the years is the use of game-oriented activities and drills rather than the use of drills based on repetition; these repetitive drills are all too often disconnected from what players do while in competition. There is of course something to be said for being able to hit 10 consecutive cross court forehands or backhands into a small box drawn on the baseline, but it is important to limit the time spent on such drills or risk building too much monotony into the session.
It is also important that coaches embrace the idea of “empowering” players during practice. If your goal is to develop players who have a high IQ in their sport and can think on their own and “coach” themselves, then coaches can learn to feel comfortable giving players an activity or goal and sending them to another part of the courts or field while you work with other players. You needn’t constantly hover over your players -- sometimes you need to let them do their own thing.
By far my favorite part of practice is the time I devote to situational play. This can be done with any youth sport. In tennis, situational play should key in on what would be critical moments of a contest. Tell your players, for example: “You are down a set and down a break, and your opponent is serving to add out.” Then play the point. Now one big difference between tennis, and, for example, lacrosse, is that lacrosse has a time element I can add into a situation. Putting pressure on the players is much easier; in tennis this situation might not feel different than any other point, so somehow the coach needs to raise the stakes and apply some pressure. Now I’m not a big fan of negative reinforcement, so rather than punish the loser of the point, I would offer some sort of reward, even if the reward is letting the winner have the opponent “do” something, within reason. A good option is to move everyone to one court to take turns, with the other players acting as vocal spectators for either player or doubles team.
There is no shortage of critical moments in a typical tennis match, whether it is a critical game, a critical point, or a critical shot. Have your players replay the situation several times so they learn what works best. Putting players in these situational moments helps build confidence and can be a lot of fun. I strongly encourage that tennis coaches work this activity into their practices on a regular basis. The dividends, especially when the situation arises in a real match, can be substantial.
A well planned practice built on learning, conditioning, and fun, can be the difference between winning and losing, especially when facing an opponent of equal ability. These practices build passion and desire, and sometimes that is really what matters most.
Sports help kids build confidence and grow into healthy, active adults. Learn how organizations, communities, and policymakers can use @HealthGov’s National #YouthSports Strategy to support youth sports: https://bit.ly/2lQ85f6
I thought the Christian life was going to be easier than this.Have you said these words to yourself? Sometimes we come before our heavenly Father, thinking He’ll fix all our problems and ensure our happiness. Oftentimes, however, that’s not what we see in Scripture. For instance, the apostle Paul was a man the Lord used greatly, yet his life was anything but easy. (See 2 Corinthians 11:24-28.)
At one point Paul thought his pain was too much to bear, and he begged God to remove it. There’s nothing wrong with asking the Lord to relieve our suffering, but what do we do when He chooses not to? The promise God gave Paul applies to us as well: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor. 12:9).....Keep reading.....
Every youth football player, no matter what their regular position is, should learn to throw a spiral with accuracy. It’s a crucial component of the game and one never knows when an opportunity to make a spectacular passing play may come along.
For the youth football quarterback, these tips need to be practiced over and over again to gain passing proficiency. Besides checking out the below tips, you can also learn the fundamentals from free football video tutorials on sites like Weplay.com , where top pros like Peyton Manning show the proper way to throw a spiral.
The Grip for Throwing a Perfect Spiral
It can be difficult for young football players to get a good grip on the football as their hands may not be large enough. That doesn’t preclude them from learning the proper technique with some slight modifications.
• The football should be gripped lightly with the fingertips and not rest in the palm of the hand. The light grip allows for increased ball control. This can be a problem for younger players with small hands where there is no choice but to use the palm.
• It’s important to place your index finger on the seam to put a "spin" or spiral on the football upon release. Don’t force the spin; let it roll naturally off the fingers. Trying to over spin the ball is a common mistake.
• As you step back in the pocket, hold the football next to your ear as you look for your target. The ball will be cradled in the "U" between thumb and index finger.
The Release Technique for Spiral Passes
Practice throwing spiral passes with this release technique at 50% of your throwing capacity until you perfect it. You can then start increasing your velocity as you begin to master the skill.
• Keeping your eye on your receiver, take your arm backward and then "spring" it forward in a circular motion releasing the football at the top of the arc.
• A good release will spin the football off the index finger as you let it go. The other fingers are used only for supporting the ball and not for putting a spiral on it.
• As you release the football, be sure to continue with the follow through for spin and accuracy.
Passing Accuracy in Football
Now that you’ve mastered the spiral pass you have to work on hitting your target. Many football recruiters list passing accuracy as the primary passing skill when selecting potential quarterbacks. A perfect spiral is of no use if it’s bouncing along the field, or worse, in the arms of an opposing player. Again, throw the football at about 50% velocity when performing accuracy drills. They’ll be plenty of time to work on your power once you have mastered the basics.
• Get yourself set in your stance with your non-throwing hip pointed towards your receiver. Being "set" is crucial for accuracy and power.
• When you are ready to pass, cock your shoulder and step towards your target when you release the football.
• Follow through on the pass with the palm of your throwing hand facing the ground. Here is an example video demonstration of Peyton Manning follow through on the pass.
Throwing an accurate spiral pass in football is not a difficult process. Repetition of basic throwing mechanics is the key along with adequate rest. Youth football players should practice these passing tips every other day to master them.
Sports help kids build confidence and grow into healthy, active adults. Learn how organizations, communities, and policymakers can use @HealthGov’s National #YouthSports Strategy to support youth sports: https://bit.ly/2lQ85f6
Scripture proclaims God’s great power and majesty while also revealing His deep mercy and love. Clearly, He is worthy of our wholehearted, passionate submission. And He’s pleased when we choose to follow in complete obedience, no matter what.
Notice the word “commitment” in today’s title. Obedience to the Lord isn’t something born out of one’s present situation, as in, I choose to follow God in this moment; rather, it’s total submission as a way of life. Naturally, our human nature would prefer to set restrictions on compliance—to be able to change our mind when plans would be upset, the final result is unclear, or we’re scared. But we have God’s promises that He’ll never leave us (Deuteronomy 31:6) and His purposes for us are good (Jeremiah 29:11). So we can obey, confidently committing the consequences to Him.
It’s winter time and it’s the perfect time to build your game skills. It’s not the time slack off and relax, however tempting it may be. You know that you’re still a football player who has a bright future ahead of you that can easily be crushed by your lack of commitment. You STILL need to keep fit and in-shape for the game every time.
If you choose to spend your off-season by just splashing at the pool all the day long as you eat burgers and play Madden, you’ll certainly regret everything you did when the new season starts. It’ll take some time to be able to regain your form following months of slacking off. Sure. Your experience will be a pain the a**.
What’s the Solution?
There is absolutely no room for complacency on your part as a football player during the off-season. You really need to commit yourself to an offseason football training to make you remain relevant and competitive in the game. This training program will enable you to improve on your game by sharpening your skills come the new season.
A productive off-season football training is the most important thing for you as an athlete.
Let’s get started.
Here are some useful tips for a successful training:
Start with a Plan
Plan your off-season training well for it to be fruitful. A good plan maximizes your football skills and strengths. It’s possible to do some exercises while still having a good time during your off-season training. These can include playing pick-up basketball or hiking with your friends. You should remember that you’re still a football player and you should remain focused on your training.
Set Goals
Apart from just staying fit, you should also set goals on what you plan to achieve at the end of the off-season. Here are two things to do before embarking on your off-season training:
Get the Evaluation from your Coaches (Head Coach, Position Coach)
Coaches are supposed to evaluate the performance of the players they coach. Your position coach is likely to tell you exactly the areas you need to improve on at the end of a season and before the new season starts. Your coach can also share with you training and exercise activities you can employ in your training.
Evaluate Your Own Performance
The fact that you know yourself better than anybody else makes your self-evaluation very important. You know the areas you’re not good enough and you know very well that you can work on to improve on them. Again, the off-season gives you an opportunity to improve as an individual player as you’re able to train alone and focus on improving your skills as a football player. The training sessions you have when the season starts are meant to improve the team as a whole.
Setting Specific Goals
You should keep specific goals which will make a good football player. Specific goals makes it easier for you to evaluate your off-season training performance as well as to pick the right training exercises. An example of a specific goal is aiming to increase the maximum weight of your bench press by like 20 pounds instead of just aiming to get stronger. Another specific goal could be aiming to decrease your 40-yard dash by a second.
You should keep specific goals which will make a good football player. Specific goals makes it easier for you to evaluate your off-season training performance as well as to pick the right training exercises. An example of a specific goal is aiming to increase the maximum weight of your bench press by like 20 pounds instead of just aiming to get stronger. Another specific goal could be aiming to decrease your 40-yard dash by a second.
Without these specific goals, it will not impossible to know whether you have managed to improve on your strength and speed. Your offseason football training may not be fruitful at all and you will not have improved as an individual player.
Create a Routine
Create a training routine once you are very sure of what you want to achieve at the end of the off-season training. A regular routine makes you keep on improving on your performances to enable you to ultimately achieve your goal.
A routine doesn’t imply that you’ll be doing exactly the same exercises all the day. A good routine should incorporate a variety of exercises to prevent your training from becoming boring while at the same time corresponding to your set of goals. This creates a well-rounded training that targets your muscles in different ways.
There are many different exercises that you can choose from. While most of them are good for you as a football player, others are not that helpful. You should only focus on your specific set goals that guides you in choosing the perfect exercises as well as designing your routine for your off-season training.
It is important for you to have a wide variety of exercises for your training despite having set specific goals. For instance, it’s not practical to have a training session that entirely has weightlifting or running exercises. Try to mix it up. You should also include strength, agility and endurance exercises to balance your training plan and avoid making the session monotonous.
An example of such a good routine may include having like three sets of 10-15 reps of dumbbell bicep curls, four sets of 6-10 reps of standing military press, 15 minutes of rope jumping, five sets of 10 reps of maximum speed burpees , 100 sit-ups and many more. This will be an example of a well-rounded training session.
Hard Work Pays
Yes. It does. And you know it’s true. The effort you put in your offseason football training will determine your form and sharpness come the start of the new season. Your own initiative and motivation during training entirely comes from you as there’s no coach directing you on what to do. These sessions are not compulsory like the ones you have during the season and there are not fines for not showing up either. The discipline you show during this offseason will make you a better football player and a better athlete.
Everyone has a role to play in the National #YouthSports Strategy! Learn more about the strategy and ways to get involved from @HealthGov: https://bit.ly/2lQ85f6
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