US Sports Net Today!


Live Play-by-Play, Updates, Highlights and More! on US Sports Network!
[Chrome Users-You may have to click on the play button twice to listen]
US Sports Network Powered By Beast Sports Nutrition!




US Sports Radio
The Las Vegas Raiders Play Here
Fitness and Sports Performance Info You Can Use!
The Scoreboard Mall
The Rock Almighty Shaker Of Heaven And Earth!
The Coolest Links In The Universe!

Sunday, March 20, 2022

US Sports Baseball Powered by CoachTube: Understanding The Shift

 

Understanding The Shift


Baseball is a constant game of adjustments. In the 1940’s, Ted Williams

essentially forced opposing managers to enact a shift because it was the

only way to slow him down. It worked for a little while until the Red Sox

slugger made an adjustment to hit more to the opposite field. This is just

one of many examples on how teams have implemented the shift to

serve as an adjustment to get more hitters out.

Basic Positioning

In terms of the actual positioning, we have seen more varieties arise in

recent years. However, for the sake of this article, I’ll give the most

general one that’s been used. Here is how it looks: The third baseman

will move over to where the shortstop normally is. The shortstop will

slide over to the right of second base. Meanwhile, the second baseman

will move back into the grass and in-between second and first. The first

baseman will slide over closer to the line. As for the outfield, the right

fielder can get closer to the line and the center fielder will move into

right-center. This is the most commonly used shift, but it is still

important to gauge the hitting abilities of the player at the plate and

adjust appropriately.

Advantages of Using the Shift on Defense

Before even starting this section, I want to make it clear that merely

shifting a lot is not always an effective strategy. There is a substantial

difference between shifting a lot and shifting effectively (recording

outs). For younger levels, it might be hard to determine when to shift. If

it’s a team you’ve played before or one that you can watch the opposing

players take batting practice, then this might be a little easier. However,

there are plenty of advantages that can arise from implementing a shift.

The most prevalent one is limiting a hitter’s ability to pull the ball.

Obviously, baseball players love to pull the ball to nab extra base hits. It

is much more difficult to be a consistent opposite field hitter. In fact,

we’ve even seen some players dominate throughout the minors only to

struggle in the majors once managers start shifting against them. The

shift also benefits pitchers. When there defense is aligned appropriately,

they can limit hits against them and basically have to throw less pitches,

thus allowing them to go deeper into the game. In addition, they can

focus solely on the inner half of the plate to force the hitter to pull it.

These are two of the primary advantages that can be brought about by

shifting effectively.

null

Players Must Learn Other Spots

In order to implement a shift, the infielders must be capable of sliding a

little out of their comfort zone. For example, the third baseman is no

longer covering the third baseline. Rather, now he is forced to basically

act as a fill-in shortstop. The same goes for the rest of the infield,

including the second baseman, who is now technically in the outfield. All

of these may sound like minor adjustments, but when you get in an

actual game situation, they seem a little more rigorous. With this being

the case, I don’t think it’s a terrible idea for young infielders to work on

their versatility. This would include taking grounders at different

positions. Avoid being solely focused on one position. As for a Major

Leaguer that’s portrayed this exact versatility, check out the

increasingly valuable Ben Zobrist.

Since you have to practice other spots, it doesn’t hurt to study some

more online about these other positions. This instructional video from

CoachTube will walk you through some of these other spots. You don’t

have to spend a ton of time on them, but it can be helpful to get a

general idea!

How to Beat the Shift

Despite the clear advantages a shift can bring, there are also plenty of

ways for hitters to beat it. Jonathan Lucroy, who is the catcher for the

Milwaukee Brewers, is one example of a player who was shifted against

immensely. His response: just adjust! Lucroy referred to this adjustment

saying, “Personally, I love when teams shift on me. I try to hit ‘em where

they ain’t, like Willie Keeler.” There are a few ways, including the ones

Lucroy’s exhibited, that can beat the shift.

Bunt

Typically, we see bigger players get shifts put on them, so it might sound

a little crazy to ask these big power bats to bunt. But, why not? If the

infield is basically entirely on the right side, all you have to do is firmly

bunt it down the line and you’ll be safe every time. When you do this a

couple of times to the defense, they’ll start to respect your abilities and

they will no longer implement the shift.

Take Advantage

With a shift on, the pitcher is going to try to pound you inside to force a

pull. However, even at the Major League level, pitchers make mistakes.

They may intend to throw a cutter inside, but instead leave it hanging

on the outside corner. If you try to pull this ball, it will be an easy pop

out. The alternative is to go with it and hit a soft liner to left for a hit.

Take your pick on which you’d rather have.

Increased Relevance

As I mentioned in the introductory sections, coaches love to shift

nowadays. If a player is going to try to kill you by pulling the ball, then

why not put extra guys over there because you know that’s where it’s

going. The number of shifts in the MLB rose by over 10,000 from 2010

to 2014. That is certainly a staggering figure. You’d think of all players

that Major League players wouldn’t hesitate to make the adjustment to

continue to succeed. However, it isn’t difficult to see why they don’t

adjust immediately. These are players that have probably dominated

their entire lives and continuously been the best player on the field at

any given time. Now, the opposition is attempting to limit their abilities

by putting extra guys on the right side? This stubbornness and lack of

adjusting is a perfect explanation why managers will continue to

implement shifts!

Numbers Game

Baseball is a numbers game. Even at the youth level, players develop

tendencies. When they see an inside pitch, they want to pull it. After

multiple times of doing this, they’ll want to pull everything. With this

said, it is the defense’s responsibility to read and react to these

tendencies. A shift is one perfect example of it. If you think a younger

age like 12 is too young to shift, think again because it just might make

you a much better team!


US Sports Basketball: What You Need to Know About the 2 Side Break

 

  • By Lason Perkins
  • While there has been lots of discussion about half-court actions and offenses like 5 Out and Dribble Drive, you also hear a lot of coaches talking about playing with pace. 

    We know that analytics show the advantages of scoring in transition, but it leaves some unanswered questions coaches face such as

    What does pace mean exactly?  

    How do you teach it?  

    The pace concept has been linked to a transition offense system known as the 2 Side Break.  

    Yes, the 2 Side system was used by the Houston Rockets but it can be adopted to all levels of play. You can get layups and 3’s in this system, based on your talent level.

    Coaches such as Zak Boisvert have mentioned it in clinic presentations, but nothing has been produced that goes into greater detail.

    Thankfully, Brent Tipton has put together a clinic breakdown of this offensive system and is now available here.

    2 Side Transition: How To Trigger Offensive Advantage goes into detail discussing

    How 2 Side Transition impacts pace

    How to go Early and Opposite

    How to go Early and Up

    When to Dribble Push

    How Stretched Spacing Rules create multiple closeouts

    Incorporating 45 cuts and DHOs in transition

    Here is Coach Tipton showing examples of early and opposite ball movement and how it disrupts transition defense.

    One of the biggest advantages of this system is that it allows you to truly play positionless basketball. If you are a 5 Out coach, 2 Side Break is a perfect fit to get you right into your actions.

    These clips are talked from his clinic here where he dives deeper on 2 Side Transition: How to Trigger Offensive Advantage


    US Sports Football Presented by CoachTube: Developing A Year Round Program

     Developing A Year Round Program

    Developing A Year Round Program

    Description

    This course offers breakdown of a Yearly Program Plan overview including: 

    1. Spring Practice Breakdown

    2. Analysis of Summer Workouts Taking Place

    3. In-Season schedule including lifting and practice times

    4. Overview of player and coach responsibilities

     Book this course........


    The Coach

    In 2017, Head Coach Yusuf Shakir took over the Manatee High School program. Manatee High School has won 5 state titles in its history and Coach Shakir is looking to add to the collection. In March 2009, Yusuf Shakir was named Head Football Coach of his alma mater and perennial state and national power Tallahassee Lincoln High School, thus becoming the first alumni of Lincoln to be named Head Football Coach. At Lincoln, Coach Shakir won 71 games and eight straight district titles. This included the Class 4A state title in 2010 and a runner-up finish in 2012 in Class 7A. Coach Shakir was also the head coach of St. Petersburg Gibbs starting in 2007, until he left two seasons later.  Book this course today!

    Saturday, March 19, 2022

    Is The covid 19 vaccine the mark of the beast in revelation 13:16-18

     

    • Author Jackvagg Laeta
    Abstract

    The article is mainly dealing with covid 19 vaccines that has a lot of conspiracy theories behind. Most of this conspiracy is connected to the mark of the beast truth in revelation 13:16-18. This mind set has developed into conspiracy stating that Bill Gates is behind the corona virus pandemic so that the chip implanting idea will eventuate. The study was done with the help of reviewing a lot of literature to come with a conclusion that is fair and helpful for readers to make a right choice. After analyzing all the literatures through reviewing, the conclusion was made according to the following. The vaccine is not the mark of the beast and it is relevant for people to protect themselves from the covid 19 by taking the two doses. It is also necessary that each individual to exercise his or her powers to choose whether to take the dose or not to take the dose. Church leader’s duty is to clarify the true meaning of revelation 13:16-18 so that people can clearly understand how it is related or not related to the covid 19 vaccines.



    Introduction

    The paper was prepaid mainly to address the widely assumption that covid-19 vaccination had related to the mark of the beast alluded to in revelation chapter 13:16-18. It has become very challenging for most of the countries in the pacific to willingly receive the complete dose. Fiji is the only country with huge population in the pacific that successfully fully vaccinated 90 % of its population regardless off all the conspiracy theories. Most of the Melanesian countries in the pacific such as Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea had struggled to accept the vaccination roll out approved by World Health Organization. The slow rate in vaccination roll out is mainly caused by the belief that was rooted down in the prophetic interpretations in revelation 13, that suggests the vaccine is the mark of the beast. The true meaning of revelation 13 needs to be exegetically exposed so that a fair analysis can be done so that all levels of people can understand. The slow roll out of vaccines in most of the countries have been hindering a lot of economic activities such as free travel service between the pacific island countries, and other international flights that attract the boosting of the economy in the pacific. The slow rolls out of vaccine also challenged the traditional interpretation of the mark of the beast in revelation chapter 13, and biblical scholars need to make it clear for the people. People have well versed with the process that guides vaccine discovery. They understand that vaccine is a scientific discovery that was usually discovered 10 years after a virus outbreak (Graham, 2020). When the discovery of the vaccine was done not even 2 years after the outbreak, people starts to question the genuineness of the vaccines. Science too had questioned the quick development of the used vaccine today and people had accessed this information from social platforms such as face book, histogram, imo, and YouTube. The issue now is sandwiched between the prophetic interpretation and scientific discovery. The two existing philosophies have prompt conspiracy theories that entirely fail the massive vaccination strategy of the world health organization in the world, and the pacific island countries such as Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea (PNG).

    Get it on Apple Books

    In resolving the uncertain doubt, the article serves to highlight the possible truth behind the conspiracy theories that hinders people from receiving the vaccine. Currently in the market, there are different brand of covid 19 vaccination recommended by the world Health Organization (WHO) and they have proven worked (Agha, et al., 2020). The hypothesis of the study is, ‘the vaccine is not the mark of the beast, but it might be a trial strategy design by system to control the entire world towards the one world order’. The diversity of the universe is beyond the control of any superpowers of the world. The United states of America has intervened a lot in the cold war period in spreading the ideology of democracy but still few countries had rejected it. Wars, sport, food, tradition, technology and religion cannot unite the world. When comes to health, everybody is behind the idea and they accept it. A lot of people in the world today fear death and they invested heavily in protecting themselves. The study therefore will try as much as possible to come up with conclusion that will help each person decide whether to get the vaccine or not. There is undecided individual who are confused and did not know what to do. Scientist needs to do a convincing presentation on the genuineness of the vaccine in a simplest term for illiterate individual will understand. Theologians needs to do a presentation that will clearly show a clear distinction between the vaccine and the mark of the beast. People have their own rights to decide on their stand in relations to vaccine, but there needs to be a knowledge presented to them before deciding.

    Woodward, (2020) wrote an article entitled “Will the COVID-19 Vaccine Become the Mark of the Beast?”. He emphasized the interpretation of the mark of the beast as a literal showcase that will be placed on the forearms and the four heads according to biblical students. While on the other hand, the c-19 vaccine will be entering the DNA with a chip that will be monitored by certain authority and it is a miss-match analogy. In explanation to the conspiracy theory, he breaks down the bible text to explain his argument. He suggests that the mark of the beast was associated with buying or sale. There is nothing as a biological implantation of chips into the body for tracking as a lot of people believe in. In regards to the timing of the occurrence of the mark, both beasts must appear to perform diabolical authority, and there has to be the full force of worship of the beast before the enforcement of the mark of the beast will occur. He mentions that another very important discussion in relation to the end time prophecy is the IBM barcode scanner that is said to have 666 in it. He further mentions that this could be the closest analogy to the mark of the beast compared to the Covid -19 vaccine. He did not rule out that vaccines could be a method which authorities used in controlling the whole universe. He concludes that he doubts that the Covid 19 would be the mark of the beast in revelation 13:16-18.

    Thomas & Zhang, (2020) wrote an article on how Covid-19 catalyses’ existing online conspiracy movement. The conspiracy was rooted down to philanthropist Bill Gates as the person behind the pandemic. In the US right now, 44% Republicans and 19% Democrats believed that Bill Gates was linked to a plot to use vaccines as a pretext to implant microchips into people. The Gates conspiracy currently was referred to as the ID2020. The main message spread by the ID2020 conspiracy is that “the vaccines in turn are a cover for implanting some form of microchip, radio frequency identification (RFID) chip or other digital tracking device”. The chip was then believed to be the Mark of the Beast or the mark of Satanic religion. From all the conspiracy theory, fringe conspiracy media put a modern twist to the conspiracy by stating that, The ID2020 Alliance, is a digital identity program that aims to ‘leverage immunization’ as a means of inserting tiny microchips into people’s bodies. The article has no conclusion to the conspiracy theories related to the vaccine. There are local conspiracy and international conspiracy in which the article highlighted. The authors of the article suggest that there is a tendency for the conspiracy theories to keep spreading to different audiences and it will cause a hindrance to the role of vaccination in the entire universe. Social media has become the platform in which conspiracy theories spread like a wild wind.

    Macpherso, (2005) wrote an article on the interpretation of the ‘Mark of the Beast’ and explain that the subject of the mark of the beast has proven elusive and difficult challenge to commentators. Some of the more futurist interpretation claim that John foresaw a future society where computer chips are literally placed in one's right hand or forehead. the article further state that few scholars uphold literal approach whilst most scholars have s restrict their commentary on the mark to surveying, without necessarily affirming, the different suggestions, and instead offer largely spiritual interpretation. The preterit was also unsuccessful in their effort to any of the events in the history. The author therefore highlights that he will approach the Mark of the Beast as nonliteral and nonphysical reading of the mark itself. He decides to see that mark of the beast as the ‘sign commandment’ which can be referred to as the ‘anti-Sabbath’. He used the Old testament background to the mark of the beast and its relationship to the textual, thematic, and structural evidence within Rev 12-1 5. The article concludes that mark of the beast functions like a sign commandment and a direct parody of the Sabbath. The author further state that the mark of the beast stands as the eschatological sign of rebellion against God. it is not a literal phenomenon or a biological implanting of chips in the body.

    Pacific island Countries covid 19 vaccination update

    The conspiracy theories have been a biggest problem and it really affects the vaccination roll out in the major countries in the pacific. The Bar graph above is the vaccination overview of the pacific island countries with the fully vaccination color code of orange and the 1st dose color code of blue. From the graph you will see that most of the Polynesian and Micronesian countries have been corporately adhere to the importance of being vaccinated to control the covid 19 virus. 76.19% of the countries in the pacific island region had fully vaccinated above 50% of their entire population. This 76.19 % is made of Polynesian and Micronesian countries in the pacific and the remaining countries are Melanesian countries such as Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. What could be the implication of these findings because what appears in the graph show the type of people and their response towards the vaccination. The pacific islands countries should not blame economic problems in assisting their population get vaccinated. The United State of America has committed to provide vaccines for the pacific island countries with the help of building up their economy that the covid 19 pandemic has coursed (Lunday, 2021). Other pacific island countries that are still under the leadership of the U.S are advantageous to get the vaccine earlier than other pacific island countries. This may be another factor of why countries like Palau and American Samoa are advanced in the vaccine roll out. Fiji has been a model country to the major pacific island countries to roll out the vaccination with great speed. Countries like Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea have been very slow in rolling out the vaccination. This is the statistical figure displaying these three countries’ responses to the vaccination roll out. We can have assumed that the conspiracy factors could be the major setback to the rapid roll out of vaccination with other minor factors.

    Discussion

    Most people in the pacific region have not really taken well to the truth behind the vaccine. They have been so clouded with the conspiracy theory of bill gates, their world view of mark of the beast and how the vaccine comes into place. Everybody is everywhere in relation to the vaccine, and the most disappointing episode is to see that even health workers or qualified personnel are undecided to take the vaccine themselves. To make things even worse is that not all pastors are aligned in taking the vaccine. A lot of media outlets have been campaigning against the roll out of the vaccine and it's really challenging. To further deal with this issue, therefore few more articles will be reviewed so that a balanced perspective can be seen before making a conclusion of the topic. The conclusion made will not be rooted out of personal belief, but it will be the conclusion made out from reviewing peer reviewed articles. Under the well qualified scholars, who made thorough studies in the discipline of the need, fair conclusions can be made. The literature review has decided the framework of any statement made in the article. Opinions are also given with the guideline of the materials used.

    An article was written by LetÅ¡osa (2021), on the subject “What has the beast’s mark to do with the COVID-19 vaccination, and what is the role of the church and answering to the Christians?”. The objective of the article was to develop an interpretation of 666 that could be relevant to the questions asked and suggest a way forward in embodying faith in a corona-defined world and beyond. This is the right question needed to be answered because the health of our people is at stake if the conspiracy is all at fault and the vaccine is the solution for today. According to the author's view of the prophetic message in revelation, he strongly agrees that there is nothing wrong with them. The problem is with the hermeneutic, With a sound literal grammatical historical hermeneutic. The author wants to highlight that the million deaths that were caused by the corona virus is not a small issue. The challenge is for the pastors and church leaders to reconsider the importance of the type of message that they are preaching in relation to the vaccine. Some devoted Christians have resonated their decision based on their religious dogma, it will be a problem if our messages have baseless evidence of what we say. This is a greatest challenge for the church leaders to relook into. The action of the massive congregation of our various churches depends entirely on the messages presented behind the pulpit. He did a thorough study into it by addressing areas such as vaccine and 666 and even he did hermeneutic study of the mark of the beast. The author concludes that the number (666) probably served as a warning to the first readers not to succumb to the pressure of the Roman Empire. He denies mark of the beast linkage to the vaccine, but sees vaccine as a very brilliant scientific development that is put in place to address the issue of covid 19. The Roman empire is seen in the passage as wanting to take the place of God. He concludes that the article was not written for the reader to get a vaccination, but it emphasizes the power of making your own decision.

    Andrews (2017), wrote a book titled “Identifying the Antichrist” is a very important exposition that is relevant to understand. He further states different people and organizations have different views of the antichrist. The dispensation will see it as the Romans looking for a future ruler who will appear to rule over the earth, while the Amillennialist see it as symbolic. Apart from these two views, others have associate the anti-Christ with some of the powerful leaders of the earth such as Adolf Hitler, Emperor Nero, friedrich Nietzsche of France, and recently the radical Islam. He starts with discussing “let him who have underrating” and the who here refers to “man”. The Greek word for man is “Anthropos” which signifies the whole of mankind or humanity. He further state that 666 is the repetition of number six, and number 6 symbolizes imperfection because it is one less than perfection (7). Therefore, the 666 can refer to one that is opposed to the God movement or the antichrist. He further states that in order for one to understand the antichrist, revelation 13:2 is also equally important for unfolding purposes. He used the text and connecting it to Daniel 7 and there is numerous beast pop out in the seen. The body of leopard, feet of bear and mouth of lion. The combination of these three different beast can be referred to as the roman empire who continuously suppressing the Judah or the people of God. He further state that the two beast in revelation 13 is the two government powers and they are against Christ.

    He then uses bible verse to define antichrist. He quotes from 1 John 2:18 to project the antichrist will be seen at the last hour. The original context referred to the period in which the 12 disciples are protecting the Christian congregation from the upcoming great controversy. He then defines antichrist as deceivers (2John 1:7). The antichrist is also those who did not believe that Jesus Christ God and this is the spirit of antichrist (1 John 3:4). The antichrist will also refer to himself as God or claiming himself God (Matt 24:23-26). The anti-Christ will also come as the false prophet and they will show great signs and wonders (Matt 24:4-5). He further states that there are false Christ and prophets that came before the 70 ce. He strongly believes that 666 is the identity of an antichrist who denies Jesus as Christ, denies the father and the son, abandoned the Christian faith and goes against God and the antichrist is anti-Christian. The author also suggested that to pinpoint one particular person as the antichrist is a clear example of misidentifying the anti-Christ. Based on Paul’s writing (2thes 2:3), the antichrist is made up of doctrinal deception, moral insensitivity and ethical departure from God’s truth. The antichrist will persecute those who will follow Jesus as their lord and savior. The anti-Christ can be seen as the higher Criticism sects who want to weaken, challenge and undercut Christians confidence in the scripture. They do not believe in literal antichrist but interpret it as good vs evil. Further to that, they conclude that literal antichrist is nothing but a myth. Therefore, the mark of the beast represents a religious power that goes against God, the religious power that operates alongside politics.

    Salali and Uysal (2020) do a cross-cultural study purposely aiming to examine the levels of covid 19 vaccine hesitancy, and its association with belief on the origin of novel coronavirus. They conducted an online survey in the UK with 1088 participants and 3936 participants in turkey. They collected information such as those who are willing to be vaccinated, those who believe in the origin of the novel coronavirus and several behavioral and demographic predictors such as anxiety, risk perception and government satisfaction level. The result obtained was that 31% of the participants in Turkey and 14% in the UK were unsure whether to take the vaccine or not. 3% for both countries rejected the vaccine, and 54% of the participants in Turkey and 63% in the UK believed in the natural origin of the novel coronavirus. The understanding of the novel coronavirus has then increased the odds of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Based on the result, they conclude that there is a concerning level of vaccination hesitancy level especially in turkey. They also suggested that there is a need of communicating to people of the scientific consensus on the origin of novel coronavirus. The coronavirus vaccine strategy was not done properly so that people will accept it. The time frame in which the virus was known to be outbreak and the development of the vaccine is what makes people suspicious and come up with many different kinds of conspiracy.

    In conclusion, there are several statements I want to make based on the information gathered. The mark of the beast is not related to the covid 19 vaccines. The mark of the beast is the religio-political power that will exercise its power and will persecute the church of God. The notion that speculated that the vaccine is the mark of the beast is not true. The mark of the beast cannot be associated with a person, so the bill gates conspiracy can be ruled. The only one needs to understand is the vaccine is the normal development in the field of health to counter viruses that will cause humans to get sick. There have been a lot of virus outbreaks in the past and scientists develop vaccines to protect the immune system. From the information gathered, vaccines are good so that humans will be protected from the virus. Health is very important so anything that the health authority suggests is of greater importance. The vaccine is okay so that our immune system will protect us from the virus. The choice is yours, if you want to live then go and take your vaccine, but you do not like it, then it’s up to you.

    Bibliography

    Graham, B. S. (2020). Rapid COVID-19 vaccine development. Science, 1-5.

    MACPHERSO, A. (2005). THE MARK OF THE BEAST AS A "SIGN COMMANDMENT" HE MARK OF THE BEAST AS A "SIGN COMMANDMENT"OF REVELATION 12-14. Andws Uniumsify Seminary Studies, 267-283.

    Woodward, S. D. (n.d.). Will the COVID-19 Vaccine Become the Mark of the Beast?

    Agha, R., Iosifidis, C., Al-Jabir, A., Kerwan, A., Khan, M., O'Neill, N., . . . Sohrabi, C. (2020). World Health Organization declares global emergency: A review of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). International Journal of Surgery, 71-76.

    Andrews, E. D. (2017). Identifying the Anti-Christ. Christian Publishing House.

    Haynes, B. F., Corey, L., Fernandes, P., Gilbert, P. B., Hotez, P. J., Rao, S., . . . Arvin, A. (2020). Prospects for a safe COVID-19 vaccine. SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE, 1-12.

    LetÅ¡osa, R. (2021). What has the beast’s mark to do with the COVID-19 vaccination, and what is the role of the church and answering to the Christians? HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 1-8.

    Lunday, K. E. (2021). Vaccinate the Pacific. Security Nexus.

    Salali, G. D., & Uysal, M. S. (2020). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is associated with beliefs on the origin of the novel coronavirus in the UK and Turkey. Psychological Medicine, 1-3.

    Thomas, E., & Zhang, A. (2020). ID2020, Bill Gates and the Mark of the Beast: how Covid-19 catalyses existing online conspiracy movements. COVID-19 DISINFORMATION & SOCIAL MEDIA MANIPULATION TRENDS, 1-21.

    Name: Jackvagg Laeta

    email: jackvagglaeta@gmail.com

    education : Bachelor of Arts in Theology, Fulton College, Bachelor Arts , Major in Psychology and Human Resources Management at University of the South Pacific

    Friday, March 18, 2022

    Developing Speed, Quickness, and Agility in Youth Athletes and The IFL Week 2 Live!

    • Author Neal Putt
    Children when placed in the appropriate environment love to play, so it would be advisable to structure any speed, quickness, and agility methods and drills in an entertaining format. Young potential athletes will perform admirably to the liking of the instructor if the majority of the training is game-like and competitive. Also, some basic strength training can be included inconspicuously by having the young athletes learn squatting and lunging techniques during dynamic warm up drills.

    To make the process of learning speed, quickness, and agility drills productive, it would certainly make sense to instruct all young athletes on the proper techniques used in running, jumping, and landing mechanics. You would think that these movements would come natural to children and not be an issue worth considering, but the genetic make up and varying growth rates among children would suggest otherwise. We can't expect a tall and lanky potential basketball or volleyball player to have the coordination of a potential football running back at a young age.

    The instructor should initially focus on correcting running mechanics abnormalities and inefficiencies. The athletes must be instructed to stride consistently with knees tracking the feet while pumping the arms in coordination with the opposing leg. Several useful drills can be utilized at this point to accomplish the goal: 1) Marching with knee drive and arm drive 2) Pushing against a wall while alternately driving legs 3) Synchronized marching with a partner using a resistance band in opposing directions (marching speed can be increased until a slow run is generated). Once a consistent gait is in place, then the concept of increasing speed can be addressed by using short bursts of speed with an emphasis placed on knee and foot alignment.

    It is crucial that young athletes learn the proper mechanics behind jumping and landing before addressing the complexities of quickness and agility. A common weakness exists among youth with regards to an increased valgus position of the knees upon take-off and landing, especially among the taller athletes. This weakness stresses the importance of basic strength training as addressed earlier in the article and is often the result of weak hip abductors. A key abduction exercise using resistance bands to strengthen the hip abductors would be an excellent addition to the proper teaching of the squat and lunge.

    Introductory jumping exercises involving quick ankle flexion and a slight knee bend should be taught along with jumps beginning with a quarter squat initial drop. Focus should center around proper knee and foot alignment and arm swing involvement. The instructor should begin with single jumps and then progress toward multiple jumps in place. Once multiple jumps are mastered with excellent form, teams can be assigned and competitive contests between teams can be put into place.

    As far as safety is concerned, landing from a jump ranks high on the list. Many injuries are known to develop from chronic abuse based on incorrect landing technique. Young athletes must be instructed to land softly on the balls of their feet with the knees aligning with the feet and in line with the shoulders. Throughout the jumping drills performed, an emphasis should be placed on this proper alignment. Additional drills could involve 1) jumping softly onto a plyometric box and 2) jumping off of a low plyometric box in an attempt to make a perfectly aligned soft landing. Reinforcing proper technique can take place using many repetitions of a near perfect nature. Again, fun drills can be incorporated into the routine to promote interest and to stimulate the competitive spirit.

    Once safe jumping and landing practices are in place, the athletes should be ready for quickness and agility work. Acceleration and deceleration training involves considerable work, so why not make it fun? Placing fun, competitive drills into practice eliminates the focus on the hard work output. Partner resistance band training is an outstanding application toward accomplishing the desired outcome of the drill. Acceleration, deceleration, and changes in direction can all be improved upon in both the frontal and sagittal planes of movement. Here is a list of movement patterns that can be practiced using partner resistance band training: 1) Running 2) backpedaling 3) lateral slides 4) turn and run 5) lateral stop and sprint 6) lateral stop and backpedal 7) run, stop and lateral slide. All that is required are bands, cones, and the instructor's imagination.

    In addition to partner based training, the use of the agility ladder provides many useful footwork patterns and creates neuromuscular memory like no other piece of equipment. Best of all, young athletes love to work on the agility ladder. It would be practical to start with 4-5 fairly simple drills and to perform them consistently.

    It is essential to practice and learn these skills at an early age in order to provide a safe training environment for future athletes. I strongly believe that creating the necessary fundamental strength and technique as applied to the development of speed, quickness, and agility will prevent future injuries and provide the foundation for superior athletic performance.

    Neal Putt is a certified strength and conditioning specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association who also possesses degrees in Biology and Nutrition. Learn more...

    Live Streams and Breaking Sports News!

    Thursday, March 17, 2022

    Secrets of Golf How to Break 90 and the US High School Sports Show

     Learn what it takes to consistently break one of the toughest scoring barriers in golf.

    AJ Bonar presents everything that you will need to know to become a better golfer and start breaking 90 every time you play. Among the topics covered are: putting, chipping, the 135 yard shot and golf rules and etiquette. This comprehensive video is an excellent resource for players of all abilities. (Continued below.....)


    The Coach

    AJ Bonar has revolutionized the way to a better golf game through his years of experience as: Head Teaching Professional, AJ Golf School; Teaching professional for players on the PGA, LPGA, and Buy.com tours; Contributing editor to numerous Golf Magazines; 12 years as Golf Director of the San Diego Golf Academy; and eight years as a Division I NCAA Golf Coach at the Bowling Green University. Book this course...

    Live Streams and Breaking Sports News!

    Tuesday, March 15, 2022

    Core Strength Workouts - Helpful Facts You Need to be Aware of and The StrengthCast PowerShow

     

    • Author Joycelyn Graydon
    The muscles of the abdomen, back and pelvis compose the body's core. These large muscles are responsible for balance and support since they are located near in the vicinity of your center of gravity.
    In order for it to function well, these muscles should be strengthened. When you have a strong core, you are able to lift objects with ease, walk or run without falling or stumbling, have a good posture and are generally able to hold your body up for long periods of time without tiring. A powerful core also allows you to perform your workouts longer, allowing you to gain more from your regimen. With a well-developed core, you can exercise without fear of injury or strain. (Continued below.....)

    The twists keep coming at ya' Athletes and Warriors!
    We continue to scour the interwebs and beyond to find you the best, science backed fitness/strength and information on Earth!

    (...Continued....) A weak core, on the other hand, poses a lot of problems. It is the usual culprit behind poor posture and hunched shoulders that lead to all sorts of pains and aches in both the upper and lower backs. Individuals with frail core muscles are more susceptible to injury and strain when performing workouts or even in their daily activities. They easily slip and stumble, injuring themselves in the process.

    To develop strong abdominal, back and hip muscles, you need to perform core strength workouts. While these muscles are fairly large compared to the other muscles in your body, they still need time to rest and recover so they grow strong. Thus, you should do core strength exercises no more than three times a week on alternate days. Also, if you are performing bodyweight exercises for core strength, strive to do twenty repetitions. If you have added weights to your routine, strive only for 15 repetitions.

    You can do crunches, sit-ups and leg lifts to strengthen your abs. If you want to incorporate weight training into your routine, you can do squats using dumbbells or do dumbbell rows. Mountain climbers and Russian twists are also good core strength workouts that develop abdominal strength.

    Bicycle kicks, leg rolls, burpees, flutter kicks and planks are great hip exercises that develop strength and flexibility. When done on a Swiss ball or stability ball, the pelvic muscles as well as the leg muscles become even more engaged, challenging the body to develop balance and a wide range of motion. Strong hips are important since they give the body stability, especially in the performance of such high-impact exercises as running and other cardiovascular exercises. Aside from balance and stability, strong hip muscles also enhance your speed.

    Core strength workouts for the back involve both the upper and lower back muscles. The muscles that need to be worked out include the trapezius muscles, latissimus dorsi and the other muscles that join the upper and lower back that of the rest of the body, particularly the neck, shoulders and hips. This is because these erector muscles allow you to lean back without breaking your spine. When the back is neglected, muscular imbalance develops and chronic back pain results. Some of the common exercises for a stronger back include bent-over rows with dumbbells, lat pulldowns and Superman exercises.

    Last but not least, check out this Shakeology review and find out about the number 1 method to get fit from home. Also, don't forget to read this article called "P90X before and after pictures".