Athletic Gear and Equipment: Football / Soccer

Football (called soccer in some regions, especially the USA) is the world's most popular team sport, fondly called "the beautiful game". The object of this sport is to pass around the football using the feet and head (never the hands!) and scoring a goal. Each team is allowed ten players on the field plus the goalkeeper, who defends the goal, for a total of eleven.

The world's center stage for football is the World Cup. In reality, there are several "world cups" (e.g. Cricket World Cup), but the football world cup (officially the FIFA World Cup) is extremely popular that it is referred to as the World Cup. The World Cup is held every four years and is the most-watched sports competition on Earth.

The most important piece of football equipment is the ball itself. Standard soccer balls have a circumference of 27-28 inches and a weight of 410-450 grams. Most footballs today are made of 12 pentagon and 20 hexagon panels of waterproofed leather or plastic. These panels are stitched together; quality control assures that no stitches have been missed prior to shipping. Footballs brandish a wide variety of colors, but the most popular of all is the black pentagon / white hexagon pattern.

Football players' uniforms usually incorporate the colors of the club or nation, as well as the corporate sponsor. The uniform consists of the jersey and the shorts. Jerseys are often used in casual attire, due to their popularity and "simple, sleek shirt" appearance. Football shorts, on the other hand, are designed for comfort and durability, able to serve athletes for many games. Shorts can be knit or woven.

Because football involves a lot of kicking, the athletes' legs need protection. This comes in the form of socks and shin guards. Football socks are available in a wide array of colors, with stripes as popular designs. Socks usually reach up to just below the knee. Shin guards, on the other hand, are strong enough to absorb the impact of hard kicks while still being lightweight. Shin guards work in unison to football socks, which hold the guards in their proper place. Shin guards use cloth or foam to protect the shin, and they are durable gear.

Goalkeepers have some pieces of football gear that are unique on any team. For example, the jerseys of goalkeepers differ in color from other team members', and they are usually long-sleeved. Shorts with extra padding and/or extra length have also been made with goalkeepers in mind. As an alternative to shorts, goalkeepers can also wear long pants.

The football / soccer equipment most unique to the goalkeeper is the glove, which comes in a variety of padding levels. Most modern gloves last a full football season of playing due to their durability.

Lastly, football shoes are designed for the sport, and are often called "cleats" (like the ones used in baseball or American football). Cleats are made with the playing field (grass or dirt) in mind, and as such they have large studs on the bottom that grip the surface. This helps players from sliding and assists them when rapidly changing direction. Often, the stud itself is called a cleat. The most popular football / soccer shoe brands out there are Adidas, Lotto, Nike, and Puma.

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Athletic Gear and Equipment: Basketball

Basketball is one of the world's most popular sports. Invented in 1891, basketball involves two teams of five players each trying to score points by throwing ("shooting") the ball through the basket ("the hoop").

The world's most popular and watched basketball league is the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the United States, and as such it isn't surprising that the many of the best basketball gear and equipment are on display there. What the NBA players wear and what the league uses are frequently emulated the world over, from kids playing makeshift basketball courts on the side streets to the various international leagues that have prospered in the last decades.

The most important equipment in the sport is the ball; without it, there's no sense playing! Usually 30 inches in circumference, the basketball is usually orange in color; there exist variants, such as balls of the darker shade and tricolor (blue, white, red) balls. There are black lines that follow the contour of the ball and aid the basketball player in his/her grip. In recent years, basketballs with glossy, high-quality graphics imprints have been sold, and while these balls are playable, they serve better as collector’s items due to their designs and higher prices.

The basketball uniform is another vital piece. This consists mainly of the jersey and shorts. Sometimes, the term "basketball jersey" is taken to mean both the garment for the torso (the "tops") and the shorts, as these two usually come in a set. Decades ago, basketball uniform hugged the skin of players; nowadays, they're loose.

Many basketball players don accessories to go with their uniforms. Some of them are headbands, wristbands, armbands, and fingerbands. These bands are strips of cloth (usually woolen) that are used to improve performance, wipe off sweat, or simply look good. These come in various colors and are often stitched with the logos of basketball leagues or teams.

Basketball shoes are not only for the court – they're also fashion pieces, great for casual attires. Shoes made for the sport are lightweight, cushioned, and have good ankle support, grip, traction, ventilation, and shock absorption, among others. These shoes come in low-cut and high-cut forms, "cut" here referring to how high the shoe to the ankle. Basketball shoes are so popular in the world today that some of the biggest athletic gear brands have been associated with them.

Speaking of brands, some of the most recognizable ones are Nike, adidas (spelled with the small a!), Reebok, Converse, and Puma. In fact, the logos of these brands are so popular that even people with a passing interest in basketball can recognize them!

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Athletics, Fitness

About 85% of air travel thrombosis victims are athletic, usually endurance-type athletes like marathoners. People with slower resting blood flow are at greater risk of stasis, stagnant blood subject to clotting. Also, they are more likely to have bruises and sore muscles that can trigger clotting.
No other risk factor comes close to this. Age over 60 is supposed to be a risk factor, but these victims are younger, 82% of them under 60.
Athletes should flex their legs at fifteen minute intervals during air travel. If other risk factors are present, such as a personal or family history of clots, more frequent flexing would be advisable, and wearing compression stockings. Avoid sleeping. The English soccer team flying to the World Cup games in Japan broke the trip into two segments with a two-day rest stop and wore compression stockings during the flights.
The injury often feels like a muscle cramp and is usually misdiagnosed, aggravating the injury and increasing the risk of permanent disability or death. Tips on recognizing symptoms and avoiding misdiagnosis are available in a free Leaflet.
New hope for victims lies in an experimental treatment being studied at National Institutes of Health by Dr. Richard Chang. He is using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) to dissolve clots. By dissolving clots immediately instead of waiting weeks for lysing to dissolve them, the chance of permanent vein damage is greatly reduced. But the treatment must begin within two weeks of clot formation, after which the clot resists this treatment. Many victims, including physicians who are victims, are not able to recognize symptoms and get a correct diagnosis within two weeks. The free Leaflet could make you one of the lucky ones. For free treatment, contact Richard Chang at RChang@mail.cc.nih.gov.

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How to train to improve your karate kick

Tip #1 - Practice makes perfect
Practice just the initial move of the kick first. Bring your heel up to your rear end while tightening the ankle and rolling the toes back. Also, bring the knee straight up to the center of your body; this ensures correct targeting for the kick.

Tip #2 - Repetition
Repeat the practice of the full kicking action in increments at a slower speed. Practicing the move at a slower speed with enable you to perfect it at a quicker speed. This will also teach the body correct balance, hip action and foot placement for the kick.

Tip #3 - Watch yourself in the mirror
Make sure that your upper body doesn't make any unnecessary movements that will telegraph your intentions to your opponent. Also make sure the head level stays even, while keeping in mind that it is important to avoid rising the supporting leg.

Tip #4 - Strength train
Although most people will find that one leg is faster or stronger than the other, it is important to practice kicks evenly with both legs. It is very important to ensure equal strength and capability throughout your entire body.

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ATHLETES AT RISK OF DISABLING, SOMETIMES FATAL INJURY

Tim Hentzel, 26, a competitive triathlete, was recently diagnosed with DVT, deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot in the leg, after a flight from Minneapolis to San Francisco. His life has been difficult since then, revolving around pain, swelling, warfarin (rat poison) tablets, and blood tests.

Medical journals report that, during air travel, blood flow slows down, especially in the lower legs, and coagulability rises hour by hour. Blood clots form in the calves of about 5% of air travelers. Clots can cause pain and swelling. If a blood clot reaches the lungs, it can cause pain, fainting, and death. Athletic people are at greater risk because, with lower resting blood flow to the large muscles, they are more prone to stasis, stagnant blood subject to clotting. A large majority of air travel thrombosis victims contacting Airhealth.org are athletic, usually endurance-type athletes like marathoners. No other risk factor comes close. Age is supposed to be a risk factor for DVT, but 83% of these victims are under age 60.

Experts recommend wearing compression stockings and flexing the legs at thirty minute intervals. For people at higher risk, such as athletes, flexing more frequently is advisable. Don't confuse compression stockings with support stockings. Support stockings may actually be harmful. Compression stockings are graduated with much greater pressure at the ankle.

The injury often feels like a muscle cramp and is usually misdiagnosed, aggravating the injury and increasing the risk of death. Tips on recognizing symptoms and avoiding misdiagnosis are available in a free Leaflet at www.airhealth.org. There are no strings; no advertising and no plea for contributions.

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Horse Racing

The influence of England on the early life in colonial America was quite evident in the social, cultural, and political practices of the colonists. Horse racing was one of the earliest English influences on the American gentry. The status of owning thoroughbred horses imported from England was a true indicator of American wealth. Later these wealthy Americans began breeding their own horses on large farms and plantations. As a cost effective and profitable approach, the care and training of these horses were assigned to the slaves. Horses were also needed for the gentlemen as a mode of transportation and for the carriages of the ladies of the aristocracy. As a diversion, horses were trained to race in betting events. Horse racing could earn the gentry money or goods such as tobacco, rice, cotton, sugar, or the addition of more property in the name of slaves. Horse racing became an enjoyable and profitable American pastime. Soon the owners of race horses discovered that the riders were just as important as the horses. Since the African American slaves knew the temperament and ability of each horse they so trained, their selection as riders of race horses soon caught on. Out of the desire to have winners in horse racing, these sporting events included the first identifiable African American sportsmen known as jockeys and trainers. By 1800, the south had produced the majority of black jockeys seen at the major race tracks. From 1823 to the beginning of the American Civil War (1861-1864), the most popular American sporting event was horse racing, and the African American riders were key players in this spectator sport. The earliest known African American jockey was recorded by the name of "Monkey" Simon. Simon was a rider at the Clover Bottom Race Track, near Nashville, Tennessee around 1806. Later the name of Abe Hawkins appeared as a rider at the Metarie, Louisiana race track around 1851.

The American Civil War (1861-1865) put a temporary stop to horse racing. All horses were needed for the war efforts, and many were destroyed during this period. But, by 1875 racing was back, and on May 17, the first Kentucky Derby was won by Oliver Lewis, an African American jockey riding Aristides.

Isaac Murphy (b. Jan. 1, 1861? - d. Feb. 12, 1896), a prominent African American jockey, succeeded in winning the Kentucky Derby three times in the years of 1890 and 1891, a record which stood until the year of 1948 when Eddie Arcaro won the Kentucky Derby four times riding the famed Citation. Isaac Murphy was known as "the most phenomenal hand jockey the world had yet seen." He was opposed to being a "whip" rider in order to achieve the speed needed to win a race. Murphy rode in over 1,412 races and won over 628. Upon his death, the famed trainer L.P. Tarlton said these words about Isaac Murphy: "I have seen all the great jockeys in England and this country for years back, but, all in all, Isaac Murphy is the greatest of them all."

In the footsteps of Isaac Murphy came a list of notables up until the start of World War I. The list included:

* Monk Overton, who was credited with winning six races at Washington Park in Illinois, July 10, 1891.

* Willie Simms, who won five of his six races at Sheepshead Bay, New York, June 23, 1893 and the Kentucky Derby in 1896 and in 1898.

* James "Soup" Perkins at age 13, became known as "the boy jockey" in 1893. Perkins won at Saratoga and the Kentucky Derby in 1895.

* Jimmy Lee at the end of his career was a top drawer in horse racing. He won, from 1907 to 1909, ten major races, including the Kentucky Oaks, the Travers and California Derby.

* Jimmy Winkfield became a legend in the field of horse racing. He won the Kentucky Derby in 1901 and in 1902 and came in second in 1903. In 1904, he traveled to Europe and raced in Moscow, Russia. By 1923, he was racing in France and won the coveted Prix du President de la Republique. He died in 1974 at age 93 and was inscribed into the Jockey Hall of Fame at Pimlico.

* Marlon St. Julien, on May 6, 2000, became the first black jockey in seventy-nine years to ride in the Kentucky Derby. He finished in seventh place.

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Athletic Gear and Equipment: Baseball

Baseball has long been referred to as America's "National Pastime" (or "National Game")—as early as the 19th century. Its exact roots are not well-defined, but most believe that the game of baseball we know today has evolved from other pastimes such as cricket and rounders. Legends of the baseball leagues include Cap Anson, Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth.

Playing the Game

Baseball calls for two teams consisting of nine players each, as well as a number of officials called umpires. The playing field is made up of the infield and the outfield. In the infield are four bases, one at each point of a 90x90 foot square called the baseball diamond: the first base, the second base, the third base, and the home base. The outfield is the area beyond the infield's grass line and is bounded by the foul lines and the wall or fence of the baseball playing field.

The object of the game is to score the most number of runs. The goal of an offensive team (the batting team) is to score as many runs as possible during the half-inning in which they bat. This is done by hitting a pitched ball with a bat, in which the batter becomes a base runner. The goal of a base runner is to go through each base and reach the home base to score a run. A batter-turned-base runner may take several plays to reach home base as he has to avoid getting put out; consequently, there may be several players occupying the bases when a new batter steps up to the plate. A base runner must be at a base he is entitled do before any opponent catches the ball and tags him out.

The goal of the opposing, defensive team (the pitchers, catchers, and basemen) is to have three outs for the batting team. A player is put out in several ways: three strikeouts, catching a batted ball in the air, a tag out, or a force out. The pitcher throws the ball to the batter in a way that the batter must not be able to hit it properly, or, at all.

After nine innings (or less, depending on the type of game played), each consisting of three outs per team, the game ends. In the case of a tie, extra innings "shall continue until (1) the visiting team has scored more total runs than the home team at the end of a completed inning; or (2) the home team scores the winning run in an uncompleted inning."

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Athletic Gear and Equipment: Tennis

Tennis, one the world's most widely played and watched sports, involves either two players ("singles") or two teams of two players each ("doubles") volley / strike a ball with a racquet over the net into the opponent’s court.

Arguably the sport's grandest stage is Wimbledon (formally "The Championships, Wimbledon"). It is one of the four tennis Grand Slam events, the other three being the Australian Open, the French Open, and the US Open.

The game is centered on the tennis ball, and as such it's the most important piece of equipment. Basically, it is a hollow rubber ball covered in felt. Tennis balls seem light in appearance, which is helped by its cloth covering. However, anybody who has missed hitting the ball with a racket and ended up getting smacked on the face will tell you that it's solid hard. Usually, tennis balls come in a light green color, though white balls are also popular. Tennis ball standards dictate that the balls' seams must be stitch-less.

Without the racquet, tennis won't be tennis, so it's the second most important gear. According to Wikipedia, a tennis racquet (or racket) is "a bat with a long handle and a large looped head with a string mesh tautly stretched across it, made of wood, metal or some other synthetic material, used by a tennis player to hit the tennis ball during a game of tennis". Tennis players can choose from a wide variety of racquets in the market today that enhance either power, control, or a balance between both. Some of the more famous racket brands are Prince, Wilson, Yonex, and Dunlop.

Sometimes, the clothes make the athlete. Tennis apparel range from shirts (sleeved and sleeveless) and shorts for men, and shirts (sleeved, sleeveless, spaghetti strapped) and skirts for women. These come in various designs and colors.

Tennis athletes often use accessories to help them in their game, or to simply look good. Examples of these are headbands, wristbands, guard and lead tapes, vibration dampeners, grips, caps, and hats. Socks are essential in keeping the player's feet comfortable and safe from blisters. Sunglasses are also popular with tennis players and spectators alike; some of the more popular brands are Nike, Bolle, and Oakley.

As you've probably seen in TV or the dailies, tennis athletes carry their equipment into and out of the court, with their bags. There are lots of types of bags that can be used in tennis, such as duffel sports bags and backpacks.

Finally, the shoes of tennis players keep them in running, literally, for victory. These shoes are designed to be comfortable, have good ankle support, and durable soles. Some of the more recognizable tennis shoes brands are Adidas, Fila, Nike, Prince, Wilson, Yonex, Reebok, New Balance, and K-Swiss.

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Athletic Gear and Equipment: American Football

American football is one of the most popular sports in North America today. In this sport, the football is advanced towards the opposing team's end zone and score points, either by placing the ball over the goal line (touchdown) or kicking it through the goal posts.

The world's center stage for American football is the National Football League (NFL). All kinds of football athletic gear and equipment are on display here on a daily basis. American football fever reaches its peak with the Super Bowl, the penultimate match of the season that serves as the championship game of the NFL.

The most important piece of football equipment is the ball itself. The football used in this sport different from the one used in soccer, and is unique as it’s not as spherical as most balls. The football is pointed at the ends and usually measures 11 inches long and 22 inches in circumference. As expected of its uneven shape, the American football is difficult to catch and has unpredictable bounces. It consists of four leather panels sewn together and usually tanned to a brown color.

The football athletes' uniforms are also important. Football jerseys have players' numbers printed with large and bold fonts; this is needed so the spectators and the coaches at the sidelines can see who is who across the large field. The pants complement the jerseys in terms of color theme. Recently, black, navy, and teal are some of the most commonly used colors.

Because football is a hard contact sport (this might be an underestimation!), athletes need to have some elaborate protective equipment. This comes in the form of pads and helmets. Lightweight plasticized padding is used to cover the thighs, knees, hips, shoulders, hands, and forearms to avoid injury.

The American football helmet, arguably second only to the ball as an icon of the sport, offers sufficient protection to the player's head. Without the helmet, serious head injury would be an often occurrence. These plastic helmets have guards that cover most of the face, thus rendering the athletes mostly unrecognizable except for their jersey numbers and body build.

Lastly, football shoes are designed for the sport, and are often called "cleats" (like the ones used in baseball or soccer). Cleats are made with the playing field (grass or dirt) in mind, and as such they have large studs on the bottom that grip the surface. This helps players from sliding and assists them when rapidly changing direction. Often, the stud itself is called a cleat.

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Women's 1500m - FINAL - WORLD RECORD

This was always possible to be the race of the championships and it did not disappoint as Yelena Soboleva bettered her own World indoor record mark** by a monster 0.34 posting 3:57.71.

The imperious Russian, who has set national records for both the 800m and one mile prior this year, as well as a 1500m World record of 3:58.05** in Moscow last month went into the championships a firm favorites.

And the tall Soboleva proved she could survive the pressure, reversing the one-two at the 2006 World Indoor Championships with Yuliya Fomenko, who played her part in the world record performance taking silver in a new personal best of 3:59.41.

Behind them, and as a measure of the outstanding quality of the event, Ethiopia's Gelete Burka took bronze in an Area record of 3:59.75 with World open-air 1500m champion Maryam Jamal of Bahrain also dipping below 4:00 and setting an Area record settle for fourth.

But this was real all about the Russians and Soboleva. The World indoor record holder took an immediate lead and burst through 400m in 1:03.26, tracked closely by her team-mate Fomenko. At 800m, passed in a 2:07.89, the field was already split apart with only the big four in medal contention and Fomenko taking her turn at the front to storm up the pace as the Russians adopted team tactics.

Incredibly, the relentless pace stepped up further in the second half of the race and with two and a half laps remaining the Russians had opened up clear daylight on the Ethiopian-born pair with 1200m reached in 3:11.53.

At the bell Soboleva eased into the lead and simply accelerated away from Fomenko on the final lap. The only real question remained would she smash her own World record? The respond was a resounding, yes. The second 800m was clocked unofficially at 2:05.9, the crowd almost lifting the roof for the history-making achievement.

Behind her Fomenko grimly hung on to silver with Burka, the 2006 World Cross Country short course gold medallist, taking her first global track medal for the bronze.

For Soboleva it capped a remarkable sequence of races this indoor season. She set national records of 1:56.49 for 800m and 4:20.21 for the Mile as well as her World record breaking display of 3:58.05 in Moscow in the National Championships on 10 February.

"I'm really glad about this victory here in Valencia, although I didn't expect to break the world record," Soboleva explained. "Yuliya Fomenko and myself agreed before the race to run at a speed that suited us both and that whoever was strongest would win on the last lap."

Daniela Yordanova also set a Bulgarian record of 4:04.19 for fifth.

Soboleva received a cheque of $50,000 for breaking the world mark. It was the first World record set at the championships since Russia broke the World 4x400m record at the 2004 edition in Budapest.

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