March madness is great to watch not because I have
basketball ability, (you can tell that by my
height), but because every year there are some
good players that become great players. Some of
the tournament games are nail bitters and come
down to last second shots. When they do there are
maybe one or two players on the team that have
this attitude of, “just give me the ball.” They
want that pressure shot, they want to be the one
making or breaking the teams future. Those are the
players that go on in life to be the Michael
Jordan’s, Larry birds, and Magic Johnson’s of this
world.

Do you know that Jesus is just like one of those
players? He lives for the moment. He wants the
pressure shots, and he wants to have the ability
in our lives to determine where we are going.

A few of you know I have had a hard time finding
understanding in events in my life these last
three weeks. Events out of my control, events with
seemingly not much logical understanding, and
events mixed with love, frustration, and fear.
Monday evening I happened to be working late at my
office, which I rarely do on Monday’s. Also I
parked my car on the side of my office, in which
any one passing by wouldn’t have known I was
there.

Finally realizing that I had no control, there
doesn’t have to be any logic to love, and
frustration was just giving me headaches and
stomach aches. Monday was one of those days in
which I felt in my heart I was turning the corner
and releasing everything that the past three weeks
had brought upon me to God and moving on with my
life. At 5:00 my last client left and I decided
to be still for a while. (A common theme I heard
on three separate occasions this week in sermons).
I guess you could say, I finally needed and wanted
to pass the ball to someone else.

As I sat there quietly in my office I had this
sudden urge to get on my knees and pray. But not
the normal attitude prayer that normally comes out
of my mouth. That morning I turned to Matthew and
read about asking for things, knocking on Gods
door and receiving his blessings. This time I
said, “God you say in Matthew, now I am asking,
just give me a “sign” one way or another with
Amber that’s it. That’s all I am asking.” And I
said all in a confidence and a strong voice.

As God as my witness not even five minutes later I
hear a knock at my office door, in walks Amber
Smith! I have not spoken, seen her nor thought I
ever would again in almost three weeks. Then all
of a sudden she walks in. Needless to say, I was
shocked not just because of her showing up, but
because of what God had just did. Saving you with
all the mushy details (which is none of your
business anyway) we spoke for fifteen minutes
answered some concerns of each others, took a step
forward, hugged and said our good byes.

But, much greater than the details is what Jesus
did because I handed the ball off to him. All
along he would say to me, “Be still, give me the
ball, let me make the pressure shots, and let me
have your play book of life.” However, all I
needed to do was take the ball of burdens stretch
out my arms and hand it to him. The minute my
hands (thoughts and emotions) left the ball (my
willingness to control and have answers) he
answered and took the pressure shot. But not until
I totally let go and let God.

What I learned was this, humble yourself before
God (on your knees be the team player it’s not
about you)? Continually read the word and stand on
it (study the play book). Go boldly to Jesus for
answers (give him the pressure shots)

I don’t know where my future is with Amber Smith,
I still love her and I hope she believes that.
What I do know is this; God is faithful on his
time table. Whether we know it or not he watches
over us always. And practice the Golden Rule no
matter what.

So the next time you want to make the great shot,
remember there are greater players around you if
you just give them the ball.
March madness is great to watch not because I have
basketball ability, (you can tell that by my
height), but because every year there are some
good players that become great players. Some of
the tournament games are nail bitters and come
down to last second shots. When they do there are
maybe one or two players on the team that have
this attitude of, “just give me the ball.” They
want that pressure shot, they want to be the one
making or breaking the teams future. Those are the
players that go on in life to be the Michael
Jordan’s, Larry birds, and Magic Johnson’s of this
world.

Do you know that Jesus is just like one of those
players? He lives for the moment. He wants the
pressure shots, and he wants to have the ability
in our lives to determine where we are going.

A few of you know I have had a hard time finding
understanding in events in my life these last
three weeks. Events out of my control, events with
seemingly not much logical understanding, and
events mixed with love, frustration, and fear.
Monday evening I happened to be working late at my
office, which I rarely do on Monday’s. Also I
parked my car on the side of my office, in which
any one passing by wouldn’t have known I was
there.

Finally realizing that I had no control, there
doesn’t have to be any logic to love, and
frustration was just giving me headaches and
stomach aches. Monday was one of those days in
which I felt in my heart I was turning the corner
and releasing everything that the past three weeks
had brought upon me to God and moving on with my
life. At 5:00 my last client left and I decided
to be still for a while. (A common theme I heard
on three separate occasions this week in sermons).
I guess you could say, I finally needed and wanted
to pass the ball to someone else.

As I sat there quietly in my office I had this
sudden urge to get on my knees and pray. But not
the normal attitude prayer that normally comes out
of my mouth. That morning I turned to Matthew and
read about asking for things, knocking on Gods
door and receiving his blessings. This time I
said, “God you say in Matthew, now I am asking,
just give me a “sign” one way or another with
Amber that’s it. That’s all I am asking.” And I
said all in a confidence and a strong voice.

As God as my witness not even five minutes later I
hear a knock at my office door, in walks Amber
Smith! I have not spoken, seen her nor thought I
ever would again in almost three weeks. Then all
of a sudden she walks in. Needless to say, I was
shocked not just because of her showing up, but
because of what God had just did. Saving you with
all the mushy details (which is none of your
business anyway) we spoke for fifteen minutes
answered some concerns of each others, took a step
forward, hugged and said our good byes.

But, much greater than the details is what Jesus
did because I handed the ball off to him. All
along he would say to me, “Be still, give me the
ball, let me make the pressure shots, and let me
have your play book of life.” However, all I
needed to do was take the ball of burdens stretch
out my arms and hand it to him. The minute my
hands (thoughts and emotions) left the ball (my
willingness to control and have answers) he
answered and took the pressure shot. But not until
I totally let go and let God.

What I learned was this, humble yourself before
God (on your knees be the team player it’s not
about you)? Continually read the word and stand on
it (study the play book). Go boldly to Jesus for
answers (give him the pressure shots)

I don’t know where my future is, what I do know is this;
God is faithful on his
time table. Whether we know it or not he watches
over us always. And practice the Golden Rule no
matter what.

So the next time you want to make the great shot,
remember there are greater players around you if
you just give them the ball.

Greg Ryan is a best selling author of the Changing from the INSIDE OUT series. A powerful five step plan to better your life, get healthier, and have more energy!
For FREE mini Course click here! http://www.resolutions.bz

Tags: basketball, faith, God, march madness, motivationbasketball, faith, God, march madness, motivation

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There has been intense media speculation in the UK recently as to the rise of crime associated with youths wearing hooded tops. It has even spawned a new noun - as in “a gang of hoodies beat up a man yesterday”. What is it that has created this image of illegality in such a short time?

The obvious reason is that the hoodie part of the top can obscure the face of the wearer, so some wearers have committed criminal acts such as shoplifting using the hood to conceal their identity from CCTV cameras in shopping centres

In May 2005, the largest shopping centre in the UK, Bluewater in Kent, launched a Code of Conduct which bans its shoppers from sporting hoodies and baseball caps. Hoodies and baseball caps are still on sale there, however. Prime Minister Tony Blair has openly supported this stance and vowed to clamp down on the anti-social behaviour hoody wearers are often associated with.

What is often ignored is the fact that the hoodie was developed for a very different reason - keeping warm! Surfers and skateboarders have known this for some time and the original functionality of the clothing has evolved into a fashion item.

What a lot of the media gloss over is that many hoodies are customized or at least branded with logos, names etc which tend to negate the anonymity anyway. At least half of the hoodies sold have been customized in some way, even if it’s just a common brand name - such as Next in the UK. The more up market brands can cost over

Tags: custom hoodies, hoodiescustom hoodies, hoodies

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For every gymnast, there is a different motivational need.
This is the same in anything, really — we all have
different ways in which we are given confidence in
ourselves, no matter what we do. Whether we write or draw,
sing or dance, we all need encouragement. Indeed, gymnasts
need encouragement in their sport more than many, because
they are actually attempting to train their bodies and
their minds in order to move correctly, to be able to take
the strain of the sport. As a parent of a gymnast, there
are many ways in which you can motivate your child. Some
of them might work. Some of them might not. Find what is
most comfortable for you and your gymnast and stick with
it. It’s easier for you both that way.

Show Interest

First and foremost, in order to motivate a child–most
certainly a gymnast–you need to show interest in what they
are doing. If he or she feels as though you are
uninterested in the sport as a whole, then they may become
discouraged all together. How do you show interest, even
if gymnastics aren’t your absolute favorite sport in the
world? Actually, it’s pretty easy. First, you can warm up
with them before they train. Join in with their stretches
or their jogging, if you can. It feels good and it sets an
example. If you don’t want to run around with them, then
you can ask them about their days at practice. What did
they do? What did they learn? Many young gymnasts will
jump at the chance to teach their parents something. It
gives them the sense that you have things to learn from
them, and all around, it is a wholesome feeling. Finally,
it’s a good idea to attend at least one of their practices
every once in a while. Make the effort. It will be
worthwhile for everyone concerned. Also, good
communication with the coaches can be established there,
which can certainly be beneficial.

Education

Education about the sport is a great way to motivate your
young gymnast! For the enthusiast, this should be an easy
matter. Just take care not to overwhelm your child with
too much information at once. There is no dearth of
exciting information out there about gymnastics, from the
types of maneuvers that can be made in the many variations
of the sport: rings, vaulting, parallel bars, and so on.,
to the salaries of professional gymnastics specialists in
circuses and theatrical shows, to the accomplishments of
gymnasts around the globe. This can certainly foster
interest. If indeed it does, then encourage them to pursue
it!

Positive Feedback

When your child is involved with gymnastics, it is always
good to offer them positive feedback, no matter what they
do. Instead of pointing out flaws directly, you should
give them praise for what they did correctly in their
drills or in their competitions. Don’t allow them to get
down about doing things incorrectly or incompletely –
instead, keep their spirits up by telling them to repeat
what they did correctly before. This is usually used in
conjunction with constructive criticism, and it generally
works the best out of all of the motivational methods for
the most people. For some, it can be somewhat irritating;
some actually prefer honest criticism so that they can
improve by knowing what they did wrong. For the majority,
it is heartening to hear someone say, “Well, this was
really impressive”

Constructive Criticism

Used in conjunction with positive feedback, constructive
criticism gives an athlete an idea of what needs
improvement in a tactful and non-offensive way. If your
child is particularly sensitive to criticism, it may be a
good idea to just offer positive feedback, but most
generally, the combination of the two works nicely
together. There is a note you must be aware of before you
give your child any amount of constructive criticism, and
that is its timing. It’s advisable not to do so right
after they have finished their training session. Wait
until just before they start the next one, so they have
some perspective on what they need to improve upon, without
feeling as though you’re ready to “shoot them down,” so to
speak. They’ll definitely appreciate it.

Competition/Reward

Finally, for the more experienced gymnast, there is the
concept of competition-and-reward in the sport. This is
sometimes used by coaches to encourage their athletes to
compete against one another and to improve, all with the
promise of some kind of reward. It may be a pizza party,
it may be a day off, it really depends upon what level of
the sport your child is in. You can use it to your
advantage, too, in just about any way you can imagine!

Take note that punishment is not one of the recommended
motivational methods. Punishment is always negative and
decreases motivation in the long term. In fact, it may
even lead to the development of phobias or aversions in the
future.

With this in mind, I hope that your gymnast is motivated
and successful!

If you want to read more about motivation, I recommend
you take a look at another article I wrote giving specific
advice on increasing motivation:

Gymnastics Motivation

Or check out my favorite book on the subject:
http://gymnasticssecretsrevealed.com/good/motivate.htm
By Murray Hughes
Gymnastics Secrets Revealed
“The book EVERY gymnastics parent should read”

http://www.gymnasticssecretsrevealed.com/gymnastics-articles/gymnastics_motivation.htm

If your child is a gymnast and you enjoyed this article, you
will definitely enjoy reading the zero cost, 5-day course
Gymnastics Tips Course written especially for gymnastics
parents by a gymnastics parent.
Girls Gymnastics Tips

Tags: child motivation, Gymnastics, gymnastics motivationchild motivation, Gymnastics, gymnastics motivation

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