blogger – Page 17 – Sports Michael Jordan

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16
Apr
2018

Fundraisers For Pre-teen Sports Teams

categories: Sports

Pre-teen sports teams give young people a great opportunity to participate in a team sport, make new friends, and learn about teamwork. Besides being great fun and keeping them out of trouble, participation in pre-teen sports also gives young people a solid foundation for the future.

While fundraising on the part of parents, coaches and teachers is good and effective, the young people enjoying team sports can also enjoy participating in the fundraising themselves.

Encouraging participation

Everybody loves pre-teen sports, and sometimes the parents get even more excited about it than the kids. At the very beginning of the season, send out a fundraising letter or hold a meeting with all the parents to discuss fundraising, if for no other reason, to get them prepared to spend some time and get into a fundraising mode. Leverage the parents that were involved the year before. Encourage them to help out again in sharing their ideas and wisdom with the rest of the group. Get the kids interested too. Discuss the need for fundraising with them, and tell them about a few fundraising ideas. Kids are natural salespeople, and will be able to help out a lot towards their own cause–don’t make the mistake of just leaving all the fundraising to the parents.

Set the stage for participation in the next fundraiser too, by making sure to recognize the hard work done by all the volunteers, including both students and parents, making sure everyone knows the results of the fundraising, and sending a “thank you” to donors.

Have specific goals

Pre-teen sports teams can always use money for something, whether it’s new uniforms, awards, field trips, or equipment. But each fundraising initiative should have a specific and realistic goal that everybody is working for. When a child says “will you buy a box of candy to help us buy uniforms,” they’re a lot more likely to get a positive response than if they simply say, “will you buy a box of candy.” Also, you’ll get your parent and student volunteers more excited about fundraising if they know what they are working towards. Raising money for the “general fund” isn’t nearly as glamorous as raising money for something tangible that everybody can see and is within reach.

Specific goals are easy to come by. Pre-teen sports teams aren’t known for having large amounts of wealth, and there’s almost always something they need. Even if the team is school-sponsored, schools all over the country are suffering from cutbacks and often don’t have the funds to support the teams like they should. Keep in mind too, there are a lot of corporate sponsors and local businesses that would love to help, and would love to have some positive publicity. If they know exactly what is needed, you may have a chance of getting just a handful of companies together to foot the bill for the equipment, trips, or uniforms you need.

Getting support from community businesses

A common method of getting support from local businesses is to publish a yearbook, or sell ads on your team sports programs. It’s not hard to get the support of local merchants, but you do need to follow a few simple guidelines:

In addition to describing the benefit a donation will give to the team, describe the benefit to the individual merchant. You will be much more likely to get a donation if you are offering something to the merchant of value. This may come in the form of ad space in a program, having their company name displayed in the clubhouse, or a mention over the loudspeaker at halftime.

Follow up after the fundraiser is over. Send a “thank you” letter or a small token of appreciation to every donor. This shows them that you appreciate their support–and it also sets the stage for their participation in future events.

Give them a range of options. Don’t ask for the same amount from every merchant, give them a range of options from small to large dollar amounts.

12
Apr
2018

Fireworks and sports celebrations

categories: Sports

Ever since the Chinese invented fireworks, people have been acknowledging them as one of the best ways to show that they are happy. Joy and happiness are what these sparks of fire indicate. Fireworks has always been associated with important opening ceremonies of world sports events. Whether it is the Olympics, World Cup Football or any cricketing event like the Ashes tour or the Down Under tour, fireworks mark the beginning of celebrations and excitement. There is nothing like a good fireworks display to open the curtain on a world event.

Looking at the wealth of world sports bodies, one can imagine that it is not going to be some ordinary and cheap fireworks displays. You can also imagine that the displays are going to be more spectacular than any Christmas crackers or wedding fireworks you have seen. Surely the biggest sporting events in the world demand the best displays of celebration and it is a fact that people assemble at these stadiums on opening ceremonies – some of them to just witness the fireworks. In some of these sporting events, even the players become part of the celebrations. Olympics is one event where an expert archer lights the flame from a distance using a lighted arrow.

Many people choose to buy fireworks online and celebrate once their favourite star or team has won. Sometimes, you would find that before the opening ceremony, fans look for the cheapest fireworks for sale so that they can celebrate in their own locality or premises.

As you can imagine, it is not the everyday sparklers and Roman candles that you see in small festivities that are usually seen in big celebrations. People come here for something big and that is what they get. In these illuminated displays, rockets and Sierra bombs are usually just the beginning of a great display.

The iconic temples of world sports have hosted some of the greatest outdoor and indoor fireworks displays. For instance, the Oval cricketing stadium has been reported to have one of the biggest display of fireworks in the game while Madison Square Garden of New York has had the most frequent fireworks display in the world – especially because different events like basketball and wrestling matches are played there regularly.

09
Apr
2018

Tips on How to Become A Sports Photographer

categories: Sports

How can you become a sports photographer? Sports photography ranks as one of the most desired career destinations for budding photographers. Not only do you get free and up-close action to major sports events but you also get to take pretty cool photographs too! So, do you know how to become a sports photographer?

Camera And Equipment

The first thing you will need is a suitable camera and equipment.

To start with, you do not need anywhere near the level of equipment that is used by the professionals. They use digital SLR cameras and the best lenses and such equipment costs thousands of dollars. They also bring laptops or other computer equipment with them wherever they go so that they can quickly upload their photos to whoever wants them.

All you need to begin with is a decent multi-function camera that features interchangeable lenses. My recommendation is for a Canon camera as these are highly respected in the trade. Along with the camera, get yourself a collapsible tripod and a telephoto lens.

Education

If you know next to nothing about photography then I recommend joining a club or a course to find out. It is unlikely to be specifically geared towards sports photography but nevertheless it will still be highly valuable.

In sports photography, much of your work will be action shots that need to be taken with a fast shutter speed. You will often have to track your subjects, especially in highly dynamic sports such as motor racing. Knowing how to use the basic functions of a camera such as aperture and shutter speed is an absolute necessity.

Starting Out

At the beginning, you won’t be able to gain access to the biggest sporting events and it is unlikely that you will be able to produce the highest quality shots demanded by agencies and newspapers anyway.

Your best bet is to start locally. Find local sports teams and offer to take photographs for them for free. This will enable you to develop your techniques and build a good portfolio in order to showcase your talents.

Agencies

When you think your work is of a good enough standard, you can start to work with agencies.

Newspapers do not usually wish to deal directly with photographers except for a select few that they may have on their books. Mostly, they will depend on agencies who effectively act as middlemen between the freelance photographers and the print (and Internet) media.

03
Apr
2018

African Sports Safaris It’s Time To Lace Up Your Shoes

categories: Sports

Sports tourism, which is defined as trips taken specifically to watch or participate in sport events, has a huge potential to boost Africa’s tourism revenue.
Grossing more than $600 billion a year, the global sports tourism sector is identified as a potential driver of the continent’s tourism growth figures especially after the hosting of the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa.

Although African Sports Safaris are not as popular as game viewing expeditions, the continent is quickly earning a reputation as a sports tourism destination thanks to its world-class sports venues and golfing estates.

South Africa is undoubtedly one of the top destinations for African sports safaris. The country boasts top-class venues, including more than 500 world-class golf courses, which enable it to host international sports events such as the FIFA World Cup, the Rugby World Cup and the African Football Cup.

Golf and water sports such game fishing, wind surfing, scuba diving, snorkelling and canoe racing are some of the most popular sporting activities among visitors to South Africa, Morocco, Kenya and many other African countries.

Sun City, Cape Town and Garden Route are South Africa’s best golfing destination. On the other hand, Limpopo is ideal for fly fishing, cycling, mountain biking, car racing as well as golfing.
Morocco’s prevailing winds, fabulous beaches and rugged terrain make it an ideal destination for parachute jumps, biking and horse riding among other sports.

The coast of Kenya is ideal for sports such as scuba diving, snorkelling, water-surfing, deep sea fishing and dhow sailing. The country is also emerging as a potential destination for golfers especially with the recent investors’ plans to build golf cities in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Thika, Eldoret and other strategic locations across the county.

But even with the spirited effort by tour operators to market Africa as a destination for sports safaris, it will take powerful marketing campaigns for the sector to make a significant contribution to the local economy.

And because such expensive campaigns may not yield immediate results, many operators seeking to improve their bottom line are finding it more sensible to continue marketing the traditional game viewing safaris. A Tanzania wildlife safari, for example, will most certainly attract clients faster than a golfing tour in a nondescript village half an hour outside Arusha.

Tanzania, one of the few African countries that allow hunting expeditions, offers some of the best game drives in the continent. Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Ruaha, Selous, Tarangire and Serengeti national parks are some of the most popular destinations for Tanzania wildlife safari.
Wild animals that can be spotted within the Tanzania national parks and reserves include wildebeest, elephant, leopard, lion, cheetah, hippos, zebra, buffalo, gazelle, warthog and crocodiles among other species.

30
Mar
2018

Christmas Gifts and Presents For Sports Fans

categories: Sports

Christmas is right around the corner, and finding gifts for everyone on your Christmas or Holiday Shopping List can sometimes be a daunting task. For those sports fans on your list weve got some very clever gift ideas such as the BallPark Pen. These pens are not just pens that look sporty, these are pens made from the actual wooden seats of demolished ballpark stadiums.

Laser engraved with the stadium name and its years of existence, these Ballpark pens are a piece of history that any sports fan would love, especially if you select their favorite stadium, or a stadium where they watched most games. There are also bottle openers and corkscrews made of the same wooden seats. Itll be valued and kept forever by your favorite sports fan.

Other great presents for sports fans include Stadium Cuff Links, again made from the seats of demolished stadiums, but coated in the original paint from the stadium and the stadium name engraved on the back. Or how about giving Ballpark Hammers with the name of their favorite NFL, MLB or College football team logo on it?

Great Christmas gifts or presents for sports fans can also come in the form of signatures by famous athletes on numerous items such as The Derek Jeter signed 27th World Championship article in the New York Times (mounted and framed) or a Derek Jeter signed baseball of the 27th World Championship, encased in glass. And every sports fan loves an autographed baseball jersey from their favorite player on their favorite team, complete with number and team colors. And autographed model sized NASCAR helmets are a big hit.

Autographed Newspaper Prints from the NY Times is always a great gift for a sports fan. Choosing the game that just knocked their socks off, that is autographed by team members, is a piece of memorabilia that every sports fan would love to get their hands on.

From pictures to books, baseballs, footballs, basketballs and everything in between, you may find that your sports fan friends and family are the easiest to buy for. There are so many items that represent the many teams and athletes that they love and admire. Be creative and unique with your gift giving and you are sure to get smiles and lots of thanks. Making your loved ones happy at Christmas is more fun than receiving gifts yourself. Look around for these great types of unique sports gifts and make your sports fan happy this year.