Hand-Eye Coordination

Have you ever thought that you are good at controlling a ball and have good "hand-eye" coordination? Maybe you can keep a football up for a while in the park or at training .... Catching a ball with one hand, juggle with two balls....

Well think again... these videos show us all how it's done... I've been on the Internet searching out some wonderful, amusing and entertaining videos...

Football Juggling with thanks from Reyra Football....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4mC_rbNYXI&fmt=18


Amazing Ball Gymnastics....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNnLFQ9dRF4


Basketball...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyloH5NjOQ8


Insane Ball Tricks... (My favourite)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIeRSx8581o

So why don't you practice some ball skills and one day you may end up on uTube yourself !

Strangest Sports Ever ?

Depending on an individual’s perspective, some sports outside professional leagues can be classified as weird. North Americans and the French do not understand cricket and even a few South Americans haven’t even heard of hockey. The following sports go beyond the boundaries of unusual sports when it comes to rules and equipment.


Man verses Horse

If you thought the sport had anything to do with strength, then you’re wrong. The annual Man Versus Horse Marathon requires stamina and agility. Taking place in the Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells, the marathon puts human contestants up against mounted horse contestants. The event started in 1980, when a landlord decided to hold the event after hearing two men arguing about whether or not an individual could beat a horse in a cross country race.


Where Love Is The Key To Success

First introduced in Finland, wife carrying is an actual sport where male competitors race while carrying a female teammate. The objective is for the male to carry the female through a special obstacle course in the fastest time. Major competitions are held in Sonkajarvi, Finland, Monona, Wisconsin and in Marquette, Michigan. Talk about tough love.



Going For A Different Kind Of Swim

Even though it does seem kind of gross, bog snorkeling is a sporting event where competitors swim in a water-filled trench cut through a peat bog. Competitors must wear snorkels and flippers and can only complete the course by swimming with their flippers and not using traditional swimming techniques. The World Bog Snorkeling Championships take place every August Bank Holiday in a dense peat bog near Llanwrtyd Wells, in Wales.


Putting Your Best Toe Forward

A popular activity for children, toe wrestling is now a competitive sport. The World Toe Wrestling Competition first started at a pub in Derbyshire, UK in 1976. Locals thought it would be a great idea to hold a competition where individuals lock toes together and force their opponent’s foot to the ground. The organizers applied in 1997 to get the sport included in the Olympics, but unfortunately, it was not accepted.



Another Use For Those Fists Of Steel

Despite not being well-renowned in the media, fistball is an old sport that’s practiced all over the world. Like tennis and volleyball, the purpose of the sport is to hit the ball with your fist or arm and place it in the opponent’s half where they won’t get to it. After passing the net, the ball may be contacted up to three times (bounces are allowed) by the five players on each team.
The sport is played indoors and outdoors and is featured in The World Games.



Taking Underwater Sports To The Next Level

Octopush (also known as underwater hockey) is a non-contact sport where two teams compete to maneuver a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool and into “goals”. Just like hockey but underwater, the game has actually become popular in countries like the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.



Reinventing A Childhood Sport

Even though it’s not entirely unusual, the fact that there is a kickball league is fun, yet weird.
The popular playground game has now become a competitive sport with the creation of the World Adult Kickball Association.




Combining Paw & Pawn

If you’re looking for a sport that combines using your strength as well as intelligence, then chess boxing is for you. The sport is a combination of boxing and chess with the different games alternating after each round. A match between two individuals lasts up to eleven rounds, starting with a four minute chess round and followed by two minutes of boxing. The sport is governed by the World Chess Boxing Organization whose motto is: “Fighting is done in the ring and wars are waged on the board”

Finding Out Who's Faster: You Or Cheese

Cheese rolling is probably one of the simplest sports out there. From the top of hill, a round of Double Gloucester cheese is rolled and competitors chase after it.

The first individual across the finish line at the bottom of the hill wins (the cheese of course).

Competitors aim to catch the rolling cheese but this rarely happens as it has a one second head start and can reach speeds up to 112 km/hr. In 1997, the cheese took a wrong turn down the hill and accidentally injured a spectator:





Beaten by a Whisker

Facial hair can certainly make a man more masculine, but a competition? The World Beard And Moustache Championships is a biennial competition where men show off their extraordinary beards and moustaches. Categories include Dali moustache, goatee and full beard freestyle.

Hillsborough Disaster

20 years ago, 96 men, women and children went to a football match and never returned. In memory of those who lost their lives on that tragic day, the bereaved families, and those who endure the painful memories of that day, music stars from across the city, along with some Liverpool legends, have come together to release a single in their honour.

The famous Kop song “Fields of Anfield Road” has been recorded with an additional verse remembering Hillsborough. It was released on Monday 6th April 2009, and it is hoped the single can reach the charts ahead of the anniversary. Even if not, it shows the memory of that day will live on, and the 96 will never be forgotten.

The single will be available for download from i-tunes, or can be purchased from HMV in-store, or online.

The release of the single has been supported by Liverpool FC and can be heard on the club’s website at http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N163884090404-0942.htm.

To read more about the song or to download the song from 6th April, please visit http://www.fieldsofanfieldroad.co.uk/

To purchase the single online from HMV, please visit http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;-1;-1;-1;-1&sku=960316.

*Please note, whilst the CD can be purchased from LFC Club Shops, only songs downloaded from i-tunes, or purchased from HMV will count towards the official chart position.

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Gary Player - U.S. Masters

South African Gary Player said this week's U.S. Masters, his record 52nd appearance at the year's opening grand slam event, would be his last.

The 73-year-old, a three-times winner of the Green Jacket, said his 2009 tour of Augusta National Golf Club would mark his last appearance at a regular major championship.

"I am getting old," Player, winner of nine majors on the regular tour and nine more on the senior tour, told a news conference on Monday.

Player, whose 1961 triumph at Augusta marked the first Masters victory by an international player, said the course, now playing at 7,435 yards, was getting too long for him!

"I'm hitting the ball so short now, I can hear it land," he joked to reporters. "And the hole seems about the size of an aspirin."

Player, who also won in Augusta in 1974 and 1978, has won each of the four major championships for a career grand slam.

"This will be my last major I play on the regular tour," said Player, a short game master and fitness fanatic.

"I'm very grateful and thankful for the career I've had."

Player said he would enjoy every minute of this year's tournament, which starts on Thursday, and had no regrets about stepping away.


"I prefer ranching to golf," he said, referring to his farm back home in South Africa.

Thank you Gary ... you have been a great ambassador to golf over the years.

BBC interview with the great man..... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/7994442.stm

Referees...and respect

This year saw the Football Association introduce a campaign calling on players to respect the referee. This was designed to draw attention to the verbal abuse that referees and linesmen sometimes receive from football players. In theory, it is a good idea although by nature football is a high tempo intense sport where emotions run high on the field of play.

Opinion is mixed where the respect the referee campaign is concerned. Several high profile managers have voiced their support while some players have poured scorn on the idea. Every week in English football referees make mistakes during games. Of course, the officials are only human so are therefore entitled to make the odd error and mistakes are not made on purpose.

In their defence players argue that they do not intend to abuse the referee. During a football match tempers can become frayed. If the referee gives an incorrect decision it is human nature for a player to feel aggrieved and that an injustice has occurred. In the heat of the moment players sometimes lose their temper and use, inappropriate language.

Incidents and flashpoints during a game of football are not always black and white. A number of different camera angles can offer contrasting evidence. The officials are under pressure these days in that every aspect of their performance is analysed by dozens of television cameras. This means there is no hiding place and any mistakes will be highlighted for the world to see.

A better solution would be to punish players for acts of petulance or abuse aimed at the referee or his linesmen. This could be in the form of a fine or a ban stretching for a certain number of matches. This would probably be far more effective than a publicity campaign that is ultimately doomed to failure.

For everyone connected with English football, the most annoying part of incorrect refereeing decisions is the complete lack of acknowledgement. If the referee were to speak after the match admitting his mistakes where appropriate this would surely lead to a greater respect from the players. This would only apply to the major incidents and would not have to be done with every minor error.

2009 Grand Prix...


Britain's Jenson Button has emerged from the shadows of world champion Lewis Hamilton to win the first grand prix of the 2009 season in Australia

World Champion Hamilton (photo left) looks set to embark on a difficult title defence as McLaren Mercedes struggle with the aerodynamics on their new car.

Constructors' Champions Ferrari look to be there or thereabouts - Kimi Raikkonen needing to re-establish himself over team-mate Felipe Massa this year.

Toyota, BMW Sauber, Red Bull, Renault and Williams have all set promising times during pre-season testing but the headlines have nevertheless been stolen by Brawn GP.

The last team to appear on track - Honda's sale of the outfit only being confirmed at the start of the month - they immediately vaulted straight to the top of the timesheets.

Even if they can, surely it's the case that a season-long title assault is out of the question?

And what of the rule changes themselves? Do you think new aerodynamics and the introduction of KERS will allow for more overtaking in 2009?