A Ball, Some Friends, and a Soccer Goal

If Pele, Maridona, and Beckham don't sound at all familiar to you, or if you think Freddy Adou is a guy you may have gone to high school with, keep reading... please. This article covers all the equipment and skills you'll need to join the rest of the world in playing the wonderful game of soccer.

Actually, the rest of the world plays football - they call the sport that Steve young used to play american football. The term 'soccer' came into being in the later part of the 19th century when people began abbreviating the french variation of 'association football' to soccer. Whatever name you use (I'll call it soccer for the purposes of this article), it refers to the fast-paced, exciting game that has captured the interest of more and more Americans in recent years. If you've found that you've been left behind when it comes to the sport, here's a few equipment tips and skills you'll need to have to start playing.

As the name 'football' suggests, you'll need a ball. Soccer balls come in many different sizes, materials, and styles; and league specifications vary depending on the age and level of the players. If you just want to buy a 'normal' ball, double check with the store clerks to make sure you've chosen the right one; or if you're buying online, you can check the ball size against the standards found at www.fifa.com. The best material for your ball depends on the type of surface you're going to play on. If you'll spend any time at all kicking the ball around on the street or playground, I would shy away from buying a nice leather ball - the asphalt will tear it up. Synthetic materials will usually hold up better on those surfaces, and typically cost less.

Once you've got your ball, you're going to need at least one pair of feet; however, if you want to do more than just kick the ball against your garage you're going to need at least two sets. There are a number of different techniques when it comes to kicking the soccer ball - I'll just summarize them all by saying that the goal of kicking the ball is to hit it with some part of you're foot and make it go in the direction you want it to. In fact, in soccer matches you may use any part of you're body to move the ball except your hands and arms. If you grew up playing catch in the back yard, the first couple of times you try to kick the ball you'll probably look even more awkward than you feel, and it's very likely your kids are going to laugh at you. practice makes near perfect, and you'll get better over time. Kicking the ball back and forth between two or more people helps. Once you feel like you might be able to kick the ball and jog/run at the same time, you're ready to graduate to playing a game.

Goals (pronounced 'gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!!!' in actual soccer matches) in soccer are scored by kicking the ball through a rectangle shape appropriately called the goal. Though the rectangle is standard, goals can be made by placing any two objects a few steps apart. I have personally played in neighborhood games where the goal posts were chairs, barrels, younger siblings, and shoes (if you're playing barefoot, make sure no one is wearing cleats). Kicking the ball below head height and more or less between the makeshift goal posts constitutes a goal, though you will find each goal will be heavily debated.

Competitive leagues almost always require shin guards, and you can usually pick up a decent pair for pretty cheap. Even in a friendly park setting, players can get pretty passionate, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to wear them during the game.

The rules are simple and easy to learn. The basics you need to know are that you should try to avoid kicking people, you can't tackle people like in american football, and you can't use your hands. In that sense, except for the hands restriction, soccer is a lot like life. Other rules apply more in competition, but it wouldn't hurt to read up on them at www.fifa.com.

As with any sport, the most important thing is to look good, so go out and buy yourself some silky soccer shorts and jerseys. Long hair and an italian accent certainly won't hurt your chances of going pro - but if neither of those is an option for you, just remember to have fun and play fair.

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C.S. Lewis "The Silver Chair"

The second to last book in the Chronicles of narnia takes Eustace, known to readers of "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" and his classmate Jill on a perilous quest. Prince Rilian, the son of king Caspian, has been missing for years and must be found before the king dies.

As most of the books in the narnia series, this one also begins and ends in the prosaic world of England, more specifically in a "progressive" school (that the narrator openly derides) attended by Eustace. Eustace has definitely improved after his adventures in narnia, and while he helps his schoolmate Jill escape from a gang of bullies, the two of them suddenly discover a door that leads into narnia. The boy and the girl soon become separated, and Jill has to overcome her fears when she encounters a lion, who of course turns out to be Aslan. Aslan sends them to search for Prince Rilian, the only son of the now aged Caspian (as we know from previous books, time flows at a different rate in Narnia) and gives Jill certain instructions and clues, which she unfortunately will not always remember.

During their journey, the two are accompanied by another of Lewis memorable and odd characters, Puddleglum the Marshwiggle, who despite his innate pessimism turns out to be a true friend. They encounter the mysterious Lady of the green Kirtle who directs them to the City of Giants. Let it just be mentioned that they are supposed to play a rather peculiar role at a great feast there

In the last chapters of this heavily allegorical book, the protagonists descend into an underworld, meet Prince Rilian who has been obviously bewitched and have to overcome the danger of materialism when they are pressured to deny the existence of Aslan and the overworld. only then can they reascend into narnia.

The silver Chair is not one of the best books in the Chronicles of narnia. Readers of the other volumes will find certain events rather predictable. Eustace and Jill never become the rounded characters that Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy were. only the strange Marshwiggle shows some of Lewis old creativity in creating odd and memorable creatures.

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Personal Development Growth - The Right Balance

When someone mentions having your own personal development growth plan what sorts of things do you think about?

Let me try and guess a few of them:
- Goal setting
- Motivation
- Increasing your self-esteem and confidence
- Improving your image or public speaking
- making better use of your time
- Empowering yourself to be happier

Recognize a few of these?

Certainly, understanding that you must set goals and organize your effort around achieving those goals is important and helpful on your road to self improvement.

Similarly, staying motivated is a critical part of achieving any progress on your personal growth plan. For many, motivation is a daily struggle - a losing battle where we blame procrastination and lack of motivation for our inability to make progress.

But let's take a deeper look at a personal growth plan that is based solely on ways to technically make you better each stage of the planning and execution phase of personal improvement.

Try answering the following questions:

"Where do you uncover objectives worthy enough of setting goals?"

Do you know what you want today in terms of a "perfect" career or business?

Do you understand what would trul make you happy if you could snap your fingers and it appeared instantly?

What about motivation? What would keep you motivated day-in and day-out? If motivation was not a frame of mind but rather was based on KNOWING you are driving towards the ultimate objectives in your life, wouldn't that keep you motivated?

personal Development Growth From The Inside

You see, what nobody seems to talk about is that you can learn all of the techniques, case studies, examples and strategies you want when driving towards personal improvement, but if you do not base them on what is inside of you (alignment), then they are just technical tactics that will not result in lasting change.

By using techniques such as mediation, yoga and introspection, you can derive truly meaningful objectives in your drive to achieve personal development growth resulting in results that will surpass your wildest dreams.

By mixing internal realization with traditional spects of personal development growth you will have the secret to long-term, sustained personal improvement in your life.

discover The secret weapons of Achieving Fast and Long-Lasting personal Development In Your health, Relationships, Career And Financial Well Being by Visiting Peak personal Development At http://www.peak-personal-development.com

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