Sports imPULSE

Soccer Training Companian

As a former soccer player, I found this new m-station from Munin Sports absolutely fantastic.  There are drills one can do by themselves and there are other drills that simply require additional players.  The m-station solves that problem.  It is quite simply the best rebound technology that I have seen and enables user to practice numerous soccer drills individually or with a group.

The specially manufactured strings provide a serious amount of strength and explosive rebound.

The aluminum construction is light weight, easy to handle and won't rust

The tires are filled with foam and won't puncture.

You have to see the video to get the versatility of this product.  If you're a soccer (football) player, you will absolutely understand.

Know Your Sport: Gymnastics and the Science of Bending

Apparently a simple split is not enough. With degrees of flexibility correlating with tenths of points, gymnasts will try any form of Voodoo to get that limb just millimeters higher.  So you can imagine, the USOC got pretty excited when they uncovered researching showing 100 percent improvement in flexibility in male phys ed students.

The source of the absurd improvement relied less on Voodoo than it did on vibration. Research had shown that resting a limb on a vibrating surface during stretching greatly increased the flexibility of that limb.  So, Dr. Bill Sands, leader of the Recovery Center for the USOC cobbled together $1,000, a local machine shop and an engineering intern to make his own vibration box. The machine itself is surprisingly simple. It’s shaped like a small pommel horse and shakes continuously at 30 hertz. After trials with young male gymnasts showed 400 percent improvements acutely and significant increases they felt that the device was ready for Olympic prime time.

In short, the results have been staggering, so much so, that they simply stopped studying because it works.  Now, not only are gymnasts using this device, but synchronized swimmers, divers and even figure skaters are increasing their flexibility with this new device.

World Village of Women's Sports

The World Village of Women Sports will give women around the world the same opportunities to develop as their male counterparts. Almost $200 million will be invested in this research development and training center now taking shape in Malmö, Sweden, 20 minutes from Scandinavia’s largest airport.

The World Village of Women Sports is a private sector initiative including a multi-functional complex of 100,000 square meters. The first stage is scheduled for completion in 2012.

The new center will provide new opportunities for international sports organizations, clubs and companies with products and services in the pharmaceutical, nutrition and sports equipment fields.

In short, this is very cool and a great opportunity.

Home Field Advantage

Inspiring quotations on the walls. A weight room as large as your first house. Business offices that overlook the playing field. A players’ entrance that minimizes distractions, and a public entrance that simulates the drama of entering a stadium. Germ-free showers and a locker room with fresh air piped in.  They New York Jets designed their new training facility to create a brighter future for the franchise.  Here's a quick look at the some of features of their new facility, that have helped turn the team around this season:

• Morale Building - Inspirational words and phrases are emblazoned on walls throughout the building, emphasizing teamwork and preparation.
• Jet Hanger - A 95 foot high bunker covers the full-size indoor practice field.  Punters now have plenty of room and the catwalk near the ceiling provides a good location for filming.
• Gridiron Gang - Executive offices look out over the indoor practice field to remind everyone of their shared mission - winning football games.
• Offense - Each player's locker puts his name and number in lights, a small but effective gesture to make him feel special.  Also appreciated is the ventilation in the back of each cubbyhole - Fresh air is pumped in the center of the room and then flushed through the holes.
• Prevent Defense - Last year Peyton Manning and Kellen Winslow got staph infections and teams live in fear of a player contracting one of the drug-resistant strains.  So the Jets built their medical center like a mini-hospital.  Antimicrobial finishes from paint to furniture to flooring are found throughout the facility, including hand-washing stations.
• Tunnel Vision - The main entrance mimics the tunnel that players pass through when running onto the field.  It's meant to impress free agents and sponsors.