How to Throw the Discus

I have had the opportunity to hear the great Mac Wilkins speak on a couple of occasions, and this past summer I had the rare privilege to spend a week at the Olympic training center, where he worked with a handful of coaches in a learn-by-doing environment. His teachings have had a significant impact on my understanding of the discus.

In his presentation at the 2005 NTCA conference, Mac laid out his basic principles that he has established throughout his career. Mac's basic principles include:

o There is no hit o Sling it - whip it - throw it like a hammer - foxtails o Longer path and lever is better o The line through the circle goes from left foot to the middle to the left foot o Slow to faster o What you do at the back, you repeat at the front o The center of the merry-go-round turns slower o Many paradoxical feelings

These are his fundamental principles that are referred back to during every phase of the throw. In his classic instructional video, Gold Medal Discus, Mac breaks the throw into four phases:

o Windup o Balance o Orbit o Block

The windup is a portion of the throw that is often overlooked by beginning athletes. Remember principle number 6 above, "what you do at the back, you repeat at the front." If the athlete rushes the windup or is not balanced on the windup, this will lead to an improper power position, and most likely a foul throw.

The windup establishes the rhythm of the entire throw, therefore it should be the slowest movement. The right foot should remain planted on the circle, as the athlete winds the discus back around the right leg. The hips and shoulders counter each other, and the weight is distributed fairly evenly among the feet. Remember that the head should remain neutral, with the chin in line with the sternum. The disc should only be wound back as far as comfortable for the athlete while remaining in control. Athletes often wind too far back, and cannot maintain the separation of the disc and hips. Upon entry to the throw, the discus "springs" back creating too much speed going into the middle of the circle. Remember that the athlete must work the ground, or circle, to transfer force into the implement. So slow down, and spend some time in the back of the circle. During the windup and entry of the throw, balance is crucial. The athlete must be balanced both left to right, and back to front. Being balanced out of the back is critical to landing in a proper power position at the front of the circle. Mac's keys for being balanced left to right are:

o Left arm, knee and foot locked in same plane o Inside ball of left foot as guide o Left shoulder around left toes o Arms up - see the horizon

In order to maintain balance back to front, Mac uses the following keys:

o Inside ball of left foot as guide o Knee leads and hips must follow o Maintain integrity of posture o At 9 o'clock (90 degrees) - left knee drops - right knee comes off o Left thigh close to vertical o Hip path through circle o Balance B2F allows hips to get ahead and right leg to work

The windup and entry of the throw should be slow and balanced. Setting up the proper positions is much more important than speed. If the entry is not executed properly, then it will be nearly impossible to get into a balanced power position allowing long throws.

Out of the back of the circle, the athlete rotates nearly 180 degrees on the inside of the left foot, with the discus locked back and left arm long. When the thrower's left arm reaches the left sector line, the athlete looks to a high point at 180 degrees, and aggressively pulls the inside of the right leg toward the left hand with a dorsiflexed foot. As the right foot sweeps to the middle of the circle, the left foot pushes off the circle leading to the flight phase. Upon landing in the middle of the circle, the athlete keeps the discus locked back and continues turning the right foot as long as possible. The left foot should land quickly after the right. The discus should be allowed to sweep long around the body into a natural release point. The thrower must resist the urge to pull or hit the discus as this will only interrupt its orbit.

References

1. Sylvester, Jay. The Complete Book of Throws. Human Kinetics Publishers. Champaign, IL. 2003.

2. Wilkins, Mac. Keys to the Discus. National Throws Coaches Association. 2005 PowerPoint presentation.

3. Gold Medal Discus Throwing. Instructional video. Mac Wilkins Productions. Copyright 1985.

Truth Nugget 4 - Keeping The Thought Balance Scales In The Positive

It is our responsibility to keep the thought balance scales in the positive level of activity. God is all positive and God's thoughts are perfect. In Matthew 6 of the Christian Bible, it tells us to be perfect as God is. If you think all positive thoughts, what is the possibility that all positive things will come your way? Some may say that this is impossible to do. If this is what you believe, then this is true for you even though it is written in Mark 9 that all things are possible for the one who believes it to be so.

What does it mean to think positive thoughts? Simply, it means to be a keeper of good thoughts, nourishing your mind with God's goodness instead of nonchalantly accepting all thoughts that randomly flow through your mind.

Another favorite scripture of mine is Mark 11:24 where it says that whatever you pray for and ask, believe that you will receive it and it will be done for you. Sadly, this works in the negative as well as the positive.

If you say you trust the Lord, are you not thinking positively for an expected outcome? We are to live our lives without worry (Matt 6). What happens when you worry? Are you not thinking negative thoughts for an expected end? To worry is to be on the negative side of the thought balance scales. Psalm 37 tells us to trust in the Lord. Thinking right thoughts is trusting God. Thinking error thoughts is not trusting God. The glorious realization for all people is that each of us has been given the gift of being in control of our thoughts. Being watchful of your thoughts is a key to being in control of which thoughts you give life to.

Great things can be accomplished when one is in control of their thoughts. Was Thomas Edison in control of his thoughts when he patented his ideas for producing motion pictures? Was George Washington Carver in control of his thoughts when he came up with over 300 uses of the well-enjoyed tasty peanut? Was J.K. Rowling in control of her thoughts when she wrote the thrilling tales of the Harry Potter series?

Oh, what magnificence lies within the thoughts that pass through our minds? The thoughts you dwell on are your prerogative, your choice, your privilege. What God-inspired ideals are passing through your mind that will weigh the thought balance scales heavily on the positive side that will allow you to add your contribution to enhance the living experience of all?

Required Items For the Civilized Camper

For some people, the entire point of going camping is to "rough it." To live off the wild eating things like berries and mushrooms; to make a fire without matches or a lighter; to sleep outdoors without the comfort of a tent; some individuals consider such pursuits to be the height of fun. But such an approach to camping is not for everyone. Some people prefer to retain their creature comforts while getting back to nature, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Fortunately for them, there are quite a few devices available to make backpacking a camping a bit more civilized.

Cooking over an open fire is not easy. Show me someone who says he can do it, and I'll show you someone who enjoys burned food. Fortunately for everyone's palates, the propane stove and its relatives have come a long way since their initial invention. Today, manufacturers offer a range of compact backpacking stoves that usually use white gas or unleaded auto gas. These little devices are extremely lightweight, sometimes weighing as little as 3 oz. The MSR Pocket Rocket, the Coleman Exponent Feather, the Brunton Vapor and many other models are all available to the camper who is sick of capricious campfire cooking.

A few decades ago, campers and backpackers were limited to metal utensils that were heavy, bulky and awkward. Today, camping forks, knives and spoons are often made from nylon, which is lightweight but strong and resistant to melting. Other utensils are made from polycarbonate substances, which have the strength of steel but only one third of the weight. The wide range of offerings and styles ensure that no one has to eat with their hands unless they want to. Such convenient implements also make for better quality meals, since a spoon with an extendible handle is a much better cooking utensil than a stick.

Camping plates have come a long way too. Instead of thin, dented dishes made of tin, campers can now dine on platters made of a variety of materials, including nylon, silicone, polypropylenes and polycarbonates. These substances all have the advantage of being highly durable and relatively lightweight. As an added bonus, modern camping plates are often collapsible, taking up much less space and allowing campers to bring more. Those plates and bowls that do not collapse are usually designed to nest inside each other, another space saving tactic. The upshot is that, instead of having to share two plates among five people, campers can actually bring enough for everyone. What a civilized concept!

Finally, even camping food has gotten better. Does anyone else remember how disgusting the first energy bars were? They were barely edible. Today, there are dozens and dozens of food options for the trails, from energy gel, to varieties of granola, to all-natural powdered eggs that actually taste good! Natural High offers a good range of products, such as cinnamon apple crisp and hash browns, that only require the camper to add water. Mountain House offers dishes like blueberry cheesecake, and Backpacker's Pantry even has options like huevos rancheros. We've come a long way, baby.

How Snowboards Are Made

When you're ready to buy used snowboards, it will be helpful in your decision making process to understand how snowboards are made. Snowboards are both complicated and simple in their designs, and they incorporate many specific features and design elements that help to determine how well they will perform. Before buying a used snowboard, take a look at this introductory guide about how snowboards are made and what their different components are.

The first thing you need to understand is that one snowboard actually has many different levels or layers of materials. They are not just one piece of plastic or wood that you ride on. Down to the most basic considerations, there are 5 or 6 different individual layers that make up each and every board. The specifics about what are included, the materials used and more will differ from brand to brand and model to model, and help to determine the price, quality and performance of the board itself.

The bottom of the snowboard, also known as the base, is made from a plastic known as polyethylene, which has specific properties that provide a smooth, slick and fast riding surface. This bottom layer has edges made of steel which will help to enable you to turn and slice, and generally maneuver to a better degree on your board.

Above this is a layer of fiberglass. There are actually two layers of fiberglass on the board, one above and one below the basic board core, which is typically made from wood. The fiberglass allows for flexibility, strength and durability and is an essential component to every board. Most cores are as mentioned made from wood, while these days some lightweight composite materials are also included.

On top of the upper layer of fiberglass is the top sheet, and this is what you're actually standing on because it's the uppermost layer. This is mainly there for protection and for graphics, and it encloses the underneath layers.

There are also some more general terms that you should become familiar with for buying used snowboards. As mentioned, the bottom of the board is the base, and the top is simply the top, or the deck. The front of the board is the nose or the tip, and the back is the tail. Edges refer to the metal edges on the board, and effective edges are what actually come into contact with the snow as you turn.

Contact points on the board are the pieces of the board that touch the snow without you standing on it and adding weight and pressure. Camber refers to the arch of the board and the flex point is between the bindings and is where the board begins its flex.

There are many other fine details about snowboards that go into their construction, design and development and of course all brands are different. However, the above guide should provide you with just about everything you need to know in order to buy a used snowboard or purchase some new gear.

Main Causes of Water Pollution

Today, the world is facing one of the most serious problems of humanity and other forms of life, pollution. It is a known fact that pollution is very rampant all over the globe. Just look around and you will see rivers, lakes, beaches that are murky, stinky, and lifeless. Plastic, empty cans, bottles, and other trash have replaced the fishes and other wonderful marine creatures that used to reside under water. Yet, when scarcity arises and when epidemics occur many point their fingers to others and turn their backs from the responsibility. But in fact there is no one else to blame but the people. Man is the main cause of water pollution.

People pollute the water with chemicals and other hazardous materials. People have no regard to water - their source of life. They do not realize that this once abundant resource is rapidly being contaminated due to their negligence and carelessness.

Waste disposal has always been a chronic problem, not only because of the quantity of wastes, but because of its kind and the inadequate provision for a good system and technology to address the problem. There are many sources of water pollution but it is not the source that is really causing the problem but the improper disposal of the pollutants. People resort to careless disposal because it is cheaper, more advantageous, or simply convenient to them.

When you are taking a bath using your favorite shampoo or whenever you wash your laundry using no other than the best detergent in town, it is certain that before buying those products you really never consider asking yourself whether their contents can harm the environment or not. What mattered more was the scent and softness of your hair and the clean comfort of your clothes. Instead of finding an environmental friendly product, you simply chose convenience and your satisfaction of meeting your interests. However, if you will support environmental friendly products and become more conscientious of how you can avoid contributing to water pollution, then the world has gotten rid of one polluter.

In the same way, if chemical factories are only equipped with better facilities that can release treated wastewater, there will be no harm done to the lakes or rivers where they dump their by products. If home owners associations will work to build and provide their subdivisions with sewage treatment facilities, eutrophication can be controlled and dying bodies of water will be spared. But as mentioned, polluters choose the easier way where they can save on operation costs and where they can rid themselves of the hassles of responsibility. Anyway, they are not affected by the effects of their misdeeds.

Aside from improper and careless waste disposal, another main cause of water pollution is toxic substances coming from industrial, agricultural and domestic use. Trace elements of lead, cadmium, mercury, dioxins are detected in different water sources which sometimes accumulate in the water supply causing health problems. These toxic substances come from industries such mining, power plants, automobile manufacturers and others that produce toxic substances leading to bodies of water. Apart from these industries, these toxic materials contaminate the water through accidents like chemical or oil spills.

One more main cause of water pollution is the presence of excessive nutrients in the water. Nitrogen and phosphorous compounds that generally come from sewage, fertilizers, and animal manure are good food sources of algae. Excess nutrients in water also result to excessive growth of algae that deprive aquatic plants and animals adequate levels of oxygen to survive. Because of this many aquatic organisms die and decay which aggravates the problem.

Lastly, another considerable main cause of water pollution is sedimentation. Although it is hard to imagine how soil particles can contribute to water pollution, but it does. When huge amount of solid particles accumulate in water, whether due to deforestation, farming, or soil erosion, the sediments cloud the spawning grounds of fishes leading to their gradual extinction.

Humans greatly affect the environment. People will either be heroes or villains of Mother Nature. Toxic substances, algal bloom, sedimentation are all end results of human activities. These pollutants are not the real evils of water pollution but the people behind every wrong disposal and negligence. Unless man realizes that it is not the prohibition of pollutants nor banning industrial productions that should be changed but the behavior and attitude he possesses towards his environment, the rivers, lakes, and other water systems have no hope to be saved.

Leading Change - Three Musketeers Leadership

"I don't care what the project is, I'm not committing to anything until the budget is worked out!" We've all heard that one. Or how about, "I know what the boss said but when it comes time to account for sales it is going to be me, not you, I'm not doing it!" Ever heard a tirade like that before? Both of those attitudes and the many that go with them will kill your project.

Leadership is a lost art in today's world. It's tough to hold any one accountable. My goodness we have to go back to ancient times to find our way out of the fog of irresponsibility running wild today. So what can we do? We can lead the Three Musketeers way. We can lead with a mindset that says, "All for one and one for all!"

One of the problems is that we live in a free agent world. We live in the age of the individual and that extends to their leadership. It's cool to be the Lone Ranger but not if that's not your job. We need balance and accountability. We need the Three Musketeers. They had honor and went about restoring the old code... the one that worked.

What does that mean? I learned what it means first hand as a Marine sniper in Vietnam. We worked in teams of two to five snipers. When you are alone and thirty miles from anybody 'nice' you better have somebody next to you that isn't going to say, "It's not my job." You'd better be 'all for one'. And it didn't stop there. We needed support from artillery, from Marine air, from Marine grunts if we got into trouble - you lived or died by an 'all for one' philosophy.

On the other hand what does it mean to be 'one for all'? It means me; the individual Marine wasn't bigger than the mission. We all existed to support the bigger effort. It was simple - all for one and one for all. That's what builds teams, not some offsite walking on fire like Burger King did when they sent half of their marketing department to the emergency room.

It sounds corny but it is the simplest way to understand what it means to be part of a real team. A real teammate doesn't say "It ain't happening in my department". They see the bigger whole. And real leaders will not let their direct reports get away with that kind of behavior. When leading change you can't blow an uncertain trumpet, you have to let people clearly know the objective and then leaders need to support achieving it. And God forbid, you have to hold people accountable at each step of the way.

It isn't about the old adage of "I'm in sales and WE make the world go around". More sales people use that excuse to not be held accountable for anything outside of their bottom line number than you can count. Of course it takes a sale to make something happen. We get it! But it also takes a customer service agent, a delivery, somebody to make it and you get the picture, a team. And if you want to be a great team you'll be a Three Musketeer.

You as the change leader must take charge. You must set the standard with the driver, the sponsor of the change, when you take the job as the change leader. Once there is alignment at that level you cannot waver. You're entire leadership must be 'all for one and one for all'.

When Gandhi led the Indian people out of British bondage he was a living example of the change he was driving. He was the message. He lived the often repeated, "You must become the change you wish to see in the world." You must do that too and you will succeed at leading change.