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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Friday Night Lights: A Non-American’s Guide to American Football

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Friday Night Lights is now back on Netflix and you have to watch it.

Just to be clear, that isn’t a request – it’s an order. The NBC football drama is simply one of the most affecting, thrilling American TV shows of all time. Though premiering in 2006, the show can mark its lineage all the way back to a true story from the late ‘80s. In 1990, sports journalist H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger published the non-fiction book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream. The book follows the story of the 1988 Permian Panthers high school football team in Odessa, Texas as they make a run for a Texas state championship.

The book was adapted into a Peter Berg film of the same name in 2004, starring Billy Bob Thornton. The story of the Permian Panthers was dramatically rich enough to conquer two mediums already, but when a third was announced in the form of a TV series for NBC it seemed like overkill. Did the world really need more high school football drama after a successful book and movie? It turns out that the world really did.

Friday Night Lights, the TV show, further fictionalized Bissinger’s story. Odessa, Texas becomes the fictional Dillon, Texas (though the Permian Panthers logo remains a big yellow “P”). Kyle Chandler steps into the role of a new coach, the magnanimous Eric Taylor. Shot in a cinema verite-style where blocking is optional, Friday Night Lights makes the viewer feel like they are just another Dillon citizen, desperately dreaming for a state championship. Above all else, this empathetic show never speaks down to its small town characters.

As previously stated, Friday Night Lights is a must-watch. But if you’re one of our many non-American readers (Hello, everyone! I see you out there, writing “s” in words that need “z”), the football angle may seem like a real roadblock. So let’s tear down that roadblock. American football is the most popular sport in the United States but also perhaps its most impenetrable. The rulebook is thick and its connection to American culture deep. What follows is an attempt to explain American football for non-American viewers who are hesitant to tackle the show. Hopefully this will also prove useful to existing Friday Night Lights fans who have some questions about the game.

To simplify matters, we’ve broken our football school down into three parts: The Different Levels of American Football, which explains the sport’s place in American culture and why high school football is a big deal; The Rules of American Football, which is as succinct a distillation of how the game is played as possible; and The Strategy of American Football, which examines whether Eric Taylor is even a good coach anyway.

The Different Levels of American Football

Football is a pervasive force in American society. The highest level of play in the country (and the world) is the National Football League in which 32 teams of well-paid professionals compete against one another. The NFL is the richest sports league in the world by revenue and its championship, the Super Bowl, is usually watched by roughly 100 million people per year. Football’s influence doesn’t begin and end with the NFL though. The NFL doesn’t have a minor league or development system, so those interested in watching younger athletes are able to do so by following the sport on the collegiate or high school level.

College football is a huge deal. Some major universities’ football stadiums can house upwards of 100,000 fans. Four-year universities and colleges across the country field their own football teams that compete against one another in 12-game seasons (before a postseason consisting of “Bowl Games” but that’s too complicated to get into right now). Football at the collegiate level contains hundreds of teams split up into different leagues based on size and different conferences based on geography (for the most part). There isn’t any promotion and relegation like in European football leagues but if an institution grows big enough they can secure an invite to a higher level.

Though the decision-makers of the sport like to pretend it’s an amateur exercise and the players are not paid, college football is really a multi-billion dollar business. In fact, college football’s governing body, the NCAA, was just spooked enough by a U.S. Supreme Court decision that it allowed its athletes to finally pursue “Name, Image, Likeness (NIL)” deals in which they are allowed to make money from personal sponsorships.

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Then we come to the high school level of football. Longtime viewers of American teenage dramas may have a pretty good idea of what a U.S. high school is now but here’s a primer for those who don’t. High school is the highest level of free public education in the U.S. before the more academically (and financially) strenuous college system. High school follows eighth grade (which together with seventh grade usually comprises of “middle school”) and consists of freshmen (ninth graders or 14-15-year-olds), sophomores (tenth graders or 15-16-year-olds), juniors (11th graders or 16-17-year-olds), and seniors (12 graders of 17-18-year-olds).

In some areas of the country, high school football is a bigger deal than college football or even the NFL. Though this level of the sport is played by essentially children, a high school football team may be the only competitive sports enterprise within hundreds of miles for some communities. This is particularly true in the massive U.S. state of Texas. Every region of the U.S. loves football, but passion for the sport is particularly acute in the Southeast, Midwest, and Texas. West Texas, where Friday Night Lights is set, is really high school football mad. The region is distinctly rural and far removed from the state’s three big cities – Houston, Austin, and Dallas. As such, high school football is the singular cultural force that many oil-drilling West Texas communities rally around.

High school football leagues across the country differ considerably, but like in college football, schools are generally grouped together by size and funding. Public and private high schools are able to compete in the same sports conferences as long as they have similar enrollments and budgets. Typically a high school football season consists of only 10 games (football is a physically brutal sport and as such plays far fewer games per year than other sports like baseball, basketball, or soccer). The regular season is usually followed by a bracket-style playoffs culminating in a state championship. There is no country-wide tournament, which is why “winning state” is the ultimate goal in Friday Night Lights.

The Rules of American Football

I won’t lie to you: this is going to be difficult. Explaining any sport from scratch is a tall task, let alone a sport as complicated as football. Let me attempt to do so from the ground up and please be patient. There will be some visual aids as well.

First, it’s probably helpful to know about the field that football is played on. There’s a reason why in some European markets that the sport is known as “Gridiron Football” and that’s because the field resembles a cooking utensil known as a gridiron.

Every American football field consists of 100 yards (split into two sides of 1-50 yards). At the end of each side of the field is an “endzone.” A player entering into the endzone with the football is called a “touchdown” and nets a team six points. At the back of each endzone are the goalposts – yellow tuning fork-like structures that the ball is occasionally kicked through for more points. These are akin to rugby’s goalposts but slightly differently shaped. Let’s table the whole kicking thing for now and focus strictly on the action on the field.

The goal of football is to enter into the endzone with the ball to score points and have more points at the end of the game than the other team. A football game is 60 minutes, split into four 15-minute quarters (with a lengthy halftime break after the second quarter). Eleven players take the field for each team, one side on “offense” and one side on “defense.” A coin is flipped at the beginning of each game to decide who gets to start as offense and who gets to start as defense. The team who began the game on defense will get to be the offense at the start of the second half.

The offense is charged with advancing the ball 100 yards down the field into the end zone, while the defense is tasked with stopping them by tackling the person with the football to the ground. The offense is granted four tries or “plays” to try to score. The action isn’t continuous in American football like it is in European football. After a team runs a play to attempt to advance the ball, they get a 40-second break to plot their next play. A play simply refers to the action on the field that the offense takes to get down the field. It begins with the “center” “snapping” the ball to the “quarterback” behind him and ends when the offense either scores (rare) or is foiled in some way – whether that means being tackled in bounds, stepping out of bounds, or throwing the ball out of bounds. Here is a chart of the typical football positions.

The offense’s two most reliable ways of advancing the ball downfield are either throwing it or running it. On a running play, the quarterback (Jason Street or Matt Saracen in Friday Night Lights) will receive the snap and hand it off to a running back (Smash Williams or Tim Riggins) who tries to run the ball upfield while his teammates block for him. Alternatively, the quarterback can throw the ball to an open wide receiver as long as the throw originates from behind the line of scrimmage (the area on the field where the play originated).

Four tries to reach the end zone are rarely enough opportunities for the offense. Thankfully, that’s where “first downs” come in. If the offense advances 10 yards, their “downs” or attempts to score reset back to the full four. That’s where terms like “1st and 10” or “2nd and 7” or “4th and 1” come from. The first number refers to which “down” or attempt the offense is on (1, 2, 3, or 4) while the second number refers to how many yards they need to reach to achieve another first down. Due to penalties or a player being tackled well behind the line of scrimmage (called a “sack” or a “tackle for loss”), the number of yards needed to reach a first down can exceed 10. One time in 2012, the Washington Football Team even had a “3rd and 50”, meaning they needed to move 50 yards for a first down.

If the offense fails to score or get a first down while on fourth down, possession of the ball is granted to the other team on the same spot that the offense failed. This is called a “turnover on downs.” The team that was previously on offense will bring their defensive unit into the game while the other team will bring their offensive unit. At the collegiate and professional level, players usually only play on one “side” of the ball – offense or defense. In high school, where the level of talent is more inconsistent, it’s not uncommon for several players to be on both the offensive and defensive units. This doesn’t come up much on Friday Night Lights though – for the most part the offensive players stay on offense and the defensive players stay on defense.

It is possible for the defense to force a turnover in other ways beyond just a turnover on downs. If the offense drops or “fumbles”’ the ball and the defense recovers it, it belongs to them. If the defense catches a ball thrown by the offense it is an “interception” and the offense suddenly becomes the defense and the defense suddenly becomes the offense. This situation factors prominently in Friday Night Light’s first episode.

Turnovers are awful, so the offense has a couple of tools to combat them. At any point during their drive down the field, the offense can choose to “punt” the ball. This means that if they’ve reached 4th down and are unlikely to convert a first down (if it is 4th and 10 from their own 30 yardline for instance), they can choose to have a kicking specialist called a “punter” enter the field. The punter receives the snap, tosses the ball up in the air, and punts the ball far down the field to the other team to catch and try to advance. This is a surrender from the offense but at least they’re making things a bit more difficult for the other offense by pushing the new offense further down the field. Punts rarely factor into Friday Night Lights as they aren’t particularly interesting.

Alternatively, if the offense is close to the end zone but not close enough that they’re confident they can reach it, they can attempt to kick the ball through the aforementioned goalposts for three points. A “kicker” is brought onto the field and attempts to kick the ball through the goalposts from the ground. A “holder” is allowed to hold the ball upright for the kicker but the ball must be touching the ground for the attempt to count.

Let’s delve a little further into the scoring system. We’ve mentioned that kicking the ball through the uprights is a field goal and nets three points while carrying the ball into the endzone is a touchdown and nets six points. But there are a couple other ways to score in football as well. After a touchdown is achieved, the offense is immediately granted the opportunity to score again. They must choose whether they want to kick the ball through the uprights from extremely close range (which nets one extra point) or to try to reach the end zone again from extremely close range (which nets two extra points). Additionally, if the offense is tackled in their own end zone, it nets two points for the opposing team and they receive the ball back via punt. This is called a “safety.”

To recap:

Safety: 2 points

Field Goal: 3 points

Touchdown: 6 points (+1 for a field goal attempt, +2 for a scoring attempt).

This means that football scores can generate pretty much any result other than 1-0 or 1-1. Typically a “normal” scoring game will be somewhere between the 20-40 range in divisions of 7 or 3. A score of 35-28 is a pretty usual final football score.

Still confused? That’s understandable. Football is a fairly confusing sport at times. But hopefully you are a little better equipped to understand the action on the field in Friday Night Lights. The show certainly isn’t trying to present a complicated depiction of football. Armed with the basics, you should have a rough idea of what’s happening during all the football action.

If you feel like you’ve mastered the basics, feel free to move on to the final section of this piece.

The Strategy of American Football

The only constant in football is change. The rules of the sport are tweaked every single year and sometimes the sport undergoes truly massive alterations. In fact, the forward pass itself (now a staple of the game) wasn’t even legal for the first few decades of football’s existence. As such, the offensive and defensive strategies of football are in a constant state of flux.

What’s interesting to note about Friday Night Lights is how old-fashioned its depiction of football appears to be at the series’ beginning. Keep in mind that this story began with the 1988 Permian Panthers. So despite premiering and taking place in 2006, the Dillon Panthers offense looks quite antiquated at first.

The Dillon Panthers open the series as a run-first offense in a “Wing-T” formation. Running back Brian “Smash” Williams is the cornerstone of the Panthers’ strategy because back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, athletically superior running backs were usually the most dominant force in any high school offense. The Panthers plan of attack is to have a fast tailback (colloquially called a “running back” because they begin the play in the backfield and then…run) and a strong fullback in the backfield alongside the quarterback. The Panthers’ plan is to snap the ball, give it to the fast guy, have him follow the big blockers, then rinse and repeat.

Interestingly enough, the show uses the primitiveness of the Panthers’ offense to its advantage in later seasons. When some parents and Panthers boosters (literally just rich people that support a high school or college team) want to oust Coach Eric Taylor, they point to his inability to change with the times and create a sophisticated passing attack as one reason. Coach Taylor does eventually attempt to implement a “spread” offense.

Spread offenses were all the rage at the high school and collegiate level in the early aughts. The “spread” strategy refers to “spreading” three to five wide receivers on the line of scrimmage to force the defense to cover them man-to-man. Defenses are always strategizing just like offenses, and by forcing the defense to spread out and guard many receivers, it takes away a lot of their more sophisticated coverage options (like double-teaming or divvying up the field into “zones” of coverage).

In later seasons, when Coach Taylor gains access to a fast, dynamic quarterback, he incorporates a bit of the “option” into his spread offense. This is where the QB uses the spacing from the spread to scan the field, analyze certain players’ positioning on the defense, and decide to pass the ball, hand off the ball, or run the ball himself.

Based on all this, it sounds like Eric Taylor is a pretty brilliant coach, right? Well, not exactly. The internet is littered with breakdowns of Taylor’s strategy from smart football minds. Most of said articles criticize him on two big fronts. The first is his tardiness in adapting to a pass-heavy offense. The second is his absolutely abominable clock management. Since the clock counts down in American football and there is no stoppage time, managing time is a huge part of a coach’s responsibility.

Since the show naturally wants to inject some drama into its football scenes, the Dillon Panthers as coached by Eric Taylor often have next to 0 clock awareness. This breakdown even notes than in the pilot episode, the Panthers somehow only move the ball 30 yards in five minutes of gametime. That is…pretty curious.

Also, while it’s not uncommon for a head coach to specialize in either the defensive or offensive side of the ball, Eric Taylor’s is particularly offensive-focused. Defensive plays aren’t as exciting to depict on television, so Coach Taylor is rarely shown coaching up the defensive half of his team. That’s a pretty big blindspot when it comes to head coaching.

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Now that you’ve read through this full breakdown of American football, give Friday Night Lights a watch or a rewatch. Who knows – you may even be a sharper football mind than Coach Taylor at this point.

The post Friday Night Lights: A Non-American’s Guide to American Football appeared first on Den of Geek.

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technicallysideacc · 4 years

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I was tagged by @theleavesoflorien and @stronghaz to do a couple of memes (Thank youuu <3333 I love doing these things!)

Song titles

Rules: only using song titles from one artist/band, cleverly answer the questions and tag 10 people

Artist: Paul McCartney

What’s your gender? Mrs. Vandebilt

How are you feeling? Hope for the future

If you could go anywhere? London Town

Favourite mode of transportation? I Don’t Know

Your best friend? My Valentine

Favourite time of day? Beautiful Night

If your life was a tv show? My Brave Face

Relationship status? No words (for my love)

50 questions you’ve never been asked

1. What is the colour of your hairbrush? grey and boring

2. A food you never eat? I never eat fish (which I should but... ) or seafood, I just hate the taste!

3. Are you typically too warm or too cold? I tend to get cold easier (but I always bear it with more dignity than when I get too warm hahaha)

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? I was just finishing work while I drank some tea! I was correcting some Writing assignments from 6th graders, and then sending a couple audio messages to another teacher to properly coordinate.

5. What is your favourite candy bar? “Kinder Bueno”❤️

6. Have you ever been to a professional sports event? Yeah, several times! When I was 12-13 I was really into football, so I went to lots of matches in the Camp Nou (the Barça stadium) both of Barça and the national team. I also attended to several rugby matches, even if I didn’t really like it, because my dad was a city council worker and all of them had free passes, for some reason... and it quickly became “our thing”.

7. What is the last thing you said out loud? I said “but that’s awfuuul and I hate iiiit”, because the other teacher had just told me that we’re supposed to keep correcting assignments simply indicating the mistakes so that the kids can find the correct way of saying things themselves, and that this process can be repeated as many times as it takes for the kid to find the solution.

8. What is your favourite ice cream? Mint chocolate chip! 🌿😍

9. What was the last thing you had to drink? A cup of black tea with a dash of milk

10. Do you like your wallet? Yes! It’s a colourful one that my parents bought me for my birthday, a couple years ago!

11. What was the last thing you ate? It was a banana, as a desert! (I had lunch a couple hours ago)

12. Did you buy any new clothes last weekend? Hahaha not really! Since the quarantine situation happened, I haven’t been able to leave my home and all shops are closed, so...

13. The last sporting event you watched? Ugh, honestly, who knows?😂 It must’ve been a long time ago, but most likely a football match during the last World cup?

14. What is your favourite flavour of popcorn? Salted popcorn all the way! I worked in a popcorn stand back when I was 16, and it was the worst work experience of my life, I still get war-flashbacks! Since then I’ve hated sweet popcorn with a passion, it’s like my brain still remembers what a nightmare it was to clean the machine that made them 😂

15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? It was another workmate - a teacher with whom I need to organise preschool activities.

16. Ever go camping? I’ve never done it, no!

17. Do you take vitamins? Not right now, but I usually have to take some to help strengthen my throat area, since I get lots of sore throats during the school year.

18. Do you go to church every sunday? Hahaha not really, no! I only do it for special occasions - weddings, comunions, all that!

19. Do you have a tan? I’m probably one of the less tanned people to ever live in Spain😂

20. Do you prefer chinese food or pizza? Both are GREAT, but if I really have to choose, I’d go with pizza

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? No, unless I’m at the cinema and I’ve got one of those plastic containers!

22. What colour socks do you usually wear? I like my socks colourful, and sometimes with cute patterns, so all colours, really!

23. Do you ever drive above the speed limit? I’ve never driven a car, so no!

24. What terrifies you? Almost everything, probably! A huge phobia to bees and wasps stands out, though!

25. Look to your left, what do you see? The empty cup of tea, a pen and a paper with some handwritten notes related to work.

26. What chore do you hate? Sweeping is the thing that I hate the most, it’s so boring and as soon as you’ve done it, everything is dirty again 😂

27. What do you think of when you hear an australian accent? Not a lot, really! I’m not that good at recognising Australian accents if I’m honest!

28. What’s your favourite soda? Coca-cola!

29. Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive-thru? Since I don’t drive, I usually go and eat it in the fast food place. But I’m not big on fast food in general :)

30. Who’s the last person you talked to? That teacher I was sending the furious audio message to 😂

31. Favourite cut of beef? I don’t really have one!

32. Last song you listened to? Oh Love - Green Day 🥰🎸

33. Last book you read? It’s been a while since I read anything other than fics really hahaha

34. Favourite day of the week? Friday!

35. Can you say the alphabet backwards? Probably I could, if I focused on it enough!

36. How do you like your coffee? Half coffee, half milk, two spoons of sugar!

37. Favourite pair of shoes? A nice pair of ballet flats I bought some months ago. So cute and comfy at the same time!

38. At what time do you normally go to bed? In a normal routine, between 11 and 12. Right now, around 2 am.

39. At what time do you normally get up? In a normal routine, at 6. Right now, around 9 am.

40. What do you prefer, sunrise or sunsets? Sunsets!

41. How many blankets are on your bed? Only one. But I always put one of those hot water bottles to stay warm ❤️

42. Describe your kitchen plates? They’re a very nice shade of pastel green! We bought them when we moved to this flat 6 years ago!

43. Do you have a favourite alcoholic beverage? Gin&tonic all the way!!! But I also love white wine and baileys

44. Do you play cards? Not really!

45. What colour is your car? I don’t have a car haha (so many car-related questions!)

46. Can you change a tire? aksfhakfsjhkashf I’m sure I would NEVER be able to do that, for the life of me. Like, I wouldn’t even know how to start hahaha

47. What is your favourite state/province? Catalonia, of course ❤️

48. Favourite job you’ve ever had? Some years ago, I worked as an English teacher in an academy. It was a job that, in terms of personal development, was leading nowhere and I was also not being paid a lot, that’s why I eventually quit and went on to work at the school, which is my current one... but it was such a nice job. So fullfilling, with such nice work environment. I remember laughing SO MUCH every day! I still miss it, to this day❤️

49. How did you get your biggest scar? I was around 7-8 years old, and I was playing in the house with my sis. We were pretending to be frogs and jumping all around, and apparently at one point I jumped into a very pointy corner of one of those old computer tables (you know, the ones that have wheels so that you could move the computer from one room to the other), which caused a really big gash on the side of my upperbody. They stitched me, but it left a pretty big scar, unfortunatelly.

50. What did you do today that made someone else happy? I tried to be kind and encouraging when answering to the kids who were sending me their assignments. I don’t know if that made them happy, but it definitely was my intention :)

I haven’t been able to keep track on who has already did these, so if anyone wants to do any of these memes, consider this your tag! 🥰

#memes #personal #about me

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eretzyisrael · 5 years

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Lioz Amar had booked a hotel online for a trip to Barcelona. He specified that he needed a walk-in shower but when he got to the room, he discovered it only had a bathtub.

That might have been a disappointment but not a deal breaker for most people. But Amar is not most people. In 2011, he was wounded during his service in the Israel Defense Forces and, since the age of 21, requires a wheelchair to get around.

“I went to the front desk and I said I need a roll-in shower,” Amar tells ISRAEL21c. “The guy brings out a ‘certificate of accessibility’ and says that this is an acceptable room. I said to him, put that paper aside for a second and think of me.”

The problem, Amar explains, is that there are no standards. A hotel can advertise that it’s accessible but how high is the bed? Is there braille on the elevator buttons? If there’s a knock on the door, will the lamp blink?

Web-based booking forms rarely go into such detail. Calling every hotel in town before traveling would be an overwhelming task.

Amar set out to fix that by creating an online travel site for people with disabilities. He called the site Travaxy, a mashup of “travel” and “accessibility.”

Every hotel on the site is vetted using a digital survey. And Travaxy displays only direct flights; you don’t want to get stuck in a strange airport overnight because of a missed connection while your wheelchair is still in transit.

Travaxy hasn’t built its own booking engine. “We have the same connections as at Booking.com or Expedia. On top of that, we have our own layer of hotels,” Amar explains.

Travaxy goes above and beyond online booking in many cases. “A few days ago, a woman called and wanted to do a bar mitzvah trip for her son in Israel, but her husband was in an electric wheelchair. She couldn’t find a bus that could accommodate the wheelchair at a reasonable price. I said, ‘Let me try.’ After five minutes, I came back with an offer. She said, ‘Book it now.’ Afterward she wrote to me that everything was perfect, especially the way the driver gracefully handled the father’s needs.”

Booking via Travaxy also means if a disabled traveler runs into trouble – for example, his or her wheelchair breaks in transit (something Amar says “happens at one time to everyone with a disability”) – Travaxy can send a replacement part or an entire chair.

Lioz Amar had booked a hotel online for a trip to Barcelona. He specified that he needed a walk-in shower but when he got to the room, he discovered it only had a bathtub.

Web-based booking forms rarely go into such detail. Calling every hotel in town before traveling would be an overwhelming task.

Amar set out to fix that by creating an online travel site for people with disabilities. He called the site Travaxy, a mashup of “travel” and “accessibility.”

Lioz Amar, founder of Travaxy site for travelers with disabilities. Photo by Tomer Appelbaum

Travaxy hasn’t built its own booking engine. “We have the same connections as at Booking.com or Expedia. On top of that, we have our own layer of hotels,” Amar explains.

15% of world population is disabled

The difference between Travaxy and mainstream travel sites is apparent as soon as you try to book a flight or hotel.

You are asked what your disability is, whether you need assistance getting to the gate or disembarking, whether your wheelchair is manual or battery operated (and what kind of battery it has, important when checking the chair as luggage), and even the door width you require.

Can’t you make similar requests on popular travel booking sites? “They say you can do it,” Amar replies. “It’s politically correct to say so, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t really happen.”

Travaxy has a staff person confirm every order offline. “We make sure that the request is getting noticed. So far, we’ve had zero mistakes,” Amar reports after the first month of operation, when the number of bookings was still in the hundreds.

Amar is confident those numbers will grow. “Fifteen percent of the world population is disabled,” he claims. “That’s 516 million people in developed countries. And they travel two to four times more than the usual traveler.”

Moreover, 80% of disabled people “travel with two or more people with them who are not disabled.” In 2017, disabled people booked 190 million holidays, Amar mentioned during an interview he gave to Israel’s Channel 12.

Paralympic champ

Amar has become one of those frequent travelers. “When I was first injured, I found myself in bed saying, ‘I’m over, I’m screwed, I’m only half a person. What’s the point?’ I was like that for a year and a half. It was catastrophic for me.”

Just when he was at his lowest, Amar discovered swimming as part of his rehabilitation process. “I went into the pool, started to swim. I was free and fast. I could swim without being tied into a wheelchair. And people noticed. They said, ‘You swim very fast; you need to talk to the coach.’”

Amar went on to become a Paralympic champion, coming in seventh in the 100-meter breaststroke in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. “Life as an athlete requires quite a lot of travel around the world,” he notes.

Sport also turned around another aspect in Amar’s life. He met the woman who would become his wife, Natalie, at a rugby tournament for wheelchair players. “The guys were playing, and she came to see a game. We saw each other, clicked, and we haven’t left each other since.” The couple now has a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

Amar worked for a while as a swimming instructor. He later picked up programming skills and found himself, in 2016, as “an entrepreneur who doesn’t know how to be an entrepreneur, at least at first.” Amar smartly surrounded himself with expertise.

His business partner, Michal Ben Assage, worked for 24 years in the travel industry, most recently at Amadeus, the world’s largest business-to-business travel platform.“She came with knowledge from the agent side. I came with the technology and the disability side,” Amar says.

Travaxy also partnered with the Daka90 Israeli “last minute” travel site.

“We’re very different from what they usually do,” Amar says. “People with disabilities don’t generally look to book a flight for tomorrow. But they invested in us. They were cool enough to say that no one is treating this community right.”

Travaxy, which has a team of eight, operates out of Daka90’s Tel Aviv office, home of inhouse accelerator Daka90 Labs.

Other strategic partners include Itai Green, CEO of Israel Travel Tech Startups, an incubator for tourism startups; and Mediterranean Towers Ventures, the investment arm of a company that runs luxury senior homes in Israel. Older people often have accessibility needs when traveling.

Travaxy raised $480,000 via the ExitValley Israeli crowdfunding platform. Half of the money came from Mediterranean Towers Ventures in exchange for a 10% stake in the company. Arik Pinto, the retiring CEO of Bank Hapoalim, who walks with a cane since suffering from polio as a child, also invested. Travaxy is now looking to raise another $2 million.

Travaxy charges a commission on bookings, just like other online travel sites, fueling new features and new locations. The need to vet accommodations individually has kept the company from expanding willy-nilly: currently, you can book flights or hotels in Tel Aviv, New York, London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Barcelona.

Thailand is next, Amar says. “It’s a very popular destination but not very accessible. You need to know where you’re going and who will serve you. But once you make the relationships, the culture there is to help. They don’t mind me being in a wheelchair as long as I can bring more customers!”

For more information, click here

#travaxy #Israel #accessibility #disability

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fortheheavenssake · 5 years

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Nanny Anon 2

Sept. 17

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Sept. 18

NANNY ANON, well’ I’ve packed and ready to go ,himself came to say goodbye and thank me for being in the wee-ones early development, It was quite touching. The mistress had the maid drop off a card reference last night and left this morning without a word. ( no surprise there). M and her mistress are looking forward to next week when I move in to the P. And I can’t wait to start a new chapter with a loving family. It sounds wonderful and never again will I have to utter the words ‘ all too…………”

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Sept. 22

NANNY ANON, hello darlings ‘ I’m having a wonderful day with little C&L , M is taking G to see Star Wars so I have the the wee-one and little C. This afternoon we’re going to bake fairy cakes , although little C wants to make Unicorn cookies and take them to school tomorrow … it’s a privilege to be in a loving home with such a wonderful mistress and adorable children, last night I cried with joy. And M and I have such a history of professional duty together. What a joy for a white Lady TTFN 😌😌

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Oct. 3

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, we have been Sooooo busy with the little ones while the mistress and W have been engaged on royal duties. The mistress is such an understanding and compassionate woman she insists on the nannies as being part of the family and treats M and I the same. We have such fun with the little ones , there’s a tree house in the gardens which C seems to have turned into a Unicorn palace with daily visits from her school chums ‘ it’s a hoot ‘life is good for a white Lady TTFN.

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Oct. 5

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, both M and I are getting a program together while the mistress and W are away, we both want to take them on a scavenger hunt at high grove with C&C. Unicorns will probably be involved and G is into Star Wars. So it’s going to be a full itinerary. Little C is platting her hair at the moment and loves the tree house playing with her school chums. It’s a wonderful life for a white Lady. TTFN.

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Oct. 6

NANNY ANON, Hello Darlings, Little G came back from the match with a football signed by the team , and C had a book explaining the women’s World Cup. G is now officially a fully fledged supporter, such a fun day, the children are so exited I can see bed time will be fun. M and I are getting ready for an outing with the little ones as soon as the mistress and W depart for the tour. There off to the in-laws today so M and I are go into F&M for tea …… TTFN.

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Oct. 15

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, M and I have just returned with G&C from Thorpe Park ‘ I’m exhausted!! We went on all the rides, Little C wanted to have another ride on the Big Dipper ‘ o dear I nearly lost my breakfast ……… they had toffee apples and candy floss and G had to have tree rides on the water Shute ‘ I came over all emotional remembering Diana doing the same ride with W&H. O DEAR ‘ all too much for a white Lady 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢 TTFN 😢😢😢😢

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Oct. 19

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, The mistress and himself returned to a rapturous welcome from the children ‘ lizards ,Unicorn costumes and hugs lasted for over an hour , it was a joy, I think the first stop was BP so we waited a while but it was an exiting evening. This weekend M&I have the time to ourselves as the whole family are going to the country. We shall have a spa weekend in Bath and indulge in a lot of R&R. All To much for a white Lady. TTFN

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October 20

NANNY ANON, hello darlings,” O joy and jolly japes”Tonight we all trip over to the in-laws to watch the“ Docudramarama” the mistress has asked her sister to come and himself is off to pick up C&C ! M and myself are busy making savoury and sweet popcorn 🍿 boss baby is having fun strapped in the Bouncer and G&C are playing 🦎and🦄 , it’s a joy to be part of a loving family ‘can’t wait for the fun to begin. God bless the future monarchy. TTFN.

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Oct 27

NANNY ANON … hello darlings, still about ,things are hotting up for Halloween 🤡👹👻 the children are expected to wear their creepy costumes and my darling mistress is taking them and other little ones around the the village with the parents. M and I are going as the Markle Sisters 👯‍♀️ So don’t expect to return without egg 🍳 on my face 🤣🤣🤣all too much for a white Lady TTFN

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Oct 28

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, WELL, WELL, WELL, I’m flabbergasted absolutely stunned darlings, I’ve just received an invitation from my previous mistress and himself to a private meeting in SH London for the opportunity of returning to her employ. Apparently the wee one is missing his nanny!!! and this is causing a lot of headaches for the mistress as she wants to be able to leave the wee one with a nanny she knows will be a bonding influence. I’ll keep you all updated as to my decision darling.

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Oct 29

NANNY ANON, hello darlings ‘ salutations to all who grace the blog of our beloved Skippy. 🐼. WELL , I’ve made the decision I was debating on yesterday. I’ve decided to remain at KP in the employment of the present mistress ( god bless her and himself) because I ‘ much like M have fallen in love with little 🦄🦎And 👶. It’s a constant privileged challenge to be part of this family, The Sunday night gatherings looking at the social media laughing at the ageing train wreck. Love to all. TTFN. 🤣🤣

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Nov. 1

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, Little C is refusing to change out of her Halloween costume 🦄, and we’re all going down to Sainsbury’s to buy some giant marshmallows to roast for the rugby match. When C digs her little feet in there’s no movement. The mistress is having quite a debate with the little one trying to see reason. In the end the RPO got her to change by promising her he’d find a police helmet as a substitute. All too much for a white Lady. TTFN

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Nov 4

NANNY ANON, hello darlings ‘ O joy!! Today M&myself take little C and G (with their poppies) to RP zoo with RPO. ( one of the zoo keepers are going to fix a Unicorn to a zebra 🦄for little C.) and G will gain access to the reptile house to look at all the 🦎🦎 “ what larks pip old chap” the mistress is having some down time back at KP with little L. Afterwards we’re all of to Harrods for 🍨🍦. So much joy for a white Lady. TTFN.

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Nov 9

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Nov 11

NANNY ANON , hello darlings, my day off with M. We are exhausted darlings, absolutely knackered. Little C had a sleepover with four friends (fiendish demons) , OMG it was the sleepover from hell , first’ we put them all in the nursery, made up beds and lots of 🦄🧸🛴🏓🍪🍿🧁🍕👧👧👧👧stuff to play with and favourite eats. Only problem they didn’t want to sleep, himself had a few words to Little C at one in the morning because of the screams. All too much for a white Lady. TTFN. Bless.

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Nov 18 (Royal Variety)

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, tonight M and I had too draw lots as to who went to the RVP. I lost , so I’m looking after the little ones. The mistress spent the afternoon getting ready as the dresser fitted the last tucks to the bodice. My goodness she looked magnificent when she walked down the stairs all the little ones cheered and clapped. Tonight it’s a treat, we’ve ordered 🍕 PIZZA and knickerbocker glory’s such a joy. All too much for a white Lady. TTFN.

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Nov 19

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, a wonderful evening was had by all at the the RVP. The mistress and himself stunned all who met them with there relaxed countenance, early that evening the little ones started to write a present list to Santa. Little C was the most vocal inquiring how Santa arrives on his sled and parks his reindeer on the roof of KP and shimmy’s down the chimney ( she’s now asking to sleep near the fireplace to meet Santa ???? ) all too much for a white Lady,TTFN. 🎄🎄🎄🎅🎅🎅

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Nov 21

NANNY ANON, M and I went to see “ The sound of music “ tonight, we both love the film. We spent the day with the little ones and C had somehow got hold of one of the mistresses cameras 📸 and was ( would you believe it) taking photos of M G boss baby and me. I asked her to give me the camera as it was mummies and all I got was , NO !! later I saw the snaps she took and was surprised. I returned the camera to the mistress who looked amused. Little C been watching mummy. TTFN. 📸📸📸

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Nov 22

NANNY ANON, haddow darlig 😷🤧🤧 I dink I got vlue, my node I’d all blogged up , god a rodden hed and snoddy node. The lidda wonds is so fuddy, lidda C broughd be up bregvast od a tray. Bledd, da midredd called he dogta ad he gave be sum pawasetamol , M Id doig grate. Ib dink I’ll ged sub shudii , ord doo buch for a wide Lady, DDFN.

Ohhhh flu has hit KP! Hope you have a quick recovery 😔❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Nov 23

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, still a bid bunggd up, but I’m sure I’ll be ok within the week, M and I are looking after little G and boss baby today,the mistress has gone to a shopping mall outside London with little C for Christmas shopping. Things are hotting up for the holidays and this weekend they bring the Christmas 🎄. Then we can have real fun dressing it. Back to wee boss baby 👶. TTFN.

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Dec 3

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, M&I very exited,tonight is the school nativity play and the mistress and himself has invited us. G is a wise king and little C is an “angel on high” …… M wickedly suggested boss baby could be baby Jesus 😱😱, But I don’t think the school is ready just yet. Little C has to say “and behold ‘ the three wise Kings” can’t wait, it’s going to be a hoot!! We all helped to make the costumes , G wore his this evening and looked very regal ( prophetic), and little C with wings.

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Dec 7

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, is the mistress pregnant ‘ all I can say is little Lottie wants a pony for Christmas and himself has quite rightly affirmed that she’s much to young. I think in a couple of years great auntie Anne would be the first to help her into the saddle. We’re all looking forward to the forthcoming banquet ( I wonder if the mistress will wear the emeralds)’ enough gossip, all too much for a white Lady, TTFN.

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Dec 8

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, Lottie has just returned from a visit to the “stables” at the royal mews. (Enough said) , himself has retired to the lounge after breakfast 🥞, pancakes and crispy bacon 🥓 with maple syrup to laugh at the Sunday tabloids. The mistress is having a “late morning” so M and myself are busy with boss and George who is finishing his homework 📚. Another Sunday joy. TTFN.

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Dec 10

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, it’s manic at KP , in a good way !! the mistress is becoming enthusiastically involved in her tennis lessons, ( several professional players lining up to coach her) my lips are sealed, Little Lottie is on a mission … it’s a day long mantra from the darling girl , anyone who she thinks will have sway with W&K is propositioned about the “pony”. I think some of her older school chums ride out. I bet Gan Gan soon enters the equation. All too much for a white Lady. TTFN.

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Dec 11

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, busy this morning ,decision to choose what C&G will wear for the Christmas walk to the service , winter coats and warm socks are the key. It’s going to be a joy seeing them for the first time at the Sandringham service with W&K. M and I are going home for Christmas M has invited me to Spain with her family, wonderful and the food darlings, I’m in for a real treat. Little Lottie will certainly have a pony ride for Christmas I’m sure, Such joy!! TTFN.

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Dec 13

NANNY ANON, hello darlings , we have cancelled our holiday In Spain 🇪🇸, duty calls darlings, we had a chat with the mistress and himself last night and decided we’re going to accompany the family for Christmas, it’s our love for the children and to help the mistress, a joy really. Also the BP PR are briefing the DOD of C about forthcoming commitments. On a lighter note, tonight’s Blog night 😂😂😂 skippy,pg,and troll the colonial Banshee. All too much for a white Lady. TTFN.

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Dec 16

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, Little Charlotte is Bewildered as to why there are no unicorn pony’s. The answer Zara gave was Unicorns are different , pony’s are special, clever Zara!! Lottie is full of questions, ( that age) it’s a daily challenge of wits. Last night was blog night, such fun ,all the usual suspects, where is @printskylie ? Never miss pg and her interpretations, so clever , the mistress loves skippy and Hunnymae , duty calls!, all too much for a white Lady, TTFN.

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Dec 16

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, O’thank you all so for your messages, the unicorn presents 🎁 look fab. I’ll pass on your message, but I’m sure the the mistress has all information directed to her MPC. ( amazing device). W&K are both very high Tech. My life is full of love and joy, I’ve got Lottie a picture edition of “ The night before Christmas”

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Dec 17

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, the children all sat watching TV, and watching mummy and daddy make cup cakes and roulades. EPIC . The kitchen is now centre of the universe, Lottie and George M and I making cup cakes and roly poly Christmas chocolate logs. Lots of mess and icing sugar. 👦🏼👧👶🧁🍰🍪🎂🍩 it’s boss baby, “ Mary Mary” Christmas 🎄 we are blessed, TTFN

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Dec 18

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, himself is taking C&G ice skating this afternoon, I think this is another diversion from pony’s. It’s a dismal afternoon,raining in London so I think the little ones will enjoy the outing , the mistress is off to play a few sets of tennis with her coach. M and I are going to check online for some new clothes for boss baby, he seems to grow by the day!! This is a busy time leading up to a family Christmas, I think it’s Sandringham this year but arrangements are

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Dec 29

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, such a busy Christmas, the little ones were so exited with presents and gifts from the public. The mistress had a clearinghouse Of presents 🎁. A large amount of them go to local hospitals. Believe me they are talking thousands!! There’s a pink Flamingo in Little Lotties bedroom though.M and I are going to have a wee holiday over the new year, it’s been a wonderful Christmas. All too much for a white Lady,TTFN. ( sorry for no posts) been V. busy with the little ones.

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Dec 31

NANNY ANON, hello darlings, M&I and a bottle of celebrity plonk, our night off so it’s on with a movie,feet up and relax. All the i are crossed and the Ts are dotted , o dear the drink 🥤 has taken effect ………… we both wish shoo a happy new year and prosperoush , prosperoust, positives, O you get it , we never normally celibate like this , o dear, all too much for a white Lady ,TTFN. 🍹🍷🍾🍸🥂……………☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️

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iconiceyesedinburgh-blog · 5 years

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What Skills Do You Need To Work For Blizzard Entertainment As A Graphic Designer?

Though going to university can help you pursue the artistic profession of your desires, setting you up with the correct set of skills and skills, it isn't for everybody. Graphic design is great coaching for design work in lots of fields, which is why you will find graphic designers working in areas of specialization ranging from print design (books and magazines), to identity design (logos and branding), to product design, packaging design, Web design, and more. For while many people have been right about the best way all this pres- entism would have an effect on investments and finance, even expertise and media, we had been completely fallacious about how living within the now” would find yourself impacting us as folks. 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There are someplace round 300 totally different universities, postsecondary colleges, and unbiased establishments which can be accredited by the Nationwide Association of Schools of Artwork and Design Any of these can provide you with the necessary qualifications to get a job ready with the graphic designer job description. The image we get at the moment of Africa in past ages from the historical past taught in our schools is that Africans were savages and that, though Europeans invaded their lands and made slaves of them, they assert that they were in a method conferring an important an excellent favor on them; since they dropped at them the blessings of Christian civilization. If a graphic designer is part of a advertising or growth team, they often work inside a studio with other creative talent Some firms have a number of graphic artists resulting from their specialties in areas like video animation, images, or illustration. Understanding how to hire a graphic designer and ourselves prior to now and in actual time is of prime importance right here: the Present future, would require us to pay attention to ourselves and the way we conduct or live our ways of life: Tradition, and so forth. Just like with planning a business, it's essential to perceive who your online buyer is. There are lots of factors that will play into the way you design your website based on who you create it for. James Sofasonke” Sofasonke Mpanza, a neighborhood chief and advocate for higher housing for African folks residing in Johannesburg'. It was a really enjoyable expertise which explains why I decided to change my main from Information Technology to Graphic Design. By the point you might be completed with studying this information it is possible for you to to talk in regards to the internet development course of competently and never get taken advantage of by among the less than principled web designers out there. 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Many professional graphic designs speak of the satisfaction of making one thing visible or constructing a brand identity that can be seen by 1000's, if not hundreds of thousands of people. Photographs of designers reflect this and have a tendency to contain them looking at designs or their pc screens.

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7bamboosrugby-blog · 2 years

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How to improve your speed and agility

"As an athlete, I used my speed, agility and quickness to go out and play against the big guys." Michael Chang

In rugby sevens, speed and agility win games and tournaments.

Once you break the gain line and have enough “gas in the tank”, the likelihood is that you score a try.

Whereas in 15s players often face another line of defence or at least another defender (usually the fullback or a winger) after crossing the gain line, 7s is all or nothing.

Nonetheless, explosive speed and agile movements are the keys to success in any sport and it’s more than ever the decisive factor, no matter which game and position.

Athletes who are lightning fast are usually in top shape and excel at their sport. Additionally improving your agility, will take you to the next level of athleticism and fitness.

What is speed and agility?

Speed

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This category describes how fast you can run in a straight line. Although we do move our arms and legs as we run, the speed at which you can move each one is not the main determiner of your top speed. Research shows that ground force is more important.

Agility

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The ability to pivot and make a sudden change of direction is called agility. Sprinting may be important for soccer players and football players, but sudden changes in direction are needed for almost all team sports athletes from basketball players to volleyball players.

The key benefits of performing regular Speed and Agility Routines

Reduce the risk of injury

Athletes are more likely to get injured if they don’t have good coordination and balance.

Agility training strengthens exactly those two core areas. Many avoidable sports-related injuries occur when our body falls out of alignment while we are in the middle of dynamic motion (i.e. jumping, running, or lifting).

Increased athleticism

Speed and agility training increases your functional core strength, dynamic flexibility, control and balance. All of these different functions work together and make athletes overall more athletic. In just about every sport, athleticism is needed to excel, and speed and agility training helps athletes enhance their performance.

Agility helps the body to maintain proper alignment and posture

Agility drills encourage our bodies to learn how to maintain correct body placement.

With proper agility training, sensitive areas such as the lower back, shoulders, and ankles are protected while moving quickly.

Increases heart rate and blood circulation

When you perform intense speed and agility training the heart requires to pump more blood through the body reaching all the muscles. These “bursts” help to increase the heart rate and blood circulation.

Enhances coordination

The skill of coordinated movement is vital for sports and everyday life, as it involves controlling, coordinating, and avoiding effort.

The importance of maintaining a healthy and mobile body can be appreciated by anyone, regardless of whether you are a professional athlete.

Reduces muscle recovery times

During muscle recovery, your body rebuilds and recovers your muscles after a workout or sports activity.

Training harder, reducing injuries, and being ready to play on game day will be easier with a shorter recovery time.

As a result of speed and agility training, stronger muscles and improved blood circulation will prevent other muscle groups from being overused and fatigued, allowing them to recover more quickly.

Prevents weight loss plateaus and burnout

Agility and speed training routines offer a wider variety of workouts and drills.

This changes which muscles are working so the muscles develop in a more balanced way.

They help to prevent mental boredom and burnout by keeping your mind more interested and focused on new routines.

As an added bonus, speed and agility workout routines are excellent fat burners that help you surpass weight loss plateaus.

Improves focus and connection between the mind and body

Since agility and speed drills are executed at a quick pace, they train you to stay present and entirely focused on the task at hand.

This is a skill that defines the greatest athletes.

Improves balance and reaction times

Speed and agility drills develop all motor skills, including balance and reaction, by fine-tuning the coordination between your brain, nervous system, and muscles. Enhanced focus and concentration, strengthen balance, and quickens reaction times.

How to Get Started with Speed and Agility Routines

A word of warning. Never jump into speed and agility drills cold! Before getting into your chosen drills, it's important to warm up.

Begin with some basic cardio on a treadmill, running laps, or on the bike for a minimum of 5 minutes to increase your heart rate.

Next, do some dynamic stretches and multi-directional movements that increase your range of motion in preparation for your planned drills.

Then, continue warming up with plyometric exercises. Plyometric exercises involve dynamic movements like skipping, hopping, jumping jacks, lateral jumping, burpees, jump squats, and high knees.

These are all excellent strength exercises to prepare for the explosive movements involved in the more elaborate speed and agility routines.

Begin slowly, both on that day and with your choice of routines. If you're new to speed and agility training, keep it simple and put more focus on form and posture. Work to excel at your drills before graduating to more challenging routines.

The following are six of the best speed and agility drills, listed from simplest to most advanced. Remember to vary the combination of drills to keep it fun, and engaging, and to avoid burnout.

High-Knee Forward Running Drills

Why it's so good: If increasing speed is your priority, then you'll love this drill. The high-knee exercise is one of the most popular speed exercises with field sport athletes and sprinters because it improves stride length and foot coordination.

How to execute: Run with knees up high forward as quickly. This drill may seem simple, but it's critical to maintain proper form by landing on the balls of your feet and slightly leaning forward.

Lateral Running, Side-to-Side Drills

Why it's so good: Athletes benefit from lateral running drills, but they are essential for the court-sport athlete as they improve both knee and ankle stability.

How to execute: One at a time, step both feet between each rung of the ladder. Be sure to keep your knees bent and maintain a low center of gravity as you step quickly, side-to-side through the ladder. Aim to land on the balls of your feet. Start by running from right to left and then repeat going from left to right, while maintaining proper form.

Dot Drills

Why it's so good: The dot drill builds agility, leg strength, and explosive speed. It improves knee and ankle strength, which is crucial for stability in field sports, racket sports, soccer, and basketball. The dot drill routine also trains you to switch directions rapidly and smoothly.

How to execute: Place five dots on the ground in the formation of an X - two on each side and one in the middle. Jump from dot to dot with both feet at once. After you're warmed up, you can make it more challenging by doing one-foot hopping. Also, this is a fun drill to experiment with a variety of jumping patterns to keep it challenging.

Shuttle Runs

Why it's so good: The shuttle run drills are an indispensable agility training exercise for athletes that play high-intensity sports with frequent stop-and-go like soccer, hockey, and basketball. Building speed, agility, and endurance, shuttle runs are quite an effective fat-burning exercise, too.

How to execute: Set your training area with two markers about 25 yards apart from each other. Sprint, with explosive speed, from one marker to the other and back again. Repeat six to eight times. Shuttle runs can be tailored to your sport's specific needs by switching them up to forward-touch-return runs, forward-backward runs, and side-to-side runs.

L Drills

Why it's so good: L Drills, also known as Cone Drills, is popular with coaches and professional trainers for perfecting quick changes of direction with speed and ability. It's a chosen drill for the yearly NFL Combine to test football players' agility and explosiveness.

How to execute: Place one cone down and walk forward 5 yards to place down the second. From the second cone, walk either to the left or the right 5 yards and place the third cone there. Standing at the first cone, it should look like a large L shape.

Beginning on the outside of the first cone in the three-point stance starting position, sprint forward 5 yards, maintaining medium speed control and a low center of gravity. Touch the line at the center cone. Then immediately sprint back to the first cone and touch the starting line with the same hand. Then turn around and sprint back around the center cone, planting off your inside foot for a sharp turn. Figure eight around the last cone, planting your inside foot again.

Make a sharp turn around the second cone, again turning on your inside foot, and sprint back to the starting cone. Repeat three to five times. Be sure to practice with the third cone placed both to the right and to the left of the second cone to alternate turning directions.

Backpedal Sprints

Why it's so good: Backpedal sprints are for the more advanced agility trainer, as they take a lot of precise skill and strength. This popular drill strengthens the leg muscles, increases speed, and hones the crucial skill of backward running needed for specific sports like basketball, baseball, and soccer.

How to execute: To set up, create a start and finish line that's several paces apart. From the start, sprint forward to the finish, abruptly stop and then backpedal as quickly as you can back to the starting line. Backpedal sprint with explosive starts and fast stops and maintain top speed for the duration of the drill.

If you love a challenge and massive strength building, you can add a long resistance band attached to you with a belt and the other end secured to a fixed object.

Additional Tips for Successful Routines to Increase Speed and Agility

For optimum muscle recovery after the high-intensity training of speed and agility drills, it's essential to cool down and reduce your heart rate with moderate cardio like some light cycling or walking. Then be sure to stretch thoroughly. If you prefer to keep moving while stretching, try yoga sun salutations which will stretch out all your major muscle groups and slow your heart rate.

Keep your speed and agility routines fresh by varying your drills and trying new patterns. Once you excel at a routine, level up to a more advanced one to challenge yourself and stay in top shape.

#speed #training #agility #coaching #fast #quick

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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A Comprehensive History of George R.R. Martin’s NFL Draft Takes

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Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin loves three things above all else: writing exhaustive descriptions of feasts, killing Starks, and watching NFL football.

When the “A Song of Ice and Fire” creator is not writing the most impactful bit of fantasy storytelling since The Lord of the Rings, he follows his two favorite football teams: the New York Giants and the New York Jets (yes, supporting two teams in the same city is highly unusual and yes, he’s apparently fine with it).

Martin is fond of expounding upon his fandom in interviews (including this one with ex-NFL defensive end Chris Long) and also documenting his sports pain on his LiveJournal blog, “Not a Blog”. The Westeros story shepherd has been blogging steadily since pretty much the dawn of blogging in 2006. And over the past 15 years, he has marked 235 posts with the “NFL” tag.

Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that Martin is using a blog the way blogs were intended to be used – providing professional updates with some informal sports observations sprinkled in. But I’ve personally never been able to get over the novelty of one of pop culture’s most important, sagacious figures, jotting down his ill-conceived sports takes just like the rest of us weirdos. I mean, get a load of this (which is baseball-related, not football):

Grown men wishing to bear the child of their favorite professional athlete is the sort of thing usually left to fringe sports talk radio shows or drunk group text chats. And yet, here is the writer of A Feast For Crows’ genius “broken man” monologue just throwing it out there for public consumption.

It’s like finding out that J.R.R. Tolkien used to submit his sports takes to The Times in the 1940s. “Yes, Stanley Matthews is talented but I fear his training regimen too rigorous for him to maintain the proper energy for the Three Lions to overcome France this year.”

Sadly, we do not have Tolkien’s football takes (apparently rugby was more his speed anyway). Since we do have Martin’s though, it’s worth examining how his many NFL opinions and predictions have held up over the years, particularly his commentary surrounding the NFL Draft.

The NFL Draft, in which NFL teams select college players to augment their rosters, occurs every year near the end of April or beginning of May. Martin, bless him, frequently likes to record his thoughts on the Jets and Giants’ draft during or after the event. Of the 235 NFL posts on NotaBlog, at least 12 of them deal with the draft.

Every Game of Thrones Spinoff and Prequel in Development

By Nick Harley

15 Best Game of Thrones Warriors

By Alec Bojalad

This year’s NFL Draft begins on April 29. A GRRM post about it is sure to come soon after (unless The Winds of Winter is taking up too much of his time). Before George offers his thoughts on this year’s selections, let’s take a trip back through memory lane to grade some of his previous years’ takes.

Bear in mind, that this list of Martin’s draft takes isn’t truly exhaustive. His blog for the 2020 draft, for instance, doesn’t include too many spicy opinions so it’s left out. But should you want the entire list of George R.R. Martin’s sports musings, I know a guy who wasted countless hours compiling all 235 posts.

George R.R. Martin’s NFL Draft Takes

The Post: April 26, 2019 – Day One The Takes:

The Jets should have selected defensive end Josh Allen over defensive tackle Quinnen Williams

Daniel Jones at 6 was an overdraft from the Giants. They should have chosen Dwayne Haskins

Analysis: It’s probably too early to tell on George’s first prediction though Williams looks to be the slightly better player now. George’s second take, however, is way off. Not because Giants QB Daniel Jones has been particularly great but George’s preferred QB Dwayne Haskins had a disastrous tenure in Washington, getting released midway through his second season. Cumulative Take Score: 0 for 2 (0%)

The Post: April 7, 2018 – Feeling a Draft The Takes:

The Giants should take Saquon Barkley

The Jets should take Baker Mayfield

Analysis: One of George’s most charming sports quirks is an avowed love of running backs. The running back position isn’t as important in the modern NFL as offenses become more pass heavy. The Giants drafting running back Saquon Barkley was very defensible though and hopefully he will recover from the knee injury that wiped out his 2020 season. George was also dead-on in urging the Jets to take Baker Mayfield. Unfortunately for him (but fortunately for yours truly) the Browns took Mayfield with the first overall pick. The Jets took Sam Darnold as a consolation prize and he is already no longer on the team. Cumulative Take Score: 2 for 4 (50%)

The Post: April 29, 2016 – NFL Draft Round One The Takes:

The Jets did well in taking linebacker Darron Lee over Memphis QB Paxton Lynch

The Giants should have picked pass rusher Shaq Lawson

Running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Derrick Henry will be good.

Analysis: George sniffed out Paxton Lynch’s futility like a Lannister plot. Darron Lee was pretty much a bust but at least he wasn’t Paxton Lynch. The Giants should not have chosen Shaq Lawson – their Eli Apple pick worked out perfectly fine. Here, George once again reveals his great taste in running backs. Though the position may no longer be as important, GRRM is one hell of a RB talent evaluator. Zeke Elliott and Derrick Henry are among the best backs in the league. Cumulative Take Score: 4 for 7 (57%)

The Post: April 27, 2013 – NFL Draft, Day 3 The Takes:

Ryan Nassib is Eli Manning’s successor

Taking Geno Smith will set the Jets back years.

Analysis: Ryan Nassib was not Eli Manning’s successor. Who’s to say if Geno Smith set the Jets back years or if they are just a poorly run organization? Either way, we’ll give that one to George since the team has had only one winning season since picking him. Cumulative Take Score: 5 for 9 (56%)

The Post: April 27, 2012 – NFL Draft, Round One The Takes:

“I am not at all happy with (the Jets) choice of Quinton Couples (sic).”

Cleveland had a good first round.

Ryan Tannehill will be a bust.

Analysis: George was right to be upset with the Coples pick. Unfortunately, George erred severely in trusting the Cleveland Browns to draft well. He undoubtedly was excited about the Browns drafting one of his beloved running backs, but that running back, Trent Richardson, was out of the league within a few years. George’s Ryan Tannehil prediction looked prescient for the first half of his career. Now – not so much, with the QB turning his career around in Tennessee. Cumulative Take Score: 6 for 12 (50%)

The Post: April 25, 2009 – NFL Draft, Day 1 The Takes:

The Jets and Giants were right to not draft Percy Harvin.

Kenny Britt is the best receiver among himself, Hakeem Nicks, and Brian Robiskie

Analysis: The Harvin concerns were understandable but he had a pretty decent career, all things considered. Hakeem Nicks was better than Kenny Britt. George was surely happy to be wrong though as Nicks is who the Giants drafted. Cumulative Take Score: 6 for 14 (43%)

The Post: April 28, 2007 – NFL Draft, Day One The Takes:

The Jets had a better day than the Giants

Brady Quinn will have a better pro career than JaMarcus Russell

Analysis: George nailed prediction one. The Jets drafted Darrelle Revis, who ended up being one of the best players in franchise history. George also nailed prediction number two but that’s because just about every other player in football history had a better pro career than JaMarcus Russell. Cumulative Take Score: 8 for 16 (50%)

The Post: February 5, 2006 – Super Bowl XL The Takes:

The Jets should draft D’Brickashaw Ferguson

“So another NFL season is now done, which means that Sunday becomes a work day for me once again. That should please everyone waiting for A DANCE WITH DRAGONS.”

Analysis: George’s first take here was absolutely correct. Ferguson was a Jets stalwart for a decade. Of course, I couldn’t help but share that second, non-football prediction. It turns out the people were not pleased as A Dance With Dragons would not arrive for another five years. Cumulative Take Score: 9 for 17 (53%)

Bonus George R.R. Martin NFL Takes

And now, a few other George R.R. Martin NFL Takes that have nothing to do with the draft…

The Post: September 1, 2017 – The NFL Is Coming The Take: “I have the feeling that I am going to be starting a lot of blog posts with ‘Life is miserable and full of pain’ this fall, at least where the Jets are concerned.” Analysis: Yup.

The Post: January 15, 2015 Locker Room Shuffle The Take: “(Rex) Ryan’s opening press conference with the Bills was very impressive. He seemed to be the old Rex again, brimming with confidence and swagger, all leavened with a healthy sense of humor. He promised to make the Bills a “bully,” a team that no one will want to play. I believe him.” Analysis: Of all the Jets coaches in Not A Blog history, Rex Ryan might be Martin’s favorite. He believes (pretty accurately) that Ryan did not get a fair shake in New York. But things in Buffalo did not pan out well for Ryan either. He was fired after two seasons and a 15-16 record.

The Post: March 15, 2013 – Free Agency Follies The Take: “Oh, and the Patriots… what a vile thing is Evil Little Bill (Belichick). The way he treated Wes Welker is disgraceful. Man has absolutely no loyalty to anyone. Watch and see, when Tom Brady’s talents start to fade — and they will, it happens to all of them — Evil Little Bill will ship him out as well.” Analysis: I don’t doubt that George was right that Bill Belichick would send Tom Brady packing the moment his talents start to fade. Where George erred, however, is that Tom Brady’s talents are never going to fade. He will never retire or even die. Brady left Belichick and New England in 2020 of his own volition…and promptly won a Super Bowl in Tampa Bay.

Jets or Giants: Which Team Makes GRRM More Miserable?

Indulge me on one last bit of George R.R. Martin NFL nonsense. Occasionally, Martin will begin or end one of his football-related blog posts with the phrase “Life is meaningless and full of pain” (sometimes, he swaps “miserable” for “meaningless”).

This is a notion that many sports fans should know quite well. Following a professional football team is mostly a never-ending series of woe and disappointment. And since Martin supports two NFL teams, he gets to experience twice the level of disappointment. But which New York football franchise causes George more pain? To find out, I tracked every “Not A Blog” post that contains the phrase “life is meaningless/miserable and full of pain” and figured out which team was making his life miserable. More often than not, it was both teams, but occasionally only one team was the culprit. The finally tally is:

New York Giants = 25 blog posts mentioning “life is meaningless and full of pain.”

New York Jets = 23 blog posts mentioning “life is meaningless and full of pain.”

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This is a fairly surprising result given that the Giants have actually won two Super Bowls in the time since Martin has been blogging. But it turns out that pain cuts deeper than victory.

The post A Comprehensive History of George R.R. Martin’s NFL Draft Takes appeared first on Den of Geek.

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