Some Information About Sport

Archive for the ‘Sports’ Category

Membership in the ranks of thoroughbred horse owners does not come with any guarantees of success. Costly mistakes are the misfortune of owners who, despite doing everything in their power to go about it properly, fail to have the combination of luck and a fat wallet required to ride out the vagaries to which temperamental horses can subject their owners.

John “Singo” Singleton is certainly a case in point.

Wildly successful in business at a young age, Singleton attempted to translate his business fortune into punting fortune, only to learn that savvy in one area does not necessarily equate to savvy in another, particularly when it’s dependent on creatures capable of running like the wind one day, yet seemingly unable to even pass it the next.

Singleton comes from humble origins. He likes to recount tales of listening to races on the radio with his father, who worked in an auto parts factory and punted his wages away at Saturday afternoon race meets.

Young John found himself inexorably drawn to the buzz and excitement generated by Australia’s third largest spectator sport. He would one day claim that during those early years, he made it a goal to pursue thoroughbred ownership if success was ever his.

Before the horse ever occupied the stable, however, Singleton was an inveterate punter. He made and lost a significant fortune that he acquired between the ages of 18 and 23 as the result of his lucrative advertising career and his being one of the early adopters of television for generating advertising revenues.

It was said that his gambling addiction involved not just racing, but extended to just about anything on which it was possible to place a wager.

Singleton simultaneously entertained another expensive addiction: multiple marriages, five of them to be precise.

He did manage to resist the urge to gamble for a time, giving it up completely at one point, but the disease needed only a new outlet. That came in the form of horse buying advice from a no less reliable source than renowned jockey Athol George Mulley. It would seem that Mulley’s horse judgment being unassailable would be a foregone conclusion, but Singleton’s first batch purchased on Mulley’s advice proved to be exceedingly poor performers which not even good trainers had managed to make go.

Here, Singleton needed to apply the same persistence that had facilitated his recovery from his previous monetary misdemeanors, and it seemed that that persistence struck pay dirt with Castlereagh Kid. The Kid won his maiden outing, then the racing gods again demonstrated their dominion, and the horse keeled over dead the following week.

Realizing the same value in diversity as that which in business ventures has steered him towards involvement in hotels, sports teams and other high profile concerns, Singleton formed an association with one Gerry Harvey, who eventually persuaded Singleton to take a stake in the Magic Millions that would rake in hundreds of millions for the men.

Singleton very nearly took the Melbourne Cup, even though he had only a fractional interest, with his friend and horse trainer Larry Pickering and their entry that year, Rising Fear. Thinking they had won when Tommy Smith enthusiastically pronounced Rising Fear the winner at the 200 m pole, Singleton started a premature celebration that ended abruptly when Al Talaq crossed the line ahead of his horse.

Singleton rebounded yet again. Older, wiser, and even richer, he learned from his experiences. He enlisted the services of perhaps one of the most astute judges of equine ability, Gai Waterhouse, who trained over 10 Group 1 winners for Singleton. The two teamed up for a legitimate opportunity to take the W. S. Cox Plate with More Joyous, but even the training bona fides of Waterhouse and the steering savvy of jockey Nash Rawiller were not sufficient to overcome favourite So You Think. In fact, they failed to even place, finishing a disappointing fifth, which, if Singleton punting history is any indication, would have cost Singleton $110,000 – 5th place prize money – his customary wager.

These days, and for many years prior, John Singleton has been a staunch advocate for change in the way Australian horse racing is administered. He favours innovations such as merging to a much smaller number all the various competing race clubs, the establishment of a centralized national governing body for the sport, and a small tax on corporate bookmakers that would be used to further support the future of racing.

Despite such practicalities, John “Singo” Singleton will forever be renowned for his flamboyant personality, colourful, expletive laced language and style reminiscent of the big-time punters from horse racing’s earlier heyday, such as Hollywood George Edser, George Freeman and Melbourne Mick Bartley.

The final chapter has yet to be written where Singleton is concerned, but one thing’s certain: it will be anything other than boring.

“Do you really want to do this?”

That’s what it says on the official website of the Yukon 1000 Canoe and Kayak Race. And it’s a very appropriate question for those who are even just remotely interested in this extraordinary race, also known as the longest canoe and kayak race in the world so far. Imagine yourself paddling 1,000 miles in the Yukon River for seven to eight continuous days. Not only is the Yukon River a really long river, but it is also a wide one, earning it the fourth spot as North America’s largest river by flow volume average. That’s a lot of river to paddle in.

More about the Yukon 1000

The Yukon 1000 was first organized by Peter Coates, former organizer and competitor of the Yukon River Quest, which is a 460-mile canoe and kayak race from Whitehorse down to Dawson City. The Yukon 1000 is obviously a longer and tougher race. It starts from Whitehorse and ends at the Alaska Pipeline Bridge on Dalton Highway.

The race is open to voyageur canoes, tandem canoes or kayaks, and pairs of solo kayaks and solo canoes. Solo boats are required to travel together and camp together at night. Racers are also required to carry a Spot device which is a GPS receiver and satellite messenger so they can check in from time to time and also send an alarm in case they need to be rescued. Racers are also required to make a stop for at least six hours every night.

Difficulties and challenges in the Yukon 1000

As mentioned, the Yukon River is one of the greatest rivers in North America. The fact that Yukon means “great river” already says something and racing in this river is definitely not easy. Peter Coates, the organizer, is very frank and honest about the difficulty of the race because he wants to make sure the participants know exactly what they are up against.

Racers of the Yukon 1000 have to be ready to face the big water by themselves or with their teams. Paddling for several hours in big open water can have its demands on a person’s physical and mental state. Racers also have to be prepared to face obstacles such as poorly mapped channels, fallen trees in the river, and stretches of whitewater. And of course the racers have to watch out for the forest wildlife, meaning the black and grizzly bears that live in the country surrounding the river.

Like many races, on water or otherwise, the Yukon 1000 is really about physical and mental endurance and personal triumph. The victory is in the sense of achievement when the race is completed. Coates just says that after the race you just send in your time, congratulate yourself, get your gear and head on home.

While stating the obvious, the vertical jump is simply the ability to elevate off the ground in a completely vertical plane. There are two ways to classify a vertical jump: standing and running. A standing jump is where one elevates from a completely stationary position, where a running jump involves taking several steps in order to gain momentum before elevating.

The perception among many is that vertical leap is something that is based solely on genetics, and that not much can be done to improve it. Certainly, genetics do play a significant role, and some individuals are born with incredible vertical leaping abilities. But we have seen individuals, by the way of intensive training, eventually able to dunk a basketball when they had no chance before.

So what exactly determines how high you can jump? There are several factors involved, but there are some that matter more than others. Some of them include muscle fiber composition, tendon length, bone structure, power, muscular strength, and reactive strength.

The first three factors listed are completely genetic, and can’t be enhanced no matter what you do. Let’s face it, there are some individuals who are just blessed with a disposition for jumping high, just like some are born with the ability to run. Now, jumping and speed can be enhanced, but one can only do so much.

The same can be said for building strength. We can all get stronger, but at some point we reach our genetic limit. The only way we can above and beyond our limits is by putting something artificial into our bodies, which ultimately is detrimental in the long-term.

Muscular strength simply refers to your overall strength levels. The legs play the primary role in jumping, so having good strength here is a start for increasing your vertical. However, your body should have a good balance of strength throughout. This means working out your upper body equally to your lower body. How much you can squat is a good indicator of leg strength.

While strength matters, it can only help so much. This is where power comes in, which is defined as the rate in which your muscles can generate force. So the faster you can produce force, the higher you can jump.

Reactive strength is how fast you are able to absorb force going one direction and apply more of it going another direction. So in other words, the quicker you can jump, the higher you can jump. As you are planting your feet to jump, a lot of force is being directed to the ground. It’s your ability to absorb this force and apply it going upwards that allows you to jump high.

For any darts player, there can be nothing more frustrating than having problems when releasing a dart. This can possess a devastating impact on a players game and form.

What is Dartitis?

If this problem occurs on a regular basis, the problem is called dartitis (pronounced dart-eye-tis). Even some of the games greatest players for example former world # 1 and multiple world champion Eric Bristow who famously had a long battle with Dartitis before overcoming it and regaining the very best spot in the rankings. It is a psychological problem that stops the player releasing the dart in the proper time, affecting a players technique and motor skills.

How to remedy Dartitis

Players can experience it for a long time without fully understanding the cause or knowing how to cure dartitis. They try plenty of things from changing their technique or darts to going for a complete break for an extended time period. If it’s purely mental then some type of relaxation therapy or hypnosis may be a possible solution to dartitis.

How you can To produce Dart Properly

The throw and release needs to be as smooth as you possibly can so your dart is given every opportunity to hit its intended target. You should grip the dart with your thumb on the bottom as well as your index finger sitting on the very best. Normally another finger will rest on the dart to assist steady it. A great place for holding the dart is just before the centre balance of the dart / barrel. It is best though to experiment and find a grip that you simply are comfy with. You’ll be throwing from a loose fist position and using the fingers to push the dart through. It is important that you don’t contain the dart to tightly.

Firstly comes the pullback having a straight forearm towards the prepared to throw position. Your dart should begin in line with your dominant eye as well as your elbow ought to be pushed forward and used like a pivot. Bring your hand back with an open fist and pivot your wrist back. As you bring your arm back keep your elbow as still as you possibly can (a short pullback usually leaves less room for error).

Bring your forearm forward first that will give your throw its speed and movement. Then you need to pivot your wrist to include some momentum. Finally your fingers add power by pushing the dart forward. Your elbow should show up as you follow the aim line and release the dart. The hand and arm should then follow through to accomplish your darts throw.

Learn to to produce dart correctly having a smooth and straight action, your scoring and accuracy will improve.