Photographer Sol Neelman Loves Weird Sports and Sharing Them With Us

If you thought you'd seen everything, you probably have not seen the photos from photographer Sol Neelman who travels the globe in search of the world's strangest competitions. There are many weird sports out there that you may never have dreamed existed and now, thanks to Neelman, you can learn more about them through photos.

Here are 10 of the most unusual and exciting weird sports Neelman has to share:

The Kaiju Big Battel is a mix between Japanese anime and professional wrestling that shows off the participants skills in a very humorous way.
Have you ever heard of Underwater Hockey? It's sometimes called "octopush" and instead of pushing the puck around an ice-rink, players are pushing it around on the floor of a pool.
When you combine gymnastics, capoeira and soccer to the sport of volleyball, you get Bossaball equipped with trampolines on both ends of the playing court.
Snow Polo is an amazing game similar to the traditional Polo but players are on top of horses in a snow-covered arena. The horses wear special shoes to help with traction.
The Pillow Fight League really puts on a show when these women gather together, go wild and fight each other with pillows. What an interesting way to cut loose and let out some anger.
Surfing is not just for humans anymore. Both small and large dogs are getting in on some of the action when they go Dog Surfing. In this sport, the dogs surf alone or with their owners and it's one heck of a sport.
One of the "Arctic Winter Games" includes an event called Pole Push in which two teams grab hold of the opposite end of a pole and each team tries to push the other team to the outside of the ring.
Vancouver holds an unusual competition called the Ultimate Firefighter Competition in which the participants compete in a variety of events to see who is the best and fastest.
Soccer is an amazing game that's fun to play or watch but here's something I bet you never thought you'd see. Blind Soccer is one exciting and powerful game that is played by four blind athletes and a goalkeeper who is visually impaired or sighted competing in a game of soccer in a field that has a wall around it.
Racing in a kayak is exciting but when the kayak is make from a giant pumpkin that can weigh as much as 800 pounds, a whole new sport is born called the Giant Pumpkin Kayaking and it's one exciting race.

These are just a few of the amazing pictures that photographer Sol Neelman has to share when it comes to weird or unusual sports. His photography is amazing and the sports themselves are intriguing. I can't wait to see more.

Sports Zone Media is your #1 source for all things sports. Here you will find news, articles, updates and more on your favorite sports topics, professional teams, youth coaching, high school sports and health/nutrition.

Lisa Mason has been writing professionally since 1998 with a specialty in Internet content. A youth coach with a passion for a variety of sports, she founded Sports Zone Media to combine her love of sports and writing.

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Youth Sports at Its Best - Compete AND Have Fun

Sports are enjoyable...

Sports are fun...

Sports are exciting....

All positive sentiments, aren't they? Well, in theory, that is what they should be. We have all heard how positive, in so many different regards, that sport can and should be in a participant's life. Individuals start playing youth sports as early as four years old and continue playing well into their social security years. (We have a few of those guys playing in our adult rec hockey league!)

Sports are supposed to be all of those things. After all, it is a GAME that is played, right? You spend time with friends, make new ones, have a snack or two and have stories to tell for the rest of your life. We especially like to think these sentiments are true when kids are playing.

Unfortunately, some kids are not enjoying their sports experiences as much as we think, or hope. A survey done by i9 Sports suggests that are some issues that we need to be aware of when it comes to kids enjoying their athletic experiences.

Of 300 children surveyed (8 - 14 years old), 84 percent said that they wish they had more fun playing sports. 84 percent also said that they wanted to quit at one time because of a variety of reasons; lack of enjoyment, conflicts with teammates, too many practices. Close to one third said that they would rather not have their parents watch their games.

There is such a negative connotation with parents and their involvement in their kids' sports that some youth sports leagues have made rules, or at least highly suggest that the parents coming to games not do any cheering at all. Some feel that silencing parents will ease the pressure some of their comments put on the kids.

The study also showed that 42 percent of kids would rather play video games than play sports. The following are more than startling numbers to me; 20 percent said that they have seen a physical fight between players, 59 percent had seen a verbal fight between players, and 36 percent had seen a verbal fight between parents.

Some tough numbers to swallow, for sure and can help explain why some kids do not enjoy their sports experience as they should.

I believe kids can enjoy being involved in a youth soccer, youth football, youth baseball, youth hockey, etc. league, but there needs to be a complete commitment from the entire sports community. So, what are some things that can contribute to a positive youth sports experience?

First, the negativity needs to be put to a halt. That comes from both parents and coaches. .

As parents, we just need to think a little bit before we say what we want to say to our kids. You are toughest on your own and it is hard not to be right to the point when talking to your son or daughter about their sports experience. After they have struck out three times with the bases loaded, your own frustration might come out when talking to that player after the game.

"You left a ton of guys on base tonight" might add more fuel to an already smoldering fire of frustration and disappointment that your child is already feeling. How about commenting on their 'at bats', instead? Were they swinging and missing? If so, perhaps comment on the fact that they were up there trying to get a hit and maybe just faced a tough pitcher.

Even better, ask open ended questions. Have the child tell you how they felt about their performance. Try and be as matter of fact as possible when asking, too. Your child comprehends what a poor performance is and what is not.

If he or she offers up some part of their game that is lacking, offer to try and help in some way. "Boy, that guy was throwing so fast tonight. I just couldn't get my bat around fast enough." Maybe, jump in with an offer to throw batting practice, or take him or her to a local batting cage and turn up the speed to get them used to faster pitches.

I'm a parent and a coach. I get caught up in some of this, as well. You feel like your child, or a player that you are coaching, can do better. In the heat of the moment out comes "What kind of a play was that?", rather than being calm and thinking of a 'teaching' moment you can bring to that situation. That might be after the inning is over, the game is over or the next practice.

My daughter struggled on the community swim team when she swam competitively for a few years. She started swimming late, by competitive standards, and was not a natural swimmer. My goal was to think before I spoke and find some ways to be positive, encouraging and also to try and help her want to get better. It was a lot of fun for her. She gained some great friends and had a good sports experience. It wasn't all me, either. She had coaches who worked with her and other parents who were constant streams of support for her, as well.

She has gained an interest in tennis now, at age 13, in hopes of trying to play competitively in the next couple of years. I love my daughter dearly but she's not the most gifted athlete.

After squirming in my chair and rubbing my forehead a number of times as I saw her swing and miss at multiple balls tossed to her in drills, I took a deep breath and a moment before talking to her about her first session. That especially hit home as I saw her walking off of the court with a big smile on her face. Instead of hammering her on how timid she seemed or on how she wasn't focusing on the ball hitting the racket (after the fifth mis-hit in a row), I took another approach.

After seeing that smile, I realized she had fun, so I asked her if she indeed enjoyed herself. When she emphatically said "Yes!" I threw in a couple of open ended questions. I asked her first what she thought were her strengths and then what she thought she needed to work on for the next session. This gave her an opportunity to express herself objectively and reinforcing to herself the good and the challenging aspects of her game.

I am convinced that you can be a positive influence on your kids and a sense of encouragement without quashing their ability to improve and compete. I do not think that those two concepts are mutually exclusive. However, I believe that those harsh streaks can be hard to overcome, but as anything, if it is something you work on consistently that mindset can be changed for the better.

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Here Are Some Excellent Safety And Exercise Tips To Keep You Playing Sports

Sports and exercise safety is important for everyone, but any who's already suffered an injury has to be extra careful. Safety concerns then become even more important than usual, as you definitely don't want to experience another injury in the same spot. Any injury in the foot area can be especially stubborn when it comes to healing. A bad ankle sprain, for instance, isn't something you can quickly recover from, as anyone who's had this experience knows. An injury to a critical area such as the spine can be quite severe and have an impact on basic motor functions. Another, related area that's prone to injury is the neck, and this type of injury can make movement very difficult. Sports and exercise safety are important for active people, and the following are some tips on how to engage in these activities as safely as possible.

Annually there are mishaps in all areas of the sports field, including damages to the head and neck. Unfortunately, sometimes young athletes are paralyzed due to severe neck or spine damage. Wearing the right gear is not a guarantee. Using standard precautionary measures will reduce the risk of serious injury. Saving a few dollars should not be a concern when you buy your sports helmet. Helmets are required to show a sticker by which the helmet design has been approved for safety. We know you want to play hard, so just always be careful with how you use your head. You always want to be sure that your eyes are adequately protected, and if you're involved in sports that involve contact you have to be especially careful. Younger participants, and those just starting out at any age are usually given special protection in many sports. The quality of any eye protection must be good enough to ensure your safety. Use all such safety products as directed at all times. When you are buying on your own, be sure to look for the appropriate and applicable safety certifications by reputable associations. Your eyes are a part of your body that can't be replaced, so take good care of them.

Lots of people, including those training for various sports, engage in weight training of one type or another. Football obviously comes to mind first, but there are others such as basketball, baseball, swimming and others. When weight training, make sure you always include stretching, and you should also stick to a regimen that's appropriate for your particular sport or exercise objectives. Different types of workouts will yield different results, so you have to focus on your own goals. So, as an example, you do not want to get huge and bulky if you are a basketball or baseball player. While weight training causes your muscles to grow, it also makes them shorter; that's why you should include stretching in all your workouts. You can avoid tears to ligaments, tendons and muscles by keeping them limber and stretched. The above are some of the sports and exercise safety tips that can help you enjoy your favorite sports and other activities in the safest possible manner. Always take the time to do proper warm-ups and cool-downs to give your body the greatest advantage possible.

Gregory Avery is a professional and a well inspired writer of different clothes and dresses. He is fun of seeing for that stuff and makes some articles about it. But among those clothes, the one that he loves writing the most is all about the GTM Sports Wear. The reason behind it is because he loves sports. As a matter of fact, he sees to it that he is present in every sports event. He has many collections of Italian Sportswear Brands as his inspiration in doing his work. To get more information, just click here.

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When News Sounds and Fury Propaganda Infiltrates Major Sports Media Venues

Not long ago, I was at Starbucks talking to a graduate student in broadcast journalism. The gentleman I was talking to loved sports, and rather despised the news. We talked quite a bit about the Olympics, and the various commentary along with how that sporting event was being characterized by the mainstream media. He explained to me that all too often the news of sound and fury, and propaganda infiltrates such major sports media venues, where armchair coaches and political pundits chime in on things they know nothing about. Indeed I agree, as probably you do to, but let's talk about this for second shall we?

My acquaintance said that he didn't trust the news, and didn't want to have anything to do with it. He didn't like the business news, nor did he like the TV news which had disaster of the day somewhere around the globe, or all the negative stuff they put on prime time. He wanted to stay away from that during his career, and as an intern he was working hard in the sports venue, and he liked that quite well. He also noted that many of the local TV stations simply cannot afford the staff levels of before. In broadcast journalism he learned how to give an interview, interview himself, and cover a sporting event without any help.

Often he would go to multiple sporting events in the evening, watching one game until half time, and then going to another. He would set up the camera on a tripod, write it up, do the announcements, prepare the highlights, and then deliver it to prime time TV. He did it all, mostly because the TV station has cut their staff to bare-bones due to budget cuts, as fewer and fewer advertisers are paying the big bucks they once were. Many of the advertisers have gone to the Internet, major cable stations, and divided up their remaining advertising and marketing dollars amongst newspaper, radio, TV, and Internet.

When you are working as a sports media personality the competition is tough, and this gives him the advantage because he is younger and is able to work cheaper, and some of the old-timers are retiring. Nevertheless, he is working three times as hard as they ever did, without the support staff to get it done, as now he has to do it all. Because of all this it allows prime time news casters to make comments about sporting events, and they often get the story wrong. That's always been common for news events let's just hope it doesn't continue in the sports venue. Please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow is the Founder of the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow hopes you've enjoyed today's topic. http://www.worldthinktank.net/ - Have an important subject to discuss, contact Lance. Currently, Mr. Winslow is working on a non-fiction eBook about the Future of Human Sports.

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3 Recommendations for Running Coach and Volunteer Background Checks in Youth Sports

No child should ever have to suffer from sexual abuse, especially while participating in a sports organization that is supposed to be about having fun, making friends and learning new things. While it takes a continued and dedicated effort from sports organizations, coaches, parents, volunteers and the rest of the community at large to protect youth athletes from sexual abuse, volunteer background checks can stop a lot of would-be predators from ever entering a youth sports organization. Here are a few things to consider:

1. All adult volunteers must complete a background check prior to working with any youth sports organization, including criminal history and sex offender registry checks. This includes anyone that might work for the league such as a coach, official, groundskeeper and so forth. Anyone who might have any contact (or opportunity to interact) with the children should be required to complete a background check, no matter how unlikely it seems that they would be a predator. The youth league is ultimately responsible for who is allowed into the organization and it's much better to be extra strict on making sure everyone passes a background check than risk letting even one potential predator slip through the cracks.

2. It's important that the league determines what offenses that could appear during a background check would automatically disqualify a volunteer from being allowed to join the organization. While someone with a history of abuse or violence is easy to disqualify, should people with DUIs on their records be allowed to volunteer? The league needs to decide that. Look at things in black and white; when everyone knows where the line in the sand is it's much easier to create a safe environment for youth athletes. No one should be exempt from this "no go" list, no matter what their qualifications may be.

3. Fingerprint-based screening is often considered the "gold standard" of background checks; however it is not permitted in some states and can be too expensive for many sports organizations to implement even if they do have legal access to it. While the laws from state to state may vary, each organization should make use of the most comprehensive screening available. Keep in mind that different states may have different information on the same person. Someone volunteering in California might have a criminal past in Pennsylvania, but that information might show up in the California state check.

It's important to remember that many instances of child abuse go unreported, so it's possible that even with a thorough volunteer background check the wrong kind of person can be allowed to volunteer for your youth sports organization. This is why all sports organizations should train their employees to recognize the signs and symptoms of sexual abuse in young children. Background checks are a necessary precaution, but there is no end-all solution that can guarantee safety.

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Grading Sports Card Collectibles

One of the most important considerations in calculating the value of a sports card is its condition. Depending on what kind of shape your sports card is in you may find the appraised value fluctuate drastically. Grading is the term used for defining a cards condition based on a standardized set of criteria. This criteria is based purely off the physical characteristics of the card and does not take age of the card into account.

Grading services can be provided by 3rd party companies. Although you can come up with your own grade, having a professionally assigned card grade ensures an unbiased view of the card's condition. This in turn gives buyers and sellers more confidence in the card's valuation. Some of the more popular 3rd party sports card grading companies are: Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), Global Authentication Inc. (GAI), Sportscard Gaurentee (SCG), and Beckett Grading Sevice (BGS). Professional graders usually seal the card in a tamper-proof package and provide a serial number to the card. The serial number is kept in the company records and can later be used to verify the authenticity of the sports card and its grade.

Most grading guidelines use a scale of 1 to 10 to indicate a cards condition. Sometimes the value is assigned in half point increments to give more granular, well-defined grades (ie. 3.5, 8.5). Most card values quoted in price guides apply to a card in "Near Mint" condition. Perfect cards in GEM Mint condition can often receive a 200% premium on most quoted price guides. Sports cards with a lower than "Near Mint" grading can suffer a reduced price compared to what is provided in most sports card price guides. The below list shows the standard grading values assigned by the various card grading systems along with a rough price multiplier based on the grade:

Gem Mint
Abbreviation: GEM-MT
Numeric Rating: 9.5 - 10
Price guide offset: 200%

The card must be in virtually perfect condition. Card must be completely free of any blemishes such as stains or scratches. All four corners must be perfectly sharp. Any manufacturer printing imperfections must be slight without impairing the card appearance. The centered ratio on front must be 60/40 or better and 75/25 or better on back. (see Footnote 1 at bottom of page)

Mint
Abbreviation: MINT
Numerical rating: 9
Price guide offset: 150%

The card must be in excellent condition with a maximum of one of the following flaws:

minor manufacturer printing imperfectionoff-white card bordersslight wax stain on back

Centering must be 60/40 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.

Near Mint-Mint

Abbreviation: NM-MT, Nrmt-Mt
Numeric Rating: 8
Price guide offset: 125%

The card must be in superb overall condition. The condition can be downgraded from Mint to Near mint if the card has more than one of the following imperfections:

slight fraying of 1 or 2 card cornersoff white bordersmanufacturer printing imperfections

Centering must be 70/30 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.

Near Mint
Abbreviation: NM, Nrmt
Numerical Rating: 7
Price guide offset: 100% (most guides are based on Near Mint condition)

The card may have the following flaws:

slight fraying of the cornersslight wearing of the card surfacefront may be slightly out of focusminor manufacturer printing flawswax stains (back only)

Some original manufacture gloss must still be present. There must be be 70/30 or better centering on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.

Excellent-Mint
Abbreviation: EX-MT
Numerical Rating: 6
Price guide offset: 75%

A slight scratch may be visible. The card surface may show visible wearing or a manufacturer printing defect. Slight fraying of the corners can be evident. Off-white borders are present. front may be slightly out of focus. Slight fraying or notching of card edges. Centering must be 80/20 or better on front and 90/10 or better on the back.

Excellent
Abbreviation: EX
Numeric Rating: 5
Price guide offset: 50%

Notches or chipping are evident on the edges. Rounding of the card corners is visible. Light scrapes or scratches are visible. front may be slightly out of focus. Off-white borders may be present. Centering must be 85/15 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.

Very Good-Excellent
Abbreviation: VG-EX
Numeric Rating: 4
Price guide offset: 33%

Light creasing of the card may be evident. Notches or chipping are evident on the card edges. Rounding of the card corners is visible. Light scrapes or scratches are visible. front can be slightly out of focus. Off-white borders can be present. Centering must be 85/15 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.

Very Good
Abbreviation: VG
Numeric Rating: 3
Price guide offset: 30%

Manufacturer printing defects may exist. Borders may be yellow or discolored. Wax stain may appear on front with more severe stains appearing on back. Light creasing of the card may be evident. Notches or chipping are evident on the card edges. Rounding of the card corners is visible. Light scrapes or scratches are visible. front may be out of focus. Centering must be 85/15 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.

Good
Abbreviation: GOOD
Numeric Rating: 2
Price guide offset: 20%

Scratches, scrapes, stains and chips may all be visible. There can be light to moderate surface wear. Corners may be very rounded and slightly layered. Multiple creases can be present. No glossiness remains from original manufacturer. Discolorations may be present. 90/10 or better centering on front and back.

Poor to Fair
Abbreviation: PR-FR
Numeric Rating: 1
Price guide offset: 10%

Card may exhibit an extremely worn appearance. Scratches, pitting, scrapes, stains and chips may all be visible. Borders may be extremely discolored. Picture may be completely out of focus. Heavy creases can be present. Small parts of the card may even be missing. Warping may be present. 90/10 or better centering on front and back.

Footnote 1: The center values represent the percentage of the border that can appear on one side of the card. For example 50/50 would be a perfectly centered card where 50% of the border appears on one side of the card & 50% on the other. 90/10 would indicate that 90% of the border can be on one side of the card with a minimum of at least 10% on the other. This can apply to both the top-bottom centering and left-right centering.

Michael Smith is an avid baseball card collector and maintains the site http://rookiestars.com/. This website is a great resource for free baseball card prices

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