Play Sports TV shares some tips from Sharon Pfluger, The College of New Jersey field hockey coach  on how to play field hockey on natural grass versus synthetic turf, as there is a difference.

Playing on natural grass:

• is usually slower because of the friction in the grass itself and requires players to plan on the go as the ball may not end up where it was intended to go
• there are bumps and divots in the field
• the small ball is harder to control and can have an odd bounce on natural grass

“So it’s important for players to practice stickhandling, dribbling and passing drills on grass fields to get a feel for moving their stick around and handling any lift with the ball. You wind up pushing the ball harder on a grass field, says Coach Pfluger.”

Playing on artificial turf:

• players can pre-think a move, as you can more accurately know where a ball will go
• artificial turf allows the ball to have a truer roll as there are no divots or bumps

Knowing the differences between natural grass and artificial turf can prepare players to play their best on both types of fields.

For more information:  Field Hockey Tips: Playing on Natural Grass

Check out:  Future Stars Field Hockey Camp

Image Credit:  Deposit Photos

What is FINA?  Fédération internationale de natation (FINA) is the international federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee for administering international competition in water sports.  It was founded in 1908 during the London Olympic Games by eight federations from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary and Sweden.

Today,  FINA comprises 209 National Member Federations in five continents. The principal objectives are the following:

– to promote and encourage the development of Aquatics in all possible regards throughout the world;
– to provide fair and drug free sport;
– to promote and encourage the development of international relations;
– to encourage participation in Aquatics disciplines at all levels throughout the world regardless of age, gender or race;
– to adopt necessary uniform rules and regulations and to hold competitions in Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Synchronised Swimming, High Diving and Masters;
– to promote and organize World Championships and other FINA competitions;
– to encourage the increase of facilities for Aquatics’ disciplines throughout the world with the support of other interested parties, and
– to carry out such other activities as may be desirable to promote the sport.

The 2019 FINA Diving World series is taking place in Beijing, March 1 – 19, 2019.  You can catch it LIVE.

For more information:  FINA,    Wikipedia

Check out:  Future Stars Diving Camp

There’s a lot of varying advice out there about blanketing your horse, how to blanket, when to blanket and even not to blanket.  So here are a couple of sites for horse lovers that you can refer to and help you to figure out what the best fit for your unique horse is. Equisearch – For People Who Love Horses shares some guidelines to consider:

1.  Equine Thermal Energy
2. When to Blanket
3. Blanket Committments

For details:  To Blanket Your Horse?orNot?

SmartPak on the other hand, offers videos to share their Horse Blanketing SmartTips.  Whatever you decide to do about blanketing, it’s best that you have a lot of information so that you can make the healthiest choice for your pet.  Here’s one of their videos:

There’s a lot of information out there, and you should seek out as much as you can before you make a decision and a good guideline is to regularly check on your horse and make the necessary adjustments.

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Check out:  Future Stars Horseback Riding Camp

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Considering trying something fun and different?  If you’re thinking about horseback trail riding, here are some of the pointers that Greatist.com shares for you to think about before you get in the saddle:

• Will you be more comfortable in an English or Western Saddle?  Each saddle uses different equipment or tack and English saddles because they are smaller will accord closer contact with the horse. Western saddles have a deep seat and a saddle horn.
• Check out the establishments and look for one that preferably has a (CHA)-certified riding instructor who is good with beginners.
• Wear appropriate clothing.  Long pants, close toed-shoes with a small heel are an optimal choice.  Avoid any accesssories or clothing that can get tangled.  Check to make sure they provide helmets.
• Bring drinking water.

The guide/instructor should give you proper instruction and listen well.  Horseback riding is a lot of fun but it is very important that you know how to approach the horse, get on the horse, check your equipment, rein the horse gently but firmly, and follow the direction of the leader.

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For more details:  Know Before You Go: Horseback Riding

Check Out:  Future Stars Horseback Riding Camp

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Kids, and let’s face it, everyone benefits with daily exercise but the winter months can be trickier.   Consider this indoor option and all you need is a safe small space, a spot in the basement will do, and the most important component is to practice with regularity.  Use a lower bounce ball to prevent breakage.  SoccerWire.com shares some indoor training drills for soccer players:

• Cone dribbling –  In a one to two yard space, set up 3-5 cones.  Using different parts of their feet, ask your child to move the ball between and around the cones.  The goal is increase their comfortability with the ball and to keep their heart rates up.
• Push – Pull – All you will need is a soccer ball.  Have your child set their foot on the ball and move it from toe to heel and back to the toe, releasing the ball slightly with each move.  The goal is to do it as quickly as possible without losing the ball.
• Toe Taps –  All you will need is a soccer ball and a safe space. Ask your child to set one foot on the ball, then move that foot to the ground and raise the other foot to tap the top of the soccer ball. Continue the tapping while alternating the feet.  Do not place weight on the ball. Slowly increase the speed. Once comfortable with this action, they can try to move the ball slightly in other directions with each touch.  The goal is to improve their feet agility and speed.
• Cardio Circuit Training – Consider these exercises, high knees, butt kicks, jumping jacks, burpees, and alternating foot hops.  The goal is to have a  good cardio workout.

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  For details:  Indoor Workouts Youth Soccer Players Can Do Anywhere

  Check out:  Future Stars Soccer Camp

  Image Credit: Future Stars Camps

Soccer America, shares some interesting data on sleeping and sleep patterns.  After all, sleep has an affect on athletic performance.  Based on data they shared from a 2015 study using athletes’ natural internal clocks, they came up with these classificiations:

• Larks – rise and sleep early and performance is best around noon
• Owls – sleep and rise late and performance is best in the evening
• Intermediate – are the rest and performance is best in the late afternoon

Based on this study and others, here are some key points that Soccer America suggests that you consider:

1.   An athlete’s performance is impacted by their natural sleep/wake cycle.
2.   Early risers tend to perform at their best about 6 hours after waking; late risers tend to perform at their best      about 11 hours after waking.
3.  If you need to perform at your peak and are traveling through different time zones, coordinating and getting your body used to a new sleep/wake cycle will have a significant effect on your performance.
4.  Try to get to your new destination several days in advance, or if you can’t do that try to stay as close to your normal time zone on that first day.

The results of this study indicate that you should be aware of your natural sleep cycle and how long after your natural wake cycle you need to be at your peak.  Make sure that you get enough sleep.

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For more information:  Teenagers, get good sleep! It has a major effect on athletic performance

Checkout:  Future Stars Soccer Camp

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There are no tested and proven magical guidelines to raise the wisest of children.  There is a lot of advice out there and Janis Meredith from Raising Champion Families shares some tips on how to raise confident children so that they will hopefully make smart life choices.  Here are some things that she suggests:

1. build a strong foundation – create family core values that they can refer to when making choices
2. give them room to learn from mistakes – a common parental mistake is fixing their children’s missteps; allowing them to experience the natural consequences is often the better lesson
3. offer opportunities to problem solve – don’t be too quick to share your advice rather help your child think through their problem and come up with a solution of their own
4. teach sold decision-making skills – share a guideline with them that includes:

• not to make snap judgments – study the situation
• thinking about possible solutions and writing them down
• discussing the solutions and looking at both the negatives and the positives
• picking the best solution
• planning how to solve it, evalutating your plan and then doing it

5.  Talk to them about goal-setting and help them to set goals for themselves

Janis shares, “Teaching your kids to think for themselves so that they are not easily talked into making bad choices is a process that must begin when your child is young. However, if your kids are older it’s not too late to help them learn. But it takes parenting intentionality and consistency.”

Read more:  YOU Can Raise Confident Kids Who Will Make Smart Life Choices!

Check out:  Future Stars Camps

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Cosmopolitan shares valuable life lessons spending your summer as a camp counselor will teach you, that you may not learn any where else.  Running around with a dozen or so young children will most likely give you a jumpstart on these lifeskills:

• Staying calm in heightened situations and finding quick resolutions
• Managing children cues you in how to manage adults
• Prioritizing effeciently
• Honing your patience
• Increasing your tolerance levels
• Balancing work and play time
• Improving adaptability
• Communicating well with all kinds of people

Read more:  12 Life Lessons You Only Learn From Being a Camp Counselor

Check out:  Future Stars Camps

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Intuit Blog featured Reshma Saujani, former lawyer and founder of Girls Who Code.  After her unsuccessful run for New York’s 14th congressional district in 2010, Saujani decided to change career paths and pursue a direction that inspired her.  She felt that she could make the strongest impact in the area of coding programs for girls since there weren’t any.  Saujani actually has no coding experience herself but the single mission of Girls Who Code is
to close the gender gap in technology .

Since the launching of Girls Who Code in 2011, with a class of 20 New York high school girls, today, 90,000 girls from different backgrounds and from across the country have been taught to code.

Reshma Saujani is now an author of a book, Brave, Not Perfect.  “In her new book, Brave, Not Perfect, Reshma Saujani explains why she thinks this happens: From a young age, boys are lauded when they take risks. Girls, on the other hand, are told to be perfect, but steer clear of taking chances. Coding, and jobs in tech in general, are all about taking risks.”

Read more:  Girls Who Code’s Reshma Saujani Aims for Bravery, Not Perfection

BOOK REVIEW: ‘Brave, Not Perfect’ Speaks To The Scarcity Of Women In Tech

Check out:  Future Stars S.T.E.A.M. Education Camp

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