Tampa Bay Storm Sport

Posts Tagged ‘Sporting’

It’s that time of the year again. After all the excesses of Christmas and the New Year party season, it is time to take stock of our good intentions and resolutions. There is a daily reminder every time one opens a magazine, switches on the T.V. or visits the high streets. There is, in the U.K. sports equipment, and gym wear on display in the shop windows; and supermarkets have replaced rich Christmas treats with the ‘good health range’. The government, supermarkets and the sports industry are all sending us the same message ‘it’s time to eat healthy, and get exercising’.
A visit to the Leisure Centre proves we are taking this seriously. In fact, the sports industry in the U.K. is bigger than the Radio and T.V. industry, the music and arts industry, and the publishing industry; and has been growing year on year for the last five years, as per the Office of National Statistics.
If you are looking for inspiration, why not begin by checking out some exciting new sports equipment? Instead of traipsing up and down the high street or driving to out of town retailers, why not go online and check out the fantastic deals on offer by different manufacturers and retailers? Always go for a reputed company for good quality products that meet the required safety standards. In the UK sports equipment should comply with the relevant British Standards.
Success lies in making lifestyle changes and in persevering with the chosen sporting activity – is the advice given by sports and health professionals. Therefore a good place to start would be to go with the sporting activity of your interest. If your idea of fun is the fresh outdoors, then joining a sports club with varied sports facilities could be the answer. Others may prefer the warm environs of the indoor sports hall or the gym.
If you have the luxury of a large garden, you could of course, go in for your very own private tennis, basketball, netball, or any other court. Many specialist sports facilities construction companies often install sports equipment such as tennis posts and nets, basketball and netball boards and nets, cricket pitches, football goals, and track and field equipment for athletics.
For the rest of us, it would be a drive (or a jog) down to the nearest sporting facility to begin the New Year on a positive note!

There was a time when sports outdoors meant running off to the nearest playing field with friends for a game of footie, or to the local cricket club for matches with neighbouring clubs in the long and lazy summer months.

Sadly, over the years many playing fields have been swallowed up by the need for housing.
It is now a government priority to encourage and increase participation in sport by providing both indoor and outdoor sports facilities that are accessible to more and more people.  Local authorities, as well as schools can apply for funding to add to or upgrade their sports facilities.
And what an amazing range of sports equipment and facilities is there to choose from.

With the aim to providing an all-weather facility for year round use, popular choices for outdoor sports surfaces include synthetic grass, bitumen macadam and polymeric surfaces.  Such surfaces are particularly suited for Multi Use Games Areas where a variety of sports such as tennis, netball, basketball, 5-a-side football, and hockey etc can be played.  Artificial or synthetic surfaces are available in a choice of colours and allow court markings to be made in different colours for different sports on the same pitch.  MUGAs also require a protective fencing as well as floodlights so that they can be used in poor light conditions.

Of all the outdoor sports, hockey in particular, is suited to the use of synthetic grass.  As a result the game has changed and become faster.  Synthetic hockey pitches have traditionally been water based with its own irrigation system.  However latest products include sand dressed synthetic pitches, which are more eco-friendly.

‘Third generation’ synthetic grass has been developed to the exacting standards of the Football Association and has been found to be safe and suitable for sports such as football and rugby at training as well as championship levels.

Similarly, complete synthetic cricket pitches are available for practice or training purposes that closely resemble the playing characteristics of natural turf. These may be of the permanent kind, that are resistant to damage by the elements, or the roll-up, roll out variety that may also be used indoors.  Such wickets are popular with cricket clubs, schools and colleges, allowing greater use with minimum of maintenance.

Many British suppliers provide a range of sports equipment too, such as fixed or movable tennis posts and nets, basketball and netball goals, hockey goals, as well the protective netting and floodlights.  Care should be taken to choose equipment and materials that conform to British Standards.

The Sporting Group includes pointers, setters, retrievers and many spaniels. This group of fairly active dogs is composed of a wide variety of breeds, which were developed to aid hunters by finding, flushing out and retrieving game. Members of this group all need a fair amount of exercise but you don’t have to be a hunter to own one of these dogs. Many breeds in this group are usually very good with children and include the: English Setter; Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Welsh Springer Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniel, and Flat Coated Retriever. Dogs in this group range in size from small dog breeds like the American Cocker Spaniel up to medium to large dog breeds with the setters (English, Irish and Gordon) and the Weimaraner being the largest The two most popular family dogs in the world are the Labrador Retriever and the Golden Retriever. The top ten most popular sporting dogs in the US are the following.

1.Labrador Retriever
Labrador Retrievers are the most popular dog in the US (#1) and one of the best family dogs in the world. The Lab is gentle, loyal, intelligent and extremely reliable with children. These large-sized Retrievers are not apartment dogs but can adapt well to city living if they are given sufficient exercise. The Labrador is good natured and eager to learn and can be easily trained to do everything from competitive obedience and field trials to becoming a “seeing-eye” dog for the blind.

2.Golden Retriever
This Retriever is a good hunting dog, seeing-eye dog, obedience and agility competitor, and outstanding family dog. The extremely popular (#2) Golden is a gentle, confident and loyal dog that is cheerful, trustworthy and responsive to training. This breed makes a wonderful family dog that is friendly with everyone – both human and other animals. This large-sized Retriever does very well with children but toddlers should always be supervised as young untrained dogs can be over exuberant.

3.Cocker Spaniel
The American Cocker Spaniel is smaller than its English cousin – the English Cocker Spaniel. This beautiful spaniel has a luxurious thick and silky coat with trousered legs. This small- to medium- sized gun dog can be used for hunting and retrieving but is extremely popular (#15) as a companion and show dog. Cockers get along extremely well with children and strangers and can adapt to apartment living if exercised twice daily.

4.German Shorthaired Pointer
The German Shorthaired is a very athletic gun-dog that doesn’t belong in the city. This large-sized dog is loyal, intelligent and eager to learn and can be trained for field, agility and obedience competitions. This breed is extremely popular (#20) but needs to be challenged both mentally and physically. The breed makes a good family dog but may be too exuberant for toddlers and small children

5.English Springer Spaniel
The cheerful medium-sized English Springer Spaniel is the progenitor of the English hunting spaniels and the largest of the spaniel dog breeds. These popular (#28) Spaniels make both excellent hunting retrievers and good family dogs that get along well with children. Some Springer bloodlines have shown some aggression and dominance so early socialization and obedience training for males should be a priority.

6.Weimaraner
The popular (#30) Weimaraner is a large-sized hunting dog breed. This high-energy dog needs an athletic family that can satisfy his demanding exercise requirements. The Weimaraner needs an experienced owner who can manage and control this headstrong breed and provide early socialization and on-going obedience training. This dog doesn’t do well with children unless it is raised with them. Weims need to live indoors and spend a lot of time with their families. Well trained Weimaraners are a delight but poorly trained dogs can be destructive, rambunctious, have a high prey drive and try to dominate other dogs.

7.Brittany
The Brittany Spaniel is an active medium-sized dog that is intelligent, loyal and easy to train. It makes a terrific hunting dog or family pet and requires very little grooming and does very well with all children. This popular breed (#30) needs lots of exercise and makes a fairly good watchdog.

8.Vizsla
The Short-haired Vizsla is a popular (#44) medium- to large-sized hunting dog breed with an elegant bearing and strong and muscular appearance. The Vizsla is lively, sweet, affectionate and somewhat sensitive. This athletic, sporty and agile breed needs lots of exercise and lots of human companionship. Vizlas must be socialized and trained early to build confidence and prevent neurotic behaviour. This is not a city dog and it needs to live with a very active family.

9.Chesapeake Bay Retriever
The Chessie is the strongest and most powerful of the sporting dogs. This large dog loves hunting but also is a great family dog and gets along well with all children. This intelligent breed is quite popular (#49) and somewhat distrustful of strangers and makes a good watchdog. Chesapeakes are not city dogs and need a lot of regular exercise and love to go swimming.

10.Irish Setter
The popular (#67) Irish is an exuberant, happy-go-lucky, goofy, kind, charming and intelligent dog. This breed has no aggression and welcomes everybody. These Setters can be somewhat independent and easily distracted but are intelligent and eager to learn and therefore can be trained fairly easily. The Irish is a superb hunting dog and must have lots of exercise with challenging field and retrieval exercises. If these dogs are given early obedience training, they adapt very well to older children. However this breed is so lively and impulsive when it is young that it could knock toddlers over