Monday, December 26, 2011

The 2011 State of the Union Address

President Obama speaks about moving forward to create jobs, out-compete in the global economy by investing in innovation and education, and win the future for our children and our country. January 25, 2010.

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Monday, December 19, 2011

Last Passenger Train Into Muskegon Michigan. C&O 4-30-71

Come and ride the last passenger train into Muskegon Michigan. Hear the recording I made 39 years ago on April 30th 1971. I have included photos of GP9 6088 which pulled #203 the last passenger train into Muskegon. At the time I did not own a video camera. See heavy weight coach 725 in both the unrestored and restored condition. See a night shot of this train at Holland Station and a shot of the Holland Depot as it is today serving Amtraks Pere Marquette. This train likely would not have lasted that long if it hadnt been for the hauling of freight. No it wasnt a mixed train(freight & passenger). It would leave as a passenger train. Arrive in Holland where after it let its passengers off(If there were some besides my Dad dead heading= Railroad for employee traveling on a pass). The 6088 or 6084 would take the train to the house track where my Dad would clean it. It would wait until number 8 the Grand Rapids-Chicago train to arrive. After #9`s departure, the 6088 would head to Waverly yard and haul freight north to Muskegon. This was known as the Waverly Muskegon Local. Once in Muskegons North Yards,(now Michigan Shore RR) the loco would be assigned either to the Fremont job where it switched the Gerber Baby Food Company or be doubled with either a GP7 another GP9 or a GP30 or GP35 for the Hart Job. This ran through Montague to service the Hooker, DuPont or Union Carbide(when it made acetylene for DuPonts neoprene rubber production) then up to Hart where it serviced the ...

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Saturday, December 10, 2011

From 274 Pounds to ULTRA Runner in Less Than 2 Years

!±8± From 274 Pounds to ULTRA Runner in Less Than 2 Years

Bluemont, Virginia's Susan Jennings, 48, recently transformed herself from seriously overweight to ULTRAFit. In less than two years she lost 135 pounds or almost half her body weight and ran her first ultradistance race - a 50K (31 miles). Her inspiring story is revealed in this interview with author Ed Mayhew.

Ed: Susan, you recently traded being seriously overweight for some serious running. In May, for example, you ran 64 miles in a 24-hour race. Were you always overweight? What led to your reaching 274 pounds?  

Susan: In my younger days, I was always on the edge of being overweight. As long as I stayed active, I was okay, but I seemed to constantly be on a diet, each time having to lose a little more to get to my goal weight. After I got married, I wasn't as active and the weight starting creeping up. It didn't help that my thin husband could eat anything he wanted! The weight really became an issue after the birth of my daughter. It was then that I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Medicine stabilized the blood levels, but I never felt right after that. With raising a child and a long commute to work each day, exercise became less and less, and I continued to gain. Food became the tool I used to combat fatigue and stress. It was my friend and my enemy. I felt so out of control. 

Ed: What ways had you tried to lose the weight over the years and what finally worked for you? 

Susan: I think I have tried every diet on the planet! The list is extensive: the Lemonade Cleansing Fast, the Hallelujah Diet, Nutrisystem, Physicians Weight Loss, South Beach Diet, Atkins, Pritikin, etc. I have spent thousands of dollars on programs, meals, and supplements trying to find the magic formula. Most diets worked for a while. But after a while, I would stop losing. Some were just too hard to follow. Others just stopped working. I couldn't figure it out. How could I lose 30 or 40 pounds and then plateau or start to gain without changing anything that I was doing? In frustration, I would quit because it didn't seem to matter, and quickly gain the weight back. My health issues got worse. I snored when I slept, and would often wake up with my heart racing. Sometimes in the evening, I just felt so bad. I remember looking into the mirror one morning and stared at the blotchy face looking back at me. "I don't know who you are, "I said, and began to cry. I had to keep trying. I read of a connection with gluten sensitivity and hypothyroidism so I decided to give up wheat for one week. In three days, my snoring stopped. In one week, I lost 10 pounds. It was the motivation I needed to try to lose one more time. I decided to go back to Weight Watchers because I knew I needed accountability, and a structured program to deal with the other reasons I ate. Then I did one thing I had never done before. I took several "before" pictures. I had decided that this was it, last chance. At my first meeting on May 31, 2007, the leader was talking about excuses we make for why we gain weight, including "it's my thyroid." I raised my hand and said, "Well, I have hypothyroidism, but I'm not going to use it as an excuse any longer." That became my mantra - no excuses. If I was tired, I still got up and exercised. If I was stressed, that wasn't an excuse for eating. So the combination of a gluten free diet, Weight Watchers, and exercise is what finally worked. 

Ed: How did you go from being overweight with significant health issues to being an Ultra Runner? 

Susan: It's funny, because I had always joked about my efficient metabolism and how I was designed to be a long distance runner. But that was the furthest thing from my mind at the time. I just wanted to be able to walk a mile or two. We live on the mountain and I felt uncomfortable on our curvy roads. Then, after I had experienced a few rude comments yelled from passing vehicles, my husband suggested I hike on the Appalachian Trail, which is a stone's throw from our house. He even bought me some trekking poles. The only problem was that the section we live near is called the "Roller Coaster," a series of 400-600 ft rocky climbs and descents. The first day I made it about a fourth of the way up the ridge before I quit and went home. But I got up the next morning and went back out. Soon my half hour hikes turned into one hour hikes, and then two hour hikes. At other times, while my daughter was dancing, I would walk around the 2 mile loop in Berryville. There, I would see runners. One woman particularly interested me. She was older, and she wasn't really fast, but she was faithfully running every time I went to the park. I thought that if she could run, why couldn't I. By this time, I had lost about 75 lbs. So I would run a few feet, and then walk again. This progressed to running all the downhill sections, then all the flat sections, and finally I pushed up those "big" hills at the park. I especially enjoyed "running" on the trails. The day I left my trekking poles at home was the day I became a real trail runner. After a couple of months of this, I got a crazy notion in my head that I wanted to run a trail race. I found a half-marathon that was at the end of September (2008). I had about 4 months to train for it, and about 30 more pounds to lose. My two hour hikes now became two hour trail runs. Fearfully, I toed the line for that race. I wasn't even sure I could go the distance and was sure I would finish in last place. But once on the trails, I found my rhythm. The last three miles is when I experienced the runners high. I was flying down the mountain, letting gravity take me and crossed the finish line 19th out of 56 runners. Later that day, I broke down and sobbed. I felt like the butterfly who, after years of being trapped in a cocoon of fat and self-doubt, had been set free to fly. If I could lose 135 pounds, train for, and run a half marathon in a year and a half, then what else could I do? I wasn't through pushing my limits and so I signed up for my first ultra - an 8 hour trail run in February. On my two year anniversary(in May) of walking into a Weight Watchers meeting, I celebrated by running 49 miles in a 10 hour endurance run.   

Ed: Can you give us an example of one of your more difficult workouts/runs? 

Susan: I try not to take myself too seriously, so I make the challenging runs fun. For instance, I have a run called Woman vs. Mountain. I start at the bottom of a mountain road that climbs in 2 ½ miles about 1000 ft, with 9% grades in parts. If I don't walk at all, then I win. If I have to walk then the mountain wins. Of course, the fun thing is to run back down the mountain and do it again, trying to better your time on the second go round. Or I make a race course. I have a 20k that starts on the Roller Coaster, climbs 4 ridges for the first 10k, then sprints down the mountain on the shoulder of Route 7; the last 10k is on a hilly mountain road, and ends with a section of "Woman vs. Mountain."   

Ed: How did you learn so quickly about how to survive and thrive doing ultra-distance runs and races? 

Susan: I'm still learning! I've read everything I can find on training for an ultra. It's interesting that most formal training programs only go up to the marathon distance. So the wisdom comes from other ultra runners who blog and post online how they trained for certain races. I try to follow the standard running advice and then adapt it for longer distances. I also learn from my mistakes. In my 24 hour run, I had my family there and they set up an area for me that I could go to at the end of each 8 mile loop. The problem was, I was taking too long to get back on the trail. I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't lose over 2 hours of running time, relaxing between loops. In my 10 hour run which was on a horse track, I was feeling good, started out too fast, and didn't drink enough at the beginning. I got leg cramps around mile 16 and had them the rest of the night. It really slowed me down. I think I could have done over 50 miles without them. But that's how you learn.   

Ed: What is your eating/diet like from day to day now compared with what it was like before?  

Susan: Probably the biggest difference in meal times is being gluten-free and learning to control portions. We haven't gone out for pizza in over 2 years. In fact, our eating out has greatly diminished, mainly because it's too hard to make sure the meals don't have gluten in them. One area where I struggled with before was the in between meal times. The quick and easy pick me up is a candy bar, or a bag of chips or a coke. Now I try to pack fruit and veggies for my snacks, and if I run out, I just tell myself that I won't starve if I don't eat before supper time. It's silly to think that we have to put something in our mouth every time we get a little hungry. But I still struggle with and give in to cravings. I'm a confessed chocolaholic. The key for me is tracking every meal. I still use the Weight Watcher's point system. Some people wonder what you eat, if you can't have wheat. I made it a point not to substitute with gluten-free bread, cookies, etc. but rather to fill the "bread" spot with brown rice, quinoa, potato or other whole grain. Fish, turkey, lean beef and vegetarian dishes make up the bulk of our entrees. Salads are also a mainstay of the diet. When I come in from a workout, I make a smoothie with frozen fruit and a hemp protein mix. I try to find protein powders that have lots of vitamins and minerals that help with recovery. 

Ed: What do you eat and drink to stay hydrated and keep your glycogen levels up during long runs? 

Susan: Training runs are for experimenting with food and drink. I have tried everything from gels, to clif blocks, to trail mix and dried fruit. On my long trail runs without access to water, I fill a hydration bladder, and wear a mule pack. It also holds several emergency items. On my last 36.5 mile training run, I used the first aid kit, the emergency rain poncho, the parachute chord, and the knife. So while I complain about the 10 lbs I carry on my back, those things came in handy! For that run I ate a combination of gels and bars, and put an electrolyte solution in my water. I will also carry a source of protein if I'm going to be out all day - protein bars, cheese, or chipped beef (extra sodium). My last shorter run of 20 miles, I only had a couple of gels and still felt fine. During 24 hour races, anything goes. Whatever keeps you moving and that includes chocolate and soda!   

Ed: What goes through your mind during hard workouts and races? Are there any mental techniques you use to keep running when your exhausted and your body wants to quit? What do you mentally tell yourself when the going gets tough? 

Susan: I consider every run an adventure and I look forward to retelling my tales of getting locked into Skyline Drive at night, or screaming at a bobcat, or running with a herd of cattle (this morning's run) to my friends and fellow runners. So if I come home after running in single digit weather with icicles in my hair, or blood running down my leg from a fall, it's another story to tell. Because of this I've been dubbed the "Warrior Princess." So if I feel like quitting when the going gets tough I say, "I can't quit, I'm the Warrior Princess!" During the ultras, the motto is "keep moving forward." As long as you're moving forward, no matter how slow, you're making progress. I try to focus on form. I have a mental checklist - posture, arms, foot strike, etc. that I go through. And since faith is such a big part of who I am, I quote scripture "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," or "I am strong in the Lord and in the power of his might." There is a Drill Sergeant who "lives" in my head and barks out orders during my runs. "Get a move on it, you wimp!" she yells. "My grandmother can run faster than that!" And when all else fails, I sing my favorite hymn "It is Well with My Sole." (Just kidding).  

Ed: Is there a religious or spiritual component to your trading in your knife and fork for running shoes? 

Susan: My faith is the foundation of my life. I prayed for years that the Lord would help me lose weight. In retrospect, the struggles I faced have allowed me to help others. So God answered my prayer, just not in my time, but in His. I prayed everyday that I would be strong, not give into temptation, and that my journey could be an inspiration to others and a testimony to God's faithfulness. I believe that I have been transformed from the inside out. Mentally, I was in a bad place, so self conscious and negative, struggling with who I was, and wondering what I was meant to do on this earth. Now, I run for Christ, for the spiritual rebirth He gave me and the strength that comes from knowing Him.    

Ed: What would you like folks who are struggling with their weight to know?  

Susan: Here are a few things I learned in this journey:

1) Don't quit, don't ever give up. Keep trying different things and eventually it will happen.

2) Believe in yourself and your ability to lose weight. Actions follow belief. If you believe you can, you will.

3) Don't be afraid to ask for help. For me, help came through a structured program, through friends and family, and through my faith.

4) Don't try to climb the mountain in one day. Take little steps, make small changes. Little steps add up to big results.

5) Take joy in the journey. This is a lifestyle, not a quick fix. Live life to the fullest - carpe diem - seize the day.

These things, by the way, apply to all areas of our life, not just losing weight. 

Ed: What's next?

Susan: I decided that since I skipped the marathon and went on to the ultras, I should go back and run one. So the Marine Corps Marathon is on the schedule for late October. I also have the JFK 50 in November, a 12 hr run in September, and a trail 50 miler in early October. From these I hope to be ready for the next test - the Umstead 100 miler in March. I keep pressing on, the journey never ends, just changes courses every now and then. 

Ed: Susan, is there anything we haven't covered that you would like to say to our readers?  

Susan: Most limits we place on ourselves are our limits. We have the potential to do much more than we think. When someone says they could never run a marathon, I reply "Yes, you could, if you were willing to put the time and energy into training for it."  I wrote the following in my training blog after my ten hour race. It is for me, and it is for all of us who are reaching for the stars: 

"Nothing is impossible. I stand on the shore of a vast sea, my goals and dreams a shadow on the distant shore. I can hesitate, I can think that they are too lofty and too far away to attain. Or I can believe in the human spirit, and in my God who strengthens me. I take a deep breath and plunge in." 

Ed: Thanks, Susan! You're a true inspiration and role model to the multitudes who are struggling with weight issues.


From 274 Pounds to ULTRA Runner in Less Than 2 Years

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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

3 MONTH OLD PUPPY DOG TRAINING OBEDIENCE SIT MEANS SIT Dog Training Temecula(951) 246.8223

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Saturday, December 3, 2011

A Destin Vacation Would Be Delightful

!±8± A Destin Vacation Would Be Delightful

You don't have to be a poet to see metaphors and similes wherever you look in Destin, Florida. The panhandle is a treasure trove of activities, the water is emerald green and the sand is like so many heaping tablespoons of sweet sugar. You'll surprise yourself at how you learn to think a little differently here, and hopefully if all goes well, you'll start behaving differently as well. Leave your routine responsibilities behind, stop checking your watch and your email, and prepare to let Destin take you away.

Destin is located on the coast of Florida's sweeping right arm, and it's probably safe to assume that a visit here will include plenty of lazing, lounging and lolling on the beach. This is a diversion that most people place at the top of their lists, and thanks to the aforementioned beauty that tends to get the creative juices flowing, it rarely, if ever, disappoints. Sitting back and taking it all in will get you started, but you'll soon want to jump right in as well.

Do this by any means you see fit; rent a pontoon boat for a low-key affair that will come to resemble a personalized party boat. Pump up the adrenaline factor by opting for a speed boat, taking it up one more notch by trying your hand at parasailing. Skip the boats altogether and go snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, or for the old fashioned types, just plain swimming in the sea. Let the saltwater keep you afloat, and relish the fact that your laptop is nowhere to be seen, the temperature is just right, and your mood is as buoyant as the sky is blue.

Dolphin excursions will take you out for a look at the gulf, the shore, and most likely a glimpse or two of the frolicking, friendly dolphins that call this their home. Glass-bottomed boats will also fill you in on the wildlife scene, so book a cruise if the family has a taste for undersea adventure. On dry land you'll find plenty to explore as well, including Grayton Beach State Recreation Area. This is where you'll find salt marshes, nature trails, and fishing opportunities on Western Lake. It's perfect for swimming and picnicking in a slightly different setting (not that you'll ever grow tired of the immaculate beaches) and the scenery is of course lovely.

Get silly at the Track Recreation Center, where go karts, roller coasters, miniature golf, and other age-defying activities will bring everyone together for a few hours of laughs and running around. This will probably lead to working up an appetite, so hit one of Destin's many restaurants for a cold drink and a bucket of steamers. Enjoying seafood as fresh as can be will be one of the perks of this vacation, as most people don't usually have this privilege. One of the best parts about dining in Destin is the view that can be taken advantage of each evening. As you make your way to the table, be sure to request one that faces the sunset so that you may enjoy the stunning display along with your meal, savoring each bite and each brilliant hue simultaneously.

Your list of things to do has not yet been exhausted. In addition to plenty of time spent reading on the beach and dozing in the shade, you'll want to save room in your schedule for a few more high-priority events. Destin is known for great shopping, especially if you're a bargain hunter. Outlet malls will let you bring home some rave-worthy souvenirs, or if you want something unique, check into the art galleries and local crafts for a Florida-style trinket. Continuing on, like in other parts of the state, golf is hot here. Attractive courses and a welcoming atmosphere will make you feel instantly at home if you're into this sport, so bring your clubs and plan for a top-notch experience.

Take your Destin trip all the way by booking a vacation rental. If you've never done this before, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Hotels can get the job done, but if you're seeking a little more room, a few extra comforts, and a one-of-a-kind quality, then definitely consider a condo or beach house that will give you all of this and more. Destin has loads of properties to choose from, each one a little different, that will add an extra punch to what already has the potential to be a sublime vacation.

If you can already feel the flowing descriptions and emotional responses surfacing within you, it sounds like Destin should be the spot for your next vacation. Realize your inner lyric leanings by heading south for a bit, and don't be surprised to uncover some wonderful talents that you never knew you had. Start investigating Destin Vacation Rentals online, book a flight, and prepare to unleash your inner poet.


A Destin Vacation Would Be Delightful

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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

South Shore Rail Passenger Train

Oh how sweet it is! Samuel Insull purchased the railroad at public auction in June, 1925 and renamed it The Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad. Insull immediately began a program of moderization which restored the railroad to top condition. Insull purchased new cars, built new stations, and converted the railroad from AC electric system to its current 1500 volt DC system. This was an important change, for new South Shore trains could operate directly and continuously over the trackage of the Illinois Central Railroad from Kensington to downtown Chicago, helping assure the South Shore's long term survival. The railroad remained privately owned with NICTD responsible for paying for the service. Under NICTD's tutelage, a steady series of improvements was funded and ridership increased from 1.48 million passengers carried in 1978 to over 3.5 million passengers at the turn of the century. The railroad is now in the hands of the public sector and profit is no longer the motivation for providing rail passenger service. NICTD operates the rail service as a public service because the people and economy of Northwest Indiana need an alternative, reliable form of transportation to get to jobs, schools, museums, and recreational opportunities found in the City of Chicago. NICTD has helped make the South Shore strong once again. In turn, by providing a balanced transportation system, the South Shore can help make, and keep, the Northwest Indiana economy strong.

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Phật Thuyết Kinh Vô Lượng Thọ - Buddha Pronounces the Sūtra of Amitāyus Buddha (Sub)

Download & get free DVDs: phimphatgiao.com Download & thỉnh đĩa DVD miễn phí phimphatgiao.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Three Pure Land Sūtras + One Treatise Tịnh Độ Tam Kinh Nhất Luận: 1. The Buddha Speaks of Amitābha Sūtra ★ Phật Thuyết Kinh A-di-đà www.youtube.com 2. Buddha Pronounces the Sūtra of Visualization of Amitāyus Buddha ★ Phật Thuyết Kinh Quán Vô Lượng Thọ Phật www.youtube.com 3. Buddha Pronounces the Sūtra of Amitāyus Buddha ★ Phật Thuyết Kinh Vô Lượng Thọ www.youtube.com 4. Upadeśa on the Sūtra of Amitāyus Buddha - The Stanzas of Wishing for Rebirth ★ Luận Kinh Vô Lượng Thọ - Bài Kệ Nguyện Vãng Sanh www.youtube.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sutras and Mantras Chanting: buddha-dharma.org Kinh Chú Xướng Tụng buddha-dharma.org

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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Tips How to Plan a Vacation in Ocean City, Maryland

!±8± Tips How to Plan a Vacation in Ocean City, Maryland

Ocean City, Maryland is a fantastic place to consider when planning a vacation. It is known as the ''Land of Pleasant Living'' because it offers mountains and beaches from the eastern shore towards western Maryland, Baltimore and Washington.

Taking a vacation in Ocean city with the whole family can be really great and exciting. Kids will also enjoy with tons of fun activities for them. The city offers family-friendly recreation like fishing, golfing and shopping.

Boardwalk is one of the popular attractions. It is the largest shopping area in the region, offering plenty of entertainment facilities. You can experience some of their popular thrashers like French fries, fisher's caramel popcorn and dollies' salt water taffy.

There are society shops beside the boardwalk. There are souvenir shops and henna tattoo shops. There are train rides that run up and down throughout the day. Strolling around this place may take all day but you will hardly notice the time pass you by as you enjoy the wonderful structures.

You can spend an entire day of sightseeing in their amusement parks. The Timper's rides and Jolly Rogers are really fun for the entire family. Jolly Roger features mini golf, rides, a water park, a go-kart park and so much more.

There are lots of ways to get to Ocean City, whether by car or bus, train or plane. Determine which transportation is best for you, considering where you will be coming from. Also, it is recommended to purchase your tickets in advance.

Check out some hotels and resorts you find convenient for your stay and make sure you also make advanced reservations, especially when visiting during peak seasons. Inquire for tour packages that they might be offering at discounted rates, especially if you are visiting as a group.

Ocean City is big. It is best to plan in advance the places you want to visit. Make the most out of your visit without wasting too much time. Consider also what your group would like to see and experience in the city. Every minute counts when you are traveling. Make the most out of your time always to see as many as you can in the area before going back home.

Get a map of Ocean City and familiarize yourself with some important areas like bus and train stations, shopping areas, hospitals and good dining places. Keeping a map handy with you is also good in case you get lost.

You can get tour guides especially if you are interested in hearing the city's history. This can also assure you that you won't miss out on the important attractions that they have. Be reminded that tours follow strict schedules daily. Be sure you can comply before booking a tour.

Lastly, pack accordingly. Check for weather updates about Ocean City, particularly during the time of your arrival there. Always wear comfortable clothes. And comfortable shoes are also very important as you will most likely do a lot of walking. Rubber shoes or sandals are best. For women, avoid heeled shoes for the meantime.


Tips How to Plan a Vacation in Ocean City, Maryland

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Sunday, October 23, 2011

Riding the Rails in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania

!±8± Riding the Rails in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania

Tucked away in his pocket a couple of hundred years, overalls train engineer, you are in an era of vintage railroad again. How triumphantly raised arms, two silver funnels suspended announce their victory over the time that seems otherwise through the spacious, wood, painted red shop complex that surrounds it, is not changed by a single nail, as they went first to the ground. A web of trails, nestled in the arteries, which divides the neighborhoods twinsRockhill Furnace and Orbison and, in three to the filing, which bears his name, a starting point for one of the three daily, narrow-gauge steam locomotive-pulled trains such as the Middle Broad Top Railroad. The sound of a bell rung on the opposite side of the road, shows the arrival of a red tram in the opposite direction.

Tourists riding the rails today, who led the miners yesterday.

Surrounded by mountains and ridges Blacklog both Saddleback and SandySpace, then waved undeveloped, gold diggers and their natural resources, consisting of agricultural land, water, wood, coal and iron, the Creek Blacklog both power and feeds the one that has become her sister cities.

Initially serving as a Native American camping and hunting, such as archaeological traces are found in Sandy Ridge, the first area has taken root in 1754 when the land was purchased by the Six Nations, and the first street, imitating the original path Indian andTo promote the westward expansion of settlers, was 33 votes in favor later established between Burnt cabins in the South and North Huntingdon.

Oven Bedford, the first country in the region, developed from a trading post in 1760. Both a sense of place and time, has attracted the first white settler, George Erwin, who built a trading post in a log cabin, the shipment of the goods exchanged through a narrow, wilderness trails and tunnels with travelers and Native Americansalike.

Placing the initial pin into the map, the Bedford Furnace Company established a charcoal furnace in order to be able to produce iron in 1785, sparking growth in the Juniata Valley and serving as the first of many to eventually characterize it.

Rockhill Furnace Number 1, built in 1831 by Thomas Diven and William Morrison south of the town in Blacklog Narrows, replaced the smaller, original plant, while Winchester Furnace, the third such ironworks, rose a few hundred yards away.

Abandoned in 1850 after a less-than-prosperous reign, it was joined seven years later by furnace Number 1 when area deforestation depleted the timber necessary for iron smelting charcoal, although the Civil War once again-albeit temporarily-re-lit its fires.

A mortgage foreclosure preceded its purchase in 1867, but its resurrection now hinged upon a fuel source to feed it. The needed pot of gold at the end of the rainbow-or, in this case, on top of the rainbow-came in the form of coal discovered on Broad Top Mountain. What was now required was a method to transport it from its summit-located mines to the iron furnaces in the east.

East Broad Top Railroad:

During the early-1850s, Pennsylvania's Juniata Valley began to sprout rails.

The single track of Pennsylvania Central Railways, thread through the narrow mountain passes and along the Juniata River, connected Lewistown and Huntingdon, for the first time offering a non-aquatic, intrastate transportation alternative to the Public Work's Main Line Canal. The Pennsylvania Railroad's own all-rail line soon grew branches throughout the Allegheny Mountains, allowing it to penetrate hills and valleys in order to collect and haul the region's riches in the form of lumber and coal. Track laid between 1853 and 1854 enabled the Huntingdon and Broad Top Railway to surmount its very namesaked incline on the west side. But rail access remained a void on its east.

Although the necessary charter for such a rail line had been granted on April 16, 1856, several proposals-and 14 years-ensued before a group of Philadelphia businessmen, spurred by the Civil War's cry for additional track to move troops and supplies, collected the required capital to construct one, forming, with the aid of the still-born charter, the East Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company on July 3, 1871. It was decided, from the outset, to employ three-foot, narrow gauge track in order to reduce construction and operating costs and facilitate tighter turns.

The first track was put to bed on September 16 of the following year and its first locomotive, a 17.5-ton, wood-burning, narrow-gauge 2-6-0 built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia and named the "Edward Roberts," was delivered a year after that.

Like a journey of time, track-laying could be measured by the calendar, the first 11 miles of it reaching Rockhill Furnace on August 30, 1873, ascending Sideling and Wrays Hills before arriving in Robertsdale the following year-all for the purpose of transporting coal and forestry products from Broad Top Mountain to Mount Union, its southern terminus, for transfer to standard-gauge Pennsylvania Railroad trains.

The original village of Rockhill Furnace, taking shape round the iron furnaces a half-mile from the current depot on the banks of Blacklog Creek, progressively expanded.

The fleet equally multiplied when three 26-ton Baldwin Consolidation engines were acquired between late-1873 and early-1874, the same year that the Robertsdale-mined coal was first rail-transported to Rockhill Furnace to fuel the blast furnaces now taken over by the newly-formed Rockhill Iron and Coal Company to ultimately produce pig iron.

As a town, Rockhill Furnace took initial form as a dual-stack iron furnace and collection of coke ovens, which expanded into the East Broad Top Railroad shop complex lining the Jordan Creek-a veritable pocket of self-sufficiency.

Occupying the farmland purchased for the complex and employing the original, still-existent stone farmhouse for its administrative offices, the soon-sprawling plant's gears were turned by means of its steam-powered overhead shafts and belts, with additional electricity and compressed air generated by its boiler plant, pumping current, like flowing blood, to its foundry and machine, car, and blacksmith shops. Its brick roundhouse, eventually encompassing eight stalls, facilitated alignment with the needed track, provided light locomotive maintenance, and served as a storage shed, while heavy repairs occurred in the machine shop. Commodities necessary for steam engine operation, including water, coal, and sand, were stored throughout the complex, which itself was capable of the locomotive repair and maintenance functions themselves, as well as rolling stock manufacture and the production of forgings, castings, and machine parts for both the railroad and the mines it accessed.

The yard's wye, formed by track from Mount Union and crossing Meadow Street (Pennsylvania Route 994) just past the Orbisonia depot, facilitated intra-complex car movement, storage positioning, and train configuration, providing access to either Alvan or the Shade Gap Branch, depending upon car orientation.

Indeed, the shop complex served as one of many links in a chain, none of which could have existed without the other, inclusive of the area's natural resources giving rise to the iron smelting industry, the railroad needed to transport the coal to fuel it, the shops to manufacture and maintain its equipment, and the town arising to support the workforce which turned its gears.

Its fleet initially encompassed two passenger coaches, two baggage cars, and 176 freight and coal hopper cars.

From the mainline, which extended from Robertsdale to Woodvale in 1891 and Alvan in 1916, spur tracks spread like arteries from a central vein as additional mines were bored, resulting in the Shade Gap, Shade Valley, Booher Mine, Rocky Ridge, Number 7 and Number 8, Coles Valley, and NARCO branches, and the Shirleysburg clay spur.

With progressive expansion and prosperity, the East Broad Top Railroad began to carry passengers over and above the standard miners, coal, and freight for whom and for which it had been conceived.

The beginning of the 20th century signaled the railroad's infrastructure modernization program. Iron rails, for example, were replaced by steel ones. Wood was equally swapped for steel on trestles and bridges, and the durable metal for the first time formed its freight cars.

In 1926, coal-in addition to iron ore, quartzite ganister rock, forest products, and other miscellany-constituted 80 percent of its freight, exceeding 26 million ton-miles alone.

According to East Broad Top Railroad Timetable Number 53, effective Monday, September 29, 1930, it covered the 33-mile main line route from Mount Union to Alvan in one hour, 45 minutes, one southbound run departing at 0920 and arriving at 1105 via Allenton, Adams, Aughwick, Pump Station, Shirleysburg, Orbisonia, Pogue, Three Springs, Saltillo, Fairview, Kimmel, Coles, Rocky Ridge, Wrays Hill, Cooks, Robertsdale, and Woodvale.

Like everything in life, however, the railroad experienced both peaks and troughs. When the depression sunk its teeth into its profits, it was reorganized, simply, as the Rockhill Coal Company, and J. William Wetter assumed the presidency of both the iron furnace and the railroad which fed it.

Exerting its demands for commodities, however, World War II temporarily re-lit the fires in its furnaces, and strip-mining joined its list of coal and ganister rock extractions for the first time.

Inevitably, with the iron supply dwindling and coal the only commodity left to haul, the end of the line-literally-loomed ahead. Passenger rail services from Mount Union to Woodvale, initially curtailed from the two daily, Monday-to-Saturday round-trips, to a single one, were altogether discontinued on August 15, 1954, leaving coal as its sole, and increasingly unprofitable, type of freight. Mount Union brick plants, converting from coal to natural gas, no longer needed it for their own viability, while the proliferation of rail-replacing roads hammered the final anvil into the line. Mail, now transferred to truck transport, obviated the need for the post office contract.

The Rockhill Coal Company terminated its coal shipment requirements on March 31 and the East Broad Top Railroad's raison d'être essentially ended.

The last service, a round-trip from Rockhill Furnace to Mount Union via Saltillo and operated by 161,000-pound locomotive Number 17-a Baldwin 2-8-2 built in 1918-occurred on April 6, 1956, while all common carrier operations mimicked the event a little less than a month later, on May 1.

Stretching throughout the area, from Mount Union and climbing Broad Top Mountain on its east side, its mainline track network, along with its numerous, initially-intact branch lines, appeared like the cobwebs clinging to once-useful pieces of history, but now relegated to relics, their only associated movement, albeit in painstakingly slow form, being the weeds and grasses which sprouted between their cross-ties until they camouflaged them.

Not far behind was a second onslaught-in the form of the Kovalchick Salvage Company of Indiana, Pennsylvania--which had purchased the entire system, including its locomotives, cars, stations, shops, buildings, company houses, rights-of-way, and the land from which the once-precious coal commodity had been removed.

Four years passed. A few branch lines were uprooted. A handful of cars was sold to rail fans who insisted on owning a tangible piece of history. The weeds continued to aggressively attack and conquer the tracks. But, strangely, the dismantling company did not.

Indeed, instead of eradicating this piece of narrow gauge, steam railroad and coal mining history from the stage where it had been enacted, Nick Kovalchick, president of his company, became preservationist of it, rising from salvager to savior.

The East Broad Top Railroad's first re-purposed spark was lit by Orbisonia's one-week bicentennial celebration, whose cornerstone was the very rail line which had given birth to it, perhaps reflecting an act of creation, in which nothing truly dies.

Replacing tourists with coal, the trains would once again ply the tracks, offering return-to-history excursions. Cleared of underbrush, and given the necessary repairs, they once again supported railroad life when locomotive Number 12, a 1911 2-8-2 Baldwin, was christened with ginger ale by Kovalchick's daughter, Millie, on August 13, 1960.

Pulling two converted, open-air and four passenger coaches over the hitherto 3.5 miles of resurrected rail, it chugged, belched, and hissed black smoke and white steam, returning to the natural element for which it had been designed, as far as Colgate Grove. Because a wye had not been remedially installed until later, locomotive Number 15, having followed the proud, narrow gauge chain, pulled it back to the Orbisonia station.

Instead of departing history, the railroad, now under command of new president, Nick Kovalchick, has been returning to it ever since.

Designated a Registered National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of Interior in 1964, it is both the oldest-and oldest still-operating-narrow gauge railroad east of the Rocky Mountains, and today ranks as one of the "top tucks" into the preserved pockets of narrow gauge steam railroad history.

Tourists and locals alike retrace the bicentennial path, now stretching five miles, on one of three round-trip weekend excursion trains during May, June, and September; on Thursday-to-Sunday frequencies from July to mid-August; and during three-day, Friday-to-Sunday periods in October, covering the ten miles during 70-minute runs, ten minutes of which constitute a pause in Colgate Grove. Special and theme trains are offered on Mother's Day, Independence Day (accompanied by appropriate fireworks), Civil War weekends, on Labor Day, during the fall foliage season, on Halloween, and on Polar Express trips in December. Children-applicable trains are pulled by Thomas the Tank engines.

Although some 25 different steam locomotives plied the East Broad Top Railroad's tracks throughout its history, eight-comprised of six narrow gauge 2-8-2s and two standard gauge 0-6-0s-remain today, one of which is stored at the Whitewater Valley Railroad in Indiana. Most of the others continue to occupy their original residences-the roundhouse in the Rockhill Furnace shop complex.

The Number 3, a Baldwin standard gauge 0-6-0 built in 1923, was restricted to operations in the Mount Union switching yard and at the coal cleaning plant. The last and most powerful of the type, it was retired in April of 1956 and is stored in the Mount Union engine house.

The Number 12, a Baldwin 2-8-2 constructed in 1911, was contrastively the first and smallest Mikado to have been acquired, capable of hauling up to 15 loaded hopper cars from the coals mines. It was last used in 2000.

Of the same class as its Number 12 predecessor, the Number 14, built in 1912, was the second narrow gauge locomotive to be acquired, featuring both increased weight and power.

Still greater capability was offered by the Number 15, constructed in 1914, to satisfy increasing demand, enabling it to pull up to 18 loaded hopper cars.

The first of three large Mikados, the Number 16 of 1916, introduced superheaters, piston valves, and a Southern gear valve. It was retired a year before the original East Broad Top Railroad discontinued service, in 1955.

The succeeding Number 17 became the only heavy Mikado to be provisioned for tourist train service, while the number 18, the last and largest in the fleet, was retired in 1956. Like the other two in its class, it could pull 22 loaded hopper cars.

Several passenger cars, all coated in dark green, also encompass its fleet.

Of the coaches the railroad purchased from the Boston, Revere Beach, and Lynn, and the Air Sable and Northwestern, a single coach, two combinations, and the president's car remained after the others were sold at the conclusion of the line's passenger service. Six freight cars were converted to this configuration to enable it to write its tourist train chapter.

Coach Number 8, for instance, hails from 1882 and was constructed by the Laconia Car Company before having been acquired by Boston, Revere Beach, and Lynn in 1916.

Combine cars 14 and 15 share the same lineage.

Parlor car 20, now serving as the East Broad Top's first class coach usually appendaged to the end of the train, had been constructed in 1882 by Billmeyer and Smalls and was subsequently acquired from Big Level and Kinzua in September of 1907 for use as Railroad President Robert Seibert's personal coach.

Several other types make up the fleet, including flat, box, baggage, freight, and track cars, motorcars, cabooses, and diesel locomotives.

Today's tourist trains continue to depart from the "Orbisonia" station, a wooden, two-story, clapboard depot located on the north side of Meadow Street, just beyond the crossing point from the shop complex. It served as the railroad's operating headquarters after it moved from its initial, Marble House residence on a ridge behind the shop buildings. According to Vagel Keller, of the Friends of East Broad Top-a 501.c.3 historical and preservation society-"the current Orbisonia station (is) located in the borough of Rockhill Furnace, while the namesake is one-forth of a mile east... The station at this place was originally known as 'Rockhill,' and in 1888 the village got a post office called 'Rockhill Furnace.' Apparently, this caused misrouting of mail intended for an older post office in Pennsylvania named 'Rockhill,' and at about the same time that the current station was being built in 1906, the US Postal Service asked the East Broad Top to rename the station to avoid confusion... Paradoxically, the re-named 'Orbisonia Station' hosted the Rockhill Furnace post office until shortly after the end of common carrier operations."

During its heyday, its waiting room was alive with train crews, clerks, and passengers. Today, it serves as a gift shop still sporting its original wire ticket window, and from here passengers file through the door to a wooden, boardwalk-type porch, serving as a "platform," to await the train beneath the later-added, full-length trackside canopy.

The actual journey, in a choice of open, coach, or first class cars, plies the original, three-foot-wide, narrow gauge track and passes Orbisonia, farms, and forests before pausing at Colgate Grove after negotiating the wye, location of the East Broad Top's Shirleysburg clay spur, whose track had been laid in 1918 and had stretched from the grove itself to the base of the fire clay quarry on Sandy Ridge. Short-lived, its rails were removed in 1927, and the current wye, employing part of its right-of-way and constructed in 1961, resolved the train turn-around obstacle encountered during the bicentennial celebration excursions.

Today's passengers can remain at the grove either during the two-hour interval until the next run or overnight, but, since it offers little more than a barbecue and a scatter of picnic tables, all food, drink, and gear must be self-provided.

The East Broad Top offers two educational, railroad era-immersive programs. The first, designated "Engineer for an Hour," allows the rider to step into the shoes of an engineer and fireman by riding in the cab of a steam locomotive during one of the regularly scheduled trips, operating the throttle, blowing the whistle, and shovel-replenishing the firebox with coal. The second, "High Iron University/Rail Camp," is a five-day program offered in conjunction with Altoona's Railroaders Memorial Museum, and provides an indepth look at operating a steam powered railroad.

Aside from the train trip, rides are also offered in speeder, M-3, and handcars.

Another immersive experience is a tour of the railroad's shop complex, which served as the heart of its operation. Seemingly immune to time's sweep, it appears exactly as it did a century ago. The silver smokestacks mark the location of the Babcock and Wilcox boilers, which provided the steam needed to run the belt-driven equipment, while the red-painted buildings consist of the blacksmith, car, machine, and carpentry shops, pattern house, foundry, and lumber shed.

According, again, to Vagel Keller, "Another persistent myth holds that the current shops and roundhouse were built to replace earlier structures destroyed by a fire in 1882...The fire myth is based on oral traditions that conflate a cyclonic windstorm in the fall of 1881, which blew down part of the roundhouse (surviving today as the four arched doorways on the eastern half of the present structure), and on a fire in the early 1900s, which destroyed the paint shop and adjacent boiler shop. The roundhouse you see today originated with the four eastern stalls in 1874, was expanded to six stalls by 1895, and to its present form after 1911. The current shop complex originated in 1882 after the superintendent of the railroad prevailed on the Board of Directors to authorize the purchase of machine tools. Like the roundhouse, the shops were expanded over the years, taking their present form by 1911."

Rockhill Trolley Museum:

Sharing the dual-gauge portion of the rails in the yard across from the East Broad Top depot, the Rockhill Trolley Museum, billing itself as "Pennsylvania's first operating" one, affords the visitor a second opportunity to sink himself into vintage transportation history, plying the track to cover distance while distancing himself from time.

Powered by 600 volts of direct current collected by a continuous, overhead copper wire by means of a sliding shoe positioned at the end of a pole, electric trolleys, like trains, run on tracks, each of their under-floor motors usually powering a pair of wheels. An electric motor-driven air compressor channels pressure to their brakes. Internally, conductors check tickets and collect fares.

Tracing their origins to horse-drawn cars, trolleys, in their earliest forms, were small, wooden, four-wheeled vehicles, providing inter-city transportation. Demand, paralleling metropolis growth, soon necessitated larger cars, later constructed of steel, for passenger, freight, and mail transport, and by 1918, the trolley transportation industry had become the country's fifth-largest. Pennsylvania alone was served by 116 such trolley lines, which covered more than 4,600 miles of track.

But, as cities stretched, like taffy, into suburbs and were increasingly accessed by roadways, need for this transportation system declined, leaving only Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to run their lines after 1960, when Johnstown became the last small urban area to cease using its own.

Because it offers an inexpensive, pollution-free alternative to inner-city transportation, some existing track and related system components have been restored, which could be considered a budding stage of resurgence, modern cars or light-rail vehicles once again crisscrossing streets, intermixed with individual car and bus traffic.

This important trolley history can be experienced at the Rockhill Trolley Museum, which thus offers a second, rail-based transportation focus to Rockhill Furnace. Established in 1960, it acquired its first trolley car, the "Johnstown" Number 311, from its namesaked city. Built by the Wason Manufacturing Company of Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1922, it initially served in Bangor, Maine, before being sold to the Johnstown Traction Company, with which it performed a similar role in the Flood City until it was retired 19 years later, on June 11. As the first such car to operate within any Pennsylvania trolley museum track network, it continues to do so more than four decades later.

It is now one of many in the collection emanating form such Pennsylvania cities as Johnstown itself, York, Harrisburg, Scranton, and Philadelphia, and is part of its larger fleet of 35 in-service and under-restoration city and suburban, interurban, rapid transit, and maintenance-of-way cars.

York Car Number 163 is one of them. Constructed in 1924 by the J. G. Brill Car Company of Philadelphia, and constituting the museum's most extensively restored example, the trolley was one of five with curved sides operated by York Railways. Subsequently used as a summer home positioned just north of the city on the Conewago Creek, before being thrust from its foundation by Hurricane Agnes in 1972, it was subsequently donated to the museum. Now a collection of hybrid parts, including wheels and motors from Japan, seats from Chicago, and cane coverings from China, it became the world's only-operable example from York after the equivalent of 17 years of volunteer restoration.

Oporto Car Number 172 is an example of a smaller, single-axle car. Built and used by the Sociedades do Transportes Colectivos do Porto, or S.T.C.P., in 1929, the extensively brake-equipped vehicle, comprised of air, hand, and dynamic systems, was well suited to the Portuguese hilly city.

Ship-transported across the Atlantic and then road-conveyed from Philadelphia on a highway trailer, it immediately operated tourist excursion runs at the museum. Carved wood trim, brass fittings, sliding end doors, storable windows in roof pockets, and a three-abreast configuration constitute its ornate interior features.

The ,539 New Jersey Transit PCC Car Number 6, first ordered in 1945 as part of a 40-strong fleet by the Twin City Rapid Transit Company from the St. Louis Car Company, connected Minneapolis with St. Paul two years later, operating on the Interurban Line, for which it was ideally suited with its northern winter-combative galvanized steel body; significant, nine-foot width for interior volume; two-person conductor booths; and electric horns.

Its "PCC" designation, an abbreviation of "President's Conference Committee," stems from the fact that it was the result of the new trolley standards it created in an attempt to increase street car ridership, which had increasingly migrated to individual automobiles.

Car Number 6, one of 30 acquired by Newark, New Jersey-based Public Service Coordinated Transport in 1953 after the Minnesota system had substituted its own trolleys with diesel buses, plied the short, 4.5-mile, municipally-owned Newark City Subway. But the late-1990s signaled its own end when the trolley line was converted to a light rail one.

Having been the second of the last to operate over the network before it was withdrawn from service, it hibernated in storage for a decade until it was purchased by the Rockhill Trolley Museum in 2011.

Philadelphia Transportation Company Car Number 2743 is another product of the President's Conference Committee. Sporting a line of small, "standee windows" above the standard-sized ones, it offered increased acceleration and decreased interior noise levels over the older cars it replaced, operating with the Philadelphia Transportation Company from 1947 to 1993, a year after which it was acquired by the museum--although its five-foot, 2 1/4-inch wheel trucks had to be replaced with four-foot, 8 ½-inch ones before it could run on its tracks.

Capable of sustaining 70-mph speeds, and sporting contoured, bullet-shaped ends, Philadelphia and Western Railroad Car Number 205 is the "bullet car" in the collection. Manufactured by Brill in 1931, the aerodynamic-appearing vehicle employed lightweight aluminum, reducing structure weight, fostering increased speed, and requiring reduced power to propel, siphoning its electricity to run from a third rail and therefore not sporting the otherwise traditional trolley pole. Secondarily acquired by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority, or SEPTA, it provided 59 years of service before nudged into the museum's growing collection.

Its largest car is the "Independence Hall" Liberty liner. Spanning 156 feet in length, the permanently-attached, quad-car interurban, designed by the St. Louis Car Company in 1941, features eight, 125-hp articulated traction motors, and served the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad's North Shore Line along with its identical twin, attaining 90-mph speeds on the windy city-Milwaukee sector. Both were designated "Electroliners."

Subsequently bought by the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company after the twin city link had been discontinued in 1963, the refurbished interurbans, named "Independence Hall" and "Valley Forge" Liberty Liners, entered service on its relatively short, 14-mile Norristown Line, for whose curves and hills it was less than optimal, although its passenger-popular tavern car sold alcoholic beverages, snacks, and meals during the trip.

Acquired by the Rockhill Trolley Museum after it was offered for sale in 1981, it appears similar, although for larger, then the only rapid transit car in its collection, Philadelphia Subway Number 1009.

Manufactured itself by the J. G. Brill Car Company in 1936, it saw initial deployment on the Delaware River Bridge Commission's Benjamin Franklin Bridge Line, shuttling passengers between Philadelphia and Camden. Its City of Brotherly Love service was retained with the Broad Street Subway, which subsequently purchased it and operated it until 1984, at which time it was replaced by state-of-the-art Japanese cars and donated to the museum.

Track-plying maintenance vehicles also take their place in the collection. Philadelphia and Western Railroad plow Number 10, for instance, a "sheer plow" produced by the Wason Manufacturing Company in 1915, canted snow to either side of the track. Bought from SEPTA in 1988, it is the last snowplow trolley to have been used by any US transit system, although it is employed by the museum for the same track-clearing purposes.

Actual car maintenance and restoration can be viewed on shop and car barn tours, while six departures offer trolley ride opportunities on the 1.5-mile Shade Gap Branch of the East Broad Top Railroad, with which it closely coordinates, to Blacklog Narrows, passing the remains of the original iron furnaces, which are now reduced to skeletal brick walls and coke oven ruins. A single ticket accesses unlimited rides for the day, which take about an hour for the three-mile round-trip. Like the East Broad Top Railroad itself, which the trolleys usually meet upon return, the Rockhill Trolley Museum, open on weekends between June and October, schedules several seasonal trips, including those highlighting trolley equipment, fall spectaculars, and Pumpkin Patch, Polar Bear Express, and Santa runs. Its gift shop features a rail-related photographic collection.


Riding the Rails in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania

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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Attention Coaches - Here's How to Plan an Effective Youth Sports Practice

!±8± Attention Coaches - Here's How to Plan an Effective Youth Sports Practice

It is no coincidence that the most organized coaches are also the most success with their youth and high school sports teams. Below you will find specific strategies for the practice season, monthly, weekly and daily planning, to help you stay organized and focused throughout the year.

Implementation of some of these tips will reduce your practice planning stress, a lot of credibility and greatly improve the flow of your practice and performanceTheir athletes.

Plans of the season

Start your year of coaching in 4 phases: Off-Season, Pre-season, preseason and the season. Next develop a high level "at a glance" In view of what is to be realized in each of these periods.

Be sure to consider:

Technical, tactical and physical training: What skills do you generally have to want to focus your athletes during different parts of the 'year? For example, you might want to improve your team freethrow shooting, swimming, or working on is to flip, or practice penalty shots, etc.

Objectives of the team: your team is trying to develop speed in low season? You are perfect the routines in front of a big cheerleading competition? You're learning a new offense before the season?

Fundraising goals: How much money did the team needs to increase to cover costs for the season. When to collect the money from her? What types of fundraising events

Coaching Focus: You are focusedon recruiting during the off-season? Are you focused on improving your coaching knowledge by attending conferences and clinics during pre-season?

Tournaments, Seminars, Clinics: Make note of any upcoming events you or your team will be participating in. Is there an out-of-state tournament that you would like your team to participate in? Is there a coaching clinic about a topic you're interested in?

Workout Schedule: Is your team practicing 6 days a week during the early season? Do you expect your athletes to train 3 days a week during the off-season when there aren't regularly schedules practices?

Monthly Plans

Once your season plan is in place, consider creating a month by month planner on the office bulletin board to serve as a useful reminder about the year's objectives, goals, and events. This is the time to get a little more specific about the objectives you and your team would like to accomplish, and the exact timing for individual events.

For example, what's the date and location for the first tryout? Are you planning a car wash on March 15th that will raise 0 to pay for your summer tournament? When does the first round of the playoffs begin? 

Weekly Plans

At the beginning of each week, it's wise to take 10 minutes to plan out a rough outline of your practices. What time does practice start and end? What gym will it be held in? Will players arrange their own transportation to the field, or will a school bus be provided?

You'll also want to consider some more specific practice and team objectives you'd like to accomplish. Are you preparing to face a particular opponent? Are you working on developing speed or strength? Are you trying to improve your team's communication skills?

Do you have a meeting with a parent or administrator? Do you need to check in with a particular teacher about an athletes performance in the classroom, etc? These are all items appropriate for your weekly plan.

Daily Plans

This is the nitty gritty portion of your practice planning sequence. You'll want to make note of the EXACT activities and drills you want to perform, how long to do them for, and what order to do them in. It's best to get all of this down in an easy-to-read template that you can keep on your clipboard and refer to throughout practice.

Before each practice, sit down and outline your top three primary goals for the day. Do you want to master a play that you will run in an upcoming game, do you want to work on building speed or strength, do you want to help your athletes improve a technical skill critical to your sport?

Next, make note of any equipment that might be required for the day's practice. Do you need pylons, jump ropes, extra balls, etc?

When you're ready to plan your drills and activities, start with the team warm-up. Structure your warm-up into 3 phases: Aerobic Warm-up, Stretching, and Technical Skills Warm-Up. Many coaches find that three 5-minute phases work well. During the aerobic warm-up you may decide to have you athletes complete a light jog, jumprope, or perform some other kind of gentle aerobic activity to increase their heart rate and warm up their body.

Once your athletes are sufficiently warm, you can transition into the stretching phase of your warm-up. Focus on stretching the muscles that are used most often in your sport.

We recommend completing your warm-up with a technical skills tune-up where athletes practice specific athletic skills required by their sport (i.e.- basketball free-throw shooting, volleyball serves, etc).

Now you can move onto the "core" of your practice, first list the skills you would like to work on with your team (place this in the first column under "skills to improve"). Next, assign a drill to each skill that specifically targets the area you are seeking to improve.

Finally, note any coaching points you'd like to remember during the practice (i.e. keep head up, make sure players bend their knees, make sure Andy keeps his elbow back, etc.)

Complete your practice with a cool down that lasts at least 10 minutes. Slowly bring your athletes' heart rates down with gentle aerobic activity (do not abruptly stop practice or aerobic activity as this may cause injury). Once your athletes are breathing normally, lead your team in a thorough stretching session.

Make sure you allow athletes water breaks every 15 minutes to ensure they remain hydrated throughout your practice. It's best to schedule these into your planner so that you don't forget.

After practice, make notes on how the day went at the bottom of the practice planner. Are there any areas you'd like to focus on for the next practice? Did a particular drill work well (or not work well)?

Follow this simple formula and your practices will run much smoother, you'll get more accomplished in each practice and you'll see an exponential increase in your athlete's performance!

If you'd like to put your practice planning system on the "fast track", we highly recommend the sports team website builder at Sportata.com. Even if you know nothing about computers, you can create a dazzling website for your basketball, football, softball, baseball, volleyball, hockey (or any other) team in just 3 easy steps. With just a few clicks, you can post practice schedules, send broadcast emails, and deliver workout plans to your athletes. Go to Sportata.com to learn more.


Attention Coaches - Here's How to Plan an Effective Youth Sports Practice

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