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I am a former Quarterback that was 8th round draft pick with the Buffalo Bills and I want to talk about the future NFL QB's that are currently high school stars.

After the twelve 2008 regional tryout QB Camps were held, this is the list that made the cut. These 12 high school Quarterbacks are the cream of the crop and will be all going to major college football programs.

At the invitation only camp they will be taught Quarterback Passing Drills, QB Footwork Drills Quarterback Accuracy drills.

At night they do film sessions and are taught how to read defensive pass coverages. At the end of the 3 day camp they will have a QB passing competition to see who is the best.

EA Sports 2008 Elite 11 Quarterback Camp Roster.

#1 Bryn Renner, 6-3, 192: Signed with North Carolina

#2 Tom Savage, 6-4, 219: Signed with Rutgers

#3 Tajh Boyd , 6-0, 205: Signed with West Virginia

#4 Aaron Murray : 6-1 199: Signed with Georgia

#5 Andrew Maxwell , 6-3 195: Signed with Michigan State

#6 Allan Bridgford , 6-4, 212: Signed with California

#7 Richard Brehaut , 6-2, 205: Signed with UCLA

#8 Raymond Cotton , 6-4, 215: Signed with Auburn

#9 Garrett Gilbert , 6-4, 199: Signed with Texas

#10 A.J. McCarron , 6-4, 191: Signed with Alabama

#11 Zack Mettenberger , 6-5, 224: Signed with Georgia

#12 Eugene Smith, 6-2, 190, Undecided

High School players, parents and coaches fans love to talk about the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp, which is an annual clinic designed for the most promising young quarterbacks in the nation. It takes place this year July 21-23 in San Juan Capistrano, California.

Every year, it holds the best young arms in the nation. It was designed in the belief that quarterbacks are made, not born.

There are regional QB tryout camps that take place in the spring and summer. From those 12 tryout camps 12 top high school quarterbacks are invited. This is the most prestigious Quarterback Competition in the USA.

As soon as I have the 2009 Elite 11 Regional Tryout Quarterback Camp schedule, I will publish it on my website listed below.

If you would like to learn about these same Quarterback drills taught at the Elite 11 Camp see my website listed below.

Todd Krueger is a former NFL Quarterback that was a 8th round draft pick in 1980 by the Buffalo Bills. He also played with the Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Wranglers in the USFL.

Quarterback training website at http://www.playqb.com

One on One Personal Quarterback Training at http://www.footballuniversity.org

Some of the Quarterbacks I have trained are:

Jordan Reed #11 Ranked QB on Rivals website Dual Quartback.....
Bryr Renner #16 Ranked attending North Carolina.....
Tajh Boyd # 4 Ranked QB atending West Virginia.....
Tom Savage #3 Ranked QB attending Rutgers.....
Danny O'Brien # 37 Ranked QB attending Maryland.....
Sean Schroeder # 43 Ranked QB attending Duke.....
Mike Orloff Goveners Acadamy, Byfield MA, Rising Junior.....
Chris Laviono, Brooksville, NY, Top 8th Grader in New York

At the websites you can get low cost football coaching products such as:

NFL Football Playbooks, Youth Football Practice DVDs, Quarterback Training DVDs, Football Scouting Software, Football Playbook Software, Free Quarterback Drills, Football Speed Training DVDs, Football Workout DVDs, Private Quarterback Training

You can also can sign up for a free football newsletter at the websites.

Surprisingly little is known about the origin of baseball. The question has been the subject of considerable debate and controversy for more than 100 years. Baseball (and softball), as well as the other modern bat, ball and running games, cricket and rounders, developed from earlier folk games.

Many of the earlier games were similar to each other, but there certainly were local, regional and national variations, both in how they were played and what they were called: names included "stoolball", "poison ball", and "goal ball". Few details of how the modern games developed from earlier folk games are known. Some think that various folk games resulted in a game called town ball, from which baseball was eventually born.

A number of early folk games in the British Isles had characteristics that can be seen in modern baseball (as well as in cricket and rounders). Many of these early games involved a ball that was thrown at a target while an opposing player defended the target by attempting to hit the ball away. If the batter successfully hit the ball, he could attempt to score points by running between bases while fielders would attempt to catch or retrieve the ball and put the runner out in some way.

Since they were folk games, the early games had no 'official' rules, and they tended to change over time. To the extent that there were rules, they were generally simple and were not written down. There were many local variations, and varied names.

Many of the early games were not well documented, first, because they were generally peasant games (and perhaps children's games, as well); and second, because they were often discouraged, and sometimes even prohibited, either by the church or by the state, or both.

Aside from obvious differences in terminology, the games differed in the equipment used (ball, bat, club, target, etc., which were usually just whatever was available), the way in which the ball is thrown, the method of scoring, the method of making outs, the layout of the field and the number of players involved.

An old English game called "base," described by George Ewing at Valley Forge, was apparently not much like baseball. There was no bat and no ball involved! The game was more like a fancy game of "tag", although it did share the concept of places of safety (ie, bases) with modern baseball.

In an 1801 book entitled The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England, Joseph Strutt claimed to have shown that baseball-like games can be traced back to the 14th century, and that baseball is a descendant of a British game called stoolball. The earliest known reference to stoolball is in a 1330 poem by William Pagula, who recommended to priests that the game be forbidden within churchyards.

In stoolball, a batter stood before a target, perhaps an upturned stool, while another player pitched a ball to the batter. If the batter hit the ball (with a bat or his/her hand) and it was caught by a fielder, the batter was out. If the pitched ball hit a stool leg, the batter was out. It was more often played by young men and women as a sort of spin the bottle.

According to many sources, in 1700, a Puritan leader of southern England, Thomas Wilson, expressed his disapproval of "Morris-dancing, cudgel-playing, baseball and cricket" occurring on Sundays. However, David Block, in Baseball Before We Knew It, reports that the original source has "stoolball" for "baseball". Block also reports that the reference appears to date to 1672, rather than 1700.

A 1744 publication in England by John Newbery called A Little Pretty Pocket-Book includes a woodcut of stoolball and a rhyme entitled "Base-ball." The book was later published in Colonial America in 1762. In 1748, the family of Frederick, Prince of Wales partook in the playing of a baseball-like game.

A 1791 bylaw in Pittsfield, Massachusetts bans the playing of baseball within 80 yards of the town meeting house.

Les Jeux des Jeunes Garçons is the first known book to contain printed rules of a bat/base/running game. It was printed in Paris, France in 1810 and lays out the rules for "poison ball," in which there were two teams of eight to ten players, four bases (one called home), a pitcher, a batter, and flyball outs.

Another early print reference is Jane Austen's posthumous 1818 novel Northanger Abbey.

In 1829, William Clarke in London, published The Boy's Own Book which included rules of rounders. Similar rules were published in Boston, Massachusetts in 1834, except the Boston version called the game "Base" or "Goal ball." The rules were identical to those of poison ball, but also added fair and foul balls and strike outs.

The account by Fred Lillywhite (1829-66) of the first English cricket tour to Canada and the United States in 1859 refers to the "base-ball game [being] somewhat similar to the English game of "rounders"". A day's play was lost during a cricket match in New York due to snow, but a game of baseball was arranged about a mile away between "the players of that game and a portion of the English party" (The English Cricketers' Trip to Canada and the United States, 1860).

That Abner Doubleday invented baseball in 1839 was once widely promoted and widely believed, but there was and is no evidence but the testimony of one man decades after the fact, and there is counter-evidence. The eminent Doubleday left many letters and papers, including no description of baseball or suggestion that he considered himself a prominent person in the history of the game. An encyclopedia article about Doubleday published in 1911 makes no mention of the game.

The legend of Doubleday's invention of baseball was itself baseball's invention, in a sense that of Al Spalding, a former star pitcher, then club executive, who had become the leading American sporting goods entrepreneur and sports publisher. Debate on baseball origins had raged for decades, heating up in the first years of the 20th century. To end argument, speculation and innuendo, Spalding organized a panel in 1905. The panelists were his friend Abraham G. Mills, a former National League president; two United States Senators, ex-NL president Morgan Bulkeley and ex-Washington club president Arthur Gorman; ex-NL president and lifelong secretary-treasurer Nick Young; two other star players turned sporting goods entrepreneurs (George Wright and Alfred Reach); and AAU president James E. Sullivan.

The final report published in 1908 included three sections: a summary of the panel's findings written by Mills, a letter by John M. Ward supporting the panel, and a dissenting opinion by Henry Chadwick. The research methods were, at best, dubious. The Mills Commission probably looked for and found the perfect story: baseball was invented in a quaint rural town without foreigners or industry, by a young man who later graduated from West Point and served heroically in the Mexican-American War, Civil War, and U.S. wars against Indians.

The Mills Commission concluded that baseball had been invented by Doubleday in Cooperstown, New York in 1839; that Doubleday had invented the word baseball(?), designed the diamond, indicated fielder positions, written down the rules and the field regulations. However, no written records from 1839 or the 1840s have ever been found to corroborate these claims; nor could Doubleday be interviewed for he died in 1893. The principal source for the story was a letter from elderly Abner Graves, a five-year-old resident of Cooperstown in 1839. But Graves never mentioned a diamond, positions or the writing of rules. Graves' reliability as a witness has also been questioned because he was later convicted of murdering his wife and spent his final days in an asylum for the criminally insane. Further, Doubleday was not in Cooperstown in 1839. He was enrolled in West Point and there is no record of any leave time. Mills, a lifelong friend of Doubleday, had never heard him mention inventing baseball.

As noted previously, versions of baseball rules have since been found in publications that significantly predate the alleged invention in 1839.

Jeff Idelson of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York has stated, "Baseball wasn't really born anywhere," meaning that the evolution of the game was long and continuous and has no clear, identifiable single origin.

1845 / The Knickerbocker Rules
The first published rules of baseball were written in 1845 for a New York (Manhattan) base ball club called the Knickerbockers. The author, Alexander Joy Cartwright, is one person commonly known as "the father of baseball". Evolution from so-called "Knickerbocker Rules" to the current rules is fairly well documented.

The role of Cartwright himself is disputed; his authorship is sometimes called a significant exaggeration, a modern attempt to identify a single "inventor" of the game, thereby akin to the Doubleday myth. He was at least secretary for a group effort. One point undisputed by historians is the direct evolution from amateur urban clubs of the 1840s and 1850s, not the pastures of the small Cooperstowns of America, to the modern professional major leagues that began in the 1870s.

Before 1845
Evolution of the game that became modern baseball is unknown before 1845. The Knickerbocker Rules describe a game that they had been playing for some time. But how long is uncertain and so is how that game had developed.

Baseball terminology should be a class taught in college. Maybe I'm more aware of all of the different terms because it's a game I'm most familiar with, or maybe there is just an extraordinary amount of verbage to learn. Nevertheless, I'd like to discuss a couple important hitting terms that should be understood as you're working on your various baseball drills. The difference between bat lag and bat drag are immense. And because of the similar sound, they ofter get mixed up. Bad mistake. Let me help explain them both by developing a definition for each.

Bat Lag:

Bat lag is what all good hitters look to develop while hitting a baseball. As the hands move into the hitting zone it's important to throw the knob of the bat at the baseball. You may be familiar with that concept as it's a common phrase (throwing the knob). Doing this produces a result of the hands leading the barrel of the bat which creates whip and bat speed in the baseball swing. When looking at a picture of a hitter nearing the contact position, look for the hands to be in front (more towards the pitcher) of the elbows of the hitter. The barrel of the bat will be remaining significantly behind the hands and enters the zone last.

Bat Drag:

Bat drag has the opposite effect on the hitter's swing as compared to bat lag. This is a common problem with younger hitters who lack strength or proper training. Bat drag is easy to spot when looking at a picture (from a side angle looking at the hitter's chest) as you will quite likely see the hitters elbows "dragging" the hands and bat behind into the hitting zone. In this case, bat speed will be minimal and a sweeping action with the bat will occur. This problem often is accompanied by a collapsing back shoulder.

What's unfortunate about the bat drag problem is that it can be years before a young hitter gets this mistake corrected. Reason being is that some success can be achieved at the younger levels as pitching is slower and the bat has much more time to enter the strike zone and connect with the baseball. The problem occurs when the hitter advances into junior high and high school where pitching velocity is greater. The mechanical failure created by bat drag becomes exploited and often hitters find their batting averages and consistency dropping very quickly.

There are thousands of pictures and video clips of MLB hitters all over the web. The best way to learn what this bat lag and bat drag look like is to observe what big leaguers are doing and compare their hands with those of a younger and less experienced hitter. Then, go to work solving the problem with a focus on some good baseball drills on the topic.

Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball http://bmibaseball.com and is based out of Washington State. His expertise is in the area of hitting, pitching, and mental training. Coach Barnett's passion is working with youth in helping expand their vision for their baseball future. After finishing a professional career in the Seattle Mariners Organization, Nate pursued his coaching and motivational training career. His instructional blog is located at http://bmibaseball.com/blog

His new FREE ebook, Toxic Baseball: Are you polluting your game? can be found on the main BMI Baseball website.

Hitting Mechanics 101, an ebook on complete hitting mechanics will be released in June, 2008. Features include numerous illustrations, video clips, and a special offer to discuss your hitting questions over live on the phone strategy sessions.

World Cup Football

The FIFA World Cup, sometimes called the Football World Cup or the Soccer World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international football competition contested by the men's national football teams of the member nations of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946, due to World War II.

The tournament's final phase, often called the World Cup Finals, is the most widely-viewed sporting event in the world, with an estimated 1.1 billion people watching the 2002 tournament final. The current format of the Finals involves thirty-two national teams competing at venues within the host nation (or nations) over a period of about a month. To determine the participating teams, qualifying rounds take place over the three years preceding the Finals.

In the eighteen tournaments held, only seven nations have won the title. Brazil is the most successful World Cup team, having won the tournament five times. The current Cup holders, Italy, follow with four titles, while Germany hold three. The other former champions are Uruguay (who won the inaugural tournament) and Argentina with two titles each, and England and France with one title each.

The most recent World Cup Finals were held between June 9 and July 9, 2006 in Germany, where Italy were crowned champions after beating France in the final, winning the penalty shootout 5-3 after the match finished 1-1 after extra time. The next World Cup Finals will be held in 2010 in South Africa.

Since 1991, FIFA has also organized the FIFA Women's World Cup every four years.

History

Previous international competitions
The first international football match was played in 1872 between Scotland and England. [2] At this stage the sport was rarely played outside Great Britain and Ireland. As football began to increase in popularity in other parts of the world at the turn of the century, it was held as a demonstration sport (with no medals awarded) at the 1900 and 1904 Summer Olympics, and at the 1906 Intercalated Games; football became an official competition at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Planned by The Football Association (FA), the event was for amateur players only and was regarded suspiciously as a show rather than a competition. Great Britain (represented by the England national amateur football team) won the event in both 1908 and 1912.

After FIFA was founded in 1904, there was an attempt made by FIFA to arrange an international football tournament between nations outside of the Olympic framework in Switzerland in 1906. These were very early days for international football, and the official history of FIFA describes the competition as having been a failure.

With the Olympic event continuing to be contested only between amateur teams, Sir Thomas Lipton organized the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy tournament in Turin in 1909. The Lipton tournament was a championship between individual clubs (not national teams) from different nations, each one of which represented an entire nation. The competition is sometimes described as The First World Cup,[4] and featured the most prestigious professional club sides from Italy, Germany and Switzerland, but The Football Association of England refused to be associated with the competition and declined the offer to send a professional team. Lipton invited West Auckland, an amateur side from County Durham to represent England instead. West Auckland won the tournament and returned in 1911 to successfully defend their title, and were given the trophy to keep forever, as per the rules of the competition.

In 1914, FIFA agreed to recognise the Olympic tournament as a "world football championship for amateurs", and took responsibility for managing the event. This paved the way for the world's first intercontinental football competition, at the 1920 Summer Olympics, contested by Egypt (who were knocked out in their first match) and thirteen European teams. The gold medals were won by Belgium. Uruguay then won the Olympic football tournaments in 1924 and 1928. In 1928 FIFA made the decision to stage their own international tournament outside of the Olympics. With Uruguay now two-time official football world champions (as 1924 was the start of FIFA's professional era) and to celebrate their centenary of independence in 1930, FIFA named Uruguay as the host country.

First World Cup
The 1932 Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles, did not plan to include football as part of the schedule due to the low popularity of football in the United States, as American football had been growing in popularity. FIFA and the IOC also disagreed over the status of amateur players, and so football was dropped from the Games.[6] FIFA president Jules Rimet thus planned the inaugural World Cup tournament to be held in Uruguay in 1930. The national associations of selected nations were invited to send a team, but the choice of Uruguay as a venue for the competition meant a long and costly trip across the Atlantic Ocean for European sides. Indeed, no European country pledged to send a team until two months before the start of the competition. Rimet eventually persuaded teams from Belgium, France, Romania, and Yugoslavia to make the trip. In total 13 nations took part - seven from South America, four from Europe and two from North America.

The first two World Cup matches took place simultaneously, and were won by France and the USA, who beat Mexico 4-1 and Belgium 3-0, respectively. The first goal in World Cup history was scored by Lucien Laurent of France. In the final, Uruguay defeated Argentina 4-2 in front of a crowd of 93,000 people in Montevideo, and became the first nation to win a World Cup.

Growth
The issues facing the early World Cup tournaments were the difficulties of intercontinental travel, and war. Few South American teams were willing to travel to Europe for the 1934 and 1938 tournaments, with Brazil the only South American team to compete in both. The 1942 and 1946 competitions were cancelled due to World War II and its aftermath.

The 1950 World Cup was the first to include British participants. British teams withdrew from FIFA in 1920, partly out of unwillingness to play against the countries they had been at war with, and partly as a protest against a foreign influence to football,[9] but rejoined in 1946 following FIFA's invitation. The tournament also saw the return of 1930 champions Uruguay, who had boycotted the previous two World Cups. Uruguay won the tournament again.

In the tournaments between 1934 and 1978, 16 teams competed for each finals tournament, except in 1938 and 1950 when teams withdrew after qualifying, leaving them with 15 and 13 teams respectively. Most of the participating nations were from Europe and South America, with a small minority from North America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. These teams were usually defeated easily by the European and South American teams. Until 1978, the only teams from outside Europe and South America to advance out of the first round were: United States, semi-finalists in 1930; Cuba, quarter-finalists in 1938; North Korea, quarter-finalists in 1966; and Mexico, quarter-finalists in 1970.

The finals were expanded to 24 teams in 1982, then to 32 in 1998, allowing more teams from Africa, Asia and North America to take part. The one exception is Oceania, who have never had a guaranteed spot in the finals. In recent years, teams from these regions have enjoyed more success, and those who have reached the knockout stage include: Mexico, quarterfinalists in 1986 and reaching the knockout rounds in 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006; Morocco, reaching the knockout rounds in 1986; Cameroon, quarter-finalists in 1990; Costa Rica, reaching the knockout rounds in 1990; Nigeria, reaching the knockout rounds in 1994 and 1998; Saudi Arabia, reaching the knockout rounds in 1994; United States, reaching the knockout rounds in 1994 and quarter-finalists in 2002; South Korea, finishing in fourth place in 2002; Senegal, quarter-finalists in 2002; Japan, reaching the knockout rounds in 2002; and Australia and Ghana, both reaching the knockout rounds in 2006. However, European and South American teams have remained the stronger forces. For example, the quarter-finalists in 2006 were all from Europe or South America.

198 nations attempted to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and all but three of the 207 FIFA member nations have previously entered the competition, with Comoros, East Timor and Bhutan the only current members not yet to have entered (Comoros and East Timor were not FIFA members at the time of the qualifying draw for the 2006 tournament, and so have not yet had an opportunity to take part).

An equivalent tournament for women's football, the FIFA Women's World Cup, was first held in 1991 in the People's Republic of China.

Trophy
The FIFA World Cup Trophy on a German stampFrom 1930 to 1970, the Jules Rimet Trophy was awarded to the World Cup winner. It was originally simply known as the World Cup or Coupe du Monde, but in 1946 it was renamed after the FIFA president Jules Rimet who set up the first tournament. In 1970, Brazil's third victory in the tournament entitled them to keep the trophy permanently. However, the trophy was stolen in 1983, and has never been recovered, apparently melted down by the thieves.

A new trophy was made, it is not awarded to the winning nation permanently, irrespective of how many World Cups they win. World Cup winners retain the trophy until the next tournament and are awarded a gold-plated replica rather than the solid gold original. Argentina, Germany (as West Germany), Italy and Brazil have all won the second trophy twice, while France has won it once. It will not be retired until the name plaque has been entirely filled with the names of winning nations in 2038.

Only one current running back - LaDainian Tomlinson - merits being named one of the NFL's all-time 10 best, and only one other guy who has played in the 21st century - Emmitt Smith - makes the list. Does that mean today's RBs are worse than before? No, but times have changed ... there are two reasons why the old-timers dominate this ranking.

First, although RBs remain roughly the same size, defensive tackles have become enormous and linebackers and strong safeties have gotten much faster and to counter that, a passing attack has become more prominent. Second, the 16-game season gives backs such a pounding that most teams use a "running back by committee" system or insert a second-stringer with a contrasting style to give their starter a rest, hence diminishing his importance.

OK, LaDainian and Emmitt, here are your partners.

1. Jim Brown. No one has ever combined power and speed the way Brown did at 6-2, 228. In his nine seasons before he abruptly retired in 1966 at age 30, he led the league in rushing eight times (a record). He also still holds the mark for most seasons leading the league in attempts (six) and most seasons leading in rushing TDs (five). Most impressively, of all the running backs who ever played and had 750 or more career attempts, Brown after all these years still has the highest average gain (5.2).

2. O.J. Simpson. Lots of backs are fast but no one ever as blazingly so as Simpson (9.4 in 100-yard dash), and none with his shiftiness and eye for daylight. He was the first player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season (he did it in just 14 games) and he holds the record for most 200-yard games (six). He led the league in rushing four times.

3. Emmitt Smith. When he retired in 2004 after 14 seasons, mostly with the Cowboys, the same precise footwork he displayed in winning "Dancing with the Stars" had earned him most of the NFL's career rushing records. These include most attempts (4,409), yards gained (18,355), 1,000-yard seasons (11), TDs (164) and 100-yard games (78). Enough?

4. Barry Sanders. He rates as pro football's most electric runner ever with his quick, darting moves and squirming switchbacks. Before retiring abruptly (a la Brown) after just 10 seasons, he had set a record (still holds it) for most consecutive games with 100 yards (14). He is second all-time in in most 1,000-yard seasons (10) and the third all-time rusher (15,269).

5. Walter Payton. He held most of the running records when he hung up his spikes in 1987 but they've since been broken. He still ranks second, though, in rushing yardage (16,726) and 100-yard games (77).

6. Gale Sayers. Until he suffered bad injuries to both knees, Sayers may have been even better than his Bears colleague Payton. Three times he achieved the amazing feat of scoring a rushing TD, pass reception TD and kick return TD in a game.

7. Tony Dorsett. He compiled 12,379 rushing yards in his career, second only to Payton at the time. He set the NFL record for longest run from scrimmage ... a 99-yarder.

8. LaDainian Tomlinson. He holds the record for most TDs in a season (28 in 2006) and has reeled off five 200-yard rushing games. At age 29 and hopefully some mileage left on those wheels, he can add to his rank of third in career rushing TDs (115).

9. Franco Harris. He rushed for 1,000 yards nine seasons but is best known for his quirky "Immaculate Reception" in his rookie year of 1972. With the Steelers trailing the Raiders 7-6 in the playoffs with five seconds to go, he snagged a Terry Bradshaw pass that had caromed off the shoulder pad of Oakland's Jack Tatum and ran it in for the winning score.

10. Eric Dickerson. No one has ever topped the 2,105 yards he gained in 1984. He got to 10,000 yards rushing faster than anybody ... in just 91 games (Brown needed 98, Sanders 103, Smith 106).

Among today's young RBs, Adrian Peterson of the Vikings has a chance to crack this list (he set a record last year when he gained 296 yards in a game, against a tough Chargers defense, no less) as does, presumably, rookie Darren McFadden of the Raiders. Ask me again in 2018. Marcus Allen (second in most career TDs with 123), Earl Campbell (led league in rushing three times) and John Riggins (rumbled for 11,352 yards in his career but in an oddity, he gained more yards after age 30 than before) are other guys to remember.

Gerry Storch is editor and administrator of http://www.ourblook.com - a political discussion/media analysis website that fills the gap between a blog and a book. In his journalism days, he was sports editor of Gannett News Service.

The majority of young players will be participating in skill-based training camps this summer. However, a select number will be heading off to high-performance tryout camps over the course of the next few months.

These camps are usually by invitation only or at least require a player to go through an application process in order to be selected. Players will be trying to impress scouts and coaches in order to make their regional, provincial or national all-star team. The stakes are high and the competition is fierce.

How To Stand Out From The Crowd and Make The Team

These tryout camps are less about learning and more about performance. While players will certainly be able to learn a lot while being surrounded by talented players and knowledgeable coaches, players must capitalize on their opportunity to stand out and separate themselves from the crowd.

At these high-performance camps, players must focus on showcasing their strengths. If you are a prolific goal scorer, then you had better bury the puck at camp. If you are a great two-way centre, then you should be the best back-checker on the ice. If you are a solid stay-at-home defenseman, then you had better make great breakout passes throughout camp.

Be the Best At Whatever You Do Best

The problem most young players run into in high-performance camp settings is that they get so wrapped up in worrying about their weaknesses, they forget to showcase their strengths.

The bad news is that if you have a glaring weakness, the evaluators are going to be able to find it. You can't hide a weak wrist shot or poor passing skills for long.

The good news is that every player who has ever played the game has weaknesses!!!

Not everyone is a natural goal scorer, a great two-way player or great at controlling the breakout. And while every coach would love to have a team full of players who can execute every skill and strategy perfectly, they also know that it is a completely unrealistic vision for a team.

The key to impressing the scouts and coaches is to be the best on the ice at whatever it is that you do best. If the coach is looking for someone who has that strength (and trust me, they are), then you are going to be the one they remember. Instead of comparing yourself to everyone else on the ice and worrying about your weaknesses, focus on what you do best - and do it the best to of your ability.

Make them notice you for your strengths and not for your short-comings.

Kim McCullough, M.Sc., YCS is a highly sought-after expert in the development of aspiring hockey players and has played at the highest level of women's hockey in the world for the last decade. Kim's player development website ( http://www.totalfemalehockey.com ) gives coaches and parents of aspiring young players access to programs, articles and advice on how to help their players take their game to the next level. To learn more about how to have your best hockey camp ever, get your FREE Report: "How To Get The Most Out of Your Camp Experience" at http://www.totalfemalehockey.com/free-report.shtml

A standard size pool table is considered a 7' Standard. It is 44" wide by 88" long. There are three standard cue sizes, which will determine the size of the room needed for a standard table. A 48" cue will require an 11' 8" x 15" x 4" table, while a 52" cue will require a 12' 4" x 16' sized room. The largest cue is a 57" cue and needs a room at least 13' x 17'.

However, there are three other size pool tables as well: bar size tables, regulation tables and tournament tables. Bar size tables are smaller (7') and are about 39" by 78". The 52" (middle size) cue requires a room 12" by 15". While the larger size (57") needs an extra nine inches to a foot added to both the width and length of the table.

Regulation tables and tournament tables are larger (respectively) and more challenging because they require longer shots from either end of the surface top. Regulation tables are 46" by 92" and tournament tables are 50" by 100". While most regulation tables require 12" x 16" for the smallest (48" cues), tournament tables require 12" x 16" 6'. Each requires an extra six to eight inches for the next size cue (52" or 57").

In order to decide what size table to use its important to know what type of gaming you are prepared to take on. If the table is being used for family play or for kids and teens, a standard or even small table will probably do. Standard tables are also great for casual game rooms and clubhouses while regulation and tournament tables are better for expert players.

Deciding on a certain area is also important. Find areas that do not have high traffic or allow the room allotted above for maneuvering. Pool can also be a spectator sport, so allowing room for onlookers can be important. From a bar or bar table or from standing room, an audience can enjoy the match as much as players.

A slate surface top is widely known as the best top to have for a pool table. Other materials can warp over time, whereas the Billiard of Congress (BCA) accepts a three piece slate top as proficient surface material for a billiard table.

Cushions, pockets and rails as well as sights are additional touches for tables that make them exciting and professional-looking. When choosing cushioning look for gum rubber materials which allow for a fast rebound. For tournament play, K-66 cushions are required. As long as a sight provides a suitable, but non-distractive reference point for aiming, they can be extremely helpful and stylish. Overall solid wood rails offer the best rebound and faster frame. Drop pockets can be net or material, and even vinyl or plastic. Leather pockets provide a more professional look. Pro tables will contain an automatic ball return, which is both helpful and stylish.

Always try to match your pool table do the décor of the room. A pool table should stand out as a space of entertainment, not as a focal point of decoration. Choose from modern, classic, vintage and art deco styles that speak to the motif in the rest of the room. Pool tables that stand out for their overall style can be distracting for onlookers and players.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background also includes teaching, gardening, and recreation. For more of her useful articles on billiard tables, please visit Billiard Tables, supplier of billiard tables, pool tables, and more.