Your Sports Technique - Tired of Being Second Best?

Goal Setting is important to find out where you are and where you want to be. Set goals for preseason, in season, and post season. Check on them daily to make sure you're on target.

Once you define your goals, check your inventory to make sure you have the proper equipment. Do you have enough poles, nets, balls? Do you have the proper car for competition? etc.

Now that you have your goals and equipment in order, it's time to set up your practice schedule. Some of the items your schedule should include are: what time of day do you want to practice? how many times per day? for how long? and what part of your game plan do you want to work on? Will your practice schedule be individual, group or team? Set your schedule and stick to it.

Once your practice schedule is set, determine what drills you'll work on during each practice. Break your practice schedule into time blocks to determine how long you'll spend on each drill. Also, determine what personnel will be involved.

To avoid injuries, all practice sessions should begin with warm up exercises and end with cool down exercises.

Another important factor to advance is your physical shape and endurance. So along with your sports practice schedule, you need to plan a personal training workout schedule which includes the following:

• weight lifting
• physical and respiratory endurance and
• flexibility.

Mental toughness is also important. Spend some time reading literature, listening to cds, or watching videos on how to prepare for mental toughness. Every sport requires that psychological edge over a competitor.

Finally, keep a proper diet. Look for a good book or video on proper diet or see a professional to help you with this area. Do you need vitamins, nutritional supplements, nutritional shakes, etc? Again, setting a weekly or monthly menu ahead of time will make things easier.

The better you execute your sports technique and the better shape you are in physically, mentally, and endurance wise the better your chances of being the best in your sport.

As a review, remember that when you're setting your goals, include proper equipment, practice schedules, drills, warm up and cool down exercises, strength-flexibility-and endurance (both physical and respiratory) training, mental toughness sessions, diet, nutrition and vitamins.

So stay focused on your goals, work hard, make sure you have the most up to date products, and see your sports technique and sports ranking accelerate to the top.

Arnulfo Rodriguez email address is sportstechniquesonline@gmail.com. I invite you to visit my sports website, where all the products mentioned in this article are featured, at http://www.sportstechniquesonline.com/, so don't wait, Click Now!

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Ze Roberto: Brazil never accept second

Ze Roberto’s individual gifts earned him a place in the Brazil side and spells with some of the world’s biggest clubs, among them Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Now in the twilight of his career, the veteran midfielder is enjoying life in Qatar, where he is starring for Al Gharrafa.

Winding down after an intense training session, Ze Roberto gave an exclusive interview to FIFA.com to discuss his time in Spain and Germany, new challenge in Qatar and his country's chances at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.

FIFA.com: Ze Roberto, you’ve had a long career. What’s brought you to Qatar for a new challenge at Al Gharrafa?
Ze Roberto: Well, I’d been receiving offers from Qatar for the last five years, but I’d always turned them down because I was very happy where I was, in the Bundesliga. Lots of things have changed since Qatar was named host of the 2022 World Cup. Interest in the game has grown here over the last few years, infrastructures are better and clubs have improved. They’re attracting some big players now, which has raised the standard of the league. Before taking a decision I spoke to my friend Juninho [Pernambucano], who played for Al Gharrafa and couldn’t speak highly enough of his time here. There was no way I could turn down the offer after that, especially as I was looking for a new challenge. I think this is going to be a very rewarding experience, even for someone of my age. I’ll be doing what I can to help my club and Qatari football as a whole, and right now I’m very happy here in Doha.

You played in Spain and then in Germany, where you appeared for three clubs. Can you tell us about your experiences in both leagues and the differences between them?
Even though I wasn’t with Real Madrid for very long, I still learned a lot and won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup. I really enjoyed living in the city too. After that I went to Leverkusen and reached the Champions League final, where we were beaten by my former club. I moved on to Bayern Munich and won a number of major titles before being sold to Hamburg. And while I was in Europe I also went back to Brazil for spells with Flamengo and Santos. The focus in Spain is on individual qualities and attacking football, and that’s why they go to every effort to buy great players. Things are more strict in Germany and there’s more discipline both in terms of tactics and fitness. The majority of clubs don’t make big signings, except for Bayern Munich, which is why they dominate the league and reach Champions League finals. My feeling is that German clubs should spend more on transfers to make the championship more competitive, and to try and reach the top and stay there.

When you played for Brazil, they usually finished champions or runners-up in tournaments. What was the secret of their success back then?
The team was gradually overhauled after winning the 1994 World Cup and the young players that came in were able to draw on the experience of the older players. That created a special kind of chemistry in the team, which helped us go on and win more titles, such as the Confederations Cup and the Copa America. We also reached the Final of the 1998 World Cup, and then made up for losing that by winning at Korea/Japan 2002. We stood still after Germany 2006, and our failure there should have resulted in radical changes in the build-up to the South Africa World Cup. The team continued to rely on individuals, though, and the results were there for all to see. Lots of things have changed since then. Some big players have been discarded to make way for a new team in the run-up to the next World Cup, to be played on home soil.

Is there a danger of there being too much pressure on the national team, to the extent that they won’t be allowed to lose?
Yes. Brazilians have got football in their blood and have been dreaming of the world title since the day the country was awarded the 2014 World Cup. Back in 1950, we passed up a great opportunity at the Maracana, a disappointment that everyone wants to put behind them. There’s no doubt the team will have a huge amount of pressure on their shoulders for the simple reason that Brazilian people are never happy with second place.

How do you think Brazil are shaping up for 2014?
I feel the best is yet to come. There have been a lot of changes and an ambitious rebuilding plan was put in place last year, with talented youngsters such as [Alexandre] Pato, Neymar and Ganso all coming into the side. Brazil is still a breeding ground for great players, as we showed by winning the U-20 World Cup last year. We need time to strengthen the team, which is going to grow and develop, and if everything goes as planned, I’m sure they’ll live up to the fans’ expectations. The players need to gel now and play more internationals so they can work on their weak points and develop their strengths. If they keep doing what they’ve been doing up to now, I’m sure they’ll be a competitive outfit and I’m sure we’ll see the Trophy coming back to Brazil.

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Last-gasp Lazio go second

Miroslav Klose scored three minutes from time to earn Lazio a crucial 3-2 win at rock bottom Lecce on Saturday and move the Roman club up to second in Serie A. Klose scored a brace and provided the pass for Lorik Cana to add Lazio's other goal while David Di Michele and Stefano Ferrario netted for the hosts.

Klose's double took him to eight league goals this season and brought him level with AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic at number three in the scoring charts. Lazio could yet lose second place later in the tomorrow if either AC Milan draw or Udinese win, but the result ensured the capital-based club will remain amongst the front-runners.

"We know Klose's strength and if you leave him alone for a moment in the area he's unforgiving," Reja told SkySport. "Today I can say without a problem that we struggled and we were kissed by luck, Lecce deserved at least a draw.

"I expected a different performance from us but instead we struggled throughout the game. We're taking home three points thanks to our strikers but what I like about my team is their desire to fight even on a difficult evening."

Lecce may have come into the game bottom of the table but they showed no hint of an inferiority complex. From the start they were on top and they earned a penalty after Di Michele beat the offside trap and was brought down by Federico Marchetti's rash dash from his line. The former West Ham striker dusted himself down and dispatched the spot-kick.

Marchetti may have been at fault in giving away the penalty but he redeemed himself to a certain degree with a pair of fine saves from Luis Murial and Di Michele. Then, out of nothing, the visitors equalised as Mobido Diakite climbed highest to win a header and Klose turned sharply to guide the ball home from close range. Yet still it was Lecce who threatened as Murial cut inside a defender but then shot wastefully wide of the near post from 12 yards. 

Lazio may have been holding on at times in the first half but they came out with a bang after the break. Cana burst from midfield, played a one-two with Klose and then shot across Massimiliano Benassi. But by the hour mark the hosts had levelled as Ruben Olivera swung a free-kick into the box and Murial hooked the half-cleared ball back into the danger area where Ferrario was one of four players lining up to knock the ball home.

Di Michele had a great chance to snatch a late winner for Lecce after turning Marius Stankevicius inside out and leaving him on his seat but he then chipped not just substitute goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo but also the bar. And the hosts were made to pay as France forward Djibril Cisse crossed from the right and Klose ghosted across his marker to flick a glancing header inside the post.

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Italy becomes second team to qualify for Euro 2012

LONDON - Spain and Italy sealed places at Euro 2012 with two qualifying games to spare on Tuesday while the Netherlands and England both claimed victories to close in on next year's finals in Ukraine and Poland.

Alvaro Negredo scored twice as defending champion Spain thrashed Liechtenstein 6-0 to secure top spot in Group I, and substitute Giampaolo Pazzini's 85th-minute strike earned the Italians a narrow win in Florence that clinched them first place in Group C.

The 2010 and 2006 world champions join already-qualified Germany in the finals.

The Netherlands maintained its perfect record in Group E with a 2-0 victory in Finland but still need a point to guarantee first place, like England, which beat Wales 1-0 in Group G.

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Rain washes out second day of fourth-round play at US Open

NEW YORK, N.Y. - A little after 3 p.m. Tuesday, Rafael Nadal settled in at a table in the U.S. Open players' cafeteria and sprinkled some salt on his lunch of salmon and rice.

The day's work for the defending champion was complete, consisting of a 1 1/2-hour practice session indoors at Flushing Meadows instead of his scheduled fourth-round match outdoors, because steady rain washed out all of Tuesday's action.

Sitting a couple of seats away, Toni Nadal — Rafael's uncle and coach — laughed at a question about the scary scene during a post-match news conference over the weekend, when his nephew grimaced and called for a trainer's help for right leg cramps, then slid out of his chair to the floor.

"He's perfectly healthy, with no problems at all," Uncle Toni said. "He's good. Practice was normal yesterday, and normal today."

During last year's run to his first U.S. Open title, which completed a career Grand Slam, Nadal served superbly — "His best serving in one tournament," Uncle Toni called it — regularly hitting aces at more than 130 mph and getting broken a total of five times in seven matches.

This year, Nadal already was broken nine times in three matches, and six in his opener alone.

"In the first round, he played no good. He made so many mistakes. He was broken so much. But after, he played so much better," Uncle Toni said. "I'm not worried about his serve. His serve isn't a problem."

Indeed, their biggest concern suddenly is when the weather will allow players to get back on court. As it is, the men in the second-seeded Nadal's half of the draw — such as No. 4 Andy Murray, No. 21 Andy Roddick and No. 28 John Isner — could be forced to play four matches in five days, or even worse.

"We would prefer to play today, because after not playing today, every day is one day less," Uncle Toni said. "That makes it more complicated."

The men in the other half of the field, including No. 1 Novak Djokovic and 16-time major champion Roger Federer, already have progressed to the quarter-finals.

"It's a huge advantage for the top half right now. They have one match to play in the next four days, and the other guys have two — and then they'll have two more after that," said U.S. Davis Cup captain Jim Courier, a four-time Grand Slam title winner. "It's the luck of the draw."

There is no permanent or retractable roof on any court used for matches at the U.S. Open, unlike at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. The French Open announced plans to install a retractable roof on centre court by 2016.

Citing financial concerns and technical complexities, the U.S. Tennis Association says it doesn't have plans to put a roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium, although it is still studying possible options. Past estimates put the cost of a roof at US$150 million to $200 million.

And so wet weather affects plans at the year's last Grand Slam tournament, where rain pushed the men's final back a day to Monday in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The two-week U.S. Open began Aug. 29, and is scheduled to end Sunday.

Tuesday was the first time play has been delayed by rain this year, postponing a total of 54 matches — four in the fourth round of men's singles, two in the quarter-finals of women's singles, along with doubles and juniors — at least until Wednesday, when the forecast predicts more rain.

The men's matches originally set for Tuesday were Nadal against unseeded Gilles Muller of Luxembourg; Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, against No. 5 David Ferrer of Spain; Isner against No. 12 Gilles Simon of France; and three-time Grand Slam finalist Murray against unseeded Donald Young of the United States.

In women's singles, No. 2 Vera Zvonareva was to face No. 9 Sam Stosur, and No. 26 Flavia Pennetta was scheduled to play unseeded Angelique Kerber of Germany.

Those six matches now are on Wednesday's schedule, plus the other two women's quarter-finals — 13-time major champion Serena Williams vs. No. 17 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki vs. No. 10 Andrea Petkovic — and the first two men's quarter-finals — Djokovic vs. No. 20 Janko Tipsarevic, and Federer vs. No. 11 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

"It's going to get crazy once it gets going," Courier said.

The schedule-juggling produced a couple of notable tweaks.

Because the tournament wants to try to ensure that if tennis is played Wednesday, the held-over men's matches can get on court as early as possible, Roddick-Ferrer was shifted from Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday night to Louis Armstrong Stadium at 11 a.m. Wednesday. And Young's first Grand Slam quarter-final, against the far-more-experienced Murray, was shifted from the 23,771-seat Ashe to the 6,106-seat Grandstand.

"Donald might be more comfortable on a smaller court ... out of the spotlight," Courier said.

Roddick hasn't played anywhere at Flushing Meadows other than Ashe since Sept. 3, 2002, when he beat Juan Ignacio Chela at Armstrong in the fourth round; that's 39 consecutive U.S. Open matches at Ashe.

Roddick acknowledges that gives him a sort of home-court advantage there.

"Yes, yes, there's definitely things that are always the same out there and things that appear to be one way and they are definitely the other way," Roddick explained after his third-round victory Sunday. "I would sit here and go through them all, but that would pretty much waste all of the experience that you are asking me about."

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Myers wins second straight start as Astros beat Pirates

PITTSBURGH -- Humberto Quintero got a close look at Brett Myers' career-long losing streak.

So Quintero did as much as he could to end it.

Quintero had three RBIs, threw out a runner attempting to steal immediately prior to a home run and called Myers' first win in 2 1-2 months, leading Houston to a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

"I'm happy because I know he hasn't won a lot this year and it's been tough for him," Quintero said. "Maybe he'll start winning now and we'll see more wins next year."

Myers (4-13) allowed one run and four hits over 7 2-3 innings at soggy, chilly PNC Park as last-place Houston snapped a four-game losing streak.

Myers skipped his most recent turn in the rotation to be with his wife as she gave birth to the couple's fourth child. He had lost seven consecutive decisions since he pitched a four-hitter in a 7-3 victory at the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 17.

"I just try to go out there and get quality starts," Myers said. "If I get a win, I get a win. I'm just trying to help this ballciub win games, but it's always good to get a win for myself, too."

The Astros have won four of their last five against Pittsburgh but are 2-9 in their past 11 against everyone else. Jimmy Paredes finished with three hits and Mark Melancon worked the ninth for his 17th save.

Ryan Doumit homered and former No. 4 overall draft pick Brad Lincoln had another effective outing for Pittsburgh, which has lost two of three and seven of 10.

It rained for much of the game for the second straight day of the series, but there were no in-game delays again. Monday afternoon's game started 56 minutes late due to the weather, but Tuesday's contest went on without a hitch despite temperatures falling to 10 degrees Celsius and wet conditions.

Both starters seemingly were unaffected by the weather -- or maybe it was two of the NL's worst scoring teams. Myers struck out six and walked none.

"He was able to keep them off balance," Houston manager Brad Mills said. "He got one breaking ball up to Doumit, but he didn't have many baserunners. There weren't a lot of stressful innings for him, and that was just great to see. It kind of set the tone for us."

The Astros grabbed the lead in the second. Carlos Lee led off with a single and stole second. He moved up on Brian Bogusevic's single and scored when Paredes grounded into a fielder's choice.

Quintero had a two-out RBI double in the second and a two-run single in the eighth.

Doumit hit a two-out drive in the second for his eighth homer.

Lincoln (1-2) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings. He tied a career high with six strikeouts and walked none.

"He leaves game giving up (only) two runs," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "He was very solid again tonight. Very aggressive on both sides of the plate. ... He was very, very effective, just a good mix of pitches, the ball was down in the zone. Another good outing for Brad, a very good outing."

Lincoln threw 67 of 97 pitches for strikes. He has allowed seven runs in his past four starts -- all coming in either the first or second inning.

"It seems when I do give up runs they come in little bunches like that," Lincoln said. "But I felt good out there. The curveball felt good, and it was good to get deep into the game."

Pittsburgh had two men on with two outs in the eighth, but Wesley Wright got Garrett Jones to fly out to right.

NOTES: Pirates OF Jose Tabata was diagnosed with a broken bone in his left hand. He will rest and receive treatment for 10 days to allow the bone to heal and will be re-evaluated at that time. He first experienced pain while swinging the bat in the cage on Aug. 24 and left Monday's game due to pain in the hand. ... the Astros activated LHP Sergio Escalona from the disabled list. ... RHP J.A. Happ is scheduled to start for Houston on Wednesday. He has allowed four earned runs in three starts against Pittsburgh this season. ... LHP Brian Burres makes his second start of the season Wednesday for the Pirates.

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