Category: Sports

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The Unsung Heroes of Boxing: Shedding Light on the Essential Members of a Corner Team

In a boxer’s corner, there are typically several individuals who play different roles in helping the fighter prepare for and execute their match. These roles include the head coach, assistant coach, cutman, and sometimes additional support staff.

The head coach is the primary leader of the boxer’s corner team. They are responsible for developing and implementing the overall game plan for the fight, as well as overseeing the training and preparation of the fighter. The head coach is often the person who is most familiar with the fighter’s strengths and weaknesses, and they will work with the other members of the team to create a strategy that maximizes the fighter’s abilities while minimizing their vulnerabilities.

The assistant coach is another important member of the boxer’s corner. They work closely with the head coach to provide support and guidance to the fighter during training and in the corner during the fight. The assistant coach may also be responsible for specific aspects of the fighter’s preparation, such as speed or strength training.

The cutman is a critical member of the boxer’s corner team whose primary responsibility is to treat any cuts or swelling that may occur during the fight. The cutman is trained to quickly and effectively stop bleeding and reduce swelling, which can help the fighter to continue competing even after suffering injuries.

In addition to these core members of the boxer’s corner team, there may be additional support staff, such as strength and conditioning coaches or nutritionists, who help the fighter to stay in top physical condition and maintain a healthy diet leading up to the fight.

Overall, the different roles in a boxer’s corner are all essential to the fighter’s success in the ring. By working together as a team and utilizing their individual expertise, the members of the boxer’s corner can help the fighter to perform at their best and achieve victory over their opponent.

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Mastering the Ring: A Comprehensive Overview of Boxing Rules for Athletes and Fans

Boxing is a popular combat sport that has been around for centuries, and it has evolved significantly over time. Nowadays, boxing matches are governed by strict rules that are designed to keep the fighters safe and maintain the integrity of the sport. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at these rules and what they entail.

First and foremost, boxing matches are divided into rounds of three minutes each, with one minute of rest in between. Boxers are required to wear gloves weighing between 8 and 10 ounces, as well as a mouthpiece, a protective cup, and hand wraps. These safety measures are crucial to prevent injuries during fights.

There are also strict rules regarding fouls in boxing, such as hitting below the belt, hitting after the bell, head-butting, and biting. These fouls can result in point deductions or even disqualification, as they are seen as both dangerous and unsportsmanlike.

To ensure a level playing field, boxers are also required to weigh in before the fight to ensure they meet the weight class requirements. There are several different weight classes in boxing, ranging from flyweight (up to 112 pounds) to heavyweight (over 200 pounds). This helps to ensure that fighters of similar size and weight are pitted against each other.

In addition to these basic rules, various state athletic commissions also have their own regulations governing boxing events. These can include rules regarding the size of the ring, the number of rounds, and the use of certain types of equipment. For example, some states require fighters to wear headgear during amateur bouts.

Overall, the goal of boxing rules is to ensure the safety of the fighters while maintaining the integrity of the sport. Boxing is a thrilling and exciting sport to watch, but it’s important to remember that the safety of the fighters always comes first. By following these rules and regulations, we can continue to enjoy the sport for years to come.

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7 Tips for Becoming a Successful Amateur Boxer in America: From Building Endurance to Entering Competitions

As an amateur boxer in America, there are several key steps that you can take in order to improve your skills and succeed in the sport. Here are some tips that you should keep in mind:

1. Find a good gym: The first step in your journey to become an amateur boxer is to find a good gym where you can train regularly. Look for a facility that is clean, well-equipped, and run by experienced coaches who can help you improve your technique.

2. Learn the basics: Before you can start sparring or competing, you need to learn the basics of boxing. This includes footwork, punching technique, defensive maneuvers, and conditioning exercises. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and practice until you feel comfortable with these fundamentals.

3. Spar with other boxers: Once you have a basic understanding of boxing, it’s time to start sparring with other boxers. This will help you develop your timing, reflexes, and strategy in real-life situations. Be sure to spar with boxers who are at a similar skill level as you, and always wear proper protective gear. If you spar with someone who is more experienced, make sure that they are even tempered and that there are trainers present in the corners. 

4. Build your endurance: Boxing requires a lot of physical endurance, so it’s crucial that you build up your stamina over time. This can include running, cycling, or doing other cardio exercises on a regular basis.

5. Watch and learn from others: One of the best ways to improve your skills is to watch top-level boxers in action. Study their techniques, footwork, and fighting style in order to gain inspiration and ideas for your own training.

6. Enter amateur competitions: As you gain more experience and confidence, you may want to enter amateur boxing competitions. This can be a great way to test your skills against other boxers and gain valuable experience in the ring.

7. Stay motivated: Finally, it’s important to stay motivated and focused on your goals as an amateur boxer. Set realistic targets for yourself, and work hard to achieve them through consistent training and dedication.

With these tips in mind, you can become a successful amateur boxer in America and achieve your goals in the sport. Good luck!

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Top 10 Lamorinda High School Football Players 2022

Mike Lee

Top 10 Lamorinda High School Football Players 2022

These are my rankings for the top high school football players in the Lamorinda area for the 2022 season. The three Lamorinda high schools are Acalanes, Campolindo, and Miramonte. These rankings are for varsity sports only.

Top 10 High School Lamorinda Football Players 2022

  1. Dashiell Weaver (Sr.) | 6’0” • 170 lbs | (QB) Campolindo High School, Moraga, CA)— 2,672 Passing Yards, 30 Passing TD, 475 Rushing Yards, 5 Rushing TD, 3,147 Total Yards
  2. Luke Duncan (Sr.) | 6’5” • 195 lbs | (QB) Miramonte High School, Orinda, CA— 2,850 Passing Yards, 36 Passing TD, 98 Rushing Yards, 2,948 Total Yards
  3. Ethan Torres (Sr.) | 6’0” • 155 lbs | (DB/WR) Acalanes High School, Lafayette, CA— 29 Tackles, 6 Interceptions, 1 Fumble Recovery, 40 Receptions, 775 Receiving Yards, 9 TD
  4. Sulley Bailey (Jr.) | 6’1” • 180 lbs | (QB) Acalanes High School, Lafayette, CA— 1,832 Passing Yards, 16 Passing TD, 79 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing TD, 1,893 Total Yards
  5. Robbie Mascheroni (Sr.) | 6’4” • 200 lbs | (WR) Campolindo High School, Moraga, CA— 1,022 Receiving Yards, 17 TD
  6. Trevor Rogers (Jr.) | 6’3” • 185 lbs | (WR) Acalanes High School, Lafayette, CA)— 1,120 Receiving Yards, 15 TD
  7. Justin Zargarowski (Sr.) | 6’2” • 190 lbs | (LB) Acalanes High School, Lafayette, CA— 53 Tackles, 8.5 Sacks, 1 Interception, 1 Fumble Recovery, 1 Forced Fumble
  8. Nathan Bennett (Sr.) | 6’0” • 165 lbs | (LB) Acalanes High School, Lafayette, CA— 44 Tackles, 8 Sacks, 3 Forced Fumbles
  9. Charlie Murrin (Sr.) | 6’1” • 190 lbs | (LB) Campolindo High School, Moraga ,CA— 68 Tackles, 7 Sacks, 1 Fumble Recovery
  10. Jack Giorgianni (Jr.) | 5’10” • 180 lbs | (LB) Acalanes High School, Lafayette, CA— 93 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 Interception

Campolindo vs Acalanes (10/14/22)

Video provided by 49ers Cal-Hi & Sac-Hi Sports

Acalanes vs Miramonte (10/28/22)

Video provided by 49ers Cal-Hi & Sac-Hi Sports

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The Benefits of Strength and Conditioning For Young Athletes

Mike Lee

From youth to adulthood, strength and conditioning programs are a fundamental part of developing your athleticism, physical health and wellbeing. More research is being done that shows how training should begin as early as a child starts playing organized sports. This is typically around the ages 7 or 8. Some of the main benefits of strength and conditioning programs are increased strength, speed, and agility and it reduces the chances of sustaining an injury.

Most people wonder if strength training at a young age will stunt or hinder a person’s growth rate. There hasn’t been any evidence to prove this theory to be true. It’s just a myth. However, there are different stages of training youth athletes and there’s no need to rush into training with heavy weights. During the early stages of a person’s training exercises should be selected with the intent to teach certain functional movement patterns, like squatting, lunging and hinging.

The best age to start serious weight training is between 10 and 15 years old. Everyone has a different growth trajectory based on their genetics and the time that they hit certain levels of maturity. Gaining muscle mass will lead to more gains in strength, speed, and agility. Testosterone levels play a key role in gaining strength and growing muscle mass. Boys will have higher testosterone levels than girls, which is why they are usually bigger, stronger, and faster. The accumulation of the testosterone hormone comes in large during the ages when puberty hits.

Studies have shown that young boys on a consistent training plan have potential to gain strength, speed, and aerobic endurance year after year during the ages of 12 and 15. Girls have also shown ability to develop athletically during these years. However, the girls rate of athletic development is much less than boys due to them having more estrogen as opposed to testosterone. Estrogen is a hormone that tends to increase the amount of fat in a persons body. This is why young girls will develop speed, strength, and aerobic endurance at a lesser rate than their male counterparts whose hormones constantly produce muscle growth.

I also find this to be true in my personal experience. I grew up doing martial arts which gave me a strong foundation of strength exercises that were mainly body weight movements. I got my first weight set when I was about 12 years old, a couple years after I started playing organized tackle football. It was a basic barbell with sand weight plates. I pumped those weights all the time. My goal was to get bigger muscles to protect myself from all of the impact of tackling that football was placing on my body. I didn’t really know what I was doing. It was only a couple of exercises that I really knew how to do at that age. Barbell shoulder press and bicep curls.

Football pictures showing different stages of growth (Left: San Leandro Crusaders age 10; Right: University of Idaho age 18).

Despite the limited exercise selection, my body was still able to adapt to the constant training and I started to grow bigger and stronger. Over time I would develop a more complete training regimen and become the strongest player in my position on my high school and college football teams. This is why I always credit consistency to being the key to success.

Conclusion

Training is almost always going to be beneficial (except for overtraining). It is best to get familiar with exercise early while a person is still in their youth stages of development. The prime time to be developing athletic ability is during the teenage years because an athlete will have a spike in his or her hormone levels due to puberty, which will result in muscle growth and gains in strength, speed, and agility.

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Lee’s Fitness Unlimited Podcast Episode 2: Dat Man Dooley Interview

Check out this interview with my friend Abdul Iscandari aka Dat Man Dooley. It is also available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and all other podcasting platforms.

Listen here

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The Difference Between Strength and Power

The Difference Between Strength and Power

Strength and power, as much as the two sounds similar, are actually very different. 

If you’ve had an argument in the gym, the ring or even the bar that the two cannot be interchanged, you’ll be happy to know that you’re not in the wrong. 

Strength and power, although are often used as synonyms are far from it and when we dive into the definitions – it’s easy to understand the difference and how to measure the pair. We’ve compared and contrasted the two so that you don’t have to keep on googling and trawling the web. 

Muscle Strength

If we’re going to get scientific about it, muscle strength is defined as the maximum amount of force that a muscle can exert against a form of resistance in one single effort. This is what you expect from a traditional conversation about maximum strength and the one rep max effort.

Testing muscle strength is usually in the form of a variety of compound or olympic lifts with the maximum load in a single lift classifying muscle strength. Whether that comes in the form of maximum bench press, squat, deadlift or power clean, there’s plenty of exercises used as standards for measurements. 

Strength training is heavily weight related with a focus on low reps and numerous sets with personalized and custom training plans depending on the areas of strength improvements required. If the strength improvement is required for the squat for example, more heavy squats are to be cleverly implemented into a routine for development in the area. 

So put simply, strength is the maximum load that our bodies can press, lift or push for a single repetition. 

Muscle Power

Muscle power on the other hand is defined as the product of dynamic muscular force and muscle contraction velocity. When measuring power, the speed at which the muscle contracts is multiplied with the force is exerts.

With recent research from Tufts University, we now know that power is a much better indicator when compared to strength for a number of performance tasks and athletic movements. Power is required for every sport under the sun, whether that’s football, golf and even darts – to an extent. 

Training for power can include plyometrics such as depth jumps, hurdles, lateral hops etc. Of course power training does depend on the sport chosen and the requirements on the body that the specific sports request.  

Simply put, power is the combination of force and speed and so does require strength to be more effective.

The takeaway

To conclude, strength is the maximum load that can be lifted, pushed or pulled for a single repetition whereas power is the speed at which muscles contract multiplied by the force produced. Power therefore requires strength to be effective and to build movements in athletic performance. 

Training for strength requires a clever implementation of low rep, high set exercising with a focus on compound movements. When focusing on power, bodyweight and lower weight plyometrics with speed can be implemented into a routine for improvements in power.