Here is the link for the Speed Training video – http://digg.com/d1upKL

See the Villa Serena wedding at http://ping.fm/5W1CR

Speed Training – Premier1sports – www.premier1sports.com

There are many thoughts and theories regarding the ideals and principals of “Good Coaching”. “Good Coaching” is simply placing your athletes in the best possible position for them and the team to succeed. This is most evident when coaching speed and agility. In order to become faster you must practice running with proper technique at high speeds. Learning how to relax and positioning your body properly while sprinting is the key to the equation: Stride Length X Stride Frequency= SPEED. Whether developing acceleration or during top speed training, mechanics must be critiqued daily. Speed enhancement takes a strong work ethic and practice but can be mastered with Premier Coaching – www.premier1sports.com. Developing speed is a skill that can be learned and taught by everyone.

Whether speed training youth or professionals, athletes must first learn how to use their arms. Proper arm swing is the most important aspect of speed development because they essentially control the body while sprinting. Arms will help stabilize the core and allow athletes to create a faster stride frequency and longer stride length. Arms should always be thrown in a linear motion and never across the mid-point of the body. Hands must remain relaxed and brought up underneath the chin. Athletes have to teach their body what it feels like to have an aggressive yet smooth arm swing. It is important that arms are positioned at a 90 degree angle and then opened to no further that 120 degree’s when thrown down and back past the hip. Throwing the hand past the hip will enable the heel to gain maximal height so that the athlete can utilize the step-over technique (Which will be explained in part 2).

Teaching your body how to train with high intensity is a skill that takes repetition and patience to master. “Good Coaching” is consistently reinforcing proper body positioning on every sprint or drill. The Premier Speed and Agility system – www.premier1sports.com will demonstrate all the proper techniques needed to produce blazing fast speed. If you have the ability to recognize proper mechanics then you can become a “Premier Coach”!!

Kenny Johnson – Premier1sports

THE COLLECTIVE RENAISSANCE GUILD EVENT

LUDACRIS, ANDREW YOUNG, WYNTON MARSALIS,  KWANZA HALL, KENNY BURNS, KEVIN “SHEKSPEAR” BIGGS, KILLER MIKE, ANTHONY DENT AND OTHERS JOINED THE COLLECTIVE RENAISSANCE GUILD .

All about the Elegance

Star and Cedric’s wedding was all about the elegance!  Their Atlanta home was transformed into the most beautiful scene.  The ceremony took place next to the Chattahoochee river, which set the tone for the rest of the evening.  The ambience of the lights under the tents, the magnificent display of foods, the balloons in the pool, and lets not forget the bride’s dress, everything screamed elegant!  See their wedding story http://www.vsphotography.com/miller2

RELATIONSHIP COMMUNICATION

“Why don’t you come to bed,” my husband asked.  “I’m not sleepy,” I responded.  A few minutes later, came the same question with an agitated tone.  “Why don’t you just come to bed?”  “I told you, I’m not sleepy”, I snapped back!  About 15 minutes later, he insisted, “Michael-Renee, just come to bed!”  I yelled back, frustrated, “What part of ‘I’m not sleepy’ do you not understand?”  “You don’t have to sleep.  Let’s just snuggle,” he said.  “How are we going to snuggle when you are going to sleep?  That’s not snuggling.  That’s me holding you while you sleep and I lay there awake looking at the ceiling and I don’t want to do that!  You’re not my father!  I’ll come to bed when I am sleepy!”

OUCH!  What an insensitive response to the man that I claim to love with every ounce of my being.  Did I totally miss the point of that whole dialogue or what?  My husband and I did not speak for almost two days after that exchange.  He was hurt and I was angry.  So, what happened?  Miscommunication – that’s what happened.  We lost two days of “togetherness” because we didn’t take ten minutes to try to understand what we were each trying to communicate.

So, let’s break it down.  What my husband really wanted was “cuddle time”.  All I heard was “come to bed.”  I am very concrete, meaning I have trouble “reading between the lines.”  He did not clearly state his need and I did not ask for clarification.  I was too busy being defiant, controlling, and selfish.  So, I missed an opportunity to be close to my husband “just because” and he missed getting his need for some quality time and physical touch met.  We both lost in this senseless argument because we did not stop to find out what was really being communicated.

Communication is a learned behavior.  We learn how to communicate as children by watching those around us.  As adults, our communication is affected by more societal influences – what we think is hip or cool, what is politically correct, what is socially acceptable, etc.  Communication is complex.  It consists of words, body language, intonation, and emotion.  When all facets are congruent, a powerful message can be generated.  For example, “I love you” – whispered with soft passion, while maintaining direct eye contact, and holding hands – feels genuine.  When some facets are incongruent, meaning they do not match, then the message not only loses its power, but may become incredulous.  For example, “I love you” – mumbled under the breath with crossed arms and a frown – feels quite disingenuous and may not be perceived as true.

Communication, not sex, is what gets couples through relationship situations.  When there are financial problems, communication helps find a solution.  When there are intimacy problems, communication can help spark new passion.  When there are parenting problems, communication can help develop a unified strategy.  When there are communication problems, there is silence.  Nothing gets solved.  No growth happens.  For couples who seem to be speaking different languages to each other, I recommend reading The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman.  Our love language is what makes us feel loved.  Once you learn each other’s love languages – quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving of gifts, and physical touch – you will have a new understanding of how to better communicate your love to one another.

Let’s talk about words.  We all know words can evoke different emotions.  They can bring smiles and they can bring tears depending on what the words are, when they are used, and how they are said.  Words can cut like a knife and they soothe the deepest hurt.  So, be very careful about the words you choose to use with each other.  Once they have left your mouth, you cannot take them back.  So, be kind to one another and think before you speak.

What about your body language?  Folded arms communicate that a barrier is up between you and you will only get so close.  Eye contact communicates interest and integrity.  When someone cannot look you in the eyes, it does not necessarily mean that they are not telling you the truth.  Eye contact has a cultural background.  There are some cultures that believe that making direct eye contact communicates a direct challenge of authority and is very offensive.  Other cultures believe that women should not make eye contact with men.  Another reason someone may not make eye contact initially is out of shame.  Now, if there is no cultural difference and no shame associated with the discussion and there is still no eye contact, then you may want to question the level of honesty.  When someone is really listening to you, there is usually eye contact and they will probably be leaning toward you.  You know indifference when you see it.  In the South, we like to reach out and touch people when we talk – this communicates concern or affection.

Intonation is hard to write about.  It is simply how you sound to the other person.  I get told a lot that I am abrasive.  I have a very loud voice and I can be very short.  I am the kind of person who says what I mean and don’t add a lot of fluff.  So, to people who do not care for my directness, it seems abrasive.  So, I have had to work on my tone.  A lot of strong, black women I have talked to seem to get this same feedback.  So, my best suggestion to you, when it comes to intonation, is to ask for feedback.  How do people hear you?  What do you sound like when you talk?  Be open to what people tell you and remember that their perception is 100% of their reality.  Soften your tone if needed.  Don’t be condescending.  Those are the two biggest complaints about tone.

Your emotions may affect your tone.  When we are depressed, our tone can be very flat – completely lacking emotion as if we don’t care.  Anger, joy, and sadness can be heard in our tone as well.  Unfortunately, though, fear and hurt can sometimes be mistaken for anger when we are listening to tone.  So, again, be careful to look at the whole communication picture.  What is the discussion about?  What happened to provoke the conversation?  What emotion would you have if the shoe was on the other foot?  Try to understand the emotions behind the tone if you get confused or feel yourself becoming defensive.

Lastly, learn to listen effectively.  You can talk until you are blue in the face and your partner may not really hear you.  When your partner needs to have a serious discussion with you, stop what you are doing and give [him or her] your undivided attention.  Face each other when you talk.  If you are taller than your partner, sit down so that you can be at eye level with each other.  After a few minutes, stop and make sure that you have heard [him or her] correctly.  Simply, say, “What I heard you saying was……….” and explain in your own words what you heard your partner say.  Then, allow your partner to answer, either, “Yes, that’s correct” or “No, what I was trying to say was……..” allowing them to rephrase what they said so you might understand better.  Then, continue your conversation back and forth.  Take moments throughout your conversation to check in with each other and make sure that you are hearing each other correctly.  This will stop any misunderstandings before they start to fester.

Remember that communication can make or break your relationship.  You will not always agree on everything.  However, if you fight fair and are kind to each other, you can talk about anything and work it out.  Fighting fair means no name calling, no cheap shots, no degradation, no throwing up the past, and no lying.  Choose words that you will not regret.  Use your words to uplift each other.  Don’t use them as a weapon.

Brides Get Ideas for the Big Day

During a private candle-lit dinner Dec. 14 at the Drake, Joe Schierbrock, 21, of West Point asked Ashley Anderson, 22, of Denmark to spend the rest of her life with him in wedded bliss.

“I thought it (the dinner) was a birthday present, but it turned out to be an engagement as well,” Ashley nderson said. “It came as a big surprise.”

After a shocked moment of silence, she said — yes.

The Southeast Iowa Community College students chose July 26 to get married. Now with the glow of the initial proposal wearing off, the work and stress sets in.

They have to organize, plan and bring all the little details together while finishing their final semester at SCC. They both plan to transfer to Iowa State University next year.

Wedding planners generally recommend beginning preparations at least a year in advance, if not earlier.

“We’re running a little behind,” Anderson said. “We have a lot of planning to do, a lot of calls to make and only seven months left.”

The couple already has the wedding and reception locations set, now they have to decide on all the other details such as the catering, photography, wedding cake, music, favors and decorations.

To begin that planning, they, and their mothers, attended the Burlington Bridal Fair 2008 Sunday at the Pzazz Convention Center.

The fair is sponsored by the Burlington Radio Center, which is owned by Pritchard Broadcasting Corp. and includes radio stations KKMI 93.5 FM, KDMG 103.1 FM, KQKQ 92.1 FM and KHKI 97.3 FM.

The fair attracted more than 200 brides who had plenty of options to explore with about 40 venders offering everything needed for the perfect wedding, according to organizer Chet Young. The show even included a fashion show presented by Di’s Photography & Formal Wear.

Organizers measure attendance in brides, but most brides brought a variety of helpers from best friends to future mothers-in-law with them.

“It’s kind of overwhelming,” said Sharon Anderson, Ashley’s mother. “It’s a lot to take in, but it’s very helpful.”

Looking in magazines at pictures of dresses and cakes just doesn’t compare with seeing or tasting them in person, Ashley Anderson said.

“When you actually get to see things, it’s a big help,” she said.

After a little taste testing, Ashley Anderson said she had decided to have wedding cupcakes in a variety of flavors instead of a wedding cake.

“I wanted chocolate coconut, but no one else wanted it. So I thought we’d get everything,” she said.

Ashley Anderson said her parents would be paying for the majority of the wedding and have given her a $10,000 budget.

This means she will have to watch closely. The average Burlington wedding cost about $22,750 (not including the honeymoon), according to www.costofwedding.com, a Web site owned and operated by The Wedding Report Inc. which provides statistics and marketing research for the wedding industry.

However, fathers of Burlington brides should count themselves lucky. The national average for weddings is $28,800, and in New York City weddings average $38,300.

The cost of tying the knot has risen steadily over the last 15 years. In 1992, the average wedding cost only about $12,000, Young said.

The rising costs have caused many financial advisers to suggest couples simply elope rather than take on substantial debt.

An article published on www.thestreet.com earlier this year suggested instead of a big wedding, couples put $35,000 in a Roth IRA. If a couple did this at age 25, and the money earns 9 percent annually, the account would grow to more than $1.26 million by age 65.

The wedding day, however, is something many mothers and daughters dream of their entire lives, Young said. And many are unwilling to give up that special day.

In that case, a budget is a must and can greatly help reduce wedding stress, according to financial planners.

A survey of 500 newlyweds released earlier this year by The Knot Credit Card from American Express found 58 percent of couples named money their number one wedding stress, and 75 percent of couples said they didn’t set up a wedding budget or didn’t stick to their budget.

For those on a slim budget, Valerie Gray of Burlington based Petal Pushers said costs can be kept low by being creative, such as holding the reception in a back yard instead of a convention hall.

Many couples are keeping the costs down by choosing to have a destination wedding, said Tammy Luckenbill, local owner of the All About Honeymoons, a nation wide franchise. Luckenbill serves southeastern Iowa and opened the new wedding and honeymoon oriented travel planning business in September.

The average destination wedding costs between $15,000 and $17,000, which includes paying for 25 of the couple’s closest friends and family to witness the event, Luckenbill said.

Nationally about 7 percent to 10 percent of couples are opting for the destination wedding, and that number is growing, Luckenbill said.

“It really makes for a memorable occasion. And couples are finding it costs them a lot less than a traditional wedding,” she said.

By NICHOLAS BERGIN

Wedding Photography, Wedding Photographer, Wedding Photographs

Mili weds Simon at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta.  Their wedding was a very bright event, filled with ritual and celebration.   Though most Indian weddings are arranged, Mili and Simon’s wedding was a love marriage.  Wedding Photography was provided by Korey Akinbami of Visual Statements Photography and Video

Villa Christina at Perimeter Summit, Atlanta, GA

Korey Akinbami recently photographed a unique wedding at Villa Christina at Perimeter Summit, Atlanta, GA.  It was a perfect day for the couple – ZsaVette Ellis & Edward Frye.  Villa Christina at Perimeter Summit is one of Korey Akinbami’s favorite wedding venues.   Villa Christina is three-story, stacked-stone Italian villa in Atlanta, is surrounded by professionally landscaped rose gardens, meandering streams and majestic waterfalls.

Foxgloves and Ivy: Preferred Vendor of Visual Statements Photography

Foxgloves & Ivy Floral Design Studio is a preferred vendor of Visual Statements Photography and Video www.vsphotography.com.   Foxgloves & Ivy Floral Design Studio specializes in true European floral artistry, whether the look is traditional or contemporary.

Foxgloves & Ivy Floral Design Studio

1058 Saint Charles Avenue
Atlanta GA 30306

Voted Best Florsit in Atlanta by City Search