Author: blogger

Picking a good sports fundraiser

When you’ve got a group of kids that are passionate about the sport they are playing, you can’t really ask for anything more than that. They get completely involved in learning how to play the sport while all the while trying to get better at it. As a coach or a volunteer for their team, you want to make sure that they have all of the appropriate equipment and uniforms that they deserve. One of the best ways to be able to pay for these items is through the use of sports fundraising. Sports fundraising can be done a number of different ways but it all comes down to the financial goals that you have and the personalities of the kids on your team.

When choosing good sports fundraising you will want to assess how much money you need to raise. If you are playing a sport like football, hockey, or lacrosse that includes a lot of equipment, pads and gear then you might need to pick sports fundraising that is a little bit larger in scale and yields higher returns. If your kids are playing soccer or basketball and only really need to worry about jerseys and shin guards, then you can pick sports fundraising that is a little bit less intense. If you are looking for a quick sports fundraising idea then you might try out doing a car wash.

A car wash is great sports fundraising idea because there really isn’t a lot of planning that needs to be done. In order to do a car wash for sports fundraising then all you really need is some water, soap, scrub brushes, towels, glass cleaner, and maybe some paper towels. If you are proactive about your sports fundraising then you might want to see what connections you have with local businesses to see if they will donate any of those items. This makes it literally free to start up and quick to do.

Another thing that you will want to decide when doing sports fundraising like a car wash is where to have it. You want the sports fundraising to be in a good public location where a lot of people are going to see you and decide whether or not to get their car washed at a moment’s notice. If you have any friends in local businesses that would be willing to have it in their parking lot then you’re sports fundraising is more likely to be a success. Networking and using your connections is crucial in sports fundraising.

Last of all, you want to make sure that people know about the sports fundraising car wash. Make sure the kids create huge signs to hold up on the side of the road to let people know what you are up to. Give them ideas of things to say or do to attract attention to the sports fundraising. When you do get people to come in, show the kids what to do in order to make the car look spotless so that the people helping out with the sports fundraising don’t feel ripped off.

Remember that this is just one of many sports fundraising ideas and that as you do your research you can find something to fit any team.

Sports Fundraising

Super Bowl XLVIII Interview with Obama – Will O’Reilly find the Character or paint a Caricature

Obama says Fox makes a -caricature’ of him – is there no truth in parody?

In the late eighties I had the good fortune of having for my friend, a Bavarian born caricature artist who was formerly the head of the art department for a major U.S. newspaper in Texas. He was going through a Bohemian lifestyle period in his life and could be found daily in the French Quarter of New Orleans setting up to do caricatures of visitors and natives alike.

Black and white pictures were the cheapest, but people were more apt to ask for the full color renderings which amplified their particular features and qualities. My friend was a master of color and shade and the pictures almost had a portrait effect laid hard into the caricature that people seemed to love.

I will not forget the answer he gave me, when one day, I asked him how he decided what features he would accent about a person to produce the uniqueness of each drawing.

He said there were two ways to decide what features to amplify. The first was, to decide for himself based on what he saw and what he heard as he engaged his subjects in conversations about where they were from, their jobs and careers, and other personal information. Very few people trusted him to decide what features he would choose to clinch the drawing. He said that deciding for them, was only used as a last resort, but why?

More often than not when he decided, they were not pleased with the final result. In fact, in some cases they would be offended. Although he was brutally honest in his artistic product, it wasn’t always exactly how his customers perceived themselves. If they were snobbish he caught it, if they were sloppy he caught that, but they wouldn’t accept that kind of honesty about themselves.

He solved the problem of the dissatisfied customer by asking them what they wanted to see exaggerated and blown out of proportion. The result was almost comical and at times – totally embarrassing.

Men with slight builds were depicted with barreling chests and powerful muscles. Women who were not so good looking were cast as luscious beauties. That is the point.

If we look at Mr. Obama through his own eyes to decide how well he is doing or what image he thinks he is impressing upon us, he will doubtless look just fine to most and great to some.

Is that what news organizations and agencies are supposed to do. Should they resort to a party line, a controlled access report or a pile of pre-pandered propaganda to inform us of what is going on with the President? If that is what we want; there are plenty of networks offering just that and little else.

Fox news has some loud mouths self-absorbed commentators and a few outright cornballs in their roster, but as far as the slogan -fair and balanced,’ can meet with any reasonable expectation, they are the only kid on the block and by no means the new kid on the block.

They can motivate without trying to mesmerize, they can expostulate without expletives and extraneous hyperbole. We are not stupid. We know O’Reilly is a hot headed Irishmen who sometimes ought to tone it down, but we are sure he is showing us his real character and not his feigned caricature.

We can disagree with him and others at Fox, but we know that they are trying to offer us an un-impeded view of events as they come down in real time. They don’t always get it, but they never ask those who they are reporting on – how they want to be depicted.

This is what makes our president insecure with Fox. What we must all remember is that, this is the president’s problem, not Fox’s problem, and by no means, is it our problem.

In the first Super Bowl interview O’Reilly kept pounding the president with the now classic, -Why do so many Americans hate you.- Mr. Obama squirmed away from directly answering that question and re-directed O’Reilly’s questioning with labored if not nervous subtlety.

With five years of his administration behind him, that question has already been answered. Now, we can only hope that Bill might ask for an explanation about why it has gone sour and what the president intends to do about it.

If the top dog at Fox doesn’t get all mushy in the presence of the Chief, perhaps this time he will paint the caricature based on what he actually sees and not what Mr. Obama wants him to see.

-And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.- (John 8: 32)

American Prophet.org has since 2005 featured the articles and reports of journalist Rev Michael Bresciani along with news and reviews that have earned this site the title of The Website for Insight. Millions have read his timely reports and articles in online journals and print publications across the nation and the globe. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook

Christmas Gifts and Presents For Sports Fans

Christmas is right around the corner, and finding gifts for everyone on your Christmas or Holiday Shopping List can sometimes be a daunting task. For those sports fans on your list weve got some very clever gift ideas such as the BallPark Pen. These pens are not just pens that look sporty, these are pens made from the actual wooden seats of demolished ballpark stadiums.

Laser engraved with the stadium name and its years of existence, these Ballpark pens are a piece of history that any sports fan would love, especially if you select their favorite stadium, or a stadium where they watched most games. There are also bottle openers and corkscrews made of the same wooden seats. Itll be valued and kept forever by your favorite sports fan.

Other great presents for sports fans include Stadium Cuff Links, again made from the seats of demolished stadiums, but coated in the original paint from the stadium and the stadium name engraved on the back. Or how about giving Ballpark Hammers with the name of their favorite NFL, MLB or College football team logo on it?

Great Christmas gifts or presents for sports fans can also come in the form of signatures by famous athletes on numerous items such as The Derek Jeter signed 27th World Championship article in the New York Times (mounted and framed) or a Derek Jeter signed baseball of the 27th World Championship, encased in glass. And every sports fan loves an autographed baseball jersey from their favorite player on their favorite team, complete with number and team colors. And autographed model sized NASCAR helmets are a big hit.

Autographed Newspaper Prints from the NY Times is always a great gift for a sports fan. Choosing the game that just knocked their socks off, that is autographed by team members, is a piece of memorabilia that every sports fan would love to get their hands on.

From pictures to books, baseballs, footballs, basketballs and everything in between, you may find that your sports fan friends and family are the easiest to buy for. There are so many items that represent the many teams and athletes that they love and admire. Be creative and unique with your gift giving and you are sure to get smiles and lots of thanks. Making your loved ones happy at Christmas is more fun than receiving gifts yourself. Look around for these great types of unique sports gifts and make your sports fan happy this year.

Rally Towel Outlet Serves Your Entire Needs!

Looking for a unique way to demonstrate the pride you might have in your team, business or hobby? Rally Towel Outlet is able to serve. Custom rally towels are around for your entire needs, and you can design them yourself. Turn-around time is simply 1-6 days, so even though you use a game or trade event springing up in a few days, you’ll still be able to make an enjoyable and personalized impression.

Sports Rally Towels

When a lot of people imagine rally towels, they are of sports teams. Why is this so? You see them at stadiums worldwide. Some playing venues give them out as fans come through the gates, although some charge a tiny fee.

If your favorite team doesn’t offer rally towels, you will want to incorporate some made yourself? Creating custom rally towels for your favorite team is both fun and a powerful way to show off your individual fashion sense. You can any famous quotes or sayings, or just a directory of past championships or another accomplishments.

Rally towels aren’t just for team sports, either. They’re particularly favored by NASCAR fans, too. If you wish to emblazon your rally towel along with your favorite driver’s car number and hues, go right ahead!

It’s a great technique to be out in a crowd.

A high level coach of your little league team, you understand how important motivation could be. Giving your players rally towels fosters feeling of pride and goodwill. Please remember, you are able to customize your rally towels to whatever team or sport you take part in.

A number of the sports teams that love rally towels include:

1. Swim teams

2. Equestrian clubs

3. Bowling and golf teams

4. Track and field competitors

As we discussed, rally towels are not just for football, baseball and hockey.

Business Rally Towels

Rally towels are not just readily available for your chosen sports teams. Companies use rally towels for various reasons. Probably the most popular uses of company-specific rally towels are:

1. Gifts To Employees

Let’s be honest we all like receiving free gifts. Giving rally towels to employees generates feelings of goodwill and loyalty. Some companies go so far as to put short, motivational quotes on the towels. Almost all of the effective if your small business is inside a high-stress or highly competitive industry.

2. Display Gifts

Handing free rally towels out at trade events and conferences is a great idea. Customers enjoy it now they have the name of your organization right in-front of the eyes. Some business people think rally towels are more effective than simply presenting business card printing. Place your reputation, email and number around the towels so current and prospective customers always have that information handy.

3. Promotional Gifts

In case you have a store front, it is possible to offer rally towels for your walk-in customers. Or, you can use them as a gift product to acquire customers registering for email, cards or whatever other current promotion. This is especially a good suggestion for grand openings. The same as handing them out at trade exhibitions, rally towels will act as free advertisement to your future customers.

For more information please visit: Custom Towels and Personalized Towels

How Sports Trading Pins Are Awarded

A number of trading pins are awarded for a variety of reasons in different sports. For example, in football and baseball athletes and teams sometimes can win trading pins for winning championships and tournaments. In soccer and hockey, certain pins are awarded for winning regional competitions and national events that lead to international competitions like the World Cup. By understanding how some of these pins are awarded, collectors are able to determine the overall collectible value of certain pins as they build their collections of sports trading pins.

Awarding of Sports Trading Pins in High School Sports

In high school sports, trading pins and other awards are awarded for a variety of reasons. Most often trading pins are awarded as a means of enhancing a sports team’s spirit of teamwork and are given to athletes at the end of a season as a way to reward players for participating in as many games as possible during the season. Some customized pins may be awarded to athletes who are on teams that win at county, district, regional, and state competitions. These pins are usually very colorful and are of great value to collectors of localized sports memorabilia. All in all, the criteria for the awarding of high school sports trading pins is often up to the discretion of a team’s coach and the athletic director of the high school program.

Awarding of Sports Trading Pins in Collegiate Sports Programs

Collegiate sports trading pins are some of the most sought after pins by athletes and collectors. These pins are usually awarded in a similar fashion to the way that high school pins are awarded with the exception that college-level pins are awarded on a more stringent basis. College-level sports pins are only awarded to the best performing players, whereas high school sports trading pins are usually awarded to all of the team’s players. That said, there are a few exceptions to this rule in the case of trading pins that are awarded for bowl games in football and the College World Series in baseball. In these events, just about every player on the team receives a trading pin commemorating the event. On the whole though, college-level sports trading pins are considered quite a bit more valuable by athletes and collectors.

To get a specific idea of how college-level sports trading pins are awarded, it is a good idea to look at a few of the most common trading pins awarded in collegiate baseball. One pin that is usually awarded to the pitching staff is a trading pin awarded for the pitcher to pitch the most number of games over the course of the season. Another trading pin that is highly coveted is the pin given to the player who hits the most home-runs over the season. Finally, a trading pin made from gold or silver is often given to the player who has been determined by the baseball team’s coaching staff to be the most valuable player by getting the largest number of opposing players out over the course of the season. As can be seen, college-level sports trading pins are usually only given to those players who have proven their value to the overall success of the team. This is one of the many reasons why these pins are highly sought after by collectors.

Awarding of Olympic and Professional Sports Trading Pins

An interesting fact about the awarding of Olympic and professional sports trading pins is that these pins were designed originally as a way to identify team members wherever they went when they were not participating in Olympic and professional sporting events. After World War II, companies started putting together a variety of sports trading pin designs in order to market sports memorabilia to professional and Olympic sports fans. As a result of this marketing push, fans began to receive more and more sports trading pins for professional and Olympic sporting events. This fact led to the development of the hobby of collecting sports trading pins. ‘

Today, sports trading pins are awarded to professional and Olympic athletes for many of the same reasons that they are awarded to athletes that participate in sports at a lower level. One will often find companies offering athletes and their fans professional and Olympic sports trading pins to mark a certain tournament like the Super Bowl or a historic Olympic event like the 2008 Olympics that were held in Beijing. All in all, Olympic and professional sports trading pins are some of the most commonly traded sports pins available to collectors.

The value of professional and Olympic trading pins is determined usually by a collector’s desire to own a professional team’s particular pin or to have a pin that memorializes a specific historical event. On the whole, these pins range widely in value making them a challenge for collectors who may consider their collection of sports trading pins to be an investment. Therefore, it can be a good idea to use a collector’s buying guide when purchasing any type of sports trading pin that you may be unfamiliar with.

Now that you have a better idea of how sports trading pins are awarded, you will be able to more easily determine the value of the pins that you are looking to collect. All in all, the hobby of collecting sports trading pins is an exciting and fascinating look at the wide world of sports.