To succeed in team sports, keep your head up!

Have you ever watched a beginner soccer or basketball player dribble a ball? Typically, this young player is constantly looking down at the ball, especially when closely defended. This behavior is understandable as the player has not yet developed the skills and confidence necessary to dribble the ball without looking at it.

Unfortunately, more advanced players often demonstrate the same behavior. When under pressure (or trying to score) they turn their head downward, exerting all of their concentration and effort on advancing the ball or puck past their defenders.

Read more » Inside Youth Sports: To Succeed in Team Sports, Keep Your Head Up!

The 2012 London Olympics in Numbers

Contributed by Emma Booth.
Regional Director, USA Sport Group.

With only 100 days to go until the XXX Olympiad opening ceremony, let’s have a rundown of the key numbers in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

2,000,000,000,000

The cost of staging the Games in British Pounds (£2 billion!).

4,700

The number of medals being produced for the Olympic and Paralympic games by the Royal Mint.

2012 Wisden Cricketers of the Year

Contributed by Emma Booth.
Regional Director, USA Sport Group.

Wisden is the leading cricket publication in the world and every year since 1889 the editor chooses five players who make it onto the 'Cricketers of the Year' list. A prestigious award, which you can earn only once in your lifetime. This year, four Englishmen and one Sri Lankan have made it onto the 2012 list.

Alastair Cook (Middlesex & England)

Cook has been the backbone of English test cricket last year scoring four hundreds, including a whopping 294 runs versus India. His one day performances have also come on leaps and bounds and Cook has asserted himself as one of the best batsman in the world.

Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire & England)

Tim Bresnan is a typical Yorkshire all-rounder. Hard hitting as a batsman and consistent as a bowler, his performance in the test match against India at Trent Bridge propelled him into international cricket stardom.

2012 NFL Draft Preview

Contributed by Bob Cowper.
Regional Director, USA Sport Group.

#1: Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Luck (QB, Stanford)
With Peyton Manning’s well documented departure from Indy, the Colts are looking for their new franchise quarterback.  Robert Griffin III is a close second, but Luck fits the Colts’ conservative style better.  Luck will be a starter from Day One and could see some early hiccups.  Sure, the Colts are only a season removed from the playoffs, but they are undergoing massive changes in the front office and coaching staff.

#2: Washington Redskins (From St. Louis), Robert Griffin III (QB, Baylor)
The Redskins traded away the family jewels to get a hold of the Rams #2 overall draft pick so they could grab RG3.  Will the steep price be worth it for an undersized, scrambling quarterback?  In the short term, I think RG3 will be a good change of pace for the downtrodden Redskins.  He will bring some energy and excitement to his teammates and fans, but that will fade.  In much the same way that Michael Vick’s athleticism propelled the Falcons to the playoffs in his first year as a starter in 2002, the Redskins will see some initial success (the playoffs may be pushing it, though).  Once the luster wears in 2013 and beyond, RG3 will be a serviceable quarterback at best.

2012 Major League Baseball Preview

Contributed by Emma Booth.
Regional Director, USA Sport Group.

So the MLB season starts this week and I will have to watch my beloved New York Mets start without short stop Jose Reyes for the first time since 2003. With a boat load of troubles surrounding the Mets on and off the field, it’s fair to say the future for the blue and orange season does not look bright.

But who will take the crown? Yes, it is too early to say, and yes, I may be putting all my eggs in one basket, but hey, that’s what I do.