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10 inspirational quotes of Aga Khan IV on his birthday
As millions of Ismaili Muslims around the globe are celebrating the birthday of their spiritual leader – His Highness Aga Khan IV, Facebook user Qamar Abbas has compiled a list of 10 inspirational quotes of Aga Khan IV .
Millions of Ismaili Muslims around the globe celebrate the birthday of their spiritual leader – His Highness Aga Khan IV, on 13th December every year. Gilgit-Baltistan is home to a huge fraction of Ismailis along with other sects of Islam like Sunnis, Shias and Noorbakshia.
H.H. Aga Khan has played an important role in the development of this region without any discrimination through various agencies of AKDN.
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of development agencies with mandates that include the environment, health, education, architecture, culture, microfinance, rural development, disaster reduction, the promotion of private-sector enterprise and the revitalisation of historic cities. AKDN agencies conduct their programmes without regard to faith, origin or gender. via AKDN
Facebook user Waqar Abbas has compiled a list of 10 inspirational quotes of Aga Khan IV that he thinks are vital in order to make the world a better place to live in.
1. Clash of Civilizations
When people speak these days, about an inevitable "Clash of Civilizations" in our world, what they often mean, I fear, is an inevitable "Clash of Religions." But I would use different terminology altogether. The essential problem, as I see it, in relations between the Muslim world and the West is "A Clash of Ignorance." And what I would prescribe — as an essential first step — is a concentrated educational effort.
2. Providing the spark.
There are those… who enter the world in such poverty that they are deprived of both the means and the motivation to improve their lot. Unless these unfortunates can be touched with the spark which ignites the spirit of individual enterprise and determination, they will only sink back into renewed apathy, degradation and despair. It is for us, who are more fortunate, to provide that spark.
3. Mistakes and Regret
Everybody makes mistakes. Never regret them, correct them. There's no such thing as a perfect world or perfect life.
4. Goal of Quality Education
For too long some of our schools have taught too many subjects as subsets of dogmatic commitments…Too often, education made our students less flexible- confident to the point of arrogance that they now had all the answers- rather than more flexible- humble in their lifelong openness to new questions and new responses. An important goal of quality education is to equip each generation to participate effectively in what has been called 'the great conversation' of our times. This means, on one hand, being unafraid of controversy. But, on the other hand, it also means being sensitive to the values and outlooks of others
5. Pluralism
Pluralism is no longer simply an asset or a prerequisite for progress and development, it is vital to our existence.
6. Trampoline of Progress
If our animosities are born out of fear, then confident generosity is born out of hope. One of the central lessons I have learned after a half century of working in the developing world is that the replacement of fear by hope is probably the single most powerful trampoline of progress.
7. Survival of an Interdependent World
Tolerance, openness and understanding towards other peoples' cultures, social structures, values and faiths are now essential to the very survival of an interdependent world.
8. Requirements of a secure Pluralistic Society
A secure pluralistic society requires communities that are educated and confident both in the identity and depth of their own traditions and in those of their neighbours.
9. Democracy and Diversity
We cannot make the world safe for democracy unless we also make the world safe for diversity.
10. Interpretations of Islam
There are many interpretations of Islam within the wider Islamic community, but generally we are instructed to leave the world a better place than it was when we came into it.
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Job Description
Department: Engineering
Reporting to: Chief Engineer
Role: Software Engineer
- Medical Aid (Discovery Health)
- Provident Fund (Compulsory after 3-month probation period and calculated at 15% of 80% of salary)
- Performance-based bonus (not guaranteed)
- Minimum education required: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience
- Desired skills and experience:
- At least 6 years of continuous Java development using Java 6 and later
- SQL experience and good understanding of stored procedures and other DBMS concepts
- XML, XSD and Web Services knowledge
- Technically soundness
- Understanding of client-server architecture
- Ability to understand and work with linear protocols and file formats
Essential duties and responsibilities:
- Develop the relevant Platform using established code standards and methodologies
- Ensure that good code quality and best practices are maintained
- Perform unit testing of enhancements and issues before releasing to Product for QA
- Work with the Product, Project and Support teams in issue resolution and QA support
- Improve legacy code with the aim of bringing it up to current standards and efficiency here applicable
- Research ways to improve the relevant Platform, whether by introducing new technology that is relevant to the application or by introducing design patterns for code efficiency
- Maintain a good and sound development environment and ensure that all code is managed in accordance with current SDLC principles
- Assist with any future planning for the Engineering department in terms of new methodologies and tooling that may be required
- Provide client support in troubleshooting and addressing critical issues in client environments when other lines of support are not available or unsuitable for addressing the issue at hand. This may require after hours availability.
- Assist the Chief Engineer in various tasks related to the Engineering department
- Provide assistance and support to fellow engineers, including coding support and the relevant Platform support

subset: commoncrawl


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May 24, 2005
Apple/Intel rumors - Bah!
Well, the media is just going nuts thanks to a rumor started by 'analysts' at the Wall Street journal about Apple possibly using Intel chips in upcoming products, and everyone's just falling all over themselves buzzing about the possibility. Personally I think that anyone in the media that starts talking about such things should be fired for their incompetence, but here's my take on all of this.
First of all, nowhere in the original article was the word PROCESSOR mentioned. You know, that really big chip that runs the whole show? Last time I checked, Intel made more than just Pentiums, and Apple has used Intel chips in the past in its products. In fact, at this very moment I'm staring at an Apple multi-port Ethernet card removed from a G4 server, and it has Intel chips all over it.
Next, even if there was the thought of moving to Intel processors, as I mentioned Posted by Jim at May 24, 2005 7:28 PM
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Thrills Winter Wonderland – Day 10 : Lighting fast Sundays1 min read
Thrills Winter Wonderland:
Day 10 – 21/12 – Lighting fast Sundays
It is Sunday and that means a extra good day for those who are participating in the bonus-o-metre race where each player has €150 or more of hidden treasures + a €5 000 raffle prize waiting. All your achievements during the day will be counted twice as fast. Hit 1 bonus round and it will be counted as 2 instead. We saw Very good activity last Sunday!
Thrills is celebrating 1 year on Friday by releasing the Winter Wonderland calendar.
Our baby is all grown up and to celebrate this we will spice things up all the way until 4th of January.
Alongside with all the daily gifts, there will also be a massive value chipped in to an improved gamification feature for our Bonus-O-Metre, that rewards all players for conquering bonus rounds on Gonzo's & Jack & the Beanie. Make sure to check it out!


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From Kitchen to Gallery, Ferran Adrià Unpacks the Tools of Creativity
In a culinary world populated by stars, Ferran Adrià is the uncontested sun, the center of the universe. The Catalan chef who started off as a dishwasher at Barcelona's Hotel Playafels, joined the El Bulli kitchen staff at 22 and only eighteen months later became head chef. From 1994 onwards, the year the restaurant received a substantial investment, El Bulli's reputation as a place for experimentation grew. It held three Michelin stars and ranked first in the World's 50 Best Restaurants list for a record five years.
The list of firsts accomplished by Adrià is extensive and varied—both in the kitchen and out. Among them, he is the only chef to have ever been invited by the art institution Documenta to be part of the show. The run of the 2007 edition saw an El Bulli outpost in Kassel—serving two guests per night—in a project that touched on the subjects of site-specificity and "the artistic disciplines which can not be inside a museum."
Ferran Adrià, courtesy of Marres, Maastricht.
Despite recognition on one of the art world's biggest stages, Adrià doesn't consider himself an artist—though his creative processes, production techniques, and even the language surrounding his work share some affinities. His brand of cooking is often labeled "molecular gastronomy," although Adrià himself prefers "deconstructivist gastronomy." He dissects foodstuffs and processes them to change their texture, taste, or both, then combines them in innovative and unexpected ways. He is famous for using scientific and technologically advanced methods, such as freeze-drying ingredients or using dyes. For El Bulli he created no less than 1,846 unique recipes—often explosive and extreme in taste. Rather than an eating experience, dining at El Bulli was a forty-course adventure at the frontiers of culinary sensation. One of his signature dishes, the "Spherical Olive," or liquid olive, transports you through worlds both flavor and texture—oil, salt, sour, solids, liquids—within a flash of a second.
On July 30, 2011, El Bulli closed its doors. Adrià subsequently rented a former parking garage in a residential area of Barcelona and started elBullifoundation, commonly referred to as "the lab." Here, the chef works with a large team of young historians, economists, botanists, artists, and other specialists on persevering his legacy. Using a signature method they call Sapiens, the team is mapping and analyzing all elements of gastronomic creativity—ingredients, tools, processes, and techniques—in order to uncover and unlock unused potential. It's a rational approach to an intuitive phenomenon, which may also be used to understand other seemingly elusive creative practices.
Once in a while Adrià presents his findings in the form of exhibitions. Notes on Creativity (through July 7 at Marres, Maastricht) is one such an attempt to visualize gastronomic innovation through artistic means. On the ground floor, drawings represent the phase of conception—Adrià famously creates his dishes by drawing them. The first floor displays tools such as specifically designed cutlery and china, illustrating the production process. The dining experience, including restaurant architecture and the organization of staff, forms the end station.
For the first time, a month before opening Notes on Creativity, Adrià invited a group of international journalists to talk about his current undertakings.
All images: Installation views of Notes on Creativity at Marres, Maatricht, 2016.
All images courtesy of Ferran Adrià and Marres, Maastricht. Photos: Gert Jan van Rooij
Edo Dijksterhuis: Why did El Bulli close and what made you decide to switch from being a restaurant chef to running a laboratory?
Ferran Adrià: El Bulli never really was a restaurant, not in the traditional sense anyway. It was closed six months a year and during the other six months we were only open at night. To have 75 staff members attending to 50 guests is not very conventional either.
But I guess that after almost 30 years we were getting bored. We were solidly booked years in advance and there was little room for further improvement. The period from 2003 to 2009 marked a peak for the restaurant in terms of appreciation and success, but creatively it wasn't that interesting. And I got the impression people were getting a bit tired of El Bulli. It's like Lionel Messi being awarded his fifth golden football—hardly any newspaper will pay attention, it's become business as usual. We needed a new challenge, to go back to the situation of the early nineties when we didn't know where we were going.
ED: How did you come up with the idea of a lab?
FA: When we decided to close El Bulli my brother Alberto wanted to start something new. Tickets in Barcelona is the result—a new type of gastrobar, offering an informal type of cuisine. I've participated in it but I didn't want to be caught up in a kind of "new El Bulli." I wanted to be free and spend some time reflecting on what we'd accomplished so far.
The entire restaurant concept is maybe two hundred years old. El Bulli has been around some 50 years, half of which with me as chef. A lot has been written about El Bulli—38 books, more than 14,000 pages—but maybe only ten people in the world truly know what it's about. I wanted to analyze and document how the restaurant worked.
ED: What happens in the laboratory? It doesn't look like a laboratory in the traditional sense, with test tubes and Bunsen burners.
FA: We don't even have a kitchen here! Nobody eats; we only study, order, and analyze the creative process. I aim to decode the language of gastronomy, all aspects of it: the organization of the restaurant, the crockery used, the architecture, the personality of the staff. While running El Bulli I didn't have time to think it through. We were working twelve-hour shifts, like efficient machines doing twenty things simultaneously.
ED: What is it you hope to uncover by sifting through thirty years of restaurant history?
FA: Ultimately I want to develop an international gastronomic language, a kind of physiology of taste. By using our self-devised Sapiens method we decode products, foodstuffs, cooking methods, techniques, and kitchen hardware. By identifying and classifying the basic building blocks we can uncover the vast culinary realm no one has ventured into yet. Up till now gastronomy has only realized a fraction of its potential. We intend to publish an extensive study, the Bullipedia, pointing out the possibilities.
ED: How do you present the laboratory's findings?
FA: In the first year of operating the elBullifoundation we did an exhibition in Barcelona—the first in restaurant history. It drew some 700,000 visitors. The audience was enthusiastic but I learned that you can't really exhibit the experiment that was El Bulli. Later, we made a much more accomplished exhibition at the Drawing Center in New York, which showed how dishes were created. In the past four years, our exhibitions—twelve up till now, the one at Marres being the latest—have been about the creative process. They include sketches for new dishes, designs for innovative cutlery, co-productions with architects like Norman Foster and Jean Novel.
ED: Are there plans for a more permanent exhibition of the elBullifoundation's findings?
FA: Yes, there are. We're now developing a location in Roses, on the coast, and will probably open to the public in 2017. The laboratory serves as a pilot project. At the heart of the museum will be the 1,846 dishes I've created for El Bulli. It's kind of an autobiographical presentation. I've also donated my personal archive—some 15,000 documents—so in one hundred years people can still understand what went on at El Bulli.
ED: You were the first—and only—chef to have ever been invited to participate in Documenta. You've had several museum shows and are now planning your own museum. Would you say you're a kind of artist?
FA: I don't care for that label. But I do appreciate the way the art world has taught me how to look at things. Thanks to Documenta I could reflect on the concept of creativity for a year and a half. And the conversations with artists have changed my life.
I do think, however, that the contemporary art world is lacking someone as radical as Andy Warhol who can bridge the gap between the inner circle and the larger audience. We need a Steve Jobs of the art world. There is so much talent out there that goes unnoticed.
ED: Using the football analogy one could say you've been the star player in a world-class team for years and now you're the coach. Would it be possible for you to step onto the pitch again?
FA: At forty, Cruijff and Messi can't play anymore. I could be back in the game at fifty or sixty, if I wanted to. But I don't feel the need to play anymore. My job now is to coach, to pass on my knowledge. And it's quite a challenge, maybe the biggest in my career, to make explicit my ideas about creativity. And it's exciting to see if the Sapiens method actually works, and that it's not just some mad man's theory.
ArtSlant would like to thank Ferran Adrià for his assistance in making this interview possible.
Tags: El Bulli, Ferran Adrià, Taste, Notes on Creativity, The Taste Issue, molecular gastronomy, Marres
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Young girl in stroller: It's really busy, isn't it?
Mom: All these people are using the train to commute to work.
Girl: Is it busy every morning?
Mom (sounding forlorn): That's right, it is.
— Tokyu Toyoko Line, Tokyo. Overheard by The Japan Times On Sunday
Overheard a conversation you'd like to share? Simply fill out the online submission form at jtimes.jp/overheard. Please recount the conversation in the format above and be sure to provide a description of the participants (age, male/female, nationality if relevant, etc.), note where the conversation took place and include any other context that might be necessary.


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18 Then my people shall dwell in peaceful homes, In secure dwellings, In untroubled places of rest.
v'-ya-SHAV a-MEE bin-VAY sha-LOM uv-mish-k'-NOT miv-ta-KHEEM u-vim-nu-KHOT sha-a-na-NOT
יח וְיָשַׁב עַמִּי בִּנְוֵה שָׁלוֹם וּבְמִשְׁכְּנוֹת מִבְטַחִים וּבִמְנוּחֹת שַׁאֲנַנּוֹת׃
32:18 Then my people shall dwell in peaceful homes
The ultimate hope that Yeshayahu holds for his people is that they can dwell calmly in the Land of Israel. His supplications are the prayers of all the prophets. For example, Hoshea writes, "In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field; the birds of the air and the creeping things of the ground; I will also banish bow, sword and war from the land. Thus I will let them lie down in safety" (2:20). Rambam similarly concludes the Mishneh Torah, his monumental work summarizing Jewish law, with the declaration that the reason the Jewish people want the Mashiach to come is not because they want to rule over other nations, but rather out of desire to dwell in quiet and peace in their land so they can pursue righteousness. This remains the hope and dream of the Jewish people today: that the Mashiach will come quickly and bring peace to the entire world.


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The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has just released their first official assessment (i.e. estimate) of how much recoverable natural gas, oil and gas liquids is located in the Utica Shale throughout Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and Virginia (a full copy of the USGS assessment is embedded below).
The USGS estimates the Utica is #3 in size behind the Marcellus (#1) and Green River Basin (#2) for volume of recoverable natural gas in the U.S. Here are the numbers from the USGS, along with and a brief introduction to their first-ever assessment of the Utica:


text: 09/02/1859Gas lamps were illuminated for the first time on the streets of Honolulu courtesy of the Honolulu Gas Company. Growth was difficult at first and gas mains spread only slowly over the following decades from the city's business district. (By John Osborne)Source Citation: All about Hawaii: The recognized book of authentic information on Hawaii...(Honolulu: Thomas G. Thrum, 1906), 137.TabsRecord DataDate Certainty: ExactType: Science/Technology PlacesHawaiiHonolulu, HI Documents


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INEC's decision to reschedule Nigeria's elections has been received with mixed reactions, with many pointing its impact on businesses and the economy. Joining CNBC Africa to discuss this is Muda Yusuf, Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Onyekachi Adekoya, Managing Director, PR24.
Original of the video here
Nigeria latest news
Nigeria latest sport news
Nigeria latest gossips
Nigeria business news
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Beth was upset after her relationship with a 17-year-old male broke down. Her boyfriend had left her as she had not kept their relationship secret and after she told him she felt uncomfortable engaging in certain intimate activities. Beth disclosed that her boyfriend had pressured her into giving him nude photos of herself, which he had shared on social media.
Beth also disclosed additional issues to Kooth counsellors, including her boyfriend stating that she would have to pay him for sexual favours.
Beth was offered an ongoing assessment where we could collaboratively identify any current risks and support her needs. It was during this assessment that she presented with high level of concerns around child sexual exploitation (CSE). As a result, Beth's risk level was raised to red (high risk) and the clinical team were alerted to all disclosures made. Beth was closely monitored by the safeguarding team so that at each engagement we were able to quickly identify any elevated risks to Beth or others and put the appropriate strategies in place to safeguard her.
Due to Beth's high risk level, a named worker was offered as a way to continually assess her progress and to allow her to build a trusting therapeutic relationship with her counsellor.
Beth's Kooth counsellor helped her feel safe and contained whilst exploring the disclosed risks. Safety planning processes were completed; strategies were discussed and information was shared on ways she could reduce risks to herself to remain safe.
It was through this supportive process that Beth felt confident enough to disclose her personal details so that relevant services could be contacted by the clinical team. Beth's personal details were shared with both the Police and CSE team in Beth's area.
The procedure around disclosure of CSE was explained clearly to Beth, which enabled her to feel empowered and part of this process at each stage. She was given age appropriate information around safety online which she could access through the Child Exploitation and Online Protection command (CEOP) website.
Beth informed her named worker that while she had been in the chat she had made a report via CEOP herself which further bolstered her confidence. Since her disclosure the police have worked closely with Beth; her school has put relevant safeguarding measures in place around the male in question and the images shared.
Working within ethical guidelines when working with young people undergoing an active court case, Kooth re-contracted with Beth to ensure awareness around not being able to discuss details of the police investigation, but also to support her emotionally throughout this process.
Beth was able to access immediate support on Kooth at a time when she felt isolated, powerless and afraid. This intervention provided her the safe space to talk about her concerns and implement a safety plan with the team. Ongoing support and enabling Beth to build a trusted relationship with her named worker enabled her to disclose for the first time what was going on. Ongoing weekly support with her named worker continues.
Beth is not the young person's real name
This is a summary of how we worked with Beth; there were further disclosures and many more stages where we provided support.


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Pocino Foods
Email: email@example.com
Tel. +1 (626) 968-8000
Fax +1 (626) 968-0196
We want to hear from you.
We have the following open positions (having experience in the food industry is a big plus):
– Mechanic & Maintenance Positions
– In-Plant Line Positions
Please send us an email if you or know someone who may be interested. Please note the position you are seeking. Thank you!
& Hours
14250 Lomitas Avenue, City of Industry, CA 91746 USA
Monday - Friday 7:00 am - 4:30 pm
Saturday - Sunday Closed
Pick-ups are on a First Come, First Serve basis – no appointments are necessary.
Monday - Friday 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
& After Hours
For deliveries, come to our front gate and you'll be guided to the loading docks. No overnight parking is available.
After 4:30 pm, there are no live operators.


text: Find a CounselorAsk an expert about the application process, student visas and more. CONNECT WITH USHave a question? Let us know a little bit about you. Our enrollment advisors are here to answer your questions about programs, applying for a student visa and more. Explore our BlogGet step-by-step advice, tips & more 1. Studying in the U.S. 2. Choosing a University 3. How to Apply 4. Visa Process 5. Pre-Arrival Advice 6. Life on Campus Internships & Careers Classroom Success Advice & Events AdviceHow to Apply: Our Step-by-Step Guide Advice15 Best Sites for International Scholarships, Loans and More AdviceHow to Apply for Student Visa Status in the U.S. Advice10 Tips for Working with an Education Counselor Advice6 Best Reasons to Study in the U.S. Advice10 Essential Travel Documents for International Students [Checklist] AdviceCollege Application Checklist for International Students AdviceChoosing a Major: An International Student's Guide Advice4 Steps for Student Visa Interview Preparation Page15 Best Sites for International Scholarships EventTest Requirements for U.S. Universities Wed. Nov. 20, 9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. (EST)U.S. News Global Education Load More


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Private Yacht
56 Ft Yacht - Vassia
The 56ft long yacht features optimized space with a unique style that allows her to comfortably accommodate around twenty guests. With this beauty, you can be assured of an elite level performance and a beautiful overall design. If you are interested in having an authentic experience of the sea, then this boat is perfect for you.
Per Hour
58 Ft Yacht - Etosha
For a flybridge yacht under 19m. The AZIMUT 58 FLY has space and flexible sleeping accommodation for 6 guests. A further ensuite in the bow with berths. Which slide together to form a double or apart to form twin beds. Also a convertible twin to the starboard. All have independent air conditioning.
Per Hour
33 Ft Yacht - Riverside
A perfect family fishing boat. The Riverside 33 Ft provides both high quality and cruise smoothness. Charter this boat our for a cruise around the Palm island and sightsee the Burj Al Arab. The Palm Islands and the Jumeirah beach far from the shores of Dubai.
Per Hour
Additional Packages
Private Yacht Rental
Enjoy a trip through the Palm Islands. Feel a gentle offshore breeze as you slide along the waves with the wind; admire the crystal blue sea and sunshine while enjoying the sights of the most spectacular skyline in the Gulf.Starting from AED 700 per hour
Sharing Yacht
Embark on a magical tour along the Dubai coast, along enchanting islands, beaches and sea-life. Book Yachts Dubai brings you up close and personal to some of the world's most fascinating landmarks.Starting from AED 700 per hour
Fishing Trip
We are ready to provide planning for our fishing guests and help them with whatever they might need for grilling their fresh catch right on board of the yacht.
Jet Ski (1800cc)
Feel the thrill and have some high adrenaline fun on our well maintained Yamaha Jet Skis. At our scenic beachside riding area we offer one of the best locations for Dubai Marina jet ski rentals.
Jet Ski (1100cc)
Enjoy an amazing Waverunner ride in Dubai with our unique Jet Ski tour. If you like speed, this is the activity for you! It's fun, exciting! Riding a Waverunner doesn't require any special physical training.
Banana Boat
This ride will give you all the speed, thrills and wet excitement you can handle. The banana raft seats up to Five people and is pulled along the water behind a powerful Jet Ski. This will undoubtedly be a true and an unforgettable experience.
From mild to wild....We are the place to Parasail Jumeriah Beach. Tell our friendly captain how you want to experience Jumeriah Beach. We have the latest in performance parasailing platforms. Price mentioned for 2 persons
Sunset Cruise
Board a luxurious Yacht for a 2 hours sunset cruise at Dubai Marina for 14 people . Where you'll have optimum views, and the open-air upper deck, where you'll enjoy the breeze off the Persian Gulf.
Birthday Party
Upon request we can decorate the yacht to your Birthday party requirements with balloons and decorations & Cakes, to really add that finishing touch to your celebration. We can arrange your custom cake as per your desire
Donut Boat Ride
Donut Ride is a one of Centaurus Charter Water Sports package and one of the new games that began popular in recent years. Donut Boat Ride Water Sports is an Activity game sitting on a donut, rocked and pulled by speed boat.
Speed Jet Boat
One of the latest editions to this thrilling range gives those with smaller yachts the opportunity to truly experience this high-performance, super-fun Boats.


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We've helped to launch totally new brands and reposition well-established names.
From corporate identity development to content creation, we ensure that your brand comes to life visually and verbally across every customer touchpoint.
Our expertise in branding goes beyond companies and products. As part of the European IBRAVE project (Improvement of Branding for Rural Areas through Vocational Education) we've helped partners in Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Croatia, Belgium and the UK to improve the image of their regions and boost tourism.Work With Us


text:
Hi, First my PC :
Ryzen 7 3700x with the Wraith Cooler
MSI Gaming Edge Wifi x570
16go Ram
MSI GTX 980ti
Windows 10
You can see with the red line that there is some spikes, the maximum on my desktop is 70°c.
Also, i played at Battlefield V and Assassin's Creed Odyssey, i was at 75° and some spikes at 85°
I wanted to now if these temperature are good or not at all ? Wow can i reduce temp for this new CPU ?


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Per Oracle rules and regulations, every attendee must register for the conference him/herself using his/her own Oracle.com single sign-on (SSO) login. If an attendee does not have an Oracle.com account already created, he/she must create one.
Attendees must use their own badge while onsite at the event. Badges are nontransferable and may not be shared onsite. Any person found to be in violation of this policy will have their badge confiscated by event personnel and will be asked to leave the conference.
Students are welcome at JavaOne 2017. They must be 18 years or older to attend any program or activity at the conference. If you are a student and interested in attending, details will be posted on the conference website soon.
Anyone under the age of 21 will not be able to attend the Oracle Appreciation Event, even if accompanied by an adult.
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text: Notice the trade mark is in the tail of the first "C" in Coca. The graphics and paint on the two Coke bottles are very good. Please look at photos for better description. Neat old Coca Cola collection piece.Easy to display also as a single item. Flange signs are very popular as they can be displayed numerous ways. The item "Neat Old & Original Coca Cola Double Sided Flange Sign, Coke Sign" is in sale since Sunday, September 06, 2015. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Advertising\Soda\Coca-Cola\Signs". The seller is "cmajr" and is located in Troy, Michigan. This item can be shipped to United States, to Canada, to United Kingdom, DK, RO, SK, BG, CZ, FI, HU, LV, LT, MT, EE, to Australia, GR, PT, CY, SI, to Japan, to China, SE, KR, ID, to Taiwan, ZA, TH, to Belgium, to France, to Hong Kong, to Ireland, to Netherlands, PL, to Spain, to Italy, to Germany, to Austria, RU, IL, to Mexico, to New Zealand, SG, to Switzerland, NO, SA, UA, AE, QA, KW, BH, HR, MY, TR, BR, CL, CO, CR, DO, PA, TT, GT, SV, HN, JM.


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Saving Childhood
Your Child Is Important
You can't really enjoy life when you are suffering from hip pain. You never realize how much your hips are tied to every move you make until you suffer from hip pain. You do not, however, have to endure this pain anymore. It can take a little time to find a good chiropractor, but once you do you can expect relief fairly soon. You don't want to pick any chiropractor who happens to be near your home. It's important that you choose your practitioner with care if you want to find real relief. You can use the following proven methods to locate a practitioner who can help you get over your hip pain.
Your Friends Can Help: Hip pain typically afflicts people as they get older. Chances are, some of your friends of a similar age are having the same hip pain problems you are. It's therefore only logical to ask your friends if they can recommend a skilled chiropractor to you. A friend who has shared your predicament may be able to recommend a great specialist to you. What would be especially fortuitous would be asking a friend who once had hip pain that you never even knew about. It may be that no one suspected they had hip pain because their chiropractor was so good.
This is the kind of referral you would be happy to receive. Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help: If you are suffering from hip pain, just getting around can be a major challenge. This can make it very hard to go around looking for a chiropractor on your own. Call up or email your close friends and tell them about your need for a chiropractor. If all the people in your life are aware of what you need, you will find what you're seeking much sooner. After you tell people that you have serious hip pain and need a chiropractor, they will be glad to help you any way they can. The search for a good chiropractor who will help you find relief can be extremely productive as your friends ask everyone they know as well.
Ask Your Doctor: Don't forget to ask your regular doctor for help in finding a chiropractor for your hip pain. Doctors frequently have a list of other specialists they recommend, so you should ask your doctor for the name of a good chiropractor. Your doctor may very well be able to send you to someone who's just right. Your doctor is also a person you can count on to give you reliable advice on such a matter. Your doctor should be your first stop in your search for a chiropractor who can relieve your hip pain. You can find relief for your hip pain. To get rid of it once and for all, use the tips you just read about to find the perfect chiropractor who can use his expertise to relieve you of the hip pain that's been making life unbearable all these years.
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Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, CollegePoint is a virtual advising program that helps high-achieving low-and moderate-income students apply to top colleges and universities nationwide.
Each year, tens of thousands of hardworking, high-achieving students from lower income families do not apply to leading colleges and universities that they are qualified to attend. Students often lack personalized guidance about which institutions are a good match given their level of academic achievement, and accurate information about the real costs of attending leading institutions.
In 2014, Bloomberg Philanthropies and America Achieves launched CollegePoint, a coalition of nonprofit organizations and philanthropic institutions with the goal of increasing the number of high-achieving, low- and moderate-income students enrolling in top-performing colleges from 1/3 of 75,000 students each year to more than 1/2 by 2020. College Possible is a proud partner in this effort. CollegePoint coaches support students from all across the country, connecting via video chat, phone, email, text, social media and other remote platforms, to help students navigate the college search, application, financial aid and enrollment processes.
CollegePoint coaches at College Possible provide students with the individualized support they need to navigate the college application and financial aid process. Our coaches support students in making a college list, revising college essays, navigating the financial aid process, finding and applying to scholarships, and making an informed college decision. Students connect with their coaches via text, email, phone, and video chat, reaching students across the entire country. We focus on helping our students find intuitions that fit their academic, financial, and social needs.
CollegePoint coaches at College Possible serve at our sites in Portland, OR and St. Paul, MN. If you are interested in learning more about CollegePoint and how to apply for a coaching position, please contact Emily Stacken, Program Manager, at firstname.lastname@example.com.
NPR: Virtual Advisers Help Out With College Admissions
Videos from CollegePoint Students
Read their story
"Making it through college, a step that people think is impossible for students with backgrounds like mine, is the most amazing thing."
Read their story
"If I could describe my experience as a college student in one word—it would be 'amazing!'"


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RULES: How? When? Why?
Sometimes, when faced with a new project, a new season and a new group of players and coaches, we need to consider a number of issues related to the team set of rules: What should we do with them? When should they be introduced? Will we be showing authoritarianism and distance when using them? Will we spread a feeling of distrust towards the team from day 1? What are the relevant issues that should be contemplated in the rules? How many rules should we have? How should we set them…?
The human being is an animal that follows guidelines, and the rules are the behavioral guidelines for the team members (related to social relationships within the group and also to technical and tactical aspects of the game and the training tasks). They serve as a pipeline to channel the group's activity in a healthy way in order to achieve goals as a team.
To effectively lead, it is necessary to set clear and defined boundaries, giving players room to grow within a defined structure. It is useful to shape some limits that model our behavior on and off the basketball court, and to establish –in advance– the consequences of trespassing those limits.
The space limited by those boundaries resembles, metaphorically speaking, a ring where the ropes are the limits that the team will set up when establishing the rules; those limits are somewhat flexible since rules can be adapted to particular situations. Some group members will try to challenge those limits, stretching the ropes, but will eventually return to the ring.
Obviously, when establishing rules, we must consider the context in which we are immersed, taking into account cultural and ideological parameters (mix of cultures and nationalities in the team), parameters related to the specific competition or those related to our players' development stage, as well as the level of professionalism in our team.
A rule regulates a behavior (rights and obligations); it is a tool that helps the group to achieve the pre-set goals. Therefore, rules have a functional and instrumental value, as they emerge to give an answer to the problems the team will face, and they can be adapted. This way, rules become an element of cohesion within the group.
The explanation of rules in groups facilitates their coordination and cohesion. Rules define what needs to be done in certain circumstances and are a reference regarding the ideal behavior of players; they serve as a tool for constant evaluation of our own and others' behavior. They have, thus, an evaluative nature that prompts people to respond to the exigencies of the commitment that was previously created, together with the rest of the group members. Rules standardize behaviors and act as some sort of social pressure.
Most of the players value the fact that there is a set of rules and they like finding ways to perform at higher levels within defined limits that give them security and that reduce uncertainty. Rules encourage players to respond with their behavior; they help maintaining order and are necessary to create a disciplined team.
We can define 3 types of rules:
Institutional Rules: They have been established outside of the group; in our context, we would be talking about the Club's Regulations: a set of general rules set forth by the club and that governs the behavior of the team. In some cases, these rules are less adaptive and evolutionary and they could even be perceived more like a set of prohibitions.
Evolutionary Rules: They gradually emerge within the group, promoted by the coach, and aim at improving outcomes and processes. The open nature of teams allows them to continuously adapt to the particular requirements. Among such rules would be those related to the sport activity and training tasks (defense, offense, fast-break, balance, rebound work …)
Voluntary Rules: They are born out of a negotiation process between the members of the group and, with them, behaviors are shaped, roles are established and a more or less stable relationship framework between the team members is created. The participation of players and of the rest of the coaching staff in the development of these rules facilitates adherence to them. Thus, rules created out of a negotiation process between the team members build up a shared belief system (not a series of prohibitions) that helps the team differentiate between right and wrong behaviors or attitudes.
One of the hallmarks of successful creative coaches is knowing how to lead their athletes, setting clear boundaries, but leaving enough space for personal growth. Leaders do not want to spoil their players, but to create a supportive environment that helps them enhance their potential. These coaches do not exercise absolute control: they count on the players when it comes to setting guidelines, rules and other policies.
Over-directing and controlling players may pave the way to mistrust, lack of cooperation and loss of faith in the training system. Players react to excessive control, prohibitions and severe interventions, fighting them and feeling resentment. Apparently they do what coaches tell them to do, but they internally feel rejection; these controlled players tend to show less emotion, enthusiasm and spirit and will be more reluctant to give an extra effort when needed.
Once the team's goals and objectives are established, we will create the space needed to achieve them. We will establish the basic rules and will create our own "ring". We need to remember that "Less is More" (too many rules can turn into a very heavy load, a difficult task to accomplish): it is better to just have a few but significant rules; this will translate into a stronger effect, because we won't need to deal with multiple details and we can also teach our players to use their freedom responsibly.
It would be ideal to set up a bunch of rules that work in many possible situations and, as noted at the beginning, that take into account the team's reality. Rules for a professional team and for an early childhood team can't be the same. The strategy of bringing together players and coaching staff to explain the key rules for the development of our "ring" will make them feel more committed to them; they will feel part of the process and a social pressure to "do the right thing" will be established among them.
There are major issues or problems that may happen at one point in a team: absenteeism, lack of punctuality, lack of sleep, poor diet, nightlife, alcohol, drugs, doping, lack of care for the team's equipment, disrespect towards the coaching staff and teammates, as well as any conduct that would violate the basic rules of respect for any member of the club, referees and opponent. We can also add that the rules that govern group moments (such as meetings, trips, press conferences, lunches and dinners), the guidelines for injured players or those set up for the team's behavior during practices and games may not be respected at times.
Some of these issues may already be contemplated in the internal governing rules of the club, and it is therefore essential to be aware of those internal rules that shape our context.
Here are eight guidelines or suggestions from Jerry Lynch (a PhD in Sports Psychology who, for more than 25 years, has been working as a consultant for NCAA and NBA teams, Olympic athletes, professional golfers and coaches). Once we have defined our basic guidelines, we must adhere to those guidelines to set up the team rules.
The eight "C's" of Cooperation by Jerry Lynch:
1. Co-creation: We need to establish reasonable rules together with the team so that it gets engaged. If players are part of the creation step, their level of commitment will be higher. Players tend to be honest with each other, but there's the coach to make sure rules are followed.
2. Clarity: Players need to understand the full meaning of each of the rules; we must define the rules INTENTION and ROLE. Part of this explanation clearly lies in the consequences of not following the rules. For example: what does "disrespect" mean? We must specify and define behaviors.
3. Conciseness: Rules must be clear and precise: "Less is More" and simple is stronger. For example: "Turn off the lights at 10 pm".
4. Copy: It is advisable to write all the rules on a board and to put it in the locker room for the players to sign. Rules must be expressed positively in the sense that they should explain "what to do" and not "what NOT to do". If this process is treated as a team activity, players are more likely to get involved. Each player must receive a copy of the rules for him/her to re-read at home.
5. Consistency: Rules must be fair and there should be consistency in their application. Neither the stars nor the beginners should have a preferential treatment, since this is the foundation of fairness. Impartiality is a lifetime quality and, long term, players will value it and will respect coaches who apply it efficiently. Being fair does not necessarily mean that all players have the same privileges, since some of them may have proven more able to take on greater responsibilities.
Sometimes we are off guard and may handle situations unfairly. By enforcing the team's rules, we must ensure that athletes know they are not specifically addressed to them, but that their application arises from the necessity to address certain behaviors that cannot be tolerated. We should not focus on "pleasing" players; if we are firm and fair, they will respect us and appreciate our decisions.
6. Change: Rues must be adaptive and follow the evolution of the group; they must be flexible and ready to be changed if the circumstances require that. There is no need to change a rule just because it has been infringed, but the mission and goals of the team must be present when redefining it.
7. Consequences: Each team member should know and understand in advance the consequences of violating a rule; the penalty should be more meaningful for recurrent offenders. Occasionally, we may also involve players in establishing the consequences of disrespecting rules; they could turn out to be more severe than ourselves, but we always have the last word in this sense. Working towards a consensus on what is fair and what is not is the key for success. We should try to turn the consequence into a "compensation" for the fault, not into a punishment.
8. Compliments: It is essential to strengthen the morale of the players when they follow rules. Players with a good education in sports readily understand the slogan "Do the right thing."
Building a TEAM (I): Trust
Trust is the foundation of an efficient and united team. Without it, teamwork as such is very difficult to achieve: it is a key component, the one everything else is built upon. Without trust, players waste an enormous amount of energy and time managing their own behavior and their interactions within the group.
When talking about building a team we sometimes face several barriers and difficulties.
The player is surrounded by people (press, agents, parents, society…) and interests that emphasize and value, above all, individual successes, and that are rarely interested or concerned about the situation of the team or about the process of building a successful group. That pressure on the player or coaching staff sometimes leads them to protecting their status and to making excuses along the way to avoid taking the hard step of becoming "vulnerable" to others.
In this context, trust refers to the certainty of knowing that your colleagues' intentions are good, and therefore there is no reason for being protective or cautious within the group. Team mates must feel comfortable showing vulnerability to each other. They must feel sure that their own limitations (weaknesses, capacity gaps in some areas, errors, requests for help …) will not be used against them.
Teamwork starts with building trust, and the only way to achieve this is by overcoming the need of being invulnerable, which is usually caused by a lack of trust.
We must not be embarrassed of being vulnerable human beings, openly displaying our strengths and weaknesses regarding our contribution to the team's success or failure. We should not be afraid of being vulnerable nor of the need for trust. Those not willing to open up to others and to accept their mistakes and weaknesses make it difficult for the team to build its pillars on trust.
Achieving a nice level of trust based on vulnerability is not easy, because we've learned since we were young to be competitive with our peers and to protect our reputation; managing these learned instincts for the sake of the team is a challenge for any team member. The cost of failure in this regard is very high. Teams with players who have no real confidence in each other are reluctant to take risks, when it comes to ask or offer help; their morale is usually very low and resignations or changes of team members are very common.
This team value is not built overnight: it requires sharing experiences, constant monitoring, credibility and a deep understanding and acceptance of the unique attributes of each team member. If you do not trust your team mate, you will not be able to be part of a successful team.
Coaches and leaders face the challenge of leading the team to achieve this level of trust and lack of invulnerability; to do so, we must first show our own vulnerability by rectifying, recognizing errors, showing humanity, helping those who need it, showing concern for the people who support each of the team members. We must create an environment where vulnerability is not penalized when admitting weaknesses, errors or failures. A leader's proof of weakness must be genuine -this cannot be faked- as one of the easiest ways of losing the team's trust is pretending to be vulnerable in order to manipulate others' emotions.
Teams without trust experience issues related to morale, effort and efficiency, which pose a barrier to grow as a team; the fear of conflict fosters a sense of artificial harmony. An efficient team maintains a high level of debate and conflict; in teams with a healthy level of trust, discussion is presented with respect, there is no fear of conflict, there is a blind faith on the other's intentions which the group believes to be positive for the team. On the other hand, disagreeing with most things and yet not being able to admit our own concern is a trust issue, among other things.
When players do not trust each other, they mutually hide their weaknesses and errors; they are hesitant to ask for help or to share constructive ideas; they have prejudices and come to conclusions about the others' intentions and skills. They lose time and energy managing their behavior to cause a particular effect, hiding resentments and making excuses not to spend time together.
"I'm pressing hard in defense, but my opponent surpasses me and scores easily, something happened with the first help, whose fault was this? Bah … always clueless (prejudice). I better shut up to avoid a conflict or to create a bad atmosphere (hidden resentment) but next time I won't make such an effort (weaknesses or errors are hidden, not exposed)".
When a team is solid in defense and is committed to making the biggest individual and group effort, all players are sure of what they are doing and why they are doing it, and they do not feel forced or threatened; there are no doubts, just certainty and individual responsibility. A team that seeks to maintain a high level of concentration during the game, with no room for doubt, avoids prejudging the actions of peers and forgets about old resentments. This type of team shows trust and has lost the fear to vulnerability, particularly on the court (but also outside of the arena).
As a player, feeling vulnerable when making a mistake in the defense of pick and roll generates no resentment or fear in me because I trust the team's response, my colleagues' reaction, who know the rules; we are sure of what we are doing and we have trained it together; they'll be there to correct this potential difficulty or any possible mistake that I may make, and my level of effort, commitment and faith in what we do will continue to grow. I will not get disconnected. The power of the team and the trust in the work of each one of us will increase my feeling of responsibility.
With these ingredients, the extra pass in offense will appear more frequently. The team will have a solid foundation on which to grow at all levels; conflicts may emerge but there will be no fear to them, because the team will continue to seek solutions to improve as a group.
It is now up to us to channel this trust through leadership, when it comes to scheduling significant tasks, having a good planning and making the right decisions.
The balance between exigency and dialogue
Coaches are continuously exposed to social evaluation coming from different parties around the team they lead (Directive Board, Press, other coaches, relatives…) and even from the team itself.
As project leaders, we must have (and show) a solid confidence on what we do, in addition to a non-stop desire of optimizing all the material and human resources available, in order to be successful. These human resources may include our everyday work group, the technical staff and the players. And with all of them we will be sharing good and bad times along the journey.
However, before anything else (capacities, weaknesses or strengths), we need to consider the individual, the person behind the player or the staff member, and the challenges he/she comes with. We need to convince them, make them feel important and satisfied with what they do and with the individual and group benefits they will receive in exchange. If we can make this work, if they feel satisfied and relevant, they will perform better; the level of implication will raise and they will be 100% committed with the project. The person sustains the player: behind the facade and the attitude, there is a human being, and without him/her, without the game's main characters, there is nothing.
Thus, we have the need, and almost the duty, of getting to know the people we work with, of being conscious of their necessities, their capacity of adaptation, their fears and worries. It may be essential to know people in depth in order to assess what can be requested from each individual at a certain point.
Knowing the people we cooperate with on a daily basis will help us achieve goals as a group and will facilitate the process when it comes to making each member feel important and committed with their work within the team. That confidence and satisfaction will allow us to be more exigent: this is easier if we pull all together. Demanding and negotiating is not incompatible, quite the opposite. There is a balance, and it defines the different styles as a coach. We will surely be able to identify ourselves with one or these styles, or to assign coaches or teachers to each of these groups:
Conciliator coaches: Low level of exigency and very open to communication.
Things happen just because. We listen and talk to all the players; we always encourage them in all situations but our level of exigency is low. We don't pay attention to detail and we are not able to get the team to train intensely; we are probably too lenient. With this attitude we perform poorly when faced to bad results, and it will be hard for us to request a bigger effort from the team when needed. We must be aware of the fact that, certain players, due to their personality traces, needs to be constantly "pressed". When we decrease our level of exigency, their motivation decreases as well. If we have a few players of this kind in our team and we try to be "tolerant", things won't work, particularly in times of big challenges where a higher level of concentration, commitment, attention and constructiveness is needed.
Absent coaches: Low level of exigency and not open to communication.
In this scenario, if we don't have a self-sufficient group and an outstanding team, if we are not able (or we don't want to) listen, if our interest in communication is scarce and our ability to request high levels of performance to each member of the group is limited, we will not be ready to lead the team. Circumstances will force us to give up will pave the way for another coach to take over. Most likely, the results we will achieve with these low levels of communication and exigency will be substandard.
Feudal coaches: High level of exigency and not open to communication.
Coaches who do not communicate with and listen to the work group, coaches who are capable of just following their own ideas, trying to enforce them without considering all relevant factors, may be successful on the short term. However, long term, they will find what is commonly known as "burned land".
Good players try to escape this form of leadership, because it does not allow them to grow their creative space and it doesn't promote personal development. If players are told what to do and how to do it at all times, they won't have the opportunity to evolve later on. They will serve the coach's interests on the short term but they won't really explore their actual potential.
Coaches-Developers: High level of exigency and very open to communication.
Good leaders listen to their players and co-workers; they are open to receiving messages and feedback regarding how the process of training and coaching is presented. Paying attention to what our team has to say doesn't mean that they can do what they want, or that the level of exigency is lower, quite the opposite. We will be on the right track to win the team's respect and, thus, to obtain the right to request their best. Players will be performing at a high level without even realizing it.
With this style, we let the player express himself, be creative and enjoy the process, because he/she feels part of it; the feeling of personal gratification will be intense. This type of coaches does not feel intimidated or uncomfortable with talented assistants; on the contrary, they usually surround themselves with co-workers who help them develop all their skills.
There are, probably, many elements and circumstances that influence us when leading a human group. These are mainly aspects related to our personality traces, our social intelligence and our social skills, together with our intuition, background and past experiences. Being conscious of the different leadership options and the way they impact our work group will help us shape our performance and become the coach we would like to be.
Game directing: Emotional control under sports stress. (video)
One of the most relevant aspects of a coach work is game directing. I am not sure if this is the most important one but it is undoubtedly one of the most demanding tasks for us, in terms of emotions, decisions and communication.
During the game, we may face different situations with high levels of stress; this may affect us and prompt emotions that could condition us when it comes to making a decision or to giving our team the right solution. The internal logic of basketball, defined by its rules, makes of this sport one with high levels of interaction between coach and game. This gives coaches the possibility of taking part in the game's development and the opportunity to influence it both strategically and emotionally.
This high level of interaction is particularly promoted by some factors, like the physical proximity to the game's area -which guarantees a communicative channel with players and referees-, the possibility of making an unlimited number of changes and the option of using a maximum of five dead times to communicate with the team.
After a work's week of gathering information about the rival in many aspects, and bearing in mind our own possibilities as a team, we need to filter all this information to face the game. Our personality, leadership style, background and experience will determine the way we prepare and lead the game.
Sometimes we play God and bring the game in our mind to the arena, with all the possibilities that we think may happen tactically and strategically; we simply forget that a basketball game is a living creature that flows and that will demand from us high adaptation and improvisation capacities, in addition to a pre-established plan. Both capacities demand a solid control of our emotions.
The development of the game influences us emotionally. Circumstances such as a tie scoring, the referees, the consequences of winning or of losing, the spectators, the players' actions, a preconceived plan, etc. may increase our stress level. They could generate chained thoughts and feelings that may influence our level of activation and limit our capacity of observation and attention towards the really important aspects of the game.
Therefore the following factors seem to be determinant for efficient game directing: previous experience in similar situations, our background and command of the game, our emotional intelligence, our capacity to adapt and improvise and our leadership style (which is defined by our communicative skills and personality).
In this video you will be able to appreciate some of the factors that influence a good or bad decision during game directing. I imagine that many of you watched the first semifinal of the Euroleague's Final Four last season, between CSKA of Moscow, trained by Kazlauskas and the Greek Panathinaikos, trained by Zelko Obradovic. You will see how one of these coaches faces a very stressful situation (he is protesting a doubtful decision from the referee), with a tie score and very little time left. All this triggers a highly emotional activation level but, even under such pressure, he is able to make the right decision for his team in a split second.
Take a look and enjoy.
Proposal for a Zone Defense in youth teams categories: Greece U16 (2011)
In this post I will be showing a proposal for a zone defense in youth teams categories, hoping to be able to share some of my past experience and knowledge. This video corresponds to the Greek U16 National Team (which I particularly liked), trained by Manos Manouselis (48 years); the team was participating in the European Championship held in the Czech Republic in July, 2011.
Let's focus on the way we use the zone defense in youth team categories and not on the usual discussion about its adequacy or not at this educational level. It is the way we use it that we should be questioning and reflecting on: What is our goal when introducing this type of defense at a learning stage? Do we use competition as part of the player's education or as a final goal? What values are we communicating to our players when practicing it? What are our defense rules and what are the criteria that we use when introducing them in our methodology?
For example, teacher David Cárdenas, based on a constructivist proposal of the tactics teaching methods, talks about the following criteria at the time of designing our methodology's contents and goals:
From the player's perspective:
- Player's profile (level of knowledge).
- Biological/physical characteristics.
- Level of biological maturation (biological age).
- Development of physical potential: strength, speed, resistance, flexibility…
- Level of psychological maturation (player's interests, motivation and needs).
- Motor and cognitive characteristics: specific knowledge of the game's internal logic, individual technical capacity, individual tactical capacity, collective tactical capacity.
From the content's perspective:
- Difficulty level: perception, decision making and motor execution.
- Consistency with the game's internal logic:
- Relationship between the formal elements of the game (space, baskets, ball, players and rules).
- Interdisciplinary nature of the contents.
- Natural sequence of the actions during the game.
From the coach perspective:
- Consistency with the internal logic of the game.
- Capacity, interests, experience and background of the trainer.
I think that it is relevant to mention that competing, in European Championships (U-16), is the final goal. Medals and results are, whether we like it or not, the biggest measurement tools to determine the success and career path of many professionals that participate on the team's performance during these educational stages. In this context of competition, the coach of each national team prepares his 15-year old players following a set of criteria.
In this particular case, the Greek U-16 national team had weak physical conditions and a very particular team structure, with many small players that fell within the point-guard and the shooting guard categories (Nikolau, Papadionysioy, Spyridonidis, Stylianos, Liapis, Stamatis), in addition to four big forwards who rotated between 3 and 4 (Kefalas, Spyropoulos, Gkellos and Theodorou); there were also two interior players (with an apparently brilliant future): Charalampopoulos (U-14, 2 metres) and Georgios Diamantakos (U-16, 2.10 metres), of whom I show you some images. With these players, and in view of the many difficulties they find to counteract the offensive actions of the other national teams, they propose a zone defense, originally as a temporary resource, that ends up becoming, through the championship, their main defense, using it sometimes more than 20-25 minutes per game.
Bearing in mind the characteristics of the exterior players and in view of the problems in defensive mobility (and Diamantakos' number of fouls), the coach decides to use a 2-3 zone defense with very anticipated lines, a high level of defensive activity on the ball and many rotations of the four players in the "box". This way, his bigger player can block any action to penetrate the paint and would always be in a good position for defensive rebounding: an optimal availability to intimidate the rivals and prevent near the basket shots.
Here's the video for you to check this proposal in detail.
Training and Communicating
Coaches must face lots of situations that require efficient communication skills as well as the capacity to lead, and which have nothing to do with our knowledge, our technical skills, our "amazing" list of exercises or tasks or our "spotless" methodology.
We are talking about very familiar situations such us: correcting our players on each training session fighting emotions, feelings and prejudices; communicating clearly and efficiently a key instruction during a time out on a hard-fought game; applying all required internal measures to correct a player's improper behavior; facing the after game evaluation of a serious defeat or an important victory, or just talking about life.
Besides, as group managers or team leaders, we have the responsibility and the opportunity to optimize the use of the resources the group members contribute with; those members can be either players, staff members or any other people that somehow influence or participate, on a daily basis, on the leader's task of managing human resources.
In this sense, we must have certain communication skills, and we must apply them correctly. These mechanisms include stance, facial and body expression, gestures, tone of voice and message, but also the communicative space the leader creates for each of the situations – formal or informal– where he or she interacts with the team.
Deficient communicative skills may have a negative impact on our capacity as leaders, even when our referential authority (knowledge, experience, successes and command of the game) is high.
The skills most commonly mentioned on the bibliography about leadership make reference to communication (what we convey at all times), technical background and education, experience, individual psychology and management of working groups. And with regard to the factors that can go so far as to influence leadership in sport, they stress the importance of:
– Referential authority: experience, background, personality, past successes, etc.
– Communicative and pedagogical skills: efficient feedbackmanagement, assertiveness, emotional intelligence, etc.
– Commitment with the tasks and also with people: search for the higher standards of individual and group development, contributing, motivating and generating a high level of satisfaction on the other team members.
– Adaptability to context/situation: players profiles, positive and negative results, parents, press, referees, board, etc.
Our particular training methodology may be influenced by numerous factors, such as our personality features, past experiences, knowledge of the game and education, or the impact exercised by other coaches or people we have worked with during our career.
All this will shape our leadership style, mostly defined by three essential aspects: our implication in the development plan of the training sessions and games, the way we manage personal relationships with the rest of the team members and our decision making style.
It seems that all these factors outline two different ways of connecting and communicating with the team; these would be the ends of a continuum, of a scale where we all fit and place ourselves in our everyday activities: IMPOSITION and TRANSACTION.
On one of these extremes are the coaches that usually turn to impositions, demands and, if needed, punishment, and who most often sanction errors or bad results. On the other extreme, we can find the coaches who base their style on transaction and active listening, controlling all tasks and playing an evident role in personal relationships, trying to find middle ground for understanding. This type of coach tends to convince instead of to enforce, and has the capacity to delegate tasks to the other members of his staff.
This has nothing to do with having authority or not; both types of coaches may have it, since authority is related to the capacity of decision making. But a leader who "imposes" by force is poorly wasting his authority. In those cases, we usually communicate with players by keeping a physical (and hierarchical) distance, supported by an aggressive body language with despotic, domineering stances and gestures. With this "unfriendly" behavior, we have a poor communicative production and interact less with our players by reducing dialog and increasing the amount of orders that we transmit.
Each style has its pros and cons and, as we explained before, each of us has his own spot in that continuum defined by these two remote profiles.
It seems obvious that a coach that is more prone to transaction is usually a self-confident coach, one that accepts the challenge of talking, because he has enough arguments and doesn't need to protect himself wasting his authority.
A coach who feels insecure and threaten by the results, the press, the team or the relationships with staff or board members, activates the mechanisms to protect his authority, usually through imposition, punishment and separation. That's when he may end up detaching himself from the group, thus losing his leadership.
Likewise, when a coach feels confident he doesn't sense his authority as being threatened by the group; he doesn't need to squander his power to protect himself or to defend his role.
There are no studies that prove a style to be more efficient than the other when it comes to winning, being successful or achieving good results. There are successful coaches out there that are, at the same time, authoritarian, uncommunicative and inflexible; it may have nothing to do with self-confidence: they simply feel comfortable with that particular style.
It would be ideal to have the right skills to adapt ourselves to every scenario, with a situational leadership that allowed us to perfectly manage each of these situations. We should probably learn how to take the right preventive measures against our communicative reactions to each of those unpredicted or predictable challenges.
Sometimes we act on our intuition and experience about situations that are familiar to us. Both intuition and experience are conditioned by our balance of successes/defeats in the past.
We, as coaches, are communicators. Our emotional reactions may play a dirty trick on us and lead us to the wrong communicative reaction; we may then provide a hesitant, incoherent or vague message, accompanied by a particular body language that we would have preferred to avoid in that specific situation. That's when self-control and emotional intelligence come to play an important role regarding interaction with the team.
Something we must be clear about is that, even when we are not talking, WE ARE ALWAYS COMMUNICATING: Communicating is not just about speaking; it is a non-automatic process between two or more individuals.
Individual Responsibility, Confidence and Common Goals
In a basketball team, as in any other type of work team, the individual awards and recognitions implicitly bear a lack of consideration towards the values of the team and collective work which we, as coaches, must know and try to manage.
Without your travel mates, your comrades-in-arms, you would just be someone who "is trying"; your team mates exalt your effort and you exalt theirs. To obviate this, or to never go so far as to even feel it, is to remain on the first step of a large staircase. We all are relevant characters and protagonists. Climbing up this staircase together is the only possible way to achieve the excellence as a group.
If we really want to reach a goal, if there is a truly common mission, we will find the way; if we hesitate, we will find the excuse.
In a strong team, nobody shelters behind the group; all members are important and have a role, and all of them respect an unspoken maxim: "INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY". Without this real individual responsibility, when exposed to difficulties, groups weaken, doubt, lose energy and the individuals tend to protect themselves from failure. When this happens, the group melts and, eventually, fails. Nobody should shelter behind the group when it comes to assuming responsibilities because then he/she won't be able to achieve the excellence that the team needs or expects.
To obtain the level of "individual responsibility" that is needed in a group, it is necessary that each and every member of that group becomes engaged with the common goals; they need to fully understand their own roles and objectives in order to reach those common goals and the expectations that the team, as a whole, creates for each of the members who form it. This way, assuming his own responsibility with the assigned task and acting accordingly, each individual is pushing the team forward and spreading this attitude to the rest of the team; he can then put pressure on his team mates and demand the same level of work and commitment. In this particular scenario CONFIDENCE is essential: the group realizes that a team member is pressing the team because he CARES for the team. To reach this level of group maturity is not simple.
Confidence is one of the key ingredients of team work. It is perhaps a crucial component – if not the most decisive one – in the construction of a team.
Sometimes, as coaches and group leaders, we struggle when it comes to making some players or members of the technical staff responsible for certain facts and functions, either because they are very cooperative individuals or because we may feel intimidated by their social aggressiveness or by the importance of their role within the group. Requesting responsibilities is not an easy task; the first step to get there is to show our part of commitment and responsibility as coaches; we must assume our successes with humility and naturalness, and also with humility and self-criticism we must accept our mistakes and failures.
The POWER OF THE GROUP can't be quantified, it is UNLIMITED.
Professional Experience
Professional Experience
Professional experience developed in Spanish basketball leagues and at international championships with the Spanish National Basketball Team (Selección Española de Baloncesto)
Club Básquet Coruña
EBA League
LEB Bronce League
LEB Plata League
Head Coach
Club Básquet Coruña
Play-off to promote to LEB Oro (placed 5th)
Club Básquet Coruña
EBA League
LEB Bronce League
LEB Plata League
High Performance Section Coordinator (Coordinador Área de Rendimiento)
Club Básquet Coruña
Best defense of the Regular Season
Club Baloncesto Pontevedra
LEB Plata League
Club Manager and Assistant Coach
Club Básquet Coruña
Promotion to LEB Plata (placed 2nd)
Club Básquet Coruña
EBA League
Assistant Coach Physical Trainer
Club Básquet Coruña
Promotion to LEB Bronce (placed 3rd)
Club Básquet Coruña
Youth Teams Coordinator
Club Baloncesto Ciudad de Pontevedra
Play-off to promote to LEB Oro
Club Baloncesto Ciudad de Pontevedra
Club Básquet Coruña
FEB Professional Player (EBA and LEB Plata)
Youth Teams Coach
Club Básquet Coruña
Promotion to LEB Plata (placed 3rd).
FEDERACIÓN ESPAÑOLA DE BALONCESTO, FEB (Spanish Basketball Federation)
Professional and Educational Qualifications
Professional and Educational Qualifications
– Accredited Professional Basketball Coach (FEB)
– University Bachelor of Science Degree for Physical Education, INEF (University of A Coruña)
– Doctorate in Sports Psychology (University of Vigo)
– Master in Physical Training (University of A Coruña)
– Master in Sports Psychology (UNED)
– Student of Clinical Psychology, 5th year (UNED)