A picture IS worth [at least] thousand words

I know what you're thinking - way to be cliché. However you want to look at it, go ahead, but I guarantee that the famous phrase, "A picture is worth a thousand words" has more truth to it than you might think.

How hard is it to explain your last game to your friends? Try to tell them how great a play was? Think about how difficult it can be to share the plays of the week.

We also thought about all this, and remembered how great it was to see game film and game pictures when we were growing up. So why not bring back those days? I'm amazed at the quality stefanfoto.net gets us week in and week out with the PEEL, and our other events. Everyone loves seeing the shots, and are anxious to have them posted on our site and on Facebook. Once they are up; the compliments come in, we see a lot of them posted as profile pictures, and they ask for more.

The most rewarding thing that I've seen come out of it was during the summer season of our basketball league. One of the players approached Stefan during one of the games and asked for more shots of him. It was genuine, he wasn't doing it to boost his ego, rather creating a collage for his new born son. As all of us weekend warriors know, an injury after your high school days can mean the end of your favorite sport, and this case was no different. After overcoming a pretty bad Achilles-tendon injury, this player realized that and wanted to make sure that his son would be able to see his Dad in action! I think the collage turned out great, and I we've got a great little athlete growing up. He certainly has good genes!

Stefan has always come through for us, and I would recommend professional photography for your events, as it truly does make a difference. Even with a digital SRL camera, or any top-of-the-line digital camera you could buy, the difference is made with who's behind the lens. I tried myself, and although we got some good photos, they are no comparison to Stefan's work.

Take a look at their site: www.stefanfoto.net

Basketball IQ

From a coaches persepective, there's nothing better than having a player who understands the game. The high school basketball season is almost underway, with our team having their first exhibition game on Tuesday. Steve and I will be coaching the Lions again this year and it should be good.

Ok, enough of a plug for our team, lets get back to Basketball IQ. Certain players have it, some players develop it as their game and skills evolve. I find that its instinctive for most, but interpreted very differently. This topic came to mind as I was thinking about the 'back door cut" that we're not taking advantage of in our half-court set. Some players see it there, and thrive to take advantage of slipping behind their defender and getting an open lay up (considering the pass can be made). Others don't realize that the opportunity is even there.

Court sense is a part that personally, I am having trouble teaching to our team. Knowing where there will be opportunities to score, space on the court (and getting to it) as well as anticipating what the other team will do. If you have any tips, suggestions, or drills, I'd love some feedback.

I've come across this series on Lebron James called Six Tips on Youtube. Its a feature on Lebron to as part of the launch of his new shoe, the Zoom Lebron VI. This installment mentions basketball IQ and Lebron's ability to adapt, and improve your game.

The differnce maker for me after watching the video, is how his team mates have picked up on this and see how he reviews his game, notices places to better himself, and applies it immediately. Although this is partly reactive thinking, its taking the initiative and being proactive to better yourself and better your athleticism. Sometimes I really wonder about LeBron and other top athletes: will they try to make the professional sports jump like Michael Jordan did? And could it actually work for them?

What came first, the Super Hero or the Superstar Athlete?

Check out this blog on Comic Coverage looking at the crossover between Comic Book and Sports Fans. I was reading it, and realized that the two figures are portrayed in a similar light.

On one hand we've got the superheros, lets take Batman for example (since the Black Knight was just in theaters and he happens to be in the front row of the picture above). Batman is very much like the pro athletes of today; the lifestyle, the cash, the house, the coolest car on the block, and he's got a connection to get him the best gear out there. Heck, just like Batman; Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett (the list continues) help design the gear they wear. If you have ever read the articles about their sneakers. Take any of the Zoom Lebron shoes, theres always a story and always a why for the design, materials, colors, features. Just like Batman said he needed his gear for "spelunking" on the weekends.

I think there is much the same following between the heroes fighting crime and playing . Wouldn't you rather buy the next Steve Nash shoe, if you had the choice from a regular shoe? I know I've taken that chance. "If its good enough for an MVP, it should be good for me." I'm not going to touch on the power of branding here, but look at what that statement has meant for Michael Jordan and his line from Nike, Brand Jordan; millions in the bank!

When Halloween rolls around each year lets face it, the superheros come out in full force, although they are a fraction of the size. Just like being Mike on court, you have to be Batman, or Superman while you roam the streets for candy! The costumes that are sought after each year: Superheroes!

As far as I see it, they are both powerful figures in society, almost surreal. No matter how they change in the future, the easiest way to compare the comic book fan to the sports fan: they like the position that these "figures" are in. Whether its scoring the winning touchdown, or saving the day, they want to be in their favorite superheroes shoes.

Wow, I'm motivated

I'm always pleased to see anything come from planning to fruition and last night was no exception; The Sports Dinner was great!

The set-up was extremely smooth, and most of that credit goes to the staff at the Pan Pacific. The numbers were a less than we expected, but in most cases quality is better than quantity. The crowd was fantastic, and they all seemed to enjoy themselves.

Meeting a lot of people who are currently, or have been, involved in Vancouver High School sports was a pleasure. Many positive comments about this being a create evening for a great cause, and calling for another one next year to follow.

I was most impressed by how educated the guests were about the situation we're in with our student-athletes here in Vancouver. Majority of them were on the same page as us; there needs to be more communication and connection between School and Community Sports. Most students don't pick one sport and play both already. Think about the benefit of having them intertwined allowing the athlete's to perform better in both sports rather than balance the conflict of training, games, transportation, etc.

It can be a hell of a schedule for those multi-sport athletes, and I give them a lot of credit, especially if their sports fall into both systems. The schools are already set up to have the sports split between the terms allowing the athletes to play numerous sports with out conflict, and I think its time to get the Community and Schools together to figure how to get our athletes to the next level by working together.

As much as I've been trying to hold this comment back, I believe its true to say, the pride and ego needs to be put aside and all the organizations need to come together. We should be able to utilize the VSB's fantastic facilities more, our community coaches, both parties resources, and the result: the organizations' programs will flourish.

I think it only takes one person with a vision to make this happen. The speech by Daniel Igali was motivating and almost surreal. He is that one man for his home country of Nigeria. He had the vision, didn't let people slow him down, and look at the results. An Olympic Gold Medial, inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, coaching the Nigerian wrestling team in Beijing, becoming a very inflential member of our community, and named the Canadian Amateaur Athlete of the year, Twice.

Those accomplishments are amazing, however Daniel looked beyond that to start his foundation, and realize his dream of providing more for the children of the region in which he was raised. The motivation for all this was presented in such a way last night, that I cannot find an excuse to not succeed. I would strongly recommed that you take a look a what is slowing you down and truly dig just a little deeper - you'll find it. That 'it' is what Daniel found, and now he's transforming where he grew up.

Going back to Nigeria is something he looks forward to, and he is recognized for. He has now gained the attention of the higher powers of state and influential people around the world - he's really making strides! A wonderful athlete, but more so an incredible dreamer who's bringing his vision to reality; Congratulations Daniel.

I'd like to thank everyone who attended and helped to make The Sports Dinner a reality. It was months of hard work to make it happen, and I truly believe it was a positive night, and the first of many for us, Bravado Sports & Entertainment, and the VSSAA. -Cheers-

Part 1: Sponsorship Anyone?

Sometimes it takes a village to raise a child, its no different for any athlete going through the many coaches and teammates that made investments in each other to reach the next level. Similarly, we need the same thing to be successful.

As most of the events out there, its not complete without sponsors coming on board to offer products, services, or support. I'm always looking for new marketing ideas; unique advertising, different channels, guerrilla tactics, whatever happens to catch my eye. The thing that never changes as a power player in the field is sponsorship. Whether it be contra, or cash, it is no joking matter.

Trying to provide the ultimate opportunity for potential sponsors is no easy feat. The proper exposure, return on dollar, interaction and exclusives can complicate the matter, but the bottom line does not change; the situation must be a win-win. As we try to put together our next large event, we're considering all these things for our sponsors.

Just like the previous entry displays, we've found a good home with apparel. Most of the events include apparel being given away to participants, or being sold. This has been a great fit for us. A couple of local companies have been awesome, and have come through with fantastic apparel! I'm not sure how much more we can expand with apparel, aside from a friendly reminder of rule #1; make sure its wear-able outside of the event!

I'm going to keep writing about sponsors and sponsorship, and if you have suggestions, I'm all ears. The Bravado Blog was started to show what we do in hopes that it can spark other interest.

MORE T-Shirts

HOT off the press - check out some of the new designs!

More Goals in the NHL?

As a Vancouver Canucks Fan, I'm more than happy to see the team on a 3 game winning streak, however I'm more impressed by the play of Roberto Luongo. In a era of hockey that consistently talks about more goals being scored per game, these last 3 wins have been extraordinary as Bobby Loo had 3 straight shutouts. The mention of MVP has loomed over Luongo's head since he came to Vancouver and gave us a shot at the playoffs in spite of our little ability to put the puck in the net.
I can honestly say, if you watch the Canucks play, the tenacity to attack the net this year has only come because of the confidence they have in their final line of defense: Luongo. If the Canucks keep scoring, they should be on the road to the playoffs, but who am I to say 15 games into the season. There's always a battle in the Northwest Division.

After watching Roberto play, and hearing what most of the NHL has to say about him - he is becoming a legend in hockey. His save percentage doesn't matter, nor does the amount of shut outs he accumulates; the bottom line: he's the backbone of his team. Fitting that he was named captain this season. Might not be able to wear the "C" on the uniform, but there is always a compromise, especially when goalies can fully customize their masks.

Playoffs would be nice, another run like '94 would be fantastic, but ideally all we want, here in Vancouver, is the nets to stay the same size, and Roberto to keep stopping pucks! GO CANUCKS GO!

The Villain aka Jeremy Neufeld

Welcome to the competitive world of MMA; the UFC becoming mainstream and national television networks wanting to broadcast their events, while their reality show becoming a hit for viewers, and a serious way for fighters to break into their professional careers.

In our neck of the woods, here in the Pacific Northwest, we've got a handful of great gyms that are turning out some awesome fighters. We're happy to be around the scene (love to get more involved) as we are also fans of the sport.

After recovering from a couple injuries from various sports; the all-round athletic Jeremy Neufeld started to seriously train for Mixed Martial Arts. We're proud to see "The Villain" get fights under his belt and continue to train for the next opponent. We're behind him in the next fight - look out for more talent coming out of the Vancouver area!

Sports brings us together

As I was heading into the office this morning, I ran into one of the guys that I've been playing drop-in basketball with for about a year. Little did I know, he's working construction on the site next to our office building. As usual, we starting talking bball, and when we were going to be playing next.

I started to notice that everybody walking by looked at us because we were a bit of an odd couple. A guy dressed business casual, and a construction worker - talk about 2 different worlds. Two different worlds during the 9-5, maybe, but all that is put aside when we step onto the court.

As I was in the elevator, I thought I should write about it in our blog because it made me start to think about a lot of the other guys who we play sports with. I really only know what a handful of them do for work - and it really doesn't matter. We're there to play the game!

Lets look at the news, how often are they reporting about the middle class disappearing? How many times is someone described or judged by their race, or age, or classified by their career choice? More often than not. I know I'm getting off topic here, but I think its still relevant.

I never thought about how mixed and diverse our drop-in basketball was. We've got a couple teachers, 2 or 3 in sales, a poker pro, a few college students, but like I mentioned earlier, the rest, I really don't know. We're racially diverse as well. Its a pretty good mix.

I'm hoping that this will continue to be the case through out the years. The next generation is growing up in a more 'global' world, and is more aware of athletics on a global scale. I'm glad that is the case for all sports. Steel sharpens steel as athletes develop and train; with the cultural and class barriers down, it allows us to enjoy our sports more, and see them evolve to the next level.


As bitter as I may have sounded above talking about how judgmental the media can be, I'm truly excited that the sports we love continue to cross borders, and bring us all together. Best of health, lets play ball!