How Long Has Sports Medicine Been Around

The idea of sports medicine is actually a fairly new concept. Only in the last few decades has this particular medical practice garnered enough mainstream attention to make it a worthwhile career for physicians. By definition, sports medicine is aimed at preventing injury and illness to an individual when they are participating in some type of sports or physical exercise. Doctors that specialize in sports medicine also put a great deal of emphasis on enhancing the fitness and overall health of the larger population through exercise and healthy diet. It was not that long ago that exercise just for the sake of exercising was considered a somewhat ridiculous idea.

Not more than 100 years ago, the population would often work themselves almost to death. The act of scratching out a living required so much physical exertion that the idea of exercising for sport or fitness would have never occurred to most people. In fact exercising was even looked down upon in some circles. That is not to say that humans have not recognized the value of exercise and physical activity for thousands of years. As far back as 2500 BC, the Chinese were actively trying to prevent disease and prolong their lives through the use of exercise.

Ancient Greeks celebrated athletes and Herodicus is sometimes referred to as the first doctor of athletic medicine. Hippocrates spent a great deal of time treating the injuries of athletes and helping them to prepare for competition. During the time of the Roman Empire, a Greek physician by the name of Claudius Galen actually became the primary doctor for the gladiators. He was responsible for some ground breaking discoveries in the field of sports medicine. He noted the way that muscles contracted and observed that the arteries and lungs worked together to provide oxygen to the tissues.

Like most scientific endeavors, sports medicine all but disappeared during the dark ages. During the 1600s, physicians began to concentrate on what we consider today to be a form of sports medicine. Over the next few centuries, physicians began to pay more attention to the benefits that exercise could provide to the human body. During the 20th century the sports medicine specialty really began to take off. Nobel Prize winning physiologist A.V. Hill is considered by some to be the first physiologist to specialize in exercise. As Americans found themselves with more leisure time and disposable income, professional sports and the injuries that go along with them created a demand for doctors.

Davies Sports are official equipment suppliers

Davies Sports, one of the UK’s foremost companies in youth sport, have been appointed as the official sports equipment supplier for the London Youth Games.

The relationship will see Davies Sports provide a whole range of essential equipment across 30 sports, including shuttlecocks, team bibs, archery targets and referee whistles. The contract will runs from the 2010 season through until January 2013.

Emma Markey, Director of Marketing, Davies Sports said: -Davies Sports is passionate about helping every child realise their sporting ability. The London Youth Games is all about creating opportunities for young children to compete on a grand scale and we believe our equipment will help them achieve their best during this exciting competition.-

Russell Findlay, Chief Executive, London Youth Games said: -Around 47,000 youngsters across London will set out on the journey to represent their borough at the 2010 Balfour Beatty London Youth Games.

“For thousands of young people in the capital, the Games will provide the first opportunity to compete in a large-scale sporting event, following in the footsteps of stars such as Christine Ohuruogu and Rio Ferdinand. It is in our hands to provide a really positive early experience of sport.

“By teaming up with a company of the professional reputation as Davies Sports, we can be sure of delivering well-organised and professional competitions using top-quality equipment to increase the likelihood of each young person staying within sport and enjoying the social and physical benefits it brings.-

The 2010 season launched with the girls indoor cricket qualifiers on 6/7 February and will run for 23 competition days throughout the year culminating on 15 July and including the Thames Water Regatta on 5 June, Balfour Beatty Mini Games on 1 July and Balfour Beatty Main Games on 3/4 July at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

Former participants at the London Youth Games include 2008 Beijing Olympic Gold medallists Christine Ohuruogu (athletics), Bradley Wiggins (cycling) and Mark Hunter (rowing). Christine Ohuruogu is the 2010 patron of the Games; she represented her borough of Newham in netball and athletics as a youngster.

She said: -I am really happy to be patron of the 2010 Balfour Beatty London Youth Games. It is an event which holds a lot of fond memories for me. The London Youth Games is where I first discovered sport on a bigger level.

-It completely opened my eyes to what youngsters could do. When I think back, it was like one big carnival. As a kid, I thought that was what the Olympic Games were like. I absolutely loved it and I always had to make sure I was there again the following year.

-What I learned from the London Youth Games was to enjoy sport. It is such a brilliant setting. Even though boroughs want to compete against each other, the fun element is definitely there. Yes, you want to win. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to win when I go to championships – I do want to win. But that winning comes from the fact that I enjoy what I do. I think that is something that is instilled in me from the London Youth Games.-

We are passionate about playground equipment and sport equipment and the benefits it can offer young people. Along with making them more active and healthy sport can play a central role in developing young people’s confidence and helps develop team work and wider social skills.

Federer Nadal A New Type Of Sports Rivalry

These two players, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal – considered by all to be two of the best tennis players in the world – have kept tennis fans in thrall since their first meeting in 2004 with their unique and unusual rivalry. No matter who the other player is facing, some mention is always made of that Federer Nadal rivalry, even if they dont end up battling each other in court in that particular tournament. If you dont believe us, just check out any Federer news story, where youll be bound to see some mention of Rafael Nadal in the same article. What keeps us all glued to their rivalry however is that this is a sports rivalry of a new kind, neither player behaves in the manner that you would expect of someone engaged in a long term professional war with someone. At times, the Federer Nadal rivalry is also so unique that rather than looking like each others nemesis, the two players seem as close as best friends or even brothers.

The impact of their rivalry has certainly had a major effect on bringing professional level tennis to wider attention, and the fact that the two players are at the very height of their on court powers does nothing to harm this either. But just what is it about this particular rivalry that makes it so unique and different, and is that the reason why we cant seem to get enough of it?

Surprisingly, both Nadal and Federer have a good-natured personal relationship as well as a competitive one on court. Regardless of how competitive and aggressive they are towards each other when theyre standing on opposite ends of the baseline, they still maintain and present a high regard of each other with only the slight criticisms made referring to their playing styles or particular matches. Unlike many other rivalries of a sporting nature, there is a deep undercurrent of mutual respect and admiration from both players running through it, preventing any comments or criticisms from taking on a personal nature.

The two players have also used their famous rivalry and the publicity that playing it up generates to accomplish philanthropic achievements as well as career ones. Federer and Nadal have collaborated on charity exhibition matches to raise money for their two charitable interests, something that would be difficult to achieve without the cultural impact that it has had. Nadal himself has also always found the rivalry to be particularly significant, a bit like the rivalry that may occur between a master of martial arts and his upcoming student, because to him Federer is a role model and a template for success in the tennis world.

Sports Silicone Wristbands – All You Need To Know

Nowadays you can see the sports player wearing these sports wristbands in their game. Why do they wear? What is the use of it? Why has it gained popularity recently? These questions definitely arouse in the minds of people and in this article, you can know all about these excellent rubber bracelets. The sports wristbands are made of silicone and they are called as silicone wristbands and it is specifically made of silicone because it is heat resistant and not subjected to any tear and damages.

The first reason why the athletes use these silicone wristbands is it absorbs the sweat and avoid slip ups. These tight wristbands give support to the players wrist while they engage in any sports activities like baseball, basketball, volleyball, tennis, football, soccer and rugby. And nowadays, it has been attracted by other sports due to its attracting look and sweat absorbing capability.

Even though it is used in other sports, these bands are particularly used in the above mentioned games. Because in games like tennis and volleyball, the player put lot of strain on the wrist so when they wear this band, it prevents the users wrist from injuries. This rubber bracelet prevents the sweat running down the users arms or hands and provides padding over the wrist. Most of the athletes use customized wristbands with their own team logo on them.

Most of the athletes embroider their specialization field in this band and also they wear these rubber bracelets in order to advertise their sponsors so that the sponsors can gain publicity and can boost their companys profit. These sports wristbands avoid slip ups in game by absorbing the sweat and help to get over this issue.

The excess amount of sweat that occurs creates some sort of inconvenience during the game and when you use the sports wristband, you can notice that your game will be more effective and can avoid slip ups and some errors that occur due to sweat.

The wristbands that are designed for sports are friction enhancing wristbands and come in a design of elastic moisture absorbing sleeve with high friction surface over the major portion of the wristband. It provides extra grip particularly in sports like football, especially when the ball is gripped between the wristband and wearers body so it does not drop out easily. In the game of basketball, the rubber bracelets have gained popularity and it is used as a baler id bands with distinctive color and message printed on it.

Each and every sportsman love to wear wristbands as it puts up a sporty statement. There are different types of wristband available and different colors of band that are used for different sports. So the overall summary of the sports wristbands is, it can be used as an advertising tool, it creates a huge craze among players, it motivates the sportsmen and the viewers, absorb sweat and make the player comfortable. So try to get your silicone wristbands in an affordable price from the best wristband manufacturers.