Category Archives: Equipment Management

How To Run Your Wrestling Program On A Tight Budget

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Years ago, when athletic budgets were much healthier, wrestling programs could afford custom singlets and custom warm ups.  In fact there were always a few accounts that purchased custom knee pads and head gear back in the day when they had to be ordered 8 weeks in advance.   Recent budget cuts across the country have taken a big bite out of wrestling budgets.  Many of my long time accounts have had to pay for their uniforms with booster money which gets pretty tricky when you’re already paying for travel expenses and other necessities with funds raised by boosters.  So what can you do to look sharp on the mat and keep under budget?  Let’s look at a few options that could help.

Custom, custom, custom. Custom uniforms are great because they ensure that you will look different on the mat than all of the opposing teams.  Of course the downside being that custom singlets and warm ups get really pricey.  The first way to keep your budget under control is to go with stock wrestling singlets and warm ups.

Finding stock wrestling singlets with a custom look is easy now.  Most manufacturers offer stock lycra singlets with color blocking patterns so you can save money by selecting one of these styles and then adding your imprinting.  I recommend sticking with 1 color print if possible.  Printing can get expensive.  The more colors in you logo the more it costs.  Usually single color printing looks great on a contrasting color singlet so there’s really no need to waste valuable funds on 3 or 4 color designs.

While there will always be wrestling teams wearing $200 warm up suits custom made by the leading factories you can look just as sharp with stock warm up suits these days.  Check out the selection of stock warm up suits at www.morleyathletic.com.  Tons of styles to chose from that look like they’re custom sewn.  Once your logo is added no one will know that you paid less than half the price for yours.

One benefit of modern technology is that the new headgear styles allow you to get custom head gear shipped in the same amount of time as stock headgear and it really only costs a fraction more.  So when it comes to head gear if you need to go custom it’s a great budget area to do so.  You’ll only spend a couple bucks more per head gear and you won’t run into another team with a matching design.

So it’s possible to look like you spent a ton of money on custom products for your wrestlers while keeping that budget under control.  Today’s product selection is much larger than that of the past so going with stock uniforms doesn’t mean you have to look boring on the mat.  You can achieve any look you want with stock uniforms whether you want your wrestlers to look fast, tough or sharp you will find what you’re looking for in the vast selection of products available at www.morleyathletic.com  A family tradition since 1931 and your one stop source for all of your wrestling needs.

HOW TO BUY A SWIMMING PACE CLOCK

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While swimming involves some of the biggest equipment in the team sports industry, mainly the pool, there is still some smaller equipment that is needed to have swim meets and practice.  One piece of equipment you will need is a pace clock.  There are several models to choose from and this article will go over some of the options.

There are a few manufacturers of pace clocks and all of them have been in the swimming industry for many years.  The Competitor Swimming and Maric Timing pace clocks tend to be the most popular although the new models offered by Finis certainly offer the latest technology.  Sometimes I guess the models that are tried and true are hard to beat. 

When deciding on a pace clock one of the first decisions you’ll need to make is how you are going to power the unit.  Of course swimming being a water sport many people gravitate quickly to battery operated models to reduce any risk of electricity and water mixing.  Plug in electric models can be more convenient however as replacing batteries in the middle of a swim meet or practice will not be an issue.   I think this is the reason that plug in models are most popular.

The next decision to make is what size to purchase.  Swimming pace clocks come in a few different sizes.  The square models from Maric are available in 3 sizes.  The largest is 30 inches, then a 20 inch model and finally a 15 inch model.  The octagonal shape models by Competitor Swimming come in your choice of a 15 inch size or a 31 inch size.  Obviously the larger the clock the easier it is to read so my suggestion is that you purchase the largest model your budget will allow.  The smaller pace clocks are usually used for less competitive activities like water aerobics or personal training.  Some smaller models are only available in battery powered designs.

While swimming pace clocks do not feature the most high tech of modern technologies different models do offer different features.  The Competitor pace clocks feature a real Plexiglas® lens for durability and protection from splashing and weather.  The minute and second hands are made of a new alloy to resist warping.  The Maric pace clocks offer  a built in stand, shatter resistant acrylic lens and a vented design that lets the heat out of the clock to keep the hands and face from going out of shape.  Competitor pace clocks offer durable plastic cases designed for all weather use while Maric pace clocks use a rugged weather proof aluminum case that has been powder coated for durability. 

As you can see both of these manufacturers have completely different designs.  That being said both designs have functioned for years and become the most popular pace clocks for swimming.  No matter which of these designs you go with you know you will have trouble free operation.  You will find a complete line up of Competitor and Maric swimming pace clocks along with digital pace clocks and lap counters at www.morleyathletic.com.  While you’re there shop our entire selection of swimming equipment, supplies and swim suits for competitive swimmers and find out why Morley Athletic has been “A Family Tradition Since 1931!”.

MAXIMUM PRESSURE FOR MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE AT ALL TIMES

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Whether it’s a volleyball, football, basketball, playground ball, water polo ball, soccer ball, rugby ball, etc., etc., all inflatable balls feature a maximum pressure stamped right into the ball.  This number can usually be found in close proximity to the inflation valve on the ball.  A lot of individuals completely ignore this number until that fateful day when the ball they are inflating explodes in their hands, a scary and dangerous situation.  Other see this number as a warning only.  DO NOT INFLATE TO MORE THAN XXX POUNDS OF PRESSURE.  At least they will not have to worry about the previously mentioned explosion.  To those of us in the know however this number is more of a “sweet spot”, the pressure at which that particular ball will perform its best.  In some cases you may find that a slightly different pressure performs better to you, your own custom “sweet spot”.

Don’t think that ball pressure is that important to your game?  Have you ever bounced an under inflated basketball?  Ever tried to get a spiral out of a football that needed some more air?  Try spiking an under inflated volleyball.  Ever kick a soccer ball and wonder why it didn’t travel in the correct direction.  Under inflation could have been the problem.  Inflation pressure is important not only to the longevity of the product but also its performance.

A lot of research money has gone into making sure that the bladder and valve on your ball will hold air correctly.  Huge amounts of money have gone into developing new bladder technologies, that’s how important air retention is when it comes to inflatable sports balls.  The sports balls of today don’t require nearly as much re-inflation as they used to which is good news.  Another big stride taken against under inflated sports balls is the ability to purchase some very small hand pumps to keep your sports balls inflated to the proper level even on the fields.

Many products are available and they can all get the job done.  The pocket pump, pocket pistol, double action hand pump, the 10”ball inflator.  There are dozens of styles to choose from.  There is one problem with most designs however.  They can inflate the ball but they don’t tell you the current pressure.  You need a separate inflation gauge for that.  That is until now. 

The new Pocket Pump With Gauge offers the handy size and easy to use design of the pocket pump with a built in pressure gauge so that you know when you have inflated the ball to its “sweet spot”.  You can pick up your Pocket Pump With Gauge at www.morleyathletic.com where you will find all of the supplies and equipment you need to run a successful sports program.

Save Money, Burn Fat, Build Muscle

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Everyone wants to keep in shape.  Some of us go to the gym 3 times a week others build a gym in their own house.  Some people buy DVD’s and try to get fit doing what the guy on the TV tells them.  Anybody who has tried to stay in shape knows the same thing.  It takes work and dedication.  One thing it doesn’t take is a ton of money, contrary to what Sunday morning television would teach us.  You won’t get anywhere unless you come up with a routine that you can stick too.  Believe me I have tried dozens if not hundreds of times to stick to a complicated eating and exercising routine and while that may work for some it’s just not for me.  A guy on a bodybuilding forum once gave me the best advice.  He said that what he did to get in such great shape was to make sure that he did something every day.  Just something, whether it be a two hour routine or the more likely 10 minute quickie workout.  Great advice that we can all actually stick to..  Just do something, because something is always better than nothing.

There are a ton of simple workouts that can be done without anything more than our own body weight as resistance.  No need to expensive contraptions, machines or high tech fitness tools.  So pick a few exercises from the wealth of information online and start working those larger muscle groups in the privacy of your own home for free.  No need to hit the gym.

One piece of equipment I do recommend is the kettlebell.  The easiest  use for kettlebells, and what works for me is the kettlebell swing.  The basic idea is you stand with your legs apart and swing your kettlebell straight in front of you.   The trick being that you’re not going to use your arm muscles but rather a hip thrust motion that will make muscles throughout your body lift the kettlebell and swing it in front of you.  You can find videos of this move on any respectable video sharing website.  It’s that popular.

Once you reach your maximum weight it won’t take many reps to get your heart rate up, the sweat flowing and your muscles fatigued.  I use kettlebells as a major part of my fitness routine simply because I feel like I get a great workout in only a couple of minutes.  Seriously just a couple of minutes and I’m feeling the burn.  It saves me a ton of time.   Now the time I would normally spend doing several different exercises with higher reps and sets I can spend with my son and daughter.  That’s what i call quality time.

I suggest that you educate yourself on the use of kettlebells and then start with a low weight until you can get your form right after which you should move up in kettlebell weight to increase your workout intensity.  There are new vinyl coated and even Rhino soft rubber kettlebells available to make sure your floors are not damaged.  You will find a complete selection of kettlebells at www.morleyathletic.com.

Fitness On A Budget

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Ok everyone wants to be fit and trim.  Some of us go to the gym religiously others build a gym in their own house.  Having either of those options is great but for most of us in this tough economy neither of those solutions is an option.  Those of us who have a limited budget but still want to be in shape have to be a bit more creative and budget minded.

Most of the workouts we do can be done without anything more than our own body weight as resistance.  No need for fancy machines or gimmicky fitness tools.  If you are a bit out of shape just exercising with your own body weight as resistance will help you achieve a lot of your goals.  Getting on a workout schedule and making it interesting and easy to stick to is the plan.

Many new fitness routines have ditched the 2 hour long repetitive workouts of the past and gone in a new direction that actually makes them easier to stick to for us average folks.  Whether the science is there or not I’m sure we’ll all agree that doing something is better than doing nothing. 

So pick a few exercises from the wealth of information online and start working those larger muscle groups in the privacy of your own home for free.  No need to hit the gym or fill your house with expensive equipment.  To work the smaller core muscles along with the larger muscles and your cardiovascular system you can use one simple piece of equipment, the Kettlebell.

Kettlebells are nothing new.  In fact elite athletes and body builders have been using them for quite some time.  It seems that the general population is finding them to be very useful as well.  You can use kettlebells in tons of ways making it possible to work most if not all muscle groups with them.   My favorite use for kettlebells, and what works for me and my minimalist approach is the kettlebell swing.  The basic idea is you stand with your legs apart and swing your kettlebell straight in front of you the trick being that you’re not going to use your arm muscles but rather a hip thrust motion that will make muscles throughout your body lift the kettlebell and swing it in front of you.

Now it sounds easy but once you reach your maximum weight it won’t take many reps to get your heart rate up, the sweat flowing and your muscles fatigued.  That’s why I use kettlebells as a major part of my fitness routine.  It saves me a ton of time that I would normally have to spend doing several different exercises with higher reps and sets to meet the same workout level.

Kettlebells come in a large assortment of weights and the form involved in the different exercises needs to be done correctly.  There are tons of videos online showing proper form.  My suggestion is that you educate yourself on the use of kettlebells and then start with a low weight until you can get your form right after which you should move up in kettlebell weight to increase your workout intensity.  You will find a complete selection of kettlebells at www.morleyathletic.com.