a tra ining Q: My hockey coach wants me to add some plyometric exercises to my off-season training routine. What are plyometric exercises and how should I start? A: Plyometric exercises may include bounding, box jumps, high-stepping, skip- Ping, hops and various jumps. They are a great addi- tion to your exercise pro- gram as they add an explo- sive power component. Side jumps are a good plyometric exercise to start with. To perform side jumps, place a telephone book on the floor in the middle of a room. With your feet togeth- er, jump sideways over the book landing as softly as pos- sible. As soon as you land on the floor, jump back to the starting position. Repeat this movement 26 times, take a 30-to-60-second break and repeat the exercise for one- to-three sets, depending on your comfort level. To increase the difficulty, jump over a taller object such as a milk crate. This exercise will provide you with the power and explosiveness needed for rapid weight transfer while skating. It is important to _ have a sufficient strength ~ base before you start this high impact exercise so be sure to consult your physi- © cian before starting. Shaun Karp owns Karp Personal = =Training and Rehabilitation in North Vancouver. Visit his Web site at . Mountainside miseries North Shore Rescue’s Outdoor Survival Tip If You Ga Out of Bounds, Always Carry the 10 Essentials If you’re a downhill skier or snowboarder and you decide to leave the con- trolled area be ready to stay out overnight in a survival situation. It’s likely that you may not be reported missing for many hours and will be stuck in the snow, in damp clothes, fighting hypocher- mia. Carry extra clothing, survival gear and be mental- ly prepared to endure some of the most miserable hours of your life. Go te www.northshoreres- cue.com for more information. Training : Canip FUTURE champs! Remember these names of British Columbia's top under 14 junior tennis play- ers: Sarah Macleod, Leyla Morzan, Justina Wojcik, Niaa Pantic, Philip Bester, Bobby Sherlock, Graeme Kassautzki, George Jecminek, David Chu and Justin Chow. They are part ef che B.C. team that will represent us in the Canadian Nationals on March 27 in Montreal. This is where it all begins for all athletes who want to go pro, an opportunity thar could start the ball rolling (no pu n intended) on a suc- cessful athletic career. Playing competitive sports is a great asset not only for enjoyment but to learn life skills. {t helps develop focus, discipline, goal-setting and confidence to name a few. Whether you are a weekend warrior or an aspiring athlete, your biggest weapon will be your mental strength. It is the least- “practi tised part of everyone’s training. Tennis is said to be 70% mental and 30% physical. On average players train mentally around 5% at each practice. Thar is too low if you want to be the best you can be. I will introduce to you some helpful trainin strategies that are great for all athletes. Positive mental attitude As a beginner in any sport you are going to expe- fience many frustrations, many insecurities and many difficult challenges. You will undoubtedly make hundreds of mistakes. The beginner is confront- Wed Mar 22° SPORTING LIFE Stly in the mind ‘ i NEWS photo Cindy Goodman BRITISH Columbia’s top under 14 tennis players: Sarah McLeod, Graeme Kassautzki, Sob Sherlock, George Jecminek, Philip Bester and Leyia Morzan with Helen Kelesi in the background. ed with the task of training his or her mind and body to work together in unison, a strain on even the strongest physical or mental mindsets. Mental strength and mental toughness are learned. These exercises will teach you mental strength. Get ready to become your best ever! Common feelings and attitudes that block your progress: ® = can’t; I won't; I never; probably not; impossible. @ I'm so stupid. B I feel so dumb — I just can’t get it! @ I mest look terrible. I can’t stand making mis- takes. tl never learn this game. Positive self-statements to be said twice daily for at feast the next seven days: 1am going to be successful as a (insert sport of choice). @ I feel great knowing | will always give my best effort. @ Learning and practising will be fun and exciting. @ 1 learn from my mistakes and 1 am eager to try again. 8pm Centennial Theatre Vancouver Chamber Choir Jon Washbum conductor with pianists Linda Lee Thomas & Terence Dawson © in a programme entitled “Heartsongs” Single Tickets: Adult $25 Senior $20 Student $15 Student Group (10 or more) $10 Centennial Theatre Centre Bex Office Hours: 12 noon to 4 pm Mon-Sat (in person) or call 984-4486 Sovices charges may apply For more information please call 904-1010 ba] With the generous support of rE & ( am a fast learner and I look forward to a challenge. @ Iocan maintain a positive attitude no matter what. Most of us don’t spend much time thinking about the way we think. Burt think- ing is a habit, and the way we talk co ourselves in our minds is a habit. Bad habits, such as nega- tive self-messages and put- downs, get bad results: low self-esteem, depression, lack of motivation. Good habits, + such as talking to yourself in a positive way, focusing on positive thoughts, and being positive with other people, get good results: success, happiness, peace of mind. While no one is positive all the time, there are ways to gain a positive “mind set so that positive thinking becomes a habit. You probably don’t real- ize how many times a day you send yourself negative mental messages. The habit of negative self: tail ,oes unnoticed after a while. But ” studies show that most peo- ple hear between 300 and 400 negative message per day — many of them in their own minds. The control within your- self: the ultimate battle There is an almost uni- versal understanding among the world’s top athletes of the fact that you will always be your own toughest oppo- nent. Until you can conquer yourself, very little is possi- See Tennis Page 3 Join us for ecco Day Saturday March 18 Come meet an ecco representative and receive. your FREE GIFT with every ecca purchase and enter a draw for a FREE pair of ecco’s. NORTH SHORE ATHLETICS 101-7266 nsa@telus.net © Lonsdale Ave. at 12th ¢