QUESTION: What is the first major difference you think Rams fans will see this year when it comes to the influence of new head coach Jeff Fisher on this team?

JIM THOMAS

I think well see a more physical, aggressive team on both sides of the ball because Fisher will demand it. Thats one reason he brought CB Cortland Finnegan in on defense and also why he hired Paul Boudreau as his offensive line coach. In their own ways, they will be tone-setters.

DAN ONEILL

If you had to put it into one word, I would use confidence. Jeff Fisher is a guy who is comfortable in his own skin and certain of his surroundings. He IS a head coach, hes not trying to be a head coach. He knows what he wants to do, knows how to go about it. He has assembled a veteran group of coaches cut from the same cloth.

Collectively, they exude a purpose and confidence that seems palpable with these players. The Rams have a lot of free agents, a lot of new faces in camp. They are extremely young and generally inexperienced. But they have a veteran coaching staff that is excited about whats taking place, passionate about building something.

It reminds me a little of what happened with the Blues. Management was making a lot of determinations about its talent base, strengths, weaknesses, needs, etc. when it decided to relieve young coach Davis Payne. When the Blues hired Ken Hitchcock, it effectively took the coaching situation out of he equation, i.e. eliminated the possibility the players werent getting the proper direction.

Read more:
Life with the Rams now that Fisher’s king

The Philadelphia Flyers technically don't have a revolving door of coaches. Yet Flyers fans like myself know not to get too attached to them, as they usually leave after four years at the most. However, the franchise is ready to let Peter Laviolette break that trend, after giving him a multi-year extension on Aug. 2.

If Laviolette finishes his new contract, he will coach until the end of the 2014-15 season, which would be the end of his sixth year with the Flyers. This would be historic in Philadelphia, as no Flyers coach has lasted more than four years since two-time Stanley Cup champion Fred Shero, who made it through seven.

Several coaches like Ken Hitchcock, Pat Quinn, Mike Keenan, Paul Holmgren and John Stevens have made it to a fourth year, but gone no further. If Laviolette can survive longer, it will give him a real chance to be the second greatest Flyers coach of all time. Of course, actually winning a Stanley Cup like Shero did will help even more.

Laviolette has won at least one playoff round for the Flyers every season, and gotten to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals after taking over in December 2009. He already has the resume as one of the top coaches in Philadelphia history, but he needs one more deep playoff run to really rise up the list. With a young core developing under him and with Claude Giroux becoming one of the NHL's top superstars, a few more years with this squad could be all Laviolette needs.

Still, there is no guarantee that one bad stretch or poor start won't put Laviolette's job in jeopardy. He won a Stanley Cup for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, yet got fired just 25 games into his fifth season anyway. If the Flyers underachieve to a great extent, there will be more pressure to make a big change - plus it has been two years since Laviolette actually got Philadelphia past the first round.

In any case, the next NHL season could be delayed, shortened or even canceled due to a lockout, so Laviolette and the Flyers may not even get their chance for a while. As such, he could have only two more full seasons under this new contract, and the Flyers may suffer from not having a full 2012-13 season to further develop their new stars.

This is usually the time when lockouts, setbacks, collapses and pure dumb luck occurs to ruin a Flyers coach. Except for Shero, they all flame out after a few years and leave the Flyers even further away from a Stanley Cup.

Laviolette has gotten closer to a Cup than many of those coaches, however, so Philadelphia has faith that he can go further with enough time. Yet if he has the longest tenure of any coach since Shero and doesn't deliver a Stanley Cup, it will make his failure all the more upsetting.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident and a Flyers fan since the age of eight.

Other stories from this contributor

Excerpt from:
Laviolette Poised for Second Longest Coaching Tenure in Flyers History: A Fan's Analysis

The BYU basketball team pose with Coach Rose and a family participating in the Children with Cancer Christmas Foundation's annual Christmas party, December 14, 2011

Jonathan Hardy, BYU

PROVO, Utah The BYU mens basketball coaching staff will participate in the American Cancer Societys Relay for Life on Aug. 10 and 11 at Provo High School.

Head coach Dave Rose will kick off the event with a speech and the Survivors Lap, where cancer survivors lead the way around the track while being honored and applauded by all participants.

The coaching staff has entered a team in this years Relay for Life to assist in the fundraising efforts of the American Cancer Society and to honor Emily Austin, a teenager from Orem who has battled Leukemia since she was 5 years old.

The Roses met Emily and her family through the Children with Cancer Christmas Foundation, an organization that provides Christmas gifts to families with children fighting cancer. Dave and Cheryl and the BYU basketball team have supported the foundation for more than a decade.

Dave Rose battled a rare form of pancreatic cancer during the summer of 2009 and every member of the coaching staff has a close relative who has battled cancer or lost their life to the disease. Cheryl Rose lost her sister Janet to breast cancer just last year. Dave Rose was scheduled to speak at the opening of the Relay for Life in Provo last year but had to cancel to attend Janets funeral.

How to Donate Donations can be made to any member of the BYU Basketball Relay for Life team or online atwww.relayforlife.org. One hundred percent of all donations will be used to support cancer patients and cancer research.

About Relay for Life - The goal of Relay for Life is to "create a world where more people survive cancer so they can celebrate another birthday. This year more than 11 million people will be able to do that thanks to the support of millions of dedicated Relay participants."

Relay for Life is an overnight relay-style event held in communities throughout the world and is the primary fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Members of each team take turns walking around a track for the duration of the event. Food, games and activities provide entertainment and fundraising opportunities in a family-friendly environment for the entire community.

View original post here:
BYU basketball coaches to participate in Relay for Life

BURLINGTON, Mass. (WHDH) -- Needham native Aly Raisman showed her love for her Burlington-based gymnastics coach Tuesday when she thanked him after she won the gold medal. She even put the medal around his neck.

Raisman tweeted, So thankful for Mihai! Words cant describe how much he means to me and how much I appreciate everything!!

You know, its the dream of your life, said Mihai Brestyan, Alys coach.

Raisman isnt Brestyans first Olympic superstar -- four years ago it was Alicia Sacramone. If you hang around the Burlington gym long enough youll get the sense that there are more star gymnasts to come.

I think hes a big coach. Everybody is looking at him like how to teach the girls really well and theyre all like Wow hes the big girls coach, Alys coach, so I guess for the girls hes a big example, said Sabrina Howell, a parent of a 5-year-old gymnast at Brestyans gym.

Brestyans training schedule for potential Olympic superstars is rigorous -- they train five days a week, sometimes twice a day. But his record for producing superstar gymnasts may be unmatched.

Video: Team USA Coach Mihai talks about golden moment

He believes in the gymnasts and he just pushes them to that level, he pushes the kids to believe that theyre going to make it, said Debbie Naka, a gymnastics coach.

Raisman will compete for another gold medal on Thursday.

(Copyright (c) 2012 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

View original post here:
Coaching a Champion: A look at Raisman's coach

Giant Luke Power. Photo: Janie Barrett JEM

It's been over three AFL seasons since Leigh Matthews' last directive from the coach's box, but his influence around the league continues to resonate - as far as the vast surrounds of western Sydney.

Matthews ended a productive stint at Brisbane in 2008, but much like Kevin Sheedy at Essendon, he left the club having planted the coaching seed in some of the AFL's sharpest minds.

The latest sapling to sprout is Luke Power at Greater Western Sydney.

The 32-year-old is the Giants' most experienced co-captain, and one of a handful of old hands to juggle coaching and playing duties.

Advertisement

While Power did a lot of the same for much of the 282 games he played with the Lions - guiding young players through the rigours of AFL - the official coaching tag has come with a greater understanding of tactics.

"It's pretty similar, but now there's a lot more involvement in how (GWS coach) Kevin (Sheedy) and (assistant coach) Mark (Williams) want our game to be played," Power says.

"We (the playing coaches) are probably a lot more over it, just because we're dealing with it every day. We're running meetings, sitting in on important meetings that decide the way we're going to play. I guess that's the big change. We're living it a little bit more.

"We're all learning all the time. I'm learning, one - about myself. But also learning about the industry and seeing it from a different perspective."

Excerpt from:
Power loving life as GWS's big brother

Dear Hope:

My goodness, you are one accomplished athlete. If theres one job I wouldnt want in all of sports, its goalie. Yall are courageous, almost eerily agile, and lets just say it, a little crazy. Who in their right mind signs up for a job where soccer balls are rocketing at them? I bow to your fire.

But even given the element of rogue it takes to stand between the pipes, this little sideshow youve got going smack dab in the middle of the Olympics is disturbing. Dashing off Tweets ripping commentator and former United States soccer player Brandi Chastain for giving critical commentary on the current teams defense? For doing her job? (Its not cheerleader just sayin). Dissing her opinion because the game has changed from a decade ago when she played?

Whoa.

Let me tell you, Hope, if you think Brandi Chastain is so yesterday, now youre going to deal with me. Just call me The Day Before Yesterday. Back in another life, I was a sports journalist writing about the likes of Mia Hamm and Michelle Akers. In the 90s I was watching them blaze a trail for, yes, the likes of you. Did you not catch that Dare to Dream documentary on HBO? Its all spelled out right there.

The fact that the sport has reached a point where were even having this discussion is heartening. The ascension of womens soccer is only going to continue to open doors for more people who can aspire to be players, coaches, referees and, of course, commentators. For Chastain to have any credibility in her position, I can guarantee she has to regularly fight any urge she has to show emotion when the U.S. team scores or stops the opposition.

Its kind of like watching Rebecca Lobo when shes on the sidelines of a University of Connecticut basketball game. You know she wants the Huskies to win on some level, but her job is to get interviews with both teams, to be as objective as possible, to see the game unfolding and use her expertise to enlighten us a bit.

Do you get that?

Im here to life coach you, so I want you to first understand all Ive just said. One, you stand on the shoulders of those before you, including Chastain, and two, her job is to tell a mostly soccer-savvy audience what she sees. You just turned 31. Surely you get that this isnt personal. And that there are high school players and younger who will have you to thank one day.

What they get to see when youre not sending offensive knee-jerk Tweets (I also refer, of course, to your 2010 Twitter rampage) is a vibrant, bright, elite athlete with something valuable to say.

See the original post here:
Life Coaching U.S. Goalie Hope Solo

ANNAPOLIS, Md., July 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Law schools are gearing up for the on-campus recruiting season, yet the job market is the worst in a generation.

Once, a law degree ensured stable employment at a respectable salary. But fewer than half of the 40,000+ graduates in the Class of 2011 found permanent, full-time employment as lawyers in law firms. As law students begin the on-campus interviewing process, there is a new resource to help them. Shauna C. Bryce, Esq., a leading career adviser for attorneys, just launched http://www.HowToGetALegalJob.com. "It's all about converting the massive investment in a law degree into a paying legal job and a law career," she says.

How To Get A Legal Job helps law students confront the combination of:

Yet, "so many don't have any idea how to face this perfect storm," Bryce says. "They need help transitioning from student to professional."

The new How To Get A Legal Job website expands on Bryce's book, "How to Get a Legal Job: A Guide for New Attorneys and Law School Students." Together, the website and book are the culmination of her 15+ years of law firm, in-house, hiring committee, and career counseling experience, and her 3 years of research and interviews of 150+ hiring lawyers across the country and across industries.

"I put in so much research because How To Get A Legal Job isn't just about one person's opinion," Bryce says. "It's built on advice from the same people who review resumes, interview, and make hiring decisions." The thoroughness behind How To Get A Legal Job has been noted in numerous endorsements and reviews.

"The more job hunters know about the market conditions, the hiring process, and the real opinions of decision-makers," she continues, "the better they can do in the marketplace." The website and book teach the principles behind the advice, like what hiring attorneys think about various resume-writing strategies and why, as well as and provide step-by-step guides on implementing that advice, "so that students and recent graduates can understand, meet, and exceed expectations."

Bryce is also including a forum on the website. "It's hard to be candid on sites like LinkedIn and Facebook because they aren't anonymous and they're populated by employers, family, and classmates. I want to create a place of freedom for students that only anonymity can give."

About Shauna C. Bryce, Esq.

Shauna C. Bryce, Esq. is a career industry leading expert in coaching and strategic resumes for lawyers. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Shauna served in a major law firm based in Manhattan, a regional law firm, and in-house at a regional company. During this time, she reviewed countless resumes, conducted interviews, worked on a firm's hiring committee, and mentored associates. She then brought her expertise to job hunters, forming Bryce Legal Career Counsel. She is also the author of "How to Get a Legal Job: A Guide for New Attorneys and Law School Students," a project involving 3 years interviewing more than 150 hiring attorneys.

See the article here:
Life Raft for Law School Students Launching Their Careers in 'Perfect Storm' of Crushing School Debt and Dismal Job ...

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDpanmMuNsI

31-07-2012 05:46 Malti Bhojwani is a Professional Life Coach, NLP Practitioner and Author. Website: Email: Facebook - Twitter - Skype ID - malti.bhojwani "Once you decide to take the first step towards your success, the Universe magically rearranges everything to make it all start happening for you. Your journey will have already begun" - Malti Bhojwani

Visit link:
Life Coach Says "Celebration Is An Expression Of Gratitude" - Episode 33 - Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzEDHEd2Pwk

31-07-2012 05:34 Malti Bhojwani is a Professional Life Coach, NLP Practitioner and Author. Website: Email: Facebook - Twitter - Skype ID - malti.bhojwani "Once you decide to take the first step towards your success, the Universe magically rearranges everything to make it all start happening for you. Your journey will have already begun" - Malti Bhojwani

Read the rest here:
Life Coach

CHICAGO, July 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Thirty-eight percent of employees are unable to stop thinking about problems, according to an employee wellness report released today by ComPsych Corporation. Another 52 percent experienced a major life or work change in the past year (move, death of a loved one, change in job responsibilities, etc.). The annual wellness report compiles Health Risk Assessment results across ComPsych's book of business, providing a snapshot of employee physical/emotional health as well as current lifestyle and habits. ComPsych is the world's largest provider of employee assistance programs and is the pioneer and leading provider of fully integrated EAP, behavioral health, wellness, work-life, HR and FMLA administration services under the GuidanceResources brand.

"Employees' lives continue to be disrupted by such things as problems with housing and changes in job status, all as a result of a slow-growth economy and lingering effects of the recession," said Dr. Richard A. Chaifetz, Chairman and CEO of ComPsych. "There is a need for corporate wellness strategies that focus on stress as part of overall health improvement. Programs that address both emotional and physical health, such as EAPs combined with integrated wellness programs, will have the best outcomes for employers."

Key Findings of the ReportAccording to aggregate survey results, employees are experiencing the effects of significant life changes as well as work-life stress:

For a copy of the full report, go to http://bit.ly/OCyi6X.

ComPsych HealthyGuidance programs target employee behavior and lifestyle issues before they become significant illnesses. The "Build-to-Suit" program includes health risk assessments and screenings; wellness coaching with behavioral, health and nutrition experts; online health management tools; wellness seminars/corporate challenges and targeted programs such as tobacco cessation, weight management and more.

About ComPsych ComPsych provides services to more than 17,000 organizations covering more than 45 million individuals throughout the U.S. and over 100 countries.

See the original post here:
ComPsych Report: Employee Stress and Life Changes Impact Overall Well-Being