Last week, our local county recreation department opened team registration for kids winter basketball, which is like a national holiday for overly-invested sports-parents.I coach second graders and wanted to create playing opportunities for as many of them as I could, so I expanded the roster from one team of 12 to two teams open to 20 kids. I reached out a fellow dad about possibly combining his team with mine. As it turns out, he was disbanding his rec team and taking his son to a private league -- a choice he has every right to make, of course. He wasnt the first kid to leave our school league, and as a firm believer in rec leagues, it saddens me that he probably wont be the last.Ive been thinking about a comment made at an Aspen Institute Project Play panel I hosted on revitalizing in-town sports leagues. Ryan Eckel, vice president of branding for Dicks Sporting Goods, told the audience the name rec league is undercutting the mission of the local organizations who run them.That point resonated with me, so I followed up with Eckel for some clarification:The word recreation implies fun, which is what these leagues should be, because thats what will keep kids wanting to participate.?But it also implies a lack of seriousness, which I think undersells all the very serious benefits of this type of sport participation.In a culture when parents are constantly being reminded of how competitive it is to get into -- and expensive to attend -- college, and the options are elite or travel and recreation, its easy to see why parents would choose the elite option. But the parents who pull their kids out of the in-town leagues in favor of the elite programs are the ones who can afford to do so, and this pulls dollars out of the in-town leagues and reduces their relevance.Between playing, parenting and coaching, Id say I have accumulated about eight years worth of time in the rec league. I know first-hand the benefits of a well-rounded sports experience that includes fun and skill, but the larger effect these local leagues have on kids throughout the region -- including introducing them to organized sports in the first place -- cant be denied.Is the answer as simple as re-marketing rec leagues as something more compelling or exciting, like elite or travel? On the one hand, we want to encourage a return to in-town leagues; on the other hand, we dont want to intimidate or put off families who arent looking for an intense experience.Eckel made a rebranding suggestion that made sense to me: calling it a developmental league, which puts youth sports in their proper perspective while still providing the cachet of progress toward a bigger goal -- after all, it works for the NBA and USA Basketball.Obviously, more compelling marketing isnt enough. Local county-funded recreation organizations could call it the Best Way For Your 8-Year-Old To Get Accepted Into College League and it would still require improved infrastructure, investment and parents willingness to be involved.For now, the colloquialism I typically use that makes the most sense to me is friends team, because in the end, that is the thing about the experience that the kids themselves notice and appreciate most. Jordan Retro 1 High Og Golden Harvest . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. Etoo gave Jose Mourinhos team a decisive lead from Oscars back pass in the 34th. Jordan 1 Royal Blue 2017 . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. http://www.retrojordan1highog.com/cheap-sale-jordan-12.html . Luis Suarezs double powered Liverpool to a 4-0 victory over Fulham, and Southampton easily overcame Hull 4-1 to continue the south coast clubs impressive start to the season. Liverpool and Southampton sent Chelsea down to fourth place as the west London club was held to 2-2 at home. Retro Jordans For Sale Online . First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". Air Jordan 1 Retro High Rare Air Cool Grey . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. Greg Gard does not have rebuilding to tackle during his first full-time season as the head coach of the Wisconsin mens basketball team.Gard took over as interim head coach when Bo Ryan abruptly quit last season after 12 games. An assistant to Ryan for 14 years at Wisconsin, Gard had the interim tag stripped from his job title in March with a five-year contract.The ninth-ranked Badgers begin the regular season with a four-game home slate on Friday when they host Central Arkansas at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.Wisconsin returns its entire starting lineup and 99 percent of offense from a team that finished 22-13 overall and reached the NCAA Sweet 16.The roster boasts four starting seasons, including forward Nigel Hayes, who was named the Big Ten Conference preseason player of the year. Hayes averaged 15.7 points and 3.0 assists per game during his junior campaign.Gard said Hayes maturity, along with experience of other veterans, will be impactful to begin the season. Wisconsin lost its season opener in 2015-16, and six games in total before Ryans departure.They had to dig themselves from (out of) a hole and mature and grow, Gard said. They understood how important the process is and how the everyday of it goes.It helps when you have a mature group. When you have four seniors leading the way ... your best-coached teams are always your player-coached teams. This group has taken on a leadership and ownership of that locker room.The Badgers also will lean heavily on senior guard Bronson Koenig for his 3-point prowess, and redshirt sophomore forward Ethan Happ for attacking the boards. Koenig contributed 13.1 points per game and shot 39 perrcent from 3-point range as a junior, while Happ led the team in rebounding with 7.dddddddddddd9 rebounds per contest. Happ averaged 12.4 points and 1.8 steals per game.Senior guard Zak Showalter and senior forward Vitto Brown also bring a wealth of experience to Wisconsins starting lineup.The Badgers are fresh off a secret scrimmage at Northern Iowa on Nov. 5, which gave freshmen the opportunity to participate in a game-week preparation, complete with a scouting report on the Panthers. The event marked the second year that the two teams played a scrimmage that was closed to the media.Unlike Wisconsin, rebuilding is a priority for Central Arkansas.The Bears, members of the Southland Conference, posted a 7-21 overall record, an improvement from the 2014-15 season when Central Arkansas won just two games. Russ Pennell, a former Bears player, starts his third season at the coaching helm.The offense will run through Bears guard Jordan Howard, who averaged 20.2 points per game last season. Howard is joined by guard Derreck Brooks (12.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Mathieu Kamba (10.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg).Pennell said he hopes to build depth and improvement on defense with more options off the bench, after four players redshirted last season. He said he likes the Bears competitiveness in practices.We can go different ways (with lineups) because most of our guys are multi-position, Pennell said. We can mix and match, and thats the thing I like. I just believe that we will be able to keep quality players on the floor the entire game. Cheap Jerseys Wholesale China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale Authentic Jerseys ' ' '