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Golf Fitness Academy
I’m a 13 year old boy and i want to get into the Air Force Academy when i am 18?

I’m 13 and as you already know I want to get into the USAF Academy. At my school we do physical fitness testing and I for the past 2 years have been meeting or exceeding the standards listed for men at the U.S.A.F.A . Though we do not do Push-ups i have tested myself with a couple of friends and i achieved 42. On my report card for the end of the year i received all A’s and two B’s the B’s were in English which was a B+ and the other was a regular B and it was in computer I only received that because my was on an older computer (a toaster as people at my school call them) this computer didn’t have all the nessisary programs that i needed to get an A on the test. i am in sports such as Football, freestyle skiing(trick skiing), golf, and tennis. I have never been in serious trouble (such as drugs, alcohol, vandalism, and so on and so forth.
This summer I plan to be involved in volunteer work. I would like to know if i am a likely pick or if i have a chance to get in to the academy.

I do not believe “it is too early.” If you have a long term goal, it is never too early on trying to reach that goal.

You have a better chance already because you are asking these questions early. You have more than enough time to lay down a good track record. But you need to stay focused.

You can start right now, this summer on working towards your goal.

If you get a chance to be a volunteer at someone’s office running for election, do so. Find out if your Congressman or Senator is running for re-election this fall. If he is, you can volunteer to help. Or you can volunteer for someone who is challenging him. Right now, if your Senator or Congressman is a Republican, they may be on the way out considering the issues over the economy and war. In that case, working for the Democrat candidate may make sense as he may have a very good chance to win and four years from now when you start really having to shine for an appointment, he will remember you as volunteering for him.

However, it is best to pick a political side and stick with it. Loyalty is a very important characteristic in the service. Flip flopping from one party to another will back fire on you.

High school is what they are really going to look at. Take a deep breath and read on.

Take advanced placement courses. You will have to work harder but it helps show you are willing to tackle the tough work. Never be afraid of asking teachers for extra help. They would rather see students ask for help than to flounder and fail.

Take extra math and science courses than you are required to take. The USAF is a very technical service and if you do get into the USAFA extra math and science will really help.

Take some dual credit courses at your local JR college. Even if you take just one college course each semester for your last three years of high school, you will graduate with far more than the required credits AND will have college credits already on your record.

If you are going to take a language course, do NOT take French, Italian, or any of the other standard courses that our schools seem to be stuck on. Spanish, while it will help you communicate to a large percentage of the troops, is not what the services really need. What they need are fluent Chinese and Arabic translators. If you have two or three years of either and speak it well, it will definitely be something they will notice when it comes time to pick candidates for the USAFA.
(Many colleges require you to have two years of a foreign language to get a bachelors degree. If you do the language at your local JR college, it counts and you will not have to worry about that no matter where you go.)

Get at least a 3.8 average on your core (required) courses. While it is nice to get great grades in everything, it is the core courses that really matter. An “A” in math is worth more than an “A” in Art.

If your high school has a JR ROTC unit, join and work hard to be a leader. A recommendation form the ROTC commander really helps. Try to get on one of the drill teams. The honor guard team gets a lot of notice but it does take up time.

Be involved in school politics, athletics and fund raising activities. You want to show you are not just a book worm.

STAY OUT OF TROUBLE! I do not know how many times I have seen some outstanding candidate get turned down because they got caught up in some prank that resulted in criminal charges, a DUI, a drug bust, a car accident. Part of this is avoiding the crowd that is known to be trouble makers. Those who take ROTC are usually less likely to be trouble makers so that would be a good gang to hang with. Along with this, do not go get a tattoo or body piercing.

Lastly, ignore those who say it is “easy” to get in. Right now, the number of applicants asking to get into the academies is low so odds are pretty good. However, how do you know 4-5 years from now that will still be true? The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may be over and the number of applicants may be much higher, lowering the odds.

Keep in mind that sometimes it works out that you do not get offered an appointment in the academy you want but rather get offered an appointment in one of the other academies. (Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine). If you do, do not consider yourself a failure as any offer of an appointment is an honor and recognition of your hard work.

Good luck.

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Golf Fitness Stretching Exercises to Improve Your Golf Game

Golf fitness stretching exercises can improve your golf game. These types of golf fitness exercises will help you in every phase of the golf swing. The golf swing requires you to draw the club through a long range of motion. This allows the golfer to execute a full shoulder turn, perform each phase of the swing correctly, generate clubhead speed, and accurately hit shots on the course. All to often the amateur golfer lacks the flexibility to execute the golf swing correctly. Causing an inability to make a full shoulder turn or efficiently execute the phases of the swing. Resulting in lower clubhead speeds, inaccurate golf shots, and higher scores rather than lower.

The amateur golfer can improve their ability to execute the golf swing, complete a full shoulder turn, generate more clubhead speed, and hit more accurate shots with improved flexibility. The process an amateur golfer can improve their flexibility is through golf fitness stretches.

Before providing information on what are the best stretches for golfer let us define flexibility. Flexibility refers to range of motion. It is defined as the optimal extensibility of all soft tissues in the body (Michael Clark, Director, National Academy of Sports Medicine). The biomechanics of the swing require the golfer to swing the club on the correct plane. In order for the biomechanics of the swing to be executed correctly every muscle, ligament, and tendon in the body must allow for optimal joint range of motion.

Increased flexibility is the benefit of stretching. These benefits occur through the elongation (i.e. stretching) of soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments). Typically certain muscles in your body are in a shortened position (i.e. “tight”), causing restrictions in the golf swing. Golf stretches (i.e. elongating) these muscles alleviates these muscles alleviates these restrictions allowing for the ranges of motion required of the golf swing to develop.

Because the golf swing requires a large range of motion from multiple joints (ankle, hip, thorasic spine, and shoulder), I suggest performing a series of flexibility exercises for the entire body. Many golfers will find “tightness” in the hamstrings, hips, lower, and upper back causing restrictions in their joint range of motions as well as golf swing. This may require additional golf stretches to assist in the restrictions caused by these muscles.

Guidelines to golf fitness stretches are quite simple. A comprehensive series golf exercises that incorporate stretches for golf swing should be completed a minimum of four times per week. If an individual desires these golf exercises can be performed daily. In addition to performing golf fitness stretches multiple times per week, each golf stretching exercise should take each target muscle passively to the point of “tension” and holding the stretch for 30 seconds. Do not attempt to “bounce” or “push” the stretch for this can result in injury. Pay strict attention to technique with each of your golf stretches. It also recommended to perform a golf fitness warm-up program prior to your golf stretches to get more out of each golf exercise. The following are the golf stretches I often recommend to the amateur player; Rotators, 90/90 Hamstrings, Cats Down, Cats Up, Piriformis, Kneeling Hip Flexor, Openers, Standing Calf, and Standing Quadricep.

Remember what is required from the body in regards to the golf swing. One of these requirements is drawing the club through a long range of motion. Golf fitness stretches and golf exercises can help with this part of the swing. To learn more about golf fitness training, golf exercise, and golf stretches go to my website at www.seancochran.com where you will find an abundant amount of information on of these golf fitness related topics.

About the Author

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with PGA Professionals, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran, his golf fitness programs and golf exercises go to www.seancochran.com