What to Look for in a Backpack for College

An essential item for most individuals is a backpack. They can transport a number of things including books, a laptop, cell phone and a water bottle among other essentials. Today, are all about functionality and versatility. The trick is in selecting the backpack that is correct for you and will meet all of your needs.

The first thing you must consider is the items that you will need to transport in your backpack. If you are only going to carry a laptop, a large multi-pocket backpack may not be what you are looking for. On the other hand, you have to ensure that the sack you are purchasing will comfortably hold all of your necessities. If you are using the backpack for business or travel, are larger bag with compartments is recommended.

Because you will be wearing the backpack on your back, ensuring that it is comfortable is essential. You may want to fill the backpack with weights and try walking with it. Walking up and down stairs may also be necessary. Try moving in ways that you move on a daily basis to see if it causes pain. Back injury can be caused by a backpack that is too heavy or not aligned properly.

Wide shoulder straps are important when it comes to selecting a backpack. These broadened straps will make certain that the sack's weight is distributed evenly. Padding should also be part of the shoulder strap design. Even when carrying a heavy load, the padding should eliminate pain in the shoulders. The straps should be durable and adjusted to prevent sliding.

An individual may or may not be concerned about the number of pockets. For most people, it is important to have a laptop pocket and to ensure that they backpack being purchased will accommodate the backpack will accommodate the size of your laptop. If you have a number of items to carry, pockets will be important to you.

The quality of any zippers or hardware that is on the bag is important. Test them and make sure their functionality is to your liking.

The quality of the construction of the backpack you are purchasing is important. After all, you want this product to last for several years. Do some research on the bag you are considering. Customer reviews are also a great place to get information about the durability, comfort and the construction of your backpack of choice.

These are just a few suggestions for finding a backpack that will meet all your needs and last for years to come.

Arlene is an author that enjoys writing about health and finance. You can visit her latest site at http://backpackzforcollege.com/ where you can find information on Backpacks for College.

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Early Verbal Commits: The Arranged Marriages of College Sports

If you were a college coach 10 or 15 years ago, you might have a talented sophomore on your radar and you made a note to follow his progress junior year to see how he developed as a player. If you decided to start recruiting him you called him after junior year and brought him out for an official visit during his senior year. The player took 4 or 5 official visits to different schools, met the coaches and his future teammates and then made an informed decision where to sign in the spring of his senior year.

Fast forward to 2012, now if you find a sophomore with potential, it's not uncommon to see he has already verbally committed to a competing school. You realize you better start making a play for these young players if you want to stay competitive.

Or maybe you are a parent of a sophomore lacrosse player. During Saturday morning sideline conversation another parent informs you that Michael, another sophomore, has already committed to Duke. You feel a little panic rising, if all the recruiting is happening now, you better get busy or your athlete is going to get left behind.

If you run a competitive club team, it's a feather in your cap if you can boast about how many kids you have committed to colleges. Let's face it, many parents want to join clubs that give the best potential for getting a college scholarship. Lots of college commits coming out of your program translates into more money.

Meanwhile, you have a wide-eyed, fifteen-year-old kid who likes to play soccer or tennis or hockey, and they're being asked to decide on a college program without even having the experience of an official visit. It's really the athletic equivalent of an arranged marriage - sometimes it works out, but it's usually because it's just too difficult to leave.

Whenever I have this conversation with a parent or coach, they always end up shrugging and saying something to the effect of, "I know, I don't like it, but that's the way it's done now." The school saves money by not paying for official visits, the club coach gets to add another early commit to his resume and the parents can relax, knowing that they are locked in. But are they really?

How solid is an early verbal? There is absolutely nothing binding to either party, (hence the 'verbal'). What assurance is there that the coach will hold up his end of the bargain? The people I've talked with who committed early (and really want to believe it's a solid deal), will tell me the coach won't risk his reputation by reneging on a verbal. On the other hand, if a better player becomes available, will the coach be willing to suffer a little ding to his reputation if it means he can put a stronger team on the field? Winning, as they say, is a great deodorant.

There is a steep learning curve when it comes to college athletics, especially at the top academic schools. Get the information you need to be successful at Tier One Athletics

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One Reason Why So Many College Stars Fail in the Pros

Many athletes think that because they are an exceptional college athlete, that it will translate into success and riches at the next level. The higher the level you are playing at in athletics, the more important the mental aspect of your game comes into play. I could list umpteen examples of physically dominant college athletes that didn't stick at the pro level. The reason this happens so often is that once they reach the next level, their physical advantage has diminished, and by itself, it is no longer enough to keep them on top.

The higher the level of competition, the more separation you get in having a mental advantage. Most athletes are in the habit of working hard physically to stay on top, but once you reach the highest level in your sport you come face to face with the law of diminishing returns when it comes to what you can influence with your fitness level.

Conversely, those who transition into or have already started working on their mental game, gain a significant advantage as the mental side is still hugely under exploited in a majority of pro sports and especially in professional football. Just as physical ability can be developed and improved upon, so can your mental game.

So why don't more athletes dedicate themselves to mental training? Just like working out physically, effective mental training takes a considerable amount of time and discipline. You would not expect to be in top physical condition working out a few times a month, would you? Working out mentally is no different; you get out of it what you put into it.

Starting a mental training regimen can be difficult and even feel awkward initially, but once you make it a habit and begin to see the benefits, it can be a lot more fun than weight training. It is also likely to give you a much bigger edge over your competitors than weight training. I'm not saying this replaces weight and other training regimens, just that it will help separate you from the crowd more than other forms of training at this level.

I always like to say that if you don't like being stuck in crowds.... go the extra mile, it's never crowded there! Adding mental training to your daily workout regimen is like going the extra mile, and that is what will enable you to gain a substantial edge over your competition.

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Sam Obitz is a leader in the use and development of mental skills that help you achieve peak performance. Visit The Mind Side Blog at http://supertao.com/category/the-mind-side-blog/

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Letter of Intent in College Sports Recruiting

Recently there have been a lot of news stories about athletes who are involved in college sports recruiting. They are being 'picked up' or signing letters of intent to college teams. Controversy seems to surround some of these events. And, although this is a time of great excitement for most, some athletes are greatly disappointed if things don't work out as they dream they will.

So, the first thing that occurred to me is that I need to know what the word "intent" means and how it applies to college sports recruiting. I looked up the word and found that "intent" is from the Latin word "intentus" meaning an aim, or purpose. "Intent" is a past participle of "intendere"; to intend. This means to me that the word implies there will be an act that will take place soon. Also, noted is "the state of a person's mind that directs his or her actions toward a specific object." A synonym for intent would be aim, plan or plot.

With an understanding of the word, I began to examine what a letter of intent might be used for. In the case of students and colleges, I surmised that a college would want a student to be committed, or locked in to attending. This way the college athletic director could begin to build a team for the next year; actually the next four years and plan a strategy for his teams' success. Likewise, the student could be confident that the college would hold a spot for them. The student would be able to plan the next four years of their education and participation and even look further into the future to professional play. Any reasonable person, no matter which side of the table they are on, would be satisfied that a specific act would be taking place in the very near future. In this case, a college sports recruiting opportunity.

When I read about the young high school basketball player that had been accepted by a Utah university and rejected a few months later, I was disturbed. I thought of my son and his time in high school and how much he loved basketball. I remembered the rare occasion that a fellow team member was being courted by a college. This was a dream come true and a chance of a lifetime. With 700 students in his senior class, one percent was awarded athletic scholarships. What a disaster for the entire family to sign the letter of intent only to have the deal fall through.

Do high school athletes now have to enlist agents or lawyers before signing? Do coaches and parents need to make students aware of the possible withdraw of what they believe to be a promise for their future, and make contingent plans? Will we begin to see lawsuits filed for breach of the college sports recruiting letters of intent? And, how will they be decided?

It seems all the hope and excitement that surrounds the college sports recruiting season will fade into a legal quagmire in the future. The dreams of young athletes lost in the mumbo jumbo of contracts and lawsuits. And, once again the only group that will benefit will be the lawyers. Really, how sad!

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