Tips for Coaching Youth Soccer – Building Teamwork

 While technical skills are important fundamentals for all young soccer players to learn, teamwork plays an equally crucial role in a team’s success. Beyond individual ability, good soccer players should be able to work in harmony with their entire squad. Youth soccer coaches can employ a number of strategies to help their players develop good teamwork skills, including incorporating team-oriented play into each practice.

Instead of simply focusing on drills, coaches should set up team scrimmages and positional plays to help players learn to interact with their teammates in a variety of situations. Players should learn where and how to play each position, as well as how each position contributes to the team as a whole. In this vein, it is important to ensure that all players attend every practice session and fully participate in training activities. Only through practice can players become familiar with their teammates and learn how to effectively react to one another.

Moreover, outside team activities can greatly support team unity, translating to improved teamwork on the field. Outings such as hiking, paintball, or laser tag are all fun possibilities that can help young players bond with one another and develop a true team mentality.

Denver’s Table Food Rescue at Food Bank of the Rockies

 Food Bank of the Rockies works throughout Colorado’s Front Range to end hunger, especially among children and elderly individuals. The organization maintains a number of programs, including Denver’s Table Food Rescue, which collects more than 5 million pounds of surplus food each year. This food, which would otherwise go to waste, equates to more than 4 million meals.

Denver’s Table sends refrigerated trucks to a range of retail establishments, such as restaurants and grocers, each weekday to collect surplus food that has been safely stored. Only food not previously served can be donated. The donations typically consist of high-quality raw products and prepared meals that the retailer does not need. Collected food goes not only to Food Bank of the Rockies, but also to other local hunger relief organizations.

When transporting food, the organization takes all necessary precautions to avoid spoilage. Food donors are protected from liability under federal and state Good Samaritan laws and may use donations as a charitable deduction on taxes. Local businesses interested in participating can contact Food Bank of the Rockies for more information.

The UCHealth Pink Life Saver Mobile Mammography Unit

 To make mammography as accessible as possible to women throughout the greater Denver area, University of Colorado Health has invested in a mobile mammography unit known as the Pink Life Saver. While the bus has a regular rotation, it also occasionally makes special stops at various neighborhood locations. Individuals can even request stops at their workplace. The schedule is accessible on the UCHealth website (www.uchealth.org) or by calling (720) 848-1604.

The Pink Life Saver brings to patients state-of-the-art digital imaging technology with high levels of diagnostic accuracy, as well as a dedicated team of skilled and compassionate professionals. The bus has three-dimensional mammogram technology, which detects invasive breast cancer 40 percent sooner than traditional methods. In addition, this technology results in fewer false positives.

The Pink Life Saver was made possible by funding from Men for the Cure, Summit Bodyworks, and King Soopers.

Chamillionaire Teams with Upfront Ventures

 In a business news story that recently surprised the venture capital world, Los Angeles-based tech start-up investment firm Upfront Ventures announced that hip-hop artist Chamillionaire would be joining the company as an entrepreneur-in-residence. The announcement may have surprised some in the business and music worlds, but in fact, the relationship between the rapper and the company is a natural one.

Chamillionaire, also known by his real name Hakeem Seriki, has been involved in entrepreneurial ventures for several years. He has invested in a Houston car dealership and a few tech companies, and has established a modeling firm and a tour bus company. He has also promoted entrepreneurship by giving talks at tech conferences and supporting initiatives like the Global Innovation Tournament at Stanford University.

Mark Suster, a partner at Upfront Ventures, met Chamillionaire in 2009 and was struck by the rapper’s business acumen, particularly his refined understanding of social media and customer engagement. The two hit it off, and Suster introduced him to startups at business events. Many entrepreneurs were initially interested in engaging Chamillionaire as a potential promoter of their products. However, those conversations often went far beyond that and dove into much more conceptual territory such as product design, customer engagement, and marketing strategy.

Upfront Ventures recently extended an invitation to Chamillionaire and his producer, Nsilo Reddick, to join the venture capital firm’s team. The two will be engaged in evaluating startup ideas, advising aspiring entrepreneurs, and further developing their insights into the world of tech startups.

Disabled American Veterans National Convention Coming to Denver

 Denver, Colorado, will serve as the site of the 94th Disabled American Veterans (DAV) National Convention. Drawn by the area’s natural beauty and cultural highlights, representatives from DAV offices all over the United States will converge on the Mile High City in August to discuss major issues of interest to the nation’s disabled vets.

The four-day event will include a number of meetings, talks, and seminars addressing a range of topics that concern veterans. The convention also provides a forum for national leadership to report to local and state-level chapters and to conduct organizational business.

This year’s schedule has yet to be finalized. DAV National Conventions in recent years, however, have included a strong focus on supporting federal legislation and initiatives that benefit vets, especially with regard to Department of Veterans Affairs health care funding. Other past topics of interest have included employment of injured service members, women veterans’ issues, and recognition of influential members and contributors.

This year’s convention will be held August 8-11 at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Denver.