Hockey Shots - Screencast

Welcome back Gobbler fans! When watching hockey, do you know that a player doesn't just hits the puck with the stick to try to score? There is actually a lot of science and technique involved with getting the desired shot. In today's post we will be looking at the four types of shots in hockey that are the most common. These shots are: Slapshot, Wrist shot, Snap shot and Backhand shot. From power to accuracy, there is a shot for everyone. Personally, I use the wrist shot the most although I have experimented with the slapshot on occasion.

But wait until you see what we have in store for you today! We will be presenting this lesson on hockey in a screencast! So, click the play button, sit back and enjoy. Don't forget to leave any comments or questions!

We Need You!...to complete a survey (Google Spreadsheet)

The Las Vegas Gobblers would like you to tell us where you watch local hockey. Or, if you play, where do you play at? We have posted a spreadsheet at the following link: Hockey Survey (click the "Hockey Survey" link to visit the spreadsheet). Please add your name , date and locations that you have watched or played hockey at in the last six months. After you have added the above information, please increase the value for each location as needed. If there is a “6” for the LV Wranglers, and you have attended a game for them, please increase the number to “7”. We have included local rinks and pro teams along with an “other” and “none” option for those that may not have seen or played hockey locally or at all. All feedback and added content is appreciated. Please post any comments or question.

Las Vegas Gobblers In Action - Slideshow

Here are some pictures from a game in January when we played the Black team. I am unfortunately missing my grey socks and had to use the black socks that night. I threw in our logo that was created by one of our teammates so the Las Vegas Gobblers could be viewed in all its glory! There is also a picture of our team at the bench during a break since it was an interesting shot. The pictures are taken by my family since it is not possible to take them myself of myself playing. It is a good way to see the facilities and spectator view plus you can get a glimpse of what the actual game looks like. Hope you enjoy the slideshow (click the "slideshow" link to view). Please feel free to comment or ask questions!

"Using Google Apps" Book Report

“Google It!” was and still is a popular phrase that has become part of our culture. Anyone with a computer and an internet connection can find just about anything using Google. As Google grew, it added more functionality such as email and chat. Now Google finds themselves in competition with one of computer technology’s largest names, Microsoft. Google added word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, and calendars, among some others that have collectively become known as Google Apps, to their list of products coming into a direct competition with the Microsoft Office suite. While Google Docs has its pros and cons when compared to Office, there is no denying that Google Docs is a force to be reckoned with. To learn about this suite of “applications”, the ever present Google can be used or a different course of action can be followed: an e-book! Michael Millers’ “Using Google Apps”, published on January 5th, 2011 by Que Publishing, is one of many books ready to lead you through the instruction of the Google Docs Suite, but can it perform? Read on and see.

This book includes quite a bit of information about Google’s apps including: an explanation of the basics of Google’s application suite, the majors differences that lie between Microsoft Office and Google Docs, information regarding the different “suites” available, and whether Google’s applications are right for an Enterprise solution. One major difference between the Google’s apps and Microsoft’s Office is how they are accessed. Office is a collection of applications that are installed while Google Docs is a collection of Cloud-based applications that are accessed via the Internet, no installation required (unless you use the Google Gears option). These applications include Google Docs (Word), Spreadsheets (Excel), Presentations (PowerPoint), Gmail and Google Calendar (Outlook), among many others available within the suite. Besides the first and last chapter, the book walks the reader through the functions of each Google application with detailed instructions for nearly every feature available. The book includes step-by-step instructions and video’s to show the reader how to perform the activity. This book would be a great introduction for anyone new to computers or that are interested in Google’s applications.

Anyone with a computer would benefit from this book, yet there are caveats to be taken into consideration. For instance, with the growth and change of Google and computer programs we see today, books are hard pressed to keep up with the current versions and updates that seem to come out continuously. This book is no exception. The images in the book are from an older version of the Google Docs Suite and are therefore not completely accurate; an updated look has been implemented since the printing of this book. With a closer look one can realize that these are only slight differences, in most cases, yet what else is different that may not be in the book? There are some features that have changed and may be missed unless the reader follows along with the Google applications on the computer and works through each of the examples. With Google Docs, a major change is with the footnotes feature. Footnotes, according to the book, are floating notes represented by the “#” sign instead of being located at the bottom of the page and represented by the traditional number. This is incorrect in the current version, as footnotes now act as expected when compared to similar footnotes from Office. Google Spreadsheets is also affected by this inconsistency. One major change is the Sort feature. The book directs you to the Tools tab which is now missing Sort. There is a Data tab that is used for sorting now and is very different from the book’s instructions. The Presentation chapter does not include the comment feature that is now available, assuming the feature was not available at that time. Presentation animations are also slightly different, while transitions stated to be “not yet available” in the book are currently available. Gmail has many visual feature differences as can be expected, for instance, “Contacts” and “Tasks” have been moved to the “Gmail” drop-down instead of residing in the sidebar. In Google Talk, the book fails to mention the “busy” and “invisible” status settings available. Although there are discrepancies, one strength about this book is that it highlights the small parts of Google’s applications that many do not know about, like Gears, Talk, and the various suites offered by Google.

Overall, this book is a great reference for anyone who is interested in learning about Google’s applications or may be new to these types of applications. With applications from Google Docs to Google Chrome, this book covers a large selection of computer users that would benefit from a single chapter or multiple chapters. I was very impressed to learn that Google offers an “offline” solution called Gears allowing the user to use Google apps without an internet connection; this was a major concern of mine regarding the apps, although I wish Gears would have been explained much earlier in the book. The book is very honest about the abilities of the Google applications compared to similar software; many of the lessons taught in this book will have similar functionality in other office suites like Microsoft Office. The author does seem to lean towards Google’s suite over Office, yet there are many good points when it comes to Office applications being more powerful or functional. I would suggest this book highly, even though it is dated. The “Let Me Try It’ and “Show Me” sections make this book a great learning tool. Whether you use Google Docs separately or in additional to Office, the Google set of applications add value for the home user, business user, and student. Just remember, as you read through, that Google changes their apps quite frequently, so there may need to be some exploration by the reader.

Book Information

Title: “Using Google Apps”

Author: Michael Miller

Publisher: Que Publishing

Date Published: January 5th, 2011

The Gobblers Are Back In Action This Week!

Hey all you hockey fans! The Gobblers are back after a bye week and are ready to hit the ice. The puck drops at 7:45pm against the dreaded Green Team. With one win against them this season, we are hoping to extend the win column again. This will be a tough game after no action last week, but it will feel great to get back on the ice. Feel free to come out and cheer; it's free and any game with the Green Team will be an interesting one! Hope to see you there!

To all those with questions about hockey, feel free to comment with any questions you may have. Interested in playing? I highly recommend coming down and checking the games out. The Thursday night league is "D" level for beginners, and it is the best place to start.

Bye Week for the Gobblers

Well, the Gobblers are getting a break this week. No hockey action for the Thursday Night Adult League as there is a major competition underway at the rink. We will be back in action the following week to take on the Green Team. This is a game to see, as the Green Team has a reputation! What kind of reputation, you ask? This team is notorious for playing rough and in regarded as one of the more physical teams. They have been one of the best teams, getting away with much more than many like, yet it always ends up being a brutal game. With the way the Gobblers have been playing this season, we are hoping that we may be able to out rough them and get a couple of Green wins. We will just have to wait and see. Stay tuned Gobbler Fans!

The Gobblers are on a STREAK! Go 2-0 in the first two games of the season!

Thursday night was another night for celebration. The Gobblers were shorthanded but came out on top, despite tired legs, as we beat the Yellow Team, 3-1. No points for me, but a solid game and close to 40 minutes of ice time. The Gobbler's are currently unbeaten after the first two games. This was a great way to come out, not to mention a great team effort with a shorthanded situation. Typically, we will skate ten players and a goalie, yet Thursday we were only able to skate eight and a goalie. Two players may not sound like much, yet with a normal ten player game, we are able to setup with two full  lines on offense and defense. With two players down, there are two less players to cycle which means more ice time and tired legs. A typical game will be about 30 minutes of ice time per player, but as that time rises, the muscles also get much more sore. Overall, great win and  a great workout. Looking forward to next week!

USA Hockey Website Review

Anyone interested in ice hockey should check out www.usahockey.com. This is a great site for fans, players, coaches and referees. It is broken down into categories ranging from Players to Education and Safety, with information pertaining to those subjects. This site includes manuals, videos, and links. There is a lot of information from safety, drills, sport education, rules, news and a ton of other options. There is also information for parents of players and what they can do to support the children playing and to reduce injuries, anger and to promote a fun environment. My favorite find was the Adult Skills Manual. This is a great reference for any players and for fans. I used this site for registration, as the leagues require an active registration to USA Hockey. I did not know and did not take the time, until now, to really look at what is available. I would encourage anyone to check out this site.

New Season, Another Win!

Hey there hockey fans! The Gobblers win the opening game of the season 3-2 against the new Orange team. It was a good battle back and forth with some nail-biting action. There were a lot of penalty and one of our players even got ejected from the game. No points for me, although I sat for a couple of minutes in the penalty box for an accidental trip; at least I got on the score sheet! It was a nice way to start the season and with new owners and a new structure that leads to playoffs, a win is exactly what you want to get on the first game. The next game will be on Thursday against the Yellow team at 7:50pm. Feel free to attend as the Yellow team is always an interesting opponent.

Hockey...the Sport. What is it?

Hockey...what is it? Hockey is a very tough team sport that involves skating on ice and trying to score goals. OK, a few basics. The concept of the sport is to get a hard rubber disc, called a puck, into the goal. The problem is that the puck needs to get past the goalie, a heavily padded player that is doing anything they can to keep the puck out of the goal. Each team has five players and a goalie. This includes three forwards (left wing, center, and right wing) and two defensemen (left and right). Each player wears pads for protection, ice skates, and carries a hockey stick that is made to move and shoot the puck. The player has to be skilled in ice skating and be able to "stick handle" or dribble the puck on the ice while trying to avoid the other team trying to get the puck from you. The most goals wins. Each goal that is scored awards the individual players either a goal or an assist. These points are added up and followed by hockey fans everywhere. There are many rules to protect the players and help to keep the game flow smooth. Broken rules can result in a penalty, or time spent in the penalty box, while your team plays short handed for the amount of time the penalty is for. More to come...stay tuned!

Another Win to Finish The Season!

With another season just around the corner, our final game was a chance to finish this season strong. We played the Blue Team, which consists of mostly female players, and won 6-2! I tallied another assist, but again no goals. I felt great during the game and felt as if it was one of the best that I have played. It feels great to get another win, but it feels better to get started with a new season. I am entering my second year playing and I am even more addicted then when I first started. I encourage everyone to come down and watch on Thursdays; free admission for all. It's a great sport and a great workout. Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

The Gobblers Win! Finally Beat The Green Team!

This last Thursday game was a very exciting game with a lot of action. I played for my normal Grey Team (AKA: The Gobblers) against the Green Team. The Green Team has always been a tough competitor as we had never beaten them prior to this game. The final score was a crazy 8-6! A high scoring game and a great work out. Many players scored multiple goals and assists. I tallied a point earning an assist, but no goals. The goal streak has not returned yet, but next game is another chance. I will have to try my other pair of skates next week, as I did not feel comfortable this week. The next game is on Thursday the 16th and is a playoff game. The season is almost over, so a new season is right around the corner providing another chance for the Gobblers to strive for first place. As always, we play at the Las Vegas Ice Center (see map for location: http://www.lasvegasice.com/Map/tabid/133/Default.aspx) and admission to watch is FREE! Come out and watch some great ice hockey in Vegas!

My first "shot"...at blogging.

This is a blog about ice hockey and one player's perspective about the game. Starting in January 2011, I starting playing organized ice hockey in Las Vegas. Yes, you read that right! Las Vegas has ice hockey rinks, adult leagues, even a professional team (The Wranglers). I am a member of the Thursday Night Adult League and play for the Grey team (also known as the Gobblers). Since the first game I played, I have fallen in love with the game. It is hard to image not playing hockey and I doubt I will ever stop. I am addicted to the game, the workout, the competition and really every aspect of it. My intention is to post my thoughts, game results and summaries, and anything else that relates to hockey I find interesting.

Get ready for an interesting journey on ice and watch out for flying pucks...