Kicking Coach Lee McDonald Has Been Selected to Coach at the National Camp Series (NCS) Super Camp VII Being Held February 16-17, 2013, in Orlando, FL, According to NCS Founder Michael Husted

New Jersey Kicking Coach Lee McDonald, of Special Teams Solutions, has been selected to coach at the National Camp Series (NCS) Super Camp VII being held February 16-17, 2013, in Orlando, FL, according to kicking coach Michael Husted.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) December 20, 2012
New Jersey Kicking Coach, of Special Teams Solutions, has been selected to coach at the National Camp Series (NCS) Super Camp VII being held February 16-17, 2013, in Orlando, FL, a two day kicking camp which will feature some of the country’s best high school kickers, punters and snappers.
McDonald says he is looking forward to being at the NCS Super Camp again this year.
"The Super Camp is the ultimate experience for high school specialists looking to compete at the highest level,” says McDonald. “The best of the best specialty coaches provide unmatched instruction while aspiring college kickers, punters and snappers from across the country put their skills to the test on the nation's only standardized, objective platform. It's all about learning to perform when the lights are on!"
McDonald has both a strong coaching and playing background as a kicker. He signed a full scholarship to Rutgers University from where he earned a B.A. and M.Ed. The former Scarlet Knight is known for his 1999 game winning overtime field goal that upset the Syracuse Orangemen 24-21.
McDonald also garnered Special Teams Player of the Week honors twice during his career and was twice named to the Big East Conference Academic Team. McDonald then kicked for the Buffalo Destroyers of the Arena Football League and the Norfolk Nighthawks where he set several Arena 2 football kicking records including most field goals in one game (6) that earned him AF2 Player of the Week honors.
Michael Husted, who founded NCS after kicking in the NFL for 9 years, is now a kicking coach in San Diego, CA. He says Super VII is about great coaches, great instructions and great evaluations and he is looking forward to having McDonald coaching at Super Camp VII.
"All of our NCS coaches are eager to get down to Orlando in February to help teach as well as evaluate the top kickers, punters and long snappers from all across the country and outside the US,” says Husted. "This is the only camp where high school specialists will have a chance to work with some of the best kicking coaches in the world."
"The quality of instructors for our Super Camp is outstanding and continues to grow every year,” says Husted. “The NCS Network is committed to helping young athletes learn proper technique as well as to help them navigate through the recruiting process so that they can leverage their sport to get a college education.”
Husted says that by utilizing its Kicking IndeX (KIX) Player Rating System, NCS provides an objective evaluation platform for student-athletes who want to showcase their capabilities to colleges and universities for recruiting purposes.
By sorting through over six years of historical event data, the KIX system determines a kicker’s rankings by cross-referencing player data to determine how the athletes stack up against others, both presently and historically.
"The NCS levels the playing field for those who don't want to get caught up in all of the 'politics' that occurs in the kicking industry,” says Husted. “If you can kick, punt or snap, the NCS KIX system will let a young kicking specialist’s skills speak for themselves. No excuses. No explanations."
Go here for more about Super Camp VII.
Go here for more about Lee McDonald and Special Teams Solutions.
Go here for more about kicking coach Michael Husted.
Michael Husted
National Camp Series
888.702.0682

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Kicking Coach Tom Feely Has Been Selected to Coach at the National Camp Series (NCS) Super Camp VII Being Held February 16-17, 2013, in Orlando, FL, According to NCS Founder Michael Husted

Florida Kicking Coach Tom Feely, owner of Feely Athletics, has been selected to coach at the National Camp Series (NCS) Super Camp VII being held February 16-17, 2013, in Orlando, FL, according to kicking coach Michael Husted.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) December 20, 2012
Florida Kicking Coach Tom Feely, owner of Feely Athletics, has been selected to coach at the National Camp Series (NCS) Super Camp VII being held February 16-17, 2013, in Orlando, FL, a two day kicking camp which will feature some of the country’s best high school kickers, punters and snappers.
"It gives me great pride that I have been associated with the National Camp Series since it's genesis in 2006,” says Feely. “I have witnessed this Super Camp event evolve into the Premier event of the kicking world. Working with the great coaches that make up the NCS staff is always rewarding."
Feely began his career teaching and coaching in Minnesota in 1974. After his first two seasons as a varsity high school football coach he already had back to back state championships on his coaching resume.
He has been coaching continuously serving as head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, and special teams coordinator. He currently coaches special teams for Armwood High School in Tampa, Florida.
In January of 2007, Tom Feely earned National Board Certification. According to Feely, he is the only Nationally Board Certified Teacher working in the kicking coaching industry.
Michael Husted, who founded NCS after kicking in the NFL for 9 years, and who is now a kicking coach in San Diego, CA, says Super VII is about great coaches, great instructions and great evaluations . He says he is looking forward to having Feely coaching at Super Camp VII.
"All of our NCS coaches are eager to get down to Orlando in February to help teach as well as evaluate the top kickers, punters and long snappers from all across the country and outside the US,” says Husted. "This is the only camp where high school specialists will have a chance to work with some of the best kicking coaches in the world."
"The quality of instructors for our Super Camp is outstanding and continues to grow every year,” says Husted. “The NCS Network is committed to helping young athletes learn proper technique as well as to help them navigate through the recruiting process so that they can leverage their sport to get a college education.”
Husted says that by utilizing its Kicking IndeX (KIX) Player Rating System, NCS provides an objective evaluation platform for student-athletes who want to showcase their capabilities to colleges and universities for recruiting purposes.
By sorting through over six years of historical event data, the KIX system determines a kicker’s rankings by cross-referencing player data to determine how the athletes stack up against others, both presently and historically.
"The NCS levels the playing field for those who don't want to get caught up in all of the 'politics' that occurs in the kicking industry,” says Husted. “If you can kick, punt or snap, the NCS KIX system will let a young kicking specialist’s skills speak for themselves. No excuses. No explanations."
Go here for more about Super Camp VII.
Go here for more about Tom Feely and Feely Athletics.
Go here for more about kicking coach Michael Husted.
Michael Husted
National Camp Series
888.702.0682

Read More..

Earnings from McDonald's, Microsoft sink stocks

NEW YORK (AP) -- Poor earnings reports from three companies in the Dow Jones industrial average — Microsoft, General Electric and McDonalds — sent indexes down sharply Friday, marking a sour end to an otherwise strong week in the stock market.

McDonald's led a broad drop in the Dow, falling 3 percent. The Dow was down 151 points at 13,397 shortly after noon.

"I'm concerned about corporate earnings, but I'm not alarmed yet," said Doug Cote, chief market strategist at ING Investment Management in New York.

Cote cautions that it's still early in reporting season, but what's worrying is that companies have reported an overall drop in earnings so far. "And once you get one quarter of negative earnings, it's a precursor," he said. "It's the cockroach theory: if you find one, there's probably many more."

The Standard & Poor's 500 sank 17 points to 1,440 and the Nasdaq composite dropped 52 points to 3,020. All 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 fell, led by materials and technology stocks.

McDonald's profit sank as a strong dollar hurt international results, which account for two-thirds of its business. The fast-food giant's stock lost $3.51 to $89.35.

Microsoft's income fell 22 percent as PC sales took a dive and as troubles in Europe took their toll. Its stock lost 67 cents to $28.82.

General Electric, another economic bellwether, fell 3 percent. The company reported stronger profits early Friday but its revenue missed Wall Street's expectations. Orders for new equipment and services sank, mainly because wind turbine orders have fallen because a key U.S. federal subsidy for wind power expires at the end of the year.

GE's stock lost 60 cents to $22.21.

Analysts currently expect companies in the S&P 500 to post their worst earnings results since the third quarter of 2009, according to S&P Capital IQ. Banks and consumer discretionary companies are projected to report the best growth. Analysts expect companies dealing in metals and other materials to report the worst results, followed by energy companies.

But it's technology companies like IBM, Intel and Google whose weak results have grabbed the most attention so far.

Weak earnings from Google and a rise in claims for unemployment benefits helped pull the stock market lower Thursday. That snapped a four-day run of gains for the Dow. Google fell again Friday, giving up $14.14 to $680.86.

The Dow is still up 0.6 percent for the week. The S&P 500 up is up 0.8 percent.

In other Friday trading, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 1.77 percent from 1.83 percent late Thursday.

Among other stocks making big moves, Chipotle Mexican Grill plunged 14 percent after the burrito chain forecast that revenue growth would slow sharply next year. The stock had been a favorite among investors thanks to super-fast growth in recent years. The stock fell $41.32 to $244.61.

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McDonald's Canada Reveals How They Make Famous Fries

McDonald's Canada is at it again, demystifying their french fry recipe "from the farm to all the way to the fryer."

In their new behind-the-scenes video, Scott Gibson, manager of the company's supply chain, takes customer questions on their world-famous fries.

Gibson addresses the first question asking whether or not the potatoes used by the fast food restaurant are real. Standing in the middle of the Levesque farm with farmer Angelo Levesque, the two discuss how the potatoes are harvested and sorted at the farm. Then they are then brought to McCain, the company's fries supplier, to be prepped before heading to stores.

SLIDESHOW: Fast Food Ads vs. Reality: How Do They Size Up?

Mario Dupuis, production manager at McCain, describes how they prepare the fries by washing the potatoes to remove the rocks and the dirt and put them through a "peeling system."

Afterwards, they are cut and blanched "to remove the natural sugars from the strips, this will prevent some variation in the color once we cook the product," said McCain.

Next they are washed in a textural solution to give it the "nice even coat we see in the restaurants," said McCain, adding they also use an ingredient on the strips to prevent the fries from greying or oxidizing. Afterwards, they are then dried and fried for 45 to 60 seconds. Finally, they are frozen, packaged and shipped to stores.

Once in stores, the fries are deep-fried in 100 percent vegetable oil. They are salted with about 1 tablespoon of salt per four orders of medium fries. For those concerned about salt intake, Gibson suggests that customers can order their fries without the salt.

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Apple’s New iPad Mini Is Pricey but That Won’t Deter Fans: TechCrunch’s John Biggs

It's officially here: The iPad mini, the subject of endless speculation and rumors over the past year, made its debut Tuesday at the California Theater in San Jose, Calif. The iPad mini starts at $329 and hits store shelves Nov. 2. Pre-sales begin Oct. 26. It boasts a 7.9-inch display, weighs 0.68 pounds and is 7.2mm thick. The design closely resembles the iPod Touch and comes in both black and white.

Related: Get Ready for a Big Week in Tech: Apple & Facebook Earnings, Mini iPad, Windows 8 & More

As is the case with all Apple products, there is an option to pay up for more hardware. Here are the price points:

    * $329 for 16GB

    * $429 for 32GB

    * $529 for 64GB

In mid-November Apple will roll out the Wi-fi and 4G mini for $459 for 16GB, $559 for 32GB, and $659 for 64GB.

The iPad mini screen measures 1,024x768, the same resolution as the iPad 2. It also includes a dual-core A5 processor, a front-facing FaceTime HD camera, Apple's "Lightning" connector and a 5-megapixel back camera. A fully charged iPad mini will get 10 hours of battery life.

Apple (AAPL) stock was trading nearly two percent lower after the iPad mini presentation.

Related: Why Apple's Stock is Dropping

John Biggs, East Coast editor of TechCrunch, says the Apple event lacked the shock and awe of previous product announcements.

"Everybody was expecting an iPad mini and we got an iPad mini," he says in an interview with The Daily Ticker. "To see an iPad mini pop up is no huge surprise."

Biggs says the new mini may be pricey but it would not deter Apple devotees and tech "dorks" from adding to their Apple collections. The smaller screen will attract consumers who use tablet devices for reading -- "it's Apple's e-reader" -- Biggs says, and the new mini is not likely to cut into sales of the larger iPad versions, which still feature bigger screens and a higher resolution display.

The starting price for the iPad mini is $130 more than the Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7 — Apple's two main competitors in the e-reader space. Most Apple insiders and analysts were expecting a lower entry point for the mini, says CNET's Brian Tong, and consumer sticker shock could drag down sales expectations. The mini's price would have been even higher if Apple made it with a retina display, he adds.

"It will sell well but won't break records," Tong says. "It will sell because it's Apple. Never underestimate the Apple consumer."

Microsoft will unveil its first tablet device, Surface, next week.

Related: Microsoft Launches Its Own Tablet--and Admits Apple Was Right

Biggs says the Surface's size and user-face are more conducive to typing, an important feature for some consumers. The tablet market may be expanding but there's still only one winner, according to Biggs — Apple. "You're getting the premium product," he says.

More from the Daily Ticker:

Apple's iPhone 5: Does it Live Up to the Hype?

The Final Presidential Debate: "Very Little Substance, Lots of Agreement": Ian Bremmer

Housing On the Mend But "Stunning Lack of Talk on the Campaign Trail: Zillow's Humphries

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US economic growth improves to 2 pct. rate in Q3

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. economy expanded at a slightly faster 2 percent annual rate from July through September, buoyed by an uptick in consumer spending and a burst of government spending.

Growth improved from the 1.3 percent rate in the April-June quarter, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The pickup in growth may help President Barack Obama's message that the economy is improving. Still, growth remains too weak to rapidly boost hiring. And the 1.74 percent rate for 2012 so far trails last year's 1.8 percent growth, a point GOP nominee Mitt Romney will emphasize.

The report is the last snapshot of economic growth before Americans choose a president in 11 days.

The economy improved because consumer spending rose 2 percent in the July-September quarter, up from 1.5 percent in the second quarter. Spending on homebuilding and renovations increased more than 14 percent. And federal government spending expanded sharply on the largest increase in defense spending in more than three years.

Growth was held back by the first drop in exports in more than three years and flat business investment in equipment and software.

The economy was also slowed by the severe drought this summer in the Midwest. That sharply cut agriculture stockpiles and reduced growth by nearly a half-point.

The government's report covers gross domestic product. GDP measures the nation's total output of goods and services — from restaurant meals and haircuts to airplanes, appliances and highways.

The first of three estimates of growth for the July-September quarter sketched a picture that's been familiar all year: The economy is growing at a tepid rate, slowed by high unemployment and corporate anxiety over an unresolved budget crisis and a slowing global economy.

While growth remains modest, the factors supporting the economy have changed. Exports and business investment drove growth for most of the recovery, but are now fading. Meanwhile, consumer spending has ticked up and housing is adding to growth after a six-year slump.

Consumer spending drives nearly 70 percent of economic activity.

Businesses have grown more cautious since spring, in part because customer demand has remained modest and exports have declined as the global economy has slowed.

Many companies worry that their overseas sales could dampen further if recession spreads throughout Europe and growth slows further in China, India and other developing countries. Businesses also fear the tax increases and government spending cuts that will kick in next year if Congress doesn't reach a budget deal.

Since the recovery from the Great Recession began in June 2009, the U.S. economy has grown at the slowest rate of any recovery in the post-World War II period. And economists think growth will remain sluggish at least through the first half of 2013. Some analysts believe the economy will start to pick up in the second half of next year.

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Disney buying Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Disney is paying $4.05 billion to buy Lucasfilm Ltd., the production company behind "Star Wars," from its chairman and founder, George Lucas. It's also making a seventh movie in the "Star Wars" series called "Episode 7," set for release in 2015, with plans to follow it with Episodes 8 and 9 and then one new movie every two or three years.

The Walt Disney Co. announced the blockbuster agreement to make the purchase in cash and stock Tuesday. The deal includes Lucasfilm's prized high-tech production companies, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, as well as rights to the "Indiana Jones" franchise.

Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement that the acquisition is a great fit and will help preserve and grow the "Star Wars" franchise.

"The last 'Star Wars' movie release was 2005's 'Revenge of the Sith' — and we believe there's substantial pent-up demand," Iger said.

Kathleen Kennedy, the current co-chairman of Lucasfilm, will become the division's president and report to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Lucas will be creative consultant on new "Star Wars" films.

Lucas said in a statement, "It's now time for me to pass 'Star Wars' on to a new generation of filmmakers."

The deal brings Lucasfilm under the Disney banner with other brands including Pixar, Marvel, ESPN and ABC, all companies that Disney has acquired over the years. A former weatherman who rose through the ranks of ABC, Iger has orchestrated some of the company's biggest acquisitions, including the $7.4 billion purchase of animated movie studio Pixar in 2006 and the $4.2 billion acquisition of comic book giant Marvel in 2009.

Disney shares were not trading with stock markets closed due to the impact of Superstorm Sandy in New York.

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Armstrong resisted subpoena, then sought secrecy

Embattled former cycling great Lance Armstrong resisted turning over records sought by U.S. Postal Service investigators and then tried to keep the inquiry under seal and out of the public eye, according to recently released court documents. In 2011, Postal Service officials investigating Armstrong and his cycling teams because of doping allegations sought records from his team management groups, financial statements, training journals and correspondence with former training consultant Michele Ferrari. Armstrong eventually complied with the subpoena but as recently as October was still asking the courts to keep the inquiry private. “They’ve been given everything they wanted and that they asked for … months ago,” Armstrong attorney Tim Herman said Tuesday. The Postal Service was Armstrong’s main sponsor when he won the Tour de France from 1999 to 2004. The team was sponsored by the Discovery Channel for Armstrong’s seventh Tour victory in 2005. Armstrong, an Austin resident, was stripped of those titles this year. Last week, federal Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson in Washington ordered that the subpoena be released to the public. The judge rejected Armstrong’s arguments that releasing the subpoena would violate the secrecy of the grand jury process or a pending whistle-blower lawsuit filed against Armstrong by former teammate Floyd Landis. Armstrong was still the target of a federal criminal grand jury investigation into allegations of doping by the Postal Service teams when the subpoena was issued. That investigation was closed in February, and no charges were filed. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency investigated Armstrong for doping and in August ordered him stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. In October, the agency released a massive report detailing use of performance-enhancing drugs by Armstrong and his teammates. The report included sworn statements from 11 former teammates, including Landis. Armstrong denies doping and insists he never cheated, but he chose not to fight the USADA charges. USADA’s stand was upheld in October by the International Cycling Union, known by the French acronym UCI. On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that Armstrong had been given three weeks to appeal a decision by UCI to strip him of all the titles he’s won in the past 14 years. Armstrong, 41, has been officially informed that his results dating back to Aug. 1, 1998, have been nullified, the Lausanne, Switzerland-based UCI said. Backdated to Thursday, Armstrong has three weeks to appeal. The UCI decision came after USADA released a 202-page summary of its findings on Oct. 10, stating that Armstrong “engaged in serial cheating” throughout his career.

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Armstrong resisted subpoena, then wanted secrecy

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Lance Armstrong resisted turning over records sought by U.S Postal Service investigators, then tried to keep the inquiry under seal and out of the public eye, according to recently released court documents. In 2011, Postal Service officials investigating Armstrong and his teams for doping wanted records from his team management groups, financial statements, training journals and correspondence with former training consultant Michele Ferrari. Armstrong eventually complied with the subpoena but as recently as October was still asking the courts to keep the inquiry private. ''They've been given everything they wanted and that they asked for ... months ago,'' Armstrong attorney Tim Herman said Tuesday. The Postal Service was Armstrong's main sponsor when he won the Tour de France from 1999-2004. The team was sponsored by the Discovery Channel for Armstrong's seventh victory in 2005. Armstrong was stripped of those titles this year. Last week, federal Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson in Washington ordered the subpoena and Armstrong's efforts to keep it private released to the public. The judge rejected Armstrong's arguments that releasing the subpoena would violate the secrecy of the grand jury process or a pending whistleblower lawsuit filed against Armstrong by former teammate Floyd Landis. But by Tuesday night, the federal court's online case tracking system was again showing the case as sealed from public view. The documents Robinson had ordered released had been available online for several hours earlier in the day. There was no document available Tuesday night showing if a court had ordered the case resealed, and Armstrong's attorneys did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages seeking comment. Armstrong was still the target of a federal criminal grand jury investigation into allegations of doping on the Postal Service teams when the subpoena was issued. That investigation was closed in February with no charges filed. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency investigated Armstrong for doping and in August ordered him stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. In October, the agency released a massive report detailing performance-enhancing drug use by Armstrong and his teammates. The report included sworn statements from 11 former teammates, including Landis. Armstrong denies doping and insists he never cheated, but chose not to fight the USADA charges.

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Armstrong resisted subpoena in doping inquiry, then wanted secrecy

AUSTIN, Texas - Lance Armstrong resisted turning over records sought by U.S Postal Service investigators, then tried to keep the inquiry under seal and out of the public eye, according to recently released court documents. In 2011, Postal Service officials investigating Armstrong and his teams for doping wanted records from his team management groups, financial statements, training journals and correspondence with former training consultant Michele Ferrari. Armstrong eventually complied with the subpoena but as recently as October was still asking the courts to keep the inquiry private. "They've been given everything they wanted and that they asked for ... months ago," Armstrong attorney Tim Herman said Tuesday. The Postal Service was Armstrong's main sponsor when he won the Tour de France from 1999-2004. The team was sponsored by the Discovery Channel for Armstrong's seventh victory in 2005. Armstrong was stripped of those titles this year. Last week, federal Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson in Washington ordered the subpoena and Armstrong's efforts to keep it private released to the public. The judge rejected Armstrong's arguments that releasing the subpoena would violate the secrecy of the grand jury process or a pending whistleblower lawsuit filed against Armstrong by former teammate Floyd Landis. But by Tuesday night, the federal court's online case tracking system was again showing the case as sealed from public view. The documents Robinson had ordered released had been available online for several hours earlier in the day. There was no document available Tuesday night showing if a court had ordered the case resealed, and Armstrong's attorneys did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages seeking comment. Armstrong was still the target of a federal criminal grand jury investigation into allegations of doping on the Postal Service teams when the subpoena was issued. That investigation was closed in February with no charges filed. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency investigated Armstrong for doping and in August ordered him stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. In October, the agency released a massive report detailing performance-enhancing drug use by Armstrong and his teammates. The report included sworn statements from 11 former teammates, including Landis. Armstrong denies doping and insists he never cheated, but chose not to fight the USADA charges.

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