- I will more than likely shoot something new this year. Last year, it was Minor League Baseball.

- I will always look forward to baseball season.

- I will hopefully have become a better photographer than I was last year.

-Try new remote angles.

Well, three of those things have already happened. I have actually shot two new things this photography season:

- A National Signing Day

- Professional Boxing (This actually got one of my shots on ESPN.com)

I also tried a new set of remotes that I have never tried before.

Below are some of my favorite shots from the past few months and I am SO glad that baseball season is back.

Despite losing most of his five-shot lead in only six holes, Stricker steadied himself in time to kick off the new PGA Tour season with a three-shot victory in the Tournament of Champions on Monday.

Right when it looked as though Stricker was coming unglued, he made back-to-back birdies at the turn. That restored his lead to three shots, and no one got closer than two shots the rest of the way.

Stricker birdied his last hole for a 4-under 69 for his 12th career win, which moved him to No. 5 in the world ranking.

Sweeter than the winner’s lei draped around his neck on the 18th green at Kapalua were his two children, 13-year-old Bobbi Maria and 5-year-old Isabella, there to greet him with a hug.

Stricker held back tears — they usually flow freely after a win — perhaps a sign that he’s getting used to this business of winning. It was his ninth PGA Tour win since he turned 40, and his eighth title in his last 50 tournaments.

As usual, he didn’t make it easy on himself.

Stricker had a five-shot lead going into the Monday finish on Maui, and it was just about gone when he muffed a flop shot and took bogey on the sixth hole.

Martin Laird, Webb Simpson and Jonathan Byrd each got within one shot of Stricker on the front nine, but not for long. Stricker rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eighth, pitched to tap-in range at the par-5 ninth and was on his way.

Laird closed with a 67, and his birdie on the last hole put him alone in second place. Byrd kept most of the pressure on Stricker along the back nine of the Plantation Course, but he bogeyed the 17th. He had a 68 and tied for third with Simpson, who had a 68.

Stricker could not have started the new season better — all four rounds in the 60s, and already able to book his room at Kapalua for next year.

“It was tough,” said Stricker, who finished at 23-under 269. “I never let up today. It’s always tough trying to win, and it’s even more tough when you have a lead like I did. I’m very proud of what I did today.

“And it’s always cool to get a hug from your family walking off at the end.”

The PGA Tour got off to a good start, too. There was so much focus at the start of the week on who didn’t show up at Kapalua for this winners-only event — three major champions, all of whom live overseas, along with three players who are recovering from injury.

Stricker was the highest-ranked American in the field, and played the best golf.

It just didn’t always look that way.

This was the fourth time in the last two years that Stricker led a big lead turn into some nervous moments on the last day.

— At the John Deere Classic in July, he watched a five-shot lead with nine holes to play turn into a two-shot deficit with two holes to play before he rallied to beat Kyle Stanley with an exquisite birdie on the last hole.

— At the Memorial in June, he had a four-shot lead at the turn and was still three shots clear with five to play. He held on to win by one.

— At Riviera in 2010, his six-shot lead going into the final round was down to two shots after only six holes. Stricker steadied himself and went on to win by two.

Monday on Maui was not much different.

Byrd made three straight putts early in the round, two of them for birdie, and Simpson in the group ahead made an eagle at No. 5. Stricker settle for pars, which was not a problem as long as he took care of the birdie holes.

But he didn’t. Stricker three-putted for par from just over 30 feet on the fifth, then hit a fluffy pitch that came up short of the sixth green and let to bogey as Byrd made another birdie for a two-shot swing.

Stricker stood at the back of the green while Byrd was making his putt, shaking his head, clearly flustered. It only took six holes for his five-shot lead to shrink to a single stroke, with 12 holes ahead of him. His next birdie putt didn’t even come close.

But on the hole that has given him fits this week, Stricker hit a pure shot into 25 feet on the par-3 eighth and made it for birdie, then birdied the ninth to regain control.

Byrd made the last big run at him by hitting a wedge to 4 feet on the 16th. Stricker followed him with a wedge into 2 feet for matching birdies that kept his lead at two shots with two holes to play.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The highest ranked player in the field is Steve Stricker, who at #6 is the top American in the world rankings. Stricker makes his home in Wisconsin, so his willingness to fly to Hawaii in January is understandable. But he and #10 Webb Simpson are the only two players in the top-10 playing this week. While the twelve first-time entrants and nine golfers under the age of 30 are testaments to the new order that is emerging on the PGA Tour, the likes of Michael Bradley, defending champion Jonathan Byrd, and even the popular Stricker acknowledged that their presence on the leader board isn’t going to do much for the tournament’s TV ratings.

The players that would spark viewing interest are all far from Kapalua’s hills. The two most recognizable figures in men’s golf haven’t made an appearance in years. As a non-winner in 2011 Tiger Woods wasn’t eligible this year; but having not played Kapalua since 2005 he likely wouldn’t have come even if he was. Phil Mickelson won the Houston Open last spring; yet Mickelson hasn’t made the trip to Hawaii since 2001, despite being eligible every year since except 2003. Meanwhile the world rankings are dominated at the moment by international players. Yet #1 Luke Donald, #3 Rory McIlroy, #4 Martin Kaymer, #5 Adam Scott and #9 Charl Schwartzel, all of whom qualified for the field opted against making lengthy flights to the middle of the Pacific. Most of them simply chose to extend what is an increasingly short off-season; while Schwartzel will defend his title at the European Tour’s Joburg Open in South Africa next week and understandably didn’t want to travel halfway around the world and back just prior to doing so.

It is that lack of an off-season that is the real problem. One upon a time, the PGA Tour wrapped up its season with the Tour Championship. After that a handful of marquee players would participate in a few “silly season” events like the Skins Game. Even those exhibitions and made-for-television events usually ended by Thanksgiving. But in 2011 the Tour Championship in late September was followed by four official events of the Tour’s “Fall Series,” and a World Golf Championship event in Shanghai. Then for the top American and international stars it was off to Australia for the Presidents Cup in mid-November.

That biennial event of course excludes European players, but that’s probably just as well since the European Tour’s regular schedule was still in full swing. That tour’s 2011 calendar actually started with two events in December 2010 and didn’t conclude until Alvaro Quiros claimed victory at the Dubai World Championship one year and two days after the season’s first tee shot was struck. Once all of the official events have finally concluded, the few weeks that are empty on either the PGA or European Tour’s schedules are filled with exhibitions like the Chevron World Challenge and events in Asia and Australia whose organizers gladly pay hefty appearance fees to attract the game’s top competitors. Professional golf may not be the most physical of sports, but sooner or later jet lag is bound to set in; and it is a game that requires enormous focus and concentration, making mental fatigue a very real issue.

The absence of the game’s biggest names doesn’t mean that there won’t be some fine golf played over the tournament’s four days. But it does feel like an event designed to be special by being limited to the past year’s champions deserves better. This year’s event was shifted to a Monday finish in prime time so as not to compete with the NFL playoffs; but really, who but the most ardent golf fan is going to be watching?

It would be a good idea to expand the field just a bit by extending invitations to previous winners of the tournament. It would be an even better one to move the Tournament of Champions to a spot a month or so later on the calendar, when the game’s premier players are ready to end their winter breaks and rejoin the fray. While they’re at it, if the PGA Tour and the tournament’s organizers want to continue to hold the event at a spot that, while surpassingly beautiful is just a wee bit remote, then they should have a couple of charter jets ready after the last putt is struck; one each headed for the next stop on the PGA and European Tour.

Much of the talk as the tournament began was about the pairing of two notably opinionated commentators, Johnny Miller and Nick Faldo, in the Golf Channel broadcast booth. With changes like those outlined above, the Tournament of Champions would be more likely to get the field it deserves. That would put the focus of attention back out on the golf course, where it belongs.

This weekend is the tournament of champions…all the 2011 champs come together for a knock about in Hawaii!  Nice for some hey!

The field has a look of novice type of players but it shows the depth on the PGA tour!  Only 5 players come back from last years tournament to play here again this year.

So who to look for this weekend….

Webb Simpson is making his debut here and should be a strong favourite, although for me the other strong favourite STEVE STRICKER 8/1 with Ladbrokes looks a decent win only bet this weekend.

Stricker has a decent record over the course with 3 top 10 finishes in the past 4 years.  Combine that with the experience of Stricker I am hoping he can come out all guns blazing for the 2012 season and make a mark.  Putting is a key aspect for the weekend and Stricker is your man for this and I can see him making plenty putts to steer him to the big winners cheque!

Next up a player who has two 4th place finishes to his name around the course set up and has been a very consistent player over 2011.  SEAN O’HAIR  25/1 again with Ladbrokes looks a decent enough each way bet this weekend as I can see him getting in the frame once again and even go a few places better.  25/1 for the favourable players is good value for O’Hairs record around here.  Of the field O’Hair ranks high and for this I am happy to plump for him.

My outsider for this weekend will be JOHNSON WAGNER 100/1 with Ladbrokes looks decent for a outsider this weekend.  He played the course in 2009 and finished a creditable 10th.  The form the back end of last year wasn’t great but hopefully the Christmas and New Year break will recharge the batteries of Wagner and he will come out and surprise a few this weekend and put up a good display of golf.  100/1 just looks big for a player to show decent form for the only time player here.

So the selections for this weekend….

STEVE STRICKER 8/1 2PT WIN LADBROKES

SEAN O’HAIR 25/1 1PT EACH WAY LADBROKES

JOHNSON WAGNER 100/1 0.5PT EACH WAY LADBROKES

2012 TOTAL STAKE:  5 POINTS

Wagner lively 100/1 outsider

Ana Ivanovic, 2011 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions Bali Winner

Ana Ivanovic started her week at the 2011 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, Bali baking cookies for charity. She ended it by successfully defending her title from 2010 Bali on her 24th birthday. This is exactly how she finished last year, showing signs that she was ready to turn the corner and return to the form that made her a former #1 ranked player. However, she didn’t start this year building on the momentum from her 2010 win in Bali. But the match against Serena Williams at the US Open, albeit in defeat, really showed something. Save for her shaky serving in the wind, Ana was going toe to toe off the ground. If Ana and coach Nigel Sears, who is doing a great job, can tighten up her serve, she could build on this momentum in 2012.

Singles – Final
(WC) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d. Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 63 60

with coach, Nigel Sears

After clicking the WTA website’s link for the Bali draw, one might struggle to locate the bracket in what appears a mostly blank sheet of paper.  The only event in the sport that starts with the quarterfinals, the Tournament of Champions doesn’t quite live up to its name.  After all, the real “Tournament of Champions” just ended last weekend in Istanbul with a series of compelling encounters among top-eight opponents.  Absent from this idyllic island resort is any woman in that category, but the coda to the 2011 season does feature a curious assortment of rising stars, setting stars, supernovas, and black holes.  To paraphrase Larry Scott’s marketing campaign for the actual year-end championships, we look for a heroine in this heterogeneous octet.

Rising stars:

Lisicki:  The best server in the draw, her signature shot should earn her shoals of free points on this slick indoor surface.  Winning two International titles this summer, Lisicki recorded the most notable accomplishment of her career so far by reaching the Wimbledon semifinal with victories over Li and Bartoli, the latter of whom she might face in a semifinal here.  By the US Open, though, her torrid streak had subsided as untimely double faults and impatient shot selection increased.  One can imagine Lisicki developing into the next Stosur, armed with massive serve-forehand combinations and a perennial threat at Wimbledon.  For now, she remains a talent more raw and rough-hewn than those of her compatriots Petkovic and Goerges.  Having recovered from excruciating, career-threatening injuries more than once, though, this German gains underrated strength from her natural optimism.

Peng:  One of two double-fisters here, the Chinese #2 had gained little renown outside her home nation for her skills in singles.  Better known for her exploits in doubles, she accumulated more than 50 victories in 2011 (more than Li Na, in fact) when she occupied one side of the court by herself.  During the first half alone, Peng knocked off two Slam champions in Kuznetsova and Schiavone as well as Zvonareva, Li, and former #1 Jankovic.  Reaching five semifinals before Wimbledon, she still searches for her first career singles crown, an accomplishment that seems long overdue.  Like Lisicki, the Chinese double-fister has traced a steady downward arc over the past few months, probably the inevitable result of a season during which she played far more matches than she expected.  Facing Petrova for the third time this year, she faces a sterner task than in her two preceding three-set wins on slower surfaces.

Setting stars:

Hantuchova:  Just when one thinks that the willowy Slovak has wandered into the mists of history, she bursts back into relevance with a scintillating performance reminiscent of her top-5 days.  Although she collected her fourth title in Pattaya City after a win over Zvonareva, Hantuchova struck her richest vein of form during the clay and grass seasons.  Slashing Wozniacki to ribbons at Roland Garros, she raced to the Birmingham final and challenged eventual semifinalist Azarenka at Wimbledon before succumbing in three sets.  Hantuchova’s audacious angles and the pinpoint control that they require should dazzle on an indoor court, but she lost her opener here last year to an even more inspired Kimiko Date-Krumm.  Shortly Bali shifted from an ordinary event to the Tournament of Champions, she reached a final in this relaxed atmosphere that suits her personality.  Nevertheless, she will struggle to tame Lisicki’s serve in a rematch of the Birmingham final that she lost resoundingly.

Petrova:  The inaugural champion in College Park, this aging Russian lost her first match at nine of twenty tournaments this year while finishing just four wins over .500.  On days when her serve and reflexes remain crisp, Petrova still can compete with most players outside the top five or six.  While the surface will reward those strengths, it also may expose her ungainly movement as with Hantuchova.  In order to advance past the first round, Petrova must find a way to rediscover the mastery over Peng that slipped away from her in their last two meetings.  No matter how she performs in the sense of forehands and backhands, however, she rarely fails to entertain with her expressions of exaggerated disdain, caustic soliloquies to herself in Russian, or idiosyncratic outfits.  When she shifts from tennis into a career as a Russian television commentator, viewers should relish her piquant insights.

Supernovas:

Bartoli:  Resting atop the truncated draw, Bartoli would seem the clear title favorite based upon her 2011 resume.  Whereas most of her rivals captured their laurels at lesser tournaments, this second double-fister not only defeated Serena—an event memorable in itself—but halted the 13-time major champion’s title defense at Wimbledon.  At the previous major, the Frenchwoman delighted her compatriots by reaching an unexpected semifinal.  The runner-up at the first edition of the Tournament of Champions, Bartoli should feast upon the second serves of opponents with her rapier-like returns.  In fact, she could feast upon the first serve of her initial opponent, Medina Garrigues, before arranging a rematch of her Wimbledon quarterfinal with Lisicki.  Will the first strike of the event’s premier server or of the event’s premier returner prove more deadly?  Fresh from a three-set upset over Azarenka at Istanbul, Bartoli won Osaka two weeks before and nearly overcome Petkovic in Beijing, so she arrives in perhaps the most impressive form of all entrants.

Ivanovic:  For the first time since Roland Garros 2009, the former #1 attempts to defend a title.  Spurning the opportunity to protect her Linz crown, Ivanovic enjoyed one of her finest weeks this season two tournaments ago in Beijing, where she defeated Kuznetsova and Zvonareva while yielding just eight total games.  Under the guidance of new coach Nigel Sears, she has survived the first round at seven consecutive tournaments, her longest such streak since winning the French Open.  But the Serb’s luminous smile turned into a grimace when a back injury curtailed her Beijing surge.  Either the injury or the competitive rust that it caused likely contributed to her disappointing defeat to Keothavong in Luxembourg, and Ivanovic continues to nurse that back as she approaches this tournament.  A title defense looks implausible, although a return to these tranquil surroundings offers an excellent endpoint to another turbulent season for the Serb.

Black holes:

Vinci:  After dropping her first four career meetings to Ivanovic, the Italian exacted revenge upon the former #1 twice this year.  Her oddly veering backhand slice should stay low on this surface, like the quirky strokes of Date-Krumm last year, and disrupt her opponent’s rhythm.  But one wonders whether Vinci can display her artful counterpunching to its fullest on a court designed for offense.  Among Wozniacki’s second-half nemeses, she should appreciate her position in the weaker half of the draw and conceivably could reach the final if fortune smiles upon her.

Medina Garrigues:  When she won Estoril this spring, the Spanish veteran surely did not anticipate that her prowess on the dusty battlefields of Portugal would lead her to the beaches of Indonesia.  Accomplishing little outside clay throughout her career, Medina Garrigues enjoyed the most impressive week of her season when she mustered three straight wins in Miami.  Aligned to face Bartoli, she has scant cause for confidence against an opponent who has collected all four of their hard-court matches without conceding a set.  Nevertheless, a quarterfinal berth seems assured.

***

After Istanbul, you may have thought that the seasons of Kvitova and Zvonareva ended.  (Momentarily, they may have thought so too.)  But in fact they will meet once again this year next Sunday with a Fed Cup title at stake.  We return with a preview on Friday.

We have found yet another way to raise funds for A.D.O.P.T. of Jefferson County, MO while you get a jump start on your holiday shopping at the same time.  We’re happy to announce that The Pampered Chef will be a vendor at the U-FLI Tournament of Champions next month in St. Louis and will donate 20% of their sales back to A.D.O.P.T. on pre-orders and on-site sales.  And to make things even better, if you place your order by Friday, October 28th your items will be brought to the Purina Farms Event Center and will be waiting for you to pick up.  A small (less than standard) shipping charge will still apply.

How does it work?  Visit The Pampered Chef and click on “Shop Online” to get started.  Choose Option #1 (Invited to a Show) and enter the host password of “Flyball Championship.”  Put the word Flyball in the 1^st box and Championship in the 2^nd box.  Click “Search for Host” and when you see “Flyball Championship” click on that and start shopping!  There are several October specials, so be sure to browse the site.  And remember, 20% of the sales we generate will go towards helping A.D.O.P.T. (an organization devoted to the elimination of euthanasia as a form of pet control with an emphasis on spaying and neutering) with their efforts to build a new and improved shelter.

Thanks for your support of A.D.O.P.T.  And, if you have any questions about the ordering process, contact Pampered Chef host Mickey Sapa at 314-293-1519 or by e-mail at willowmickey@yahoo.com.

– Megan Higgins

There’s excitement in the air!  The St. Louis Dream Teams are being formed, pick up teams are coming together, and clubs are making their travel plans.  With the entry closing date for the November 11 – 13 Tournament of Champions and regular tournament being held at the Purina Farms Event Center right around the corner, we need your help!

To help facilitate the seeding and formatting process, not to mention the preparation for the rosettes and plaques, in addition to mailing your entries we would like for all clubs to email their entries, including seed time and individual team teams, directly to Stephanie Smith at k9sr4flyball@yahoo.com.  We know some of you might be postmarking your entries at the last minute and this way we can begin the seeding and formatting process right away, without any mail delays.

If you have any questions at all or need to find a last-minute pick up dog, email us at championship@u-fli.com.  If you need registration forms or event information, visit the website at www.u-fli.com.

Thanks!

2011 Valley Hi Niners Champions

at Castlewood Country Club Today!

Club Champion – Low Gross – Patty Waltermeyer

1st Flight – Low Net – Lorraine Evans

2nd Flight – Low Net – Lucy Taylor

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us at championship@u-fli.com.

I had the full support of all my family and friends and that makes a huge difference.  Well I think I am going to try one more.  We are going to call it the March to the Titans because that’s what the next show is called and then i think I am good for the year.  Let’s see how this one goes and we will do better than this time.  Follow me if you would like its only 37 days away. I will include meal plans, nutrition tips, and exercise routines.  I mean why not, if it motivates you to be strictlymotivated then lets do this.

I would like to begin “Body by Jay” posts after this and this will be an everyday post on staying strictlymotivated. Thank you once again for following me on this blog.  I will be looking to update some stuff on this site.

Quick Tip: People enjoy fast foods, including burgers, pizza and in California we love our burritos.  But eating fast foods too often can cause many health problems.  Some of these problems include weight gain, high cholesterol and heart disease. You don’t have to completely give up eating fast foods, just learn what to order and what to avoid, choos your dishes wisely, watch your portion sizes and maybe try a healthier side dish rather than get the fries.  Small steps will become bigger steps.  Keep it up.

Quick tip: Consuming a lot of soda won’t necessarily harm your bones.  But think about this, every time you exercise you deteriorate you bones.  Calcium is the best to intake to help heal that process.  It’s not about whether your drinking soday it’s that you have an option to drink something else that could be better for your body.

Quick tip: Eat right before a short workout.

If you’re exercising for an hour or less, you don’t need to make special dietary accommodations.  But you do need fuel to sustain yourself. Eat a meal with at least 200 calories, 20 grams of protein, and 30 grams of carbs an hour or two before you workout.  A simple grilled chicken sandwich will set you up in the right directions.. And keep pushing…

Quick tip: Give your pancakes a nutritional boost – Next time you make pancakes replace 1/4 cup of flour with 1/4 cup of cornmeal. The combination will give your pancakes a great texture, and the cornmeal will provide extra belly-filling fiber and an added dose of maneium to an otherwise nutritionally vacant breakfast.

The thermic effect of feeding (TEF) is the energy used for the digestion, absorption, and assimilation of ingest food/nutrients.  Yes, the very act of eating food will increase your metabolism, to a certain smaller and larger extent, based on how many macronutrients you ingest. Proteins tend to have the highest thermic response while fats tend to have the lowest thermic response.  In general, however, the TEF is typically estimated to be around 10% of total daily energy expended.  Monopolize on this, that’s just a start.

Stick with it until you see results.  Guys always want bigger arms and Girls always want leaner and smaller arms. Strength, agility, form, athletics, all great goals to shoot for with your arms.  Keep at it, you will be happy with the results.

I will post a good leg workout in the workout section to give your legs more definition.

In my last update, I’ve started using Microsoft Excel to record my diet, how many days I stay at each food level, and my bodyweight. I weighed 168 this morning and my weight has been steadily moving down as I want. I’m also seeing visual changes too, just a little leaner all over.

Below I included the epic ab workout that is going to chisel them down to where they need to be.

Abs: Seated Machine Crunches (10×35, 6×45, 6×45 – trying to increase the weight on abs since I usually don’t give a total effort, which should change), Seated Oblique Crunches (10×35).