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Women's soccer never would have been the same if Mia Hamm hadn't started up soccer when she was little. She had such an impact on women's soccer that she is often thought to mean as much for it as Pele or Cruyff meant for men's soccer. But before being a great soccer player and athlete that broke down almost every possible record at her level, Mia Hamm is a great person and I'd like you to meet the human behind the soccer god in this Mia Hamm biography.

If you're like me, you're probably wondering how and when did Mia Hamm start playing soccer and what events drove her to become a super star of women's soccer. Mia Hamm's childhood circled around sports and athleticism and as her brother recalled, she was faster and more athletic than most of the boys on the block, so she was able to play competitively with and against them.

After taking up youth soccer training at her school's football team when she was only 12 years old, she learned the basics of soccer and started enjoying the sport more and more. Little did she know that three years later, when she was just 15, she would be called up for the United States national womens soccer team, becoming the youngest player ever to play for her country at that level (one of her first broken records).

That was kind of a weird situation, since Mia Hamm was a soccer player for her national squad but didn't have a fully professional playing contract with a club. But after seeing her performances, the North Carolina Tar Heels quickly signed her and they made quite a deal, since Mia Hamm stayed with the club for 4 seasons, scoring over 100 goals during her time here.

Probably one of Mia Hamm's most important accomplishments is that she managed to bring womens soccer to a level close to what men are playing. She is one of the two women named in Peles "List of 125 Best Soccer Players of All Times" and she is a symbol of women's sports throughout the World.

She also holds two FIFA World Player of the Year awards, which she got in 2001 (the first year the trophy was given) and 2002. Unfortunately, she would have gotten a lot more of these awards, but with the World Player of the Year awards being granted for women when Mia Hamm was already nearing the end of her career, she didn't really have a chance to widen her trophy room.

In numbers, Mia Hamm was the United States top goal scorer, with 158 goals in 275 matches, a remarkable record that will probably dust and rust before it is beaten. She scored more goals than any man or woman for her national team, although many soccer specialists will agree that the level of women's soccer is still in an early grade and cannot be compared to mens soccer yet.

She won the Women's World Cup twice, in 1991 and 1999 and also put the US national team through a Gold Medal at the Olympic Games in 1996. All these titles, records and awards make Mia Hamm one of the most important players in women's soccer and the fact that Pele considered to put her on the same list as legendary male players such as Maradona, Cruyff, Platini or Beckenbauer says a lot about the influence she had in the game.

Niv Orlian is the author and the owner of http://www.soccer-fans-info.com a website that provides information on various topics related to soccer such as the history of soccer, rules, famous soccer players, real time news, statistics, and training guides.

A fantastic place to find cool broadband quality sports video and audio clips to view online for free is the BBC sports website which you can find at http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport They also have lots of great sports content for you to enjoy including the latest sports news, the latest sports results, photo galleries, scores & fixtures information and lots more besides. The BBC sports website also has dedicated sections on their website for football, cricket, tennis, golf, rugby union, rugby league, motorsport, boxing, athletics, cycling, snooker and horse racing.

Eurosport.com is another great place to find free sports clips to watch online and they have excellent sports news coverage of a range of sports including football, cycling, motorsports, basketball, athletics, golf, winter sports, boxing, baseball, cricket, field hockey, handball, NFL, Olympics, Rugby, Rowing, Sailing, Snooker and Swimming. One thing I really like about the Eurosport.com website is the Live Score feature which you will find on the homepage and shows you the live current scores on a range of different sports including football, tennis, cycling, motorsports, field hockey, basketball, rugby, athletics, snooker and winter sports. This site is very well designed, is constantly updated and is easy to navigate. It will definitely keep sports buffs busy for days!

SportsNews.com has a huge range of detailed and up to date sports news coverage from around the world. It is a very well laid out website which as well as having all the sports news you can handle, it also has extensive entertainment news, regional news, business news and science news.

A quality sports site which is especially good for American sports fans is Fox Sports which can be found at http://msn.foxsports.com It has detailed extensive sports news coverage of NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, golf, tennis, football, NCAA FB, Winter Olympics, Boxing, Horse Racing, F1, WNBA and beach volleyball.

Another good sports site which covers American sports is ESPN which you can find at http://espn.go.com They mainly cover MLB, NFL, College Football, NASCAR, NBA, Golf, Tennis, NHL, Soccer, Boxing, College Basketball and Womens Basketball. They have all the scores, teams and standings for all these sports. I like the design of this site which is neat and clear.

Well thats all the sites I think you sports fans will need to feed your hunger for more info on your favourite sports and teams, I hope you like them and have lots of fun on them!

Miguel Poza runs a website about broadband & broadband service providers with many reviews of UK and US broadband services, a guide to broadband technology, computer security and links to cool broadband content. Please check it out at http://www.broadbandassistant.com.

Dogs can be the very best pets you can have around and also, the most exasperating. I have a lovely Terrier whose eyes can convey empathy, sadness, or delightful joy. How they manage to do that, dont know. It may be due to their extra-sensory ability. In this case, they could be your best friends who mourn with you when you are in pain, and "laugh" with you when you are happy.

But sometimes, they can take their toll on your patience. Imagine just having invested a lot of time, energy, and money on grooming your front yard and backyard lawn only to find your dog digging up everywhere. What can be more annoying?!

When this unlikely but possible event occurs, how do you stop your dog from digging up your precious lawn?

To start with, you need to understand the very nature of dogs. Dogs dig for a reason. You need to understand what the reason is because you might just end up making your dog unhappy by restraining it. Usually, dogs dig because of the perceived scent of something possibly buried in the lawn and they want to check what it is; or they may want to hide and protect their food or toys from intruders or other dogs. This is very common with dogs from an animal shelter.

On the other hand, bringing a dog home the first time, they have a tendency to want to smell everything around them including the lawn and flowerbeds. They also smell for the presence of another dog. Dogs may also want to dig up our lawn for lack of anything to do. They have a tendency to dig when bored.

So, how do you stop your dog from digging up your beautiful and well-tended lawn or yard?

1. Take your dog on a daily walk or run. Exercise has a calming effect on the dog and decreases the occasion of digging.

2. Do a research on their behavior. You never can tell, you might come up with something revealing. Usually, the more info you have on a dog, the easier it is to tame them, get them to respond to you and keep them from digging.

3. No scolding. Dogs tend to register scolding negatively. Avoid scolding it. If it does dig up your lawn, be patient. Train it not to dig up the yard. If it fulfills this command once, compensate it with a bone meal or something to make it realise that if it does not dig up the lawn, it will, be compensated

4. Finally, engaging the dog in an exercise training while maintaining yourself as the leader will enable it listen to you quicker and obey your commands.

Oscar Uzoma Just completed a new interesting series on training your dog. You can get a new interesting 5-part free report on Dog training tips and at His Dog Training Tips and Information Blog and dog training products reviews here at http://dog-training-tips-and-resources.blogspot.com His Dog Training Tips and Information site

The show dog Shih Tzu owner who does not want to groom his Shih Tzu himself should know what must be done and when. This knowledge is necessary so he/she can take the Shih Tzu to a professional groomer or handler for show grooming at the right time.

All Shih Tzu owners should know several basic grooming techniques. It is very important to use the right equipment. There are many different types of brushes, combs, clipper blades and other tools. If you use the wrong brush, brushing technique, comb or clipper blade you can easily break Shih Tzus hair or give the Shih Tzu brush burn.

Some knowledge of anatomy is useful. You will need to maintain proper control of the Shih Tzu while grooming. Control points are used to alert the Shih Tzu to what the groomer wants him to do. Shih Tzu puppies are especially important for the groomer to control properly while grooming. Take care not to frighten the Shih Tzu during early grooming sessions. The grooming sessions should be fun for both the Shih Tzu puppy and the owner.

Introduce your new Shih Tzu puppy to grooming as soon as you bring him home. At the young age of 8 weeks Shih Tzu puppies usually learn proper grooming manners quickly if they are handled properly.

Aspects of grooming that contribute to a Shih Tzus good health:

1. To prevent ear infection keep the Shih Tzus ears clean of hair.

2. Remove excess wax promptly. This can be done with a piece of cotton that has been dipped in alcohol.

3. Be careful not to pry deep in the ear or stick anything small into the ear. If there is reason to do so, the Shih Tzu should be taken to a veterinarian.

4. Keep toenails trimmed and filed. This helps the Shih Tzu to walk easier and more comfortable as well as keeps him from snagging furniture or scratching owners legs and arms.

5. Anal glands should be expressed to avoid discomfort to the dog by your veterinarian if you groom your Shih Tzu at home. The professional groomer can do this if you have your Shih Tzu professionally groomed.

6. All Shih Tzu owners should have some knowledge of ticks, fleas, and lice and know what to do if the Shih Tzu becomes infested with any of these parasites.

Shih Tzu can very easily be groomed completely at home if you learn some basic grooming techniques, use the right equipment and have some knowledge of anatomy of your Shih Tzu.

This article is FREE to publish with resource box.

Connie Limon I raise Shih Tzu. Purchase Shih Tzu puppies and sign up for FREE newsletter at http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com Pet Care articles at http://smalldogs2.com/ShihTzuCastle For a variety of FREE reprint articles visit http://www.camelotarticles.com

As far as sailing destinations go, Gippsland Lakes is just terrific. It's just a few hours easy drive from Melbourne. This makes it a perfect long weekend sailing destination and the opportunities for diverse interests are absolutely wonderful.

Hiring a yacht or cruiser from Riviera Nautic at Metung is a breeze. Friday night on board is free so it's well worth making the effort to leave as soon as the week is over and settling in before bedtime. By Saturday morning you feel like you've already had half a weekend relaxation at one of my favorite sailing destinations.

The pre-departure briefing is excellent and tailored to meet your particular desires. Whether you want action or nature, or anything in between, the shore crew will ensure you know exactly where to go. You're then set free to revel, relax & recharge in your own way, peacefully alone or with a few friends. The on-board charts are excellent and a little navigation is required if you wish to avoid running aground.

For a bit of activity, Paynesville is a leisurely day's sail away and an excellent sailing destination. Tucked in between the mainland & Raymond Island this makes for a perfectly protected mooring and berthing is easy to find. The town is quite quaint & has everything you could want including a jetty-side restaurant which serves a great meal or a pint so you can unwind as you watch the passing parade. If you time it right, you'll be there for the jazz festival - meander from venue to venue and savor not only the talent but the local wines too. It's a terrific spot to hole up after a day's sailing.

For those who prefer a more nature-based adventure, head south to one of the several jetties, take an easy stroll over the sand dunes and experience the most beautiful, deserted, unending Ninety Mile Beach. You'll be forgiven for thinking you're the only person on earth as you eye runs as far as it can see along the untouched beauty of the deserted seascape.

One cannot help but be awestruck by the amazing bird life here. Two national parks border the lakes. One of the few mainland-based Pelican rookeries is quite easily accessed and so close you can virtually pull their tail feathers. The variety of bird life is extremely wide so you'll never be bored, constantly finding another of the 140 species in the area. You'll also find kangaroos, koalas and other native animals if you look hard enough.

If you're just after peace & tranquility, well, there's nothing much to beat one of the many tiny, secluded, romantic bays like Boxes Creek or Duck Arm. When the day is done, you can't help but soak up the fresh air and refresh your soul.

For anyone who has a bit more time to spare, Gippsland Lakes is definitely one of the most restful and interesting places to spend a sailing vacation. With more time you'll be able to visit Johnsonville & Swan Reach and explore further west beyond McLennan's Strait. The marina crew will advise you on suggested itineraries for up to 7 glorious days.

No matter what you like to fill your weekend with, Gippsland Lakes will definitely delight. Awake from a perfectly calm night's sleep in a sheltered cove to amazing bird life or arise to a hot shower at the marina after a great night out ashore - the choice is yours and it's all here. Gippsland Lakes is certainly a gem.

Kerry Goodbrand is a qualified skipper who has raced extensively off-shore and represented his country at Windsurfer World Championships. These days he prefers cruising and relaxing in tranquil calm coves with a few good friends. He is the founder & CEO of http://www.sailing-destinations.com.