ELIZABETH CITY John Patterson Jr. parked the 1994 cityowned Ford pickup, got out and stood over an 8foot square patch in the asphalt at the intersection of Church and Shirley streets.Wearing a safety vest over a camouflage sweatshirt, he looked down where a traffic cone guarded the latest repair. His tan ball cap with the Elizabeth City logo shaded his eyes.The city had recently hired a contractor to break up the pavement, repair a leaking water line below and patch the hole. That patch had settled, so Patterson and his crew patched it again. But even the second patch had settled a little, indicating the water line might still be leaking. Patterson would know that.

That would not be a Rhodes Scholar. The University of Oxford never contacted him. He never even enrolled in college. But as part of his job, the city sent Patterson to the Institute for Transportation Research and Education at North Carolina State University.Patterson has taken seven courses there in road repair and safety, qualifying him to be a roads scholar. The institute offers up to 20 courses through a federal program available in every state, said Linda Collier, assistant director of the Local Technical Assistance Program at the institute. Each course costs a city $99, Collier said. Over the years, several hundred people have earned roads scholar status in North Carolina, she said. Patterson is the only one in Elizabeth City. Patterson also has taken four courses toward an advanced roads scholar designation.

Standing about 6foot6 in his wellworn, thicksoled work boots, Patterson, 44, played lineman at nearby Northeastern High School. After graduation, he worked for the city's sanitation department a few years before traveling to New York City, where he got a job in child care.He admitted it sounds a little odd for a former football player weighing more than 300 pounds to be caring for small children. He liked the job but returned home when his grandparents died. He went back to work for the city.Patterson knows how to fill a big hole in the street where a water or sewer line runs, fill it with just the right amount of sand, then pack a mix of small rocks known as crush and run, and add the correct depth of asphalt typically four inches.Patterson serves as one of three working supervisors in a 15person repair department responsible for 66 miles of streets, said Paul Fredette, director of Elizabeth City public utilities. They fix 25 to 35 potholes a month and 15 to 20 cutouts, a condition where the pavement is purposely removed to repair water and sewer lines below.

Sometimes misfortune, not necessity, is the mother of invention. Such is the case with the new Tanel 360 football shoe, the creation of a former defensive end at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wash., who blew out his knee making a tackle late in his senior season in 1977."As I was wrestling a running back to the ground, my foot got stuck in the grass, and I twisted and dislocated my right knee," says Mike Tanel, 32, the founder and president of the Tanel Corp. "What really bothered me was that as far as football fundamentals go, I did everything properly. I was on the balls of my feet, my head was where it should have been, but my foot didn't turn."

Tanel, who recovered sufficiently to earn a tryout with the Green Bay Packers, began thinking about a shoe that would let a players foot pivot and still provide good traction. "I realized that the only way it could pivot was if it had a single pivot point," says Tanel. "But one cleat, of course, wouldn't give the traction necessary to play football [conventional football shoes have from five to 12 or more cleats in the forefoot area]. So we started thinking about one large hollowed out cleat."Eight years and a dozen prototypes later, the forefoot area of the sole of the Tanel 360 resembles a horseshoe with a single cleat in the center. A shoe for artificial turf has also been created, with raised concentric circles fore and aft in the rubber sole.

In addition to reducing lowerleg injuries, Tanel claims other benefits for the 360 s. According to a study conducted for Tanel Corp. by the University of WisconsinMilwaukee College of Engineering Applied Science, the 360 s actually provide equal or better traction than conventional shoes on both wet and dry fields. Tanel also says, "Because a player can pivot so easily on the circular tread, it's easier to reverse direction."

The Tanel 360 is starting to generate believers. In its first season of general availability more than 8,000 of the shoes have been sold. Last year Lawrence University, a Division III team in Appleton, Wis., won the Midwest Conference with about 80% of the team wearing Tanel shoes. In 1985 Lawrence had three knee injuries requiring major surgery. But according to team trainer Jay Davide, knee treatment in 1986 was limited to one minor arthroscopic procedure, and that was on a reinjury. After seven games this season, Lawrence players have suffered three knee injuries, but Davide notes that in two of those cases the players were hurt while flying through the air and what was on their feet had nothing to do with their injuries.

Pro trainers are also starting to use the Tanel shoe. Buffalo trainer Ed Abramoski is one convert. After Bills guard Tim Vogler sprained his midfoot in a preseason scrimmage, Abramoski ordered Tanel 360 s for his offensive line. "I think Tanel's design is good," says Abramoski. "I think it's going to have a place in football." The shoe could get a possible boost from the results of an independent multiyear study of Taneland nonTanelequipped high school teams that has been undertaken by a sports medicine group in the southeast.For now the shoes, which cost $57 to $70 depending on style (high or low top) and purpose (grass or artificial turf), can be ordered only from the company, by calling 18005414293 or by writing Tanel Corp., 1818 North Water Street, Milwaukee, Wis. 53201.

Simple yet elegant, soccer is a game that is hugely popular the world over viewed by millions of spectators and rabid fans and played by millions of others in leagues or pickup games at the park. All one needs is a few players, a ball, and something approximating a goal. Played in dusty deserts or grassy fields, soccer (or football or f as it's known to most of the world) is a sport for the masses.While activities focused on kicking a ball have been around for centuries, the "laws" of association football were first drafted and published in England in 1863. Now, players can follow the 17 official "Laws of the Game" or they can have fun and get an excellent wholebody workout by just passing, kicking, sprinting, bounding around the "pitch" (the way intheknow footballers refer to the field), and maybe occasionally scoring a GOOOAAALLL!! Soccer is a sport that can be adapted to anyone's level of ability or stamina, so it's a great physical fitness option for anyone.

Cardio gains: If you play soccer regularly, you're spending a good amount of time running, sprinting, and jumping, not to mention you're doing a lot of shifting between these different activities. Chances are, you'll work up to your target heart rate and reap cardiovascular benefits, including improved blood pressure, increased endurance, and a stronger heart.Add muscle, lose fat: That same shifting between running, walking, sprinting, jumping, falling to the ground, and rebounding back can be beneficial, too. As opposed to an activity like jogging, where you repeat a motion over and over, switching rapidly from one action to the other engages all of the fibres of your muscles. And it's not just the muscles of your legs that get the workout in a soccer match. By doing this kind of physical work regularly, you're more likely to gain muscle mass and burn fat.

Build bone: In soccer, the running around that you do can be considered as a type of weightbearing exercise, which can boost your bone strength. Children playing soccer can also increase bone density.Fun fitness: It's easy to lose yourself in a game of soccer. You're likely to forget all about the effort your body is making and focus on the game instead of the pain. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen compared feedback from two groups of people, where one group played soccer while the other group jogged. Though they ran at roughly the same speed as the soccer players, the joggers always characterized their activity as "hard," an opinion not shared by those playing soccer.Use your head: A header is a strategic and fundamental move in soccer. Intercepting the ball in midair with the crown or top of the head can deflect or create goals or defend the midfield. However, repeated "heading" of the soccer ball may play a role in brain injuries or in deficits to attention and concentration.

Sprains, strains, and other pains: With so much running, sprinting, doubling back, falling, rolling, and other strenuous motor actions, there is a risk of sprains, strains, and twists. Shin splints can occur, bruising from collisions with the ball and other players is common, and general aches are to be expected after a rigorous game or practice. Make sure to warm up properly, and if injury occurs, use the RICE method of treatment: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.Running the pitch: Soccer requires a good deal of running. Start slowly to avoid exhaustion or breathlessness. It takes time to build up cardiovascular and respiratory endurance to keep up with all the action. That said, the amount of running required really depends upon the tone of the game.

Ball: Regulation soccer balls measure about 71 cm in circumference and weigh roughly 15 oz. Any ball will do, though. Soccer lore says that Diego Maradona, an Argentinean f superstar, grew up playing with clumpedup rags.Goal: Again, soccer is a game for the masses, and not everyone has access to proper nets to mark goal zones. Also useful are small traffic pylon cones.Shoes: Football boots, or cleats, help a player make the sort of quick direction changes that are a hallmark of good soccer footwork. For pickup games and casual play, a supportive and light athletic shoe will do.Protection: A soccer player's shins see a lot of action other shins, the grass, the ball so shin guards are advised to help prevent bruising and fractures. Someone playing goalkeeper may need more protective gear; some wear gloves, some wear helmets.

Teammates: Soccer teams traditionally have 11 players, some in defensive positions, and others as strikers or attackers (those who make a play for the goal). For casual fun and exercise, any number of willing, energetic friends can kick around and switch positions.The contents of this site are for informational purposes only and are meant to be discussed with your physician or other qualified health care professional before being acted on. Never disregard any advice given to you by your doctor or other qualified health care professional. Always seek the advice of a physician or other licensed health care professional regarding any questions you have about your medical condition(s) and treatment(s). This site is not a substitute for medical advice.

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My feet were active a lot within the boot, they felt a million sizes too big. Interestingly enough, earth's oldest profession itself was among the biggest losers at World Cup 2006. If you've ankle or foot trouble, it is possible to insert an orthotic sole especially created for Adidas right to the boot. You is able to see the QR codes on movie posters, magazines, marketing campaigns, product labels, near phone booths, metro stations etc. That was nearly many years ago, and I've never been in speaking terms using the bathroom scales since the period, until recently.

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Now during 2009, Adidas created its newest groundbreaking addition referred to as F50i. His soccer cleats are black with 3 diagonal stripes over the outsides of the cleats. Major labels like Le Coq Sportif and Adidas joined the rush toward this new and growing market. By failing to take risks in everyday life, you may be a person who avoids suffering, sorrow and discouragement, but you will also be the person who cannot learn, feel, change grow or love. I certainly would not need to wear a deodorant which was overpowering, but I didn't want the smell to get categorized as faint.

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No, really. Watch the end of any World Cup match, and you see players exchanging their sweaty, stinky, gameworn jerseys in a timehonored tradition, one of several that set soccer apart from other sports. defender Marcelo Balboa said. let be honest, it a cool thing, too. has its seventhinning stretch, basketball the pregame handshakes and American football players march out to midfield for a coin toss. Hockey has the postplayoff series handshake line. But none can top soccer little touches.At the World Cup other games, too schoolchildren hold the hands of the starters and escort them onto the field. The captains exchange fancy, colorful pennants that include the teams names and the date of the game. And, of course, there the shirt exchange.is a game of theater and pageantry as much as any other sport. defenderturnedESPN commentator Alexi Lalas said.

According to FIFA, soccer first swap meet came in 1931, after France beat England for the first time. The French players were so elated with their 52 victory, they asked the English players if they could keep their jerseys as mementos. Trading jerseys continued here and there for the next few decades.But it was Bobby Moore and Pel exchange at the 1970 World Cup that turned something quaint and quirky into a spectacle that now epitomizes sportsmanship in soccer.Pel and Moore were and still are considered two of the game greatest players, and the matchup between the brilliant striker and the stingy defender was a highlight of Brazil 10 victory over England in the group stage.

After the game, Pel approached Moore, and the rivals embraced and exchanged jerseys in what was seen as the ultimate show of respect.Since then, players have been seeking each other out after games to trade shirts. captain Carlos Bocanegra said. me, that my favorite thing. no exact science to the swap. Because it done at the final whistle, players often just take the shirt of whoever is closest. When club teammates face each other, they might arrange a trade beforehand.When it a bigname player, however, all bets are off. Players are fans, too. Of course they going to try and get their mitts on a Kaka or Lionel Messi jersey if it up for grabs.

we started, it was fun to figure out whose jersey you were going to get, Balboa said. we got stronger and people got to know us, it was fun to watch people coming up and asking for your jersey. Korea stay at the World Cup may have been a short one, but Jong Tae Se made sure he picked up some nifty souvenirs. North Korea leading scorer snagged shirts from both Robinho and Kaka after his team loss to Brazil.Jong also tried to pick up Didier Drogba jersey. But the Ivory Coast striker, a huge fan favorite at this first World Cup in Africa, tossed his jersey into the screaming crowd, instead.

Players can amass quite the collection during their careers, and many say they hang on to every single shirt they collect.Balboa has a drawer filled with more than 100 shirts, and has framed some of his best gets Pel and Carlos Valderrama, among them. England Michael Owen displays his in a room at his house.have a collection in my closet at home, Bocanegra said. I done playing, I sure I pick a few out and frame them and put them on a wall. not everyone hangs onto them. Lalas said he given away the jerseys he collected over the years.was there. I have my memories in my head and my heart, Lalas said. I thought someone else might appreciate it more. one of those kids who clutch the players hands as they walk onto the field, perhaps.More than 1,400 children from across the globe were chosen to walk with the players at this World Cup. Aged 6 to 10, the kids are often more overwhelmed at the idea of getting up close and personal with their idols than they are about walking in step in front of the world.

wasn nervous, I was just excited to be holding the hand of one of the best players in the world, Rameez Mahomed told The Times of London after being paired with Fernando Torres for Spain game against Honduras on June 21. not only the best, but my favorite as well. not just the little people that get a kick out of the child play, though. Robinho big worry before Brazil first game at the World Cup was about the kids, that they wouldn be warm enough on a bonechillingly cold night. Luis Fabiano looked downright touched when a small boy bearhugged him.love that, Lalas said. this is a game. All these men you see walking out started out as little kids. It a wonderful image.