The CNET smartphone buying guide

Before buying that new cell phone or smartphone, make sure you're aware of these shopping essentials and more.

"Which phone should I buy?" This is the single most common question readers like you ask phone reviewers like us every day. We get it, it can be a challenge, especially with superb choices such as theSamsung Galaxy Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus battling it out against the Sony Xperia Z3 and second-edition Motorola Moto X. But depending on your price range and what's available where you live, the new phone you should be getting may not be a flagship -- it could turn out to be the Nokia Lumia 635or one of the Motorola Moto Gs.

On the bright side, options are a good thing, so long as you're armed with the knowledge necessary to make smart shopping decisions. Sit tight as we lay out what you need to know to find the best new device for you.

For more top smartphone picks, check out CNET's list of our favorite phones.

Three key phone-shopping essentials

1. Don't be a cell phone cheapskate

Contract or no contract, chances are high that once you commit to a new phone, you'll hang onto it for a while. Therefore, buy the best device you can afford. You'll need the camera quality and processor to last you as long as possible until your next upgrade. The battery, too, becomes less efficient at holding a charge as your phone ages, so you'll want to choose one with a high capacity.

An added benefit of going for a high-end handset, say like an iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy S5, is that the resale value tends to hold over time, so make your device an investment that pays .

2. Know which phone features you want

If you understand exactly which features and capabilities you'd like to see in your new phone, it'll help you avoid paying too much for those you don't want or need. Some, like the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, have it all -- including a curved screen with its own interface and navigation controls. Yet if you'll never use the stylus or the new UI, you'll be overspending for a pricey novelty device.

3. Find the right design

Buying a cell phone means entering into a deeply personal relationship with a highly portable physical object. That's why you should think hard about how it's designed, since you and it will be spending plenty of quality time together. Make sure you're comfortable with the way it looks and -- this is important -- feels in your hand, and make sure that your phone-to-be reflects your personal sense of style. This is as true for sleek metal handsets and simple flip phones as it is for rubber-plated rugged handsets.

Cell phone types

Smartphones
At the top of today's handset pecking order is the smartphone. These devices typically have the most power, and top-notch components: the fastest processors and Wi-Fi; the highest image resolution and memory capacity and the most pixel-rich screens. By definition, they run true mobile operating systems; think iOS and Android, but also Windows Phone and BlackBerry OS. They also support downloadable applications through virtual storefronts that are tied to their associated software platforms, like the Google Play store. Because of all their capabilities, smartphones are usually the most expensive phones on the market.

Messaging or feature phones
One step below smartphones, feature phones strive to offer many of the same capabilities as smartphones. Instead of popular mobile operating systems, these gadgets run proprietary software crafted by their manufacturers, such as Samsung or LG. Many feature phones are made primarily for text messaging and e-mail, though you won't be required to buy a data plan. Several of these designs sport full QWERTY physical keyboards. With a raft of cheap, available Android and Windows Phone devices, feature phones are fewer and farther between.

Basic phones
There are plenty of people who have no interest in viewing full desktop-quality Web pages or running apps on a mobile device. Simply put, they just want a new phone for making calls, and that's it. No funny stuff. Basic handsets are uncomplicated use traditional simple keypads. They typically come in clamshell designs that flip open, or in tall, narrow candy bar form. They're typically lighter and smaller than feature phones and smartphones.

Key consideration points

Screen size

Large screens (5 inches or greater)
Smartphones are getting bigger, that part is undeniable. A 5-inch screen (measured diagonally) used to be considered massive, but on today's sliding scale, that's at about the bottom of the Big Phones bucket. Even Apple has gotten into the "phablet" game with the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. A 6.4-inch device is the largest we've seen, but most people consider the 6-inch Google Nexus 6 and Nokia Lumia 1520 to be about as large as they'd really want to palm.

Medium screens (4.5-4.9 inches)
Phones in this middle category are more portable, but also tend to be more midrange, like the 4.5-inchHTC One Mini 2. One benefit: phone owners can grip with one hand while their thumbs comfortably reach all portions of the display.

Small screens (under 4.5 inches)
Thanks to the increasing number of gargantuan smartphones hitting store shelves, compact cell phones are a shrinking segment of the mobile handset market. That said, some people still place portability highest on their list of phone features. Unfortunately, options are slim. Most phones in this size category are entry-level smartphones or feature phones with low screen resolutions, like the straightforward 3.2-inch Pantech Vybe.

Processor

The beating heart of any phone is its processor, or CPU. It provides the computing power to churn through various tasks, like opening and running applications. A fast processor also has a big impact on overall performance, such as how smoothly a phone handles flipping through menus and running home screens.

Traditionally, clock speed, listed in gigahertz, has been the quick way to judge CPU power. These days a chip's architecture, specifically how many computing cores it has, is becoming a more reliable predictor. Another factor is that older processors tend to use less efficient designs, making them worse performers while being harder on batteries than their newer counterparts. We talk more about processors below.

Camera

A phone's camera quality depends on a whole host of variables. More megapixels will always sound better on a fact sheet, but we know some good 8-megapixel cameras that take better photos than a bad 13-megapixel shooter. (Read on and see the bottom section for more details.)

Also important are the lens quality, which could aid the sensor by exposing it to more light. The sensor itself might also offer a lower pixel count, but be more sensitive to illumination, resulting in better performance in low-light conditions.

Many phones -- such as those from HTC and Microsoft (formerly Nokia) -- ship with fancy image processors that promise high image quality, plus the horsepower to drive the camera and autofocusing systems faster. The end result is nimble shot-to-shot times with minimal shutter lag.

Optical image stabilization is becoming increasingly important for phones, too. Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 and the iPhone 6 Plus are two that include the physical component for steadier, clearer photos.

With the rise of social network sharing, front-facing cameras are more important than ever before. In addition to seeing higher-resolution topside cameras, vendors are also concentrating on more software dedicated to the art of selfies. The HTC Desire Eye and Sony Xperia C3 even come with a flash.

Read: Best smartphones for selfies

Battery

If your cell phone battery conks out, all the snazzy features in the world won't be able to help you. Manufacturers have begun to recognize the critical importance of battery life and are squeezing greater-capacity batteries into their phones. Typical phone batteries start in the neighborhood of 1,700mAh and go all the way up to 3,500mAh.

Manufacturers list battery performance in terms of talk time, standby time, or how many hours you can expect a device to perform tasks such as playing video and music.

Wireless carriers

Choosing a wireless carrier is a less difficult prospect than it used to be, with more phones sold across carriers and the higher prevalence of contract and contract-free options. Still, it requires a lot of time and math to puzzle out exactly which operator offers you the best deal. It's worth the time.

That said, when selecting a carrier, first on your list of criteria should be coverage. You'll want a carrier with decent coverage in your home and at work, and all the places in between. For more about carriers and networks, see the next section.

Figure out if you'll be sticking to urban centers or trekking through rural areas often. Perhaps you won't even leave your home neighborhood much or, conversely, you plan on doing plenty of international trips. With your wireless usage in mind, settle on a carrier that offers broad coverage. Alternatively, you may be satisfied with a regional carrier that covers a limited area.

Feature deeper dives

Want to know more about some of the features mentioned above? Read on for a deeper analysis.

Mobile networks and 4G data

The wireless network technology at the backbone of your smartphone is a veritable alphabet soup of acronyms and industry buzzwords, and you could spend an eternity studying how cellular infrastructure is built and works. Here's a basic overview of what you need to know.

CDMA
CDMA stands for code division multiple access, but more importantly it's a method by which cellular radios transmit and receive voice and data. This standard is found mostly in America and to some extent Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. For example, major US carriers that use wireless networks based on CDMA are Verizon and Sprint.

GSM
GSM, aka the Global System for Mobile Communications, first referred to in French as Groupe Special Mobile, is a standard created for use in Europe. GSM then spread to other corners of the world, with carriers operating GSM networks across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. It's the most widespread. The two technologies are incompatible, so phones locked to CDMA networks won't work in GSM areas, and vice versa.

HSPA+
Based on the older High-Speed Packet Access, which topped out at 3G speeds, HSPA+ supports a theoretical peak download throughput of 168Mbps. This may sound pretty fast, but in practice the protocol delivers data speeds just marginally faster than 3G, and average download speeds of approximately 3 to 5Mbps. This causes us to think of it as really a 3.5G wireless solution.

4G and LTE
LTE, or Long Term Evolution, is the "new" generation of faster data connectivity for both GSM and CDMA technologies. Often referred to as 4G or 4G LTE, it's the speediest data throughput you can get right now. LTE Advanced, a step beyond LTE (but still part of the same family) gives data speeds still another boost, and is rolling out in bits and pieces. VOLTE, which stands for Voice Over LTE, relays voice service over data channels, allowing you to surf and speak at the same time even if you have a CDMA phone.

Screen technologies

LCD
LCD screens, short for liquid crystal display, have come a long way from the alarm clocks and digital wristwatches of the 1980s. Today's smartphone LCD panels offer HD resolutions of up to 2,560x1,440 pixels. LCDs use of an external backlight for illumination, which often results in more shallow viewing angles and lower contrast compared with AMOLED displays. On the other hand, colors often appear more natural.

Retina Display
Apple uses what it calls Retina Displays in its latest iPhones. This is essentially a clever marketing phrase to say the iPhones (the iPhone 4 and up) sports LCD screens with minimum resolutions of 326 pixels per inch (ppi).

AMOLED
Long billed as the screen technology destined to replace LCD, active matrix organic light-emitting diode displays (AMOLED) use organic chemicals as the material that generates light. Much like neon light fixtures and plasma HDTV screens, AMOLED displays use OLEDs to create light when they're exposed to an electric current. Since they don't rely on backlights for illumination, AMOLED screens tend to have higher contrast and more vibrant colors than LCDs. LCDs use liquid crystals that twist shut and block out light from LEDs placed behind them. Samsung is on the forefront of AMOLED panels.

Processors

Qualcomm Snapdragon
The current CPU smartphone king, Qualcomm's Snapdragon family of processors shows up in many Android and Windows phones around the world. Right now, Snapdragon 805 is the chip to beat, but the 810 is right around the corner, promising upgraded power to rival the heady task-processing we see today.

Apple A8
Apple's latest wafer of processing silicon graces the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus with 64-bit mobile phone processing. Apple claims the system is 25 percent faster than the A7. All other details remain officially hush-hush.

Samsung Exynos
As well as displays and memory components, Samsung makes its own processors under the Exynos brand. Its most recently announced Exynos chip, the Exynos 7 Octa, promises 64-bit computing, and will surely turn up in some global variations of the company's top phones, like the future Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 5. Other Samsung phones will likely continue to use Qualcomm's chipsets.

Motorola X8
Motorola took a unique approach in its smartphone lineup for 2013. Instead of cramming the fastest off-the-shelf CPUs into its phones, it made a hybrid. 2014's haul returned to Qualcomm.

Operating system

Each operating system has its pros and cons, depending on what you want.

iOS
Apple's iOS has a well-integrated ecosystem, a very full apps marketplace and a fairly intuitive interface, but you're pretty much locked into iTunes for content. If you already have a Mac, an iPad and/or an iPod, it's probably easiest to go with an iPhone.

iPhones have the advantage of receiving the same OS upgrade at the same time, and the newest OS is usually available on multiple devices. We're currently up to iOS 8.

Android
For its part, Android is the most customizable OS and a wonderland for tinkerers . However, most manufacturers and carriers add a specialized twist, which can lead to slower OS updates, and to an interface that may require a little more ramping-up to do straight out of the box. On the other hand, phone makers can use that custom layer to add a lot of software features that others just don't have.

Windows Phone
Then there's Windows Phone. Microsoft's OS has a simple, appealing interface, and Windows Phone 8.1 helps level the playing field with the Cortana voice assistant and a notifications center. Power users still may not find it quite as deep or as flexible as Android, and its app ecosystem isn't as robust. Still, solid hardware choices give Windows Phone a lift (especially on the budget end), and it has strong integration with Office and with Microsoft's other services.

BlackBerry
BlackBerry, once the premier brand of mobile communication devices, has been in dire straits lately. While many BlackBerry owners in the US have jumped ship and gone with iOS or Android smartphones instead, the struggling company is still releasing phones like the BlackBerry Passport.

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Cutting-edge phone features

NFC
Short for "near-field communication," NFC is on almost all smartphones these days, now that Apple finally added it to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. NFC enables fast data exchanges between devices over short distances, just by tapping handsets together. It's essential in payment systems like Google Wallet and Apple Pay, and it can be used to transfer information from device to another, like photos. It's also used to quickly pair phones to Bluetooth devices, like speakers.

Wireless charging
Wireless charging isn't a new capability. Toothbrushes and other household appliances have been performing this trick for years. It's been slow to catch on for phones, however, despite the greater need for constant power on the go. Various standards are in the works to increase its charging power, and some markets benefit from consumer campaigns like wireless charging embedded in tables at coffee shops. Wireless charging is integrated into the phone or an external case, or can be achieved through a plug-in dongle.

Fingerprint scanning
Apple popularized fingerprint scanning for unlocking the phone, but it's made its way into other smartphones since, most notably the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Note 4 in addition to the latest crop of iPhones. With some manufacturers, the feature doesn't always work on the first scan.

Apple was the first to integrate fingerprint scanning with payment authentication, which is part of the feature known as Touch ID. On the iPhone 6 and above, Apple Pay will also use fingerprint scans for real-world payments.

Heart-rate monitor
Go ahead and call health the next frontier, because that's it's a new area that device makers like Apple and Samsung are focusing on. Samsung's Galaxy S5 was the first smartphone to carry an LED heart-rate monitor, and it's present in other phones like the Note 4, the Note Edge and the Galaxy Alpha. Expect to see more of these crop up in wearables like smartwatches and fitness bands, and fewer on phones.

Curved screens
Why curve a smartphone screen? Because you can. The Samsung Galaxy Round and LG G Flex were the first, followed by the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. A more ergonomic feel is one touted benefit, and so is having an immersive viewing angle. Displays like that on the Flex have an added claim: more flexibility can theoretically lead to reduced breakage. Mostly, though, curved screens seem to neither dramatically help or hinder.

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Famous Soccer Player-- Massimo Ambrosini

Massimo Ambrosini is a defensive midfielder who captains the elite Italian club, AC Milan. His career, while stunted a bit by injury early on, is a successful one. He is an important part of AC Milan's squad and plays a big role for his country, Italy, as well.

Personal Life

Massimo was born on May 29, 1977 in Pesaro, Italy. He is married and has two children, son Federico and daughter Angelica.

Ambrosini started his career with Cesena, and, once he turned 17, was promoted to their first team. He started 25 games, putting up one goal and two assists in his season with them.

Seeing this young, future Italian star develop so well, AC Milan coach Fabio Capello signed the 17-year-old before any of the the many other interested clubs could do so.

AC Milan

In the first couple of years, he was not used much, and was sent on loan to Vicenza. After being recalled, he was developed enough to start for a prestigious club. He became a key factor for Milan and won the Italian Championship in 1999.

Ambrosini had immense potential, very likely to become a great defensive midfield all-star. Due to injuries throughout the year and loss of form for not playing so long, he was unable to reach his full potential, however.

The 2006/2007 season was probably the best year for Ambrosini. He was fully recovered and fought his way back into the starting squad forcing Carlo Ancelotti (AC Milan coach) to change the formation to fit him in.

That year in the champions league he was a key factor in Milan's victory over giant clubs like Bayern Munich and Manchester United. A key assist by Ambrosini in the semi-final verse Manchester United advanced Milan to the finals.

Before this game Ambrosini was planning on transferring to Fiorentina due to a lack of appearances, but his new team involvement and chance at the UEFA Champions League Cup changed his mind.

In the Champions League final he started, wore the captain band, and had an outstanding performance in Milan's 2–1 victory over Liverpool to win the Champions League.

In the 2008/2009 season, he had a personal best season, starting 28 games and netting a personal high of 8 goals. In 2009 he was promoted to first captain and still serves as the captain of Milan.

Milan Trophies

While at Milan, he has acquired an impressive set of trophies with the team:

• 4 Serie A Titles (1995-96, 1998-99, 2003-04, 2010-11)


• A Coppa Italia Title(2002-03)


• 2 Supercoppa Italiana Titles (2004, 2011)


• 2 UEFA Champions League Titles (2003, 2007)


• 2 UEFA Super Cup Titles (2003, 2007)


• A FIFA Club World Cup Title (2007)

Italian National Team

Massimo 
Ambrosini made 35 Italian national team appearances. That many for such a strong team is impressive. His international debut for Italy was in April, 1999 against Croatia.

He was unavailable for many team selections due to injuries. He missed the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2004, and the Italian World Cup championship team in 2006. The closest opportunity for Ambrosini to be a part of an Italian National Team championship was in 2000 against France for the Euro Championship where Italy lost in golden goal.

After several years of absence from the Italian squad, he was called back up in 2006 after the world cup win and in 2008 for Euro Cup duties, but was later dropped when the coaching staff changed.

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Famous Soccer Player-- Nemanja Vidić

Sebastian Henke

The Serbian player Nemanja Vidić is one of the best center backs in current European soccer. He has struggled with several injuries for several years, though.

Early Years

Nemanja Vidić was born on October 21, 1981, in Titovo Uzice, Yugoslavia. He started his career in 1989, playing for Jedinstvo Užice. Later, Nemanja Vidić moved to their city rival Sloboda Užice. He spent 3 years in the youth department.

Then, the Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade signed Vidić. He spent another four years over there. His professional debut was in 2000.

With Red Star, he won both the championship and the Serbian Cup in 2002 and 2004.

Spartak Moscow

From 2004, he played for the Russian club Spartak Moscow where he quickly became a regular player. He showed great performances and many European teams wanted to sign him.

In December 2005, the central defender committed to a transfer to English giants Manchester United. The English signed for a fee in the amount of £7 million.

Manchester United

He had no problems to compete in the English League and quickly ensured his spot in the central defense along with Rio Ferdinand.

Vidić was nominated for Premier League Team of the Year in the years 2007, 2008, and 2009. On November 8, 2007, Manchester extended his contract until the year 2012.

In 2008, he won the English championship with Manchester United as well as the UEFA Champions League. It was his most successful season so far.

In February 2009, Vidić was voted player of the month (January) in the Premier League. Vidić was also a favorite to win the best Premier League player of the year, but his Manchester United teammate Ryan Giggs won the title.

On December 21, the FIFA awarded Nemanja Vidić and John Terry of Chelsea the Best Central Defenders of the Season 2009.

At the beginning of the 2010/11 season Nemanja Vidić has been appointed as the new captain of Manchester United as Gary Neville barely played and was mostly replaced by John O'Shea or Rafael on the right back position. At the end of the season, Vidić was selected as the Premier League Player of the Season.

On December 7, 2011 Vidić suffered a bad knee injury in the last Champions League group match against FC Basel (1-2). He was out for the entire rest of the season 2011/12.

Since then he has been struggling with his form and several other injuries, but he still can be called one of the best defenders in the world.

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Famous Soccer Player-- Rafael van der Vaart

Sebastian Henke

Rafael van der Vaart is a Dutch playmaker. He has already played for teams in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and England in 2012, he played his 100th game for the Dutch national team.

Beginnings

Rafael van der Vaart was born on February 11, 1983, in Heemskerk, Netherlands. His mother comes from Spain. He started his soccer career playing for "De Kennemers" when he was 4 years old.

He played there from 1987 to 1993. In 1993, he went to a tryout with the large Dutch club, Ajax Amsterdam, which are famous for their very good youth teams. He convinced the coaches with his skills and got a youth contract.

He made his senior debut for Ajax on April 19, 2000, against FC Den Bosch. All in all, van der Vaart played 117 games and scored 52 goals for Ajax even when he struggled with several injuries.

He left the Netherlands in 2005 and joined the German Bundesliga team Hamburger SV.

Hamburger SV

Rafael van der Vaart became Hamburg's new playmaker and the fans' favorite. Hamburg qualified for the UEFA Cup in his first season.

At the beginning of the next season, he was named the new captain of the team. He caught the eye of several big European teams after the 2006/2007 season.

That season was his final breakthrough in senior soccer. He made it known that he wanted to move to FC Valencia and even showed pictures of himself wearing a Valencia jersey, but Hamburg did not let him go.

The Dutch player stayed for another year before he moved to Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2008. They paid about $17 million for him.

Real Madrid and Tottenham

Van der Vaart signed a 5-year contract with the Spanish team. He scored his first career hat-trick on September 24, 2008, against Sporting Gijon.

He left Spain in 2010 after Madrid signed Jose Mourinho as new team manager. He then moved to England and joined Tottenham Hotspur in a $12 million move.

He stayed 2 years, played 63 games and scored 24 goals for the English. Even when he showed good performances, there were always rumors of a transfer during his time in England.

Return to Hamburg

In the summer of 2012, Rafael van de Vaart returned to Germany to play for his old club Hamburger SV again. This transfer would be realized thanks to Hamburg's external financier.

Hamburg struggled with a couple of problems in the first half of the season. Van der Vaart was named the captain of the team again and Hamburg is now on the way to qualifying for the 2013 Europa League.

Van der Vaart signed a 5-year contract with the Spanish team. He scored his first career hat-trick on September 24, 2008, against Sporting Gijon.

He left Spain in 2010 after Madrid signed Jose Mourinho as new team manager. He then moved to England and joined Tottenham Hotspur in a $12 million move.

He stayed 2 years, played 63 games and scored 24 goals for the English. Even when he showed good performances, there were always rumors of a transfer during his time in England.

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Famous Soccer Player-- Sven Ulreich

Sebastian Henke

There is probably no nation on this planet that has more talented goalkeepers than Germany does. Sven Ulreich is one of these talented goalies.

Even though his performance has been good for several years, he has not yet been called to the German national team, because there are still 5 or 6 goalkeepers that are better than Ulreich.

Early Years

Sven Ulreich was born in 1988, in Schorndorf, Germany. As a child, he played at TSV Schornbach. Later, he moved to VfB Stuttgart where he played for the youth academy of the Bundesliga team.

In the 2005/06 season, Ulreich suffered a serious shoulder injury, which endangered the continuation of his career. After a year, he was able to return.

Bundesliga Career

After 29 games for the reserve team of Stuttgart, head coach Armin Veh called him up to the first team of VfB Stuttgart in 2008.

He signed a professional contract through 2011. On February 9, 2008, Ulreich replaced Raphael Schäfer, who was struggling with his form and made his Bundesliga debut against Hertha BSC.

After ten league games, he lost his spot to Schäfer again. In the 2008/09 season, he was the third keeper behind Jens Lehmann and Alexander Stolz. The following season Alexander Stolz left the club, and Ulreich became the substitute goalkeeper for the first team.

At the end of the 2009/10 season, Lehmann was suspended, and Stuttgart decided not to extend his contract. So Ulreich was the new starting keeper. On April 6, 2010, he extended his contract through June 2013.

He struggled with his form, though, and was replaced by Marc Ziegler from time to time. After Ziegler was injured in a game, Ulrey retook his place. During the winter break 2011/12, he got the best reviews by The Kicker sports magazine.

In January 2012, he extended his contract with VfB Stuttgart through the end of June 2017.

German national team

Ulreich played for the German national youth teams. He played for the U-16 as well as for the U-19 team.

On August 12, 2009, he made his debut for the German U-21 national team in the Lobanovskiy Cup in Ukraine against Iran. It was a horrible game for him, though. He fouled the other team's striker and got suspended.

Despite the imposed penalty kick, Germany was still able to win 1:0. Sven Ulreich is still waiting for his first senior international game.

 

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Famous Soccer Player-- Robert Enke

Sebastian Henke

The story of Robert Enke is something that changed the life of nearly every soccer player in Germany. Robert Enke was one of the greatest goalkeepers in Germany before he committed suicide in 2009.

He was about to become Germany's number one goalkeeper, but his private mental problems in combination with the influence of soccer and media made him end his life.

Early Years

Robert Enke was born on August 24, 1997, in Jena, Germany. His parents loved sports as well. His father was a 400-m runner and his mother used to play handball.

First, Enke played for Jenapharm Jena. He started to play in the field before he moved in the goal later. Enke moved to their city rival Carl Zeiss Jena and spent 10 years in the youth academy of the club In 1985.

He made his second Bundesliga debut in 1995 against Hannover 96. He just played 3 games in this season and wanted to move. His new team was Bundesliga team Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Unfortunately, Gladbach had good goalkeepers and Enke ended up sitting on the bench during the first 2 seasons. His situation changed when Gladbach got a new coach. Enke became the number one, but could not prevent the club from moving to the second league.

Professional Career

So, Enke decided to move once again. He signed a contract with Benfica Lisbon from Portugal. Lisbon's coach was Jupp Heynkes at this time and he was fascinated by his young German keeper. Enke played really well and became the team's captain and one of the most important players.

Lisbon's seasons were not very good, though, and they always placed in the middle of the league.

His next club almost destroyed his career. Enke joined Spanish giants, FC Barcelona, but their coach, Louis van Gaal, never let him play. It was Enke's hardest time in professional soccer so far.

During the 2003/04 season, Enke played on loan for Fenerbace and Tenerife. Then, he returned to Germany and finally found his place to be. He signed a contract with Hannover 96.

He showed great performances and quickly became team captain and the team's favorite.

On November 10, 2009, Enke committed suicide. He jumped in front of a train and a whole German soccer nation asked themselves the same question: ":What is the reason for a middle-age German national team keeper to commit suicide?"

His wife published that he had depression since 2003. She also lost their expected baby.

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Famous Soccer Player--Christian Eriksen

Sebastian Henke

Christian Eriksen is a Danish professional footballer who adapts his role in midfield. He is able to operate in the center and behind the striker. Blessed with exceptional passing abilities and strong with both feet, Christian is able to dictate and create plays. He possesses excellent vision and flair and makes the hard work look very easy.

Early Career with Odense

Eriksen was born on 1992; he started playing football in his hometown Middelfart at the age of 3.

he was picked up by Odense Boldklub (OB) In 2005, who competed in the Danish youth champions. He was named the Best Technical Player of the tournament after losing against Brondby IF in the semi-final.

He would eventually go on to win the youth championship the year after scoring in the final. Eriksen worked his way up the youth system; he went on from the U-16 to the U-19 team. He received trials from Chelsea, Barcelona, Manchester United and Milan but Eriksen decided to join Ajax, as he knew the team would help him develop into a better player.

AFC Ajax

Christian Eriksen had signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Ajax Amsterdam On October 17, 2008. Eriksen worked his way through the youth system until reaching the first team squad in January 2010.

He was given the number 51 shirt, within the first month he eventually made his debut for Ajax against NAC Breda. Back then under Martin Jol, Eriksen was compared to the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Rafael Van der Vaart.

On March 25, 2010 he scored his first goal for Ajax in a 6-0 win against Go Ahead Eagles in the Dutch Cup. Barely a month after, Eriksen signed a contract extension with Ajax, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2014.

At the end of the season, Christian Eriksen made 21 appearances for Ajax scoring one goal, he earned himself an International call up for Denmark. For his second season with Ajax, Eriksen received the number 8 shirt.

Eriksen started the 2010/11 season on a high scoring his first league goal on the 29th of August 2010 against De Graafschap. On November 11, 2010 he scored his first goal at the Amsterdam Arena in a 3-0 win over BV Veendam.

In December Eriksen was named "Danish Talent of the Year". In his breakthrough season, one of his main highlights was his solo goal against Willem II, as he ran from the half way line to finish the move off with a strike to secure a 3-1 win.

He became a very important player for Ajax due to his great capabilities as an attacking midfielder. He and his side clinched the Eredivisie title, and on May 23^rd, he was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year.

His form continued in the following season where he successfully managed to defend their title.

This time in the UEFA Champions League, Eriksen scored his first goal in a 2-0 win against Dinamo Zagreb during the group stage, making him the 2nd youngest player to score in the 2011/12 season. He was again named Danish Player of the Year on November 7^th.

In what was to be his last and final season with the club, Eriksen won his third consecutive Eredivise title in the season of 2012-13. With one year still remaining on his contract with Ajax, he was given permission to search for a new club.

He was sought after by many top clubs in Europe, but he eventually made up his mind to join Tottenham Hotspur. He left Ajax having made a total 113 league matches, scoring 25 goals, and 41 assists.

He played in 16 matches for the KNVB Cup, scoring 4 goals and making 4 assists.

International Career

Eriksen was called up for the Denmark U-17 in July 2007. In 2008, he scored 9 goals in 16 games for the U-17 side. He played a total of 27 games for the under-17 team until February 2009.

After working his way up the ranks, he received his first senior call up in February 2010. He made his debut in a friendly match against Austria in March 2010. He went down as Denmark's fourth youngest full-international, the youngest since Michael Laudrup.

He was called up to the FIFA World Cup squad in 2010, and was the youngest player participating. He played 2 games in the tournament but failed to reach the knockout stage.

On June 4, 2011, Eriksen scored his first goal for the national team; it was in a 2-0 win against Iceland in their Euro 2012 qualifier. Eriksen has so far has 37 international caps and scored a total of 4 goals.

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Famous Soccer Player-- René Adler

René Adler is one of the best goalkeepers in German soccer. His biography tells the story of a player who was expected to be the number one goalkeeper in Germany over several years, before an injury took him out and cost him this spot.

Childhood

 

Photo used with permission

 

René Adler was born on January 15th, 1985 in Leipzig, Germany. He is the son of Kerstin and Jens Adler.

He started his career playing for VFB Leipzig after Leipzig's youth coach saw him playing in school practice in 1991. Due to good performances, Adler moved to German Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen in 2000 to play for Leverkusen's youth and second team first.

Bayer Leverkusen

Adler lived together with his goalkeeping coach Rüdiger Vollborn, who is a really good friend of his today. He became part of the Bundesliga squad at the beginning of the season 2003/2004, but continued playing for Leverkusen's second team for the next three years.

He made his Bundesliga debut on February 25th, 2007 against Schalke, because number one goalkeeper Jörg Butt served a suspension. His performance was amazing and he was able to keep his spot in goal.

This situation changed in 2010/2011 when Adler got injured and Leverkusen signed youngster Bernd Leno to replace him.

Adler decided to leave Leverkusen in 2012 since he lost his spot in the goal. He moved to Hamburg in a free transfer because his contract expired.

Hamburger SV

René Adler signed a five-year contract. At first, Hamburg's fans were not sure about this transfer. Adler's salary was really high, and the previous year's goalkeeper, Drobny, had performed very well.

The fans' opinions changed after Adler had played his first games for Hamburg. He seemed to be even better than he was before his injury.

Germany

 

Photo used with permission

 

Adler played for several German youth teams. He made his senior debut on October 11th, 2008 in a game against Russia. Experts expected him to be Germany's new number one goalkeeper since he seemed to be the greatest goalkeeper talent in Germany.

He was named Germany's number one in March 2010 and would have played in the World Cup, but a rib injury prevented his participation. He lost his spot to Manuel Neuer, who played a fantastic tournament.

Neuer was the new number one from then on.

Due to his good performances with Hamburg, Adler made his comeback for Germany in February 2013 against France. He is the number two now and will probably go to the World Cup in 2014.

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Famous Soccer Player-- Jordi Alba

Professional Debut at Gimnastic de Tarragona

After he officially became a member of the first team of Valencia at the beginning of the 2008/2009 season, he left the club on loan to join Gimnàstic de Tarragona end of July 2008.

He made his professional debut on 30 August 2008 in the 2:3 away defeat against CD Tenerife. Over the whole season, Alba played in 35 league games and started 22 of them. He scored 3 goals for Tarragona. At the end of the season the team was in tenth place in the table.

Breakthrough at Valencia

As soon as he returned at his home club Valencia, he made his competitive debut for Valencia on September 13, 2009, when he replaced David Silva in a 4:2 win over Real Valladolid. Only four days later, Jordi Alba made his debut in the UEFA Europa League 2009/10, when he was substituted in the group stage game against Lille OSC. Alba appeared in nine Europa League games during that season.

The first league games were less successful for him since he was used as left wing most of the time and the star of the team David Silva was playing in this position. Alba had his final breakthrough in March 2010.

He played the full 90 min in the 0:3 defeat against FC Barcelona in the league and scored 1 goal himself and assisted another goal against RCD Mallorca only 2 weeks later. Over the entire season, Jordi Alba played in 15 league games.

Due to major injury problems in the Valencia defense, Alba was used as left defender for the last games of the season, which helped him to be more involved in the game. In the season 2011/12 he had his final breakthrough as a left-back and was a regular starter for Valencia.

Returning to FC Barcelona

During the summer 2012, FC Barcelona signed Alba to replace Eric Abidal. Jordi Alba signed a five-year contract until 30 June 2017 and has appeared in 44 league games since then.

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World-Class Superstar-- David Beckham

Childhood

David Beckham was born in Leytonstone, London, England on May 2, 1975. His parents are Ted (who was a kitchen fitter) and Sandra (who was a hairdresser) Beckham both of whom were rigid Manchester United fans.

As a child he was always very interested in soccer and would spend hours at a time outside playing soccer with his father in Rigeway Park in Chingford.

He schooled at Chase Lane Primary School and Chingford Foundation School. When the teachers would ask him what he wanted to do when he grew up, he would tell them that he wanted to "be a footballer". He may have received a negative feedback, but he accomplished his goal nicely.

Though his skill as a soccer player flourished in his youth, all the time he spent playing the sport caused his grades in school to keep a continual low until he finally dropped out at the age of 16.

Directly after dropping out, he went to play for Manchester United's junior team.

Manchester United

Upon entering Manchester United, David Beckham was given the number 7 shirt.

Beckham proceeded to assist Manchester in winning the FA Youth Cup, scoring in the second leg of the final, just after turning 17.

From there he went on to play his first fully professional game at the age of 18. He also received a runners-up medal in the FA Cup, Manchester coming just behind Leeds United in the final.

After some time, his Premier League debut came at last in a home game against Leeds United in the April of 1995 (though this may somewhat be contributed to the injuries of some teammates), and he was established on the Manchester United first team in the 95-96 season.

Photo by
Public Domain

 

Also, in the 95-96 season, Manchester United had three major athletes (Paul Ince, Mark Hughes, and Andrei Kanchelskis) leave the club on transfers. However, Manchester manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, decided that instead of buying great players from other clubs, he would just bring in youth players and let them have a chance to be great.

This decision brought much criticism, and when Manchester kicked off with a 3-1 defeat in Aston Villa, the criticism increased. However, Manchester went on to win the next five games and people began to hold back on the negativity.

David Beckham's Usual position was right midfield, and this was the position in which he gained fame for his incredible passes and long shots.

During the 1998 World Cup, he played in every one of England's qualifying games and scored in many important matches. He was thrown out of the tournament, however, for violent conduct in a match against Argentina.

Eventually, England forgave his misbehavior, and decided to allow Beckham to play as team captain of the national team (a position which he kept for the 2002 and 2006 world cups).

During that time, Beckham married Spice Girl, Victoria Adams (Posh Spice). Though he had already been a large celebrity in England, his marriage to a celebrity such as Victoria brought the attention of the press. Soon the two were major influences on society.

On one occasion during he 1999 season, not long after his first son, Brooklyn, was born, Beckham requested a day off training to tend to his son who was now sick. He received permission, but his wife was seen at a London Fashion Week event that same day. When manager Alex Ferguson heard of this, he fined Beckham £50,000, which was about $80,000 at the time (this was the maximum amount that he could charge for this incident). This caused a tension between the two men.

In 2003 Ferguson kicked a ball at Beckham while in the changing room, causing a cut that required stitches.

Real Madrid

Manchester United had already been keen to sell David Beckham, when he signed a four year on July 1, 2003 contract with Real Madrid, having a transfer fee of about £25 million (though Manchester had at first wished to sell him to FC Barcelona).

When he arrived to play for Madrid, he requested the number 7 jersey. However, it was already taken so, being a fan of the famous basketball player, Michael Jordon, he went with the number 23.

Photo by
Public Domain

 

Though Beckham played impressively for the 2003 season,. the team struggled and fell far short of the expectations.

Beckham was thrown out of the game on three different occasions over the next two seasons.

The first was a foul on Wales player, Ben Thatcher, which he admitted to be intentional. He had been injured enough that he was sure of missing the next England match, so he decided to foul Thatcher in order to be expelled from the match in which he would not play anyway. He also stated that this was "a mistake" and he apologized.

The next incident was a game in which he received a yellow card and was seen sarcastically applauding the referee. This caused another yellow card which expelled him from the remainder of the game and suspended him from the next (though this decision was overruled two days later).

The third time was when he was sent off of a match against Getafe CF in the December of 2005.

Beckham continued to be one of Real Madrid's top players until he signed over to Los Angeles Galaxy (a Major League Soccer club) in July of 2007, after spending most of the second half of the 2007 season injured (appearing only 5 times with only 2 starts in the second half).

Los Angeles Galaxy

When LA Galaxy took David Beckham on, they offered him a contract worth $250 million, making him one of the highest paid players in the history of soccer.

Once he was a part of LA Galaxy, he decided to keep the number 23 Jersey.

He quickly became team captain and his talents became a vital part of the LA Galaxy team.

 

Not long into the first season, he received an injury in his ankle. The MRI showed that he had a bad sprain and would not be playing for six weeks.

He returned to the game in time to play the last home match of the season.

LA Galaxy was soon eliminated.

At the end of 2008, David Beckham's success in the England national team hinted that he might be going back to Europe.

It was soon announced that he would be playing for Milan on a loan. This would begin on January 7, 2009.

However, he made it known that he would by no means be leaving MLS and stated that he planned to return in time for the 2009 season.

Nevertheless, by February 4 David Beckham expressed his desire to make a permanent transfer to Milan. Yet, Milan failed to meet Galaxy's demands, but they did manage to get an extension on the loan.

He was to return to LA in July and finish the rest of the MLS season.

Milan soon managed to get a second loan for January of 2010.

Beckham returned to Milan in time to assist the team in 5-2 victory on January 6, 2010. He has performed extremely well for the team so far.

Known for his exceeding talent in goal scoring, David Beckham's amazing ability to get the ball to wherever he likes has made him one the most well known players in the history of soccer.

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World-Class Superstar---Cristiano Ronaldo

World-Class Superstar.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Youth

Lionel Messi is an Argentinean soccer player who now lives in Barcelona, Spain and plays for FC Barcelona. HCristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born to Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and Jose Dinez Aveiro in Madeira, Portugal on February 5, 1985. His mother named him Ronaldo after the US president, Ronald Reagan, and he bears no relation to the Brazilian forward, Ronaldo.

Young Ronaldo's talent was very aperant even from a young age. By the time he was 10 years old he had been accepted into the CD Nacional Madeira youth team. He quickly rose to being one of the top players in the league. By the time he was 12 years old he was considered the best player on the team.

At the age of 15 Cristiano Ronaldo was diagnosed with a racing heart. This threatened to end his soccer playing entirely. When this information reached the sporting staff, they authorized Ronaldo's mother to take him in for surgery. Fortunately, the surgery was successful and he was back to training within a short period.

Ronaldo's immense skill had now begun to draw the attention of scouts from multiple large soccer clubs such as Porto and Boavista. Liverpool considered bringing him in, but decided against it, reasoning that he was still too young and needed more experience.

Cristiano Ronaldo was then taken into Sporting Alcochete youth academy. He became the first player ever to play on the U-16, U-17, U-18, B-team, and first team all in the same season.

After a 3-1 win for Sporting against Manchester United, Sir Alex Furguson, the manager of Manchester United, decided that Cristiano Ronaldo would be a large contribution to the club and signed him on as the first Portuguese player for the club.

Once on the team, Ronaldo requested the number 28, because he wore this number on the Sporting team. However, Furguson insisted on giving him the number 7 which had been worn by many other highly experienced players such as Eric Cantona and David Bekham.

Not long after joining the club, Ronaldo's sportsmanship was questioned as he encouraged the referee to give fellow Manchester player Wayne Rooney a red card during the 2006 world cup.

This may have hurt his popularity, but he quickly won back the fans by winning seven major awards in 2007:

• FWA Footballer of the Year


• PFA Young Player of the Year


• PFA Player of the Year


• PFA Fans' Player of the Year


• Portuguese Footballer of the Year


• Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year


• Manchester United's Players' Player of the Year

At this time, rumors were circulating that Cristiano Ronaldo was considering trying to join a different soccer club. Nevertheless, he signed a five year extension of £31 million with Manchester United on April 13, 2007.

Photo by
Public Domain

 

Real Madrid

However, on June 26, 2009, Manchester United signed Ronaldo over to Real Madrid for £80 million when he expressed a desire to leave the club.

Christiano Ronaldo now plays for Real Madrid and is one of the most well known players in the world.

Though Cristiano Ronaldo is still young and is in mid-career, he is renowned as one of the best players in the world. He has influenced many and is a large part of soccer history today.

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Homecoming Football Game

October is normally a very chilly time, but tonight was
different it was actually quite pleasant with a great, cool, calm
breeze. You could hear the crickets chirping in the meadow
across from the football field. Everybody was out enjoying the

beautiful weather for fall. It was a great night for a football game.

As I stood on the fifty-yard line I remember thinking,
“Please God, don’t let me trip while I’m walking up.” After saying
my little prayer, I looked up and saw so many faces, some that I
knew and other that I have never seen before.
“Oh mom, please stop taking so many pictures, I can’t see
any more.”Even though, deep down inside I was loving every
moment of fame my mother was giving me. The band was
playing Hero; the drums were a little off, but it was still good.
The bright, white stadium lights were shimmering like stars. The
stands were packed with people that were here to see the Ridge
Lions vs. our rivals Bedford Bisons, but not only that, it was our
senior year, our last homecoming football game and the last one
of the century.
I can remember the announcer saying my best friends,
name, “Brandi Claycomb, escorted by her father Joe Claycomb.
Brandi is involved in many of our activities at Ridge, such as . . .”
“Oh my God, I’m next,” I thought as my uncle squeezed my
shoulder, he calmly looked at me and said, “Don’t worry!” The
announcer finally said, “Rebekah Ritchey escorted by her uncle
Glenn Bowser. Becky is involved in many of activities at ridge,
such as . . . ” “Well, I made it down the line, now I have to wait of
one more girl to be announced Kim Sarver . . . ” Finally the last
of five candidates have been called. You could see the look of
proudness on my family’s face as I stood there with my Uncle
Glenn. When the announcer announced last years queen,
everybody knew that it was time for a new queen to be crowned.
I looked at my uncle and said, “Natalie Boyer.” Just as I said
that the announcer called my name, Rebekah Ritchey. My
friends were screaming so loud. It could be heard ten miles
away. My squad cheered. My friend Amy dropped her clarinet
and started yelling, and my mom and sister were crying and
taking pictures.
I couldn’t believe they called my name, a lot of people were
shocked, but other people were just, Wow, Rebekah, I
remember her when she was so young. Cameras flashing, yells
of joy, video’s taping, and people talking, these were all
happening at once. I was so excited that I was crying.
When Sarah Pittman crowned me the squad did a line of
mounts, and they were the best ones that they have ever done.
After, what seemed like a brief minute, the pre game was done
and out came our team! The crowd was on their feet, dancing to
the band, and clapping their hands. Game time! I quickly ran to
my mom, hugged her and left to change, of course after a million
more pictures. I made it down with three minutes left in the first
quarter, and we were actually winning six to zero. Needless to
say, after the game, the final score was thirty-six to six. We may
have lost, but I had a great time.

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Football and Business

Decisions are a part of everyday life. While some can affect lives for a day, others affect a lifetime.

There comes a time in one’s life when he will need to select a career or a certain field to concentrate in, in order to make a living. A career that is most suited for a person’s desires can be chosen after making a conscious effort to review the positive and negative sides of both options. The fields of football and business are difficult to have careers in. There are many obstacles and steps involved in getting into either field. Most business managers will not hire an unmotivated, unskilled, unreliable worker, they want, “intelligence, passion… enthusiasm, ability to cope with turbulent environments, and marketing experience.”(Martin) These traits only come to those who wish to achieve.

For football however, there are two ways of getting in. Some people are just born with a knack for football. The parents are 5’11” and 5’10’ and their kid will grow to be 6’5”, with speed like a cheetah and hands that seem to have glue on them. The other possibility on how to get into the NFL is hard work. Getting down to the nitty-gritty and pushing your mind and body to its limits are the attributes useful in achieving success. As well as personal characteristics, there are some physical characteristics that go with both fields. According to lawyer Norman Katnik, an associate of Katnik & Katnik Law, “Anyone can be a business man, short, fat, tall, skinny, white, black, anyone, but not everyone can play football. Typically linemen are 6’4” 280 pounds, running backs are usually 200 pounds and quarterbacks are usually 6’2”.” Another way to get in to either field is by a persons performance, such as degree in Business Administration or, for the athletes, finishing four to five years of college. The accomplishments will allow business officers and general managers to recognize those that have achieved the things that will distinguish them in their specific fields.

There are requirements needed in order to start a business. “Sometimes times are rough, you’ll need ‘stick-to-itiveness’ and you’ll need to put blinders on and focus or you will lose track of what you were trying to achieve,” said Katnik. “I was even forced to work sixteen-hour days, which amounted to over seventeen hours a week. It seemed as though my family had become second to my career and I realized that no job was worth putting my family second,” said Katnik. Family is something that must be giving up in whichever field a person chooses. In Mr. Katnik’s case his sixteen-hour days limited time that he could be spending with his family. In football many hours are spent preparing. Many hours are spent working out, watching film, practicing, and studying game film all of which take away from other leisure activities and other career opportunities. “If players were smart they would use their time and status to market themselves so when they get out of the NFL they will have something to fall back on,” said Katnik. An example of this is NFL player Trevor Pryce of the Denver Broncos who used his popular status to begin a record label. He says that music will be his career after football. There are many hours spent that must be strictly dedicated to football. During “Hell Week” practices are held twice a day, sometimes three times a day each of which can last two hours. A typical NFL player’s schedule is bed check at 10pm, waking up at 6am, attending a mandatory breakfast, going to a mandatory stretch session at 8am, light lifting at 9am, heading to the dorms at the practice facility and finally they begin practice at 11am which will last to 1:30pm. They then eat lunch at 2pm, attend physical therapy at 3:30pm, then they lift again at 5pm, eat at 6pm, and then practice between 8pm and 9:45pm. It takes a tremendous amount of time. Mr. Katnik was asked if football took so long that it became un-enjoyable. He replied, “Heck no, I like the work ethic involved.”

Business also consumes a lot of time. An owner must go through the financial aspects, set up business plans, decide what advertising will be used, how marketing will be spread out, who they will hire, and tons of other ins and outs. Mr. Katnik thinks, “Business takes as much time as you want it to take. You can work less if it makes you happy, stop working, or work as much as possible.” It all depends on how much a person wants to make. “The sacrifices I made in the beginning [sixteen hour days and giving up family time] have really paid off. Now I can take more time off and I wont be endanger, but it was a lot of hard work.” When asked if business took too much time, Mr. Katnik responded by saying, “Not necessarily because the harder you work the more you will make.” When asked if reducing time would be detrimental to business he said, “No. Reduction in hours greatly improved my attitude. When it took longer I didn’t really like it that much and there comes a point where a person must realize that things are taking too long and you need to take it easy. You cannot conquer the world in the first ten years.” For a person to start a business many things must be taken into consideration.

Would starting or pursuing a business in a persons current home town be more beneficial than having to relocate? Does it matter where a business is located? Depending on what type of business a person wants to start, he should consider moving to a place where the demand for the service or product that the business provides is highest. For instance a person who lives in Orange, California and wants to be a ski instructor would have to move to a place where it is possible to ski since you cannot be a ski teacher without snow. So if “Joe the ski instructor” has his heart set on being a ski instructor and feels it is his passion, he should move. On the other hand, some people feel that location does not matter and although resources are scarce, they feel as though there will be no difference between staying and leaving. Josh Beggs, a co-founder of web development company Raspberry Media, lives in a town of 7700. He feels that even though his resources are not abundant and the amount of resources he has will not affect where he chooses to do business. The choice to stay in a small town forced Beggs to overcome many obstacles, “We had a skunk problem for about a month. Then there were difficulties of getting a T-1 line out in the boonies.” The possibility of being forced to stay in a location because of whatever reason may cause more of an uphill battle to begin a business.

There are also many difficulties in pursuing a football career. Football begins as just a sport in high school, but as players go onto college or pro it becomes more of a business or a job. It is difficult to obtain a job because no matter how hard a player works he is only as good as his team. Because of this it is difficult to stand out and be noticed. When Joe Montana played for the Kansas City Chiefs, he had already been deemed as one of the best quarterbacks of all time. He was great, but his team’s record was horrendous. So even though he was there, and he was great, his team brought his performance down. Another obstacle players must overcome in their journey to succeed is injuries. Injuries can range from small pain to deadly collisions. Mr. Katnik believes that in football a player has a higher possibility of being injured then a business has of failing. He says that, “Even if you fail in business, it doesn’t mean you can’t keep trying since you can always start over.”

Studies performed by the University of Florida have shown that over a twenty five year period NFL teams averaged 12.7 significant game related injuries and 5.0 major injuries a year. Significant injuries were injuries where a player was forced to miss at least two consecutive games and a major injury was when a player missed eight or more games including career ending injuries. In a report done by Dunn & Bradstreet from 1986 to 1996 a total of about 1036 businesses failed, a total percentage of about 10.36% out of 10,000 businesses. Compared to a major injury rate of about 8.7% of football. Mr. Katnik believed that the injury rate was higher than the business failure rate. He also believed that football would be more profitable as a career. “If you can avoid a career ending injury and have a long NFL career, you can make reasonably more than in business,” said Katnik. On average NFL players make a base salary of $410,208 per year, not including incentives or signing bonuses. The average manager of an Internet company for example earns about $73,382. Another factor comes into play when making a decision in choosing a career. Love. Rarely do individuals succeed without loving what he or she does. When Mr. Katnik was asked whether or not he loved football he said, “Yes. I enjoy the team atmosphere. I definitely miss my teammates since they made is so much fun.” When asked if he loved business he replied, “Absolutely, I love the challenge. Everyday is something new, challenging and exciting. Trying cases is gratifying.” Unless you love your job you most likely will not excel at it. Ex high school football player Skyler Champion was an exceptional running back. He set the all-time rushing record for a single game. Yet he never practiced with passion, enthusiasm, or love for the game. He went off to college and played for about four months before quitting. He quit because he “Didn’t love the game anymore since it seemed like a job.” Skyler never loved his “job” so he never got very far with it.

Football and business are two careers that involve many factors, and both seem like beneficial professions. Each individual interested in these fields should base their choice on their opinions of the things needed to fulfill the duties of the occupation, as well as fulfilling their desire for the occupation.

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Soccer is a popular sport

Soccer is a popular sport played all over the world. Even though it has only been popular in the United States for the past 30 years, soccer has been a long time favorite most
everywhere else. The sport dates back to the Egyptians, who played games involving the
kicking of a ball. Now, the sport has grown to a global pastime, including men’s and
women’s teams, and the World Cup (which is played every four years).
Soccer originated with kicking games played by people in ancient civilizations. The
modern version came about in the early nineteenth century, in England. It started as a
game involving kicking and handing, but later this branched off into two separate sports:
rugby and football (which is what the English call soccer). Around the late nineteenth
century, English soccer began spreading over Europe. Other countries also caught on, but
the United States was one of the most reluctant, and one of the last to implement soccer
as a national sport. The North American Soccer League (NASL) was formed in 1968. But
it didn’t gain popularity until the 1970’s.
The modern game of soccer has a simple goal: kick or head the ball in to the goal of your
opponent’s team. Basically, there is also one simple rule: No one except the goalkeeper
may use they’re hands to play the ball. Soccer is a simplistic sport. Eleven members of
each team defend their side of the field to prevent the ball from being forced into their
goal, which results in a point scored by the team kicking the ball. There are only three
officials involved during play: The referee, and two linesmen.
The equipment used in soccer is also very simple. In addition to the field itself, all that is
needed for a game is two goals (eight feet high and eight yards apart) and a ball. Each
player wears hard plastic or padded shingaurd, covered by long socks, for protection
during play. Cleats are also worn for traction on the field. A goalie may also wear a
special padded shirt, and gloves to protect his or her hands. A standard field, as regulated
by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (or FIFA), has a length between
100 and 130 yards, and a width of between 50 and 100 yards.
The rules of play for soccer have deliberately been kept simple. The referee makes most
of the decisions, and attempts to encourage fair play. The game starts off with a kick off,
and the teams are allowed to pass, dribble, juggle, head, kick, and shoot the ball to place
it down the field, and (hopefully, or eventually) into their opponent’s goal. If the ball is
kicked off the field over the length of the field, the other team is given a throw-in, where
the ball is thrown over the player’s head, and back onto the field. If the ball is kicked over
the goal, or across the width of the field, either a corner kick results (by the offensive
team, where the ball is placed on the corner of the field and kicked into play) or the
defensive team is awarded a goal kick, where the ball is placed on the corner of the goal
box, and kicked back into play. If a goal is scored, the ball is taken back to the center of
the field, and the team scored against kicks off.
Other penalties include direct and indirect free kicks, and penalty kicks. For offenses such
as shoving and tripping, either a direct free kick (offenses not in the goal box) or a penalty
kick (inside the goal box) is awarded. Both allow goals to be made directly from the
kicks. If a minor offense is being punished, then an indirect free kick is given, form which
a goal cannot be scored.
Most soccer games have 45-minute halves, and the clock is not stopped except for
injuries or deliberate time wasting. In professional soccer, only three to five substitutions
are allowed per half. Generally, more are allowed in lower leagues.
Soccer is now recorded as being the fastest growing sport in America at high school and
college levels. There are also an estimated 13 million girls and boys under 18 who
currently participate in the sport. It is not just becoming a national pastime, but a pastime
loved and shared by people all over the world.

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The World Cup

The World Cup is an international soccer tournament which takes for a period of three weeks in a given country once every four years . It is considered the most popular sporting event in the world next to the Olympics. It is the culmination of international soccer competition. This soccer event has participation from countries all around the world - as a side note, the 1990 championship game was played to a television audience of more than 1 billion viewers.
When the World Cup was founded in 1930, there were only 13 teams. Over 140 countries make an attempt to participate in this tournament every four years. These soccer teams, made up of exceptional soccer players, consist of 22 players each. Before being able to participate in the final tournament each team must play an elimination tournament with teams from their own continent. In the end only 24 teams will participate in the World Cup. In 1904 representatives from seven European soccer associations (France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland) took it upon themselves to put together a governing body for the sport. This governing body was called the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). A main goal of FIFA was to organize a world championship. It took some 26 years before it became possible for such an event to take place. At the time, it was unknown if the level of play was adequate enough outside of Europe to consider such a competition. Professional leagues were evolving and the Olympic games was no longer the most competitive sporting event in the world. At that time, the games were restricted solely to amateur athletes.
The first World Cup tournament took place in Uruguay in 1930. Uruguay became the first champion defeating Argentina in the championship game. Even though Uruguay was ignored by other, more competitive European nations, the tournament inspired international interest and was a huge success financially. All major European countries had become interested by this time. The only countries that had not taken any interest were the British Isles, England, Scotland, and Wales. These four countries refused to participate in the tournament because they all had separate national teams and were not part of FIFA. Under the fascist command of Benito Mussolini, the 1934 tournament was organized to be held in Italy, which Italy won. By 1938, the tournament had become so popular that 36 countries had entered to play. Preliminary elimination games were played to decide who the 16 finalists would be. The 1938 tournament took place in France and Italy repeated for back-to-back World Cup championships.
When World War II was taking place from 1939-1945, a halt was placed on most international sporting activities. After the tournament took place in France, it did not take place again until 1950 where it was played in Brazil. This was the first time England had entered and despite there European status, they suffered a 1-0 loss to the United States, where they were eliminated in the first round. Uruguay won the tournament for the second time defeating Brazil in the final. The 1954 tournament took place in Switzerland and was won by West Germany. They beat the Hungarians who were expected to win. Up until the final game, the Hungarians had not lost a game in international competition for four years. The Brazilian team had exceptional soccer abilities. Their control of the soccer ball was done with poise and ease. The European teams found it difficult to match that skill. Everyone knew that Brazil was a great soccer team but they were still missing a championship. They had qualified for every World Cup, up until now, but had yet to win one.
The year was 1958 and the tournament was taking place in Sweden. Brazil was hoping this would be their time to show the world that they were due. They astonished the competition and won the championship. A 17-year-old by the name of Edson Arantes do Nascimento was the team’s star. He was commonly referred to worldwide by his nickname, Pelé. He went on to become one of the world’s top soccer players for the next 12 years. The tournament was again won by Brazil in 1962, despite the fact Pelé was injured for most of the event.
The World Cup had not yet been played in the sport’s birthplace. In 1966 the tournament took place in England. The host of the event was also the winner, defeating West Germany in an overtime final. The game was moved to Mexico in 1970. This began an era in which the game of soccer had become more defense-oriented, especially in Europe. Italy had created their own system of play. It featured a packed defense and relied on sudden counterattacks to score goals. This system of play was known to them as catenaccio. The Brazilians, however, played a more offense-minded game, once again led by their star, Pelé, who was now 29 years old. With this win, Brazil became the first country to win the trophy three times. During the 1970s, the Dutch became a prominent team with their style of play known as Total Soccer. This method of play required each player to be able to attack or defend depending on the situation demanded. The Dutch team was led by captain and star player, Johann Cruyff. West Germany was hosting the tournament in 1974. Their team was led by Franz Beckenbauer. They became the new world champions defeating the Dutch that year.
In 1978, Argentina took host to this sporting event. The Dutch once again reached the final but were again defeated by the host team, in an overtime final. The game of soccer had increased in popularity tremendously by 1982. The number of finalists was increased from 16 to 24. Spain hosted the tournament and West Germany was defeated by Italy to win the championship. No country had yet to host the event twice. Mexico became the first country to do so in 1986. Argentina won the championship under the guidance of their captain, Diego Maradona. There was some controversy over Maradona’s first two goals against England which later became infamous. Television replays showed that the ball was knocked in the goal by his hand. Maradona gave divine intervention credit for the goals. He claimed that “the hand of God” scored the goal. One of the most memorable soccer goals in World Cup history was scored by Diego Maradona on this day - he dribbled half the length of the soccer field and scored four minutes after his second goal.
In the championship game, Argentina defeated West Germany who was being coached by Beckenbauer, their former star player. In 1990, West Germany had a chance to redeem themselves in Italy. They defeated Argentina 1-0 in the final. However, there was only a goal per game average of 2.2 which was very disappointing. This was the lowest in World Cup history. The game of soccer has not always been all that popular in the United States. FIFA hoped that by scheduling the event here in the US, its popularity would increase. The games were played in nine stadiums filled to capacity. This was a very successful event and changed the view of soccer in our country. No final had ever gone to a penalty kick shoot-out until now. Brazil defeated Italy in the final and went on to become the first four-time World Cup champion. The game of soccer has taken quite a change in the US. There was a time when foreign countries would not even recognize the United States as a contender to a time, now, where they are playing an extremely competitive game. The game took on a renaissance in the 1960s and a boom in the 1970s. By the 1980s, the country was filled with many young people learning to play the game of soccer. The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) are the ones responsible for providing stadiums, referees, coaches, and fields to those who play at the community, high school, college, or professional level. The American teams, as of late, have put up a fight. Now that the US has earned international acceptance and recognition, competition at various age groups could be compared closely. Both the under 18 and under 16 level teams have competed extremely well internationally. The age groups after that have also showed signs of tremendous international equality. It goes to show how far the United States has come.
Professional soccer has been around the US since 1967. The game at the earlier levels has not had many setbacks while the professional level has had its problems. When professional soccer first began, there were only two leagues: the United States Soccer Association (USA) and the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). The North American Soccer League (NASL) was created in 1968. This was a merger of the USA and the NPSL. This new league consisted of 17 teams. After the 1968 season, the league started to collapse. Twelve of the teams were taken apart. However, there were still 5 franchises to keep professional soccer alive. The number of teams was increased to 8 in 1971.
The year 1975 proved to be a strong year for professional soccer, especially one soccer team in particular. Pelé, Brazil’s former star player, was made an offer by the New York Cosmos of the NASL. He signed a contract for $2.8 million over three years to come out of retirement and play for the Cosmos. He was now the highest paid team athlete in the world. With Pelé now backing the Cosmos, the team was playing in front of record-breaking crowds. The Cosmos won the championship in 1972 in front of a crowd of 6,000 spectators. However, in 1977 the team was playing in front of crowds of 45,000 during the season and 70,000 during the playoffs. One playoff game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ hosted a record crowd of 77,691 people. That is still the record attendance for that stadium and a record for any soccer match in the United States or Canada.
With this change in professional soccer popularity, the NASL expanded the league to 24 franchises for the upcoming season of 1978. The league was put in turmoil by this expansion. These changes were entirely too premature causing many teams, both new and old, to suffer losses financially. In 1980, three teams had left the league and another 7 by the start of the 1982 season. The total number of teams left was now 14. Even though there were still enough teams to carry on, there were many conflicts that needed to be resolved.
When 1985 rolled around, the NASL had decided it would be best to shut down the whole league. The remaining teams parted their separate ways. Some went on to play in the Major Indoor Soccer League while others went to their own independent professional soccer leagues. Many great players have played the game of soccer throughout history. From Franz Beckenbauer of West Germany, to Pelé of Brazil, to Diego Maradona of Argentina, these awesome athletes will always be remembered for their ability to play the game of soccer. Every four years when the World Cup rolls around, the all stars of the game come out and devote themselves solely to the game of soccer for three weeks. When this elite soccer tournament takes place in France this summer, we will see who the next great soccer player of his time will be.

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