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Fun Facts

1. The Uniroyal Soccer Program is entering its ninth year.
2. Uniroyal has donated over 818,000 soccer balls to youth soccer leagues since the program began.
3. In the last nine years, the Uniroyal Soccer Program has raised nearly $11 million in donations for youth soccer leagues.
4. The soccer balls Uniroyal has donated could fill 4,000 station wagons.
5. The Uniroyal Soccer Program could fill seven and a half 747s with the soccer balls it has donated to youth soccer leagues.
6. All the soccer balls Uniroyal has given away since 2000 could fill three Olympic size swimming pools.
7. The Uniroyal Soccer Program started in 2000 with around 200 dealers and has grown to over 1,000 in both America and Canada!
8. Forty seven out of 50 American states had dealers participating in the Uniroyal Soccer Program in 2007.
9. The Uniroyal Soccer Program has donated funds and equipment to over 2,800 youth soccer leagues.
10. Uniroyal donates $2 for every Uniroyal tire a dealer sells.

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Sportsmanship Tips:

1. Let your children establish their own goals and play the game for themselves. Take care not to impose your own standards and goals upon them.
2. Don't place too heavy a burden on your child to win games.
3. Remember that your children are learning, which means they make mistakes. It is important to praise instead of criticize.
4. Keep your attitude, as well as those around you, positive. Remember that a ticket to a sporting event is not a license to verbally assault others, including officials, coaches, players from the opposing team and parents of the opposing team.
5. Learn the rules since youth guidelines vary. When you show up for games, pay attention and avoid chatting with other parents on the sidelines so you can offer your child positive feedback.
6. Treat your opponent and officials with respect. Treat them the way you want to be treated.
7. Accept the judgment calls of the game officials and respect their jobs. They are doing their best to support the youth of your community.
8. Encourage your child's teammates if they make a mistake. Don't criticize!
9. Applaud good play no matter who makes it. Focusing solely on your child sends the message that you're more interested in grooming the next great soccer star than encouraging team effort.
10. Mix things up and be realistic about your child's talent. Elite athletes are few and far between and the chances your child will go pro in his or her sport is miniscule. While your child may be talented, it's important to realize that he or she will most likely go on to do something else wonderful with his or her life. Specializing between one or two sports all year can cause burnout. Nurture a well-rounded child by supporting his or her interests in several extracurricular activities whether it's a different sport or another activity.

Source: American Youth Soccer Organization

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Nutrition Tips:

1. Drink plenty of fluids. You can lose two liters of fluid in sweat during soccer games, hindering your performance. Sport drinks are a popular choice for hydration. They are lightly sweetened to provide carbohydrates.
2. After the game, drink about three cups of fluid for every pound you lost while you played.
3. Don't try to lose weight during the season. Soccer players run an average of 5.6 miles in a match, so your need for calories is high! If you cut back your caloric intake, you deprive your body from the fuel it needs to perform successfully.
4. Eat something within 30 minutes of the end of your practice or game. Replacing carbohydrates that were used is essential. Some examples of nutritious snacks include: medium bagel, pretzels, fruit yogurt, large banana, cranberry-apple juice or orange juice.
5. Eat protein. Protein not only helps muscles grow, but also repairs muscle damage after exercise. Good sources of protein include: fish, chicken, turkey, beef, low-fat dairy products (yogurt, cheese and milk), eggs and soy foods.
6. Eat healthy foods. Choose a single burger instead of a double burger and grilled foods instead of fried foods.
7. Keep your child's diet packed with nutrient-dense foods. Foods such as whole grain breads and cereals, rice, beans, pasta, vegetables and fruit are excellent choices for the young athlete and are considered nutrient-dense because they are not only high in carbohydrates, but supply other nutrients, vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber.
8. As a general rule, if the time between lunch and practice is more than two hours, try to make sure your child has a nutritious snack before practice.
9. When traveling for all day tournaments and games away from home, be sure to select low-fat and healthy options for the menu at fast-food restaurants and other dining establishments. Most menus offer low fat, nutritious choices. If you are having trouble deciding, look for the method of preparation as a clue. Low fat preparation methods include: grilled, steamed, broiled, charbroiled or poached. Preparation methods to avoid are: fried, crispy, breaded, creamed, scampi-style, buttery, au gratin or with gravy.
10. Keep your kids energized. The best balance for active kids: 50 to 55 percent of calories from carbohydrates, such as breads, cereal, rice, and pasta; 10 to 15 percent from protein like meat, poultry, fish, dry beans and nuts; and 25 to 30 percent from fats such as oils and sweets.

Source: American Dietetic Association

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Money Savings Tips:

Traveling to and from the field:

1. Shop around for gas using the Internet. Research by Uniroyal shows that gas prices vary by as much as 16 cents per gallon in a typical market. People are encouraged to shop around for gas by checking out independent Web sites such as GasBuddy.com or GasPriceWatch.com to find the lowest price in your area.
2. Consider joining a discount warehouse superstore that offers gasoline at discounted prices.
3. Combine trips. When you drop the kids off for soccer practice, go to the grocery store, drop off the dry cleaning, or go the gym and save that extra trip to town. Imagine the savings if you reduced your weekly mileage by just 10 miles a week!
4. Avoid idling. The average car uses about a cup of gasoline for every six minutes when idling. Remember, it takes less gas to restart a car than it does to idle for more than a minute. Turn off your car when waiting for the kids to complete the last drill in soccer practice; skip the long drive-thru lines and go inside.
5. Avoid packing items on top of your car. A loaded roof rack or carrier creates wind resistance and can decrease fuel economy by five percent. When traveling to soccer tournaments, use your vehicle's roof rack as a last resort.
6. Use cruise control when driving on the highway. It maintains a constant speed and can save you nine percent in fuel economy.

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Maintenance Matters:

1. Check the inflation pressure in your tires. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, a tire that's 20 percent under-inflated reduces fuel economy by three percent. You should properly check your tire inflation pressure once a month and adjust accordingly.
2. Follow the recommended maintenance schedule in your vehicle's owner's manual. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, tuning your engine according to your owner's manual can improve gas mileage by up to four percent.
3. Keep both front and rear tires aligned. Improper wheel alignment can reduce fuel economy by five percent. Common symptoms that your car needs an alignment include: uneven tire tread wear, pulling to one side, wandering, and an off-center steering wheel. Your local Uniroyal dealer can assess your vehicle's wheel alignment.
4. Replacing a severely clogged air filter can improve your car's gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. Your vehicle's air filter should be checked at every oil change for possible replacement.

Please click here to check out the Uniroyal fuel savings calculator. It will tell you exactly how much you can save each day by following any one, or all, of these maintenance tips.

Sources: U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Trade Commission, N.C. Department of Commerce, Car Care Council, GasBuddy.com and GasPriceWatch.com

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Quality, Affordable Tires for Soccer Vehicles:

Uniroyal Tire is one of the world's leading manufacturers of tires for passenger and commercial cars, pick-ups, light trucks, mini vans and sport utility vehicles. The Uniroyal brand has a long tradition of making high quality tires that will get you to and from the soccer field at prices today's drivers can afford.

No matter what your vehicle of choice may be on game day, Uniroyal has the tires to outfit your soccer fleet. Take a look at our star players -- the Laredo® Cross Country tire, a light truck tire built to handle everyday adventures, and Tiger Paw® Touring tire comprehensive tire line for sedans and mini-vans that helps deliver outstanding wear, traction and performance at affordable prices.

Please click here to determine the right Uniroyal® tire for your soccer vehicle, or click here to find the nearest Uniroyal dealer.

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