Why Athletes Need Formal Education
King Lebron James Zoning Out to Read a BookCredit: Spekuliantias I attended a basketball league finale recently in Abuja and found out that a couple of the players could not (properly) write their names. It got me thinking about the number of athletes in the country who are not formally educated and what it means for their career and growth. So, I sat with Abe Onche, a basketball aficionado, to discuss why formal education is important for athletes. This is a 3-part series. Listen to the discussion in the links below! In the first part of our discussion, we looked at models like High School Basketball, College Basketball and the NBA and how, if applied to our Nigerian system, can contribute to developing better educated athletes. WHY ATHLETES NEED FORMAL EDUCATION (1) The conversation continues here. WHY ATHLETES NEED FORMAL EDUCATION (2) To conclude our series on Why Athletes Need Formal Education, Abe has a couple of statements for the society, government, families, schooling system and the athletes themselves. WHY ATHLETES NEED FORMAL EDUCATION (3) These points are salient and you can contribute by telling us why you think athletes need formal education.
For My Super Fans
I am so excited to announce that the blog has crossed the 25, 000 views threshold. This happened barely three days after I celebrated the 24, 000th view. I was planning something big for this achievement but it totally just creeped on me. I had been thinking about what to do for this milestone crossed and no matter what I thought of, I knew it had to be for the readers of my blog. I finally settled on dedicating this achievement to my ‘super fans’. These people have been instrumental to the growth of my blog (and other platforms) and I just want to use this opportunity to appreciate them. They include; Abe Onche, who has been my friend for years now and my one of my biggest support systems since I started my blog. He has urged and prodded me to do more and be more. There are many times I have felt like quitting because it is a lot of hard work but Abe would have none of that. He is the typical annoying optimist who always believes the sun is shining even when it is dark. I on the other hand can be a bit of a realist. Okay! I am very much a realist! This means that when I get tired of putting out content and following my dreams, he is always there to give me a ray of hope. I am not always eager to hear him out and many times, I am deliberately difficult but if I didn’t have him to push me, this blog would probably have gone to sleep now. Abe shares EVERY single post I put up and I know a huge chunk of the views comes from his friends on social media. To crown it all, Abe puts up money for my platforms. He was my first investor and that is why he likes disturbing my life to put out stuff and you know someone believes in you when they not only put in their time and energy but also put in their money. The next super fan, or in this case fans, are my sisters Enigbe and Sadiya. They HAVE TO live with me and deal with my crankiness, quirkiness and sometimes, downright craziness. In spite of all that, they are very supportive of my work and passion. Since I have been out of work, they have been my support until I find my footing. I am their older sister but they contribute financially to my work. And when they cannot contribute financially, they share their data with me to make sure I am always online. Yes! My sisters are better than yours! I was so humbled when I caught them googling cameras to buy so I can put out stuff daily. They wanted to surprise me with one but we all had to agree it was not feasible at the moment. The positive thing for me was the thought. From the moment I started my platforms, they have had so much belief in my abilities that I honestly feel like I can touch the moon from the comfort of my room. Someone else I really want to appreciate is my home girl Oluwashadeayo Opeyemi. Shade is such an awesome woman and a caring friend. In spite of how busy she is – AND SHE IS BUSY – she always manages to take out time to read my blog and share on her social media pages. I lived with Shade for two weeks and I know how hectic her life is. She has a 9-5 job but spends three hours GOING to work and three RETURNING home from work. While with her, I used to follow her to the office and though I just sat down and fiddled with my phone, I was always bone tired when we got back home. You can imagine what Shade, a manager at a top sales firm, feels at the end of each working day. With all of this, she still manages to read my posts and share them! Did I forget to mention that she also puts money to my work? She is awesome like that! Another big supporter is Peter Cheman Koti. He was my colleague when I worked with FM and TV Gotel. He is an on-air-personality who presents about five shows and produces so much more. He is also second-in-command in the FM unit and a very busy man. He works Mondays through to Saturdays and probably rests only on Sundays; though I know he prepares for his shows for the week then. With all the work he does, he manages to follow my platforms and share almost everything I put up. He has called me on many occasions just to tell me ‘well done Ramat. Keep the good work going.’ He is the same person who gave me opportunities to be on his shows when many people wanted to hug the mic for themselves. I am proud to say the Peter is good people. Ite Thomas is the next person I am calling my super fan. Ite is an officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and a very intelligent man. The first time I met him was when he called in on one of my shows. We were discussing leadership and governance and his response was so enlightening, I wanted to have him as a guest on my show. From that day, I looked forward to having him call in on my show. What Ite gives me is a healthy discussion on whatever I write. I always like to hear his point of view after each post and he never disappoints. His knowledge and understanding of topical issues is just amazing. Even though I have not met him physically, I feel like I have known him for years. I see him as one of my closest friends. Another person who I have interesting discussions with on any post I put up is Sanusi Yahya. I
Getting It Right With Arthritis
Photo by Ricardo Fontes Mendes on Unsplash by ABE ONCHE It creeps into your joints and plays havoc with your nerves, and at the worst times it keeps you up late at night. It leaves you spontaneously swelling, sapping your strength and before you know it, the simple joys of going down the stairs or pressing a remote control become a waking nightmare. You can hold off the call to your pastor, though. It’s no malevolent spirit, it’s more likely ARTHRITIS. What is Arthritis? This is a bit like asking a mechanic what is wrong with your suspension. Arthritis is a common term used to describe a joint disorder that features varying amounts of pain, reduced flexibility and dexterity, as well as fatigue. The tissues, muscles and bones of the joint all show varying signs of damage that worsen as the condition grows. There are several forms of arthritis that are classified for the specific characteristics that people exhibit. Is it genetic? How is it contracted? The major causes of arthritis are trauma to the affected joint, infection and aging. “Trauma” refers to differing degrees of injury that collectively lead to wear and tear within the joint. Infection, mostly by bacteria, is also capable of producing similar trauma to the joints. This damage features eroding the bone and tissue until they grind together like old gears. In infectious cases, called septic arthritis, damage to the joints is controlled by rapid detection and administering antibiotics. What are the predisposing/contributory factors? Obesity, sedentary living and a previous history of injury to the joints are the things that predispose people to arthritis. An unbalanced diet low in calcium has also been suggested among the culprits. Arthritis is mostly associated with older people, especially women, primarily due to the most common form called osteoarthritis which is coupled with decreased calcium retention in the onset of menopause. Women by the age of 60 tend to have some osteoarthritis, so when Mama starts to complain, you should listen. Osteoarthritis is less common in men, and almost rare in children. However, other forms of arthritis affect a much broader population, with notable examples like septic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and gout. Major symptoms of arthritis · Pain – all victims of arthritis suffer from pain in the joints · Swelling – more common in rheumatoid and gouty arthritis · Difficulty moving the joint/loss of full range of motion · Poor sleep and general discomfort What are the available treatment options/procedures? Diagnosis of arthritis is by clinical examination following a study of the history of the joint, and x-rays are likely to be performed. Recent research has been able to pinpoint biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis. Think of them as Nature’s little red indicators that can help very early diagnosis. There is no cure for arthritis, so forget about popping pills and laying back. Arthritis is best handled by physical therapy and lifestyle changes. In more extreme cases, orthopedic braces are required and even surgery (a procedure called arthroscopy) can be performed but it is universally accepted that physical therapy is the most effective.
