Pardon my slight deviation from our typical topics...... I must confess I'm the ultimate Olympic Fan. I watch about 14 hours a day of Olympic coverage. No kidding. When I worked the 1984 Olympics in LA they were even better than I imagined. So here's a story on Vancouver games which start in exactly 20 days. But who's counting?

Economist Daniel Johnson is remarkably accurate at making Olympic medal predictions. As a matter of fact…

Applications for Education
The Best of Us Challenge provides a fun opportunity to get kids excited about physical education challenges and compete with some of the best athletes in the world. The Best of Us Challenge also provides an opportunity for students who may not fit into the typical "athlete" mold to show-off their unique skills. Check out their website for contest rules and go for it.

Olympians for Life are educational lesson plans for grades kindergarten through 12 that promote the Olympic Ideals and Values and are accompanied by profiles of athletes training for Beijing in 2008. Lessons are grouped according to major educational strands: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Register for free access. All materials for "Olympians in Life" are being distributed free to educators. You can access the materials by clicking http:…

What fun! Calling all girls and boys ages 11-14. Physical educators spread the word.

The Verizon-USA Luge Slider Search is the official nationwide athlete recruitment tour of USA Luge, targeting young athletes, ages 11-14. The mission of this grass-roots program, sponsored by Verizon and established in 1985, is to identify, train and qualify young athletes for the USA Luge Junior Development Team. Athletes who may progress through the six-run…