Nike FuelBand is perfect for inactive kids and parents

My kids gave me a Nike Fuel Band for my birthday. Well, that is not completely true.

My cash-strapped kids recommended it. My wife actually gave me a Nike FuelBand, but she put the kid's name on the box.

When I opened the gift, there were two Nike FuelBands in it. A M/L for me and a S for my wife. His and hers matching Nike FuelBands.

So if you think about it, I technically, I gave myself two Nike FuelBands for my birthday. It was a great birthday....for my wife.

Actually, it was a great deal for me, a dad who works on a computer for hours and hours a day, then goes home to write, read and explore on the computer at night. I was getting lazy. Days would go by that I did basically nothing active. Now I have a device that keeps me aware of my laziness or lack there of.

CLICK IMAGE TO BUY ON AMAZON

I am a stats guy. I love numbers. I love goals. So this was the perfect present for me. The wristband uses accelerometers to calculate my activity in 3 ways; 1) steps taken, 2) calories burned through activities, and 3) Nike Fuel points. Nike Fuel is a universal number that takes into account the steps and calories burned with the gender, age, weight and height of the Nike Fuelband wearer. Nike Fuel points are suppose to be an apples to apples number that people of all ages and shapes can compare. All of this data is easily attained with a few pushes of a rubber button on the band.

Gadgetreview.com did a nice job of reviewing the Nike Fuel Band in March 2012. The reviewer was not overly impressed with the accuracy of the device, but applauded the utility and cool factor. I really don't care if the number of steps I take in a day are off or the calories burned are inaccurate, but I thrilled to know how active I am.

Check out the two charts below.

Sept 14, I played golf with my bother-in-law. Lots of walking and moving. I burned over 5000 Nike Fuel points.

Sept 25, I had a very busy day at work (on a computer) and then had to meet my wife at my son's high school for an event. Lots of sitting.

At 9pm, neither my wife nor I had reached our set goals, so we went for a fast-paced walk in the neighborhood to get into the green (the goal area).

The Main Point

A recent study indicates that the young people of today may be the first generation NOT to live as many years as their parents.

Technology, mainly computers and video games, is the culprit for the inactivity. The inactivity is causing the life-shortening health problems. Well, technology can also be the solution. Get your inactive, technology loving kids a Nike FuelBand.

If your kids are watching too much TV and playing video games all day long, then strap a Nike FuelBand around their pudgy wrist and give them a goal.

If they make their goal, the following day they can watch TV and play Mortal Kombat or Club Penguin. If they do not reach their daily goal, then they can't. It's a pretty simple concept.

My kids are very active, so they do not need a Nike Fuelband, but I can attest that it is working for me and my wife.

Youth Golf: Buying Clubs for a Teen Boy

Do you have a young teen son who plays golf? If you do, you know how hard it is to buy them the right size golf clubs. 

Most junior clubs are too short and the men's clubs are too long. Many boys in this age range, the ones who have not had their growth spurt yet, opt for women's clubs. 

Last week, by son broke his 7 iron on his Walter Hagen Junior Set. We were already contemplating buying him new clubs because his junior set was limited in the number of clubs and because he was getting too tall for them. With golf team tryouts in 2 weeks, my wife and I decided to buy him new clubs.

We went to Golf Galaxy tonight to buy some clubs. During the drive over to the store, I tried to prepare my son for the possibility of buying lady's clubs. I promised him that there would be some clubs without any overtly feminine markings. 

When we got to Golf Galaxy we were greeted by a very knowledgeable salesman. I told him that we were looking for left handed clubs for my son. The clerk sized my son up by eye and he told us that we had three options. 

• We could buy what he called a varsity set - clubs made for boys older than 12.
• We could buy lady's clubs.
• We could buy a really light set of men's clubs. 

We shopped last year and neither Golf Galaxy nor Dick's Sporting Goods had any clubs between the junior sets and men's sets. So we were thrilled to try the varisty set. 

We tried the Maxfli Vasity set described below. The clerk took the clubs out of the box and my son went to the indoor driving range to try them out. He immediately loved the feel of the clubs. They were a heavier than his junior set and the steel shaft irons did not flex. He felt more in control.  

The salesman said that my son swings too hard to consider a women's set and was a few inches too short for a men's set.  He strongly recommended the varsity set. My son did not need convincing he was sold. The 15 piece set was on sale for $199 (from $299), so I did not need any convincing either. 

The Main Point

Kids grow, golf clubs do not. When your young golfer is growing you almost need to buy them new clubs every year. Fortunately Junior Club sets are affordable. I am not sure how Maxfli and Golf Galaxy sell a 15 piece golf set for $199, but I am not going to ask.

The following description is from the Golf Galaxy website.

Golf Galaxy

Maxfli Varsity Set for Ages 12 Years and Over. Height Range: 58" and over. 15 Piece Set includes:

• Oversized Titanium Face Driver -Oversized Titanium Face Driver provides forgiveness and Titanium distance. Strategically placed weight screw is low and back to provide high launch and longer carry.
• Stainless Steel Fairway Wood -Stainless Steel 3 wood features a fixed screw to lower the center of gravity to help hit shots higher and longer.
• Hybrid Utility Irons -Easy to hit 3i and 4i utility hybrid clubs with combine the distance of fairway woods and the accuracy of irons. Hybrids also feature a fixed screw to lower the center of gravity to help hit shots with a higher ball flight.
• Wide Sole Undercut Irons (5,7,9,SW) -Wide sole undercut irons move the center of gravity low for more distance and accuracy on all shots.
• Alignment Putter -Soft, milled face alignment putter has a high moment of inertia to reduce twisting on miss-hits.
• Lightweight, Durable Stand Bag - Lightweight stand bag features a durable nylon construction, dual carry strap to evenly distribute weight and five pockets to store all of your golfing needs.
• Graphite Shafts - Ultralight graphite shafts increase clubhead speed for maximum distance.
• Premium Headcovers -Multi material construction is durable and protects clubheads and shafts
• 600D Polyester Rainhood -Protects clubs from rain and moisture during play or while in storage.

Buying Your Kid's First Baseball Glove. Make it Memorable.

My daughter's coach will not let my daughter play with her current glove because it is too small. So we she needed to get her a new glove.

My wife took my daughter to Dick's Sporting Goods. If you want to know the truth, I was kind of bummed about this. I consider baseball glove buying a dad thing. I was so excited when I brought my oldest son to buy his first glove and I also vividly remember the first glove buying experience with my other kids. It is not that my wife cannot pick out the right glove. It has nothing to do with gender. I fondly remember when my dad took me to buy my first Rawlings glove. When my kids remember back, I selfishly want to be a part of the memory.

My daughter tried on every glove in the store. She settled on a black and pink Mizuno glove for $35. She needs to use the glove immediately, so the new glove had to be pre-broken it. This glove fit perfectly, was very soft and pliable, was the right color and was only $35. We will buy her a good glove when she is fully grown. I will review the glove in a few weeks in the comment section.

The Main Point

The experience of buying your kid's first baseball glove may be a life long memory for you and your kid. Take your time and make it more than a transaction, make it an experience.


Here is the info on the glove from Mizuno

Perform at your best with the exceptional Mizuno® 11.5" Finch Pink Prospect glove. The superior design features multiple technologies to have the advantage in the game. Mizuno's® exclusive ParaShock™ palm pad absorbs the shock of repeated use providing outstanding protection and ideal comfort. The Power Close® makes it easier for younger players to close the glove and catch the ball.

Features

• 11.5" fastpitch pattern
• Diagonal Tartan Web
• Double hinge heel creates a larger pocket
• Power Lock™ closure provides the quickest and most secure fit available
• Surefit™ foam adds cushioning along the back of the fingers for a more customized fit
• Double Hinge Heel™ design creates an extra wide pocket for a secure catch
• V-Flex Notch™ helps initiate easy closure

Product Review - Adidas 2-N-1 (Pitching Rebounder)

If you want good stats in sports you need to practice. It doesn't matter which season it is, my daughter loves to practice by herself in the backyard after school. 

We bought her an Adidas 2-N-1 performance Trainer Rebounding Surface so she could practice pitching. She would love to be one of the pitchers for the team.

The Adidas 2-N-1 has a rebounding surface on one side (picture 1) and a canvas side with a hole / net to capture strikes on the other side (picture 2). This device works well. We like it better than the one we were replacing. Our old one was so heavy that the kids could not maneuver it alone. The Adidas one is study enough to take the pounding of a hard thrown ball, but light enough for a 9 year old girl to move around. 

There are cheaper pitchbacks on the market and more expensive ones too. Dick's Sporting Goods website has several models ranging from $40 to $140. We bought ours in the store. I thought that the Adidas unit was a good value at $70. Not all pitchbacks have a rebounding side and a strike zone side. The canvas side with the strike zone will be great for backyard Whiffel Ball and Stickball games. Another great feature is the easy to use locking telescoping side bars. You can adjust the angle of the rebound for both grounders or pop ups. 

It took me about 1 hour to put together. The directions could be much better. Hint - The directions indicate that the side support bars should be connected to the outside of the tubes that make up the main rebounding surface. I did this first, but had a tough time stretching the bungee cords to reach the  canvas which does not stretch. I decided to put the side support bars on the inside of the tubes that make up the main rebounding surface. Those tubes are about 2 inches thick - so moving to the inside brings the bungee cords that much closer. Also when you are putting the canvass side on make sure the telescoping side bars are in a short position. 

The Main Point

I recommend this product for young kids due to its light weight. I would not recommend this product for teens.

Picture 1                                                  Picture 2

I was not paid for this review.