COVINGTON, Ga. For the past two years, Ruby Edwards has wrestled with the Newton Rams squad. Despite getting a late start to her career, Edwards earned a scholarship offer from Brewton Parker college.

Edwards signed her national letter of intent on April 21 inside Newton Highs media center.

There was something greater Edwards feels like she accomplished in her two-year wrestling career, though.

I do feel like Ive motivated more girls to join the wrestling team, Edwards said. The way I managed to get more to join in was by being 100% honest with them, showing them what it takes. I brought them to practice so they could see for themselves the wrestling and the weight lifting, and reassured them that being a girl doesnt mean they can't do it.

All it takes is work.

Edwards became intrigued by the sport in her junior year. Since then, she has had solid performances for the Rams.

Looking back on her Newton career, Edwards is glad she gave wrestling a try. But, in her senior season is really when she set her mind to wrestling at the next level.

The thought of wrestling in college never crossed my mind because I was starting so late and never thought I would have success in this sport, Edwards said. Once my senior season started after the first individual tournament of the season, I knew I wanted to wrestle in college because of the excitement, joy, and fun I felt for it.

Beginning in the fall, Edwards will join Brewton Parkers wrestling program to compete collegiately.

One piece of criteria Edwards upheld was to remain in Georgia, even though the amount of womens wrestling programs were limited in-state.

Nevertheless, Brewton Parker became Edwards No. 1 choice.

Brewton Parker stood out the most to me, Edwards said. But I was still undecided on which one I'd want to attend until I finally visited them. It just felt like a good fit for me, even after visiting the others.

Edwards signing on April 21 signified the start of the next chapter of her career.

Knowing that brings a high level of anticipation for whats to come for Edwards.

I am super excited to start this new journey in my life, Edwards said. I cant wait to start wrestling at a higher level, conquer new challenges athletically and academically and reach new milestones every day.

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Ruby Edwards hopes signing to Brewton Parker wrestling serves as ... - Covington News

For former James Madison wide receiver Devin Ravenel, this past weekend was a taste of his childhood dream.

Ravenel, the Dukes' fourth-leading route runner last fall, spent three days at the Baltimore Ravens rookie minicamp in Owings Mills, Md., trying to impress the team's front office for another invitation back to the team's training camp.

And as Ravenel spent 72 hours inside the Ravens' practice facility, it didn't take him long to see the difference between college and the NFL.

"It was a big eye-opener for sure," Ravenel said. "Just seeing the way people move, seeing your competition for the next couple of years. You're seeing how serious everybody takes it. It's money on the line, it's business now. It's people going out there trying to get a job."

Baltimore, which ran JMU's pro day in March, liked what they saw from the agile wideout, and he joined a handful of players on the practice field attempting to make the team. But he wasn't the only former JMU player they liked enough to bring in for another look two others stood out.

Fellow wide receiver Kris Thornton and cornerback Jordan Swann joined Ravenel at the Ravens' camp, while quarterback Todd Centeio was in Kansas City and wide receiver Terrence Greene Jr. was with the New York Jets to round out JMU's representation at this past weekend's NFL rookie minicamps.

For Ravenel, having two teammates one in the same position group as him at the Ravens' camp helped calm his nerves with familiar faces in and around the facility.

"It definitely made me more comfortable for sure," Ravenel said. "Going in there, there's a lot of new faces. You don't know who's who. It was definitely a lot more comfortable going with [Thornton] and Swann, just knowing the type of people they were and I was in good hands, honestly."

Each of the three days at the Ravens' rookie minicamp started with a 6 a.m. wake-up before boarding a bus bound for the facility at 6:30 a.m. From there, Ravenel and the other players ate breakfast, had meetings, and got a lift in before practice at 11:30 a.m.

Once the practice concluded, Ravenel said they were back in meetings at 2:45 p.m. for three hours before receiving homework to do that night, which spanned from learning a handful of plays to watching film back in his hotel room.

Ravenel stayed up until about 11 p.m. before falling asleep for seven hours to do it all the next day.

"It was football all day," said Ravenel, who caught 24 passes for 313 yards and seven touchdowns in his final season at JMU.

Such is life in the NFL, and Ravenel, along with the others that were at the camp in basically a tryout setting, didn't have much time to adjust to the quick burst of football.

As Ravenel worked out and practiced with the rest of the receivers in camp, he witnessed up close the difference between a first-round pick and an undrafted player with Zay Flowers, Baltimore's top selection in the draft, training with him each day.

And as Ravenel watched Flowers run routes, it almost inspired him to improve.

"Seeing it first-hand, it just shows how much more work there is to be done," Ravenel said of Flowers. "And how much more there is to learn. It's definitely just more motivation in my shoes, 100 percent."

After the Ravens' minicamp ended on Sunday, Ravenel said he felt good about his performance, and it seems like Baltimore agreed.

"I got some pretty good feedback," Ravenel said. "The GM had a few words with my agency, and from what I heard, they had a lot of good things to say. So hopefully that leads to some good things in the future."

With no other rookie minicamps on the horizon, Ravenel is back home waiting for his phone to ring. He's still focused on a path to an NFL roster, and the most likely step is an invite to a training camp in August.

But as he waits, Ravenel isn't resting on his laurels. Instead, he's taking his experience with the Ravens and wants to use it as fuel to improve for his next professional football opportunity.

"It was just one little taste, so now everything's out there on the table," Ravenel said. "So it's up to me at this point with what kind of work I put in, what I do with my time, where I focus my time. It was definitely eye-opening needed for sure and it's definitely a big motivator, for sure."

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Ravenel motivated by 'taste' of NFL After rookie minicamp experience - Northern Virginia Daily

Estate agents and others in the industry are being invited to a free Tech Talk on the power of motivation to win new business.

Hosted by iamproperty, How a motivation mindset can accelerate your success, will take place live on Zoom at 1pm on Thursday 11 May 2023.

The proptech firms head of operations Kelly Stillman will share an update on consumers motivations in todays market.

This will include key findings from iampropertys latest consumer research which identified vendors biggest frustrations with the selling process, with conveyancing being top.

Behavioural expert Sarah Callender from Duo Global Consulting will discuss how understanding client motivations should go further than their motivations for buying and selling.

Ben Ridgway, co-founder of iamproperty, said: Our Tech Talk series is designed to dive deeper into the best received articles from Tech of a Life, allowing conversation and learnings about the biggest topics and challenges facing our industry.

This will be a really interesting discussion, exploring motivation on a wider scale, with tips that agents can put into practice to help them accelerate their success.

This Tech Talk is the first of two that will be available to Estate Agents and anyone operating in the space this month, with details on the second to be released soon.

> Register for the event.

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Agents invited to Tech Talk on the power of motivation - Estate Agent Today

Bianca Cook is determined to secure a fairytale ending to her taekwondo career by erasing her Olympic heartbreak in Paris next year.

The 31-year-old, who was forced to settle for gut-wrenching bronze medals in both Rio and Tokyo, has confirmed that next years Games in the French capital will be her last.

Cook, who married her long-term partner and fellow taekwondo champion Aaron Cook last year, fell on golden point to Chinas Shuyin Lee in the 2016 semi-finals then lost to a last-second head-kick against Dabin Lee in Tokyo.

Bianca Cook has had to settle for two consecutive Olympic bronze medals (David Davies/PA)

But she insists that, after shrugging off her most recent disappointment, she is more motivated than ever to complete her glittering career on a high.

Its definitely the last one Im going for so Im going to give it everything Ive got, Cook told the PA news agency.

All Ive got on my mind is getting to Paris and winning that gold. I know Im still good enough and, if I can finish my career with a gold medal in Paris, it would be the fairytale ending.

Bianca Cook came agonisingly close to the final in Tokyo (Mike Egerton/PA)

In the meantime Cook is hoping to make more history in her sport by becoming the first woman to win four world taekwondo titles in Baku, Azerbaijan later this month.

Cook won consecutive gold medals in Chelyabinsk, Muju and Manchester between 2015 and 2019 but failed to make it four in a row when she missed out on the 2022 tournament in Guadalajara due to injury.

I never thought Id be in the position to make history after missing the last one, so it is a great motivation to become the only female ever to have four gold medals, Cook added.

Bianca Cook is back in training ahead of one last crack at Olympic glory (David Davies/PA)

Making history is the sort of thing that motivates you through another cycle because for me it is all about that Olympic gold I would give everything else away for that right now.

But I dont feel like Im chasing anything. I could go to Paris having won four world titles and five Europeans so I have already achieved more than I ever dreamed of in this sport.

Paris would be the happy ending but if I didnt get it I wouldnt be going to try again to get to the next one.

Great Britains 11-strong team for the World Championship also includes double Olympic champion Jade Jones, and Cooks fellow Tokyo medallists Lauren Williams and Bradly Sinden.

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Bianca Cook more motivated than ever for one last shot at Olympic gold in Paris - Yahoo Eurosport UK

By Michael Gidlewski

Published: 5:16 am EDT May 9, 2023Published: May 9, 2023Updated: 12:35 pm EDT May 8, 2023

Image via iStock.

Developing leaders and managers is the most important advantage we will have in the future. The process by which you develop your managers and the tools you equip them with will determine your success. Few innovative technologies last long before being replaced, however intentionally developing a team will pay big dividends well into the future.

Great companies remain great by developing people and creating a goal directed, results oriented culture. Leadership and management are modeled behaviors. Workers today, especially younger generations, are quick to notice inauthentic leadership. Words are empty if they are not supported by actions and behaviors.

Lets look at the best practices for managers. Here is the playbook for getting results through others.

Just like playing golf or tennis, you become your best by refining and executing the steps until they become automatic. This leaves more time for thinking and reacting to variations in the process.Practice makes progress this works in sports and in business.

Develop the habit of helping team members be more productive. Start with yourself; communicate more effectively, stay in high-payoff priorities, clarify goals and expectations. As you make these improvements, you will naturally motivate people to produce and create synergy in you company.

For more tips on motivating your managers and leadership, visit Achievable.com.

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Struggling to Motivate Your Workforce? Check Out These Best ... - VISTA.Today

Maria Quintero Riano had to grow up fast when at age 6 her father was deployed to Afghanistan and she became her mothers link to the English-speaking world in Texas, motivating the young girl to develop and passion for learning.

The family of four had immigrated from Columbia two years earlier, later her father joined the Army and several moves later was sent to Fort Carson, where he is a sergeant first class working in infantry managing artillery. Riano didnt initially realize what was happening when she saw her father and other soldiers line up near buses at a farewell ceremony before his deployment, only later figuring it out after seeing her mother and other military wives in tears.

A flood of emotion rushed over me when my dad hugged me and said, I will be back soon; you are in charge, Riano said her successful application for The Gazettes Best and Brightest scholarship.

Her mother cried and tried to hide it, but her frustration was apparent. She would sit in her room in silence at times reading the Bible or sometimes simply burst into tears at dinner time. Seeing my mother react in these ways confused me, but also motivated me to take initiative and help her as much as I could, especially with translating and practicing English.

That experience kindled her love of reading and writing and soon she would win first place in an annual reading competition. She began to write stories as an escape from the stress at home and her father would return after the one-year deployment. Riano continued to pour herself into her studies through moves to Hawaii and New York and became a top student before arriving at Fountain-Fort Carson High School about 2 years ago and compiling a 4.33 grade-point average.

At Fountain-Fort Carson, Riano played volleyball during her first three years and ran cross-country last fall, and she was also involved in student council, National Honor Society and DECA, a career education nonprofit. Through her work with student council, Riano learned about the Make-A-Wish Foundation during a conference and brought the program to her school to help a critically ill 7-year-old boy swim with dolphins in Florida in September.

We raised more than $20,000 for the foundation, which was enough to also grant the wishes of two other children, Riano said. I was touched by the presentation I heard on Make-A-Wish and I wanted to help make a difference in the lives of kids who have been through so much.

Mary Heisel, assistant principal at the Academy of Advanced Learning in Aurora who previously was student council adviser while at Fountain-Fort Carson High School, wrote in her letter of recommendation for Riano that she was blown away at her ability to take initiative and make things happen. Maria is remarkable, setting herself apart from other students with her mature perspective, attention to detail and her outstanding leadership ability.

The Fountain-Fort Carson High School senior plans to attend New York University in the fall, where she has received the Stern scholarship and will major in international finance. She said the international finance program will give her the opportunity to travel and interact and network with businesses and executives around the globe. She said she fell in love with the city for its diversity and opportunities for growth that will take me to a whole different level.

Before she leaves for college, she will see her father off on another deployment, this time to South Korea.

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Best and Brightest: Motivated scholar has international finance plans - Colorado Springs Gazette

PHOENIX From his birthplace of Queens, N.Y., to Connecticut, Michigan, Rhode Island, Ohio, Louisiana, California and gyms in between, Michael Malone has options to call home.

His choice: (Denver) is home for me and my family, Malone told me Saturday afternoon.

Winning an NBA title would bring all the perks money, fame, Nikola Jokic dancing in a parade.

But an understated motivation for the cosmopolitan Nuggets is to win Denver's first.

Their unstated mission: Do it for Denver.

Ive been here eight years now, as you know, Malone said prior to Sundays Game 4 against the Suns in a Western Conference seminal at Footprint Center. Denver leads the series 2-1.

Nitpick how he employs Michael Porter Jr. or his usage of timeouts, but Malone has one attribute that is beyond reproach: the 51-year-old New Yorker-turned-Coloradan gets Nuggets Nation. He desires to fill the void of a half-century without an NBA title. Malone feels you.

I remember my first year here and the fan turnout at Pepsi Center at that time was not where we would like it. I quickly learned that Denvers population is a very transient population (with) people moving in from all over.

"In order for us to make them diehard Nuggets fans we have to do our job putting a winning product on the floor and playing the right way, Malone said.

The elite eight of the NBA playoffs has six blue bloods engaged in a battle to further crowd their trophy cases. The Lakers, Celtics, Sixers, Heat, Knicks and Warriors combine for 49 NBA titles.

Forty. Nine. And each one has more than one.

Then there are the Nuggets and Suns in the Never Have I Ever series. Denver and Phoenixs title total: 0. Neither has won it all, which helps explain the electric atmospheres (and anxiety!) permeating through both Footprint Center and Ball Arena. If there were a louder environment than Phoenixs arena Friday on Cinco de Mayo, may I suggest ear plugs for hearings sake?

Kevin Durant and Devin Booker combined for 87 points in a riveting Suns 121-114 triumph.

I will say they are the two best scorers probably in the league right now, Jokic said afterward.

When Durant is the opponents second scoring option, you have a serious fight on your hands.

Booker is averaging 37 points per game in the postseason. Hes shooting 80 percent on corner 3-pointers, according to NBA University. Hes playing like he has a bone to pick with Colorado.

Its really hard to put a fire out, Malone said.

You can guess how the Nuggets spent their off day Saturday rereading the book on Booker.

The priorities for Game 4, the coach said: guarding Durant without fouling, guarding the Suns fast break and guarding Booker always. The Nuggets were betting underdogs in Game 3, a first since way back in the regular season. Phoenix again is the betting favorite in Game 4.

With work to do, the Nuggets desperately wish to be your first.

You look at the evolution of the team in the last eight years, especially the last five playoff years, and our fans have made the Nuggets a priority. Weve had one of the toughest places to play in the NBA. ... Being around these fans and getting to know them and feel them and appreciate them you always want to give back, Malone said.

Win Sunday, and the Nuggets can close out the Suns in Malones adopted hometown.

Winning a championship is obviously something that not only would mean the world not just to the coaches, players and organization but to Nuggets Nation. In Denver, in Colorado, around the country and around the world, Malone said.

Its been a long time, a long drought, so we want to be the team that changes that and puts the Nuggets on the map, he said. Our fans would be fully deserving of that opportunity.

***

Colorado stud of the week: Ryan McMahon, Rockies third baseman

He needs to turn into a stud, anyway, if the Rockies are to avoid an infamous fate.

The Denver Gazettes Danielle Allentuck believes the Rox are on the Road to 100 (losses). Colorado is 13-21, a win percentage of 38.2. A record of 62-100 would be 38.27.

So what must happen to avoid a century of heartache? Two things, at least, Danielle says.

The veterans in the lineup must make a leap from their slow starts and starting pitching must improve in a dramatic way. An everyday bat, McMahon is hitting .216 with a strikeout rate of nearly 40 percent, second-worst in MLB.

Pitching is another matter after opening day starter Germn Mrquez was lost for the season due to injury.

Its not going to get easier without Marquez, Danielle says.

The 2012 Rockies set the record with 98 losses.

Look out below.

***

Whats On Tap

Monday: Vinny Benedetto and I check back from Game 4 at Footprint Center in Phoenix.

Tuesday: Danielle Allentuck's weekly MLB Insider swings through as the Rockies swing down the east coast.

Wednesday: Analyzing the Avs, Kyle Fredrickson continues a weeklong review of the roster.

Thursday: Chris Schmaedeke interviews Valor Christians Wyndham Clark in the Golf Insider.

Friday-Sunday: Beat writer Chris Tomasson pesters Sean Payton about Broncos workouts.

***

Just one question

Do Avs fans feel any better now that the Kraken are giving the Stars a hard time in Round 2?

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Klee's Corner: The Nuggets' secret motivation: 'We want to be the team' that wins Denver's first NBA title - The Denver Gazette

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Undoubtedly, one of the biggest names in show business today is Dwayne The Rock Johnson, but he admitted in an interview that becoming a a major movie star was never his goal.

Joining The Pivot Podcast for an interview released this afternoon, The Rock told Ryan Clark about what actually motivated his eventual fame.

In case Ryan Clarks name doesnt sound familiar, well, he was an outstanding NFL player and Super Bowl champion who, when he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, earned a reputation for being such a hard-hitting safety that, between him and Dwayne Johnson, its Clark that should really be the one nicknamed The Rock.

Clark and two other former fellow NFL stars, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor, along with executive producer Alicia Zubikowski, now run The Pivot Podcast, which is rapidly becoming one of the most popular podcasts available, usually having sports-related guests for open-yet-respectful discussions about a variety of topics.

Clark fielded a surprising answer after asking The Rock, Could you ever have imagined being where you are today?

No, never. My goal wasnt to be here in Hollywood making movies, The Rock answered. My goal was just to not be broke.

To further emphasize that this was his main motivation, Johnson reiterated more intensely, I used to tell myself specifically, I cannot be fu**ing broke!

Johnson went on to explain how when his dad, the famous wrestler Rocky Johnson, fell on hard times, they had to scrap just to get by. Rock even notes that his parents began cleaning houses for money just to make ends meet.

I dont want that for them, and I dont want that for my family, The Rock mentioned in regards to watching his parents go through such financial difficulty.

He also adds that a part of his motivation was not being drafted by any NFL team after he concluded his collegiate days playing for the Miami Hurricanes.

When he switched gears and went into the wrestling entertainment business of the WWE where both his father and grandfather made their living at one time he became more successful than both of them, then began making blockbuster films a decade into his wrestling career. The transition obviously proved fruitful for him and his family.

The Rock concluded that he never had the goal to make millions, but rather he just wanted to make more than seven bucks.

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The Rock Says 'I Cannot Be Broke!' While Explaining His Motivation - We Got This Covered

Bills WR Gabe Davis, Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson, Broncos OT Garett Bolles, and other former teammates joined Murray at the event to help promote the important cause.

"Kudos to those guys, really," Murray. "They have no ties to my hometown, Syracuse, whatsoever. But they are friends of mine, teammates of mine. It means a lot for them guys, especially in the offseason, to come back to little old Syracuse and help me make this event a special night."

The Gala was just a step in the right direction to getting the center up and running. Murray can't wait for the center to officially open and be filled with members of the Nedrow community.

"Still got some ways to go," Murray said. "We're making progress, still work to be done. This Gala will definitely create a lot of momentum for us to try and get us over that hump."

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'It's motivated me in every way' | Bills RB Latavius Murray to build ... - BuffaloBills.com

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Nitish Rana (1/7 & 51) never doubted senior all-rounder Andre Russells skills in spite of a slump in the ongoing 16th season of the Indian Premier League. Russell, who had been showcasing glimpses of his best throughout the season, finally managed to register an impactful match-winning performance in the recently concluded match against Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens.

If truth be told, Russells best is yet to come. However, him dominating in a 27-ball 54-run fifth wicket partnership alongside batter Rinku Singh (21*) was enough for Knight Riders to chase down a 180-run target in front of their home crowd to live another day in IPL 2023.

Loading embed tweet https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1655649136933502978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Coming in to bat at No. 5 with 65 runs needed off 38 balls, Russell scored 42 (23) comprising three fours and sixes each before Singh scored the winning runs in his absence.

Into his first season as the captain of an IPL team, Rana played an instrumental role in motivating Russell knowing how he had it in him to win matches for the team. Russell, who has powered KKR to wins on more than one occasion per season, would want to go onward and upward after winning his first Player of the Match award of the season.

Ive been telling him from the last 8-9 matches Tu ek innings away hai [You are one innings away from playing at your best]. Considering his achievements, I wanted to make him believe this as a captain. He proved that tonight and earned us a couple of points, Rana told host broadcaster Star Sports Network during the post-match presentation ceremony.

Having laid emphasis on two points after defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by 5 runs last week, it is understandable as to why each point matters so much for Rana nowadays.

With five wins in 11 matches, Kolkata are currently at the fifth position on the points table but things appeared pretty bleak after they had lost six out of their first nine matches. Even though theres still a lot of work to be done, Rana and his men would be relieved to still be among contention for IPL 2023 playoffs.

In 11 innings with the bat in hand, Russell has scored 208 runs at an average and strike rate of 23.11 and 154.07 respectively to be Knight Riders fifth-highest run-scorer this season thus far.

As far as bowling is concerned, Russell has picked seven wickets across eight innings at an average of 22.85, an economy rate of 11.29 and a strike rate of 12.14 to be their third-highest wicket-taker.

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"Tu Ek Innings Away Hai": Nitish Rana's Everyday Motivation To ... - The Sportsrush