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Ipswich Witches captain Danny King tells Sky Sports about the life of a speedway rider during the winter months... Having jetted around Europe, racing lap after lap of a speedway track for the best part of seven months, it is no surprise to hear that Danny King takes time to relax once the season has finished before turning his attention to the next campaign.I dont do much until Christmas, I try and have a bit of family time, said King, who also represents Coventry Bees. I try and sort my contracts out which is really important and which I have done this year. I always like to get that done before Christmas so I can relax and enjoy the festive season. Obviously you are keeping fit and training and once Christmas is out of the way I start my bike assembly.We are also jumping around speaking to sponsors and it goes really quick. I know its four months off, but I can assure you it does not feel like that. We are also jumping around speaking to sponsors and it goes really quick. I know its four months off, but I can assure you it does not feel like that. Danny King In the world of speedway, rule changes and poor performances can make it quite feasible for a team to change all seven riders from season to season, meaning a lot of movement in the winter transfer market, and the 29-year-old talks us through the process of sorting out contracts.Its different for everyone really, said King. Mostly clubs will phone you, some riders do have agents, so in that case they will phone them. Normally the club knows what riders want to go there and in return the rider knows what clubs want him to go there. Its quite clear really and then it is down to negotiations. A speedway rider must secure a new contract ahead of the new season You have a bit of say on where you go, but most of the time we have to wait for the AGM [Annual General Meetings] to finish because the promoters cant start building their team without knowing the team average and that sort of stuff. But if I wanted to go to another club, that club would have to get permission from my parent club to speak to me and once we had that we can sit down and open negotiations.There is a lot more to a speedway riders winter than sorting out club contracts. Essentially riders are a business, and like any other business they need as much income as possible to be able to run, which is where sponsors come in. The role of sponsorship can never be underestimated in the sport and the Ipswich rider explains how to obtain sponsorship and the difficulties he faces. Searching for sponsorship is also a regular task for King King said: Its one of the most difficult things in any sport - getting sponsorship. Its important they know what they are getting in return. Its easy to go and get some sponsorship, get some money and never contact them again.I like to invite them down to meetings throughout the year. We put them in hospitality boxes and try to support them in that way, because without them it wouldnt happen. Sponsorship is a huge part of any sport but especially speedway.Nine times out of 10 you hear about potential sponsors through word of mouth; someone who knows someone who likes their speedway and wants to get involved. If you are targeting companies that you know are not your normal speedway companies, like your bigger firms, then it is a case of writing to them.Despite the continuing stresses and strain during the off-season, King insists he would not swap his role as a rider. But the 29-year-old retains his desire to compete He said: Its the adrenalin side of things. Its a strange concept really, its a 500cc bike with no brakes on a fenced circuit. Its that risk factor, its the whole package of speedway. As for why we do it - I dont know, the best way to describe it, and Ive heard people say it before, is its like a drug, you get addicted.Once it is in the blood it is hard to get out. Once youve had a taste of speedway you want to keep going as long as you can. I feel very blessed that Im lucky enough to do it as a job and I want to keep going as long as I can. Cheap Air Max 95 Wholesale . Miikka Kiprusoff had just announced his retirement after a decade-long run in Calgary and it would be up to Berra and Ramo to fill the void. Air Max 270 Wholesale . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.com/cheap-max-720-shoes.html . Houston won 3-0 to advance to face New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Last in the game, Di Vaio and Romero got into a shoving match with several Houston players. Romero appeared to elbow and kick Houston defender Kofi Sarkodie. Air Max 1 Clearance Sale . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. Paul George Shoes Cheap . Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey last Sunday. The fine is the fourth this season for Goldson. He was fined $30,000 for a hit on the New York Jets Jeff Cumberland in Week 1.MONTREAL -- Dan Hawkins is set to begin his adventure in Canadian football. The 52-year-old starts his first camp as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday without any previous experience in the 12-man game. Then again, his predecessor Marc Trestman had never coached in the CFL and had never been a head coach at the pro level when he took over in 2008. That didnt stop him from winning two Grey Cups. "Its football in the States and its football here," Hawkins says. "But its a whole different brand of football." General manager Jim Popp and owner Bob Wetenhall took a risk when they opted for Hawkins, who spent the last two seasons as a college football analyst at ESPN after a long career as a head coach at the university level in the United States. The folksy, enthusiastic Hawkins is the polar opposite of the soft-spoken, cerebral Trestman, who left in February to become head coach of the NFLs Chicago Bears. His coaching style promises to be a big change as well. While Trestman also co-ordinated the offence and left the defence and special teams to others, Popp likens Hawkins to Don Matthews, who coached the Alouettes from 2002 to 2006, winning one Cup. Matthews tended to leave the nuts and bolts to his co-ordinators and assistants while overseeing the operation from above. "Marc was a quiet guy, very reserved," said Popp. "Dans very energetic. "He has that rah-rah college side to him." Hawkins last coaching experience was not a resounding success. His record in five seasons at the University of Colorado, where he reportedly earned more than US$1 million per season, was 19-39. Before that, however, he was 53-11 at Boise State and his career record is a solid 112-61-1. He looks to be supported by a strong, almost completely new coaching staff, which includes experienced Doug Berry as senior adviser to the head coach. There are solid co-ordinators with Mike Miller on offence and Noel Thorpe on defence. A major change is they now have one man looking after special teams, co-ordinator Ray Rychelski. The kicking game had some awful moments last season, when special teams was one of several responsibilities for the departed Andy Bischoff. Thorpe was hired even before Hawkins, and Popp hopes he sticks around. The team had changed defensive co-ordinators in each of the previous four years. Popp said each had his own style, and wanted player changes to fit their game plan, causing confusion and a lot of turnover in personnel. Defensive players were prominent on the teams off-season shopping list, including linebacker Ejiro Kuale and cornerbacks Geoff Tisdale and Byron Parker. On offence, they picked up Canadian running back Jerome Messam, veteran slotback Arland Bruce and quarterback Quinton Portter, giving 40-year-old Anthony Calvillo an experienced backup.dddddddddddd. The camp at Bishops University in Sherbrooke, Que., will also be spiced up by the presence of some former NFL talent, including long-time Indianapolis Colts running back Domenic Rhodes, as well as receivers David Clowny and Wallace Wright. The Alouettes already have an impressive receiving corps with Jamel Richardson, S.J. Green and Brandon London. Popp said hes anxious to see how his two first-round draft picks work out, linebacker Mike Edem and running back Steven Lumbala, selected third and fifth overall respectively from the Calgary Dinos. "Edems really made an impression," he said. He also has high hopes that Kuale will fit well into Thorpes defence. "I like aggressive, physical players and he brings that to the table," said Popp. The Alouettes had nightmares at running back in 2012 after starter Brandon Whitakers season ended in midseason with a knee injury. Vic Anderson filled in nicely until he got hurt, then Chris Jennings took over. Whitaker re-signed with the Alouettes on Thursday. Another running back is Noel Devine, a prime candidate to take over kick returning duties from the released Trent Guy. "Can he have a breakout year?" Popp asked about the speedy Devine. Hes also anxious to see how veteran defensive end John Bowman does with Thorpe going back to a four-man line after the teamed used a 3-4 setup last season. "Well have a guy like Bowman in a system that benefits him more," said Popp. "Well see if he has his best year." Of course, the Alouettes fortunes sit mainly on Calvillos shoulders. The CFLs all-time passing leader will turn 41 on Aug. 23. He is coming off surgery on a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, and wont take as many snaps as usual in camp. Thats why it was important to sign Porter from Hamilton. Last years back-up Adrian McPherson is gone, while third-stringer Josh Neiswander is back. One area that never seems to change in Montreal is a solid, experienced offensive line of centre Luc Brodeur-Jourdain between guards Scott Flory and Andrew Woodruff and tackles Josh Bourke and Jeff Perrett. The Alouettes did not make it to the Grey Cup game the past two seasons despite posting winning regular season records. They were 11-7 in 2012, but were beaten at home by eventual champion Toronto in the East Division final. "We all felt we were good enough to win those games," said Popp. "We had a lot of injuries, but we also turned the ball over four times in one half and thats not how you get there. "Now coach Trestman is gone and theyll have the embrace Dan, but they still know theyre a special team with a chance to win a championship." ' ' '