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Souza, Other Girls Grapple With Stereotypes
By Lori Riley
January 31st, 2008
At first, Dyami Souza's mom wasn't thrilled that her daughter wanted to be a wrestler.
"She wanted to be a boxer and I thought this was a little better than being a boxer," Linda Souza said with a laugh. "At least she'll have a face left."
So Linda let her wrestle. Five years later, Dyami is a senior starter at 112 pounds for Windham High, No. 7 in the state coaches poll. Fifteen years ago, Jennifer Ottiano became the first — and only — girl to place in the top six in a state championship meet. Ottiano, who also wrestled for Windham, was fifth in Class L at 112. A longtime competitor in judo, she was the rare girl who could compete with the boys at the time.
This year, 89 girls are wrestling on boys teams in Connecticut and a handful of those girls are competitive.
Jessica Bennett, a 103-pound senior at Montville, is considered the top female wrestler in the state. She finished sixth in the ECC tournament last year and is 22-6 this season.
"She's one of the hardest-working kids I have in the room," Montville coach Gary Wilcox said.
By Effie Dawson
January 30th, 2008
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - The little Salvation Army on Hilltop Lane in Annapolis is a couple miles from City Dock by car, and much farther from downtown in terms of organized nightlife. But in the chill of winter, it is a nightly beacon for young soccer players. On weeknights until 10 and weekends until nearly midnight, players stream past the collection trailer of household goods, past the day care center’s fenced-in playground, to compete in the Annapolis Soccer Club winter futsal league.
Some are excellent public or private high school players, looking for a place to get some touches on the ball with their friends in the offseason. Some are recreational players, preferring a scoreboard that stops keeping track once a team gets ahead by five goals. Some live nearby, particularly in the growing Annapolis Hispanic community, and just show up looking for a team that needs an extra player for the evening.
By Laura Albanese
December 20th, 2007
Nearly 40 students, football players past and present, and other supporters congregated in the bitter chill Wednesday outside the Half Hollow Hills East administrative office in Dix Hills with a single purpose: to rally around a coach.
David Pitman, the third-year coach who players said reinvented a faltering football program, was relieved of his duties last week after a 1-7 season. Because of confidentiality laws, school officials could not disclose why Pitman was released.
For nearly an hour, the protesters encouraged passing cars to honk in support of Pitman - the cacophony of chants and beeps drowned out conversation. Students recently made T-shirts and distributed petitions that garnered about 500 signatures.
By Megan Lee
January 29th, 2008
The Pros met the Joes last Tuesday as the Oklahoma City Blazers took on the Oklahoma Blaze junior wheelchair basketball team for a competition benefiting the Blaze organization.
The annual match has been held between the two teams for almost a decade and activities include a silent auction to benefit the Blaze team and its members.
'Mighty' Marty Standish is no stranger to this game. This was the Blazers' star center's seventh time to participate in the match.
"I think it's a fun promotion, and it really gives back to the community," Standish said.
January 29th, 2008
Everyone needs a home.
Everyone loves a home.
And when a home is finally found, it is one of the best things possible.
In the fall of 2007, Uno Volleyball Club finally found a home of its own.
That was after bouncing around to various places of practice from Palos Park to a number of spots in the greater Joliet area since its beginning in 1984.
The club now has a home of its own.
"I cannot believe how wonderful this is to have a place we can call home," said Uno co-director Terri Hibner-Baranski. "We have a place for everything and we don't have to haul our equipment in our cars. And our members can have one place to come."
By Tanya Judd Pucella
January 15th, 2008
I am a recovering anti-coach. For some years, I taught at a very (athletically) competitive high school. We were forever locked in battles for state football and basketball championships, and we were contenders in rowing, baseball, softball— just name a sport. If we’d changed our name to Sports High, the majority of our community would have been delighted.
As we continued to improve our athletic records, the administration began to make some interesting teacher-hiring decisions that appeared to be based more on coaching resumes than classroom prowess.
By Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian
January 16th, 2008
McClatchy Newspapers
Elaine Gill, 16, wanted to run faster. So she started running more. A lot more.
Sometimes she'd run 50 miles a week.
At first the extra miles paid off for the St. Louis resident, and Elaine cut several minutes off her 5K cross country time. Then, during a race, a bone in her foot broke. Now, she can't run at all.
Such is the plight of a growing number of athletes, both male and female, who train their young bodies past the point of diminishing returns and right into injuries.
The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that more than 30 million children and teens participate in organized sports each year. Of those, about 3.5 million seek treatment for overuse injuries and chronic fatigue from overtraining.
By Tom Kuyper
January 23rd, 2008
"Come on, Trey! Only 15 more push-ups to go! After that, we still have 10 more suicides (wind sprints) to do. We have to get ready for Saturday's game against that Monster Truck Transformer team. They're a good team, but we will be in better shape!"
Trey's coach yells this out, even after the team spent a good portion of practice doing stretches. Trey is 7 years old. His coach's methods are pretty common in youth sports. Hey, coaches, listen to me: these young kids don't need conditioning drills. They need skill building, strategy instruction, and lots of playing experience.
Too many coaches spend too much time on stretching and conditioning. Here is the problem with that high school/college style of coaching: Stretching at the beginning of practice takes up too much time. Haven't you noticed? Seven-year-old kids push open the door and at a full sprint run to the court. They are ready to go.
January 25th, 2008
The Training Room has launched two outreach programs designed to increase athleticism in New Richmond student athletes.
At the High School, the Tiger Strength program offers training that is specific to each sport and focuses on enhanced performance and injury prevention.
The second similar program is offered to Youth Hockey athletes at the New Richmond Airport. These programs are offered at no extra charge to participating athletes. Funding is provided by the School District and the Hockey Association.
Both programs are run by Nicole Deneau, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and fitness director for The Training Room in Somerset, Wis. The goals of the programs include increasing lean muscle mass, improving speed, strength, core stability, balance, vertical jump, agility and lots of fun.
By Tom Wilson
January 26th, 2008
JOHNSTOWN -- Fundamentals and sportsmanship are the main focus in the Johnstown Youth Athletic Association basketball league.
There are more than 110 boys and girls in grades three through six who play on Sundays. The third- and fourth-graders plays in the Junior Division at Adams Middle School and the fifth- and sixth-graders are in the Senior Division and play at Johnstown High School. The Junior Division's four teams play a 10-game schedule against each other and a season-ending tournament.
The Senior Division's teams play against each other and Northridge teams before a season-ending tournament.
There also is a Mini Division for first- and second-graders
"Our hope is to start a county league so the kids can play against different competition," JYAA Basketball Commissioner Amy Ramey said. "That way, they are not always playing against their classmates. We want to make it more competitive, but at the same time, we want to make sure they are learning."
By Eric Weinrich
January 25th, 2008
I was recently at a highschool game, and I had an interesting conversation with a parent. It was concerning concussions. It has become kind of an epidemic in contact sports in this era. Not only professional sports, but highschool and youth as well.
When I was in highschool, I had a teammate who had suffered a few head injuries and it became such a problem that he had to limit his participation. This was really my first experience seeing an athlete suffer from a concussion. Throughout my collegiate career and early in my professional contests, I saw players and had a few occasions where I was "dinged". At this stage in the game, the medical view on concussion monitering and prevention was not as extensive as it has become.You would sit a shift or two, tell the trainer you were ready to go and you were back in the action. That night you may have had a headache, but it was common. How times have changed.
The amount of documented concussions now is very high and on the rise. Why has it become so wide spread? Are athletes faster, stronger and maybe more reckless? Or maybe the respect or lack of respect for another athlete has gone by and instead become who can make more of a statement with a big hit. Whatever the reason, it is a major issue in the world of sports today.
By Beth Hale
January 27th, 2008
They have long been blamed for the decline in youth sport and the child obesity epidemic.
But, in a bid to instill some enthusiasm in a generation of inactive youngsters, schools are turning to the computer games console to fight the flab.
Teachers are using the best selling Nintendo Wii - an interactive wireless-based computer game - to get children involved in 'virtual' sport.
The scheme comes despite repeated studies showing that the amount of time children spend playing computer games is one of the major factors behind the obesity crisis.
By Bobby Fernandez
January 27th, 2008
The chance to play varsity, win a state championship, play in college, maybe even go pro -- aspirations that provide enough motivation for most young athletes to work hard in practice and play with unwavering effort during games.
For a few, the pressure to reach such goals can push young athletes to take extreme measures.
"It's actually potentially a very significant problem when parents put more pressure on kids and that pressure increases. That can cause sometimes very serious issues," said Dr. Jordan D. Metzl, a nationally renown sports medicine physician for the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. "Sometimes that manifests itself in kids just taking on too much anxiety from the surroundings around them and that sometimes causes kids to do things such as take performance enhancing drugs because they're looking to get that extra advantage."
Metzl is the co-founder of the Sports Medicine Institute for Young Athletes in New York City and co-author of the book "The Young Athlete: A Sports Doctor's Complete Guide for Parents."
By Rick Mink
January 27th, 2008
Hayfield High's Raymond Borja wrestles his father nearly every day in their Fort Belvoir living room, which is carpeted by a red wrestling mat and furnished with only a china cabinet and stationary bike.
He attends a wrestling tournament every weekend, year round, no matter where it's located. Borja wrestles so much that his coach, Roy Hill, forced him to take a month off from competition this past September so the junior wouldn't get burned out.
"I just want to make progress as fast as I possibly can," said the 119-pound Borja, who didn't start wrestling until the end of his eighth-grade year.
By Christopher Nagy
January 28th, 2008
Their record isn't going to make it into any headlines.
As of last week, only the boys junior varsity team had chalked up a win — and team members say that was primarily due to a forfeit. However, the final scores and the records don't seem to matter much this year for the bowling teams at Pinckney Community High School, because this year is about something more to players, coaches and, to a certain extent, the entire school community.
"They throw gutters and they throw strikes — it doesn't really matter too much," explained Jim Paradise, the assistant coach of Pinckney's bowling teams. "Either way, we have just as much fun out there. I've had two coaches — and many parents — come up to me and say, 'I wish our kids had as much fun as your kids are having.' "
What makes this year special is that the high school has bowling teams at all — filling a sports void in the school district that has lasted well over a decade.
By Stu Whitney
January 27th,2008
At a time when youth sports are too often tainted by overzealous parents or callous coaches, Cylie Pastian provides a ray of hope.
You could argue that the fifth-grader from De Smet was the most valuable player of the 16th annual Girls Tri-State Basketball Tournament, which ended Saturday after filling Sioux Falls gyms with 98 teams from five states.
Cylie didn't make a field goal, grab a rebound, dish off an assist or record a steal for the Bulldogs, who finished fourth in their section.
But the 11-year-old fired up free throws with enough care and consistency to make Shaquille O'Neal look like a rec league dropout.
More importantly, she continued to teach her teammates - and every opponent they face - that sports still can play a positive role in shaping the way we live.
By Joe Tuscano
January 28th, 2008
An old problem is making its way through area wrestling and it's not related to any type of contagious skin disease.
Forfeits, a growing problem of this sport since the PIAA raised the number of weights from 11 to 14 over the years, seem to be infesting many more teams than usual this season.
Forfeits are detestable for any number of reasons: They eat at the competitive core of the sport; they frustrate fans who want to see their children compete; they aggravate coaches who can go through a season with no hope of winning a meaningful dual meet; and they frustrate athletic directors, many of whom refuse to sell tickets for a dual meet that might last only 20 minutes.
Smaller schools have always struggled with forfeits. But now, larger schools are finding it a problem.
By Hoosier Teacher
January 27th, 2008
What is the most important trait in a football player? Reasonable minds disagree. It depends on the position being played, the system being used, and several other factors. I'm going to write about one trait that applies across the board in all sports, and it is a trait that won't take away from other abilities. I'll discuss the advantages in youth sports, as well as the NFL. Yes, you read the title. I'm talking about endurance.
If you are more interested in the NFL level, skip ahead a few paragraphs.
Part One - Youth Sports
Folks who have kids getting into sports often ask me what their child should be doing to get prepared for a season in a particular sport, and my first answer is always, "Ask the coach". The reason is that many parents want to help their kids improve, but the way they go about it sometimes conflicts with the coach's desires.
By Sean Golden
January 7th, 2008
LANCASTER - One might think that a seven-month season and a sizeable drive to practices and games might drain a bit of the fun out of playing any sport for a 12-year-old.
Not so, said Jacob Hedley, of Lancaster. "I actually like it when the season's longer, cause it's something to do," Hedley said. Without a rink to call home in Fairfield County, many young hockey players make the trek to play in leagues hosted at ice rinks in Columbus and Newark.
Hedley is a part of the Newark Generals Peewee hockey select team, part of a program run by the Newark Ice Hockey Association. The NIHA runs its activities at the newly renovated Lou & Gib Reese Ice Arena.
The NIHA offers youth hockey leagues for ages 6 to 14 and high school club teams as well as adult hockey leagues, among other programs.
Jeff Hedley, Jacob's father, was part of a group of Lancaster residents who tried to garner the support of the community to build an ice rink in Lancaster last year.
"Your lacrosse stick should become part of your body!"
Youth Lacrosse USA
To become proficient in passing and shooting, the player must be able to propel the ball from the stick with the wrist "snap." Many beginning players pass and shoot with an arm motion, or "push" the ball, which causes the ball to leave the stick on a low trajectory resulting in a low pass or shot. An excellent way to develop the wrist snap is to utilize the wall. Go to a cinderblock or brick wall and stand approximately 3 to 5 yards away. Any wall will work (no windows), but a smooth concrete surface at least 10 feet tall is the best.
You can and will observe daily improvement if proper technique is maintained. Increase the reps as wrists become stronger. Aim for as many reps as possible with desired form, however. This is a lefty-righty work out. Attempt to do as many reps as possible. Remember, your goal is to strengthen the wrists, to become proficient in releasing the ball with the snap of the wrists, to gain hand speed, and to develop a quick release.
The single most effective training technique that was implemented in my game, and the one that I preach first and foremost to my players as a coach, is one of the oldest. “WALL BALL” is the one aspect of training that can help a player develop and be the sure handed ball control player, regardless of position, that every team needs.
By Paul Carcaterra
January 6th, 2004
Paul Carcaterra is widely regarded as one of the top youth lacrosse teachers in the USA. he is a former captain and All-American at Syracuse. He plays for the MLL New Jersey Pride. Carcaterra also is co-director of No Limit Lacrosse Camps (which he co-directs with MLL All-Star John Gagliardi).
As this wonderful sport evolves, both from an equipment and training standpoint, we are all exposed to new ideas about how to become better coaches and players. I have been involved with the sport of lacrosse for 21 years, at the youth/high school (Yorktown), college (Syracuse), international (Team England), and professional levels(NJ Pride). There were many innovative ideas that helped me become a strong player, and now a high school (Fox Lane) coach in Westchester County, NY. However, the single most effective training technique that was implemented in my game, and the one that I preach first and foremost to my players as a coach, is one of the oldest. “WALL BALL” is the one aspect of training that can help a player develop and be the sure handed ball control player, regardless of position, that every team needs.
13-year-old's invention allows athletes to feel signals from referees
By Staci Hupp
January 7th, 2008
Celia Beron isn't known for compassion on the soccer field. The wily eighth-grader from Richardson has a reputation for steals and blocked kicks, and she has the trophy collection to prove it.
These days, she's capturing attention for a major assist to other athletes, but she didn't use her legs. She used her heart.
Celia, 13, invented Ref for the Deaf, a special bracelet that vibrates for deaf players who can't hear the sound of a referee's whistle or starter gun.
With some help from Celia's father and two graduate students from the University of Texas at Dallas, a good idea from a skinny girl with braces has the makings of a great product. Supporters see a demand from elementary school gymnasiums to the Special Olympics and beyond.
By Effie Dawson
January 9th, 2008
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - In some parents’ perfect world, every youngster on an athletic team would be a contributor. Each would enjoy comparable playing time, share the limelight, advance individual skills and have a role in the team’s success.
And nobody would ever quit a team.
We don’t live in that world, of course. And so quitting has become a familiar part of the athletic experience.
For parents who have long waved the “I didn’t raise a quitter” banner, this is a tough course to maneuver. But it’s not automatically the wrong decision. In many cases, quitting is an appropriate answer for a child involved in an uncomfortable sports situation. Some coaches —intentionally or not — count on some players quitting. They choose not to cut the players who don’t end up on the field. A small number of coaches may misevaluate a player during tryouts. But in far more instances, coaches thought they were being kind by rostering a player who doesn’t belong
By Kurt Snyder
January 19th, 2008
NEWARK -- Lonnie Hill's main concern for the Granville sixth-grade boys basketball team is the future Blue Aces are ready for the middle school level next year.
Winning games and tournaments is just a nice side benefit. Granville beat Newark by a close margin twice last weekend to win Ohio Youth Basketball's Newark Winter Classic at Jimmy Allen Gymnasium. "This gets the kids exposed to different styles," said Hill, whose son, Brock, plays on the team. "(These kids) are buddies, and they have played together for a couple of years. They end up knowing each other's strengths and weaknesses and play off that." Granville's entry in the fourth-grade tournament placed second. Licking Valley finished second in the fifth-grade tournament after losing a two-point game to the Dublin Celtics in the finals.
The Three Village Youth Lacrosse League is putting AEDs on the sideline
This article appears in Volume 12, Issue 2 of Inside Lacrosse Magazine. To buy a copy of this issue
By Dave Vatz
January 22nd, 2008
The movement to place Automatic External Defibrillators on the sideline of lacrosse games continued to grow this past year, this time in Setauket, N.Y. The Three Village Youth Lacrosse League, which runs a clinic starting with kids in kindergarten, recently instituted a new AED program for the upcoming season.
John Petraco, a physician, coach and father of four boys, brought up the program to the board and all agreed it was worthwhile. Thanks to help fundraising from the Louis Acompora Foundation, the league has five AEDs and will be training their coaches how to use them. Some day, the league hopes to have them for every team, and for now, they are developing a system where they will be handed off to get them to as many games as possible.
Press Release
January 22nd, 2008
(January 18, 2008/South Lake Tahoe) Adaptive Action Sports (AAS), a California based non-profit that champions “action sports” as a rehabilitative and social inclusion tool for youth and young adults living with permanent physical disabilities, is proud to announce its presence at the 2008 ESPN Winter X-Games.
In response to an invitation from Team ESPN, AAS will provide a booth at the events and will field three permanently disabled athletes in the games: Zack Brodrick, Bibian Mentel and Thayne Mahler.
Zack will be racing for the second year in the Mono-Ski Cross event at Winter X. Zack was paralyzed at age 16 when an axel fell and crushed him while he was working underneath his truck. When you see him tackling the jumps, berms and speed in the Mono-Cross X, you’ll agree that, though he is confined to a wheelchair, “disabled” is a misnomer for this young man.
Green Bay Press-Gazette
The tongue often is described as the strongest muscle in our bodies. Actually, it consists of sixteen muscles.
Because much of the surface is covered in taste buds, it is the primary organ of taste. With its wide variety of possible movements, the tongue also assists in forming the sounds of speech.
When used properly, the tongue helps us do things like eating and vocalization, but hopefully, not at the same time. It is used to lick ice cream, blow bubbles and whistle.
Injuries to the tongue are painful. Pain caused from the tongue is even worse.
An ancient proverb states the tongue has the power of life and death. In other words, what we say has the power to motivate or destroy, energize or deflate, inspire or create despair.
U.S. Marines in JapanThe program offers a variety of sports throughout the year, including baseball, softball, basketball, cheerleading and soccer. Each sport has a registration period one to two months before the season begins, and seasons usually last about three months.
The Youth Sports basketball season began in December and ends in March.
Each week, several games take place at the Camp Foster Field House, where the basketball program comes to life. Parents pack bleachers, cheerleaders pump up the crowd and coaches yell out plays as the children compete.
Democrat & ChronicleThese parents want to feel safe leaving their children with these people. But their trust has been violated by some.
Earlier this month, a youth softball coach in Livingston County was charged with having inappropriate communications with two female athletes under the age of 13. Last year, an East Rochester gymnastics coach began serving a 16-year prison sentence for enticing a 13-year-old student to commit sexual acts with him in 2005.While these incidents sometimes make parents worry about who is coaching their children, a Democrat and Chronicle review of youth sports found that cases such as these are exceptions. However, the training and certification of these youth sports coaches is varied. The state also has no role in overseeing who is selected as a coach.
The Beacon NewsSitting in the East Aurora gym prior to a Tomcats basketball practice, Mike McCallister said that he thought track would be the sport that his son, Ryan Boatright, would excel in.
As Boatright hit the court and began lofting jump shots, McCallister noted Boatright's family tree of track stars, including current Arkansas All-American and aunt Tominique Boatright.
Also an accomplished junior high running back, the Tomcats' freshman point guard decided against suiting up for the football team this past fall in order to get ready for varsity basketball. But McCallister said if his son wants to return to the gridiron in the future, he's all for it.
Boatright will continue to compete in track however, high jumping, long jumping and running the 400-meter dash for the Tomcats this spring.
The Kansas City StarIt’s been a tough season for the girls basketball team at Don Bosco Charter High School.
How tough? When Don Bosco’s girls score, fans for the other team cheer.
They’ve been pummeled every game this season. The closest was a 42-point loss. Hickman Mills beat them by 120. Through five games, the composite score for the year: 394-17.
Whuppings like that would make a lot of players run for the bus — at halftime. But these Don Bosco girls have guts. They come to play. They know what’s likely to happen, and they show up anyway.
They know they are different from other schools and other teams. The players attend Kansas City’s only charter alternative high school for a variety of disciplinary reasons. Some also live on their own. There are mothers on the team. They work jobs.By ROBBYN MITCHELL, Times Staff Writer
Published January 19, 2008
TEMPLE TERRACE -- A longtime youth football coach has stepped down at the end of a season marked by allegations that he promoted racist behavior on his practice field.
News of Ken Wing's retirement was posted this week on the Web site of the Temple Terrace Youth Sports Association, where Wing, 55, coached for 27 years.
Wing, a criminal lawyer, led his Wildcats to 263 wins and two championships. He served six times as president for the West Coast Youth Football Conference, the league's governing body.
Yet in his final season, a group of parents led a petition drive against him, saying he organized a foot race that pit black players against white players. They also accused him of joining a player in a chant of "white power."
Wing says a few parents blew the situation out of proportion, and parents loyal to him agree. He said he matched players against one another according to speed, not race; and when the white player yelled "white power," he disciplined the youth accordingly.
"That was the end of it," he said. "We talked to the boy involved and it was not racially motivated. ... In 27 years, I've never had a complaint like this."
The allegations surprised longtime league supporter Mike Hanson, who estimated Young's teams are 90 percent black. "I've known Ken since 1974, and he's not that kind of guy," he said.
Parent Jon Glass said many on the team were not even consulted. "It would be a shame for this man's 27-year career to be damaged by the false allegations of a few parents," he said.
While Wing described his retirement as a natural end to a long career, others believe the allegations played a part.
"They were absolutely a sore spot for him," football director Eric Jasinski said. "He expressed that he didn't like being accused of something racial."
Parents Amy Kelly, Tammy Hawthorne and Melanee Holder campaigned to oust Wing, with letters and phone calls in addition to the petition. Kelly is white; Hawthorne and Holder are black.
Holder said she saw Wing line two boys up to run a race -- between the races.
"He lined them up one black, one white and then said, 'Who would you put your money on?'" Then he gestured that he would bet on the black player, she said.
"These boys have enough people trying to pit them against one another," Holder said. "The last thing they need is the coach dividing the team."
After the race, Hawthorne said a white player ran past Wing pumping his fist and yelling, "White power!" To her amazement, she said, Wing returned the gesture to the student.
Jasinski said he is certain Hawthorne heard the boy correctly, but thinks Wing's action may have been misinterpreted.
"He has a severe hearing problem," Jasinski said. "So I doubt he heard what the boy was saying."
But Hawthorne said Wing repeated the phrase to the child.
By John PerezSaipan Tribune
Newly crowned Princess of the Lanes winner Jamie Vales hopes to follow in the footsteps of older sister Jerrie.
Jerrie, who is a former CNMI National Bowling Team member and a consistent fixture in women's bowling events on Saipan, is currently in her freshman year at the University of Guam where she is taking nursing.
Though she believes she has bigger shoes to fill, the younger Vales said she will take it slowly. “Following my sister's footsteps is always a challenge. Hopefully I will be as successful as her in the sport and win more titles in the future.”
The 16-year-old Jamie, who will turn 17 on March 17, began her quest of accomplishing her sister's past triumphs by emerging on top of a boys-dominated Prince/Princess of the Lanes.
Jamie said advancing into the stepladder finals was somewhat a challenge and surprise for her since she is expected to go up against two bowlers who are knocking down an average score like the one's in the King of the Lanes.
Gordon Miller
January 17th, 2008
Potomac Soccerwire
Reprinted with permission by VYSA Touchline
Some parents believe that their child must play on a winning team in division 1, all the time, to guarantee automatic success in later years. It does not. They believe that if their coach isn’t winning the overwhelming majority of games, they need to move their child to a “successful” program with a “winning” coach. Some feel that even if their child isn’t getting quality playing time, being on a winning team is what is really important. These parents are doing a great disservice to their children.
There are more than enough studies that point to the fact that the No. 1 reason why kids drop out of youth sports is there was too much pressure to win. Winning and pressure are not necessarily bad things, as they force players to compete, battle and develop a fighting spirit. These are all important ingredients that are necessary for success. However, the long-term development of the child is what’s important here. And, if the emphasis on winning takes priority, then player growth takes a back seat. The pressure to get a result should be layered in over time and incorporated into a positive training and game environment in order to be fully maximized.
By Scott Oaks
January 18th, 2008
Noblesville Daily Times
Youth sports are such a vital role in every community across this country. I have coached the past several years and get plenty of feedback from my parents, as well as being an observer of the leagues and other coaches. It has been sad lately to watch the news and see the horrific events that have taken place.
The key to successful coaching of children - whether by parents or professionals - is to tackle each phase of development differently, according to its context. We would all like our children to be Olympic champions, but the worst thing you can do is pressure your children with your own dream of glory and then blame them for not realizing it. At each stage in life, the developing boy and girl have their own reasons for getting involved in sport. It may be a desire for approval, or a wish to make a mark in his or her peer group. More likely, it comes from discovering an aptitude for the sport, which brings a modicum of success. Self-esteem feeds on achievement, and sport at club level is an excellent way of doling out spoonfuls of achievement on a regular basis.
By Sue Ann Carpenter
January 14th, 2008
Highlands Today
LAKE PLACID — John Komasa likes to scuba dive, ride a bike, read and just get out and take walks.
Although an accountant by trade, he seems like a natural for a recreation director, and that's what he became a year and a half ago when he headed Lake Placid's parks and recreation department.
"I'm not in as good as shape as I used to be, and I took this job to get from behind the desk," he said.
Komasa's new job is not just a way for him to be more physically fit. He's also supervising some ambitious recreation projects for the town, but one venture that Komasa feels really made a difference is the new Miracle League.
The League is for those with a physical or cognitive disability that prevents them from participating in mainstream sports. It just finished its first season, attracting 70 male and female athletes from ages 3 to 68 from seven counties.
By Ford TurnerBack in 2000, their son, Collin, said, "I want to play hockey."
Seven years later, Collin Bradley is 11 and plays 50 hockey games a season. His parents, who live in Middlesex Twp., volunteer many hours helping Collin's team. Registration fees run $1,200 a season, equipment is extra, and the gas to get the family's SUV to all the out-of-state tournaments costs hundreds of dollars.
They never expected to be hockey parents. Bob Bradley had never even worn skates.But the fun and excitement make up for the stress, time and money.
"He's doing well. Otherwise we wouldn't be going through all this," Bob Bradley said of Collin.
Liberty Union Youth Basketball Association tailors rules to ensure competitivenessBALTIMORE - The feeling when a basketball game comes down to the final minutes is an exhilarating one.
For Liberty Union Middle School's fifth- and sixth-grade boys, their recreational league gives them that feeling almost every week.
In reality, the league was engineered to have the best competition possible.
In October, more than a month before the season began, the LUYBBA had a practice that was an evaluation of sorts. Among those evaluating and teaching the young players were Liberty Union High School's boys' basketball coaches.
Following the disputed outcome of the presidential election held on the 27 December 2007, Kenya has been beset by a rash of violence along political, tribal and ethnic lines. Sport too has been a victim, though once the violence recedes, it is hoped that sport will be able to play a major role in reunifying the nation.After the controversial elections, described by international observers as flawed, opposition leader Raila Odinga called for president Mwai Kibaki to step down. Unfortunately, the political fallout has escalated into violence, with over 600 deaths reported so far according to reports by the BBC and Reuters
Amidst the turmoil, the Kenyan athletics community is rallying around to help alleviate the suffering of individuals caught up in the violence as well as publicising their plight and calling for a restoration of peace.
Athletics Kenya will also organise a peace run in February to promote peaceful co-existence among different communities in Kenya. The run will start in Nairobi and end in Kisumu on the shore of Lake Victoria.
By Patrick Brettingen
Staff
Press ReleaseLevel 2 Sports has announced the details of the 2008 adidas National Lacrosse Classic. adidas Lacrosse is the title sponsor and event partner which will feature the Top 500 high school underclassmen players in the United States.
Open to 9th, 10th and 11th grade boys, the adidas National Lacrosse Classic provides an opportunity for players to test their skills against the 'best of the best' competing for a roster spot on their Regional Team. The adidas Event Advisory Board has established 8 regions in the Nation. Each region will have a select number of teams based upon 2006 high school participation rates. A total of 20 teams will play in the grand finals, July 18-20, 2008 at the Discovery Sports Complex in Maryland as a showcase for college coaches and scouts. In addition, the winning team of the adidas National Lacrosse Classic will represent the United States against Canada for the Brogden Cup in December 2008.
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- It's happened again. A teacher is accused of having sex with a student and, like many times before, cell phone calls and texting reportedly had a role in sexually abusing a minor.
The same cell phones that parents buy as safety devices for their children are the gadgets that pedophiles and predators use to prep kids for sexual encounters, experts and police say.
The latest case is out of Pennsylvania. Police say a 26-year-old P.E. teacher admitted to having sex with a 14-year-old student in the school's parking lot.
Detectives from the Moon Township Police Department said they found nude pictures of Beth Ann Chester on the teen's cell phone along with text messages.
Chester faces 14 charges, including three counts of sexual abuse of a child and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. 
Watch police describe how Chester explained the relationship »
Robert Del Greco, Chester's attorney, declined CNN's request for a comment. His client has a preliminary hearing on January 22.
Before cell phones, laptops and Sidekicks -- a BlackBerry-like device for the younger, hipper crowd -- someone might have noticed that a teacher was "grooming" a child, or being way too attentive, too often.
Not anymore.
Now, teachers have weeks, months and years to secretly undermine a child's parents and get a student to go along with sexual contact.
By Randy Griffith
January 11th, 2008
A team of lanky 13-year-olds trails Coach Mike Del Valle into a hallway outside a Canisius College gymnasium.
“You played hard. You never quit. You can be proud,” Del Valle assures the Niagara Rapids girls. Their defeat – to the powerhouse Blessed Sacrament Yellow Jackets of Hamilton, Ontario – came in the opening round of an Amateur Athletic Union super-regional basketball tournament in Buffalo, N.Y.
Del Valle asks his players to stretch, as he draws upon experience and knowledge that tell him conditioning after a game prevents sprains and joint problems in growing muscles.
Del Valle, who has coached youth sports for 40 years, has more training than most of his peers. While AAU has no specific training requirements for coaches, he also is head coach of the North High School Lady Spartans in Williamsville, N.Y. As a scholastic coach in New York, he must complete some of the most rigorous certification requirements in the the country for coaches.
By Deanna Rose
January 13th, 2008
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The 12-year-old plays for the Sterling Heights Challengers, a basketball team that gives an opportunity to youth who can’t play the sport on a regular team because they have disabilities.
On Oct. 25, 2000, Cooper was in a car accident that rendered him unable to use his legs due to a spinal cord injury.
“When he came to this team, he was so depressed,” said his mother, Lashanda Cooper. “I can tell it makes a difference.”
For Diane Thornwell, the Challengers were also welcome find. Her 13-year-old twins Myron and Byron Hill were born with cerebral palsy, confining them to wheelchairs. As a result, the teenagers didn’t have many opportunities to become involved in sports.
Geri-Anne Zubich was born a hockey player.
The Hibbing, Minn., native hoped her children would play the game, too. But that seemed unlikely after her son, Wyatt, was born having seizures.
When he was 6 months old, the doctors said Wyatt would never walk or talk.
"Every dream I had was taken away," said Zubich, 40, of Golden Valley.
Then she learned about sled hockey - a sport nearly identical to hockey except the participants compete on sleds and are pushed or use two shortened sticks to propel themselves on the ice and to score. Zubich knew the sport would be perfect for her son.
Two years ago, she formed the Minnesota Sled Hockey Association for children and adults with disabilities. The nonprofit has attracted almost 50 adults and children from across the state. Every Sunday, the teams take to the ice in Richfield.
One player is 8-year-old Wyatt.
January 9th, 2008
An international gathering of sport scientists is set to meet at ASPIRE Academy for Sports Excellence in Doha next week in order to discuss updated research findings on new approaches, training methods and technologies to nurture sporting talents and to attain peak performance.
The conference - New Approaches for Advancement in Elite Sports – will bring together outstanding experts from around the world to Qatar to exchange ideas and discuss key issues related to youth development in elite sport.
Set to attract delegates from over 80 countries, the event will welcome VIP guests including Luiz Felipe Scolari, former Brazil and current Portugal national team coach, as well as Roger Milla, named as one of the 125 greatest living football players
By Amy van Aarem
Kerin Donnelly of Weymouth was sore the next morning from "snowboarding" for two hours - indoors.
It may not win any fresh air awards, but "exergaming" is a way to mobilize couch-prone video-game players. And with Massachusetts determined to trim its 16 percent adolescent obesity rate, any movement may help.
At a new "interactive fitness arcade" at the Weymouth Club, kids exergame full throttle. From scaling rock walls to gliding through an on-screen half pipe on a snowboard, they boost their heart rates and break a sweat in the virtual world.
By Dennis Semrau
January 10th, 2008
Another winter youth basketball season tipped off last weekend as area boys and girls programs ranging from kindergarten through eighth grade levels took over every available gym space.
As an area youth coach and program coordinator, I was again reminded that the kids are often fine. But it is the adults who have to be reminded to play nice.
That is why many programs require parents to sign sportsmanship agreements.
What have we come to you may ask?
Last Saturday and Sunday served as a reminder of the good and bad side of youth sports, which certainly have changed a lot since I was first introduced to Dr. Naismith's invention.
By Tom Kuyper
January 2nd, 2008
Courier NewsSince this is the season for giving, what would be the perfect gift that a coach could give his baseball team?
New gloves for everyone? New uniforms? Discounted team shoes? A Christmas party at his home with lots of festive nights and burgers on the grill? Or even springing for arcade tokens at a pizza place?
OK, we all know there are more important gifts than what can be bought, like: The league championship, or free private lessons for a guaranteed improvement in your batting average … Whoops! This is youth sports, where none of those things should be a priority. So let's stick with this gift list:
*** Learn better sportsmanship.
*** Learn how to play as a team.
*** Learn to honor and respect officials.
Here's the coach with the best gift. His gift was Samantha West. A girl on a boys' baseball team? That isn't even the half of it. How about a girl with Down syndrome? What coach would let a girl with Down syndrome play on the boys' team? There goes the state title!
By Jim Higgins
January 1st, 2008
Times Argus
Although I don't typically burp out New Year's resolutions on annual cue, preferring rather to proclaim "intentions" at pivotal moments throughout the year, I am going to vary the script this New Year's Day.
I hereby resolve, in future columns, to stick to the following mantra for the coming year: "Honor the Game."
Here are three ways among many that I will measure the success of this campaign: one, gymnasiums and field houses throughout central Vermont will display "Honor the Game" banners; two, by the end of the year at least one local team will win a state championship AND the Sportsmanship trophy; and three, the number of player and fan ejections from sporting contests will be reduced to a mere handful
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