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March 10, 2010 

NEW ORLEANS, LA--Throwing arm injuries are on the rise in Little League and other youth baseball programs. After these injuries occur, many players are out for the season; others require surgery and must refrain from play for an even longer duration; still others sustain injuries so severe that they cause permanent damage and are unable to continue playing baseball.

Three new studies presented today at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) address this critical issue, each offering new solutions to help prevent these injuries.

Five-minute stretch after play can help young players avoid throwing-arm pain.

Pitchers and catchers under the age of 15 often experience tightness of a shoulder ligament known as the posterior-inferior glenohumeral ligament. If this ligament is not stretched, it will become increasingly tighter and more prone to pain or injury as the player ages, if that player continues to play baseball.

A study of 1,267 youth baseball players, led by Charles Metzger, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in upper extremities in Houston, Texas, found that a simple stretch known as the posterior capsular stretch can help.

Concussion Facts from the Sport Concussion Institute:

SYRACUSE, NY - November 10, 2009

The Syracuse Department of Parks and Recreation became the latest sports organization to use the SUNY Youth Sports Institute's coaching education program, Youth Sports NY for its youth basketball coaches.

When asked about why he wanted Youth Sports NY to train Syracuse's coaches, Commissioner Pat Driscoll said, "The [Youth Sports NY] training program actually puts into perspective that coaches need to remember that they are coaching kids.  These kids are at an age where they are most impressionable and coaches need to be better mentors outside of sports." 

Commissioner Driscoll also noted that the Youth Sports NY training program helps to re-define winning while teaching coaches to infuse the lessons children learn from unsupervised play into their organized practices and games. This helps all participants to have a fond memory of playing youth sports. 
After attending the recent training, Driscoll stated that he felt that the Youth Sports NY training program was extremely useful for his basketball coaches. Driscoll is planning to have a training for his District 8 Little League coaches who use City facilities in the spring. 

If you or your organization would like to have your coaches trained like the Syracuse Department of Parks and Recreation, then please contact the SUNY Youth Sports Institute by phone at 877-828-8811 or by email at info@youthsportsny.org.  For information on a training in your area, please contact the Continuing Education Department of your nearest SUNY Community College

by Julie Percha

ABC News

March 05, 2010

Michelle Obama today took her anti-obesity campaign to the soccer field, making an appearance at a free youth soccer clinic in Washington, D.C.

As part of her "Let's Move!" initiative launched last month - which promotes healthy eating and increased physical activity among the nation's youth - she visited with about 60 young players as they took part in a U.S. Soccer Foundation clinic led by members of the Major League Soccer team D.C. United.

She spoke briefly to the young athletes, highlighting the importance of combining proper nutrition - both at school and at home - with regular exercise.

"You know, you've got to move," she told the players. "You've got to exercise ... and soccer is one of my favorite ways of doing it." 

by Scott McLaughlin

New England Sports Network

February 26, 2010

The family of the late Mosi Tatupu and USA Football have teamed up to create the Mosi Tatupu Memorial Fund in honor of the former Patriots running back and special teamer who died Tuesday.

The fund will aid USA Football's continuing efforts to strengthen American Samoa's youth football program, which played its first season in 2009. Donations will be used for everything from buying new equipment to educating the league's volunteer coaches.

by Indianapolis Colts Staff

colts.com

March 2, 2010

Colts and USA Football partner to further strengthen Indiana youth football

INDIANAPOLIS - The Colts showed their continued support for youth football by hosting USA Football's Indiana State Leadership Forum at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center on Feb. 20. USA Football is the sport's national governing body on youth and amateur levels and is the Colts' official youth football development partner.

Thirty-six youth football leaders consisting of commissioners, presidents and board members from across the state gathered at the Colts' practice facility to learn more about USA Football's resources and how the Colts and USA Football can strengthen their organizations. Leading the forum was Scott LeVeque, USA Football's Great Lakes Regional Manager.

"Any time you can get together and learn how others run their organizations, it is really beneficial to your own league," said Donna Miller, executive director of the Kokomo (Ind.) Police Athletic Activities League, who attended her third Indiana forum. "In the end, it is all about the kids and USA Football does a great job of allowing everybody to gain insight on what is happening around the leagues so the kids can have a great experience.

by Tom Davis

Fort Wayne News-Sentinel

March 1, 2010

Without a doubt, many people throughout Fort Wayne were in front of their TVs Sunday afternoon, enthralled by the incredible excitement that was unfolding at the Canada Hockey Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. Fort Wayne residents can certainly appreciate a scrappy group of American youngsters shocking the world by nearly knocking off the most talented hockey team on earth.

The fact that the U.S. men's hockey squad eventually lost 3-2 in overtime in the gold-medal game of the 2010 Winter Olympics does not diminish what this group accomplished over the past two weeks.

People in Fort Wayne understand the magnitude of what America just witnessed - because they understand hockey, and they understand how the sport is quickly evolving throughout the country.

Fort Wayne has few peers in this state when it comes to lacing on a pair and having at it on the ice. The people here appreciate - even embrace - the mental, physical and even financial demands that hockey requires of its athletes, families and coaches. However, the cities of Fishers, Zionsville, Carmel, South Bend and those in "the Region" also are developing youth hockey programs that rival Fort Wayne's.

That interest at the grass-roots level is exactly why the U.S. team was able to take Canada to the extreme Sunday.

by Steve Reilly

Sayre Morning Times

March 1, 2010

WAVLERLY, PA -- The crisp sounds of clanking pins and shuttling balls are certainly nothing new to the Valley Bowling Center's weekend atmosphere.

But these familiar noises took on a new significance Saturday, when an estimated 50 bowlers braved the stormy weather to attend Bowl for Kids' Sake, the signature annual fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bradford County.

"We're really proud of the effort and the turnout that we got today," said David Brann, a board member for the organization. "With the weather and everything, this is about as good as we could hope for. This is a big fundraiser for us."

According to event chairman Neil Donahue, Bowl for Kids' Sake is a fundraiser that Big Brothers Big Sisters chapters across the nation hold every year, raising much-needed donations for the country's most prominent youth development program.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is known for pairing area youth with older mentors, but the Bradford County chapter also facilitates a "Big Buddies" program that pairs high school with elementary students, as well as a monthly program for so-called "Little Buddies" who are still on the waiting list to receive a mentor.

Saturday's event raised money that will help support all three of these programs over the coming months.

by Kathleen Burge

Boston Globe

February 25, 2010

At the John A. Ryan Skating Arena in Watertown last Friday night, the air was loud with the sounds of coaches shouting, skates shaving ice, and pucks thunking against the boards.

The few dozen skaters, nearly unrecognizable in cage helmets and bulky padding, are the smallest of hockey players. Some learned to walk only a few years ago.

"You got it!'' yelled Bill Kelly, one of the coaches, as a player lobbed the puck in the general direction of the net. "Nice job. Next!''

In some hockey programs, these young skaters would already be playing on the full length of ice, 200 feet long, the same as TD Garden, home to the NHL's Boston Bruins. The littlest players might have dozens of games each season - stretching through much of the year - and spend hours traveling to their opponents' rinks. In warmer months, their parents might spend hundreds of dollars for hockey camps.

But the youngest players at Watertown are on the front lines of a new philosophy of how best to teach hockey: Ease up a bit.

by Jim Mann

Daily Inter Lake

February 25, 2010

KALISPELL, MT -- Mitch Gilman, a skiing wunderkind from Whitefish recently named as one of the top 20 youth skiers in the world, took first place in the 12- to 15-year-old division of an extreme skiing event in Crested Butte, Colo.

The U.S. Extreme Skiing Championships at Crested Butte last represented the first "big mountain" competition this year for Gilman, who is 13 years old and weighs just 100 pounds.

The event puts skiers on a selected mountain face, leaving them free to pick a line of descent that is scored by judges for difficulty, control, fluidity, technique and aggression.

"There's always a number of ways to get down, but in order to get a good score you need to take the harder lines," explained his father, Jeff, who lives in Whitefish.

Gilman did two runs, one on a slope called Little Hourglass that required a 15- to 20-foot cliff drop. That run put him in first place in the 12- to 15-year-old division. The only skier to post a higher score out of 60 competitors was a 17-year-old.

"He took a very aggressive line in both of his runs," Jeff Gilman said.

Gilman lives with his uncle in Colorado, where he attends the Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy, and trains and competes with Ski and Snowboard Club Vail.

by Craig S. Semon

Worcester Telegram & Gazette

February 26, 2010

SOUTHBRIDGE,MA --  Parents of players in the Tri-Community YMCA youth basketball league for Grades 5 and up will not be allowed in the gymnasium for the final games tomorrow. The reason is the flagrant fouls of a few unruly parents. 

An e-mail sent out to the parents cites "unsportsmanlike behavior from some parents" during the last couple of weeks. 

The e-mail says a few people have become "belligerent" in the stands, even after being spoken to, and have been "setting a bad example for children." 

"All must know that this is inappropriate behavior that will not be tolerated." 

YMCA Director Edward Keefe and YMCA Recreation Director Susan Casine agree it was a very tough decision to make. 

"There was a lot of discussion. We didn't make the decision lightly," Mr. Keefe said. "This is the last game. This is the last week. We want the kids to have fun, have a positive experience and close out the season on a positive high. 

"We don't want to affect the parents who go to every game and behave themselves and cheer on their kids," Ms. Casine said. "But we need to make sure that unsportsmanlike behavior from parents doesn't get out of hand." 

Ms. Casine said a few unruly parents have been yelling at the referees and at one another during the games. The children know the disruptions were happening and the referees were dealing with it the best they could, she said. However, she said, the culprits are not yelling profanities or threats and police have not been called in. 

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

February 26, 2010

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) SportsUnited office has partnered with Major League Baseball (MLB) to bring a group of young baseball players from Ecuador to Arizona to experience the shared love of baseball between the United States and Ecuador. 

The delegation of twelve boys and girls, ages 13-15, and two coaches will attend MLB's Cactus League in Phoenix, February 26 - March 7, 2010. The visitors will get an inside look at Spring Training including in-depth tours of various stadiums and their training facilities. MLB will host the group at Spring Training games between the San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners; and, the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers. 

The group's itinerary will also include baseball practice and clinics with Little League in Chandler, a disability program with Special Olympics, and baseball and softball skills training at local high schools and colleges.

by Anthony Lawson

North Jersey

February 5, 2010

They slashed across the ice of Skylands Ice World as if they were in a hurry to prove something. They were members of a new group called EveryBODY Skates New Jersey (ESNJ), and they were on a mission. A three day tour of all 54 of New Jersey's Ice Rinks was organized by brothers Andrew and Jon Schwartz. They had only 54 hours to visit all 54 rinks and their teams were selected for their special ability to get the job done. So during a national promotion called "Hockey Weekend Across America", the ESNJ decided it was the perfect time for their own 54 in 54 awareness campaign.

Andrew Schwartz, speaking at Stockholm's Skyland Ice World said, "We are making this effort to raise awareness and influence local ice rinks to allocate just one hour of ice time per week, in season, to disabled hockey."

Each of his team members have a disability and love the sport of Hockey.

"My brother and I have been involved in organized Hockey since we were kids", Schwartz said. "We grew up in the sport, from players to coaching. We were at a point in our lives where we were looking for a way to give back, and Hockey seemed like a natural way for us to do it."

Last summer they organized EveryBODY Skates New Jersey for the sole purpose of giving disabled residents of New Jersey a Hockey outlet.

by Joe Sunnen

The Bellingham Herald

February 24, 2010

VANCOUVER B.C. - With the U.S. women's hockey team set to play for a gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the U.S. men's hockey team coming off its biggest upset in years with its win over Canada, the sport seems to be alive and well in America.

In Whatcom County, however, that's not the case. Despite enjoying a proximity to Canada and its hockey riches that few states in the U.S. can boast, youth hockey is not only falling off in popularity at all levels, but struggling to stay afloat.

"I think there's a lot of interest around here, but there just aren't that many opportunities," said Dave Parker, whose daughter Catelyn Parker plays for the Washington Wild, a women's hockey team based in Bellingham. "I think that's especially true for girls, but probably the boys as well. It can get pretty expensive as you move on to each level, and it's always competing with soccer for players."

Parker should know. His daughter has been playing hockey in and around Whatcom County for the past decade.

by PR Staff

Thunder News

February 23, 2010

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - The Oklahoma City Thunder today announced expansion of Thunder Youth Basketball, a co-ed program for children to develop basketball skills through clinics, camps, leagues and training. The Thunder Youth Basketball Spring Break Camp is scheduled for March 15 through 19 and is now open for registration, to children ages 5 to 12, at thunder.nba.com. Additional programs are scheduled for the summer. Thunder Season Ticket Members and members of the Thunder Kids Club receive a 20 percent discount off of registration. 

"These programs will offer a premier Thunder setting for our young fans to develop basketball skills and have a lot of fun in the process," said Dan Mahoney, Vice President of Corporate Communications and Community Relations. "We will focus on the fundamentals but also help them develop the concepts of teamwork and sportsmanship." 

In addition, the Thunder announced its partnership with the National Basketball Academy, a professional basketball training organization, which coordinates youth basketball operations for seven other NBA teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic. Working in conjunction with the Thunder, the Academy will be responsible for programming, staffing and executing all Thunder Youth Basketball activities. 

by Bob Frantz 

San Francisco Examiner

February 22, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO -- Jaret Frantz will soon be staring in the face of a major life decision.

He leads his league in touchdown passes by a wide margin, and as a dual-threat QB, pulls away from defenders as he streaks down the field on long TD runs, usually leaving defenders grasping at air.

On the diamond, he has a fastball that most hitters can't catch up to, and at the plate the ball leaps off his bat as if it were spring-loaded.

When he's indoors, he's either calling out "The King!" as he drains jump shots, in deference to the "23" on his LeBron James jersey, or he's looking down with disdain at another vanquished opponent after a karate or jujitsu victory.

So what's the big dilemma, you ask? The fact that he's only got a few years left before he has to pick a sport and stick with it, of course.

That's what all the other dads I know are telling me -- that for our boys to ever have a shot at becoming a scholarship athlete, they need to make their choice while they're young and commit themselves to it.

All of which makes me ask one question: What on Earth are we doing to our kids?

When the story broke earlier this month about David Sills, the 13-year-old seventh-grade quarterback from Delaware who gave his verbal "commitment" to accept a forthcoming scholarship offer from Lane Kiffin at USC, jaws hit the ground from coast to coast. Mine stayed firm. But my shoulders shrugged in a deep and defeated way. I knew this kind of thing was coming, and I fear worse is on the way.

The blame certainly lies not with the kids, who will generally do whatever they're told, particularly if they're good at something.

by Don Bolding

Killeen Daily Herald

February 22, 2010

Skyline Baptist Church in Killeen is hosting a children's basketball tournament during which every player gets an award after eight weeks of playing and learning about the game. But their real prize is supposed to be how to think and live more like a Christian.

This is the church's third year to host Upward Basketball, open to anyone in the city regardless of religion. Upward commissioner David McGinnis, the local program's volunteer director, said participation has grown from about 60 the first year to 70 the second to more than 90 this year.

"We have a lot of Skyline kids, but most of the players and their parents are from elsewhere in the community," he said.

The players, from kindergarten to sixth grade, also have three cheerleading squads made up of children the same ages. Cheerleading director Kimberley Bridenstine and her family, members of First Baptist Church, have one boy playing basketball and a girl cheerleading.

by Dave Parfitt

DIS Unplugged

February 22, 2010

Disney is putting the finishing touches on their Wide World of Sports Complex; "re-branding" the facility the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (ESPN WWoS) in a push to make the venue one of the premier destinations for amateur and youth sports in the country.   On Thursday, February 25, 2010, a red-carpet opening ceremony with over 500 professional athletes, ESPN personalities, and invited guests will be held to kick off Disney's annual sports-themed fan-fest, ESPN: The Weekend.

Disney's Wide World of Sports opened in 1997, annually staging over 200 events in 60 different sports from baseball, basketball, and football; to cheerleading, dance, and gymnastics; to canine agility, jump rope, and surfing.  Athletes from more than 70 different countries compete in the pinnacle of their sports including championships in youth football (Pop Warner Super Bowl), youth cheer and dance (Pop Warner National Championship), and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) National Championships in youth baseball, basketball, cross country, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling to name but a few.  In addition to amateur and youth sports, a few professional events are also held at the complex such as spring training for Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves (beginning in March 2010) and a tour stop of the Professional Golf Association with the Children's Miracle Network Classic (November 2010).

by Hiran Ratnayake

The Delaware News Journal

February 19, 2010

Just after halftime of Indian River's football game with Woodbridge, Tim Bokinsky lined up on offense.

The ball was snapped and the all-conference wide receiver bolted across the line of scrimmage and directly into a "substantially bigger" defender from Woodbridge, hitting him with his helmet.

"I remember hitting him and blacking out, but I never fell to the ground," the 17-year-old junior said. "I know I got really dizzy and had a really bad headache and going behind the huddle and bending over because it was such an awful hit. But I didn't leave the game."

He doesn't remember much else about the Oct. 2 game.

"There was one play where he didn't really even know where he was supposed to be. He was looking around dazed and confused," said teammate Timothy Wood, 17, a senior wide receiver. "Another time during the game, we were getting ready to go out on defense and he looked at me with this glazed look in his eyes and said, 'We're on defense?' "

Wood said he then made sure Bokinsky got off the field. Bokinsky was later diagnosed with a concussion and didn't return to the field for a week.

Had he remained and sustained another bone-jarring hit, Bokinsky could have suffered serious brain damage and possibly died.

The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association bars concussed student-athletes from returning to action without medical clearance. The rule is intended to protect them from a dangerous problem known as second impact syndrome, which can kill or disable.

But concussions aren't like other injuries where victims are noticeably hurt and often unable to get off the field -- or even stand up -- on their own. In many cases, a concussion is not easily and immediately identifiable and it can occur without a victim ever losing consciousness. Players also don't have to be in a competition to suffer a concussion. They also occur in practices, out of view of athletic trainers who can't be on the sidelines at every practice for every sport.

by AP / Reuters

Cowes Online UK

February 18, 2010

The International Olympic Committee has elected Nanjing, People's Republic of China, as the host city of the second Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2014

 

Nanjing received 47 votes to edge out runner-up Poznan, Poland, which received 42 votes, during the 122nd International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Vancouver, Canada.

"We had two outstanding candidatures from two fantastic cities. Both expressed the spirit of the Youth Olympic Games and both were capable of staging the event," said IOC President Jacques Rogge. "We are looking forward to working with Nanjing, and are confident the Youth Olympic Games in 2014 will be a success."

Some 3,600 athletes ranging in ages from 15 to 18 are expected to compete at the second Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014, which will feature competitions in 26 sports.

President Rogge will soon establish a Coordination Commission to assist Nanjing throughout its preparation period. "The preparation period for the second summer edition of the Youth Olympic Games will take four-and-a-half years, which will allow Nanjing to match both the expectations of the IOC and the athletes in producing a programme of sport, culture and education that is of the very highest standard," Rogge added.

The Youth Olympic Games are the culmination of the IOC's determination to reach out to young people. Far more than merely being about competition, the Games are also a platform on which young people can learn about the Olympic values and the benefits of sport, while sharing their experiences with people from around the globe.