The Travis Roy presentation has been rescheduled to March 29th at 5pm in the Moakley Auditorium. Like I said, before, a truely inspiring person to hear.

Travis Roy to speak at BSC

"Some challenges we choose, while other challenges choose us. The question is whether or not we conquer the challenges life presents us or do we surrender to them." -Travis Roy

As many of you may or may not be aware, but just a few weeks ago a young man from Norwood was paralyzed doing what he loved- playing hockey. This is something that is near and dear to me as many of you may not be aware of but I worked closely with the Travis Roy Foundation and the Shepherd Center of Atlanta Georgia rehabilitating patients with spinal cord injuries and it is a true passion of mine.

Travis Roy is one of the inspirational people that I met through this work and will always be someone who truely is an inspiration and mentor to me. Travis was a stand out hockey player who in his first 11 seconds of his first shift in his freshman year playing hockey at BU sustained a C4 spinal cord injury which has left him paralyzed from the neck down with some movement in his arms. Not only has Travis overcome tremendous obstacles in his life that were dealt to him, he helps others through his foundation the Travis Roy Foundation and through his motivational speaking.

This Tuesday March 23 at 5pm, Travis will be here at BSC speaking. If you have never seen Travis speak, or even if you have, I encourage you to go to the lecture about disabilities and leadership. I also encourage you to take a look at this video and also follow Matt Brown's story at http://www.mattbrownnumber3.org

Wonder how people with disabilities play hockey, ski, curling..... check this out!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZosplQJbvY&feature=related

Athletic Management magazine put out this article, interesting read. What are your thoughts on this for a high school team? What about the instructional level, collegiate or even professional?

Blowout Sparks Fight, Controversy
By Mike Phelps

The fact that Yates High School of Houston defeated cross-town rival Lee High School in boys' basketball action Tuesday night shouldn't come as any surprise. After all, Yates is the defending 4A state champion and is ranked number one in the country by Rivals.com, while Lee left Tuesday's game with a 1-12 record. The surprising part is the final score: Yates 170, Lee 35, and the on-court fight that ensued. The game's aftermath has raised questions about sportsmanship and coaching ethics.

The margin of victory sparked a fiery controversy as pundits from across Texas and the rest of the country weighed in. Yates set a single-game state scoring record in the win, and led 100-12 at halftime. Although Yates substituted liberally and used all 15 of the players on its roster, the squad also kept pressing throughout the game. In the third quarter, a fight erupted after an intentional foul was called on a Lee player.

"I feel very disrespected right now," Lee Head Coach Jacques Armant told the Houston Chronicle. "I don't understand why Yates just kept scoring and pressing when they were up so much. These are kids. It isn't good to do that to other young men."

Following the win, Yates moved to 14-0 on the season. The squad had won 39 straight games, scored more than 100 points eight times this season and won by more than 60 on six occasions. Still, Yates Head Coach Greg Wise defended the actions of himself and his players. "[The reserves] work really hard in practice, and when they go in, they deserve the chance to play hard and compete, too," Wise told the Houston Chronicle. "We are looking for another state championship, and we can't get that unless we are continuing to get better and perfect our game. We aren't scoring on other teams out of disrespect. "We practice running, pressing, trapping every day," he continued. "If we get to a game and I tell them not to do what we do in practice, I am not coaching well. I am not leaving my starters in the whole game. We have 15 guys, and all 15 play."

Houston Independent School District Athletic Director Daryl Wade spoke out about the incident Wednesday, and stated that neither team will face reprimands for the fight, and that he hoped the game could serve as a positive learning experience for both squads. The district does have mercy rule policies, but they are determined on a game-by-game basis. On Tuesday, both coaches agreed to finish the game. "In retrospect, should we have done something differently? Probably," Wade told the Houston Chronicle. "At the time, the kids and coaches wanted to finish the game so we let that happen. "It's a positive thing to have kids playing well and breaking records, but in light of the fight and the fingers pointing at Yates right now, it's hard to really think about that," Wade said. "Again, the most important thing right now is to make sure our kids learned something and can go on to have positive seasons."

While few would ever suggest Wise should have instructed his players to intentionally miss shots to keep the score closer, there are a few measures that could have been put into place in order to avoid embarrassment (and the resulting controversy). Fox Sports Houston's Kevin Eschenfelder weighs in:
"Wise can tell us about playing 15 players in the first half and how the reserves should get a chance to impress the coaches when they get the chance," he writes. "Of course he doesn't want players to miss shots intentionally but a coach can call off a full court press. Here's an idea. Tell your players that you want 3 passes in the offense before taking a shot. If that's not part of the offense, then make it part of the offense. You're the coach."

In the recent October/November issue of Athletic Management, contributor Dr. David Hoch, Athletic Director at Loch Raven High School in Baltimore County, Md., penned a story on how administrators can teach their coaches to deal with lopsided victories--and losses. Here's a sampling of Hoch's advice that relates to basketball:

* Play your substitutes as early and liberally as possible. While a safe margin may be difficult to define, your experience and style of play can provide you with a relative guide. As a basketball coach, I felt comfortable with a 20-point lead entering the fourth quarter. Even with the three-point shot now in place, it should be safe to start playing some reserves at this point.

* Don't continue to press in basketball after you have a large advantage, even if this is the standard team defense.

* Another strategy is to play kids out of position and tell them to make eight to 10 passes before anyone is allowed to shoot.

ADHD AND FISH OIL: IS THERE A LINK?

SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT ABOUT ADHD AND FISH OIL

According to a 2008 University of Guelph study: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Platinum-Naturals-1033528.html

* David Khang, Founder and President of Platinum Naturals, supplementing with fish oils with high concentrations of DHA and EPA (which are the two types of omega 3-essential fatty acids-EFA- found most commonly in fish) can help reduce behavioral problems associated with ADHD, including inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity

*DHA functions as a structural element in human cell membranes, while EPA works throughout all life stages in reducing the risk of inflammation and disease

*Abnormal EFA profiles, independent of dietary intake, suggests abnormal essential fatty acid utilization by the body in adolescents with ADHD. Giving high doses of DHA and EPA has been shown to increase levels of essential fatty acid and significantly reduce ADHD related behavior.

*Giving high doses of DHA and EPA has been shown to increase levels of essential fatty acids and significantly reduce ADHD related behavior.

* Can help fight depression by supplying the brain with the EFA’s that have become depleted which may be the cause of the problem

* Help with Brain function, Immune system, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

New Dining Hall Hours

The members of SAAC have worked very hard for the last two years on behalf of all student -athletes and it has finally payed off! The new hours for the Bear’s Den & Flynn Dining Commons have been approved effective this fall as follows:

BEAR'S DEN
Monday – Thursday 7:30 am – 8:30 pm
Friday 7:30 am – 6:30 pm (no change)
Saturday 9:00 am –1:00 pm
Sunday Closed

FLYNN DINING COMMONS
Monday – Friday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Saturday – Sunday 8:30 am – 6:30 pm (no change)

Determining Hydration Level Hydration is an important part of being a healthy, productive athlete. As we enter into preseason where athletes may have 5-6 hours of practices, fitness tests, runs- you need to be sure you are staying hydrated which can be challenging.

Here are a few tips to help:

1. Clear/pale lemonade colored urine= HYDRATED

2. Dark apple juice colored urine= DEHYDRATED

3. Dark, cloudy urine= SEVERELY DEHYDRATED= NOTIFY ATC

4. Average amt. of water consumption should be 64 oz which means during preseason it is more. Stay on top of it by keeping Nalgene or water bottle with you at all times.

5. Caffeine, soda, energy drinks will dehydrate you!!!! STAY AWAY FROM THEM!!!!

6. Water and sports drinks such as Gatorade are what you should be drinking- these are the best for replenishing what you have lost

7. Weigh yourself prior to practices- you should not loose more than 2% of your body weight during activity

Signs of Dehydration include:

nausea

dry mouth

muscle cramps

thirst

fatigue

weakness

headache

irritability

decreased performance

If you are having a problem staying hydrated- talk to your ATC who can help you. If you notice any signs of dehydration or notice a teammate having problems, notify someone immediately.

ADD and ADHD Medication and YOU!!!!!

WHAT?

The NCAA is implementing a stricter application of the existing Medical Exceptions policy which will require proof of current prescriptions for every medication an athlete is taking that is a banned substance, as well as, proof of proper diagnostic procedures(particularly for ADD and ADHD diagnosis and medications).

WHY?
As experienced across campus, more and more college students-athletes are being
treated with stimulant medications for ADHD. These stimulants are banned for
use in NCAA competition for both performance and health reasons, and using
them may result in a positive drug test and loss of eligibility, unless the studentathlete
provides adequate documentation of a diagnostic evaluation for ADHD
and appropriate monitoring of treatment. In recent years, the number of studentathletes
testing positive for these stimulant medications has increased 3 fold, and
in many cases there has been inadequate documentation submitted in support of
the request for a medical exception to the NCAA banned drug policy.

DOCUMENTATION
The documentation should include a comprehensive clinical evaluation, recording
observations and results from ADHD rating scales, a physical exam and any lab
work, previous treatment for ADHD, and the diagnosis and recommended
treatment. The physician can provide documentation of the above either with a
cover letter and attachments or provide the medical record. This documentation
should be kept on file in the athletics department until such time that the studentathlete
tests positive for the stimulant. A simple statement from the prescribing
physician that he or she is treating the student-athlete for ADHD with said
medication IS NOT adequate documentation.

IS IT OKAY MY DOCUMENTATION IS FROM 3 TO 5 YEARS AGO?

Yes, in fact the expectation is that for many student-athletes, the evaluation and
initiation of treatment likely began during grade school. Documentation of that
evaluation, along with the history of treatment and current prescription, should be
submitted by the student-athlete to their sports medicine staff upon matriculation.

DO I NEED AN UPDATED LETTER FROM THE DOCTOR EACH YEAR OF MY ELIGIBILITY ?

Yes, a written letter from the prescribing physician should be updated each year of eligibility and can just include a written statement indicating current treatment.

HOW DOES A POSITIVE TEST EFFECT MY ELIGIBILITY IF I DO NOT HAVE THE PROPER DOCUMENTATION?

If a student-athlete has not undergone an evaluation and/or cannot produce
documents at the time the positive test is confirmed with the institution, the
student-athlete must be declared ineligible until 1) the documentation can be
produced or 2) a drug-test appeal is heard and approved.

***INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?key=/ncaa/NCAA/Legislation+and+Governance/Eligibility+and+Recruiting/Drug+Testing/exceptions.html

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

CONTACT YOUR ATC!!!