Sport topic: Rugby in PE?

As i attended the 2009 MAHPERD convention at the DCU center in Worcester, I found a seminar that caught my eye. I saw that the seminar was on how to integrate rugby into schools. I thought that no school board would allow such a violent sport into a P.E curriculum. But as the seminar was conducted I found that these teachers from Connecticut were on to something.

These teacher took the rough and rugged sport and turned it into a flag game similar to flag football, but better! I feel that this version of the game is highly beneficial for a few reason:

1. No student can stand around


2. No one student can be the all star


3. It integrates a non-traditional game into a traditional setting


4. It is a game of constant motion allowing a participants heart rate to rise.

Furthermore, If a PE teacher were to want to incorporate this sport into this curriculum there are many web sites on how to do so (the number 1 listed below). Also, most schools will already have the flag belts so the only purchase would be the actual ball. So, in my opinion i feel schools should start adapting this sport into there curriculum.

http://www.usarugby.org/default.asp

CLA as a training/weight loss supplement

As I have just finished up my football career here at Westfield State College, i find myself at a point in my life where I do not need to weigh as much as i did for football. I have started my training sessions to start my weight loss and have also found myself searching for supplements to aid my training supplements. I have discovered the supplement CLA or Conjugated Linoleic Acid.

CLA works in such a way that it inhibits the body’s fat storing enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LPL) which is known for picking up fat from the blood stream. By inhibiting lipoprotein lipase and increasing CLA, the prevention of body fat storage occurs and the burning of fat as fuel increases, allowing significant weight loss. Furthermore, it has been found that CLA can help decrease body fat while increasing muscle mass and strength, which will help improve a persons overall body composition.

I have not yet purchased this supplement but am thinking hard about doing following the thanksgiving break. What is your oppinion on this supplement and other so called, weight loss supplements?

How Soon is Too Soon

In the age of high competition to make teams people seem to lose track of their morals. For example, kids start training too soon in their lives and the potential for injury, burn out and even death is becoming more and more of a reality. People need to step back and smarten up and follow proper guidelines for strength training and conditioning.

First, by the standards of NASM, Nation Academy of Sports Medicine, says that a child should not participate in plyometric training until the age of 14. For those wondering, that is Freshman year of high school. Yet, if you were to go out and watch 6th and 7th grade youth soccer practice you will probably find some sort of inappropriate plyometric training happening.

Next, NASM, NSCA and AAP says rule of thumb: If 7- or 8-year-olds are ready for participation in organized sports or activities such as little league or gymnastics, then they are ready for some type of strength training program. For children starting out in weight training, lifetime fitness and proper exercise techniques should be emphasized.

Also, before beginning, children should have a healthy, balanced diet, to make sure they are getting enough carbohydrates, protein and dietary fat to maintain energy for exercise. This is also part of the healthy lifestyle image that will help athletes through their adult years.

Finally, when teaching children proper techniques for strength training, keep in mind that children learn best by doing. Show the child the correct technique, then closely supervise them to make sure they understand how to do it. Push ups and sit ups are great for beginners, but as they advance, young athletes may want to try weight machines or free weights to enhance their work outs and to keep themselves from getting bored with the same routines. This is fine as long as an adult is available for teaching the correct lifting techniques and to supervise the athlete's progress.

for more information see: http://www.infosports.com/clvclinic/strengthtrainingforyoung.htm

Metabolic Conditioning

When a person thinks weight loss they think cardio. The "if I hit the elliptical for half hour a day I will lose weight" way of thinking. However, cardio is no longer seen as the premiere way to lose weight because you stop burning a higher rate of calories within a half hour of being done. People seem to lose sight of the fact that the body has many components to it and these components need to be used. The component of EPOC for example is the best way lose weight through fat lose rather than water weight (usually through cardio).

EPOC is excess postexercise oxygen consumption, which in short means that your body is still trying to replenish your muscles with oxygen well after you are done working out. By trying to catch up on oxygen, your body needs to work harder at rest allowing your body to burn calories even after your work out is complete.
So the question is, how do I reach EPOC? The answer is a simple one...stop living on cardio equipment! The best way to reach EPOC is through high intensity resistance training. Although this can be done with weights, it can also be done with just body weight activities. So those people afraid of becoming bulky have no excuses. An example of this is a 20-20 principle meaning that you work for 20 seconds then rest for 20 seconds, never taking a second off during the work period. The more you do this the more intense you can make the work out. You could up the weight (if your using weights), up the time-time ratio and so on.

If you go the body weight route, I suggest you join what is called a boot camp course. Through this, a person along with a group is instructed to do certain activities and is pushed to the limits that they may not go to on their own. However, if the group scene is not for you then here is a suggested list of exercises you could do:

1. Squat thrusts


2. Box sits/squats


3. Box step ups/jump ups


4. Mountain climbers


5. Medicine ball squats to press


6. Body weight squat jumps


7. pull-ups


8. Jumping jacks


9. Burpees


10. wall sits


11. chair dips


12. jump lunges


13. etc. etc. etc.

Clean the weight room

Over the years I have attended many weight rooms, clubs and gyms. Within all of these facilities there is always a few friendly reminders that are posted. "Please wipe down the bench" and "Please re-rack all weights". Unfortunately for most people, these rules do not get followed and it seems non-beneficial to all the gym members.

First, an unclean weight room is an unhappy weight room. If the weights are not re-racked properly or not at all then it slows peoples routines down thus causing people to become angry. This is unfortunate because most people are at the gym to relieve stress and negative feelings and this does not help with the situation. Also, by leaving weight on the bar, damage to the equipment is inevitable. An example is if a person were to leave 45's on each side over night, the bar will become warped making it dangerous to use. This makes the gym purchase a new one potential driving up fees payed by the members.

Secondly, especial during epidemics likes MRSA and H1N1 or even during the regular cold and flu season, everyone is doing their part to prevent becoming sick. No one wants another persons sweat all over them potential getting them sick. By simply using the sprays and wipes that the gym has out for your use, the spread of colds, flues, MRSA and H1N1 can be prevented. Furthermore, by wiping your equipment down after use, it becomes less dirty for the gyms staff to have to clean up, allowing them to worry about more important things such as the safety of all of their members.

So remember, the next time your in the gym, re-rack your weights properly and clean all of your equipment, all of the other members will be gratefully for it.

Rivalry...Possitive or Negative

Being raised as a New England/Boston sport fan I have seen many rival games played in professional sport. Red Sox v. Yanks, Bruins v. Montreal, Celtics v. Lakers and the Pats v. the Colts, Steeler, Dolphins, Cowboys and the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets (hate that the most). The question is, Is rivalry good for the spirit of competition?

Many will say that it is because alot of people watch it. To which I would reply, that is good for rating but does not answer the question. Others would say well the "hatred" between the two teams allows for both teams to play harder, causing a higher intensity. To this I would say true but playing with hate causes people to make mistakes and make rash decisions they wouldn't normally make. However, i would have to say that the players playing harder and faster does make for a more intense, hard fought game.
In my opinion, i would have to say that rivalry is more of a negative than a positive because in most instances it brings out the wort in players, coaches and fans. For example, a coach is more likely to run up the score in a rivalry game rather than substitute out towards the end of the game and Cruise like they would normally. Also, Fights between fans occur more during rivalry games than at a normal game. For example, My cousins friend who was raised in the Boston area has to move to New York. She is a big Red Sox fan but can't make it to Boston to see any games. So, when Boston went to play in New York, won't say which team, she got tickets and went. while on her way to her seats wearing nothing more than a Red Sox Hat she was verbally assaulted 7 times. Also, in the fourth inning she had a beer and a slice of pizza thrown at her. She had to leave. On a different occasion the Sox were playing the other New York team, and she went in a red sox shirt and hat and nothing was said to her or done to her. Needless to say the Sox were playing against the team with less of a rivalry.

NCAA Drug Policy

As the need to be bigger, stronger and faster in sport increases, the higher the use of supplements and in turn the more dangerous training and playing for athletes become. For College athletes, the NCAA has gathered a list of performance enhancing and street drugs that are either ban from use or the amount used is controlled. However, does the NCAA take testing for the substances as serious as they should?

In my oppinion the NCAA does not take the testing portion serious enough! I feel that the ban substance list is something used to cover their butts. Although this may not be true for the bigger colleges, I feel that athletes in a D3 setting are getting away with alot more than they should. For example, if a D3 school makes it to the NCAA football tournament, they are not tested until round 2, allowing any athlete sufficient time to clear their system. I feel that it should be up to the athletic department's to randomly test at minimum 4 starters throughout the season and off season to prevent drug use. Furthermore, I was talking to a football transfer from U MASS Amherst, a D1AA school, who told me the only time they get tested is if they qualify for the playoffs. This gives these athletes from the beginning of the season to the time they clinch a birth to clear their system.

I do feel that it is correct to punish athletes for their actions, and I feel that the NCAA has proper punishment guidelines. However, they need to take testing more serious not only for the protection of the athlete taking the drug, potentially causing damage to him/her self, but for the safety of the other athletes who may get hurt by an athlete because they have had an unfair advantage preparing for the same sport.

Weight Room Safety

As most people in the sports community have heard, Stafon Johnson, USC running back was injured earlier this month in a weight room accident. This incident has triggered many athletes to question their weight room abilities and knowledge. I know that as an athlete there are times where I wasn't 100% focused on spotting, just because I knew that the person I was spotting has done the weight hundreds of times before with ease. I also found myself wondering had I ever in my 10 years of lifting weights gone through a weight room safety course or even learned proper spotting technique. I found the answers to these questions to be no! Below is a list of ideas that could prevent injury in the weight room:

1. Have a medical check up before you begin working out, especially if you have been living a sedentary lifestyle over the past year or more.


2. Always warm up prior to working out. Most injuries are the result of jumping into a heavy workout too quickly. A good warm up only takes a few minutes, but it can prevent pulled muscles and injured joints.


3. Use collars on all barbells. If you forget to put the collars on the barbell, the plates may fall off. This can cause serious injuries such as muscle tears, pulled tendons, etc. Play it safe, and use the collars.


4. Use a spotter when necessary. When doing exercises such as bench press, squats, shoulder press, lying tricep extensions, etc. have someone stand behind you and provide assistance lifting the weight if necessary.


5. Where applicable, use catch racks such as the squat rack or power rack. The rack will prevent you from getting pined under a heavy barbell. This is a must if you are working out alone and do not have a spotter.


6. Use proper exercise form at all times. Training with poor exercise technique will produce poor results and increase the risk of injury.


7. When unsure how to do an exercise, ask a knowledgeable instructor or experienced gym member.


8. Use a weight lifting belt when doing heavy squats, dead lifts, or heavy rowing exercises. A good belt can help support the lower back muscles and help keep your back in proper alignment. However, do not use a belt for lighter exercises. Your lower back muscles need to be exercised just like any other muscle and if you wear a belt all of the time the lower back muscles will get weak.


9. Dress appropriately for your workouts. If it is a cold winter’s day, make sure to wear a sweat shirt and sweat pants. This will keep the muscles warm and prevent injury. The opposite applies during a warm summer’s day, wear lighter clothing to keep cooler and prevent dehydration.


10. Put your weights back when you are finished with them. It is not safe to have barbells and plates laying around on the floor or left on the exercise equipment. Return all equipment to it correct location when you are finished, this is good gym etiquette.


11. Drink water during your workouts. This will prevent dehydration and help maintain your energy levels. Carry around a water bottle and sip water between sets. It is best to drink water that is at room temperature because cold water can cause stomach cramps while working out.

http://www.leehayward.com/safetytips.htm

If you follow these tips and think safety first, you may be able to prevent a weight room accident such as the one that occurred to Stafon Johnson.

Cross fit

With the change in football comes a change in training. The days of straight ahead football are long gone and the fast passed offenses require athletes to be in the best shape they ever have been. Cross Fit and cross fit football have designed a program that works different muscle groups using high intensity, body weight and very low weight. The most beneficial part of the program is that it is free for anyone to use just by going to crossfit.com (gneral population and athletes) or crossfitfootball.com (football players). These programs are really cool and I encourage everyone to look into them.

Breast Cancer and Weight Lifting

Some women are afraid to lift weights because they are afraid of becoming bulky. The truth is that weight lifting is a great way for women who are trying to lose weight or body fat reach their goals. However, a new study shows that contrary to past belief, weight lifting will help women recovering from an ailment, such as breast cancer, to recover with less pain. Fister (2009) reported that those women who were recovering from breast cancer that lifted weights had a stronger upper and lower body, and reported “less severe lymphedema symptoms”. The most common severe symptom was arm pain from the treatment. It seemed that weight training reduced the amount of pain the women was suffering (Fister, 2009). These findings are helpful not only for the women, but also for the entire medical field. The reason being is that up to a few years ago women who were in treatment were told not to do any strenuous activity, up to and including carrying groceries into the house.

Fister, K. (2009). Weight Lifting is Safe for Survivors of Breast Cancer with Lymphoedema. British Medical Journal, 339(7718), Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1854486261&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=1534&RQT=309&VName=PQD