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vol. 4. issue 76
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18 big shoes: Following a record holder isn’t easy. But then again, Miles Harrison isn’t your ordinary running back, either. He’s kinda good. time, and who knows what 22 Playoff to expect better than the coaches themselves. We go inside their heads to get the good stuff. 4
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medicine ball. It’s heavy. Also 27 The quite round. If that’s all you think there is to this, you’re selling your workouts short.
BREAKDOWN: Jennifer 10 STATE Lawson seeks her place in the
pitch: Jim McCue takes 6 First over the Pitch this week and tells us a story of how the Granite Bay and Nevada Union football teams did something special for Travis Bauer, a Grizzlies student who capped his career in style.
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of the week: 7 Sportstar Joe Mixon, Freedom-Oakley room: We like stuff that’s 8 locker hot. Way before Paris Hilton liked stuff that was hot. Note: Paris Hilton was a Kardashian forerunner (in case you’re too young). But back to stuff that’s hot. It’s Trending now.
Coaches matter, 12 Clipboard: especially in a sport like cross country.
state football record book. Get Digital extras: Use layar & scan pages 1, 6, 8, 11, 17, 18, 24, 34, 35, 36
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on the cover: Miles Harrison of Clayton Valley Charter-Concord. Photo by Phillip Walton
Fence: Tryouts, sign-ups, 35 The fund-raisers and more!
38 Advertiser’s index
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Granite Bay, W Nevada Union football teams help redefine special
EDITORS NOTE: I’ve offered up the First Pitch domain this week to our Sac-Joaquin Edition writer and coordinator, Jim McCue. I wanted him to share his thoughts and insight on an inspiring story he produced recently for SportStarsOnline.com. When you finish reading this, please go check it out.
hat is special? It is a word often used, but seldom understood. In the athletic world, we consider men and women with extraordinary physical talents and abilities as well as amazing games or plays as special. As a sports fan and writer covering prep sports on and off for more than 20 years, I have witnessed and written about special players, teams, and games. My primary goal as a contributor to SportStars Magazine is to share these special stories with readers. In another world, we consider the needs and abilities of some men and women as special. As the father of an eight-year-old son with special needs, I have fought alongside my wife for the services and medical attention necessary to make his quality of life the best that it can be. My primary goal as an advocate for him and other special needs children and adults is to share their experiences and desire to be accepted through the limited outlets available. Recently, these two worlds converged to create a truly special moment at Granite Bay High School. Senior special education student Travis Bauer, who was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum as a child, capped his four-year high school football experience with a touchdown run on the Grizzlies’ final play from scrimmage during the regular season. I stumbled upon the play online and immediately wanted to learn more about Travis’ story to share with SportStars Magazine readers. Calls were made to Granite Bay and Nevada Union High Schools to gather background about the play, and, as expected, there was much more to the story than just one special play (see “Travis’ Big Night” at SportStarsOnline.com for more). Bauer used sports, specifically football, to merge his special needs world with the world of athletics. The camaraderie of a team sport like football allowed Travis to become more social than his mother, Hayley Grant, ever imagined her son would be before he was introduced to flag football in middle school. Four years of practices, games, road trips, and even a 2012 CIF State Bowl championship created an experience for Travis that his mother never saw coming. “I was hesitant and honestly a little scared about him going to high school,” Grant said of her son attending Special Day classes on the Granite Bay campus. “But to see the compassion in the boys, the coaching staff, and the parents has been amazing. He’s having the time of his life.” While a 75-yard run to the end zone is nothing out of the ordinary under the Friday night lights of high school football, the effort made by two local football programs to create a memory that will last a lifetime for one player, and likely many others in attendance, was truly special—in any world. ✪
join our team PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507 Editorial Editor@SportStarsOnline.com Editor Chace Bryson • Chace@SportStarsOnline.com Staff Writers Jim McCue Contributors Bill Kolb, Mitch Stephens, Matt Smith, Clay Kallam, Ben Enos, Dave Kiefer, Liz Elliott, Tim Rudd, Trevor Horn Copy Editor Bill Kruissink Photography Bob Larson, Jonathan Hawthorne, James K. Leash, Norbert von der Groeben, Phillip Walton, Doug Guler, Dean Coppola, Berry Ivans, III Marketing/Events Intern Ryan Arter Creative Department Art@SportStarsOnline.com Production Manager Mike DeCicco • MikeD@ SportStarsOnline.com Publisher/President Mike Calamusa • Mike@SportStarsOnline.com Advertising Sales@SportStarsOnline.com, 925.566.8500 Account Executives Leslie Ellis • Leslie@SportStarsOnline.com Camps & Clinics: Ryan ArterCamps@SportStarsOnline.com Alameda County: Bobby Pope • BobbyTPope@yahoo.com Reader Resources/Administration Subscription, Calendar, Credit Services Angela Paradise • Info@SportStarsOnline.com Distribution/Delivery Phillip Walton • Mags@SportStarsOnline.com Information technology John Bonilla CFO Sharon Calamusa • Sharon@SportStarsOnline.com community SportStars™ Magazine A division of Caliente! Communications, LLC 5356 Clayton Rd., Ste. 222 • Concord, CA 94521 • info@SportStarsOnline.com www.SportStarsOnline.com
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your ticket to california sports admit one; rain or shine This Vol. #4, November 2013 Whole No. 76 is published by Caliente! Communications, LLC, 5356 Clayton Rd, Ste. 222, Concord, CA 94521. SportStars™© 2010 by Caliente! Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Subscription rates: 24 issues, U.S. 3rd class $42 (allow 3 weeks for delivery). 1st class $55. To receive sample issues, please send $3 to cover postage. Back issues are $4 each. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of Publisher is strictly prohibited. The staff and management, including Board of Directors, of SportStars™© does not advocate or encourage the use of any product or service advertised herein for illegal purposes. Editorial contributions, photos and letters to the editor are welcome and should be addressed to the Editor. All material should be typed, double-spaced on disk or email and will be handled with reasonable care. For materials return, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope. SportStars™© and STARS!™© Clinics are registered trademarks of Caliente! Communications, LLC.
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Mixon Football • freedom-oakley • senior ›› Over the past decade, very few East Bay running backs have entered their final season with the type of expectations which faced Mixon this fall. Considered a 5-star recruit by every major scouting service, and at one point holding as many as 50 scholarship offers from major college programs, there was no shortage of hype surrounding the Falcons running back. And after both he and his team battled through a year of ups and downs, Mixon finally got to put on a show worthy of the hype in the first round of the NCS Div. I playoffs. He carried the ball 22 times for 281 yards and seven touchdowns as Freedom rolled to a 55-17 victory over Foothill. The win avenged a 32-6 loss to Foothill on Sept. 6. ›› in his own words: “It felt good. We just came out there and played hard. ... The offensive line stepped up a lot after looking at the Week 2 film compared to the playoff film. When they stepped up, that’s when I was able to make big plays. ... I’m definitely going to buy them all something.” ›› what you didn’t know: Mixon enjoys dancing. And not just in the end zone. His favorite genre of music to dance to is hip hop, and he highlighted the music of rapper Soldier Boy.
honorable mention Drew Cisterman: The Alhambra senior scored a game-high five goals as the Bulldogs won their first NCS boys water polo title 9-6 over Redwood.
Annika Jensen: The Campolindo senior scored a game-high seven goals to lead the Cougars to their third NCS title in four years.
Heather Reed: The Heritage senior setter did a little bit of everything in the Patriots’ four-set NCS Div. I quarterfinal win. She had 33 assists, 7 digs, 6 kills, 2 blocks and 2 aces.
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Rapid Fire
colby stapleton Davis Water Polo
Ronnie Rivers Freedom-Oakley Football
Movie you can't wait to see Catching Fire
Thor: Dark World
favorite thanksgiving dish Turkey
Trending What’s hot this week in the world of stuff that’s hot The Jonas Brothers broke up. Not just the band. The family, too. The Cute One gets full custody of the tree house. The one that squints a lot gets to keep the XBox games (but not Call of Duty which shall be shared). The one that can kinda play the instrument gets to keep their groupie. BatKid saved Gotham City, aka San Francisco. No snark. Just one of the greatest things we ever ignored our work to watch. If you weren’t a bit misty eyed, you just might be dead inside. It’s November, so you know ... feel free to start complaining if you see something Christmas-related and you’re not ready for that. Me, I’m gonna go turn on the Muppet Christmas album and just be part of all that is right with the world.
Collard Greens
If you had to pick a new sport to play, it would be ... Soccer
Basketball
Favorite fictional Character Harry Potter
Spider-Man
Favorite class this semester AP US History
World Culture
America got together this weekend and collectively agreed that calling Chris Johnson ‘CJ2K’ is beyond ridiculous and we should all stop immediately. The new Marvel movie came out. It’s Thor: The Dark Something. You know, it’s got that one Avenger who’s kinda hunky but only interesting in small doses? No, not Hawkeye. The other one. The blonde guy. Yeah, it’s an entire movie about him.
Facebook reportedly offered to buy SnapChat for $3 billion. BILLION. B-I-L-L-I-O-N. And they said no! For the love of St. Pete, they said no! They’re holding out for more money, it seems. I guess $3 billion just doesn’t buy what it used to. 8
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We felt like everything fell into place this year, and your interest in our team, including the cover story was another push that our guys needed to take it to the next level. —Email: Ben Baldwin, Alhambra-Martinez boys water polo coach
Top 5 thanksgiving dinners we'd like to spy on
■ Thanks! Still, you and your players did all the work. Congrats on finally breaking through and winning that first North Coast Section title (defeating Redwood-Larkspur 9-6 on Nov. 16). We appreciate you keeping the Cover Jinx Demons off our backs, as well. For those who missed our Nov. 1 cover story on the Bulldogs, you can read it at SportStarsOnline. com/alhambra-polo.
count 'em It’s the holiday season, boys and girls. And you know what that means? That’s right! Rampant speculation about how other people celebrate! As we prepare, as a nation, to gorge ourselves on carbohydrates and tryptophan, here are the top five Thanksgiving gatherings for which we’d like to possess a hidden web-cam. 1. The Harbaughs: Jack: Who’s got it better than us?! Jim: NoBODY! John: Actually… **brandishes Super Bowl XLVII ring** 2. The Ryans: Rob: Man, my defense is playing GREAT! Rex: Get a haircut. Buddy: Pass the gravy, you amateurs. **brandishes Super Bowl III and XIX rings** 3. The Bucks: Mama Buck: Your father could announce circles around you. And he died in 2002. Joe Buck: **Stares sullenly at the green bean casserole, speechless, for once. To the applause of many.** 4. The Trouts: Mike: AGAIN? Two years in a row? I can’t believe those idiot voters actually think that fat tub of goo Cabrera is a more valuable player than I am. Other Trouts: **Drool profusely, mouth breathe.** 5. The Currys: Seth: How ’bout those Blue Devils! Whoo! Steph: Pops, shouldn’t Seth be sitting at the Development Leaguers table? Dell: Hurry up and eat so I can whoop both of you in a game of H-O-R-S-E. —Bill “Where’s the pie?” Kolb
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Number of times in 11 games that the Folsom football team has scored 50 points or more, including its 50-13 playoff-opening win over Lincoln-Stockton on Nov. 16. They also have a 49-point effort on the season. While the Bulldogs are no strangers to scoring points in bunches, it’s worth noting that they surpassed 50 points in just five of 15 games a year ago (with another handful of 49s).
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Kicking
Her Way In Bradshaw Christian’s Jennifer Lawson on way to football record book It’s unknown what her final career PAT total will be or where she will eventually land on the all-time state list, but heading into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs it is clear that senior Jennifer Lawson from Bradshaw Christian-Sacramento will become the first girl to get her name into the Cal-Hi Sports state record book for football. Lawson, who has been booting PATs for the Pride since her freshman year, ended the regular season with 202 for her career. Who will hold the state record at the end of the current season is unclear because in recent years there have been so many teams scoring at such a rapid pace that all it takes is for one kicker to be doing PATs for two seasons at a school like Folsom, Serra-Gardena, Centennial-Corona and elsewhere to get to 200. Still, Lawson’s career total of 202 already is good enough for inclusion in the state record book. She also has scored a touchdown for Bradshaw Christian this season on a one-yard plunge during a game against San Juan. There are other girls mentioned in the state record book, but that’s in a special section dedicated just to girls. Lawson will be the first to get listed in a regular category. Bridgette Farris from Hoover-Fresno is believed to be the first girl to score a point in a California varsity game with a PAT in 1984 against Dinuba. We don’t know who kicked the first field goal, but in 1987 Mia Labovitz of San Diego High made one. Labovitz then made three in 1988, including a 40-yarder. In 2004, Heidi Garrett from M.L. King-Riverside connected for a 48-yard field goal in her team’s 24-14 win over Paloma Valley of Menifee. That is still believed to be the longest one ever made by a girl both for California and the nation. There also have been other girls scoring touchdowns besides Lawson. The first in California came in 1995 when Lorenza Coronado from Jordan of Long Beach caught a 2-yard TD pass in a 34-14 win against St. Bernard-Playa del Rey. The second in the state – and the first by rushing – took place in 2003 when Kiashira Ruiz of Gustine scored on a 4-yard run against Brookside Christian-Stockton. Girls participating in football as kickers are no longer a novelty, but they remain extremely rare for other positions. With the increased awareness on concussions and injury, it’s doubtful that part of the story is going to change anytime soon. ✪ Mark Tennis is the co-founder of Cal-Hi Sports, and publisher of CalHiSports.com. Cal-Hi Sports is the authority in state rankings for football, basketball, baseball and softball, as well as the recognized state record keeper for all high school sports. Contact him at markjtennis@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, @CalHiSports.
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Phillip Walton
The Serra-Gardena defense swarms Oakdale running back Nikk Ryan during its 42-15 victory in the CIF Division II State Bowl Game a year ago.
socal team to watch serra-gardena In all of De La Salle’s trips to play in the CIF state bowl games in Carson, the one player who gave the Spartans the most trouble was DeAnthony Thomas, the Crenshaw-Los Angeles running back now starring at the University of Oregon. Before Thomas went out with an ankle injury in the 2009 Open Division bowl game, he had scored twice to lead the Cougars to a 14-7 lead at halftime. Had he not gone out, it’s only fair to say that Crenshaw might not have faltered so much in the second half of its eventual 28-14 loss. If DLS gets to the Open Division state final this year — which is certainly no guarantee because the Spartans probably will have to beat Folsom first — there could be a player awaiting every bit as dangerous as Thomas or any other player in recent memory from Southern California. That player is Serra of Gardena’s Adoree’ Jackson. He doesn’t have the eye-popping statistics of Folsom’s Jake Browning, but he’s guaranteed to make numerous jaw-dropping plays in every game. He used his speed last June to lead Serra to the CIF state team title in track and can beat opponents on special teams, offense or defense. Jackson had two interception-return touchdowns for Serra in its final regular season game and has had a 101yard pick six this season as well. With Jackson and three-year starting quarterback Jalen Greene, Serra looks poised to win the CIF Southern Section Western Division title and then get chosen for the CIF Southern California Open Division bowl game (probably against the CIFSS Pac-Five champion). The Cavaliers, who beat Oakdale in last year’s Division II state bowl game and lost to Folsom in the 2010 Division II bowl game, also are loaded in other positions. One starting linebacker, Dwight Williams, could be the best senior at that position in the state. One of the others, John Houston, could be the best junior. In fact, some recruiting analysts in Southern California have more Serra players as Division I college prospects than St. John Bosco-Bellflower, which is the Pac-Five favorite.
Adoree’ Jackson Rushing 59 carries, 497 yards , 8.4 average, 3 TDs Receiving 34 catches, 727 yards, 21.4 average, 6 TDs
All Purpose Yards 497 rushing, 727 receiving, 389 interception returns, 1,613 total Defense 25 tackles, 1 sack, 6 interceptions
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volleyball Rankings After games of Monday, Nov. 18; previous rank in parentheses 1. (1) — Granite Bay..............................39-0 2. (2) — Archbishop Mitty-San Jose.....36-4 3. (3) — Torrey Pines-San Diego..........30-3 4. (4) — Los Alamitos.............................29-5 5. (10) ▲ Santiago-Corona.....................35-0 6. (6) — Valley Christian-San Jose.......30-8 7. (9) ▲ Mater Dei-Santa Ana...............31-5 8. (14) ▲ Lutheran-Orange.....................23-8 9. (NR) ▲ Great Oak-Temecula...............27-1 10. (11) ▲ La Salle-Pasadena..................30-5 11. (5) ▼ Redondo-Redondo Beach......29-6 12. (15) ▲ Scripps Ranch-San Diego.......35-2 13. (7) ▼ Corona del Mar-Nwprt Bch.....29-6 14. (17) ▲ La Costa Canyon-Carlsbad....24-8 15. (18) ▲ Francis Parker-San Diego.......24-4 16. (16) — Branson-Ross..........................30-6 17. (8) ▼ Lakewood.................................26-6 18. (18) — Redwood-Larkspur..................38-5 19. (13) ▼ Mira Costa-Manhattan Bch.....22-9 20. (NR) ▲ Menlo School-Atherton............27-5 Dropped Out: No. 12 Dana Hills-Dana Point and No. 19 Marymount-L.A. Comments: The big news in SoCal heading into the Southern Section semis on Nov. 19 was the emergence of Great Oak-Temecula. Both Great Oak and unbeaten Santiago-Corona had outstanding regular seasons, but didn’t venture to any of the major tournaments. Great Oak, however, won huge matches over Dana Hills and Redondo. The team’s only loss came early in the season to Santiago, which is in a different bracket of the CIFSS playoffs. With teams like Granite Bay (D1), Mitty (D2), Valley Christian (D3), Menlo School (D4) and Branson (D5), the Bay Area and Northern California seems wellpositioned to earn more than one state title.
the 200 club The CIF North Coast Section already had a strong representation in the state’s exclusive club of football coaches with 200 career wins, but now there’s another one. Gary Galloway, the head football coach at St. Vincent-Petaluma for 30 years, collected his 200th career win when the Mustangs topped Upper Lake 68-0 on Nov. 2 at Yarbrough Field. Galloway is No. 79 on the all-time state list. Among active coaches in the NCS, the only others with 200 or more wins are Bill Foltmer (Middletown), Kim Jorgensen (Ferndale), Paul Perenon (Mt. Eden-Hayward & Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland) and Matt Sweeney (FoothillPleasanton). What makes Galloway unique in the NCS and in the state is that he’s also on the all-time list of baseball coaches with 500 wins or more. Galloway won his 500th game last season and will start this spring at 501-196-3. After St. Vincent knocked off unbeaten Calistoga one week after the 200th win, Galloway improved his football coaching record to 201-117-1.
Football Rankings (Previous ranking in parentheses; through games of Saturday, Nov. 15)
1. (1)
—
De La Salle-Concord
10-0
2. (2)
—
St. John Bosco-Bellflower
11-0
3. (3)
—
Folsom
11-0
4. (4)
—
Serra-Gardena
11-0
5. (5)
—
Mission Viejo
11-0
6. (6)
—
Long Beach Poly
10-1
7. (8)
▲
Alemany-Mission Hills 9-2
8. (9)
▲
9. (13)
▲
10. (10)
—
Chaminade-West Hills 9-2
11. (11)
—
Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills
12. (17)
▲
Serra-San Mateo 8-2
13. (12)
▼
14. (14)
Spartans expected to cruise to 22nd straight NCS championship.
Beating multiple unbeatens prior to playing DLS could be in cards for Braves. Jake Browning already had 62 TD passes after first SJS playoff game. Will be a big shocker in SoCal if Cavs are not in the Open Division.
Diablos No. 2 seed in Pac-5 playoffs but face No. 9 Mater Dei in quarterfinals. JuJu Smith just getting warmed up for the Jackrabbits.
Warriors won Serra League title and have head-to-head win over Centennial.
Centennial-Corona 9-2
Cal-commit Tre Watson having a sensational year at running back.
Mater Dei-Santa Ana 9-2
Since key injury to RB, Monarchs have become even more nasty on defense. Still looking like Eagles will get rematch vs. No. 4 Serra in CIFSS final.
10-1
If Trojans get past Granite Bay, should get rematch with Folsom in SJS final. Big win over Mitty makes Padres the favorites in CCS Open Division. Eastlake-Chula Vista
10-1
—
Mission Hills-San Marcos
10-1
15. (18)
▲
Vista Murietta-Murietta
10-1
16. (16)
—
Del Oro-Loomis 9-2
17. (20)
▲
Oceanside 9-2
18. (19)
▲
19. (NR)
▲
20. (NR)
▲
21. (23)
▲
22. (24)
▲
23. (7)
▼
24. (NR)
▲
25 (NR)
▲
Titans won 41-0 in playoff opener to set up game vs. No. 17 Oceanside. Top seed in new San Diego Section Open Divison.
Top seed in CIFSS Inland Division ahead of Centennial. Golden Eagles may have to beat Grant again in SJS Div. II semis.
Defense stepping up for Pirates, who have designs on Div. I state bowl win.
Bakersfield 8-2
Drillers are top seed in Central Section Div. I playoffs.
Narbonne-Harbor City 9-2
Losses to Serra-Gardena and Alemany; earned top seed in L.A. City Section. Elk Grove
10-1
La Habra
10-1
Marin Catholic-Kentfield
10-0
Archbishop Mitty-San Jose
9-1
If Del Oro doesn’t win SJS Div. II title, Elk Grove is probably next best bet. Favored team in CIFSS Southeast Division; only loss to Mission Viejo. It’s been cruise city so far for the Wildcats but NCS Div. III bracket is tough. Monarchs couldn’t do much against Serra and loss dropped them 16 spots.
Servite-Anaheim 6-5
Have wins over No. 6 Long Beach Poly, Westlake and play No. 7 Alemany next. St. Bonaventure-Ventura 8-3
Win over previous No. 15 Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks moved up Seraphs.
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Care For A Run?
Cross country is such a great sport. You’re not really competing against someone else most of the time, but against the course, and against yourself. But I see a lot of schools that barely have enough runners to field a team, and then there are other places with nearly a hundred. What’s going on? Why isn’t cross country more popular everywhere? — J.Y., Oakland great question — but I have to flip it for you, based on my own personal experience. Long runs do nothing for me. After about 200 yards, my mind starts turning to various feelings in my body, such as pain in my knees, labored breathing and general discomfort. From there, my mind quickly moves to how much better life would be if I were sitting on the couch watching the Warriors — or even Oprah Winfrey. Or, to put it another way, my question isn’t why more people choose cross country, it’s why anyone would choose it in the first place. OK, OK. I’m old and cranky and I’ve always hated jogging, and clearly there are a lot of people who really enjoy slogging up hills at an incredibly slow pace with their features locked into a grimace of agony (sorry, sorry, I’ll do better.) In truth, cross country is a great sport for a lot of people. It doesn’t require size or strength or athletic gifts; anyone can
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Cross Country participation can often correlate with personality of the coach
get out and run two or three miles, and nobody’s going to get cut just because they’re slow. The benefits are there for every runner, unlike team sports where the only people getting exercise in games are the better players. It’s also a lifelong activity. And acquiring a love of running is going to lead to a healthier, fitter life — and not incidentally, one in which it will be much easier to have guilt-free chocolate sundaes at least once a week. Obviously, there is a certain percentage of people out there who enjoy running, so one would expect that that percentage would take up cross country at every high school. So, in other words, if there are 1,500 students at two schools, they both should have similarsized cross country teams. That, of course, is not the case. Some schools with 1,500 students have 100 runners; others have 10, and a reasonable question is why. The answer starts with coaching. And in this case, it’s not so much about winning or teaching. Only the top five runners score points in each race, so if there are a hundred runners, only a small percentage are going to “win” in any sense. And teaching? Well, there is some technique in running, but not that much. Even the best cross country coaches don’t spend a lot of time refining form.
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What attracts runners, though, is a coach who can make running several miles in the hot October sun sound attractive, and who at the same time makes it cool to run on local streets a couple times a week. So the schools that have a charismatic coach, especially one that’s on campus, are going to attract more runners. Another factor, oddly, is the percentage of students who want to get into college. Families believe that having a varsity sport on a college application is important, and cross country is a varsity sport that’s good for you — so it combines two positives. So a school with a lot of kids focused on which college they get into will probably find it easier to put together a large team. Finally, there’s just the random nature of life, and some schools somehow have a tradition of cross-country participation that just keeps rolling on — and other schools don’t. In the end, though, the real advantage to cross country is that it’s intensely individual. The benefits are there for every individual who can muster up the willpower to run several miles every day regardless of sun, rain, wind, dogs and the potential of a collision with a large metal object traveling 20 miles an hour or more. I admire those people — from my couch. ✪ Clay Kallam is an assistant athletic director and girls varsity basketball coach at Bentley High in Lafayette. To submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email him at clayk@fullcourt.com
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An infusion of freshman talent helped propel a perennially solid Dougherty Valley girls tennis team into undefeated NCS champions Story by Chace Bryson • Photos by Bob Larson 14
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Tracy Chan of Dougherty Valley
P
atrick Estes was cautiously optimistic. The Dougherty Valley High girls tennis team hadn’t reached the North Coast Section Team Tournament field since 2010, and the Wildcats had just graduated three more seniors. Estes, who has been the only coach of the Wildcats program since the school opened in 2007, was hearing rumblings. “As a high school coach, you kind of get ideas from the community as to who is coming from your feeder schools,” Estes said. “ And I hear what my other players tell me about who they’re seeing in USTA events.” He was hearing about the potential of some incoming freshmen. And when Tracy Chan and Kaitlyn Nguyen arrived on the San Ramon campus, they did not disappoint. “I had a little idea of how good they were, but did not know they were as good as they actually turned out to be,” Estes said. Chan and Nguyen combined to lose just one match all season. So it was no surprise when each won their respective singles matches to help Dougherty Valley defeat Tamalpais 5-2 for its first NCS Team Tennis title on Nov. 16. Estes was right to be optimistic, because the team didn’t just win the title, it dominated. The Wildcats, which entered the field as an undefeated No. 2 seed, lost only five of their 28 matches in the tournament.
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Rickimae Torres is Dougherty Valley’s No. 1 singles player and kept her undefeated season alive. She dominated the NCS tournament from start to finish
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So, of course, it wasn’t just the freshmen. Senior No. 1 singles star Rickimae Torres continued her undefeated season, by storming through the NCS competition. The doubles team of Christina Soliman and Arianna Motavalli was also a force. “They all did really well,” Estes gushed. “They all worked together to make it a great season. At one time or another, every player on the roster helped the team in some fashion. It was everyone pulling together and working for the team.” Torres has been the face of the program for the past three years, reaching the semifinals of the NCS Singles Tournament each year since her freshman season. After her junior season with the Wildcats, she made a goal to improve her fitness and her serve. “She’s developed a lot of facets to her game over the years,” Estes said. “She’s always been a really strong player, but this year she’s developed a little bit of finesse to her game and it’s made her an even stronger player.” Torres was still on the court when the team realized it had clinched the title. But when she finished her match, she was more than exhilarated. “It was great, especially for us seniors,” she said. “Every year, after four years of working so hard, we finally won. It just felt great.” Torres credited every player involved, but made a point to credit what the freshmen brought to the team. “Tracy is amazing. She almost always finds a way to win,” Torres said. “And Kaitlyn is like my little sister almost. I played her during tryouts and she just kept getting to the ball, and I’m like ‘Oh my God, miss already!’” More than just the freshmen, though, Torres and Estes both spoke about how every Wildcats player seemed to mesh perfectly into a very strong whole. Which stands to
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ROAD TO THE TITLE Following are the opponents and four match scores from
Dougherty Valley’s run through the NCS tournament field. Round
(Seed) School Record
Score
Quarters
(7) Redwood
5-2
First
Semis Finals
(15) Petaluma
14-1
(6) Foothill
18-4
(4) Tamalpais
17-5 24-4
7-0 6-1 5-2
reason why Dougherty Valley takes a 22-0 record into the California Interscholastic Federation Northern California Girls Tennis Regional Championships on Nov. 22-23 at the Natomas Racquet Club in Sacramento. “I just think that our individual strengths come together to make a really good team,” Torres said. “Our playing styles complement each other really well. The singles players, especially, have a wide range of playing styles that allows us to match up well against more teams.” That being said, none of the Wildcats know exactly what to expect at the next level. “I’m going in wide-eyed,” Estes said. “I have no idea what to expect. I’ve heard things from other coaches. We’re practicing and going into it full bore, hoping we can get as far as we can get and have as much fun as we can have.” This is certainly a ride that Estes can enjoy though, having built the program from scratch six years ago. “It’s been a great time,” the coach said. “It’s been good season after good season and every year we’ve gotten better. To come to this season and take NCS was just really great to see. It was great to see it finally all come together.” ✪
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A
s the 2012 Clayton Valley Charter High football team was in the heart of its unexpected, inspiring run to the CIF Div. II Norther Regional Bowl game, coach Tim Murphy was already planting seeds for the following season. Junior varsity running back Miles Harrison was one player who Murphy never failed to remind of his future plans. “Last season he’d keep telling me, ‘We aren’t going to have Joe (Protheroe) next year to help carry the team. You’ve got to be that guy,’” Harrison said following a mid-afternoon practice on Veterans Day, four days before the Eagles were to begin defense of their North Coast Section Div. II crown by hosting San Lorenzo in a playoff opener. Harrison hasn’t failed to be that guy.
The 5-10, 205-pound junior tailback has been the lightning rod for a Clayton Valley team averaging more than 400 yards of offense per game, and has scored less than 49 points just twice in 10 games. After a season-opening loss to stateNo. 1 De La Salle, the Eagles have won 10 straight (one by forfeit), including the postseason opener against San Lorenzo. And if recent trends mean anything, Harrison is only getting stronger. Against San Lorenzo, he needed just nine carries to rumble 118 yards for four touchdowns. The week before, in a regular-season finale with the Diablo Valley Athletic League title hanging in the balance, Harrison carried 23 times for career-highs of 295 yards and five touchdowns. “Our offensive line and run game is definitely the strongest part of the offense,” senior quarterback Gabe Taylor said. “It seems like every third time (Miles) touches the ball it’s a huge gain. We hardly have to throw the ball. Even though I’d love to, I’m OK with that.” Harrison grew up in Concord and began playing youth football for the Clayton Valley Falcons when he was 8. Before that, he’d tried about everything else. “I just wanted to go out and play all the sports I could,” he said. When he finally decided to try football he wanted to be a lineman because that’s what his dad had played for Lincoln High of San Francisco. After one year in the trenches, his years of playing Madden Football spurred a change of heart—
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he asked to try out for running back. That was that. As Harrison was attempting to hone his craft as a big-play tailback with the junior varsity a year ago, senior Joe Protheroe was putting together the most productive varsity season ever by a Clayton Valley running back. Protheroe was the perfect mix of speed and power for Murphy’s blend of the double-wing and pistol offense. His final numbers were video-game like. In 14 games, Protheroe carried the ball 234 times for 3,014 yards — an average of nearly 13 yards a carry. He rushed for 34 touchdowns and had 36 overall. Harrison was called up to the varsity for the last week of the regular season and scored his first varsity touchdown during a lopsided 61-6 win over Mt. Diablo. The rest of his time on the roster that season would consist of one postseason carry. The most useful experience he gained was watching Protheroe. “I just watched how Joe played,” Harrison said. “I watched how he handled all that pressure. He just played like himself. He relaxed and did his thing.” Murphy had been watching Harrison, and he had a feeling the young back would be ready to take over come 2013. “Everyone was like ‘Wow, he’s got some big shoes to fill,’” Murphy said. “But I really felt like he was going to fill them. As great as Joe was, I think Miles is great also.” Harrison didn’t get to wade into the varsity waters. His first varsity start meant lining up against De La Salle. He would rush for 176 yards and a touchdown as the Eagles hung tough for a half before falling 34-14. The Eagles used their solid showing to springboard into the rest of their nonleague schedule and posted a flurry of runaway victories over a number of overmatched teams. Harrison and the offense kept putting up big numbers, but were often on the sidelines by the second half. Six straight wins by 35 points or more, followed by a forfeit victory when an injury-depleted Mt. Diablo wasn’t going to be able field a team, and Clayton Valley’s confidence was high — and its close-game experience was low. “Our starters hadn’t played a full football game from (De La Salle) on August 30, to when we played Concord (on Nov. 1),” Murphy said. “It took its toll.” The Eagles archrival pushed them to the limit and had a potential game-winning 2-point conversion pass fall incomplete on the final play of the game. Clayton Valley survived its wakeup call 49-48. One week later, Harrison led a very determined team to its second outright DVAL title. It 20
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LEFT: Eagles’ senior two-way standout Tanner Wraa cuts upfield during the team’s regular-season finale. ABOVE: Harrison waits for his blockers to pave the way during his 295-yard, five-touchdown night at Northgate on Nov. 8.
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was the Eagles’ biggest game of the year to that point, and Harrison ran with serious purpose. His first-down runs, often driving through or carrying Northgate defenders, were just as impressive as his 41- and 50-yard scoring runs in which he went virtually untouched after a single cutback. “He’s got a really good, solid package of being able to see things and break tackles,” Murphy said of his star tailback. “His speed needs to get better, but breaking tackles and seeing things is something he’s really good at. You can’t really teach the vision part of it. You can teach breaking tackles, but the vision part is God-given and he just needs to take it further by getting faster.” Harrison’s efforts against Northgate and in the playoff opener against San Lorenzo serve as a microcosm of the team’s re-vamped hunger and focus which manifested from the near-loss to Concord. But it’s also important to note that the hunger was there before. Those who were part of the 27-24 loss to Oakdale in the CIF Div. II Northern Regional bowl game a year ago want a second chance at playing their way into a CIF State Bowl game. “They got a little taste of it last year,” Murphy said. “But last year they were just blown away when I told them we were going to win a section title. And when we got there, they were excited. I almost felt like they already exceeded what they probably thought they could, and they weren’t that hungry to get to the next game.” Getting there this year will require an NCS quarterfinal win over Las Lomas on Nov. 22, a potential semifinal matchup with either Northgate or a 10-win Miramonte team on Nov. 29 or 30, and then a possible finals rematch with Concord or undefeated top-seed Casa Grande either Dec. 6 or 7. Murphy believes the team is progressing at the rate needed to get there, but he wants to see improvement defensively. “I think we’ve done some good things (defensively),” the coach said. “We’re good at tackling and taking correct angles, but right now we have to do a little better job at covering the pass. ... If we can get better at that, I think we’ll be alright.” Offensively, the player he was asking a little more than a year ago to be ready has nearly 1,500 yards and 30 TDs. He’s ready. “I just like that feeling,” Harrison said, “that when we need it — when we need the touchdown or first down — I like knowing that I’m the guy our team counts on.” ✪
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ncs playoffs
Sideline view How the top three divisions look from a coach’s perspective
Each year as we close in on the final weeks of the North Coast Section playoffs, we look up a member of the NCS coaching community whose program is no longer playing, and we ask them to breakdown the field as he sees it. Here’s what he came up with for the top three divisions after following the first round results on Nov. 15 and 16.
division I THE FAVORITE There have been years in the last decade where it has been tempting to pick against De La Salle, with a thought in the back of the head that maybe someone could end the Spartans’ NCS streak. This is not one of those years. The recent blowout victories over James Logan and California are just further indication that this team is peaking heading into postseason play, and will likely not face a challenge before a looming showdown with St. John Bosco-Bellflower or Serra-Gardena in the CIF Open Division “state title” game. THE CONTENDER There are a number of teams who could lay claim to this spot, including a sleeper pick in San Ramon Valley. But the most likely team to emerge is the one which can play a physical brand of football with the Spartans — Pittsburg. Despite losing quarterback Keith Walker for all but five quarters this season, and even with star running back Harris Ross’ status in doubt for the remainder of the playoffs, the Pirates are still the team that poses the biggest threat to the DLS title regime.
Jonathan Hawthorne
Few expect Larry Allen Jr. (73) or the rest of the De La Salle team to stumble in the NCS Div. I field.
THE GAME-CHANGER If he’s healthy, Harris Ross is simply amazing to watch. But he is not the only potential game-changer in this bracket. Joe Mixon’s seven-touchdown performance in Freedom’s first-round rout of Foothill was the game everyone had been waiting to see this season. And as his supporting cast has developed, so has his potential to dominate the postseason. Two more players can greatly impact this bracket — Cal’s Blake Bierwith and San Ramon’s Matt Winaker. The success of those two head-to-head will likely determine who emerges from that battle. And don’t forget about Deer Valley’s Nsimba Webster. If he wasn’t on a path to matchup with the Spartans in the semifinals, he could definitely take the Wolverines to the final. SEMIFINALS De La Salle over Deer Valley; Pittsburg over San Ramon Valley
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FINAL De La Salle 49 Pittsburg 21
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division II Records are through Nov. 16 1. (1)
— De La Salle-Concord
10-0
2. (2)
— Folsom
11-0
3. (5)
▲
4. (4)
— Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills
5. (3)
▼
6. (6)
— Del Oro-Loomis
9-2
7. (7)
— Marin Catholic-Kentfield
10-0
8. (8)
— Campolindo-Moraga
10-0
9. (9)
— Elk Grove
10-1
Serra-San Mateo Archbishop Mitty-San Jose
8-2 10-1 9-1
10. (11) ▲ Pittsburg
9-2
11. (12) ▲
Valley Christian-San Jose
7-3
12. (13) ▲
Deer Valley-Antioch
10-1
13. (14) ▲
St. Francis-Mountain View
7-3
14. (15) ▲
Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove
9-2
15. (16) ▲
Bellarmine-San Jose
7-3
16. (17) ▲
Granite Bay
8-3
17. (18) ▲
Clayton Valley Charter-Concord
10-1
18. (19) ▲
California-San Ramon
9-2
19. (20) ▲
Enterprise-Redding
10-0
20. (NR) ▲
El Cerrito 9-2
DROPPED OUT
THE FAVORITE Casa Grande might be the top seed in this bracket, but Clayton Valley Charter has to remain the favorite after last season’s success, and the fact that their only loss this season came to De La Salle. The Ugly Eagles looked ridiculously efficient in their first-round victory, and they play such a consistent brand of offensive football. Their defense has appeared suspect at times — their 49-48 knuckle-biting win over Concord on Nov. 1, as an example — but coach Tim Murphy will have them ready for another appearance in a CIF regional bowl game. THE CONTENDER After their regular-season thriller, Concord has a great shot to see the Ugly Eagles once again in the section title game. Casa Grande is a solid ball-club, but the yearlong improvement from Mitch Daniels and company has the Minutemen appearing like a team headed for a strong run in the postseason. Their opening playoff game against Newark Memorial did nothing to take away from that impression. THE GAME-CHANGER While Clayton Valley’s system enables a number of playmakers to emerge, such as Miles Harrison, Gabe Taylor, and Xavier Crawford, the player who likely means the most to his team is the Gauchos’ JaJuan Lawson. The dual-threat quarterback has a chance to take his team to the section title game, but will need to be on top of his game against Concord in the semifinals, along with his backfield mate, John Porchivina. SEMIFINALS Clayton Valley Charter over Northgate; Concord over Casa Grande
division III
No. 10 Rocklin
THE FAVORITE This division may have the best match-ups at the top of the bracket, but that doesn’t mean that top-seed Marin Catholic shouldn’t run the table. The duo of Morgan Mahalak and Andrew Celis has been unstoppable this season, and I don’t see a defense in this bracket capable of stopping them. They will face a challenge, for sure, but I see their big-game experience and veteran leadership should win out and earn them a spot in a state semifinal.
IT GETS MESSY FROM HERE With the first round of the playoffs in the books for North Coast and Sac-Joaquin Sections, and the Central Coast embarking on its postseason on Nov. 22, very few teams will be safe anymore. El Cerrito is the only new team in the poll after Week 12. The Gauchos were only absent for one week, after an unfair bump when No. 11 Valley Christian forced its way into the rankings with its second win over a Top 5 team in just under a month.
THE CONTENDER The biggest threat is the pure athleticism on El Cerrito’s roster. The Gauchos may have fallen to Campolindo in their first meeting, but the loss of receiver Phillip Rei will be too much for the Cougars to overcome in that rematch. El Cerrito has players who can dominate any play on any possession, and have threats to score from anywhere on the field.
TEAMS STILL RANKED FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 14 KNOCKING ON THE DOOR: (Alphabetically) Analy-Sebastapol (10-1), Alvarez-Salinas (10-0), Burbank-Sacramento (9-2), Carmel (10-0), Casa Grande-Petaluma (11-0), Central Catholic-Modesto (10-1), Franklin-Elk Grove (8-3), Grant-Sacramento (8-3), InderkumSacramento (9-2), James Logan-Union City (9-2), Milpitas (8-2), Sacramento (9-2) and Stagg-Stockton (10-1), Terra Linda-Pacifica (10-0) and Vacaville (8-3).
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FINAL Clayton Valley Charter 50 Concord 36
Phillip Walton
Concord WR Mason Knight caught three TD passes in a 4948 loss to Clayton Valley Charter on Nov. 1. Could they meet again in the Div. II final?
Phillip Walton
Marin Catholic and senior do-everything back Andrew Celis have the top seed in Div. III, but they won’t stroll to the final.
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THE GAME-CHANGER Aside from the two standouts on Marin Catholic’s roster, El Cerrito’s Keilan Benjamin has the ability to really dictate the success of his team in the postseason. A lot of their success offensively against Campolindo will be based on him having a better game this time around than he did during the regular season, something he is capable of doing. Putting emphasis on his performance is saying a lot, considering the talent surrounding him with two-way skill players Jalen Harvey, Adarius Pickett, DJ Calhoun, and Keith Benjamin. SEMIFINALS Marin Catholic over Analy El Cerrito over Campolindo
FINAL Marin Catholic 42 El Cerrito 20
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weight training: anthony trucks
HAVEaBall There’s more to the medicine ball than you might think
If you are familiar with weight training in any way over the last 30-plus years, then you ought to be aware of a commonly used tool: the medicine ball. The funny thing is, that as prevalent as this training tool is, I find very few people know how to correctly use it, or how to use it differently than for doing basic core work. This week, I am aiming to broaden your knowledge of medicine balls uses in the weight room, and give you a arsenal of exercises. The medicine ball can be used in any form of training from strength training to power training, and contrary to popular belief, there are multiple types. There are slam balls that are designed to take a large amount of force not bounce, and some that are solid rubber designed to bounce once thrown or slammed for repeated explosive reps. Finally, there are also softer oversized medicine balls with heavier weight and durability. Below are some listed examples that hopefully allow you to see some more uses for the medicine ball. ›› PUSH-UPS: The base of strength comes from stability, and the medicine ball can be used to stabilize muscles like
the chest by putting your hand(s) on the medicine ball. To do this simply places a medicine ball on the ground and place a hand on the ball and complete full ranges push up. You can alternate hands, use both hands at once, or even do explosive push-ups and switch. ›› POWER CLEANS: When it comes to developing explosive hip power, the power clean is a great tool — but it’s also very technical to learn with a barbell. A medicine ball is a great replacement tool that takes minimal technical skill to perform successfully. ›› DIPS/PULL-UPS: Simply place a medicine ball between your feet or knees while you perform full-range tricep dips or pull up. The farther the ball from your hips the greater the weight. ›› SPRINTS: For sprints, take a medicine ball and place it in your hands as you sink your hips back and load your body to accelerate. As you take off, press the ball out in front of you as far as possible while simultaneously driving your hips out as far as possible. ›› POST ACTIVATION POTENTIATION (PAP): Right after doing a strength exercise, you move right on to doing
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the same movement with a medicine ball as fast and as powerfully as possible. Examples are holding the medicine ball on your chest while doing squat jumps immediately after doing a heavy set of squats, or laying on your back and pressing a medicine ball powerfully up toward the ceiling repetitively right after completing a heavy set of bench presses. ›› SLAMS/THROWS: For this grouping of exercises, simply throw a medicine ball, or slam a medicine ball against a wall or the ground as hard and as fast as possible. This engages the entire body musculature from feet to hands. These are some basic ideas for anyone looking to add medicine balls to their current training programs. The sky is the limit when it comes to creativity of use. So when you get a chance grab this old-school tool, head to the gym, and have a ball. ✪ Anthony Trucks is the owner of Trucks Training facility in Brentwood and covers weight training for SportStars.
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tri steps: Liz Elliott
Even if you don’t consider yourself an athlete, or even a person who works out, you are a very important person in sports, especially for your children, wife or husband. Believe it or not, your support means so much to your family members and close friends in their fitness endeavors. Although they may take some razzing about their incessant running, biking, swimming or whatever, the athletes in your family will perform better the more support they receive. Sports should be part of your life as a family and not take your family members from you. That goes both way. How to be involved without being in the way: ›› Talk about time management with your athlete. ›› Encourage them to do something small every day. There will be times when your athlete is unmotivated by the weather or homework or something else going on. They’ll feel a lot better after the workout, and will actually be more productive in life tasks. ›› Don’t give advice you don’t know. This is not helpful: rather it makes your athlete share less about their sport with you. ›› Go to their races or events. Be a fan for the most important people to you. Wear the team colors. Make signs and cheer. You’ll find out just how much you are loved by the smile on the face of your husband, wife, friend, and on your face. Spectating at a race or game is fun and rewarding for all involved. ›› Get active! You may not enjoy running, but there are tons of ways to be active. Go for a walk. Bike with your kids. Be active. You’ll find that supporting your athletes leads to a satisfaction for them and you. ✪ Liz Elliott was an All-American collegiate swimmer and is the head coach at Tri-Valley Triathlon Club.
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training time: tim rudd for iyca
Two heart rate assessments can help determine if you need a stronger aerobic base In the previous two issues, I discussed the importance of building an aerobic base in optimizing a young athlete’s sports performance. If you missed them, check out the last two issues online to catch up. In this issue, I’m going to reveal how to assess whether you need to build a stronger aerobic base. If young athletes have a big aerobic base, they can build a bigger glycolytic engine (strength, power and speed) on top of it AND recover faster from high-intensity efforts during a game, practice or training. With the teams and athletes I work with, we look at three assessments (the third is actually beyond the scope of this article, but the first two are easily achieved): 1) Resting heart rate upon waking up, and... 2) Modified Cooper Test — the athletes run 1.5 mile as fast as they can (9 minutes is the standard). Between these two tests, you can determine the efficiency of an athletes’ heart (if a heartrate machine is not available, the rest heart-rate may be used as an assessment). But I strongly suggest having a heart-rate monitor, as it is important for monitoring progress and the training process. We’re looking for a resting heart rate lower than 60 beats per minute (BPM) and a recovery heart rate of 130 BPM within one minute after the run. The goal here is to determine if your athlete needs low-intensity, long-duration work (known as cardiac output training) along with high-resistance work (high-resistance efforts with appropriate heart-rate recovery). For the athlete who has a resting rate higher than 60 BPM and a recovery rate that is higher than 130, he will need to improve their aerobic base with Cardiac Output Training and High Resistance Intervals. In the next issue, we’ll tackle the specifics of Cardiac Output Training and High Resistance Intervals — What are they, how to do them, and why they’re effective for improving an athlete’s aerobic base and overall conditioning and performance. ✪ Tim Rudd is an IYCA specialist in youth conditioning and owner of Fit2TheCore.
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health watch: dr. nirav k. pandya
From a doctor’s perspective, sinking focus into just one sport may not be the healthiest decision
With an increasing emphasis in high school athletics on obtaining a scholarship, there has been a rapid decline in multi-sport athletes. I have seen an increasing number of patients specializing at a young age with a concurrent rise in injuries and burn-out. Yet, some would argue that this is what must be done to obtain the elusive athletic scholarship. But does this really translate? Take the following statistics for example from the NCAA: Only 5.6 percent of all high school baseball players and 2.9 percent of all high school basketball players will go on to play collegiately. Yet, there are tens of thousands of high school athletes who sacrifice the benefits of playing multiple sports. Is this meant to detract teens from trying to achieve their goals? Not at all. But it places athletes at a high risk for burn-out later in life, which can prevent them from maintaining healthy habits into adulthood and steering clear of problems such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. In addition, specialization shields athletes from the benefits of playing multiple sports. These benefits include becoming skilled in utilizing different muscle groups as well as providing “active” rest for a body that may become overworked from a singular activity. To my eyes, what prepares an adolescent for a healthy lifestyle into adulthood (and translates into athletic performance!) is being an all-around athlete, rather than being an athlete who excels in a certain skill set. As a former collegiate track athlete, I liken it to the decathlon. Would you train for the decathlon by throwing a javelin 10,000 times a day? No. You would balance your training with throwing, running, jumping, and endurance work. It is no wonder that the decathlon gold medalist is given the title as “The World’s Greatest Athlete.” This is the model we should be utilizing — encouraging all-around development rather than onesided specialization for both short-term injury prevention and long-term healthy lifestyles. ✪ Dr. Nirav K. Pandya is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon specializing in pediatric sports injuries at the Children’s Hospital in Oakland. He sees patients and operates in Oakland and their Walnut Creek facility.
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injuries: dr. hunter greene
Understanding the difference between the commonly-used injury terms Whether you twist your ankle on the field or hurt your back in the weight room, you probably don’t care whether you call it a sprain or a strain. It just hurts. But there is a difference between the two. The difference is not the level of severity, as many people think.
SPRAINS
A sprain is an injury involving the stretching or tearing of a ligament — the tissue that connects bone to bone. Ligaments stabilize and support the body’s joints. Symptoms of a sprain include pain, inflammation, a popping or tearing sensation, and, in some cases, the inability to move a limb. Sprains occur when a joint is forced beyond its normal range of motion, such as when you turn or roll your ankle.
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STRAINS
Strains are injuries that involve the stretching or tearing of a muscle and/or tendon. Tendons attach muscles to bones. Acute strains are caused by a direct blow to the body, overstretching, or excessive muscle contraction. This type of injury is often seen in runners who strain their hamstrings. Symptoms for an acute strain may include pain, muscle spasm, loss of strength, and limited range of motion. Strains can also be chronic injuries that gradually build up from overuse or repetitive stress. For example, a tennis player may strain a shoulder as the result of constant stress from repeated serves.
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SEVERITY OF THE INJURIES
As you can see, strains and sprains are very different injuries, but both are classified by degree of severity. Sprains and strains range from mild injuries, involving some stretching or minor tearing, to severe injuries, where the ligament or muscle is completely torn, resulting in joint instability.
TREATING THE INJURIES Rest, ice, compression and elevation will help minimize the damage. In all but mild cases, it’s important for a physician to evaluate the injury and establish a treatment and rehabilitation plan. ✪
Hunter Greene, M.D., is a boardcertified orthopedic surgeon with Summit Orthopedic Specialists in Carmichael.
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kinesio taping: sam inderias
Kinesio taping, also known as elastic therapeutic tape, looks and feels like an ace bandage, but it is a much thinner cotton tape that is able stretch up to 140 percent of its original length. Kenesio tape works by creating a “lift” on the skin and painful tissue underneath, allowing normal motion. Kinesio Tape vs. Athletic Tape Kinesio taping is very different from other athletic tape because Kinesio Tape is flexible and allows for a range of motion while white athletic tape is rigid and limits motion. Also, Kinesio tape can be worn for three to five days, whereas other taping techniques do not allow wear for more than one day at a time. It is important to note that Kinesio taping should be used in conjunction with other therapy techniques such as massaging, stretching, heating and icing rather than replacement of these techniques. Injuries Best Suited for Kinesio Taping Kinesio taping works best on acute injuries, especially to help reduce swelling. For example, using the lymphatic drainage taping techniques when tendonitis-type conditions are present, and movement is painful. That pain can be greatly reduced with Kinesio taping. For example, proper Kinesio taping techniques
might enable a tennis player to lift his or her arm overhead, without such pain. Kinesio
taping also works by supporting muscles. By using proper taping techniques, an athlete
experiencing low back muscles in acute or
chronic spasm, might not feel as much pain with Kinesio taping. Why See A Certified Kinesio Tape Instructor? Kinesio tape is sold in stores under different brand names,
and usually comes with instructions. Kinesio taping is very easy to apply, but can cause pain if not done properly. A common mistake is to pull on the tape too much and apply excessive
tension. It is important to get proper instruction from a certified
Kinesio tape practitioner first, who can show you the specific taping techniques for body parts and condition the athlete is trying
to address. This instruction may be available in person, through
books or through tutorials on YouTube to make learning easy for a specific body part or technique. ✪
Sam Inderias is a physical therapist and certified Kinesio practioner at Sutter Delta Medical in Antioch.
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emotional health: dave hobson
You can be a hero EDITOR’S NOTE: There’s a good chance you’ve heard about how NFL lineman Jonathan Martin left his Miami Dolphins team due to immense stress caused from the bullying tactics of teammate Richie Incognito. The incident inspired me to reach out to a former newspaper colleague of mine, Dave Hobson, who is now a middle school teacher doing great things to lead the charge against bullying in schools. I asked him to pass on some thoughts about just that, and this is what he shared.
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Have you ever looked to someone and thought they were a hero? What makes them a hero? Why do you look up to them? I am a physical education teacher at Carquinez Middle School in Crockett. I have the best job in the world. I get to work with young people in the very formative years of their lives. A time where they can forge a path for themselves, and follow it. When I started at CMS three years ago, I was asked by some students to help with the bullying problem that existed there. I researched it by reading everything I could find on bullies and how they tick. I talked to students who spoke of fear and loneliness, that they attributed to mean peers at school. They told me of the darkness and despair they felt because others put them down and made them feel insignificant. I was shocked when I found out how many people, in our country, commit suicide due to being bullied. As was seen recently in the NFL, bullying is something that is done by adults as well. I’ve since started an anti-bullying program at CMS that seeks to educate those doing the bullying. Not just punishing them, but helping them see what others feel when they are treated unfairly. When bullies see the wreckage they cause, they start to see the big picture. They try to improve their behavior. We had assemblies where we enlightened the school population as to how scared students can be. The anxiety they feel when thinking about coming to school. They can get physically ill when thinking of possible hurtful situations that could face them that day. We need to treat each other in a positive manner and want each other to thrive. Part of what our program tries to instill in students is that instead of dragging others down to look better, let’s just take care of ourselves by striving to achieve greatness through hard work and determination. Step up and let people know bullying is not okay. If more of us did this, life would be pretty amazing. Be the reason someone wants to be at school. Be the reason someone wants to play on the team. Be the reason someone wants to succeed. That’s something to work toward. In other words, be a hero. ✪
My idea of a hero is a student/individual who: ›› Helps a person with special needs ›› Takes time to talk to the new kid ›› Asks someone how they are doing ›› Stands up for those who aren’t strong enough to do so themselves ›› Makes sure others know that they care about them ›› Is a leader who sets an example that treating others negatively is wrong ›› Isn’t a follower when others are being treated unfairly To see a video on some of the work Dave Hobson is doing at Carquinez Middle School, go to SportStarsOnline.com/Hobson
If you’d like to be involved or want more information, contact Dave Hobson at davehobson23@gmail.com.
November 21, 2013
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November 21, 2013
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Welcome to Impulse, your one-stop shop for this, that and this again. It’s almost Thanksgiving which means the holiday shopping season started six weeks ago. But for you late-shoppers let us help you get the gift-giving spirit kickstarted. If you’re feeling generous, buy two and send one to Impulse. Remember: Tis better to give (to Impulse).
Charge it We all have the same problem: too much day, not enough juice left in electronic gizmos. People must know the latest LOLs on the Twitters. Enter the Birksun solar backpacks — reliable in social and emergency situations alike. The battery inside the backpack can be charged via the sun or a wall outlet. Never lose power again when you’re out and about. Too dang clever, too dang cool. Different styles, different colors. Get one. www.Birksun.com
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November 21, 2013
core grand opening If there’s one thing you should know about those of us at Impulse Global HQ it’s that we’re buff. But we couldn’t be all kinds of buff like this without our friends at CORE Performance (formerly Velocity). Dublin’s finest trainers can get you into our league in no time. Their grand opening is coming in December. Stay tuned and we’ll get you all the details. But trust us, you’ll want to be there.
lookin’ good Now, we’re all about looking good. For us, it comes naturally. That’s why we like the B-Skinz. Function and fashion. Boom. Everything from sports bras to headbands to tights and more. More than 125 rich hues and prints, you can be assured that you’ll be sporting a look unique to you. If you’re not clicking over to www.Bskinz.com right now, re-evaluate your life.
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November 21, 2013
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November 21, 2013
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1-To-1 Pediatrics..............................................................................................................28 All Out Sports League.......................................................................................................30 Army National Guard Recruiter...........................................................................................5 Athletic Placement Services.............................................................................................25 Big O Tires Northern California/ Nevada.............................................................................2 Bigfoot Hoops..................................................................................................................40 California Family Fitness...................................................................................................32 California Spirit Elite.........................................................................................................37 Cepeda Baseball.........................................................................................................36, 37 Championship Athletic Fundraising.................................................................................37 Cheergyms.Com...............................................................................................................23 Children’s Hospital And Research Center...........................................................................29 Club Sport Renaissance....................................................................................................31 Community Youth Center.................................................................................................38 Core Performance.......................................................................................................35, 37 Core Volleyball Club..........................................................................................................36 Crowne Plaza...................................................................................................................38 Delta Patriots...................................................................................................................35 Diablo Trophies & Awards.................................................................................................35 East Bay Sports Academy.................................................................................................16 Excellence In Sport Performance......................................................................................30 Fit 2 The Core....................................................................................................................28 Gregg Jefferies Sports Academy ......................................................................................22 Home Team Sports Photography......................................................................................35 Image Imprint..................................................................................................................33 Kangazoom......................................................................................................................35 Lone Tree Golf Course.......................................................................................................38 M L B Scout......................................................................................................................37 Made In America / Made In Japan....................................................................................26 Modesto Magic................................................................................................................36 Mountain Mike’s Pizza......................................................................................................13 Muir Orthopaedic Specialists............................................................................................34 National Scouting Report.................................................................................................36 Nor Cal All Sports Clinic....................................................................................................19 Northgate High School.....................................................................................................38 Passthaball.......................................................................................................................38 Play It Again Sports..........................................................................................................12 Pro Hammer Bat...............................................................................................................15 Rhino Sports Of Northern California.................................................................................20 Rocco’s Pizza...............................................................................................................20, 35 Sky High Sports................................................................................................................35 Sport Clips........................................................................................................................21 Sports Stars Magazine......................................................................................................17 State Farm Jimmy Harrington..........................................................................................14 State Farm Kelly Sopak/Lisa Truesdell..............................................................................33 Stevens Creek Toyota........................................................................................................26 Summit Orthopedic Specialists..........................................................................................3 Surewest Sports Show.....................................................................................................16 The First Tee Of Contra Costa.............................................................................................38 Tpc / The Pitching Center..................................................................................................15 Tri Valley Orthopedic Specialists Inc..................................................................................32 U S Cryotherapy................................................................................................................29 U. S. Baseball Academy....................................................................................................20 United States Youth Volleyball League.............................................................................39 West Coast Jamboree.......................................................................................................25
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