SportsXpress Oshawa Feb/Mar 2016

February/March 2016 Volume 05 Issue 01

DEVON SHORE SIGNS WITH DALLAS STARS

ENERGY MARTIAL ARTS:

22 YEARS OF FOCUS AND DISCIPLINE

@oshawawhitbysxp @ajaxpickeringsxp

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Welcome to SportsXpress, a magazine all about local sports — the players, teams, families, volunteers and fans. We publish real life stories on the full range of community sports and include all ages and skill levels. Every fan, parent, and sports enthusiast can participate by sharing their experiences with other fans.

February/March 2016 Oshawa / Whitby Clarington Region Edition

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We want you to make SportsXpress your magazine and www.Oshawa.SportsXpress.ca and www.Pickering.SportsXpress.ca your website, by sending in your comments, story ideas, opinions, articles and photos.

Get in the game with us and be connected with your local community sports!

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health&fitness

Informative articles on sports health & fitness.

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17 | 22 |

Energy Martial Arts: 22 years of focus and discipline Find your highlights Building a bulletproof arm

sports@school

Highlighting all school sports and athletes.

06 | Student-athletes give back to the community 07 | Ridgebacks set for second half of the season 23 | Mossavat named master coach of the UOIT soccer programs

sportsfiles

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Entertaining, informative and engaging articles on local athletes, sports and teams.

05 | The clean cut mohawk 14 | Ajax Minor Hockey Assoc. success stories

teamprofiles

Profiling community sports in words and photographs.

18 | Turfdogs on the cusp of becoming one of the C-Lax’s elite teams

22 Front cover photo credit: Energy Martial Arts

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February/March 2016 PUBLISHERS Scott Cherwaty

ScottC@SportsXpress.ca 289-634-1390

SALES/CREATIVE Tracy Magee CONSULTANT Tracym@sportsxpress.ca EDITOR Jane Penteker GRAPHIC DESIGN Wendy Ferris CONTRIBUTORS AND Energy Martial Arts, Eric Graham, PHOTOGRAPHERS Durham Turfdogs, Ajax Minor Hockey,

Tim Bates, Durham College, Mary Giacalone, Laura Parrott, UOIT, World Junior Hockey, Ed Saki, Kevin Chapman, various sports enthusiasts, and the SportsXpress team

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sportsfiles

The clean cut mohawk Mohawk when skating in a straight line The skating “mohawk” happens when a skater is turning from forward motion to backwards motion and transfers his or her weight from one foot to the other foot in the middle of the turn.

The mohawk turn is done in the middle of your stride. If you push your right leg back you turn to the right, if you push your left leg back you turn to the left. Ultimately, whichever leg you push back, the shoulder on the same side should go back with it. I always preach to the skaters that you push out to the side (like a frog) when skating, but in this case you need to turn, so you need to push straight back instead. This pulls your hips around and helps you turn.

In the middle of the turn you need to be able to step down on the foot that you pushed off with, and pick up the front foot. Push to the side with the leg you are standing on, and start to skate backwards. Skaters need to be able to do this mohawk turn on both sides so that a skating player can watch the play as he or she turns, no matter on which side the play is developing.

By Mary Giacalone Head Instructor/Owner of Scary Skate Inc.

PHOTO BY TIM BATES

Common mistakes • Don’t lean forward. By looking down at the ice, your head, shoulders, and chest will pull you forward as you go into the turn, and your body weight will not be on the balls of your feet. You will then be unbalanced and out of control while you try to turn. Make sure and keep your chest up high and your back and shoulders straight over your gliding foot.

• If you stride with the right leg, do not turn to the left, or if you stride with the left leg, do not turn to the right. When the right leg is pushed back your hips turn to the right. If your shoulders and chest turn to the left then your upper part of the body is turning against the rotation of the hips.

Always keep the upper part of your body working together with your hips. Make sure you turn in the same direction.

foot in the middle of a turn. This is the most common mistake I see when skaters are learning to do a mohawk turn.

A defenseman can’t always skate backwards to move away from the attacking zone. If the other team breaks out of their end with a lot of speed, the defenseman will need to turn forward to skate fast enough to stay ahead of them even though they are unable to watch the play. Once he or she gets their speed up they must turn backward again to face the oncoming rush. This is where you will use the mohawk turn.

Until next time Scary Mary says see you at the rink…..

• Do not stay on the front foot. If you stay on the front foot and not change feet your blade will scrape into the ice and not only slow you down but make you skid to a stop. You need to lift the front foot as you step on the back foot and not turn on two feet. Make sure you pick up your front

GO GENERALS GO Good luck in the 2015-16 OHL Season From the SportsXpress Team - Proud Supporters of the Oshawa Generals

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DURHAM COLLEGE LORDS Student-athletes give back to the community

Mackenzie Naccarato, Rebecca Ropp and Marina Christie prepare bags to be donated to the survival kits for the Whitby Salvation Army Food Bank.

OSHAWA, Ont. – Durham College studentathletes continue their commitment to the local community through involvement and fundraising events. The Durham College athletic department encourages community initiatives, providing a great experience for the athletes by lending a helping hand to the neighbourhood in which they live.

Fundraising Events Teams are constantly participating in fundraising events to raise donations for local charities. This season the Durham women’s softball team stepped up to the plate and gave back to multiple causes through their 50/50 draw each game. Those groups included the Canadian Cancer Society – Durham Region, ALS Society (in support of past Humber Hawks coach Bobby Acton), and Maria Iurato, cousin of Lords catcher Justine Pike, to help her receive treatment for her condition in the U.S. The softball team also prepared 24 survival bags for the Whitby Salvation Army Food Bank and 50 personal bags and a basket of product to Denise House in Oshawa.

Men’s baseball fundraised for Play Global!

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throughout their season. Play Global!, which was formed in 2012, teaches baseball to coaches and youth in developing countries and areas of conflict. They use baseball as a way to help kids see past their differences, respect others and play as a team. The Lords not only raised a monetary donation for the charity, but collected equipment to send to Uganda. Their OCAA rivals, Humber Hawks, joined them to help support Play Global!, by also donating equipment.

The women’s volleyball team made raising funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) - Ontario Chapter a priority this season. Heading into the break the team was approaching $500 raised and will continue with raffles and other initiatives in the new year.

This wasn’t just about raising funds though as they are hoping to raise awareness, which they are doing by providing information booklets from the CBCF at home games and by wearing pink warm-up shirts all season. At Christmas time they also collected toys to donate to the YWCA Durham’s annual toy collection for the Christmas shopping day for the women of the YWCA.

Community Events The Lords are also attending a number of community events this season. This fall members of the Durham College men’s volleyball team participated in the Terry Fox Run this fall in Oshawa.

Athletics was also involved with the 2015 Pan Am Games at multiple venues in various volunteer roles. Women’s volleyball alumna, Alana McNeill, was part of the volleyball staff at Exhibition Centre, while Jenn Bowers was a line official at the beach volleyball venue. In Ajax, at baseball, the department was represented by four members.

Durham College athletics also continued their involvement with community events such as the 10th Annual Walk for Mental Health Awareness and Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Special Community Days In November the Durham College athletic department welcoming the Adult Social Club from the Abilities Centre in Whitby to the volleyball doubleheader against the Algonquin Thunder. The volleyball and basketball teams have also welcomed numerous club teams throughout the season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Members of the Durham volleyball team donated toys to the YWCA-Durham for their annual toy collection.

www.durhamlords.com • facebook.com/durhamlords

Durham.SportsXpress.ca

UOIT RIDGEBACKS Ridgebacks set for second half of the season

Upcoming Home Games Men’s Hockey

Jan. 15 vs. UQTR - 7:30 P.M. Jan. 16 vs. Concordia - 7:30 P.M. Jan. 28 vs. Carleton - 7:30 P.M. Jan. 29 vs. RMC - 12 P.M. Feb. 12 vs. Laurentian - 7:30 P.M. Feb. 13 vs. Nipissing - 7:30 P.M.

Women’s Hockey

OSHAWA, Ont. – The UOIT men’s and women’s hockey teams enjoyed a well-deserved break over the holidays and are now ready to make their push towards the postseason.

UOIT’s men come into the second half with a 10-5-1 record, sitting fourth in the OUA eastern conference behind McGill (15-2-1), UQTR (15-2-1) and Carleton (12-4-0).

The Ridgebacks will open the second half of their campaign on Friday, Jan. 8 at Concordia, with their first home game of 2016 taking place Jan. 15 against UQTR at the Campus Ice Centre.

At the break UOIT’s offence was led by Ben Blasko’s 17 points (4 G, 13 A), followed by Mark Petaccio

with 15 points (10 G, 5 A). In goal Brendan O’Neill played 16 games and finished 2015 with a .899 save percentage and 3.20 GAA. The women’s squad entered 2016 with a 3-1-71 record, sitting just outside of the playoffs as they prepare for their opening game of the second half on Jan. 9 at Windsor. Their first home game of the new year is Jan. 17 at the CIC against Guelph.

Chelsea Ball and Sam Forchielli each had seven points in the first half of the season to lead the Ridgeback offence, while Tori Campbell and Cassie Charette split time in goal. Campbell held a .909 save percentage and 2.65 GAA over eight games, with Charette posting a .874 save percentage and 3.54 GAA in four games.

SPOTLIGHT STUDENT-ATHLETE

Jan. 17 vs. Guelph - 3:30 P.M. Jan. 23 vs. Waterloo - 7:30 P.M. Jan. 24 vs. Laurier - 3:30 P.M. Feb. 14 vs. Ryerson - 3:30 P.M. Feb. 20 vs. Toronto - 7:30 P.M. *Games played at Campus Ice Centre

Vaso Vujanovic stepped down as UOIT men’s soccer head coach after over 30 years at the college and university levels.

ERIK PETROVIC

Sport: Men’s Soccer Program: Business Commerce Hometown: Sombor, Serbia High School: Vaughan SS What do enjoy most about UOIT and being a Ridgeback?

I enjoy being part of a small school. It’s much easier to get to know people and we also have great facilities! I love soccer and I’m very thankful to be a Ridgeback and be able to represent the school. I like that it is a fairly new program and there is a lot of history to be made!

UOIT women’s curlers competed in the World Curling Tour’s Lely Dumfries Challenger Series in Dumfries, Scotland in December.

www.uoitridgebacks.com • facebook.com/uoitridgebacks

Durham.SportsXpress.ca

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health&fitness

Energy Martial Arts: 22 years of focus and discipline Article by Varpet Saki, Photos courtesy of Energy Martial Arts Q&A with Ed Saki, Grandmaster, Energy Martial Arts, on training Martial Artists for 22 years at Energy Martial Arts Academy

What was the start of Energy Martial Arts?

Grandmaster Razmik Nevasartian and I established Energy Martial Arts 22 years ago in Ontario. It allowed us to create a space to not only train ourselves but to help others train in the Martial Arts.

What kind of Martial Arts do you offer?

Nerkin Ouj is a Martial Art oriented on inner power, based on traditional Martial Arts. It’s a modern Martial Art that involves a lot of kicks and hand strikes, takedowns, self-defence, breathing exercises, and patterns. The art itself was established to allow everyone to participate, whether four years old or 80 years old, and achieve success relative to their own potential. It’s also a very complete Martial Art in terms of its ability to provide training up to a very high level of skill.

What are the results of focusing on that positive energy?

For adults, it’s an environment that allows them to release their stress and recharge their batteries. Their Martial Arts practice provides a fresh perspective, and allows them to go out with renewed confidence and vigour.

For kids, it provides training in focus and discipline, tools which empower them to do better in school and at home. They take what they’ve learned, and the level of focus they’ve practiced, and they reapply it while sitting in a classroom. It gives kids the confidence to do new things that they would never have done before and definitely cuts down on susceptibility to bullies picking on them.

How did you come to choose the name Energy Martial Arts?

Because of our belief in the power of a person’s energy, a positive, universal energy.

The magic of Energy Martial Arts is that positive energy that you feel when you walk through the doors. To be able to come and train in an island among oceans, an island of positive energy.

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I hear so many stories from parents saying that a student was getting bullied, but over two or three years, their confidence builds.

Best part is they don’t become a bully themselves; rather, they become that stand up kid who believes in their own power and ability to be strong and lead by example.

Character development is a core component of our program, how to become a true leader.

We also have great success meeting adult and youth students wherever they are at the

start of their journeys. There’s no pressure for them to start at a certain level of fitness, and there is no expectation to look a specific way or be a certain level of athlete. Come as you are!

Why did you choose to make the program non-competitive?

We believe that competition has its place.

But at Energy Martial Arts, we also believe that Martial Artists must compete with their own potential, not everyone else’s. That inner yardstick has to be measured for ourselves.

When comparing ourselves to someone else, we always find someone who is faster, or stronger, or who has trained longer. This leads to focusing on others, when really the meaningful competition is inside, challenging ourselves, and developing true character. We prefer to spend the time training ourselves to be better leaders and to measure progress from yesterday to today.

Article continued on next page...

health&fitness Why do you think Energy Martial Arts has been around as long as it has?

Every student that comes to us, we treat like our first and last student, as if he or she were our only student. Everything about that student matters — what they learn, how much they learn, where they learn. What are their goals, and are we helping them reach those goals? We work very hard to make sure that our facilities are excellent and clean, that the instructors are continually trained and training, and that each student is where they need to be in his or her individual progression. We’re committed to providing a supportive, empowering environment where everyone feels welcome from the door to the mats.

All the instructors at Energy Martial Arts are Lifelong Martial Artists. They lead their lives based on the simple principles of a Martial Artist: Be the best human that you can be, the best Martial Artist that you can be, and empower those around you to do the same.

What have you learned through building the Energy Martial Arts community?

We’ve learned that each and every person that we help to learn and grow through Martial Arts has a direct positive impact within their families and communities. We’ve learned to never underestimate the profound positive effects Martial Arts can have in a person’s life, whether it’s immediate or a year after they start training.

We have people who once trained with us, who grow up and move away, then come back with their kids. One student comes to mind: He studied Martial Arts for five years, went to university and then entered the military.

After being stationed in Toronto, not only did he come back to train, but he brought his four-year-old son. He’s shared with me what a difference his training made at some junctions of his life where he drew on the discipline and the focus that he had gained in Martial Arts to

make tough choices and carry on to be where he is today.

What are your thoughts about a career in Martial Arts?

It’s a great life choice because we’re always training to be fit and healthy. One large part of our success is in being able to provide a professional and sustainable career opportunity for our instructors in teaching Martial Arts full-time. This allows them to commit to developing deeply as true Martial Artists and leader.

What you most proud of?

I’m very proud that Energy Martial Arts has been around for over 22 years, we have 800 active members, and are continually offering programs to meet our community’s needs.

Our newest achievement is our afterschool

program. We’re in 16 schools, where we pick up kids and shuttle them to our Pickering facility. It’s a great success, and we’re all having lots of fun.

What’s next for Energy Martial Arts?

This January we’re launching our fitness campaign, and in February we have Energy Yoga making its debut, so we’re really excited about that. We’re working to create a more well-rounded program for Martial Arts students who want to have more stretching and meditative elements, as well as introducing Martial Arts to people who have only done yoga.

@nerkinouj EnergyMartialArtsAcademy

Energy Martial Arts Academy is a full time traditional Martial Arts Academy in the greater Toronto, Scarborough, and Pickering Durham area. For more information visit

energymartialarts.com or call (905) 250-4444 or (416) 286-1600.

sportsfiles

Ajax Minor Hockey Assoc. success stories Ron Dancey Award The Ron Dancey Award is awarded annually to the House League player who best exemplifies team spirit and heart. This past season the recipient of this award was Aidan-Michael Taccogna who played Tyke House League. He is currently playing Novice House League and also plays on the Tyke Black Select team.

Aidan-Michael was nominated by his coach, Brian Durand, for the most improved player in his first year of hockey. When Aidan-Michael began the season, he couldn’t skate, literally. For the first four weeks, he was only able to stand by hanging on to the boards. He was definitely one of the weakest members on the team, but his work ethic was second to none. As the season progressed, so did his skills and skating, and he has improved by leaps and bounds since the beginning of the year. Aidan-Michael’s love and passion for the game were also quite noticeable, as he would always come to the rink with a huge smile and was always talking about the game he loves to his teammates.

Article and photos courtesy of Ajax Minor Hockey Association

Aidan-Michael Taccogna

Congratulations AidanMichael on receiving the Ron Dancey Award, you are a very deserving recipient.

Student Volunteer Award

The most remarkable quality about Aidan-Michael is that he has become such an inspiration to his teammates, and it is such an amazing thing to watch as all the kids on the bench light up and get energized anytime Aidan-Michael touches the puck or scores a goal.

Volunteers make any organization run smoothly, and Ajax Minor Hockey Association is no different. These volunteers, whether they are a coach, bench staff, convenor, treasurer, manager, executive member, or student, show up at the rink days, nights, and on weekends without complaints and hesitation. They are truly the unsung individuals of the AMHA.

Aidan-Michael has been an inspiration to his teammates, coaches, and parents and the love and effort he puts in week in and week out is remarkable. He is quite an amazing story.

This past season, the Ajax Minor Hockey Association decided to recognize a student for their outstanding

Aidan-Michael is a very dedicated player.

He never missed a single practice or game and was a regular at the development skates on Fridays. As well, he also put in some extra time honing his skating and other skills at a hockey development school.

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dedication to the AMHA. The first recipient of the Student Volunteer Award for the 2014-15 season was Connor LaCourse.

Connor was that one student volunteer who went above and beyond the call of duty and who never hesitated to say, “yes”. Long after Connor had completed his 40 volunteer hours that were required to graduate high school, Connor continued to volunteer for the AMHA in many capacities. He helped with office duties, tournaments, games, set up and take down for AMHA events, and basically anywhere he was asked to assist. Truth be known, Connor’s volunteer hours must count well in to the hundreds.

Connor also never hesitated to bring friends along to help out when the job was just too voluminous to complete within the time restraints. Connor, the AMHA thanks you for contribution!

Congratulations Connor on being the first recipient of the Student Volunteer Award. You have set the bar high.

Referee Each year, thousands of people register to become hockey referees. About half of those who first register go on to referee for a number of years, but of those numbers, only a fraction of a percentage make it on to referee at an elite level.

Connor LaCourse

Right here in Ajax, we have an individual who has done that. Andrew Thompson, an Ajax native, played hockey with the AMHA from Novice right through Midget (both House League and Rep).

sportsfiles In 1999, at the age of 14, he decided to start refereeing. Andrew’s smooth skating and feel for the game saw him rise quickly and attain his Level 3 qualification within a few short seasons.

In the summer of 2004, Andrew was accepted Andrew into the Ontario Hockey Thompson Association (OHA), where he began lining Junior C and A hockey throughout the Durham region. Andrew was just 18 when he started in the OHA, which is the youngest age at which you can be hired in that league!

After Andrew’s playing career was over, he continued to shine in the OMHA. In 2005, he worked the Novice AAA OMHA Championships and did the Bronze Medal Game. 2006 was a highlight year as Andrew was a linesman for the Minor Midget AAA OMHA Championships in Markham, in which he worked the Gold Medal Game.

Steven Stamkos and Michael Del Zotto were participants in that game!

In the following years, Andrew worked five more championships, which included being selected for the gold medal game two more times (both in Minor Midget AAA). In 2013, Andrew was selected as a referee at the All-Ontario Bantam AAA Championship (OHF level) in Richmond Hill, which is a high honour (as referees are selected out of a pool of many officials for that tournament).

During that time, he also got promoted to a referee in the OHA. Finally, in the summer of 2014, Andrew was hired by the Ontario Hockey League as a referee. The OHL used to have a tradition of hiring new officials as linesmen then promoting them to referee, but Andrew had been scouted and hired directly as a referee.

In his first season, Andrew did many more games than a rookie would usually receive, which was a great sign that he was doing a fine job.

Andrew currently skating OMHA, OHA, and OHL hockey, and he has also made the time to do mentoring of our brand new officials on Sunday mornings in AMHA Tyke and Novice games. That shows that Andrew truly wants to give back to the system that helped him get to where he is.

Andrew is currently in his 17th season with the OMHA, 12th with the OHA. and

second with the OHL. Not only that, but Andrew recently got engaged! If you ever see Andrew in the rinks in Ajax, be sure to say hi. He’ll make the time!

In 2012, Devon was selected by the Dallas Stars in the second round of the 2012 NHL Draft after which time Devon opted to accept a scholarship to the University of Maine. For the next three years, Devon played for the University of Maine’s Black Bears team. In his freshman and sophomore year, Devon was the leading scorer. In his junior year, he served as the team’s captain but after careful consideration and consultation with the Stars’ organization and his parents, Devon opted to not return for the senior season and he left the Black Bears in the Spring of 2015 to begin his professional hockey career with the Dallas Stars/Texas Stars (American Hockey League affiliate).

Ajax-Pickering Raiders Player Signs with Dallas Stars Every hockey player, growing up and playing Canada’s winter sport, dreams of becoming a pro hockey player and making the NHL. Ajax has one of those players in Devon Shore.

Devon began his young hockey career playing for the Ajax-Pickering AAA Raiders from Novice to Minor Midget. In 2010, Devon was selected by Barrie in the fourth round of the 2010 OHL Priority Draft.

What a start to the 2015-2016 season Devon was having. He was named AHL player for the month of October but he had no idea what was to follow so soon after turning pro.

Devon was called up to play for the Dallas Stars in early November where he played three games against Boston, Carolina and Detroit. Devon has finalized the reality of his dream of becoming a pro hockey player and playing in the NHL.

In 2010-2011, Devon attended the Hill Academy, an independent high school for dedicated studentathletes that provides premier programming for next level placement Congratulations Devon on and preparation. He your rise to the NHL. then opted to not play for Barrie and instead Whether you are among joined the Whitby Fury of the fortunate few that make Devon Shore signs with the Ontario Junior Hockey the pros, attain scholarships Dallas Stars League for the 2011-12 playing hockey, or are playing season where he wore the the game you love, always “A”. He as well skated for Canada East in remember the game is so much more when the U19 World Junior A Challenge and was shared with friends. Never give up on your the leading scorer. dreams!

RON SHARPE MEMORIAL SPRING CLASSIC TOURNAMENT The AMHA will be hosting their 10th Annual Ron Sharpe Memorial Spring Classic Tournament on March 24-27, 2016 (Easter Weekend). Divisions will include Tyke, Novice, Atom, PeeWee, Bantam, Minor Midget, and Midget/Juvenile.

Costs

$899 for OMHA Teams $949 for Non OMHA Teams

Periods: 10-10-10 Round Robin

10-10-15 Semi-Finals

and Championship 3 game guarantee plus semis and finals

For more information, contact Jason Bradimore, Tournament Director at amhatournament@gmail.com or 416-209-5278.

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The Durham College women’s volleyball team won their fourth straight match on Sunday, a straight-set victory over the visiting La Cité Coyotes.

Kristen Curtis (Frankford, Ont.) was dominant at the net for Durham in the match, leading the team with six blocks. She also picked up two kills.

Female Athlete of the Month:

Kristen Curtis

Adidas Cup: Durham was relegated to the fifth place match for the second straight year. Up against their OCAA eastern conference rival Canadore College in the playoffs, Durham came up with a sweep winning 25­­–12 and 25–19. Kristen Curtis of the Lords was named a tournament all-star.

A solid four-point performance by Nik Coric helped pave the way for the Whitby Fury, who squeezed out a 4–3 victory over the Lindsay Muskies on Sunday in Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) action.

Coric tallied a goal and assisted on three others to guide the Fury to their 14th victory of the season. Zack Fisher tallied what proved to be the game winner for Whitby with 2:57 remaining in regulation play.

Male Athlete of the Month:

Nic Coric

Fury (14–18–1) led 2-0 after one period with Jacob Durham and Coric connecting.

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health@fitness

Find your highlights

By Laura Parrott, Mental Performance Consultant

Terry Orlick is an author, seasoned mental performance consultant, professor, and creator of a mental performance tool he calls “highlights”. Terry came up with the term highlights to describe the many wonderful things that we as humans can encounter on a daily basis. Highlights can be found in the many interesting senses that we perceive.

Sometimes, you may find yourself having a particularly trying day. Perhaps most days you feel like this. Perhaps, you’ve been in a funk for a couple of months even. On days when you feel like this, it can’t hurt you to count up the many beautiful, interesting, intriguing, pleasurable, or happy events that you encounter throughout the day.

When we are having a bad day or when we are super stressed out about performing and competing, it becomes very easy to get absorbed in the stress so that we see only the stressful situation that we are in.

Sometimes we can lose focus from the world around us, and we forget that we are not just athletes; we have other things to live for too.

you appreciate the things and people around you more than you had realized because you hadn’t really thought about it before. Don’t wait until you’re feeling stressed to look for highlights; look for highlights on a daily basis.

There are many positive and joyful things happening all around you all the time. Look for these highlights and connect with them. Keep searching for something positive in your surroundings and in yourself. Think about why it’s positive and

why you like it.

For more of Terry’s thoughts on positive living and performing successfully, read his books: In Pursuit of Excellence (4th edition), Positive Living Skills: Joy and Focus for Everyone, and Embracing Your Potential.

We can live for simple joys. We can live for cool breezes on a hot day, bright colours, crunching leaves, splashing puddles, cracking ice, someone’s smile, warm hugs, birds chirping, comfortable clothing, stretched muscles, deep breaths, equipment that fits perfectly, a favourite song, toes in sand, wind in hair, cloudless skies, cloud-filled skies, stars, comfortable beds, favourite foods, lunch dates, tooth paste, fire, s’mores, a friendly dog, and endless other things that can make us smile. Part of fighting negative thoughts is choosing to try and fight them. Try to open your heart to these simple joys. If you’re feeling upset, decide to search for highlights around you. What do you have that you can feel happy about? What can you go outside and see, that will make you smile? What do you know about yourself that you are thankful for?

On one walk through the forest you could find thousands of highlights, but you don’t have to be in a forest to find highlights.

There are highlights everywhere. Look at the people you see every day and find highlights in them. You will likely find that

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teamprofiles

Turfdogs on the cusp of becoming one of the C-Lax’s elite teams

Submitted by Durham Turfdogs

The Durham Turfdogs of the Canadian Lacrosse League are in the midst of a very competitive training camp as the deadline to announce team rosters approaches.

Turfdogs’ General Manager Jonas Derks has been impressed by the quality of play in camp this year saying, “The level of play and the quality of the players has been a lot better than in previous years.

Additionally, there are a lot more guys fighting to be in this league, so the quality, tempo, and pace are at a higher level.”

Last season, the Turfdogs came on strong in the second half of the season, finishing with a 4–4 record before falling to the Ohsweken Demons in a very close semi-final match-up. It was clear, as the Turfdogs 2015 season came to a close, that they were on the cusp of becoming one of the elite teams in the league, and Derks has confidence in the program.

“I don’t think our style of play will change too much; at the end of the season we just want to win those one-goal games instead of losing them. There won’t be any drastic game situation changes; we just want to get better every night.”

There has been a mix of new and old faces in the Turfdogs camp this year with a few spots available for those making a big impact.

When asked who has been impressive thus far at camp, Derks said, “It’s tough to say. We’re giving guys a chance to make the team and to do what they need to do. There have been a couple surprises, a couple junior kids that were drafted and a couple free agents that have stepped up.”

The Turfdogs went 1–1 in this year’s pre-season.

In game one, Durham defeated the Niagara Lock Monsters 16–11. Mike Triolo (5G 1A), Matt Crough (4G 2A), and John St. John (1G 3A) led the way for the Turfdogs. In game two, Durham fell to the Southwest Cyclops 17–13, being led again by Mike Triolo (2G 3A) and Ryan McCrory (1G 4A).

The Durham Turfdogs kick off the 2016 regular season on Saturday, January 16 at 2 p.m. when they host the Niagara Lock Monsters at the GM Centre.

Tickets are available by calling 289-200-3893, emailing turfdogs@canadianlacrosse.com, or online at www.generalmotorscentre.com.

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health@fitness

Building a bulletproof arm

By Kevin Chapman - Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Elite Training Systems - Oshawa Generals - Toronto Mets Baseball

With spring training right around the corner, baseball players across the country are actively preparing for the upcoming season. January is an exciting time of year for amateur baseball athletes because it is generally when players begin practicing with their team and returning to the game that they love.

As important as it is to train baseball specific skills, it is equally if not more important to commit to building athletic abilities through strength training. Time in the weight room should start about a month after the season ends so that the athlete can have some recovery and down time to destress the body, address any injuries, and restore overall health. A great rule of thumb is: if the baseball season ends in September, the athlete should take some time off and begin training by late September or early October before beginning baseball skilled drills or throwing programs.

ready. A great strength coach will be able to manage the athlete’s training program, including rest and recovery.

Perfect Nutrition: Eating well will make you better at everything. Period. The better you eat and take care of your body, the more energy you have, and recovery is a lot easier. Perfect nutrition is the foundation of everything you do as an athlete. You cannot out-train bad nutrition and lifestyle habits.

Time off from baseball: I am a firm believer in taking time off after the season is done. This is very important because it allows the athlete to regroup both mentally and physically. Younger athletes should attempt to play another sport, continue to build athleticism, and incorporate variety.

Older athletes who have picked a primary sport to specialize in should also take time off, but they should begin a baseball strength training program when they feel

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Arm Care: There are thousands of articles and videos online for young athletes to find “arm care” programs. The problem with this is that a lot of the exercises are good but only if implemented properly. No two shoulders are alike, so no two shoulder programs should be that way. It is very important that the joint moves correctly before adding any load or resistance.

Recommended Exercises For Shoulder Stability & Strength: KB 1 arm bottoms up waiter carry: Throwing athletes live in this position. This is a great single arm exercise for building strength and stability in the overhead position.

Foam roller serratus wall slide: Serratus anterior is a huge player in proper shoulder function. This movement allows the scapula to upwardly rotate and gets the serratus firing.

Strength and conditioning programs aren’t just about lifting weights and getting strong. They help by identifying and addressing each athlete’s individual needs, reinforcing quality and corrective movement patterns that have a high carryover to the sport, and building bodies that can withstand the demands of a long season.

As much as training for performance is a priority for any athlete, so is ensuring that they do everything possible to avoid injuries.

In baseball, arm injuries are becoming more common, especially in younger athletes due to overuse from too much throwing and poor mechanics. The truth of the matter is, these injuries can be identified before they become a chronic problem, and when identified early are preventable. Further on, I am going to highlight staples in my baseball programs and share some tips to make sure the arm stays healthy and strong all year round.

before even putting a ball in their hand or stepping on a mound. Practice does not make perfect, it makes permanent. Move well from the start, and your mechanics will be seamless.

Work with a quality athletic therapy team: Elite level sports are very demanding on the body, and they create a lot of stress and trauma on joints, tendons, and other structures in the body. Training in the weight room is often not enough to prevent injury. A quality sports therapy team can offer modalities like manual therapy, soft tissue work, acupuncture, and Graston to help break up scar tissue and keep the body’s tissues healthy. In my eight years as a strength coach I have seen my athletes experience a lot of success and longevity training in the weight room and alongside our therapy team at the Centre for Physical Health.

Start light and progress slowly: Any welldesigned training program is progressive.

In the weight room, the first phase should be focused on fundamental movement patterns and trying to identify significant asymmetries in the body. With all of the pitchers I work with, I work closely with their pitching coordinators to implement the best plan for them. Often times we spend several weeks working on mechanics on flat ground

Half kneeling and standing manual internal and external rotations: These movements should only be done under the supervision of a qualified coach. As important as it is to strengthen the rotator cuff it is equally important to train the anterior portion of the shoulder which are responsible for decelerating the arm on the follow through.

Bear Crawls: Bear crawls are a great fundamental movement skill for anyone.

These are especially good for throwing athletes because they promote proper shoulder function when performed correctly.

The bear crawl allows the scapula to upwardly rotate which is necessary for efficient overhead movement and produces a lot of serratus anterior recruitment.

These are just a few examples of some of the strategies that I implement. There are many working parts to a tailored strength program for baseball players. Remember, quality movement and quality lifestyle habits will trump everything else. Results are produced through consistency and over a period of time, focusing on daily improvement. Enjoy the off season, and strive to be better every day.

sports@school

Mossavat named master coach of the UOIT soccer programs The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) athletic department is proud to announce that Peyvand Mossavat has been named master coach, overseeing both the men’s and women’s soccer programs.

“We’re excited to have Peyvand move into a larger role as part of the Ridgebacks soccer program,” said UOIT manager of intercollegiate athletics Scott Barker. “His early success in the CIS with the Ridgebacks women’s program is something that we expect to carry over to the men’s program through the master coach position.

Peyvand has been a key piece in building a successful soccer program in the early history of UOIT athletics and we’re looking forward to what the future holds with him in this new role.”

Mossavat has led the women’s soccer programs to four consecutive Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoff appearances, highlighted by winning an OUA bronze medal in 2014, the school’s first podium finish in a team sport. That year, the Ridgebacks also made UOIT’s first and only appearance at a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship that took place in Quebec City.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to lead both programs,” said Mossavat. “I am grateful for being part of an amazing supportive community at UOIT which has provided us with a platform to achieve success both on and off the field. I look to continue building off the hard work that coach Vaso put into the program and I hope to be able to guide both programs to continue to reach new heights.”

vision for academic success. Community involvement was also a top-priority for Mossavat as his team’s organized a number of activities and workshops that raised funds that supported local women’s shelters and food banks.

Last summer, Mossavat was in the national spotlight as he was the head coach of Team Canada at the 2015 Summer Universiade in South Korea. Qualifying for the bronze medal match, the national team had its best-ever result at the Universiade with a fourth place finish.

With the retirement of Vaso Vujanovic after six seasons in the OUA, the men’s soccer program has continued to improve coming off OUA backto-back playoff appearances.

In 11 years coaching in the OUA, he has been recognized by the league three times as the OUA division coach of the year. In 2014 was bestowed the highest honour, being named the CIS national coach of the year.

Mossavat will now construct coaching staffs for both the men’s and women’s programs while recruiting for the 2016 season that kicks off in August.

His student-athletes won over 50 OUA/ CIS awards, including Kylie Bordeleau being named a CIS All-Canadian in 2015.

Over 20 of his athletes also won academic All-Canadian awards under his direction and

“The priority over the next few days will be to review both programs and see how we can utilize all of our resources in a joint effort.”

Canada West wins gold!

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