SportsXpress Durham Sept/Oct 2015

OUA Championships return to UOIT

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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.

September/October 2015 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.

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health&fitness

Informative articles on sports health & fitness.

07 | 16 | 17 | 22 |

That moment when...

Which protein shake is right for you?

Eat locally for health Smart training is physical education!

sportsnews

Up-to-date information on what is happening in the area.

12 | Treetop Eco-Adventure Park 15 | Burrows Insurance Athletes of the Month

Front cover photo credit: Al Fournier

sports@school

Highlighting all school sports and athletes.

10 | Softball spotlight on Oshawa this October 11 | OUA championships return to UOIT 13 | Go back to school with Oxford Learning on your team!

14 | Spooner joins UOIT coaching staff in mentorship role

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teamprofiles

Profiling community sports in words and photographs.

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Welcome to the 2015/2016 indoor season!

Ajax Minor Hockey Association Oshawa to enter new Midget Elite League for 2016

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September/October 2015 PUBLISHERS Scott Cherwaty ScottC@SportsXpress.ca 289-634-1390

EDITOR Jane Penteker

GRAPHIC DESIGN Wendy Ferris CONTRIBUTORS AND Ajax Minor Hockey Association, College, Oshawa Kicks, Oxford PHOTOGRAPHERS Durham Learning, Treetop Eco-Adventure Park, University of Onario Institute of Technology, Laura Parrott, UOIT, Ken Babcock, Larry Fuchs Jr., Erin Bell, Jeff Roux, Tim Bates, OJHL Images, Al Fournier, various sports enthusiasts, and the SportsXpress team

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health@fitness

That moment when...

By Laura Parrott

People who compete in elite sport don’t do it just for something to fill their nights and weekends; they do it because they love the way they feel when they’re taking part. If you don’t love the way you feel when you’re taking part in a competitive sport, it might be time to evaluate your involvement and your future. Competing at an elite level takes a toll on any athlete. You put your body through rigorous workouts, and you schedule your whole life around sport. You sometimes prioritize sport over major life events like birthdays, weddings, proms, graduations, etc. Sometimes you are left wondering whether it’s all worth it or not.

If you know in your heart that competing at an elite level is where you want to be in your life right now, try the following strategy to help remind yourself of the positive aspects of your sport.

Make a list of some of the awesome moments that you have felt while taking part in your sport. Every athlete has had those moments of pure joy and elation. These are moments when you feel a sense of accomplishment, happiness, a rush, a thrill, elation, bliss, and perhaps relief. These are the moments that make sport so awesome.

These moments are the reasons why people get into sport and continue to compete competitively. Below I’ve listed awesome moments that I’ve personally experienced, as well as moments that I’ve experienced vicariously through watching athletes and teams perform.

…you finally feel comfortable with your new team and you no longer feel like “the new kid”.

like these. What can you do to make moments like that happen again or more frequently?

…you land a new trick you’ve been trying.

Creating this list of awesome moments in your sport is a fun experience and shouldn’t only be done when you’re feeling stressed or sad. While you’re making this list, sit comfortably, close your eyes and visualize the feelings and surroundings that created each awesome moment. Remembering and visualizing those moments will lift your spirits and make you feel warm at least for a little while.

…you beat your personal best. …you realize your stress is gone and you feel content. …you realize that taking part in your sport feels as natural as breathing. …you feel so comfortable and confident in your teammates’ abilities that you know exactly what moves they will make in certain situations, and you reciprocally know how to react to them.

Laura Parrott, Mental Performance Consultant Director/Owner of Wheelhouse MPC MHK, University of Ottawa 289-927-3039 www.wheelhousempc.com facebook.com/wheelhousempc twitter.com/Wheelhousempc instagram.com/wheelhouse_mpc/ “Laura is a mental performance consultant and owner of Wheelhouse Mental Performance Consulting

…you lift the Stanley Cup after winning that final game. …you sing your country’s national anthem after winning the gold medal at the Olympics or world championships.

If you are in a negative place emotionally and are creating this list of moments in order to help you to find a positive head space moving forward in your sport, after creating this list, think about how you can work towards experiencing more moments

It’s that moment when… …you feel totally prepared for a competition, and you are totally confident in your ability to execute all of your skills and tackle any obstacles that come your way. …you score a goal after being down by one point. …you score a game-winning goal in overtime. …someone on your team scores a gamewinning goal in overtime. …you are on the ice or field to celebrate a goal with your teammates. …you connect perfectly with the puck for your first successful slapshot.

Durham.SportsXpress.ca

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teamprofiles

Ajax Minor Hockey Association Ajax Minor Hockey Association is the home of the Knights. Based in Ajax, Ontario, the aim and object of the AMHA is to foster, promote, and encourage self-esteem, team attitude, self-discipline, and technical hockey skills for the participants in minor hockey. Our team, our town in a league where teamwork makes the dream happen and where friendships are formed.

The AMHA typically has 100 teams registered in both rep/select and house league programs. The organization currently hosts the Break the Ice Tournament (Early Bird) in September and the Ron Sharpe Memorial Tournament (House League) in March.

The 2014-2015 season was very successful for the AMHA with 25 tournament wins, a Regional Silver Stick winner, an International Silver Stick winner, two OMHA Championships, two Lakeshore Championships and an OHF Finalist.

Midget AE White’s team name will appear on the plaque to be displayed in the Hockey Hall of Fame display case.

Midget AE White Wins International Silver Stick

Midget AE (White) Wins OMHA Championships

The Midget AE (White) team won the Regional Silver Stick tournament in Richmond Hill, Ontario in December 2014 to advance to the International Silver Stick in Pelham, Ontario in January. There, the Midget team finished the three round-robin games in first place and played very solidly as they climbed through the three-game playoffs without having a goal scored against them to advance to the Championship game where they earned their fourth shut-out of the International Silver Stick Tournament by a final score of 3–0. With this Championship win, the 2014/15 Ajax

The Midget AE White’s team success did not stop there. The Midget team went on to win the OMHA Championship by defeating the Amherstburg Stars in March 2015.

Midget AA Knights Win OMHA Championship!!!

The Midget AA team brought home AMHA’s second OMHA Championship in March. The Knights started their OMHA title quest by sweeping Oshawa in the quarter-finals, winning the series three games to none. The semi-finals proved to be a bigger challenge, but Ajax emerged victorious, winning the series in a nail biter game six by a score of 1–0 to advance to the OMHA finals where they met the Belle River Canadiens. The finals saw great hockey played by both teams, and after going back and forth through the series, Ajax defeated the Canadiens on home ice by a score of 3–0 in game five to take the title.

Midget AE Champs

HOUSE LEAGUE PROGRAM REGISTER BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!!!

Registration for the 2015/2016 AMHA House League season is filling up fast! Make sure you claim your spot for the upcoming season that begins September 19th. There are still spots available in most divisions.

Registration information can be found by visiting www.ajaxminorhockey.com.

HOCKEY EQUIPMENT SWAP AND SALE Midget AAOMHA Champs

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The AMHA will be holding a Hockey Equipment Swap & Sale at the Ajax Community Centre (located between pads 3 and 4) on September 19th and 20th, 2015 from 9:00-3:00 pm.

teamprofiles Midget AA - OHF Finalist After their OMHA Championship win, the Ajax Knights Midget AA team headed to Hearst to represent the OMHA at the OHF Midget AA Championships. The Knights went undefeated in round-robin play, finishing 4–0. After finishing in first place, the Ajax Knights faced off with the London Jr. Knights in the semis and won 5–1 earning them a spot in the gold medal game. The battle for gold was between the Ajax Knights and the Mississauga North Stars. The Knights played hard but fell behind early and could not recover, losing 5–1 including an empty net goal.

Ajax left with a silver medal and should be very proud of their accomplishment. It was an exciting end to finish a fantastic season!

Midget AAOHF

Go Knights Go!!!!!

Durham.SportsXpress.ca

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DURHAM COLLEGE LORDS Softball spotlight on Oshawa this October

Lords hosting national and provincial championships

Upcoming Home Games Men’s Baseball

will be hosted in the same city, in the same year. Both events will be a great opportunity to showcase our campus facilities, hospitality and the Oshawa community to the rest of the country.”

The national championship will feature the top eight teams in the country battling it out for the national crown. The Western Mustangs will have their sights set on another crown as they enter the championship as the four-time defending champions.

OSHAWA, Ont. – Two is better than one.

That is the philosophy the Durham College athletic department is going by this fall as they are set to host two major softball championships on campus.

For the first time in school history, Durham will be the host site for the Canadian Collegiate Softball Association (CCSA) national championship.

The three-day event will run at Durham Field as well as Alexandra Park from Oct. 9-11. Two weeks later, the Lords will host the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) provincial championship from Oct. 23-24 at Durham Field.

“What an exciting time for softball in the Durham Region,” said Ken Babcock, director of athletics. “This will mark the first time that the provincial and national championship

The Lords have already booked their spot in the championship as the tournament host. Their best result at nationals was in 2012 where they claimed silver after reaching the gold medal game against Western.

Durham is no stranger to hosting the OCAA championship, having last hosted it in 2011. That also marks the last time Durham won the provincial championship having gone on a threeyear gold medal drought, their longest since 1991. The Lords will be looking to end the streak and claim their record 17th OCAA title in October.

The two-day double knockout championship will highlight the top four teams during league play.

The Lords full schedule including exhibition games is now available on durhamlords.com.

Sept. 13 vs. George Brown - 1/3:30 P.M. Sept. 27 vs. Humber - 1/3:30 P.M. Oct. 3 vs. Fanshawe - 1/3:30 P.M. Oct. 4 vs. St. Clair - 1/3:30 P.M. Oct. 9 vs. Seneca - 6/8 P.M. *Games played at Kinsmen Memorial Stadium

Women’s Softball

Sept. 18 vs. Seneca - 6/8 P.M. Sept. 22 vs. Mohawk - 6/8 P.M. Sept. 24 vs. Humber - 6/8 P.M. Oct. 6 vs. Conestoga - 6/8 P.M. Oct. 17 vs. St. Clair - 1/3 P.M. Oct. 18 vs. Fanshawe - 1/3 P.M. *Games played at Durham Field

Soccer

Sept. 17 vs. Fleming - 6/8 P.M. Sept. 26 vs. Cambrian - 1/3 P.M. Sept. 29 vs. Loyalist (Women) - 6 P.M. Oct. 9 vs. St. Lawrence - 6/8 P.M. Oct. 17 vs. Algonquin - 1/3 P.M. Oct. 20 vs. Centennial - 6/8 P.M. *Games played at Vaso’s Field

Basketball

Oct. 2-3 • Big 8 Classic (Women’s) Oct. 17-18 • Dave Stewart Tip-Off Tournament (Men’s) Oct. 27 vs. Seneca - 6/8 P.M.

Volleyball

Oct. 9-10 • Men’s Volleyball Adidas Cup Oct. 29 vs. George Brown - 6/8 P.M. *Games played at CRWC

www.durhamlords.com • facebook.com/durhamlords

UOIT RIDGEBACKS OUA championships return to UOIT

Upcoming Home Games Soccer

Sept. 19 vs. Trent (Men’s) - 3 P.M. Oct. 3 vs. Ryerson - 1/3 P.M. Oct. 4 vs. Toronto - 1/3 P.M. Oct. 16 vs. Queen’s - 6/8 P.M. Oct. 18 vs. RMC - 1/3 P.M. Oct. 25 vs. Ottawa (Women’s) - 1 P.M. *Games played at Vaso’s Field/ Oshawa Civic

Tennis

Sept. 19 vs. York - 12 P.M. Sept. 20 vs. Waterloo - 12 P.M. Oct. 2 vs. Carleton - 7 P.M.

Golf

Taylor Milburn, centre, is shown during the OUA field lacrosse championship quarter-final match last season at the Oshawa Civic Field. This year the Ridgebacks host the championship from Oct. 23-25 at the same location.

OSHAWA, Ont. – For the second straight year, UOIT will play host to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) golf and women’s field lacrosse championships.

OUA golfers will return to the Oshawa Golf and Curling Club for the two-round championship that runs on October 19-20. The top provincial golfers will be tested by the Oshawa Golf and Curling Club, which is qualified as a “Stanley Thompson Course,” as designed by Canada’s foremost golf course architect.

The century old layout with its thousands of mature trees and well-manicured fairways and greens is considered to be a hidden gem of Durham Region. The Toronto Varsity Blues (women) and Waterloo Warriors (men) will look to defend their respective titles.

“We are very excited to welcome back the top university golfers to the Oshawa Golf and Curling Club,” said Scott Barker, UOIT manager of intercollegiate athletics. “We had nothing but great feedback from those involved one year ago and we will look to add more to the student-athlete

experience this fall.”

The UOIT women’s field lacrosse team will be looking to benefit from home field advantage once again as the 2015 provincial championship will take place at Civic Fields from October 23-25. Last year, the Ridgebacks advanced to the OUA final four for the first time in program history where they were narrowly defeated by the Varsity Blues in the bronze medal match.

Fifteen games will take place over the course of three days with the bronze and gold medal games wrapping up action on Sunday afternoon. Last year, Western defeated Brock 7-5 to win their fourth straight title.

“Our women’s field lacrosse team has made tremendous strides on the field over the last couple of years and we cannot wait to have the championship back in Oshawa,” said Barker.

“Hosting the events is a great way to showcase our campus and the city of Oshawa.”

This will mark the fifth and sixth OUA championship hosted by UOIT, having also hosted tennis in 2009 and 2012.

Oct. 19-20 • OUA Golf Championship at Oshawa Golf and Curling Club

Lacrosse

Sept. 20 vs. Toronto - 8 A.M. Sept. 20 vs. Trent - 1:30 P.M. Oct. 23-25 • OUA Lacrosse Championship at Oshawa Civic Fields

Men’s Hockey

Sept. 13 vs. Guelph - 4 P.M. Oct. 9 vs. McGill - 7:30 P.M. Oct. 15 vs. Brock - 7:30 P.M. Oct. 17 vs. York - 7:30 P.M. Nov. 7 vs. Queen’s - 7:30 P.M.

Women’s Hockey

Sept. 27 vs. St. Thomas - 12:30 P.M. Oct. 8 vs. York - 7:30 P.M. Oct. 10 vs. Brock - 7:30 P.M. Oct. 23 vs. Nipissing - 7:30 P.M. Oct. 24 vs. Laurentian - 3:30 P.M. *Games played at Campus Ice Centre

www.uoitridgebacks.com • facebook.com/uoitridgebacks

sportsfiles

TreeTop Eco-Adventure Park Change is in the air at TreeTop EcoAdventure Park. The leaves are changing from green to red and gold, and we will soon be blanketed with snow again.

TREETOP ECO-ADVENTURE PARK

Not only is the season changing, but so to are things at the park. This year, starting in May, we are proud to announce that we will be featuring Combat Archery. Combat Archery combines the excitement and fun of paintball with the ancient art of archery. The bows are in the 20-25 pound draw weight range and the arrows you shoot at each other are tipped with this foam padding.

It is the first time zip lining and Combat Archery will be featured together anywhere in the world.

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Durham.SportsXpress.ca

We are also excited to offer new team building and leadership packages this season having hired staff members with specific training in those areas. If you want to build your championship lacrosse or soccer team, or get your hockey team to bond together for next season, TreeTop EcoAdventure Park has it all.

All of these new features are of course in addition to our aerial courses which feature over 60 different elements including tight ropes, rope swings and our famous Tarzan swing; as well as a total of seven zip lines ranging from 100-feet to 732-feet long and 10 to 85-feet off the ground, on clear summer days you can see all the way to

Lake Ontario from the highest point.

The breath taking views and thrilling rides makes TreeTop Eco-Adventure the best place to be this summer in Durham Region and the GTA. For reservations please call our office line at 905-655-1113, toll free at 1-855655-1113 or email us at info@treetopecoadventurepark.com.

For more information, updates, pictures and video check out our Facebook, Instagram and our website.

www.izipped.ca

OSHAWA, ON

10 minutes north of Durham College on Simcoe St or 5 minutes north of the new 407 extension

SPORTS TEAM PARTIES TREETOP ECO-ADVENTURE PARK 53 Snow Ridge Court, Oshawa, ON 905-655-1113 or 855-655-1113 WWW.IZIPPED.CA www

sports@school

Go back to school with Oxford Learning on your team!

A new school year is here, and with it comes the opportunity for students to erase mistakes from past years.

Aside from the occasional back-to-school jitters, it’s a great time to be a student—the school year is fresh and new, and full of possibilities.

As the first days of school pass into the first weeks, jitters begin to fade. Students settle into the routine of their new classes.

Unfortunately, they can also find themselves settling back into bad habits from previous years. Before too long, your family is rushing around in the morning, homework is being forgotten, and poor test marks are rolling in.

“It’s important to start the new school year off on the right foot. The habits that students develop in the early days can stick

with them for the entire year,” says Oxford Learning.

help with these areas before they become issues is a great way to start the school year off on the right foot.

According to Oxford Learning, the sooner that students make good school habits part of their daily routine, the more likely it is that they will keep these habits for the entire school year. The trick is to implement those good school habits from the first day of class, or even before.

Oxford Learning also recommends that parents reintroduce school-year habits such as limiting TV and computer time, setting bedtimes and wake up times, and using a family wall calendar to keep track of chores and social activities.

So how do parents and students prepare to start the new school year off on the right foot? Oxford Learning recommends that parents take out last year’s final report card and review the comments and any areas of concern. If there are school issues from last year that weren’t addressed over the summer, it’s likely that they will become problems again this year. Knowing what the challenges are ahead of time, and getting

Of course, purchasing new school supplies is also a great way to help kids feel motivated, even excited, about starting a new grade—excitement for school is a great way to start off a new school year.

For more information about back-toschool habits and helping students get on track, contact your nearest Oxford Learning location today! Or visit our website www. oxfordlearning.com.

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sports@school

Spooner joins UOIT coaching staff in mentorship role

Article and photo courtesy of UOIT

The UOIT women’s hockey program hopes Natalie Spooner joining their coaching staff will help take the program to the next level.

Spooner, hailing from Scarborough, Ont., will be a player mentor for UOIT. Her main focus on-ice will be skill development. Away from the ice she hopes to share and use her experiences as a member of the national program to teach the players how to mentally and physically prepare themselves to become the best players they can be.

“I’m pretty excited,” said Spooner. “I graduated from university two or three years ago now, so I’m excited to get back into the university atmosphere. For the girls, I think this is one of the most exciting times of their lives, just concentrating on hockey and school.”

Although her hockey resume is centered around playing the game and not as much on the coaching side, with Spooner still playing, she hopes UOIT players will learn from what she is doing in season and viceversa.

“It is a little weird now, kind of turning the tables and being on the other side (coaching), but I think as you get older, there

“There are younger girls in the game of hockey, and you try to give back and teach those girls because they are the future of hockey.” are younger girls in the game of hockey, and you try to give back and teach those girls because they are the future of hocke,” she said. “If I can do that just a little bit with some of these UOIT girls, I think it will be awesome.”

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Justin Caruana and Natalie Spooner

On top of her new role with the Ridgebacks, she is still a member of the Toronto Furies of the CWHL. Spooner is also a member of the Canadian national women’s ice hockey team, as a member of which she has won numerous international medals. At the IIHF world women’s championship she won a gold medal in 2012 and three silver medals in 2011, 2013, and 2015.

She was also a member of the gold medal winning Canadian team at the Sochi Winter Olympics.

“I’ve worked with Natalie for a couple years now in her development and to have her on board, and bringing her experiences and knowledge to UOIT, is a huge benefit to our program,” said Head Coach Justin Caruana. “With her experience

as a university athlete, as well as a current player, we expect and hope that our girls will listen to everything she has to say. Every bit of knowledge she gives them will be something that has the potential to take our program to the next level.”

The UOIT Ridgebacks open the OUA regular season October 8th at home against the York Lions. On September 29th they host the St. Thomas Tommies for an exhibition game at the Campus Ice Centre.

Season tickets are now available through the UOIT athletic department. To purchase your tickets contact Scott Dennis at 905721-8668 ext. 2784 or e-mail scott-dennis@ dc-uoit.ca.

Caitlyn Omelanchuk has been named the Durham College student-athlete of the week presented by Boston Pizza North Oshawa for the period ending Sept. 13.

Durahm Games at Fanshawe College, Omelanchuk picked up a complete game shutout in the Lords first game of the season. The police foundations student allowed six hits over seven innings, while striking out nine batters. In the second game of the doubleheader against the Falcons she pitched one shutout inning in relief of Emma Greer. At the plate on Saturday she was 1-for-3 with a run and a walk in the opening game.

Sunday in the Lords opening game of their doubleheader against St. Clair she picked up her second victory of the weekend, pitching another complete game. Over seven innings she allowed three earned runs on five hits, while walking one and striking out four batters en route to the 4-3 win.

Female Athlete of the Month:

Caitlyn Omelanchuk

Caitlyn Omelanchuk picked up her second victory of the night on the mound after throwing 3.2 innings of the game, allowing one hit and striking out four batters. She came in to relieve Megan McDonald, who pitched 3.1 innings, while allowing four earned runs on seven hits. Games vs the Seneca Sting.

Golfer James Krantz has been named the UOIT athlete of the week.

Krantz, a fourth year mechanical engineering major, shot a 5-under 65 to win the Queen’s Invitational by four strokes at the Cataraqui Golf and Country Club. The Oshawa native only needed 27 putts and hit 15 greens in regulation to cruise to the season opening victory. As a team, the Ridgebacks finished in second place overall, beating the defending OUA champion Waterloo Warriors by six strokes.

Male Athlete of the Month:

James Krantz

Coming off a win at the Queen’s Invitational, James Krantz had two more impressive rounds to finish near the top of the leaderboard. On day one, the mechanical engineering major shot a 72 to finish in third place, just two strokes behind the leader. He followed up that performance by in finishing in a four-way tie for third place with a round of 71, once again just two strokes off the pace.

(905) 435-0800 909 Simcoe St. N., Unit 1C, Oshawa

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health@fitness

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health@fitness

Eat locally for health Mmmm… I love this time of year — the warmth of the late summer sun, the promise of harvest, and, especially, the food. We’re embarking upon the season of freshness and eating locally grown foods is where it’s at. Most major metropolitan areas have large markets that run all year round.

However, I’ve discovered that it’s the fresh, outdoor markets that have the best treats.

Farmers markets are popping up everywhere, and there’s no shortage of bountiful products to tempt every taste.

Fresh produce is particularly delightful at this time of year because we rely on imported fruits and vegetables at least half of our year, in the northern climates. This is discouraging during the long winter months, as a tomato just doesn’t taste like a tomato when it’s traveled hundreds or thousands of miles just to get to the dinner plate.

Choosing locally grown foods is not only an economical choice; it is a better choice for your health. Local farms are often organic, pesticide and herbicide free, the produce is harvested at the right time —

as opposed to way before it’s time — and there is much less chance that your fruits and veggies spent days, or weeks, in a boxcar or trailer. The foods are fresher and you get the chance to become familiar with the growers. Farm fresh eggs, free-range chicken, homemade breads, and grass-fed beef will have you returning to the taste of homegrown traditions every week. These markets are not limited to fruits and veggies as many vendors produce meat and dairy products, crafts, maple syrup, specialty cheeses, breads, and pastries. Kids love the market, as they get to see and taste nature at its best.

By Erin Bell, Nutritionist, Holistic Allergist & Market-Shopper

Choosing foods seasonally will help your body adjust to the changes in temperature, daylight hours and indoor and outdoor air and environmental conditions. Fall and winter introduces new sporting activities that require optimum fuel. Choose seasonal foods that provide quality sources of protein, complex carbohydrates and good fats. Think about a nice bowl of warm oats with coconut milk, blueberries, peaches and a handful of walnuts sprinkled with some cinnamon and a dash of pure vanilla extract.

Nutritionists and natural health practitioners encourage their clients to eat seasonally and locally (become a “locavore” — one who eats locally grown foods) because your body will get the most nutritional benefit from eating for the seasons. If it’s summer, eat the berries, if it’s fall, stock up on squash, and in winter, go for the root veggies. Your body craves and needs the specific nutrients in foods according to seasons.

Now that’s just good food to Go Play!

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teamprofiles

Bantam All-Star Game goes extra innings The top bantam-aged players in the EOBA put on one heck of a show on Friday, August 28th at the 2015 EOBA Bantam All-Star Game held at Kinsmen Stadium in Oshawa.

Article and photos courtesy of Ken Babcock

The event was proudly hosted by Baseball Oshawa. Tied 8–8 after nine, the teams took the game into extra innings. The East eventually won it 11–8 over the West. Nolan Abrams of Quinte was the MVP of the game for the East, and Aaron Muravksi of Oshawa was the game’s MVP from the West team.

There was a great crowd on hand, and the stadium was all dressed up and lettered up for the big game.

Thanks to all the volunteers who helped us make this a special experience for all of the players, coaches, and fans! Players were treated like big leaguers with team water, Powerade, sunflower seeds, and snacks in each dugout, MLB pre-game style batting practice, game announcing, player intros and music, and plenty of fan giveaways!

East Team All-Stars

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All-Star Umpires

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FIGHT WITH A

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

FUR

BE HERE OCTOBER 4, 9, 16, 18, 25TH TO HELP SUPPORT THE WHITBY FURY’S FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER. DONATION WILL BE MADE TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS ON BEHALF OF THE FURY.

A DINNER WILL TAKE PLACE ON THE EVENING OF THE 25TH WHERE THE PLAYERS ON THE FURY WILL SERVE DINNER AND THE JERSEY'S WILL BE AUCTIONED. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT

SCOTTY NICHOLSON (705) 927-3242 scottynicholson73@hotmail.com

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL FURY ACTION AT WHITBYFURY.POINTSTREAKSITES.COM

PHOTO BY: TIM BATES, OJHL IMAGES

teamprofiles

Oshawa to enter new Midget Elite League for 2016 Baseball Ontario announced last year that five of its affiliated associations (Central Ontario Baseball, Hamilton District Baseball Association, Toronto Baseball Association, Niagara District Baseball Association and the York Simcoe Baseball Association) signed an agreement to form a new Midget Elite League (MEL) for Baseball Ontario carded players commencing with the 2015 playing season. The Eastern Ontario Baseball Association has signed on to the same agreement, meaning EOBA teams that commit can join the MEL/BEL (Bantam Elite League) in time for the 2016 season. It is expected that the following EOBA centres will join the MEL/BEL for 2016 season in the following divisions: 18U Oshawa, Ajax/ Pickering and Whitby, 16U Oshawa and Whitby, 15U Oshawa, Whitby and AjaxPickering. The MEL/BEL is a AAA baseball loop.

The MEL agreement allows Minor or Major Midget aged players, and now Major Bantam aged players within the six affiliated associations (COBA,YSBA,TBA,HDBA,NDBA and EOBA), to try out for any of the new MEL/BEL teams, without the need for a release. Players in these age groups can try out for any MEL or BEL team. Should that player be from out of centre and make an

MEL or BEL team, their home centre would provide an automatic release after confirmation of the player making the MEL/BEL team.

Should a player not a make an MEL or BEL team (and you may try out for multiple MEL/BEL teams), then that player must return to their home centre for play.

Oshawa Legionaires team announced The Oshawa Legionaires 16U MEL baseball team has been selected for the 2015/16 season. The Legionaires are made up of players from Quinte, Ajax, Pickering, Peterborough, Whitby and Oshawa. The team will play exhibition games until midOctober, then they will take a break until January 2016, and at that time will start an indoor training and practice program with ETS and at the Oshawa Civic Centre.

The team will be heading to spring training

during March Break. The regular season will start in May with 12 teams (Brampton, Burlington, East York, Etobicoke, Hamilton, Mississauga North, North Toronto, Oshawa, Richmond Hill, Stoufville, Vaughan, and Whitby) making up the Midget Elite League for 2016. The team will be off to New England, Cincinnati, and Cooperstown for tournaments in 2016. As well, there will be a MEL Tournament and Provincial Championships.

Summer 2016

JUNE 30-JULY 3

Cincinnati Flames 16U Wood Bar Class Games played at University of Cincinnati, Wright State University, Northern KY University and University of Cincinnati Clermont 5 Game Minimum (weather permitting) .

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teamprofiles 16U MEL 2016 Roster Conner Allen Braden Babcock Connor Cavanagh Blake Cherwaty Easton Currie Ty Cymbalista Ethan Duggan Keiven Frost Lucas Gilbert Mitchell Haywood Evan Love Aaron Muravski Liam O’Connor Matthew Robinson Matthew Walker COACHING STAFF: Head Coach — Ken Babcock 3rd Base Coach/Asst Coach — Scott Cherwaty Asst. Coach — Aaron McQuillen Asst. Coach — Ethan Boston Asst. Coach — Sam Dempster

Summer 2016

AUGUST 5-7 Cooperstown Baseball Classic Tournament at Cooperstown NY. Legendary birthplace of baseball.

Attempt to arrange one of our tournament games at historic Doubleday Field.

Summer 2016

JULY 18-21 New England Underclass 16U World Series Games played at brand new New England Baseball Complex - Northborough MASS. 3o minutes east of Boston. Will tie in a Red Sox game at Fenway Park vs. San Franciso Giants during this tournament experience.

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health@fitness

Smart training is physical education!

With school back in action, fall and winter sports getting started and summer sports coming to an end, it is the perfect time to re-evaluate your health, fitness, and conditioning goals, and reset your training focus for the fall. From a high performance perspective we know that training for your sport is essential as training in your sport, but an effective training program is not just about training hard, it is about training smart. This is just as important when it comes to training for your life.

Research has proven that being involved in an active and healthy lifestyle can not only improve your fitness, but it can also improve your actual brain function and your ability to learn. It can maximize your creativity and energy levels and help you perform better in all aspects of your life. The first step is to set some new goals, prioritize your schedule to make it work for you and your family, and then, get moving!

At Twist, we have always said that “everyone is an athlete.” At any age, whether you are a competitive athlete, weekend warrior, or simply an active person who wants to challenge yourself to get better, this philosophy can guide whatever kind of training you decide to do and give you a foundation to train like an athlete as well. This means setting goals, creating a training program with purpose and practical application to your life, and most importantly, take into consideration your individual strengths and weaknesses, injuries, and dysfunctions that may restrict certain activities.

My philosophy has always been that if something motivates you to get moving, stay moving and keep moving better, it is a good thing.

We are all affected by a lack of play and activity. A recent study by Participaction gave Canadian kids a D on activity levels.

A D! This is infuriating. With screen times increasing and many schools having limited or unstructured P.E. programs, parents are

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depending on recreational and competitive sports programs to keep their kids active.

In many cases this is still not enough to achieve the necessary minimum amounts they need. Many parents are faced with the same issues of balancing time with health, fitness, and activity. Focusing on the development of healthy families and overall lifestyle changes, not just healthy individuals may be the answer.

There are more opportunities than ever for people of all ages to participate in a variety of sports and activities. They key is to find something intrigues, excites, and motivates you to get moving, be active, and then begin a smart training program.

We have seen some amazing successes with all ages, often from people who are not competitive athletes and do not even realize what they are capable of. The main thing they were capable of was believing that they could achieve more, and trusting we could help them get there. We refuse to settle for the status quo of fitness options and continue challenge all of our “athletes” to challenge themselves.

Our main objectives are simple: We teach each of our athletes to move better, move athletically and move efficiently. We coach each of our athletes to lift with proper technique. We teach hows and whys of training programs and continue to create new opportunities to evolve based on new exercise science research, new insights into nutrition, and new ways to help motivate people to continue to question traditional methods and to continue to learn and get better, every day.

Move Whether you are an elite athlete or a stay-at-home parent, everyone can benefit from moving better. The ability to move well is something we should never take for granted. Everyone can learn to move better.

Mechanical inefficiencies, lack of activity, injuries, and movement dysfunctions begin to settle in as we age, and many people put

Jeff Roux B.P.E, CSCS, Director & Twist Sport Conditioning Coach

off finding ways to get moving well again.

Typical gym programs promote stepping on a specific hamster wheel (treadmill, elliptical machine, stationary bike, etc.) and heading down the road to nowhere on machines that do most of the work.

People need to actually move in order to move better. Improving athletic mobility, maximizing joint stability, and enhancing the ability to run, jump, skate, ski, hike, garden, and just play with your kids will not come from watching Ellen or SportsCentre on the bike at the gym.

Movement is simply about taking muscles through a full, functional range of motion and expanding that range of motion. It is about stabilizing the joints to handle deceleration and direction changes without injury. It is about developing explosive muscle firing patterns to accelerate quickly and change gears efficiently. It is about developing a variety of energy systems from short burst anaerobic to long duration endurance. Movement challenges your body to stop and go and challenges your heart and lungs to adapt to a variety of conditioning intervals and intensities.

Movement will help you perform better in sport and in life.

Lift It is exciting to see strength training making resurgence over the past few years and to see young athletes and active adults getting excited about getting stronger.

One thing that people must realize when it comes to training strength is that moving the load is in itself a movement skill and there are many elements that must come together to execute strength training technique besides moving a weight up and down. Frequency and volume of training, tempo variations, load, and different planes of movement all allow the body to develop, adapt, and progress differently.

If you cannot perform a movement properly in the first place and you load it and try to move it when it is heavier, injury

health@fitness is inevitable. Athletes must be able to execute proper movement patterns and muscle firing patterns in order to get stronger. Guys love training the beach muscles (biceps, chest) but don’t spend enough time training the stabilizer muscles (core, shoulder girdle, hamstrings, upper back) that support and leverage athletic movement and protect the body from injury. First, learn to move, and then you can load, lift, and challenge the movement.

For young athletes aged 8 to 13 who are not ready physically or mentally for significant strength development, they learn to develop the mechanics and efficiency of how to push/ pull, squat/lunge, move well in every direction, and develop the strength and athleticism to move their own body more efficiently.

Learn The question that everyone must consider when performing any exercise or drill is simple: why? Why am I choosing this particular exercise? Why am I doing a specific number of sets and repetitions?

Why am I using a fast tempo now when I used a slow one last month? What is the

developing athleticism, basic movement skills, and physical literacy?

These are hot topics in the world of physical education and youth Long Term Athlete Development, but when you think about it, they are just as important, if not more important, when dealing with older elite athletes and active adults as well.

These are the populations with more potential for injury, more risk of injury, a longer recovery time, and much more at stake if it keeps them away from their job in their sport or in the office.

Train for Life Don’t think of training simply as way to perform better in your sport or to look better naked; think of it as training to be ready for whatever your life throws at you and an opportunity to lead by example for the sake of the health of your family. Set some goals for yourself and your family for the fall, and come up with a plan to get there.

There are lots of experienced, educated, and eager coaches, nutrition experts, and programs available to help. This is a perfect time to get back in the game, reset your goals, and reset your focus to train for your sport, to train for your goals, and to train for your life!

true purpose of this drill? Is it going to make me better, make me worse, or will it just make me tired? Is this a smart choice or is it just a sexy one, thought up by a trainer or coach who is trying to challenge me to push my limits without consideration for biomechanical technique, physiological needs, or sport or functional life demands?

What good is challenging strength, speed, and endurance without first teaching and

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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GET BACK IN THE GAME RESET YOUR FALL WORKOUT WITH PERSONAL AND SMALL GROUP TRAINING » » » »

Fall programs start September 8 Adult, Youth and Athlete programs available All fitness levels welcome Family and Corporate packages available

*Programs and services vary by location.

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