MetroSports Magazine Jan/Feb 2015

MetroSports Magazine

Fall Football Roundup

Men’s Semi-pro Football Women’s Professional Football Adult Semi-pro Futbol Youth Gaelic Football

Chasing Joey Logano

Jan/Feb 2015

International Professional Soccer Scouts Look Over Local Players

2015 Daytona 500 Winner and other Metro area racing news

Mack Ryan of the Connecticut Militia Photo by Clark Thompson

Jan/Feb 2015

Regulars 4

Athlete of the Month

28 Coaches Corner 30 Sports Medicine Minute 41 Sports Photo Tip

of the Month MetroSports Magazine (MSM) is published 6 times a year by MetroSports Media. MSM is available online and can be downloaded in electronic format for viewing on tablet and hand-held devices, laptop and desktop computers and purchased as full-color glossy print editions.

Features 5

Football Roundup

Men’s Semipro and Women’s Professional

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USG Futbol Local players showcase their talents for professional soccer scouts

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Chasing Joey Logano Metro area driver competes for NASCAR championship.

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GAA Gaelic Football Sean Talon Memorial Gaelic Sports at Gaelic Park in the Bronx

Publisher: MetroSports Media Features Editor: John Chuhran Director of Photography/Layout/Web: Warren Rosenberg Associate Photo Editor: Clark Thompson Sports Medicine Minute

Thomas Chin Advertising: For rate card contact

see us on the web @ metrosportsmag.com

Action Photography by Clark Thompson

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MetroSports Athlete of the Month

Ciara Cronin, a member of the New York Celtics Under 8 Ladies Gaelic Football Team, is our MetroSports Magazine Athlete of the Month. Braving the chilly November morning air at Gaelic Park in the Bronx, Ciara showed a spirit and determination that would have made the late NYFD fire fighter Sean Tallon proud as she competed with a fierce Irish spirit honoring the memory of Sean Tallon at the 6th Memorial GaelicGames held in his memory.

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Fall Football Roundup While the New York Metro region’s hope for a Jets or Giants championship have faded, for those with a passion for New York football, all is not lost. There is some very competitive local football being played in the region by several semiprofessional men’s teams in the Five Star Football League (FSFL).

The FSFL was founded in 2010 as a 16 team league drawing from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut with games played at various home team fields across the tri-state region.

The 11 week 2014 season ended with the FSFL championship being won by the Brooklyn Seminoles.

Competing for semi-pro bragging rights with the FSFL is the New England Football League (NEFL), billed as the largest semi-pro, minor league football conference in the country. As with professional football’s AFC and NFC interconference rivalries, teams from the FSFL and NEFL regularly compete with eachother. While most of the NEFL’s Colonial Conference teams are located farther north in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachussetts, three teams hail from nearby Connecticut; the Western Connecticut Militia (Danbury), the Connecticut Panthers (Meriden) and the Connecticut Chiefs (Hamden).

Make no mistake about it, these are entertaining games played by serious competitors, many of whom were collegiate football players and had experience playing alongside their former college team mates who now play in the NFL. NY Bandits running back Ruben Kerse (33) from Port Chester NY bulls his way through the Connecticut Militia’s defense.

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

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Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

Dutchess County Bears vs Hudson Valley Cowboys Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com Brooklyn Seminoles vs Brooklyn

Jovan Brunson (10) of the NY Bandits pulls one in

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

Connecticut Militia’s Mack Ryan (87) from Danbury and Jason Davis (5) from Meridan

FSFL 2014 Standings Team

Won Lost Tied

Brooklyn Seminoles 10 Harlem Gators 9 Long Island Panthers 8 Hudson Valley Bounty Hunters 8 Dutchess County Bears 7 Nassau Golden Eagles 7 New York Bandits 6 Long Island Tribe 6 Brooklyn Blue Devils 5 Nassau Punishers 4 New York Rebels 4 Long Island Pitbulls 4 Long Island Lions 4 New York Kings 4 Queens Vikings 3 Empire State Demon Knights 2 New York Legion 2 South Jersey Cerberus 1

0 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 6 6 6 6 6 7 8 8 9

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

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Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

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Let’s Hear it for the Girls

Amy Deal (59), Yatia Hopkins (44), Maggie Natell (81) Manouchka Joseph (77) above and Krystal Molina (4) below

Promoting competitve, high-level professional women’s football in the United States, the Texas-based Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL) oversees 51 teams throughout the U.S. and Canada with over 1,600 athletes participating.

IWFL women’s football is played on a field 80 yards long and 40 yards wide, 15 yards are required for a first down, and all players are eligible receivers making for very active and fan-friendly games.

Two teams play in the NY Metro region, the NY Sharks out of Brooklyn and the CT Wreckers out of Danbury.

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

Capturing the 2014 (IWFL) North Atlantic Division title with an overall 6-2-0 record was Brooklyn’s own New York Sharks, defeating rival North Atlantic Division teams from New York, Connecticut, Maine and Montreal.

Noseguard, Manouchka “Nikki” Joseph, pictured left, is a graduate of Arkansas State University and a prolific poet performing her works at various clubs throughout New York.

Quarterback and kicker Andra Douglass (#7) was a member of the two time Florida State University National Championship Womens’ Rugby Team. Cornerback Toni Salvatore (#41) is a mother of two and physical education teacher at Somerville high school in New Jersey. Joining the IWFL in 1999, the Sharks were originally coached by the former NFL New York Jet Bobby Jackson.

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

The Sharks fell short of winning the overall IWFL championship claiming a first round 60-12 win against the Carolina Phoenix but loosing in the IWFL Eastern Conference Championship, 12-26, to the Pittsburgh Passion.

Quarterbacking the 2014 New York Sharks was 11 year veteran Karen Mulligan, a 5’8” resident of Brooklyn, a Division I NCAA scholarship basketball player from the University of Delaware, and currently a physical education and health teacher.

The Sharks roster includes a talented group of athletes, some of whom have significant prior athletic accomplishments and some with hobies and skills you wouldn’t have guessed. All could be (and possibly are) your next door neighbors.

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Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

Eleven Sharks were named to the IWFL 2014 All-Star team: Nhandi Brown-wide receiver (Brooklyn), Telosha Brown - linebacker (Tampa FL), Brilynn Fields-wide receiver (Aurora CO), Tia Hopkinslinebacker(Richmond VA), Karen Mulligan-quarterback (Ronkonkoma NY), Melissa Pickett-center (Jersey City NJ), Katie Rose-defensive end (Alexandria VA), Lena Tankeng-tackle (Yonkers NY) and Amber Terrell-linebacker (Iowa City IA).

NY Sharks 2014 Season Record

Won Lost New York Sharks 6 2 Montreal Blitz 6 2 New York Knockout 3 2 Conn Wreckers 4 4 N. E. Nightmare 3 5 Maine Rebels 0 8

Tie 0 0 0 0 0 0

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

13 Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

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USG Futbol The White Plains NY based United Sports Group (USG) sponsors youth and adult soccer leagues and events throughout the New York metropolitan region. At the pinnacle of the adult league level, USG helps to showcase its players to professional soccer teams throughout the world. According to its stated mission, “USG is a sports agency focused on the worldwide placement and marketing of professional players.We organize showcases, tours and other events that give soccer players the opportunity to be seen by professional clubs. Our dedication and network of highly competent individuals in the field of law, marketing and sports gives us the ability to represent clients in all soccer markets.�

On November 22 at Saxon Woods Park in White Plains, USG held its 11th pro showcase and scouting event, billed as USG The Best XI. Featuring over 50 athletes, age 17-20, from across the northeast United States, who hope to get contracts from professional soccerteams. In the past, these USG events have attracted socuts from notable international teams such as Manchester United, Sevilla FC, Braga SC, Malaga CF, Rangers FC, Estudiantes Tecos, Deportivo Pereira, and Benfica SL. nyspg.com

914-703-5521

Photo Credit: Andre Tougas 17

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com Photo by Andre Tougas

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

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The Coaches Corner Pitching is an athletic activity that uses numerous muscles and subjects your body to awkward positions.

Among the many injuries and ailments that pitchers suffer is a strain of the external oblique muscle. The rapid and forceful motions required in pitching place tremendous stress on the oblique muscle. Even absent a strain, throwing up to 100 pitches per game can cause an overuse injury, resulting in inflammation and pain.

The oblique muscles consist of paired muscles on both sides of your abdomen that allow you to bend and rotate your upper body. The oblique muscles lie in two layers: the superficial or outermost is the external oblique, and underneath it lies the internal oblique. The fibers of these muscles run diagonally from your lower ribcage to the top of your pelvis.

The pitching motions involved when you wind up and throw a baseball involve a strenuous rotation of the torso that requires contraction of the external oblique muscle on the side opposite your throwing arm followed by contraction of the external oblique muscle on the same side as your throwing arm. This motion transfers torque from your legs, through your torso, to your throwing arm.

The most common form of injury to the oblique muscles from pitching is an overuse injury, characterized by mild inflammation and moderate discomfort.

Overuse injuries can occur in any muscle when it is subjected to constant repetitive motion without adequate rest. A more serious injury is a muscle strain, in which fibers of your oblique muscles actually tear.

To treat injuries of the oblique muscles, rest is essential.

Alternating applications of hot and cold packs and the administration of anti-inflammatory medications can help speed recovery. Surgical repair usually is not required.

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Chasing Joey Logano New York Metro area racers are chasing the dream of NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and champion contender, Joey Logano, from Middletown Connecticut.

America’s premier auto racing circuit is, by all measures, the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) which, at its higherst level of competition sits the Sprint Cup series. Surpassing major league baseball, NHL hockey and NBA basketball, and rivaling the NFL in viewership and sponsor dollars spent, NASCAR stands at the pinnacle of auto racing and, as one of the four competitors for the recently awarded 2014 Sprint Cup Championship, Milford Connecticut’s Joey Logano stands near the pinnacle of today’s NASCAR drivers.

Photo by Warren Rosenberg

Born in Middletown Connecticut on May 24, 1990, NASCAR’s 2014 Sprint Cup Champion contender got his first taste of racing at the age of 4 in a go-kart purchased for him by his father. He entered his first competitive race at the age of 6 and got his first taste of victory

Photo by Warren Rosenberg

before his 8th birthday at Connecticut’s Thompson Motor Speedway in the Junior Stock Car Quarter Midget series. Joey followed up his first win that year by capturing the next two years’ Eastern Grand Nationals Championships. Logano quickly progressed through racing by taking the National Bandolero, Bandits championship in 1999

and the Legends Pro National championship in 2002.

Joey entered the world of NASCAR racing in 2005 signing on to the driver development progarm with Joe Gibbs Racing joining NASCAR’s Nationwide series on his 18th birthday and advancing to a fulltime ride in the premiere Sprint Cup series in 2009.

Although now living in North Carolina, Joey still maintains his connections to our NY Metro area through his non-profit Joey Logano Foundation. This past September, Logano was present to kick off the inaugural Joey Logano Hometown Showdown at the Wallingford On-Track go-kart facility where local racers of all ages got to compete against Logano.

The event raised $36,000 to help support the underprivileged in the area.

Photos by Warren Rosenberg

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Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

The Chase Starts Here

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

Poughkeepsie Raceway, located at 111 Page Park Drive in Poughkeepsie NY, is widely known as New York’s Fastest 1/5 mile asphalt track. Perhaps that’s because Poughkeepsie Raceway is one of only two 1/5 mile asphalt track in the State, the other being a 1/5 mile ashpalt oval at Batavia International Motorsports Park. That, however, should take nothing away from the value that the Poughkeepsie Raceway has in being the closest NY Metro area outdoors race venue in New York.

Other 1/5 mile tracks in New York include the 1/5 mile clay oval at Aqua Park Speedway in Plattsburgh and the 1/5 mile dirt oval at the Oakland Valley Speedway in Cuddlebackville.

New York State’s racetracks range in size from the 1/8 mile dirt, asphalt and concrete oval at the Niagara Falls, Caroga Creek Raceway in Ephrata, Limrock Speedway in Le Roy, Glad Rag in Porters Corner and Dodge City Speedway in Howe Caverns, to the 2.45 mile asphalt road course at Watkins Glen.

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

Poughkeepsie offers racing in almost 20 different classes ranging from 5-7 year old Kid Karts through 15 yr and older World Formula Microstock to 35 year and older unrestricted. Poughkeepsie’s racing season runs from April through October.

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Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

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Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

Located in Connecticut’s Litchfield County, the 1.5 mile asphalt road course at Lime Rock Park hosts a variety of competitive racing events during their annual March through November season.

Lime Rock’s five decade experience in motorsports racing is rich in history with such notables as Dan Gurney, Sam Posey, Stirling Moss, David Hobbs and Mario Andretti having raced there.

You too can experience this

historic track through the Skip Barber Racing School located there. Lime Rock’s 2015 season includes the following races: Trans Am Series May 22-24 IMSA Jul 24-25 Historic Cars Sep 3-7 SCCA Lime Rock Park is a fanfriendly and photo-friendly track with acess to locations in the paddock and on the track. Entrance fee is $15.

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

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Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

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A Sports Medicine Minute

Six Success Tips For Your New Year’s Resolution Thomas Chin

With 2015 finally upon us, all those family gatherings and platters full of holiday food are behind us.

Along with all the presents and joy we received, a couple pounds have probably been added as well.

“Oh, I’ll put it off next year, for New Years” say many hopeful people. And with all the health and fitness related New Years Resolutions that are bound to take place, here are six very helpful tips to help you start and stay committed to your New Years Resolution!

1: Don’t Starve Yourself!

If you’re going to want to make healthy changes, it starts with your diet. Your body needs food to function, so dump the myth of starving yourself will make you lose the weight. In contrast, not eating will actually do worse for your body, as it will throw off your hormones and slow down your metabolism.

Switch to a cleaner, smarter diet, and most important, still eat! Remember, food is good!

2. Rules of 3 It takes three weeks to make/break a habit. Something I like doing that has worked well for many other people is the rule of 3. If you want to start something new or just can’t find the rhythm to stick to it, try it for just three days. After three days, push yourself to stick to it for three weeks. After three weeks, go for three months. If you can do three weeks, than the three months shouldn’t even be a problem. Looking at it in terms of those three stages, and before you know it you should be on track with your New Years Resolution.

3. Sleep!

You can do everything right, but if you don’t sleep, it will all be for nothing. It’s amazing what magical wonders occur while one is sleeping. Sleep helps

regulate the body and put it in a healthy environment, as well as trigger the release of hormones to help the body recover. If you want to get results, you have to sleep!

4. Be Safe!

As with many New Years Resolutions, people are often eager to get them started. While that is a good thing, one has to be careful on how they approach it. Entering a gym for the first time or starting a new diet can be somewhat intimidating, and don’t give into the pressure of having to try something you’re unsure about. If a workout calls for a certain exercise and you have no clue what it is, ask before just jumping right into it! The last thing you want is to injure yourself, because then you’ll really be starting the New Year off right.

5. Be Patient The reason a lot of people quit their New Years Resolution is because they don’t see results. What they have to understand is that results take time; nothing happen overnight. If one is genuine about undertaking a resolution and wants to make a healthy change to their lifestyle, then patience is a virtue. With time shall come results, but again, don’t expect to do something for a couple days and see complete results.

6. Embrace It! Sometimes, people can view change as a chore. Don’t be one of those people, instead, embrace the challenge you set out for yourselves and have fun with it. If you can enjoy what you’re doing and have fun with it, chances are you’ll succeed in it ten times better than if you felt burdened by it. It is what you make of it, and if you truly want to see change, then make it the best you can!

With a clean slate and new year, the time is ripe for your New Year.

A Sports Medicine Minute is brought to you courtesty of Growlers Beer Bistro

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Sean Tallon Memorial The New York Metro region is rich in Irish culture with New York City having the largest Irish population of any city in America. That Irish culture was alive and vibrant at the historic Gaelic Park in the Bronx in November as the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) hosted its sixth annual Sean Tallon Memorial Gaelic Sports Competition in cooperation with the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) Minor Board.

Over 200 young athletes and their families gathered to commemorate the life of fallen FDNY firefighter, Sean Tallon, at the 6th Annual Sean Tallon Memorial Gaelic Sports Tournament. Clear skies and a chilly 36 degree temperature provided the perfect setting for spirited competition and while the cold temperature was no match for these young athletes, this reporter was helped by a cup of hot coffee courtesy of Larry McCrudden (co-chair of the Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee).

Conducted under the jurisdiction of the GAA Minor Board and co-sponsored by the AOH Bronx County Board, the AOH New York County Board, the AOH Queens County Board, the AOH Westchester County Board, AOH Division #18 of Peekskill, and the AOH Myles Scully Division #1 of Yonkers, NY, over 30 youth teams from Westchester, Rockland, Connecticut, New Jersey and the 5 boroughs of NYC came out to historic Gaelic Park in the Bronx for a day of lively competition and celebration of Irish culture according to Kevin Ellis, President of the Myles Scully Division 1 of the AOH.

NY Celtics players Sean Carty and Ciara Cronin set their sights on Rockland GAA ball carrier, Emmett Killeen.

Gaelic Football

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Unlike American Football, Gaelic Football properly known as Peil Ghaelach - uses a round ball, just a bit smaller than a soccer ball, and can be advanced down the field, or pitch, no more than 4 steps at a time. In order to advance further, a player must “solo” the ball by dropping it onto his or her foot and kicking it back to their hand. Another option for advancing the ball after the first 4 steps is to “hand-pass” it to another player on the team by striking it with a fist or palm or by kicking ot to another player.

As in soccer, to score a player must hit or kick the ball into the net which yields 3 points or, unlike soccer, simply put the ball over the top of the net to score 1 point. Each team consists of 15 players

and, at this event, teams consisted of both boys and girls and, as seen in these photos, the girls were just as aggressive and talented as the boys.

Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com Rockland GAA’s Kieran Walsh handling the ball.

The Gaelic Park tournament on November 15 was dedicated to the life and memory of New York City firefighter Sean Tallon, a Yonkers native who perished while responding to the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 2001.

“The Ancient Order of Hibernians is dedicated to promoting Irish culture, and sports is a very important part of that culture” says Kevin Ellis. He goes on to add that, “keeping these traditions alive is very important to the Irish in New York, and the GAA Minor Board does an amazing job.”

The GAA is the governing body for Irish sports throughout the world and, in the US, the North American GAA promotes the sports in all 50 states with the exception of the NY Metro Area. Here in the MetroSports Magazine coverage area, Gaelic sports are governed by New York GAA , founded in 1914.

While the historic Gaelic Park in the Bronx, NY, is the home field for NY GAA hurling and football, Gaelic games have bee held at Yankee Stadium and the old Polo grounds.

Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

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Liam O’Neill of the NY Celtics (above)

Alexandra Sekavec of the Shannon Gaels (above)

Photo by Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

Shane Dean and Cathal Kirkyla (in yellow) of the Shannon Gaels vs Rangers GAA (above)

Thomas Brady of the N

All Photos by Warren Rosenberg, nyspg.com

NY Celtics and Emmett Killeen of Rockland GAA(above)

Oisin Nee of the Shannon Gaels (above)

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Fan Fotos and Sports Photo Tip Sponsored by Hunts Photo & Video

Sports Photo Tip of the Month This month’s MetroSports Magazine features some great racing photographs by Newburgh NY based photographer Clark Thompson of ClarkShots.com.

Although Clark shoots with the very highend Canon 1D-X professional camera capable of shooting up to 12 frames-persecond, his camera plays only a very minor role in capturing photographs such as the one below.

Most amateur photographers would be tempted to set their camera’s shutter speed as high as possible to try and catch a photo of a speeding car as it zips by on the track.

nothing in the photograph that conveys a sense of motion or gives an indication about how incredibly fast the car was moving. In Clark’s photo below you’ll notice that while the cars do seem frozen in place, there is motion in the wheels and tires as well as in the background grass and fence.

This effect is achieved by setting a rather slow shutter speed, perhaps 1/60 sec, and then pressing the shutter while panning, or moving, the camera along the line of the cars’ travel. To do this you’ll need to set your camera in Shutter Priority allowing you to set the shutter speed.

While this will capture a photograph of a car semingly frozen on the track, there will

Photo by Clark Thompson. Clarkshots.com

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Coming in the next issue of MetroSports Magazine Basketball, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey