Ultimate Athlete Magazine Dear Readers, The defending (2012) Suffolk County Class B boy’s lacrosse champions are represented on the cover of Ultimate Athlete’s Long Island edition this month. But even more than representing a successful team, the photograph symbolizes the heart and hustle that every great athlete strives for. Without this feeling of urgency, sports would not be as exhilarating and adrenaline pumping as they are. Whether it’s one athlete covering another on the lacrosse field, or a pitchers next throw from the mound, sports dwindle down to individual decisions, moments and games-moments which can cost games, and games that can make or break seasons. This Spring, many Long Island teams have continuously outlasted these taxing moments through the regular season and into playoffs. We’ve featured both the boys and girls Garden City lacrosse teams. Both no.1 ranked lacrosse teams competed in the Nassau finals, and the boys have impressively captured their eighth consecutive county title. Just north of them, North Shore girls lacrosse clenched the Class C championship.
PUBLISHER/CEO EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Paul Corace N.J Comanzo
MANAGING EDITOR
Britney Grasman
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Desiree Keegan
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR
Louis H Quach
SENIOR MEDIA DESIGNER
Ponnuthurai Jeyathas
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR (UA MEDIA)
Lisa Harden-Stone
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
SENIOR VIDEO EDITOR
Rene Nova Michelle Romano Samantha Mendez Nicholas Herms
VIDEO EDITOR
John Callejas Josh Rosenman
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Britney Grasman
Read about them, and more teams chock-full of heart and hustle athletes inside this edition of Ultimate Athlete Magazine.
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
As always, don’t forget to check out psychology, nutrition, and training advice from experts in the fields. Find out ways to eat fat and stay fit. Learn how to properly exercise a commonly neglected part of the body, and the importance of staying focused and continuing to play aggressively in a game even when gaining the lead. We hope you heed even an aspect of the range of advice in this issue- it could help you next time you step on the field, the gym, or in the kitchen. Happy fitter days readers.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Richard Brooks Dan Atkinson Matt Modzelewski Dr. Tom Ferraro Mike Mejia CSCS Jerry Del Priore Sandy Sarcona Jaclynkelli Kronemberg Jamie Bolettieri
Britney Grasman Managing Editor Ultimate Athlete Magazine
Desiree Keegan Luis Vasquez Eric Anderson Miscelleana Rhinehart Kylie Cremer Brian Coleman
Britney Grasman IN HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Morgan Harrison Hannah Singleton CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Adil Borluca
Dana Cama
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY
Morgan Harrison
How to contact us Phone: 1-800-680-3213 Email: info@ultimateathletemagazine.com Ultimate Athlete Magazine (ISSN 1931-5295) is published 12 times a year by Ultimate Athlete, Inc., 24 Woodbine Ave, Northport, New York 11768. All contents copyright 2012 by Ultimate Athlete Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or part of the content without the prior written consent of Ultimate Athlete, Inc. is strictly prohibited. All logos and trademarks are properties of thier respective owners. Although the writers and the publishers have exhaustively researched all sources to ensure the accuracy and the completeness of the information contained in this publication we aassume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or any inconsistency herein. The opinions expressed in all materials are those of authors and do not neccesarily represent those of Ultimate Athlete, Inc or Long Island’s Ultimate Athlete Magazine.
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LONG ISLAND
SPRING VOL. II 2013
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PG 10
BAYSHORE
PG 16
BETHPAGE
PG 18
CONNETQUOT
PG 20
EASTPORT-SOUTH MANOR
PG 24
HALF HOLLOW HILLS
PG 28
HOLY TRINITY
PG 34
SAYVILLE
PG 36
SYOSSET
PG 38
KELLENBERG MEMORIAL
Baseball Softball
Baseball
Girl’s Lacrosse Boy’s Tennis Baseball
Girl’s Softball Boy’s Lacrosse Boy’s Lacrosse
PG 42
SACHEM NORTH Baseball
PG 46
TRAINING Lunge Time
PG 52
NUTRITION
PG 54
PSYCHOLOGY
What’s On Your Plate? The Motivation Behind A Long Distance Runner
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Bay Shore Softball
Marauders Making Moves Story by Britney Grasman | Photos by Morgan Harrison
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he Marauders 2013 season is unfolding to be uncannily similar to their 2012 season play. Last year, the Bay Shore girl’s varsity softball team finished the season undefeated - blowing a majority of teams out of the water. They trampled Northport 14-1, Sachem East 13-3, Sachem North 15-2, and Central Islip 14-2. But if the past is any predication for the future, the girls know all too well that it could change with a single game. Although they advanced to the semifinals after a 7-0 victory to Eastport South Manor in the Suffolk class AA quarterfinals, the maroon and white Marauders were knocked out in the semifinals in a nail-biting, 4-3 loss, to the East Islip Redmen in the 2012 playoffs. The close game ceased their chances at the Suffolk County and Long Island championships last year. Unwilling to back down, the team opened the gates this spring season with a six game winning streak before their first, and only, loss in a non-league game to the Commack Cougars. True to Bay Shore morale, they resisted, only falling behind by one run. Albeit losing, the 2-1 final score in their mid-April competition to Commack was impressive, considering the Cougars no.1 rank in League I, with a 17-2 showing against some of the top athletic programs in Suffolk County.
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The only loss came and went, seeming to leave no trace or taste of discouragement or bitterness on Bay Shore. If anything, the game served as a reminder for what was at stake and motivated them through the course of the second half of the season. With the guidance of head coach David Rivera and assistant coach John Burton, they pummeled the rest of their 13-game schedule, to both non-league competitors such as PatMed, Longwood, and William Floyd, and to League II opponents like Central Islip, Northport, and Sachem North. The Marauders didn’t appear phased by the no.2 Connetquot and no.3 Lindenhurst. They held the Connetquot T-birds to zero runs in their early and later season face-offs (4-0, 10-0) and kept Lindy to one in both matches (13-1, 11-1). Bay Shore has only lost two of their past 40 games since the start of 2012- one playoff game and one non-league game. More importantly, they’ve won every conference game for the past two seasons, an ode to their strength in Suffolk County League II, despite attaining a league or county title. Regardless, Bay Shore’s softball program history boasts seven NY State, 10 Long Island, and 13 Suf-
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folk County championship titles since 1994.
County’s optimum hitters.
The girls matched last years accomplishments early on, by securing a playoff spot in their April 25th win over Brentwood, 16-3.
The three seniors made the list of Suffolk’s top 39 in homeruns. No.4 ranked Syrett hovered at the top with nine homeruns and is headed of to the University of Mississippi in the fall where she committed to play Softball. Meanwhile, Panariello carried four homeruns, and Devito, five.
So who are the girls responsible for consistently getting the job done and finishing the 2013 season undefeated in conference (18-0) once again? Bay Shore’s 15-girl varsity roster hosts five seniors, three juniors, four sophomores, two freshmen and even a middle-school athlete. The distribution between half upperclassmen and half lower classmen is unusual at the varsity level- but it seems to do the Marauders justice. The team was named no.1 in MSG Varsity’s Long Island Power Rankings in mid-May. Not only are they succeeding with such young athletes, the varsity team is likely to grow in force as these already-talented-youngsters grow within the program. Finding alternate talent and strength will be necessary after the 2013 season when Bay Shore graduates five seniors- including Michelle Devito, Killeen Martin, Giana Panariello, Breana Susa, and Courtney Syrett. The group will lose key offensive athletes in Devito, Panariello, and Syrett, three of Suffolk
While Devito is a force at the plate, she’s an even greater threat at the mound. As a junior, Devito was titled Suffolk County Large School Pitcher of the Year. In the pre-season, she was named by MSG Varsity as one of the top 30 pitchers to watch out for on all of Long Island, and they couldn’t have been more spot-on. As the Marauder’s starting pitcher, Devito has helped minimize the force of her opponent’s offense, with a handful of strikeouts per game- including 12 in their season opener against Lindenhurst and 14 versus Sachem North. Her endurance has allowed her to pitch entire games, as her April 29 performance with nine strikeouts against Sachem East proved. At the end of the season, she stood as the no.2 pitcher in Suffolk County with a .909 pitching average- pitching an enviable 20-2 record.
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The Marauders brought their regular season ferocity with them into playoff competi-tion. The girl’s effortlessly overcame their first two playoff games the week of May 20th to Centereach (6-0) and Riverhead (3-0). A solid defense led by Devito, who pitched 11 strikeouts against both teams, kept the opposing teams to zero runs, while Bay Shore’s Kaly Alzate proved to be an asset at the plate. Alzate went 3-for-4 vs. Centereach and 2-for-3 to Riverhead, including the only homerun of the game.
The girls continued on to take down Hauppauge, 6-1, on May 29th, but were e forced to join them in the losers bracket a day later after their 3-1 loss to Longwood. Fortunately, their circumstances were relived and the Marauders climbed over the Hauppauge Eagles again in the losers bracket. Unfortunately, however, Bay Shore also relived their loss to Longwood when they faced them a second time in playoffs, just two days later
in the County finals on June 1. Regardless, the Bay Shore girl’s softball team finished with a no.2 standing in all of Suffolk County. They stand proudly at the top of League II play, and have continued to play at the level they have in past seasons. There’s no stopping them, and we’re predicting they’ll continue to be a force in 2014.
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Story by Desiree Keegan | Photos by Adil Borluca
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fter making it to the Nassau Class A quarterfinals last season, the Bethpage High School softball team was able to best that and make it into to the semifinals. Unfortunately, that was as far as this team was able to go. Last season, Bethpage, ranked No. 6, made it to the quarterfinals only to be eliminated in a close 3-2 loss to Floral Park High School. Although the semifinals is a best of three series as compared to a one-game elimination in the quarterfinals, the Golden Eagles were not able to make it much further, as they were forced to face the No.1-seeded Plainedge High School. But the team had a tough time against Plainedge in the regular season as well, heading into the semifinals with an 0-2 record against the Red Devils. Regardless, the Golden Eagles was comprised of some strong pitching and offensive components. The team boasted two mainstay pitchers this season in Kayla Hatki and Kate Dorney, who also contributed with big performances at the plate. On the mound, Hatki had a 3-5 performance this season, but also had solid batting performances in several of the team’s match-ups this season. In the opening game of the season verse Garden City High School on March 15, Hatki allowed five hits and struck out nine in the win, while also going 3-for3 with a double and an RBI. In the Golden Eagle’s quarterfinal victory over Wantagh High School, the pitcher struck out eight, scattered six hits and walked only two in the win. Hatki also had a solid offensive showing in that game, as she had three hits including a three-run double in the top of the fifth inning, which extended the team’s lead to 5-0. The Golden Eagles went on to win the game, 5-3. But Kate Dorney proved to be the ace of the team, as Dorney ended the season with a 5-5 record, and a stellar performance at bat. Dorney also has a solid performance in the first game of the season, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Although losing in her first outing of the season, she made it up in her second trip to the mound on April 6, where she threw
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a five-hitter shutout against Seaford High School. The pitcher also struck out seven in seven innings in the team’s 6-2 win over Clarke High School, pitched a three-hit shutout with six strikeouts while going 3-for4 with two RBIs and one run scored in the first round of the Nassau Class A Championship, and had two hits including a two-run single at the top of the fifth to give Bethpage a 2-0 lead in the quarterfinal game. The Golden Eagles also had two standout performers behind the plate in Kayla Fehrenbach and Danielle Nendza. Fehrenbach, like Hatki and Dorney, also had positive numbers in the Golden Eagle’s season opener, as she went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. In the team’s outing on April 3 against Glen Cove High School, she went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, one RBI and a run scored, to help Bethpage edge out Glen Cover in a close 7-6 contest. Fehrenbach also went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the team’s win over MacArthur High School, and 2-for-4 in the quarterfinal win against Wantagh. Nendza on the other hand, proved to be more of a late bloomer this season, as her first solid performance, which her team benefited tremendously from, came on April 6 in the game against Seaford. Nendza went 3-for-4, and had the game’s lone RBI with a single that scored teammate Jackie Schultheis from second in the top of the fifth. The shortstop also made two backhanded line-drive snags in the sixth and seventh innings, to preserve the shutout. Other notable performances this season came on the April 30 6-5 loss to Plainedge, where she scored the tying run for Bethpage in the bottom of the seventh, and in the team’s shutout against South Side High School on May 10, where she went 3-for-4 with one run scored. Although the team ended the regular season with a 5-10 non-league record, and a 4-8 conference record, it was enough to land the Golden Eagles the No. 5 seed heading into the first round of the championships. The team pulled off an easy 8-0 win against South Side, and eked out a 5-3 win against Wantagh after being up 5-0 in the fifth, but ultimately had to face Plainedge in the best of three semifinal series. In the first game, the Golden Eagles proved to be an easy contest for the Red Devils, losing 14-1, but put together a stronger performance in the second game, although falling 7-3 against this powerhouse team. Bethpage had a tough schedule this season, forced to face Plainedge and the No. 2-seeded Island Trees High School two times each in the regular season. Despite this, Bethpage can look positively at this season’s end for besting last season’s efforts. Maybe next season, the Golden Eagles can soar past the competition to make it to the Class A championship game, and beyond.
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t is always heartbreaking to lose a championship game after working hard all year. In order to rebound and return successfully the following year, a team needs a leading core group of guys. After a disappointing end to the 2012 season, Connetquot baseball turned
Story by Brian Coleman | Photos by Morgan Harrison the page to 2013 with some unfinished business. The boys from Bohemia, Long Island, were only a couple of outs away from capturing the Long Island Class AA Championship a season ago, before Calhoun rallied in the ninth inning to steal the Long Island Championship at Farmingdale State University.
Being both the ace of the pitching staff and the homerun leader comes with a lot of pressure, but Baker has handled it well with his play on the field. The star has a 7-2 record as Connetquot continues its playoff run.
Connetquot took a 5-4 lead into the bottom half of the ninth inning, and were just three outs away from being crowned Long Island Class AA Champions. A clutch two-run single by Calhoun’s Alex Vargas gave Calhoun the victory and the Class AA Championship, providing Connetquot with a heartbreaking last game of the season. Despite the tough loss, Connetquot was able to return some of the players who helped them make a playoff run last season, and brings hope to what is possible for them in 2013. Three notable players-Casey Baker, Brian McKean and Justin Scalareturned to the team this year, and have had very good seasons up to this point. Baker has had a fantastic year in 2013.
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He hit five homeruns during the season, and had a monster game in an 8-1 route against Kings Park in the second round of the playoffs. But not only did Baker go 2-4 at the plate and hit a homerun in the game vs. Kings Park, he threw a complete game on the mound- including only four hits and a monumental 11 strikeouts. McKean hit two homeruns during the season, and Scala had a great playoff run with his bat while going 5-2 on the mound, as well. Due to a first-round playoff loss, Connetquot was forced into the loser’s bracket of the Suffolk County playoff tournament. In the opening round of the 2013 playoffs, the Connetquot T-Birds couldn’t handle the arm of Half Hollow Hills West pitcher Sal Lovaglio, who tossed a five-hitter en route to a 10-1 victory. The loss sent Connetquot into the loser’s bracket where they would have to win four consecutive games to get back to the regular playoff bracket. It’s not an ideal route for a team trying to win a county and Long Island championship, but if any team could go on a long playoff run it would be the experienced and talented Connetquot baseball team. They played consistent baseball throughout the season, never accumulating a losing streak of more than three games. The first round playoff loss threw a wrench into their playoff hopes, but in a double elimination scenario, Connetquot still has life in the Suffolk County playoffs. Following the win over Kings Park, next up for the T-Birds was Smithtown West. The No.12 seed in the playoffs gave Connetquot a bit of a scare. After leading 8-5 in the bottom of the seventh, Connetquot turned to Brian McKean to close out the game where he inherited runners on first and third with no outs. Mckean allowed only one of
those runs to score, and nailed down the save to close out the 8-6 victory for Connetquot. Justin Scala paced Connetquot with his bat, going 3-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. The next stop for Connetquot was the No.4 seeded Commack in the loser’s bracket semi-final game. The winner would move on to face Longwood. Fortunately, Connetquot came to play. Justin Scala once again led the T-Birds offense with another 3-3 day at the plate, chipping in an RBI and two runs scored. Casey Baker once again pitched a fantastic game, striking out six over seven innings and picked up the victory, putting Connetquot in the loser’s bracket final against Longwood High School. The goal coming into the season was no doubt to get back to the position they were in last season, but to surpass last years performance and emerge with a Long Island championship would be even sweeter. Whatever the final result, it has been another successful season under the tutelage of 30-year head coach Bob Ambrosini. Ambrosini has been the head coach of Connetquot baseball for more than three decades and has had the privilege of coaching some outstanding players. The Connetquot Baseball program has been extremely successful during his tenure, and he eclipsed the 550win mark, and incredible milestone not reached by just any coach. They won 16 games this season, including 12 conference contests. Another season of plus .500 baseball for Connetquot has made them one of the most consistent baseball programs on all of Long Island. The consistent crop of young talent that pours through Connetquot athletics as well as the phenomenal coaching of Ambrosini will have Connetquot in the Suffolk County mix for years to come.
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Story by Kylie Cremer | Photos by Bill Kelly
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he Eastport-South Manor girls’ lacrosse team made quite the appearance on Long Island’s fields in 2012 – they captured the Suffolk County Championship over Hauppauge in a 14-9 victory, advancing them to the Long Island Class B Championship at Dowling College. The game went off to a rocky start for the Sharks, leaving them 6 points behind Garden City at the half with the score at 7-1.
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Early in the second half Eastport South Manor was able to make up some of those points by scoring some goals and closing the gap at 7-4, but the Trojans maintained their lead and collected their eighth consecutive Long Island crown. Third year head coach Rebecca Thorn chalks the loss up to nerves over competing against the reigning team. “It really was just confidence,” she said. “We talked about Garden City my
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first two years here and then we finally had the chance to play them, and I think their nerves got the best of them. At half-time we realized that we needed to relax a little bit and play our game.” Eastport-South Manor was able to outscore Garden City in the second half, but did not collect enough goals to take the win, ending their season with a 15-4 record. Back on the field in 2013, the Sharks planned on circling in on their prey in hopes to earn the title that eluded them last season. Unfortunately, not with as much ease as they would have liked. “The beginning was a little rough,” explained Thorn. “I had two starters out due to mono. One is a middie and one is a lowattacker, so it was kind of hard to get into the groove that we practiced all preseason and then once the first game came, they weren’t there.” After the two returned following three missed games, the Sharks were able to get back into the swing of things and move forward with all of their starting players in tact.
With a current 6-3 record and a number of remaining games, Eastport-South Manor is on its way to having a repeat season to 2012, if not better. The Sharks solid defensive end has been the glue holding the team together. “We lost two kids down on the defensive end last year, but the people that stepped up this year have been huge and definitely filled the gaps,” said Thorn. The team’s starting goalie, Samantha Giacolone, is a sophomore who is already committed to Notre Dame. With nine games under her belt, she has made 66 saves for Eastport-South Manor and is showing no signs of stopping there. Dakota Mason is the team’s leader on attack and has been a crucial aspect to the team’s success thus far. She is the second leading scorer with 13 goals and has made seven assists. Rebecca Tooker and Megan Curley also contribute to Eastport-South Manor’s stellar defensive end.
games coming up, all of which will prepare the team for the big guns they will have to face-off with come championship time. “We have West Hampton next week in our conference and Harborfields,” said Thorn. “We always play Harborfields and it’s always scrappy. We’ve always beaten them by two or three goals, but it’s just never-ending until that final whistle.” And that has been their mentality this entire year – to play until the very end as if it’s the game that will end their season. “Our main goal is to get into the county championship again where we were last year and hopefully take that crown again,” said Thorn. “But leading up to it, every game we have to play out like it’s the county championship.” The final game in Eastport-South Manor’s regular season is scheduled for May 10 at Harborfields, where the Sharks and the Tornadoes will both exercise their power on the lacrosse field.
The Sharks have a number of important
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T-BIRD WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Tennis Story By Jaclynkelli Kronemberg
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The Half Hollow Hills East boy’s tennis team is currently on a 69 game winning streak in Suffolk County and has a record of 10 wins and no losses this season. This team is motivated to win the Suffolk County championship again and to keep their winning streak alive. “Everyone on this team is really competitive with each other because everyone is talented,” said senior captain Alec Tuckey, “It’s fun playing on this team because we have a pretty strong team this year and if we keep playing the way we are we can go far we just have to keep working hard.” Leading this team is head coach Tom Depeltau. Depeltau is in his 28th season as head coach. “Coach is a great guy,” said Tuckey, “He is always motivating us to work hard and be our best. He is always motivating us to work hard and be our best. He is always there to help us in matches and in practice.”
Depeltau has won seven out of the last eight Suffolk County championships and has won it the last three years in a row. Depeltau has a record of 167 wins and three losses in Suffolk County since 2005. Now he is trying to add the elusive Long Island Championship that has always seemed to slip through their hands. “All the kids I get on this team come to me with skills and motivation to succeed,” said head coach Depeltau, “Coaching this team is a lot of fun.” Hills East is in league I of Suffolk County, which is loaded with talented teams like Walt Whitman, Commack, Half Hollow Hills West and Ward Melville. “We have a target on our back because of our winning streak,” said Depeltau, “Everyone plays us hard and is motivated when they play us. We defeated Ward Melville in the County Final last year so they are gunning for us.” This team only lost four players to graduation last year and is loaded with talent. Their number one player is junior Zain Ali. Ali has been on varsity since seventh grade and has been named All-State in eighth, ninth and tenth grade. “Zain has a target on his back,” said Depeltau, “Everyone is trying to take him down and he is going up against the best player the other teams have and he has handled it great. Everyone on this team appreciates Zain’s skills.”
Senior captain Tuckey is undefeated in singles so far this season and in doubles senior Mike Leffler and partner junior Rodger Cheng are also undefeated this season. Junior Kyle Alper and his partner senior captain Jeff Cherkin won doubles last year and were All-State. Alper has been on this team since seventh grade. Alper and Ali are the only two players on the team that know what it is like to lose a match in Suffolk County. Another doubles team features sophomore Travis Leaf and partner Ross Reiffman. Leaf also plays singles. “They have recently come together as a good doubles team,” said Depeltau, “They will do some damage in the tournament.” Their regular season ends in May and then they have two tournaments. One tournament is for the top individual players and the other is for the top team in Suffolk County. Out of the tournament, the top three singles players and the top three doubles teams go to contend in the State tournament. “We don’t talk about the winning streak,” said Depeltau, “They don’t seem to feel the pressure. We are relaxed and casual about it and just want to play our best every match.” Hills East’s practices tend to be more competitive than their matches because they go up against each other. “We have an advantage because our practices are loaded with skilled players,” Depeltau said, “They make each other better. Not many teams have multiple talented players on their teams.”
“It’s fun playing on this team because we have a pretty strong team this year, and if we keep playing the way we are, we can go far. We just have to keep working hard.”
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Not only is this team talented on the court but they are always recognized academically and frequently get recognized for their sportsmanship. The only thing missing from their resume is the Long Island Championship. “We have lost to Cold Spring Harbor the last few years in the Long Island Championship,” said Tuckey, “Hopefully this year we can change that. We are more in tuned with each other and help to motivate each other and are playing really well.” They have six more regular season matches then they start their hunt for the Long Island Championship. “The kids have been terrific so far this season despite the terrible weather we’ve had,” said Depeltau, “We laugh a lot and still work hard. It’s been a fun season.”
“All the kids I get on this team come to me with skills and motivation to succeed... Coaching this team is a lot of fun.” -head coach Depeltau
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TITANS TRY TO DEFEND TITLE AT THEY
REBUILD TO STRONG FINISH Story by Desiree Keegan | Photos by Bill Kelly
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fter winning the Nassau/Suffolk Catholic High School Athletic Association championship title a second time in three seasons, the Holy Trinity baseball team has faced some bumps in the road after suffering a five-game losing streak. But 25-year head coach Bob Malandro is confident that his team can bounce back to be strong contenders in the playoffs. “It was a tremendous feeling. It was a tremendous team,” the coach said of last season’s victory. “We had five Division I players on the team. It was just awesome.” But what the coach didn’t yet know was that he actually had six, as his right fielder Patrick Madigan accepted a Division I scholarship offer this year to play baseball at Northeastern University. The team graduated these five Division I players, however, leaving the team without five all-star athletes, and especially, without pitchers. “This is an entirely different team. I knew we weren’t going to be as good. You can never replace the five Division I playersthere’s no way,” Coach Molandro said. “You can’t replace kids like that. It’s impossible. But going into the season, I knew we didn’t
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HOLY TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL won 5-4,” Coach Malandro said following the win. “I’m hoping the win will carry us a little bit. We needed this win.” The team has a strong offense, and showed it earlier in the season. “Frank Emanuele, he’s our senior first baseman and right now he’s our top hitter average wise, hitting about .350 and he’s a tremendous first baseman,” the coach said, adding that Division II schools have been expressing interest in his player.
Madigan, the senior headed to Northeastern, is a right-handed pitcher who has been a varsity player for four years. As his sixth Division I player in two years, the coach expects Madigan to produce, and he has. His first three years he led the league in home runs, and last year he led the league in RBIs as well. He has four home runs and a 2-0 pitching record so far this season. “He’s a tremendous hitter,” his coach said of Madigan.
have the pitching. I figured we’d have defense and I knew we’d have some timely hitting.” The team got off to a 9-1 start and were first place in the league with a 7-1 conference record, but a five-game losing streak left the team in third place at 10-6 overall and 8-6 in conference place. “It was like a team slump—pitching and hitting went at once,” the coach said. “We were pounding out the hits for the first eight games. A lot of the games we were in double figures and now, all of the sudden, we had a one-hitter thrown against us plus a no-hitter—in a week and a half. That set us back a bit and I think it’s taken a while for the team to get back.” The team finally climbed out of the hole in a win on April 30 against Kellenberg High School, but lost to them in the second game the next day. “We bounced back with a big win…a come from behind win. We were down 4-0 going into the sixth inning and we
staff and we’re almost throwing in three to four pitchers a day,” Coach Malandro said. “The first sign of trouble- we call him to the bullpen and put another kid in. We have one pitcher that can go seven innings for us—everybody else really can’t—they can go about three or four innings where, compared to last year, we had pitchers that could go the whole way. So that’s been a struggle to try to balance it in terms of who to come in, keeping them fresh, who’s coming in for an inning, who’s going in for a couple of batters.”
“We’re starting a freshman catcher that is doing an amazing job—his name is Sean Hogan—he’s second on our team in hitting, he’s hitting about .340.” Hogan, according to his coach, has been one of the biggest surprises this season. In the team’s comeback win against Kellenberg, Hogan went 3-for-4 and knocked in the winning runs. But the team still struggles with pitching. “We have about nine pitchers on the
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Mike Huber, another senior pitcher, hasn’t given up an earned run all season and is 2-0 as well. In the team’s April 11 game against Chaminade High School, Huber’s no-hit bid was broken up with two outs at the bottom of the seventh, but he struck out eight and walked two in his outing. The coach also mentioned Cameren Hayes and Maurizio DeVita as pitchers who are on their way to making strides. “He’s definitely our rising star,” the coach said of DeVita. “He’s a righthanded pitcher, a junior, and I think he’s going to be pretty good down the road.” He said that one thing about having so many pitchers in the rotation is that each gets to see some game time. “If there’s a plus side to it—I think they’re all getting experience for the playoffs,” he said. “So I think we could almost throw seven to nine of these pitchers in a game in the playoffs and not be too worried because they’ve all seen action.” Coach Malandro has been a wellrespected coach at Holy Trinity and has a myriad of accolades to his name. He’s won six league championships, has almost 400 career victories and has seen 121 of his players get Division I and Division II scholarships. But the coach is most proud of two recent awards- in 2010 and at the beginning of this year. In 2010 Coach Malandro became the first Catholic League coach to receive the Nassau County Coach of the Year award. “It’s humbling. You’re voted on by your peers,” the coach said. “In my mind, anyone in our league could win these awards. The more we win, the more the scouts come, the colleges look, you put a nice program on the field. And, a lot of colleges like the players and they’re keeping the tradition going.” The coach was also selected for the 2013 Steve Lembo Memorial Award by the New York Professional Baseball Hot Stove League. “That was a total surprise. They voted me the top coach in New York State, and that was a tremendous, tremendous
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honor,” Coach Malandro said. “I’ve been very fortunate with the players I’ve had—you can’t win these things without good players and I’ve had a number of outstanding players throughout the years. I’ve had a number of awards that I’m proud of, but again, unless you have the players you’re not going to get these awards.” The coach admitted again that he believed anyone could have received the awards he’d gotten. He reiterates that although some of it has to do with longevity, you need to have the players, otherwise you’re not going to get acknowledged. So if there’s anyone who could help correct the team’s current situation, it’s Coach Malandro. Right now, the coach’s goal is the same as every year, to succeed in the playoffs. As the first three teams get a bye, while the No. 4, 5, 6 and 7 seeds have a play-in round, he would like to see his team come in third to automatically get into the semifinals. “It’s a two out of three series,” he said. “I would like to see them playing like they did in the first half of the year first, and anything could happen in our playoff system.” As the season progresses, Holy Trinity is 10-7 overall and 8-7 in conference play. With a lot of time to make up for, the Titans will have to push hard in the coming weeks to make sure they don’t fall behind again, and slip into one of the lower seeds. But Coach Malandro is still proud of his team and proud of his time spent at the school, both as the football coach since 1987, and the baseball coach since 1988-89. “I’m very proud of Holy Trinity. I’m very proud to be here. I love the place, I love the school and it’s like home,” Coach Malandro said. “This group of kids…I love them. I’m enjoying them. They’re not as talented as the last two championship teams, but they’re trying hard. I like their attitude and I’m very proud of the way they’re playing.”
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SHUT TER
SPE ED PHOTO BY MORGAN HARRISON
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DEFENDING STATE CHAMPS
FALL IN SEMIFINAL PLAY Story by Britney Grasman | Photos by Morgan Harrison
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SAYVILLE GIRLS SOFTBALL
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hoever said lighting doesn’t strike the same way twice evidently hasn’t watched the Sayville varsity softball team play in the past two seasons. The Golden Flashes overcame hurdles in 2012 to accomplish heights the program has never reached before, and their 2013 season has panned out the same. Sayville finished out the 2012 season triumphantly, by securing the programs first New York State Class A Championship title- a symbolic reward to a consistently well-played and hard-fought season. Finishing the regular season with a 16-3 showing, Sayville endured two playoff rounds before the Suffolk County Class A Championships, which they won in a three-game series to East Islip. But the Suffolk County Championship win was less of a surprise than the events leading up to it, when Sayville saw two teams in the playoffs which posed a threat to them in earlier games. In the first round of playoffs, or the quarterfinals, the Golden Flashes met with Rocky Point, who they’d gone 1-1 with in the regular season. The game was any teams, but Sayville brought their A-game, promoting themselves to the semi-finals with a 6-0 killing over Rocky Point. Their semi-final, 6-1, defeat over Shoreham Wading River was momentous, since Sayville had lost both games to Shoreham in the early and later part of the regular season. The team seemed adept to overcoming obstacles, a trait which would erupt again after a 4-2 victory over Plainedge earned Sayville the Long Island title and advanced them to States. Their 5-4 win over Jamesville-Dewitt high school in the final state game however, didn’t come easy. When starting pitcher senior Melissa Selts’ pitching hand was injured, the team turned to Kathleen Maehr who was able to pitch a scoreless 2 1/3 innings to edge out
the win and make history for Sayville. Despite graduating key pitchers Selts and Maehr, the defending Suffolk, Long Island, and State Champs stormed the field with the same mentality this season. A regular season finish of 16-3 matched their record from last season, but there competition differed. With the guidance of head coach Tiffany Rowan and assistant coach Mike Guercio, Sayville managed a nine-game winning streak out of the gate, but fell in their only match-ups to league V’s no.2 Islip and no.1 Eastport South Manor in two consecutive games in late April. Miller Place and Sayville have been grappling one another throughout the season to reach the top spot in League VI. The no.1 ranked Sayville established their hierarchy early on, with an 8-5 win in their third game of the season to Miller Place on April 3. Miller Place resisted by coming back with a 6-4 win over the Flashes in the rivals’ second contest of the season a month later on May 6, bumping Sayville down to no.2. Sayville hasn’t lost all of its strength in graduating key seniors at the end of last season. The Golden Flashes continue to rely on junior Kristen Bricker at bat. The no.7 homerun hitter in all of Suffolk County, with eight, adds offensive capacity to Sayville’s lineup. Bricker began making waves at the varsity level as a sophomore and has only flourished over the year. She hit her first multi-homerun game against Shoreham Wading River on March 30. Her grand slam in the first inning against Huntington on April 29 introduced the career-high six RBI’s that would follow.
At the mound, Sayville boasts pitchers Julia Simpson and Amanda Eremita. Eremita opened the season to Glenn with a one hitter in a five-inning shutout. Through the first half of the season, Eremita and Simpson alternated on the mound, with the later half more often hosting Simpson. Simpson is ranked no. 20 for Suffolk County High School pitchers, according to Newsday, with a .846 percentage. The Sayville Golden Flashes penetrated the first round of playoffs on may 21st with a final score of 4-0 to last years rival, Shoreham Wading River. Simpson pitched a one-hitter while Chrissy Milone went 2-for-3 at bat to secure their spot in the semifinals. Two days later, the outcome didn’t fall in Sayville’s favor against their toughest competitor this season- Miller Place. A tough 4-2 loss knocked the flashes out for the season while advancing Miller Place to the Suffolk County Class A finals. Although their state win in 2012 wasn’t matched in 2013, the Sayville Golden Flashes have demonstrated a highly skillful level of play, remained in the top-two for their league and persisted into the playoffs once more. The repeatedly dominant team will no doubt be just as successful, if not more, in 2014.
Behind Bricker, Emily Sellitti leads the team in homeruns, with three. She’s dependable at bat and brings the girls home. She’s contributed greatly at-bat in a handful of games this season, including a May 2 homerun with four RBI’s.
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Photos by Adil Borluca Story by Jamie Bolettieri
S
yosset battled for the Nassau Class A boys lacrosse championships, once again. Although thw title fell from their grips this season, the team remained true to their name; the Braves were fearless on the playing field and fought their way to a top spot.
The team, led by long-time Head Coach John Calabria, has 36 players, including six captains: number 16, junior midfielder Liam Blohm; number 10, senior midfielder John Diaz; number 25, senior goalie Ryan Feit; number 5, senior midfielder Alex Hatzopoulos; number 22, senior midfielder Andrew Keith; and number 26, senior defenseman Harrison Schoenhaut. Diaz has been a starter for five years, while Hatzopoulos and Keith have been starters for three.
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Coming into the season, Syosset was the number one seed in Class A. Although the team had a slow start- losing their first two games of the season- they improved quickly and defeated their next three opponents, including Clarke High School, which they destroyed 18-1. They lost to Northport by a mere two points, and Massapequa by a mere three points, but they made a clean sweep of the rest of their opponents and accumulated a total of twelve victories. Their successes included an effortless win over Hicksville, 15-2, in which junior Alex Carchietta scored four goals and had two assists.
game play to ensure Syosset’s win. Cold Spring Harbor and Syosset are located in close proximity to one another, so tensions always run high between the two schools. The Braves felt highly accomplished after their close victory over their neighborhood rivals. Sophomore attacker Alex Concannon, number 2, was the highest scoring athlete on the team with 27 goals. Concannon, who has already committed to Johns Hopkins University, has been on the varsity team since he was in eighth grade. He is a highly anticipated player for future seasons thanks to his youth and talent.
though they started so far behind that it looked certain that they would not succeed. Syosset’s April 23rd game against Cold Spring Harbor was also a nail-biting rally. The two teams were tied at 7-7 with just over a minute remaining, when senior Captain Andrew Keith charged in and scored a final goal, ending the game with a close score of 8-7. Goalie and captain Ryan Feit also shone during the game when he had a record 11 saves, two of which were during the last minute off
The Braves had a rousing triple overtime win against MacArthur High School during their first quarter final game on May 15. Syosset initially trailed 3-0, but they were able to make an astounding comeback. Captain Hatzopoulos evened the score to bring on overtime, while freshman Mac Okeefe, number 3, scored the winning goal at the start of the third overtime, raising the final score to 5-4. The Braves defeated MacArthur 15-6 previously in the season, so MacArthur was determined to reclaim their honor and win the second game. They put up a decent fight into the third overtime, even
The Braves’ winning percentage for the season pre-championships was at 75% with 160 points for and only 95 points against. They entered into the Nassau County Class A Championships for the seventh year straight as one of the “Big 4 Champions.” The defending champions finished off the season at no.2, with an admirable 7-1 showing in conference play.
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' s g r e b n e l l Ke n o s a e s r e t oas
c r e l l ro
l a i r o m e m g Kellenber h school hig 38
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Story by Brian Coleman Photos by: Bill Kelly
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he 2013 season for the Kellenberg boy’s lacrosse team did not conclude with a championship like they would have liked, but the Kellenberg Firebirds reached their conference championship game, enjoying another successful season.
St. Anthony’s team. Moving on to take on a few public school teams, up next was Oceanside. Oceanside’s Ryan McCarthy turned out to be too much for the Firebirds as he notched five goals en route to a 12-8 victory.
The Firebirds defeated Holy Trinity in the championship game last season 11-9, thanks in part to Joe Rizotti, who buried home three goals and three assists. Rizotti and a few other strong attackers would return to the team this season, poised to defend their CHSAA AA championship.
traveled to Baldwin to play in an out of conference affair. The Firebirds trailed Baldwin after the first half 6-4, but used a strong second half to capture their first victory of the season.
The Firebirds finished up the season at 10-8 overall Tom Stackpole scored three goals for the host Firebirds but and 5-4 in the Catholic High School Athletic Association Class it was not enough. Despite allowing 12 goals, goalkeeper Tyler AA conference, which consists of St. John the Baptist and Holy Steimel made 16 saves and had himself a solid game. Steimel had Trinity. Kellenberg ousted Holy Trinity in the Class AA semifinals, a solid season, making 159 total saves and winning 10 games. but fell to St. John the Baptist in the championship game. Kellenberg started off the season losing the first two Kellenberg entered this season looking to defend its games and dropping to 0-2. Following the tough start CHSAA AA crown. Kellenberg took home the championship however, the Firebirds rattled off three straight victories. in head coach’s Mike Schwalje first season in that position. The winning streak began in early April when Kellenberg
Dylan Neville led the charge with two goals and four assists, while leading scorer Tom Stackpole added two Tom Stackpole had a monster offensive season. Stackpole goals of his own. Brendan Kavanaugh, Joe Rizzotti and notched 40 goals to go along with six assists, and carried Kyle Quinn each added two goals to lead Kellenberg’s the Firebirds offensively this season. He was the team’s second half comeback and take Baldwin down 11-8. leading goal scorer by a large margin, and was a major Next up was an offensive explosion for the Firebirds as they reason for the team’s success. Stackpole’s 40 goals was took on Fox Lane. Kellenberg was able to pick up its second win good enough for the conference lead as no other player in of the season thanks in part to some firepower from the Firebirds. CHSAA AA scored more goals than the Kellenberg attacker. Tom Stackpole had a monster game as he poured Right behind Stackpole was Dylan Neville, who finished in five goals and added two assists. Dylan Neville put one point back of the team lead. Neville put home 30 goals together the same stat line as his teammate, the two of them and assisted on 15 of them. Neville and Stackpole paced combining for 7 goals each. Eight different Kellenberg the potent Kellenberg offense that helped them win games. players scored goals, and 11 different players registered Kellenberg began its 2013 campaign at home points. The victory brought Kellenberg back to .500 as they against a CHSAA opponent in St. Anthony’s. It was a would be entering CHSAA AA action in the coming weeks. tough game as Kellenberg dug themselves into an early Kellenberg had already played a CHSAA opponent when they first half hole that they could just not recover from. opened the season up with St. Anthony’s, but it had yet to play its Kellenberg would drop the game 12-5 to a tough fellow Class AA teams until they visited Holy Trinity on April 10th.
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The Firebirds put together a dominant performance that they would hope set a tone for how the season would go. Great defense and goaltending stifled the Holy Trinity offense who could not muster up a goal through the first three quarters of the game. Kellenberg scored four goals in each of the first two periods to open up a commanding halftime lead. Neville once again was the catalyst of the offense, burying home four goals and an assist.
The story of the game was Tyler Steimel’s play in between the pipes. He pitched a shutout through the first three quarters, and only allowed two goals the entire game. It was a dominant performance that helped his team capture the first win in conference play. After losing a tough game to Iona Prep, Kellenberg continued its winning ways by rattling off another three game
winning streak. In the streak wins were picked up against St. Dominic, St. John the Baptist and Hicksville to improve its record to 6-4. The final win of the streak was in thrilling come from behind fashion thanks to Kyle Quinn and his three second half goals as Kellenberg outscored Hicksville 6-2 in the second half. The up and down season would continue its pattern, however, as the Firebirds would lose three in a row to Chaminade, Massapequa and Somers,
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immediately following its three game winning streak.
That was the theme all season, Kellenberg could never sustain a long enough winning streak and hovered above .500 for the majority of the season. Despite that though, Kellenberg played well enough to host a semifinal playoff game against Holy Trinity.
Brendan Kavanaugh had three goals and three assists, while Dylan Neville and Kyle Quinn also had hat tricks in a dominating 14-5 performance over its conference rival. Tom Stackpole added three goals as Tyler Steimel was steady in the net, pushing Kellenberg to the CHSAA AA championship against St. John the Baptist. The Cougars from St. John the Baptist turned out to be too much for the Firebirds as a hard fought game saw SJB come out on top 9-6. It was not the highscoring affair many expected, but Nick Annito scored four of the Cougars nine goals to take care of Kellenberg. Tom Stackpole had a hat trick for the Firebirds but it was not enough, and Kellenberg fell short of repeating as CHSAA AA champions, and will have to wait till next year to take care of some unfinished business.
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SAC E
Sachem North Baseball 42
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CHEM BASEBALL SEASON ENDS WITH A SHORTSTOP by Jaclynkelli Kronemberg
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he Sachem North varsity baseball team had a challenging season this year, after injuries benched two of their starting pitchers. They finished with a conference record of 10-10 and an overall record of 10-11, falling just short of playoffs.
“The team was competitive and feisty this season,” said Sachem North baseball head coach, Thomas Gambino, “They made a couple of mistakes early on that cost us some games but not making the playoffs wasn’t from their lack of effort. They worked hard but we are in a tough league and we lost two starting pitchers that set us back.”
Gambino has been a coach at Sachem for 15 years. He started out as the junior varsity coach until the district split in 2004. He then moved up to the assistant coach of the Sachem North varsity baseball team and took over as head coach nine years ago. Gambino entered his ninth year as Sachem North head coach this season and in those nine years he has made the playoffs seven times. The team, under Gambino’s direction, won the Suffolk County title in 2011, a feat not accomplished by Sachem North since 1987.
Leading the way on offense were seniors Rob Costanzo and Anthony Palermo. They batted close to 450. Palermo and Costanzo made up most of the offense for this team. Another key offensive presence was junior Steven Foster. Foster was the leadoff hitter who had 17 walks and about 20 runs scored. Foster will return next year along with junior Tommy Strazza. Strazza was one of the starting pitchers that got hurt this season. He’s predicted to be the starting pitcher next season.
“I love coaching here,” said Gambino, “It means a lot getting to coach at Sachem because I played here.”
Before the season starts, this team hits about 100 hits each to get ready for the season. During the season they do standard routines like take ground balls, scrimmage and situational plays. They try to keep it at two hours practices but if they need more
This season was plagued with adversity but the Sachem North team never gave up.
“I love coaching here... It means a lot getting to coach at Sachem because I played here.” — coach Gambino
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work they can last about three hours. “It was a tough season,” said Gambino, “Next year we will work harder and our goal will be to get back to the playoffs. I loved coaching these guys this season, we just made a couple of mistakes early.”
“They worked hard but we are in a tough league and we lost two starting pitchers that set us back.” — coach Gambino
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“It was a tough season... Next year we will work harder, and our goal will be to get back to the playoffs” — coach Gambino
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Lunge Time Mastering the Mechanics of a Timeless Lower Body Exercise Story by Mike Mejia CSCS
I
t’s the exercise everyone loves to hate. Requiring a unique combination of lower body strength and mobility, the classic lunge, along with its numerous variations, can pose major difficulties for both athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. However, unlike the typical gym rat who can simply opt to take a pass on this challenging movement, as an athlete, plan on making lunges a regular part of your routine. This is because no other exercise will do more to help increase lower body strength and power while simultaneously
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allowing you to radically improve your ability to change direction. Of course, to reap these benefits though, you have to perform lunges with proper technique— which is often easier said than done. The major problem with virtually all types of lunges is that they require a decent amount of mobility to execute correctly. This is only a “problem” in that the type of hip and ankle mobility (not to mention knee stability) that lunges require is often in short supply with teenage and preteen athletes. This essentially takes a relatively innocuous
movement like lunging and turns it into a potential injury hazard. In order to avoid this, we need to first examine what’s going on with the traditional forward lunge and seek to improve any potential deviations to proper form. We can then take a look at other types of lunges and troubleshoot their execution in a similar manner.
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UA TRAINING
Forward Lunge
Great for helping to improve linear deceleration.
execution
From a standing position with your feet about shoulder’s width apart, stride forward about two and a half to three feet in front of you. As you do, “drop” into your hips by bending both knees as you land with most of your weight on the front leg. Keeping your torso upright, descend until your back knee is just a couple of inches from the ground and the front knee is bent just past a 90-degree angle. Pause for a second and then explosively push back up to the starting position.
coMMon ProBLeMS Form deviation
Problem
cause
Front heel lifts off ground.
Overemphasizes the quadriceps, virtually negating use of powerful glutes and hamstrings.
Poor ankle mobility and being too “quad dominant” (especially problematic for female athletes).
Knee shoots forward past toes.
Too much shearing force on knee.
Tight quadriceps and hip flexors of back leg.
Front knee pinches inward (in relation to Too much stress on ligaments of medial (inside) aspect of the knee. foot).
Weak glutes/ tight inner thigh muscles.
Lower back arches excessively.
Increased strain on lower back.
Tight hip flexors and spinal erectors.
Torso rounds forward.
Increased strain on lower back (especially if Weak core muscles. using extra weight).
reverSe Lunge
A much safer version of the exercise, especially for those with knee “issues.” It teaches athletes to effectively recruit the glutes and hamstrings while also improving deceleration mechanics from backwards motion (backpedaling).
execution Stand with your feet shoulder’s width apart and take a stride back with one leg about two and a half to three feet behind you. As the foot you’re striding with is coming into contact with the ground, begin dropping into your hips by bending both knees. In the bottom position of the lunge, only the ball of the back foot should be in contact with the ground with your torso held upright and most of your weight on your front leg, which is bent just slightly past 90 degrees. Pause there for a second, then press back up to the start position using mainly your forward leg.
coMMon ProBLeMS Form deviation
Problem
cause
Excessive forward lean of torso.
Too much strain on lower back (especially if using extra weight).
Tight hip flexors/ weak core muscles.
Front knee pinches inward (in relation to
Too much stress on ligaments of medial (inside) aspect of the knee.
Weak glutes/ tight inner thigh muscles.
foot). Inability to get back knee close to ground.
Difficulty maintaining balance and properly Tight quadriceps/ hip flexors and poor ankle loading the exercise. mobility of back leg.
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UA TRAINING
Side Lunge
Great for helping to improve lateral change of direction mechanics.
execution Standing with your feet shoulder’s width apart, take a stride out about two and a half to three feet to one side. Making sure both feet remain pointed straight ahead, “sit” into your hips on the side you’re striding towards as you lower yourself into a position where your thigh is about parallel to the ground. In the bottom position, your torso should be held semi-upright (slight forward lean at the waist, with your hips jutted back) with the leg your striding away from completely straight and both feet flat on the ground. Pause there for a second and then push back up to the starting position.
coMMon PRoBLeMS Form deviation
Form deviation
cause
Loaded side heel lifts off the ground.
Directs too much stress to the knee.
Quad dominance/ poor ankle mobility.
Loaded side knee pinches inward (in rela-
Too much stress on ligaments of medial (inside) aspect of the knee.
Weak glutes/ tight inner thigh muscles.
tion to foot). Loaded side foot and knee turn outward.
Takes emphasis off lateral glutes and places Quad dominance/ tight glutes and hamit on quads. strings.
Inability to keep off leg straight.
Potential strain on lower back/ and knee.
Tight hamstrings.
Obviously, there are some common themes emerging here, regardless of what type of lunge is being performed. Tight inner thigh muscles, for instance, can impede proper knee tracking on forward and reverse lunges, while making effective execution of the side lunge all but impossible. Poor ankle mobility and tight hip flexors can screw up just about any type of lunge you can do. If you struggle with basic lunges, I would suggest not to attempt these, but instead, perform these additional drills that can prove very helpful in addressing these mobility concerns.
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UA TRAINING Ankle Mobility Drill: Get down into a high kneeling position with one leg bent in front of you at a 90-degree angle. Keeping your torso upright, place a broomstick (the end of a lacrosse or hockey stick will also work) just outside the pinky toe of the forward leg. Next, tilt the stick inwards a bit and proceed to rock your bodyweight forward until your front knee drives slightly past the outside of the stick, while your entire front foot remains in contact with the ground (no lifting the heel). Continue rocking back and forth for 10-12 repetitions. “Couch” Stretch: Kneel down in front of a couch or exercise bench and place one knee as close to it as possible as you rest the instep of the same leg on top of it. With the other leg placed out in front of you so that it forms a 90-degree angle, begin by slowly lifting your torso until it forms a 45-degree angle to the ground. Some will have to stop there, but if you have the flexibility, continue lifting your torso until it’s stacked directly over your hips. Hold either stretched position for at least 30 to 60 seconds.
Adductor Mobility Drill: Get down into an all fours position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your knees right under you hips. Holding a slight arch in your lower back, take one leg out to the side and keep your knee straight and foot down on the ground as much as possible. Begin by slowly driving your hips back as you maintain the arch in your back and once you’ve reached your furthest point, reverse directions and dip your hips forward. Continue going back and forth making sure to keep the foot on the straight leg on the ground as much as possible. In the end, your ability to make effective use of lunges really comes down to being able to execute the movement with proper form. Work with just your own bodyweight at first, taking the time to ensure that you’re capable of using a nice, full range movement with none of the issues described above. Once you can do that, adding extra load in the form of dumbbells, medicine balls, or a weighted vest, will only help increase your strength, and should lead to noticeable improvements in athletic performance.
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What’s on your Plate? Story by Sandy Sarcona
How do you know if you are eating a balanced diet?
B
ack in elementary school health class, you may have learned about the Food Guide Pyramid that listed all of the food groups and how many servings you should have from each group. The Pyramid is now passé and has been replaced with a new nutrition visual, MyPlate. Go to www.choosemyplate.gov to get a full view of this new education tool. It is a quicker method than the pyramid to evaluate how your meal stacks up to your nutrition requirements.
Here are the basic facts about Building a Healthy Plate from MyPlate: • Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. • Switch to skim or 1% milk/dairy: Get at least 3 servings of lowfat milk, yogurt, or cheese. • Make at least half your grains whole. • Vary your protein food choices that are leaner: Beans, eggs/eggs whites, poultry without the skin, fish and 90% lean red meat, seeds and nuts like peanut butter, and soy products like veggie burgers. • Keep your food safe to eat! Learn more at www.FoodSafety.gov.
T
he MyPlate website provides a ton of information such as monitoring your daily diet with Super Tracker, getting sample menus, and obtaining healthy eating tips and a daily food plan that will help you meet your nutritional needs as a student athlete. For college students go to MyPlate on Campus at: http://www.choosemyplate. gov/MyPlateOnCampus/index.html . To have a healthier diet, take it one plate at a time!
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The Motivation Behind a
LONG DISTance RUNNER Story by Dr. Tom
M
any years ago I was asked to be a part of a television panel exploring the motivation behind long distance running. To prepare, I did my due diligence and even wrote a piece on “extreme athletes” to get ready for the show. The athletes were Brain McFarland and Elaine RobinsonVaier, both world-class marathon runners. When we were finally escorted into the studio for the show, Bob Lipsyte, the host, started with this question: “ Dr. Ferraro, tell the audience how you would diagnose athletes who worked out this compulsively.” There I sat in front of a live TV audience being asked to diagnose and perhaps humiliate these two athletes. I refused to. Instead, I hemmed and hawed and spun myself out of this mess and essentially defended the two guests who I was supposed to attack. Of course, this upset Bob, but so be it. I was too impressed with the pair of runners I’d just met. A few years back, famed novelist Haruki Murakami wrote a book titled, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. In it, he said, “People sometimes sneer at those who run every day, claiming they’ll go to any length to live longer. But I don’t think that’s the reason people run. Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest.” The Oscar Award winning film Chariots of Fire was also a story about the reasons to run. It was based upon the lives of Eric Liddell and Harold Abraham, who ran in the 1924 Olympics for England. The film showed that Liddell ran for the glory of God and Abraham ran to overcome prejudice. There’s also a classic short story by Alan Sillitoe entitled: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, which was later made into a film of the same name. Here we see the main character use running to both reflect upon his life and to run away from society. It is always interesting to muse about a runner’s motivations. I have worked with many long distance runners over the years, and I am always impressed with their incredibility to withstand pain. When we work, I use a variety of hypnotic techniques to address pain tolerance and make the race a bit easier to deal with. Murakami once said, “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” I think this is true. For me, it is always an amazing joy to talk to these super athletes, to learn from them, and to be a small part of their journey. So if you’re a runner, I wish you every success in the world. In my next column I will be writing about SEALS training and how the military trains the elite fighter to withstand pain and to cope with suffering. Tune in next month to read a little more about pain tolerance and how to cope with long-term pain in sports.
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SHUTT ER
SPEE D PHOTO BY MORGAN HARRISON
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