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Ultimate Athlete Magazine Dear Readers, As another school year comes to a close, the student athletes of the NJSIAA have left everything on the table and can walk away from their 2013 campaigns victorious, with their heads held high and with an even bigger thirst for success as they take their off seasons to prepare for what’s next on their agenda. UA’s final Spring issue for 2013 features teams who, win or lose, have stuck it out to reach their goals. From Livingston boys’ volleyball to Bergen Catholic boys’ golf, Pequannock softball to Wayne Hills baseball, these stories are the epitome of what hard work can help you achieve. Every athlete knows that success does not only come from scheduled practice, but from proper outside training and nutrition as well. Read inside about the benefits of MyPlate over the classic Food Pyramid, as well as what lunges can do for you. Remember, knowledge is power. Be powerful on the field with our helpful tips! Congratulations to all of those who participated in New Jersey this season, and a special thank you goes out to the schools, coaches, parents and officials who helped execute another successful season! Kylie Cremer Managing Editor Ultimate Athlete Magazine
PUBLISHER/CEO EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Paul Corace N.J Comanzo
MANAGING EDITOR
Kylie Cremer
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR
louis
SENIOR MEDIA DESIGNER
Ponnuthurai Jeyathas
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Anthony Anastasiou René Nova Louis H Quach Nicholas Herms
SENIOR VIDEO EDITOR VIDEO EDITOR
John Callejas Josh Rosenman Desiree Keegan
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Richard Brooks
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Desiree Keegan Britney Grasman Steve Urena Jamie Bolettieri Dr. Tom Ferraro
Mike Mejia CSCS Susan Lulgjuraj Jessica Quiroli Sandy Sarcona Eric Anderson Kevin Freiheit
IN HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Morgan Harrison Dana Cama CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Crister Pagula Jed Warsager
H Quach
Phillip Bomzer
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY
Jed Warsager
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 their 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 assume 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 New Jersey’s Ultimate Athlete Magazine.
CONTENTS
NEW JERSY
SPRING VOL. II 2013 6
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FEATURES
PG 10
BERGEN CATHOLIC
PG 14
MAHWAH
PG 18
HIGH POINT
PG 20
PEQUANNOCK TOWNSHIP
PG 24
SPARTA
PG 26
WAYNE HILLS
PG 30
LIVINGSTON
PG 34
TRAINING
PG 38
NUTRITION
PG 40
PSYCHOLOGY
Boy‘s Golf
Girl’s Lacrosse Softball Softball
Boy’s Lacrosse Baseball
Boy’s Volleyball Lunge Time
What’s On Your Plate? The Motivation Behind A Long Distance Runner
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Photo by Phillip Bomzer
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Story by Desiree Keegan | Photos by Jed Warsager
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lthough Bergen Catholic High School is known for its nationally recognized football program, the school’s sport with more championship banners than football, is golf. As head coach Jim Jacobsen reached his 900th win in over three decades at the helm of the school’s program, he reflected on his career as an athlete, a coach and a mentor. “I love the kids I coach and that’s all I really care about,” the coach said. “I don’t care about me, I care about them.” As Coach Jacobsen entered his 31st season, he knew it was going to be more of a challenge after losing two All-County and All-State players—one who went on to play at Columbia University, and another who went down to Florida to hone in on his game. But this head coach, a track and golf player who graduated from Bergen Catholic, knows all the necessary preparation that goes into building a strong and talented team. And his record proves it. One thing that Coach Jacobsen prides himself on is his ability to take detailed course notes, which he believes eluded his team from playoffs last season. With an overall record of 27-1 last season, the Crusaders lost to Delbarton High School, who he said played “just absolutely terrific.” The game took place at Somerset Hills Country Club, which was Delbarton’s golf course, and they would not allow him to walk on the course the weekend before the
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them while they’re playing,” he said. “I have to coach them between the green and tee, which is a very short distance. When they’re finished putting on the green and walk over to the tee I can say a few things—usually I just ask them how they’re doing and give them some encouragement.” The team plays in the Big North Conference and is in the United Division, which is the Catholic school league. There are six teams in each division, although the United Division has five, and the team has to verse each team in its division at least twice. Eight to 15 independent matches are also played, which include teams from other divisions, and tournaments are also played.
match. “I usually do and take notes. Most of my kids have notes when they play about the golf course, different sides of the fairway you should be on, and trouble spots. The kids get notes for every golf course that they play—that’s the way I coach—and it tells them golf course management, because I can’t coach
The Crusaders have played four tournaments so far this season—the Blue Devil, the Garden State Cup, the North Jersey Open and the Fairleigh Dickinson University Invitational, and took home first place in each. “I felt maybe we wouldn’t be as good as we were the year before or the year before that, but the kids have exceeded all of my expectations,” Coach Jacobsen said regarding his feelings on the team prior to the season. “They work hard, they practice, they get along great and they root for each other.”
coach said. “Hopefully these kids in the JV program will slide over to the varsity team.” But the varsity team, which includes senior captains Ryan Rose and Matt Love, has been playing tremendously this season. In a recent match, Rose shot a 32four under par—which became a new
But the coach limits his athlete’s playing time so that they don’t miss too many classes, and each player gets a chance to take home individual titles as well. He also swaps in junior varsity kids into matches to help them gain more varsity playtime experience. “These young kids, I hope to light the fire under them and get them interested in golf,” he said. The coach swapped in junior varsity players on their April 16 match, where the team shot a 153. “They played great. Shot a 153, which is what the varsity has been shooting— so that’s how you feed the program,” the
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school record. “Rose is my best,” Coach Jacobsen said. “Rose was All-County last year— he was the fourth kid on the team so he’s moved all the way up.” And Love recently lost 12 to 15 pounds and gained 15 yards without having to swing extra or lose accuracy. “Matt Love is a second team AllCounty player and he was in the third spot last year. He’s in the second spot now, and those two are my only seniors and they’re really very good,” the coach said. “They’re both captains. They’re good team leaders, they were interviewed on MSG Varsity and they speak very well.” Rose is going to Rutgers University and Love is going to New York University, and both will be playing golf. The coach went on to explain that losing weight helped give Love a much better turn as he is now built more proportionally. “He got on a plan and was eating better and exercising, and he’s lean and mean now—he looks really good,” Coach Jacobsen said. “Now he has a real good body turn…You get more flexible.”
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The team also has solid players in Zach Egermayer, Bobby Piluso and Brendan Kim. “Egermayer is only a junior. Every team has what they call a forgotten kid that plays great but they keep forgetting about him, but he keeps playing great— that’s him,” his coach said. “[On April 24], he had nine pars and ended at a 36, but he was overshadowed by Ryan Rose’s 32. He’s a great No. 3 player. He goes about his work and he’s not selfabsorbed at all. He’s just a really good team player.” Piluso and Kim played on the junior varsity team last year together, and are not a part of the varsity team. The head coach also said he has two really good freshmen—George Cultraro and Steve Weingroff—who he puts in and out of the lineup to give them playing experience. “That’s where the JV team is very important,” he said. “They’re two really good freshmen…They’re the future of the team.” The Crusaders are currently undefeated with a record of 16-0, and are 4-0 in the United Division. Having already won 60 percent or more of
their matches for the entire season, the team has also already qualified to play in the state qualifier to get to the state championship. But Coach Jacobsen admits that being one of the winningest teams in the United States does have its downfalls. “Unfortunately, I’ve created a situation where if we don’t go to the states or if we don’t win a lot of tournaments, people don’t feel it’s a successful year, and it’s a little unfair. Each year there’s different kids,” he said. “We’re usually ranked No. 1 year after year. It’s kind of a bullseye on our back.” Coach Jacobsen said that golf in New Jersey, especially in Bergen County, has blossomed for a couple of reasons. Tiger Woods made it very popular, but there is also a Pioneer Tour during the summer where hundreds and hundreds of kids from all over participate. The team is also used to winning many awards. In 1978, The Record, a local newspaper, began giving out a Team of the Year award. In 1995, the award changed from being one team being chosen, to groups one, two, three and four, based on the size of the school.
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same holes I played 10 years ago,” he said. “All of my kids’ strength right now is hitting the ball so far. But the biggest thing that you can’t teach is passion for the game, and you can’t teach a kid the desire to want to practice every day after school when he’s not playing, or every weekend—and that’s what I’ve got. I’ve got a whole bunch of kids who are passionate about the game.” The coach said he’s never had to tell the kids to practice over the weekend to get ready for a tournament the next week. “I’ve never had to say that,” he said, repeating himself. “As a matter of fact, I’ve asked the kids once in a while to stop practicing—go to the movies, sit at home and relax a little bit. I don’t want them
Out of the 35 years the award has been given out, Bergen Catholic has been named Team of the Year 30 times. But the coach said it’s the end of the year poll that is most important. Halfway through the season now, the Crusaders are No. 1 in The Record’s Boys Golf Top 10, and are No. 1 in the state poll in The Record and The Star Ledger.
from the front, from the back and from the side, and I can tell you how I think you should play that golf hole based on what the architect’s plan was,” Coach Jacobsen said. “Every coach will tell you if the kids could manage their golf better, nobody would be able to beat them. But they’re kids. They take every chance, they go over every water, and there are no shots that they don’t think they can pull off. “
“’So are we the best team in the state?’” the coach asked himself. “We like to be known as one of the best five teams in the state, not the No. 1 team, because that sounds a little presumptuous.” As the team has 10 matches and six tournaments left to play this season, Coach Jacobsen said they are trying to take it one day at a time, but the ultimate goal would be to win the state championship. And he believes the Crusader’s ability to drive the ball will help take them there. “All of them drive the ball so much further than the kids I coached 10 years ago, which makes the golf course play a little bit shorter—just by the fact that the average driving distance 10 years ago was 245 yards. Now it’s 275, and the golf courses, not all of them, haven’t lengthened the holes—they’re still the
As the season progresses there is no telling what the Crusaders will be able to achieve, but with a record of 903-29-1, you can only guess that this powerhouse program will continue to do great things.
to be burned out. But they are absolutely passionate about the game.” But the coach admits his team, along with every other teams filled with high school students, has a weakness—golf course management. “That’s my skill—that’s my gift. I have this uncanny ability to look at a green and know which way it’s going to break, and I can look at a golf hole
“It’s a little bit by luck, a little bit by having great kids and a little bit by being old. If you hang around long enough eventually you’ll get a lot of wins,” the coach said with a laugh. “This is probably, I’d like to say, maybe not the best team score-wise, but it’s the best bunch of kids I’ve ever coached. They get along great. There’s been no problems, no egos. They are all-for-one and one-for-all—how can you ask for any more than that? Plus we’re winning. But that’s not the most important part—the most important part is that golf is now a part of their lives and will be a part of their lives forever.”
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MAHWAH GIRLS LACROSSE
THUNDERBIRDS SOAR FOR THE TOP
Story by Kylie Cremer Photos by Phillip Bomzer
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n Thursday May 3, Mahwah girls’ lacrosse team just narrowly missed a victory in their contest with Kinnelon in double overtime.
The Thunderbirds were up by five in the first half, increasing that deficit to as large as seven into the second. Kinnelon was able to close the gap, however, with Victoria Babinski finally tying the game at 12 with 36 seconds remaining on the clock. With 4.2 seconds left in the second overtime, Kinnelon’s Virginia Annaheim rolled the crease and finished the game, 15-14 Kinnelon. Cara Batelli led Mahwah with seven goals. Teammate Allie Garbley scored three goals and made three assists, and Nicolette Kreshpane had one goal and one assist.
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The Mahwah-Kinnelon game remains to be a surprise to both teams – Mahwah came into the contest standing high with a 10-2 record, while Kinnelon had a not so impressive record of 2-9. Despite this loss, Mahwah has been rifling through their 2013 schedule with a certain ease and confidence that only an experienced team can possess.
The team suffered a loss of their alltime leading scorer last year, Kristin Tremblay, to graduation. Now, Girardi relies heavily on his team to work together and make the necessary accommodations to fill that void. And accompanied by so many upperclassmen to lead the way through their experience and by example, he is happy with the way his team is stepping up.
have Ridgewood, who has never lost to a Bergen County team and IHA – they have been the top two dogs and played in every single county final there has ever been, so that’s the one hurdle we’re trying to get over this year,” said Girardi. “We’ve been kind of that second-tier team for the last three years, and we’re hoping that this is the year where we can jump and be a toptier team.”
Girardi acknowledges that despite the team’s offensive strength, offense and defense must come hand in hand and their defensive play could always improve. “We can always improve in aspects of the game, but right now we need to focus on our defensive transitioning,” he said. “We’re just constantly working on executing our offense and making sure that we’re not turning the ball over.”
With only three newcomers added to the roster, the Mahwah Thunderbirds are made up of mostly upperclassmen who know how the game is played at the varsity level.
In preparation for the big dogs of Northern Jersey, Girardi made adjustments to the scrimmage schedule early on so that his girls could be subjected to the kind of competition they would see in the playoffs.
“On top of the seven returning players, the other girls filling the spots played varsity last year but came off the bench,” said Mahwah’s head coach Brian Girardi. Girardi has been with the program since it began seven years prior. He was able to hold on to seven of his starters in the transition from 2012 to 2013, something he feels has been a crucial component in the team’s success this season. Batelli, Garbely and Kiersten Spencer are three starters who have been leading Mahwah’s offensive play this season. Batelli is the team’s leading scorer this season with 56 goals, Garbely sits at 30 and Spencer follows close behind with 25. “It’s just a nice balanced offense because we have seven girls who can pretty much score at any time on offense, which is a nice situation to have,” said Girardi.
Due to their loss to Indian Hills on April 24, Mahwah is unable to take the Independence South league title – they can, however, potentially tie for the league championship as they had in 2012. This does not mean their time is over, though.
“We went out and got a bunch of scrimmages – we scrimmaged Chatham, we scrimmaged IHA this year,” he said. “I feel that they know they can compete with those teams and when we play them it’ll just be about whether or not we can execute and hopefully when the day comes, get the win.” The lacrosse girls of Mahwah are scheduled to play in their final regular season game on May 15 against Randolf (NJ) on their home fields. From there, it is anyone’s game as team’s across the state head into playoff season.
As playoff season becomes a bigger reality for the Lady Thunderbirds, they set their goals high in hopes of transgressing their team to a more competitive level. “We always have the goal to win the counties, and in Bergen County you
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HIGH POINT SOFTBALL
LADY WILDCATS AIM FOR STATES Story by Kylie Cremer | Photos by Phillip Bomzer
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ast season was a “dream come true” for the girls of High Point’s varsity softball team, according to their head coach, Barbara Fasano. The Lady Wildcats went 11-0 in their league and 24-1 overall for the season, capturing four championships – the NJAC League, the HWS tournament, the sectional tournament and to top it all off, they defeated Kingsway 1-0 in New Jersey’s Public III State Championship. Aiming for a continuation of success in 2013, the girls of High Point have made quite the impression on the fields. They are currently sitting at third in North Jersey’s Section 1 Group 3 with a 15-2-1 record, just behind Indian Hills (No.1, 192-0) and Jefferson (No. 2, 16-6-0). With only a few games remaining on their regular season schedule, the Lady Wildcats are on the war path and ready for what their playoff competition has to throw at them. “I’m looking for the leadership to really take it to the next level for us,” said Fasano. In her tenth season with High Point, Fasano has won the Herald’s Coach of the Year award for the past three years – deservedly so, as she has brought her team to a level of greatness that not every coach has the power of doing. Part of her method is appointing strong players to leadership roles, something which is always advantageous for the team. Last season, High Point graduated two of Fasano’s senior captains – Jamie Christensen and Justine Hall – forcing the team to bounce back without them in 2013. “We miss them immensely,” she explained. “They were the motivational part of the team. I think you need two things: you need motivation and you need skill, and that’s what we had last year with those girls. They were so motivating.” Despite their presence missing from the field and the locker room, three of High Point’s players have been able to step up into that influential leadership role this season. Seniors Meghan O’Leary, Brittany McKay and Collette LeDuc are the appointed captains who have been leading
the team with not only their skill, but their positive and motivational demeanors. The team’s shortstop, O’Leary has put up a .300 average, 9 RBI and 12 runs so far in the season. McKay plays third base, while LeDuc acts as center. Other contributing members are first baseman, Chelsea Eckert, who with a .385 batting average has made 12 runs and 10 RBI this season. Outfielder Michaela O’Hern is sitting at a .322 average. At second base is the Lady Wildcats top hitter. Carly Satter has put up a .466 batting average and has made 12 runs for the team. Right behind her is newcomer Chelsea Francavilla with a .450 batting average and a team high .542 on base percentage Fasano feels that this point in the season, High Point’s strengths lie in their defense and pitching.
earn, together. Those who Fasano most eagerly brought to light were Annelise Malgieri and Brittany DeLima. “They are the pinch runners and are very enthusiastic and very committed to the program,” said Fasano. “Everybody knows their piece of the puzzle, if you will. Some are bigger than others, but it’ll work if everybody just brings it together as one.” With each member of High Point’s softball team accepting and building on their roles, they remain a top tier team in not just North Jersey’s Section 1 Group 3, but in the state. Keep a look out for the Lady Wildcats as they claw their way through playoffs and into the state tournament, where they hope to repeat the successes enjoyed in 2012.
“I really feel that defense wins championships,” she said. “I believe in that saying, and that’s what we have. Our defense is really strong.” On the mound is Ally Frei, who is number one in New Jersey for strike out record (252). She is the team’s top pitcher, pitching 117 innings and with a current record of 14-2. Despite High Point’s strengths, Fasano has been putting an extra emphasis on the team’s offensive play as the team prepares for playoff season. Though the team has a .333 batting average and seven players at or above .300, she believes there is always room for improvement – especially when the team RBI is 60, and last year it stood at 100. “We’re working on our hitting and hitting rotations,” she explained. “I’d like to be more aggressive at the plate and score some more runs. Just the team concept has to work with both sides – offense and defense. We have to bring it all together as a team.” And the importance of team work is something that Fasano has been drilling into the Lady Wildcat’s heads this season. In order to build on their successes from last year and take their competition to the next level, she has reminded them time and time again that it is something that every single member of the team must
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Story by Desiree Keegan Photos by Jed Warsager
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he Pequannock Township High School softball team climbed the ladder of success after starting the season ranked No. 15 back in April and then remaining at the No. 1 spot on the Star-Ledger Softball Top 20 for the last four weeks of the season. Despite being the favorite in the North Jersey Section 1 Group 2 championships, the team finished the season with a disappointing loss in the finals. With stellar performances by some of the team’s top athletes, it seemed effortless for the Golden Panthers to continue to best themselves after starting off the season 4-0. Losses were few and far between for the Panthers this season, but four seemed to be their unlucky number, as just about every time the team found itself on a four-game winning streak, a loss almost always followed. Pequannock was able to break this trend though, as their last loss snapped the Panthers’ streak of four consecutive Morris County Championships. West Morris Central High School rallied for a victory in the quarterfinals. After that loss, the players kicked it into high gear and soon found themselves on a 10-game winning streak and at the top of the charts heading into the finals. On the mound this season, two standout pitchers— Bridget Carr and Christina Brizek—saw significant playing time in the circle.
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Carr, a senior, provided the team with two hits in five almost perfect innings, solid games as a pitcher, but also provided recording a record-high 13 strikeouts the team with plenty of offensive support. with one walk. Brizek added three hits to In the beginning of the season, Carr, this game, including a home run, and in Story By Mariel Carbone | Photos by Morgan along with pitcher Alyssa Lobosco, threw the Panthers’ 9-2 win over Lenape Valley a combined five-inning no-hitter. Carr Regional High School, she earned the struck out seven over three innings and victory after allowing two runs on five allowed just one run on five walked when hits over five innings. the Panthers crushed Vernon Township And the team had more offensive High School 12-1. In the following game power behind them then just its aces. against Pompton Lakes High School, the Nicole Hernandez, one of the senior pitcher went 2-for-4 with a double strongest offensive players for this team, and two RBIs, and during their April recorded two hits and two runs in the 30 contest with Mountain Lakes High blanking of Mountain Lakes, and went School, went 2-for-2 with a double, an 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs in the RBI and a run in the 12-0 shutout. She win over Lenape Valley. Hernandez also led the team this season with 36 RBIs and went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and also had 33 hits. three runs as the Panthers defeated Butler But Brizek proved herself as a force High School 18-1, and also drove in two to be reckoned with this season for runs in a 12-2 win over Morris Catholic Pequannock after pitching all 21 state High School. tournament innings for the team— Eleni Lutas, another top-tier striking out 25 while allowing four runs competitor, had two hits and scored three on 11 hits. This junior pitcher had a runs in the team’s 6-1 defeat over Pope strong offensive game as well, which her John XXIII Regional High School, and team benefited from significantly as the went 1-for-1 with a triple and two RBIs Panthers took most wins after being up in a 7-1 win over Boonton High School. by five or more runs. In the win over Butler, Lutas went 3-forIn the team’s 5-3 defeat over Pompton 5 with two RBIs and two runs, and like Lakes several games into the season, Hernandez, drove in two runs in the win she earned the win after allowing three over Morris Catholic. runs on seven hits while striking out The final athlete of this team’s Top 5, nine and walking none. In the 12-0 win who played a key role for a Pequannock over Mountains Lakes, Brizek allowed
offense that averaged eight runs per game this season, was Kellyann McClain. In a 9-1 win over Clinton High School, she went 1-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs. Harrison She also drove in a run in the 7-1 win over Boonton, and in the 12-2 win over Morris Catholic, finished with two hits and three RBIs.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Although the team proved to hit for power, when it came to their final game of the season, the Panthers fell flat. The No. 2-seeded Pequannock took on the No. 5-seeded Mahawah High School, who had opened the tournament with a 12-0 victory and played a pair of close games, including a 3-2 win over the top-seeded Ramsey High School. Danielle Iacovo pitched a one-hit shutout for the 3-0 blanking of Pequannock, and Mahawah scored all three runs in the first inning, when Taylor Alexander and Katie Clarke highlighted the rally by each hitting RBI doubles. Although the Panthers lost, they had the best Group 2 record with an overall mark of 22-6 to end the season. With Brizek and other key contributors returning next season, we will watch the Panthers closely as they will be reading and roaring right out of the gate to pounce on their opponents and regain the championship crown.
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SPATA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS LACROSSE
SPARTANS DOMINANT IN 2013 SEASON Story by Steve Urena Photos by Jed Warsager
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he 2012 season proved to be a tough one for the Sparta boys’ lacrosse team as they ended their run with a 10-7 record. Though the Spartans 2012 season might not have been a stellar performance, their progress in 2013 has already completely outdone their previous season as they are currently 11-1. The team has been gelling well this season, scoring high in their last few victories. The team is back under the tutelage of head coach Chris Bivona who is finishing up his fifth year with Sparta. “In my second year at Sparta it was presented to me that Pat Brennan, Sparta’s first and only coach of 14 years wanted me to take over the program,” explained Bivona. “I’m in my third year as the head coach and so far I have a 32-14 record, winning the Rizk division in my first year. We are on track to win again this year with a current 11-1 record, with our only loss to Watchung Hills 9-10 in overtime.” Bivona actually grew up in Sparta and picked up Lacrosse in his sophomore year at Blair Academy. He originally went to the academy for tennis but soon found a new passion in the sport of lacrosse. Chris was a natural and developed his skills with his teammates showing him the way. He ended up making first team all-State his junior and senior year and later found
more success playing at Saratoga Springs for college under coach Terry Corcoran. Coach Bivona uses the knowledge handed down to him from Corcoran in his coaching skill set today. He applies firm techniques when training his students and gets his trainees to embrace a good work ethic and enforcing it in their game.
goalie Reagan Penner who has a 70% save percentage; juniors Randy May, Alex Kaplan, John Coleman, Dylan Pannicucci and Tom Kennedy are all doing great for the team defensively, while offensively Tommy Keller is having an excellent year and is only ten goals away from the 100 milestone as a midfielder.
“I tell my kids we are creatures of habit,” said Bivona.
The team has a very strong bond and they have been showing that bond in the 2013 season. Coach Bivona has strong relationships with everyone on the team due to his coaching history with them.
And Bivona enstills this in his players with holding similar practices daily so that they can become creatures of good lacrosse habit. “We start every practice with the same dynamic warm up and short static stretch,” said Coach Bivona of his practice itinerary. “We do star or diamond, and all kids are required to v cut every time, we do right to right, left to left, catch right split left and vice versa. I do this 3 v 2 GB drill I came up with, it incorporates GB work, 3 v 2 to goal and players clearing after a shot or goal. I try to do a lot of drills where we are forced to compete, big red a two team drill with constant 3 v 2’s back and forth to 10 goals. I like doing a lot of small sided things. I really feel that when a player is able to move off the ball and be sprinting to a spot, that will then translate into being in the right spot.” The players have been in the right spot indeed as the 11-1 Spartans are coming up victorious game after game. Top players for the 2013 season include
“A lot of the [sophomores] I have been coaching in Sparta futures since they were in seventh grade,” explained Bivona. “I have good relationships with all of them – they know I want them to succeed and they all have aspirations of playing at the next level. I demand a lot from these players.” And it is the same with his junior class, as these players were freshmen during his first year as a varsity coach with Sparta. A few of them were moved up to varsity during his inaugural season, so they were able to gain two to three years of varsity experience through his coaching. The Spartans are stronger than ever and with this formula for success, they will be a tough team to beat as the season closes. We at Ultimate Athlete Magazine wish them the best in their current season along with all of the other schools competing in Northern Jersey high school lacrosse. To find out more about the Spartans visit www.sparta.org.
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Story by Kevin Freiheit | Photos by Phillip Bomzer
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he Wayne Hills Patriots were refreshed and ready to go for the 2013 season, or so they had thought. After posting more than 20 wins last season, the Patriots took the field, eyeing to compete in not only the county, but the state. Goals were, and still are, set high, but early season struggles became a main concern right out of the gate. The Patriots got off to a rough start, dropping the first four games of the season and having issues holding leads. “We didn’t think an 0-4 start was going to happen,” said senior catcher Mike Abate.
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“[The coaches] figured out our weaknesses and we worked on them to make them stronger.” After dropping the season opener to Fair Lawn by a 9-6 score, Wayne Hills found itself with an 8-0 lead after four innings in the next game against Lakeland. However, it was Lakeland that would prevail as the Lancers put up six runs in both the 6th and 7th innings en route to a 13-8 comeback victory. “We had some bad luck,” said head coach Fran Rella. “We made some bad errors at critical points in the game.”
The Patriots’ struggles didn’t stop there. Over the next two games, they managed to score a combined three runs, and within a week of the season starting, Wayne Hills was winless after four games. “It was a big surprise to us because of all the hard work,” said Senior Brennan Rowe. “Then we just got off to a very lazy start.” Rella, beginning his 12th season in the program, knew what the team was capable of and was determined to get his players back on track. “We were struggling, our focus wasn’t
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there and we weren’t getting timely hitting,” Rella said.
guys perform directly dictates our season. It’s on them.”
“After four games, we got it together, had a long talk and not at any point were they down in saying ‘it’s over.’”
One of those seniors is Rowe, who is the team’s cleanup hitter. He got out to a fast start, putting up a .450 average, 13 RBI, 12 runs, and a .750 slugging percentage.
After hammering out some issues the Patriots went back to work, and it paid dividends in the next game against West Milford. The Patriots posted seven runs and earned their first victory of the season, but the next game is where the season turned around. “Coaching is a big part of it,” said senior Josh Cotè. “They know what we’re capable of. They fired us up. After the 0-4 start, we really had to buckle down because we knew we were a lot better than our record has shown.” In the following game against Paramus, Wayne Hills trailed 3-1 late in the game, and it looked as if they were going to drop another one. However, with two outs in the seventh inning, Rowe had a game-tying two run single, knotting the game at three. Chris Franco drove in the winning run with an RBI single, lifting the Patriots to a 5-3 victory. It was an improbable win at that stage of the game, but because of the rally, the Patriots picked up momentum and kept rolling with it. Wayne Hills went on to win the next four games and quickly recovered from the 0-4 record.
“I try to stay the biggest leader I can,” Rowe said. “It helps a lot.” Rowe is not the only senior doing his part. The Patriots are getting contributions from many, if not all, of its players. Cotè has been catching the games behind the plate, but he’s also been making an impact on offense as well. Cotè started strong, posting a .358 average with four doubles, eight runs batted in and a .452 on base percentage. “For myself, I just expect to contribute and help the team,” Cotè said. “My goal is to help my team and get them where we want to be. We all know what the plan is, we’re all leaders. It’s not just one or two of us. We’re all on the same page.” Rella said he recognizes the role that the seniors have and how much they help the younger players. “They understand what it takes to win games,” Rella said. “They are learning slowly,
but steadily what it takes to be a leader. They have 100 percent confidence and they expect their teammates to pick each other up.” This is Rella’s third season as head coach, and he said that every year a different strategy is needed because every team is different. “We had a lot of power hitters last year from top to bottom,” Rella said. “This year we’re more speed from 1-9. It’s a different team.” With the halfway point of the season behind them, the Patriots are moving forward and looking ahead. While their outcome is unknown for now, Rella said he likes the team’s attitude and determination. “As a whole, they’re a pleasure to be around,” Rella said. “It’s about doing the best they can do to try and win a baseball game and that’s why it’s enjoyable to be around them.” The Patriots are working toward their goal, and they appear ready for the task. “Our mentality is to be competitive out there,” Cotè said. “No matter who we’re playing against, we’re in every single game. We’re up for any challenge.”
“We had that late inning rally against Paramus, and that was a big momentum booster for us,” Abate said. “Ever since then, we haven’t looked back.” The confidence level of the Patriots skyrocketed after the win against Paramus, and everyone on the team believes they can go far. “I’m really confident,” Abate said. “We have a lot of great kids. I really think we could make a run and I think it’s going to be hard to beat us down the stretch.” Despite the success the team had last season, Rella said he believes this team could go even further. “We’re looking to take this up to the next level,” Rella said. “I expect to compete, to challenge in the county, and in the state. There’s no reason why we can’t be successful in both.” If there’s an advantage that the Patriots have, it’s the fact that they have 12 seniors on the team, giving them a handful of players carrying plenty of experience. “They know it’s their season,” Rella said, in reference to the seniors. “However those
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ULTIMATE ATHLETE
LIVINGSTON BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Story by Britney Grasman Photos by Jed Warsager
LANCERS SIT AT
NUMBER 1
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he Livingston High School boys’ varsity volleyball team is taking no prisoners this season. The Lancers are seamlessly sweeping through their large competition pool under the direction of head coach Al Partelow. For an unusually packed 25-team league, the boys are sitting pretty at No. 1. But not only is the powerhouse undefeated with an 18-0 standing in the NJ North 2 league – they are also undefeated in overall sets, which makeup each volleyball match. A team must win two of three sets to win a match, and in the 2013 season, no team has managed to take Livingston to a third set. The Lancers have clenched the first two sets of every match this season. Their 36-0 record in sets
is an even harder feat than their already impressive undefeated match record. But this year’s success comes as no surprise. Livingston has enjoyed the fruits of its labor for the past few seasons. The team made appearances in both the 2011 and 2012 league championships, and this year is no different as they’re headed toward competing in their third consecutive championship game. Hopefully the third time’s a charm for the Livingston Lancers, who hope for a different outcome in 2013. Livingston has failed to walk away with the title in 2011 and 2012 after losing to St. Peters Prep and Bayonne, respectively.
There’s a high possibility of seeing one of the two aforementioned teams in the championships once again. The No. 2 ranked Bayonne boasts a 17-2 record, and the No. 3 standing St. Peters Prep have proven successful this season below Livingston. But if the Lancers play either team this year, it will be for the first time in the championship game. Livingston won’t have the opportunity to see the teams on the court during the regular season. Although Livingston’s managed to victor across the board this season, a few teams have demonstrated a fighting morale, threatening the Lancers to final points. Of their 18 matches, five teams reached 20 points in a set against the Lancers. Belleville and Bloomfield raised
21 points in one of two sets, Millburn went to 20, and Bridgewater got the closest to a win with 23 points in their second set. Although these teams gave the Lancers a run for their money in one set, their other sets were far from 25. The only team to fight the Lancers in both sets is from a different league – Hunterdon Central lost the two sets of their April 22 game, 25-22. The composition of this year’s Lancers may help give them an advantage above younger competition. Livingston’s 16 man roster hosts a majority of seniors, with 10. Most of the guys have a year of experience on varsity behind them in which they were able to play together, forming a strong team chemistry – a promising combination that may allow the Lancers to go all the way. Although it begs the question, how will Livingston perform next year with such a young team after graduating so many seniors? But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
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SHUT TER
SPE ED Photo by Jed Warsager
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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.
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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
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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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