Ultimate Athlete Magazine Dear Readers,
PUBLISHER/CEO EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Paul Corace N.J Comanzo
Nothing beats the cold like a burning desire to win – something that the student athletes of Northern New Jersey know better than most. Snow, sleet or hail do not hinder these winter sports teams, as they show up regardless to each and every practice and competition with a drive and determination that can only be seen by those with a thirst for success.
MANAGING EDITOR
Kylie Cremer
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Desiree Keegan
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR
Adriana Kijko
SENIOR MEDIA DESIGNER
Ponnuthurai Jeyathas
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR (UA MEDIA)
Louis H Quach
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Anthony Anastasiou Alice Wei
SENIOR VIDEO EDITOR
Nicholas Herms
VIDEO EDITOR
John Callejas
UA’s Northern New Jersey winter edition features everything, from teams who are committed to extending their reign, like Don Bosco Prep’s ice hockey team, to those who have still made great strides in the face of adversity, like Garfield and Mahwah’s boys’ basketball teams. Inside, you will read stories about the Garden State’s most talented and dedicated student athletes, as well as be provided with the tools necessary to reaching that level. As every athlete knows, proper nutrition, effective training, and a healthy mind are all vital components to their strength. Flip through to read up on the latest and greatest in those areas. Good luck to all the teams finishing up their regular seasons and making the necessary preparations for playoffs – make yourselves proud!
Kylie Cremer Managing Editor Ultimate Athlete Magazine
Josh Rosenman DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Desiree Keegan
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
Dan Atkinson
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Desiree Keegan Luis Vasquez Jason Stromberg Greg Turrone Mariel Carbone Miscelleana Rhinehart Steve Urena
Richard Brooks Lisa Moskovitz Dr. Tom Ferraro Mike Mejia CSCS Jerry Del Priore Sandy Sarcone Jaclynkelli Kronemberg Jamie Bolettieri
IN HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Morgan Harrison Hannah Singleton CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Adil Borluca Phillip Bomzer
Dana Cama Jed Warsager
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY
Phillip Bomzer
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 2013 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 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.
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s his offseason arrives quicker than he may have anticipated, Don Bosco Prep’s boys’ Ice Hockey head coach Greg Toskos has much to be pleased about when it comes time to discussing the play of his Ironmen club in 2013.
2013 ICE HOCKEY
of the first period, t h a n k s in large part due to the teamwork of Jim Rainey, Cody Calcagno and Chris Mazzella. Rainey took the feed from Calcagno and Mazzella and sent it in past Christian Brothers’ goalie Chris D’Alessio, who stopped 18 shots on 20 faced (.900 SV%). The second-seeded Ironmen had trouble slowing down the Christian Brothers (20-2-2) offense in the second period. Within several minutes of one another, Ryan Bogan scored off an assist from Conor Tierney at 13:18 to tie it, before Tierney sent one in home of his own off assists from Matt Langlois and Bogan, a power play goal, at the 8:26 mark to make it 2-1 in favor of the home team. Not for long, though, as Brenden van Riemsdyk upped the advantage to a two-goal lead for Christian Brothers at the 7:00 mark.
After earning the right to be named the 2013 Gordon Conference, National Division Bergen County Champs, Don Bosco finished 15-9 overall following its 3-2 semifinal postseason road loss to Christian Brothers on Feb. 21. Jarred Liscio, a junior netminder from Wayne, N.J., was one of the stars for Don Bosco Prep throughout the season. Despite allowing three goals (all in the second period) against Christian Brothers, Liscio made 16 saves on 19 pucks sent to the net (.842 SV%) to keep the Ironmen in it. Don Bosco led 1-0 at the 1:30 mark
23 for t h e aforementioned Bergen County Championship. The county tournament is only two years old and the championship belonged to Don Bosco both times. Liscio, who leads the Ironmen with 15 shutouts in two and a half seasons, was named the starter his freshman year. Since, he has accumulated 45 wins, including an impressive earlier season win over Glen Rock, 10-0, on Jan. 20, in
Don Bosco Prep’s Chris Moreira’s goal at 10:15, off an assist from Marc Buermann, made it the game’s final margin. Prior to Don Bosco meeting up with Christian Brothers in postseason action, one of the Ironmen’s impressive team stats was their home record, which stood at 11-2 overall at one point. While having difficulty on the road at 3-6 during this particular stretch, Toskos and company had scored 96 goals for and 44 goals against. Those impressive numbers were instrumental in enabling Don Bosco to defeat previously unbeaten Paramus Catholic, 5-1, in the title game on Jan.
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at two in the third period. Included was a 3-2 loss to New Jersey’s best, Delbarton. With those games putting a damper on the win-loss record, it gave the Ironmen the confidence it would need to push forward.
varsity player, score his first varsity goal, while sophomore Connor Healey, and junior John Stimola also scored.
On a more positive n o t e , t h e I r o n m e n traded regular season wins against New J er s ey ’s N o . 2 t e a m , Christian Brothers Academy.
Coach Toskos, an alumni of Don Bosco (‘94), set numerous ice hockey records at his alma mater during his playing days. The New Jersey High School Player of the Year in ‘94 by the New Jersey Devils and the state media, Toskos set the Ironmen school record for goals (129), assists (100) and points (229), while leading Don Bosco to its only state final appearance.
Hunter Garlasco scored a hat trick in the county semis 10-0 win over Glen Rock.
He spent a year at Canterbury Prep as a post graduate before playing four which Liscio made 12 saves, and nine more in a win over Paramus Catholic on Jan. 23. Rob Marsanico, a junior forward from Allendale, N.J., was named the Gordon Conference, National Division postseason tournament MVP, after scoring two goals and assisting on four others during a three-game run in which he totaled 36 points ni 14 games. In other impressive news, Don B o sco Prep beat arch-rival Bergen Catholic en route to the the title, which was considered a key win at the time. With its regular season schedule being tough, the Ironmen didn’t allow their losses against top seeded Boston College High School, of Massachusetts, a 1-0 defeat, and top seeded F airfield, of Connecticut, to hinder their development. Despite losing to Fairfield 4-2, Don Bosco had the score tied
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Another big win (10-1) against Bishop Eustace took place on Jan. 27 that saw senior right wing Joe Rametta of Wayne, finish with four goals and an assist. Stepping up when the team needed him most was junior forward Moreira, who filled in nicely when starting right wing Dylan Healey suffered a shoulder injury. Playing on the first line alongside Marsanico and Hunter Garlasco, a s ophomore, and the brother of Rory Garlasco of Mahwah, Moreira assisted on the first goal and added a goal later in the Bergen County title game win over Paramus Catholic.
years of varsity hockey with ECAC’s (Eastern College Athletic Conference) East Powerhouse Babson College.
Only 10 shots went on goal against Don Bosco, with the help of senior captains and defensemen Rory Garlasco, and Marc Buermann. The county title game saw sophomore Khan Kim, of Paramus a first-year
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h en th e L o d i H ig h S c h o o l v a r si t y w res tlin g te a m t o o k t h e mat th is s ea s o n u n d e r f o u rth y ea r h ea d co ac h Ma r k Ma g g io , th e Ra ms w e re r e m i n d e d r i g h t fro m th e g et-g o wh a t t h e t e a m ’s mo tto w a s . “ I t h a s t o be a co mb in atio n o f se r i o u s a n d f u n, ” M a g g io s aid . “ If th e y ’ r e t r e a t i n g it s e rio u s an d fu n at t h e sa m e t i m e , th at’s s u cc e s s rig h t ther e , i n a n d o f i ts e lf. ” B y b e i n g f o c u se d a n d co mfo rta b le, Lodi a c c o m p l i sh e d w h at it s e t o u t to d o for 2 0 1 3 – t o wi n i ts firs t N ew J e rs e y Inter sc h o l a st i c C o n fe re n ce (N J IC ) leagu e c h a m p i o n sh ip u n d e r M a g g io , a Rams’ a l u m ( ‘ 9 9 ). A fte r h o s tin g a n d defea t i n g B e c t o n - Wallin g to n 3 3 -2 9 o n Jan. 3 0 , L o d i wa s a b le to ca p its d u al meet se a so n a s t r i - l e a g u e c h amp s w ith Becto n - Wa l l i n g t o n an d H as b ro u ck Heig h t s. I t wa s t h e b i g g es t ma tc h o f th e seaso n f o r Ma g g i o a n d th e Ra ms , a n d for o b v i o u s r e a s o n s . “We n ee d ed to c o m p l e t e t h e tria n g le , ” h e s a id . “I t ’s k i n d o f lik e th ey s ay o n E SPN a l l t h e t ime . A c o ac h c a n b e u n d e r t h e sp o tlig h t till h e w in s a c h a m p i o n sh ip . R ea lly, w h at is t h e r e t o sa y n o w ? N o w th a t w e wo n t h e c h a mp io n s h ip , th ere a r e n o m o re q u e s tio n ma rk s h a n g i n g o v er my h e a d , o r h a n g i ng o v er th e p ro g ram. T h a t w as a b ig th in g fo r m e , p ro v in g th at w e c o u ld d o th is . ” T h e R ams (1 9 6 ) w e re a b le to d o a s s u ch w ith th e h e lp o f
ju n io r he a vyw e ight R a fa e l Pola nc o, w ho w as in his firs t-ye a r w re s tling. Pola nc o p in n ed B e c ton-Wa llington’s Ste phe n S me re c ki a t 4:41 to he lp turn the tide fo r M a ggio a nd c ompa ny. “ It w a s a s w ing ma tc h tha t c ould ha ve g o n e e ithe r w a y,” M a ggio s a id. “ It w a s a n o v era ll te a m e ffort on our pa rt by n o t g iv ing up bonus points , not ge tting p in n ed. O ur boys s ta ying off the ir ba c ks w as rea lly the re a s on w e w on.” P rior to ta king ove r a t Lodi in ‘09, M a g g io s ta rte d his w re s tling c oa c hing c a re e r a s a n a s s is ta nt a t R idge fie ld P a rk H igh Sc hool w orking unde r Tony G o n za le z , w hom M a ggio re fe rre d to a s h is mentor a nd s ome one he truly a dmire s a n d res pe c ts . “ H e’s a le ge nd. A n ic on in the s port,” M a g g io s a id of G onz a le z . “ H e s e e s I’ll b e c o n duc ting pra c tic e s imila r to the irs .” G o nz a le z introduc e d M a ggio to the p h ilo s o phy of turning footba ll pla ye rs in to w re s tle rs , w hic h is w he re Pola nc o’s s u cc e s s re la te s . The va rs ity gra pple r is c u r re ntly a “ domina nt” de fe ns ive lin ema n for Lodi, M a ggio s a id, w ho w an ted to he lp improve his ove ra ll a th letic re pe rtoire on the gridiron a nd o n th e ma t. “ J u st for him to ge t quic ke r fe e t, ge t y o u r ha nds fa s t, a nd c ha nge your body re a lly he lpe d him,” M a ggio s a id. “ H e ’s o n e o f thos e footba ll kids I w a s te lling y o u e a rlie r tha t I told, ‘I ne e d you to put fo rth th e e ffort in the w re s tling room.’” It’s a te s ta me nt to w re s tle rs s uc h a s 1 0 6-pound s e nior A lbe rto R os a (254 o v e ra ll), 113-pound s ophomore D om S a lv atore (24-5), 120-pound junior J o n a th an C ruz (22-8), 126-pound junior F ra n k Pa pa roz z i (19-9) a nd 138-pound ju n io r Thoma s D e O live ira (21-9) fo r fo llow ing M a ggio’s orde rs a nd d eliv ering a c ha mpions hip ba nne r up a b o a rd the Lodi gymna s ium’s ra fte rs . “ T he y a re the group of kids , the y o u n g er w re s tle rs tha t w e nt through th e r e c progra m he re in tow n, s ta ye d in tow n a nd ha d the options of
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g o in g to c a tholic s c hools ,” M a g g io sa id. “ The y ha ve a lot o f s c h o o l pride by s ta ying home , w res tlin g for the ir s c hool a nd the ir to w n , an d tha t’s w ha t s hould be note d. T h ey s h o uld be c omme nde d for tha t.” With o u t que s tion, the R a ms de s e rve c re d it fo r its ke y te a m a c c ola de a nd in d iv id u al fe a ts w he n the re gula r s e a s on c o n c lu d e d follow ing “ big ma tc he s ” a nd q u a d me e t w ins ove r H a w thorne , 41-33, Te a n ec k , 55-24, a nd R idge fie ld Pa rk, 542 7 , o n F eb. 16. A g a in st H a w thorne , Lodi w on e ight of th e 1 4 ma tc he s gra pple d. It fe a ture d the R ams ’ R o s a de fe a ting Va le rio B ia nc o by ma jo r d ec is ion, 8-0, a t 106 pounds a nd S a lv ato re te c h fa lling H a w thorne ’s R ive ra , 1 6 -0 , at 113 pounds . J ona tha n C ruz didn’t s k ip a b ea t a t 120 pounds for Lodi w he n he te c h fa lle d A guila r, 15-0. A t 1 2 6, the R a ms ’ Pa pa roz z i w on b y d e c is ion ove r C intron, w hile J us tin M e n d e z ( Lodi) pinne d G ua rnie ri a t 5:30 a t 1 3 2 p ounds . O the r Lodi w ins inc lude d D eO liv e ira a t 138, J a c ob Ibra him a t 152 a n d S tev en Villa a t 170 pounds . A g a in st R idge fie ld Pa rk, R os a (Lodi) w o n b y forfe it a t 106 pounds . A t 113 p o u n d s , Sa lva tore (Lodi) a ls o w on by fo rfeit. C ruz (Lodi) de fe a te d Wa lte r S ig u e n cia by pin a t 1:27. A t 126 pounds , P a p aro zz i (Lodi) w on by forfe it. M e nde z (L o d i) d efe a te d J us tin R odrigue z by pin a t 1 :2 4 . A t 138 pounds , D e O live ira (Lodi) d efe a te d Tre ntino M e lone by pin a t 1:33. L o d i’s Moha mma d Za a l w on by forfe it a t 1 8 2 p o u n d s . Vic tor G ome z (Lodi) de fe a te d F re d d y b y pin a t 1:05 a t 220 pounds . P o lan co (Lodi) took c a re of bus ine s s a t 2 8 5 p o u n ds by de fe a ting Tris ta n Young by p in at 1 :43. A fter Lodi w on nine of the 14 ma tc he s w res tle d in the R idge fie ld Pa rk ma tc h, M a g g io ha d time to re minis c e a bout not o n ly th e 8-0 s ta rt, but how his boys c a me to g e th er. “ W h en I c a me to Lodi a nd took ove r th e w res tling progra m four ye a rs a go, the s e n io rs now w e re my fre s hme n c la s s a nd th ey re a lly bought into the s ys te m,” he s a id . “ T h ey s e t the s ta nda rd in the room. It re a lly w as a ma tte r of turning the progra m o v e r, g etting the m us e d to the ne w c oa c h, th e n ew philos ophy. The tribute re a lly g o e s to th e boys for s ta y ing c ommitte d a nd k ee p in g the younge r kids in the progra m.”
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ACH GARFIELD MAKES NOISE Story by Steve Urena Photos by Phillip Bomzer
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n almost every situation in sports, change brings fear – fear amongst the players, fear among the staff, and most importantly fear among the fans. How will this team cope? How will this team get better? How will they adapt to this new situation? Well, in this case the Garfield High School boys’ basketball team would have to adapt to a major shakeup on their coaching staff with the arrival of new head coach Chris Storms. Storms would be replacing former head coach Chris Annibal after Annibal accepted a new position as a Principal at another school in the district.
Storms would have big shoes to fill coming on as head coach, but he was still no stranger to Garfield, having been the program’s assistant coach for six years prior. Though Storms knew how the Boilermakers worked and operated, he still was under a lot of pressure before the season started. The previous year the Boilermakers went 22-4, so of course people would compare Storms’ success to the former head coach’s previous accomplishments. Annibal took over for Steve Purciello in 2000 and dedicated his 12 year reign to continuing the basketball program’s growth, resulting in it now being one of the more respected programs in Bergen County. He then capped it off with guiding last year’s team to a school record 22-4 season. “As for feeling pressure, I would be lying if I said that there was not any pressure,” said Storms. “I tried my best to not think about matching the success of last season, but tried to keep the team focused on the primary goals our basketball team sets before every season. It also made my job easier having tremendous assistant coaches in Nate Discafani, Mark Pieklo and Jack Lobue.” With Storms taking over the reins as the new head coach, he implemented certain changes into his technique so he could step out of the shadow of the former coach and develop his own unique style. Storms would drill his players and make sure they knew the basics so that they could handle any form of conflict on the court. He did go to Annibal for advice prior to the season, who told him that it would take years of coaching games to come into his own as a coach and to get the most out of all the members of the team. As with any profession, Storms has come to realize that coaching brings about moments of difficulty, but also moments of great reward. “The toughest part about coaching is blending different personalities together in order to be one team. One of my former coaches, Steve Purciello, told me before the season started that the psychology will be more important than the X’s and O’s,” said Storms. “The most rewarding part of coaching is when you know a player has learned and accepted the lesson that the coaching staff is trying to teach.” As the games began, fans of the Boilermakers saw the struggle that the team had to go through for the 2012-2013 season. Garfield saw a series of highs, but inevitably, also a series of lows. The team was not able to maintain the same win-loss record as the year before, but they still had the same amount of heart. They wanted to capture
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those victories, and for the most part there were more wins than losses. Garfield’s Boilermakers ended up going 16-11 for the season with many close games against very impressive opponents. Now, Storms is able to reflect back on the season as a whole and considers those losses as learning experiences for his future coaching. “Looking back, we were not able to achieve all the goals I set for the team before the season began in terms of the essential ingredients to a successful practice,” he said. “Going into next year the coaching staff will be working hard to make sure all practices are at game speed. One lesson I learned during my first year is the team will play as they practice. If a team wants to be successful, especially during crucial winning times of each game, then the team must practice each day at game speed. We were right there with a chance to win all, but maybe two of those 11 losses. Our greatest weakness was our inability to close out games in the fourth quarter. We depended too much on our athleticism and did a poor job of executing in the half-court when we needed to make winning plays. This must improve next year if we wish to compete in the league, county and state tournament.” Though Storms was disappointed in the season, he is proud of the players on the team. He did not always find it easy to bond with the team as a whole during every single practice, but on the days he did he saw the same drive, determination and the willingness to learn the game of basketball as they had exhibited in years past. Coach Storms knew he could not attain victory alone and was incredibly appreciative of the dedication of his players. He acknowledges players like Isaiah Morales, Jahad Pompey, Michael Reyes, Kevin Buron, Haris Becirovic and Taariq Cheatom as being ones who took the 2012-2013 season as a time to step up and carry on the tradition the Boilermakers had established for themselves in the past. Storms
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will particularly miss team captain Damon Godbolt who was a four year starter. “Damon achieved many milestones while attending Garfield High,” explained Storms. “Damon scored over 1,000 career points, played in the most games in school history, and won more games than anyone else in school history.” Over his career, Godbolt was a two-time first team all-league player and this season was voted on third team all-county. Averaging 14 points and eight rebounds per game this season, Godbolt was a crucial factor for the team’s success. Not only was the team captain a talented player, but he performed well in the classroom as well. “Damon has maintained a 3.3 grade point average while being active in other school extra-curricular activities,” explained Storms. “He is a true role model for our students at Garfield High School and we will truly miss having him here. “ The Boilermakers are looking to improve on their record for the 2013 season with Storms returning for his second year. Players like Michael Reyes, Marlin Batista, Haris Becirovic, Kevin Buron, Taariq Cheatom, Ned Bakic, Ricky Reyes, Damian Ramirez and Persio Lora will also be returning with hopes of making the team a better oiled machine. The fear from before has died down now that the season is over, and fans of the Garfield High School Boilermakers are now waiting in excitement for the upcoming season. Be sure to check out www.gboe.org.to see when the Boilermakers will make their anticipated return.
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MAHWAH HIGH SCHOOL BO Y S B A S K ET B A L L 26
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ou cannot control everything in life. Sometimes accidents occur and things can spiral out of control and there is nothing one can
knew that I wanted to raise expectations and have the players believing they can beat anybody and make a run at the state championship.” As with anything in life, having a good attitude and doing your best can lead to success. It was this type of wisdom Branagh tried to instill within his players before the season began. “Playing basketball is a choice,” said Branagh. “I wanted players who were hard working, had a positive attitude and most importantly enjoyed the game of basketball.” Coach Branagh’s methods also included going back to the roots of
do about it. All you can hope for is that you learn from your mistakes and to take it one day at a time. According to Mahwah High School’s head basketball coach Michael Branagh, however, the game of basketball lets you control certain things, namely playing defense. If you do not play defense on Coach Branagh’s team, you will find yourself on the bench no matter who you are and how many points you score. Offense may win you games, but playing tough defense is what brings home the Group 2 State Championship. With only four wins the year before, Mahwah seemed to be an easy win for any opponent taking the floor against them. The program was in decline and the players felt indifferent towards to team’s success, so when the opportunity presented itself to Branagh to take over the team for the 2012-2013 season, he understood he had a chance to make a difference. “I didn’t want to be seen as a lackadaisical program,” said Branagh. “I
tough defense was another tactic that Branagh ingrained into the minds of his players. He never wanted his team to have the opportunity to say that they had a bad night on defense. Instead, he expected his Thunderbirds to attack every game with a hardnosed defense by out-hustling their opponents. It was this play of action that Branagh believed would lead to unexpected victories throughout the season. “Playing tough defense leads to competition among the players, and competition brings out the best in everybody,” he said. When Mahwah began the season with a 1-4 record, the thought crept through Coach Branagh’s mind that perhaps his message was not getting through to his players. It was when senior guard Matt Busch knocked down a couple of crucial free throws during a 51-49 upset victory over St. Joesph, Branagh realized the players had bought into his style of coaching – on this night his team was focused, determined and out-hustled a superior team to victory. It was not a game the Mahwah Thunderbirds would have won the previous year. “Coach has stressed the importance of finishing off games,” said senior guard Greg Rozar. Rozar stated that the team had lost many leads due to missed free throws and turnovers in their losing
basketball and teaching his team the fundamentals. He felt if the players understood the game better, it could limit the amount of mental errors they make throughout the course of a game. He took to implementing an open door policy with his team as well, creating an atmosphere where everyone had a voice. This taught the players to communicate effectively and work well with each other to produce success. “I wanted to make sure that everybody was on the same page and felt comfortable voicing their own opinion on a matter,” said Branagh. Stressing the importance of playing
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season the year before. He went on to say Coach Branagh wants the team to “experience the situation” in practice which can translate to success during the game. For example, the players need to hit a certain amount of free throws before they can leave practice. The goal is if the players learn how to deal with pressure during practice, come game time they will be prepared to handle it better. The practice and hard work seems to be paying off too, for after losing three of their first four games to start the season, the Thunderbirds have won eight of their last 11 games and are looking forward to post season play.
that winning this game would bring them to a 10-7 record – one which the team had not seen in years. He spoke of wanting the team to focus on the small things, such as not being out-hustled by Cliffside Park. His tone was firm and clear, and the team was attentive as he spoke. It was clear that Branagh had finally earned the team’s respect.
a time when his team was not in the athletic position on defense with their hands up and scrambling after every loose ball. The Thunderbirds might
From the beginning of the game, Leniw demonstrated his leadership on the court. He made his presence known with constant communication and hustle, making a point to be the first player back in transition defense. On offense, he was the go-to player for
“We believe we can make a run at the State Championship,” said senior forward Mike Leniw, who leads the team in scoring and is the unofficial leader of the Thunderbirds. Leniw went on to explain that practices are more organized and even enjoyable this year than they were in the past. “This year everybody wants to come to practice, as they are more team oriented and not as tense,” he said.
have been a scrappy group, but they were playing the type of game their coach had expected – it was apparent that Mahwah had bought into Branagh’s methods.
Mahwah went into their January 22 home game against Cliffside Park with high expectations. Prior to the game, Coach Branagh spoke to his players about the importance of moving forward in a positive direction, as he explained
Mahwah and made a number of points for the team on the fast break. One of the most impressive players on the court was the youngest of the Thunderbirds starting five players. Sophomore point guard Kevin Tremblay ran the offense with quickness and great vision. He had terrific ball handling skills, cat-like reflexes and a consistently solid outside shot. Without Tremblay on the court the offense seemed to stall, as he was the team’s sparkplug.
On the sidelines, Coach Branagh had a calm demeanor and very rarely raised his voice, showing his position as a teacher of the game. It seemed the coach’s ease translated to the Thunderbirds. After winning the game 51-37, he stressed to his team that this was a game they would have lost in the past – but the Mahwah Thunderbirds were no longer the team with a losing record. They were now a wellcoached, fundamentally sound team with aspirations of winning the Group 2 State Championship. The future is bright with Michael Branagh at the helm.
The main ingredient to Mahwah’s success on this night was what Branagh had preached to his team day in and day out during practice. There was not
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Story by Steve Urena | Photos by Phillip Bomzer
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fter 16 wins, nine losses and one tie, the Ridgewood High School Maroons have hung up their skates and sticks for the season. Many of the Maroon players are using this time away from the game to reflect on the past season, while other members of the team are recuperating from injury. The Maroons came close to the championship but ended up losing out to Paramus Catholic 4-3. Ridgewood’s head coach Michael Lucchesi is looking back on this season in hopes of learning from its failures and triumphs – both of which will give crucial insight to the preparation needed for next season. “I thought we had a strong season just coming up a little short of our goals,” said Lucchesi. “I think injuries did have an impact on some of the outcomes of the season and that is really unfortunate. The players did work hard, never quit and gave in to the adversity that they faced, and we had young players step-up and respond to a challenge.” Lucchesi is no slouch to coaching hockey as he is approaching his fifth season as Ridgewood hockey’s head varsity coach. This will be his twelfth year coaching hockey, and he has also dabbled in the sport himself, playing while in high school. Lucchesi knows how to formulate a strategy and watch it take shape to victory. He knows how to learn from previous mistakes and try to get the best out of his players. Lucchesi brings his team to their limits so they can be prepared for all types of scenarios on the ice. “A typical practice we attempt to keep is a high intensity practice
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that is up-tempo,” explains Lucchesi. “ We normally start with some kind of goalie warm-up drill, then progress to skill development drills which include passing, shooting and stick handling in some aspect. We will work on attack drills 1v1, 2v1, 3v2, then we will work on system stuff, fore-check, breakouts, regroups, power play, and penalty kill as well as situational plays.” It is drills like these that helped the Maroons prepare for their 2012-2013 season, one in which they were predominantly successful. They did suffer a number of defeats, but despite the outcome they still gave it their all with everything they had. A big conflict for the team was injury, resulting in several players having to be shuffled around in the lineup. The losses definitely took a toll on the team leaving Coach Lucchesi to make a number of tough decisions. “We lost a number of guys to injury at different times of the year and that forced us to juggle our lineup a lot placing different players in different roles,” explained Lucchesi. “Handling injuries is tough as well. When our players are good to come back to play, are they 90 percent? 100 percent? You want to make sure it’s safe for these athletes to play. Most athletes will do whatever they can to get back on the ice as soon as possible even though they might not be ready. The player may be important to the team so the team could use them. There are so many factors with injuries, but it always goes back to player’s safety.” While the changes due to injury did affect the team on the ice, off the ice the team had a very strong bond during the season. Seniors
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took freshman under their wings and the bus rides to and from the games really gave the team a sense of becoming a unit. This helped make everyone more comfortable, leading to a more cohesive team on the ice. It is the time that Ridgewood’s players spent together that created the success that came with the season. Lucchesi has big plans for his team in the 2013-2014 season and looks to capitalize on a fresh start. He will be welcoming a new crop of players and will be able to mold young hockey minds into future superstars. “We will again set our goal to win the Big North Gold Cup and are excited to make another run at it,” said Lucchesi. Although the Maroons are losing four very valuable seniors – goalie Sean Treppedi, forwards Mike Daniels and Zach Kinkella, and defenseman Christian Suasi – they fortunately have some talented returners who will be crucial to their power on the ice next season. Junior Alex Linton was voted 1st team all-Bergen County
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Although the Maroons are losing four very valuable seniors – goalie Sean Treppedi, forwards Mike Daniels and Zach Kinkella, and defenseman Christian Suasi – they fortunately have some talented returners who will be crucial to their power on the ice next season. Junior Alex Linton was voted 1st team all-Bergen County as a forward, and junior Cameron St. John had a strong season being voted 3rd team all county as a defensemen. Freshmen Harry Bahrenburg and Cooper Telesco are two players who are expected to have standout sophomore seasons next year. Juniors Andrew Seiter and Chris Cornwell will be heavily relied on offensively to add some scoring punch for the Maroons. Ridgewood also has a number of talented goalkeepers in the program, namely sophomore Mickey Legg, who showed great promise for the team this season. The Maroons are prepared for battle and are currently working out in the off-season. Coach Lucchesi is looking forward to the new players coming to the team and the fans coming out for the games. To follow Ridgewood High School Hockey and their ice escapes you can visit http://ice-hockey. ridgewood.rhs.schoolfusion.us.
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SHUT TER
SPE ED PHOTO BY PHILLIP BOMZER
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SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY
The High
Stress
World of Coaching (And how to manage it )
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Story by Dr. Tom Ferraro
A man works from sun to sun, but a mother’s work is never done.
Players often regress and act like children who need much attention from the coach. And this is only one source of stress.
The world of the coach is filled with constant demands put upon them from every side.
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he poem you just read is the one our mother would recite to us kids every day. There were five kids in our family and I guess she was tired all the time. Not that we paid much attention to that. Well this little poem is more aptly sung by coaches. “A player works from sun to sun, but a coach’s work is never done.” I can think of no other job that brings with it more stress and aggravation then coaching.
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First you must deal with the pressure of competitive sports. If you are a football coach you understand that the game is dangerous and even violent and you must prepare your team, train them and discipline them in order for them to be ready for the war that is coming.
You are playing for a school, a community or even a state and this brings with it pressure as well. There will be media attention and fans in the stadium that will either cheer you on or boo you off the field.
reasons
Thirdly there is the inevitable and natural tendency for your players to regress and to act like little children demanding attention. This unconscious group process is common and very draining for the coach who must manage these childlike demands from more than thirty players.
There is also the predictable tendency for the team to form cliques, to act out, to use drugs and to create crises at the worst possible time.
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he result of these pressures is unmitigated stress. The kind of pressure that is felt by all coaches will produce anxiety, anger, poor sleep, exhaustion, illness, irritability, psychosomatic problems,, overeating, fantasies of early retirement, depression or overuse of alcohol. But drinking only produces more problems.
Solution:
Coaches experience many symptoms of stress including illness, anger, anxiety or exhaustion.
1. One must realize that the coach experiences tremendous feelings of helplessness during the game and has no way to ventilate or to express these feelings. The players expend their stress and anger on the playing field but the coach must contain this feeling and control it. The best way to manage this is with your own physical fitness regimen. TIffeny Milbrett was a World Cup and Olympic gold medal winner in soccer and is now a coach of a strong U-12 team on the west coast. She told me “you have no control over what goes on in the field during game time. You must have patience, no sense of urgency and self-control. You must find a way to ventilate this stress and I do it with a physical fitness routine every day. “ 2. As a psychotherapist I strongly recommend and believe that every professional coach should be offered at least twice weekly confidential supportive therapy throughout the season. This allows them to ventilate emotions and stress, obtain support and solace, receive encouragement, clarify their stance on the various crises they must cope with and come to terms with tough decisions. The value of doing this in a therapy process is that it helps the coach to avoid other and more inappropriate ways of coping such as angry outbursts or alcohol use. This process is invaluable, career saving and helps to build up much needed ego strength and defenses.
Coaches need and deserve a place to ventilate emotions and to problem solve daily issues. Coaches are bombarded on every side by demands and problems. This is the nature of their work. Players, GM’s, media and many others want their time. It takes exceptional strength to manage all this and I believe that the only real way to cope is to establish great physical and also mental health.
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UA TRAINING Story by Mike Mejia, CSCS
1. Make mobility a priority: After an off-season of sitting around or doing mainly traditional strength training, you may have lost a little in terms of movement efficiency. This means that working to increase range of motion around key joints like the hips and ankles will be essential to your ability to sprint and change direction effectively. It will also help you get into the proper position when doing explosive exercises like Olympic lifts and lower body plyometrics. Drills like the squat to stand and pike ankle mobilization will go a long way towards helping you achieve those objectives.
Squat to stand: Set your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart. Begin by bending over and touching your toes with your legs straight, but not locked. Keep your hands on your feet as you lower your hips into a squat position. Hold for a second and return to standing. Repeat for 8-10 reps.
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Pike Ankle Mobilization: Get down into a push-up position and then rest one foot on your opposite Achilles tendon. Next, push your hips up into the air with your legs straight as you attempt to flatten the sole of your foot to the ground. Hold for a second and then return to the starting position. Repeat for 8-10 reps before switching sides.
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2. First things first: Speaking of explosive movements, make sure that you’re doing exercises like the one’s listed above in the early part of your workout when you’re energy levels are at their highest. The period following a thorough dynamic warm-up is the time to focus on explosive strength – not towards the middle to end of your workout when your muscles are already fatigued. So if you plan on making Olympic lifting, plyometrics and explosive medicine ball work part of your routine, do them early on and save your more traditional strength training for either later in the workout, or another day. The same holds true if you plan on doing any speed and agility work in the same session as your lifting. Training such as this with its high nervous system demand is not something that can be effectively done after serious strength training. In fact, engaging in this type of training when your muscles are already partially fatigued from hitting the weights can actually train your body to move more slowly – which is the absolute last thing most athletes would want!
3. Focus on compound movements: One of the biggest mistakes I see young athletes make in the weight room is chasing after smaller muscle groups with isolation exercises. When athletic performance and injury prevention are your primary goals, exercises like biceps curls, leg extensions and crunches offer little, if any benefit. This holds especially true if these types of exercises are done using machines, which often only lock you into a set, limited range of motion. Do yourself a favor and focus on big, compound lifts like squats, lunge variations with an upper body component (such as torso rotation), rows and overhead presses – leave most of the other stuff you see in those glossy magazine pictorials to your fellow gym rats.
5. Fuel properly to support your training efforts: What you eat in the time leading up to and immediately following your workouts can have a huge impact on your results. Going into the gym either having not eaten in several hours or being full of high-sugar, fat-laden foods is a great way to sabotage your workout. In the first scenario you’ll lack the energy needed to train hard and in the latter, you run the risk of cramping and other types of gastro-intestinal distress. So try and stick to mainly complex carbohydrates that contain lots of fiber with moderate amounts of protein and low fat during the pre-workout period. Good choices include things like slow cooked oatmeal and a couple of scrambled eggs, whole grain breads and cereals with low fat milk, or lean meats (chicken and fish) with whole wheat pasta and vegetables. The post workout period is an equally important time, as this is when your body is most receptive to replenishing energy stores that were partially depleted during the workout. During the first 30 minutes after your workout, look to consume some fast-acting protein (such as whey) with simple sugars in the form of fruits, or fruit juices, as these offer some of the quickest ways to replace what you lose during workouts and facilitate muscle recovery.
4. Prehab to avoid rehab: About the only time you’ll actually want to direct your attention to smaller muscle groups is when you’re doing specified work to help prevent injuries. Things like external rotations, various neck strengthening drills, hip abduction and core stabilization exercises can all help shore up weak links in your physique that often get the short end of the stick from a training stand point. These types of drills can best be done towards the end of your workouts or as supplemental exercises you can do on off days from the gym.
Using this type of streamlined approach to your training should result in quicker, more effective workouts. Best of all though, it’ll prepare your body for the rigors of competition and not just help you look good in a bathing suit; because as desirable a goal as that may be, it won’t do you much good out on the playing field!
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Story by Sandy Sarcona
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oo tired to grab something to eat before your morning practice? Too rushed to eat before your afternoon game? Not fueling your body before workouts can result in a sluggish performance! In the mor ning your body is in a fasting state. Your liver glycogen (storage of carbohydrate that regulates your blood sugar) is in very low supply. Low blood sugar can make you feel dizzy and faintnot a great recipe for peak performance. By afternoon our liver glycogen is usually filled up with our morning meals, so now you need to worry about your supply of glycogen stored i n you r muscles. Muscle glycogen supplies energy throughout exercise and can become depleted after exercising continuously for more than 90 minutes. Most high school and college athletes have at least 2-hour
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practices. Working out on a quarter tank of glycogen or lower may lead to an empty tank of energy, just when the practice drills start getting intense! Your muscles will not have the energy it needs to perform and you will feel weak and slow- not something you want to feel or what your coach expects from you. Fueling up for practice or competition requires eating some form of carbohydrate about a half an hour before starting time.
Pre-performance snacks include: •
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Pretzels, crackers, or dry cereal with raisins; pre-pack in
a snack bag.
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Plain bagel (can add a small
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Sports drink (Gatorade®, Powerade®, or Vitamin Water®).
amount of butter, cream cheese or peanut butter, but not too much as this slows digestion) or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (again go light on the p.b.).
Pack these snacks ahead or keep a supply
Cereal bar – choose one with in your backpack so you will always be mostly carbohydrate, lower in fiber, with just a small amount of protein; save the high protein bar for after practice. Too much protein and fat before exercise can be harder to digest.
energized to perform your best in practice and competition.
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NUTRITION
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DO YOU NEED A MULTIVITAMIN? Story By Sandy Sarcona
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ost of you probably grew up taking a vitamin as part of your daily routine. Whether encouraged by your parents or your pediatrician, it was insurance to grow up big and strong. When the teenage years come, parents tend to back off their reminders and now many of you may not include that vitamin ritual. The question is, “Do you still need a multivitamin every day?” As student athletes, you definitely have greater nutrient needs. If you are eating a balanced diet, including three meals and snacks, and following daily food plans from MyPlate (www.choosemyplate. gov), then you are probably getting enough nutrients. Many of you may also be eating energy bars and cereals that are chock full of vitamins, so check the labels. However, Vitamin D, Calcium and Iron are commonly shortchanged in most athletes’ diets. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for Vitamin D is 600 IUs per day and is found in only a few foods. One cup of milk has 100 IUs, while some yogurts have Vitamin D and some do not. You can also get Vitamin D and Calcium in orange juice if it is fortified. So if you are not drinking 6 cups of milk or fortified OJ, you are not getting the Vitamin D you need. Vitamin D’s close partner, Calcium, which is a mineral, works with D for bone health. Calcium is found in dairy foods like milk, but it is also abundant in all yogurt and cheese products; one serving will provide around 300mg of Calcium. Most of you will find it difficult to get the needed 1300mg/day if you do not consume any dairy; therefore, a supplement is recommended. The good news is that tasty combinations of Vitamin D and calcium exist in the form of flavored chews or a vanilla flavored pill. Taking one to two of these per day will insure strong bones and decrease risk of stress fractures.
Vitamin D You can also get Vitamin D and Calcium in orange juice if it is fortified.
Calcium is found in dairy foods like milk, but it is also abundant in all yogurt and cheese products; one serving will provide around 300mg of Calcium.
For female athletes, iron is lost monthly with menstruation and if you are not a meat eater, you are probably not meeting the RDA of 15mg (14-18 year old) and 18mg (19 -30 year old). You can get a less absorbable form of iron in your breads and cereals, but you may need a supplement. Not getting enough iron will deprive oxygen transport throughout your body and leave you feeling tired. You can take a separate iron supplement or take a regular multivitamin (mvi) that has iron added; make sure it is USP approved for quality and purity. Male athletes most likely will not need extra iron, but may want to take a regular mvi if you do not have a consistently balanced food intake. Take home message: Vitamins are not magical and do not provide extra energy, but if you are deficient you may be a more sluggish performer. Before heading to the drug store, review your regular diet and if you are consuming a variety of foods with enough calories to meet your energy needs, you should be getting all the nutrients you need.
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Calcium
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