i4sports magazine - september/october 2013

Sept/Oct 2013

ChildsPlayGymnast flipstoward Olympics

Order on the courtVolleyball player leaps to top of state ranks

Big ’StangTheory Football coach keeps focus on the future

Your local sports connection

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September - October 2013

Features8Order on the CourtMiddle school basketball’s loss is anet gain for Grissom High Schoolvolleyball.

12Childs PlayWith a bounce in his step, Huntsville teen finds his niche on the trampolineas he dreams of Olympic gold.

16Big ’Stang TheoryMadison Academy’s football coachhas a history of success but keeps hisfocus on the future.

22Keeping up with JonesFormer Harvest resident and Seattle Seahawks great Walter Jones isenjoying life away from the gridiron.

Photo by Jennifer Johnson

More reader

photos on page 24

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Departments . comView and join the local sports community at

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Bonus PhotosDigital ExclusivesPlus Your Scores and Stories

10Health FactorStudent athletes require additional nutritional fuel to meet the demands of the classroom and the sports field.

15Jock DocConcussions can go unrecognized as symptoms may not be noticed right after the injury. Learn the symptoms to prevent serious complications.

20Training EdgeThe trend toward sports specialization continuesto grow - when is the right time to focus on asingle sport?

24Your SportsNotes and photographs from readers offer unique perspectives of the sporting scene.

26TailgatingPart of the fun and enjoyment of a sporting event is chowing down with family and friends before kickoff.

From thePublisher

PO Box 18951, Huntsville, AL 35804256-683-3580

[email protected]

PublisherGreg Mordecai

[email protected]

Managing EditorBudd McLaughlin

[email protected]

Design and WebsiteScott Seeley

[email protected]

Sales and MarketingKim Mordecai

[email protected]

PhotographyRob Brooks, Lissa Hinely

Chris Jenson, Jennifer Johnson

ContributorsTammy Beasley, Alan Clemons,

Andy McCloy, Budd McLaughlin, Skip Vaughn

Copying or reproduction, in whole or in part, of this publication without the permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Copyright 2013 i4sports. All rights reserved.

i4sports Magazine is published six times per year.

To order a subscription, visit i4sportsonline.com or call 256-683-3580


On the CoverRob Brooks lives in east Madison County. He took this month’s cover photo of Madison County High School taking the field for the 2013 pre-season game between the Tigers and Buckhorn High School.

elcome to the inaugural issue ofi4sports Magazine, a bimonthly publi-cation highlighting the best in North

Alabama sports. Each issue will spotlight the achievements of local athletes, coaches

and sports legends. There will also be ar-ticles on health, nutrition, training and other important sports-related subjects. Our focus is to share the dedica-tion, pursuit of excellence, sacrifice, triumphs, com-petitive spirit, joy and life lessons gained through the efforts of our area ath-letes and coaches.

Please visit our digital site i4sportsonline.com for information, scores and game summaries. Simply click on “Tell Us Your Story” and share your team’s accomplishments.

The i4sports team’s goal is to bring you the best in local sports information in “real-time.” We look forward to hearing from you.

- Greg Mordecai

Now online at langssports.com404 11th Street, Decatur, Alabama 35601 H (256) 353-1258

Uniforms H Sporting Goods H Apparel H Screenprinting H Embroidery

Walk into Lang’s and you’ll feel the connection to the area’s sports community. Since 1961 we’ve focused on being one of the elite sporting goods stores in the nation and work hard to keep our strong connection to schools and sports leagues.


KBy Budd McLaughlin

Kristy Bohan is grateful to a middle school basketball coach for her success. However, the Grissom senior is a vol-leyball player; one of the best in the state. So, why is she thanking the basketball coach? “He cut me from the team,” she said. “If he hadn’t cut me, I wouldn’t have played volleyball.” But volleyball wasn’t a first choice. When she was cut, Kristy and her mom dis-cussed other activities for her. Her mom suggested cheerleading but Kristy nixed that. Then vol-leyball was mentioned. Kristy had never played volleyball but was tall enough. So she tried out for the seventh-grade team. Now, it would be a great story to write that she made the team and went on to stardom from there. However, Kristy didn’t make the team; but she became the team manager. She learned a lot from the sidelines during matches and at practices that season and worked hard to prepare herself for eighth grade. She made the team and every other team after that – including the North team in the recent Alabama High School Athletic Association volley-ball game as part of the AHSAA All-Star Week in July. The North lost but Kristy was named MVP. “There were a lot of great players and it was really competitive,” she said. “It’ll get me ready for college since these were the best of the best.” Photos by Chris Jensen

“...she came along strong and

blossomed into a greatvolleyball player; I believeshe’s one of the top five

in the state.”

– Coach TanyaBroadway

She quickly became one of the best herself. Kristy played some varsity games for Grissom as a freshman and earned a starting role as a sophomore – a rarity at the Class 6A power. “She started very late (playing volleyball),” said Grissom coach Tanya Broadway. “But she came along strong and blossomed into a great volleyball player; I believe she’s one of the top five in the state.” Kristy credits a former top five player with helping her come along. The player, however, was Jessica Lewis of rival Huntsville High. Lewis now plays for the University of South Ala-bama. “Jessica Lewis made me a better player,” Kristy said. The two played club volleyball together. “She pointed out the little flaws.” She also said club volleyball helps prepare players for col-legiate volleyball. “With club, you get used to playing with other players,” she said. “It’s volleyball at a high level.” She’ll be taking her skills to the next level as well. Kristy has commit-

ted to the University of Montevallo. A former Huntsville High star, Becky Phelps, also is at Montevallo and, that is one of the reasons Kristy selected the Falcons. Another reason was Montevallo showed interest in Kristy.

“You can tell when (colleges) have an interest in you,” she said. “Monte-vallo was that way. Becky Phelps also said she is handling it (college sports and academics). And I liked it.” Broadway said her senior should be able to handle it, too, and even crack the Falcon lineup. “With her hard work and determi-nation, she can step into that program and be a difference maker,” the coach said. For this season, Broadway is counting on Kristy being a team leader and showing the ropes to her under-class teammates, just like the seniors helped her when she was coming up. “She is a leader and I’m looking forward to her this year,” Broadway said. “She’s been instrumental with the younger kids.” Kristy said the younger players come up to her and ask for help and the seniors “focus a lot on the younger girls.” “We try to get them on the right track so they will be able to carry on the Grissom way and this is our last chance to make an impact.” And it was Broadway who helped make an impact on Kristy as a fresh-man. Kristy was in just her second year playing the sport but didn’t think Broadway cared for her. You see, Broadway wasn’t pampering the new player. She was treating her like a member of a high school varsity team and expecting her to play like one. “I thought she didn’t like me,” Kristy said. “But, of course, she was right. Eventually I realized ‘I can do this.’ “Mrs. Broadway has a way of pull-ing my best out of me.” It seems to have worked, too. And some thanks as well to a middle school basketball coach.


Coach Tanya Broadway and Kristy Bohan

By Tammy Beasley

Playing competitive sports during your middle and high school years presents many challenges. It will challenge

your body to develop its own indi-vidual speed, agility and power – to compete at a new level both individu-ally and as a team player.

But the challenges don’t stop on the playing field. Being a student ath-lete requires you to meet the demands inside the classroom, too. Balancing your time and your nutrition to be at your best inside and outside the class-room takes practice, but the results are worth the extra effort and will help you go the distance, strong in mind and body.

Early Mornings Does your school sport require early morning workouts? Then start off on the right track by knowing what and when to fuel your body BEFORE your workout. Plan to eat a light car-bohydrate snack within 30 minutes of working out. About 100- 150 calories of an easily digested carbohydrate gives you just the right amount of carbohydrate energy to wake up your metabolism and get ready to give it your best. Ex-amples include: 1) a banana, 2) slice of whole grain toast, 3) graham cracker rectangle (1 whole), 4) half of a high quality energy bar, or 5) even a hand-ful of whole grain cereal to go. Don’t forget to drink a cup (8 oz) of water, too.

But don’t stop with just your pre-workout fuel. Whether you have an early morning workout or not, the breakfast meal, consumed within 30 minutes of finishing your workout or within an hour of getting up, is the most important fuel stop for perfor-mance in and out of the classroom. Examples of a healthy breakfast meal include: 1) oatmeal with wal-nuts, raisins and glass of low-fat milk, 2) whole grain cereal with low-fat milk and fresh fruit, or 3) a toasted whole grain English muffin w/ scrambled egg(s) and slice of Canadian bacon (lowest fat breakfast meat!) and small glass of orange juice (better yet, a fresh whole orange!). If in a hurry, at least plan to have an energy/ protein bar that provides about 250 calories and at least 12 grams of protein, with a piece of fresh fruit and/or a glass of low-fat milk. Another quick option is a protein smoothie made with low-fat milk, fresh or frozen fruit, 1 scoop of 100% whey protein and honey, to taste. Just remember that a liquid meal will not fill you up as much as solid fuel, so ex-pect to get hungry within a few hours and have a fruit and/or small packet of nuts to snack on before lunch.

Midday Speaking of lunch, take advantage of this opportunity to keep your me-tabolism steady, your muscles primed and your brain sharp by eating a bal-anced meal with lean protein, quality carbohydrates and an assortment of

“color” (fruits and/or veggies). The standard turkey, chicken or lean roast beef sandwich on pita or tortilla wrap or wheat bread (light on the mayo, but mustard always fine), with pretzels, grapes or orange slices works every time. Or the classic PBJ on whole wheat, with pita chips or mini rice cakes, and a banana or apple is another option. Throw in a few fruit newtons or low-fat yogurt to round it off. Tired of sandwiches? Pizza and some fresh fruit works well too. Don’t forget to drink at least 16 oz of water to stay hydrated.

Afternoon When the bell rings and the school day is over is the time when things can get tricky for the student athlete. Lunch has been eaten hours before, and a long workout/practice is ahead. Make sure you plan to have a snack that includes both carbohy-drates and protein in the afternoon BEFORE your workout. The best time is about an hour before – and some good examples include: 1) pea-nut butter and graham crackers or a banana, or 2) low fat cheese stick with whole grain crackers (such as Triscuits) or apple slices, or 3) a high quality protein/energy bar (such as Balance, Zone or Luna) or 4) a handful of home-made trail mix of whole grain cereal (like Cheerios or Wheat Chex), raisins and almond slices (or any combo you like!).


Performance Fuelfor the Student Athlete

Health Factor

If you don’t have access to fuel a full hour before, pack a quick easy-to-digest fuel booster like a banana or small cereal bar to eat within 15 min-utes of the start of your workout as you get dressed for your activity. And as always, try to drink 16 ounces of water about 2 hours beforehand, and an extra cup within 30 minutes of the first drill.

During your workout Next, let’s look at how you fuel your body DURING your workout. Most importantly, make sure you take water breaks during your workout, even if, and sometimes especially if, you are practicing indoors. A hot, humid environment can zap your fluid levels quickly. Dehydra-tion can take the edge and power away from your workout – sports nutrition studies say even 2% dehydration can decrease your performance by 20%! For activities lasting around one hour, it is not necessary to consume calories during the workout if you gave your body fuel beforehand. For activities lasting longer than one hour, your body will benefit from consuming easy-to-digest carbohydrates, such as those found in a quality sports drink or energy bar, during your second and subsequent hours of activity. Research tells us that the body can use about 30 – 60 grams of carbohy-

drates during each hour of competi-tion or training. That’s equal to about 120 – 240 calories max (in comparison, a 16 oz sports drink or a large banana is about 100 calories).

After your workout Finally, take a look at how you fuel your body AFTER your workout. If you want your body to recover quickly and be ready for the next time your coach says, “Go!” it’s very important that you plan to refuel your muscles within the first 30 minutes after your workout ends. this is when your muscles are like an “open door”, ready to replace the glycogen, or energy, stores that were used up during your training. The ideal ratio of carbohydrates to protein is 3:1, or 3 parts carbohydrate to 1 part protein. A recovery fuel that is easily digested, provides the ideal ratio of carbs to protein, and has electrolytes and vitamins/minerals will help maximize your recovery. One such fuel is low-fat choco-late milk, and16- 24 oz is all that is needed. If refrigeration is not avail-able or time is limited, consume a high quality, ready-to-eat protein/carbohy-drate sports bar like Clif Builder with

water and/or sports drink with added electrolytes (sodium and potassium). Right after you exercise, liquids or an easily digested bar sometimes goes down a lot easier than solid foods. However, a turkey sandwich on a whole grain bagel with an orange makes excellent recovery fuel, too. In addition to your recovery fuel, drink 2+ cups of water to help replace the fluids your body used while working hard and cooling down. Finally, FOLLOW UP with a bal-anced meal within the two hours after your workout. Plan to have a healthy

dinner with lean pro-tein, whole grain (great examples include sweet potato, whole grain pasta, brown rice, or whole wheat tortilla) and lots of color (vegetables and/or fruits) to give your body

the reward it needs for working hard for you! Following these guidelines for fueling before, during and after your workout will have your body geared up and ready to perform at its best every day, in the classroom and on the field. Remember, knowing when and what to eat and drink can make the differ-ence between just going through the motions or really performing at the next level.

Tammy Beasley, RD, CSSD, LD,CEDRD is a Certified Specialistin Sports Dietetics. She offers

sportsspecific nutrition servicesat RevItUP! for Life, LLC.

www.revitup4life.com

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Childs Play

By Budd McLaughlin

Jeremiah Childs is like any other 14-year-old Hunts-ville kid. He hangs out with his friends. He likes to eat ham-burgers and to play football and basketball; he likes Kobe Bryant but his favorite player is Michael Jordan. He’s hoping to compete in the Olympics, too, in a few years. On the trampoline. You see, Jeremiah is on the U.S. Junior National Tram-poline & Tumbling team. Yes, the United States Junior National team. The team is under the USA Gymnastics umbrella; trampoline & tumbling has been an Olympic sport since 2000. OK, so maybe he’s not like any other 14-year-old Huntsville kid. He’s from the Lincoln Village section of North Huntsville and attends Lincoln Academy, a church school for students who are zoned to public Title I schools. It is in the historic Lincoln School on Meridian Street. So, Jeremiah. Trampoline? “I like flipping,” he said. “It’s fun.” It was his flipping which caught the eye of members of The Light’s, Lincoln Village Ministries. The Light is among several area churches in the ministy which helps the youth in Lincoln Village by providing organized activities to help provide structure for the kids, as well as academic aid. One of the more popular activities among the boys is, of course, sports. They participate in local pro-grams, including football, basketball and gymnastics. Jeremiah was “discovered” when he and a group of his neighborhood friends were competing against each other with backflips. One of the church members, Thor Erlings-son, thought gymnastics would be a good direction for the kids. They went to The Matrix on Leeman Ferry Road and enrolled in the gymnastics program. While most of the kids left gymnastics and stayed with football and basket-

Flipping for anOlympic sized dream


J

ball, Jeremiah stayed with it, though his favorite sport isn’t gymnastics. “Basketball is my favorite sport,” he said. “The tumbling helps my basketball and football with balance and speed.”While he’s given up football, Jeremiah said he doesn’t feel any pressure or ridicule from his friends because he’s a gym-nast. “They support me and think it’s good,” he said. And now, he’s full-speed ahead on the trampoline with Olympic-size dreams. Literally. “My goal is the Olympics,” said the eighth-grader. He doesn’t envision 2016 but doesn’t rule out 2020. “He is very talented,” said his coach Joy Umenhofer at The Matrix. “If he puts his mind to it, he is capable.” Umenhofer is more than a coach to Jeremiah. She helped provide a maternal influence. There were difficulties in Jeremiah’s home and he would occasionally stay with Umenhofer, who has two sons. Eventually, though, Erlings-son and his wife were able to provide a more permanent home for the teen.

Over the last several years, Erlingsson committed himself to taking disadvantaged youths to sports activi-ties – games, practices, etc.- after school and on weekends. It wasn’t unusual to see him drive up to a football practice or game with a vanload of eager athletes. In fact, he and his wife keep some of the kids at their home, providing a family-type environment. Recently, the couple formally adopted Jeremiah. With stability in his life, Jeremiah was able to concentrate on his classwork – he’s an A student – and his trampolining. Expressing his faith, Erlingsson is confident that Jer-emiah will be a success – no matter what his endeavor. “All things are possible through Christ Jesus,” he said. Jeremiah’s trampoline journey kicked into high gear when he was one of eight boys chosen for the gymnastics Olympic Development Program. Interestingly, three of the boys – including Jeremiah - were from Huntsville. Now, he’s taken a major leap as a member of the Junior National team – he is also the lone Alabamian on the team. And in November, he will travel with Team USA to Sofia, Bulgaria, for the World Age Group championships. He knows he will face tough competition in Bulgaria, but he said his toughest competitor will be Jeremiah Childs. “I like competing,” he said. “Every time I compete, I set a higher standard; I try to keep improving myself. It’s a hard thing to do but you have to keep your focus on your goal. “Just keep trying.”

14 i4sportsonline.comThor Erlingsson, Jeremiah Childs and Joy Umenhofer

Photos by Chris Jensen

I’m concerned about childhood head injuries caused by contact sports. What are the possible effects of concussion in children?

Most sports-related head injuries, such as concussions — which temporarily interfere with the way the brain works — are mild and allow for complete re-covery. However, concussion in children

also can pose serious health risks, ranging from temporary memory lapses to fatal brain swelling. Also, concussion in children sometimes goes unrecognized, as symptoms may not be noticed right after the injury.

Head injuries take time to heal. Your child will need time to rest until his or her symptoms are completely gone, which usually takes several days. Your child should rest from both physical and thinking (cognitive) activities, as these can worsen symptoms.

After your child’s head injury, your child risks other complications if he or she returns to sports and other activities before his or her concussion has healed. Another blow to the head while the initial concussion is healing can occasion-ally result in fatal brain swelling — a condition known as second impact syndrome. Also, a young athlete who sus-tains a concussion is at risk of developing postconcussion syndrome, which is characterized by persistent concussion symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, irritability and dif-ficulty with thinking skills, such as memory and attention. These symptoms can be particularly confusing for a child, as well as his or her family and teachers, if the child doesn’t realize he or she has had a concussion. Researchers continue to study other potential long-term effects of concussions. Once a child has sustained his or her first concussion, he or she is at a higher risk of sustaining another. The effects of multiple concussions over years can be cumulative.

To protect your child from head injuries, insist on ap-propriate and properly fitted protective equipment — such as a helmet — during sports and other activities. However, helmets and mouth guards don’t protect against all concus-sions. Also, make sure your child knows that even a mild bump or blow to the head can cause a concussion, and that

concussions don’t always involve a loss of consciousness. Signs and symptoms of a concussion may include:

Headache or a feeling of “pressure” in the headNausea or vomitingBalance problems or dizzinessDouble or blurry visionSensitivity to light or noiseFeeling sluggish, groggy or dazedDifficulty paying attentionMemory problemsConfusionNumbness or tinglingSleeping problemsMood changes

If you think your child has sustained a concussion, seek medical help immediately. Your child’s doctor will deter-mine how serious the concussion is and when it’s safe for your child to return to sports, school or other activities.


Concussion in youth:What are the effects? Jock Doc

Answer by Sherilyn W. Driscoll, M.D.© Mayo Foundation for Medical

Education and Research.All rights reserved.

Reprinted from the MayoClinic.com article “Concussion”


Big ’Stang Theory

Photos by Chris Jensen

F


For a high school football coach, Madison Academy’s Eric Cohu has a pretty impressive resume: Four years in the finance industry in Nash-ville with a client list that included the Tennessee Titans, the Nashville Predators and music and health-care executives.

After that, he was an adjunct professor in the Department of Sport Management at Liberty University in Virginia. While at Liberty, Dr. Cohu coached at Liberty Christian Academy in Lynch-burg and his teams went 21-1 and won a Virginia state championship.

But, enough about history, it’s time to move forward – which is what Cohu prefers.

Though Madison Academy has appeared in the Class 3A Elite Eight all four years he has coached there, including the 2012 state champion-ship and 2011 runner-up, the Missouri native isn’t resting on his laurels, so to speak.

And he doesn’t want the Mustangs to rest on theirs, either.

“We focus on forward looking,” he said. “We’ve celebrated the championship; now it’s time to turn the page. We’re looking at 2013.”

That’s been the formula for Cohu’s success as a coach: Looking forward. And that was his plan when he came to Madison Academy.

“My intention was to bring my brand of football here,” he said. “The coaches and the players bought in quickly and we had success. With that success comes confidence, which produces more confidence.”

With all of the Mustangs’ on-field success over the last four seasons, the team faces the inevitable “target on its back” season. Cohu said the formula is for the defending state champions to focus week to week.

“Now the tough thing is expectations are high-er,” he said. “We have to keep improving. I want us to be a better at the end of the season. We have to stay true to our mission, goals and the process of being the best team we can be.”

Like most football coaches, Cohu also sees the game as a means to build character and inner strength in young men. Playing through the heat of the late summer and the cold of late fall helps the players in their growth.

“Our goal is to produce a character pro-gram and football is a tool to help develop

young men,” he said. “The diversity of the players, sharing defeats and triumphs, the physicality that

By Budd McLaughlin

“We’vecelebrated the championship;

now it’s time to turnthe page. We’re

looking at 2013.”- Eric Cohu

challenges players … this is what you can build a foundation on.

“I’m blessed here that the guys have bought into that vision and have had positive results.”

As a player at Harding University, Cohu faced some adversity himself. “I love the game and I had highs and lows as a player.”

His low came when he tore his ACL. Cohu wishes he had fought through it and tried to resume his career, but, ironically, a high may have come from it.

“Sometimes, bad things can turn good on down the road,” he said. The good thing is his coaching ca-reer now. There’s no telling where the road would’ve have taken Cohu if he hadn’t injured his knee. “I’m a faith-based guy; we’re trying to see a bigger picture.”

And Madison Academy and the Huntsville community may be part of that bigger picture.

“I felt Huntsville was a nice city to raise my family in,” he said. He also knew he was stepping into a football program that had a history of success and quality players. “The school had potential in football and I knew there was that seed …”

Cohu said that after his 2011

squad lost the championship game, last year’s team had a hunger. And they rebounded to win the 3A state cham-pionship – the first Huntsville area team to win a state football title. This year, the Mustangs opened with a 48-6 win over Tanner – the 2012 state 2A champions. The Rattlers and Mustangs played in last year’s season opener and Tanner won 13-7; it was Madison Academy’s only loss of the season.

This year’s team has a solid nucleus of starters and Division I prospects and the Mustangs are favored to repeat. “I’m very excited for the guys,” Cohu said. “We’ve got some great players but talent is never enough.”

The schedule-maker didn’t cut any slack for the Mustangs, either.

Seniorteam captainsTaylor Ziak,

Logan Hamlett,LaMarkus Martin and

Frank Williams


After the Tanner opener, the Mustangs end the season against Clay County, a top 5 Class 4A team. In between they face Class 5A playoff quarterfinalist Cullman as well as their Region 8 opponents, which include three of the top eight teams in Class 3A.

While much-heralded junior Kerryon Johnson is the team’s top player, Cohu hopes someone in his talented senior class will step up to take the leadership reins on the 67-player roster this year. “They lead in different forms,” he said. “Some are vocal and others lead with their actions. We need them to develop their leadership.” The seniors include Division I prospects Frank Williams and Taylor Ziak, who were also Class 3A All-State last year; Taylor Kelley, Logan Hamlett, Alex Hairston, La’Markus Martin and Garrett Lindsey.

But at the end of the day, Cohu emphasizes football is still a game and the players are still kids.

“I’ve learned if you concern yourself with the game instead of the scoreboard, the good will come,” he said. “They’re here to have fun; we want to keep it between having fun and the aspiration to succeed. That’s a good mixture.”

Age of Specialization


Training Edge

When should youconcentrateon just one

sports activity?

Y ou’ve heard the phrase “Be the best you can be.” But, in reality, can a young athlete

really be “the best” they can be?The good news is there is a lot of

research that says yes. Let’s look at the trend of early

specialization. The concept sounds logical. If “little Johnny” or “little Jane” wants be a baseball or softball player when they grow up, why not hire a batting coach or a pitching coach and start a specialized program at an early age?

While this may make sense logically, it doesn’t make sense from a physical development standpoint. To simplify, the more sports your child plays, the more “motor learning” takes place. Exposing them to different environments, surfaces, games and movement patterns will ensure they get the best chance possible to be a well-rounded athlete.

There are many limitations in the early specialization route. Beyond the fact you are robbing your child of the

rich, motor-learning environment of playing sports, you are also putting them in a position where they simply can’t win.

No matter how many cuts or throwing mechanical drills a young (6-13) athlete goes through, if they don’t have the strength to facilitate these mechanics all you will do is create frustration for parent and athlete. The child will struggle to implement the mechanics and often times frustration can lead to burn out.

What if my child wants to play only one sport?

This is where a proper and well-designed strength and conditioning program comes into play. This becomes your second sport. I believe all ath-letes should participate in two to three sports up until their sophomore year of high school (15 to 16 years old) and also participate in a well-rounded strength and conditioning program.

However, if an athlete chooses to play only one sport, make sure to in-vest time in strength and conditioning.

A program that addresses the

balanced needs of movement train-ing, injury reduction, strength, power, speed and agility training will allow a young athlete to access an even richer environment of “motor learning” and develop the abilities needed to excel at the highest levels of sport.

Below are my recommendations on how to give your athlete the best chance at success:

Ages 5-7 (and younger)

During this age, all sports and ac-tivities should be about fun. Activities such as tumbling, gymnastics, karate, flag football, soccer and basketball are all good ideas. The key here is fun, fun, fun and move in as many direc-tions as possible. Kids don’t seem to jump fences and climb trees anymore so be creative and set up fun obstacle courses.

Ages 7-11

You want to continue to play as many sports as possible but could drop some activities if they are taking away

By Andy McCloy

from time and other sports. Not to say they aren’t of equal value; it’s just a mat-

ter of preference. Body weight training and properly observed and coached strength training is a great idea at this age. Learning the fundamentals of how to sprint with proper arm action and change direction will pay off in later years. Proper functional training accumulates and compounds like interest in investments.

In regards to strength training, the loading should be conservative and focus on technique and form. The athletes should learn what we call the six primal move-ment patterns that make up all human movement: Squat, lunge/step, push, pull, bend/hinge and twisting (and how to resist rotational forces).

Ages 12-15 (maybe 16)

I believe athletes on the younger end of this group need little specialization. They should play as many sports as they want and focus on fun and getting stron-ger by way of an organized strength and conditioning program.

As they get older and closer to 15, adding in specific technique work as it relates to sport skill is a great idea. At this age, athletes should have developed a basic foundation of strength and be able to support the mechanics they wants to refine.

As they get to be 15 or 16, they’ve likely had years of playing many sports, developing basic levels move-ment skills and foundations of strength. They should also know how they add up compared to the competi-tion in other sports. This is usually when the cream rises to the top.

Rarely does the top 12-year-old baseball, basket-ball, football player go on to become a collegiate athlete or pro. However, research has shown it’s the top level 15-, 16- and 17 year-olds who separate themselves and make it to college and possibly the pros. Often times these kids were not the best in their age group at age 10, 11, 12. At 15/16, athletes should be in their sopho-more year and can start to focus more on specialization.

They still need to focus on getting stronger to reach their athletic potential. Like it or not, strength is king and you won’t get strong just using bodyweight and two-pound medicine balls.

So, remember, there is a time for specialization but we’re talking about games and kids.

Let them enjoy their childhood – and you will enjoy those times, too.

Did you know...that almost 75 percent of families with children between the ages of 5 and 18 have at least one child who plays organized sports?

Chiropractic care can play an important role with young athletes. Children will definitely benefit from regular spinal and extremity examinations and screenings. Rather than waiting for an injury to be in a state of pain and instability, we can help your young athlete practice the ideal prevention model by introducing them to early intervention strategies.

www.family-wellness.org

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Andy McCloy provides strength training and performance

enhancement services withBody Creations, Inc (BCI)

www.andymccloy.com

FBy Skip Vaughn

Former NFL great Walter Jones is enjoying his retirement.

He has 13-year-old twins – a son and daughter – and is focused on be-ing a good father, something he didn’t have when he was growing up. Jones’ mother worked hard to raise eight children on her own; and the family didn’t have much in rural Pickens County, Ala.

But Jones’ high school coach told him he could make money someday in football. And football be-came his ticket to a bright future. He played at Florida State, leaving in his junior year for the National Football League.

Jones was the No. 6 overall NFL draft pick in 1997. He played 12 seasons, all with the Seattle Seahawks. He was picked for the Pro Bowl nine times and was a seven-time All-Pro. After a knee injury in 2008, he missed the entire 2009 season and announced his retirement in April 2010 at age 36.

He was widely considered the best offensive left tackle in the game. He is one of just two Seahawks players to have his jersey number (71) retired. The other was Steve Largent (80).

“I’m just enjoying my time off,” Jones said in a phone interview. “You put so much into football. It’s not hard but it’s been kind of weird – you’re not on a time schedule.”

His son, Walterius, is preparing for a second year in youth community football. His daughter, Waleria, plays basketball. They’re entering the eighth grade at Kirkland (Wash.) Middle School.

“I just want to make sure I’m lead-

ing them in the right direction,” Jones, 39, said. “That’s the most important thing in my life.”

Divorced, Jones resides in Renton, Wash., which is about 15 miles from Seattle. He still has a home in Harvest, but it’s up for sale.

“I went through my divorce a couple of years ago. The house was too big for just myself,” he said.

He spends more time in Seattle than in Alabama these days. But he still comes back to Harvest. He was there for the Fourth of July where he entertained about 25 family members for the rainy holiday.

On the second week in November in Huntsville, he’ll sponsor the third annual Walter Jones Turkey Bowl flag football tournament to benefit HEALS Inc., which provides free health care to children from low-income families.

“It’s been a great success,” Jones said. “I look forward to coming back to Huntsville to do that.”

Next summer he plans to revive his free football camp in Huntsville which he hasn’t conducted for the past three years.

“It’s something that was a suc-cess for five years. It shouldn’t be hard to get it going, to get it back on the ground again,” he said.

Probably about 500 youngsters attended the camp. He still hears from people saying youngsters who attended are now at various schools.

He still has the Walter Jones

Keeping up with Jones


“I’m justenjoying my time

off. You put so muchinto football. It’s not

hard but it’s been kindof weird – you’re not on

a time schedule.”- Walter Jones

Foundation, which did charitable work, but “there’s nothing been going on for the last couple of years with it,” he said.

It never took off like he wanted it to and most of its endeavors were funded out of his own pocket. He’s working on getting sponsors to help support his community efforts in his

Aliceville hometown.Jones wants to decide by his 40th

birthday ( Jan. 19) what to do for the next 10-15 years, whether that is get-ting into coaching, running a Seattle restaurant or something else.

At 6-foot-5 and about 340 pounds – 325 was his playing weight – he works out to maintain

his physical fitness. To be eligible for induction in the

Pro Football Hall of Fame, a player or coach must have been retired for at least five years. That means Jones would become eligible in 2015.

“I don’t try to think about it,” he said. “I will say, when I make it, it’s go-ing to be a great moment.”

Lincoln Academy opened last fall as a Christian learning communityof academic excellence which serving K-8 grades. It is our commitment

to ensure deep academic content knowledge, critical thinking skills,and Christian character building to have students prepared for

high school and college.

We have experienced an incredible first year and we are now poisedto build onto what God started last year as we begin our second season

in Lincoln Academy athletics.

However we can’t do this without financial partners and sponsorsfor our program. Please consider your involvement in what God isdoing in this incredible community as we help shape these gifted

student athletes.

http://lincolnacademyhsv.org/


Rob Brooks

Jennifer Johnson

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ifer

John

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Your Sports

Jennifer Johnson

We’re interested in photographs, notesand quotes of many kinds, especially those showing unique perspectives on the sports

world around us. We do pay for aphoto selected for use on our cover.

Send submissions to [email protected]

Your Sports - Your Perspectives


Jennifer Johnson

Lissa Hinely

you have all the talent on the planet but no character, then you have nothing.” – Len Harris, Huntsville

“If

Lissa Hinely

Lissa Hinely


WWhether it’s a high school game at the local stadium or a weekend heading out of town for a college clash, part of the fun and enjoyment is chowing down with family and friends before kickoff.

Tailgating has long been a tradi-tion for college football fans. In the earliest days, packing a box or basket of food and maybe a battered Igloo with a few sodas was the way to save money. Expenses are relative to the times, of course, but keeping a few bucks in your pocket by bringing ham, bread, cheese, pickles, homemade pie or cake and other treats was, indeed, a treat before the big game.

Since then, the enjoyment of tailgating with family and friends — those parking lot or campus neighbors sometimes became good friends to

see each season — evolved into bigger spreads. Folks began bringing grills, chairs and tables, sometimes staking out spots for days in RVs or whenever the campus police allowed vehicles in certain areas. Within the last decade some universities have begun insti-tuting “tailgate policies” and placing restrictions on the practice, in some instances creating more parking areas closer to the stadium for high-paying donors and season ticket-holders as well as safety zones.

Whatever the case may be, tailgat-ing still can be an enjoyable experi-ence. It may involve nothing more than a few coolers with sandwiches, chips, brownies and sodas or water. It could be more elaborate. A few seasons ago my brother called and asked if I had seen the new “tailgating busi-

ness” that for a price, including several thousand dollars, create your tailgate area with carpet or turf, tables, fans and such. Where there’s a dollar to be made, someone will try to make it and eliminate that pesky inconvenience of loading all that gear.

Have a Checklist A well-prepared tailgate party can turn sour pretty quickly if you forget something critical and have to make a run through traffic to the grocery store or BigMart on game day. Forgot the forks? How are you go-ing to eat baked beans without a fork? Slurp them off the plate? Did you even bring enough plates, and are they those cheap foam plates that can’t hold much or did you get the heavy-duty Chinet? What about napkins? We tell our kids

not to wipe their mouth on their shirt and Uncle Bob doesn’t want cole slaw drippin’ on his new alumni shirt he got for the big game. Make a checklist and go over it before you leave the house. Include whatever you can think of that is necessary for the day, from eating and serving utensils to trash bags for cleanup. Bring enough forks so some-one won’t be sticking the one they licked back into the jar of pickles or hot dog relish. List the food items, too: buns or bread for sand-wiches, condiments, whatever you’re going to eat, beverages. You don’t want to forget the brownies and cookies on the kitchen counter. Consider the number of people who will be there and plan for extras. There’s always some guy who will get three hamburgers and no buns, or a kid who some slippin’ back in for another mess of cookies.

Take the Easy Route Homemade desserts are great, of course, and espe-cially if someone in the family has a wicked recipe that everyone fawns over. But unless you’re just dead set on not buying store-made stuff then take the easy route. Buy packages of cookies and get a couple of differ-ent kinds. Get bags of potato chips. If you plan to do some grilling, the pre-made hamburger patties are a lot easier than buying the ground beef and making them yourself. Get rolls of paper towels and plastic cups for beverages. Think about what’s easiest to pack and prepare. Tailgating isn’t about killing yourself to lay out a spread. It’s about having fun, and the less work you have to do before and during the day then the more fun you’ll have.

Food Safety In the early part of the football season daytime, and even nighttime, temperatures will be pretty toasty in the Southeast. High temps and some foods don’t get along too well. You don’t eat potato salad or slaw at home on the back patio if it’s been sitting out for six hours. Why would you leave out a bowl of either one at a tailgate party in the broiling heat and expect it to be OK just because you’re a at a football stadium? Johnny and Susie may not go to the game and will sit in the lawn listening on the radio and “watching the food.” After the game, you return and all that food is still sitting there: tater salad, cole slaw, chicken, desserts, Aunt Maude’s pasta salad and the condiments. Nothing was put up because, well, someone might have come by and anyone who didn’t have a ticket to get in the game might be hungry.

Dolled-Up Hot Dogs

One easy thing to do with hot dogs after throwing them on the grill is to have more than the usual condiments — relish, ketchup and mustard — to toss on them.

Plan ahead at the grocery store and pick up a few packages of pre-chopped white and red onions. Both can add a little extra kick.

Sweet relish is good, but Wickles Hoagie and Sub Relish has enough spice to give you a boost before kickoff. If you have a favorite spicy chow-chow or relish, don’t forget to pack it.

If you’re in the mood to expand the offerings, chop up some fresh tomatoes. After cutting, remove the seeds and pulp and dice the meat. Pack in a small container and include it on the table with pickles, okra, relish and condiments. Don’t forget the spicy brown mustard, either!

— Alan Clemons

Alton Brown’sCocoa Brownies

Cookies are easy to pack, but a good stack of brownies may disap-pear quicker than you realize. Make a double batch of these before you leave the house — don’t eat them all! — and then enjoy before and after the game.

Ingredients

Soft butter, for greasing the panFlour, for dusting the buttered pan4 large eggs1 cup sugar, sifted1 cup brown sugar, sifted8 ounces melted butter1 1/4 cups cocoa, sifted2 teaspoons vanilla extract1/2 cup flour, sifted1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 de-grees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. When it’s done, remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it’s mostly cool.

From Food Network: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/cocoa-brownies-recipe/index.html

Put away anything that can spoil after the main shindig. To do this, have at least two coolers with ice, and enough ice to keep them cold. One cooler should be only for food and kept closed as much as possible. Open, close, open, close … that only releases the cold air inside. Have a second cooler for ice that stays in the bag to put in beverages, and pack any cans of soda, water or beer in the rest of the cooler with ice over them.

Pack the Cooler Well Whether you have one of the newer roto-molded coolers with long-life capabilities for ice or another kind that doesn’t insulate as well, you still can get extended life from your ice with a smart planning. Keep your cooler in the house be-

fore you leave instead of the garage or outside where it will be hot. Pre-chill your beverages before packing them in the cool cooler, too. Putting hot bever-ages in there and then covering with ice will make the ice melt faster. Ditto for anything like bottles of ketchup or pickles; get ‘em cold before packing and icing. Put a bag of ice in the bottom of the cooler and pack around it. Loose ice melts faster. Or put a bag on the bottom, pack your goods and then put loose ice around them. Just remember to drain any-thing that melts so you won’t have food items floating around in slush. Beverages are OK for this, of course, but you don’t want the cole slaw to slosh around and get tipped over, creating a mess.

Take Some Trash Bags One of the ugliest sights on a col-lege campus on a Sunday morning is the amount of trash lying around the tailgate areas. For cryin’ out loud, be sensible and do what your mama told you as a kid: Pick up your trash. Pack some good trash bags and have one or two around to dump stuff after you eat. Doing so reduces, a little bit, the flies and bugs. Before you leave campus, clean up and throw away the refuse. If a campus garbage can is nearby then put your bagged trash by it. Make it easier for the campus cleanup crew to toss it in the truck. If you love your university enough to go to a game then don’t be a slob.

A pair of tailgating favorites


The Fellowship of Christian Athletesis touching millions of lives… one heart at a time. Since 1954, theFellowship of Christian Athletes

has been challenging coaches andathletes on the professional, college,

high school, junior high and youthlevels to use the powerful medium

of athletics to impact the worldfor Jesus Christ.

www.northalabamafca.org (256) 536-7333

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i4sports magazine - september/october 2013

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