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Ultimate Athlete Magazine (ISSN 1931-5295) is published 12 times a year by Ultimate Athlete, Inc., 40 Woodbine Avenue, Northport, New York 11768. All contents copyright 2009 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 the properties of their respective owners. Although the writers and the publisher 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 the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Ultimate Athlete, Inc or Long Island’s Ultimate Athlete Magazine.

Ultimate Athlete Magazine

Letter From The Editor

Letter from the Editor:

www.ultimateathletemagazine.com

“All I ask is that they try their best.” Several coaches I’ve interviewed for this edi-

tion of Ultimate Athlete said that. Coaches from all sports at all levels, not just high school, say that all the time. Although it’s al-most a cliché it’s true, especially at the high school level of athletics.

Most of the players who perform at this level probably won’t go on to play sports at a Di-vision I college and those who do have a slim

chance of ever playing their sport professionally, but that doesn’t mean that the effort they put forth should be anything less than their best. Coaches and players from the peewee level to the professional level always seem to talk about their athletes doing their best. But what does that really mean? It means persevering. If a soccer team is losing by three goals in the final minute or if a batter is down to his or her final strike in the bottom of the ninth inning they have to continue to play as if they have a real chance of winning. The 2004 Boston Red Sox exemplify this extremely well. Yan-kees pitcher Mariano Rivera walked Kevin Millar in the bottom of the ninth inning in game four of the American League Championship Series. Dave Roberts came on to pitch run for Millar and stole second base. The Red Sox went on to become the first and only team in Major League Baseball history to win a best-of-seven series after being down 3-0. They never gave up and they won their first championship in 86 years. It means not being afraid of failing. Coaches and players con-stantly talk about not being afraid to fail. Teams who went winless the previous season believe they can win this season. Runners said they could set a new personal best time for a five-kilometer race. These young athletes’ aspirations may be realistic or they may not be. Regardless of the degree of their practicality, these goals are ones that the athletes have set for themselves. They have made the decision to practice during the off-season, to run an extra mile, lift weights for another hour, or run passing routes with their quarterback everyday all summer. Making wise decisions is part of trying one’s best. Being able to look at a situation and determine what the best course of action is part of being mature. Most of the kids I’ve spoken to are some of the wisest individuals I have ever met. They know what constitutes a good deci-sion and what doesn’t. They are not afraid of making a wrong decision. They are not afraid of failing. They understand what the consequences are if they miss a ball, overrun a passing route, or don’t try their hardest, but they are not afraid to make a decision, even if it the wrong one. They move onto the next play and are wiser for their mistake. These athletes are too focused on trying their best to worry about failing. And they should be applauded for that.

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Contents FEATURESFeatures

18 Washington Township Field Hockey

16 Princeton Tennis

32 Middle Township North Girls Soccer

36 Pro Corner New York Jets

38 Training Why Weight

24 Middle Township South Girls Soccer

12 Washington Township Boys Soccer

28 Sports Psychology Self Confidence

40 Xenith Helmets

46 Nutrition Feeding your muscles

5

SHUTTER

>>>

SPEED

Photo by Anne Kasten

Asbury Park soccer players bring their game to the next level.

SHUTTER

>>>

SPEED

Photo by Anne Kasten

Shore Regional girls battle for their win.

By Cindy Ferraino Photos by Lori Nichols

O One of the keys to reach-ing a goal is the ability to adjust to

any situation. As for Washington Township High School (WTHS) var-sity soccer player Matthew McLeod, he has already used this key to un-lock a series of life altering wins on the playing field. When McLeod moved from Phila-delphia to Washington Township in the summer of 2005, he had to ad-just to a new way of life. His new life included switching from a catholic school to a public school, making new friends, and joining new sports teams.

Quickly, McLeod wasted no time transi-tioning from a city boy to a kid from the

suburbs and soon he became a familiar face in and around Washington Township. In addition to school and his so-

cial life, McLeod continued to play for his former team, the Lansing Knights. He also hooped it up on a championship traveling basketball team, and ringed up home runs at a local baseball complex. As McLeod managed to juggle the demands of playing multiple sports, he real-ized he wanted to focus on soccer. “Perfect practice makes perfect play,” McLeod said. He decided to hang up his baseball jersey and decreased his basketball playing time and prepared to tryout for New Jersey Youth Soccer’s Olympic Development Pro-gram (ODP). The ODP is a national program that engages young talented players and helps them develop their skills. The pro-gram is used to identify players for the state, regional, and national youth soccer teams. McLeod said a coach suggested he join the program. Devoted to the sport and confident in their son’s ability to play soccer, his par-ents took him back and forth to North Jersey to give McLeod the opportunity to join the program. The traveling paid off; McLeod joined the program in 2009. Unfortunately, he was sidelined due to an injury and was unable to play. He tore his meniscus, had

12

surgery, and was sidelined for the remainder of the year. McLeod rehabilitated the injury, but knew he wasn’t going to be away from soccer for too long. “I don’t feel any different than I did before I got injured,” McLeod said. He worked out during the sum-mer, tried out, and made the varsity team at Washington Township High School as a freshman. “Not many freshmen make the varsity team,” McLeod said. After playing one season at WTHS, McLeod began preparing for the next sea-son, which included being a part of the ODP again. McLeod has a unquenchable desire to succeed at soccer. “I always want to try to be better than the other guy,” McLeod said. McLeod made the 2010 ODP re-gional team as the only player from South Jersey. Being a member of the team possibly affords McLeod the opportunity of compet-ing against some of the best young soccer players in the world. “Hopefully, I can play in Costa Rica,” McLeod said with a smile. McLeod is also looking forward to a great season playing for his high school team. Because the team lost several players to graduation McLeod said that is a rebuild-ing year for the team, which might bother some players, but not McLeod. In fact, McLeod said he welcomes the opportunity that the situation presents. “I like it because it challenges me to work harder,” said McLeod. A midfielder, McLeod wants to take on more action during the team’s conference match-ups this season. Although McLeod still has two more years left to kick up the grass on the fields at WTHS, he has begun to make plans for his life beyond Washington Township. His plan is to continue to play with ODP, at-tend a Division I school, possibly play in the Olympics, and become a coach. All this is attainable not just be-cause of McLeod’s skills on the field, but be-cause he is willing to put the time into mak-ing his dreams a reality. “It is possible to work hard and become whatever you want to be,” said McLeod.

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By Kevin Haslam Photos by Jim Cairns

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P Princeton High School hosts Notre Dame High School for an unbelievably intense varsity girls’ tennis match Sept. 10. The first doubles team is on the court. The sets are tied at one apiece and things are looking very grim for the Princeton girls. With the third set at 1-5, it looks as though Notre Dame will win the match and give Princeton its first defeat of the season. And that’s when it happens. The whole world slows down for the Princeton girls. Sophomore Madison Cahill-Sanidas and junior Helena Ord find solace in a very uncomfortable position, as Cahill-Sanidas sets up to serve. It was time to bust out the secret weapon – something Cahill-Sanidas had been working on for quite some time. “This summer, I did a lot of work at camp [The Princeton Tennis Program], which I’ve been doing since sev-enth grade, and really worked on training and getting my serve down,” Cahill-Sanidas said, who described her serve as really temperamental and inconsistent in the year prior. “I have a power serve, somewhat, and that’s the weapon of my game.” And a comeback begins. Ord and Cahill-Sanidas battled back from being down 1-5 in the third set to forcing three tiebreak sets and a win for themselves and Princeton, who would go on to beat Notre Dame that day 3-2. Surprisingly, this is Cahill-Sanidas’ first season as a varsity tennis player. Her improvements are tenfold from her freshman year. “She still was a little bit inconsistent, and hadn’t had the experience of playing high school tennis or that much competitive tennis,” said seventh year coach Sarah Hibbert. “But, I could tell that she worked hard over the summer to become more consistent. She’s [also] been a fighter. She doesn’t want to give up, and she doesn’t feel like she’s out of a match, even if they’re down in the score. She’ll fight hard to try to come back and win.”Cahill-Sanidas’ family has a storied history when it comes to tennis. She has two younger brothers, Alexander, 13, and Brooks, 4, who also play the game. However, it all begins with their grandmother.“The person who she turns to for advice is her grandmother, Teena Cahill,” said Madison’s mother, Mia Cahill. “They have different methods of concentration and she does some sports psychology, too. She shows Madison some ways of getting in the zone.”Most compelling, however, is the fact that Mia was the cap-tain for the Princeton High School girls’ tennis team back in the early 1980s. Her passion for the game interestingly came from fandom.“I played tennis in Florida, but it was a much more casual enterprise,” Mia said. “I was a child of the 1970s. I had seen the Billy Jean King versus Bobby Riggs tennis match, which was a big deal. In fact, my mother had let me stay up really late that night, to watch it, and I just decided that I wanted to play tennis, and that’s what I did.”Mia’s family moved to Princeton in 1983 when she was a junior in high school. She joined the tennis team and eventu-

ally became the team’s captain. Now, she looks to instill the values of competitive athletics to her children with a pleth-ora of different methods and activities, including sending Madison and her younger brother Alex to tennis camp, all summer, every summer.“I think, initially, they were forced into it,” Mia said with a smile. “But, very quickly, they really started to enjoy it. They survived many hot, humid summer days on the tennis court, and they really enjoyed every second of it.”Aside from sole encouragement, Mia also sees the pure en-joyment for the game throughout the entire family.“As I’ve grown older, tennis is really a family sport. It’s some-thing we can all do together. My husband and I play with the kids. The kids play with each other. My mother plays with us. My stepdad who lives with us is disabled, and he plays in his tennis wheelchair,” Mia said. “It’s just something we can all do together and connect in that way.”The family even takes vacations in Florida and has a tourna-ment every year, which Madison said she enjoys very much.“It’s just really fun. We’re all really competitive, and it turns out for the best,” Madison said. “But it’s always fun to have that competitive edge and have fun while doing it with your family.”Tennis is not the only sport Madison plays. She played on the varsity basketball and softball teams as a freshman.Mia, who serves on the Princeton Board of Education, said that extracurricular activities are something all children should participate in. They can increase children’s self-es-teem in ways that scholastics can’t.“While many kids are fabulous students, and we’re proud of that, all kids need a sense of self-esteem and self-worth, and being very good, and feeling special about something. Extra-curricular activities allow that,” Mia said. “Our [the Board’s] goal would be, at least from my perspective, for every child to feel successful in something. Without extracurricular ac-tivities, it’s just so much harder.”Madison also plays varsity basketball, softball, and she also sings in the high school choir.Hibbert said Cahill-Sanidas’ role with the team will increase the older she gets.“Her senior year, she’ll be one of the leaders we’ll look to.” Hibbert said. “Obviously, next year, she’ll still be with the girls she’s with now, and that will be good for her to keep learning and moving up to get ready to take over as a se-nior.”Until then, Madison will try and improve her game. Her mother just hopes it’s not against her.“She’d say ‘Mom, I’m getting so good that I’m going to beat you’,” Mia said. “She just tells me how she’s going to wipe up the court with me.”The young and competitive Madison is definitely up for the challenge. “Mom always worries that I’m getting too good because she doesn’t want me to beat her,” Madison said. “But it’s getting to the point where we’re going to have to see on the next Florida vacation.”

17

Story By: Cindy FerrainoPhotos By: Lori Nichols

W When budget cuts forced the suspension of the intramural sports programs at the middle school level, many residents in Washington Township were concerned about how students would be able to play sports at the high school level having never played them in middle school. Charlie Muracco and Jeannine O’Connor, the field hockey coach at Washington Township High School, realized there had to be something they could do to make sure the future fate of a popular sport at Washington Township High School (WTHS) would not be victim to an all-familiar cost-cutting process and to teach a new generation of students the chance to participate in the sport. “I want girls to be able to learn about the game of field hockey so they know what they are doing when they try-out for the high school team,” Muracco said. The sport may not be as popular as other fall sports, like football or soccer, but field hockey has a rich history dating back to the hundreds of years. Both men and women play field hockey, although the sport originated in England as a male-only game. The first men’s team was founded in 1849. The first women's team was founded in England in 1887 and the first national all-female league was created in Ire-land in 1894. In many schools throughout the United States, girls play field hockey only as a fall sport. Muracco and O’Connor enlisted the help of several high school field hockey players to assist them in coaching the middle school players. Leading the group are seniors Lindsey

18

Hatch and Erin Waller, sophomores Devin Muracco, Jill Wanielista, and goalie Amanda Hazel. Along side of coach Kelly Angstadt, Hatch and Waller coach the seventh-and eighth-graders. Devin Mu-racco, Wanielista, and Hazel coach the sixth-grade team. “We are teaching the future generation of Wash-ington Township field hockey players,” Hatch said. Hatch described the impact this program has on training the young girls. “The girls need to learn the game and practice to have the experience, “ said Hatch. Fellow coach and teammate Erin Waller agreed. “We don’t want a drop off in field hockey,” Waller said. “We want to keep the tradition going.” The girls feel their involvement in the program is a way to give back to the coaches who have made them the players that they are today. “We have the opportunity to have great coaches in our lives,” Hatch said. “It is great that we are able to return the favor.” Coaching the sixth-graders has been a learn-ing experience for the group of sophomores. Wanielista wishes she had this type of program when she first started playing. “I find myself learning from the younger play-ers,” Wanielista said. Devin Muracco uses her coaching experience to challenges herself when she is playing. “Teaching the girls has challenged me to step up my own play, “ Muracco said. Hazel is using the opportunity to get her ready for her vocation of choice. “I want to be a teacher and I think it is really cool that I have the opportunity to teach now,” Hazel said. When the girls hang up their whistles after game time on Sundays, they hustle right back onto the field for

19

their next practice or game. “We are a family – like sisters,” Hatch said. That sense of camaraderie, that sense of family, has translated into success on the field for the high school players. “Our chemistry is great and our bond-ing is great,” Wanielista said. As the girls embrace the opportunity to share their knowledge of field hockey with a group that could possibly play on the high school team, they are mindful of how this program is a benefit to them now and when they leave high school. Both Hatch and Waller will be going to college next fall. The girls share the same idea of what they want to do beyond college. “We want to coach and this experience will definitely prepare us to go on to the next level,” Waller said. Although the sophomores still have two more years to make an impact on and off the playing field, they are grateful for the op-portunity and experience of mentoring the next generation of Washington Township field hockey players. “The more we spend time with girls, the more we learn too,” Hazel said.

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The last time that Middletown South girls’ soccer team had been in the coveted Short Conference Tournament was when the current

head coach was on the field. The Eagles have hit hard times in the last few years, but coach Tara Ernst

might be turning the Middletown South girls’ soccer fortunes around. Ernst played on the Eagles team that was co-state Group 3 champions her senior

year in 2000. And that is the ultimate goal. This is the second year for Ernst as head coach and the team seems to be picking up a lot this season after going through a difficult 2009 season. Ernst took over for her coach at South, Kristen Haar, who had led the program for 16 years. Ernst still talks to Haar to get some advice on soccer. Middletown South was 5-12-1 last season. The team has surpassed last year’s win total already with a 6-5 record in the middle of October. “They are really just a great group,” Ernst said. “It’s a real payoff for all the hard work. Win or lose they put their hard work into the game.” But despite the poor record last season, one of the senior co-captains, midfielder Natalie Hayes, said that the record is not indicative of the way the team played last year. “Last year we were contending in every game, but just not finishing,” Hayes said. But for this year some of that finishing is happening and the goal is in site of making the state tournament and the Shore Conference Tournament. “Our goal is to be .500 and be competitive in every game,” said Ernst. “I just want to put the team back on the map.” And even senior Annmarie Vuono, one of the co-captains, admitted it was a difficult 2009 season. “We had a really young team last year, but this year we have been playing together and we have been jelling,” said Vuono who, as of deadline, has a goal and a pair of assists. For Vuono, personally, 2009 was a hard pill to swallow. “Losing is awful. I would say that losing is not enjoyable,” Vuono said. “We had to get our mind around that that is not going to be another losing season.” This season the goal might be a little less than a state championship. Ernst said the team would like to be .500 and quality for the prestigious Shore Conference tournament. “I want them to experience what I experienced,” Ernst said about her success at the school. The South alumni also played three years at Rutgers University before blowing out her knee. Coming back in 2010 Ernst and the Eagles had most of their starters return, includ-ing a very good group of sophomores who were expected to improve significantly. Up to six freshmen saw time last season and most are back this season. “They’re a hard working class,” Ernst said. One of the top sophomores on the team is Lauren Van Exter, who, as of deadline, has one shutout and 35 saves.

STORY BY: Ed Kensik

PHOTOS BY: Anne Kasten T

24

“She’s a really good athlete and she’s played

goalie on a club team,” Ernst said about Van Exter.

Another top sophomore this season is for-ward Ashley Pankey.

“She has a good nose for the ball,” Ernst said. But Ernst does have a good group of seniors back this season in-

cluding Hayes, Vuono, and midfielder Brenna Anderson, who comes off the bench after suffering an ACL injury during the offseason. “If her knee was healthy, she would be a starter,” said Ernst about Anderson. “I don’t want to push her.”

For Anderson, it has been tough coming off the bench, but she said that once in a while her injury flares up.

“Sometimes mentally it is still intimidating for the tackling and last week it flared up,” Anderson said, who has a hard time on the

field when she’s in the middle of contact. But one positive out of the injury is that she believes she has found her calling and wants

to major in physical therapy as she looks at schools like Quinni-piac and Sacred Heart universities.

The Eagles run a 4-4-2 formation, which Ernst believes gives them a great chance to win. “It just gives us support up the middle,” said Ernst about the formation. “If something is not working, I feel like I can change it up.”

Middletown South kicked off the season with losses to Howell and Shore. The Eagles lost to Shore 2-1 thanks to a late game goal by Shore.

“We were in that game all the way,” Hayes said. “We learned that we have to play it until the last minute.”

One of the top scorers for the 2010 season, so far, has been sophomore midfielder and forward

Bridge Skinner with eight goals, including both in a 2-0 victory

over Manalpan. The

25

other girls on South who have scored include

senior midfielder Sam Ciesmelews-ki, Anderson, and junior forward/midfield-

er Kelly McQuade. Even though she is a sophomore, Skinner shows her tal-

ent is good enough to play center midfielder, one of the top positions. “She’s just a good leader and is very confident,” Ernst said about her top scorer. While Ernst likes Skinner’s ability to score, she would like other players to help out on the offensive side of the ball. “You can’t put all your eggs in one basket,” Ernst said. Junior midfielder/forward Tara Congialosi leads the team in assists. “She just works real hard,” said Ernst about Congialosi. “She does a great job with the crosses.” For Anderson, the mix of the upper classmen and the new group of sophomores has been perfect. “I think this year we’ve had 10 times the camaraderie,” Ernst said. “I think the sophomores have been real good and really jelled with us.” Hayes points to the 2-1 victory over Manalpan Sept. 20 as the team’s best win so far this season. In that game Skinner converted a pen-alty kick in the second overtime. It was junior midfielder/forward Kelly McQuade who took the foul that resulted in the penalty kick. “Our girls played with a lot of heart in that game,” said Hayes.

26

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UA Training

By Mike Mejia, CSCS

into the weight room.

I’m here to tell you though, it’s a mistake -

and one that can often lead to serious long term consequences.

Please do not misconstrue what I’m saying here; I’m all for strength training, and think it’s important for

young athletes to get started with it sooner, rather than later. The problem is that most kids, as well as many coach-

es and parents for that matter, think that strength training and weight training are one and the same. The simple fact is, nothing

could be further than the truth! Weight training, as the name im-plies, involves the use of external loading (usually in the form of free weights and machines) as a means of increasing both size and strength. Strength training, on the other hand, refers to the process of getting stronger as a result of repeated exposure to some type of resistance. It doesn’t matter if that resistance comes in the form of

I I absolutely love lifting weights. In fact, over the course of the past twen-ty-five years, I can honestly say that the number of days I’ve spent “pumping iron” far outweigh those that I haven’t. To me, there’s nothing like the feeling of iron in my hands as I challenge my body to become stronger and leaner with each passing day. I like the way it makes me feel, the increased physicality it brings to my daily life, and the visual results aren’t too bad either. Given my obvious proclivity for this time-honored form of conditioning, I completely understand why young athletes are so quick to rush

38

rubber tubing, medicine balls, rocks, sticks, or even your own body weight. As long as said resistance imposes enough of a physical overload on your body, you will become stronger. By now you’re probably thinking, “But if it doesn’t matter what type of stimulus it is, why are you so against young athletes lifting weights?” There are actually a number of reasons, most of which have to do with injury prevention and optimizing athletic development in one way, or another. Not that I’m amongst those who feel that weight training is somehow inherently “dangerous”. Numerous studies over the years have shown that although adolescents are indeed at increased risk for growth plate fractures, a well designed, properly supervised strength training program, is in fact, saf-er than many forms of sports participation. The problem is; many of the programs that kids engage in are often not well designed, or properly supervised! And, as far as athletic de-velopment is concerned, when kids rush into weight training, before building a sound base of stability and mobility, they often incur strength imbalances and/ or movement restric-tions that limit their athletic potential. This is precisely why I mandate that all the athletes I work with, regardless of age, or ability level, must first mas-ter training with their own body weight before moving on to any form of external resistance. Think about it for a minute, if you can’t do a simple body weight squat without your knees pinching together, or your spine rounding forward, or vis-ibly shifting your weight to one side, what sense does it make to place a loaded barbell on your back? Or, how about the legions of kids that rush to the bench press, without being able to do a single push-up with proper form? Now granted, they may not necessarily get hurt right away- largely because they have the resilience of youth on their side, but over time, situations like these become precursors to injury. Before you know it, these athletes have developed significant strength imbalances and restricted their movement to the point where it becomes a liability on the playing field. Just in case you’re wondering, weight machines do not offer a better alternative. In fact, in many ways, they carry with them even more potential dangers than free weights. The problem with most machines is that they offer two dimen-sional resistance, and we live in a three dimensional world. What I mean by that is, when you’re on a machine, more often than not all you have to do is move the weight along some predetermined path. You’re required to exert force to get the weight moving in one direction and then control it as it comes back towards the starting position. What you’re not required to do, however, is stabilize the weight in any appreciable way, or ensure that both limbs are working at an equal rate. This means that if there are any existing strength

imbalances, training on machines will only make them worse over time. Most importantly though, this simply isn’t the way our bodies were designed to move. When an athlete exerts muscular effort on the field of play, he or she doesn’t do it along some predetermined path. There’s a constant interplay between stability and mobility that you just can’t replicate on traditional weight machines. The lone exception being cable based systems like Keiser and Free Motion equipment. Another big problem with machines is that they promote muscle isolation. Hopping on some state-of-the-art gizmo and focusing on pumping up your pecs, or your quads might help you look a little more “buff”, but it will do next to nothing for your ability to run, jump, shed a block, or maintain your balance while attempting to elude a defender. That’s because our muscles weren’t designed to move in iso-lation, but rather as part as part of a larger kinetic chain. Ev-erything from throwing a ball, to teeing off on the golf course, involves a complex sequence of muscular actions that we just can’t prepare for by isolating specific muscles. Not to mention that fact that doing so, might even increase your risk of injury. Think about it for a minute, if a chain s only as strong as its weakest links, and you’re constantly isolating your strongest muscles with exercises like bench presses and biceps curls, there’s inevitably going to be a breakdown at some point. That’s why when it comes to young athletes, I prefer a more systemic approach to strengthening. The following workout contains some of my favorite body weight drills for kids. Give it a try and see if it’s not significantly harder than the typical “gym based” approach many of you are used to. If you’re unfamiliar with any of the drills, log on to to my website at www.basesportsconditioning.com and check the “Exercise of the Month” archives and “Injury Prevention” section for complete descriptions and pictures.

Body weight p

rogram:

The Great Eight

1. Plank

2. Unilateral Supine

Bridge3. Windmill Push-up

4. Unilateral squ

at and

reach5. Reverse

Push-up

6. Lateral Lu

nge

7. Windshield Wiper

8. Bird Dog 39

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SPORTS PsySports Psychology

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Tom Ferraro, Ph.D.Carly Schwartz (Hobart and William Smith College)In press for Ultimate Athlete MagazineAugust 23, 2010All rights reserved

“The Secret to Team Building”

Establishing the essence of a team falls on the shoulders of the coach. It takes great skill and character to achieve team cohesion. Players often tend to grandstand, get jealous, demand attention or get lazy. And these problems don’t go away until they are addressed. Lack of team cohesion can easily destroy a season. So exactly how does one build a team into a fully functioning smooth running unit? This article addresses this issue.

Coaching Staff: We can learn much by studying the great coaches. Vince Lombardi was known for his toughness. Woody Hayes of Ohio State focused on preparation. Doc Counsilman, the famed Indiana University Swim coach, was known for his compassion and deep commitment to his swimmers. And UCLA’s John Wooden was a master teacher who was also strict and built character in his players. They were trained in politeness so well that they would leave the locker room spotless after every practice. He did this to teach them respect for their fellow man. The coach sets the tone and he or she alone is the one who will build a strong team. All great coaches are exceptional people with great passion, love of sport and integrity. But that is not all one needs to build a team.

“Team building is an art that all couches need to learn.”

“A coaches core values must be communicated to his team

clearly and often.”

Problems and Threats to Team Cohesion:Despite the coaches’ best efforts to establish discipline, enthusiasm and core values things often go wrong. This produces frustration and anxiety in the coaching staff. Here are a few of the ways things go south. Interpersonal issues like jealousy . envy and cliques . Lack of effort and laziness . Injury, Slumps . A player’s personal problems cause distraction . Splitting of loyalties between coaching staff

SPORTS Psy

TThe Team Legacy, Tradition and History:Another factor in team building relates to its legacy. Players must be allowed to see the team’s history and its achievements. Go into the Yankee locker room and you will see trophies, banners and photos of past champions. The tradition of a team can serve to inspire, direct and motivate a team. A coach can encourage hustle during practice but visual reminders of what the team has done and what you expect is a subtle and effective way to keep the message in front of them at all times. It is yet another way to build team cohesion.

“Team rituals like dinners of pre-game talks bond the team

together.”

What to Do to Build a Team:When you look to answers it is easy to see that a key ingredient that cures this issue is open communication. Coach Coughlin of the NY Giants turned his tenure around when he put into effect ‘The President’s Counsel’ where his top players had a chance to air grievances with him. Communication takes time but it’s worth it in the end. Every great coach does two things well. They spell out their rules and expectations clearly and say what needed to be said. And they also are able to listen to what players have to say. Great coaches talk openly and with respect and they listen carefully to their players.

Team building is a great art. It is one of the unchartered and under researched areas in sport but one that is key to winning. The intensity of team sports is unmatched. You can have peak moments nearly every game. But the problems inherent in team life are huge as well. Clear rules, solid values, team rituals and open communication are the pillars of great coaching. Best of luck with the season and enjoy it all.

Bio; Dr Tom Ferraro is a noted Sport Psychologist based on Long Island who works with has worked with teams and individual athletes for twenty years. Carly Schwartz is a sport psychology intern attending William Smith College. They can be reached at (516) 248-7189 or at drtferraro@aol.com

Team Rituals:

There are many ways that a team can bond. We call this the team rituals and it includes team dinners, scavenger hunts, pre-game talks, team prayers, halftime talks and post game talks. Al Pacino captured the essence of an inspirational pre-game speech in the film Any Given Sunday. Al Pacino as Coach “Tony D’Amato gave an impassioned speech minutes before game time and rousing them to battle for ‘every inch.’ When a coach can speak from the heart like this it will bond the team. . The team captain is another important role. Every team has a captain who guides and inspires the team. They lead by example and the captain is usually the player that is admired the most by others but who does not produce jealousy. And if the team captain fails to be a selfless leader, the team will suffer. Other team rituals include pre-game dinners, and other bonding experiences on and off the field. While each team uses team rituals the unique way in which they do is critical in order to maintain a positive team dynamic. Research in the military shows that bonding is best in small groups of 3 – 6 men each and this strategy is now being used in college football. Teams are sent away to boot camp to instill trust and group bonding.

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CompetitionCompetition Nutrition

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• Eat frequently. Pack portable snacks like fruit, cheese sticks, crackers, trail mix and energy bars to eat through-out your school day. Have one between breakfast and lunch and one before your workout. If you have a long bus ride home then plan on having a recovery snack as well.

EnErgy packEd snacks

• 1 Cup Shelf Stable Chocolate Milk (portable aseptic box)

• Energy Bar

• 1 Yogurt Container and a Banana

• Cheese Stick and Crackers

• Fig Bars and 1 cup Shelf Stable 2% Milk (portable aseptic box)

• Cereal (bag it in a Ziploc)

• Trail Mix of Cheerios or Life, Nuts, Raisins, Small Pretzels (bag it in a Ziploc)

• Apple Slices (can be bought bagged and preserved) and Peanut Butter (in the “to go” container)

FEEding your musclEs

By Sandy Sarcona

Competitive athletes want to be strong. When thinking of gaining muscle, most athletes assume loading up on protein will produce bigger pecks. It is true that we need protein for muscle, but taking in more protein than you need, will not equal muscle growth. In fact, too much of this macronutrient will either be used for energy or stored as fat and can even add stress to your kidneys. To build muscle, you first must be developmentally ready and then you can combine a workout program that includes strength training along with adding extra calories to your diet; start with 500 additional calories each day.

HErE arE somE stratEgiEs to add Extra caloriEs:

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CompetitionBEgin witH BrEakFast

Eating your first meal soon after you wake up will give you a jump start on getting the extra fuel you need for the day. A bagel, peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat toast, frozen waffles, or cereal only take a few minutes to pre-pare and eat. If you love having extra sleep and have limited time, take that bagel or sandwich to eat on the bus, in the car or on your walk to school.

load up on HigH-caloriE liquids

Drinking your calories is quick and easy. Go for healthy op-tions like 100% juice, milk, smoothies, vegetable juice, and milkshakes.High calorie liquid shakes: (mix ingredients in a blender)

• Strawberry Smoothie: 1 Cup 2% Milk, 1 Packet Strawberry Carnation Instant Breakfast, ½ Cup Frozen Strawberries, 6oz. Fruit Yogurt, Ice Cubes

• Chocolate Shake: 1 Cup 2% Milk, ¼ Cup Dry Non-Fat Milk Powder or 1 Scoop Whey Protein Powder, 6oz. Vanilla Yo-gurt, 3 Tbsp. Chocolate Syrup

• Peachy Orange Cream: 1 Cup Orange Juice, 1 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream, ½ Cup Frozen Peaches (fresh or canned)

• Peanut Butter Banana Blend: 1 Cup 2% Milk, 1 Packet Va-nilla Carnation Instant Breakfast, 1 Frozen Banana, 1 Table-spoon Peanut Butter

makE HEaltHy cHoicEs

When aiming for additional calories, make sure that your food choices supply nutrients. Athletes have higher needs for carbohydrates and certain vitamins and minerals in order to keep the body tuned to run in high gear. “Empty calo-ries” from sugary drinks and high fat desserts may cause a shortage in your daily nutrient load. Even though fruits and vegetables are low in calories, they are high in fiber and antioxidants; substances that will keep your intestinal tract healthy and your immune system in top shape. An athlete that suffers from constipation or one who gets sick a lot will not be a dependable team member.

Don’t forget to drink water throughout the day and to con-sume a sports drink during your practice to stay well-hy-drated. Practice hard and eat healthy and your muscles will make their mark.

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