In the News                                

No-coaching rule impossible to enforce
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS, September 2, 2010 Thursday
For 7-on-7 football in the summer, school coaching staffs are allowed to help organize the team and select the players. They can also decide the person - usually a player's parent or member of the booster club - who will coach. Members of the school coaching staff can even watch 7-on-7 games from behind the end zone. But there is one thing, according to the University Interscholastic League rules, that coaches cannot do.

Rose Bowl renovation plans roll on
Pasadena Star-News (California), September 1, 2010 Wednesday
PASADENA - A city commission approved a concept design for the first phase a $171 million renovation of the Rose Bowl - with an eye toward preserving the best of the historic stadium's past. The Design Commission, with input from the city's Historic Preservation Commission, this week approved the location and shape of the stadium's press box; a design for signs and a new score board; a landscaping scheme; tunnel expansion plans; and a design for remodeled bathrooms. At least four of the stadium's tunnels will be widened for easier access on the south end. The new press box will be about four times the square footage of the existing one.

Pasadena positions for World Cup return to Rose Bowl
Pasadena Star-News (California), September 3, 2010 Friday
PASADENA - A Pasadena official joined a Los Angeles contingent on the trip to New York today to push for the return of the World Cup to the Rose Bowl.

High school football team carries on after new coach's sudden death
The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 2, 2010 Thursday
If life is fair on the high school football fields, the Chichester Eagles will win a few games this season. Coming off a single victory in 2008, a winless 2009, and the sudden death of their new coach, the Eagles deserve some positives. Ryan Smith, their newest coach, is poised to give them that. Having replaced Bob Shull, who died after a weeks-long battle with leukemia, Smith is working hard to keep alive Shull's legacy and build a program that Shull would be proud of.

In San Antonio, aging stadium is a political football
San Antonio Express-News, September 2, 2010 Thursday
Victor Rodriguez fondly remembers his first Alamo Stadium experience, when he raced in a track meet in the 1950s. He's returned hundreds of times since, attending as many football games as he could when he served as San Antonio Independent School District superintendent. Rodriguez loves Alamo Stadium, and it pains him to see how the stadium's condition has declined to a critical state.

Skate park problems began when county stopped charging and staffing
Sarasota Herald Tribune (Florida), September 3, 2010 Friday
By most accounts, Englewood's skate park is the best in this region -- better than Cape Coral's, Punta Gorda's, North Port's, even better than Sarasota's, where skateboarders and inline skaters have to pay $8. It should be a celebrated success. Of the park's $850,000 construction cost in 2007, $630,000 came from Charlotte County impact fees, $20,000 from Rotary clubs and $200,000 from Jean Berlin at the request of her dying husband, a longtime businessman who wanted to do something for Englewood's youth.

Flooding extends high school practice season
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin), September 5, 2010 Sunday
One possible benefit from the massive flooding that swept through Milwaukee County on July 22: Some of Nicolet High School's fall sports teams may be incrementally better this year. With the opening of school delayed 12 days as flood-forced renovations continue, swimming, football, cross country and even cheerleading practices have gotten a little longer, what with all the time to fill. While kids across the Milwaukee area were back in class last week, Nicolet students had an extra week and a half of vacation. Some were practicing sports. Some were seizing the opportunity for more time at the mall, or the beach, or more hours on the summer job. Others were champing at the bit to get back to class.

Lack of ticket-buying fans means NFL TV blackouts for potential playoff teams
USA TODAY, September 7, 2010 Tuesday
The specter of potential NFL TV blackouts has more than just the poor-performing teams on edge this season. Last year's 22 blackouts were confined to five teams, all of which had losing records: the Jacksonville Jaguars (seven blackouts, seven wins); Detroit Lions (four blackouts, two wins); Kansas City Chiefs (one blackout, four wins); Oakland Raiders (seven blackouts, five wins); and St. Louis Rams (three blackouts, one win).

WNBA's female owners represent rare breed
USA TODAY, September 7, 2010 Tuesday
Four teams in the WNBA are owned by women, a full third of the league, and rock star Eddie Van Halen can take a bit of back-handed credit for that. In 2005, he was dating Carla Christofferson, who along with close friend and courtside-seat neighbor Kathy Goodman was a longtime Los Angeles Sparks fan. Christofferson, 43, a high-profile attorney, and Goodman, 47, who launched and sold an independent film production company, were dismayed over anemic attendance at Sparks games. Van Halen "started holding forth on how it should work," Goodman says. "We were like, 'Well, wait a minute, he seems to think he knows everything about this. We actually know something about it.' "Carla looked at me and said, 'We have to buy the team.' "

Variations on a splash
The Roanoke Times (Virginia), September 6, 2010 Monday
Because it's been hotter than h---, uh, blazes this summer, it's tempting to think of the state of the Roanoke Valley's public pools in theological terms -- creation, decline and resurrection. Splash Valley, the new outdoor aquatic play area at Roanoke County's Green Ridge Recreation Center, is expected to have drawn nearly 50,000 visitors this season by the end of today. That's at the high end of expectations for the pool's inaugural season. In Roanoke, each of the two city pools operated only three days a week. Attendance of 12,400 was down 41 percent from last year as the city tightened its budget belt by cutting hours.

Stadium expansion at Boise State University expensive, still years away
The Idaho Business Review (Boise, ID), August 29, 2010 Sunday
Multimillion-dollar expansion and renovation plans at Boise State University's Bronco Stadium could still be years away. Total costs are expected to run more than $100 million. BSU Athletic Director Gene Bleymaier said currently, there is no funding available for expansion from either the school or outside donors. Additionally, no timeline has been established for when construction could begin.

New twists on fitness for the workout weary
Buffalo News (New York), September 4, 2010 Saturday
Maintaining a successful fitness routine requires you to shake up your workouts occasionally. Trying new exercises not only keeps your muscles and your mind from growing stale, but you'll burn body fat and maybe take your eyes off the scale. "It's not about the scale," said Robbie Raugh, registered nurse and fitness trainer from Williamsville. "It's not about counting calories or points or measuring. What we're trying to do is lose body fat percentage rather than weight." Raugh, who teaches a hot cardio class called Tabata, described it as the best class she has taught in 30 years. "In terms of results, participants say their fat is melting off of them," said Raugh, of Bally Total Fitness. "After class they are drenched, and really increasing their muscle mass while decreasing their body fat. It's a pretty awesome workout. It reminds me of the old days in the gym."

Oregon sorts out similar injuries at high school
USA TODAY, September 3, 2010 Friday
Oregon health officials have concluded that multiple factors led to similar triceps injuries last month that hospitalized 22 football players from McMinnville High. "It appears that multiple factors including the type of exercise, the hot day and not enough water for some of the players contributed to their illnesses," Oregon epidemiologist Katherine Hedberg said. "Our goal is to prevent similar injuries in our state's young athletes." Of the 43 McMinnville players involved in preseason workouts Aug. 15, three had surgery because of triceps compartment syndrome, which is a muscle injury involving swelling that can impede blood flow; five had rhabdomyolysis, a muscle injury that can lead to kidney failure, and high levels of creatine kinase, an enzyme that can show the presence of muscle injury; and 14 had muscle pain and above-average creatine kinase levels.-- Jim Halley

Leominster center to focus on conditioning for student-athletes
Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg, Massachusetts), August 31, 2010 Tuesday
LEOMINSTER -- In the last several years, much more attention has been paid to keeping student-athletes strong and injury-free, something Jim Herrick thinks can only be a good thing.

Few sign up for park activities online
El Paso Times (Texas), September 1, 2010 Wednesday
Only 200 people have used a new online sign-up system to register for recreation programs from home during its first three months, a top city parks official said Tuesday.

Bally agrees to refunds in Texas
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS, September 1, 2010 Wednesday
Nearly 1,000 Texans who paid money to Bally Total Fitness Corp. that they did not owe are now due a refund, according to a final judgment between Attorney General Greg Abbott and Bally.

Park district welcomes fall with free rec-center passes
Chicago Daily Herald, September 1, 2010 Wednesday
Saying goodbye is always difficult, but it’s also an opportunity to say hello to something new. The bittersweet exchange is about to happen again as summer transitions into fall. The dog days are replaced by school days, and football season has started.

Storm damage speeds up fund-raising plans for YMCA
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin), September 2, 2010 Thursday
Menomonee Falls - Officials within the YMCA of Greater Milwaukee are continuing to evaluate the status of the Tri-County branch in the aftermath of the heavy rains that fell July 22. A fundraising appeal has been announced as renovations are being considered.

Lilburn, Ga., takes swing at sports facility; City says venue would attract business, visitors
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 2, 2010 Thursday
Lilburn is a town in desperation. With no movie theaters, sporting goods stores, fine dining or hotels, many residents drive out of the city just to buy shoes or grab a bite to eat. Last week, Uncle Dave Pizza went out of business. Last month, Starbucks coffee left its U.S. 29 location. Since last year, Lilburn has seen about 100 businesses depart or simply close up shop, the city planning department said. "I don't mean to paint a bleak picture, but it's going to take something very big to reverse the trend," City Councilman Eddie Price said. City leaders believe they have found that something: a massive baseball, softball and soccer venue --- a nearly $20 million venture --- they hope will transform their sleepy enclave of 11,500 into a thriving destination for businesses and event-goers.

Opening on the road; Two Cobb schools await artificial turf
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 2, 2010 Thursday
Artificial turf has turned rival high school football programs into friends in Cobb County. Osborne and Pebblebrook will play at least two home games at other sites while construction on their stadium fields is being completed. They are the final two of seven Cobb schools that had artificial grass installed in a project that began in the summer --- and the only two forced to adjust team schedules for the regular season. "It has been and will continue to be a small inconvenience to play home games at another place," Osborne coach Keary Dias said. "But it's worth it in the end . . . very well worth it."

Can the NFL make stadium experience match what's on TV?
USA TODAY, September 1, 2010 Wednesday
When the NFL kicks off the 2010 season next week, about 1 million fans will turn out to watch games in stadiums across the nation. And in their living rooms, an average of 16 million fans will gather to watch each of the 16 opening-weekend games in what has become the golden age for NFL consumption. That's because of big-screen, high-definition TVs, surround-sound systems, channels that allow viewers to watch multiple games at the same time and check on players' stats, and the NFL's RedZone Channel -- a commercial-free, subscription-based channel that cuts to the most exciting game at anytime. Together, such innovations during the past decade -- driven in part by the NFL's efforts to expand its reach as the most popular professional sports enterprise -- have made the at-home experience better, and cheaper, than going to a stadium for many.

Troy Polamalu not first athlete to insure body part
The Christian Science Monitor, August 31, 2010 Tuesday
Troy Polamalu loves his hair and so does the company that produces a shampoo he endorses. Head and Shoulders announced Monday it has taken out a $1 million policy with Lloyd's of London on the hair of the Pittsburgh Steelers safety.

New Edmond pool to fill community need; council vote up next
The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), August 28, 2010 Saturday
EDMOND - Lance Ford's oldest son, a freshman at Edmond North High School, swims in overcrowded pools that are reaching the end of their lives. They are the same pools Ford practiced in as a high school student 20 years ago. But that could be about to change.

NCAA allows credits from online high school
The Union Leader (Manchester, NH), August 30, 2010 Monday
By CLYNTON NAMUO Union Leader Correspondent EXETER -- Elite student athletes attending the state's only public online high school can breathe a bit easier after the NCAA certified its academic curriculum earlier this summer.

New Hampshire state parks eye corporate sponsors
The Union Leader (Manchester, NH), August 29, 2010 Sunday
CONCORD -- Not every state park in New Hampshire includes a mountain, but all staffers might be wearing pictures of little peaks on their uniforms next summer thanks to a corporate sponsorship the state is exploring with Eastern Mountain Sports.

Atlanta's new College Football Hall of Fame will be '180 degrees' different than current hall
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 29, 2010 Sunday
As is typical, Gary Stokan is aiming high for the new home of the College Football Hall of Fame. Stokan, the Chick-fil-A Bowl president who is leading the charge for the museum's move from South Bend, Ind., to Atlanta, said it will be "180 degrees" different than the current hall.

ER visits for young athletes with concussions double over 10 years
Chicago Sun Times, August 30, 2010 Monday
Emergency room visits for concussions among young athletes playing team sports have more than doubled over a 10-year period, and 40 percent of these injuries are sustained by children ages 8 to 13. Those are among the key findings of a new study that is one of the first to provide data on sports-related concussions in children in elementary and middle school. Between 2001 and 2005, there were an estimated 502,000 emergency room visits for concussions in children ages 8 to 19. Of those, half were sports-related, researchers reported today in the journal Pediatrics. The findings are based on data from 100 U.S. hospitals involved in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.

Pedal power assists veterans, in more ways than one
The Press Enterprise (Riverside, CA.), August 29, 2010, Sunday
Roger Coggins was looking for a hobby when he took up bike riding about a decade ago. He found that cycling engaged and challenged him. Now, he finds it inspires him. He is preparing for his third California Challenge, a ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles that raises money to rehabilitate veterans who have suffered amputations or brain injuries. "People talk about supporting the troops. For me, this is a chance to not only raise money but to be there on the ride," he said. "And it's not just me being there. There have to be quite a few people who have donated in order for me to be there."

Dogs have their day in the pool
Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City), August 28, 2010 Saturday
WEST VALLEY CITY ? Fur and water were flying as dogs leapt into the swimming pool, paddled around for a while and then drenched anyone passing by as they dried off. Saturday was the annual Dog Days of Summer event at the West Valley City Family Fitness Center swimming pools, and the place had clearly gone ?

Tiny parks considered neighborhood gems
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin), August 27, 2010 Friday
A park doesn't have to be a million-acre Yellowstone to be a star. It doesn't have to be a 130-acre Lake Park to be a sanctuary. Tiny parks can offer as much as their big cousins. The Milwaukee area is dotted with havens smaller than 10 acres, some littleknown but well-beloved. "We call our smaller parks 'neighborhood parks,' and they help to balance out the gold-medal-winning park system," said Milwaukee County parks director Sue Black. "These neighborhood parks are a great place to read a book, fly a kite, play catch, enjoy a picnic or just sit back and take a break from the hustle and bustle of today's busy lifestyle." These little oases shine because they possess a rare view, a slice of beach or a glimpse of days gone by. Here are some of the area's fairest micro-parks: Uncas Playfield S. 3rd and Uncas streets So hidden it doesn't even have an exact address, this 5-acre haven indeed may be what City of Milwaukee Recreation Department staff like to call it: the nicest little park that no one knows about. Recently updated, the park sports freshly painted basketball and tennis courts along with a reassuringly old-school baseball diamond.