SPORTS

The South prevails in Tillman’s honor

By Miranda Schultz
Sports Editor

This year’s Wedemeyer Classic was special, not only because it was the 30th year where the best football players in Santa Clara County convened to play in the game, but also because it was in honor of the late Pat Tillman, a soldier who recently died in Afghanistan and was a 1994 alumnus of the all-star game and former Leland football star.
On July 21, the South beat the North 20-15 at San Jose City College. South Head Coach Nick Alfano says,

“As a head coach, you’re never as confident as you want to be, but we were probably chosen to lose the game because the North was supposed to be so much bigger and stronger than we were. Both teams competed and when it came down to the clutch play, our kids stepped up and took their game to the next level, which is sometimes hard to reach. I am very happy with our kids’ performance.”

Pat Tillman, Sr. was in attendance, and joined Charlie Wedemeyer on the field before the game to greet and introduce players. During halftime, a jersey with Tillman’s number on it was presented to the parents of his widow, Marie Tillman.

“It was probably the single greatest moment of my coaching career so far,” says Alfano, four-year varsity head coach at Santa Teresa High School. “The opposing coaches were our friends, the game was in honor of Tillman, it was an emotional game, and it was a great time for everyone.”

Alfano believes that the game isn’t all about winning, but giving the players an opportunity to be successful at something. “Most of our kids love football just as much as we do. I think that talent wins games, but beyond winning, we try and teach kids about setting goals and being moral and responsible in the community,” he says.

His tactics were-n’t to play the kids with the best talent, but to represent each of the 21 schools equally. “When I called the kids and asked them if they wanted to participate, I told them that if they came to the practices, they would play. Most all of the kids were able to play, which was important to me,” says Alfano.

Mike Day, a Leland graduate and first recipient of the Pat Tillman Award, scored the first touchdown. The South scored all of its touchdowns in the first half and played stellar defense in the second half, especially the final minute of the game when the North attempted four passes from inside the 20-yard line.

“I think that with a kid like Mike Day, his talent gets to shine in a game like this. It’s a big deal, a huge event and there is probably a lot more pressure on him and the Leland guys to play in honor of Tillman. Day is a great athlete, I think he could step on any court and be a champion of sorts. He was interviewed by a lot of different reporters and news stations. I’m sure that added to the pressure,” says Alfano. “All of the kids played great. They really stepped up their game. In a way I think it was destined to be that way.”

Fit for Life Demonstration

Michelle Ivers (right) will be standing tall and ripped in defiance of on-coming middle age when she takes the stage as a guest poser in the 24th annual San Jose Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships Saturday (July 31) at Parkside Hall in downtown San Jose. Ivers, now in her middle 40s, and the mother of a 17-year-old son, was an amateur-division winner in the San Jose show nearly two decades ago, and now works as a personal trainer. Besides her physique, Michelle will demonstrate her choreography talents as she joins former World Bodybuilding Champion Gunter Schlierkamp as exhibitors of personal physique achievement. Prejudging begins at 10 a.m.; admission is $15. Finals begin at 6:30 p.m.; tickets are priced at $20, $25 and $35. For more information, log on to www.paulovesvproductions.com.

—By Karl Laucher

San Jose represented in Pacific Coast, USA rugby 7s events

Jovesa Naivalu of the San Jose Seahawks Rugby Club and Todd Clever, a University of Nevada-Reno All American out of Santa Teresa High School, will both be in the lineup for the San Francisco/Golden Gate Rugby Club in the Pacific Coast 7-Aside Rugby Championships to be held Saturday (July 31) at Stanford. Fifteen games are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The top three finishers advance to the National 7s, Aug. 14-15 in Park City Utah.

Naivalu and Clever, veteran and rookie members of the USA Eagle National team, respectively, also are expected to participate in the USA All-Star 7-Aside Rugby Championships to be held at San Jose’s Watson Bowl Aug. 18-29.
For more information on the Pacific Coast event, see www.pacificoastrugby.com. For more information on the USA All-Star 7s, see www.usarugby.org or www.sjrugby.org.

—By Karl Laucher

Tips for basketball safety this summer

Olympic hopeful or just for fun, play basketball safely, orthopedic surgeons advise

The 2004 Olympic Summer Games begin Aug. 15, but whether you are a member of the U.S. mens team—the three-time defending Olympic champions—or are playing for the neighborhood gold, you can still get injured. In 2003, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported more than 1.5 million basketball-related injuries treated in hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics, ambulatory surgery centers and emergency rooms.

With basketball one of the most popular sports in the United States, millions of people participate at various levels of competition. Despite those varying levels, many injuries are common to all players, so it is important to condition the body for all levels of play.

“Professional players gearing up for the 2004 Summer Olympics are spending a good portion of their time on conditioning programs including cardio vascular training, core (abdomen area) strengthening and flexibility exercises to avoid injuries, specifically overuse injuries,” according to Nicholas DiNubile, MD, orthopedic surgeon and consultant to the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team.

“Stressing an area over and over until it is damaged and begins to hurt is known as an overuse injury, and one of the most common types of injuries,” explained DiNubile. One common type of overuse injury is patellar tendonitis, or “jumper’s knee,” characterized by pain in the tendon just below the kneecap.

Achilles tendonitis is another common overuse injury in basketball players. The Achilles tendon is the strong band of tissue connecting the heel to the calf muscles, and when ruptured or inflamed, causes pain in the back of the leg, just above the heel.

“Injuries to the fingers, twisting and impact injuries to the foot and ankle, as well as to the knee ligaments and cartilage are also common injuries,” DiNubile said.

An orthopedic surgeon is a physician with extensive training in the diagnosis and treatment of non-surgical as well as surgical treatment of the musculoskeletal system including bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons offers the following tips to prevent basketball injuries:

- Always take time to warm up and stretch before and after play. Warm up with jumping jacks, stationary cycling, running or walking in place for three to five minutes. Then slowly and gently stretch, holding each stretch 30 seconds.

- Play only your position and know where other players are on the court to reduce the chance of collisions. Don’t hold, block, push, charge, or trip opponents.

- Use proper techniques for passing and scoring.

- Select basketball shoes that fit snugly, offer support and are non-skid. Ankle supports can reduce the incidence of ankle sprains.

- Protective knee and elbow pads will help protect you from bruises and abrasions.

- Use a mouth guard to protect your teeth and mouth.

- If you wear glasses, use safety glasses.

- Do not wear jewelry or chew gum during practices or games.

- Outdoor courts should be free of rocks, holes and other hazards.

- Avoid playing in extreme weather or on courts that are not properly lit in the evening.

- Baskets and boundary lines should not be too close to walls, bleachers, water fountains or other structures. Goals, as well as the walls behind them, should be padded.

- Be prepared for emergency situations and have a plan to reach medical personnel to treat injuries such as fractures, dislocations, sprains, head injuries, contusions and lacerations or abrasions.

Internet users can find additional safety tips and injury prevention information on basketball and more, in the Prevent Injuries America! section of the Academy’s Web site, www.aaos.org or www.orthoinfo.org, or call the academy’s public service line at 800-824-BONES.