16 May 12 Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s Chess Johnson Representing Army at 2012 Warrior Games

Chess Johnson participates in a track and field practice for the 2012 Warrior Games at the US Air Force Academy April 23, 2012, more than five years after a sniper’s round struck him in the right eye. His current vision is comparable to taking a toilet paper roll and cutting it down to two inches and holding it up in front of one eye while covering the other with a hand. Despite his limited sight, Johnson does not consider himself disabled and has shown talent and enthusiasm for a wide variety of competitive sports. By Jennifer Spradin, Defense Video amp; Imagery Distribution System.

15 May 12 Bullying teachers and those big knickers put me off games for life

It was fine at primary school when ‘games’ tended to be precisely that, with boys and girls equally keen to join in. But by the age of 14, only 12 per cent of girls are interested in physical activity compared with more than double that figure among boys. And from there, it’s a downhill slouch all the way to adulthood.

Naturally, I commend the Foundation for its diligent questioning of the 1,500 participants of its survey. But out here, in couch-potato land, many more thousands of us could have saved them the trouble.

We could have told them years ago that forcing schoolgirls to play competitive sports is an anachronistic cruelty that – counter-intuitive as it may seem – probably contributes more to our plague of obesity than any authority has hitherto dared to admit.

15 May 12 Ike Kuhns covered every sport with passion

Years ago, as its circulation boomed, The Star-Ledger boasted encyclopedic sports coverage a nationally recognized section as thick as a phone book, with unequaled daily coverage of every pro and college team within driving distance, and more.

You name em, The Star-Ledger covered em, home and away the Yankees, Mets, Giants, Jets, Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Devils, plus every New Jersey college, big and small, and hundreds of high schools.

Olympic Games? Title bouts? Pro soccer? The newspaper covered those, too. Horse racing at its zenith? You bet. Major golf and tennis tournaments? Of course. Wrestlemania? Oh, yeah. Star-Ledger reporters traveled the world to bring the biggest stories to the worlds smartest sports fans.

And that list of teams and events has this in common: Ivan Ike Kuhns covered nearly all of them.

For more than 30 years, Kuhns was one of the most versatile and prolific reporters in the busiest and most competitive sports reporting market in the world.

The man known to colleagues as UP-Ike a tribute to the sports knowledge and versatility that rivaled United Press International, a major wire service of his day died yesterday after a short illness, taking an era with him. Kuhns, who joined the newspaper in 1965 and retired in 2001, was 76.

He did everything, said Moss Klein, a longtime Yankees beat writer and editor for The Star-Ledger. He was knowledgeable about every beat, and that wasnt easy in an area with so many teams. We covered them all, and Ike covered them all.

You could send him to any event and hed deliver the story.

How did Kuhns know so much? Thats simple. For him, sportswriting was more than a paycheck, because sports were his passion.

He often attended games when he wasnt working, diligently keeping scores and statistics in the press box, and he cherished a vast memorabilia collection that included highly coveted Super Bowl programs, and World Series programs (for both teams) stretching back into the 1920s.

Kuhns collection included a cardboard scorecard from the first World Series game Oct. 1, 1903, between the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates.

As a fan, Kuhns attended at least one Yankees home game every year since 1947 (except for a year he served in Korea) a streak he continued in retirement. Until his death, he remained a fixture at Red Bulls soccer games.

Born in Narberth, Pa., in 1935, and raised in Shrewsbury, Kuhns graduated from Red Bank High School. After graduating from Syracuse University, he started on his path to sportswriting in 1958 when, while serving in the US Army, he became sports director for the American Force Korea Network. His love for soccer blossomed when he wrote about international matches for the network.

He covered the 1966 World Cup, later becoming the beat writer for the glamorous Cosmos when soccer reached its American peak in the 1970s. Like he was Norm entering Cheers, legends Pele and Giorgio Chinaglia would shout his name when they saw him in the locker room.

In 2008, he was the recipient of the Colin Jose Media Award, given to journalists whose soccer coverage is deemed exceptional.

Ikes first love was always soccer, said Hank Gola, a sports writer for the New York Daily News and a lifelong friend. When the Cosmos were drawing 80,000, Ike was one of the main beat guys. He probably knew as much about international soccer as anyone.

Kuhns took European vacations to hopskotch the continent, visiting obscure soccer stadiums and lower-division clubs. (During those trips, he also saw many plays before they reached Broadway, and hed give his review to friends long before renowned critics could.) He was the founding member of the Professional Soccer Reporters Association, serving as president and vice president.

Kuhns wrote about big events with coolness and clarity. As the Jets beat writer, he covered the most famous football game of all time the Jets historic 16-7 victory over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III in January 1969. That shocking triumph changed American sports by leading to a merger between the AFL and NFL.

During his four decades with The Star-Ledger, Kuhns wrote about legends from Mickey Mantle to Pele to Jack Nicklaus to Michael Jordan and all of the mere mortals in between. And when he wasnt writing, he was working on the copy desk, improving others work.

He got along with everyone, former Star-Ledger editor Rich Guenther said. He was one of the most gentle souls in the business a guy with a love of sports and theater.

An old-school reporter, Kuhns bemoaned superstars who didnt run out ground balls, pitchers who couldnt throw strikes, and wide receivers who would drop passes at critical times, then obnoxiously celebrate a meaningless touchdown.

In an age when many sportswriters blew their own horns, Kuhns was quietly content that he knew as much as the writer sitting next to him in the press box. Or maybe more.

On the day of Super Bowl III, The Star-Ledger published Kuhns forecast for the game. While the Colts were seen as unbeatable, he mocked the 18-point spread and predicted a Jets upset.

Kuhns will be remembered at a memorial service May 12 at 11 am at the First Reformed Church on Chapel Hill Road in Lincoln Park.

13 May 12 Spring means sports end for senior athletes (and parents too)

Spring means sports end for senior athletes (and parents too)

May 1, 2012 – By Craig Blumenshine, Staff Writer

You have probably heard the advice that some coaches give their teams during competition.

Play this game like its your last game ever, or Leave it all on the field, echoes in minds of players from various moments of their athletic careers.

And that is good advice for mentors to give kids, cheering them on to work hard and give good performances for their teams.

The coaches are trying hard to give the athletes the discipline they need to succeed on the field and move on to new experiences later in life.

RHS soccer coach Erly Cornejo and assistant Aziz Waheed were saying exactly that to their team Saturday at Wolverine Field. Decimated by injuries, the coaches were encouraging their players to leave it on the field. They had to. There had no healthy subs to bring in the game. Everyone had to contribute, despite fatigue.

But for almost every high school senior athlete in Wyoming and all across the country, the spring calendar proclaims what most athletes rarely think about, until now.

Their days of playing in competitive sports are ending.

So whats next?

Only a couple of Wolverines will advance to play sports at the collegiate level next year.

Even though its different, many will continue to play in intramural or recreational leagues and continue to enjoy a lifetime of activity.

Some players, because of their athletic foundations, will gravitate to sports or activities they havent even thought about yet but will discover are challenging and gratifying.

This is a time of transition for many parents, too.

A generation of getting kids to practice, making sure the halftime oranges are cut and ready, talking about the games around the dinner table, and supporting the ups and downs of what it means to be an athlete end for most parents of senior kids too this time of year.

And it stinks. I speak from experience.

I remember clearly when Zach Christopherson was a quarterback for the Riverton Wolverines during the years when Riverton really struggled in Class 4-A football. Wins for that group of Wolverines were few and far between.

During his end-of-year banquet, I will always remember that Christopherson stood up and told the returning Wolverines to appreciate every moment, and that the time had flown by from the first snap in fall football to the end of Rivertons season. Even though it had been a rough season, he was genuinely sad that his football year had ended — but ready to move on to new adventures.

Enjoy every moment. Its over too quick, he said.

I think he was speaking to the parents.

So, parents, lets learn from his advice, and learn from the normal course our kids will take as they move on to the next set of experiences in their lives.

There is more to do, more to experience and more to live.

Good luck, seniors, and your parents. Best of luck, both of you, in finding your next horizons.

Have a great sports week. Go Big Red!

11 May 12 Basketball spot opens at Lincoln

As of today, keen basketball players have the chance to score themselves a scholarship to Lincoln University, as part of the institutes highly competitive sports scholarship programme.

The scholarships offer financial support for high grade players as well as intensive, sport-specific training through the universitys high performance team and Canterbury Basketball.

Canterbury Basketball general manager, Megan Harlick said the timing of the announcement was perfect, with the New Zealand under 19 basketball tournament being held in Christchurch over the weekend.

These are exactly the players who would benefit from having a basketball-specific scholarship available to them as they undertake tertiary study, she said.

We have been working with the sports management team at Lincoln University on the details around the scholarships and we are very much looking forward to an even closer partnership.

Sports scholarships already on offer at the university included cricket, golf, netball, football, hockey, rowing and rugby.

There was also an elite scholarship awarded to strong individual athletes competing in other sporting codes.

The sports scholarship programme was the longest-running in New Zealand, with rugby star Andrew Ellis, ice hockey pro Dale Harrop and cricket player Amy Satterhwaite among its previous students.

Peter Magson from the universitys sports programme said the basketball scholarship came about following an increased awareness and interest in the sport.

We were [also] seeing a number of sports scholars coming through who are very strong basketball players, he said.

Applications for the 2013 scholarships opened on Tuesday, May 1.

10 May 12 Your Kid Can Be a Better Athlete … With Video Games

Want to get your kid off the couch and into a sport? Heres an idea you probably havent tried: buy them a video game. Well, not just any video game. A sports video game.

Oh come on, stop rolling your eyes! Even science agrees that playing sports video games can totally improve your kids skill on the field.

The first step — of course — is getting them there. Which isnt always the easiest. Trust me. Klutz over here. I hated competitive sports. I understand why some kids look at their parents like they have two heads when they suggest soccer camp.

But when a French business school looked at people who play a video game with a sports theme, 75 percent were going out and playing something for real. Almost 40 percent were even playing that exact game (so if there are baseball sign-ups coming up fast, you know what part of the game store to hit!).

Of course, then you have to keep them there. Good news on the video game angle again. Those games give clueless kids an edge on the rules of a sport … because theyre used to a gadget correcting them when they violate one.

And it doesnt hurt that people who play action-based video and computer games are quicker on their feet at making good decisions than their peers. The speed of video game play can actually train the brain to get in gear … which can only be a good thing when there is a lineman headed straight for your newly minted football player.

How have video games improved your little gamers play on the field (or court or diamond)?

Image by Jeanne Sager

10 May 12 Industry Insiders: AJ Bontempo, Culinary Curator

I was born and raised in Toms River, New Jersey, where the majority of my childhood was consumed by competitive sports. If there was a competition it had my attention.

09 May 12 Half of girls ‘put off exercise’ by PE at school

Half of all girls are put off exercise because of the way PE is taught in school, a new report says.

The study claims many girls find sport too competitive, dont enjoy getting sweaty and dislike the sports on offer.

It says most girls arent doing enough exercise and should be allowed to do activities like dance or roller skating instead of traditional sports.

The authors also think schools should celebrate taking part just as much as winning.

1,500 UK school children were surveyed in the research from the Womens Sport and Fitness Foundation, a charity that campaigns to get girls more active.

It also found that girls become less active than boys as they get older.

What you think

We wanted your thoughts on this. Are you put off exercise because of your school PE lessons? What could make them better? Or maybe you love doing sport and dont understand what the fuss is about? Heres a selection of your comments:

I am certanly NOT put off sport because of PE. PE has made me more active. I now do hockey, athletics and judo every week. I will also not be put off sport when I get older. I think it would be cool if PE was made more fun because it would get kids active at a young age.

Grace, Dundee, Scotland

I love sports its a fantastic way to keep fit. I like being competitive to prove to boys that girls can beat them.

Georgina, England

I love PE lessons and I also love playing football at breaktimes. So do some other girls in my class.

Hannah, Rochdale, England

In my school lots of girls are sporty! There are horse riders, swimmers, runners, gymnasts, all of which are girls! Im a swimmer too!

Jasmine, Scotland

I think everyone should say what sports they want to do in PE Personally I love PE lessons because everyone works together and there no one is mean.

Molly, Reading, England

We have two P.E lessons at school, one (outdoor) and one (indoor). The topic changes every term for outdoor and indoor. Like last term we had dancing and some of the boys didnt enjoy it but they made it through the term and some of them really enjoyed it (especially when it was time o do hip-hop dancing!).

Simran, Essex, England

Im put off PE because all we ever do is dance and gymnastics and the lads are always playing footie and rugby. It would be nice if we got a say in what we do.

Becca, Barnsley, England

I think we should do different sports that most people wont have done. Maybe we could go out of school and do things like rock climbing and cycling to make it more interesting.

Olivia, Salford, England

I think PE cant be more fun for me because we do do fun warm ups and girls and boys do it together.

Sarah, Manchester, England

I HATE PE because my class always argue afterwords. I wish PE was optional or we could sit out if we had an injury.

Isobel, London, England

I love PE and Im in the football, netball and athletics team. Our school won the Girls Football Surrey Cup AND Primary Sports School of the Year. Im sportier then most of the boys in my class and I think PE is fine the way it is.

Hannah, London, England

I hate PE BECAUSE we do dance! I also dislike being split into boy/girl groups. At our school they assume girls will love dance and boys will love football. I would much rather be outside playing rugby, football, or basketball than stuck inside doing dance. And I know loads of my friends who feel the same way.

Lucy Bell, Tyne and Wear, England

I think girls should get to do more boys sports – in my school me and my friends are trying to set up a girls rugby club!

Lauren, England

I love PE, its fun and the girls and the boys all get a go at everything, but it might be because my PE teacher is so nice!

Ishbel, Edinburgh, Scotland

Its the PE teachers who are boring not the lesson.

Jeni, London, England

I think that the boys are always doing everything and the girls just get told off for not being involved. We should do more girls sports rather than mainly boys.

Mieke, Ipswich, England

I love Hockey. When we change and to do Cricket and Athletics I always feel sad because Im not good at either of these sports. I wish we could do more different sports because they all seem to be for boys.

Aimee, Cornwall, England

I prefer PE to the other lessons because I can play football which is my favourite sport.

Claudia,Jakarta, Indonesia

I really enjoy PE lessons at my school and we do a variety of different sports each term. We do dance as one of them. My class is really competitive but the girls are definitely more so.

Millie, Moscow, Russia

I love PE because it gives my body a wake up call and my teacher tries her best to make it fun. Our school PE lessons are fantastic and my school encourages girls and boys. In my class our topic in PE is gymnastics and Im loving it!

Amelia, London, England

I dont like PE because nearly all of the PE lessons are for boys. I wish there could be more girl lessons instead of boy lessons. I would like roller-skating and dancing.

Aaliyah, London, England

I like PE because we dont do only traditional sports and you only play if you want to. Sometimes boys and girls play together sometimes separate.

Ster, Brazil

I attend an all girls school and there is a group of girls that are really sporty but the rest of us hate it. The teachers do try to make it as accommodating as possible but the bit I hate the most is that you are rushed when you get changed and you get all hot and sweaty.

Becca, England

I dont think thats true because girls do lots of activities like dancing, Brownies, Guides, ice-skating and much more.

Courtney, Scotland

That is so untrue! We do a lot of exercise and we are fine! We hate maths but we are still really good at sports! One of us horse rides and one of us swims and we are both ultra sporty! That is kind of sexist that boys are more sporty because I know some really unfit and un-sporty boys!

Catherine and Lily, London, England

PE is not as fun as doing sports after school. As the teachers sometimes push you too far instead of cheering you on. The sports are always the same as well, they should do more gym and have a mixture.

Georgina, Aylesbury, England

PE is not fair. In every sport, the boys hog the ball until the PE teacher tells them to pass to the girls. They never pass! The only sports that are exciting and fun to play are dodgeball (because the girls are always there at the end).

Anne, Vietnam

I think PE is more for boys. At my school were always doing rugby and cricket. Only a few girls in my class enjoy cricket and rugby. I think that schools should introduce more exciting activities that will make girls more interested in sports and not just boys.

Mollie, Somerset, England

Im really good at football but no boys pass me the ball and Im the one left out!

Jasmine, Manchester, England

I think PE can be improved by having a big trampoline and a climbing frame we can go on. We should be able to do roller skating and get teachers involved a little bit more.

Tamzin, London, England

I am a lover of PE but I think it could be a bit better by adding a trampoline because trampolines makes children feel ecstatic.

Megan, London, England

Im put off by PE because boys are too competitive. Sometimes Im put off by boys being aggressive and mean. I also think PE could be improved so we can have our own class trampoline!

Ishrat, Newham, England

I like PE because its sport. It could be improved by doing something like dodgeball, it would be more fun if you do that.

Ben, London, England

PE was rubbish in primary school. When playing football all the boys would pass to each other and the girls would do nothing!

Ella, England

I LOVE PE at school. Maybe its because Im very competitive.

Joanne, East Sussex, England

Whenever we play team games all the boys hog the ball and never give it to the girls!

Megan, Falkirk, Scotland

Now that I go to an all girls school PE is much more enjoyable as we are put in sets. I find this better as if youre not very good then there are other students like you.

Amy, England

At our school boys and girls have PE split so we have all the girls sports and dont play football. We also get a lady teacher.

Louise, Manchester, England

I like competitive sports but I like the idea of roller-skating. The only problem is, Im not allowed to roller-skate!

Catherine, Colchester, England

I hate PE. I find it too competitive and no fun. I would love PE if it was rollerblading.

Gaby, England

We split into boys and girls. The boys do football and girls do netball. Thankfully girls still get to do contact rugby which is great fun!

Erin, Bedfordshire, England

At our school the boys do running, but us girls only do swimming and rounders. When it rains we go inside and do gymnastics or just dance… and its fun, but I agree that boys get more exercise than us girls.

Courtney, Bishop Auckland, England

The only reason why girls are not doing sports is because there is more to do when youre younger.

Katie, Suffolk, England

On a Wednesday we all do dance. We have a girls hockey team, girls football team and girls rugby team. I dont understand why people are complaining.

Harry, Bradford-on-Avon, England

PE at my school is rubbish! Our teacher is so unathletic so the boys always do everything whilst the girls just wait at the sidelines, unfair!

Lucy, England

We dont like getting sweaty because its gross.

Julia, Surrey, England

I dont mind getting a bit sweaty because I will always have a shower when I get home and I happen to be very competitive.

Nicola, Hampshire, England

At my school only the boys are allowed to do rugby which most of the girls think is unfair as they enjoy the sport.

Emily, Essex, England

I LOVE sport. Even at home Ill be jumping on my trampoline one minute and be running up and down my garden the next. I just cant get enough of it!

Rose, England

Its not fair for PE teachers to get cross with a student because they dont run fast, or jump higher… its about taking part, not winning.

Jessie, London, England

I never like PE and I always get tired very quickly.

Christina, Inverness, Scotland

I adore PE and I would do it every day. I do PE with the boys because they do rugby and football and sometimes athletics. The girls in my year do not like PE the same as me. I am a true tomboy.

Non, Wales

We get PE three days running and all the girls dread (it) whereas the boys look forward to it. And also because most of the boys play football as a club afterwards the teacher favours them.

Nina, London, England

Sometimes girls in my class hate it, maybe because they think its too competitive and that boys think girls slow them down. Id like to have a sport both sexes can be equally good at.

Ella, Leicestershire, England

I love PE lessons but most of the girls dont. I think this is because they dont like doing exercise! I think this could be prevented by doing more of the sports girls love such as gymnastics.

Tom, England

I like PE because it keeps you fit and healthy. And at our school the girls are more competitive than the boys!

Emily, Northumberland, England

I love PE and enjoy playing with the boys and I dont care if they are competitive because it makes it more fun.

Ashleigh, Essex, England

I hate PE because it is wasted on running laps around the field and do warm-ups. I wish we can do some skating.

Georgina, London, England

It doesnt really matter at my school. We all do gymnastics and we pair up with friends and everyones happy.

Julia, Sunderland, England

We are a sports college, we have different options for PE, and students are able to decide for themselves what activity they would like to do.

Name: Class 10 C, Preston, England

Whats the big deal? Literacy and maths arent competitive enough for boys to enjoy and no one is doing anything about that.

Ben, London, England

09 May 12 Video: Jake Champion Sucker Punches Guy After Getting Ejected for Punching …

Jake Champion went out with a bang on Tuesday.

During a seemingly routine, ho-hum lacrosse match between St. Andrews and St. Thomas Aquinas, tensions got a little higher than normal when St. Andrews ran up a 15-5 score late in the third quarter. Perhaps because he was agitated about how the game was going, or perhaps because he’s just a horrible person in general, St. Thomas Aquinas defenseman, Champion, lost his cool.

In the heat of battle, he got into an altercation with a player from the opposing side and ultimately wound up throwing a punch. No problem. Fighting is never good, but it happens in competitive sports. But then things took a turn for the ugly when, while being ushered off the field, Champion also opted to sucker punch St. Andrew’s player Jordan Todd.

Thats right. Another guy.

Check it out:

I was standing there and I just get hit in the face and Im on the ground, said Todd after the game (via ESPN).

Theres no place in the game for that.

Not that anyone actually cares, but St. Andrews ultimately won 20-6.

(Kudos to Deadspin and ESPN for the find)

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08 May 12 Pro4Sport Solutions signs Paralympian David Wetherill as High-Performance Mentor

Pro4Sport Solutions (P4SS), pioneers in high-performance sports coaching at the grassroots in India, has signed up British Paralympian David Wetherill as its high-performance mentor. Wetherill, who will be participating in his second Olympics in London this year, would be mentoring and inspiring young athletes training under the aegis of P4SS. The 22-year-old reached the quarter-finals in the 2008 Beijing Games and has been previously ranked number two in the world in his category in Table Tennis,

Elaborating about the association, P4SS Co-founder amp; Partner, Aman Dhall said, We are delighted that Wetherill agreed to join our team. We are a young, energetic brand and he is a dynamic athlete, so for us he is a perfect fit for the role of a mentor. We intend to use our association with Wetherill to strengthen our brand image and visibility in India and globally.

Commenting about the partnership, Wetherill said that hes excited about the role and is looking forward to share his knowledge and experience of the game with young athletes in India. Its very important that a young athlete trains holistically and scientifically. Especially when an athlete is stepping up the ladder, he must be groomed to be self-driven and goal-oriented. I am quite happy about the prospect of sharing my knowledge with young audiences in India.

Elaborating further details about the agreement, P4SS Co-founder amp; Partner, Suheil Tandon said that the benefits of the partnership would go beyond the two parties involved and help shape the Indian sport culture at large. We are looking to stand as an innovator in the evolution of sports coaching in India. With this association, we also aim to educate not only young athletes, but also their parents, towards competitive sports. We want to create awareness that participation in competitive sport can have a profound effect on the outlook of youth towards other aspects of life.

P4SS provides its clients with high-performance coaching solutions. Our primary clients include education institutions, whose sports teams benefit from our short-term and long-term athlete development programs.