Spring means Track and Field for NYC

The 119th Penn Relays got going this morning with the college 400-meter hurdles and high school girls' 4x800-meter relays and The Armory region made news all day long.
But the biggest news of all came from the Benjamin Cardozo girls' distance medley relay, which won the Championship of America in 11:45.69, more than 10 seconds ahead of runnerup Germantown Friends of Philadelphia.
Denise Branch led off the relay with a 3:36.9 carry and handed off in third place behind Germantown and Northern Highlands (N.J.). But that's when Cardozo's Deajah Stevens — who is South Carolina-bound in the fall — took over. She ran down Northern Highlands' Emma Sullivan with a 53.2 400-meter split — the fastest overall on the day. Once she handed off to Shaniqua Kirkpatrick, who split 2:21.8 on her 800-meter leg, the victory was all but assured.
That's because Cardozo had Georgetown-bound Sabrina Southerland on the anchor leg. Southerland — who ran 2:03.59 over 800 meters indoors and split under 4:50 at nationals in the DMR — went out crazy fast and split 66.5 on her first lap. She was never challenged as she finished with a 4:53.8 1,600-meter split and secured Cardozo's first-ever Penn Relays victory. It was also the first time since 2002 that a PSAL team won any Championship of America as Boys & Girls pulled it off a DMR title that year.
It was also the first time a girls' squad from Queens won at Penn. The last such boys' team to do it was 1967.
Nine hours earlier — in this first event of the day — Bay Shore (N.Y.) alum Jessica Gelibert of Coastal Carolina placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles in 58.84. Johnson C. Smith's Samantha Elliott won the event in 57.64.
The 4x800-meter relay consists of two small school and two large school sections with the 12 fastest teams qualifying to Friday's final. Plenty of Armory regulars earned spotw in the final, including Strath Haven (Pa.), Holy Names (N.Y.), Freehold Township (N.J.), Columbia (N.J.) and Pennsbury (Pa.).
Mamaroneck (N.Y.) also qualified for the final a year after losing Anima Banks to graduation. The team of Leonie Rauls, Shari Rauls, Lauren Chapey and Katie DeVore ran 9:15.32 — the second-fastest time of the day behind only Edwin Allen of Jamaica (9:05.41).
If you were looking forward to seeing Kadecia Baird of Medgar Evers run in the 4x100- and 4x400-meter relays, then you left the track disappointed. Baird did not run in either relay as Evers ran 49.39 and 3:56.98 without her.
Columbia (N.J.) not only qualified for the 4x800-meter relay final but it also qualified for the 4x400-meter relay final, running 3:42.75 to win the final open-class race of the day. Only Holmwood Tech's 3:42.35 was faster.
Columbia star Olivia Baker sat behind St. Jago's anchor until the final turn before she unleashed her gear-shift and dropped Jago by five seconds in the final 175 meters. Baker's 54.0 split was startling given how fresh she appeared at the end of the leg. If she runs that strong in the final, she could give her team a chance to win.
Long Beach Poly (Calif.), and Woodbridge (Va.) will join Columbia and five Jamaican teams in the Championship of America. Woodbridge was the final team to qualify in 3:47.37.
Edwin Allen ran 45.41 to lead all qualifiers in the 4x100-meter relay as it took 47.28 to make the Championship. The only U.S. teams to make the final were Long Beach Poly (Calif.) and Lincoln-Way East (Ill.).
New Rochelle (N.Y.) and Winslow (N.J.) both qualified for the large school 4x100-meter relay final while Swenson (Pa.) and Cheltenham (Pa.) qualified for the small schools 4x100-meter relay final.
The girls' mile was a great race with a tight finish. Reagan Anderson of Tatnall (Del.) looked like she was the winner with 25 meters to go — but Jamie Phelan of St. Mary's (Ont.) stole the show with a late drive to edge Anderson, 4:50.60 to 4:50.66.
Sophie Chase of Lake Braddock led most of the way to win the 3,000-meter run in 9:35.52. Newburgh's Gianna Frontera was fifth in 9:45.49, her best time ever.

Gay Athletes in High School

I want to know your thoughts on High School Gay Athletes.. Is it right or wrong? Or neither.. I see as the early days of mental illness. When people were open to telling everyone and making it more acceptable to society.. In regards to Jason Collins was this a strategic career move? He certainly is off to a good start with sports illustrated.

Support of Gay High School Athletes

http://www.khon2.com/2013/04/29/farrington-high-school-earns-national-recognition-for-gay-straight-alliance-club/


Many people have come out in support of Collin’s announcement from President Obama to Madonna.
But how does this affect local students especially student athletes.
For Malialina Derden the Gay-Strait Alliance support group at Farrington High School is her home away from home and it’s growing.
“I know GSA is something that me and my friend really look forward to it like we look forward to Friday when we meet, it like”where is GSA..lets go,” said Farrington High School junior Malialina Derden. Malialina, who is straight, joined GSA to be there and support her friends for whatever background they are from.
“I realized there are people that support and it just made a really big difference to me that we had something to rely on as students. Like we were safe on our own campus,” said Derden.
And on the Farrington High School campus a school known for its powerful athletic programs, the news of NBA player Jason Collins coming out struck a chord with many students.
“I definitely think there is a different standard depending on what situation they are in..so if you are in a situation where it a bit more macho that’s why it’s the step itself that is that makes it so great That you would come out even if you are facing all these things its inspirational,” Derden said.
And that inspiration along with hard work done by the Farrington High school GSA club means that on May 20th the club with be getting a national award in New York City for helping students.
“I wanted to cry actually when I first heard that we were be recognized out of all the schools in the nation. It just made me see that you can be from anywhere in the world like a small island like Hawaii and you can represent a nation,” said Jonah Saribay, a Farrington High School senior.

Get Your Head In The Game!

How most athletes blame poor focus for losing

Why do so many athletes assume that their focus is the problem for a poor performance?

We know that concentration (or mental focus) is critical for maximum performance. But many of my athletes think lack of focus is to blame for not playing to their potential. Allow me to explain...

Many athletes assume a poor performance is due to a lack of focus. They contact me to help them improve their concentration in competition. They'll say things such as....

--"I make a stupid mistake and proceed to lose my focus."

--"I can't concentration when I'm down or losing."

--"I perform poorly at the start of competition because I'm not focusing."

--"I'm not executing routine plays because I get distracted."

However, is a poor focus really to blame? Most athletes (and coaches too) often assume that a lack of focus is the culprit for a lack of mental toughness!

But I have a different take on it. Yes, athletes do become distracted and make mental errors during competition, even the pros.

However, concentration breakdowns usually start with other mental game setbacks...
1. Frustration can lead to a lack of focus when athletes are upset with making mistakes when they dwell on the past.

2. I'm sure you know that low intensity causes poor focus. To focus at peak levels (and perform at your peak) athletes must first have the proper amount of intensity or energy.

3. Tension, anxiety, or fear can cause athletes to focus on all the wrong stuff during competition. "What's my coach/parent going to say if I lose this match?"

4. A lack of trust in technique can lead to making mistakes. Athletes just assume that you they didn't focus enough for that easy shot. They tighten up just at the wrong time because they did not trust their ability to execute.


In reality, a poor focus often results from other mental game issues such as fear of failure, frustration, lack of confidence, and low trust in one's game.

Cricket Season Heating Up!

Week 3 Match Summaries and Results PSAL 2013 Cricket Season

by Ricky Kissoon

Posted On 04/24/2013

William C. Bryant’s Aown Iqbal registered his first century (107) of the season to move number two on batting chart.
Top two run scorers, Tajinder Singh and Aown Iqbal scored 87 and 107 respectively on Friday, April 19th.
to conclude week three of the PSAL cricket season.
On April 15th. Thomas Edison and Lafayette registered their first wins of the season as Spring Field Gardens and Wingate struggles to get in the win column. Defending champion LIC fell to William C. Bryant with excellent batting contribution coming from senior Aown Iqbal(58*). In Brooklyn, undefeated Prospect Heights survived Midwood by 12 runs to move on top in their division.
On April 16th. the action continues in Queens as Jason Hall(56*) and John Bowne posted a total of 215 runs as they sent Jamaica packing. John Bowne’s skipper Abhishek Satyam led the way with three wickets. At Baisley South, Van Buren fell short by 14 runs against two time champion Newcomers HS. Mohammed Hossin led the way with a well played 46.
On April 17th. we head to Marine Park in Brooklyn as Prospect Heights improved its winning streak, whilst division rival Midwood crushed Brooklyn International by 76 runs, with an excellent all-round performance coming from Burhan Saeed(67* and 2 wks.). In Queens, Aviation held Spring Field Gardens to 63, and William C. Bryant continues to impress as they defeated Martin V. Buren. Bryant’s Aown Iqbal scored 60 runs and MD Mahmudu Rahman of Van Buren picked up 4 for 12. At Baisley South, Long Island City hammered Newcomers by nine wickets with excellent leadership coming from skipper MD Islam(87).
On April 18th. Bronx Science and Sheepshead Bay had no answers for Prospect Heights and Abraham Lincoln, whilst Jamaica and John Adams recorded easy wins against Queens HS of Teaching and John Bowne. Adams’ Randall Wilson finished with an all-round performance of 40 runs and took four wickets.

NYC Student Athletes Are Not Araid of The Water

      

 

If you log onto the boys swim page at www.psal.org top players, you will see some very fast times, most by underclassmen. Only two seniors swam top two times, Alen Dervisevic, Midwood, is currently first in the 100 Back and first in the 100 Fly; George Stypulowski, Brooklyn Tech is second in the 50 Free, Arnold Luk, a junior from Francis Lewis is first. Alex Lin, a sophomore from Queens High School for Science is second in the 100 Back and first in the 200 Individual Medley and second in the 100 Breaststroke. Ariel Okhtenberg, another sophomore from McKee Staten Island Tech is first in the Breaststroke, first in the 500, and second in the 200 Individual Medley. William Harrison, a sophomore from Bayside currently is second in the 100 Fly and 500 Free. George Tilneac, a junior from Brooklyn Tech, leads the pack in the 100 Free with Arthur Uszynski, a sophomore from Queens High School for Science second. He also leads the list in the 200 Free, Nicholas Konovalov, a sophomore from Midwood is second. This is the future of PSAL boys swimming and it looks very fast.

Cast In Your Vote

2013 PSAL Tennis Singles and Doubles Tournament Nominations

by Janet Miles, PSAL Girls Tennis Commissioner & James Malhame, Acting PSAL Boys Tennis Commissioner

Posted On 04/23/2013

• Nominations for this year’s Singles and Doubles Tournament are now being taken. All Boys and Girls Tennis Coaches should notify the proper Commissioner and provide the names, position on the team and USTA # of the singles and doubles players that they would like to nominate for the tournament. Please DO NOT SEND nominations to the commissioners as a reply to another email from the commissioners. Please compose a new email: SUBJECT: Tournament Nominations.

***Doubles Format***

• Any Singles and/or Doubles Players not entering the Singles Tournament may enter the Doubles Tournament and play as a team in order to field the best possible teams to represent the PSAL at the Boys NYSPHSAA Tournament.

• Girls who are playing on a boys team will be entered in the girls tournament simply by emailing the Girls Tennis Commissioner.

• All teams may submit up to 3 singles players and 2 doubles teams.

• Again the requirements for each student-athlete are as follows:

• Participate in at least 50% of their team’s matches if a starter.
• Participate in at least 30% of their team’s matches if a sub.
• 1st singles have attained at least a 40% winning percentage.
• 2nd singles have attained at least a 50% winning percentage.
• 3rd singles have attained at least a 60% winning percentage.

• At the seeding meeting, Monday, May 6, the top 8 singles players and doubles teams will be seeded directly into the main draw. Depending upon the number of nominations, the remainder of the qualified singles players and doubles teams will participate in a Qualifying Tournament on Saturday, May 11th from 8AM – 5PM. In case of rain, the make up date is Saturday, May 18th also from 8AM – 5PM. (The sites will be determined shortly.)

• The top 8 singles players and 8 doubles teams from the qualifying tournament will move into the main draw

• Nominations will be taken from Thursday, April 26, 2013 and end, Wednesday, May 1, 2012 at 5PM. Late entries will not be accepted. All entrants will be evaluated on their PSAL results and rankings as of Wednesday, May 1.

• If you have any questions, please contact the appropriate commissioner.

Boys Tennis Commissioner = James Malhame:jamesmalhame@hotmail.com
Girls Tennis Commissioner = Janet Miles: janetmiles2009@gmail.com

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Untraditional sports for inner city students

Townsend Harris hosted our annual Girls Invitational on Sunday, April 7. 47 fencers from 11 schools were in attendance, including Benjamin Banneker, Benjamin Cardozo, Brooklyn Tech, Fiorello LaGuardia, Frederick Douglass, Hunter, Information Tech, McKee/Staten Island Tech, Stuyvesant, Tottenville and Townsend Harris.

In foil, Hunter’s Sholin Chen defeated teammate Grace Wong 15-8 for gold, while LaGuadria’s Mirit Rutishauser defeated Stuyvesant’s Christina Zeng 15-9 for bronze.
In epee, Brooklyn Tech’s Anna Kornak defeated Hunter’s Joyce Xia 15-6 for gold, and Townsend Harris’s Fariha Hussain defeated Brooklyn Tech’s Annabelle Swain 15-10 for bronze.
PSAL Fencing wishes to thank Athletic Director Keith Hanson, Head Coach Emerita Debra Michelwitz, Head Coach Katherine Yan, school safety agents and the custodial staff for a phenomenal job hosting our event. Thanks go to the referees and our trainer, Marsha Magloire. We thank Wynne van der Veen for an excellent job on the bout committee. As always, we thank our Associate Commissioner Gladys Ramos Cohen for her unending dedication to our program.

Baseball Playoffs Already Begun for NYC

 

The playoffs will begin on Wednesday, May 22(A division) and Thursday, May 23(B division). In order to provide sufficient notice for all participating teams, the baseball seeding committee will meet on Sunday, May 19, 2013.
The committee will rank the top thirty-two teams in each division, according to their perceived relative strength as of that date. Therefore, it is imperative that teams competing for possible playoff positions have all their scheduled games completed by May 19, 2013. That includes rainouts and suspended games.
In addition, game results must be posted on the website. Winning percentage is determined by dividing the number of wins by the number of league games scheduled.
Only the top three teams in each division of the A & B will automatically qualify for the playoffs, provided that they have at least a .500 winning percentage. However a .500 winning percentage does not guarantee a playoff position for teams finishing fourth or lower.
The remaining slots will be filled by at-large selections of the seeding committee. In the case of a third place tie; head to head competition will determine the winner. If the teams split their games, they must schedule and play a tie breaker game by Saturday May 18, 2013 using May 19, 2013 only as a rain date.
Please note in the “B” division thirty-three (33) teams could qualify. In that case the teams seeded 32 and 33 will have a play-in game on Tuesday, May 21, 2013.

What do they call Steriods in the Hood

Anabolic androgenic steroids, often simply called anabolic steroids are quite a unique topic and while they are considered “drugs” they more aptly fall into a class known as hormones. While controlled substances often viewed by some in the same light as recreational drugs one would assume there are street names for steroids and while there are some acronyms for particular products and little slang terminology street names for steroids versus street names for recreational drugs have very little in common. Even so we have provided you with the common names often associated with many various anabolic steroids; you’ll find many of these names are simply trade names from the most popular brands or often a partial name of the total hormone; however, before we begin there is one point of interest we must discuss and while ridiculous it is of a humorous nature.

Ridiculous Street Names for Steroids:

It’s no secret there exist a strong anti-steroidal population and as this “anti” feeling is often so emotionally based it can produce some laughable claims. If you’ve been around the performance enhancing game for any length of time you’re familiar with all the names and acronyms so this will probably make you laugh. Yes, there are a few street names for steroids such as juice or roids but those are some very generic terms and really don’t point to anything specific. We went to a handful of the anti-steroid websites so desperate to paint anabolic hormones in a bad light and they have made up their own street names for steroids that are quite humorous and they include “Pumpers, Gym Candy, Arnolds, Stackers, Balls and Bulls, A’s, Weight Trainers.” “Weight Trainers” are you serious, Arnolds? If that didn’t make you laugh a little then you don’t have a sense of humor but the sad truth is these websites are real and many of them are funded by your government.

Oral Street Names for Steroids:

There are many oral anabolic androgenic steroids and many are simply known by their most common trade name or an abbreviated version. We have listed the most common oral anabolic hormones, the most common name associated and any slang name that might be associated or street names for steroids if you so choose to call it that. The oral list includes:

• Oxandrolone – Anavar – sometimes called “Var”
• Oxymetholone – Anadrol – sometimes called “Drol”
• Methandrostenolone – Dianabol – often referred to as “Dbol”
• Methenolone – Primobolan – often called “Primo”
• Stanozolol – Winstrol – often called “Winny”
• Fluoxymesterone – Halotestin – often called “Halo”

Injectable Street Names for Steroids:

In the same light as oral anabolic steroids injectable anabolic steroids have an actual hormone name, often a common trade name and then a possible popular slang abbreviated term. The total names including street names for steroids of an injectable nature include:

• Nandrolone-Decanoate – Deca-Durabolin – often called “Deca”
• Boldenone-Undeclynate – Equipoise - often called “EQ”
• Drostanolone – Masteron – only referred to by trade name
• Nandrolone-Phenylpropionate – numerous common trade names – often called “NPP”
• Methenolone – Primobolan Depot – often called “Primo”
• Trenbolone – no common trade name – Often called “Tren”
• Testosterone – insert brand – often called “Test”
• Stanozolol - Winstrol Depot - often called “Winny”

The Bottom Line:

As you can easily see the street names for steroids are nothing like some try to imply and the only reason the made up street names for steroids exist is to associate them as closely with real drugs as humanly possible. I mean come on “Tren” is that a real stretch from Trenbolone is “Test” that hard to understand, or how about “Winny?” Of course not but hey they keep trying and the stupidity continues to go on and on but the real shame is that we let it. ou

How can I tell if my High School Athlete is on the juice

The negative effects anabolic steroids can have on the human body can be devastating. They range from a minor case of oily skin, to major long-term health complications, and potentially death.  Fortunately, steroids have a variety of side effects, or changes experienced by the mind and body of a user.  These changes basically fit into three categories:

1. Internal changes such as high blood pressure or out of range liver values;
2. More private or personal changes like testicular atrophy (significant shrinking of the testicles); and
3. Noticeably external changes like severe acne or increased aggression. 

Should you suspect your child, sibling or friend of using anabolic steroids, you can look for a variety of short-term side effects that appear as symptoms.  These include visible changes in appearance, mood and behavior.  The following information will make it easier for you to identify the specific symptoms, changes and habits of a steroid user. 

Physical changes are typically the most pronounced short-term symptoms as they are not easily concealed by the novice user and include:

• Unusually greasy hair or oily skin (often with stretch marks on the inner joints)
• Small red or purplish acne, including breakouts on the shoulders and back
• Gynocomastia, the abnormally excessive development of the breast tissue in males
• Persistent bad breath
• Thinning hair throughout the head or receding hairline (male pattern baldness)
• Increased length and thickness in hair (on body parts other than the head)
• Hair loss in bed, shower, comb or brush
• Jaundice or yellowing of the skin; this signals liver damage
• Skin eruptions and infections, such as abscesses and cysts
• Drastic appetite shifts (extreme hunger or lessened/loss of appetite)
• Joint pain; greater chance of injuring muscles and tendons
• Disrupted sleep patterns (not sleeping well or sleeping too much)
• Fluid level changes, bloating (face & body), and night sweating
• Dizziness, trembling, nausea or vomiting
• Rapid or progressive weight gain
• Increased muscle size (sudden or progressive)
• Hyperactivity or lethargy (too little energy)
• Trouble urinating; discoloration or blood in urine
• Rare and occasional side effects

Personality and Psychiatric changes often happen suddenly and without visible triggers or reasons.  They include:

• Extreme mood swings
• Increased aggression or irritability
• Becomes disrespectful or abusive (verbally and/or physically)
• Poor decision making stemming from feelings of invincibility
• Becomes secretive and/or starts lying
• Withdraws from family members
• Depression (usually when steroids are discontinued)
• Hallucinations - seeing or hearing things that aren't there
• Paranoia - extreme feelings of mistrust or fear

Social changes may be mistaken for natural teenage distancing or independence.  These are:

• Closes and/or locks bedroom door more often
• Takes longer showers or baths (this time is often used for injecting)
• Phone conversations become more private
• Begins receiving more packages in the mail
• Asks for money more often, or has more money than usual
• Is stealing or losing belongings
• Begins taking naps and/or falls asleep in class
• Loss of focus or concentration (at work, school or home)
• Decline in grades
• Forgets plans, dates and activities
• Loss of interest in friends, or suddenly gains new friends

Steriods in High School and Even Middle School Sports

About five percent of middle and high school students have used anabolic steroids to put on muscle, according to a new study from Minnesota. In addition to steroid use, more than one-third of boys and one-fifth of girls in the study said they had used protein powder or shakes to gain muscle mass, and between five and 10 percent used non-steroid muscle-enhancing substances, such as creatine.
Researchers said a more muscular body ideal in the media may be one factor driving teens to do anything possible to get toned, as well as pressure to perform in sports. "Really the pressure to start using (steroids) is in high school," said Dr. Linn Goldberg, from Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. "You get the influence of older teens in high school, so when you're a 14-year-old that comes in, you have 17-year-olds who are the seniors, and they can have great influence as you progress into the next stage of your athletic career."

The new data came from close to 2,800 kids and teens at 20 different middle and high schools in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. During the 2009-2010 school year, those students completed a survey on food and weight-related behaviors, including activities tied to muscle gain. The majority of kids surveyed were poor or middle-class. Almost all of them had engaged in at least one muscle-building activity in the past year, most often working out more to get stronger. But up to one-third of kids and teens used what the researchers deemed to be unhealthy means to gain muscle mass, including taking steroids and other muscle-building substances or overdoing it on protein shakes, dieting and weight-lifting. Student-athletes were more likely than their peers to use most methods of muscle-building. Steroid use, however, was equally common among athletes and non-athletes.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/11/19/5-percent-youth-have-used-steroids-to-bulk-up-study-finds/#ixzz2RXlv4JV3

Why I like Division III Schools for High School Athletes

The goal for student athletes on the high school level is to go to the next level. Their idea of the next level is of course to play for NCAA Division I team. They know that most profession recruits start looking at DI first and maybe last. But the goal of a student athlete is not to go pro but to obtain an education. It has been my observation that DI athletes go pro before actually finishing school. It appears that DI student-athletes are more like athlete-student. As oppose to DIII where the pressure of going Pro is lessen for the goal is to obtain a degree whether being a professional athlete. Specifically, it is known that Division I and Division III colleges and universities function differently with respect to expectations of athletes for athletic performance and the focus required on education

Why should I choose a college in DIII league?

Only about 2 percent of high school athletes are offered even a small sports scholarship from a Division I or Division II college. As a result, many high school athletes who are realistic about their chances sometimes hope their speed and strength might win them a "leadership" or similarly euphemistic scholarship from one of the 444 Division III colleges (mostly expensive private schools) that aren't supposed to lure game-winners with money.

The NCAA has figured out such dodges. It bars college coaches from even "indirectly influencing" scholarship decisions at Division III schools. That means a call, or even a wink, from a coach to a financial aid officer shouldn't improve a student's odds of winning a grant.