SPORTS
JANAURY 18, 2017 | AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS
CONCUSSIONS
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of Pinetop-Lakeside is responsible for the drop in football participation. And restrictions on how much players can cross over from freshman and junior varsity teams to the varsity creates a shortage of players. “What we’ve done through the bylaws is limited the amount of time freshmen and sophomores can play in any given week,” Slemmer said. “So, they can’t play in a JV game and then play in a varsity game the whole game. So unless you have enough kids out to really field those teams, you’re going to have a difficult time making it through the year. “Those rural communities change. (Blue Ridge) is a good example. (It) is in the Lakeside area and their population is down. Rural areas kind of come and go as far as population and the number of kids that they have.” Arizona high schools and the AIA are taking steps to allay fears about concussions and buoy participation, including launching a new AIA insurance program that pays for treatment if an athlete suffers a concussion while participating in a high school sport. Rudy Apodaca, vice president of operations at Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, works with
doctors and other staff to oversee concussion treatment and protocol in two of Arizona’s largest school districts. “We collaborate with our physician partners who oversee and supervise our Certified Dignity Health Athletic Trainers we provide to the Gilbert and Chandler Unified school districts,” Apodaca said. “They are experts in sports medicine care (and) concussion detection and treatment, along with our physicians.” Apodaca also works with a team of doctors and athletic trainers to oversee concussion treatment and protocol in all Arizona high schools. “Our team works closely with neurologists in our community who are brain specialists,” he said. The goal is to provide a level of care to high school athletes that college athletes could expect, Apodaca said. Continued growth in Arizona high school football will depend on educating student-athletes and parents about concussions, according to Dille, the North Canyon athletic director. “I think they need to do a good job to maintain it by assuring parents that there are safety protocols in place, educating the kids on how to play (football) properly, to their best safety,” he said, adding that staff members also must be trained to take management of concussions seriously.
Karate Klips Master blocking techniques to avoid injury BY RICK SAVAGIAN AFN Guest Writer
W
hile the best defense is a solid offense, Rick Savagian one can frequently apply one’s offense only by first countering an opponent in such an effective way that at the end of blocking, one is in good position for an attack. In addition, skilled blocking tends to weaken, distract and discourage the opponent. In karate if one’s defense is not skillful, one is in real danger of being injured. After a perfect block, always create a perfect attack. Master a rational combination of blows. Although karate’s art is in disabling one’s opponent with one blow, what does one do if a blow is blocked well.
One must attune one’s mind and body so that if one fails an attack, the next attack must follow immediately. A perfect attack must consist of a variety of combinations of blows, which develop naturally and smoothly without one ever being aware of position or balance. Acquire a variety of body shifts. Most beginners move only forward and backward. It is most essential and difficult for one to move only right and left. Withdrawing backwards offers little chance for counter-attacking. Sideward shifting puts one in a much stronger position to counter with strength and speed. Of utmost importance is a strong desire and spirit to win. -Rick Savagian owns Mountainside Martial Arts Center in Ahwatukee. Reach him at 480759-4540
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