Active Team Sports

A Playbook for the Rest of Your Life

Michael Husted — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:49:33 GMT

Through my experience playing in the NFL and being a union
representative for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I saw first-hand what
happens to athletes when their playing days come to an end and they
haven't prepared for their second career. A very small percentage of
athletes make it to the pros. Of those who do, a smaller percentage
play long enough to retire comfortably for the rest of their lives.

In the NFL alone, the average career is only 3.5 years. You don't qualify
to become an unrestricted free agent (where the big contracts are
usually signed) until you have played four years.

There are a lot of sad stories about pro athletes who didn't prepare themselves
enough for life after their sports career is over. Don't let that
happen to you. It is a long shot to play professional sports. However,
going to college, playing the sport you love and getting a great
education will provide you with an incredible experience that will carry
you through the rest of your life.

No matter what sport you play, your coach develops plays that you use to help the team win. Most
teams have a playbook. Being a student-athlete and trying to have a
game plan for college requires its own "playbook." The NCAA has done a
great job trying to take the burden off of athletes and parents by
creating a game plan to follow. The process to get into college can be
overwhelming. However, using the Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete is a very smart thing to do.

Have you gone to NCAAStudent.org site? It is a really cool interactive site.
It is essentially a playbook with information about being an NCAA
student-athlete.

The site itself was designed to look like a playbook. It is a three-ring binder that "is dedicated to helping you
understand the balance between academics and sports required of every student-athlete for a successful life in school, and out. Here you can learn about the NCAA, download the Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete, and discover how you can go pro in something other than sports."

When you go to the site, the first words that you read are: There are over
380,000 student-athletes, and just about every one of them will go pro
in something other than sports.

I really enjoy the emphasis that the NCAA has put on "going pro" in something other than sports. The
inside folder pocket has an envelope with pictures that open to the
television commercials they have played.

I certainly was not aware of the Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete
when I was in high school and there wasn't an interactive website for
me to review. The site and its design effectively simplify the
information.

This playbook discusses:

Amateurism-Eligibility Requirements
Academic-Eligibility Requirements
Core Course, GPA, Tests, Special Conditions
NCAA Eligibility Center
Questions to Ask as You Consider Colleges
Information for Parents and Guardians
Details for High School Counselors and Athletic Administrators
Recruiting Regulations

The media gives a lot of emphasis to professional athletes and thus every
kid wants to grow up to be one. I can tell you personally that although
it is a great experience, it sometimes is not all that it is cracked up
to be.

So check out the site, read it, download the playbook
and follow it. I am confident that if you follow the plays in this
playbook you will be successful.

June 2008 Snapshotz Winner

Trish18 — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:48:03 GMT

Miniature Barry Sanders
Josh gets the ball handed off and runs down the field and does his best Barry Sanders impersonation and uses a very effective stiff arm for a 50lb kid.

Submit Your Snapshotz
View All Winners

Sports Weekly - 4/11/08

Active Sara — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:08:15 GMT

Who doesn't love a good t-shirt? I know I do. ESPN recently published some of the t-shirt slogans that didn't make the cut in the MLB online team shops. My two favorite slogans just so happen to be from the two teams I love to watch play each other the most - the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Check out Rejected T-shirt slogans to view some of these hysterical MLB rejected t-shirt slogans.

Do you refer to the sport as soccer or football? Well, no matter what you call it you will love this video of the top 50 goals.

How extreme is extreme? Well, a recent photo essay by TIME will show you just what it means to push the limits. The North Pole Marathon, which is run entirely across the frozen Arctic Ocean, is just one of the 13 most Extreme Marathons in the world.

Andy Roddick has the fastest serve recorded in pro tennis at 155 mph. Watch this Active video...

Anyone else thinking, "I wish I could serve like that?" These 10 Tips for Faster Serves from Active will help you be more like the legend himself.

I would assume everyone has at least some knowledge of the protests going on regarding the Olympics and Torch Relay, but have you played the video game in which your goal is to "navigate the Olympic torch away from angry protesters." It is an interesting way of handling the situation to say the least, brought to you by ESPN. Play Torch Run and let us know your thoughts on the game and the situation.

Have you found anything interesting recently? Share it!

April 2008 Snapshotz Winner

Trish18 — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:01:43 GMT

Hard Hitter
In a blowout game, #72 makes a great tackle!

Submit Your Snapshotz
View All Winners

Nation's longest football win streak ends at 109

Trish18 — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 20:07:00 GMT

Cincinnati (Ohio) Elder ended the nation's longest football winning streak-just barely-with a 41-34 overtime victory over Charlotte (North Carolina) Independence. Charlotte Independence won 109 games in a row, a streak that spanned exactly seven years.

During the run, the Patriots, who have been ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press state 4-A poll since the beginning of the 2001 season, became the first team to win seven straight state championships in North Carolina.

For a football program that almost graduated two full cycles of high schoolers who never knew defeat, I can't imagine it has gone over very well. I have a feeling they'll be back on track soon and working hard to secure their eighth state championship.

This reminded me of another team that got noticed for ending another impressive streak-but on the other end of the spectrum. Last winter, Caltech's basketball team beat an NCAA Division III school for the first time in more than a decade, ending a 207-game losing streak by beating Bard College 81-52. The Beavers, hadn't beaten a fellow Division III school since the 1995-96 season.

Check out all the latest high school football news, results and rankings at FootballPower.tv

September 2007 Snapshotz Winner

ActiveAdmin — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 13:43:00 GMT

The Miracle Season
Opening Day featured an opportunity for the BJB organization and families to show their support for the family of Pfc. Joseph Miracle, a former player and soldier recently killed in combat. The Jr. Blackhawks designated Miracle as the "Honorary Captain" of the 2007 Jr. Varsity season and presented his family with a check for $250 for the foundation they are setting up in his name.

Submit Your Snapshotz
View All Winners

Give the ref a break

Trish18 — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 05:14:00 GMT

A Corpus Christi Pee-Wee football coach who charged and knocked down a game referee is blaming the 18-year-old ref for the attack.

Witnesses said the coach, Robert Watson was angry at the ref for ordering him off the field for cursing -- as well as at his 5- and 6-year-old players for not blocking. Watson's team, the Titans, was trailing the 49ers 12-6 with 10 seconds left in the Pee-Wee league's championship game when the incident happened.

Police Captain John Houston said the coach had been warned several times about cursing on the sidelines before his ejection. Houston said the referee was left briefly unconscious by the attack but is otherwise alright.

In the face of increasing amounts of abuse such as this from players, coaches and fans, many officials are leaving the profession. But there are steps you can take to help keep them around.

Females in Football

Trish18 — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 05:09:00 GMT

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, football, long considered to be the ultimate guy sport, appears to be getting a gender infusion. The National Football League has compiled some notable facts about women and football:

1) In 1996, a girls-only division was made available for participants in the Gatorade Punt, Pass & Kick competition. About 125,000 of the 500,000 participants that year were girls. By 2000, the number of girls participating in the contest had risen to more than 1 million. The NFL Gatorade Punt, Pass and Kick program creates lively and engaging competition for boys and girls ages 8 -15 to compete separately against their peers in punting, passing and place kicking skills.

2) More than 30 million women watch football on televisions on an average weekend.

3) Game-day attendance is 40 percent female, with more than 375,000 women attending games on an average weekend.

4) Over 100,000 girls participate in local flag football leagues sponsored by the NFL.

Perhaps the phrase "football widow" is on the way out as more and more females are becoming interested and knowledgable in the sport of football.

(Photo provided by Getty Images, taken by Jonathan Daniel)

Parent's guide to summer sports camps

Trish18 — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:53:43 GMT

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/20/camp_story_image.jpg
Between the glossy brochures and fancy websites, choosing a summer sports camp for your kid has never been more complicated.

Summer sports camps are sophisticated enterprises designed to instruct campers in sport-specific techniques and, in some cases, possibly catch the eye of a university recruiter.

Here are three tips to help parents find the best camp for the young athlete in their family.

Despite popular debate, BCS unchanged

Trish18 — Wed, 09 May 2007 16:39:20 GMT

*!http://active.typepad.com/teamsports/images/2007/05/09/bcs_2.jpg!http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/05/09/bcs_2.jpg
Bowl Championship Series* officials concluded three days of meetings last week with no major changes being made to the system used to crown a college football champion.

Among the wide range of BCS issues that were discussed included the standings and automatic qualification standards. The commissioners from the 11 major conferences and Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White decided to continue with the current system as-is.

There has been a cry to only make conference champs eligible to play for the national championship as well as to change the rule allowing a maximum of two teams per conference in the five big-money bowl games. There was reportedly no support to revise the current BCS system.

Last season, the BCS produced another controversial championship game. When the final BCS standings were released, Ohio State and an was left behind with no chance to have a crack at the title. The debate over whether the Gators or Wolverines should've played the Buckeyes raged for weeks and stirred up much discussion on improving the BCS system.

I would love to see some type of college football playoff system worked out. To reference a blog I wrote after Boise State came through with that thrilling victory:

Historically, sports have shown us that the best team the entire season through doesn��t always have what it takes to win when it counts. It just doesn��t seem to be a fair assessment, especially when people use the argument that a playoff system will never be implemented because of all the revenue that would be lost on bowl games. The thought of compromising crowning an NCAA football champion that is truly the best because of money--that shifting the game around for the sake of entertainment instead of in an effort to uphold the integrity of the game and collegiate sports is even an option--makes me sick.

(Photo provided by Getty Images/Stephen Dunn)

Q & A with new Kansas City tight end Michael Allan

Trish18 — Mon, 07 May 2007 17:28:29 GMT

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/05/07/mickaelallen.jpg
After a tremendous showing at the NFL combine, Whitworth College tight end Michael Allan has transformed himself from little-known Division III athlete into a viable NFL prospect. Active.com spoke with him to get his thoughts on life at a small college and what it's like to read your own player profile on ESPN.

Mel Kiper gave you some love last night on SportsCenter as a high-value pick in the draft. That must have been pretty cool.

Yeah I saw that. My buddy called me from Spokane and told me to turn it on. Not often you hear your name on SportsCenter.

How does a kid who didn't make his high school all-star team turn into a possible first- day NFL draft pick?

(Laughs) I don't know. A lot of it is physical maturation. I was kind of an awkward athlete coming out of high school. Six-four, 190 and running a five-flat (40-yard dash). I grew into my body halfway through college. I always knew how to play the game. Once my body matured I was able to do it cleanly.

Read the rest of the Q & A.

The Greatest Sports Nicknames

Trish18 — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 20:26:04 GMT

*!http://active.typepad.com/teamsports/images/2007/03/27/shoelessjoe.jpg!http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/03/27/shoelessjoe.jpg*Last month I posted an entry that covered a few of the most unique mascots that I could dig up. When I posted the topic to our [message boards|http://eteamz.active.com/baseball/boards/baseball/message.cfm?id=1817684], there was some very interesting feedback on mascots from all over.

Today I decided to sift through some of the great sports nicknames and post up a list of my favorites. Many people say the creation of sports nicknames is a lost art and that athletes just don��t have nicknames like they used to. To an extent, they have a point; modern nicknames are, for the most part, boring and unimaginative (T-Mac, A-Rod, etc.) I'd like to salute a few of the great ones from the past in a brief list of my favorites (in no particular order):

The Iron Horse (Lou Gehrig) �� There are few nicknames that are more apt in their description of a player than ��The Iron Horse��, earned by Gehrig during his long-standing record streak of 2,130 consecutive games played.

Shoeless Joe (Joe Jackson) �� This is one of my favorite
nicknames of all time. Joe Jackson earned the name ��Shoeless�� when, as
a young player, he took off a pair of spikes that hurt his feet and
played the outfield wearing only socks.

Ultimate Teammates

Trish18 — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 19:45:11 GMT

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/team_1.jpg
The softball season is starting up and it's strange not to be out there with my old teammates this year (Good luck Ramblers!). When I begin to think of how much I miss playing, I turn my focus to how fortunate I've been to have had the opportunity to play with amazing teammates over the years.

One of my favorite quotes is by Jesse Owens, "Friendships are born on the field of athletic strife and the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust."

Ron Springs and Everson Walls are such a great example of that sentiment. They share a special bond forged over their years as teammates on the Dallas Cowboys. That��s nothing compared to their newest bond �� the kidney Walls donated to Springs in perhaps the ultimate teammate gesture.

Springs and Walls, 47, recovered at Medical City Hospital on Thursday, a day after the transplant operation �� the first between two former American professional athletes. The 50-year-old Springs has had diabetes for 16 years and has been on the national transplant waiting list since 2004. Providing his body accepts Walls��s kidney, Springs will no longer need dialysis. He also should again be able to walk on his own.

"That's brotherly love," Springs told The Associated Press. "It's something you can't explain, but something that I will always think about every day for the rest of my life."

Do you have any inspirational teammate stories to share?

Athletes received steroids in online ring

Trish18 — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 23:37:05 GMT

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/bonds_1.jpg
Athletes were involved as customers in an illicit steroid distribution network that led authorities to raid two Orlando pharmacies and arrest four company officials, a New York prosecutor said.

Customers include Los Angeles Angels outfielder Gary Matthews Jr., according to the Times Union of Albany, which first disclosed the investigation, citing unidentified sources. Matthews would not answer specific questions about the story Wednesday. Matthews said he didn't know why is name was reportedly on the client list, adding, "That's what we're working on, trying to find out. I will address it at appropriate time."

The Times Union said investigators found evidence that testosterone and other performance-enhancing drugs may have been fraudulently prescribed over the Internet to current and former Major League Baseball and NFL players, college athletes, high school coaches, a former Mr. Olympia champion and another top contender in the bodybuilding competition.

Give the ref a break

Trish18 — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 19:16:23 GMT

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/51489909_1.jpg
A Corpus Christi Pee-Wee football coach who charged and knocked down a game referee is blaming the 18-year-old ref for the attack.

In the face of increasing amounts of abuse such as this from players, coaches and fans, many officials are leaving the profession. But there are steps you can take to help keep them around.