Basketball is the most popular youth sport in America. Some reports within the last decade estimate seven million boys and girls hit the hardwood and suit up for an organized basketball team each year. And yet, there is no structure in place that helps educate players, parents, and coaches about health and wellness—until now.
The NBA and USA Basketball announced the first-ever set of youth health and wellness guidelines on Monday morning, addressing the demanding pre-collegiate basketball environment. Adidas, Nike, and Under Armour publicly support the project, while the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) will endorse the guidelines later this week.
“As strong as our game is, we believe there is a real opportunity to improve the youth basketball experience and enhance player health and wellness by establishing standards for how the game should be played and coached at the grassroots level,” said Mark Tatum, NBA deputy commissioner and chief operating officer.
The process began six months ago when doctors, executives, and former NBA players—including Shane Battier and Bruce Bowen—collaborated on recommendations such as:
• Delay single-sport specialization until age 14 or older
• Limit high-density scheduling based on age-appropriate guidelines
• Rest from organized basketball one day per week and for an extended period each year
“These are just guidelines,” said Jim Tooley, CEO of USA Basketball. “No one is saying my way or the highway. It’s a practical approach to the sport from a holistic perspective.”
Tooley considers the new guidelines “long overdue” given the international popularity of the sport. As the father of a former high school basketball player, Tooley is proud to be a part of making the game safer and, he and his colleagues insist, more fun.
In fact, there’s data to prove that the game is less enjoyable when players don’t take care of their bodies. According to Dr. John DiFiori, NBA Director of Sports Medicine and UCLA Team Physician, 70% of young adults disengage from playing sports by age 13. It’s a simple but deadly formula; high intensity combined with little recovery almost always equates to a burnt-out, unenthusiastic athlete. Yet those who continue to play throughout their adolescence, even recreationally, reap the benefits of an active lifestyle.
Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images
“We’re trying to reshape the youth basketball culture,” DiFiori said. “We’re trying to get away from this focus on excessive competition and result-oriented outcomes and instead focusing on the overall development of the athlete in the long run.”
And what’s best in the long-run? Under the NBA’s new guidelines, players will have to literally put their legs up to get a leg up competitively.
The association also suggests that young athletes should participate in multiple sports before age 14. According to studies used by the NBA, delaying single-sport specialization in favor of “sports sampling” helps preserve both the physical longevity and mental stamina of young athletes. Physically, DiFiori says playing multiple sports provides a biomechanical change of pace, since muscle loading and mechanics change from sport to sport. Sports sampling also changes many young athletes’ roles and understanding of team dynamics, Tooley says.
“If you’re a top basketball player, you might be a role player on the baseball team,” Tooley said. “You learn how to be a good teammate and have a different perspective.”
Coaches agree. For example, Villanova head coach Jay Wright said he enjoys working with multiple-sport athletes.
“When you find that unique guy who plays two sports, I really like that,” Wright said. “They have a great team mentality.”
Villanova is one of many college basketball programs that emphasize holistic health and wellness. Unfortunately, many of Wright’s incoming freshmen practice unhealthy habits. It’s up to Wright and his coaching staff to educate their players on proper training habits. For example, after game day, the Wildcats have “flush days” where the team practices at about 30% to ensure proper rest and recovery.
It’s the NBA’s hope that pre-collegiate athletes will take similar precautions for their own health and wellness benefits.
Wright’s number one recommendation to young basketball players is simple: enjoy the process. Tooley and the NBA wholeheartedly agree.
“Kids gotta be kids,” Tooley said. “They have to play.”
That is, as long as they play by a new set of rules.
“Dodgeball is my go to sport if I would want to help youths grow. It encompasses values like Honesty, Integrity, Dexterity, Humbleness, Sportsmanship, Showmanship, Teamwork, Self-Control, Physical growth, Social acceptance, and definitely, a chance to represent the country should they prove themselves worthy.”
Neoh Yi Hui
President
Dodgeball Association of Singapore
Singapore Neoh Yi Hui President Dodgeball Association of Singapore
When we think of Dodgeball, the imagery of men clad in tight purple venom suits from the movie creeps into our mind and this could not be further from the truth. In Singapore, a group of men and women led by a visionary leader are now attempting to take the sport to the next level after a long six year journey that has been wrought with numerous pitfalls and obstacles.
The Dodgeball Association of Singapore is currently helmed by Neoh Yi Hui, who together with a motley crew of other passionate individuals, have held the federation together for the past six years with their own money, passion and commitment that has at times proven challenging in our competitive landscape. While many others would have given up, Neoh persisted and after six years, there is now a visible growth in the sport not only in Singapore but on an Asian level with numerous players being enlisted into the ranks as Dodgeballers today.
Early Days
In his younger days, Neoh would always be found jumping around and doing something active. Being involved in numerous sports that include bowling, Wushu, Basketball and Taekwando amongst many others, it would almost be destiny that he now sits as the President of the local association. Almost discovering Dodgeball by chance, Neoh immediately jumped at the opportunity to make an impact not only for the sport but for the youths in Singapore as well.
That’s where Dodgeball creeped into my life with my friends, a team of Coaches from different backgrounds. And I never stop dodgeball ever since. It is such an awesome sport although there are some disputes and fight for power and fame that goes around. But I know that no-one in this world can stop me from dodgeball and it is one of the sport which I have full understanding of, and I will continue to play dodgeball for a very long time.
Through his dedication to sports and to Dodgeball, Neoh attributes his “never say die” attitude to him having an active lifestyle since young. Through playing team sport and unfortunately losing games throughout the course of his sporting career, Neoh understands that failure comes not from the loss but only when we give up and stop trying.
Through my sports addiction, I learned to never give up. Life will always be there to throw you a sledge-hammer. It is our duty as a sportsman to take the hit, recover and come back stronger and better. This has helped me overcome so many issues at work and family. Being able to face issues head-on and not avoiding any issues helps to solve problems faster.
Dodgeball and Sustainability
It is said that the legacy of an individual is reflected in the empire that he builds and this stands true for Neoh with his leadership and direction set forth for the association and sport. Since the inception of the sport and taking over the reigns of leadership, Neoh has continued the good work set forth previously and created even more opportunities for youth in Singapore to be part of the growing community. His ambition does not stop here as his greatest wish is for Singapore to be well represented in the world scene where unknown to so many of us, his teams clinched the world title in Germany two years running in a competitive pool of over a hundred teams.
By continuously reaching out to schools and other communities consistently over the years, Dodgeball is now one of the fastest growing sports in Singapore. Importantly, the sport has begun to change lives and develop its players into better people by teaching the values of tolerance, patience and perseverance. In sculpting the future of our youth, Dodgeball has become more than just a sport but for some, a vessel of hope and possible change that eludes them.
Neoh believes that his work is far from over and importantly, that there is much more scope for Dodgeball to grow and to further help youths in Singapore, the region and the rest of the world. This passionately determined leader sees a bright future for the sport and has begun setting the foundation deeper in the ground for expansion. By helping other countries like Thailand and Cambodia start their own Dodgeball federations, it ensures that the sport will continue to grow while displaying the positive traits of a man who is more than willing to pay it forward.
Dodgeball is my go to sport if I would want to help youths grow. It encompasses values like Honesty, Integrity, Dexterity, Humbleness, Sportsmanship, Showmanship, Teamwork, Self-Control, Physical growth, Social acceptance, and definitely, a chance to represent the country should they prove themselves worthy.
DOCTORS EXPLAIN HOW HIKING ACTUALLY CHANGES OUR BRAINS
ALANNA KETLER APRIL 8, 2016
COLLECTIVE-EVOLUTION.COM
While it may seem obvious that a good hike through a forest or up a mountain can cleanse your mind, body, and soul, science is now discovering that hiking can actually change your brain… for the better!
Hiking In Nature Can Stop Negative, Obsessive Thoughts
Aside from the almost instant feeling of calm and contentment that accompanies time outdoors, hiking in nature can reduce rumination. Many of us often find ourselves consumed by negative thoughts, which takes us out of the enjoyment of the moment at best and leads us down a path to depression and anxiety at worst. But a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that spending time in nature decreases these obsessive, negative thoughts by a significant margin.
To conduct this study, researchers compared the reported rumination of participants who hiked through either an urban or a natural environment. They found those who walked for 90 minutes in a natural environment reported lower levels of rumination and they also had reduced neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain related to mental illness. Those who walked through the urban environment, however, did not report decreased rumination.
The researchers noted that increased urbanization closely correlates with increased instances of depression and other mental illness. Taking the time to regularly remove ourselves from urban settings and spend more time in nature can greatly benefit our psychological (and physical) well-being.
Hiking While Disconnected From Technology Boosts Creative Problem Solving
A study conducted by psychologists Ruth Ann Atchley and David L. Strayer found that creative problem solving can be drastically improved by both disconnecting from technology and reconnecting with nature. Participants in this study went backpacking through nature for about 4 days, during which time they were not allowed to use any technology whatsoever. They were asked to perform tasks which required creative thinking and complex problem solving, and researchers found that performance on problem solving tasks improved by 50% for those who took part in this tech-free hiking excursion.
The researchers of this study noted that both technology and urban noise are incredibly disruptive, constantly demanding our attention and preventing us from focusing, all of which can be taxing to our cognitive functions. A nice long hike, sans technology, can reduce mental fatigue, soothe the mind, and boost creative thinking.
Hiking Outdoors Can Improve ADHD In Children
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is becoming more and more common among children. Children who have ADHD have a difficult time with impulse control and staying focused, they get distracted easily, and exhibit excessive hyperactivity.
While raising children who have ADHD can be difficult for parents, the usual solution — opting for prescription medication — may be doing more harm than good, particularly when natural solutions can work just as well. A study conducted by Frances E Kup, PhD, and Andrea Faber Taylor, PhD, found that exposing children with ADHD to “green outdoor activities” reduces symptoms significantly. The results of this study suggest nature exposure can benefit anyone who has a difficult time paying attention and/or exhibits impulsive behavior.
Hiking In Nature Is Great Exercise And Therefore Boosts Brainpower
We already know that exercising is fantastic for our overall well-being. Hiking is an excellent way to burn between 400 – 700 calories per hour, depending on your size and the hike difficulty, and it is easier on the joints than other activities like running. It has also been proven that people who exercise outside are more likely to keep at it and stick to their programs, making hiking an excellent choice for those wishing to become more active on a regular basis.
Researchers from the University of British Columbia found that aerobic exercise increases hippocampal volume — the part of the brain associated with spatial and episodic memory — in women over the age of 70. Such exercise not only improves memory loss, but helps prevent it as well. Researchers also found that it can also reduce stress and anxiety, boost self esteem, and release endorphins. Many people take medication to solve each and every one of these issues, but the solution to these ills may be a lot simpler than you think!
How Can You Begin To Start Hiking?
Luckily, hiking is one of the easiest and least expensive sports to get involved in, and it can have great benefits for the whole family, including grandma! Start out small and test your abilities. Do what works for you — if that means just walking through trails in a park, that’s fine. Any exercise outdoors is better than none. You can easily find maps of trails around your home online, and there are plenty of smartphone apps to map them out, too. I recommend turning off your signal and your phone while hiking though, so you can reap the most benefits of the hike (though it may be wise to at least carry it with you in case of emergency).
Make sure you have some good sturdy hiking shoes, a hat, and a water bottle, and be sure to layer your clothing so you can take things on or off easily as you warm up and cool down. You may want to consider using trekking poles as well, which can increase your speed and take some of the pressure off your knees. Now, can you just do one thing for me?
羅桂祥中學閃避球男女子隊在元朗區閃避球精英賽都拿了第三名。最重要不是名次(但也非常鼓勵)，而是兩隊都打出強大的專注，合一和士氣。這也是我們在賽前會議定下的目標。
很欣賞每個隊員，無論在場內或場外，出場時間多與少，出場機會有沒有，有所有隊友定只剩一人，都十分投入。看見和聽到他/她們如何實踐出氣勢(Magic of Physiology), 是很開心的事。我也接近失聲。
羅桂祥中學閃避球男女子隊在元朗區閃避球精英賽都拿了第三名。最重要不是名次(但也非常鼓勵)，而是兩隊都打出強大的專注，合一和士氣。這也是我們在賽前會議定下的目標。
很欣賞每個隊員，無論在場內或場外，出場時間多與少，出場機會有沒有，有所有隊友定只剩一人，都十分投入。看見和聽到他/她們如何實踐出氣勢(Magic of Physiology), 是很開心的事。我也接近失聲。
