News page
5/28/03
Getting closer dangerously is the name of the game. Kids know it better, what with television bringing the hunks and girls into their bed rooms to grapple and making the adrenaline shoot for the viewers. Boys grow up to learn that all that they have been cheering all along are only fixed or the whole business of wrestling that is shown on TV is just fake but still they love to watch it.
Well, they were here in town last weekend, the girls alone. No, not those in skimpy dresses jumping over each other for the hyped shows beamed on TV but the Indian ones, dressed rather reasonably, to grapple with each other, really, to win titles at the national level.
But then, should there be something fake with this wrestling, too? The wrestling girls, it was told, were actually boxers. Since the country has a shortage of women wrestlers, many boxers were asked to do the game of getting closer dangerously on the ring.
Rings, too, rang a bell in many minds. Not all the mats used for the bouts were wrestling mats. Some were borrowed from the judo people, it was later told. Anyway, the event organised by the Tamilnadu Wrestling Association was a 'success' in that the organisers managed to pull it off, after all. For, the Association, which is filled up with non-Tamilians now, did something that it was not able to do earlier when it was under the control of Tamilians.
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ARTICLE: TRICIA SAUNDERS
BIG DREAMS LITTLE STEPS
Goal setting is one of the most important skills a person can learn is she/he desires to be successful. Since about everyone starts out with dreams of achievement, why do certain individuals seem to get their fair share of success while others don't? Sure, luck could be part of it at times. But more often, these individuals have goal setting strategies in place that have moved them ahead of the pack.
The key to goal setting lies in the understanding that there are different levels of goals that need to be set in order to achieve a dream.
GOAL #1 - THE DREAM - Define your overall dream in one concise sentence.
GOAL #2 - THE MILESTONES - List important steps to hit along the way to realize the dream. Example: I set a milestone to medal in a certain tournaments, then research the dates, times, costs, and other information about the event. Make a yearlong schedule that lists all of your milestones and other important obligations.
GOAL #3 - SPECIFIC SKILLS - Make a list of skills you will need in order to achieve that goal. Be as specific as possible. Start with a short list and build on it.
GOAL #4 - ATTAINABLE DAILY GOALS - These goals are the most important and most overlooked part of successful planning. These goals should be very specific and assigned to a daily time slot. Examples: Work on throw by after practice with coach, run 2 eight minute miles before school at 6:00 am. Set time aside to review videos, get treatment for injuries, work on specific technique, conditioning, rest, and time away from the mat. Record all entries in a daily log. Set up your log at the beginning of each week.
Never start your day or practice thinking, "What should I do today?" Reevaluate your goals periodically, fine tune your small goals, and make changes. Seek advice from others and keep a record of your progress.
If you use these goal-setting strategies, you will markedly improve your chances of reaching your objectives. This kind of planning takes some time and effort. Once you commit yourself to the process, though, you'll see that it's engaging and fun. I truly believe that big dreams are important for everyone to have. In both wrestling and life, all dreams don't come true. In the end, you'll find, the hard work you put forth in order to attain the dream is the true reward. Wrestling teaches us that. That's why it's the greatest sport of all time.
Best of luck to everyone. Work Hard!!
Tricia Saunders has been selected as the Women's 2003 Pan-Am Team Coach, to be held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in August. PAGE 18
ODD TOPICS AND TIPS
MOUTH GUARDS AND CONCUSSIONS
By Satrinina Vernon - USOTC Resident Athlete and Current National Team Member
Don't be a victim of a preventable injury; wear a mouth guard. It is true that mouth guards are not mandatory equipment in all sports? Their worth is indisputable. Many athletes do not know that by wearing a mouth guard it will protect them against concussions along with other oral and facial injuries.
Most athletes can deal with oral and facial injuries, but a concussion can be extremely dangerous it can even cause an athlete to retire from their sport. A concussion is an alteration of consciousness, disturbance in vision and equilibrium caused by a direct blow to the head, or a direct blow to the base of the skull from vertical impact to the lower jaw causing impact to the base of the brain.
There are several levels of concussions:
· Grade 1: (mild) No loss of consciousness and Posttraumatic amnesia less than 30 minutes.
· Grade 2: (moderate) Loss of consciousness less than 5 minutes or Posttraumatic amnesia greater than 30 minutes.
· Grade 3: (severe) Loss of consciousness greater than 5 minutes or Posttraumatic amnesia greater than 24 hours.
When it comes to choosing a mouth guard an athlete has three choices: Custom-made, mouth-formed, and ready-made. Custom made mouth guards are professionally designed by your dentist from a cast model of your teeth. Here at the OTC the trainers practically insist that the athlete come in to make a mold of their teeth so a mouth guard can be made for them and that way they have a mold of your teeth if ever the athlete misplaces or loses his/her mouth guard. Custom guards are a little more expensive but are worth the cost because they offer the best possible protection. They are more secure in the mouth and do not interfere with speech or breathing.
Mouth-formed guards, are the ones you buy in the stores take home and boil them to fit to ones mouth. However these devices are difficult to design for athletes who wear braces and can become brittle after prolong use, plus they tend to make it difficult to breath during activity.
Ready-made, commercial mouth guards can be purchased at most sporting goods stores. They are the least expensive but also the least effective.
Always wear a mouth guard, no matter if you are doing, technique, hard drilling or live wrestling. It is always best to do whatever you can to prevent injuries whenever possible, you can do this by simply going to your dentist and informing him/her that you would like to be fitted for a mouth guard as soon as possible
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? SHANNON (WILLIAMS) YANCEY
Shannon (Williams) Yancey has been one of the trailblazers for women's wrestling, in the US and around the world. She had a very impressive career, as an athlete, and now she is doing a great job of molding young individuals, who will be the future of our sport. Here are a few of her accomplishments:
· 4 x World Silver Medallist
· 4 x US National Champion
· 4 x US Nationals Runner-up
· 6 x World Team Trials Champion
· 2 x World Championships 4th place
· 1 x World Championships 5th place
· 2 x Pan Am Championships Champion
· 13 times Shannon won GOLD at different international tournaments around the world
Shannon received her degree, from Chico State University, in Physical Education and Psychology, in 1995. Shannon works as a teacher and assistant wrestling coach at Thousand Oaks High School in California. She was the first female high school wrestling coach in state history… She is a member of USA Wrestling ad-hoc Women's Development Committee. She has been a coach on numerous USA Wrestling Tours for Women. In 1994, Shannon was voted USA Wrestling Women's Wrestler of the Year, USOC Women's Wrestler of the Year, and The Women's Championship Belt Series Winner.
Shannon is married and has one daughter.
Shannon's Most Valid Memory while competing was .
Thanks for the Memories….