October 2010

www.midtnsportsmag.com • October 2010 • Middle Tennessee sporTs Magazine 1

October 2010 Volume 1 • No. 6

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GreatExpectations

October 2010 MTSM.indd 1 9/27/2010 7:50:41 AM

2 Middle Tennessee sporTs Magazine • October 2010 • www.midtnsportsmag.com



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Publisher/Editor Jane Hutson

Managing Editor Jim Muir

Account Executives Janet Collins Jane Hutson Becky Sweeney Jon Williams Photographers Don Olea Kevin Pieper Kenn Stilger

Contributing WritersJohn FergusonTim GhianniJim HarwellRudy KalisRoger LipeDr. James Lohse Jim MuirGreg SageKathy SteakleyBill Traughber

For more information regarding Middle Tennessee Sports Magazine contact Jane Hutson at 615-485-7640 or email [email protected], Janet Collins at [email protected], Becky Sweeney at 615-260-4751 or email [email protected], Jon Williams at 615-480-6455 or email [email protected].

The LineUp

A Word from the Publisher .........6

FCA.................................................8

Shut Up and Serve .................... 10

Points to Ponder ....................... 11

Ask the Jock Doc .......................16

Sports Mom Spotlight .............. 42

Ask the Certifi ed Athletic Trainer .......................... 44

Rudy Kalis Looks Between the Lines .........46

24

32 38

Belmont U 13TSU 18Referees Positions 35Just for Kicks 40

20


www.midtnsportsmag.com • October 2010 • Middle Tennessee sporTs Magazine 5 www.midtnsportsmag.com • October 2010 • Middle Tennessee sporTs Magazine 5

That old and accurate saying comes to mind when viewing the outpouring of love for Ravenwood High School tennis coach A.W. Speake, who passed away suddenly on August 26 from an apparent heart attack.

Speake died at a place where he enjoyed so much success – on the tennis courts instructing youngsters in the fi ner points of the game he lived and loved.

As a tribute to the many lives he touched shortly after his death a memorial of fl owers, cards and homemade signs began adorning the fences surrounding the tennis courts at RHS. It was a fi tting tribute to a man who dedicated much of his life teaching and coaching tennis

Speake, only a few months removed from winning the TSSAA 2010 Class AAA state tennis title, was also named the Midstate Girls Coach of the Year in 2009. During his long and illustrious career he was also se-lected as the USTPA Tennis Professional of the Year in Tennessee and the person who has done the most to promote the sport of tennis in Tennessee.

While the outpouring of love from players and students was on display with the personal tributes surround-ing the tennis courts RHS Principal Dr. Pam Vaden noted on the school’s webpage that the feeling was quite mutual.

Dr. Vaden’s comments read in part:

…“Our hearts are heavy once again. We will all miss Coach Speake very much. He loved his athletes and was so very proud of them.”

The staff at MTSM joins the Ravenwood High School community in mourning the loss of a great coach and an even better person. -- Jim Muir --

RIPA.W. Speake

February 11, 1953 --- August 26, 2010

A picture, as we’re often told, is worth a thousand words. 38



A Word from the

Publisher

ASK THE AD Tennessee State U

ASK THE AD Belmont University

October is here with cooler temperatures just as fall sports seasons are heat-

ing up. We’re in the thick of some great rivalries soon to culminate into state tournaments. It’s a fa-vorite time of year for sports fans everywhere.

This issue of MTSM is a spe-cial one for me as I’ve taken what may be called ‘publisher’s privi-lege’ by including a feature on Ravenwood high school’s volley-ball team. Yes, both our daugh-ters play for Ravenwood, but after talking with our managing editor, Jim Muir, who convinced me we should run the piece, I smiled and said ‘let’s roll.’ The expectations are high for this team as they fin-ished second in the state tourna-ment last year and return several starters this year. Players, coach-es, parents, and fans all have the same vision – to get to the state tournament in October and take the prize. Thanks for indulging a publisher/mom.

We’ve included some great stories of traditions in this issue. One of those traditions is at Dav-id Lipscomb High School where dads gather before home games to not only paint the field, but fel-lowship and pray for their Mus-tangs and their competitors. It’s a rich tradition that grew out of love for a program and a special coach.

Another tradition we have fea-tured is one that is being broken as we speak. In a small town in Macon County, Red Boiling Springs’ football team listed a 0-61 record when Coach Kyle Shoulders was hired in 2009. Six years without a win, a new tradi-tion has been started and the dif-ference this coaching staff has made is something you’ll want to read about. Life lessons at its best.

We’re also tossing in some ed-ucation on officiating this month. While there are five striped shirts on the football field, many of us don’t know exactly what their re-sponsibilities are on Friday night. You’ll get a glimpse of what they do and why they do it.

From high school to middle school – we’ll introduce you to a cracker-jack kicker from Sunset Middle School. This kid is one you’ll want to keep an eye on. Thanks to a reader who called me with this story lead after seeing Trace Halpern kick a 41-yard field goal.

MTSM also honors a fallen coach who passed suddenly while doing what he loved – coaching tennis. A.W. Speake has coached hundreds of Middle Tennessee athletes and his legacy will last for years. You’ll see the impact he had on players, parents, and friends.

I’d like to include a ‘shout out’ to our columnists this month who continue to contribute great sto-ries, lessons, inspiration, and words of wisdom. Rudy Kalis, Kathy Steakley, Dave Derocher,

and Greg Sage: you are all great partners of MTSM and I appreci-ate you.

I’m proud to announce a new look and feel of MTSM coming in November – like dropping the “M” from MTSM. We’ll be Tennes-see Sports Magazine starting with November’s issue. We’re excited about some cool changes we’re making to the magazine. TSM is maintaining the same high stand-ards of quality and content, but upgrading our format. Same writ-ers, publisher, editor, and pho-tographers, just a new look. Our website will have a facelift too so be sure to check us out online. We’re growing fast, developing, and evolving with content, adver-tisers, and graphics. New look, new traditions, but still a focus on the good things about sports in Tennessee.

As always, thanks for picking us up and reading. I look forward to your feedback, story leads, and recommendations at [email protected] or 615-485-7640.

All the best,

jane



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A Word from the

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ASK THE AD Belmont University

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Middle Tennessee Sports Magazine

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CERTIFIED ATHLETIC TRAINERASK THE

After the last 10 years of travel abroad invest-ing in the sport chaplain and sport mentor commu-nity, I better understand this promise. The disciples were about to embark on exciting, perilous journeys and would follow Jesus’ instructions about how to travel, where to stay and how to receive hospitality (Matthew 10). They each, no doubt, wound up with homes all over their world as they carried the gospel of Christ from house to house, city to city, nation to nation. They, no doubt, found multiplied hundreds of people whose relationships with them were as dear as mothers, brothers, sisters and children. They, no doubt, also encountered persecutions which eventu-ally took their very lives.

My wife and I live very modestly in a house in Car-bondale, Illinois. We have two cars with over 100,000 miles on each one. My wardrobe is the subject of af-fectionate teasing as most everything has a logo on it (FCA or SIU), meaning I didn’t pay for it. Many of my contemporaries seem obsessed with the accumula-tion of wealth or at least the stuff which makes one appear to be wealthy. A few of them are truly wealthy and they have found that the wealth brings along a new set of stresses and problems.

As I sat at a picnic table in the early morning mountain breeze I realized that I have received gra-cious hospitality and have found homes in Teguci-galpa and San Pedro Sula, Honduras. I have a home with my friends in Kingston, Jamaica. I have been welcomed, like I was home, in numerous states of the USA. In Melbourne, Australia I was made to feel as if I owned the place. The same has been true in Cuba, Singapore, Thailand, Greece, London, Wales and now in Italy. I am the richest person I know!

As I have traveled internationally these last 10 years, I have developed relationships with people on six continents and I cherish them as dearly as

Fellowship oF ChrisTian

aThleTes

While preparing to deliver a talk on leader-ship for a set of interns studying and work-ing in international sports ministry, I was

struck right between the eyes by a new angle on a scripture which I have read for decades. As I talked with the interns over those summer days I was struck by how free they are. Many had gone to college and had completed their degrees without a dollar of debt due to their athletic scholarships and they are now contemplating a life of service to Christ in countries which they could not spell just a month earlier. I was inspired by their liberty and took some time for per-sonal reflection about my own pilgrimage over the last decade.

Mark 10:28-31

Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.”

Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or moth-er or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.”

Peter and the disciples had all left their businesses and much more to follow Jesus. Until yesterday, I had heard Jesus’ reply to Peter’s statement with little un-derstanding or personal impact. That changed right away. I focused in on Jesus’ assertion that the disci-ples would receive these sacrificed items 100 times over in this present age (and persecutions as well), plus eternal life in the next.

The Richest Man I Know

Faith on the Field




t r i s ta rhea lth . com

I do my brothers, sisters, my mother, father and my son. These total more than a hundred times as many relationships which have been lost to my pursuit of Christ’s call. My brothers and sisters speak Spanish and Chinese, Vietnamese, Patois, Farsi, German and French, Portuguese, Hindi, Thai, Swahili and many speak English with a wide variety of marvelous dia-lects and lovely accents. One lady who is as dear to me as a mother speaks Afrikaans and my thousands of children (in Christ) are scattered across the USA and abroad having come through 16 years of Saluki football, basketball, baseball, softball, track and fi eld, volleyball and more. I have received of the Lord an immense, global family.

The remaining item which gives me sober pause is that I have yet to be visited by signifi cant persecution. At most, I have been inconvenienced, misunderstood or resisted. Persecution has yet to cost me even a drop of blood (though it almost did in San Pedro Sula, Honduras in 1994). The Lord’s faithfulness to the promises of multiplied possessions and relationships must be also applied to the sure-to-come persecu-tions. I trust that, upon their arrival, they will be seen as less than nothing as compared to the gracious gifts which the Lord Jesus has lavished on me over just this last decade.

I challenged the interns to charge strongly into their futures, casting caution to the wind and trusting Christ to fulfi ll His promises. I would challenge you and the man I shave each morning to do the same.

The Richest Man I Know




of a challenge or making a friend … and she does it all with a smile.”

Robert Towns, Kelsey’s father

“I would describe Kelsey as a com-petitor. Regardless of the situation, on the court or in a hospital, Kelsey has a can-do attitude and takes on life’s challenges (good or bad) with a competitive spirit and a positive out-look.”

Lea Ann Towns, Kelsey’s moth-er

“When Kelsey walks in the room she brings a bright light that everyone notices. She’s so positive, cheerful, and is a beautiful young lady.”

Kathy Roulac, TSU head coach

“Kelsey is such a fine example of what youth are all about, even through this most challenging expe-rience, her spirit and resolve shines through.”

Brandon Rosenthal, David Lipscomb University head coach

“Kelsey is a brave, beautiful prin-cess who never ceases to smile and inspire every person she comes in contact with.”

Madelyn Hutson, Ravenwood outside hitter

“Kelsey has accepted her diag-nosis with a typical Towns’ approach. She is strong and loving. There is no time for sorrow – only a positive ap-proach that affects those who love her more than herself. When we feel frustrated and hurt for all of the fam-ily, we look to her for support. What a strange twist?”

Tucked in the hills of Tennessee are some of the finest stars in volleyball. I have the privilege

of highlighting one of our great play-ers. Her name is Kelsey Towns and she has been the starting setter for Father Ryan Academy. But instead of having the opportunity to help lead her team to another state champion-ship, she is undergoing heavy doses of chemotherapy and radiation at Vanderbilt Children’s hospital. This last June she was unexpectedly di-agnosed with Synovial Sarcoma, an extremely rare and aggressive form of cancer that attacks less than one in a million kids under the age of 20. Here is a letter for Kelsey that I would like to share with her and all of you.

Dear Kelsey,

As I write this letter I know you are undergoing chemotherapy and radia-tion. I can’t imagine what that must be like especially during your senior year of High School. When times get chal-lenging please remember how many of us admire your courage, love and passion.

This is a letter compiled by sev-eral of your biggest fans and we pray it gives you some encouragement. I simply asked “How would you de-scribe Kelsey Towns?” Without hesi-tation this is what they said:

“One word for “MY GIRL” would be “FEARLESS.” She always has this fearless calm about her. In faith and life she never lets fear get in her way

Jinx Cockerham, Father Ryan head coach

“Kelsey Towns is one of the most passionate, hardworking, and a ‘nev-er-quit types’ who always strives to do her best.”

Ellen Mullins, former Father Ryan teammate, currently playing for UT

“She is amazing and courageous, the essence of a true team player.”

Tracey Berry, Ravenwood High School coach

“She is the best friend everyone wants and the hero everyone needs.” Micaela Bailey, Ravenwood High School, libero

“Everyone loves Kelsey because of her sweet spirit and determination in spite of her difficult circumstances.”

Scott Rhein, Junior National Volleyball team player

“Kelsey is the person everyone wants to be around, always laughing, making jokes and has such a conta-gious personality that everyone loves through good times and bad.”

Lydia Wright, Ravenwood High School setter

Kelsey, you are setting the pace for all of us in love and courage. Thank you for allowing us a front row seat in the making of a true champion. Keep on fighting and we will keep on pray-ing for a good report in December after you have undergone your treat-ment!

Kelsey Towns “Fearless”

Points to Ponder

Roger Lipe




Points to Ponder

Roger Lipe

DreamsEvery year I look at the schedule

during pre-season and start to calcu-late wins and losses. “We can beat them. We’ll probably lose there. This one is a toss up. We’d better beat them!” I’m sure all of us lie on our beds at night and dream about cham-pionships and M.V.P. awards. What’s exciting to me is that God can do im-measurably more than even those things.

In Paul’s letter to his friends in Ephesus at chapter 3 and verse 20 he writes, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His pow-er that is at work within us...” How big can you ask or imagine? How large are your dreams? God’s reality is even bigger!!

Could it be that God’s plans for me are even greater than I could possibly dream of? Can I trust God to make provision for my life in ways I can’t even conceive? Absolutely. The text says that He is able to do immeasur-ably more than I can even ask or im-agine. That’s how great God’s power is in our lives. He is at work in ways we can’t even fathom with our simple minds. His reality is even bigger than our dreams.

In today’s game, let the confidence that comes from security make you the player you’ve always dreamed of being. Step into the reality of God’s plans and you’ll find life that eclipses your wildest dreams.

Patience, Kindness, Goodness

We are again talking about in-

wardly held character qualities with outward expression. This time

they’re relational in nature... dealing with how we relate to our teammates, coaches and friends.

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians at chapter 5 and verse 22 he writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, good-ness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” How would fruit be evi-dent on your life’s branches?

Check your relationships to see if these kinds of fruit are hanging there:

· Patience - bearing with the un-bearable. Do you know anyone like that?

· Kindness - Giving the best to the undeserving. To whom do show kindness?

· Goodness - Emulating God’s character of moral purity. Is that evi-dent in your relationships?

In today’s game, be patient with each other’s failings. Show kindness to each other, sacrifice to give your best to the undeserving. Be good. Express yourself with purity of motive and intention. These qualities make for great relationships and for great teams. Be one today!

Practice

Why do we have to practice all the time? Why do we continually run these same drills on fundamentals? Haven’t we attained enough experi-ence to do away with all this repeti-tion? The Holy Scripture communi-cates strongly a value for these kinds of activities.

In the Old Testament book of Ec-clesiastes, at chapter 10 and verse 10 Solomon wrote, “If the axe is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.” Obviously he is not just talking about cutting down trees. The

key phrase is, “skill will bring suc-cess.”

You have taken years of your life to sharpen your skills. Your investment of time and hard work to improve your techniques, strength, quickness, shooting, etc... will surely bring suc-cess.

It’s always good to do some evalu-ation and to check the sharpness of your skills. How sharp am I today? With a dull set of skills, we must ap-ply a whole lot more muscle and extra effort. Trust the words of Solomon, sharpen your skills and meet suc-cess.

Pray for a sharp set of tools for today’s game. Watch how easily things work when your skills are finely honed and applied to your game. Be sure to thank God for your tools and their sharpness.

Love, Joy, PeaceWhat are the characteristics of

your life that show your true nature? Do your actions accurately reflect the condition of your heart? Let’s focus our minds on some inward qualities with outward expressions. Let’s turn our attention on some transforming character qualities that will lead to victories on and off the field of com-petition.

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians at chapter 5 and verse 22 he writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, good-ness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” As apples are the fruit



of an apple tree, these qualities are the fruit of a lover of God.

These qualities that are held inside a person’s character are expressed in one’s speech and conduct:

· Love - giving sacrificially to oth-ers without expectation of return.

· Joy - Emotional stability in tur-bulent times.

· Peace - Clear minded thinking in the middle of chaos.

In today’s game, employ love for your teammates in sacrificially giving

all you have to achieve a win. Ex-hibit joy in overcoming the emotional roller coaster that rides through the day. Rest in the peace that comes with trusting God through the chaos of competition. Bear some fruit in today’s game, everyone will see the source and they’ll honor your God.



Belmont closed out the Nevada Invitational with a fi ve-set win over Weber State to move to

3-4 on the season. The win also gave head Coach Deane Webb his 300th career win.

The Bruins needed a fi fth set to knock off the Wildcats after drop-ping the fourth set, 23-25. Belmont entered set four with a 2-1 lead and ultimately took the deciding set 15-4 behind strong performances by its upperclassmen. Junior Mag-gie Johnson (Naperville, Ill.), led the Bruins with 19 kills. She also added 12 digs and three service aces. Sen-ior Kayla Albritton (Gainesville, Fla.) added a season and career high 18 kills, plus four blocks and a service ace to go along with her team high .378 hitting percentage, while fellow senior Tara Blood (Boise, Idaho) led the Bruins with fi ve blocks and also added 11 kills.

“Kayla was incredible this week-end,” Webb said. “She led the tour-ney in kills per game and was second in hitting percentage. She’s trans-formed herself from a very average freshman to an outstanding player as a senior. Truly a tribute to the hard work she puts in every spring and summer in the weight room. She de-serves anything good that comes her way.”

Overall, the Nevada Invitational provided Webb and his staff addi-tional opportunities to evaluate their team and mark areas for improve-ment, especially against tough com-petition from teams like Notre Dame and Nevada. Both teams were ag-gressive and athletic, something Webb hopes will help his team when the conference season rolls around.

The success the Bruins had against diffi cult competition showed they have what it takes to compete with good teams.

“It was a very interesting week-end, to say the least,” Webb said. “We’ve done a good job being prepared mentally and e m o t i o n a l l y to play good teams this season, but we’ve lacked focus and intensity when play-ing teams that weren’t considered as strong. That’s something I need to improve on as a coach, and hope-fully we’ll address that very soon. With glimpses of potential come an understanding of expectations and being accountable for our actions. If the glimpses of potential we showed this weekend can become our stand-ard level of play, I’m excited for what we can become.”

Webb now has a career record of 300-166. Already the winningest coach in school history, Webb has amassed 138 wins as the head coach of the Bruins, including fi ve consecu-tive 20-win seasons from 2004 to 2008. Twice named the Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year (2004 and 2006), Webb has led Belmont to two A-Sun Championships and two NCAA Tour-nament appearances. When asked about his success and reaching the career milestone, Webb attributed his

3 0 0 career wins to the players and assistant coaches who helped make them possible.

“There’s a coaching saying that I agree with that says ‘Good players make good coaches’, and seeing a 300th win as a college coach reminds me how fortunate I’ve been to coach all the wonderful players that earned all of these victories,” Webb said. “Along with the players, I’m thankful for the assistant coaches that have coached our teams to these victories. Whether it’s Jeff Wismer, who just started here and has coached our team to three wins, to Embrey Bran-non who has been here four years and is doing a great job with our play-ers, to Tony Howell and Ken Carver, coaches that worked alongside me for years and each coached teams to over a hundred wins, they’re as much responsible for those successes as anyone.”

The success the Bruins had against diffi cult competition showed they have what it takes to compete with good compete with good

“It was a very interesting week-end, to say the least,” Webb said. “We’ve done a good job

focus and intensity when play-ing teams that weren’t considered as strong. That’s something I need

3 0 0 career wins to the players and assistant coaches who players and assistant coaches who

Belmont Tops Weber State,

Webb Gets Win No. 300The Bruins knock off the Wildcats in Five Sets to Give Head Coach Deane Webb Career Win 300

Kayla Albritton



Whether you are a divi-sion one college play-er, high school athlete,

or just a weekend warrior, the friendly and knowledgeable staff and professionals at Total Family Physicians Center in Murfrees-boro can probably help you with your injuries.

As a multidisciplinary health-care facility, Total Family Physi-cians, under the direction of Dr. Dean McIntyre takes care of all their patients’ needs under one roof. With a mission to help pa-tients achieve total wellness rath-er than just relief of symptoms, Total Family is ready to help fami-lies by creating a comprehensive plan to not only help but to heal.

Are you literally feeling weak in the knees? Do you find your-self struggling to get going in the morning, wincing at the thought

of tackling a flight of stairs, or sit-ting out an active lifestyle just to avoid pain? In addition to the va-riety of comprehensive healthcare services, Total Family Physicians Center in Murfreesboro has a new, FDA approved knee rehabili-tation program designed to help delay and may even prevent knee replacement surgery and get back to living life at full capacity.

“We developed our knee pro-gram because we found that many people in our community that are suffering from knee pain have either been given no op-tion or told surgery and or pain medication are their only hope,” Dr. McIntyre said. “So we aligned ourselves with the Osteoarthritis Centers of America and became accredited to provide this unique service to our patients.”

Total Family’s rehabilitation

program is a non-operative treat-ment that includes physical ther-apy, therapeutic exercises and precise Hyalgen lubricating knee injections that provide relief from osteoarthritis in the knee and improves range of motion and strength.

“We have the only knee pro-gram in Middle Tennessee that combines visco-supplementation under an advanced, live motion X-Ray with dye and therapeutic rehabilitation,” explains McIntyre. “Our program has brought relief to hundreds of knee pain-sufferers searching for an effective, less- invasive and less painful alterna-tive to knee replacement surgery.”

This unique program is FDA approved and is recognized by Medicare and other major medical insurances. For more information, visit:www.fixyourknees.com

Total Family Physicians is a multidisciplinary, one-of-a-kind, integrated physical medicine facil-ity offering; chiropractic services, physical therapy, pre and post surgical rehabilitation, massage therapy, medical services, includ-ing some pain management and osteoarthritis knee treatment.

“All facets of health are equal-ly important,” says Dr. McIntyre. “We seek to find the root of peo-ple’s health issues and address them. All aspects of what we offer contribute to the progress of our patients’ overall health.”

Rather than just focusing on palliative treatment, Total Family Physicians specializes in struc-tural rehabilitation. The founda-tion of structural rehabilitation is the principle that the body has a

Totally!Total Family Physicians Center is a multi-disciplinary healthcare

facility helping patients and athletes achieve total wellness



structure designed to maintain proper nerve function. Many daily stressors hamper proper posture and affect how the body functions.

“We are multidisciplinary, so we address all components of cor-rection,” says Dr. McIntyre. “We are not the ‘silver bullet’ of health care, but we are a piece of the puzzle that that contributes to an overall increase in the quality of your life.”

Total Family Physicians seeks to effectively address and treat patients’ healthcare needs.

“If we cannot meet a patient’s specific need, we know where to send you,” said Dr. McIntyre. “Even though we are full service, we know when to give a referral and we have an excellent refer-ral base stemming out of close relationships with many excellent doctors and specialists through-out Middle Tennessee.”

Total Family Physicians was first opened in Murfreesboro

by Dr. Dean McIntyre who moved from a practice in Bir-mingham, Ala-bama to open a practice in Murfreesboro in 2005. While in Birmingham Dr. McIntyre was the team c h i r o p r a c t o r for the Bir-mingham Bulls hockey team and provided care to many of the Hoover High School athletes. Since his move to Murfreesboro he has helped many area High school athletes and coaches and works with the MTSU athletic de-partment to help their athletes perform their maximal potential.

(To learn more about how to achieve total wellness visit

www.totalfamilyphysicians-center.com or call 615-895-2800. Total Family Physicians Center is located at 818 E. Clark Blvd. in Murfreesboro, open Monday through Thursday 8am to 6pm (closed 12pm to 2pm), and Fridays by appointment only.)

Back row: Dr. Dean McIntyre, Kelly Holcomb, Jason Spray, Josh Jacobs R.T.Front row: Tonya Hicks L.M.T., Karin Waddell P.T.A.



Points to Ponder

Roger Lipe

James J. Lohse, MD, CAQSM

Coughing with Exercise: Needs EvaluationExercise induced bronchoconstriction in competitive athletes

Anyone who plays sports or is a spectator at a sporting event has heard

at one time an athlete cough while playing their sport. You may say to yourself, how can this athlete continue to cough while they are playing? Are they sick? Is this cough chronic? Or does this cough only occur when they play sports? Each of these questions is correct to evaluate this athlete but the last one is usually not addressed until performance is compromised or someone on the team is “sick” of them coughing at every game! This athlete may be suffering from exercise induced bronchoconstriction and he or she needs a physician evaluation.

So, what is Exercised Induced Bronchoconstriction (EIB)?

EIB is defined as a temporary narrowing of the lower airways of the lungs that occurs during vigor-ous exercise in a competitive ath-lete, any individuals who engage in strenuous aerobic activity at any level from grade school age and older.

When does EIB present during exercise?

Athletes with EIB typically ex-perience symptoms within the first 6-8 minutes of nonstop exercise, peaking at 15-30 minutes, and complete resolution of symptoms up to 60 to 90 minutes from ces-sation of that exercise or sport.

What are the symptoms for EIB?Most common symptoms in

children are:

Cough Chest tightness or painShortness of Breath

Followed by:Wheezing – heavy whistling

sound while you are trying to breath

Excessive mucus productionFeeling of being out of shape

What are the causes for EIB?One major theory for develop-

ing EIB is the rapid breathing of air that is cooler and drier than the air in the lungs during vigorous exercise or sport. For example, a hockey player is entering the ice rink during the summer months; he or she leaves the warm ambi-ent temperature to a cold and dry ice skating surface, which may provide an environment for EIB.

Are there any triggers besides exercise?

Other common triggers are pollen, allergens, pollutants, and temperature changes which can cause rapid exacerbation of EIB symptoms.

Are there differences between athletes who play sports outside and those who play inside?

Athletes who compete in dif-ferent environmental conditions such as a grass field, tennis court, or swimming pool may be

more susceptible to EIB. Studies have shown those athletes who play sports in the winter months, in cold environments; swimmers exposed to pool chemicals out-side the pool, during high pollen counts, or exposed to pollutants in the air are more likely to suffer from exercise induced bronchoc-onstriction.

How can my doctor tell that I have EIB?

Your doctor will ask you ques-tions about your symptoms and perform a physical exam. If your doctor thinks you might have EIB, he or she may start treating you with a medication and change your routine of diet or exercise. Self reported symptoms alone are not reliable for diagnosis of EIB. An exercise challenge in your physician’s office or during your sport is the preferred method for a diagnosis.

What medication is used for treatment?

The most effective medication used to treat EIB for symptoms and prevention is albuterol, which is an inhaler commonly used for asthmatics. An athlete will need to use their albuterol inhaler 15-20 minutes prior to exercise or sport and when symptoms present dur-ing or after.

What are the nonpharmalogical therapies used to prevent EIB?

These therapies are to be used in addition to albuterol for preven-



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Points to Ponder

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tion of EIB and never used solely for the treatment.

Physical adjuncts to pharmaco-logical therapy:

Pre-exercise warm-up – 15 minutes before starting exer-cise

Post-exercise cool-down – 15 minutes after finishing exer-cise

Breathing through nose – warms air entering your lungs

Covering the mouth particularly in cold, dry weather – stops warm air from leaving your lungs

Dietary adjuncts to pharmaco-logical therapy:

Low sodium dietFish Oil – Omega 3 fatty acids Vitamin C supplementation

My daughter has asthma and I was told she has Exercise Induced Asthma (EIA). Is EIB the same as EIA?

EIB may appear with or without asthma. The term exercise in-duced asthma (EIA) should not be used because exercise does not induce asthma but rather is a trig-ger of bronchoconstriction. The occurrence of bronchoconstriction especially with symptoms dur-ing or following exercise is one of the most common characteristics of asthma, but also occurs in the absence of asthma. In asthmat-ics, EIB itself is a marker of poor control and suggest the need to initiate or step up therapy.

Is there any truth to using caf-feine to prevent EIB?

Although caffeine is a derivative of the respiratory medication of theophylline rarely used for asth-

matics, we do not recommend either caffeine or theophylline for the treatment of EIB. Caffeine is needed in large amounts (ap-proximately 9-10 cups of strong coffee) to show any effect which will lead to adverse effects of a racing heart beat, palpitations, headaches, muscle aches, and chest pain.

Dr James J. Lohse is a board certified primary care sports medicine physician whose of-fice will be moving on October 25, 2010 to the Tristar Medical Plaza Brentwood at the inter-section of Concord Road and Nolensville Road in Brentwood, TN under the new name, TriS-tar Medical Group - Brentwood East Family & Sports Medicine.



Tennes-see State University

will induct a new class into their Sports Hall of Fame in Novem-ber. Between 10 and 15 persons will join the 124 individuals and two athletics

teams into the storied hall of TSU athletic honorees.The first class of inductees in 1983 consisted of 68

individuals and one team. Some notable members of the first class were Wilma Rudolph, Madeline Manning, Mae Faggs, Wyomia Tyus and Barbara Jones (women’s track). Ralph Boston and John Moon (men’s track), Richard Barnett, John Barnhill, Ted McClain, Lloyd Neal and Leon-ard Robinson (men’s basketball). Joe Gilliam, Jr., Eldridge Dickey, Claude Humphrey and Nolan Smith (football). The

Tennessee State Set To Induct New Sports Hall of Fame Members

1956 men’s basketball team was inducted for its three back-to-back national NAIA championships. Some notable coaches inducted in the inaugural class included John B. McLendon (men’s basketball), John Merritt, Howard Gen-try and Henry Arthur Kean (football), Ed Temple (women’s

track) and Willie Stevens (men’s track). Administrators in-cluded Dr. Walter Davis (president), Howard Gentry, Henry Arthur Kean and Samuel Whitmon (athletic director) and Luther Carmichael (sports information).

The last class of inductees was named in 1996, includ-ed twelve individuals (eight athletes, three coaches and one administrator). Notable athletes included Willye White and Cynthia Thompson (women’s track), Joe “Turkey” Jones (football) and Bruce Bradford (swimming). Coaches included Joe Gilliam, Sr, and Alvin Coleman (football) with Carrie Gentry named as the long-time director of the Ten-nessee State Majorettes.

Profile of one of the top Tennessee State University Sports Hall of Famers – Wilma Rudolph

Wilma Rudolph (1940-1994) became the first American woman runner to win three gold medals in the Olympic games. She made history in the 1960 Summer Olympic games in Rome, Italy, when she became the first Ameri-can woman to win three gold medals in the track and field competition. Rudolph’s brilliant accomplishments were all the more remarkable because she came from modest circumstances and endured a childhood of sickness and disability.

Rudolph’s confidence may have flagged at times in her childhood, when it seemed she might spend a lifetime in leg braces or even a wheelchair. At the age of four, Wilma



contracted polio. The disease weakened her and made her vulnerable to pneumonia and scarlet fever. She sur-vived the illnesses, but she lost the use of her left leg. Dr. Wallace Dooley, a specialist at Nashville’s Meharry Medi-cal College’s Hubbard Hospital, recommended a therapy routine of massage for the limb, which Mrs. Rudolph learned and taught it to some of the older children. Thus, Wilma’s legs were massaged a number of times each day, helping her to regain strength.

Once a week – on her day off – Blanche Rudolph would drive her daughter 45 miles to Nashville for physical therapy. After five years of treatment, Wilma stunned her doctors when she removed her leg braces and walked by herself. She had been practicing for quite some time with the help of her brothers and sisters. Soon she was able to walk even better with the help of a supportive shoe. This she wore until she was eleven. After that, she not only left braces and orthopedic shoes behind, she confounded every prediction that she would be a disabled adult. Soon she was joining her brothers and sisters in basketball games in the Rudolph backyard and running street races against other children her age. “By the time I was 12, I was challenging every boy in our neighborhood at running, jumping, everything.”

Rudolph soon blossomed into a fine basketball player. As a sophomore she scored 803 points in 25 games, a state record for girls’ basketball. She also started run-ning in track meets and found that her greatest strengths lay in the sprint. She was only 14 when she attracted the attention of Ed Temple, the women’s track coach at TSU. Temple told her she had the potential to become a great runner, and during the summer recesses from high school she trained with him and the students at TSU. The Olym-pic Games were a far-off dream to a young black woman in Tennessee. She was a teenager before she even learned what the Olympics were. Rudolph caught on fast, though. In four seasons of high school track meets, she never lost a race. At the tender age of sixteen, she quali-fied for the Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, and came home with a bronze medal.

At the 1960 Olympics, Rudolph won all three of her gold medals in very dramatic fashion. In both the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter dash, she finished at least three yards in front of her closest competitor. She tied the world record in the 100-meter and set a new Olympic record in the 200. Rudolph also brought her 400-meter relay team from behind to win the gold.

She retired from amateur athletics in 1963, finished her college work, and became a school teacher and athletic coach. She also became a mother, raising four children. “Graduating from Tennessee State University was the second greatest moment of my life.” Rudolph said.

On November 12, 1994, Rudolph died at her home in Brentwood, Tennessee of a malignant brain tumor. She is survived by two sons, two daughters, six sisters, and two brothers.



By John Ferguson

Think fast - when can a head coach with a career record of 4-9 be called a success?

When his name is Kyle Shoulders, head coach of the rising Red Boil-ing Springs Bulldogs.

Rising? With a record like that? Well, yes – but, to under-

stand where this is going, you have to know where the program has been.

The loveable losersMost everyone in Tennessee

knows about Red Boiling Springs. Not many know where it is, but they know what it’s famous for – 0-61.

Before the 2009 season, the Bull-dogs had not won a game since Week 9 of the 2002 season. Six con-

Coach Kyle Shoulders and his staff are lifting the infamous Red Boiling Springs football program from the mire of futility - a big job that re-quires broad shoulders.

BroadShoulders



secutive 0-10 seasons – that kind of streak is hard on the soul.

The soul of this tiny town, located in a hollow on the eastern edge of rural Macon County, is already bat-tered. The three major job sources are farming, lumber, and the Nestle Springs bottling plant.

None provide affl uence. Money comes hard there, as evidenced by the string of empty shops you drive past on the way to the school. The growth in the county is all to the west, in neighboring Lafayette.

Most towns like this rally around their football teams as a source of community pride and unity – 0-61 makes either seem hollow.

The only tradition the Bulldogs had was losing. Their latest stretch of futil-ity wasn’t even the worst in the pro-gram’s history – the team went 0-63 between 1986 and 1993. From 1986 to 2008, the football program was 18-212. As one coach described it, “Everyone wanted to schedule us for homecoming.”

Coach after coach threw himself into the maw – 1980 RBS graduate Tony Boles stepped up in 2003, and then stepped down, winless, in 2007. He was followed by Scott Baughn, who survived one winless season be-fore leaving for personal reasons.

Reasons for the streak abound. The school only enrolls about 200 students, one of the tiniest in the state. Money for anything is scarce. Some of the home situations are not the best.

Maybe losing was to be expected.

Too young to know any betterIn April 2009, Kyle Shoulders was

chosen from four applicants to fi ll the head coaching vacancy at RBS. The 26-year-old was well aware of the history of the program, having grad-uated from nearby Macon County High in 2002. His senior year of high school was the last time the Bulldogs had won.

After earning his teaching degree from Middle Tennessee State Uni-versity, Shoulders returned to Macon County to teach and coach, serving as offensive coordinator for



the Tigers.“Actually, the losing record was

a bit of an encouragement to me,” Shoulders said. “I knew I could make it my own. I could bring in my own staff, my own traditions, and start moving the program in the right direc-tion.”

Shoulders started by calling some coaching friends and asking them a crazy question: How about coming to Red Boiling Springs?

The new Bulldog staff brought both youthful exuberance and winning ex-pectations with them. Jason East, 28, coached at state powerhouse and district-foe Trousdale County, a program diametrically opposite RBS in terms of tradition and success. Longtime area football stalwart Bob Fitzpatrick, who played at Tennessee

Tech and coached at Macon County, came on board as a volunteer.

“They may have thought I was a lit-tle crazy when I first called them, but then they realized that we could all be on the same page together, building something from scratch,” Shoulders said.

Shoulders then added an even younger Jeremy Phillips, who at 22 is enrolled in college and working to-wards his teaching degree. Phillips doubles as coach and scout team quarterback – put pads on him, and you would be hard-pressed to sepa-rate him from his charges.

Even the managers were young – two sophomores and a junior.

There’s a new sheriff in townThe staff went right to work on all

aspects of the program. They refur-bished the stadium, finding a good field under years of neglect. They tore old lockers out of the field house, renovated the weight room, and cre-ated a better home away from home for the team. Next came tearing down the old bad habits.

“The old program had no summer workout program, no conditioning, and no two-a-days in preseason. In fact, one of the first things we had to correct was attendance at practice,” Shoulders said. “In years past, boys would just skip practice.”

Shoulders dropped two rising sen-iors from the team during the spring; in fact, they were the two best ath-letes on the squad, including the pre-sumptive starting quarterback.

“They didn’t want to do the work,” Shoulders said and shrugged, telling a story about one hot day during the summer when the team was out run-ning through town. The young man in question drove by the team, radio blaring, laughing and yelling.

“He had told some players that he’d be back starting for the team in the fall, after skipping all the condi-tioning and training. One of the team members came and asked if that boy could come back, and I said, ‘No.’ I think that sent a message to our boys.”

The staff set four lockers slightly apart and named four captains not for their ability but for their leadership in the classroom, in the hallways and on the field.

A new startThere’s a sign on the wall in

the weight room that reads, “Did I make my team better today?” It is a mantra that the new staff spent the spring practice and summer instilling in the Bulldogs.

“We never talked about the losses,” Shoulders said. “We al-ways looked towards the future, and told the boys ‘Don’t look back.’ ”

Instead of a spring scrim-mage, the team played a Red

vs. White game – quite a feat for a club with only 28 players. However, the combined infusion of youth and commitment sent a jolt through the community, which turned out in num-bers for the spring game.

That energy, in turn, helped moti-vate the players through the summer workout program. Their resolve reso-nated even more with the townspeo-ple, who responded with more sup-port in the form of money.

Signage along the fences of the stadium multiplied, the program be-gan to see a little bit of money, and even though hopes were rightfully muted, the town turned out in full force on Aug. 21 for the Bulldogs’ home opener against Oakdale.

The Eagles never knew what hit them.

Running back Shelton Watson rushed for a touchdown to give RBS an early lead. Quarterback Cody Dickens found Brandon Kelley in the end zone for a late first-half strike, and Kelley picked off and returned an Oakdale pass in the dying seconds of the quarter, giving the Bulldogs

a 21-0 halftime lead. Dickens rushed for one

“We never talked about the losses,” Shoulders said. “We always looked to-wards the future, and told the boys ‘Don’t look back.’ ”

– Kyle Shoulders, Red Boil-ing Springs football coach –



more score in the third, and the team celebrated wildly as the crowd rushed the fi eld at the fi nal horn. Red Boiling Springs 28, Oakdale 12.

Two weeks later after a bye week, a last-minute touchdown pass against visiting Pickett County brought some strange new vocabulary to town, words never associated with RBS football.

Undefeated, and on a winning streak.

Teaching an old Dog new tricks

Reality crashed down the follow-ing Friday, when Watertown hung 50 fi rst-half points on the RBS squad. The Bulldogs fi nished the 2009 sea-son with a 2-8 record. The young pups were competitive in three other games down the stretch, giving hope that the program was indeed on the rise.

Coach Shoulders, now teaching on campus at Red Boiling Springs, has seen his roster grow to over 30 players. The habits and training pat-terns introduced by the coaching staff are no longer new and strange to the boys, and after a calendar year together, the team has been able to expand their basic playbook and foot-ball I.Q. The tragic death of sopho-more lineman Brandon Tidwell during the summer galvanized the feeling of team and family. The program is moving forward – the proof is found in their 2-0 start this season.

That success, however, brings a whole new set of challenges.

The burden of expecta-tions

At the base of the hill atop which the school stands is Big Ed’s BBQ, home of some of the best grilled and smoked meat you’ll fi nd anywhere. The place is only open Thursday through Sunday, and a sign on the door lists the operating hours as, “open until sold out” – which, accord-ing to the locals, happens quickly. “Get there early,” advised Coach Fit-zpatrick, who walked in himself about thirty minutes after recommending the place.

Through the aromatic hickory

smoke, owner Nathan Brown pointed out a perceptible difference around town.

“People come in on Saturdays and want to talk about the games,” Brown said as he moved some chicken around on the grill. “That never used to happen. But the biggest differ-ence is in the boys. They come down here after school to get some food, and they carry themselves different-ly. Now, they’re proud of the jersey they’re wearing, compared to before.”

The staff also noted the change. “There’s a big difference. On game days, you see the team colors all around town,” Michelle Bell said, serving a steady stream of custom-ers, many of whom were sporting RBS outfi ts in anticipation of the night’s game.

Those rising expectations present a whole new set of problems for the RBS coaching staff, a fact not lost on Shoulders.

“As the season progressed last year, it was a struggle at times to keep the team motivated, especially in some of the lopsided games,” the coach mused. “It’s harder to be a 2-8 team than a 0-61 team.”

That makes sense, in a strange way. When you ex-pect to lose, and everyone expects you to lose, then there is no pressure – simply fulfi ll the self-fulfi lling prophecy. 0-61 is a novelty act, a sideshow … 2-8 is just an-other struggling football team.

The team, and the town, are both learning what it means to expect success. It’s called build-ing a program,

a task Shoulders and his staff do not take lightly.

“We want the boys to feel the pride of being part of a program,” Shoulders explained. “I tell them all the time that it takes a special breed of person to play football. Not everyone can put in the time, heart, and effort necessary to have success in this sport.”

The staff emphasize to the boys the concept of Being a Standard, and hope that the program produces young men who go on to contribute to their community and society when they graduate. Along the way, Shoul-ders also works hard to instill in the team a love of the game itself.

“We try to show them how impor-tant football is to them while they’re playing. As a player, I took some things for granted – now I wish I could go back, just for one more practice, one more game.”

“We’ve tried to instill in these boys the importance of attendance, a good work ethic and dedication – I’m glad that their hard work paid off, and they’ve gotten to show off what they earned.”



By Jim Muir

Being 6-feet-5-inches tall like Ravenwood senior Madelyn Hutson, does not neces-sarily equate to being a top-notch volleyball

player. But, when you take Hutson’s imposing frame and

then add in a large portion of athletic ability, a heap-ing amount of determination and desire and then top it off with an off-the-chart work ethic and a drive to compete what you come up with is a bona fi de All-American and one of the top volleyball players in the nation.

Given her height even as a youngster (she was 6-feet in the 7th grade) Hutson played both basket-ball and volleyball each year until her sophomore year of high school when she decided to concen-trate solely on volleyball. And despite all of Hutson’s individual success in athletics she chose volleyball because of the team concept.

“I think volleyball is the ultimate team sport,” she said. “If you don’t have everyone working together then you can’t win. It is just more enjoyable to me. There is more time to celebrate between points. I just enjoy it more than basketball.”

Hutson will attend the University of Texas, one of the top Division I volleyball programs in the na-tion, next year. She said once she visited the Texas campus the decision was easy.

“It’s going to be a lot of work when I get there but I’ve excited about the opportunity,” said Hutson. “I fell in love with Austin and I love the team and the coaches and the chemistry just feels right to me.”

Hutson noted that the opportunities she has been afforded did not come without a sacrifi ce on the part of her parents John and Jane.

“They have always been very supportive and they have never been negative and we’ve never heard negative things from them,” she said. “They’ve always been very positive and always been there cheering their little hearts out.”

She did add a humorous twist about her deci-sion to play volleyball, saying that both parents had played other sports but neither had played volley-ball.

“There wasn’t any opportunity for them to tweak my performance because they didn’t know what needed to be tweaked,” she laughed. “They would say, ‘well, why don’t you try this’ … and I would just interrupt them and say ‘no, that’s not how we’re supposed to be doing it.’”

Hutson has starred at the high school, club, national and international level but doesn’t hesitate when saying that there is one more goal she would

Great Expectations

After losing in the TSSAA Class AAA state champi-onship volleyball game last year Ravenwood High School Coach Tracey Berry and her team set their sights on a return trip to the state tourna-ment – with a different outcome.



like to accomplish before heading to Texas. As a junior Hutson’s Ravenwood team was defeated in the Class AAA state title game, a loss that still lin-gers with her and one that she would like to avenge this year.

“I came into this season with the goal of fi nishing what we started last year,” said Hutson. “Anything short of that will be a disappointment to me.”

Hutson’s volleyball resume makes it easy to un-derstand why she was one of the most sought after recruits in the United States.

Madelyn Hutson Position: Middle BlockerHeight: 6-5Hometown: Brentwood, TNBirth Date: Aug. 20, 1992Club Team: Impact Volleyball Club (Nashville, TN)High School/Grad Year: Raven-wood High School (Franklin, TN) / 2011College Status: Verbal commitment to University of Texas

INTERNATIONAL HIGH-LIGHTS: 2008 – NORCECA Girls’ Youth Continental Championship (Gold).

USA VOLLEYBALL HIGHLIGHTS: 2009 – Selected to the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Training Team. 2008 – Part of gold-medal winning team which won the gold medal at the NORCECA Girls’ Youth Continental Championship, which qualifi ed the U.S. into the 2009 FIVB World Championship. Scored nine points (8 kills, 1 block) at the NORCECA Cham-pionship…Attended USA Volleyball Holiday Camp at Chula Vista, Calif. 2007 – Helped lead team to gold medal at the USA Volleyball High Performance Championship and was named All-Tournament Team.

CLUB/PREP HIGHLIGHTS: 2008 – Selected All-District and All-Tournament while playing for Ravenwood High School. 2007 – Selected All-District and All-Tournament while playing for Ravenwood High School. 2004 – Began playing club vol-leyball with Impact 141.

PERSONAL: Born Madelyn Leslie Hutson on Aug. 20, 1992, in Nashville, Tenn… Parents are John and Jane Hut-son…Sister is Kathryn Hutson (1996)…Hobbies are read-ing, working out, spending time with friends. Favorite food is sushi…Favorite book is Twilight…Favorite musical category is anything except blue grass and classical…Favorite musical group is The Fray…Favorite professional team is the Pitts-burgh Steelers…Favorite athlete is Troy Polamalu…Most ad-mired person is Clyde Avant because “he is the most inspiring person I know. He makes you want to work harder and become better.”

(Information provided by Volleyball USA)

Great Expectations

By Jim Muir

Time, as the saying goes, heals all wounds. Of course the author of that little ditty was talking about love and not volleyball.

Nearly a year has passed since the Raven-wood volleyball team lost the Class AAA state championship game to perennial powerhouse Dobyns-Bennett and that heartbreaking loss and the disappointment of leaving a goal unmet are very much a part of the makeup and the mindset for the Raptors as they roll through the current season.

In fact, with a strong nucleus of returning play-ers and the addition of some talented underclass-men, Coach Tracey Berry doesn’t fl inch or mince words when asked if anything short of a state championship will be considered a disappointing



season. “For this group and for the tal-

ent and desire they have, yeah, it would be a disappointment,” said Berry. “It’s a very tough district and we have great respect for

every team we face but the fact that we got there last year and we have as much talent this year as we did last year … this group will not be happy with anything short of a state title.”

And winning state titles is something Berry knows more than a little about. Berry has won fi ve state championships in vol-leyball including four straight at Page High School beginning in 2000.

“I never won a state title as a player but I know what it feels like as a coach and that’s something I want these girls to experience,”

said Berry. “I always remember Magic Johnson saying that win-ning a high school state champi-onship still remains his greatest joy because he did it with the kids he grew up and went to school with.”

A native of Flint, Michigan where she was a three-sport athlete Berry described herself as ‘more of a competitor than a great athlete’ during her playing days. She said sports have been a constant in her life since she was a child.

“I was a daddy’s girl and my dad took me to every kind of sporting event there was,” said Berry. “So when I got old enough I played three sports, I was never the best player on the team but I was always a team captain and a leader on every team.”

Despite her age (Berry is 49 years old) she has coached at the varsity level for three dec-ades, beginning her volleyball coaching career at the ripe old age of 19.

“I knew right then what I wanted to do the rest of my life,” said Berry. “I fell in love with coaching right then and all I’ve ever wanted to do since that fi rst year is coach.”

She said the changes from

playing and then coaching volley-ball in the 1970s to present has been “nothing short of remark-able” noting that the sport is now a year-around event.

“When I started playing in 1975 we played for eight minutes or 15 points, whichever came fi rst,” said Berry. “But with rally and 3-out-of-5, players competing year-around and the speed of the game it is just totally different.”

Recalling her championship run at Page, Berry said she has talked with her 2010 team virtu-ally every practice and game em-phasizing that last year’s success marked them for the 2010 cam-paign and made them ‘the team to beat’ for every opponent.

“I let the girls know that there is a bull’s eye on our back every time we take the fl oor,” said Berry. “We sort of went through that last year even though we had never been to the state tournament but just because of the talent we had on that team. I could downplay it last year by saying ‘what have you done’ but this year coming off a second place fi nish at state we know that everybody will give us their best game.”

After 30 years of coaching high school volleyball Berry points out

“I was really disappointed after the loss in the state champion-ship game, actually I was mad. Looking back I’m proud of what we accomplished last year but I still think we had the potential to win it all. And I’m still un-happy that we came in second place. We should have finished and we didn’t.” – Madelyn Hutson, senior at Ravenwood



that talent does not always trans-late to championships.

“There is a lot of talent on this team but talent alone will not win championships – leadership and playing together as a team is what it will take,” said Berry. “We talk repeatedly about the goals – long term goals and short term goals – that they have. We want to have the small picture in sight during the season but we also want to keep the big picture in focus.”

Berry said the regular season is important but in reality it is also a dress rehearsal and prepara-tion for the post season.

“We have our goals to win each match and other regular season goals,” said Berry. “But I always tell my team when the post season begins that it doesn’t matter what we’ve done to that point – it matters what we do from this moment on.”

This year’s edition of the Rap-tors is a blend of size, speed and perhaps the most important ingredient – experience.

With nine returning players from last years’ team Ravenwood is anchored by 6-feet-5-inch Madelyn Hutson, a high school All-American and a four-year var-sity starter. Hutson has made a

verbal commitment to attend the University of Texas after gradu-ation. Berry said Hutson’s size brings an imposing presence but quickly added that the talented senior adds much more than height to the Ravenwood team.

“Along with the height Madelyn also brings great experience and a strong desire to win that cham-pionship,” said Berry. “Madelyn is a great infl uence, she’s a great athlete and she has so much ex-perience from playing in so many big games at the club level.”

However, Berry quickly em-phasized that the success of this year’s team will not rest solely on Hutson’s shoulders.

“And that’s what I love about this team, while Madelyn is a great player we have some outstanding players around her,” said Berry. “There are so many girls that contribute, I regularly play nine girls in the lineup – that’s a lot – and everybody knows what their rotation is. We really pick each other up as a team and I think that’s our strong-est asset. We’re talented enough that if one person has a bad night we can still be successful.”

Last year’s Ravenwood team fi nished with a 52-4 record with three of the four losses coming

against Dobyns-Bennett including the 25-22, 25-21 and 25-18 state championship defeat.

Hutson, who will take her considerable athletic talent and continue her volleyball career at the University of Texas next year, said the season-ending loss is still fresh in her mind.

“I was really disappointed after the loss in the state champion-ship game, actually I was mad,” said Hutson. “Looking back I’m proud of what we accomplished last year but I still think we had the potential to win it all. And I’m still unhappy that we came in second place. We should have fi nished and we didn’t.”

Hutson said one of her per-sonal goals and also a team goal is to avenge the state title loss.

“I came into this season with the goal of fi nishing what we started last year,” said Hutson. “Anything short of that will be a disappointment to me.”

Lydia Wright, a setter on the state runner-up team from last year said the loss, while disap-pointing, provided extra motiva-tion for her senior season and fi nal volleyball run at Ravenwood.

“I was very disappointed after the loss in the state champion-ship game,” said Wright. “But I



was really excited to get started again this year, so I think it pro-vided some motivation for all of us.”

Wright, who is also a basket-ball standout at Ravenwood, said her goal is also a return trip to the state tournament but took a philosophical approach.

“It would be very disappointing if we didn’t make it back to the state tournament this year,” she said. “But, really all we can do is work hard as a team, give it all we got and then see what hap-pens.”

Along with Hutson and Wright other players from last year’s state-runner up include junior Alyssa Ivey, Stephanie Cerino, Jazzy Oates, Micaela Bailey, Sarah Sutherland and Jaime Cooper.

Berry said each player knows their respective role, a key ingre-dient to success.

“Alyssa is a phenomenal setter and this year she needed to be an outside hitter for me, Micaela is my libero and does a great

job,” said Berry. “Stephanie is a lefty that plays the right side and is just a great athlete and Jazzy Oates is our other middle and also does a great job. Lydia is another senior on the team, she’s a great server and has great leadership skills. Jaime and Sa-rah are our defensive specialists and both do a great job and that’s what they are best at.”

Berry said another player named ‘Hutson’ has also added a new dimension to this years’ team. Kathryn Hutson, a 6-feet-2-inch freshman and the younger sister of Madelyn, has made her impact felt at the varsity level despite her youth.

“We have all these return-ing players and then you add in somebody like Kathryn who is 6-feet-2 and has all this experi-ence,” said Berry. “We tease her a lot about being a freshman but she sure doesn’t play like a fresh-man. She has just added a lot to our team this year.”

Berry said she believes this year’s team controls its own

destiny.“Volleyball is more unique than

other sports because it is the ultimate team sport where every-body has to play together and do their job,” said Berry. “We’ve set our goals high but with the talent and desire we have we should be setting our goals high.”



On a Roll! As MTSU continues on a record-breaking vol-leyball season senior Izabela Kozon reflects on a record-breaking career

As Middle Tennessee recently put the wraps on another successful weekend which featured victories

over Sun Belt West Division favorite Den-ver, defending Colonial Athletic champion VCU and 24th-ranked Long Beach State, it had become abundantly clear – the Blue Raiders appear to be on track for another outstanding season.

And has been the case in each of the past three years, one of the main cogs for the Blue Raider machine is senior Izabela Kozon, who is among the most honored athletes in Middle Tennessee history.

At the beginning of the week, the acco-lades continued to pour in as the senior earned her second consecutive Sun Belt Player of the Week award. It was her fi fth such honor, a school record. But the rec-ognition didn’t stop there as both College Volleyball Update and the American Vol-leyball Scouting Report named the War-saw, Poland, native their National Player of the Week.

Following play on Sept. 18, Kozon was 19 kills shy of ascending to second on the all-time kills list with 1,438. She also sat at eighth all-time in digs with 983, leaving her 17 short of becoming just the fourth Blue Raider to record at least 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.

Kozon took the time to talk about a va-Photos by Middle Tennessee Athletic Communications



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riety of things including her career at MTSU, her future and what memories she will take with her when her collegiate career comes to an end.

With the team on a bit of a roll right now, what have you been most proud of up to this point in the season?

Right now, the best part was beating Long Beach because they’re a top 25 team. It was hard at the be-ginning of the season, and I was saying that we have a really young team and we’ll get better . In order to beat good teams, we have to put together a whole game. In beating them in fi ve, I think we showed that we have learned how to do it. Even when a team pushes back like Long Beach did to us, we’ve shown that we’ll push back and not let up.

If we played them at the beginning of the season, that might be a lost game for us. For example, look at the Illinois game. We beat them in the fi rst set be-cause we fought so hard, but winning one set doesn’t mean we’ll win the whole match. Now, we’ve learned that. I think if we played Illinois now, we’d have a better chance because we’ve grown.

You’ve now won Sun Belt player of the Week a school-record fi ve times, how does it feel to know you garner that type of respect from the confer-ence?

It feels amazing, but volleyball is a team sport, and the most important thing is that the team is winning. It’s always good to be recognized as a good player, but as long as we win a Sun Belt championship, I am fi ne with whatever. Awards for individual players are nice, but it’s about the team. I love getting recognized, of course, but that’s not what volleyball is about to me.

Over the course of your career, you’ve shown a propensity for “double-doubles.”Aside from win-ning, is that your goal for every match?

Of course, because I try to be an all-around player, so I try to have more than one goal for a match. When I play at the net, I think “if I do this and this,” I’ll be suc-cessful. Then when I’m on the back row, I think “if I do that and this,” I’ll be successful. If I can meet those goals, and record a double-double, I think our team will be successful as well.

With a lot of new faces on the court, how have you adjusted over the course of the season?

The beginning was hard. We all knew that we were really good individually, but we didn’t know how we were as a team. It’s not that there are really too many new people, but some of the returning players didn’t have the experience. We still have some misconnects in the match, but we’re still learning, and it gets better each day. Now I think we know what we can expect out of everyone. We don’t say we are a team with a lot of new faces anymore because by now I feel like I’ve played with them forever. The beginning was hard, but I think we’ve gotten over it by now.



You’ve been a significant part of the last three NCAA Tournament teams, now that this season has gotten underway, how does this team stack up to some of those of the past?

Honestly, right now, I really like this team. I wasn’t really certain about some things towards the beginning of the season, and I didn’t know how good we were go-ing to be. But this past weekend really proved that we can be very successful. I think we are as good as the team from my freshman year that went to the Sweet 16, and I think that we can be even better by the end of the season.

What is your most fond Middle Tennessee mem-ory?

The best was beating Hawaii in 2007. But, I think that beating Long Beach is pretty close because we hadn’t beaten a team that good yet this season. We worked really hard, and we were very excited. It was really fun, but I don’t think it beats the Hawaii game. I’m waiting for one at the end of this season to be even better than the Hawaii game.

By this point, your Polish background has been well-documented, but how do you think life in Murfreesboro compares to Warsaw?

Warsaw is the capital, so it’s a huge city, and Murfreesboro is a small city for me. I didn’t know what to expect when I came here, but I like it. When I’m at home, it’s more crowded, and people don’t really know who I am. In Murfreesboro, especially by my fourth year, I stick out from the crowd a bit. It’s a bit differ-ent, but I like both places. When I am at home, I miss Murfreesboro, and when I’m in Murfreesboro, I miss home. Basically, you can say I’m never happy or that I’m always happy because I love both.

What are your plans after you finish at Middle Tennessee?

When I’m done, I want to play professional volleyball in Europe. Maybe not in Poland, but I know that I’ll play volleyball after I graduate. When I am done with vol-leyball, I want to be a sports psychologist, and I plan on coming back to America and going to graduate school. I don’t really know how that will happen though because I want to play volleyball for as long as possible. This could all change later, but for right now, that’s my plan.

What will you miss most about Middle Tennes-see?

Oh my gosh, I don’t even want to think about this be-cause every time I think about leaving Middle Tennes-see, it just makes me sad. I’ll miss the people for sure, AMG, the coaches, and the town. I love everything. I’ll miss all my friends, the college atmosphere, and even just being recognized as an athlete while at school. It’s just hard to think about going on to real life as an adult.



By Tim Ghianni

Before quickly washing down slightly charred hot dogs with bottles of water,

the Purple Shoe Gang gathers in a circle, heads bowed.

It’s hours before game time, and their job of decorating, de-marcating and hashing out the gridiron where their sons will tus-sle under the Friday night lights is not quite done.

The cans of paint aren’t empty, at least not yet. But there’s time for a break, since these men are here not just to complete their task of preparing the football field but also for fellowship.

“Father thank you so much for the beautiful day you’ve given us and thank you further for these men …” The words quietly pre-side over the aroma of grilled hot dogs in the picnic area tucked beneath the outside walls of the Reese Smith Athletic Complex,

the gridiron where the David Lipscomb High School Mus-tangs battle.

This moment of solemn promise and prayer inter-rupts the laughter and pre-game prog-nostication for the men who have retreat-ed to this small chunk of shade to grab a quick meal so they can get back to work.

Kickoff is in less than seven hours after all. And some of the lines are still a little faded-look-ing.

This particular Friday gather-ing is as special for the gang as the lunch – orchestrated by their current leader, Mark Mascolo – and has been organized to bring back retired “gangsters” and also to salute their father figure, Glenn McCadams, 63, who has coached Mustang football for the

Armed with cans of spray paint The Pur-ple Shoe Gang has turned decorating the David Lipscomb High Field into an ‘event’ rather than a chore

Past and present members of the Purple Shoe Gang meet at the field to share some of the folklore of a lasting tradition.



last 29 of his 42-year coaching career.

Perhaps a score of purple-shirted men have spent the last hour hunched over, painstakingly

spray-painting the lines and hash

marks, re-touch-

ing the

purple Mustang

at midfield, so that all they have to worry about tonight is the clash between those same end zones and sidelines and – of courses -- atop the purple horse.

The retirees stand out, partly because of age but mostly because they aren’t wearing purple shirts. Still,

it’s not been all that long for any of them since they – like their younger “replacements” – scram-bled from their offices to spend 2½ hours every home-game Friday prepping the field.

“I got involved in the very beginning of ’93 and stayed involved five or six years until Coach Mac retired me,” says 65-year-old Stewart Brandt with a laugh.

He adds that the gang and nickname were born by accident. The coach simply needed help getting the field ready. It was a matter of pride. And these men, who still believe in Coach Mac’s methods and his impact on their boys, wanted to help out.

“There were too many crooked lines out there,” says Brandt.

The coach didn’t need to ask. Once the men realized what needed to be done, they just be-gan showing up and volunteering their time.

“I was on the first crew,” says Brandt. “My son was a football player and I’d gotten to know Coach Mac. I liked what he did for young folks and I wanted to show him appreciation.”

He was far from alone in feel-ing indebted to the coach.

“I think playing football for Coach Mac helped my son (Bill) mature, understand we are blessed,” he says. “What I got out of it was a sense of giving back to a program that had given to myself.”

Al Lester, 82, also was on that first crew. “I enjoyed being a part of what we were doing,” he says, noting his son, Nathan, was a senior in 1993, the year the gang was founded.

Coach Mac shakes his head when approached about this gang for which he is responsible.

“All the guys get it,” he says. “They can do something to help. And it keeps them busy. They can burn off some nervous en-ergy, and make the facility look first-class.

“You know, fathers are some-times a lot more edgy on game day than the players,” he adds.

He laughs when asked how the ever-evolving group of men earned the Purple Shoe Gang moniker.

The first group of dads painted the night before the week’s ball-

“As I look back, it’s not as much about football as it is about Coach Mac. He teaches them how to treat people, how to respect everybody from all walks of life. He teaches them it’s not where you are or who you are, it’s what you are.”– Ernie Lehning, 56, ‘retired’ Purple Shoe Gang member –

L-R Jeff Runion, John McCalister, Head football coach Glenn McCadams (striped shirt), Scott Johnson (bleed p&g shirt), Ernie Lehning



game.“The first time they did it, I

said ‘I bet painting the end zones purple would look super.’ They painted until it was dark,” says the coach.

Coach Mac explains that all the men – who saturated the end zones with what original crew member Lester estimates to be at least 20 gallons of purple paint – had purple shoes when the night ended.

“I’ll bet they painted until 9 o’clock,” says the coach. “It looked really good, though.”

The dads hadn’t counted on the number of gallons of paint it would take to turn those huge blotches of grass in each end zone purple. They also didn’t count on a moist night and humid weather that never allowed the water-based paint to dry on the damp ground. “That was a lesson learned,” Lester inserts.

You see, not only did their shoes turn purple … so did the football players.

“The next night the players from each team got purple all over their uniforms,” Coach Mac says.

As the coach tells this story while meandering back out to the center of the stadium, many of the younger gangsters listen. Un-til this moment, they really had no idea their club had such a, well,

rich and colorful history.“That was the last time we ever

painted the end zones,” says the coach. “We just paint the Mus-tang purple now.”

The rest of the painting is white lines, numbers and hash marks. So now the shoes stay white. Still the men aren’t short on purple passion as they band together, taking extended lunch breaks from their jobs on home-

game Fridays. “It’s family. It creates family,”

says Coach Mac. “It’s really not my team. It’s our team. It repre-sents all of us.”

He smiles. “The Lord has blessed us more than I can imag-ine,” says the coach who, while he has his share of state cham-pionships, refuses to run up the

score. “You’ve got to show con-sideration in victory and honor in defeat.”

Ernie Lehning, 56, ‘retired’ after nine straight years of Purple Shoe Gang duty, putting in his time from 2000-2008 while his three sons – Clay, Ben and Kyle -- played for Coach Mac.

“As I look back, it’s not as much about football as it is about Coach Mac,” said Lehning. “He teaches them how to treat peo-ple, how to respect everybody from all walks of life. He teaches them it’s not where you are or who you are, it’s what you are.”

Lehning walks off the field, leaving the day’s work to the younger men.

“It’s special to let the new fathers have their time on the Purple Shoe Gang,” he says. “It’s good to pass it on to keep the tradition alive.”

Behind him, Mascolo and some of the other younger dads on the gang painstakingly spray white paint along the sidelines.

Tim Ghianni spent more than 30 years as an award-winning newspaper reporter, editor and columnist in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Now a free-lance writer and journalist-in-residence at Lipscomb Univer-sity, he and his family live in the Crieve Hall neighborhood of Nashville.

“All the guys get it. They can do something to help. And it keeps them busy. They can burn off some nervous energy, and make the facility look first-class. You know, fathers are sometimes a lot more edgy on game day than the play-ers,” he adds. -- Glenn McCadams, longtime David Lipscomb High School coach –

Mitch Warren1191 W. Main St. Hendersonville, TN 37075615-822-FARM (3276)www.mitchwarren.com

Celeste Middleton803 N. Thompson Ln, Ste B102Murfreesboro, TN 37129Phone: 615-895-2700www.celestemiddleton.com

Dejuan Buford246 Wilson Pike Circle, Suite CBrentwood, TN 37027-2745Phone: (615) 371-1234www.dejuanbuford.com



Every Friday night during high school football season five officials take the field, each covering different locations and with different responsibilties. In our never-ending quest here at MTSM to bridge the gap between sports officials and fans we called on five veteran Middle Tennessee officials – Rick Pear-son, Darryl Keckler, Dan Taylor, John Griswold and -- to give us a crash course in either narrative or outline form about the duties associated with the referee, line judge, linesman, back judge and umpire. Our thanks to these gentlemen for helping us with this feature.

Rick Pearson - RefereePre-Game Responsibilities

Gather all officials together and discuss any irregularities discovered during individ-ual pre-game tasks. During this meeting, the Back Judge will confirm the correct time, and all officials will then synchronize their watches.

Pre-Game Conference/Crew AssignmentsAfter the pregame meeting with the other officials, we will visit each

Head Coach, starting with the home team coach. During this meeting, we:

*provide a list of officials to the coach *advise and confirm length of intermission/halftime. *The Head Coach verifies in the presence of the Umpire that all

players are legally equipped and in compliance with NFHS rules. *discuss the importance of good sportsmanship at all times. *discuss any unusual plays or formations that might occur*Head Coach advises who on the staff is responsible for sideline

control of the team members and *Head Coach advises who is designated to call time-outs.

Game-play responsibilities

During a Running play After the ball is spotted:*Move to a position that is visible to clock operator, approximately

10 yards from the line-of-scrimmage and 5 yards wide of the huddle on the passing arm side of the quarterback and where I’m able to see the

Referees’ Positions



tackle and backs on the far side.*Declare the ball ready-for-play *Check for : one-second count after huddle or shift (all eleven players

must be in the “ready” position at the line for at least one second before the ball is snapped); number of players on offense (always eleven) and,

with signal to umpire, snap irregularities and movement of linemen.*Be alert for illegal shift or player in motion.*Identify eligible backs.

After snap, my responsibilities include:*Read block of offensive tackle on the opposite side. If he blocks ag-

gressively, read run. If he pass blocks, read pass.*Ball, *runner, *action around runner and *blocks behind him to neutral zone.*If action is not in direction of original position, move toward or paral-

lel to scrimmage line, maintaining position approximately in line with runner’s progress.

*Delay moving immediately toward line of scrimmage to avoid hinder-ing reverse or delayed play and to assure maximum vision of play.

*Move behind play toward side of field to which play advances to cover runner if he is downed near line.

*Check following:Illegal use of hands by players on offense.Action behind ball and away from runner near neutral zone.Action on quarterback after handoff.Backward or forward pass when ball is thrown.Out-of-bounds spot behind neutral zone.Continue to observe action behind neutral zone before leaving area.Responsible for runner until he crosses neutral zone.*When the ball is dead: be positive of ball location before sounding

whistle; move to spot of forward progress; signal number of next down.*Quickly check that down marker is correct and that the rest of the

crew is ready, then give ready-for-play signal and sound whistle.*If first down has been made or change of team possession has oc-

curred, give time-out signal to stop clock unless already stopped by rule.

After snap, my responsibilities include:*Read block of offensive tackle on opposite side.*Observe all blocks behind the neutral zone.*As passer retreats, remain wide and deeper than passer.*Give special attention to contact with passer: After ball is released, continue to observe passer, not flight of ball;

verbally alert defenders when passer has released ball. *Determine whether pass is forward or backward, after quarterback

drops back.*Be alert to observe illegal pass: move to spot of pass to determine whether passer’s feet were in or

behind neutral zone when ball was released. If illegal, drop penalty marker and continue to officiate. If close, mark spot of pass with bean bag and continue to officiate.*Solely responsible for intentional grounding, may get assistance

from covering official.*Continue to observe action behind neutral zone before leaving area.*Responsible for runner until he crosses neutral zone.

During a Scrimmage kickAfter ball is spotted:*Check down and distance with linesman.*Declare ball ready-for-play by using established procedure.*Position is 3-5 yards outside the tight end and 2-3 yards in front of

the kicker, on kicking-leg side.*Be able to see ball and observe all backs.*Count number of kicking team players (11) and indicate to umpire

that you have counted the kicking team.*Signal to crew that kicking team is in scrimmage-kick formation.

After snap:*Watch for fouls behind neutral zone especially near kicker.*Be alert for blocked kick and be ready to rule on recovery.*After ball crosses neutral zone, observe line play.*Move downfield slowly following kick.*Watch for fouls and be ready to pick up runner if there is long return.*Determine from covering official if ball was touched beyond neutral

zone and by whom.

Administering PenaltiesWhen ball is dead following a foul:*Give time-out signal twice.*Get full information from official who called foul.*Give preliminary signal to press-box side of field only.*Give options to captain of offended team.*When captain’s most advantageous choice is obvious, quickly inform

him.*When captain does not respond, his silence shall be considered ac-

ceptance of obvious choice. Once made, it cannot be revoked.*Make note of enforcement spot for penalty.*After ball has been spotted, give final signal for foul to press-box

side of field only

Dan Taylor – Line judge Pre-game – Meet with crew 1 ½ hours

before game time in high school football Referee has printed pre-game instructions

for crewReview each position alignment and game

responsibilitiesReferee has final say in any and all penalty

enforcements or coach’s questionsWe will meet with each coach 30 min.

before game timeGame officials take full game control at the

30 minute coaches meeting Line Judges meet with ball boys and cover their responsibilities; we

also get the home team both before the game and at halftime as well as bring out the captains for coin toss.

As a team comes to the line, I count for 7 on the line of scrimmage and 4 in the backfield. I check to see if I have an eligible receiver cov-ered up by another person on the end of the line. This is legal unless he goes out for a pass and the quarterback throws the ball. Even though the back judge may see this, I am ultimately responsible. I make sure that my widest man is either on or off the line by extending my foot and instructing him that my foot is the line of scrimmage. I do not ask them to move up or back. This can cause the receiver to be in motion at the snap. Once the play is run, the Head Linesman and I are responsible for forward progress. Communication between myself and the line judge is important. During pre-game, we go over specific signals to be used to communicate situations with each other throughout the night.

Once the play begins, I observe the end or tackle on my side to see what type of play is being run. If it is a run play to my side, I observe the action by the ends and lead blocker and look for holding or low blocks. If it’s a pass play, I drift down field 7 – 10 yards and watch eligible receiv-ers in my area. Once the pass is thrown in my area, I watch the receiver and defender for any illegal action.

On punts, I am responsible for the line of scrimmage. I remain on the line of scrimmage until the ball crosses it. If the ball does not cross, the offense can pick up and advance. I am the only reference point since the line judge breaks down field on the snap.

Common fouls for my area are false start, defense offside, holding by the ends on running plays and pass interference on passing plays.



Darryl B. Keckler – UmpireField alignment---5 yards off line of scrim-

mage in defense backfield Pre-game – Meet with crew 1 ½ hours

before game time in high school footballReferee has printed pre-game instructions


responsibilitiesReferee has final say in any and all pen-

alty enforcements or coaches questionsUmpire has final say on player’s equipment legalityWe will meet with each coach 30 min. before game time (home team,

visiting team)Game officials take full game control at the 30 min. coaches meetingResponsibilities – Count the number of offense players before each

play Ensure proper formation – to include five players numbers 50 thru 79

Observe centers motion or ball movement—ensure legal snapWatch for illegal movement or blocking on interior linemenWatch for holding, illegal use of hands (i.e. hands to face, hold of face

mask)Come to line of scrimmage on pass plays for line of scrimmage refer-

ence on pass playsBox in running play and observe play around ball for any illegal acts.

John Griswold Back Judge

Position: Back JudgeField alignment---15 yards off line of

scrimmage in defense backfield or 5 yards deeper then the deepest defense back.

Pre-game: Meet with crew 1 ½ hours before game

time in high school footballReferee has printed pre-game instructions

for crewReview each position alignment and game responsibilitiesReferee has final say in any and all penalty enforcements or coach’s

questionsWe will meet with each coach 30 min. before game time {home

team, visiting team}Game officials take full game control at the 30 min. coaches meetingAfter meeting with the head coaches, the BJ and LJ will inspect all

game balls to ensure they are legal (condition of the ball, type of ball, amount of air in the ball). We will mark the approved game balls so our crew knows that that ball has been approved and to make sure we do not use a ball that has not been approved.

Game Responsibilities:Administer the 25 second play clock.Count the number of defensive players before each play and check

with the LJ to make sure we both have the same count.Look at the offensive formation to determine who my key will beLook for “covered up” receiversAt the snap, look at my interior lineman key to determine the type of

play we have, start backwards, follow my key, pick up the ball and offici-ate as the play dictates.

Look for OPI (offense pass interference) or DPI fouls (defense pass interference) that have an impact on the play

On plays to the sidelines, I will “clean up” ahead of the play and behind the side official.

On scrimmage kick downs (punts) ~ I will line up 10-12 yards to the HL side of the receivers and about 3 yards behind them. My first respon-sibility is fair catch protection if it was given, and if the receiver was given ample room to complete the catch.

For field goal attempts or point after attempts I line up under the goalpost upright opposite the LJ who is under the other upright. We well communicate on the kick as to it being good or no good and when we will move to the front of the goalpost and give the agreed upon signal.

Craig DunnHead Linesman

Field alignment – At least nine yards off the widest man on the end of the line.

Pre-game – Meet with crew 1-1/2 hours

before game time in high school footballReferee has printed pre-game instructions


responsibilitiesReferee has final say in any and all penalty enforcements or coaches

questionsWe will meet with each coach 30 min. before game time {home

team, visiting team}Game officials take full game control at the 30 min. coaches meetingAfter meeting with coaches I meet with my chain crew and go over

the basics of how I like to run them. We discuss when to flip the down indicator box, what to do on measurements, and what to do at the change of quarters. I also instruct them on when to move on punts, long pass or run plays, etc. Finally, I make sure the box is in working order and the chains are 10 yards long with a piece of tape exactly at the five yard mark. This piece of tape is valuable to me. For instance, its second down and five and the defense jumps offside. If we are beyond the tape, I can let the Referee know the penalty results in a first down. This pre-vents us from taking time out to measure. In the same sense, I can also let him know it will still be second down if we are short of the tape.

After the meeting with the chain crew, I walk my side of the field look-ing for anything like sprinkler heads or divots in the field that may cause an injury. I also check the middle of the field for any large logo that could potentially interfere with a measurement during the game and inform the crew of what I see.

I also like to watch the two teams in their final warm ups to see their offense and prepare for anything out of the ordinary.

Responsibilities during the game - As a head linesman, my most important responsibility is the chains and down indicator box. It is imperative that I know the correct down every play. After a play is run, I make eye contact with the referee and we communicate the next down. Once I have done this, I return to the sideline and communicate with the down indicator box. At that time, the down indicator box will move to the new yard line and then change to the next down. During measurements, I instruct the down indicator box to remain on the current down until the measurement is complete. That ensures we do not give an extra down to the offense.

As a team comes to the line, I count for 7 on the line of scrimmage and 4 in the backfield. I check to see if I have an eligible receiver cov-ered up by another person on the end of the line. This is legal unless he goes out for a pass and the quarterback throws the ball. Even though the back judge may see this, I am ultimately responsible. I make sure that my widest man is either on or off the line by extending my foot and instructing him that my foot is the line of scrimmage. I do not ask them to move up or back. This can cause the receiver to be in motion at the snap. Once the play is run, the Line Judge and I are responsible for forward progress. Communication between myself and the line judge is important. During pre-game, we go over specific signals to be used to communicate situations with each other throughout the night.

Once the play begins, I observe the end or tackle on my side to see what type of play is being run. If it is a run play to my side, I observe the action by the ends and lead blocker and look for holding or low blocks. If it’s a pass play, I drift down field 7 – 10 yards and watch eligible receiv-ers in my area. Once the pass is thrown in my area, I watch the receiver and defender for any illegal action.

On punts, I am responsible for the line of scrimmage. I remain on the line of scrimmage until the ball crosses it. If the ball does not cross, the offense can pick up and advance. I am the only reference point since the line judge breaks down field on the snap.

Common fouls for my area are false start, defense offside, holding by the ends on running plays and pass interference on passing plays.


38 Middle Tennessee sporTs Magazine • October 2010 • www.midtnsportsmag.com38 Middle Tennessee sporTs Magazine • October 2010 • www.midtnsportsmag.com

By Greg Sage

What began with trailblazing Jane Chastain and Phyllis George and continued with the incomparable Lesley Visser has now become commonplace: female sport-

scasters. Or, perhaps better said, sportscasters who just happen to be female. For as a legion of talented and committed journal-ists - such as the current wave of recognizable faces like Andrea Kremer, Suzy Kolber and Pam Oliver - have proven, gender equity at the microphone has been every bit as important as that on the fi eld.

Case in point, Dawn Davenport of News2. The Plano, Texas native and Auburn University graduate arrived at Nashville’s ABC affi liate in the summer of 2008, as the station’s sports depart-ment was seeking a modicum of stability. In short order, vener-able sports director John Dwyer transitioned into news, Sara Walsh left for Washington, D.C. (later ESPN), Joe Dubin shifted

from the morning show into sports, and Cory Curtis departed for Norfolk, Va. (before returning to News2). Immediately, Dav-enport’s blend of sports knowledge, work ethic and on-air ease proved a winning combination. Not bad for a self-proclaimed sports junkie who stumbled into the broadcasting fi eld.

“After pre-med, pre-law, elementary education, and theatre majors didn’t fi t my personality, I ended up in journalism,” refl ects Davenport, an SEC All-Academic volleyball student-athlete while at Auburn. “Time wise, it was hard to do an internship while play-ing a collegiate sport, so I waited until my last semester to intern. I moved to Savannah, Ga., to intern with a local CBS television affi liate there and spent almost 40 hours a week – for free – to learn the business and put together a resume tape. It was worth every minute.”

Stations in Wilmington, N.C. and Richmond, Va. would agree. Those two stops prepared Davenport for her move to Nashville, one she credits to News2 news director Matthew Zelkind.

And Davenport raves about her time in the Mid South, in par-ticular dealing with the Tennessee Titans. In light of the recent in-ternational story involving TV Azteca female reporter Ines Sainz and the New York Jets - where Sainz was allegedly harassed by several players and coaches - the NFL issued a statement reaf-fi rming its position that all credentialed media members regard-

Rising Star

“The players I’ve encountered are very re-spectful. I feel like I’m just one of the guys most of the time. As a female, I do constantly have to battle the credibility issue. If a male counterpart makes a mistake on air, it’s usually not the end of the world, but as a female, if you make a mistake on air just once, you can ruin your credibility for good. The battle is making sure your view-ers know that you’re knowledgeable about what you’re reporting on.” – Dawn Davenport –


www.midtnsportsmag.com • October 2010 • Middle Tennessee sporTs Magazine 39 www.midtnsportsmag.com • October 2010 • Middle Tennessee sporTs Magazine 39

less of gender, are to be treated with the same level of respect. Davenport says nothing resembling the Sainz incident has hap-pened to her.

“I really haven’t encountered any sexism in my career so far, and I can honestly say that I have never had a coach or player make me feel uncomfortable,” Davenport says. “Sometimes, in a group media interview, it almost helps to have the female voice pipe up with a question ... I’m always heard! The players I’ve en-countered are very respectful. I feel like I’m just one of the guys most of the time. As a female, I do constantly have to battle the credibility issue. If a male counterpart makes a mistake on air, it’s usually not the end of the world, but as a female, if you make a mistake on air just once, you can ruin your credibility for good. The battle is making sure your viewers know that you’re knowl-edgeable about what you’re reporting on.”

And whether it is reporting live from the sidelines of a Titans’ preseason game to covering high school sports, Davenport takes great pride in her work. Her role model in broadcasting provides a lofty standard.

“Suzy Kolber has to be tops. She’s knowledgeable and smart, yet she always lets her personality shine through. I feel like there are so many female reporters out there who try to be too serious. I love the fact Suzy is high energy.”

To say Davenport’s career trajectory is mirroring Kolber’s would not be an exaggeration. From volleyball letter-winner to network star? One would be foolish to bet against Davenport, who concedes she is more focused on enjoying the journey than bound by any ultimate career destination.

“I’ve always wanted to do sideline or feature reporting for ESPN. We’ll see ... as I get older, the appeal of sidelines, with all of that travel, lessens. I know I want to stay somewhere in the South no matter what the next step is. My fi ancé and I love it here in Nashville and plan to be here for a while. Life is boring if you have it all planned out.”

Greg Sage is the Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations for Belmont University Athletics. He also serves as an adjunct instructor of sport journalism for the Sport Administration graduate program at Belmont University.

Dawn Davenport brings knowledge, pride and a strong work ethic to her role behind the microphone at Nashville’s News2

Rising Star



By Jillian Davis

Trace Halpern doesn’t sell pop-corn at halftime

at Sunset Middle School sporting events – but giv-en the workload that the talented eighth grader is carrying in the classroom and on the playing field it’s a given that he could fit it into his schedule with ease.

And to say that Trace is getting a ‘kick’ out of the entire experience would be an understatement.

Trace is currently the only kicker from Ten-nessee who is nation-ally ranked and to add an exclamation point to his athletic prowess he has also attended NFL Hall of Famer, Ray Guy’s (former-ly of the Oakland Raid-ers) kicking camp, where he received professional

Despite his relative youth Sunset Middle School’s Trace Halpern has established himself as one of the nation’s premiere place kickers

evaluation and training and now ranks 21st nationally according to prokicker.com – considered to be the most comprehensive kicking, punting and long-snapping camp in the nation.

Trace did not start out as a kicker. From the age of four, he was the starting goalie for his soccer team in Florida. It took some “having fun and practice” in Crockett Park one Sunday about a year ago for Trace and his parents to discover this not-so-hidden talent. A park visitor recognized Trace’s kicking talent and suggested to him and his father that Trace pursue kicking and to obtain a kicking coach.

“My dad asked if he knew of one and the man said to try Charlie West,” said Trace. “I have been kicking ever since.”

Trace has not always played football. He began his football ca-reer two years ago in sixth grade when he tried out for the Brent-wood Blaze football program.

“During the evaluation period

for the Brentwood Blaze, they decided I would be on the single A team and would be the kicker, receiver, and safety,” said Trace.

Trace plays on both sides of the ball, starting at wide receiver, corner back, plays safety and is the kicker for Sunset Middle School.

Coach Clay Mayes praises Trace’s dedication to being an athlete as well as a student.

“He has a heavy load in the classroom with high school credit classes,” said Coach Mayes. “He also helps with the film of games. He is a diligent worker and doesn’t quit until the job is done and done well.”

Trace, who was born in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he lived until he was eight years old, is more than just a kicker for his middle school football team. The multitalented 13-year-old also excels in track and field, martial arts, wrestling, and his multitude of honors classes.

“Trace is not only an athlete

Just

for

Kicks



but he is a scholar who is very competitive in his education and school work,” said his dad, Scott Halpern.

In addition, Trace is a nationally recognized dog handler, bringing his own dog, Champion Foxboro Thor’s Thunder, to his title. It is not often one fi nds such a talented 8th grader, but Trace is the excep-tion to the rule. This athlete and scholar moved to Brentwood with his parents at the start of fourth grade in 2006. Not only can he make fi eld goals from 40 yards out, he is also a 1st Degree Black Belt who started his training at the age of three. He has continued his martial arts training, working on his second degree Black Belt at David Deaton Karate Studio in Brentwood.

Last year, Trace was the only seventh grader to place in track and fi eld for Williamson County, placing third in the 440 individual and was part of a second-place fi nish in the 4 X $ relay team.

Coach Mayes described Trace as “very compas-sionate and well liked by his peers and teammates”. Coach Mayes says Trace’s teammates respect his abilities and attitude and listen to him when he speaks.

Trace has set his future goals high, saying that he wants to play football as a kicker in college – hope-fully for Vanderbilt, he says – and with the possibility of playing in the NFL.

To Purchase Your UT and/or Vandy printvisit www.rockytopsplaying.com

18x24 Print $29.99Original’s and Giclee’s available contact

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Art-By-Nancy



Sports Mom

by Kathy Steakley

When Kelsey Towns started playing volley-ball at age 10, she and

her family could never have imag-ined the impact that the volleyball community would one day have on her life. But more than that, they could never have imagined the impact Kelsey would have on countless people, some she had never even met.

Even though Kelsey had played multiple, sports, she fell in love with volleyball. She earned the position of setter for Father Ryan High School, and also played trav-el. Last year, Kelsey made the All-State team, and was beginning to look at small colleges to play. At one of the last travel tournaments last year, however, she suffered a major concussion. After much discussion with her physician, she decided the risks to play college and chance another head injury that could ultimately have ramifi-cations for the rest of her life would just not be worth the gamble. That choice made her senior year all the more important to Kelsey.

Then one weekend, Kelsey no-ticed a lump in her inner thigh. A few days later, she had surgery to remove what doctors believed was a benign, fluid filled mass. The main reason for scheduling the surgery so soon was her de-sire to get it out of the way, rehab through the 4 to 6 week recovery period and be back in time for her high school season. Not one to sit

idly by, Kelsey immediately began to rehab. Two weeks later, on July 12, she and her mom, Lea Ann, went back to get the stitches re-moved. It was then they found out the potato-sized mass was actu-ally synovial cell sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. They were blown away. Kelsey’s first question: can I still play volleyball?

Playing her senior year meant everything to Kelsey. Now it was ending early. This took a couple of days to digest. A week later, ac-cording to Lea Ann, they realized, “That was important once. That’s not important any more.” What she saw emerging before her was an amazing young woman., ready for battle.

“Kelsey has attacked this totally by her preparation and training for sports. To her, this is a competi-tion that she is going to beat. It does not stand a chance!”

Lea Ann feels strongly that her tough coaches, both mentally and physically demanding, good health and mental strength have been the key to Kelsey’s determi-nation. Through years of volley-ball, she has seen her daughter grow into a leader, playing well under pressure because of all the prep her coaches do.

If this news were not tough enough to hear, the Towns were then faced with a difficult decision. Because this particular type of cancer is so rare, there is no exact treatment plan. Her medical team

could make recommendations, but nothing hard and fast. The family had to decide basically be-tween plan A, B or C. One of the options was no chemo! This held quite an appeal for both Kelsey and her mom. Taking that route, however, would mean hoping and praying for the rest of her life that there were no lingering cancer cells. They decided to treat this aggressively, following a St. Jude protocol. Most children respond better than adults to chemo. Kel-sey, according to her doctors, has responded 90 percent better than everyone else because of her at-titude.

She will have seven cycles of chemo. This means every three weeks she checks in the hospi-tal for 4 days of IV chemo, then recovers at home for two weeks, then goes back in. How did Kel-sey handle round one? She went out and hiked a mountain – liter-ally.

There is another element to Kel-sey’s competition against cancer. Lea Ann has been overwhelmed at the support she has seen for her daughter, and has shed tears over that. When local volleyball teams learned Kelsey’s news, they immediately rallied around her. She knows so many play-ers having either played against them or alongside them between her high school and club teams. One of the first local gestures took place when Independence High



School hosted a tourney. Their theme was Team Kelsey. Every-one wore pink wrist bands, includ-ing all other teams and their par-ents. At this point in her chemo, Kelsey was not able to be near people and so could not attend. But at the end of the day, she and her family were outside as people left, saw their support, and many stopped by to say hello. How ap-propriate, Kelsey began to think, that she now had an entire team of family, friends and the volleyball community to help her through this major competition.

Father Ryan’s volleyball team held a “Kram the Kourt for Kel-sey.” Her family was introduced and given roses. Even people that don’t normally come to their games showed that night for her. Kelsey was able to sit on the bench and help coach. This was huge for her. She was so excited to put on her uniform! She had

a ball. Since then, the support has not stopped. Franklin High School had their students sign banners to present to Kelsey. Baylor in Chattanooga has sent things up. She met the University of Montana team, who gave her a T-shirt and signed volleyball. The University of Kentucky gave her a signed poster and a lovely note, indicating they are thinking of her and praying for her. Lipscomb University’s team made bracelets that say “Passionate KT.”

For Lea Ann, this support is huge. Because of the continual support and encouragement, the time is flying by. Even on physi-cally bad days, Kelsey is still men-tally tough. She is positive and the people around her are positive. She draws from that.

I suspect much of that strength, too, comes from her mom. She

does not dwell in a place of bit-terness that her daughter’s senior year looks completely different than what they had planned. “This may be God’s way of saying she did not need to play her senior season – she would have gotten hurt. He knows, we don’t’ and we may never know.”

And for her, that’s OK. It just helps to know that between God, their family and this amazing com-munity, they are not alone.

Sports Mom




By Holly Taylor, ATC/L

We have all heard in recent years of the explosion of staph infec-tions in our athletic populations. The very nature and environment of sports can create a breed-ing ground for staph to thrive. Educating school personnel, coaches, parents and athletes about the causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention can greatly reduce the occurrences and spread of these infections.

What is Staph?Staph is short for Staphylococcus Aureus. It is a type of bacteria commonly found on the skin and in the noses of healthy individu-als. It is the cause of a range of skin and soft tissue infections such as boils, furuncles, and cellulitis. Some people can be colonized, that is to be carriers of staph, and pass it on to other individuals, but never get sick themselves.

MRSA

MRSA is the acronym for Methi-cillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion (CDC), “MRSA is a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics such as methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin, and amoxicillin. It is found on people and not naturally in the environ-ment. MRSA can get on objects or surfaces outside of the body if

someone touches infected skin or certain areas of the body where these bacteria live, and then touches the object or surface. Items can also be contaminated with staph and MRSA if they have direct contact with a per-son’s skin infection.”

CA-MRSA refers to those MRSA infections of the skin acquired in community settings: athletic facili-ties, locker rooms, gyms, dormi-tories, military barracks, cor-rectional facilities, and daycare centers. Factors affecting the spread of CA-MRSA infections include: close skin-to-skin con-tact, openings in the skin, contact with contaminated surfaces and items, and poor hygiene.” (MRSA Infections)

Signs & Symptoms

Per the CDC, “MRSA skin infec-tions often can resemble spider bites, bumps, boils, or pustules that are red, swollen, and painful. It may appear to be a fluid-filled cavity, yellow or white center, a central point or “head” that is draining pus. They are often found at areas of visible skin trauma, such as cuts and abra-sions, and sites on the body covered by hair.”

Treatment of MRSA Infections

People should NEVER try to treat a skin infection by themselves, especially if they suspect it may be staph and/or MRSA; doing so could worsen or spread it to

other individuals. DO NOT pop, drain, or use disinfectants on the suspected area. If you think you may have an infection, keep the affected area covered, wash your hands, and contact your health-care provider” (“MRSA Infections

Prevention, Cleaning & Disinfecting

Per the CDC, repeat infections with MRSA are common; people do not become immune to MRSA like you can with say the chicken pox. Therefore practicing good personal hygiene is crucial for everyone in preventing MRSA infections. The CDC and the National Athletic Trainers’ As-sociation recommend protecting yourself by:

1. HAND WASHING: keeping your hands clean with thorough washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand gel or liquid routinely.

2. All new skin lesions should be properly diagnosed, cleared to compete, and covered before

MRSA Staph Infections



practices and games” (Official Statement). “Keep cuts and abrasions, especially if they have pus or are draining, clean, covered, and dry with bandages until healed” (MRSA Infections).

3. Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or band-ages.

4. Avoid sharing personal items: towels, wash cloths, razors, solid deodorants soap, and clothing. Athletes should also avoid sharing any athletic gear such as uniforms, pads, helmets, chin straps, shin guards.

5. Wash all game and practice clothing, athletic gear, and towels daily (Official Statement). Per the CDC, laundry procedures can follow the guidelines given on clothing labels for use of bleach, and water and drying temperatures. “Infected materials may be laundered separately, but this is not absolutely necessary” (MRSA Infections).

6. The proper use cleaners or detergents and disin-fectants by reading their user labels. Many of them instruct you to leave it on a surface for a certain period of time in order to actually kill any contami-nants such as MRSA. Most retail and grocery stores carry common cleaners and detergents that will do the job. “Focus on surfaces that touch people’s bare skin everyday and any surfaces that could come in contact with uncovered infections such as benches in locker rooms and weight rooms, large surfaces such as floors and walls. Shared equipment should be cleaned after each use and allowed to dry” (MRSA Infections).

7. Showering immediately after practices and compe-titions (Official Statement).

8. Weight benches, bars, and handles should be sani-tized after being used by each person.

“MRSA Infections” www.cdc.gov/mrsa/index.html Center Of Dis-ease Control and Prevention n.d. Web. 11 Sept 2010.

“Official Statement from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association on Community-Acquired MRSA Infections (CA-MRSA) www.nata.org/officialstatements National Athletic Trainers’ Association 1 March 2005 Web 11 Sept 2010.

Holly Taylor is a 1996 graduate of Wilmington College in Ohio and has been a Licensed and Certified Athletic Trainer for 14 years. Holly has spent the last 8 years in Tennessee work-ing with STAR Physical Therapy and has served as ATC/L at White House Heritage, East Robertson and Springfield High Schools. To learn more about STAR Physical Therapy, please visit www.starptusa.com.




ASK THE AD Lipscomb University

I’ve been gnawing on this Derek Jeter, hit-by-the-pitch, hoax. You’ve probably seen

it by now, where the inside pitch looked as if it hit him in the hand, but the replay showed clearly that the ball simply hit the butt of the bat.

Jeter jumped around in agony. The trainer came out to look at the injury. He was awarded first base and afterwards admit-ted, with a smile on his face, that he’d pulled a fast one.

Hey, it’s just part of the game. You do what you have to do to help your team win. That’s what all the broadcasters and players that I heard said about it.

But that still gnaws at me, mainly because it was Derek Jeter. I’ve never met him, but in this world of self serving, egotisti- cal athlete’s Derek Jeter seemed to be the real deal – a man of character.

So where do you draw the line on that?

We all think character is im-portant in your personal life, with the way you treat people. We all

want to be respected and I’ve heard good things about Jeter in that respect.

But hey, business is business. You gotta do what you gotta to do to win, right? Who can blame y o u for cheat-

ing,

just a little? In racing, they say if you’re

not cheating you’re not win-ning, and laugh about it. I did, on a newscast one night when a crew chief was busted for leaving an innocent looking, but lead-filled sunglass case in his car during inspection. It weighed 20 pounds and his plan was to chuck it after the car passed

inspection and be 20 pounds lighter than everybody else when the race started. The trouble was that I got a number of calls from people who reminded me that I talk about integrity a lot and here I was laughing about a guy breaking the rules. It wasn’t a national disaster, but it did make me think.

Maybe Jeter was honest, to an extent, because he admitted he’d conned the ump afterwards, but then again, he knew they had

replays that showed the truth so maybe that’s why he did it.

But what if, when it hap-pened, he’d told the umpire that as bad as it looked, the ball had actually hit the bat and not his hand. And that it was a foul ball.

His reputation would have skyrocketed. News reports would have flashed nationwide. Parents would have told

their kids to be just like Derek Jeter.

I know how I would have felt about him.

You can spend a life-time building

a reputation, but you can put

a crack in that im-age in just the blink of an eye.

Never underestimate the power of honesty.

“Never Underestimate the Power of Honesty”



ASK THE AD Lipscomb University




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October 2010