Back Porch FanHouse

Goldy Gopher Runs Hard Against Youth Football Competition

Ryan Wilson — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: College Sports, Youth Sports

Hell hath no fury like Goldy Gopher on the football field. The University of Minnesota mascot was criticized last month for mocking Penn State's Jerome Hayes during a pregame prayer. (The school later apologized on his behalf, God's wrath averted.)

Goldy was back in action this weekend, making a special guest appearance with other mascots, to take on a group of kids in an impromptu tackle football game. It was billed as the halftime entertainment for the Seahawks-Vikings get-together. Which it was. At least for Goldy.

Ridiculousness after the jump.

Goldy, referred to by the announcer as "the Minnesota gopher ... who's dressed as a bear" (?), ran wild on a bunch of unsuspecting 10-year-olds. What started out as a friendly game morphed into the mascot stiff-arming his way to the goal line.

Impressive. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Goldy is a witch, or that he celebrated Uga's passing. Upside for the religious zealots: he's definitely burning in hell, so there's that.

Goldy Gopher Runs Hard Against Youth Football Competition originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dodgeball's Days Could Be Numbered

Ryan Wilson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Youth Sports

On his podcast Adam Carolla often talks about the [w]ussification of our country. Pretty sure this qualifies: dodgeball, a staple of public education for as long as there have been red rubber balls to wing at classmates, is now at the center of a lawsuit.

Twelve-year-old Shane Reese was sitting in the bleachers at a Bronx middle school when an errant throw nailed him in the face. The rules of dodgeball stipulate that you can't hit a player above the shoulders so if Reese had been participating, he'd still be in the game.

He wasn't participating. Worse: it wasn't a forgiving red rubber ball, but a rock-hard soccer ball. And worse than that: Reese had just had dental surgery. So taking one to the chops with a round brick didn't exactly advance the healing process.

Teachers at a Bronx school are being portrayed as dunces for letting students play dodgeball with hard soccer balls in a crowded gym - leaving left one kid with busted teeth.

The city offered 12-year-old Shane Reese $20,000 Monday to head off a lawsuit stemming from a head shot he took in the crazy game last year at Intermediate School 219.

A judge will decide dodgeball's ultimate fate, but in the meantime the New York Daily News reports that the National Association for Sports and Physical Education issued a statement in 2006 discouraging dodgeball, a long-held recess ritual, from being played in schools.

And when a spokesman for the organization heard the circumstances under which Reese was injured, he exclaimed, "That's chaos!"

Clearly, the liberals are ruining this country.

via Deadspin

Dodgeball's Days Could Be Numbered originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Own Goal in Youth Soccer History

Ryan Wilson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Youth Sports

Nothing like a five-year-old goalkeeper making the save only to accidentally kick the ball into her own net to give you a little perspective. If nothing else, it's a gentle reminder that sports are meant to be a diversion from the drudgery of real life.

Not sure that'll placate, say, the Patriots supporters who are still staring blank-faced at their televisions, but it'll distract them for a few seconds.

Video therapy after the jump.

The takeaway? Laughing fixes everything. Feel better, Pats fans? No? Moving on...

via Deadspin

Best Own Goal in Youth Soccer History originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Parents Want Kids to Have Tommy John Surgery for Stronger Arms

Michael David Smith — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Youth Sports

The medical procedure known as "Tommy John surgery" has always been considered a last resort: When a Major League Baseball pitcher suffers a career-threatening elbow injury, an elbow ligament can be replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body, possibly prolonging the pitcher's career.

But now something shocking is happening: Some parents are asking doctors to give their kids Tommy John surgery even when they're not injured, simply because they think it'll give their kids stronger throwing arms.

Fox 5 reports that there are actually parents out there who want the procedure -- first performed on Tommy John himself -- to be performed on their perfectly healthy kids, all so those kids might some day -- after the long recovery period from the surgery -- throwa baseball harder than they ever had before.

Fortunately, the doctor interviewed in the report says he tells such parents that their idea is crazy, and it's not clear that any doctor has ever performed the surgery on a kid as an "elective" procedure. But the mere fact that we're talking about it shows just how out of control some parents are when it comes to their kids' sports.

Parents Want Kids to Have Tommy John Surgery for Stronger Arms originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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High School Football Team Near Fort Hood Copes With Tragedy

Terrance Harris — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: High School, Youth Sports

KILLEEN, Tex. -- The scene here at Leo Buckley Stadium late Friday night was reminiscent of most high school football venues across the country, as the Shoemaker Grey Wolves dealt with the reality their season was over.

Tears were shed, hugs were exchanged between players, coaches and players, coaches and coaches. Then the coaches thanked the seniors for great effort.

But this was no ordinary season-finale ritual for the Grey Wolves. Just over 24 hours earlier, many of them weren't sure if their parents or loved ones were injured -- or worse, killed -- in the deadly shooting rampage at Fort Hood, the nation's largest military base.

Shoemaker High School, which is just a stone's throw away from Fort Hood, is heavily populated with kids whose families either live on base or are serving in the military. With wars going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, these young people have become accustomed to dealing with death.

But that didn't make news of Thursday's deadly rampage any easier for many of them to take. Twelve soldiers and one civilian were killed, and 30 others were wounded. If there was any solace, it was that none of the Grey Wolves' parents or immediate family members were affected by the shooting.

"We just sat there and put our heads together and wished for the best and hoped it was none of our relatives. Luckily, it wasn't. But we came out here to play for them, too, the people from Fort Hood."
-- Shoemaker QB Jammie Blount on Dealing With the Fort Hood Shooting "It was tough for us, knowing some of our players' moms and dads were probably hurt or injured," said Shoemaker sophomore quarterback Jammie Blount, whose family is awaiting orders to deployed to Korea soon. "We just sat there and put our heads together and wished for the best and hoped it was none of our relatives. Luckily it wasn't.

"But we came out here to play for them, too, the people from Fort Hood."

"It was really hard for us to come and play this game knowing what went on and that families some of us know were affected," said Shoemaker senior lineman Jaime Bennett, who shed tears when the game was finished. "It was really, really tough to get through. But we prayed and then we moved on."

Shoemaker head coach Ken Gray braced for the worst as news spread around Killeen that a shooter was on the loose on base. Around Shoemaker, much more so than the other high schools in the community, helping young kids deal with tragedy is just something teachers, coaches and administrators do.

"We are in a unique situation in that our kids' parents are fighting the war in Iraq and they are fighting the war in Afghanistan and Kuwait and places," Gray said. "So there have been events like this in their lives.

"What we try to do as coaches is we try to keep things as normal as we can and as consistent as we can with our kids. This tragedy from (Thursday) kind of wears on the kids, whether it's their dad or not. Whenever they hear of a soldier passing or getting killed we send up a prayer because you never know when it's one of their parents or relatives."

The Killeen school district shut down all extra-curricular activities the day of the shooting, but higher-ups at Fort Hood expressed the desire to get things back to normal. So it was business as usual Friday night at Buckley Stadium, where the night began as always with a prayer for the soldiers and their families.

"The message this morning from Fort Hood was they wanted to get things back as normal as possible with school and everything else," said Killeen District athletic director Tom Rogers. "So this is our regularly scheduled game.

"There was some discussion early but that went away fairly quickly.

"Any time I've been around football or a sporting event where there has been a tragedy that's happened during that week," he continued, "it's what the kids know and when they get to go to the field it gets them back to their normal life and they get to forget about anything that's going on outside."

But Rogers admitted Thursday was especially tough for the student-athletes.

"A lot of them went through a lot of stress (Thursday) because there was quite a bit of uncertainty for quite a bit of time because so many of their parents work on Fort Hood," Rogers said. "So when they locked things down, rumors started flying and kids start talking and people start talking. There are some things that come out ... There was just a lot of uncertainty so for them to come back and play a game like that tonight was unbelievable."

Winless this season, the Grey Wolves seemed to play inspired football Friday night as they took an early 6-0 lead over rival Temple and then another 12-7 lead in the second quarter before Temple and highly touted running back recruit Lache Seastrunk ran off with a 44-32 victory.

But Gray, whose team made the Texas high school playoffs last season, talked about his team with pride despite their 0-10 season. He saw his team, which lost its three Division I prospects to injury within the first two weeks of the season, fight until the end Friday night.

In fact, the outcome could have been much different for the Grey Wolves had their receivers not dropped three point-blank touchdown passes.

"They were ready to go. Like we told them all week, `You give it all you've got. There's a lot of people that are supporting you throughout the world,' Gray said. "We were getting calls from Iraq, kids were getting text messages from everywhere around the world, because that's where our kids' parents are.

"So there are a lot of people supporting us, so I kind of reminded them of that."

High School Football Team Near Fort Hood Copes With Tragedy originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gun-Toting Soccer Mom Shot Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide

Michael David Smith — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Youth Sports

Melanie Hain, a self-professed pistol-packing soccer mom who was praised by gun-rights activists for bringing a gun with her to her children's games, was found dead of a gunshot wound, along with her husband, in what police say was a murder-suicide.

Neighbors said Melanie Hain and her husband, Scott, were having marital problems. Police have not said whether Melanie or Scott was the shooter. The couple's three children were all home when their parents were killed but were not injured.

In 2008 Hain, who lived in Lebanon, Pa., showed up to her daughter's soccer game openly carrying a gun. The local sheriff revoked her permit to carry a firearm as a result, but a judge overturned the sheriff's order, and Hain in turn sued the sheriff.

The case received international attention, with advocates of gun control arguing that children's sports events should be firearm-free, while supporters of the right to carry firearms argued that she should be permitted to bring a gun. Through all the controversy, Hain always insisted she was simply carrying a gun so she could protect her children. Today those children are orphans.

Gun-Toting Soccer Mom Shot Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Softball Game Breaks Out at Girl Fight

Ryan Wilson — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:55:00 EST

Filed under: Action Sports, Women's Sports, Youth Sports

Here's something you don't see everyday. Or at least I don't (primarily because, other than the occasions when it's on my television, I've lost the remote, and I'm too lazy to change the channel, I happily admit to not following softball.): a fight breaking out during a game after a player was hit by a pitch.

But that's what happened yesterday at a girls high school game in Colorado Springs.

As police headed to the complex more calls poured in describing up to 30 people, some armed with bats, fighting, the blotter said.

The combatants were members of the Cheyenne Mountain and Wasson High School girls softball teams, police said. The basebrawl started after a player was hit by a pitch and charged the mound, police said.

The player who charged the mound was ejected, a coach began ranting and the game was stopped by an umpire, police said.

It gets weirder:

Police say the brawl spilled into a parking lot and involved as many as 30 people. Two adults and two minors were arrested, and two people hospitalized. It wasn't immediately clear how badly the victims were hurt or if one of them was the girl hit by a pitch.

No idea anybody took softball that seriously. On the upside, it's one way to raise the sport's visibility: girl fights. Hmm, somebody should tweet this idea to Carolyn Bivens.

Oh, and sadly, there was no photo evidence. But when I searched Getty Images for "softball fight," I got this fantastic picture of Nick Lachey and Goose Gossage wrasslin' during a celebrity event. Via the photo caption:

HOUSTON - JULY 11, 2004: Singer/Actor Nick Lachey wrestles Rich 'Goose' Gossage, former All-Star Pitcher for the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees to the ground in a play fight during the Major League Baseball Legends and Celebrity Softball Game at Minute Maid Park on July 11, 2004 in Houston, Texas.

Seemed oddly fitting.

Softball Game Breaks Out at Girl Fight originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USA Football Junior National Team Ekes By France, 78-0

Ryan Wilson — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:10:00 EST

Filed under: Action Sports, College Sports, High School, Outdoor Sports, Youth Sports

Poor France. It's bad enough that they're still living down the 1940 German takeover, which turned out to be more of an understanding than an invasion. Now they have again suffered an international embarrassment, although that may be overselling it a tad.

Whatever, the French fell to the Americans in the inaugural Football Junior World Championship yesterday in Canton, Ohio. The final, 78-0, was slightly less surprising than getting run out of their own country by the Germans during World War II. Primarily because unlike the French army, considered the most powerful in Europe at the time, there wasn't much in the way of expectations for the French Junior National Team.

Also not helping: most of the American squad was made up of future Division I players, including running back David Wilson (Virginia Tech), who rushed for 181 yards on 12 carries, and scored four touchdowns.

For France, it was a learning experience.

"We knew that it would be a really tough game to play. When we qualified by finishing third in the European Junior Championship, we knew we would play USA this July. (USA) had more days of camp than us; they are bigger, faster and stronger, and they were more prepared," said France head coach Olivier Moret.

"Football is a game of fight and you have to prepare them to play well, even though you know the game will be long and lost."

Running back Thomas Ruiz, who earned France's MVP award, said: "It is the toughest game I have ever played. But it was also the best. I have learned today that I have got to work harder."

Stat worth mentioning: the French passed for 38 yards but rushed for -31, a 0.1-yard per play average. Other fun facts: The U.S. racked up 610 yards of total offense, and their defense had 20 tackles for loss, three sacks and two picks.

Next up for the Americans: a second-round showdown with Team Mexico, who squeaked by the Swedes, 41-0. Fun starts at 7 PM ET Wednesday.

Via NFLPRGuy's Twitter feed

USA Football Junior National Team Ekes By France, 78-0 originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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12-Year-Old Bull Rider Dies After Being Thrown, Trampled

Michael David Smith — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:11:00 EST

Filed under: Youth Sports

A 12-year-old Colorado boy died Sunday after he was thrown off the bull and trampled in a bull-riding competition hosted by the Little Britches Rodeo at the Boulder County Fairground.

The Denver Post reports that 12-year-old Richard Wayde Hamar of Yuma was killed at the rodeo, a two-day event for bull riders aged 8 to 18. After Hamar was thrown, the bull stepped on his abdomen while he was on the ground. Emergency personnel were on the scene and attempted to treat him, but he died after being taken to the hospital.

A woman who witnessed the trampling told the Daily Camera, "He held on for a few seconds. When he hit the ground, the bull just ran him over. I could see the bull's legs hit his chest. ... It was one of the worst things I've ever seen. It was horrible."

The National Little Britches Rodeo Association describes itself as "the standard bearer of junior rodeo in the United States."

Hamar is at least the fourth child in the last four years to be killed while bull riding.

UPDATE: The coroner's office says the boy died after the left ventricle of his heart ruptured when the bull stomped on him.

Follow me on Twitter for more updates.

12-Year-Old Bull Rider Dies After Being Thrown, Trampled originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WGN Reporter Dunks on Pre-Schooler, Makes Him Cry

Clay Travis — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Random Acts of Sport, TV and Movies, Outdoor Sports, Youth Sports

As you can see, playing sports with kids on live television is a situation fraught with peril. You probably shouldn't trash talk, back them down, and then spin and slam home a dunk on a seven-foot goal. I'm no expert, but that might make a kid cry. Especially when you punctuate the dunk with a Scottie Pippen dunking on Patrick Ewing-esque arm ejaculation while screaming, "Don't bring any of that in my house!"

Somewhere along the way, basic humanity should have set in. The back down move? Questionable. The kid is four. At most. You can probably get away with one of those old-man wacky dribbling exhibitions where you push the ball around the kid and make him dizzy on live television. Maybe.

But when you dunk on him and the kid starts crying you can't laugh, absolutely, positively, can't laugh. Or say, "I think he's genuinely crying."

Reporter: "You know what? Kids these days are soft and they need to be toughened up."

Woman in straw hat: "He wants to leave."

Honestly, I've watched this video like 10 times and it just keeps getting better. Where did the woman get that straw hat? Somehow this is the perfect hat for her to be wearing as she assists a toddler in his own dunk. And what's with the kid not even attempting to draw the charge here? He has no future at Duke, none.

Gawker reports this reporter is named Pat Tomasulo and it happened in May.

The lesson to be learned here, don't bring the trifecta on live television: back down the kid, trash talk while spinning, and then dunking on a seven-foot goal. Any one of these standing alone would be fine.

Combined?

Internet outrage.

WGN Reporter Dunks on Pre-Schooler, Makes Him Cry originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spelling Bee 2009: Kavya Shivashankar Wins on Laodicean

Michael David Smith — Thu, 28 May 2009 22:15:00 EST

Filed under: Youth Sports

Kavya Shivashankar, an eighth grader from Olathe, Kansas, correctly spelled L-a-o-d-i-c-e-a-n to win the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee Thursday night. Kavya won at the end of a championship round in which runner-up Tim Ruiter was eliminated on "maecenas" and third-place finisher Aishwarya Pastapur was eliminated on "menhir."

Making her fourth appearance in the national bee, Kavya looked calm and collected throughout, never wavering as she spelled words like "phoresy" in the championship round. (The other championship round words that were spelled correctly were antonomasia, bouquiniste, oriflamme, guayabera, isagoge and sophrosyne.)

In earlier rounds, Kavya effortlessly rattled off seemingly challenging words like "hydrargyrum," "blancmange" and "baignoire."

Having finished in the Top 10 each of the last three years, Kavya was considered one of the favorites entering the bee. A student at California Trail Junior High School, Kavya enjoys playing the violin, bicycling, swimming, and learning Indian classical dance. She plans to become a neurosurgeon.

Want the laodicean definition? Follow me on twitter.

Spelling Bee Photos

Kavya Shivashankar, 13, of Olathe, Kansas, is embraced by her mother Sandy Shivashankar, and sister Vanya Shivashankar, 7, after winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee with the word "laodicean", in Washington, on Thursday, May 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON - MAY 28: Speller Kavya Shivashankar (C) of Olathe, Kansas, receives a group hug from her father Mirle, her mother Sandy and her younger sister Vanya after she won the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee competition May 28, 2009 in Washington, DC. Shivashankar correctly spelled the word "Laodicean" and became the champion in round 16. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kavya Shivashankar;Mirle Shivashankar;Vanya Shivashankar;Sandy Shivashankar

Getty Images

WASHINGTON - MAY 28: Speller Kavya Shivashankar (in white) of Olathe, Kansas, receives a group hug from her father Mirle, her mother Sandy and her younger sister Vanya after she won the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee competition May 28, 2009 in Washington, DC. Shivashankar correctly spelled the word "Laodicean" and became the champion in round 16. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kavya Shivashankar;Mirle Shivashankar;Vanya Shivashankar;Sandy Shivashankar

Getty Images

Speller Kavya Shivashankar (C) from Olathe, Kansas, is congratulated by her father Mirle Shivashankar and mother Sandy Shivashankar after winning the 2009 National Spelling Bee in Washington May 28, 2009. Shivashankar correctly spelled the word Laodicean to win. REUTERS/Jim Young (UNITED STATES EDUCATION SOCIETY)

Reuters

REFILE - ADDING IDENTITY OF PARENTS Speller Kavya Shivashankar (C) from Olathe, Kansas, is congratulated by her father Mirle Shivashankar and mother Sandy Shivashankar after winning the 2009 National Spelling Bee in Washington May 28, 2009. Shivashankar correctly spelled the word Laodicean to win. REUTERS/Jim Young (UNITED STATES EDUCATION SOCIETY)

Reuters

Speller Kavya Shivashankar from Olathe, Kansas, lifts the trophy after winning the 2009 National Spelling Bee in Washington May 28, 2009. Shivashankar correctly spelled the word Laodicean to win. REUTERS/Jim Young (UNITED STATES EDUCATION SOCIETY)

Reuters

Kavya Shivashankar, 13, of Olathe, Kansas, right, celebrates her winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee with her father Mirle Shivashankar, and sister Vanya Shivashankar, 7, in Washington, on Thursday, May 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Kavya Shivashankar from Olathe, Kansas, reacts after winning the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee competition in Washington, DC, on May 28, 2009. Shivashankar won the best speller of the year title competing with 293 spellers. AFP PHOTO/Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Tim A. Ruiter from Reston, Virginia, reacts after a misspell at the end of the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee competition in Washington, DC, on May 28, 2009. Kavya Shivashankar won the best speller of the year title competing with 293 spellers. AFP PHOTO/Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Spelling Bee 2009: Kavya Shivashankar Wins on Laodicean originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 28 May 2009 22:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Malcolm Gladwell on the Full-Court Press in 12-Year-Old Girls' Basketball

Michael David Smith — Thu, 07 May 2009 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: Youth Sports

Malcolm Gladwell's article in the current issue of The New Yorker focuses on Vivek Ranadivé, a man with limited basketball knowledge who took his 12-year-old daughter's basketball team to the national championships (yes, they have national champions for 12-year-old girls) by employing the full-court press.

As you'd expect from Gladwell, it's a sprawling narrative that covers everything from Lawrence of Arabia to the fascinating research of the Harvard political scientist Ivan Arreguin-Toft, and the bottom line, by Gladwell's way of thinking, is that in every walk of life, the little guy can beat the big guy, as long as the little guy tries harder. The full-court press in 12-year-old girls' basketball is just the way Gladwell gets that point across.

Gladwell's story has a lot to tell us beyond the world of sports -- I think it offers some insight about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, even though Gladwell doesn't mention them -- but since this is a sports site, let's just focus on that team of 12-year-old girls and the full-court press.

When I played basketball as a 12-year-old I loved the full-court press, and I wished I had coaches who let us run it all game long. I'm not convinced that it's the most effective strategy to use in basketball (as Gladwell correctly notes, "the press can be beaten by a well-coached team with adept ball handlers and astute passers"), but it is a fun strategy for young kids, and a strategy that can help level the playing field if one team is much more talented than the other.

And that's why I've been surprised that a backlash against Ranadivé seems to be emerging. Gladwell's piece has only been out for a couple of days, and already some bloggers, including Kevin Drum and Chad Orzel, have ripped Ranadivé for using the full-court press on his daughter's team. They seem to lump Ranadivé in with the type of coach who would run up a 100-0 score against a team of girls with learning disabilities. That makes no sense.

The full-court press embodies the values that we should hope a 12-year-old would learn from basketball: Namely, that hard work pays off and that physical fitness is important. If employing the full-court press helps those girls win games, that's a nice bonus. Gladwell's story is a fun, interesting look at the kind of coach that any 12-year-old would be lucky to have.

Malcolm Gladwell on the Full-Court Press in 12-Year-Old Girls' Basketball originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 07 May 2009 11:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patrick Schuster Sets Florida High School Record With 4 Straight No-Hitters

Will Brinson — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blogs, High School, Youth Sports, Current Events

No-hitters are similar to holes-in-one: they don't come around very often. Unless you're Patrick Schuster of Mitchell High School in New Port Richey, Fla., that is. See, Schuster has four no-hitters. In a row.

Incredible Sports Feats

Patrick Schuster of Mitchell High School in New Port Richey, Fla., has thrown four no-hitters in a row. Click through to see more amazing sports feats.

Chris O'Meara, AP

High school wrestler Jesse Gunter started 15-1 on his Ohio high school wrestling team and had a 4.0 GPA, despite being blind in one eye and having only limited vision in the other.

Ed Suba Jr, Akron Beacon Journal/AP

Jamaica's Usain Bolt broke the tape with a world record time of 9.72 seconds in the men's 100-meter sprint at the Reebok Grand Prix. In the 100-meter final at the Summer Olympics, Bolt broke his own record by winning in 9.69 seconds. He left Beijing with three gold medals overall.

Bill Kostroun, AP

Bonnie Richardson accomplished something she didn't even know was possible last May. As the only Rochelle athlete to qualify for her state track meet, Richardson stunningly won the Texas 1A team championship all by herself.

Harry Cabluck, AP

Dale Davis, a 78-year-old legally blind man from Iowa, nailed 12 consecutive strikes in May en route to a perfect game during league play. Nicknamed "The Hammer", Davis can't see out of his left eye and has limited peripheral vision in his right eye.

Lorri Glawe, Storm Lake Pilot Tribune / AP

At 5-feet-7 inches, Spud Webb became the shortest person to compete in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Webb won the event in 1986 by beating Dominique Wilkins with two perfect 150-point scores in the final round.

Andrew D. Bernstein, Getty Images

Former New Orleans Saints kicker Tom Dempsey, who was born with no toes on his right foot, set an NFL record for the longest field goal when he kicked a 63-yarder in 1970.

Darryl Norenberg, WireImage.com

Two-time CART champion Alex Zanardi suffered a horrific crash which caused amputation of both of his legs in September 2001. But with the aid of two prosthetic limbs and a modified car, Zanardi returned to racing in 2003.

Mark Thompson, Getty Images

In May 1991, legendary pitcher Nolan Ryan threw the seventh no-hitter of his career at the age of 44 against the Blue Jays. Ryan still owns the record for the oldest pitcher in major league history to throw a no-hitter.

Louis DeLuca, Getty Images

High school wrestler Dustin Carter, who needed extensive amputations at age 5 because of a rare bacterial infection, earned a berth in Ohio's Division II tournament in 2008 and finished third in his region.

Jeff Swinger, Cincinnati Enquirer/ZUMA Press

Stunningly, the all-time national record for most no-hitters in a row is six (!), but Schuster, who has been recognized by Baseball America as a mid-level prospect for "early draft speculation," now holds the record in the state of Florida.

"I couldn't have imagined something like this," said Schuster, whose 17-strikeout performance was witnessed by approximately 1,000 fans (some stationed on the top row overhang of the nearby football stadium), two dozen major-league scouts and University of Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan, who already has signed the 6-foot-2, 170-pound prodigy to a college scholarship.

[...]"Right now, I'm just rolling with this," Schuster said.

As for "rolling" with things, Schuster also discussed how his MLB draft stock is quickly rising behind the four no-hitters and whether or not he would enter the draft this year. But fortunately, he's not jumping ahead of himself, which is especially impressive considering his school named the day of the game "Patrick Schuster Day."

All told, the kid has, by all accounts, done a tremendous job taking all of this in stride and there's no question that while the immediate payoff is nice, the long-term benefits (two dozen scouts = a lot) should be fantastic.

Did You See That?

The Brewers' Rickie Weeks gets hit in the face by a pitch from the Reds' Edinson Volquez during a recent game in Milwaukee. Incredibly, Weeks was not seriously hurt and stayed in the game. Click through to view more stunning sports photos.

Jim Prisching, AP

Teammates surround New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist of Sweden, as they celebrate their win against the Washington Capitals in game two of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals NHL playoff hockey in Washington, Saturday, April 18, 2009. New York won 1-0. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP

Chuck Liddell, from Santa Barbara, Calif., reacts after being knocked out in the first round by Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, from Brazil, during their light heavyweight fight at UFC 97 in Montreal Saturday, April 18, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Ryan Remiorz)

Ryan Remiorz, The Canadian Press / AP

MONTE CARLO, MONACO - APRIL 19: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates match point in his 6-3,2-6,6-1 victory in the final match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during day seven of the ATP Masters Series at the Monte Carlo Country Club on April 19, 2009 in Monte Carlo,Monaco. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rafael Nadal

Michael Steele, Getty Images

Guadalajara Chivas striker Ramon Morales (R) jumps for the ball with America defender Oscar Rojas during their Mexican league championship soccer match at the Jalisco stadium in Mexico City April 19, 2009. REUTERS/Mario Castillo (MEXICO SPORT SOCCER) (Newscom TagID: rtrlthree366271) [Photo via Newscom]

Mario Castillo, Reuters

The No.69 Suzuki RT Racing team ridden by Raphael Chevre (with teanmates Frederic Jond and jean-Louis Devoyon) in action during the 32nd 24-hour Le Mans motorcycling race, at Le Mans race track, western France, Sunday, April 19, 2009. (AP Photo/David Vincent)

David Vincent, AP

Utah Jazz guard Kyle Korver, right, fouls Los Angeles Lakers forward Trevor Ariza as he goes up for a shot during the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 19, 2009, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 113-100. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Mark J. Terrill, AP

Montreal Canadiens right wing Alexei Kovalev (27) and a Boston Bruins fan battle over possession of Kovalev's stick, which popped through a photographer's shooting hole in the glass, during the closing minute against the Boston Bruins in a first-round NHL hockey playoff game Thursday, April 16, 2009, in Boston. The Bruins beat the Canadiens 4-2. The stick broke, with both men ending up with part of it.

Charles Krupa, AP

Irina Risenzon of Israel performs with a rope during the Grand Prix International Deriugina Cup rhythmic gymnastics competition in Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday, April 11, 2009.

Efrem Lukatsky, AP

San Antonio Spurs forward Kurt Thomas (40) battles for a loose ball with Sacramento Kings defenders Francisco Garcia (32) and Spencer Hawes, center, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Sunday, April 12, 2009.

Steve Yeater, AP

Patrick Schuster Sets Florida High School Record With 4 Straight No-Hitters originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Girmscheid of Pewaukee Hits Ultimate Full-Court Horse Shot

Michael David Smith — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: Youth Sports

David Girmscheid, a junior high basketball player in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, hit the greatest full-court buzzer-beater you'll ever see, even though it didn't count.

The shot came as time expired in a game between the Longhorns and the Wildcats at the Richard Opie Basketball Tournament at Pewaukee High School. With the score tied 28-28, the Longhorns missed a shot and Girmscheld, playing for the Wildcats, grabbed the rebound.

Showing great arm strength for a youngster, Girmscheld threw the ball toward the basket just as the buzzer sounded, and it bounced off the top of the backboard with such force that it hit the ceiling. It then rolled down the cable supporting the backboard and through the hoop.

The shot didn't count, since the ball is dead if it hits the ceiling or the basket support, but if Girmscheld can call that shot, he's the greatest horse player of all time. Also, his team won the game in overtime.

David Girmscheid of Pewaukee Hits Ultimate Full-Court Horse Shot originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Youth Soccer Coach Resigns After Calling Team 'Green Death'

Bruce Ciskie — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:10:00 EST

Filed under: Youth Sports

We've all met the youth sports coach who takes things too seriously. Perhaps it's a hockey coach responsible for six-year-olds who insists on charting goals and assists and keeping stats. It might be a T-ball coach who keeps track of the team's ERA and OPS.

In Massachusetts, a youth soccer coach has resigned for taking things a bit too far. Michael Kinahan wrote an introductory e-mail to parents of the team of seven-year-olds. His attempt at humor didn't sit well with those parents.

In the message, Kinahan said the team was known as "Green Death". While he said the e-mail was "largely (albeit not completely) meant in jest," it's obvious when you read the e-mail why people reacted the way they did.

Green Death has had a long and colorful history, and I fully expect every player and parent to be on board with the team. This is not a team, but a family (some say cult), that you belong to forever ... I expect us to fight for every loose ball and play every shift as if it were the finals of the World Cup. While I spent a good Saturday morning listening to the legal liability BS, which included a 30 minute dissertation on how we need to baby the kids and especially the refs, I was disgusted. The kids will run, they will fall, get bumps, bruises and even bleed a little ... My heckling of the refs is actually helping them develop as people.

I've been known for the occasional sarcastic comment or two, and more than once I've had my attempts at humor fall flat.

That said, it's key when attempting this type of humor that you are funny. It also helps that your target audience know a bit about you. Trying to be funny with a group that might not understand you're trying to be funny is never a good idea.

When your attempts at humor involve seven-year-old children, you'd better make sure you know what you're doing.

Youth Soccer Coach Resigns After Calling Team 'Green Death' originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Adam Bender, Age 9, Wrestles on 1 Leg

Michael David Smith — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:45:00 EST

Filed under: Youth Sports

Last year we told you about Adam Bender, an 8-year-old who had his leg amputated at the pelvis when he was a year old, but managed just fine when playing baseball on one leg. Today we have word that Adam has taken up another sport.

The video above shows Adam, who lives in Lexington, Kentucky, wrestling in a state tournament, where he made it all the way to the finals. When he's grappling on the ground, Adam doesn't seem particularly disabled, and he's the latest of several young athletes to show that wrestling is a sport in which amputees often find success.

Adam, who has been profiled on ESPN, also plays football and soccer.

Video via NBCWashington.com.

Adam Bender, Age 9, Wrestles on 1 Leg originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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High School Team Sacrifices Win for All The Right Reasons

Shane Bacon — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: High School, Youth Sports

People have opportunities everyday to do one of two things -- the right or the wrong. Should I run this yellow light? Should I help that lady with her groceries? Should I understand that some things are more important than just winning a game?

The last question brings us to a high school basketball game between a team in Milwaukee and a team from Illinois, playing an otherwise meaningless basketball game to us in the "national" media. The reason this game was important is because one team decided to do something more important than the game. They acted as humans, being there for another human, and that is where a heartwarming story was made.

It was February 7, and 6-foot-2 forward Johntell Franklin wasn't getting ready for the night's game, he was taking a college entrance exam for the ACT. He was also about to find out his 39-year-old mother had lost her five-year battle with cancer. Franklin was a captain on Aaron Womack Jr.'s basketball team and when the coach heard the news that Carlitha had passed, he thought about canceling the game.

"He said, 'No, tell the guys to go out and do their best,' " the coach said. "I told him we would, and I went back to school."

I guess that wasn't enough for Johntell, who ended up showing up to the game in the second quarter ready to play the game he loved. "I knew my Mom would have wanted me to play. She was always proud of me playing basketball," Franklin said after the game.

Here is where the rules took a turn for the worse. You can't suit up for a game when you aren't on the depth chart and Womack had left Johntell off the roster because he figured the senior wouldn't be in attendance. His mother just died. Who is thinking about basketball at a time like that?

The referees, who can only be faulted for following the rules just a bit too closely, administered a technical foul to Milwaukee Madison while DeKalb coach Dave Rohlman's grabbed his team in a huddle.

Darius McNeal, a senior point guard, was asked to shoot the two free throws because of the rule infraction and he went out to the foul line like a competitor is asked to do. What wasn't expected was where the shots ended up. McNeal tossed both about two feet in front of him, letting the ball roll towards the baseline, miles away from swooshing any net in the arena.

"I did it for the guy who lost his mom," McNeal said. "It was the right thing to do."

That it was, kiddo. That is surely was.

h/t Deadspin

High School Team Sacrifices Win for All The Right Reasons originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Billey Joe Johnson's Death Ruled 'Accidental' by Grand Jury

Will Brinson — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:55:00 EST

Filed under: High School, Youth Sports, Sports Media, Current Events

Billey Joe Johnson's tragic death at a traffic stop in Mississippi a few months ago drew enough attention to garner NAACP involvement. Additionally, there was enough suspicion surrounding the circumstances of his passing that a grand jury was convened to gather information and decide if the shotgun round that killed him was fired on accident or purposefully.

The grand jury issued their report today and ruled that it was indeed accidental.

The ruling Thursday tracks the conclusion of the initial investigation that Billey Joe Johnson had shot himself with a 12-gauge shotgun.

Johnson's family and the NAACP had rejected suicide as the cause of the death. They have said he had too much to live for including a shot at playing in the NFL.

So, the grand jury's ruling does three things, then. First, it confirms the NAACP's conclusion that suicide was not the cause of Johnson's death (how the NAACP intended that ruling to be taken by the general public may be up for debate).

Secondly, it rules out any potential for a violent death. This was an unspoken issue, but considering the natural racial overtones that surround the incident's circumstances, well, it was there. The police department, with this ruling, appears to be off the hook.

And finally, it would appear that Johnson's family has little reason to ever consider filing a lawsuit in this matter, barring some defective issue with the shotgun. And that's not to say this is the last we'll hear about Johnson's family or the late high-school superstar; there's a chance, given the extremely mysterious nature of his death, that more evidence surfaces. But for now, the book appears at least partially shut in the public eye.

Billey Joe Johnson's Death Ruled 'Accidental' by Grand Jury originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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80-Foot High School Buzzer Beater

Will Brinson — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: High School, Youth Sports, Sports Media

80 foot buzzer beaters. They're common, right? Normally, you would think not. But they've been popping up all over the place this year, especially in high school. This one was slightly less attended, but thanks to the wonder of technology and the googlez and what not, still magically recorded.

Via TPS (Reports)

80-Foot High School Buzzer Beater originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'100-Point Win' Coach Gets Fired, Refuses to Express Remorse

Will Brinson — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:15:00 EST

Filed under: High School, Women's Sports, Youth Sports

The ladies of the Dallas Academy varsity team are all the rage in national news these days. They, of course, made frowny faced headlines when The Covenant School throttled them 100-0. Then Covenant came out and said it was really, really sorry about that whole thing, which prompted, for whatever reason, Mark Cuban to invite the team to a Mavericks game.

Now the coach of Covenant has [thankfully] been fired. But don't ask him to be sorry for blowing out a bunch of girls with learning disabilities. Because he won't.

The coach of a Texas high school basketball team that beat another team 100-0 was fired Sunday, the same day he sent an e-mail to a newspaper saying he will not apologize "for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity."

Kyle Queal, the headmaster for Covenant School, said in The Dallas Morning News online edition that he could not answer if the firing was a direct result of coach Micah Grimes' e-mail disagreeing with administrators who called the blowout "shameful."

I'm going out on a limb here, but I would guess that the two things (Grimes being a jerkstore and Grimes getting fired) are slightly related.

This guy, for all intents and purposes, is like the Bud Kilmer of women's high school basketball; he's claiming that these girls played with "honor" and "integrity," when the reality is that he didn't order them to run clock off to save face, or to let their opponents score. No, he kept the pressure on, and in doing so, made himself look like a horrible person.

An apology -- or even not being totally stubborn about his stance -- would have gone a long way with people not wanting him fired or caring if got canned. Now? No one should feel sorry for this guy.

'100-Point Win' Coach Gets Fired, Refuses to Express Remorse originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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