Flagrant Fouls in Basketball: Difficult Call To Make

Submitted by Barbara Bleiweis on Thu, 01/12/2012 - 00:13. | comments

A video recently posted on YouTube (see below) featured footage of a high school basketball team committing six fouls in which the videographer accuses the officials of miscalling the fouls. Like many, he considered any hard foul resulting in the player falling to the court a flagrant foul. Problem is that such contact is not automatically a flagrant foul; it could be an intentional foul, or it could be just a hard, but ordinary, personal foul.

A YouTube video accuses high school basketball officials of failing to call flagrant fouls, but begs more questions than it answers, says one official.

Protective Cups, Jock Straps, Supporters: Essential Equipment for Contact and Collision Sports

When your son plays contact or collision sports, there is always the risk of testicular injury. To protect against such injury, boys need to wear a cup.

Angela Ruggiero Remembers Winning Gold

Four-time Olympic women's ice hockey medalist, Angela Ruggiero, tells MomsTeam's Brooke de Lench that the best part of winning gold at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan was seeing the American flag raised at the medal ceremony.

Brooke de Lench

Angela Ruggiero: My Personal Reflections On Her Retirement

Submitted by Brooke de Lench on Fri, 12/30/2011 - 17:55. | comments

This is a success story virtually without equal in women's sports in the post-Title IX era. A story not only about the success of one remarkable young woman, but about her parents and those, like me, who were privileged to watch her grow from a starry-eyed and talented teenager to the mature, self-assured woman she is today; a story which should serve, not only as an inspiration to any youth athlete who wants to reach the elite level in their sport, but for their parents as well.

Two days ago, Angela Ruggiero held a press conference to announce her retirement from women's ice hockey, two weeks after she told me of her decision.

The story of Angela Ruggiero is virtually without equal in women's sports in the post-Title IX era. It is a story not only about the success of one remarkable young woman, but about her parents and those, like me, who were privileged to watch her grow from a starry-eyed and talented teenager to the mature, self-assured woman she is today.

Starting Ice Hockey At Age 10: Too Late To Reach Olympics?

Four-time Olympic women's ice hockey medalist Angela Ruggiero says that starting ice hockey at age 10 is not too late to become an Olympian; that some of her Olympic teammates, in fact, didn't start until age 12 or 13. What she reminds parents is that their child will only achieve athletic success if they love their sport, so it is critical to find one they love to play.

Girl's or Boy's Hockey? Up to The Athlete To Decide

Four-time Olympic women's ice hockey medalist Angela Ruggiero says the decision on whether to play girl's or boy's hockey is up to the athlete and her parents after weighing the pluses and minuses.

Ivy League Football: A Trailblazer in Concussion Prevention, Says Penn's Laudano

New rules in place by the Ivy League for the 2011 football season - including a reduction in the number of full-contact practices and drills - were designed to protect student-athletes from subconcussive hits considered a possible cause of long-term brain injury,

Goalie Competition and Celebration

Barbara Bleiweis

Rules Dictate When an Injured Player Leaves the Court, but Common Sense Should Rule When a Player Returns- But Does It?

Submitted by Barbara Bleiweis on Thu, 12/22/2011 - 19:23. | comments

Player safety as it relates to removal of a player upon sustaining a concussion is receiving much-needed attention by teams, as well as officials. Basketball rules, as set forth by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), are clear: the official shall remove a player if he/she is displaying symptoms of a concussion, and the player can return to the game only if/when cleared by a medical professional.

When is it medically okay to return to the basketball court after injury, versus when does it truly makes sense to do so? There's a big difference.

Hey Coach, I Just Want You to Listen to Me!

Submitted by Greg Covi on Fri, 12/16/2011 - 02:24. | comments

If you're actively coaching sports, please don't let that vein in your forehead burst before I get done explaining why I believe it is so hard to be a well-liked coach with a winning record to boot.

A good youth sports coach knows how to listen. Really listen.

Sports