We Can't Go Back
This article presents an opposing view to Taylor Branch's excellent article ("The Shame of College Sports"), Atlantic Monthly, October 2011 regarding the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), and the lack of amateurism within modern collegiate sports. Branch’s well written article brings to our attention many poignant aspects of the culture which we presently endure within the world of seemingly amateur collegiate sports.
Let’s say I'm a 17 year old student who is All Conference in football at a decent Idaho high school. I follow the recruiting rules and justifiably go to the best school that has a major that I can handle. I accept a full ride football scholarship at an NCAA Division 1 university in a major conference: Iowa State of the Big 12. It’s not Stanford, but neither is it Podunk A & M.
Blood Doping: a Nullity
Every year the Tour de France seems to gain progressively more worldwide exposure. Unfortunately the sport of cycling has been tabbed as a sport of cheaters – with final results much of the time in controversy due mainly to accusations of blood doping. Similar to PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs), blood doping is a much over rated athletic performance enhancer. Hearing the term EPO or blood doping automatically rings in the public ear reminders of a tainted sport that puts the results inevitably in jeopardy. It shouldn’t. This high tech modern drug/transfusion technique is most probably nothing more than a placebo.
The 15 Minute Launching Pad for College
Written by Sportademics.com Staff
The choice of where, how, when, and what to study can be quite an ordeal for many students planning for college. For many students, even after going through a progressive process over a two year period, the college decision may become even muddier. Proper focus on your aptitude and ability, and what makes for a sensible college and ultimate career choice is vitally important, saves time, and may avoid poorly considered and irrecoverable career decisions.
Preventing Abuse in Kids Sports
Written by Sportademics.com Staff
Introduction: The recent revelations about some swimming coaches sexually abusing their swimmers and the apparent lack of preventive action on the part of USA Swimming, the sport's governing body, should have sounded alarm bells across the country about these behaviors and what can be done to aid parents and their children in avoiding such abusive behavior by a predatory coach. To date, however, not much has been written on the subject that would constitute sound advice with a view toward its prevention in advance of an assault. This article seeks to address these issues.
Beyond October 1, 1961
Written by Medical Contributing Staff
A Unique Perspective into Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) within Sports
Introduction
The class I hated the most in elementary school was art. I personally detested having to make clay, ceramics, water paintings or metal sculptures, and listen to the ultimate geek instructor with glasses so thick they could be used for the Gemini shielding. Why punish sports loving guys so early in their childhood? The good thing this year was that art was the last class of the day and the school had long ago decided that teachers, not the bell, would dismiss the class.
Following in the footsteps of previous generation’s, each class member took turns advancing the hands of the huge glass encased clock that stood eight feet above the ground - say 15 or 20 minutes ahead. Donald Robb, our geeky art instructor, never knew about the clock change - or so we thought. He seemed too involved with his students trying to make the next impressionist from within the class.
