Save the Brains-Post

Today, at 6 p.m. the boys ages 13-14, gathered at Atten Park. The safety of this youth football league is a constant issue for Wheaton parents, as it is for many parents of athletes nation-wide. The Riddell helmets the boys wore even had a warning sticker on it that said, "Contact in football may result in CONCUSSION-BRAIN INJURY which no helmet can prevent"...pretty reassuring for a parent, right? As the boys started stretching and getting ready to run drills, the parents watched on the sidelines. They all looked nervous. The body languages, especially of the mothers watching, were an telling example. The fathers stayed the entire time, proudly watching and cheering on their son all night long. Yet, it was clear that the mothers had a much harder time watching. "Yeah, football is not my favorite sport to watch, it's just too violent," a mother said. One of the coaches, Phil Sosnowski, in charge of this age group of boys walked over to the parents about half-way through the night and told them what their boys would be doing the next three days. The contact part of evaluations is scheduled for Wednesday, he said. So, tonight consisted of a lot of team push-ups, sprints, and agility drills to give the coaches a taste of the kind of talent they have to work with this upcoming fall. So thankfully for those nervous mothers, they have a couple more days to build up the courage to watch their sons get tackled...again, pretty reassuring, right?

Save the Brains-Preview

Today, the Wheaton Rams Youth Football program is hosting their yearly football evaluations at 5:45 p.m. to 8 p.m at Atten Park. These evaluations take place in Wheaton, IL and are a tryout for all the boys who desire to play football this fall. These are three days long, with a "draft day" being the last day. The boys will be tested on speed, strength, aggressiveness for example, in addition to football skills. The coaches want to build teams with similar skill levels, so they need to see all the boys in this setting. The boys are split up by age, weight, and height to make the teams fair. Yet, the most interesting part of this process will be how the parents, coaches and future players act during this exciting, but fearful time of year.  Wariness, from the threat of youth concussions will likely be hanging over the parents' heads as they watch their child hit, catch and dive. How will these tryouts pan out? What safety procedures will take place to protect the boys and their undeveloped brains?

Journey To Future Stars-Post

Brad George was pretty excited to be on his own in a Lake Forest College dorm for the next four days with his best friend and fellow basketball player, Cameron Polezoes, also 13-years-old. He got to Lake Forest for check-in at the Future Stars Boys Basketball Camp by 4:40 p.m. When Brad got there, he checked in, was handed a basketball jersey to wear for camp, as well as dorm keys to his room. He grabbed his bags and headed off to his room with my mom, Kristine George. There, he set up his fans so he doesn't get too hot, and his bedding. He laid out all his favorite snacks he bought at the during grocery run beforehand on the counter. Brad's favorite snacks include bagged popcorn, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Gatorade, and Stacy's Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips. Everything a growing boy needs right? By 5:00 p.m. Cameron arrived with his mom and dad, he set up all his things and then, by 5:30 p.m., everyone was headed back to Wheaton, IL. Let's hope Brad and Cameron have a great time!

Journey To Future Stars-Preview

This summer, my 13-year-old little brother, Brad George, is going to a three-day/four-night basketball camp at Lake Forest College. This college is located in Lake Forest, IL. The camp is called "Future Stars Boys Basketball Camp," the camp pamphlet said. It is a total camp experience for young emerging basketball players. The camp aims to prepare pre-high school and varsity athletes for competitive play, as well as athletic success for all their future years as a basketball player. The camp is "conceived, designed, staffed, and dedicated to developing the Future Stars, 'THE PLAYERS OF TOMORROW'," the  pamphlet said. It is 2:00 p.m. and he is getting ready to leave home and travel from Wheaton, IL to Lake Forest, IL for a couple days to play one of his favorite sports. What will he pack? How will he prepare?