The Sports Department Print Edition, April 2013

Inside The Sports Department

Jon Buzby says the outfield isn’t always a bad place to be. See page 3.

GBA holds charity basketball tournament. See page 7.

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GHS Batter Tyler Janssen takes a swing in Wednesday’s season opening loss to Southington. Photo by Evan Macy,

The Sports Department.

Frank Set To Lead Glastonbury Baseball

By Evan Macy The Sports Department

There is a slightly different look and feel on the Glastonbury High baseball field this season as longtime Newington coach Eric Frank takes the reins with the Tomahawks.“I’m happy to be here,” Frank said after a the Tomahawks' season-opening loss to Southington April 3. “I want to make a dif-ference. I think we’ve got a good group of guys. I think before it’s over were going to have a pretty solid team.” Frank led Newington to the 2011 Class LL title, and knows his way around the CCC as the Indians contended in for many years under his leadership. This season, his players wear a different shade of blue, but work just as hard as they did at Newington.Seniors Mick Conti and Jack Halpin should

lead the way in the dugout. “Conti is a tremendous defensive player,” Frank said. “Halpin is a fantastic hitter and defensive player.” Other impact players include Carter Mar-shall, a three-year player at second base, and starting pitcher Justin O’Brien. “We also have two great lefty pitchers, Mike Surface and Nick Berry,” Frank said, “and I think we’ve got good team here.” BaseballCoach: Eric FrankLast Year: 11-10 (Lost Class LL first round)Key Returnees: Mike Conti (Sr, SS), Jack Halpin (Sr, 1B), Carter Marshall (Jr, . 2B), Justin O’Brien (Jr, P)The Tomahawks have started the season

April 20132

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The Sports DepartmentP.O. Box 746, Ellington, CT 06029

860-872-0TSD (0873) • 860-614-5866 • thesportsdept.comPublisher: Kevin Hayes • [email protected]

Editor: Brendan Faherty • Production Manager: Patty Hunter

Contributing Writers: Jon Buzby • Tom Ainsworth • Steve SmithReid L. Walmark • Damian Frasinelli • Nate Owen

Amy Locandro • Tim Larew • Robert Tedford • Brendon Willis Katy Sprout • Katie Powers • Matt Lebel • Ryan Kane • Mike Bidwell

Melissa Green-MaltesePhotography: Steve Palmer • Andre Dumais • Rich Tanguay

EB Taylor Photography • Sherrene Wells • Alan Bastarache • Robert PospisilSteve Smith • Andre Garant • Melanie Oliveria

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April 2013 3

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By Jon BuzbyThe Sports Department


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Don't Dismiss Outfield - It Might Be An In Later

Even if you aren't a baseball fan, you've probably heard the stereotype that lesser-skilled players get stuck in the outfield in youth baseball. Ask any parent, and he or she will tell you if it was up to him, his child would be playing in the infield somewhere. And ask any kid and he will tell you the same thing. Watch any game at the local field, and usually the infielders are the best players on the team. That doesn't make it right, just the way it seems to be. Sometimes players are put in the outfield for safety reasons, especially at a young age. My new baseball team made up of 6- and 7-year-olds has four players on it who, quite frankly, have no chance of stopping a line drive hit at them in the infield. They will start the season in the outfield where they can’t possibly be hit hard enough to get hurt (and start hating the game of baseball

before they really even experience it). When I talk to parents — it’s important to do so — of the kids and explain my reasoning, I’ll also share with them one of my favorite youth sports stories. In his final year of travel baseball, my oldest son played some outfield for the first time in his life. As disappointed as he was — and I admit, I was — when it initially happened, even he now readily admits he was lucky to get the experience. I'm convinced the reason my son made his high school team one year later was because of his experience in the outfield that season when, due to a surplus of infielders, he was forced to play all three outfield positions. Like many good players, he had spent all of his youth baseball games playing the infield and pitching. Just like the other 40 kids who tried out for the high school team.So when tryouts rolled around, he was smart enough to realize his best chance to make the team was to compete against players in the outfield who had never played there before, rather than vying for positions with multiple other former all-star infielders. He said he was one of only a couple players who correctly judged fly balls and had the awareness to throw to the correct base depending on the situation. He said that most of the other kids trying out for outfield "had no clue" how to react to a long fly ball or what to do with it once they

caught it. If you have ever tried to shag a fly ball in any situation, you know it's not easy. Imagine doing it for the first time under stressful tryout conditions. My guess is there were several players who, with some outfield experience, might have made the team. Fortunately, my son had that experience. So remember, the next time your child is given a chance to play the outfield, he might want to think twice about saying no. And you might even want to encourage it. If I had been given the chance to voice my opinion at the time — fortunately, my son didn’t ask my advice — I probably would

have told my son to say no to the outfield and stick to the infield. And if he had done that, he might not have ever played high school baseball. The same rule of thumb goes for any sport and their unpopular positions (a.k.a. defense), where supposedly only the lesser-skilled players go.Someday, being in the "worst" position on the field might just work out for the best. Contact Jon Buzby at [email protected] and follow him @youthsportsbuzz on Twitter.

April 20134

Student Athlete of the MonthGlastonbury



Accomplishments: All-New England in soccer, All-American in sprint medley relay in indoor track, All-Conference in softball, Won three state championships and eight conference championshipsGPA: 3.8How do you prepare for a game? I enjoy listening to music and being around my teammates.Thoughts on the softball season: My softball season just started and I am really excited to see how our team does this year. We have a strong team and are looking to win the conference and to go far in the state tournament.Favorite Career Moment Winng the 2011 state championship in soccer. It meant a lot for my team, my coaches, and me that we were able to win the first girls soccer state championship for GHS.What area were you strongest in? What area did you improve the most in over your career? My communication on the field improved the most over my ca-reer thanks to the help from my coaches and teammates.Looking back, what are you going to miss the most about playing for your team and high school? I am going to miss the teammates and coaches I have met through my sports seasons as well as playing for my school and community.Favorite athlete? Which athlete do you

most model your game after? Heather O’Reilly (U.S. women's soccer player)Red Sox or Yankees? Red Sox UConn men or UConn women? UConn womenFavorite band, TV show? Pretty Little Liars; GleeHow do you believe sites like Twitter and Facebook have changed how you watch and follow sports? I still watch sports on TV, however, I often use twitter to check up on teams when I don’t have time to watch the games.Plans after high school: Attend the University of Hartford and play women’s soccer.

Katie Connolly Soccer, Indoor Track, Softball

April 2013 5

See more photos at www.TheSports

Dept.com



GLASTONBURY HIGH SCHOOL PHOTOS

Evan Grenus finished 4th in the D-I tournament last year. TSD File Photo

Ryan Babiak looks to be a key cog for the boys lacrosse team this year.

Lindsey Musco threw a no-hitter last season for the Tomahawks.

April 20136 TheSportsDept.com - Print Edition

Track Team Looks To Take Home CCC North CrownContinued from Page 1

0-2.SoftballCoach: Georgeanne DiCensoLast Year: 12-9 (Lost Class LL first round)Key Returnees: Katie Connolly (Sr, CF), Delaney Kehoe (Sr, C), Lindsey Musco (Sr, P), Ana Arriaga (Sr, IF), Alyssa Foster (Jr, Inf, OF).Outlook: Last season the Tomahawks had trouble closing games. This season they hope to buck that trend.With Musco looking to improve on a 10-7 record and 119 strikeouts last season from the circle, the Glastonbury offense and Connolly will try to provide run support and defense needed in the CCC North.“We are excited for the return of our veteran players and the arrival of younger players including two freshmen and three players from last years JV team,” DiCenso said. “We look to improve upon last year's record and expect key defensive plays and timely hitting to lead us to success.”A handful of other hitters off campaigns of .340 batting and better join Connolly in the lineup, including catcher Kehoe, Arriga and Foster. Connolly, Foster and Kehoe were all-CCC North last season. The Toma-hawks dominated their first two games, outscoring oppnents 32-4 and are 2-0 on the season.Boys Track and FieldCoach: Tracey HollenbaughLast Year: Finished second in Class LL meetKey Returnees: Ryan Shiring (Sr), Pat Shiring (Sr), Tom Chamberlin (Jr), Randy Neish (Fr), Kevin Connor (Sr)

Outlook: Middle to long distance should be the strength of a strong team, looking to continue its peak performance in statewide competition.The Shiring brothers are coming off of a strong indoor season. They each were All-Conference, All-State and All-New England and could very well dominate the 1,600 and 3,200 meters as well as the 4x800 relay.“We hope to as a team win the CCC North after falling short last year at the end of the year with injuries,” coach Hollenbaugh said, “and hope to qualify as many as we can to move on the Class LL meet, State Open and New Englands.”Senior hurdler Thomas Xu should have a great season after earning All-Conference honors in the 300 last spring, and senior pole vaulter Hayes Watson is capable of again earning All-Conference honors.“We hope to win the CCC North as a team after falling short last year at the end of the year with injury. From there, we hope to qualify as many as we can to move on the Class LL meet, State Open and New Englands.”Girls Track and FieldCoach: Brian CollinsLast Year: 13-1 (second in Class LL meet)Key Returnees: Kristen Arborio, Marylin Bonham, Kristen Dragotta, Eleanor Free-land, Anna Oriendale, Rachel Peterson, Briona WallaceOutlook: A group of experienced captains look to lead Glastonbury to another suc-cessful year. The well-rounded team could be the team to beat in the CCC North.“I’m looking forward to the new season,” coach Collins said. “We have many good

returning athletes but also many un-knowns. Leadership will be key and so will the improvement throughout the season with the younger and inexperienced ath-letes. We have a strong league and that should help prepare the team for the big meets at the end of the season.”Boys LacrosseCoach: Mark LandersLast Year: 13-5 (Lost in Class L quarter-finals)Key Returnees: Jon Kaplan, Mason Grande, Matt Parmelee, Ryan Walker, Zach Malsky, Ryan BabiakOutlook: Glastonbury returns many of its starters, but is also young, with only six seniors.“Our success will depend on our commu-nication, chemistry, defense and certainly our depth,” Landers said.Depth will be of increased importance early on, with several key players ex-pected to miss significant time early. The Tomahawks do have their defense (includ-ing goalie) intact from last year. The boys dropped its first game of the season to Weston and are 0-1.Girls LacrosseCoach: Kris CofiellLast Year: 11-7 (Lost Class L quarterfi-nals)Key Returnees: Katherine Nuzzolo (Sr), Brenna McHugh (Sr), Nicole Gottschalk (Sr), Taylor Walker (Sr), Courtney Pe-terson (Sr), Jakie O’Keefe (Sr), Sydney Keane (Jr)Outlook: There is no doubt the Toma-hawks will be athletic and fast. The ques-tion lies in how the team will replace 89 goals from graduated senior Katie DeVito.

Likely the answer is right on the roster with the quick and tenacious midfield trio of Nuzzolo, Walker and Sara Dicenso. The team is also looking to have a more bal-anced attack than in 2012.“(Sophomore goalie) Audrey Apponovich needs to get up to varsity speed quickly,” coach Cofiell said. “She is athletic and determined. She has an experienced defensive unit in front of her with three returning starters. There are many talented young players who could challenge for playing time if they can learn quickly and handle the speed of the varsity game.” The girls are 2-0 on the young season.Boys GolfCoach: Tom ZelekLast Year: 23-0 (CCC North Champions)Key Returnees: Evan Grenus (Jr), Danny Neish (Sr), Dan Cardin (Sr), Denis Biglin (Jr), Albert Hansrisuk (So)Outlook: The Tomahawks complied a lengthy list of accomplishments last sea-son, winning every regular season match and taking fourth in the CCC tournament. Glastonbury also fininshed second of 41 teams in the Division I tournament.But Glastonbury lost four seniors, including John Flaherty who now plays for UConn. Evan Grenus will take his place as captain and has ample experience in junior tourna-ments all across the country. Players who will also likely contribute low scores include seniors Neish and Cardin, junior Biglin and sophomore Hansrisuk. “Despite having lost four seniors, I believe we will again be very competitive this year in our division because of our returning

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ASK THE TRAINER


Ice, Then RICEBy Nicole Fontaine, ATCThe Sports Department

Certified Athletic Trainers are allied health care providers trained in the prevention, evaluation and rehabilitation of sports injuries. They work under the direction of a physician and they are board certified na-tionally and licensed in state (visit NATA.org for more information). Certified athletic trainers at Enfield High School and Fermi High School are provided by Hartford Hospital Rehabilitation Network (rehab.harthosp.org ), formerly Eastern Rehabili-tation Network.Hartford Hospital Rehabilitation Network (HHRN) and The Sports Department have partnered to bring readers a monthly col-umn on sports medicine topics. Readers may submit questions related to: Christina Martinelli, ATC (Glastonbury High School) - [email protected]; Allison Steingiser, ATC (Glastonbury High School) - [email protected]; Rob Durbois, Physical therapist, (HHRN Glastonbury) - [email protected] Last month we discussed “How much is too much?” when it comes to sports participation. While we advocated for moderation and safety, we also know that as humans, sometimes we just can’t help ourselves – especially as winter gives way to beautiful weather. So, if you’ve overdone it – you tried a new sport, you pushed too hard, you practiced too long – and have an overuse injury what should you do? In a word, ICE!Ice and other cooling modalities are great for treating many different conditions. The

use of ice, cryotherapy, can be used to treat pain, swelling, muscle spasm, muscle guarding, bursitis, tendonitis and muscle soreness. Cold has its greatest benefit when the injury first happens, in the acute phase. There is general agreement that the use of cold is the initial treatment for most injuries of the musculoskeletal sys-tem (strains, sprains, fracture). When you are first injured, your body goes into protection mode which causes swelling. However, sometimes the swelling and the inflammation doesn’t stop. The primary use of cold in acute injuries is to lower the temperature, reducing the meta-bolic rate and production of metabolites. Another great thing about ice is its action as a pain reliever. When you apply ice to an injured area, the area goes numb decreasing the pain. Ice also slows down nerve activity which decreases pain. Ice is very helpful if used properly. It is generally recommended that ice be applied in cycles of 15-20 minutes on followed by 40 minutes off. To protect the skin you should use a barrier between your skin and the ice and monitor your skin’s appearance and feel. Once the area is numb you have re-ceived the full benefit of the ice for that treatment (“more is better” does not apply to icing). To get the full benefit of ice, you should also apply the RICE principle. RICE stands for rest, ice, compression and el-evation. As with any injury, if it doesn’t start responding within a day or two, or you suspect something more damaging has occurred, such as a fracture, seek medical attention.

See more photos on page 13.

First G-Bury Kids for Kids Tourney Huge SuccessBy Danny AtkinsonThe Sports Department

The Glastonbury Basketball Association held its first G-Bury Kids for Kids Tour-nament March 23 at Glastonbury High and Smith School. The tournament drew 106 boys and girls teams with about 450 players overall, who competed for division championships in front of large crowds — all while raising money for local charities whose mission is to help underprivileged children. The tournament raised about $30,000 and turned a $25,000 profit. The event was the brainchild of the G-Bury Kids for Kids nonprofit organization and its executive director Tim Sellew. The organi-zation is made up of volunteers only, and was created for the sole purpose of en-abling children and young adults to donate to charities that assist young children.The tournament’s main objective was to teach participating players how to give back to the community. The seven-mem-ber board of directors decided to give 100 percent of the tournament’s proceeds to children-focused charities.“We wanted to teach kids how to give back to the community, and so far this effort has been a great success,” Sellew said during the tournament. “. . .Seeing the basketball is great, but today is really about the spirit of helping others.”The beneficiaries were the CT Food Bank/Kids Back Pack Program and The Ghana Children’s Fund. The Food Bank’s kid's

program provides children with access to healthy food to helps them learn and grow.It does this by identifying local students who are food-insecure and then providing them with kid-friendly food at the end of each school week. Apple sauce, whole-grain cereal and dried fruit are just some of the foods provided.The Ghana Children’s Fund is a non-profit organization that strives to improve the lives of orphans and needy children in Ghana. The organization is currently focusing its fundraising effort on improving these children’s access to quality educa-tion.The event's two main sponsors were The Hartford Insurance Group and Smith Brothers Insurance, who both contributed $5,000. A second group of sponsors, including Rockville Bank, Whole Foods, Ace Hardware and Acadia Insurance, each donated between $500 and $2,500.Players were allowed to form their own teams. Each team had to pay $100, were required to have a minimum of three and a maximum of five players, and the games were played 3-on-3.The tournament was played without coaches and relied only on volunteer ref-erees and parents to supervise players. All teams competed in a grade-based division by gender, and played four round-robin games before competing in playoff rounds.Katie Charla was in the Glastonbury High crowd watching her brother Mike compete for the Bombers in the Grade 8 division. She discussed the sense of community the tournament brought to Glastonbury residents.“It’s fun to see everybody come together to support the players and these charities,” she said. “I feel like it makes us a stron-

ger and more supportive community. The tournament should only improve and get bigger in the next few years.”Trent Taylor was played for the Young Bloods, the boys Grade 8 winners. He dis-cussed how enjoyable it was to play and win a championship.“We wanted to win so badly at the end,” he said. “Once we realized how big of a deal this was, we took it very seriously. It felt good to be out there raising money to support charities, and it was great to see so many people here doing it too.”Boys Tournament WinnersGrade 3 Mike Newhouse Bracket: Here Comes the Boom (Sampson Reilly, Brady Stone, Cody Stone, Jack Stone)Grade 3 ABC House Bracket: Black Knights (Russell Abankwah, Scott Cun-ningham, Luke Fahey, Jack Stephan, Drew Jean)Grade 4 Newhouse Bracket: Hawks (Alex Boucher, Steve Daigle, Grant Powers, Peter Sposito)Grade 5 Newhouse Bracket: Fireballs (Ryan Sellew, Bryce Smith, Kyle Kapur)Grade 6 Newhouse Bracket: Beach Babes (Matt Lane, Dillon Morando, Cameron Stiepock, Devin Wasilefsky)Grade 6 ABC House Brack-et: Angry Leprechauns (Mason Bridgeford, Grady Murphy, Dennis Thomas, Freddy Thomas, Quinn Zdrojeski)Grade 7 Newhouse Bracket: Scalabrine Prodigy (Tyler Andrade, Theodore Connolly, Danny Evans, Sean Roncaili)

Grade 8 Newhouse Bracket: Young Bloods (James McCabe, Joey DeLuca, Jared Nelson, Trent Taylor)Grade 9-10 Newhouse Bracket: GBury Knicks (Tom Daly, Alec Graham, Max Hummel, Zach MartinoGrade 9-10 ABC House Bracket: Avengers (CJ Jagel, Jason Boothroyed, Chris Con-nor, Rahul Kantesaria, Shayne Samp-ognaro)Grade 11-12 Newhouse Bracket: Black Out (Grant Lewis, Nick Karp, Jordan Butler)Girls Tournament WinnersGrade 4 Newhouse Bracket: Husky Pups: Kelly Queen, Mary Norman, Molly Monzi-glio, Brittany LeClair, Jaci BudajGrade 5-6 Newhouse Bracket: Jercs (So-phia Desaulniers, Erin Goss, Chloe Land-ers, Rachel Roman, Jamie Scarpentonio)Grade 7 Newhouse Bracket: #BBallers (Sydney Baird, Lauren DiLoreto, Lindsay Janeczek, Kelly Lundsford)Grade 8 & Up: Panthers (Lauren Couse, Gabriella Dombek, Oliva Merimigos, Laura Patton, Julia Zarrilli)

The Young Bloods can't help looking tough even after capturing the Grade 8 division title. Photo by: Danny Atkinson


COLLEGE NOTEBOOK Second Connecticut High School Bowling Tournament March 23

By Staff ReportsThe Sports Department

The second Connecticut High School Invitational Bowling Tournament is Sat-urday, March 23 at AMF Circle Lanes in East Haven. It starts at 10 a.m.; the entry deadline is March 15. Registration fee is $100 per team and includes all bowling-related costs. Bowlers who wish to enter are asked to contact their high school's athletic director. The event is sponsored by the Connecti-

cut Interscholastic Athletic Conference with support from the Connecticut Bowling Proprietors Association and is part of an initiative to bring interscholastic bowling to state high schools. Nineteen schools participated in the inaugural event last year at Bradley Bowl in Windsor Locks. Host Windsor Locks won the title in a roll-off vs. Fermi-Enfield. The CIAC, the governing body of high school athletics in Connecticut, is hoping to add bowling as an interscholastic sport beginning in 2014.

Members of the Glastonbury High Bowling team took part in the second annual CIAC Bowling Invitational last month. Pictured from left to right (back row): Carlos Rodriguez, Austin Smith, Will Dug-gan, Jarred Mantis. Front row (L-R): Griffin Patterson, Kevin Connor, Jimmy Cantoni, Josh Cravies.

Glastonbury Alums Turning Heads In College Ranks

By Reid L. WalmarkThe Sports Department

Sophomore Ryan Pajor (Glastonbury High Class of 2011) is a middle-distance runner on the U.S. Naval Academy’s men’s track and field team. He was on the second-place 4x800-meter relay team at the Navy Five-Team Relays Jan 12. He ran the 800 as an individual with a season’s best time of 2:03.85 Jan. 6 at Princeton, finishing fifth.

His former Tomahawks’ teammate James Llamas (GHS 2009) is a dis-tance runner at Rice University. He ran the 3,200 in 8:32.4 in the Conference USA indoor championships on Feb. 25. Former Tomahawk Trevor Johnson (GHS 2010), a junior at Syracuse, is a sprinter and hurdler on the indoor and

outdoor track teams. His personal bests are 39.28 at 300 meters, 8.08 in the 55 high hurdles, 8.58 in the 60 hurdles indoors 15.55 in the 110 high hurdles outdoors.

Ryan Franklin (GHS 2009) is a senior sprinter and jumper on Eastern Con-necticut's outdoor team. He has also run cross country and indoor track. Franklin placed eighth in the 400 hurdles (59.85 seconds) on March 30 at the Coast Guard Spring Invitational. He also com-peted in the long jump.

UConn sophomore Lindsay Cre-voiserat (GHS 2011) will try to improve on her 29th-place finish in the 5,000 at the NCAA regionals from last spring. Crevoiserat finished 15th in the 3,000 in the NCAA indoor meet in March.

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players who have experience playing in matches and have shown their dedication to improving their games,” Zelek said.Boys Tennis The Tomahawks may have lost a lot of pieces from a 15-2 squad, but they will still be a team to be reckoned with this season. They are reloading behind an experienced group of starters and a promising collec-tion of young talent. Glastonbury lost four of its starting single players and its top two double teams. The talented and experi-enced senior trio of Reid Risinger, William Morris and Thomas Webb will have to improve their games while taking on greater leadership roles. Risinger could be one of the top contenders for the Class LL singles title. He advanced to the LL quarterfinals last season. Even with all its proven talent at the top, the Tomahawks are inexpe-rienced as a whole and most develop consisten-cy throughout the whole lineup. Coach Kim Fran-cis has been pleased with the progress made by her inexperienced

players, but said that they had been un-able to develop a rhythm because of how cold it has been. This group will immedi-ately have a chance to show how much they have improved in practice. The team faces powers Cheshire, Amity-Woodbridge and Weston the first week of the season. Francis is excited but is trying to hold expectations in check. “All I can hope for is that all our guys develop and that we will consistently be competitive.” Glastonbury opens at RHAM-Hebron April 10.

Reid Risinger returns for his senior season. Photo by Elizabeth Taylor, The Sports Department, www.ebtaylorphot-ography.com

Risinger Leads TrioContinued from Page 6


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And singing. Student Athlete of the MonthGlastonbury

Glastonbury Parks and Recreation

Accomplishments: All-AcademicGPA: 4.4How do you prepare for a volleyball match? I’m always with my teammates. We talk about the game, the team we’re facing, and our strategy.Expectations for the season: Most of my teammates and I have a lot of playing experience together and we’re playing our best volleyball together. We’re all working towards the state championship and have extremely high expectations.Favorite career moment: Last year we entered the (Class L) tournament as underdogs and made it to the semifinals where we lost to an undefeated Cheshire team. The loss was hard to take but it strengthened our teamwork and with a lot of returning players this year, we’re all confident we can beat Cheshire and win the state title.What area were you strongest in? What area did you improve on? I’ve always been a good passer; it’s the first skill I picked up on as I began learning the sport. Over the past two years, I’ve grown a lot both physically and mentally, and I’ve definitely improved my offensive game.Looking back, what are you going to miss the most about playing for your team and high school? I’m going to miss hanging out with my teammates and pick-up games in the offseason. In terms of high school, I’m going to miss having my family there to cheer me on.What is the toughest challenge you’ve

overcome? I tore my tibial tendon in my ankle last year and was in a walking boot. I had to complete months of rehab and I was afraid that I would reinjure it jumping.Favorite athlete? Which athlete do you most model your game after? Rajon Rondo. I love watching him play and I model my game after his defensive intensity.Red Sox or Yankees? UConn men or UConn women? Red Sox. UConn Men.Favorite movie? SkyfallWhat is your favorite sports website to follow? I like to check ESPNHow do you believe sites like Twitter and Facebook have changed how you watch and follow sports? Everything is instantaneous. You can see every aspect of an athlete’s life.Plans after high school: I’m still decid-ing between Virginia Tech and UConn, but I definitely plan on playing club vol-leyball wherever I go.

Matt HoustonVolleyball

Swimming Lessons Start June 24

By Bill EngleGlastonbury Recreation

With the many beaches, lakes and swimming pools located in Connecticut, learning to swim is critical to your child’s safe summer. The Glastonbury Parks and Recreation Department announces that the first ses-sion of swim lessons is scheduled to begin Monday, June 24. Classes are offered at convenient times and locations. Morning classes are offered at the High School, Grange and Addison pools. Evening classes are offered at the High School pool. Each pool offers classes for multiple levels. Classes are 25 minutes long and each session meets daily for two weeks. To ensure as much instructor/student inter-action as possible, class sizes are small, particularly in the lower levels. All instruc-tors are qualified and trained.Fee: $29 per child/session. Session 1: June 24-July 3, Session 2: July 8-18, Session 3 July 22-August 1, Session 4 August 5-15 (no lessons at Grange Pool) . No Lessons at Grange Pool during 4th session. Many levels at each pool are currently available. Please check the Parks and Recreation Summer brochure or visit glastonbury-ct.gov. (click on Town De-partments, the Parks and recreation) for specific times and locations of each class.Hershey Track and Field Meet The Glastonbury Local Hershey Track and Field Meet will be May 1 (rain date: May 8). Registration for grades 3-5 is at 2 p.m. for a 2:30 p.m. start; grades 6-9 at 2:45 p.m. for a 3:15 p.m. start at the High School Track. The meet is co-sponsored by the Parks & Recreation Department and the Board of Education, Physical Education Depart-ment. Glastonbury aged 9-14 of December 31, 2013 are eligible. Winners inthave the opportunity to advance to a state, and national meet in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Hershey's National Track & Field Youth Program is designed to encourage physi-cal fitness among youth and emphasizes participation and sportsmanship. Regis-tration flyers are available through your

child’s physical education teacher, the Parks & Recreation Department, as well as being available on line at glastonbury-ct.gov, click on Parks and Recreation and you will find it under the “Forms to Down-load” section. All forms must be turned in to the Parks and Recreation Department by 7 a.m. Monday April 29.Skate Park Open The Glastonbury Skate Park, featur-ing “the latest edge in skate park design” opened for the season on April 7th The park features Woodward ramps made of Skatelite Pro material, the same ramps the pros skate! Skaters will see all their favorite components including a half-pipe, quarter- pipes, grind rails, jump boxes, pyramids, wedges, launch ramps and more! The Park is located behind Acad-emy School at 2143 Main Street.Passes are available for sale at the Parks and Recreation Department at 1086 New London Turnpike (Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.).Resident Season Pass: $80; Non-Resident $160Daily passes will be sold at the Park as follows:Resident Weekday: $4, Weekend $5; Non-Resident Weekday: $8, Weekend $10 In addition to required gear there will be no food, drinks, or smoking allowed, and children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult or guardian age 16 or older. Completion of a waiver form required before entering the park. Openings are also available for Skate Lessons that start April 14. For more infor-mation, please call the Parks and Recre-ationat (860) 652-7679.All-Pro Sports Vacation Sports Camp Children grades K-6 will be exposed to basketball, soccer, floor hockey and baseball in an environment that stresses fun over competition. Participants will be placed in age-appropriate groups the first day and will receive a t-shirt. Please regis-ter for age/grade appropriate group.Days: April 16, 17, 18, 19: Cost: $180/Full Day; $125/Half DayMonday-Thursday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. or 9 a.m.-3 p.m.Location: Smith Middle School Gyms

They gave it all they had in their respective sports, and now it’s time to

give them their due. Pick up the May edition of

thesportsdept.com’s monthly paper to see who we’ve picked as the

BESTAREAin the

2012-13 Winter Sports

April 201311


Golf pagE

Tips For A More Consistent Short GameBy Tom's Golf Tips

Choke down on the club an inch or two for chips. Use a narrow, open stance. Open the clubface and keep it square to the target.Use the same basic swing for a chip and pitch. For chips, stand tall and raise your hands to get the heel of the club up and the toe down. This promotes crisp shots. Play ball off right foot, angle shaft toward target,

open stance, let shoulders control swing, keep left arm against left side, let clubhead swing to left of target after impact. Don't rush the downswing. Make sure the shaft is leaning toward the target at impact. To avoid hitting chips and pitches fat: don’t sole the club at address. Use an open, narrow stance, keep arms connected to chest and rotate body rather than sliding hips laterally and jabbing at the ball with your hands.

Focus eyes on front of ball, with weight on front foot and wrists ahead of ball at impact and be sure to make a complete follow-through. Use arm and shoulder swing, not hands, for short chips. Let gravity do most of the work on down-swing. Let left arm control club throughout swing with little wrist action. Play ball back in stance with hands and weight towards target. For high pitches, start downswing with legs. Open stance, square shoulders. Club should go straight back and through. Rock (like a clothes hanger on a hook), don’t turn shoulders. Let arms drop to start downswing. Be sure to use a light grip. Clubhead should trail, not lead, hands and wrists at impact. Use inside out swing-path and be sure to pivot. To avoid "scooping" chips and pitches, keep wrists ahead of ball at impact.In pitches, ball and shaft should be cen-tered and weight should be divided evenly. For distance control, don’t let right hand take control of clubhead speed.

Control the distance on short shots by limiting your backswing. To avoid thin chips, don’t try to help the ball into the air. Use a low running shot when conditions permit for more control. For a low running chip, use a very narrow stance, play ball off right foot, keep hands ahead of ball, and swing straight back and through with firm hands. Keep your hands low at the finish. For a short, pop chip, use an open and narrow stance, an open clubface, play the ball in the middle, hit ball from out to in. Don’t flip wrists. When chipping, keep butt of club pointed at belt buckle. For short shots, move feet closer to-gether and take shallow divots. Keep lower body still on short chips just off the green. For long chips, keep lower body relaxed and let it react naturally to actions of arms and upper body. Start downswing by shift-ing knees toward target. To improve your rhythm, make your back-swing and forward swing equal in length.

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Call 860-872-0TSD (0873)



Enfield Cinco K Mayo 5K Run/Walk May 4 Benefits

Rotary CausesENFIELD – The second Cinco K Mayo Charity 5K Run/Walk is Saturday, May 4 at Fermi High. The race, sponsored by Howland & Sargent Insur-ance of Somers, starts at 9 a.m. with registra-tion starting at 8 a.m.Proceeds from ben-efit the Rotary Club of Enfield Charitable Fund, which funds com-munity projects, including scholarships to juniors and seniors in college and, for the first time this year, a new scholarship for high school seniors from Enfield and Fermi High Schools going to a four-year college.Recipients will exemplify the characteris-tics of the Rotary Four-Way Test. In 2012, there were 300 participants who helped raise over $9,000 for the Enfield Rotary Accessible Playground project at the En-field Public Library.The 5K route is a certified flat course and the race is professionally chip timed. The Walk route follows the 5K route. All participants receive a t-shirt and prizes will

be awarded for individual and team t-shirt creativity. Winners in each category will

receive cash prizes.Entertainment will be provided by DJ Hatch; Acapulco’s of Enfield will host a post-race

fiesta.The Enfield Rotary Club is celebrating its 85th anniversary.

Rotary Club members make a difference in the lives of many and the Enfield Police Department’s Toys for Joy, Enfield Food Shelf, Loaves and

Fishes, Enfield and Fermi High School Safe Grad Parties and a community garden and gazebo at the Enfield Senior Center are among the projects supported by Rotary. Shop-Rite of Enfield, William Laboratories and TheSportsDept.com are Elite Sponsors and Fitness Together is an Advanced Sponsor.For more information about the Enfield Rotary Club, please call club president Ed Palomba at 860-741-4395 or visit enfieldc-trotary.org.

April 2013 13



Action From The GBA 3-On-3 Tournament

Trapped in the corner, looking for help. Photo by: Danny Atkinson, The Sports Department.

Scalabrine Prodigy won the 7th grade division title. In the photo are Tyler Andrade, Theodore Connolly, Danny Evans and Sean Roncaili. Photo by: Danny Atkinson, The Sports Depart-ment.

Suffocating defense makes this a tough shot. Photo by: Danny Atkinson, The Sports Department.

The rebound is anybody's guess. Photo by: Danny Atkinson, The Sports Department.

See story on page 7.

April 201314



More Action From The GBA 3-On-3 Tournament

Chaos during a drive to the hoop. Photo by: Danny Atkinson, The Sports Department.

The defense collapses on the shooter. Photo by Danny Atkinson, The Sports Department

See story on page 7.

Boxing out for the rebound. Photo by Danny Atkinson, The Sports Department

April 2013 15



Program Helps Build Athletic Ability

By Doug DorseyAccelerated Fitness

The number of students playing sports has reached an all-time high. In the 2010-11 school year, 7.7 million high school students participated in organized sports. This means that a large portion of our youth are exercising on a regular basis, learning the value of hard work and what it means to work as a team. Perhaps the most significant character trait that is instilled in all athletes is the importance of doing everything you can to reach your genetic potential. What do high level amateur and profes-sional athletes do to become the best? The answer is quite simple. They go to practice, eat right, get adequate sleep and partake in speed and agility and strength and conditioning training. The off-the-field speed and agility training along with a solid strength and conditioning program is para-mount for success. These programs help: • Foot speed• Coordination• Power output through the legs and upper body• Strengthen the core• Improve flexibility• Prevent injury

• It is nearly impossible to reach your potential without this training. Unfortunately, it is often the most over-looked part of a middle and high school athlete’s training. That’s why Accelerated Fitness Solutions has developed a com-prehensive program that covers all of the necessities for improving athletic ability. We take extensive measures to prevent injury by improving flexibility through foam rolling, dynamic stretching and static stretching. We also limit injuries by requiring athletes to practice joint integrity exercises. These exercises improve the strength of the muscle around major joints like the hips, knees and shoulders. We make athletes faster by teaching them proper running form, increasing power out-put and improving coordination. An added benefit of all the hard work is that they also improve their overall level of conditioning. The unprecedented number of athletes participating in sports has made it even more important for your son or daughter to do everything possible to stand out. By training with Accelerated Fitness Solutions, your child will make improvements and develop into the best athlete they can be. Start benefiting today. Visit www.accelerat-edfitness.com, or call (860) 657-8248.



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The Sports Department Print Edition, April 2013

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