athletics

Sports update for the week of Feb. 1

Kindbom receives ‘Breaking the Silence’ award Head football coach Larry Kindbom was presented the 2009 Grant Teaff “Breaking the Silence” Award at the 2010 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Convention in Orlando, Fla. The award was given because of his dedication to the prevention of youth suicide. In January 2009, Kindbom kicked off a seven-month […]

Celebration of championsThe 2009 NCAA Division III national champion volleyball team will be honored with a Celebration of Champions at 3 p.m. Feb. 7 in the WU Field House. The ceremony will begin promptly following the conclusion of the men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader against Emory University.

The Olin Business School is introducing a sports management course that will feature an “all-star” line-up of guest lecturers. Through the speakers and class curriculum, students will get a novel perspective on how the sports economy works.

Photo by Chris MitchellAbove is a selection of letters football coach Larry Kindbom has collected for his student-athletes since 1998 and self-published in his “Playbook of Champions.”Instead of getting his team fired up with movies or fire and brimstone, Larry Kindbom, football coach at Washington University in St. Louis, solicits motivational letters from successful people in all walks of life. He has received responses from people such as former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, Vice President Al Gore, Southwest Airlines CEO Herb Kelleher, sportscaster Bob Costas and a host of other notables. This year, Kindbom’s taken the responses and self-published a book, “Playbook of Champions,” for his student-athletes. More…

MatavaChildren who participate in sports or are physically active in hot weather can be at risk for heat-related illnesses. Each year in the United States, there are a number of tragic stories about young athletes who lose their lives after playing or practicing in the heat. The problems can occur when athletes of any age work hard in extreme heat and humidity, but the risks can be even greater in children because children tend to sweat less than adults, making it harder for their bodies to cool off. Matthew Matava, M.D., assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and head team physician for the St. Louis Rams, says parents and coaches need to make sure kids take things slowly and gradually get used to playing and practicing in the heat and humidity. They also need to make it easy for children to get a drink during practice, with more frequent drink breaks as the temperature and humidity levels rise.