MYAS Update Info
Our newsletter is designed to provide timely youth sports information to coaches, athletes, parents and administrators. This includes notes from the Executive Director, calendar reminders, new service announcements and special events. Contributions from our sponsors assist us in delivering high quality youth sports services at the lowest possible cost; contributions partially fund this newsletter and certain sponsors will be featured.
Dan's Notes - from Executive Director Dan Klinkhammer
THE LOST ART OF DO-OVERS
"That was a fair ball!" "No it wasn't!" "Yes it was!" "No it wasn't!" "Are you blind?" "No, but you must be!" "How well do you think you'd see with two black eyes?" "How would you like to eat supper through your ear?" "Alright, let's do it over."
"That was a foul." "I never touched you." "Yes you did - see that red mark on my neck?" "How'd you like one on the other side?" "Your sister's fat." "Your brother is a loser." "Okay, let's do it over."
When I was growing up, these arguments could be heard on every playground and in every gymnasium in the country. Squabbles on the sandlots of America were sometimes settled with a quick punch to the mouth, a swift kick to where it hurts or a brief wrestling match. But most disagreements were settled with the everlasting saving grace of a do-over. When you just couldn't agree and fighting wasn't really an option, the do-over was the ultimate answer. A do-over is similar to a good divorce. Nobody feels like they won or lost and everyone gets to start over.
Normally, once someone suggested a do-over the argument was over and the situation was replayed. However, some of the more unscrupulous participants - commonly known as "cheaters" or "weenies" - would sometimes claim a do-over when one really wasn't warranted. When that happened the unwritten "Playground Code of Conduct" kicked in and the cheater/weenie was booted off the playground. Violating the honor of a do-over was considered a serious offense and the perpetrator would be chastised for many weeks to come. And if you did it again, you, your children and your children's children would be banished for life. The consequences for declaring an unwarranted do-over were quite severe and even the cheaters and weenies eventually caught on.
Yes, do-overs have saved a lot of friendships and avoided many split lips. But the art of the do-over seems to be vanishing. Kids don't organize their own games anymore. Parents are too afraid to send their kids down the street to play. As a result, the kids of the new millenium have forgotten how to do anything for themselves and are totally reliant on adult-organized sports. Picking teams, making the ground rules, modifying playing rules, deciding which team will be shirts or skins, chipping in for a new baseball, sharing your bat, setting time limits and a whole host of other decisions have been lost over the past few decades. As a result, the do-over is on the endangered species list.
I have often wondered what would happen if the MYAS ran a basketball or baseball tournament where we let the kids self-officiate a game. I think that in order to do so, we'd have to put a muzzle on all the parents, tie their hands behind their backs and make them all wear dark sunglasses so they couldn't signal their opinions to the kids. It would be very interesting to see how the kids would handle calling balls and strikes, outs and safes, fouls and free throws. My best guess is that the kids would do just fine and it would be the parents that we'd have to drag off to the funny farm. I'm also guessing that there would be plenty of do-overs to settle the inevitable disagreements that would arise.
Oh, I know what some of you are thinking. This would never work because the bully would always win the argument. Not so! I'll never forget a playground incident that happened when I was a kid. I don't recall exactly how the fight got started, but I do remember the biggest bully in town trying to dictate the outcome of every controversial call by declaring a do-over and pushing and shoving and threatening his opponents. That lasted about 10 seconds, when we all learned you don't mess with the Heir boys. There were four of them and they were all about a year apart in age. Mess with one and you had to mess with them all. I'll never forget the hurt they put on that bully. It looked like a swarm of bees. Fists flying, kicking, biting, scratching, pinching, poking, clothes tearing, teeth gnashing, dust and dirt spraying into the air...and then the fight started. It was a sight to see.
When it was over, the eldest Heir boy stood over the battered town bully and told him, "If you want a do-over, come back tomorrow and we'll gladly do this over."
Three valuable lessons were learned that day: 1) don't mess with the Heir boys; 2) do-overs are to be respected, not abused; and 3) don't mess with the Heir boys!
Since I am the eternal optimist, I still believe that there are kids out there who have the capacity to organize their own sandlot games and I'm confident that they would rely heavily on the do-over to help keep peace on the playground. To further that concept, maybe we parents should accompany our kids to the playground - not to help organize the games but to pull security duty at the park while the kids play. And if that's not an option, I'll give you the number for the Heir boys!
Minnesota Lynx Special Ticket Offer for MYAS Participants
MYAS BUY 1 GET 1 FREE OFFER!
2008 is the 10th Anniversary for the Minnesota Lynx and we would like to extend this special offer to all MYAS participants.
Catch Seimone Augustus and the Lynx as they take on San Antonio on Sunday, June 8, or come watch Lindsay Whalen and the Connecticut Sun when they are in town on Tuesday, June 10.
Tickets are buy 1, get 1 free and cost either $10 or $30. To order, contact Matt Bare at 612-673-8441 or bare@timberwolves.com. You can also click here to download a copy of the ticket order form.
Summer Basketball Camp Sponsors
Please click here to access information for three premier basketball camps that promise to help athletes hone their skills for the 2008-09 season and beyond!
Then And Now - by Larry Gallagher
A Comparison of Three Baseball Rules - Part III
Have you ever wondered how a rule came about, how it evolved and what caused the changes? In this, the third of a three-part series, I will be informing you about the Intentionally Dropped Ball Rule (OBR 6.05L; FED 8-4-1c).
This rule as stated in OBR (Official Baseball Rules - professional rules) says, "A batter is out when an infielder intentionally drops a fair fly ball or line drive, with first, first and second, first and third, or first, second and third base occupied before two are out. The ball is dead and runner or runners shall return to their original base or bases. APPROVED RULING: In this situation, the batter is not out if the infielder permits the ball to drop untouched to the ground, except when the Inflield Fly Rule applies."
Historically, the original Intentionally Dropped Ball Rule (1939) applied to outfielders only and went into effect in the same situations as the Infield Fly Rule. As of 1942, the rule was changed to include first base only and first and third along with first and second and the bases loaded situations as in the Infield Fly Rule. Also in 1942, the rule added any player (not just outfielders) who intentionally dropped a fly ball or a line drive. Interestingly, base runners were obliged to "tag-up" after the out had been declared before they could advance at their own risk. Later in the 1940's the requirement to "tag-up" was dropped. The ball remained alive and in play in all these situations.
The major change came about in 1975 because too many runners thought they were forced to advance and much confusion reigned for the runners. So the rules makers amended to rule to read that the ball is dead in these situations, thereby protecting the runner(s) from the trick double play. Unlike the Infield Fly Rule, the Intentionally Dropped Ball Rule applies to bunts and line drives. Because the umpire does not have as much time to rule on this type of play as he does in the Infield Fly Rule, the ball must become dead on this play in fairness to the base runners.
Below are three plays that might help us to better understand the Intentionally Dropped Ball Rule.
Play #1: The fastest runner on the team is on first base. The batter hits a lazy pop-up to the second baseman, who lets the ball fall untouched in front of him. The runner holds. The second baseman picks up the ball and fires to the shortstop covering second, thus retiring the fast runner. Is this legal? RULING: Since this was not the infield fly situation and the ball fell untouched, this is a legal play.
Play #2: There are runners on first and third with one out. The second baseman fields a lazy pop-up near second and then intentionally drops the ball. He retrieves it, steps on second and fires to first to complete the double play. Is the inning over? RULING: No, the batter is out on the intentionally dropped ball, the ball is "dead" and the runners remain at first and third with two outs.
Play #3: There are runners on second and third with one out. The second baseman intentionally drops a pop-up near the bag and recovers the ball quickly and tags out the surprised runner off second. The umpire declares the runner out. The manager of the team on offense argues that the batter, not the runner, should be out because of the intentional drop. Who is correct? RULING: Without a runner on first base, the intentionally dropped ball rule does not apply. The umpire ruled correctly.
So let's review what we have learned. There are three rules that have evolved with the game because of the same reason: to protect the offense. The main purpose of the three rules - the Dropped Third Strike Rule, the Infield Fly Rule and the Intentionally Dropped Ball Rule - is to prevent "cheap" double plays.
The Intentionally Dropped Ball Rule causes the ball to become dead. The Dropped Third Strike and Infield Fly Rules keep the ball alive but remove force plays because the batter is declared out early in the play. All three of the rules require at least one runner to be on first base and there must be some type of force play that will be prevented. A quick reminder, the Infield Fly Rule must have at least runners on first and second to be invoked. All three rules must start with zero or one out. They are never needed when there are two outs.
My hope for all of you umpires is that you handle these three rules better this season than you ever have before. I hope that you understand more fully the intent of the rules and how and why they came into being. I have always found that once I know the intent and spirit of a rule, I will be able to better enforce it when it happens in my games. So study hard, learn as much as you can about this great game and how to umpire it so that it is fun for you and the players and coaches who are competing!
Sources used in this study are as follows:
1. Jim Evans' Annotated Baseball Rules, published in 1994
2. David Nemec's The Official Baseball Rules, An Anecdotal Look at the Rules of Baseball, Lyons Press 1994
3. 2007 Official Baseball Rules (OBR), published by Triumph Books
4. 2007 National Federation Baseball Rules (FED), published by NFHS
Gopher State Volleyball
The Gopher State Volleyball program is expanding! We now have nine events on the calendar for 2008-09 and there may be more to come. The following dates are tentative:
November 2, 2008 * Gopher State Volleyball Championships
January 17-18, 2009 * Winter Carnival Tournament
February 7, 2009 * Gopher State Future Stars Tournament
February 21, 2009 * Block Party
March 7, 2009 * Gopher State Minnesota Showcase
March 14, 2009 * Gopher State Season Finale
March 22, 2009 * Southern Spike Tournament @ Blue Earth, MN
April 4-5, 2009 * Gopher State Tournament of Champions
TBD * Border Battle @ River Falls, WI
If you would like more information on these events or are interested in hosting Gopher State Volleyball, please visit the MYAS volleyball web page or contact Jessica Christopherson at 763-781-2220 x 1733 or jessica@myas.org.
Basketball Rules of the Month
In our ongoing education mission, we will highlight various playing rules in the MYAS Update. This section features three basic basketball rules.
1. Players A1 and A2 set a double screen near the end line. Player A3 intentionally goes out of bounds outside the end line to have his/her defender detained by the double screen. Is this legal?
2. During a live ball situation, Team B is on defense and asks for a time out. The official erroneously grants Team B a time out in a situation when Team B cannot have one. What happens now?
3. After six players have been disqualified, Team A has only four who are eligible to continue in the game as players. In a gesture of fair play, the coach of Team B indicates a desire to withdraw a player so that each team will have four players on the court. Is this allowed?
The answers to these rules questions are posted later in the e-letter (see "In this Issue" for the link). Good luck!
If you have questions about other basketball playing rules, please contact Buddy Hemric at 763-781-2220 x 1717 or buddy@myas.org.
MYAS Gopher State Spring Basketball
Congratulations and thank you to all 199 teams that participated in the 2008 Gopher State Girls' Spring Basketball Championships on May 17-18! Listed below are our 2008 girls' champions.
10U/4th Grade Division III -- St. Paul Central Area
11U/5th Grade Division I/II -- MN Stars (Nelson)
11U/5th Grade Division III -- Forest Lake Maroon
12U/6th Grade Division I -- MN Stars (Wade)
12U/6th Grade Division II/III -- MN Stars (Jones)
13U/7th Grade Division I -- Hopkins
13U/7th Grade Division II -- SUGAA Storm
13U/14U 7th/8th Grade Division III -- Chatfield
14U/8th Grade Division I -- MN Stars (Martin)
14U/8th Grade Division II -- Andover Gold
15U/9th Grade Division I -- Lady Cats
15U/9th Grade Division II -- MN Heat Black
16U/10th Grade Division I -- MN Dynamite
16U/10th Grade Division II -- Rochester Shock
17U/11th Grade Division I -- SM Magic
17U/11th Grade Division II -- MN Gym Rats
19U/12th Grade -- MN Gym Rats
The weekend of May 17-18 also featured our 9U-11U boys' teams battling it out in their "Quest for the Rings". Congratulations and thank you to the 31 participating teams in the 2008 Gopher State Boys' Spring Basketball Championships! Here are our 9-11U champions.
9-10U/3rd-4th Grade -- Urban Stars Gold
10-11U/4th-5th Grade Division II/III -- Dunning Park
11U/5th Grade Division II -- MN Team Elite
The 12-19U boys' teams will be vying for the rings in the Gopher State Spring Championships on May 31-June 1. We wish the best of luck to all 250 participating teams! Check our website for schedules and get out there and see some great basketball.
The MYAS has basketball tournaments through the end of June, culminating with our newest event - the Gopher State Tournament of Champions on June 28-29. This tournament is open to any team that has won a Gopher State tournament this spring/summer. It will be a great season finale for some teams, or a tune-up for others that are going on to a national competition. The entry form is available online and has also been sent to all of our spring invitational winners.
MYAS Gopher State Prep Showcase
Is your high school age basketball team looking for a great tournament? The 2008 MYAS Gopher State Prep Showcase will be held July 18-20 at Lakeville South High School. New for 2008: While we will still have separate small (A and AA) and large (AAA and AAAA) school championship brackets, we have added an open division for summer basketball teams.
Come and compete this summer in the air condititioning at Lakeville South High School in front of college coaches and recruiters. If you are interested and would like further information, go to the Prep Showcase page of the MYAS website or contact Rich Penick at 763-781-2220 x 1724 or rich@myas.org.
Basketball Invitational Tournament Books
The MYAS will very soon begin receiving flyers for invitational basketball tournaments all across the state, and later this summer we will be compiling the 2008-09 boys' and girls' invitational tournament books.
If you are interested in having your tournament flyers included in the 2008-09 books or if you'd like to purchase your copy of the boys' or girls' book, please click here to download all the applicable information and forms.
MYAS Gopher State Fall Basketball League
The 2008 MYAS Gopher State Fall Basketball League will be here before you know it! Last year's league featured a total of 458 participating teams, making it the largest fall basketball league in Minnesota.
The Gopher State Fall League is offered to boys' and girls' teams in grades 4-12. Teams play doubleheaders on four consecutive Sundays in September (21 & 28) and October (5 & 12). The league is a great tune-up for the winter traveling and school seasons.
New for 2008: Additional play dates will be offered in October and November for Freshman, JV and Varsity teams. For more information, please click here to visit the Gopher State Fall Basketball League web page.
Boys' Traveling & Girls' Metro Basketball Leagues
It's not too early to mark the dates on your calendar for the 2008-09 MYAS winter basketball leagues. Boys' Traveling Basketball League and Girls' Metro Basketball League games will be played on Saturdays, December 6 & 20, January 3 & 17 and February 7 & 21.
The league formats are set up to provide each team a 12-game schedule. Coaches choose four of the six available dates to play their regular season games (doubleheaders on each date). Their four remaining games will be played in the BTBL/GMBL Playoffs.
Coaches are responsible for classifying their teams into a particular division for the first two play dates. Once those dates are completed, teams may be moved up or down into more appropriate divisions for their level of play. The remaining league dates will be used to seed the teams into the playoffs.
Entry information and registration forms will be available in early fall. Please click here to view the BTBL/GMBL web page.
Answers to Basketball Rules of the Month
The answers below are derived from the National Federation of State High School Associations 2007-08 Basketball Rules Book, Basketball Case Book and/or Rules by Topic publication.
1. No, this is not legal. The official shall call a violation on A3 as soon as he/she steps out of bounds. The ball is awarded to Team B at a designated spot nearest to where the violation occured (NFHS 9-3-3 page 57; Case Book 9.3.3 Situation B page 69).
2. Even though the official granted the time-out in error, Team B is entitled to use the time-out since it was granted. The time-out once granted cannot be revoked and is charged to Team B. All privileges and rights permitted during a time-out are available to both teams (NFHS 5-8-3 page 45; Case Book 5.8.3 Situation E page 43).
3. This is not permissible. Team B must have five players participating as long as it has that number available. If no substitute is available, a team must continue with fewer than five players. When only one player remains to participate, that team shall forfeit the game unless the referee believes this team still has an opportunity to win the game (NFHS 3-1-1 page 22; Case Book 3.1.1 page 14).
If you have questions about other basketball playing rules, please contact Buddy Hemric at 763-781-2220 x 1717 or buddy@myas.org.
Gopher State Umpire Clinics
We have concluded the 2008 Gopher State Spring Umpire Clinics. At our seven metro area clinics we were able to train nearly 500 umpires, approximately 60% of whom were first year umpires! What a great outlook this is for our future. Thank you to those of you who attended. We'd also like to give a huge thanks to our instructors who volunteered their time for the betterment of our youth and high school umpires.
Coming in September will be an advanced umpire training opportunity, complete with live teams and cage work. We will using the two-umpire system only. This training will be limited to the first 30 participants. See the Umpire Training portion of the MYAS website for more information.
Training is available for associations interestd in having large groups of umpires receive quality hands on instruction. The clinics can be customized for your level of umpires. For more information on any of our umpire clinics, please contact Jeremy Barbe at 763-781-2220 x 1731 or jbarbe@myas.org.
Minnesota USSSA Baseball State Tournaments
The Minnesota USSSA Baseball State Tournament is your opportunity to qualify for a USSSA World Series event. At no other tournament can you qualify for the World Series AND the Gopher State Tournament of Champions (GSTC) at the 10-18/19U age levels.
The USSSA tournaments combine competitive teams and great venues, volunteers and awards to offer an outstanding experience for everyone involved. This will be a tremendous event to participate in regardless of whether your team's goal is advancing to a USSSA World Series or qualifying for the GSTC. For more information and to download entry materials, log onto the Minnesota USSSA baseball portion of the MYAS website.
2008 Minnesota USSSA State Tournament Dates/Sites
10AAA * June 6-8 * Mahtomedi, MN
10AA * June 13-15 * Andover, MN
11AAA * June 6-8 * Mahtomedi, MN
11AA * June 13-15 * Andover, MN
12AAA * June 13-15 * Apple Valley, MN
12AA * June 13-15 * Brooklyn Park, MN
13AAA * June 20-22 * Mendota Heights, MN
13AA * June 13-15 * Mendota Heights, MN
13A * June 20-22 * Mendota Heights, MN
14AAA * June 13-15 * Plymouth, MN
14AA * June 6-8 * Elk River, MN
14/15A * June 20-22 * Coon Rapids, MN
15AAA * June 13-15 * Apple Valley, MN
15AA * June 6-8 * Coon Rapids, MN
16U Open * June 27-29 * Maple Grove, MN
17-19U Open * June 27-29 * Fridley, MN
Gopher State Baseball Tournament of Champions
The 2008 Gopher State Tournament of Champions (GSTC) season is now upon us! Community invitationals are underway and teams have begun to earn their GSTC points that are being tracked on the GSTC standings page. The top two finishing teams in each of our designated qualifiers receive automatic berths into the GSTC, with the rest of the field earning points toward a possible at-large berth. Teams that do not earn automatic berths but have enough points for an at-large berth will be contacted on Tuesday, June 24 to determine if they intend to play in the GSTC. Any team playing in the Gopher State Baseball League that is in first place (by winning percentage) as of June 23 will be granted a GSTC berth if they have not already received an automatic berth through tournament play.
The MYAS baseball staff is looking forward to seeing this tournament grow once again this year. Last season 301 teams battled for the championship rings in July, and the champions were awarded their rings on the Metrodome floor prior to a Twins game in early September. This tournament has created an incredible amount of excitement and we look forward to seeing you all this July!
Rec State Baseball Championships
The Rec State Baseball Championship is a great opportunity for all in-house/recreational teams to participate in a state tournament! Held on August 1-3, this tournament will feature four age groups and a three-game guarantee. Reserve your local team a spot in the 2008 Championships!
Last year's tournament saw 105 metro area teams from four different age divisions have a blast competing for a state title. Complete information and a brochure for this year's event are available on the Rec State Baseball page of the MYAS website. We are excited for another great year of fun and competition at the 2008 Rec State Championships! Please contact Jeremy Barbe at 763-781-2220 x 1731 or jbarbe@myas.org for more details on this great event. Each tournament is limited to the first 32 teams.
For the second year, the Ramada Mpls. NW / Grand Rios will be the proud sponsor of the Rec State Championships. They will have awesome room rates with water park passes available for your entire team's year-end celebration!
Gopher State Fall Baseball League
The Minnesota Youth Athletic Services will hold the 17th annual Gopher State Fall Baseball League on Sundays from September 7 through October 12 this year. Players may register as individuals, as a group or as an entire team. The league will be USSSA sanctioned for insurance purposes (each team will be covered under a USSSA team insurance policy).
Please contact the MYAS baseball office at 763-781-2220 or log onto the Fall Baseball portion of the MYAS website to answer all of your fall league questions and download league information and registration forms. The entry deadline is August 15, 2008.
MYAS Latest News (as of 5/29/08)
May 31-June 1 Osseo Girls' Invite moved to Humboldt
Spring Basketball Openings - June 7-8
Football State Tournament
Gopher State Girls Spring Championship T-shirts For Sale
2008 Gopher State Baseball League Schedules
USA Football & Minnesota Vikings Coaching Clinic
Help Design The 2008 Gopher State Fall Basketball League
Insurance - USSSA Basketball
MYAS Calendar Updates (as of 5/29/08)
Saturday, May 31, 2008
MYAS Spring Basketball Invitational begins
Saturday, May 31, 2008
MYAS Boys Spring Basketball Championships begin
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
MYAS Spring Basketball June 14-15, 2008 Summer Jam registration deadline
Friday, June 6, 2008
2008 Eagle Eye Legion Wood Bat Tournament registration deadline
Friday, June 6, 2008
Minnesota USSSA Baseball 10AAA & 11AAA State Tournament: Mahtomedi, MN begins
Friday, June 6, 2008
Minnesota USSSA Baseball 14AA State Tournament: Elk River, MN begins
Friday, June 6, 2008
Minnesota USSSA Baseball 15AA State Tournament: Coon Rapids, MN begins
Friday, June 6, 2008
Minnesota USSSA Baseball 16U Open State Tournament: Maple Grove, MN registration deadline
Friday, June 6, 2008
Minnesota USSSA Baseball 17/19U Open State Tournament: Fridley, MN registration deadline
Friday, June 6, 2008
Wisconsin USSSA State Tournament registration deadline
To view even more upcoming MYAS events and deadlines, please click on this link.
Important Association Services That Work!
The Minnesota Youth Athletic Services offers three important services:
1. Association and Player Sports Accident Insurance Coverage
Association liability and player accident insurance are always a concerns for youth sports organizations in our increasingly litigious society. Some associations spend a lot of money and others go into denial and “run naked” without even minimal liability coverage for their members. Yet if insurance is not obtained, the personal assets of the individuals running the association may be at risk. Many sports facility managers, especially municipalities and schools, will not permit the use of their property or facilities unless it can be demonstrated that youth sports associations are covered under an insurance policy. Without insurance, the opportunity for young athletes to compete in organized sports programs may be substantially limited.
The MYAS has partnered with J.A. Price Agency, an insurance company which has access to dozens of other insurance companies and can handle any type of business or personal insurance needs that your association/board of directors may require. The insurance provides options for all types of needs within your association/community. This coverage is an advantage no amateur sports organization should be without!
Examples of coverage include but are not limited to:
- General Liability
- Sexual Misconduct
- Participant Accident
- Directors & Officers Liability
- Crime/Embezzlement
- Automobile
- Umbrella
- Workers Compensation
General insurance questions should be directed to Bob Blomster at 952-253-4311 or bob.blomster@japrice.com.
2. Criminal Background Checks
How do we protect our children? Reports of sexual predators and child abuse involving the clergy, day care workers and youth volunteers are all too familiar. Unfortunately, this includes a disturbing number of youth sport coaches who have a history of incidents of sexual misconduct and/or violence. This is a complex issue and many youth sports organizations are unclear about what to do or how to approach this threat, yet they must take proactive steps to prevent their children from becoming innocent victims. Don’t put your children at risk!
In addition, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that $50 billion is lost annually due to employee theft and fraud. Youth sports associations must protect themselves from this threat as well. Don’t put your association at risk!
Fortunately, youth sports associations now have a simple and inexpensive tool to avoid some of society’s worst fears. The MYAS, with its partner RHR Information Systems (RHR), has designed a criminal background check system that offers three affordable options to youth sports associations. RHR, a local Twin Cities company, incorporates a “user-friendly” process combined with flexible information delivery to make this system easy and inexpensive for your organization. For more information, please contact Mike DeWane at 952-393-1929 or mike@myas.org.
3. Coaching Education Program
The MYAS has partnered with the American Sport Education Program (ASEP) to offer youth sport associations and their coaches the Coach Youth Sport education program designed specifically for youth coaches. It provides coaches with a solid foundation in coaching principles, sport first aid and sport-specific techniques and tactics. These courses are available for baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball and wrestling and can be delivered in the classroom or online. For more information, please contact Mike DeWane at 952-393-1929 or mike@myas.org.
Minnesota Sports Medicine Tip
Ankle Injuries: To Tape or Not to Tape
Opinions vary on whether ankle taping or bracing is effective as prevention against injury. Ankle injuries are very common and can lead to days or weeks lost from competition or practice. Leagues across the country have taken steps to better protect athletes from injury by improving shoes and field conditions and by educating coaches about conditioning, strengthening and appropriate use of external ankle supports.
Ankle Taping as Injury Prevention
Ankle taping has been used for years as a method to prevent ankle injuries, despite a lack of significant evidence to support its use. Most research, however, shows little evidence of supporting ankle wrapping or taping for injury prevention. Contrary to popular belief, some studies found that taping or bracing reduced proprioceptive feedback (the sense of where the foot and ankle are in space) associated with ankle stability when faced with a compromised position during play.
Ankle Taping to Prevent Re-Injury
Research does support use of ankle taping or bracing by athletes who have experienced one or more ankle injuries. The external support provides backup for ankle muscles, ligaments and tendons.
First-line treatment for ankle injuries includes a rehabilitation program supervised by a physical therapist or certified athletic trainer, followed by use of a brace for up to six months after injury. A progressive strengthening, proprioceptive and flexibility program should follow an ankle injury.
Ankle tape should be used regularly in practice and games, and can be applied by coaches or parents who are trained in appropriate techniques.
For pictured instructions on how to appropriately tape an ankle, or to find a qualified health care provider who specializes in sports medicine, visit www.mnsportsmed.org. Minnesota Sports Medicine (MSM) is a network of sports and orthopedic physicians and rehabilitation clinicians who treat athletes at medical clinics throughout the Twin Cities metro area. For more information about MSM, call 612-273-4800.
MYAS Sponsors
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MYAS Membership Meetings
MYAS membership meetings are held at our offices (4111 Central Avenue NE, Columbia Heights 55421) on the last Tuesday of each month at 9:00am (unless notified otherwise). All MYAS members are welcome to attend.
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