The Game Plan

A publication of the National Senior Games Association - October 2010

Below you'll find the full content from the newsletter, or click a link below to go straight to the story :

• Registration for the 2011 Summer National Senior Games has begun!
• 2010 National Senior Games Championships
• Athletes of the Month
• Cartilage Care, Part 4
• Cold Weather Workouts
• Anthony Travel Information
• NSGA Briefs
• Calendar of upcoming State Senior Games

Registration for the 2011 Summer National Senior Games has begun!

The first registration packets were sent to qualified athletes earlier this month. This first round of registration packets is being mailed to qualified athletes in the 18 member games that have submitted all of their results. In addition to the Veterans Games, these 17 state senior games have submitted their results: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, West Virginia and Washington.

On this first mailing, about 8,800 athletes were sent packets. Additionally, 210 basketball teams, 75 softball teams and 93 volleyball teams will receive packets. Many other states are close to completing their reporting of results. At least 10 states will be included in the next mailing.

back to top

2010 National Senior Games Championships & Euflexxa Hockey Classic are a success in Rochester

The National Senior Games Championships & Euflexxa Hockey Classic took place in Rochester, N.Y., from Sept. 29-Oct. 3. The event attracted 338 athletes: 221 hockey players, 85 pickleball players and 32 curlers. The athletes came from 16 U.S. states and Canada, which sent 25 athletes to the Championships.

The Euflexxa Hockey Classic crowned champions in four divisions. In the 50+ Recreational bracket, the SNVC Hosers won the championship game. In the 50+ Elite division, the Skating Institute of Rochester #2 took the finals. In the 60+ Recreational bracket, Brockville Magadoma were crowned champions. And in the 60+ Elite division, the Michigan Sting 60 Elite were victorious.

In the curling competition, the National Senior Games Championships hosted competition in three divisions. Foxy Four won the women’s bracket. Team VanCuyck won the men’s division, and the Rochester Curling Club won the mixed division.

In the pickleball tournament, champions were crowned in a number of divisions:

Women’s Doubles 65+: Diane Keller

back to top

Athletes of the Month: SNVC Hosers, Priscilla Scott, and Nancy Clancy

The SNVC Hosers, a team made up of former U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Air Force Academy hockey players, won the 50+ Recreational division at the Euflexxa Hockey Classic, which was held in Rochester, N.Y., from Sept. 29-Oct. 3. Don Allard scored the winning goal in overtime in the championship game over the Michigan Sting. Doug Baker, the SNVC Hosers’ goalie, was named the team’s most valuable player. He allowed just two goals in five games.

Priscilla Scott, a 57-year-old from Tucson, Ariz., competed in pickleball at the 2010 National Senior Games Championships, which were held in Rochester, N.Y., from Sept. 29-Oct. 3. Scott won a bronze medal in the women’s doubles 55-59 age bracket with Millicent Dunfey. She also competed in the mixed doubles with Raymond Raphael. The pair finished out of the running for medals.  

Nancy Clancy, who lives in Irvington, N.Y., went 5-0 with her two curling teams ia the 2010 National Senior Games Championships, which were held in Rochester, N.Y., from Sept. 29-Oct. 3. Clancy played on gold-medal winning teams in both the men’s and women’s bracket in the 50+ age group.

back to top

Cartilage Care, Part 4

By Vonda Wright, M.D.

Here’s part 4 of our series on cartilage care. So far we have discussed non-operative, at-home cartilage solutions, the non-operative cartilage remedies you must get from a doctor, and a surgical technique for small cartilage lesions called micro-fracture. 

As we discussed last time, micro-fracture has good outcomes for small cartilage holes, and doesn’t burn any bridges for future cartilage work, if needed, but fills in the defects with “scar cartilage” called fibro-cartilage.

The next cartilage “fix” is called OATS…..no, we are not talking about multi-grain here.  OATS stands for Osteoarticular Transplant System. Essentially, we take plugs of cartilage and bone from a part of your knee that does not bear weight and transfer it to the area of cartilage wear that does bear weight. It’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul. The beauty of this procedure is that we transfer healthy “hyaline” cartilage instead of the fibro-cartilage that grows after micro-fracture.

We have instruments that literally take a plug of cartilage and bone out en bloc and then transfer the whole block to the new site and tap the plug in. This technique works best in small cartilage holes in the femur (thigh bone) and less well in the tibia (shin bone). It is not a great solution for the knee cap. 

Multiple plugs can be used in the same cartilage hole. When this is done it is called “Mosaicplasty.”  The outcomes of the OATS procedure seem to work best in knees that are less than 50 years old.

Again, as with microfracture, the rehab from this procedure is long. It includes six weeks on limited weight bearing and then three to six months of rehabilitation prior to returning to all-out sports. The purpose of this procedure is to provide pain relief and improve function when a knee replacement is not warranted.

Vonda Wright is an orthopaedic surgeon, author of Fitness After 40: How to Stay Strong at Any Age, and director of the Performance and Research Initiative for Masters Athletes at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine.

back to top

What to wear for cold weather workouts

By Lisa Menninger

Fall is here and winter is approaching. In cold weather, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out what to wear when we workout outside.

Here’s my rule of thumb. If you are running outside, dress for about 10 degrees warmer than the thermometer says. If you are cycling, do the opposite and dress for about 10 degree colder than the thermometer says. If you are walking, dress for about what the temperature reading is.

Warm air escapes from the body through our extremities, so a hat, gloves and warm socks help keep the heat in. I have something called Renaud's Disease. It inhibits circulation, so my hands can get very cold and numb, very quickly. So I not only wear a fleece mitten (gloves separate my fingers and they can't work together to stay warm) but a wind mitten over that, which keeps the wind from cutting through the fleece. And if it's really, really cold or the wind-chill is high, I'll add little hand warmers into each mitten. I put them between the fleece layer and the wind layer. Works like a charm.

As for the rest of the body, I find that tights work best for temperatures into the teens and up to about 32. If it's closer to teens than the 30s, I wear a pair of fitted shorts under the tights to keep my hamstrings, glutes and quads warm. I also recommend warm socks. On top, I wear a jogging bra and a long-sleeved shirt. If it’s really cold, I recommend a high necked dri-fit shirt and a wind layer jacket. And don’t forget to wear a hat.

It is rare I am cold when I run in winter weather. Running gets the heart-rate up enough to generate quite a bit of heat. Cycling is trickier.  The body generates plenty of heat but the wind extracts it promptly. The faster you ride, the colder you can be. 

You really need to pay attention to your hands and feet. There are many brands of the "lobster gloves" which separate your fingers into two's, so as with mittens, they can stay warmer in each other's company. And cycling "booties" are a have-to-have. They help keep the wind from chilling your feet and make a huge difference in the body's overall warmth.  And wear warm, thick socks. I also will pop those warmers in between my shoe and the bootie when it's really cold.

I wear the same thing on bottom (shorts and tights) as well as on top until I get to the wind layer. That is much thicker when I ride. It not only blocks the wind but has a fleece lined inner layer to keep me warm. They aren't cheap but they are well worth the expense.

It's important to get outside in the cold months. It would be very easy not to. You could go from your house to your heated garage, to your warm car and never breathe the fresh air. It is good for us to put our feet (or our wheels) to the terra firma and be outside. And if you dress for it, it's a great way to stay in shape for the Summer National Senior Games.

Lisa Menninger is a personal trainer for triathletes, runners, and cyclists. She has competed at an elite level in running, cycling and multisport. You can contact Lisa via her website at www.lisamenninger.com.

back to top

Anthony Travel Info

Anthony Travel is a one-stop resource for athletes and guests for the 2011 Summer National Senior Games

Anthony Travel is the most convenient and knowledgeable resource for making your travel plans for the National Games in Houston next year. Athletes and guests who make reservations through Anthony Travel receive these benefits and more:

• Exclusive discounted rates at Official 2011 Summer National Senior Games Hotels

• New this year! A daily complimentary breakfast is available at all of the Official Hotels

To make your reservations or for more information, please visit AnthonyTravel.com (search Senior Games) or call (800) 736-6377.

back to top

NSGA Briefs

Here’s the latest from the National Senior Games Association.

NSGA names new Director of National Games and Athlete Relations, Manager of Support Services and Manager of Marketing and Sponsor Relations

Laurence Bishop was named this month as the new Director of National Games and Athlete Relations for the National Senior Games Association. Bishop has been the Executive Director of the Canada 55+ Games for the past two years. He brings extensive sports administrative experience to the NSGA team. He plans to begin his new role in November.

Jennifer Duplantis, a graduate of Louisiana State University, was named Manager of Support Services. She interned at NSGA while obtaining her masters degree in Sport Management. Her experience with the association’s online systems and other technology will be a tremendous asset.

Clay Harris was named Manager of Marketing and Sponsor Relations. He interned with the New Orleans Hornets while working on his masters degree in business administration. He brings a great understanding of sponsor activation, fulfillment and relationships to the NSGA team.

________________________________________

Houston Local Organizing Committee Announces Executive Staff

The Houston Local Organizing Committee has announced the executive staff for the 2011 Summer National Senior Games, which will be held June 16-30, 2011.

DJ Mackovets, a 30-year veteran sports executive, who was Vice President of Operations for Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, has been named President and Executive Director.

Sean Gomez, most recently manager of transportation and logistics for the 2009 NCAA Men’s Final Four, has been named Director of Competition.

Lloyd Richards, Jr., former Vice President/Operations of the Houston Texans, has been named Director of Operations.

Bethany Kocian, former Director of Support Services at the National Senior Games Association, has been named Director of Event Services.

Lou Botello, most recently Controller for the Houstonian Golf and Country Club, has been named Director of Business Operations.

Amanda L. Payne, formerly Assistant Director of Alumni Relations at Loyola University, Maryland, has been named Volunteer Director.

Art Kent, formerly Vice President of Corporate Communications at Continental Airlines and Senior Director of Public Affairs at the Houston Symphony, has been named Director of Communications.

________________________________________

Two new deadlines

The NSGA has announced two deadlines for the 2011 Summer National Senior Games. “Limited Event” forms for qualifying must be postmarked no later than April 15, 2011. Additionally, the deadline for partner changes is March 31, 2011.   

________________________________________

Demonstration Sports

Houston will conduct two demonstration sports during the 2011 Summer National Senior Games presented by Humana. Soccer 6-on-6 and Power Walking 1500M and 5K. Athletes may not participate in both Race Walk and Power Walk; therefore, they must choose one or the other sport, not both. Complete rules for these demonstration sports will be available on the NSGA web site under the tab “Nat’l Summer Games” “2011 Summer Games” within the next couple of weeks.

________________________________________

Changes to softball qualifying, fees

The softball fee was reduced from $1,175 to $750. We’re expecting that an increased number of teams will make the national tournament even more competitive. Each event allows for a specific number of qualifiers. If out-of-state residents qualify at an “open” qualifying games, they will not take away a qualifying spot from a state resident.

Check out the great venues in Houston

Below is a link to a video of the venues for the 2011 Summer National Senior Games in Houston, Texas. Many events, including archery, badminton, basketball, horseshoes, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball will be held in the air-conditioned George R. Brown Convention Center. Bowling, racquetball and swimming will also be held in air-conditioned venues. 

Click here for a video showing Houston venues

back to top

State Senior Games Calendar: Qualifying Time is Running Out!

Take a look at the upcoming state senior games listed below. Remember: It’s a qualifying year, and the only way to have a chance of qualifying for the Summer National Senior Games in 2011 is to compete in an NSGA-sanctioned state event. For a complete list of state games scheduled for this year, click here.