Wildlife Chronicles of Salem, AL: Salamander

Found this guy today. 

Looks like a salamander who lost his tail.

Never seen this kind around here before.

Always something new!

Eric Dempsey

Sports Facilities Used in Athletic Recruiting

The use of facilities and equipment in the recruitment of athletes is a very common and highly debated practice. When a prospective student athlete comes to a school during a recruiting pitch, coaches often showcase their best facilities and equipment in the hopes of swaying the decision to join. Sometimes unethical practices occur, where the athlete is told untruths and shown facilities that aren’t really available. This can cause quite the shock and upset to the new athlete who was shown and told one thing and then arrives for practice to see something completely different. If the school has high quality facilities and equipment, this is not an issue, and showing the athlete the real facilities can be an enticing technique for recruitment. The real ethical issues revolve around the lies and deceit that sometimes occurs (Appenzeller, 2011).

There is somewhat of an arms race going on in the recruiting world of sports. Competition is high and the stakes are even higher. Getting the right athletes to join the team and keeping the good ones they already have, is a tough job. Research shows that modern athletes want to be engaged. They want to be team players and part of something bigger than themselves. In order to appeal to these newfound variables, universities are spending millions of dollars to upgrade facilities with cutting edge technology, designs, amenities and features. Specialized marketing and advertising companies work with universities to create unique marketing approaches to capitalize on the needs and wants of today’s athletes. A university’s history, traditions and back story are embedded into a modern technology, based package, which is designed to impact the new athletes upon their very first visit. These marketing campaigns are expensive and are going on across the country. This new era of recruiting and marketing is proving to be very profitable for the marketing firms that specialize in this niche (Jessop, 2014).

One of the issues surrounding the facilities for the recruiting arms race is the problem between big money universities and smaller universities. It is hard to compete with universities who are dropping fifty million dollars or more to develop these state of the art facilities and recruiting packages. Smaller universities try to recruit good prospects and then the bigger universities lure the athletes away with facilities and amenities, which the smaller school simply can’t match. Some argue that the best interests of these athletes would sometimes be served better by the smaller universities, who have reputable programs, yet lack the big lights, bells and whistles. The nature of the recruiting game is dog eat dog and those with the fancy facilities usually get what they want. Even the big money universities are competing at extreme levels and some wonder how far can it go. There are on so many upgrades that can reasonably be made to facilities but new heights are continually being pushed. The battle rages on as the amount of money being spent, continues to climb (Hoffman, 2015).

While in the past, coaches may have lied to and deceived prospective recruits, about a school’s facilities and equipment. In today’s world, that situation is diminishing with the advent of mega facilities and social media. Athletes now are looking at facilities across the full spectrum of social media sites. Reviews and videos of athletes conducting recruiting tours are readily available to anyone who searches online. Hiding facilities inadequacies is very difficult to do now. Schools that spend millions of dollars on the newest and best features are not hiding anything. The dilemma that athletes face now is one that has to do with their best interests versus the ever growing list of amenities. Schools have ridiculous facilities now with custom locker rooms, training equipment, technological training aids, and all sorts of other added features. But with all of these high priced gadgets and features, is the athlete going to receive the experience and education that they seek? For many, the education part is irrelevant and is a whole separate topic of debate. Athletes today are bombarded with giant video screens, new cryotherapy chambers and free IPads. And that doesn’t even touch the ongoing debate of whether athletes should be paid in school or not. Some say that the entire recruiting situation is an ethical minefield. Others think that it is just the natural evolution of the growing industry, in today’s society. The facilities arm race continues unabated, and will likely continue to do so, for many years to come (Hobson and Rich, 2015).

References:

Appenzeller, H. (2011). Ethical behavior in sport. Durham, N.C.: Carolina Academic Press.

Jessop, A. (2014). FSU Utilizes New Football Facilities to Attract Top Recruits. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciajessop/2014/09/20/fsu-utilizes-new-football-facilities-to-attract-top-recruits/#148e770231ce

Hoffman, J. (2015). The Recruiting Process in College Athletics Needs to Change. Know it All Football. Retrieved from http://www.knowitallfootball.com/2015/02/04/recruiting-process-college-athletics-change/

Hobson, W., and Rich, S. (2015). Colleges Spend Fortunes on Lavish Athletic Facilities. The Bulletin. Retrieved from http://www.bendbulletin.com/sports/3846188-151/colleges-spend-fortunes-on-lavish-athletic-facilities?referrer=bullet1

Photo credit: http://collegesportsbusinessnews.com/issue/november-2014/article/football-facilities-are-key-recruiting-fundraising-tool

Eric Dempsey

MS, ISSA Master Trainer

Dempseys Resolution Fitness

Sports vs Education: The Dilemma of Sports in School

College and high school sports’, contributing to the educational process is a highly debated topic. There are many aspects of sports in school, that do contribute to the educational process and others argue, that there are many aspects that do not. While there is some validity in both sides of the discussion, it really comes down to how the sports program is run at a particular school. Some schools are more interested in the sports programs doing well rather than the academic achievements of their athletes. Other schools try to maintain a good balance between the sports performance and the athletes’ academic achievement. For the schools that appear to favor winning the sports seasons and championships, emphasis is placed upon keeping the athletes in the game over their grade point averages. While the schools who try to maintain a balance, help to keep the athletes’ academic performance in good standing, often at the cost of the sports team’s winning streak. It is a difficult situation, with many complex variables. The goals and influence of the school’s leadership, ultimately determines the positive or negative impact, of sports on the educational process (Coakley, 2015).

One of the big differences between American schools and other foreign schools abroad is the emphasis on sports, at the high school and college levels. Many foreign students, who move to the United States, immediately notice the importance placed upon sports in school. It is noticed because it is such a big deal in American schools and it isn’t emphasized by most schools, in other countries. In other countries, schools place emphasis on academics and the international test scores reflect this difference. When international research and surveys are published, they frequently show the United States lagging far behind other countries, in topics like math and science. Some argue that the schools in other countries are doing it right and the United States isn’t, with its preference for sport emphasis. Budget issues are also frequently associated with the sports in school argument. Some schools who had to make tough budget decisions, tried to cut their sports programs. When schools cut sports programs, there was great public outcry and debate. One thing that occurred in many schools was that when the sports programs were canceled, academic achievement and grades went up. There was also a decrease in bad behavior and disciplinary actions. Many think that this proves the point that school is for learning and not sports. Numerous schools that cut sports programs eventually caved in to the pressure, and restarted their sports programs with new parameters in place (Ripley, 2013).

While it has been shown statistically, that American emphasis on sports in school has a price that is paid in academic achievement, some feel that it doesn’t have to be that way forever. Leadership and management in the schools can find ways to balance sports and academics so that both receive fair attention. Different programs and guidelines have been implemented in various schools, which set standards for academics and sport participation. If a student in these schools wishes to participate in sports, an academic standard or grade point average must be maintained. If the student’s grade point average drops below the standard, then they cannot participate in sports until the academic requirements have been met. These types of programs have met with varying degrees of success. Many student athletes have demonstrated that it is possible to succeed in sports and academics at the same time. Many universities have adopted these types of programs and there has been involvement by collegiate organizations, such as the NCAA, to help promote these guidelines (Shortell, 2013).

The argument for sports in school has many valid points as well. While the struggle between athletics and academics is true and ongoing, canceling sports programs can adversely affect students in many ways. Sports have always been touted to teach sportsmanship, competitiveness, team work and discipline. Some consider this a unique educational aspect of American schools. It has been shown that students who were athletes in high school and college had a high probability to be more successful in the professional workplace. Many employers look specifically for sports participation at high school and college level, when screening applications of potential employees. Some argue that great scores in math and science may not benefit a student in the future workplace when compared to the drive, discipline, team work and competitiveness of a former athlete. The situation and variables related to the job, matter a lot in these instances. Overall, many feel that the qualities that a student athlete develops, through sports in school, is a unique and important factor that academics alone, cannot replace. While a balance between academics and sports seems to be an optimal answer, the influence of sports in American schools is here to stay, barring any dramatic change in future society and culture (Sato, 2013).

References:

Coakley, J. (2015). Sports in society: Issues and controversies (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Ripley, A. (2013). The Case Against High-School Sports. The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/10/the-case-against-high-school-sports/309447/

Shortell, E. (2013). Sports vs. Education: A False Choice. Harvard Political Review. Retrieved from http://harvardpolitics.com/united-states/sports-vs-education-false-choice/

Sato, K. (2013). The Case For High School Sports. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kai-sato/high-school-sports_b_3997391.html

Photo Credit: http://www.thesportsmirror.com/2015/12/what-schools-should-really-teach-in-sports-education/

Eric Dempsey

MS, ISSA Master Trainer

Dempseys Resolution Fitness

The Fat Neutralizing Nutrient

The Fat Neutralizing Nutrient
(And How to Get a Flat Belly Fast)

So, what exactly is the Fat Neutralizing Nutrient? One that helps struggling men and women lose weight at least TWICE as fast… especially when consumed first thing in the morning?

Can you guess?

Read about it here

Eric Dempsey
MS, ISSA Specialist in Fitness Nutrition
Dempseys Resolution Fitness 

Sports and the Media: Do they need each other?

Sports and the media have had a long, mutually benefiting, relationship that continues to this day. Long ago, beginning with newspapers, media coverage informed readers of the latest scores and significant events in sports. Then there was the radio coverage, where listeners could follow the games and scores. Television was next in line, with pre-recorded and live coverage of all types of sporting events and related significant, sporting topics. Cable, satellite, digital and high definition television packages brought sports to the fans in a variety of general and paid programs. And with the latest technological advances, there are a variety of online and digital platforms that bring any and all sports, directly to the fans fingertips, on demand. People can now access any sports information, games, and scores on their personal computers, laptops, smart phones, tablets and even watches, at any time. With the surge of social media platforms in the last ten years, the options for a fan to get access to sports are more than plentiful (Coakley, 2015).

Many people argue over who needs who more. It is a very debatable topic and not one that really merits much effort because the two industries will likely always be interlinked. They benefit each other in a variety of ways. If they completely separated, both would survive at a cost. While there are so many types of media platforms available now, it is unlikely that there ever would or could be a complete separation between the two. Some forms of modern media are considered better than others for the sports industry, just as some sports coverage is better than others for the media. Negative media is a reality and that can have an adverse effect on a sports organization or individual. As with any topic, there are many areas of controversy between various media and sports organizations. Overall, as industries, these controversies are considered minor, when one takes their annual profits into account (Cuban, 2011).

The profitable relationship between sports and the media is one that neither industry would want to see go away. Sports are a huge part of society and culture. The sports industry provides entertainment for millions of fans around the globe. The media is a multifaceted platform that provides easy access to sports, games and news. There are a variety of spin off programs that focus on the athletes and the behind the scenes activities that fans enjoy. The media takes sports to a much higher level than just the game and the score. Both industries benefit from each other in many different ways. There are few other industries that have a co-dependence on each other that provides such a mutual benefit (Chiu and Wang, 2008).

The media is an extremely powerful and influential platform for just about any topic. The sports industry is a multi-billion dollar industry with considerable power and influence. These two entities do depend on each other for a variety of reasons, which benefit both parties. The sports industry uses the media for game coverage, and a variety of related coverage on athletes, rivalries, teams, organizations, management, and more. The media uses sports coverage to provide a multitude of programs and games, which is very profitable content and keeps ratings high. Then, there are the commercials, advertising and sponsoring, that generates billions of dollars annually, for both the media and sports industries. As two of the most profitable industries in the world today, their mutual linkage ensures that both industries will continue to grow and prosper into the foreseeable future (Lamendola, 2011).

References:

Coakley, J. (2015). Sports in society: Issues and controversies (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Lamendola, A. (2011). Sports and Media: Do they need each other? American Sport in the 21st Century Scrapbook. Retrieved from http://anthony-americansport.blogspot.com/2011/04/sports-and-media-do-they-need-each.html

Cuban, M. (2011). What’s the role of media for sports teams? Blog Maverick. Retrieved from http://blogmaverick.com/2011/04/04/whats-the-role-of-media-for-sports-teams/

Chiu, P., and Wang, C. (2008). Impact of Media Coverage of the 42nd World Archery Championships on Audience Attendance and Purchases. The Sport Journal. Retrieved from https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-210520252/impact-of-media-coverage-of-the-42nd-world-archery

Photo Credit: http://pol2016.ehf-euro.com/news/detail/news/infront-seals-media-rights-agreement-with-bein-sports/?tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&cHash=b8b7fc0cc859c8864a347cea24048d7f

Eric Dempsey

MS, ISSA Master Trainer

Dempseys Resolution Fitness

Optic Fire Starter on Sale

Everyone knows that magnifying glasses can be used to start fires.

This optic fire starter is a thin, lightweight, magnifying glass. 

It is about the size of a credit card and easily fits into your wallet or pocket. 

It can be used for reading in addition to its fire starting role. 

It's a great addition to any EDC kit or bug out bag.

You can get one now, through my link for under 5 bucks. 

Hit the link here:

http://www.dempseysresolution.com/links.html

Grab one today while supplies last.

Eric Dempsey

Master Sergeant,

US Army Retired 

Saving lives and empowering people

Rabbi Brian came to me obese, deconditioned and very weak. He also had a bad knee and could barely walk or move. His quality of life suffered greatly from his condition. He was depressed because he couldn't play with his kids or perform simple activities of daily life. He felt like he was a failure to his family and his followers. 

This past week he fit into a shirt that he hasn't fit into in a long time, he carried a heavy basket full of vegetables and fruit, up a hill, to his van -he used to need to have someone carry it for him, and he played with his kids, outside, for 4 hours, which was impossible a few weeks ago. 

He used to struggle to do simple tasks like closing the back hatch on his van. Now he can close it easily, with one hand. He can now walk much better without a limp. 

He is rapidly improving his quality of life and adding years to his life. His morale and confidence are much better and he now has a new sense of hope.

He still has a long road ahead of him. But he is so much better off than he was a month ago.

And that is why I do what I do.

It is so much more than just getting people in shape. 

It's about saving lives and empowering people to achieve a higher quality of life.

Eric Dempsey 

MS, ISSA Master Trainer 

Dempseys Resolution Fitness 

Child Abuse in Youth Sports

In modern sports, the rise of youth athletics, has been steadily climbing over the past twenty years. The days of simple play for children, with the intent of recreation, leisure and fun, appear to be fading fast. Youth athletics has evolved from children simply playing games, to serious competition in a wide variety of sports. With this new level of competition, comes a variety of negative attributes, which may not be intentional, but are very real nonetheless. Special camps, travel teams, all stars and professional training services are common ingredients in today’s youth sports. Many youth sporting events have grown into big business with large profits at stake. The stress and pressures of these new situations in youth sports, has caused many unforeseen issues to arise, that need to be addressed for the welfare and safety of the children involved (Appenzeller, 2011).

There are many forms of abuse when it comes to child athletes. Different forms of abuse on today’s sports field can include physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, neglect and harassment. It is easier to understand the negative consequences of physical and sexual abuse. The other forms of abuse in the neglect, harassment and emotional abuse categories, are just as real and damaging as any physical abuse. These types of sports abuse were not very widely known or talked about in the past. In recent years, there have been a growing number of these incidents, involving these different forms of youth athlete abuse. Many court cases and litigation have come about as a result. The rising numbers of these incidents have gotten to the point where it is now a known problem, which have been addressed across many different forums (De Lench, 2015).

Another low key form of abuse, that seems to be happening frequently throughout the youth sports world, is a form of pampering or coddling, which leads the youth athlete in a direction that benefits the immediate needs of the team or coach and not the child’s best interests. Increasing performance, with the desire to win at all costs, is a new variable in youth sports that can have many negative effects on the youth athlete, especially long term. Instead of teaching the children involved in sports, how to make good decisions, based upon traditional morals and ethics, many are taught how to excel in the moment, without regard to the long term consequences. This type of abuse covers many different things such as using performance enhancing drugs or different training and sports shortcuts, to maximize performance on the field. Unfortunately, for the youth athlete, these types of shortcuts, hacks and tricks, can have life altering consequences, later in life (Elmore, 2013).

Aside from a child’s parents, a coach is one of the most powerful and influential figures in a young athlete’s world. There are many great coaches in the world today, who do great things for the children involved in sports. As with any group, there are also the bad apples of the bunch, who despite any good intentions, do not belong in a coaching job. A form of leadership or coaching that many coaches employ, revolves around mental and emotional cueing. By reaching the inner mental and emotional centers of a young athlete’s mind, a coach can deliver powerful messages to the athlete. Of course, this can be good or bad, depending on how it is done. Coaches are not psychologists and sometimes a coach’s verbal dialogue and related actions can have very harmful and negative effects on a young athlete. Regardless of the coach’s intentions, negative mental and emotional abuse of young athletes, is just as damaging, as any obvious physical abuses. Self-confidence, self-esteem, self-worth and the passion for playing sports can all be destroyed by a coach, employing negative mental and emotional tactics with a young athlete. This type of abuse is also very difficult to detect and isolate, as there are many variables in a child’s life, which can mistakenly be attributed to a change in behavior (Hartnett, 2015).

As different types of abuses with young athletes become more documented and well known, different agencies are beginning to fund and conduct more research into this complicated topic. Research into the multifaceted topic of youth athlete abuse is not an easy thing to do. There are many obstacles that stand in the way of any potential researchers. Political, financial, ethical and educational hurdles, stand in the way of researchers, who dare to delve into this sensitive topic. Nobody wants their team or school to be called out with an abuse scandal. Regardless, many organizations have been conducting research that will hopefully shed new light on this form of abuse. Physical abuse is probably the easiest form of youth athlete abuse to research, because of its obvious nature. Sexual, emotional and mental abuse and harassment are much more difficult to research, due to the sensitive and complex nature of these forms of abuse. Many organizations have formed child protection in sports offices with designated welfare specialists, who work with researchers, to investigate and take action on information provided. It still has a long way to go to reach optimal levels of effectiveness. Many agencies are now actively pursuing information on youth athlete abuse, in its many forms, and trying to find solutions to this intricate issue. (Tickle, 2010).

While research is important to understand more about youth athlete abuse, in its many forms, there are actions which many think need to be implemented immediately, to try to safeguard children from further abuse. Many think that certain actions and measures can be put into place quickly, which should help reduce the chances of further abuse. Some of these actions and measures include criminal background checks, increased education for coaches, administrators and staff members, policies implemented at school, organization and team level, hotlines setup for reporting abuse, and repercussions for officials, who fail to report and take action on abuse allegations. Many schools and organizations have already implemented some, if not all, of these measures (Hamilton, 2013).

Hopefully, these actions will help reduce the amount of abuse in the future. Many are concerned with the unknown abuses that are ongoing now or have already happened and have not been reported. Part of the issue involves the precarious situation that the young athlete is placed in, when these crimes occur. If a young athlete is doing well, despite being abused in some form; they are less likely to come forward and report an abuse and risk losing all that they have worked for. There is no simple answer to fix this dilemma. Some research has shown that those youth athletes, who have suffered the most abuse, are many times, the rising stars of the team, on the verge of greatness. These young athletes are very reluctant to come forward, with so much at stake. Educational and counseling programs have been implemented at many institutions to educate the youth athletes on these types of situations, and to give them options to report any abuse. It is still a difficult situation, despite many new courses of action that have been provided (Hamilton, 2013).

The threat of abuse, in its many forms, for youth athletes remains, despite many measures being undertaken to mitigate the risk. Awareness, education, standardized programs and policies are needed across the spectrum of youth athletics, to help reduce this type of abuse. Children should be able to participate in and enjoy sports, without the threat of some form of abuse, from adults, in positions of authority and influence. With the high stakes and stress of many youth athletic programs today, the threat of abuse will likely remain into the foreseeable future. This problem is complicated and wide reaching on a global level. Hopefully, the research and preventative measures, now being implemented, will at least reduce, the number of abuse occurrences. More work needs to be done, to eliminate this problem. Laws have been passed for child labor and education. It is time for the government to implement laws, to protect the children on the sports fields, as well (Appenzeller, 2011).

References:

Appenzeller, H. (2011). Ethical behavior in sport. Durham, N.C.: Carolina Academic Press.

De Lench, B. (2015). Abuse in Youth Sports Takes Many Different Forms. MomsTeam. Retrieved from http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/emotional-injuries/general/abuse-in-youth-sports-takes-many-different-forms?page=0%2C0

Elmore, T. (2013). A New Kind of Child Abuse in Athletics. Growing Leaders. Retrieved from http://growingleaders.com/blog/a-new-kind-of-child-abuse-in-athletics/
Hartnett, T. (2015). The Mental Abuse of Young Athletes. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-mental-abuse-of-young_b_6682184

Tickle, L. (2010). Olympics 2012 spark rise in studies into abuse of child athletes. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/education/2010/nov/23/young-athletes-abuse-studies-olympics

Hamilton, M. (2013). Abuse in the Sports World, and What Needs to Be Done About It. Verdict. Retrieved from https://verdict.justia.com/2013/05/16/abuse-in-the-sports-world-and-what-needs-to-be-done-about-it

Eric Dempsey

MS, ISSA Master Trainer

Dempseys Resolution Fitness

Eagle Stadium: The Palace of High School Football

Sports Stadiums have been a common part of most civilized societies for many years. As far back as the Roman Empire, sports stadiums have been a place where national and state pride were presented with much fanfare and glory. Sports stadiums not only provide a designated place for sport competition, but they provide entertainment for the public and revenue for the home state and associated sports teams and organizations. While there are many positive aspects about having a sports stadium in a community, there have been many negative aspects as well. High costs, fraud, overbilling and related scandals have plagued many sports stadiums and the host cities. Stadiums bring in jobs, revenue, popularity, travel, and a wide range of other business opportunities. They also cost a fortune and put a burden on the taxpayers and the host city budget (Coakley, 2015).

One such magnificent display of architecture, that has had its share of controversy, is the Eagle stadium in Allen, TX. It claimed the title of the most expensive high school stadium ever built, with an estimated sixty million dollar price tag. It originally opened in 2012 but was forced to close in 2014, because of required repairs. Apparently, there were structural issues and cracks in the foundation. Naturally, this caused quite a stir in public sentiment, after its enormous cost. This stadium is very large, with eighteen thousand seats, and eight thousand seats sold as season tickets. Despite the setback with repairs, the local community appears to still be very supportive of the stadium and their team, the Eagles. This team has been state champions three times, so the estimation for good things to happen with this stadium is very positive (Solomon, 2015).

Eagle stadium may soon lose its title of most expensive high school sports stadium. In the nearby city of McKinney, TX, a new stadium is being built that will have twelve thousand seats and cost approximately sixty two million dollars. This stadium will only be about seven miles from the Eagle stadium. There appears to be a stadium, arms race, in Texas, where high school football is very popular. Many people do not approve of so much money being spent on high school sports stadiums. Some people think that there are much better uses for the money, in other areas, that need attention. The majority of people, however, appear to support these stadiums, as these stadium budgets do require a vote by city residents, to be approved (Boren, 2016).

The residents of Allen, TX voted in 2009, for the approval of a one hundred and nineteen million dollar bond, to build this stadium and provide for other educational based facility upgrades. The stadium is owned by the Allen Independent School District. This stadium was built by Pogue Construction and PBK Architects. It has a sizeable parking complex, which can handle over five thousand vehicles. The stadium covers over seventy two acres. In addition to the football related features, Eagle stadium has a weight room, a golf practice area and a wrestling training area (Cook, 2012).

While many of the cities in Texas, including Allen, were cutting school budgets, this enormous undertaking was still approved. The economic strategy behind the stadium was to draw more attention to Allen through tourists, businesses and potential new residents. The city of Allen has grown from about eight thousand residents in 1980 to over eighty four thousand as of 2010. Allen residents are reported to have an average, annual income, in excess of ninety five thousand dollars. This is about twice the number of the national average. Being only twelve miles away from Dallas, Allen is far away enough, to enjoy the benefits of the suburban life, while still being close enough to attract big business (Cook, 2012).

One of the big stories surrounding Eagle Stadium, was the closing, repair and reopening of the stadium, that took place from 2014-2015. The repairs cost over ten million dollars. The architects estimated that it would have cost less than an additional one million dollars, to have the added features and reinforcements, done during the repairs, to have been done during construction. Fortunately, for Allen, Texas, the contractors agreed to cover the cost of the repairs themselves, seeing that it was their fault. They even paid Allen, Texas, over six hundred thousand dollars, for revenue lost during repairs and they covered the separate engineering fees that ran well over a million dollars. Naturally, the city government and school board were very pleased with this outcome. Another unusual occurrence was that this costly repair fiasco was handled amicably, without the need for time consuming and costly litigation (Chiquillo, 2015).

During the repairs, the Eagles football team had to use other facilities to train and play at. This required a lot of travel and was thought to be a setback for the team. As it turns out, the team has done well and really wasn’t negatively impacted by the temporary closure of the stadium. Everyone seems to love the stadium, with its thirty eight foot wide big screen, two hundred rest rooms and numerous concession stands. With such a high cost and then the shutdown for repairs, many thought this would turn into an ugly nightmare for the school and city. As it panned out, this minor setback had little negative effect and the school, city and community, now enjoy the stadium that was coined “the Palace of High School Football” by ESPN, when it made national headlines (Kuo, 2012).

Despite the high costs, in an age of budget cuts across the nation, magnificent sports stadiums continue to be built across the country. As long as sports remain popular and in such high demand, the need for these modern coliseums will continue. In communities around Dallas, Texas, the race is on, to see who can create the biggest and best stadium. These stadiums are a source of great pride, growth and revenue for communities across the country and throughout the world. The influence and popularity of the sports culture remains strong in our society. These majestic stadiums will contribute greatly to the continued success of the sports industry (Coakley, 2015).

References:

Coakley, J. (2015). Sports in society: Issues and controversies (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Solomon, D. (2015). Allen’s Eagle Stadium is Set to Officially Reopen on Friday. The Daily Post. Retrieved from http://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/eagle-stadium-in-allen-is-set-to-officially-reopen-on-friday/

Boren, C. (2016). Take a look at America’s most expensive high school football stadium. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/05/10/take-a-look-at-americas-most-expensive-high-school-football-stadium/

Cook, B. (2012). Why Allen, Texas, Built a $60 Million High School Football Stadium. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/bobcook/2012/08/13/why-allen-texas-built-a-60-million-high-school-football-stadium/#6c23d0c39d0b

Chiquillo, J. (2015). Allen's Eagle Stadium to reopen for graduation after $10 million-plus in fixes. The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved from http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/allen/headlines/20150531-graduates-to-reopen-allen-isds-eagle-stadium.ece

Kuo, S. (2012). After Repairs, Allen High School Returns To Eagle Stadium for Football Season. Kera News. Retrieved from http://keranews.org/post/after-repairs-allen-high-school-returns-eagle-stadium-football-season

Photo credit: http://www.allenisd.org/page/22234

Eric Dempsey
MS, ISSA Master Trainer
Dempseys Resolution Fitness

Core and Posterior Chain on the Stability Ball

Working core and posterior chain today on the stability ball.

Those two areas are vitally important for everyone, regardless of your goals.

It becomes even more important as we get older.

Take a break from looking at yourself in the mirror and work the backside!

Eric Dempsey 

MS, ISSA Master Trainer 

Dempseys Resolution Fitness 

Quick meal: chicken, almonds, potatoes and greens

Quick meal: baked chicken, almonds, baby white potatoes, kale and spinach.

Eric Dempsey

MS, ISSA Specialist in Fitness Nutrition 

Dempseys Resolution Fitness 

Weightloss vs Fatloss Revisited

Muscle is where fat is oxidized, (burned, used as fuel), so it's imperative that you have muscle, if you want to lose fat. Also, muscle is what's going to make you look the way you want to look. And muscle is what provides you with your functional fitness and ability to perform daily life activities. Your body burns some calories every day to maintain your muscle. The protein that you eat, to help you build muscle, requires more calories to be burned through digestion - also known as the thermic effect of feeding (TEF). So directly and indirectly, muscle contributes to fat loss in many ways. 

And ladies, let's bury the myth once and for all. You will not bulk up and look like a man, with huge muscles, if you lift weights. You do not produce enough testosterone to do that, even if you wanted to. Women who lift and are huge, have either eaten zillions of calories with intense training and a genetic gift, or they stick a needle in their butt with steroids. Weights are a girl's best friend. Everything you really want to achieve with fitness, health and aesthetics lies on the other side of weight training.

Also, as you build lean body mass, your bone mineral density levels rise, to keep your bones and connective tissue strong and healthy. This helps prevent osteoporosis, osteopenia, and osteoarthritis. 

When the average person loses weight, usually, the majority, if not almost all of weight loss, comes from lean body mass (sarcopenia), and not fat. You lose lean body mass (which makes the scale go down), and you store or maintain body fat. That's not what you had in mind when you said that you needed to lose 20lbs. 

The concept of slimming down and then toning up is ridiculous, because slimming down means losing muscle and toning up means putting muscle back on, so it's a very unhealthy and extremely ineffective process.

Weight loss does not correlate to fat loss. Weight loss correlates to lean body mass loss. Fat loss is a completely separate entity and it has to be addressed very specifically. You have to think about your weight as apples and oranges, piled together in the same bag. Body weight consists of lean body mass (everything that is not fat), and fat mass. Fat mass is broken down into two main categories- essential fat that you need to be healthy and storage fat that you want to lose. Lean body mass consists of many things, such as muscles, bones, connective tissue, flesh and skin, organs, blood, and fluids- everything that isn't fat. 

So you can see that the scale simply tells you the total weight of the bag, containing the apples and oranges. If you lose weight without tracking your body fat levels, you have no idea if you lost apples, oranges or a mix of both. If you lose 5lbs of oranges (fat) and gain 5lbs of apples (lean body mass), the scale will stay the same. But you would look better, feel better and perform better. Make sense? 

The reality is that weight loss is a multi-billion dollar a year industry. As a weight loss specialist and former Army weight control NCO, I have helped hundreds of people through this complicated journey. I could have just jumped on the weight loss train and made a lot of money. But instead I opted to go against the grain and teach the truth about fat loss, so people can really become healthy and fit with long term, sustainable results. 

In the end, regardless of what goals you have, they are translated into three things - burn fat, build muscle and feel better. 

How do you do that? I'll summarize it real quick. 

For nutrition, eat whole foods, consisting of lean protein, good fat and fibrous carbs. Eat a little, a lot. When you are very active, your meals should be high carb, medium protein and low fat. When you are not active, your meals should be high protein, medium fat and low carbs. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, everyday. Shoot for 3/4 of a gallon to a gallon a day, as a general figure. And for your fitness training, I'll keep it real simple. Lift heavy and sprint!

If you follow these basic guidelines, you will be on your way to a healthy and fit lifestyle. Give it a try, you'll be glad you did. 

If you want more detailed information concerning nutrition, fitness and lifestyle, I provide training and coaching through a variety of methods. In person and online training is available for you. Email me at eric@dempseysresolution.com or call/text me at 706-573-4236. Also visit my social media sites for tons of free info. 

I hope this info was of value to you. Feel free to like, share with your family and friends, and subscribe.

Be safe, train hard and eat right!

Eric Dempsey, MS

Master Sergeant, US Army Retired,

NASM Weightloss Specialist,

ISSA Specialist in Fitness Nutrition 

RAMA: Program for Warriors

As I plug away at the courses for my 5th and hopefully, final college degree, I often reflect back to my first college degree. 

The RAMA (Restorative Arts & Martial Arts) program was one of the best educational experiences of them all. 

A degree program for warriors, taught by warriors. A collaboration between Troy University, the Ranger Training Brigade and the 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning. 

The year was 1997. This program was ahead of it time, as most of the topics taught have become popular trends now.

Functional fitness, kettlebells, bodyweight, SAQ, plyometrics, Dumbbells, medicine balls, Indian clubs, Army master fitness trainer, resistance training, BJJ combatives, combat hapkido, combat handgun, meditation, and anatomy & physiology were some of the fundamental courses. 

The down side, was at the time, there were very few certifications available, for these topics. So it ended up just being a course on a transcript. 

Now there are certifications for just about every topic that they taught. 

The program was great for shooters as the courses were very relevant to the job. 

The entire Army should have adopted the program. But like most things in the military, that actually work and are good, the program was canceled. 

I was glad that I was able to at least get my 1st associates degree through this program. 

Almost 20 years later, I still apply the concepts learned in this program, to the program that I teach today.

Sometimes new is not really new and new is not always better.

"Lean, fast and strong" are the fundamental cornerstones of my program and have been for over ten years now.

The RAMA program was instrumental in my development as a trainer and strength coach. 

I will always be grateful for the opportunity and experience that I received from this once great program. 

Eric Dempsey

MS, ISSA Master Trainer

Dempseys Resolution Fitness

Due Process and Fair Play in Sports

Due process is an important aspect of our society and culture. It extends into most regions of our lives, including sports. When a person is suspected of committing an offense, or breach of rule and protocol, certain steps should be followed to afford the involved parties due process. First, the involved subject or accused should be notified of the offense. Then, an opportunity should be presented to the accused, to hear their side of the story. A fair trial or hearing should be conducted, presenting all relevant information and facts concerning the matter, by all parties. An appeal process should be in place, should the accused wish to challenge a decision from the hearing. Over the last thirty years, there have been numerous court cases and litigation matters concerning a wide variety of topics, within the sports community. Many questions have been raised concerning due process and sports. Most sports organizations and universities have implemented some form of due process policy or protocol, to mitigate litigation and liability issues and to afford a fair and unbiased avenue to resolve issues (Appenzeller, 2011).

In addition to due process policies, many organizations have implemented fair play policies to handle complaints and to ensure a fair and equitable environment for their sports programs. Fair play policies can cover a wide range of topics from sports ethics, morals, character traits, rules, regulations, enrollment, recruiting, eligibility, gender, complaint processing and many others. The simple concept of fair play refers to everyone playing by the rules, without cheating, to have an enjoyable and honest play of a sport. It rarely stays that simple in today’s world, where sports have become a multi-billion dollar industry. Some organizations and universities have very complex and detailed fair play policies, to cover the long list of associated variables, found in modern sports. Performance enhancing drug use, gender participation, unethical practices in recruiting and money laundering are some of the controversial topics, which have been thrown into the fair play mix, in recent years (Steenbergen, De Knop, & Elling, 2001).

One of the big issues, concerning due process and fair play in sports, is that there is a separation between law and the policies of non-state entities such as organizations, colleges and universities. Many appeals protocols culminate in a court house, with public schools, but private institution appeals usually end in a non-legal environment, such as a director of education. So while it is in everyone’s best interest to have good due process and fair play policies, the law does not automatically cover this, or specifically control, or mandate it. That leaves a lot of gray area, where inconsistencies between organizations, concerning things like fines, punishment and penalties, are left up to the individual organizations. Once again, there is a long history of litigation, addressing these various issues. And in a lot of circumstances, the rulings from different courts have been very inconsistent. In some cases, there are consistent rulings which have formed the basis of many organization’s policies. The reality is that there are no cut and dried sets of state and federal laws, to handle all due process and fair play situations, in sports. There have been many attempts at the state and federal level to address these types of issues, but it remains largely, in the hands of private organizations and universities. Governing bodies in sports, such as the NCAA, have become very powerful as a result. There are many issues that remain unresolved and new issues appearing, with each passing year. An athlete, coach or administrator can only hope that their organization has good due process and fair play policies, which look out for the rights of all involved (Green, 1992).

References:

Appenzeller, H. (2011). Ethical behavior in sport. Durham, N.C.: Carolina Academic Press.

Green, R. (1992). Does the NCAA Play Fair? A Due Process Analysis of NCAA Enforcement Regulations. Duke University. Retrieved from http://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3198&context=dlj

Steenbergen, J., De Knop, P., & Elling, A. (2001). Values and Norms in Sport: Critical Reflections on the Position and Meanings of Sport in Society. Meyer and Meyer Sport. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=aIzptiGkF-EC&pg=PA137&lpg=PA137&dq=fair+play+policies+in+sports&source=bl&ots=B6mmJ57Z7c&sig=fzvSDWr6KL8qxRzzk7irMEtbseQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiM44TLqOXNAhXk6oMKHQyKDJI4FBDoAQhJMAY#v=onepage&q=fair%20play%20policies%20in%20sports&f=false

Photo Credit: http://jurispage.com/2013/website-development/scales-of-justice-gavel-done-avoiding-a-cliche-law-firm-logo/

Eric Dempsey

MS, ISSA Master Trainer

Dempseys Resolution Fitness

The Race Participation Model Change in Basketball

In this discussion, I will be talking about participation patterns, in the college and professional levels of the sport of basketball. Before the desegregation of sports, whites dominated the sport and athletic fields, simply because of the exclusion of other races. While there are many examples of white, athletic excellence, the inclusion of blacks into the sports world, has changed many variables. Today, college and professional basketball is played by, predominantly black athletes. Many white athletes still play, but the numbers have dramatically changed over the past thirty years (Sailes, 1998).

During the times of racial strife and discrimination, many blacks are thought to have turned to sports, as a way to deal or cope with the social situation. As sports became desegregated, the numbers of black athletes rapidly filled and dominated many sports, such as basketball, boxing, track and field and football. A pattern quickly developed and it was easily identified through various forms of research. Blacks tended to drift towards certain sports, while other sports such as tennis and golf, remained predominantly white. Research has shown that blacks tend to participate in certain sports, which allow freedom of expression, individual style and social reward. It is also evident that in sports such as basketball, that black, individual orientation dominates, rather than team orientation, which is more easily visible with white athletes (Sailes, 1998).

Many factors have influenced the participation trends in modern sports. Discrimination, racism, segregation, social class, economic status, cultural markers, racial ideology and genetic traits, are some of the topics, that research has shown to have played a role, in the modern participation models in sports. From the racial ideology perspective, when a white athlete excels in sport, it tends to be thought of as expected, due to some form of superiority. In contrast, when a black athlete excels in sport, it is thought of as a natural genetic gift or trait, requiring little talent. Many believe that black athletes, feel a certain cultural drive or destiny, to become a top athlete, because success in other social areas seems unattainable (Coakley, 2015).

The rise of black athletes in basketball did not happen overnight. It was a long, bitter road that was filled with racism, segregation and discrimination. Some think this evolution of black dominance in basketball, began as far back as 1945. Many factors are cited as contributing variables. It is undeniable, that many black athletes are extremely talented in basketball. One factor that some claim to be a major cause in the pattern change of participation, comes from coaches, who selected the best players for their teams, regardless of their skin color. Other factors include the 1964 Civil Rights Act, desegregation, the admittance of blacks into universities and the huge growth of financial profit in organized sports (Miller and Wiggins, 2004).

There are many factors that have contributed to the dynamic change, in the participation model of basketball. It started off long ago as a white dominated sport. Throughout the years, black athletes reached not only parity with white athlete participation, but then went on to surpass whites by a large number. Equal participation numbers were thought to be achieved, at the college level, around 1975. By 2012, over fifty percent of male, division I basketball players, were black, with only twenty nine percent being white. As of 2014, blacks made up over sixty nine percent of the NBA players. In our current society, it is thought that black equality and opportunity, is greatest, in organized sports and in the military. Once blacks leave the sport and military environments, their projections for equality and opportunity, are thought to diminish greatly. As long as society remains in this current mode, it is unlikely that the participation model for basketball or other black dominated sports, will change anytime soon (Marine, Lotron, and Johnson, 2015).

References:

Coakley, J. (2015). Sports in society: Issues and controversies (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Sailes, G. (1998). African Americans in Sports: Contemporary Themes. Transaction Publishers. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=SAa_GairhY8C&pg=PA124&lpg=PA124&dq=participation+patterns+in+basketball&source=bl&ots=td9aCvT6Xi&sig=HeoDVW6fdGwo15M0FjKROrZBFw8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiF9r_ypOLNAhXs5oMKHSd7AxUQ6AEISzAG#v=onepage&q=participation%20patterns%20in%20basketball&f=false

Miller, P.B., and Wiggins, D.K. (2004). Sport and the Color Line: Black Athletes and Race Relations in Twentieth-century America. New York: Routledge.

Marine, A., Lotron, J. and Johnson, S. (2015). Racial Patterns in the NBA. John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Retrieved from http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/contentgroups/sasp/poster_gallery/poster19.pdf

Photo Credit: http://highschoolsports.nj.com/news/article/-4847434761619197658/njcom-boys-basketball-athlete-of-the-week-dontay-julius-st-mary-eliz-week-two/

Eric Dempsey
MS, ISSA Specialist in Strength and Conditioning
Dempseys Resolution Fitness

Rear Delt Band Pull Aparts

Resistance band, standing rear delt pull aparts. 

This exercise variant allows me to isolate the rear delts and get a really good contraction on each rep. 

Continue to explore exercise variants to find what works best for you.

Eric Dempsey 

MS, ISSA Master Trainer