These are the best of days...

 

Lately, I find myself thinking back to a childhood that seems idyllic looking in the rearview mirror.  Being a kid back then was very different than it is today. Not better, just different.  Things that I did back then, I would never think of allowing my kids do when they were kids.

My summer routine from the time I was 9 or 10 was to leave the house on my bicycle, ride into town, where most of my friends lived, and fill my day with fun and adventures. I lived about a mile away from downtown and thought nothing of that bike ride.

Today, there are bike teams and developmental programs. And roads that just don’t seem safe anymore. But a talented cyclist today can go places and do things we never knew existed.

There wasn’t a public pool in my hometown so if we wanted to go swimming, we jumped in the nearest body of water. All of us could swim and never gave a thought to any dangers.

These days, it’s 4 AM wakeup calls to get to swimming practice.  And, for those serious enough, a second practice that afternoon.

Coach Ratledge, the high school football coach, provided a program called Summer Recreation, downtown at the only ballpark in town.  Some days we would do crafts but most days we would divide up into teams and play baseball, with Coach Ratledge as the only umpire.

These days, it’s Little League and private coaches. And travel teams for everything.  I once joined my son and his daughter on an excursion that included soccer games in Buffalo and Pittsburgh. Don’t get me wrong—it was an awesome trip and we really made the best of it, but that’s a 1400 mile road trip for two games.

It seems like we were always throwing something. Chucking rocks at a road sign, keeping score on who hit it the most times. And skipping rocks across a pond, counting the number of skips. 

I see kids today that have reached puberty and have never thrown anything.  They have to learn the throwing motion from scratch, learning something that just came naturally to us.

And tennis. We had borrowed balls and borrowed rackets for the longest time, and no public courts to play on, but we played all the time. It’s a bit different today.

But before you assume that it was good back then and bad today, let me tell you that both were and are wonderful. Kids today have lots more opportunities. We had football and basketball.  If girls didn’t play basketball, they didn’t have anything to play.

Kids are better today.  More athletic. Bigger, stronger, faster. As good as my high school football team might have been, we would have struggled against a good team today.  And there probably wouldn’t have been much place for a 190 pound right tackle (me).

Fewer kids played sports back then because there just wasn’t much opportunity for them. These days, there’s something for everybody. Things we had never heard of back then are common today. Soccer. Lacrosse. Martial arts. Even things like volleyball, softball, and flag football for girls.

No, yesterday was not perfect, yet it was the best of times, and the worst of times. Just like today. 

 

Be That Friend...

 

My kids will tell you—they were never allowed to ride in the back of a pickup truck. Keep in mind, that just about their whole lives, I have owned a pickup truck.

My daughter was particularly embarrassed one time when she had ridden a short distance in the back of a pickup of the dad of one of her friends, and had planned to return to that friend’s house riding once again in the back of that pickup truck.

I said no.  As in, adamantly no. It was quite embarrassing for her. “But all my friends do it!”

All my friends do it. Parents, how many times have you heard that?

That great philosopher (and former football coach and guidance counselor) David Ellis tells the story of two friends walking along the sidewalk, when one of them starts to step into the street into incoming traffic.

Of course, the other friend grabs them and pulls them back to safety. Of course they do. Everybody would do that.

Coach Ellis’s story continues. So, if you would keep your friend from stepping into traffic, why wouldn’t you stop them when they are about to do something else dangerous? Or stupid? Are the circumstances not the same?

Isn’t that what friends do?  Yes, without hesitation!

So, why don’t we apply the same logic, the same scenario, when our friends are about to get into things like alcohol and drugs? Or hanging out with the wrong people?  Or are putting themselves in a dangerous position?

My own parents’ admonition if I were ever to say “but all my friends are doing it” was the same thing—if all your friends are jumping off a bridge, would you jump too? Uh, no, I guess not.

Here’s the bottom line:  Our friends often have more influence on our behaviors than our parents.

There have been three former football players at Maryville High School that have died of drug overdose. I could sugarcoat it, but that serves no real purpose.  It is what it is.

I don’t know if the problem is any different at that school than any other, I just knew those kids and I was part of that athletic program for decades.

These were good kids—kids I enjoyed being around. But if you think for a minute this couldn’t happen in your family or on your team, you’re wrong.

Teach your kids about things in this world that they shouldn’t do, but maybe it’s more important to teach them to help their friends make better decisions.

Young people—be that friend that keeps somebody from stepping off the sidewalk into oncoming traffic.  

 

It's time...

 

I had a colonscopy this week.  It isn’t the first time.  I have a strong family history of colon cancer so since I was 40, I have had a colonoscopy any time my Gastroenterologist tells me to. 

For years, it was Dr. Ed Brown.  a kind, gentle man, Dr. Brown was the kind of doctor that you want for this kind of problem. 

After he retired, those duties fell to Dr. Isaac Cline. I’ve known Dr. Cline sine long before he became Dr. Cline.  When he was but a boy, his dad (also Dr. Cline, as is his mother) brought him to me for an injury. He was later an outstanding lineman for us on the Maryville High School football team.

Like Dr. Brown before him, Dr. Cline is patient, caring, and thorough. I am literally trusting him with my life.

Now (you might ask), what do colon cancer and colonscopy and gastroenterology and all this have to do with sports.  After all, this is in the sports page.

Oh, I suppose I could stretch it to say that I still consider myself an athlete and this is part of being active and healthy in these, my senior years.  Or I could use it to write about a young man that was a hard-working, dedicated football player and maybe turned those sports lessons into a medical career.

But that’s stretching it a bit, though true.  And it’s not really about me.  A young friend of my children has recently been diagnosed with advanced state colon cancer. But this really isn’t about her either. I know she will get the best possible care and should live a long and happy life.

No, this one’s for you.  And, yes, I know, I’ve written this same thing before. But it bears repeating

Colon cancer is completely treatable if detected early.  I actually started colon screenings in my 30’s.  There’s a thing called a Fecal Occult Test, basically testing for blood in your feces (as my granddaughter said—ewwwww!).

Those at high risk, mainly those with a family history of colon cancer, need to get a colonoscopy, beginning at age 40. But those without a family history also need to get checked.  Dr. Cline noted that those without a family history of colon cancer often don’t get checked until they have symptoms, and that is late in the game. 

He also notes that colon cancer is not just genetic, that it is often largely environmental. Those that are smokers, eat a lot of processed food, are obese, and who consume significant amounts of alcohol are also at risk and need to be checked. It’s actually a good idea for everyone 20 and older to see their Primary Care Physician on an annual basis. Period. No exceptions.

The colonoscopy really isn’t as bad as it sounds—you’re asleep the whole time during the procedure.  The hard part is the liquid diet the day before.  My go-to sustenance is warm lime Jello and Dr. Peppers.  All day long.

My exam this year is the best one I’ve had and years, but I can tell you the only thing on my mind when I woke up was food.  For me, that was a breakfast bowl at Calloway’s Tennessee Kitchen. Biscuit and gravy with added on Springer Mountain Chicken and Benton’s Bacon. The thought of that got me through a very long Tuesday and the procedure on Wednesday. You do whatever it takes.

If you’re at risk, get checked soon.  Don’t put it off.  I won’t tell you it’s easy, but I will tell you that it is important.

Give Them A Break

 

This one is going to make a few folks unhappy.  And maybe a few more folks squirm a bit. 

But what I’m about to write about is backed by science, experience, and common sense—the magical triumvirate that reaches beyond argument.

And no less an authority that Dr. Jim Andrews has made this topic his late career mission.  If you don’t know who Dr. Andrews is, let me introduce you.  He’s only the leading sports orthopedist in history. Sure, that’s my opinion, but people who know that arena are likely to agree with me.

 Dr. Andrews is the founder of Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham and co-founder of the American Sports Medicine Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to injury prevention, education, and research.

Even in semi-retirement, he serves the University of Alabama, Auburn University, and the Washington Commanders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.  Among his celebrity patients are Bo Jackson, Charles Barkley, Roger Clemens, Michael Jordan, Drew Brees, Triple H, and Brett Favre.

 Dr. Andrews’ research has pointed to a drastic increase in injuries among young athletes.  “What we’ve seen is a five- to sevenfold increase in injury rates in youth sports across the board. The systems out there in youth sports, particularly travel ball, have been important financial resources for the people who run them. Parents spend a fortune keeping their kids in a year-round sport, with travel and everything else. What’s happening is, the tail is wagging the dog. The systems are calling the shots: If your son or daughter doesn’t play my sport year-round, he or she can’t play for me. Never mind that your kid is 12 — I need year-round dedication.”

 And therein is the problem.  Youth sport injuries are rampant. I’ve seen the same thing.  Most of the injuries among young athletes are overuse injuries, although there has been a definite uptick in more catastrophic injuries as well.  12 year olds with ACL tears used to be rare—now they happen at an alarming rate.

 Before you call me a hypocrite, let me tell you that I have two grandchildren that play a single sport year-round. High school to club and back again. And my own kids narrowed it down to a single sport before they finished high school.

I get it. I will also say the system is flawed. Let me offer a couple of solutions. The best advice is to let your child play multiple sports.  Sports specialization early is a huge mistake. It just doesn’t work. They won’t develop the athleticism to truly excel at sport, regardless of what sport they ultimately settle on.

But, if your child has narrowed their sports participation down to one sport, then let them take time off.  Every year.  2-3 months, minimum. And use that time to get stronger, faster, better.

 

Dr. Andrews final advice: “Give them time off to recover. Please. Give them time to recover.”

 

End of Cramp Season?

 

We might be near the end of Cramp Season, but it still shows up here and there.  “Cramp Season?”  What is that (you might ask)? Well, I just made it up. Cramp Season is that time of year when you might see an athlete writhing on the field, with muscles in spasm.

What is a cramp? If you know, you know. But from a sort-of medical perspective, a cramp is when a muscle forcibly contracts without an injury.  It most often happens toward the end of a great physical effort, usually toward the end of the game. And usually (but not always) in hot weather.

A term has actually been created to define it—Exercise Associated Muscle Cramps (EAMC).  The dreaded EAMC.  You laugh now, but if you have one, you won’t be laughing. 

If you’re that athlete, you think you might die, while that hamstring or calf muscle spasms up and convinces you that the end is near.  For us old folks, it still happens, but a study that I just made up indicates that it most often happens at night to us senior citizens. 

If you are an athlete, you’ve probably experienced EAMC.  If you’re a spectator, you’ve surely witnessed it.  The athlete is laying on the ground when someone nearby grabs their leg and holds it straight up in the air.  Somehow, that relieves some of the spasms.

Why would a muscle cramp like that?   There is certainly a neuromuscular component, but that may just be a protective mechanism where your body is just telling you that your body has had enough.

Muscle exhaustion is another source of cramps.  That one may also be that muscle’s chemistry telling you that it was not going to cooperate with further activity.

Most of the time, the blame is on dehydration and loss of electrolytes.  Heavy sweating can flush a lot of essential electrolytes from your system, again creating a mechanical or chemical response where the muscle goes into spasm. And it just makes sense that we sweat more in hot weather or with heavy exercise. Put the two together and the potential for cramping is obvious.

What to do?  Well, immediately it helps to stretch on the muscle involved. That’s why you see teammates grabbing the leg and stretching it up.  Gentle massage helps.  Even if you think you’re going to die first, it will subside.

It’s a whole lot better to prevent cramps.  That is done by being in great shape—conditioning is huge. But even then, it can happen. That’s where hydration and electrolyte replacement come in. Water is OK, but if you only hydrate with water, then you might develop a condition known as hyponatremia, which is where all those essential electrolytes are flushed out of your body. I’ve seen whole body cramps from hyponatremia.

No, you need sports drinks heavy on electrolytes and not those that are full of sugar (although some sugar helps those electrolytes get absorbed better).  Before, during, and after.

And if you are over the worst part of a cramp, you need to eat something sour. That’s right…sour.  Studies (not mine) have proved conclusively that it is the sour taste that triggers some neuromuscular mechanism that inhibits the cramp.  That’s why some folks swear by pickle juice—it isn’t the pickles or the juice, but the sour.  I use a variety of products but good ol’ fashioned Sweet Tarts may be about as good as anything. 

Life's Moments

 

I’ve told this story before, but I believe it is worth telling again.

I was probably ten years old, attending a basketball game at the old Loudon High School up on the hill above downtown Loudon. Times were different then. I’m pretty sure my dad dropped me off at the front door with enough money to cover admission and a bag of popcorn.

This was one of those old gyms where everything in sight was made of wood. There was a narrow balcony running the length of the court on both sides, maybe three rows of seats each.

Growing up, it seemed quite big, certainly bigger than anything else I had ever seen. I remember the same thing about the church that I grew up in—First Baptist Church of Loudon.

I remember thinking how huge the sanctuary was in that church and when the choir loft behind the preacher was full, well…I could imagine it all as quite heavenly. Returning later as a seasoned adult of 24, it seemed positively tiny, especially after attending church at Bellview Baptist in Memphis.

I was with my friend Jimmy Greenway, sitting on the balcony near the entrance to the gym.  This would have been about 1963 and bouffant hair-do’s were all the rage among the women of the day. This was a fashion where a female’s hair was piled up high on top of their head.

Jimmy and I were actually sitting on the edge of the balcony, dangling our legs off the edge, taking some of that popcorn and trying to drop into some of those poofy hair-do’s as our victims entered the gym.

We took great delight when we hit our target. That’s where the real story starts.

Sitting just behind us was a young mom and her son Jay Barker. Jay had some mild physical issues that I understand more today, but he was a great kid with a great smile. I later got to know him well.

After another successful popcorn drop, Jay’s mom turned to him and said “don’t turn out to be like those boys.” It hit me like a brick. I remember it clearly to this day and if that gym is still standing, I can take you to the exact spot it all happened. 

I was a good kid. Boy Scouts (later an Eagle). Royal Ambassadors. Straight A’s. Paper route. Responsible. But that moment changed me for life. From that point on, I have never forgotten my personal responsibility to be a good example to everyone, especially kids. That somebody is watching me, maybe learning how to treat other people.

This week at a football game, I witnessed an episode where an adult on the chain gang turned and taunted the players on one team after his son’s team scored a touchdown. I intervened (maybe I shouldn’t have) and asked the fellow to be a bit more professional. I’ll not repeat his response. The school’s AD did address the situation at halftime.

I’ll not even pretend that I think this might reach that fellow, but if it did, I would want him to know that he’s an adult and that kids are watching adults to learn how to behave. How to act.

Adults, teens, pre-teens—pretty much everybody…there’s a good chance that some child is watching you, seeking input on how to behave.

Do better. Be better. Little eyes are watching.

Probably...maybe...I don't know

 

Local bicycle rider Jackie Taylor was hit recently, while riding her bike on Old Walland Highway. A car hit her, left her unconscious in the ditch beside the road, and sped away.  There were witnesses to attest to that. 

Think about this. Old Walland Highway has been a haven for cyclists for many years.  Bikers will often park just beyond Coulter Bridge and ride, maybe to Townsend and back.  Since Highway 321 parallels Old Walland Highway, it just makes sense that if you’re in a car and in a hurry, you take 321. 

It hasn’t been that long since we’ve had a couple of deaths with bicycle riders. Here in Blount County. I wrote a bit recently about Joyce Frey, a wonderful lady that was riding alone on a quiet stretch of Old Niles Ferry Road out in the county, when she was hit and killed.  That driver sped away too. 

Then I read about Michael Perior who was hit and killed while riding on his bicycle in Maryville. I didn’t know him and I don’t know the circumstances…other than that he was on a bicycle and is now gone.

You may have read about the cycling team from Milligan University where a driver plowed into the team, killing two and sending seven to the hospital.

I ride bikes. I’ve spent many thousands of miles riding a bike on the country lanes around here. For 25+ years, Steve Bright and I led a group of riders on Saturday morning rides.

Every rider I know has had something thrown at them. A buddy once picked up a perfectly good wrench that had hit him in the back. Another friend just told me this week that he was hit by a full Slushy.  Beer cans. Spit cups. Random trash.

I’ve been cussed so many times for riding (safely, legally) on the roads that it no longer surprises me.

Are we our own worst enemy? Yes. I will never stop preaching road safety and road etiquette to riders. 

Do we have the right to be on the roads?  Absolutely.  Tennessee state law protects us and protects that right.

Is it safe?  I don’t know. I know my wife is in anguish when I head out on my bike, not knowing if I will come home or not.

What has gotten into people?  Why do so many people hate us for enjoying the countryside and getting some exercise? Why are they so angry?  Why would anyone hit something, anything, with their car and then drive off?

Is it distracted driving?  That’s a problem. For sure. Texting while driving has been conclusively shown to be about the same as driving drunk.

Traffic, even way out in the county, has gotten crazy. It seems like there are 20-30 unit subdivisions all over the place, in areas where we used to have family farms. With all that housing comes tons of traffic. 

Do we need bike lanes?  Well, yeah.  That would be nice.  But it’s not practical and I don’t see it happening in my lifetime.  Our Greenbelt is awesome but shared with walkers and runners.  That makes it dangerous for both of us.  And the motorized vehicles on our Greenbelt…well, that’s another story. 

Will I ride?  I don’t know. Probably. Maybe. I don’t know.