The Horizon League and WebStream Productions Inc. have chosen Livestream, the leading live Internet video platform, to broadcast hundreds of regular-season, NCAA Division 1 men’s and women’s college basketball games beginning November 13.

Under the exclusive deal, live game broadcasts will be available for free viewing at www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv along with regularly updated highlights and on-demand content.

“We are excited to partner with Livestream on the new Horizon League Network site. The power of their video platform including live streaming, on-demand content, automatic recording, archiving and APIs make Livestream the perfect fit for the Horizon League,” said John Servizzi, president of WebStream Productions.

The partnership is the latest in association with the recently launched Livestream Sports Solutions division, which is focused on delivering best-of-breed live streaming partnerships for athletic organizations. The Horizon League, with its perennial slate of NCAA Championship contenders, joins a growing number of leagues and networks that rely on Livestream for sports webcasting, including the CollegeFanz Sports Network, National Lacrosse League and the Kansas City Chiefs NFL franchise.

“This partnership with the Horizon League and WebStream Productions is yet another example of how Livestream technology is transforming the way sports organizations bring live video to their fans,” said Max Haot, CEO of Livestream. “We are excited to be working with WebStream Productions on their coverage of Horizon League athletics and look forward to helping other sports organizations do the same.”

“We are pleased to partner with WebStream Productions and Livestream to bring our fans and alumni a high-quality, live streaming video experience,” said Horizon League Commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone. “The Horizon League Network is a vital marketing and communications platform. Our partners are helping us maximize its potential.”

Source: Livestream

With awards season officially underway, the Awards and Recognition Association (ARA) announces the top 10 finalists for its fifth annual Sportsmanship Award, which is given to one outstanding NCAA Division 1 collegiate football player who best personifies the spirit of sportsmanship.

The 2009 Sportsmanship Award recipient will be chosen from one of these 10 finalists and announced this December.

Previous winners are Northwestern University receiver Eric Peterman (2008); Washington State quarterback Alex Brink (2007); Cincinnati Bengels fullback Brian Leonard (2006); and Carolina Panthers running back, DeAngelo Williams (2005).

“As the only national award that recognizes an athlete’s character and leadership as it translates to sportsmanship, the ARA Sportsmanship Award was created five years ago to shed light on these positive traits,” said Glenn Beckworth, president of the ARA.

ARA Sportsmanship Award

To qualify for the award, an athlete must be a starting player or significant contributor on his team; be an athlete in good academic standing; demonstrate great respect for competitors, school, teammates and coaches; show an ability to accept victory and defeat graciously; convey a high degree of humility and integrity; and demonstrate commitment in the classroom and to the community.

Former Brigham Young University Head Football Coach LaVell Edwards chairs the selection committee. “We’re uncovering some of the finest players the sport has to offer. These young men have a common thread of a positive attitude, strong work ethic and sense of fair play that is translated to their conduct on and off the playing field,” notes Edwards.

The finalists were selected in a blind process.

The 2009 award recipient will be announced in December. The finalists, in alphabetical order, are:

1. Mike Anello–University of Notre Dame.
2. Andrew Brewer–Northwestern University.
3. Russel Fisher–Saint Francis University.
4. Tim Hiller–Western Michigan University.
5. Jammie Kirlew–Indiana University.
6. Jeron Mastrud–Kansas State University.
7. Matt Reagan–University of Memphis.
8. Adam Rundh–Valparaiso University.
9. Phillip Tanner–Middle Tennessee State University.
10. Reed Williams–West Virginia University.

Source: www.arasportsmanshipaward.com

Golfers who undergo treatment for sleep apnea may improve their golf game as well as their overall health, shows new research. A new study presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), found that golfers with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who received nasal positive airway pressure (NPAP) for their disorder improved their daytime sleepiness scores and lowered their golf handicap by as much as three strokes. Researchers suggest that the possibility of improving your golf game may be a significant motivator to improve NPAP compliance rates among golfers.

“More so than many sports, golf has a strong intellectual component, with on-course strategizing, focus, and endurance being integral components to achieving good play,” said Marc L. Benton, MD, FCCP, Atlantic Sleep and Pulmonary Associates, Madison, NJ. “OSAS can lead to daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and cognitive impairment, all side effects which can negatively impact a person’s ability to golf to the best of one’s ability.”

Dr. Benton and colleague Neil S. Friedman, RN, RPSGT, from Morristown Memorial Hospital, Madison, NJ, evaluated the impact of NPAP on the golf handicap index (HI) of 12 golfers with diagnosed moderate to severe OSA. HI was recorded upon study entry, as was the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), a validated questionnaire used to assess daytime sleepiness, and a sleep questionnaire (SQ) developed by the authors. After 20 rounds of golf while receiving NPAP treatment (approximately 3 to 5 months), the treatment group demonstrated a significant drop in average HI, 12.4 (+/- 3.5) to 11.0 (+/- 4.7). Patients in the study group also improved their ESS score, 11.8 (+/- 6.6) to 5.5 (+/- 3.6), and the SQ score, 14.3 (+/- 7.5), to 3.1 (+/- 3.1). A control group of 12 subjects demonstrated no change in HI, ESS score, or SQ score during this study.

“As any golfer knows, when your ability to think clearly or make good decisions is compromised, the likelihood of playing your best is greatly diminished,” said Dr. Benton. “Through treatment with NPAP, we can improve many cognitive metrics, such as attention span, memory, decision-making abilities, and frustration management, which may, in turn, positively affect a person’s golf game.”

Results of the study also showed that the best golfers, defined as HI <12, had the biggest improvements in their game. Within this group, the average HI dropped from 9.2 (+/- 2.9) to 6.3 (+/- 3.0); the SQ score from 10.8 (+/- 1.9), to 2.8 (+/- 2.6).

“The biggest handicap improvements occurred in the lower handicap, often older golfers. This group typically would be expected to trend in the opposite direction due to age-related deterioration in strength and endurance,” said Mr. Friedman. “The drop in handicap among the better golfers probably reflected that the major limiting factor was not golf skill but cognitive compromise that improved when the sleep apnea was treated.”

Dr. Benton estimates that there are 1 to 3 million regular golfers (regular defined as 10 or more rounds per year) who have OSA, and most are undiagnosed or untreated. However, even when proper treatment is offered, it is only effective if it is used regularly. In men, studies have reported compliance rates as low as 40 percent. Patients cite many reasons for noncompliance with NPAP, including discomfort, inconvenience, cost, noise, or embarrassment. In the current study, nearly all patients in the treatment group had a compliance rate of above 90 percent.

“Providers typically attempt to maximize compliance with NPAP by promoting its medical benefits or warning patients of the risks involved in not being treated, but this approach does not always work,” said Dr. Benton. “In the case of this study, the possibility of improving one’s ability to play golf appears to have been a significant motivation to improve treatment compliance.”

“Compliance with CPAP therapy is an ongoing issue in the treatment of patients with sleep apnea,” said Kalpalatha Guntupalli, MD, FCCP, President of the American College of Chest Physicians. “Finding new and more effective ways to increase CPAP compliance based on individual motivations is definitely encouraged.”

Source: American College of Chest Physicians

Compete released its ranking of top football, college sports and fantasy sports sites for September 2009, which is based on data from the company’s integrated online panel of two million U.S.-based internet users. Football Web sites reached more than 16 million unique visitors (UVs) in September 2009, which is a 25.9 percent increase over August 2009. Another high-growth category, college sports sites drew 10.5 million UVs in September 2009, a 74.6 percent month-over-month growth. The category has grown 74 percent since 2008.

“It’s clear that sports fans are loyal to their teams online and off. Advertisers who spend millions of dollars to stay top of mind with sports fans can target leading team sites during the season and follow fans to adjacent sports-related Web sites such as fantasy football,” said Cynthia Stephens, director of marketing at Compete.

In conjunction with the beginning of football season, fantasy sports site fantasysports.yahoo.com attracted 6.8 million unique visitors in September 2009, which is ten percent more than the same month last year. Games.espn.go.com (5.2 million UVs) and football.cbssports.com (2.6 million UVs) also gained traction with fantasy sports fans during September. For further analysis of Web traffic to fantasy sports sites, please read, “Fantasy Sports Potpourri… Part 1.”

NFL Rules the Web

Compared to last year’s season, online football traffic is up 15.4 percent. The Dallas Cowboys (1.3 million UVs), Pittsburgh Steelers (933,990 UVs) and New England Patriots (843,864 UVs) lead the league in online traffic. Several sites (including amazon.com, fansedge.com, stubhub.com and footballfanatics.com) are also capitalizing on the Dallas Cowboys’ popularity with one third to two thirds of their search referral share generated by paid clickthroughs from the search term “Dallas Cowboys.”

For more on how football season impacts online marketing spend, read Compete’s August blog post, “August Data is Live: Summer’s Out & Football Season Is In.”

College Students Flock to Sports Sites

The NCAA’s ncaa.com (580,077 UVs) and ncaa.org (434,034 UVs) attracted the most visitors in the college sports category in September 2009. Even with the beginning of a new semester, popular sports team sites from the University of Florida (gatorzone.com, 407,704 UVs) and University of Michigan (mgoblue.com, 395,193 UVs) attracted more visitors than their University home pages. UFL.edu saw 177,710 UVs in September 2009 and UMich.edu counted 338,773 visitors.

Each month, Compete takes a look at the top movers within one of its 225 industry categories. Month-over-month traffic gains for individual Web sites can be a direct result of seasonality and specific marketing or advertising campaigns. In this way, the top-ranked sites become much more than a list, they are an effective way to assess which competitors’ strategies are working and why.

Source: Compete

A recent survey of nearly 650 athletic trainers across the U.S. revealed that in the past 12 months nearly 76 percent of the respondents’ athletic programs, mostly high school- and college-based, bacterial or viral skin infections have developed. This is up from 73 percent in 2008 and 67 percent in 2007.(1) (2) The good news – infection rates of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of staph infection that is resistant to many common antibiotics, stabilized at 49 percent, the same as reported in 2008. (2)

The survey, conducted every year since 2006 at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) annual meeting, also showed a significant increase in athletic trainers’ roles in educating key groups including athletes (87 percent, up from 80 percent in 2008), coaches (80 percent, up from 62 percent in 2008) and athletes’ families (40 percent, up from 30 percent in 2008). This is important since these groups are often the “first responders” when it comes to early identification and treatment of a skin infection such as MRSA or sports-related injury.

“While we would like to see the estimated number of skin infections decrease, we are encouraged by the role athletic trainers increasingly play in educating and supporting athletes, coaches and families,” said Marjorie J. Albohm, MS, ATC, president of NATA. “MRSA continues to be an issue our members face on and off the field, but so are heat exhaustion, H1N1 and head concussions. Athletic Trainers deal with everything from cuts and sprains to potentially life threatening injuries on a daily basis.”

MRSA is usually spread from person-to-person through direct skin contact or contact with shared items or surfaces such as towels, used bandages, hot and cold tubs, or weight-training equipment that have come in contact with the bacteria. MRSA infections in the community are usually manifested as skin infections, such as pimples and boils that are red, swollen and painful. MRSA can be life threatening when it enters the body through scrapes and scratches, potentially leading to blood and joint infections, and pneumonia. As the number of cases of MRSA has increased in the community, so have contact sports-related infections. (cite)

To help prevent transmission of infections and illnesses such as MRSA, H1N1 or seasonal flu, it is often recommended that athletes wash with cleansers that contain 4 percent chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG). CHG bonds to the skin and continues to actively kill germs for up to six hours without leaving a residue. This offers protection between washings and during competition. CHG has been used in hospitals and operating rooms for decades to help prevent the spread of infection.

“Washing with a cleanser that contains CHG can be especially helpful in amateur sports, since many athletes at that level do not shower immediately before or after activities. By washing even just the hands and arms before an activity, the risk of infection can be dramatically reduced,” said Jack Doornbos, executive director, Molnlycke Health Care, the health care company that supported the survey.

In fact, last year the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) noted that “the single most important thing for prevention is hand-washing with soap and water, or if MRSA is known to be present, with chlorhexidene (Hibiclens).(3)” Hibiclens® skin cleanser is one over-the-counter cleanser that contains 4 percent CHG and has been proven to kill germs on contact and bond with the skin to keep killing microorganisms for up to six hours without leaving a residue. The same cleanser with alcohol is available as a wipe called Hibistat® for on-the-go needs. Both are available at drug stores and pharmacies in the first aid section. For more information about CHG or to download free educational materials about MRSA and sports, visit hibiclens.com/athletes.html.

(1) Molnlycke Health Care, NATA survey of Athletic Trainers, June 2007.
(2) Molnlycke Health Care, NATA Survey of Athletic Trainers, June 2008.
(3) www.NFLplayers.com, “An Increasingly Common Bacterial Infection”, November 28, 2008, Dr. Thom Mayer.

Source: Molnlycke Health Care US, LLC

History will be made when the “White Cage” makes its debut on Sunday, October 25 as “HDNet Fights Presents: OLYMPIA DREAM 12″ LIVE from Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka, Japan. For the first time, a major Japanese MMA event will take place in the cage as DREAM forsakes its traditional ring for a one-night-only extravaganza! The action airs exclusively throughout North America on HDNet beginning at 2:00 a.m. ET.

The event features a trio of champions as Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Allistair Overeem (29-11) faces James Thompson (14-10), consensus top-five lightweight and Bellator Fighting Championship Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez (18-2) squares off with Katsunori Kikuno (12-1-1), and DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius Zaromskis (12-3) meets Myeon Ho Bae (8-4). In other action, MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba (25-12-1) tangles with Zelg Galesic (9-4), former WEC Bantamweight Champion Chase Beebe (12-5) takes on Yoshiro Maeda (25-7-2), and former WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho (18-1) faces Yoon Dong-Sik (4-7).

HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon said, “The MMA world is watching to see what the ‘White Cage’ really is! There has been wild marketing around the cage in Japan which adds intrigue to a stacked card featuring 3 champions from 3 different organizations.”

HDNet’s live presentation of “HDNet Fights Presents: OLYMPIA DREAM 12″ begins early morning Sunday, October 25, 2:00 a.m. ET/Saturday, October 24 at 11:00 p.m. PT. An encore presentation is scheduled for Friday, October 30 at 10:30 pm ET.

Source: HDNet

“Now I know what it feels like,” said Coughlin, one of four brothers who own and operate JEGS Mail Order in Delaware, Ohio. “I’ve celebrated all of my brothers championships over the years and enjoyed them all immensely, but I always wanted to get one for myself. Now I know the feeling, just like my brothers, just like John Force and Tony Schumacher and all the others who have been lucky enough to win it all. It’s pretty special.”

Earlier victories in Chicago and Charlotte, a national record of 6.279 seconds, and steady outings at all the other events left Coughlin needing only to show up and qualify for this weekend’s race to secure the title in the Scorpion Performance Pro Street class.

Leaving nothing to chance, he powered through to the semifinals and even reset both ends of the national record with a quarterfinal run of 6.277 at 225.08 mph to finish the year in grand style.

“I owe so much to my crew guys — Clint Allerton, Brian Metzenheim, and Mike Rees,” Coughlin said. “I’m so proud of them and for them. They’ve worked so hard for a long time to reach this goal. I could see on their faces this weekend how important it was to them. They were all business until we clinched the title, and then they stayed on it until the end, just to make sure we got it done. They are the best.

“Having my wife Julie and my girls, Meghan, Paige, and Kelly Jo with us was pretty special. They’ve been there for me from the start and it’s great to see how excited they are now. My son Troy Jr. would have been here too but he was racing with his Uncle Mike in Georgia. We’ve talked on the phone a bunch and I know he’s excited.

“I can’t wait to get home and have a big party. I know everyone at JEGS Mail Order will be pumped up. Their support has meant a lot. This championship is for all of them as much as anyone else.”

Coughlin already has pledged to come back and defend his title on the Edelbrock NMCA series in 2010.

Source: JEGS

Vicks, the brand consumers have trusted for more than five generations, announced this morning it has partnered with Olympians Apolo Anton Ohno and Lindsey Jacobellis in a viral campaign that will send one lucky fan and a friend to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games to cheer on Team USA in Vancouver. The sweepstakes, “Tweet Your Way to See Team USA,” begins today and will run through January 4th.

“Athletes like myself train their whole lives to compete in the Olympic Games and having fans on the sidelines cheering Team USA at the biggest sporting event in the world makes all the difference for an athlete,” says Apolo Anton Ohno. “It’s so hard to get tickets to the Olympics, but now thanks to Vicks, all my fans have a chance to win a trip to 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver to support me and all of Team USA in person.”

To enter the Vicks “Tweet Your Way to See Team USA” sweepstakes, consumers must first “follow” Apolo and Lindsey on the communications platform, Twitter. Fans can then watch for Lindsey and Apolo to send the official URL to all their followers via Twitter. Click on the URL, enter your email and you’re automatically entered to win a fabulous, once-in-a-lifetime trip for two to Vancouver to attend the 2010 Olympic Winter Games to cheer on Team USA. You may also re-tweet a message about the sweepstakes to all of your followers for another chance to win and to spread the good news. Consumers can enter to win once a day, with an opportunity to earn a bonus entry per day. For fans without a Twitter account, more information on how to submit an entry using an email address is available at www.Tweet2CTeamUSA.com.

“Having fans support Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games really keeps the athletes spirits high,” says Lindsey Jacobellis. “I’m really excited to be a part of this sweepstakes because I love when the fans can come see us compete and cheer us on.”

Vicks is a proud sponsor of Team USA and is pleased to be the official sponsor of cough, cold and flu medicine of the U.S. Olympic Team. To learn more about Vicks and the “Tweet Your Way to See Team USA” sweepstakes, consumers can log on to www.Vicks.com.

Source: Vicks

Injury risks associated with cheerleading are no greater than most other sports, according to a recent study released by the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA).

Using two existing studies, the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injuries annual study and emergency room data from the Consumer Products Safety Commission, AACCA conducted a thorough analysis of the number of injuries per participant to determine risk of injury.

Contrary to some recent media reports, the AACCA analysis found that the risk of injury from cheerleading is comparable with other female sports when participation is factored. In fact, cheerleading ranks third in female sports and eleventh in risk among injuries for all high school athletes.

“It can be readily documented that cheerleading in the U.S. is a reasonably safe and healthy activity for our youth,” says Dr. Gerald George, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Department of Kinesiology at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, a noted sports safety expert and the editor of several sports manuals, including the AACCA Manual. “Furthermore, a critical analysis of current injury statistics readily verify that the risk of injury associated with cheer participation is well below that of many popular sport activities currently being conducted in the elementary and secondary schools.”

Dr. George adds, “Like any sport or activity, the risk of injury rises to an unreasonable level in the absence of proper training and supervision. That is why it becomes so important that cheer coaches and school administrators take advantage of the Safety Certification and Educational Programs offered by AACCA.”

Jim Lord, executive director of AACCA and author of the report cautioned that, like all sports, safety must always take top priority. “The data analyzed in this study clearly shows that the risks associated with cheerleading are very much in line with the risk of other sports. It also shows that there is room for improvement in the enforcement of safe practices at all levels of cheerleading.”

In many states, high school cheerleaders follow the guidelines of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Beginning this year, the organization is adding cheerleading to its annual injury surveillance study conducted by The Ohio State University.

Susan Loomis, spirit director for the NFHS, has endorsed the AACCA study adding, “This study by the AACCA shows that our efforts to create reasonable safety rules and to encourage coaches’ education are critical to keep cheerleading as safe as possible, in line with other high school sports at the very least.”

Lord is optimistic that the use of correct data, along with a continuing emphasis on safe practices by coaches through its Safety Certification and Education Program, will further improve safety awareness.

“The AACCA formed a partnership with the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 2006 that required that college cheerleading coaches must be safety-certified,” Lord said. “The NCAA has reported that there have been no catastrophic injury claims since that time. We see that as a success we can replicate in cheerleading at all age levels.”

To view AACCA’s full annual sports injury study, visit www.aacca.org/safetystudy

Source: American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators

A wheelchair basketball team representing the United States is home after winning a Gold Medal at the inaugural Australian Paralympic Youth Games in Melbourne, Australia. The wheelchair basketball team included eight athletes and four coaches, past and present, who compete on Courage Center’s Rolling Timberwolves. The Paralympic competition took place October 5-11 at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre and included teams from throughout Australia plus international teams of athletes age 20 years or younger.

The U.S. team was undefeated, going 7-0 in competition against five Australian teams. In the final game, Team U.S.A. was behind by two points at halftime, but pulled ahead by 6 points at the end of the 3rd quarter, keeping the pressure on to defeat Western Australia’s Westies 68-53.

Derrick Bisnett of Bismarck, N.D., led the team with 118 points, with Minneapolis’ Ben Kenyon scoring 64. Head Coach Mike Bauler was recognized as “Head Supervisor” of the tournament.

The U.S. roster includes:
(* Courage Center representative)

Athletes
Greg Anger, 20, Milwaukee, Wis., Missouri Tigers

*Robert Doyle, 16, Eden Prairie, Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves

*Ben Kenyon, 18, Minnetonka, Minn., Wisconsin-Whitewater (Courage Center alum)

Dylan Fischbach, 14, Nebraska Red Dawgs, South Dakota

*Joe Dixon, 16, Lakeville, Minn., Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves

Jon Ruiz, 15, Chicago, Ill., Windy City Warriors

*Mark Braun, 15, Mounds View, Minn., Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves

*Rose Hollermann, 13, Elysian, Minn., Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves

*Derrick Bisnett, 16, Bismarck, N.D., Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves

*Robbie Wilhelm, 18, St. Paul, Minn., Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves

*Connor Downes, 18, Rosemount, Minn., Missouri Tigers (Courage Center alum)

Sam Blakley, 16, Utah, Utah Wheelin’ Jazz

Staff

*Mike Bauler, Head coach, New Hope, Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves

Trent Thenhaus, assistant coach, Chicago, Ill., Windy City Warriors
*Brendan Downes, assistant coach, Rosemount, Minn., Arizona Wildcats

*Jeff Downes, team manager, Dallas, Texas, Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves

*Tim Kenyon, assistant team manager, Minnetonka, Minn., Courage Center Junior Rolling Timberwolves

More Info: www.wsv.org.au/events/australian-paralympic-youth-games.html