All Saints Celebrates on Big Screen
July 31, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Forty years ago, Bay City All Saints brought its hometown the first of two straight MHSAA boys basketball championships – which continue to stand as the only ones won by a Bay City school.
As part of the Class of 1974’s 40-year reunion this weekend, organizers will show the broadcast of that 71-59 victory over Detroit Servite in the Class C Final, on Friday at the downtown State Theater.
The team was coached by Russell “Lefty” Franz, who sits 14th in MHSAA boys basketball coaching history with 545 wins (545-215) at All Saints, Bay City St. Stanislaus and Pinconning achieved from 1953-1991. All Saints repeated as Class C champion under Franz in 1975 with a 79-69 win over Cassopolis.
The Bay City Times caught up today with three starters from that team who are expected to return for the showing of the game. Click to read more.
Rooting for Haske
Northern Michigan basketball fans and supporters from all over are cheering on Traverse City St. Francis boys basketball coach Keith Haske, who is battling throat cancer and seeking treatment in Houston, according to a report by the Petoskey News.
Haske has coached three boys teams to MHSAA Class C runner-up finishes – St. Francis in 2012 and Charlevoix in 2004 and 2001, and also coached at St. Johns prior to taking the Rayders job in 1998. He also coached the Charlevoix girls team to a Class C runner-up finish in 2004.
Click to read more about Haske and how to donate to his treatment.
Thanks, Gary Hice
The MHSAA welcomed 43 new athletic directors to East Lansing today for training as they take over their schools’ athletic departments.
An athletic director we’ll certainly miss is Petoskey’s Gary Hice.
Hice – an MHSAA Allen W. Bush Award winner in 2002 for his contributions to high school athletics – has retired after 30 years as his school’s athletic director.
Click to read more, again from the Petoskey News, about Hice’s service to his school and community.
PHOTO: The Bay City All Saints Class of 1974 reunion this weekend will include a showing of the boys basketball team’s Class C championship game win over Detroit Servite.
Why Athletes Should See A Sport Psychologist
By
Elizabeth Swanson
Henry Ford Health
January 9, 2024
Whether at the professional or intramural level, there are so many benefits to being an athlete. Participating in a sport teaches communication skills, how to overcome adversity—and regular exercise has so many incredible health effects on the mind and body.
But that’s not to say athletes don’t have their own set of challenges. Pressures to perform, physical injuries and intense schedules can take a toll on anyone’s mental health, which is where a sport psychologist comes in.
“It’s helpful that a sport psychologist knows the culture of athletics and the typical stressors that athletes face,” says Seth Swary, Ph.D., a sport psychology clinician at the Henry Ford Center for Athletic Medicine. “We’re familiar with the influence the world of athletics can have on someone and how it can affect their well-being.
“Athletes have a whole team around them to help them perform — athletic trainers, nutritionists, etc.— so why shouldn’t they have an expert who is dedicated to supporting their mental health? A sport psychologist acts as a strength-training coach for the mind.”
Mental Health Challenges That Athletes Face & How Sport Psychology Can Help
Athletes often have a built-in support system: teammates and coaches who know what they’re going through and trainers and physicians who can help manage aches and injuries. But still, it’s not always easy. Some of the difficulties that athletes face include:
- Increased attention on body image. Especially if you play a sport that requires revealing outfits — or a sport with increased focus on weight — it might be difficult to maintain a healthy body image. For some, this can lead to an increased risk of developing an eating disorder.
- The pressure to perform. “If you’re an athlete at the college or professional level and play badly during a game, you get roasted on Twitter,” says Dr. Swary. “But even if you’re not in the public eye, there is pressure to perform — from coaches, teammates, family members.”
- Navigating demanding schedules. “I work with many college athletes and their schedules are packed — practicing at least two hours a day, team meetings, traveling to and from games — and then they’re trying to keep up with school,” says Dr. Swary. “It can be stressful.”
- Debilitating physical injuries. The physical demand of sports can also bring about its own set of challenges — especially when injuries occur. “You’re not only dealing with surgery and rehabilitation, but you’re also out of the game for a while,” says Dr. Swary.
- Making career transitions. “I’ve worked with many athletes who are transitioning from one level of athletics to another (for example, middle school to high school, high school to college, college to professional) along with athletes who are transitioning out of their career,” says Dr. Swary. “They wonder how they can leave this sport they’ve been doing their whole lives — some since they were 3 or 4 years old. It can be a huge part of their identity and a tough transition to make. Even more so if it’s an injury that abruptly derails their career. We can provide them with ways to make a smooth, healthy transition.”
That said, nothing “bad” has to happen to benefit from sport psychology. As Dr. Swary says, you don’t see a personal trainer because you’re not strong, you see a personal trainer because you could benefit from being stronger. It’s the same with sport psychology — and it can help improve your performance.
“We have specific skills we work on for performance optimization,” says Dr. Swary. “How do we talk to ourselves? How do we respond in certain situations? How do we stay in the moment when we’re distracted?
“A high school athlete may have had a rough day at school; then they have to refocus and find energy at the end of the day for their game. It can be helpful for any athlete at any time.”
Reviewed by Seth Swary, Ph.D., a sport psychology clinician at the Henry Ford Center for Athletic Medicine.
To learn more about the sport psychology program at Henry Ford or to request an appointment, visit henryford.com/sportpsychology.