It starts tonight! This intern’s favorite event of the year, the NFL Draft, is kicking off tonight, and I am beyond excited. The drama…the excitement…the lame commentary…I can’t wait! Like most years, Louisiana is very well represented in this year’s draft. Allow me to highlight the former LHSAA student-athletes that are participating in the 2013 NFL Draft. Robert Alford: Cornerback, Southeastern Louisiana (Hammond High School) Josh Dworaczyk: Guard, LSU (Catholic High School, New Iberia) Lavar Edwards: Defensive End, LSU (Desire Street Academy) Chris Faulk: Offensive Tackle, LSU (Northshore High School) Michael Ford: Running Back, LSU (Leesville High School) Eddie Lacy: Running Back, Alabama (Dutchtown High School) Bennie Logan: Defensive Tackle, LSU (Red River High School) PJ Lonergan: Center, LSU (Archbishop…
When you hear the word March, what is one of the first things that come to mind if you’re a sports fan? Exactly, March Madness is almost upon us! The top college basketball teams in the country are slated to compete in the 68-team tournament, which begins on March 19. For sports fans, this is the Mecca of competitive entertainment – so many games, so many close finishes! March also brings Louisiana High School postseason basketball. The brackets for both boys’ and girls’ basketball have been released, and we are beyond excited for the tournament. The semi-finals rounds of the tournament are underway this weekend with regionals in Hammond, Lake Charles and Bossier City, and the Top 28 Championship Finals…
The month of February gives us many reasons to celebrate or honor deserving individuals. For Louisianans especially, February brings Mardi Gras season and all the festivities that surround it. The Oscars take place in February; even casual entertainment fans usually enjoy that. The month of love also serves as Black History Month, which recognizes many outstanding leaders who paved the way for the success and freedom of future generations. Let’s not forget that President’s Day is also observed in February. The United States Presidency and the LHSAA share and respect many crucial values: leadership, dedication and respect among others. In fact, many former Presidents shared the same success on the field as in politics. Below is a list of past…
When Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is celebrated each January, there always seems to be great sentiments sent to the late Dr. King, who paved the way for countrywide racial integration. We also hear great stories about those individuals who fought for equal rights and achieved success once those rights were granted. An inspiring, yet largely untold, story is that of Don Raymond, a pioneer of integration for Louisiana high school athletics. Raymond was the first black student-athlete to play sports for Hahnville High School, but even more importantly was the first black four-sport letterman and the first black man to be named by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) to the All-American Football Team. He accomplished all of…
Louisiana takes great pride in the competition and sports. In fact, many Olympic medalists and most recent 2012 Olympic competitors hail from our great state. Former LHSAA athletes have represented Louisiana in different areas of the world including: Australia, Spain, South Korea, China and even in Atlanta. Here is a list of only a few Louisiana athletes I could find: Former LHSAA student-athletes who medaled in previous Olympic games: Ben McDonald, Denham Springs High School – Baseball Gold Medal – 1988 South Korea Karl Malone, Summerfield High School, Summerfield – Men’s Basketball 1992 Dream Team and Atlanta 1996 Gold Medals Warren Morris, Bolton High School, Alexandria – Baseball Bronze Medal – 1996 Atlanta, GA Jason Williams, St. Amant High School,…
Every four years, the world’s most talented athletes travel to a designated location to decide the top three competitors in nearly every sport and event imaginable. Whatever happens in the pool or on the court, floor or field will be remembered for the next four years – whether good OR bad. For former LSU track standout Lolo Jones, the memories surrounding the last Olympic Games aren’t so good. Jones was the favorite to win the 100-meter hurdles race in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. She didn’t have a great start to the race, but took the lead halfway through. Unfortunately, her dreams of a gold medal came crashing down when she hit the ninth of ten hurdles, causing…
There are easy ways for high school student-athletes to stay in shape and keep up with their competition throughout the summer. Slight changes to the summer routine could be the difference between being a member of your team or an active part of your team. We compiled a few steps to lead athletes in the right direction: Take a break. First and foremost, when the school year ends, students should take a few weeks off to relax in order to prevent “burning out” or losing interest in their sport. The best break should last about 2-3 weeks. Next, it’s time to set goals. Do you want to increase your free throw percentage? What about your batting average? How do you…
15-yard penalty. Technical Foul. Penalty Stroke. These are just a few examples of penalties that result from unsportsmanlike conduct such as excessive celebration during a sporting contest. For more serious instances of unsportsmanlike behavior including altercations, there are fines, suspensions and bans from tournaments or post-season play among other punishments. Why suffer through penalties or pay thousands of dollars in amends when you can just as easily be a good sport? Good sportsmanship is the most important aspect of the game. Sometimes games will get intense, heated and personal; therefore, sportsmanship must be learned in order to be practiced in sticky situations. If athletes weren’t reprimanded for unfit behavior, there would be no guidelines for others to follow. Of course…
Some people say your shoes can make or break your workout. If you don’t have the right shoe, it could hinder how hard you can go in the gym. Others might say you have to be sporting the latest workout gear. We don’t think your kicks or your gear make or break a work out. It’s all about what’s in your ear. We’re not talking about earrings, silly! What’s playing on your Ipod! We’ve put a list together of the top 25 work out songs that we feel get the blood flowing and mind ready for a serious time in the gym. Are any of these chart toppers in your work out playlist? 1. This is Why I’m Hot –…
So, how are your brackets looking? According to Forbes magazine, American companies are expected to lose a couple hundred billion dollars this month thanks to employees focusing on their basketball brackets instead of their jobs! How crazy is that? Every March we go wild for college basketball as we study the teams’ rosters, stats, and history and take a chance on placing them in a coveted spot on our highly thought out and methodically planned brackets. We shout and yell at the players as we coach them from our living rooms or our favorite burger joint and fall to our knees in defeat when the team we picked to win it all goes down in the first round. March Madness…
