The Galveston Daily News from Galveston, Texas • Page 15

Section Call Glenn McLaren at 744-3611 or 986-7711, Ext. 242 Thursday Feb. 3,1994 Carey Faires Good stretch paves way to warm workout very competitive sport utilizes some form of warm-up before practice and competition. The pre-event warm-up not only prepares the body for strenuous activity, it also allows the athlete to focus mentally. In most cases, stretching makes up a significant portion of the warm-up.

The importance of flexibility to overall athletic performance and prevention of injuries is well documented. But stretching should only be one part of the warm-up and should be implemented not only before activity, but after as well. Most of the physiological benefits of a warm-up involve increasing the temperature and blood flow to the muscles. Cold start takes toll Muscles that are warm will contract faster, stronger and more efficiently. The cardio-respiratory system will also benefit from a warm-up.

Studies show that performance improves if the heart rate and blood flow are increased gradually prior to competition. Athletes who exercise without warming up not only will suffer from slower reaction times, but are more susceptible to muscle and tendon injuries. As part of the warm-up, stretching plays a vital role in preparing the muscles for strenuous activity. Regular stretching will also increase range of motion and improve coordination by allowing for freer and easier movement. Many weekend or novice athletes make the mistake of stretching only before exercising.

Stretching after exercise will reduce muscle soreness and probably contributes more to overall flexibility than pre-workout stretching. A low to moderate intensity exercise, such as light jogging for 5 minutes, before stretching will help reduce the risk of overstretching. The stretch should be steady, slow, and held for at least 20 seconds. Another stretching principle to follow is to relax and take slow, deep breaths. This will help ease overall tension as well as muscle tightness.

Do not stretch past the point of comfort or mild tension. Overstretching does not increase flexibility, but does increase the chance of microtears in the muscle fibers. Same moves, less effort During stretching and warm-up, movements that are common to the actual performance should be done, but at less maximum effort. The warm-up should be intense enough to break a sweat, but without causing fatigue. Timing is important when planning the warm-up.

The overall length of the warm-up depends on the sport and personal preference of the athlete. But generally, it should end about five minutes prior to the start of the event. The quality of performance and the prevention of injuries depends on a quality warm-up and flexibility. Stretching should always be a part of the pre-exercise routine, but should also be done after the work-out to achieve maximum flexibility. Corey Faires is the head athletic trainer at Clear Creek High School.

His column on sports injuries and fitness appears in The Daily News each Thursday. Historian brin By JOHN DeLAPP The Daily News GALVESTON Renowned historian Randy Roberts is surprised there is no monument in Galveston to Jack Johnson, the world's first black heavyweight champion. "I don't know a more famous person who came from Galveston," Roberts said. "He was a remarkable human being. He lived a liberated, emancipated Johnson to life at lecture GALVESTON life long before it was economically feasible for any black man to do that." The Purdue professor has written several books, including one on Johnson.

Roberts 1983 biography "Papa Jack: Jack Johnson and the Era of White Hopes" was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Roberts was on the island to give a lec- ture at Rosenberg Library as part of Texas University at Galveston's "Texans Who Made a Difference" series. "Every town has millionaires. Every tosvn has somebody who got rich on real estate," Roberts said. "Every town has somebody who made millions in cotton.

There's only one that has Jack Johnson." At one time there was an abstract statue to memorialize the turn-of-the-century box- er, but that was taken down recently. For a little over an hour Wednesday night, Roberts brought the pugilist back to his birthplace. He regaled the audience of about 100 with tales of Johnson's professional and personal life. The stories of the latter were often received with laughter. In one of them, Roberts told how Johnson had a habit of speeding.

One time he was dri- ving in a southern state when he was stopped by a white officer who asked "What's the big hurry, Boy?" with an emphasis on the last word. He then told the boxer that the fine for speeding was $50. Johnson then reached into his pocket, took out a huge roll of bills and peeled off a $100 bill. The policeman protested that he couldn't make change. See JOHNSON, 3-B TORS KEEP PACE IN 2 3-5A Hill leads climb over Texas By DANA JOE FREGIA The Daily News TEXAS CITY Ball High senior Leonard Hill shook off the effects of an old football injury and erupted for 29 points Wednesday night, powering the red-hot Golden Tors to an 82-62 blowout of Texas City.

The win gives Ball High a 7-2 District 23-5A record and a 19-8 mai-k overall. COUNTY Hill also pulled down 12 rebounds in the game as Ball High dominated the boards and forced 22 Texas City turnovers with a determined man-to-man defense. "It's the best game that he's played all year long," Ball High coach Jerry Williams said of Hill's performance. "I think it's his career high. And the thing about it is, he hasn't worked out much this year.

He's been hurt all year long. So I was real happy to see him come in and be involved in the offense." See TORS, 3-B Texas City's Casey Dyson goes up to Gym. The Tors won 82-62 to main- defend Ball High's Rodney Smith dur- tain their share of first place in 23-5A. ing Wednesday's game at Stingaree (Photo by Vince Stiglich Jr.) Hitchcock job close to being filled By GLENN MCLAREN The Daily News One of Galveston County's head football coaching vacancies is on the verge of being filled, while the search to fill the other job is in its beginning stage. At Hitchcock, school Superintendent Bill Banks said the screening committee had interviewed 10 finalists and would present three finalists to the school board at a special meeting tonight.

COUNTY 'Well meet in executive session because we will still be in the interviewing process," Banks said. Banks expects a final decision to be made at tonight's special meeting. Banks declined to reveal the names of the finalists since he had not been able to inform three board members of the screening committee's selections as of Wednesday night. The Hitchcock head coach and athletic director's post came open after former head coach Gene Sharp was reassigned as the district's physical education coordinator in December. Sharp had a 21-19-3 record with two playoff appearances in four seasons at Hitchcock.

At Ball High, assistant football coach Nick Voris was installed as the interim athletic See COACHES, 3-B By GLENN McLAREN The Daily News GALVESTON Galveston College will face the same teams in 1994, they 11 just see more of them. This year, in Texas Junior College Athletic Conference competition, teams will play two nine-inning games and one seven-inning game in each three- game seiies. Whitecaps head coach Dick Smith said the addition of two innings (the conference played two sevens and one nine last season) should ensure that the best teams emerge as leaders in conference standings. turday for Whitecaps GALVESTON 1994 WHITECAPS SEASON PREVIEW See Player Profiles, page 4-B. 'The new schedule should help those of us with deep staffs," Smith "But if our young pitchers falter, wo could have trouble." Inexperienced starting pitching is Smith's biggest concern as the Whitecaps head into their season opener at University of Texas-Brownsville.

Galveston College is set for a seven-inning game to open the three-game series. If the seven-inning game should go into extra innings, the second game Saturday would be shortened to seven innings. The Sunday game is a nine- inning contest. Through the month of February-, the Whitecaps are scheduled to play 15 games. 13 of which are conference affairs.

In March, the Caps have 10 TJCAC games mixed in with 12 non- conference contest. April sees Galveston College playing 13 conference games and just four non-conference. 'The best thing about our conference is that you have 36 games," Smith said. "You can have periods where you have trouble and still earn a spot at the state tournament in Stephenville." If the Whitecaps are to earn a return trip to JUCO, the state tournament is a more immediate goal. To get to state, GC must finish first or second in the TJCAC standings.

Blinn and San Jacinto are perennial contenders for the top spot in the conference. Smith said offensive pop could make Laredo a three. Smith listed Alvin Community College as a possible contender, based on a strong fall season. Area football players make college picks By MANUEL MORENO JR. The Daily News National signing day is the D-day of athletics.

And 'for several Galveston County athletes, Wednesday was their D-day. The most prominent names to bo signed on the dotted line were Ball High all-state linebacker Phillip Movers and La Marque all-state running hack Byron Evans. Meyers is headed for Southwest Conference champion Texas and Evans is headed for Big Ten representative Minnesota. Both were earlier named the defensive and offensive players the year by The County AVirs. "I'm glad it's over." said Movers, a six-foot, 210-pnunder.

"1 like the COUNTY winning tradition Texas Bali High seniors Daniel Sanchez (left) and Phillip Meyers display letters of intent signed Wednesday morning. by Kevin Bartram) Year in and year out. they have a winning team. They've won 22 Southwest Conference games in a row and they're getting a lot of respect across the nation." Meyers, who shared The Associ- ated Press Sports Editor "Defensive Player of the Year" award with Killeen Mallory Candy and Odessa Permian's Sheldon Bass, is expected to be an impact player with the Aggies. "Coach (Trent) Walters, their defensive secondary coach, told me Phillip is the No.

1 linebacker prospect for Texas former Ball High head football coach Pat Culpepper said prior to his departure for Spring West field last Friday. "They plan for him to play inside line-hacker, and they think he can play next year and start as a sophomore." Meyers was a unanimous all-district selection in 23-fiA, while he helped lead the Tors to a league- leading four shutouts, including a 19-0 hi-district win over Angleton. Also signing with a Division I program was Ball High teammate Daniel Sanchez, an all-district pick in the defensive secondary in 1992. Sanchez is going to the University of Texas-El Paso. As for Evans, he will be joining former teammates Vincent Hypolite and Joe Justice and current teammate Lee Hutton at the University of Minnesota.

"We've got four Cougars there now," La Marque coach Alan Weddell said of Minnesota. "One more there and we've got a basketball team. "(The like Texas speed. That's what impressed them about Lee Hutton. What impressed them about Byron is that he's a power runner.

He plays in pain and has tremendous determination. He only knows how to ran north and south." Evans, at 6-0, 195 pounds, was easily the Cougars' most valuable player during the state playoffs, having scored the winning touchdowns in the closing seconds against both Consolidated and Calallen in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. Sec SIGNING DAY, 4-B.