You want to build character in you kids, have them wrestle. There is no better sport for teaching discipline, toughness and responsibility. Wrestlers come in all shapes and sizes so there is no physical advantage one way or another. Wrestlers generally have some of the highest GPAs of college athletes. The RHS Junior Wrestling coaches, year after year, are some of the best guys out there and your kid WILL get to wrestle every week. They work very hard to match your kid up with a similar kid so matches are close and both kids walk away with some learning and confidence. You want a great sports program in Ridgewood, try wrestling.
We’ve had some very good coaches in other sports but the majority have been in it for themselves. The truth is, Dads control most all sports, football being the worst. God forbid on of their kids isn’t on the “A” team. My son was assigned to the “C” team and every week they would call him to cover a position on the “A” team. He was an “A” team player but they just couldn’t bump one of their own to make room for him on the roster. He never played football again.
I’ve seen second grade baseball coaches keep their “stud” players in key positions (not rotate them), have the opposing team go 3 up 3 down and have their side bat around mutliple times and think this is okay.
Soccer . . . I can bet the coaches kids are playing the offense and getting lots of ball time.
Ridgewood NJ,The Ridgewood Lacrosse Association’s 19th Annual LAX Day will be on Saturday, April 30 from 9:00am to 5:00pm.
photo courtesy of Ridgewood LAX Facebook page
“Having a love of the game and a willingness to work at the skills required in handling the stick are essential to the beginner’s progress, but the keys to success lie in mastering the fundamentals and having the desire to be good.” Lacrosse Technique and Tradition, David Pietramala.
Congratulations to all the new Ridgewood Youth Lacrosse players-PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE and GO WOOD!!!!
ESPN started broadcasting live lacrosse in 1995. What was the most-watched lacrosse game of the ESPN era?
The most-watched lacrosse game of the ESPN era was the 2007 NCAA championship game between Johns Hopkins and Duke at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium with 855,089 viewers. Lacrosse Magazine, March 2016, Vol.40 No.3, LaxMagazine.com
Ridgewood NJ, In fact, unearned rewards can be harmful, because artificially inflating a child’s self-esteem merely for participation in sport sends the wrong message, warns psychologist Jason Richardson.
“There are plenty of incarcerated felons with an inflated self-view and there are extremely successful people grappling with a more moderate self-concept, so self-esteem alone is not the measure by which we should prepare our children for greatness,” says Richardson, a Pan-Am Games gold medalist who is also known as “Dr. JRich” among colleagues.
Richardson isn’t alone. Last year, Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison returned two participation trophies given to his two sons, awarded not for a specific victory that they’d earned, but simply for being student-athletes.
Anyone can give and get a trophy, but the true value of youth sports is in the occasional tough lessons – and successes – children experience through hard work and merit, says Richardson, author of “It’s All BS! We’re All Wrong, And You’re All Right!” (www.drjasonrichardson.com).
He offers practical tips parents can share with their kids.
• Stop saying “the problem is …” Fill in the blank. Too many people say the problem is with the coach, the school, the other kids, the equipment, the schedule – and so on. This kind of thinking implies failure because it immediately rules out your child’s goals. Instead, say things that rule in positive outcomes, such as, “I/We/You can do this!” • Make failure a teachable moment. Sports can test a kid’s emotional fragility. They may want to give up with failure, but that’s a terrible lesson. If your child missed a free throw that would’ve won the team the game, encourage free-throw practice the next day. Better yet, ask them what they are going to do differently next time! Use a coach’s staple: remind your child that Michael Jordan was cut by his high school basketball team during his sophomore year. Parents can always reward persistence and effort. • Don’t let your child’s ego run wild. The flipside of low self-esteem due to failure can be cockiness with success. Children have far less experience keeping the ego in check, so if he/she is the best athlete in school, they may become arrogant. Try to catch this early; people evolve at different rates. Temper their ego by showing examples of humility, respect and gratitude. Use examples of great athletes who have overcome slumps or adversity. • Show them how to be a better student. It may seem odd that a star quarterback can memorize every detail of a complex playbook, but has trouble with class studies. If he’s having trouble with chemistry, for example, place the playbook next to the textbook and show him the parallels of complexity. Don’t let him believe he’s “just a jock.”
About Jason Richardson, Psy.D., MBA
Dr. Jason Richardson (www.drjasonrichardson.com) is a psychologist who earned his principles for self-improvement as a world-traveling athlete, doctoral student and student of life. He maintained top-10 status on the professional BMX circuit for most of his 15-year career, retiring with a gold medal at the 2007 Pan American Games.
Ridgewood NJ, The RHS Ice Hockey Team won the Big North Patriot Cup for the third year in a row. On February 19, the team once again skated to victory with a 3-0 win over the third-seeded team in the tournament, Riverdell/Westwood.
Ridgewood NJ, RHS varsity soccer players Hailey and Riley Ricciardi and Emma LaFrance were named to various All State teams by the New Jersey Girls Soccer Coaches Association (NJGSCA). The selections were made by a state-wide coaches vote.
Junior Riley Ricciardi was selected to the All North 1 Regional Team. She was Ridgewood’s leading goal scorer the last two seasons.
Junior Emma LaFrance was recognized as a North 1 All State “Top 20” player in the North 1 section for 2015. Emma has been a work horse for the Maroons as an all-purpose player since she made her varsity debut as a freshman during the 2013 season.
Junior Co-Captain Hailey Ricciardi was named to the North 1 All State “Top 20” team and was also recognized by the NJGSCA as an All Region All-State (North 1, North2, Central and South) “Top 20” pick as one of the top 20 players in the entire state. Hailey was also voted to the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association Of America) Regional All American Team (All East). This is the second consecutive year that she has been accorded these honors as well as being named to the Bergen County Womens Coaches Association All County First team for the 2014 and 15 seasons.
Ridgewood NJ Ridgewood Wrestling earned its fourth straight team title but this championship was as close as it gets. The Maroons topped runner-up Garfield by 8 1/2 points. They won by 70 points in 2015, 32. 5 points in 2014 and 41 points in 2013…There was a wrestler from Garfield or Ridgewood in 11 out of the 14 finals and three head-to-head matchups between the district’s top two teams.
All five of Ridgewood’s champions ; Matt Binstock (145), Julian Bangash (152),Ashmaz Dugulubgov (170), Kyle Inlander (182) and Jake Hall-Goldman (220) were seniors.
Most outstanding wrestler was Ridgewood’s Kyle Inlander who won a marquee bout against Elmwood Park’s Sammy Santos to earn the honor. Inlander checked in at 29-3 and was the No. 1 seed at 182 while second-seeded Santos entered the tournament with a record of 35-2. Inlander was able to fight off Santos on an 8-7 decision to win his third straight title.
Ridgewood NJ, The Valley Hospital Sports Institute will host a free concussion awareness seminar for coaches, parents, and recreation/athletic directors on Wednesday, February 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the The Valley Hospital Auditorium.
Signs and symptoms of a concussion can show up right after the injury, or may not appear or be noticed until days or weeks after the injury. Concussion severity varies widely, and the number of signs and symptoms vary as well – serious injuries sometimes show few symptoms.
The event will be hosted by a panel of certified athletic trainers on staff at Valley’s Sports Institute:
· Don Tomaszewski, MS, ATC, Director, The Valley Hospital Sports Institute
· Karen Karosy, M.Ed., ATC, Athletic Trainer at Indian Hills High School
· Sarah Edge, MS, ATC, Athletic Trainer, Ramapo High School
· Rich Raiani, MS, ATC, Athletic Trainer, Mahwah High School
Guest speakers will include:
· Thomas Bottiglieri, D.O. ,Family and Sports Medicine
· Stephen Kanter, ATC, PT, DPT, Director, Athcare Consulting and Education Services
Some of the topics that will be covered include the communication and roles of people in caring for an athlete with concussion, what is known about concussions today and guidelines for returning to play following a concussion. Participants will learn all about the Concussion Management Program at The Valley Hospital Sports Institute and the ImPACT Concussion Management Test. There will be a Q&A session and information and resources available on concussion awareness and management. Attendees will receive a certificate of participation.
Space is limited. To register for the free seminar, please call 1-800-VALLEY-1 (1-800-825-5391).
The Valley Hospital Sports Institute is an ImPACT testing provider. The ImPACT Concussion Management Test is an innovative computerized evaluation system that assesses the effects and severity of a concussion and helps determine when it is safe for an athlete to return to contact sports following a concussion. For more information about ImPACT testing, please call the Sports Institute at 201-447-8133.
While the Washington Redskins trademark is offensive to Native Americans, the courts may not be able to do anything about it. The First Amendment protects free speech, even when it’s hurtful. Donald Scarinci, PolitickerNJ Read more
FEBRUARY 2, 2016, 11:09 AM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016, 11:12 AM
BY DARREN COOPER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The enterprise of North Jersey high school sports seemingly gets sicker by the day.
At this point, it’s almost a given that some coach, school, parent or athlete is cheating or acting inappropriately nearly every day.
There is no justification. There is no explanation. There is no excuse.
And it needs to stop.
Why do coaches use athletes who aren’t physically healthy? Why do coaches feel the need to berate kids publicly and privately? How in the world does a parent get into a physical confrontation with a coach during a football practice, as in what happened in October at St. Joseph? How does a coach allow eighth-graders to practice with a high school wrestling team, like the incident last month at Don Bosco?
The list of incidents goes on and on — just since the fall.
Why do schools allow kids to be athletic free agents and jump ship while sometimes using phony change of addresses as the pretense to transfer? What makes a parent reach out to an athlete, already in high school, and tell him he should play sports somewhere else so he can get noticed and attract that college scholarship?
Who would write “White girls are soft” on a dry-erase board before a girls basketball game, as, according to one coach, happened last weekend at the Bergen County tournament? Who would think “Blackensack,” the hashtag posted last week to the private Instagram account of Paramus wrestler Nick Ciambrone along with a photo of a Caucasian wrestler in a white Paramus singlet wrestling an African-American wrestler in a dark singlet, is clever or funny?
The thing that’s funny? The people who are cheating or acting inappropriately: You’re the loser. Really. You’re just the last one to know.
Your victories count, but they’re hollow. Your championships are glorious, but they’re tainted
Ridgewood NJ, YWCA Bergen County offers Women’s Open Basketball for ages 19 and older on Thursdays from 6:15pm to 7:30pm at 112 Oak Street, Ridgewood. Come out and grab a pick-up game in a relaxed atmosphere! Join alone or bring a friend or group for a great workout.
For YWCA Bergen County’s 360 members and Bolger Fitness Center members, Women’s Open Basketball is $50 per session. For YWCA Program or Swim members, the session fee is $60. YWCA and Bolger Fitness Center members can drop-in for a $7 fee. For more information or to register, call the Membership Department at 201-444-5600 ext. 400.
YWCA Bergen County (www.ywcabergencounty.org) is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. We are the area’s largest provider of child care services, a recognized leader in health and fitness programs, and operator of healingSPACE, the county’s only Sexual Violence Resource Center. Celebrating nearly a century of commitment to our community, today we improve the lives of thousands of women, girls, and their families.
JANUARY 15, 2016 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016, 12:31 AM
BY GREG TARTAGLIA
SPORTS EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Ridgewood High School gets much better odds playing the numbers 1-13-16 on the ice than in Powerball.
Those digits represent the date of the Maroons’ latest Bergen County hockey tournament victory, a 5-1 decision over Paramus/Lyndhurst/Hackensack Wednesday at the Ice Vault in Wayne.
The date of Ridgewood’s last prior county win? Jan. 16, 2013 (1-16-13) over Mahwah in the opening round. The team dropped its 2014 opener to Tenafly and did not qualify in 2015 following a slow start to the season.
This year’s first-round triumph gives the No. 8-seed Maroons a quarterfinal match-up with No. 2 St. Joseph tonight at the Ice Vault. RHS defeated the Green Knights to reach the 2012 semifinals, its furthest advancement in the tourney’s five-season history.
Senior Cooper Telesco led the offense against No. 9 Paramus/Lyndhurst/Hackensack (7-4-1) with two goals and one assist. He was one of four different Maroons to light the lamp in the third period, along with Ryan Carius, Liam Seston and Justin Klatsky.
Klatsky, Matt Cafarella, J.P. Kelly and Tim Anzano added an assist apiece, and goalie David Woodford made 26 saves as RHS moved to 9-3-1.
The win was welcomed after the Maroons sustained their first loss of the calendar year last Saturday, 6-2 against Big North Patriot foe River Dell/Westwood.
Ridgewood began 2016 by topping Clifton, 10-3 on Jan. 2, and RD/Westwood, 8-2 on Jan. 3. After splitting the season series with the latter, the team was 5-1 in the division, good for first place over the Golden Hawks (3-1-1).
JANUARY 15, 2016 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW BIRCHENOUGH
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
RIDGEWOOD — “Wait ’til next year,” has long been the rallying cry for teams seeking a sign of hope by looking ahead to the future. The Ridgewood High School girls basketball team has taken a reverse approach, drawing its hope by forgetting the past.
Ridgewood senior Jules Rosen (24) and the Maroons have put last year’s disappointing girls basketball season behind them during their 7-2 start.
“We said ‘Last year, put it out of our minds. New team, new year’,” RHS senior captain Katie Bourque said after practice Monday. “We didn’t want our record from last year influencing us.”
The Maroons have shaken off any of the negative feelings from a 5-15 campaign derailed by injuries and inexperience and, at 7-2, are enjoying their best start to a season in more than a decade.
“Starting off high definitely sets the bar and shows each and every one of us what we’re capable of,” said senior guard Jules Rosen, another captain, who missed much of 2014-15 with an ankle injury.
A 56-26 win over Hackensack on Tuesday extended Ridgewood’s winning streak to five heading into Thursday night’s matchup at Northern Valley/Old Tappan (after press deadline). The impressive run also helped the team climb to No. 10 in the most recent Top 25 by The Record.
DECEMBER 28, 2015, 5:38 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2015, 6:44 AM
BY GREGORY SCHUTTA
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Years of debate. Months of meetings. Weeks of hand-wringing.
And in the end, athletes, coaches and officials of New Jersey high school sports find themselves right back where they started.
In a momentous announcement Monday, state Commissioner of Education David Hespe reversed controversial votes this month by state athletics’ governing body to separate public and non-public schools in football and on the road to the state wrestling tournament.
Related: Landmark vote splits N.J. H.S. football along public/non-public lines
The decision forces the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association and school officials to yet again seek a lasting solution to the longest-running issue plaguing high school sports in the state: the competitive imbalance between public and non-public school teams.
“I’m disappointed,” said River Dell Athletic Director Denis Nelson, a strong proponent of the separation proposal in football. “The strategic and competitive advantage non-public schools have is going to continue. I don’t think it’s fair. I don’t think it’s right. But it is in existence.”
“We’re back to where we were,” said Bergen Catholic Athletic Director Jack McGovern. “I don’t know that that’s a great place. But now we know the parameters we have to work with, and we will continue to try to make it better.”
The Ridgewood News All-Suburban Girls Soccer Teams
DECEMBER 25, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY GREG TARTAGLIA
SPORTS EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The individual profiles:
Hailey Ricciardi
GRADE: Junior
SCHOOL: Ridgewood
POSITION: Defense
PREV. HONORS: 2013 Freshman of Year, 2014 first team
FAST FACTS: Ricciardi was named to the NSCAA All-East Region team for a second time, as she helped the Maroons (12-8-4) to 12 shutouts and a 1.04 GAA en route to the county and sectional semifinals. She added three goals and two assists to raise her career totals to four goals, three assists.
DECEMBER 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY RON FOX
CORRESPONDENT |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
If she ever had the inclination, Karen Keyes easily could field a potent lacrosse team. However, the coach is totally engrossed on sending a successful basketball team onto the court.
“As usual, we’re very quick and athletic,” Ridgewood’s girls hoops coach said as she planned for tonight’s season opener at home against Ramapo. “Many of the girls play lacrosse and they have a lot of speed.”
Last year, a host of key injuries struck the Maroons and left them scrambling to fill the openings. Three of last year’s seniors missed a great deal of time and the team ended with a record of just 5-15. The positive part of that equation is that the young girls who stepped in wound up gaining experience for this season.
The underclassmen also were hard hit by physical misfortune last year. Current seniors who have returned from injuries that hampered their 2014-15 season, guard/forward Jordan Iannone and guard Jules Rosen, are back in good health.
“Jordan had a recurring ankle injury last year,” Keyes said. “She brings experience as a fourth-year varsity player. She is a composed presence and we’re depending on her in a lot of areas inside and out.
“Jules was just starting to play well last year when she suffered a severe ankle injury. In fact, she was leading the team in scoring when she went down against Hackensack. She has a nice shot and we need her to be an offensive catalyst for us.”
The senior class also features Dartmouth-bound lacrosse star Katie Bourque at guard/forward, second-year varsity swing person Mia Barbera and guard Sarah Silvestro.
