BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Soccer has at all times been that one sport that has a nasty status for concussions, laborious hits and sure these horror tales of CTE.
For those who’re a involved mum or dad considering on letting your baby enroll in such a sport, or for those who’re an athlete who loves the sport however has had one too many hits, Indiana College affiliate professor Kei Kawata has the examine for you, and it is based mostly in Bloomington, Ind.
Kei Kawata
Kei Kawata
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The theme is what’s the secure vary for head impression, and what’s the unsafe vary for head impacts in soccer, and might repetitive sub-concussive head impacts trigger detectable change within the mind?
Kawata and his group of researchers work within the Division of Kinesiology within the Faculty of Public Well being and have been granted almost a $3 million grant from the Nationwide Institute of Well being to review whether or not repetitive sub-concussive impacts, not full blown concussions, negatively have an effect on mind well being in younger adolescents.
Kawata and firm are coming into 12 months two of a four-year lengthy examine monitoring 160 highschool soccer gamers plus 50 management athletes in different sports activities throughout 5 excessive colleges together with Bloomington North, Bloomington South, Bedford North, Edgewood and Mooresville Excessive Faculty.
”We’re connecting 4 years of longitudinal examine monitoring athletes as much as 4 years,” Kawata stated.
“There are lots of many issues that come into play as a result of the mind is a very various operate, so there’s no single common biomarker for the mind, so now we have to check a variety of facets of the mind.”
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As of proper now, that is the most important ongoing highschool soccer examine in america. It solely continues to develop as extra athletes and particularly their mother and father are supportive of the analysis.
“It’s volunteer based mostly, so we will’t mandate them, however nonetheless mother and father are actually on board with any such examine,” Kawata stated.
Every collaborating athlete receives a Forestall Impression Monitoring Mouthguard by Forestall Biometrics. This mouthguard appears to be like like a traditional guard you’d see at Dick’s Sporting Items, simply dearer and with two seen sensors.
Forestall Biometrics
“Their gadget permits us to trace what number of head impacts and each single hit and each single magnitude,” Kawata stated.
“Throughout that point, they (guards) acquire a whole lot of information factors to seize what’s the peak drive of head impression at every path and every linear and rotation drive. This mouthguard can retailer as much as greater than 400 hits of information, and it may be transmitted any time so long as you sync.”
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Have an iPhone helpful? Thats’s all that is wanted to sync up the mouthguard’s knowledge except the researcher prefers extra upscale gear.
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The researchers have a look at all various factors to think about akin to what a part of mind is activated throughout resting interval or throughout reminiscence process, testing structural change, blood chemical substances that come from the mind, saliva contents, purposeful assessments like eye monitoring, and so forth.
It appears easy sufficient, however it took about seven years to get so far. Kawata and his group additionally needed to conduct a number of pilot research together with the testing of the mouth guard to ensure the hits recorded have been deemed precise hits in soccer.
Kawata stated he is very happy with the product and the group at Forestall Biometrics for his or her work.
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One other issue to think about will not be all soccer positions get hit the identical or as usually. A quarterback is not going to get pummeled as a lot as an offensive or defensive lineman, or at the very least you’d hope not.
Plus, some athletes have completely different taking part in types and exert themselves greater than others and are innately stronger than their teammates.
“As you may think about, some individuals actually haven’t any worry of going at it, and a few do,” Kawata stated. “Not all people has the identical resilience or threshold. Some individuals is likely to be innately stronger or resilient. Some individuals is likely to be extra susceptible.”
Kawata famous some athletes can solely be studied for a few years attributable to commencement, however even nonetheless, there hasn’t been any issues recruiting topics.
Coming into 12 months two, Kawata stated he is not in a position to launch an excessive amount of knowledge since there are three full years left within the examine. In the intervening time, Kawata’s aim has at all times been to review the consequences of sub-concussive impression and assist forestall harm for all gamers.
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“There are a variety of advantages of soccer and the camaraderie and the enjoyable that they’ve,” Kawata stated. “The coaches are actually adamant about implementing good technique to attenuate head impression publicity.”
Kawata is a father of two with one on the way in which and admitted 5 years in the past, he may need been extra cautious about letting his son play soccer.
A former Detroit Lions intern, Kawata has at all times beloved the sport and has seen the advantages of soccer can outweigh the risks.
“This examine is definitely serving to mother and father reassure what number of head impacts are secure, and for those who transcend that, let’s watch them as a result of 2,000 hits of head impression — it’s frequent sense and never a good suggestion, however there’s some degree that needs to be superb,” he stated.
“I begin to assume if my son needs to play, yeah why not?”
story by Mike Davis, Executive Director Kentland Economic Development
As I drove from Highway 41 into Kentland, I thought about the town from a visitor’s perspective. And because I’d just left a meeting where we discussed the positive impact women have on the local economy, I became keenly aware of businesses that are owned and/or managed by females in the area.
Pulling into the north side of town, I was enticed by a classic ice cream stand where you order from your car and pay in cash—a nod to simpler times and certainly an ideal way to celebrate a summer road trip. The pleasant voice, ready to take my order through the drive-in’s speaker, was Kim Donohue, who, along with her husband, owns Don’s Drive-In, now in its 50th year. While the menu includes traditional items like chili dogs, corn dogs, and more, I opted for one of their ice cream specialties. I was not disappointed.
Wonder Park
As I continued through town, the Robert & Jeanette Batton Park caught my eye. The 5.5-acre park features a new pavilion, in addition to picnic facilities, baseball fields, and playground. Next to the park is the recently-opened Autumn Trace senior living community.
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Driving further south and around Kentland, I took some time to visit two other parks: Cast Park, featuring a soccer field and fishing pond; and the newest park–Wonder Park–dedicated to children ages 2-12, and surrounded with spectacular designs created by South Newton elementary, middle school, and high school art students. The park system is overseen by another female leader, Park Board President Casey Ward.
Cast Park
Approaching the town square, a quaint full-service grocery store came into view. Murphy’s Food King, now in its 77th year, is the only full service grocery in all of Newton County, and is managed by Colleen Clifton. Taking a quick turn from the grocery, an unusual feature in the town came into view: the parking lane in the middle of the street. Hopping out of the car I took a stroll down 3rd Street, stopping by Cottage on Main, a charming antique and floral shop, owned by Judy King. The shop is a few doors down from the Old Colonial Inn, a fine dining establishment in a classic building constructed in 1894, and directed by Mara Davis.
Don’s Drive-In
I passed by Inspiration Fitness Studio created by Bailey Geswein, who also organizes the popular monthly farmers market in downtown Kentland. Crossing the street, I pass by Jodie Havens’ recently opened Simply Stylish Boutique. The charming storefront next door is J.P. STYLE CO., owned by Jessica Pence, a wonderful tasteful ladies and children’s clothing store. Cars were parked in front of a popular style salon owned by Becca Harrington for over a decade.
Backtracking, I sauntered by DX Creations owned by Amanda Rhanor-Saldana, which is adjacent to the Graham Street Barbershop owned by Alicia Gust.
By now I hope visitors realize Kentland truly has a lot to offer; and checking out the real estate market would be a positive exercise. The Real Estate Shoppe on 4th Street is owned by Debby Shuffle- barger, who also serves as the president of the Kentland Town Council, with her associate Ladonna Davidson; there are also two other real estate agents in town. Judy Wirtz and Andrea Standish. Leaving the Real Estate Shoppe you can’t miss the Newton County Mural where historians Kay Babcock and Janet Miller preside over the rich history of Newton County.
Market No 48
Jumping on US24 West, I pass by Si Senor Restaurant run by Gabriele Moreno, and Market No. 48 with owner McKenna Strasburger. By this time two things were obvious to me. One, Kentland Indiana is a charming small town gem; and two, more than 20 women business owners and directors clearly drive a significant part of our local economy. Their contributions make Kentland a delightful community to visit, work, and live in.
For more information visit: kentland.in.gov.
Barbara Wilfong, Kay Babcock & Judy Wirtz, Newton County Historical Society
NORTHWEST INDIANA’S NEWEST ATTRACTION!
SOR WILDLIFE ADVENTURE Exotic Animal Wildlife Park
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SOR Wildlife Adventure is a family-owned Wildlife Park. It is situated on approximately 80 acres in Lake Village, Indiana. Raising and caring for exotic animals has always been a part of this family’s everyday life. In early 2021, the SOR family purchased a beautiful plot of land and began building a place where the public can enjoy and learn about wildlife while preserving the natural land their animals call home.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU VISIT SOR
When you enter the ranch and pull up to the ticket booth, you will be greeted by a member of the SOR staff. You will stay in your vehicle and immediately drive through a tree-covered terrain admiring the animals as they roam their natural, vast enclosures. So, get comfortable, roll your windows down and see who can spot the animals first! The driving path will end in the parking lot. From there, visitors can park their vehicle and enter the walk-thru portion of the ranch. Take your time, stroll the beautiful landscape and get a closer look at SOR’s smaller animal exhibits. Within the walk-thru adventure, you have the opportunity to feed the animals and possibly meet one of SOR’s baby animals.
Tropical Storm Beryl is expected to make landfall in Texas as a Category One hurricane on Monday.
Beryl’s current path is taking a northern trajectory that would see it reach Indiana as a tropical depression and bring with it heavy rainfall.
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The National Weather Service Indianapolis says that Beryl’s path could still be altered, but at this point they are anticipating several inches of rain late Tuesday night and most of Wednesday. The Upper Wabash Valley will receive the most rain, with Lafayette seeming like the biggest target for central Indiana.
The NWS forecasts anywhere between 2-4 inches across Indiana. The rain should be moved out into Ohio by Thursday.
With the rainfall will also come cooler temperatures. Monday’s expected high of 90 will be paralleled by a high of only 75 on Wednesday. Relief will be temporary however as things are expected to heat up reaching 90 again by the weekend.
The NWS advises caution as Beryl passes through Indiana, heavy rainfall can causes hazardous road conditions for drivers at all times of day, but especially at night when the rain is expected to arrive. High sustained winds could also be a factor.
INDIANAPOLIS — 2023 lottery pick Jarace Walker is a different player than he was one year ago. The 20-year old forward is getting ready for summer league with the Indiana Pacers, and despite his young age, he’s taking on a leadership role with the squad.
“It’s definitely more of a leadership role with this group. Because I’ve been there, I did it, and the other guys have as well,” Walker shared over the weekend. He made sure to tell some of the younger players that mistakes happen and it’s important to move on when they do. “So just knowing that, but also knowing what to say, when to say it, who I’m talking to, and all that. So it’s definitely been a step up in terms of leadership.”
For Walker, improving how he uses his voice is just a small part of the growth he hopes to have this season. In year one, there weren’t a ton of playing opportunities for the young forward. Indiana had a deep roster, so it was tough to hand minutes to a young, unproven player.
In year two, if Walker shows off growth in a few areas, that could change. The Pacers still have a deep roster from top to bottom, but Walker is farther up the depth chart. One injury is all it will take for him to play, but he has to be ready when given chances. That’s why it’s important that he takes a step forward this offseason.
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“I feel like just the knowledge that I have, having a year under my belt,” Walker said of the differences he notices from his first summer league to now. “Just learning the concepts, learning the play calls already.”
Walker averaged 3.6 points and 1.9 assists per game as a rookie, though some short garbage time appearances impacted his numbers. In the G League, he averaged 21.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. Importantly, he showed off an accurate three-point shot at that level.
This year, the Houston product wants to be better in every way. If he’s going to get on the court and be the game-changing defender his potential suggests he can be, he’ll need to take a few steps forward. Walker acknowledged that on Saturday.
“I just want to continue to grow and develop my game. And I feel like this is the perfect opportunity to do it,” he said after a summer league practice. “Being able to showcase what I can do with players who are hungry, coming into the league, ready to hoops, ready to get after it. So it’s definitely a fun experience. My mindset is just continue to grow, develop, get better.”
Walker pointed at his ball handling as something that has improved. During his exit meeting with Pacers coaches and the front office, he was asked to get better at defense and rebounding, two things Indiana desperately needs on the roster. “Do little things better too,” the young forward recalled of that meeting.
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“It was just a lot of learning. A lot of picking up concepts, learning things about the league. Language, terminology,” Walker said of his first NBA season. “I feel like it was a good preparatory year for my second year coming up.”
Year two is important for almost every young player, which is something that Pacers summer league head coach Jannero Pargo noted on Saturday. “It’s a big growth period from year one to year two,” he said. Pargo added that Walker’s communication has been much better this season and that he’s more knowledgeable across the board.
“Now, he understands defense. He understands offense. He understands concepts,” Pargo said. “He’s not just yelling and talking, he’s talking with a purpose. And he’s helping his teammates.”
While the summer league sideline leader did note that the modern NBA is effectively positionless, he said that Walker is starting at the three position with the summer league squad. That is a possibility because of Walker’s improved shooting — his foot speed allows him to stay in front of almost any matchup, but he will be on the perimeter more offensively as a wing.
There have been hints that Walker would play on the wing more going forward. The front office has shared opinions on how he could fit in the role, and Walker even slotted to the spot during his rookie season at times. While he is a natural four man who has the bulk to slide up to the five, Indiana wants to see him at even more positions.
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At small forward, Walker thinks he’ll be able to run the floor well and cause chaos, in a good way, on offense. The Pacers describe their offense as random, so that is a productive role in the blue and gold’s system. When going into more detail about what that will look like, Walker mentioned several different types of screens and cuts.
He’s ready to be a small forward in summer league. And if it works well, it could lead to more opportunities during the regular season with the Pacers. “I feel like continuing to crash. Always be a presence on the boards. And also staying in front of smaller guards,” Walked said of the keys to playing the three spot. He knows that moving his feet on defense will be critical, and he’s been getting better at that.
It’s an important season for Jarace Walker. The Pacers would love to see him get better and be a rotation mainstay, and Walker certainly wants that too. Long term, his player type is an important missing piece on the blue and gold. If Walker is going to have a successful second season, it’s all going to start at summer league.
