Dennie
Bridges was introduced by former player,
Bryan Crabtree who dared to disagree
with Coach Brides regarding "A Dunk
Only Counts Two Points." The 22-7
Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball
team, fresh from a win over defending
champion Wesleyan Men will will travel
to Stevens Point, Wis., for their
NCAA Division III sectional meeting
with Carthage on Friday, March 12.
The host school faces Texas-Dallas
in the other sectional semifinal.
2010 NCAA Division III Men's
Basketball Interactive Bracket.
This will be the fourth meeting this
year between the College Conference
of Illinois and Wisconsin foes Red
Men and the Titans, with Carthage
winning two of three already.
The Illinois Wesleyan women's
basketball team will be playing
on their home court again this weekend
as the school hosts the sectional
round of the NCAA Division III championships
at the Shirk Center.
The Titans play Wis.-Stevens Point
(23-6) in the second Friday semifinal
while Hope (29-1) meets 28-1 Marymount
(VA,) in the opening game. The combined
record of the four teams in the sectional
is 108-9. Dennie is quite proud of
the Titans and their accomplishment.
While the men's basketball team has
had a great 100 year history, the
women's teams have really begun to
show their winning ways in the past
several years. IWU women's basketball
recent record is 81 wins and only
5 losses. The women's athletic accomplishment
rank high in Bridges accomplishments
as AD at IWU. Last year IWU Women
won 6 of the 10 conference championships.
Coach Bridges also is proud of the
fact that their have been only two
AD s in the past 67 years at IWU,
Coach Horenberger and Bridges. Of
course he remembered some of the good
old days with Jack Sikma, Bryan Crabtree
and Scott Peterson. Scott was the
responder and had a bit of fun reminding
Crabtree of the shot he took from
the seat of his pants, that was the
discussed by Coach B at half time.
March 1 Meeting
- Speaker: Bill Wright, Miracle League
Program
Bill
Wright, a long standing community
leader in Bloomington-Normal, has
a vision of the beginning of a "Miracle
League" in our community. The league
provides a baseball opportunity for
the developmentally disabled. Bill,
who has a daughter that has grown
up with a disability, learned of the
Miracle League in Guide Post Magazine.
He showed a video
that explains the project - "Say No
to No Child." - everyone bats, no
one strikes out and all games end
in a tie. Many kids get to play in
their favorite sport. The Kiwanis
Club of Des Moines Iowa has taken
on this project.
Flick Finds
Fun Filling In Feigning Pikering -
Bill Flick - Feburary 22 Meeting
Bill
Flick, seemed to enjoy filling in
for Mark Pickering. Never a loss for
words, Bill had no problem being quite
entertaining. He told some of his
most embarrassing moments at the Pantagraph
during his 29 years there. His stories
included how his name was used to
promote sales at the self service
racks by having his FLICK on them.
They were soon removed as a minor
bit of graffiti changed the name.
Then in an effort of good journalism,
he visited a nudist colony and interviewed
a couple that was in charge. He said
that he stared at the ceiling for
the entire 45 minute interview. Another
reporting effort led him to Kenney,
Illinois, where, at the time, there
was a strip club. Girls danced on
the tables, even though there was
not enough ceiling height to have
the girls stand upright without removing
ceiling tiles. A new meaning to topless.
A year later, a girl, standing in
line at Target on a Sunday morning
(full store) yells out "Bill
Flick, I met you in Kenney!",
WOW! And then, "how I met Ted Kennedy?"
If you were not there, be sure to
ask to hear the story as told only
by Bill Flick, that is if you ever
get the chance.
February 15
Meeting - Dr. Tony Dustman and Nate
Henry - Orthopedics Sports Enhancement
Center
Doctor
Dustman gave a quick run down of the
history of the clinic and how it began
in 1979 as an after school "walk-in"
clinic for treating and evaluating
sports injuries. He recalled long
lines as being a regular thing. The
clinic then developed a relationship
with Illinois State. By 1990, Dr.
Seidel joined the clinic and in 1995
the clinic began placing athletic
trainers in the local high schools
long before they were required by
the IHSA. Next they reached out to
area schools with the services. Then
they opened the Center and added doctors
- Dr. Duhig, a family practice physician,
and Dr. Joe Norris to the clinic staff.
The clinic now has immediate post
concussion assessment and testing
capability, the only one in the state,
outside of NFL and NHL scope. The
clinic has a staff of 31 including
the four physicians with three areas
of functions, medical, acceleration
and a training center. One of the
main functions of the clinic is to
evaluate injuries and "return to play"
timing. To do this, the evaluation
requires knowledge of the sport, the
coaches, the trainers, and the athletes
progress. Before given the okay to
play, an athlete is given a 20 minute
work out. If they pass their mother
has reason to buy into the return,
and if they fail, the athlete can
see they are not ready. Nate Henry,
Director of Sports Performance, say
he has the best job possible, allowing
him to play with kids all day and
get paid for it. He will have 80 to
100 kids each day in the "Acceleration
Program." The focus is how to
become a better athlete by improving
agility, speed, power and coordination
skills. The benefits are both physiological
and psychological. Another benefit
is "hope." Hope of preventing
injuries and the hope of reaching
youth through athletics. Youth benefits
are improved self esteem, direction,
and athletic ability.