Fast Break - December 2007

fast news | in the field | show timefast job | don't miss this | survey said

December 2007

Hairdos and Don'ts In a show of unity, two dozen members of the Easton (Mass.) Area High School football team arrived on campus one day last November sporting mohawk haircuts. They were met with curious looks from classmates and a stern warning from principal William Rider - restyle the hair or risk suspension. According to the Easton Express-Times, a school dress code passed in 2006 specifically prohibits "mohawk-type haircuts" or "spike haircuts in which the hair is sectioned and brought to a point."

"Without question I understand teamwork, camaraderie, doing things for the team," Rider, a former football coach, told the paper. "I understand that perfectly, but it's not my policy. It's a school policy and I am following the rules."

Seventy-five EAHS football players signed a petition, and one even appealed in person to the school board, to let the hairstyles, well, stand. Their mohawks still had to go, requiring some student-athletes to shave their heads completely. But players were heartened to learn that dress code changes were anticipated as early as January, potentially leaving matters of hairdos and don'ts up to the discretion of individual instructors - much like jewelry is under the current dress code. "It's okay," senior team member Giovanni Simmons told the Express-Times, "because we got a change for the rest of the year and for years to come."

End-of-the-Year Resolution If you've noticed more people coming through your facility's doors lately, it could be that they wanted to get a head start on their fitness-related New Year's resolutions. According to a recent survey commissioned by My Gym Floor, 54 percent of all respondents said they hoped to jump-start their 2008 workouts after Thanksgiving, rather than Jan. 1.

Other key findings:

• Twenty-nine percent of respondents said they plan to fine-tune an already existing exercise program in 2008.
• Another 29 percent indicated that they'd like to begin an exercise program.
• Twenty-one percent said they want to spend additional time at their workout facility.

A more disturbing trend? Forty-one percent of survey participants indicated they'd like to exercise more at home - which means facility operators may want to steer their own New Year's resolutions toward generating extra user incentives.

Company News

• The Central Hockey League's New Mexico Scorpions selected Vital Insight Group to help create e-mail surveys, an e-newsletter program and other new marketing efforts to address fan satisfaction issues during the team's 2007-2008 season.
• The NBA's 2006-07 "Sixth Man of the Year" winner Leandro Barbosa has agreed to serve as a spokesperson for Qwest Communications International Inc.
• The National Swimming Pool Foundation awarded a grant to Dr. Guy Hornsby, Ph.D., CDE, of the West Virginia University School of Medicine to study the psychological and physiological effects of land- versus water-based exercise with patients who have type-2 diabetes.
• Doosan Infracore announced that it has completed the acquisition of Ingersoll Rand Company's Bobcat, utility equipment and attachment divisions.

Want to see your name in lights? Send press releases and news to our Web Editor for consideration: [email protected]

2007 ABC a Hit with Attendees and Exhibitors From beginning to end, the 2007 Athletic Business Conference & Expo in Orlando sizzled with thought-provoking seminars, motivating keynotes by Tom Morris and Joe Theismann, and a product-packed trade show with more than 300 manufacturers of sports, fitness, recreation, active aging and wellness products and services. ABC attendees could also attend seminars sponsored by the International Council on Active Aging and the Medical Fitness Association, both of which held their conferences in conjunction with ABC.

The 2008 conference will be held Dec. 4-6 in San Antonio at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

See us online: www.athleticbusinessconference.com

Email [email protected] to request a brochure (to be mailed in July) - please include your name, title, organization and address.

Florida Gulf Coast University Department of Recreation is seeking an assistant director to manage specific recreation programs, including the aquatics center, waterfront and outdoor pursuits, and the fitness program.

In response to last month's Quick Question, the Patriots are granted credit for overcoming adversity and their record remains untarnished by a very narrow margin.

Complete Results: What would be your reaction if the New England Patriots finished this season undefeated?

• I'm with Shula. There should be an asterisk next to their record for their Week-One cheating. 40%
• They should be given credit for overcoming adversity and proving their dominance on the field. 51%
• The New England Patriots. Is that some sort of Revolutionary War reenactment group? 9%