| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 2010 6:24 am |
||||||||||
 |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
High Schools 
|
||||||||||||||||||
High school teams working to stay healthy Guarding against the flu is part of the drill for winter-season prep teams. A good supply of hand sanitizer? Check. Water bottles clearly labeled with permanent ink? Check. Encouraging sick athletes to stay at home? Check.After the flu wreaked havoc on several local high school sports teams this fall, winter sports coaches are taking extra precautions in an effort to keep their teams healthy. “Holding sick kids out until they are well will go a long way in making sure we protect those that are not infected,” Lake Stevens wrestling coach Brent Barnes said. “Communication with our school nurse, parents and other coaches that we compete against will go a long way in prevention.” Barnes also stressed the importance of keeping the mat room clean and making sure student-athletes maintain healthy diets and sleep schedules. In addition to the standard of washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes, alcohol-based hand sanitizer is key this year. Prior to each practice and game, Randall Edens, coach of the Lake Stevens girls basketball team, encourages his girls to use the germ-killing cleaner. “With basketball being such a contact sport, there’s really only so much you can do to try to be as preventative as you can,” Edens said. “With the swine flu out there — as prevalent as it is this year — you want to try to play it as safe as you can and hope that you get a little lucky along the way, too.” Edens, who also coaches the Marysville-Pilchuck cross country team, already witnessed the widespread effects of this year’s flu and said it’s one of the worst he’s seen. “We usually have one or two players out with the flu in the season, but nothing to the degree of what we’ve seen already in the fall,” he said. Lynnwood volleyball coach Jean Kellogg can attest to that statement. Over the course of two weeks in October, the Lynnwood volleyball team experienced a wave of sickness that stretched from Kellogg to many of her players. The Royals began their season 5-0, but after playing in the South Whidbey Invite on Sept. 29, a cold began to spread through the team and played a role in Lynnwood losing its next five matches. Then All-Wesco player and team captain Jessika Barlow became ill before the Jackson match on Oct. 13 and, after a visit to the doctor, was diagnosed with the flu. Although Barlow was the only player to officially be tested for the flu, many others missed practice or games, Kellogg said. On some days as many as six players missed practice. “Whatever it is this year, it seems to spread very easily,” Kellogg said. “I’ve been coaching for 23 years and have never seen it work that way. Back when (the players) used to share water bottles as kids you would see it but not as bad as this.” The bug hit during the toughest stretch in Lynnwood’s season, with games against Wesco South leaders Kamiak, Edmonds-Woodway and Jackson. The Royals were swept 3-0 by all three teams. The Coupeville football team also was hit hard by the flu this fall. On Oct. 23, the Wolves lost 17 players to illness or injury and were forced to forfeit their game against Cedarcrest. “The players gradually over the course of the week came down with the flu,” Coupeville coach Ron Bagby said. “It happened to affect our older kids the most, (which was) bad luck.” The flu struck the Jackson girls swim team in mid-October and half the squad missed the Oct. 15 meet against Marysville-Pilchuck. Although the remainder of the team was healthy enough to compete, the Timberwolves were unable to compensate for the missing swimmers and fell to Tomahawks 112-71. “I’m more concerned for the health of my athletes than I am for a negative impact on the season,” Jackson coach Drew Whorley said. “Swimming is important but there is only so much you can control. It’s more important to keep focus on the big picture.” |
||||||||||||||||||
- Boeing may have to battle Russians, EADS for tanker contract
- Teen guilty of drunken driving, fleeing scene of wreck that injured officer
- Lynnwood finance director storms out of City Council meeting
- Washington, New Mexico hurt by East Coast bias?
- Silvertips rally, score OT win in playoff opener
- Lynnwood man arrested for alleged groping
- Police look for suspect in shooting of man in groin
- Supporters, foes of various tax increases fight to be heard in Olympia
- Sex offender who fled Arlington halfway house sentenced to 5 years
- Hatloe resigns as Everett city council VP
- Lynnwood finance director storms out of City Council meeting
(11) - Teen guilty of drunken driving, fleeing scene of wreck that injured officer (11)
- Boeing may have to battle Russians, EADS for tanker contract (11)
- Racist epithets fly at tea party health protest (10)
- Help revitalize Reiter Foothills (6)
- Supporters, foes of various tax increases fight to be heard in Olympia (3)
- State House votes to boost cigarette taxes by $1 a pack (3)
- State Senate trims sales tax increase in proposal (3)
- Monroe girl guilty of murder in Sultan gang slaying (2)
- Police look for suspect in shooting of man in groin (2)
- Archbishop Murphy graduate happy to be in San Jose
- Troupe improv-ment
- Best finish ever for Mavs
- Local businesses clean for a reason
- Edmonds Art Walk opens 9th year March 18
- Lynnwood girls wrap up at state
- Lynnwood wants outsider to review budget
- SKCC presents premiere of Jenkins’ composition
- Boeing to Offer NewGen Tanker to US Air Force
- New CEO at Valley General Hospital
- Dan Koffman's ‘TopSpin' marketing astounds, inspires, motivates, produces — just for starters
- Economic forecasts for Snohomish County, Everett, Marysville offer some bright moments
- Government officials influencing home prices
- Massive EPA energy regulations meet challenge
- Washington state healthcare reforms also needed
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
| TODAY'S TOP JOBS |
| View All Top Jobs |
| Top Cars |
|
| Top Homes |
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
|Contact Us
|Advertiser Services
|Home Delivery
|Newsstand Locations
|Classifieds
|Feedback
|About the Company
|Work@the Herald
|Site Map |
|
COMMENTS | Be the first to comment
Log in or register to post a new comment.
To read other terms and conditions, click here