National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s Fair Practice Lawsuit Settlement Benefits Members

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) announced today that an out-of-court settlement was reached in its Fair Practice Lawsuit against the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) on Sept. 21, 2009. The NATA filed suit against the APTA for antitrust violations that unfairly restricted athletic trainers from practicing manual therapy and gaining access to continuing education courses on manual therapy. The case was scheduled for a status and scheduling hearing in Federal District Court in Dallas on Sept. 22.

The centerpiece of the settlement is a Joint Statement on Cooperation between APTA and NATA, signed by the president of each association’s board of directors. Highlights of the Joint Statement include:

- That physical therapists are neither the exclusive providers of manual therapy nor the exclusive providers of physical medicine and rehabilitation services. The APTA agrees with NATA that athletic trainers are qualified to perform these services.

- That the scopes of practice of athletic trainers and physical therapists overlap.

- APTA recognition of athletic trainers as health care professionals qualified to assist their patients.

- That APTA will not make false or misleading statements about athletic trainers, including improper references to them as “unqualified,” “not qualified,” “non-qualified” or any variation of these terms. The APTA agreed that it will not make false or deceptive statements that mislead patients, employers or others regarding athletic trainers.

- That athletic trainers are qualified and authorized to provide interventions within their state scope of practice and licensure.

- That decisions related to reimbursement are to be decided by public and private insurers, state and federal legislators and regulators, patients and other stakeholders.

- That athletic trainers are qualified to pursue continuing education in manual therapy, and that APTA’s internal policies regarding continuing education does not apply to athletic trainers in the 47 states where ATs are licensed or regulated.

“I am pleased that we can move forward with respect for each profession’s knowledge, skills and abilities in manual therapy and physical medicine and rehabilitation,” said Marjorie J. Albohm, MS, ATC, president of NATA. “In this time of health care reform, it is more important than ever that all health care professionals work as a team to deliver high quality, safe, affordable patient care. Athletic trainers contribute to their patients’ wellness, physical activity level and musculoskeletal health, no matter the age of the patient.”

Albohm said the settlement is also a victory for patients, public and private health insurers, employers and physicians because they will all have increased access to and choice of health care professionals. “We look forward to delivering therapy services and protecting the welfare of our patients,” she said.

The two national associations agreed to confer periodically on issues of common interest and areas of friction, as they arise. “We look forward to a spirit of mutual cooperation with the APTA,” Albohm said. “But we will be vigilant in protecting our members’ ability to practice to the fullest extent of their scope of practice and qualifications,” Albohm said.

NATA filed the civil lawsuit in February 2008 because of ongoing anti-competitive actions taken by the APTA. NATA was informed by members in Fall 2007 that the APTA and the Orthopaedic Section of the APTA had taken actions to restrict athletic trainers’ access to education in – and the practice of – manual therapy techniques. Manual therapy is included in the athletic training competencies, scope of practice and licensure. NATA believed that the APTA’s attempt to limit access to manual therapy courses was an attempt to prevent athletic trainers from competing fairly with physical therapists in providing therapy services.

Both associations will issue the “Joint Statement on Cooperation” to their respective members. Additionally, APTA and NATA will provide a prominent link to the joint statement on their home pages for one year and on a public-access Web page for an additional 24 months.

To review the Joint Statement on Cooperation and other related documents, go to http://www.nata.org/.

Source
National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA)

Concussions are by far the most common, and one of the most difficult to manage injuries seen in sports today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are between 1.6 million and 3.8 million brain injuries that occur in sports each year – and 63,000 occur in high school athletes alone. The National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN) and National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) have joined forces on a national and local grassroots campaign to educate the public, athletes, health professionals, coaches, parents, administrators and others about concussion in sports. The overarching objective of the campaign is to raise awareness of the importance of identifying concussions and implementing appropriate management when they do occur.

As a centerpiece of the NAN and NATA efforts, a 12-minute educational video titled “Concussions in Hockey: Signs, Symptoms and Playing Safe,” has now been released nationally. The video, sponsored by the National Hockey League and the NHL Players’ Association, features comments from Mike Modano of the Dallas Stars and retired NHL players Pat LaFontaine and Eric Lindros. It is available as a free online download on affiliated Web sites, including http://www.nanonline.org/, http://www.nata.org/, http://www.nhl.com and http://www.nhlpa.com/ and also available, upon request, at a cost of $10 at http://www.nata.org/brochures/.

“Concussions can be serious injuries if not treated properly. Concussion symptoms can affect players in all areas of their lives including their physical, emotional and cognitive functioning,” said Ruben Echemendia, PhD, NAN past president and director of the NHL’s Neuropsychological Testing Program. “Swift and appropriate evaluation by trained sports medicine professionals is crucial before an athlete returns to play. That is why we counsel students and coaches to err on the side of caution and ‘when in doubt, sit out.’”

This educational campaign explicitly urges athletes to immediately consult with their athletic trainer, team physician or coach if they think they might have a concussion. “Even if an athlete’s symptoms appear to be very mild, if they don’t feel right, they must immediately tell somebody in charge,” Echemendia said.

For more information, NATA has published a position statement (pdf download) on concussions, which is available at www.nata.org/statements/position/concussion.pdf. NAN has also published a sports concussion white paper, which is available here.

The National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN) is a professional association founded in 1975 to advance Neuropsychology as a science and health profession, to promote human welfare and to generate and disseminate knowledge of brain-behavior relationships. NAN has become a vibrant organization of the world’s leading scientist-practitioners, academics, clinicians and researchers in the field of brain functioning. The association’s current membership is over 3,500 with representation by 17 countries. Visit http://www.nanonline.org.

Source
National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA)

  
The NCAA News

Other transactions

Presidents – Jehuda Reinharz is stepping down as president at Brandeis, effective at the end of the current academic year or upon selection of a successor. He has led the university for 15 years.

Coaches

Women’s basketball – Renee Drake named interim head coach at Geneva, where she is a former player and served from 2004 to 2007 as an assistant. She recently has coached at the high school level.

Women’s basketball assistants – Dee Bell and Bett Shelby appointed at Tennessee Tech. Bell previously was head coach at Martin Methodist College, and Shelby was recruiting coordinator and assistant coach at Stetson.

Football – Don Patterson resigned as head coach at Western Illinois, citing health reasons, but said he would continue to assist with the football program and in the athletics department as he continues to recover from cancer treatments. Offensive coordinator Mark Hendrickson was named acting head coach. Patterson led the Fighting Leathernecks to three appearances in the Division I Football Championship in compiling a 63-47 record through nine seasons.

Ice hockey – Ben Murphy selected as assistant men’s coach at Bentley. The former Maine hockey student-athlete previously was a graduate assistant coach at Castleton State.

Lacrosse – Stephen Brundage joined the men’s lacrosse staff at Princeton as assistant coach after serving on the staff at Drexel. He played at Loyola (Maryland).

Tennis – Andrew Darkow selected as men’s and women’s assistant at Westminster (Missouri), where he played. He is a member of the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Water polo – Marcelo Leonardi named interim head women’s coach at Cal State Northridge, where he has been assistant coach for four years. He replaces Molly Barnes, who resigned after eight years in the post.

Deaths

Pete Von Allmen, assistant women’s basketball coach at Wisconsin-Whitewater since 2004, died September 25. He was one of the most successful coaches in Wisconsin high school basketball history, compiling a 454-154 record before moving into the college ranks, first as an assistant at Beloit.  Our deepest sympathy to the family.

The Federal Trade Commission has joined the U.S. Department of Justice in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in the matter of American Needle, Inc. v. National Football League, No. 08-661 (U.S. S. Ct.). This case concerns whether the NFL and its member teams’ collective actions can be exempt from antitrust review under Section 1 of the Sherman Act, which prohibits unreasonable restraints of trade.

The joint amicus brief, which can be found on the FTC’s Web site and as a link to this press release, urges the Supreme Court to vacate the judgment of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The Court of Appeals had upheld a district court’s summary judgment in favor of the NFL and its separately owned teams on the grounds that they function as a “single entity” when licensing and marketing their logos and trademarks under an exclusive licensing agreement with Reebok International Ltd.

The brief states that the conduct of joint ventures, such as the NFL, is generally concerted action under Section 1. In discussing whether a sports league and its member teams should be deemed to function as a “single entity” for purposes of Section 1’s concerted action requirement, the brief demonstrates that such treatment is only appropriate if two conditions are satisfied. First, the teams and the league must have effectively and legitimately merged the relevant aspect of their operations, thereby eliminating actual and potential competition among the teams and between the teams and the league in that operational sphere; and second, the challenged restraint must not significantly affect actual or potential competition among the teams or between the teams and the league outside their merged operations.

In addition to asking the Supreme Court to vacate the judgment, the brief asks that the case be remanded for further proceedings and application of the correct legal standard for single-entity analysis.

The vote approving joint filing of the amicus brief was 3-0, with Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch recused. It was filed on September 25, 2009. (FTC File No.P082105; the staff contact is John F. Daly, Office of General Counsel, 202-326-2244; see related press release dated May 29, 2009 at http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/05/nflwf.shtm.)

Copies of the documents mentioned in this release are available from the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. Call toll-free: 1-877-FTC-HELP.

LaHood, a native of Illinois, said: “I’m honored to play a role as a member of President Obama’s team in persuading the International Olympic Committee to choose Chicago for the 2016 Olympics.”

Secretary LaHood will join the delegation led by Mrs. Obama at the 121st International Olympic Committee Session at the Bella Center, the meeting that will elect the host city for the 2016 Summer Games.  LaHood will help rally support for Chicago’s bid and the opportunity to bring the 2016 Summer games to the United States.

More details about Secretary LaHood’s schedule will be released when they are available.

Ban Ki-moon to make keynote address at the opening of the Olympic Congress

25 September 2009

Martin named interim VP, CFO – Sep 25, 2009 11:38:37 AM The Record – Sep 25, 2009 9:47:41 AM Division III rewind – Sep 25, 2009 9:45:20 AM Rowan honors coach who built football from ground up – Sep 25, 2009 9:39:10 AM Division II Rewind – Sep 25, 2009 9:21:49 AM Division I rewind – Sep 25, 2009 9:18:50 AM Lamar names practice facility for former coach – Sep 25, 2009 9:11:13 AM The Record – Sep 24, 2009 8:58:24 AM MOIC wants to increase governance diversity – Sep 24, 2009 8:55:55 AM Nominees sought for DIII Management Council position – Sep 24, 2009 8:51:50 AM

MOIC wants to increase governance diversity 
 http://bcasports.cstv.com/genrel/092409aab.html

Sep 24, 2009 

MOIC report challenges institutions to conduct review of mascot choice

Issue would become an equity component in schools’ self-studies

BY GARY T. BROWN
THE NCAA NEWS

After completing a comprehensive review of issues surrounding institutions’ use of American Indian mascots, nicknames and imagery, the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee (MOIC) is recommending that schools that use them thoroughly examine whether they offend any of their constituents.

The MOIC, meeting September 23-25 in Phoenix, took an aggressive approach to ensuring that NCAA institutions with American Indian mascots conduct their athletics activities in a respectful environment. In fact, the MOIC believes that the tradition of using American Indian mascots ought to be retired; however, the committee realizes and supports member institutions’ rights to determine what their mascot should be, as long as institutions ensure the use is appropriate.

To determine such appropriateness, the MOIC is recommending that schools conduct a review “of the depiction of and behaviors associated with the use by their athletics teams, cheerleaders, band members, other auxiliary groups and fans.” The review would rely on feedback from department of athletics representatives, faculty and staff, individuals from the community, student-athletes, conference membership and local American Indian tribes or community members.

To make sure the review is meaningful, the MOIC is asking that legislation be adopted to require the self-analysis to be submitted as part of the athletics certification process for Division I institutions or the self-assessment process for Divisions II and III institutions. Division I institutions would have to conduct the review regardless of where they fall in the certification cycle.

According to the proposal, aspects of mascot use or behaviors associated with mascots that the review finds to be offensive would have to be eliminated in order to comply with the NCAA’s principles of cultural diversity and gender equity, sportsmanship and ethical conduct and nondiscrimination.

“We believe this system does not hurt the institutions that have exercised cultural respect through their mascots — those that have tried to work with tribes and community members to ensure there’s that respect,” said MOIC Chair Eugene Marshall, athletics director at Ramapo College. “But for schools that conduct practices that are offensive, it holds them accountable for change.”

The MOIC also is recommending reviews at the conference and NCAA levels. Conferences would be required to review policies regarding contests with institutions using American Indian mascots or nicknames, and to complete a self-analysis checklist for conference championship venues and host institutions. At the NCAA level, the MOIC would work with staff to establish criteria for NCAA championships sites that eliminate the use of American Indian mascots, logos and symbols in arena signage, championships publications and announcements.

“We’re not making these recommendations lightly,” Marshall said. “This comes only after a thorough, 18-month study indicating that, yes, we do have some schools out there that use mascots, imagery or behaviors that are in fact offensive to American Indians. We took great pains to make respectful recommendations in accordance with the NCAA constitution in reference to the type of environment in which student-athletes compete. That respect is the basis on which we made our recommendations.

“The system we want to put in place is respectful of each institution on an individual basis — we’re not trying to lump all of them into one — but we’re also trying to respect the American Indian tribes and everybody’s rights.”

The issue of American Indian mascots and nicknames has been controversial for some time. Some American Indian constituent groups have protested NCAA schools’ use of mascots and the behaviors that they prompt from fans or participants at athletics contests, but some school administrators have countered that the mascots and nicknames are not intended to be offensive and should therefore be retained.

Some critics also say that curbing the use of American Indian mascots would be “hypocritical” if other groups are allowed to be represented by mascots (for example, Irish, Dutchmen, Quakers, Scots, etc.). Marshall said, however, that the MOIC’s review showed that the American Indian mascot issue was unique because the Indian mascots and imagery often depict religious, cultural or tribal customs inappropriately.

“The face paints, the wardrobe and the dances hold special meaning,” he said, “and many American Indian constituents, whether they are located near the universities that use them or not, feel they have no place at an athletics contest.”

The MOIC recommendations will be forwarded to the Executive Committee’s subcommittee on gender and diversity, which next meets October 30.

Division II championship site

One immediate concern the MOIC has regarding the use of mascots at NCAA championships is with the 2005 Division II Men’s Basketball Championship, scheduled to be at the University of North Dakota, which uses American Indian nicknames and imagery.

The committee raised concern that the site was awarded without regard to the American Indian matter and agreed to ask that the Division II Men’s Basketball Committee reconsider awarding North Dakota the championship. Specifically, the committee noted the Executive Committee’s criteria for evaluating NCAA predetermined championship sites, which include “the ability of a site to promote an atmosphere of respect for and sensitivity to the dignity of every person.” In light of the numerous references to American Indians in and around the arena, the committee believes that the site does not meet the criteria.

Marshall said the MOIC noted the amount of national attention and media interest surrounding the university’s ice hockey arena, and the informal, unofficial and official organizations that have actively opposed the Fighting Sioux team name for a number of years.

“It’s impossible to ignore the controversy surrounding the arena and the national spotlight that will shine on this championship,” Marshall said. “The MOIC believes that by awarding this championship to North Dakota, the NCAA will be publicly criticized for failure to adhere to its principles of cultural diversity and gender equity, sportsmanship and ethical conduct and nondiscrimination.”

The issue is an example of why the MOIC believes it is important for the Association to establish criteria for predetermined sites in this regard. The committee also believes that teams that use American Indian mascots or imagery that are selected to participate in championships should not be allowed to bring their mascots or use inappropriate signage. That issue likely will be further addressed by the Divisions I, II and III championships bodies.

The Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet at its September meeting already took the position that while institutions should support the dignity and welfare of all individuals, it would be inappropriate to restrict access to championships for teams that use American Indian mascots, nicknames or imagery.

“The cabinet is committed to the creation and preservation of quality championship opportunities for all student-athletes, regardless of their age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, race, religion, creed or sexual orientation,” the position statement reads. “(But) it is the position of the cabinet that access to or the location of NCAA championship events should not be restricted because of issues related to the use by institutions of American Indian mascots or images.”

Other highlights

Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee
September 23-25/Phoenix

• Reaffirmed support for the allocation of $1 million to address the lack of ethnic minority head coaches in football by (1) providing development and exposure opportunities for a wider group of coaches, (2) ensuring that appropriate staff are available to support these initiatives, and (3) sending a powerful message to the membership, the media and other groups that are actively engaged in this issue.

• Continued to review ways to improve diversity at the graduate assistant position in football, including the concept of a matching grant that would provide schools with an incentive for hiring ethnic minorities in those positions.

• Reviewed data from the 2001 Race Demographics of NCAA Member Institutions’ Athletics Personnel (see story, page 1). The committee recommended that the report be formally presented to the Executive Committee, the Division I Board of Directors, the Divisions II and III Presidents Councils, and the Divisions I, II and III Management Councils, as well as to NCAA national office senior staff.

• Agreed to partner with the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics to evaluate gender and diversity initiatives at an upcoming joint meeting to determine the impact the programs have in diversifying intercollegiate athletics.

NCAA News article © 2002 National Collegiate Athletic Association

** SPORTS MEDICINE / FITNESS News **

Work out with friends for a natural high

Exercise classes or going for a run with a friend will make you feel better than working out alone, according to new research published today in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

When we exercise, happiness’ hormones called endorphins are released by the body giving us a natural high’, a feeling of elation. To find out if this hormone release is affected by working out in a group, a team of scientists from the University of Oxford measured endorphin production in a group of rowers, both when they exercised alone and when they trained together as a team.

Endorphins help to reduce the feeling of pain and Emma Cohen and her team carried out a pain threshold test before and after the exercise sessions as a way of measuring how much endorphins had been produced.

Their results showed sportsmen to have a significantly higher tolerance to pain after exercising in a group than they did after exercising alone, suggesting that their group workouts led to a greater production of feel good endorphins.

Not only do these results imply a benefit to exercising with others, they also help to explain why group activities like dancing, laughing and making music make us feel so fantastic. A greater production of endorphins during these activities, suggest the authors, could be a way to help humans to bond in groups and improve social interactions.

The Royal Society, the national academy of science of the UK and the Commonwealth, is at the cutting edge of scientific progress. We support many top young scientists, engineers and technologists, influence science policy, debate scientific issues with the public and much more. We are an independent, charitable body which derives our authoritative status from over 1400 Fellows and Foreign Members.

 Athletes With Smaller ACLs May Be More Susceptible To Injury

 
——–A study comparing images of the knees in people who did and didn’t have previous injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament suggests that people who tore their ACLs are more likely to have a smaller ligament than do similarly sized people who have never injured a knee.

Researchers calculated the total volume of the ligaments based on magnetic resonance images of human knees. The ACLs among those with previous injuries were, on average, about 10 percent smaller than were ACLs among those without an injury.

In those with previous injuries, the uninjured ACL in the opposite knee was measured for the study. Their ligaments were compared to the ACLs in uninjured people of similar height and weight.

Those who had torn their ACLs had experienced noncontact injuries, meaning the injury occurred during some sort of movement of the body rather than because of a blow to the knee.

Researchers caution that the retrospective study does not mean that a smaller ACL will necessarily result in injury. Instead, they say the research offers more clues about the variety of factors – such as activity level, neuromuscular coordination, gender and muscle strength – that appear to be contributors to ACL injury.

In this group of participants, weight was the strongest predictor of ACL volume.

“If you compared two people of the same weight, based on our data set, we would expect the injured person had the smaller ACL,” said Ajit Chaudhari, assistant professor of orthopedics at Ohio State University and lead author of the study.

Knowing that the knee’s anatomy can influence susceptibility should help researchers who are trying to figure out why ACL injuries occur and who is most likely to experience these injuries, Chaudhari said. Most study results guide the assignment of a percentage of risk to one or more factors associated with torn ACLs, but to date no research had looked solely at the size of the ligament in injured and non-injured knees.

The research is published in a recent issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

The anterior cruciate ligament, responsible for rotational stability in the knee, is located behind the kneecap and is one of four ligaments that join the thigh and shin bones. Noncontact tears of the ACL tend to occur in athletes when they pivot, stop quickly or land from a jump. Previous research suggests that college-age women athletes are at three- to 10-times higher risk of tearing their ACLs than their male counterparts, depending on the activity, but scientists have not determined why this is.

“Comparisons of the volumes of ACLs between men and women have been done, which have suggested that ACL volume may matter. Studies have also found that female ACLs had fewer fibers than male ACLs that were tested. But even with those findings, any differences between males and females could be a coincidence. There are so many variables that interact that you can’t really tell what’s causative unless you compare people who have had an injury to those who haven’t had an injury,” said Chaudhari, also director of Ohio State’s Sports Biomechanics Laboratory.

He and colleagues took MR images of the knees of 54 participants, who were divided into two groups. Volunteers with previous injuries were matched with uninjured participants of the same age, gender, height and weight.

The previously injured participants’ healthy knees were imaged for the study. Chaudhari said the fibers of a torn ACL tend to fray like a rope, meaning the volume of injured ACLs could not be measured in a meaningful way. Chaudhari recently presented related research that indicated that there is no significant difference in the size of two ACLs in the same body.

Researchers used the MR images to determine the outline of each ACL under the guidance of an orthopedic surgeon experienced in operating on injured knees. They validated this method of determining ACL volume by practicing the measurement technique on five pig knees obtained from a butcher.

Of the 27 injured participants, 16 had smaller ACLs than their matched controls. Overall, the injured group had an average ACL volume of 1,921 cubic millimeters, while the control group had an average volume of 2,151 cubic millimeters.

In this group of participants, weight and height were strongly correlated as potential variables affecting the size of the ligament.

Chaudhari said that based on what is currently known about the fibrous makeup of the ligament, it’s no surprise that a smaller ACL is more susceptible to injury.

“If you have a weaker ACL, it’s more likely to tear if all other factors are equal,” he said. “If being larger in size means the ACL has more fibers, then that would make it stronger. If the individual building blocks are of similar strength, then it comes down to how much total tissue there is.”

It’s too soon to consider knee imaging as a way to screen potential athletes, Chaudhari said, because of the high expense and the fact that knowing the size of the ACL still doesn’t tell the whole story of how the knee will react to activity.

“I would certainly not say in any way, shape or form that people should start using ACL size as a determinant of whether they should play any sport,” he said.

But what it does tell researchers is that there might be more than one way to go about trying to prevent knee ligament injuries. While many prevention efforts focus on the strength of muscles surrounding the knee, Chaudhari and other researchers hope to study whether the ACL itself can be made stronger, or larger, or both, while a child is still growing and developing.

This work was supported by the OSU Roessler Scholarship Fund, the Wright Center for Innovation in Biomedical Imaging, and a National Institutes of Health Clinical and Translational Science Awards grant.

Co-authors are Eric Zelman of the College of Medicine, David Flanigan and Christopher Kaeding of the Department of Orthopedics, and Haikady Nagaraja of the Department of Statistics, all at Ohio State.

Source:
Ajit Chaudhari
Ohio State University
————————————–

Track regionals to be in Greensboro, Austin – Sep 22, 2009 1:34:19 PM Isch commits staff to leaving college athletics in a better position – Sep 22, 2009 12:13:52 PM NCAA interim president Jim Isch biography – Sep 22, 2009 10:31:26 AM Senior VP Jim Isch named interim president – Sep 22, 2009 10:25:57 AM The Record – Sep 22, 2009 9:48:06 AM Macalester’s Schleuder collects 700th victory – Sep 22, 2009 9:43:35 AM Maryville to reinstate track and field – Sep 22, 2009 9:41:22 AM Legislation panel opposes basketball date change – Sep 22, 2009 9:33:05 AM Golf committee seeks to fill vacancy – Sep 22, 2009 9:06:30 AM Michigan to build basketball development center – Sep 22, 2009 9:03:25 AM

The NCAA News

NCAA President Myles Brand

Presidential control of intercollegiate athletics
 

Sep 17, 2009

Brand, however, did more than say how things should be. He developed mechanisms for encouraging presidents not only to practice control over athletics operations but also to provide leadership in establishing a proper place for sports in the academic missions of universities and colleges.

By virtue of his own experiences as a president at major academic institutions, Brand could capture colleagues’ attention in a way that none of his predecessors — all athletics administrators — ever could have hoped to do.

“I think that probably Myles Brand, because he’s widely known in that community of presidents and chancellors, may be effective in demonstrating to all of us the value of direct presidential involvement in the governance of the NCAA,” Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway, at the time chair of the Division I Board of Directors, told The NCAA News following Brand’s selection in late 2002.

“He has changed the audience to which he can deliver his message,” Bob Bowlsby, then director of athletics at Iowa and currently athletics director at Stanford, told USA Today in 2005. “Presidents listen to him, and I’m not sure, going back to Walter Byers, that presidents necessarily listened to the executive director or the (NCAA) president in quite the same way.”

However, Brand made clear in his first speech to the Association’s membership during the 2003 NCAA Convention that presidents must exercise not only control over the national organization’s operations but also leadership in preserving what he soon would term a “collegiate model” for athletics — a presidential role that he saw being distinct from control.

“University and college presidents are in the best position to provide institutional leadership, while taking into account the perspectives of student-athletes, coaches, fans, faculty members and governing boards,” he said in articulating presidential control as a key principle for achieving reform of — and advocacy for — college sports.

“When missteps in athletics programs occur, universities are open to criticism, and the presidents are the ones on the front line,” he continued. “I know because I have been there. It is presidents who have the ultimate responsibility for setting standards and ensuring that these standards are followed. The NCAA should make every possible effort to assist presidents in carrying out these responsibilities.”

He set about providing such support, in ways large and small, from his first days in office.

Three months after the 2003 Convention, he asked the NCAA Executive Committee to approve a pilot, voluntary orientation program for newly appointed campus presidents and chancellors, in which a current or former university president would visit a campus not only to explain the operations of the NCAA but to offer counsel on ways to manage athletics issues on campus.

“The program will provide an opportunity to emphasize the importance of presidential participation in the NCAA and garner support for the NCAA’s advocacy and reform agenda,” he told the committee in his proposal.

The program continues today to provide a valued resource for recently appointed presidents at NCAA member institutions.

More visibly, campus executives regularly have been tapped by Brand to lead task forces that have addressed key issues in intercollegiate athletics. Doing so put presidents in visible leadership roles, tackling the most pressing problems facing college sports.

“Presidential leadership, which is not the same as presidential control, adds vision and strategic direction, and does so in a way that engages the many constituents to find a solution that works for all,” Brand said in announcing the creation in 2005 of the Presidential Task Force on the Future of Division I Intercollegiate Athletics. That group, composed entirely of presidents, ultimately produced recommendations for achieving fiscal responsibility in athletics, supporting academic standards, providing presidential leadership on campuses, and championing student-athlete well-being.

During his NCAA presidency, Brand made clear that he wouldn’t be satisfied serving as a voice for presidents. He moved quickly to build platforms from which they could speak more effectively for themselves.

The NCAA News

Finalists are Amanda Blumenherst (Duke, golf); Ashleigh Clare-Kearney (LSU, gymnastics); Julia Hopson (Fredonia State, track and field); Dani Huffman (Emory, volleyball); Venessa Lee (Pittsburg State, cross country/track and field); Tracy Menzel (Kenyon, swimming and diving); Lacey Nymeyer (Arizona, swimming and diving); Ashley Puga (Northwest Nazarene, cross country/track and field); and Kathleen Tafler (Grand Valley State, soccer).

The annual honor, which will be presented October 18 during a banquet in Indianapolis, recognizes female student-athletes who have excelled in athletics, academics and service and leadership.

The finalists – three from each NCAA division – advanced from an initial pool of 132 nominees from conferences and independent institutions that was then narrowed to 30 semifinalists – 10 each from Divisions I, II and III.

Following are summaries of the finalists’ accomplishments:

Amanda Blumenherst, Duke, Golf

A three-time National Golf Coaches Association and Golfweek national player of the year, Blumenherst was part of two Blue Devils national championship teams and three Atlantic Coast Conference titlists. The two-time Honda Award winner and four-time conference player of the year led Duke to 19 tournament victories during her career. Her 12 career individual wins tied a school record. Blumenherst captured the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and was a member of the United States’ 2006 and 2008 Curtis Cup teams.

Blumenherst, a history major, twice earned ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America honors and was recognized as the 2008 ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women’s golf. She also was a three-time all-ACC academic and ACC honor roll choice.

In addition to serving on Duke’s student-athlete advisory committee executive board, Blumenherst led an initiative that raised more than $1,800 to purchase gifts for families in need during the winter holidays.

Excerpt from personal statement: “My time in college has prepared me for the future, both on and off the golf course, and I am excited to take the talents and experiences I have been given to help others.”

Gymnastics

Clare-Kearney owns NCAA national championships in the vault and the floor exercise. The first-team all-American and first-team all-Southeastern Conference pick was the league’s all-around and floor champion in 2008. That same year, Clare-Kearney was named as the SEC athlete of the year. She has 114 individual career titles and five perfect scores to her credit.

Clare-Kearney, a three-time SEC academic honor roll selection, earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 2008 and is working on a master’s degree in sports management. She also was named as an LSU Scholar-Athlete three times and twice earned the LSU Athletic Director’s Cup for Academic Excellence.

A two-time captain of the Tigers’ gymnastics team, Clare-Kearney was a 2007 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Conference participant. Twice chosen as a member of the SEC Good Works Team for her efforts in the community, she was president of LSU’s student-athlete advisory committee as a senior. Clare-Kearney also served as a Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Gustav relief worker and as a Habitat for Humanity volunteer.

Excerpt from personal statement: “I am empowered despite my odds as a black female and feel prepared to contribute to society because of my experiences as a student, athlete and volunteer.”

Julia Hopson, Fredonia State

Track and field

An NCAA national champion in the 20-pound weight throw, Hopson, a five-time all-American, was the 2008-09 Atlantic Region Female Field Athlete of the Year. In addition to earning 13 SUNYAC titles, she holds league records in the 20-pound weight throw and the hammer. Hopson also was a five-time ECAC champion.

Hopson, an academic all-American, was a Dean’s List and Commissioner’s List selection and earned the SUNY Chancellor’s Award. A three-time team captain, she was a 2008 NCAA National Student-Athlete Development Conference participant. Hopson, a graphic-design major, was one of 13 NCAA student-athlete artists featured in NCAA Champion magazine and in Statements, a student-athlete art show at the 2009 NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C.

A member of the campus student-athlete advisory committee, Hopson led team efforts in a community-service project to rake leaves for those who couldn’t do it themselves. She also helped plan a dodgeball tournament to raise money for a local food kitchen.

Excerpt from personal statement: “In 2008 I was chosen to attend the NCAA National Student-Athlete Development Conference, where I learned that I was different than most college students. I learned that as athletes, we are role models for those around us and also for those we don’t even know are watching us. This inspired me to be the leader that others saw in me.”

Dani Huffman, Emory

Volleyball

Huffman, a middle blocker, earned Most Outstanding Player honors during Emory’s run to the 2008 Division III women’s volleyball title. The American Volleyball Coaches Association first-team all-South Region and first-team all-University Athletic Association pick was the female recipient of the Bridges Award as Emory’s most outstanding all-around athlete.

An NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient, Huffman was a 2009 Phi Beta Kappa inductee. A three-time team captain, she was a 2008 CoSIDA third-team Academic All-American and was named to the UAA all-academic team three times. She majored in American Studies and French Studies and plans to pursue a master’s degree in special education at Azusa Pacific University.

Off the court, Huffman taught Chinese students about the Bible on a 2005 mission trip to Chengdu, China, and traveled to India to build an orphanage during a second mission trip in July of this year. She also volunteered at the Atlanta Hospital Hospitality House and participated in the Eggelstein Hospital Children’s Reading Program.

Excerpt from personal statement: “My servant’s heart drives my life, a life that I hope will benefit children with disabilities and others, and provide them with the same passion for learning and living that my parents instilled in me.”

Venessa Lee, Pittsburg State

Cross country, track and field

Lee was a three-time national champion in the 800 meters for Pittsburg State. The five-time all-American also captured 13 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association track and field titles. She was captain of the Gorillas’ track and field squad as a senior and was named as the 2008-09 Ken B. Jones Award recipient as the conference’s female student-athlete of the year.

An ESPN the Magazine first-team Academic All-American, Lee, who graduated in May, majored in biology and Spanish with minors in chemistry and physical science. She was a three-time all-MIAA academic pick and was recognized on the Dean’s Scholastic Honor Roll and the All A’s Scholastic Honor Roll. A member of Tri Beta Biology Honors Society, Lee earned biology departmental honors and the Spanish Meritorious Achievement Award.

In addition to serving as a senator on the Student Government Association Senate, Lee was the campus affairs director for the Student Government Association Cabinet. She also volunteered with Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics and a free health clinic.

Excerpt from personal statement: “My athletics pursuits and scholastic achievements have taught me life lessons and developed in me qualities that I will use throughout my life. Through these experiences, I have obtained appreciation of delayed gratification, self-motivation driven from within, and aspiration to be the best.”

Tracy Menzel, Kenyon

Swimming and diving

Menzel was a member of three NCAA Division III championship teams and three North Coast Conference titlists. The all-American was a 12-time all-conference selection who owns NCAA individual titles in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard medley relay. She earned the 2009 Daniel G. Ray Memorial Award as the varsity swimmer chosen by teammates and the coach as the most valuable member of the squad.

A Phi Beta Kappa, Menzel was an NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient. The ESPN the Magazine Academic-All American was given Kenyon’s Doris B. Crozier Award, which is presented to a student who was instrumental in developing major changes for the betterment of the social and intellectual life of the student body. 

Menzel served as a peer advisor for first-year students and as a student member of the women and gender studies department advisory board. She also was co-manager of the Crozier Center for Women.

Excerpt from personal statement: “Throughout my academic and athletics career at Kenyon, I have learned that with success and privilege come responsibility – to myself, to my teammates and to my community. My major, women’s studies and gender studies, has taught me the importance of tying education to social action.” 

Lacey Nymeyer, Arizona

Swimming and diving

Nymeyer, a silver medalist in the 400-meter freestyle relay at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, helped lead Arizona to the 2008 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving team championship. She also captured a gold medal at the 2007 FINA World Championships in the 800-meter freestyle relay. The two-time Pacific-10 Conference swimmer of the year and 26-time all-American also earned NCAA individual titles in the 100- and 200-yard freestyles.

The physical education major was a first-team all-Pac-10 pick and a four-time University of Arizona Academic Champion. The 2007-08 Toyo Tires Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Nymeyer also was recognized as the State Farm Pride of the Pac-10 medal winner.

Away from the pool, Nymeyer visited Haven House for Women and Casa De Los Ninos House for Children as part of team service projects. In addition to teaching swimming lessons to 5-9 year olds, she has been a speaker at middle schools and youth sports banquets.

Excerpt from personal statement: “Without the opportunities provided to me through my participation in college athletes, I doubt I would have such a clear sense of self-worth and purpose outside the skills of my sport.”

Ashley Puga, Northwest Nazarene

Cross country, track and field

A two-time NCAA national champion in the 800 meters, Puga was the 2008-09 U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches of America’s Division II Women’s Track Athlete of the Year (2008-09). She also was honored as the USTFCCCA Division II West Region indoor track and field women’s track athlete of the year. The nine-time all-American, who established 10 school records, has seven conference titles to her credit and was chosen as the 2008 GNAC Female Athlete of the Year.

Puga graduated summa cum laude in May after majoring in accounting and business administration. Selected as the 2008-09 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, she also was a three-time all-conference academic choice.

In addition to volunteering as a peer mentor, Puga participated in a student-led club that invested $100,000 of the university endowment fund. She also created a capital markets program for high school students and was co-leader of Idaho and Beyond, a program targeting fourth-graders that focused on Idaho agriculture and world trade.

Excerpt from personal statement: “I have learned the value of having others around me, the importance of maintaining a balanced life and the results of working diligently. Whether I am reaching out as a peer mentor, competing with athletes at a national level, working on a group project or receiving instruction from coaches and professors, I can see the value each person contributes to my life.”

Kathleen Tafler, Grand Valley State

Soccer

Tafler, a two-time Daktronics Division II player of the year, is the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s all-time leader in goals and points. The three-time conference offensive player of the year is the only player in league history to record at least 40 goals and 40 assists. The Daktronics and National Soccer Coaches Association of America first-team all-American ranks third in NCAA history in goals (114) and points (269).

 A 2008 NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award recipient and the 2008 ESPN the Magazine College Division Academic All-American of the Year, Tafler also was a two-time coaches association scholar-athlete. She twice earned the GLIAC Commissioner’s Award for Academic and Athletic Excellence and made the Dean’s List from 2005-09. Tafler, a biomedical sciences major, graduated in the spring.

Tafler was a child life volunteer at Helen Devos Children’s Hospital, a patient transport volunteer with St. Mary’s Health Care, and an emergency room volunteer at Trillium Health Care. She participated on the campus student-athlete advisory committee and assisted with the Michigan Science Olympiad as an event helper and competition judge. 

Excerpt from personal statement: “Through athletics, I gained the clarity to focus on academics and participate in my community. These experiences have made me into