Sports in the Glens

(By Rodney Wilson)   The Cornwall River Kings of the LNAH continue their hunt for a bench boss. Despite numerous rumours that a head coach has already been chosen, the reality is – the search continues.

In fact, Lalonde has taken a role as head coach for a junior AAA team in Saint-Jerome, under the direction of owner Bill Hattem. Frost and Hattem are both excited at the dual role being played by Lalonde and have absolutely no issue with him working for both teams.

“It truly could not have worked out any better,” said Lalonde. “Not only do I have the opportunity to coach a terrific junior team but I also can continue to work in my home town as GM of the River Kings.” And you can bet Lalonde, who is also the head scout for Cornwall, will be keeping his eyes open for potential future River Kings.

Meanwhile, Cornwall is also being strategic and patient in regards to the signing of players. “We plan to interview each and every player personally next week,” said Lalonde. “We are looking to put the best possible product on the ice this season and need to explore all options.”

Glengarry Connection

For each of the two seasons the Kings have played in Cornwall, Williamstown's Jonathan Jasper has been part of the squad. The punishing, young blueliner has told The News he is looking forward to returning to the region's pro hockey again this year.

Our July 16 edition features a story about Caitlyn Gallant and her university study about the need for soccer players to be taught proper head-balling technique. Check out the story on page 9 for all the information.

Here is a reprint of her study's abstract:

This paper sought to investigate the neuropsychological consequences of sub-concussive impacts in soccer, in the form of trained, and untrained heading techniques, which are often implemented by recreational players. The two heading techniques were examined to determine if they would affect performance on the Serial Reaction Time Task (SRTT). 51 Participants began the experiment by completing a SRTT pre-test, which served as a baseline measure of neuropsychological functioning. Next, through random assignment, one group of participants (n=25) was trained in proper heading techniques, while the other group (n=26) received an equivalent training session on passing the ball.

Subsequently, participants executed a series of head-balls, and lastly, completed a SSRT post-test. Reaction time improved over time, but the effect size was smaller for the untrained heading condition, demonstrating that improper heading techniques reduced the practice effect that occurred with proper heading techniques. These results suggest that untrained heading techniques should be investigated further, as they appear to produce negative short-term effects on mean reaction time relative to those of trained heading techniques.

Keywords: heading training, purposeful heading, sub-concussive trauma

The Alexandria junior B Glens have announced their late summer prospects game. The team invites players to register their interest online. Here is a link to more information and the registration form:

http://glens.pointstreaksites.com/view/glens/pre-camp-1

(By Rodney Wilson)

The LNAH has announced its pre-season schedule, and the River Kings will have home-and-home series with two of their biggest rivals.

Here are Cornwall’s exhibition games:

• Friday, Sept. 19 at Laval (8 p.m.)
• Sunday, Sept. 21 vs. Laval (4 p.m.)
• Friday, Sept. 26 at Sorel-Tracy (8 p.m.)
• Saturday, Sept. 27 vs. Sorel Tracy (7:30 p.m.)

The River Kings will hold training camp on Friday, Sept. 5 (8-10 p.m.) and Saturday, Sept. 6 (1-3 p.m.) at the Civic Complex. The blue & white intrasquad game is set for Sunday, Sept. 7.

(Source: http://carhahockey.ca/1384/5-tips-for-buying-used-equipment)

5 TIPS FOR BUYING USED EQUIPMENT

Are you looking to get some new gear for next season? Buying used hockey equipment is a great way to save money, but keep the following tips in mind.

1. Skates: When buying used skates, make sure the blade isn’t worn down or rusted, and that it hasn’t bent or warped out of alignment.  You also want to check the boot to ensure it is firm, supportive and free of cracks.

2. Gloves: Make sure used gloves don’t have any holes or tears and that the lining isn’t thin or worn out. It’s also smart to try holding and maneuvering a hockey stick to ensure you have the correct grip.

3. Pads: Never buy used elbow, shin or shoulder pads without trying them on first to ensure they fit properly and protect the correct areas. If the padding is brittle, thin, worn out, or has any cracks or tears, move on and look elsewhere.

4. Helmet: This is one piece of equipment you don’t want to buy used. When it comes to protecting yourself from concussions or other head injuries, it is worth investing in a new helmet. No matter where you decide to shop, always make sure the helmet you buy has been certified with a valid CSA sticker. 

5. Pants: When buying used pants, make sure they are free of rips or tears, and always try them on with your shin pads.  The pants should sit comfortably above your hips and slightly overlap your shin pads.

The soccer field at the arena (Alexandria) will see an ERSL match tonight at 6:30pm, as the Glengarry Hearts U14 girls squad will host Cumberland United. The Hearts enter the game with a 5-1 record, while Cumberland has won just two of its six matches thus far this season.

The Glengarry Soccer League's senior women's division has a pair of matches on the slate tonight, both scheduled for 8:30pm starts.  In Dunvegan, the host side will entertain Glen Nevis, and in Vankleek Hill, VKH-A will take on Laggan.

Senior men's play will resume on July 23 with games at the arena pitch (Alexandria) and the Lochiel field. These will also be 8:30pm starts.

News:

• Poverty: Shedding light on a forgotten issue
• Man charged in fatal crash
• Weed remedy controversy
• Bishop receptive to group's plans for old Lochiel church
• Heritage status sought for St. Paul's Chapel
• New home for Maxville Market
• New contender for council
• Governments join efforts to increase efficiency

Sports:

• Celtics keep rolling
• Atlantic nabs a pair
• Char-Lan takes U14 tourney title on penalty kicks
• Alexandria U19 girls prevail at Gerald MacDonald tournament
• VKH girls come back on Alexandria

Opinion:

• The end of the world, as we know it
• The man behind the Canadiens' arsenal

Special supplement this week: Salute to Excellence

The Cornwall Motor Speedway has cancelled tonight's scheduled kart racing due to the rainfall and resultant track conditions.

Last weekend, the Gerald MacDonald soccer tournament took over the fields in Alexandria, with matches for GSL teams at the U14 and U19 levels. Check out the July 16 edition of The Glengarry News for coverage.

Here's a little video clip from the U19 girls match, between Alexandria and Dunvegan.

If you have trouble accessing the embedded video, try this link.

(By Rodney Wilson)     To the surprise of perhaps no one, the River Kings and general manager Mitch Gagne have parted ways. Gagne didn't agree with the direction the team was headed, according to owner Brock Frost.

Despite rumours that advisor Rick Lalonde would be named the team's head coach, that is not the case. Lalonde will now serve as the team's general manager with the departure of Gagne. Al Wagar will step into the role of assistant GM. Both Lalonde and Wagar were already serving as advisors to Frost.

"The departure of Gagne was not only expected but planned for," said Frost. "We have the right people in place now to move forward as an organization. Absolutely nothing has changed other than we now have two experienced people in the upper-level management positions of the team."

In the meantime, the head coach search continues. "We are still in the process of interviewing coaches,"  said Frost. "We hope to have someone signed very soon."

The River Kings have surpassed the 200 season-ticket mark, and the team is proud to have already partnered with several key sponsors.

The first AGM of the Cornwall River Kings Booster Club was scheduled for today (Saturday). The boosters, which will serve as an independent arm of the team, will be responsible for a variety of tasks, such as fundraising, volunteer recruitment, public relations, and communications and administration of the kids club. The club will be operated by a 15-member  executive committee, with 3 appointed positions and 12 elected at-large.

(By Rodney Wilson)     The first River Kings Booster Club Annual General Meeting will take place this Saturday at the Civic Complex. The meeting will be held in Salon A from 10 a.m. to noon.

All members of the community are encouraged to put their name forward for a position on the board. If interested, please email Mike Crowder at mikecrowder@live.com no later than July 10 at midnight. The Booster Club, which will be registered with the Province of Ontario, will be operated by a 15-member executive board consisting of the owner, the general manager, a player and 12 members of the community, which will be elected at large. 

The Booster Club’s main goal is to help connect the team, players and community together and promote the River Kings brand. The club will also raise money for the team and help organize and staff volunteers. They will also be in charge of the operation of the Kids Club.

(By Martin Bélanger)     The visit of the Quebec Mod-Lite Series, along with a Modified Dash for Cash, highlights this Sunday night's events at Cornwall Motor Speedway. There will also be a full program, though the Semi-Pro class has the night off.

The Mod-Lite will be in town for their first of two visits as they were also recently added to the schedule for August 3. The series promoter is expecting over 20 cars for this visit, including top drivers from Quebec, such as Rejean Lemieux, Raphael Ferland, Mikael Dion, and more, who will run against Mohawk regulars, such as Mathieu Robinson, Dan and Tim Reif, Dan Desnoyers, and Nick Mallette.

The results are in! The six drivers who will be running the Bandit Motorsports Modified Dash for Cash are Chris Raabe, Stephane Lafrance, Joel Doiron, Laurent Ladouceur, Carey Terrance, and Brian McDonald. A great show is expected from these six great talents.

Along with the Mod-Lite and Dash for Cash, a full program including a 30-lap Modified event, 20-lap Sportsman and Pro-Stock, and 12-lap Mini-Stock feature races are on the schedule, as the championship races in all divisions are in high gear!

You are invited to vote for the West Front Construction Sportsman Dash for Cash that will be run on Sunday, July 20. You can vote at the following link: http://www.cornwallspeedway.com/west-front-construction-sportsman-dash-for-cash-voting/