IN THISISSUE

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RUBBER SIDE DOWN06

07 CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BALL

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EXCITING PAST, BRIGHT FUTURE

Director of URECJoe Carter, carterjr@appstate.edu Director of Club SportsErin Sanders, sandersec1@appstate.edu

Activities CoordinatorChelsea Watson, watsoncg@appstate.edu

Publicity ProgrammerAlyssa Gribble, gribblead@appstate.edu

Executive OfficersPhilicia Gibson, gibsonpn@appstate.eduIan McNeill, mcneillim@appstate.eduKatherine Uva, uvakr@appstate.edu

ICY TO HOT: MY EXPERIENCE AT WHITE LAKE

FINALLY, SOME HOME GAMES!

TRIATHLON TEAM

CYCLING TEAM

WOMEN’S RUGBY

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S SOCCER

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Publicity ProgrammerAlyssa Gribble, gribblead@appstate.edu

Executive OfficersPhilicia Gibson, gibsonpn@appstate.eduIan McNeill, mcneillim@appstate.eduKatherine Uva, uvakr@appstate.edu

For more information on any of the club teams, visit the website:clubsports.appstate.edu

email us at: clubsports@appstate.edu

or call us at the Student Recreation Center(828) 262 2100

The September 12th Edition of the Club

Sports IllustratedDesigned by Alyssa Gribble

OPEN HOUSE WEEKENDEQUESTRIAN TEAM

A TEAM FOR THE YEARSWOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

EXECUTIVE’S CORNER

BUILD YOUR BOARDSNOWBOARDING TEAM

STRAIGHT TO THE BANKMEN’S ULTIMATE

YOSEF FALL CLASSICWOMEN’S LACROSSE

So far, every race I have done in my college career has been a blast. They have all had their ups and downs, but one stands out above the rest, being completely different than all of the others. The White Lake Triathlon is located a few miles south of Fayetteville, NC in mid-April every year. Last semester, the triathlon team decided to have our one and only spring triathlon there. It was very unique in that we could volunteer the day beforehand to waive our entry fees. The “White Lake” itself was beautiful albeit a little bit cold (wetsuits were strongly recommended). Located towards

the coast, the flat landscape was a welcomed change from the mountains we train in here. After checking out the course the night before, we went to bed in a little cabin about 20ft away from the finish line. Waking and warming up at 6 a.m. the next morning was difficult, and getting into the lake that early was a shocking way to wake up to say the least; but we were able to warm up quickly with our wetsuits. At thestart, it was mass chaos as usual.  I started off far too fast and 100 meters into the race; I panicked and gave up

hope of making it to the end of the swim. I had essentially forgotten the mechanics of swimming in my mind. I looked for the nearest boat to save me; but once I saw the boat, I realized that dropping out of a race would be one the most humiliating moments of my triathlon career. Regardless of what happened, I WAS going to finish (in the words of Dory, “just keep swimming, just keep swimming”).

The next thing I knew, I was out of the water and executing a perfect transition into the bike. I slowly regained my confidence as I pedaled along in my element, passing people

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WRITTEN BY RILEY PARR, SECRETARY

“left and left.” Half way through, I was passed by some guys who had real jobs and could afford five thousand dollar bikes. Sure they looked fast with their expensive bikes; but it’s more about the rider than his set of wheels. I pushed and pushed until I got to the last transition to the run.

After the start of the race, I did not see a single soul from my team.  I had no idea if they were in front of me or behind me.  My legs felt like they were molten lead.   It was all I could do to propel them on the first mile.   After that first agonizing 2000m, I got my stride and was a solid race pace.  I

finally saw my teammates Will and Bobby.   I pushed myself even harder trying to catch up.  The sweat that had collected in my visor was now dripping into my eyes. Eastern North Carolina’s temperature shoots up very quickly in the spring, and the temperatures in the mid-80s were killing my Boone-adapted body. When a teammate yelledthat he was going to catch me, I ramped up my speed for the last mile and pushed all the way to the finish. In what felt like no time at all, I was done. Finally,  I gasped and smiled and hugged my teammates, cheering on the ones yet to finish.   It was then that I realized that even though my body was

sore, my muscles were throbbing, and my lungs were burning; I felt great.  I knew at that moment that the feeling of finishing was amazing, and that I wanted to keep racing for the rest of my life.  

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I KNEW AT THAT MOMENT THAT I WANTED TO KEEP

RACING FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE

“

”

The question is never “if I crash” but “when I crash.” Cycling is an inherently dangerous sport. Road cycling lends itself to races where competitors are merely inches from one another. Road cycling also lends itself to close encounters with cars and drivers. Mountain biking might not have the risk of automobile accidents but gains risk due to sketchy trail conditions and obstacles that are not clearly marked.

I have been involved in the worst of each. I have been T-boned by sedans, bucked by a boulder and thrown by another racer. The injuries are never pleasant to the eye. Most are marked with road rash that covers underlying bone fractures. Sometimes the injuries are not visible immediately but show up later. A vertebrate compression fracture can be hard to detect on

a stretcher, speaking from personal experience. However, most recently, in the early swing of the collegiate mountain bike season I suffered a crash. Feeling confident and shredding swiftly I entered a rock garden that I could not handle, mainly from the rain making each jagged stone slick. I was thrown off the trail plummeting about 5-10 feet depending on my trajectory. The result was an open compound fracture of my nose along with the possibility of several broken teeth and a nasty concussion. I had fallen face first, landing onto a boulder. Luckily, I was riding with several friends who could help me out to the road as I picked pieces of bone out of my snot and blood.

For the first time I questioned the dangers of my sport. If I had fallen at a slightly different angle, slightly farther down the hill, or slightly

faster off the trail the injury could have included unconsciousness or worse. Is the rush of cycling worth it? Can I continue to ride at such risks? Before now the answer has always been yes. However, I had never asked myself those questions previously. I have seen friends who have answered no, and I have observed others who continue to answer yes. For now my answer is yes but I do wonder what will change my mind.

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WRITTEN BY CRAIG STEWART, SECRETARY

“

”

Cycling isan inherently

dangerous sport

7”

One of my favorite rugby traditions is when we circle up

before each game and hand out rubber bands to everyone

on the team. Each band has a quote written on them to

inspire us for the game ahead and every game’s quote is

different. I think my favorite one had to be, “We came in

like a wrecking ball”. It didn’t so much inspire us, but it did

help us shake off our pre-game jitters.

This team is like a family. We have each other’s backs on

and off the field. I am most looking forward to getting

to know the new players on our team and expanding our

rugby loving family.

WRITTEN BY MELISSA MANDERBACH, CLUB SPORTS COUNCIL REP

WRITTEN BY:

ALYSSA HORAN,

SECRETARY

“

”

THE COACHES ARE LOOKING FOR

IMPROVEMENT WITH EVERY PRACTICE

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With a couple weeks of practice under the belt, the Women’s Club Basketball team is very excited for the upcoming season. The girls have shown that hard work at practice is the only way to be successful. The teams motto this season is, “Every practice is a try out.” Coach, Dylan Eppley, starts every practice making this statement to the team to increase the intensity and keep the level of play like a game situation. The coaches are looking for improvement with every practice and everyone should push each other in order to make people better. If the girls get comfortable with their playing time, then the level of play may fall. The coaches want the team to fight for every possession and give 100%.

Last year there were many unforgettable moments. One of the team’s favorite memories was the tournament at Maryland. After a full day of playing,

the team spontaneously decided to go to Washington, DC late at night and see all the national monuments. It was refreshing to see a very competitive team relax and enjoy the away tournaments. The team saw these trips as bonding experiences and a chance for us to get closer. As the year moved on, one could see from the outside perspective, that team was becoming one unit and really becoming a force to be reckon with.

This upcoming season has a lot of excitement built into it. The women’s team is planning on going to James Madison University, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and Wake Forest in the next couple months, as well as, a tournament hosted by the team in the Student Recreation Center right here in Boone on September 20th. It is expected to be a huge turnout at these tournaments featuring many teams throughout the southeast. The girls have started preparing since the second week of school and are steadily getting the expected cohesiveness required to compete and place in these tournaments.

Appalachian State is a beautiful place as we all

know very well, or we wouldn’t be here. Sadly other

schools never seem to want to travel to play us at

home for Club Soccer. This is why we are so excited

for our games this weekend! Not only are they our

first games as a team this year, but we are actually

hosting the round robin! We are playing Virginia

Tech, always a rival of ours, and Wake Forest. Both

are great teams that should lead to great games

that will not be easy wins. Our team is up for the

challenge. We have some fantastic returners ready

to play along with some new faces that want to

make an impact on the team. This year we have

had more girls come out for the team then in the

past and are looking forward to allowing everyone

to suite for the games this weekend. This will be a

great start to our season and hopefully the first step

to our goal of making it to Regionals. So if anyone

is looking for something to do this Sunday come out

and support us at State Farm, we’d love to have a

crowd for our only home games.

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WRITTEN BY:

CARLY WILSON,

VICE PRESIDENT

THE OPEN

he first weekend of September was a successful one for

ASU and the first of many big weekends for the Equestrian Team. Every year, our coaches and friends at Foothills Equestrian Center host an Open House as an opportunity for new riders to get acquainted with the facility, the coaches, and of course, everyone’s favorite horses. It also gives students and coaches a chance to sit down and finalize lesson schedules, an awe-inspiring task that our coaches

are somehow able to accomplish every semester.

My name is Maddy Mason, Dressage Team Captain, and in my humble opinion, this year’s Open House went especially smoothly. To start, we were able to organize carpooling so that every new member could hitch a ride with a returning member and no one had to make the 45-mile trek through the boonies to FEC on their own. After our long journey down the mountain, we were greeted by

refreshments, air conditioning, and our coaches, Dana Dewey and Sarah Klasset. While both new and returning riders completed stacks upon stacks of paperwork, a few Equestrian Team veterans saddled-up some of our trusty steeds. Once the paperwork was conquered and the refreshments were pillaged, we ventured into the arena along with our equine partners Howard, Micky, Tristan, Skye, and Woody. Returning riders warmed up the horses and then handed off the reins to the proselytes, several of whom

TWRITTEN BY MADDY MASON, DRESSAGE CAPTAIN

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HOWARD, ONE OF THE

HORSES THAT MEMBERS

GOT TO KNOW AT

SMUDGE, ONE OF THE BARN CATS

had not ridden in months or years and were aching to get on (and probably still aching when they got off). Each new member had an opportunity to ride under the observation of Dana and Sarah, in order to give new members a sense of what we do at FEC and to give the coaches a sense of where each rider is in terms of experience.

After everyone had dismounted, some returning members brought the horses into the barn to be untacked and groomed while other team veterans led the novitiates on a tour of the farm. FEC is a beautiful facility located in, you guessed it, the rolling red foothills of western North Carolina. The farm is home to about 50 horses (not to mention an entire pride of barn cats) and I remember being quite in awe of the herds of horses, acres of pastureland,

and roomfuls of saddles when I was a freshman attending Open House. I hope that this year’s new members are as excited as I was, and still am, to ride at FEC.

Our Western team and their coach Roy Blanton also put on a great Open House at Risin’ B Ranch this past weekend. Between these two successful events and ASU’s crushing victory at our first home game, it was a good weekend for the Equestrian Team. And with horse shows rapidly approaching, including our ASU home show at FEC on October 26, it was only the first of many big weekends this semester. Despite our excitement about the rest of the semester, we are reminded that this is also a painful time for ASU and for the family of Anna M. Smith. We are all hoping for her safe return.

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I hope that this year’s

new members are as excited as I was, and still am, to ride at the

FEC

“

”

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here’s no doubt being a freshman is scary. We’ve

all been through those nerve-wracking moments

that can only be described as such. If it weren’t

for Club Volleyball, I personally would have had a

much harder time making friends as a freshman. Not only did

Club Volleyball give me an outlet for my competitiveness, it also

gave me the opportunity to meet girls who were similar to me.

I once heard one of our girls compare our club to a sorority.

At first, I was a little thrown off… how could a team be similar

to a sorority? Then I began to make the connection and I kept

coming back to one word, sisterhood. Just like sorority members,

our girls are forging bonds in our club that will last them

throughout college and maybe even beyond. When asked about

her first impression of Club Volleyball, Freshman Addie McGraw

said, “I felt I had walked into a room full of fun people, that I’ll

get along with for my 4 years here at Appalachian.” Not only does

joining a club sport allow you to play the sport you love, but it

also gives you the opportunity to create friendships that will

carry you throughout your college experience.

Volleyball is one thing that has stayed a constant in my life, and

I think a part of that is the want to always have a team that will

support me. In that way, I can see a clear connection between

a sorority and a team. After all, sisters are there to support you,

care for you and make you a better person, just like a teammate

is supposed to. Reflecting back on her 4 years as a player for

Club Volleyball, Senior Stephanie Glasgow comments, “I have

seen this club grown tremendously. Not only becoming more

competitive, but more unified as a club. It’s no longer about

staying with the girls you know, it’s about ALL of us playing

together, making friends and improving as a whole so that

we can all compete at a higher level.” I think this comment

solidly represents what Club Volleyball is aiming to become, a

group that freshman can join that will give them the value of

sisterhood as well as an outlet to compete and improve in the

sport they are passionate for.

T

OUR GIRLS ARE FORGING BONDS IN OUR CLUB THAT WILL LAST

THEM THROUGHOUT COLLEGE AND MAYBE EVEN BEYOND

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WRITTEN BY CORBIN BRUTON, SECRETARY

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“

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WRITTEN BY:

IAN MCNEILL,

CLUB SPORTS EXECUTIVE

In our second Club Sports Council

meeting of 2014-2015, we started

with a quick run through of all

the activity that teams have been

a part of since our last meeting.

Highlights included a Mens Rugby

scrimmage free of injuries, news

that the Cycling team began

their 2014 campaign with a good

showing in Raleigh and word that

Women’s Soccer will be competing

against Virginia Tech and Wake

Forest this coming weekend! We

hope to continue the trend of good

news in future updates. Following

this period we breezed through

the nonexistent Old Business

category (as there was no old

bidness to take care of) and began

to delve into the New Business

category. September 22nd marks

the beginning of National Hazing

Prevention Week and club sports

is proud to be playing a part in

the activities this week. Katherine

Uva spoke about the budget point

opportunity that will be available

for this event. In order to earn a

budget point a team must simply

have four team members at the

event for a minimum of one hour.

On a less gleeful note, in light

of recent events on campus Erin

decided to tell us about two

safety apps that will soon become

available for students. The first,

TAPSHIELD, is a live feed of what

crime is going on around you at

all times and includes features

that will allow family and friends

to track where you are. The second

app, Lifeline Response, will alert

local police if the user’s finger

slips off the designated spot on

the phone screen.

In the last half of our meeting the

council representatives broke up

into their respective committees.

A lot hard work is put into the

committees at each meeting, and

this week was no exception. Team

Unity proposed that each team

have a brother/sister team that

they can attend competitions

with and earn some budget

points if enough spectating team

members attend. The budget

point committee worked on

preparing National Championship

reimbursement guidelines for

addition to the club sports manual.

Community service will be helping

with Boone clean-up day on

Saturday, September 20th, 2014

and are also considering assisting

with the local blood drive. Finally,

publicity talked about where and

how to put up more club sports

posters around campus and are

working on stickers!

Concluding the meeting, Alyssa

reminds us to have a non-social

media website available to be

linked to the club sports website,

Chelsea reminds us to have

coaches do coach forms and to see

her if you have reserved a facility,

and Erin says you need to read

the darn minutes to find out what

she said!

I hope everyone has a great next

two weeks of competition and

fun and I look forward to hearing

about all that you have done.

TEAM UNITY COMMITTEE PROPOSED THAT EACH TEAM HAVE A BROTHER/SISTER TEAM

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WRITTEN BY: TYLER GRANDIS, PRESIDENT

It is a new year, a new team, and we are already

gearing up to go shred on the slopes. That rush

of the ride is so close but there is something

that every snowboarder needs before the snow

falls, and that is a set up! For many people on

the team and across the Appalachian community

the move to the mountains signifies the time

to buy their own equipment for the first time.

This can be daunting for some as the options

are endless and it can cost a fortune to broke

college students. In this article I hope to outline

some of the things every rider should look for

when browsing to buy your own equipment.

First we need to talk about the absolute

necessities! Technically all you need are the

three B’s, Board, Boots, and Bindings. You could

just have these on and go earn major GNAR

points with a BN (bare-naked) run. But seeing

as you won’t be too comfortable in the negative

degree weather and will probably be banned

from the slope, here is a list of other accessories:

Jacket and Pants - Go waterproof on these

as many days you will get wet. You can always

wear layers underneath as long as your outer

shell has a good water-proof rating.

Facemask - Ever go through a snow blower at

full speed without one of these? It stings.

Gloves - Find some with a good waterproof

rating. Nothing worse than freezing fingers.

Goggles - This is so you can see when it snows.

The cheapest pair of these will get you through

the day while the more expensive will have

better style features as well as functionality

such as UV protection and anti-fog coatings.

Helmet- WEAR A HELMET! You can get these

in all sorts of steezy styles now a days and they

will protect you against yourself and others. I

can’t tell you the amount of injuries I have seen

prevented due to a helmet, plus your head will

be much warmer on cold days.

“

”

all you need are the three b’s: board, boots, and bindings

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BoardThis is the big ticket item that people

spend the most time looking over. When

shopping around these are the things you

should look for. If you do your research

you can buy a board in a shop or online but may be able to find

a better sale on the web.

Design - So everyone wants to have to coolest looking board

on the mountain but really this should not be your number one

reason for buying the board. Most boards come in one or two

different design types, though a shop may only have one.

Size - A general rule for a new rider is that you want your

board to reach about where your chin is. Park riding boards tend

to be smaller as there is less weight to throw around as you

do tricks. Racing boards will be longer to allow for more edge

contact with the snow.

Flexibility - The flex scale goes from 1-10 on most boards.

Right in the middle is where you want to be for general riding

and where most all-mountain boards lie. Racing boards tend to

be in the higher range (stiff) and will be more difficult to turn

and control. Park boards will be on the low end (flex-tastic!) to

allow for more pop but will not feel stable at high speeds.

Edge - The metal edge around the board is what allows you

to turn effectively through the snow. Most board edges are in a

straight line but some have a feature called magnetraction (this

is the LibTech term, other companies call it different things)

which basically makes the edge “wavy”. This puts more points

of contact on the snow and allows for better control of turns. I

highly recommend magnetraction if you like to go fast.

Camber vs Rocker - This refers to how your board is bent

when looking at it on flat ground. A camber board will allow for

more points of contact on the snow and is good for turning and

holding your edge. Rocker is what you will see with more park/

jib boards and allows for extra float in powder and you are less

likely to catch an edge, but it will not turn as easily and will be

slower than a camber board. I recommend camber boards for

new riders.

BootsBoots are extremely important to your

set up. I highly recommend buying your

boots in a shop rather than online so you

can measure the comfort that it provides.

If your boots are uncomfortable then snowboarding becomes a

lot less fun very quickly. Your toes should be close to the toe but

not scrunched up against it. If you are looking to race/ speed you

may want to consider a stiffer boot. Lastly boots have different

lace styles and it is really just personal preference. Quick lace

systems will be faster but may come loose more often.

BindingsThis should really be the least of your

concerns out of the three B’s. Cheaper

bindings will get the job done and are a

good way to save if you are on a budget. As you move up in price

you will be able to get more comfort and style and more support

if you are an advanced rider. A medium to high price binding may

also have better straps that are more resistant to freezing and

coming undone. You do want to make sure you buy a size that

fits on your board as well as your boot.

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3.

2.

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The Appalachian State Men’s Ultimate team

looks to build off some of their late season

mistakes last year as they begin their 2014-

15 campaign. Although the Nomads lost some

key players, Mark Stumpf and Justin Allen,

they look to a strong rookie class as well as

determined veterans to pick up where they

left off. The Nomads are also adding a coach,

Eric Woolridge. Woolridge is coming off an

impressive summer of Club Masters play,

which was capped off with winning the World

Ultimate Club Championships in Lecco, Italy.

Starting the season on the right foot is very

important to the Nomads and they plan

on doing this as they travel to Charlotte to

compete in Bank Run next weekend. At this

tournament the Nomads will face off against

in section opponents from across the state,

and although they will be playing as x and y

squads, still look to win the championships.

However, mindset behind sending two

squads to this tournament is clearly rookie

development. With the amount of athletic first

year players that have come to practice the

sky is the limit for this program.

At Bank Run a major goal for the first year

players is to become comfortable being

uncomfortable. This may sound like an

oxymoron, but in Ultimate, players are always

put into unique situations they can’t prepare

for. All they can do is to become comfortable

being uncomfortable. To prepare for this,

a high priority at Nomad practice is to get

rookies involved on the field and in situations

they might not have seen before. This is

an area where the addition of Woolridge is

really paying off. With only a few practice

days before Bank Run, Woolridge or Ewoo

as the players call him, is pushing the

team to work harder than they ever have

before. For anyone interesting in playing for

the Nomads please email the captains at

Appalachianmensultimate@gmail.com.

WRITTEN BY RYAN SCHANZ, SECRETARY

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STARTING THE SEASON ON THE RIGHT FOOT IS

VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NOMADS

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The start of the Fall 2014 semester has

been an exciting time for the women’s

lacrosse team. With large numbers and a

remarkably high skill level, the semester

is looking up for this dedicated group

of girls. The team is getting excited

to be hosting their third annual home

tournament, taking on a new name as

the “Yosef Fall Classic”, this September.

This year, 6 teams will be joining App

State right off the beautiful Blue Ridge

Mountains for a weekend of non-

conference fall-ball. The teams from

all over the East Coast, include ECU,

Charlotte Women’s Lacrosse Club, UNCC,

UConn, Lynchburg, and Radford. Though

slightly exhausted, the officers are

feeling especially proud of the hard work

they have all contributed in making this

tournament the success it is bound to

be! Come support App Lax on September

27th and 28th at State Farm Fields!

WRITTEN BY CAROLYN GENAY, PRESIDENT

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