Sports & Health

October 9, 2020


September COVID-19 NFL Update

Tips To Relieve Stress

By Mason Burch | Photo by Daniela Paris

By Diza Pandey | Photo by Diza Pandey

While some local clubs allow kids to continue playing sports, the NFL continues play with stringent regulations.
While some local clubs allow kids to continue playing sports, the NFL continues play with stringent regulations.

The NFL season has been altered drastically because of Covid-19. According to ESPN.com, only a few teams had limited fans in the stands. Having no fans has definitely changed TV because in week 1, the viewers could hear all of the players, so many people heard a lot of curse words while watching. After this fiasco, teams not allowing fans pumped in simulated crowd noise, which has been better for younger fans if their parents don't want them hearing curse words.

Covid tests have been frequent and successful so far. According to ESPN.com, the NFL has tested 58,621 people including players, staff and fans. The tests came back with 4 players, 6 staff, and only one fan testing positive, which remains good news for the NFL season. During September, the Washington Redskins football team owner came in contact with someone who tested positive, and quarantined for 2 weeks. So far, however, the NFL season has been going well. Knock on wood, because as of September, playing football in the NFL has been a mostly safe endeavor.
Keeping a gratitude journal can help students savor the good moments in their lives.
Keeping a gratitude journal can help students savor the good moments in their lives.

Take a deep breath, hold it for a moment, and then exhale. Feel more relaxed? Breathing exercises help people relax, and being relaxed can help ease stress. It can also relieve anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. According to mayoclinic.org, relaxation techniques involve refocusing attention on a certain object, calming and increasing awareness of the body. Not all techniques work for everyone. Try to practice relaxation regularly to benefit from it. Many types of relaxation techniques exist, including autogenic, which involves training that works through a series of self-statements about heaviness and warmth in different parts of the body. The process induces a positive effect on the autonomic nervous system, which uses both visual imagery and body awareness to reduce stress.

Mindful meditation constitutes another relaxation practice. Mindful meditation focuses attention on events happening right now in the present moment. Research from helpguide.org shows that listening to soothing music can lower blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety. Blow off steam by listening to more upbeat tunes or singing loudly.

Also, get a move on. All forms of exercise, including yoga and walking, can ease depression and anxiety by helping the brain release good chemicals and by giving the body a chance to practice dealing with stress. Students can go for a quick walk around the block, take the stairs, or do some stretching exercises like head rolls and shoulder shrugs.

Lastly, be grateful for what you have, keep a gratitude journal, or several, to remember all the good parts of life. Use these journals to savor good experiences like something great that happened one day. Don't forget to celebrate accomplishments like mastering a new task at work or a new hobby. When feeling stressed, spend a few minutes looking through those notes to remember what really matters.


September 18, 2020


Covid-19 Infects Sports

By Mason Burch  | Photo by Daniela Paris

Sprinklers spray the empty AFHS football field
Sprinklers spray the empty AFHS football field

In the middle of the professional sports season, Covid-19 first started happening. At first no one worried about it, as players continued playing games with fans, interviewing people, and traveling around the country. At this point, teams still played and the commissioners had no plans to shut down anything.

However, what happened on Wednesday, March 11th, would shock the world and change everything. According to Bleacher Report, Utah Jazz Star Rudy Gobert received a positive Covid-19 test result before the Utah Jazz played a game versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. They cancelled the game, and later that night, the NBA postponed the rest of the season. On Tuesday March 12th, the whole sports world would change.

Fifa cancelled the season, almost every college left the men's basketball league, and the NHL postponed its season. Multiple sports icons tested positive, then all of the sudden people worried about Covid-19 more than ever. Sports shutting down served as a wakeup call to everyone. In addition, the IOC cancelled the 2020 Summer Olympics for the first time since 1944. This shocked the world and changed sports forever.

Fast forward to June 2020, where according to ESPN the NBA and the NHL launched what they called The Bubble, where the players, the teams and everyone would isolate somewhere. They couldn't leave and the entire NBA tournament would take place in Disney World Florida.The NHL would split in two, one conference in Toronto and the other in Edmonton. Now fast forward to today: the NHL made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs, the NBA continued to the second round, and between those two leagues, there have been a total of zero positive tests. The Bubble seems to be working. However the MLB has not used The Bubble, resulting in 41 postponed games. The teams still travel around the country but with no fans. Sports have been heavily altered due to Covid-19, but plans keep changing to accommodate uncertainty.

Will Politics Pressure COVID-19 Vaccine Release?

By Isaiah Landry | Photo by Isaiah Landry

Politicians, including President Trump, meet with scientists to discuss a vaccine
Politicians, including President Trump, meet with scientists to discuss a vaccine

Scientists and medical professionals determine exactly when a new vaccine will be available; however, this year may prove different. On May 15th, 2020, Operation Warp Speed began in hopes of changing the process of vaccine development. According to NPR, "...the Trump administration launched Operation Warp Speed with the goal of delivering initial doses of a safe and effective vaccine by January 2021 -shortening the development time from years to months." Usually it would take years to create a new vaccine, as it first has to go through clinical trial phases before the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) can approve it.

Four phases exist to the clinical trials that determine the outcomes of the drug, including half-life and certain effects, such as if the person feels light headed or sick. Lots of volunteers willing to take the risks would also be needed. The race to find a viable treatment has especially caught the attention of the World Health Organization, and according to BBC News, "The World Health Organization (WHO) is running the 'Solidarity trial' to assess promising treatments in countries around the world." Scientists worry that political influence might make the pandemic worse, such as releasing a COVID-19 vaccine without having the FDA take a proper look into the data, causing great amounts of harm to people. According to The New York Times, "the longer that vaccines are tested before being released, the likelier they are to be safe and effective."

May 27, 2020


Positive Impacts Of Playing An Instrument

By Julia Rowland

With the sudden, newfound, free time that many teens have found, looking into finding a new hobby could be a valuable and constructive use of time. The many benefits that go along with consistently practicing an instrument can be measured in numerous ways. Read on for a list of ways that playing an instrument can leave a lasting positive impact.

Reduced Stress

The National Center for Biotechnology Information published a study on the effectiveness of music to lower stress. The test involved putting volunteers into three groups. Before being exposed to a stressor, each group got exposed to a different stimulus. The experiment exposed those in group 1 to relaxing music, group 2 to the sound of rippling water, and group 3 to no sound. After, they measured their stress indicators. The study showed that those who listened to relaxing music before the stressor had significantly lower cortisol (the stress hormone) levels than those in the other two groups.

More Patience and Perseverance

It can be difficult and may take up a good amount of time, but learning an instrument will give patience and perseverance to performers. According to pianopower.org, "it involves not only your mind but also your body. You will have to learn fingerings and/or chord shapes, develop technique, and memorize new information." Slowly, with consistent practice, people will find themselves getting better. With each new milestone, they gain a small reward for their efforts, and this will keep people motivated. Making music requires endurance. Instead of getting immediate results, people will have to stay determined to get the results that they desire.

Cultivated Creativity

Pianopower.org says, "Music is a language, and the more 'words' you learn the more you will be able to say. You will soon find yourself wanting to apply the information you've learned to create music of your own and express your own voice." Practicing music leads to the cultivation of creativity, which can be extremely important in life. It gives a voice to those who feel like they don't have one. Music creates an outlet to express individuality and have fun in a constructive, creative way.

Stronger Immune System

This may seem improbable, but playing instruments has been proven to have health benefits as well. While investigating the effects of music, physiologists Daniel J. Levitin and Mona Lisa Chanda found that listening to music and playing an instrument betters the immune system. These activities lead to the manufacturing of the antibody immunoglobulin-A. This natural killer cell helps with attacking viruses. If one starts to feel under the weather, just pick up that guitar and start playing.

Plato once said, "Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." Many of those that play instruments would completely agree with his statement. Those who wish to expand their surroundings and enjoy a new hobby should consider investing the time it takes to learn how to play an instrument.

Prejudice Against Mental Health

By Ash Willis

Any person with mental health issues knows the stigmatization that comes with mental health. According to the World Health Organization, one in four people struggle with mental health, which could range from depression to schizophrenia. With mental issues being so common, it raises the question of why they often come with stigmas.

According to mentalhealth.org, mental health problems can make a person's life more difficult, causing many problems with finding work, a steady partner, decent housing, and mainstream social opportunities. Stigma and prejudice only make the situation harder for them, even making their recovery process take longer.

Stigmas form mainly from lack of knowledge or negativity, according to bap.org.uk. Misinformation about mental health has become widespread, causing negative ideas about people who suffer from these illnesses. For example, one of the most widely believed misconceptions remains that people with schizophrenia have violent tendencies, a misconception that has been widely misreported in the media. Another dangerous misconception relates to eating disorders. Many have come to believe that an eating disorder forms as a way to strictly become thin and that people can stop whenever they want and just look for attention. In reality, eating disorders remain complicated and vary person to person; these misconceptions can make people believe that the fault lies with them and they don't try hard enough to stop it, or that they simply seek attention.

Organizations like Time to Change have been making efforts to educate specific groups on mental health. They mainly focus on teachers, police officers, and those in the field of medicine. Many organizations have people share their stories, which helps greatly in showing the faces of those who have these illnesses. Many groups also target the media; helping educate the media assures that no misleading or incorrect information about those with mental illness encourages the continuation of stigma.

Many who have been diagnosed with mental illness received a diagnosis as teens. The biggest diagnoses for teens remain anxiety and depression, each an umbrella term for many different and complicated illnesses. According to an AFHS Freshman student who wished to remain anonymous, "All the staff members and teachers treat me nice and they're all very helpful and there for me if I ever need anything or if I have any problems." However, when asked if AFHS properly tends to its students with mental problems, the student said, "not all the time, but sometimes I think our school doesn't really think about how others feel sometimes but some of the teachers I've had at this school try to help and understand how we feel and help us as much as they can, and some just kinda act really rude when they try to help and things like that."

AFHS still has some work to do on cutting down stigma in the halls, but does have the foundations to really make a difference for students. If having problems or need to learn more about how to help people with mental illness, the counselors at Student Services can help. Students can make appointments on the school website, or by going to Student Services.

How Sleep Can Benefit You

By Madison Deane

Sleep indicates a very significant state of wellness that helps lead to many successes and specific health regulations. The University of Michigan has studied student's knowledge of sleep and the strong outcomes students experienced throughout the research. "The amount of sleep that a college student gets is one of the strongest predictors of academic success," states the University of Michigan's Health Service program. Researchers have gathered information from students, combining different voices of knowledge and thoughts on how beneficial sleep can be.

One factor of how sleep benefits individuals starts with the number one reason, keeping the immune system healthy. Students stated that they have been more likely to get sick or catch a little virus when sleep deprived. Being under the weather can cause students to miss out on social activities, classes, and other important events.

Adequate sleep also leads individuals to enhance their productivity. According to the University of Michigan, "Getting quality sleep boosts productivity, which can free up time for friends, hobbies, or more sleep." Significantly, students can develop smart time management skills as well by applying themselves to a task when more aware and alert.

One last, but most important, factor of restful sleep would be the benefits of regulating mental and emotional health. As students begin to take on more challenges through future educational career paths, sleep helps develop strong and stable mental and emotional health, in order to take on challenges that may come their way.

The Department of Health Science of Michigan provides many people with significant "Top Tips" for sleeping. The University states, "Nap! A nap lasting fifteen to forty-five minutes can give you energy; steer clear of all-nighters: staying up all night decreases your ability to process and analyze information, turn off screens thirty to sixty minutes before bed: staring at your TV, or any device can disrupt your natural sleep-wake cycle." Combining all of these into a sleeping schedule will lead to a strong development of a healthy lifestyle.

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