Community Health Network opens Kids Express at MedCheck Noblesville
Specialized clinic offers expanded hours just for children on weekends  

Community Health Network recently expanded its services to provide a new convenient, affordable weekend care option for children in an outpatient facility.  Kids Express opened this month inside the Noblesville MedCheck, located at 146^th and Cumberland Road.  Open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, Kids Express is staffed by dedicated Community pediatricians, so parents can seek treatment for their child when their normal family physician is not available.  The entrance is accessible on the south end of the MedCheck facility. 

Like MedCheck, Kids Express is designed as a walk-in clinic.  Co-pays are the same as a standard physician office visit.  The clinic is available for the treatment of minor illnesses in children, such as coughs, sore throats, earaches and other common conditions.  

“We wanted to provide our patients with the option to see a pediatrician on the weekend for common illnesses that can’t wait until Monday,” said James Walters, M.D., pediatrician with Community Health Network.  “All our Kid’s Express physicians are board certified in pediatrics and focused on the health and well-being of our young patients.”  

Kids Express also offers convenient online scheduling through the new WebAhead scheduling system.  This system was launched last year at all five Central Indiana MedCheck locations and has now been expanded to include Kids Express.  To schedule an appointment online, patients can go to MedCheckWebAhead.com and select the time and location that is most convenient.

My first year as President of the S.P.O.R.T.S. Board has seen some significant events.  We negotiated a large sponsorship with Community Health and we thank them immensely for their interest in and support of youth sports in Fishers.  The leagues and all the volunteers involved should give themselves a pat on the back as well for making the partnership all that we agreed to and more.  We hope for many more years to come with Community and other sponsors in our area.  

The leagues continue to be successful and we continue to offer a wide array of recreational sports options for the youth of Fishers, adding the wrestling league this year and continuing to look for additional opportunities.  With growth, comes responsibility, however, so the leagues came together and finally approved our first Policy Manual.  These policies and procedures will give S.P.O.R.T.S. the overall guidance needed to determine how to deal with issues that arise among and between the leagues, the community and the athletes.  The leagues themselves decided the rules to which they will all abide, and came up with a huge step forward as we continue to grow in number of leagues and number of athletes. 

I look forward to what I hope will be another, successful year in 2012.  And, as a volunteer myself, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the constant attention to the detail and big picture provided by Lynda and the ladies in the S.P.O.R.T.S. office as well as each of the players, parents and volunteers.  And if you are not volunteering with the leagues, S.P.O.R.T.S., or in any way with the activities of your children, ask yourself “why not” and “can I become more involved in 2012?”  We are ALL busy, and we are ALL raising children and we are ALL working, etc. etc. etc. . . . step up, and VOLUNTEER.

2012 Kohl’s Cup Date Set
Fishers SC is planning to host a Kohl’s US Youth American Cup event the weekend of June 2, 2012. The event will be open to ALL of our recreational teams.  [ more ]  

Recreational Winter Clinics – Session 2
All FSC Recreational Parents: If your son/daughter isn’t ready to put away the cleats just yet we are offering a Winter 2 indoor session for our recreational players this January-February to continue cultivating their love for the game and overall development.  We love to offer our recreational program a more comprehensive experience and this is one piece as they will get quality training from FSC Travel Trainers and within the indoor environment to ensure quality touches.  If you are interested please click the following link to complete registration and payment information.  There are a limited number of spots for each hour offered, so register early or risk missing out.  [ more ] 
Please email Bryan Michel at Bryan.Michel@fisherssc.org if you have any questions. 

Travel Winter Clinics – Session 2
All FSC Travel Parents: If your son/daughter is interested in more than an hour of training per week during the winter sessions, we will once again be offering and additional hour of Striker, GK indoor sessions to supplement team trainings.  All trainings will be led by FSC Travel Directors and within the indoor environment to ensure quality touches in the hour window at Sports of All Sorts.  If you are interested please click the following link to complete registration and payment information ASAP as there are a limited number of spots (28). [ more ]
Register early or risk missing out on these fun/valuable opportunities for touches through the winter; email Bryan Michel at Bryan.Michel@fisherssc.org if you have any questions. 

Fishers SC Online Store is Open
Get your Fishers SC fan apparel now.  Fishers SC is thrilled to offer you high quality club gear through our partnership with Main Event.  [ SHOP NOW ]
Based in Indianapolis, Main Event Merchandise Group is a leading national supplier of event merchandise and fan apparel for organizations ranging from the NCAA, several National Governing Bodies of Sport and many other amateur sports organizations. The company’s soccer market expert is our own Paul “Whitey” Kapsalis, who brings more than two decades of expertise to the table. You can contact Whitey at whiteyk@mainevt.com.

On behalf of the S.P.O.R.T.S. Board and the S.P.O.R.T.S. Office staff, we wish you all a very happy holiday season! 

What a wonderful year it has been!  We had over 11,600 participants in our programs this year!  In order to provide activities for this number of participants, the number of volunteers and the number of hours these volunteers have given to the community is almost beyond imagination!  Just think of all the practices and games that a volunteer had to schedule, the uniforms that were ordered and distributed, the fields that were raked and groomed, the emails and phone calls that were made, the coaches that had to be found, the fields and gyms that had to be cleaned up…and the list goes on and on.  We often get calls in our office asking to speak to league board members, not realizing that every single one is a volunteer.  They are parents like you, but in addition to getting their child ready and transported, or cheering from the stands, in addition to their “real jobs”, they step up to help provide great programs to ALL the children in the community.  Instead of providing “suggestions” to your child’s coach or board member, next time please ask them how you can help!  You will make their day!  Maybe they won’t have to stay after to pick up someone else’s trash, maybe they will have one less email reminder to send out, etc.  And finally, please tell them THANK YOU for all that they do for the kids in our community.  It really is a special community to raise kids!

While we are thanking people, I would like to take a moment to thank the S.P.O.R.T.S. staff for all the work they provide to the families and leagues.  We couldn’t provide our programming without them.  The faces you see, the voices on the phone, the people behind the emails are Diane Summers, Cindy Stewart, Diana Berry, Micci Harris and Teri Lenz.  THANK YOU!

Lynda Carlino, Executive Director

Sports Injury Prevention
The efforts to increase physical activity are paying off.  Over 30 million children now participate in organized sports.  With this increase has come an increase in the injuries we are seeing in young children.  Over 3.5 million children under the age of 14 are treated annually for sports injuries.  Overuse injuries account for half of all injuries in middle school and high school.  

Many factors contribute to injuries in children.  Immature bones are more prone to injury.  Also, pressure from coaches and parents to return does not allow for adequate healing time.  Year round sports and specialization in one sport have been shown to increase overuse injuries.  Injured athletes often get discouraged and want to quit.  70% of kids participating in youth sports drop out by the age of 13, and these children will lose the benefits of athletic activity for a lifetime.  The most common reason kids say they quit sports is because of coaches and parents.   

As healthcare providers, coaches and parents we have a responsibility to help prevent these injuries.  The most important thing we can do is encourage participation for fun and limit emphasis on winning.  It is also important to discourage specialization in one sport.  Finally, it is important to recognize and treat overuse injuries early.  Parents can go to the website www.STOPSportsinjuries.org for more information. 

If your child experiences a sports injury, seek medical attention as necessary.  To find a Community Health Network location near you, visit eCommunity.com or call 800-777-7775.  

Information provided by: Dr. James Kerpsack, pediatric orthopedic surgeon with Community Pediatric Orthopedics & Sports Medicine on the Northeast side of Indianapolis. He is Board Certified in pediatric orthopedics.  His particular area of interest focuses on adolescent sports medicine, hip arthroscopy and limb deformity.  His office is located in the Community Pediatric Orthopedics & Sports Medicine office at 14540 Prairie Lakes Boulevard in Noblesville, Indiana.  He can be reached at 317-621-0370.

Vision Volleyball Club – Fishers-area new volleyball club

For the past three decades, girls’ volleyball in and around Central Indiana has exploded, not only in numbers of participants but in quality. Indiana is now considered one of the top girls’ volleyball states in the country, attracting college recruiters from every conference in all divisions. This advance in the sport is largely attributed to club volleyball. Club volleyball in the Indianapolis area is very competitive. However, not until now has there been an organization and facility dedicated to serving the talent-rich and eager Hamilton Southeastern and Fishers areas.

Vision Volleyball Club just opened its doors at the southwest corner of the 96^th Street and I-69 interchange. Under the ownership and direction of Randy Litchfield, a Hamilton County resident and long-time head women’s volleyball coach at Ball State University, Vision’s mission is to provide high-end training and competition to young women age 10-18. This exciting, three-court location offers terrific convenience to the massive volleyball population living in Hamilton County, and even more specifically Fishers.

Vision’s philosophy begins with a focus on athlete wellness. Training and competing at a high level is critical and cannot be ignored. Vision will also focus on wellness factors such as injury prevention, testing and screening, and advanced performance conditioning. These will be achieved through a partnership with Acceleration Indiana. The ultimate goal is to see athletes leave their high school years healthier and stronger, not damaged.

Vision’s final point of emphasis is to provide an absolute elite, professional coaching staff throughout. Their coaching roster consists of talent from Division 1 college ranks, veteran club ranks, and high level high school coaches. The staff has the ability to assist the athlete become a solid high school player or take it to the next level and compete at the college levels. Director Randy Litchfield and several of his coaches have already directly trained a number of area athletes who have or are competing in the Big 10, Big East, Pac 10 and SEC, to name a few.

Finally, Vision’s focus on a smaller club size means each team and athlete will be part of something ‘elite’. Vision will not carry massive number of athletes. Roster sizes are limited to 10 players. This guarantees lots of repetitions during training. While Vision’s focus is on elite training, travel will be kept within the volleyball hotbeds of Louisville, Cincinnati, Dayton, Muncie and Indianapolis. One exception is that all teams will attend the National Championships in Orlando, FL in June.

For more information on Vision Volleyball Club visit www.visionvb.com.

Cancer Awareness Weekend:  Thank you to everyone who made the Cancer Awareness Weekend on October 1st such a huge success.   We appreciate everyone’s support in helping raise funds for the Dye Family and for cancer research. Please watch a special report of the event on WXIN FOX 59.

Michael Wierciak Sportsmanship Award:  The Fishers-HSE Youth Football League is proud to announce the inaugural Michael Wierciak Sportsmanship Award.

In 1999, Jim Wierciak was among several dedicated and devoted parents and leaders who started the Fishers-HSE Youth Football League. Presently serving over 1250 boys and girls from kindergarten through eighth grade, the League started with 250 players; among them was Jim’s son, Michael.  The League was founded upon a mission to encourage physical and mental growth through keen competition; to emphasize good citizenship and scholastic achievement; and to nurture good sportsmanship through a sense of fair play. Michael Wierciak exemplified the League’s core values of character, teamwork, determination, and sportsmanship during his years as a player and throughout his life.   In August 2011, Michael Wierciak’s life ended tragically. He was 21 years old. To honor Michael’s memory and the contributions of the Wierciak family, the Fishers-HSE Youth Football League proudly established the MICHAEL WIERCIAK SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD. This award will be given annually to recognize one team in each recreational tackle league (3^rd through 6^th Grade) that demonstrates exceptional character, teamwork, determination and sportsmanship in the manner of Michael Wierciak.  The following teams were voted by the league head coaches and commissioners as the 2011 recipients and received sportsmanship medals passed out by Jim and Donna Wierciak and family on Championship Sunday: 

3rd Grade – Eagles, Head Coach Joe Hammond
4th Grade – Steelers, Head Coach Brian Jones
5th Grade – Colts, Head Coach Doug Klink
6th Grade – Packers, Head Coach David Harris  

Rec Tackle League Champions:  Congratulations to the following recreational league tackle champions: 

3rd Grade – Eagles
4th Grade – Raiders
5th Grade – Falcons
6th Grade – Bears 

Border Wars: Congratulations to all of the players who were named to the Border Wars All-Star teams.  Please come out and support the Fishers-HSE teams during the tournament. 

IEFA Knights:  Congratulations to the Knights on an undefeated regular season, 8-0.  Good luck in the state playoffs. 

Sponsors:  Special thanks to all of our sponsors including Allegient, Community Health Network, Fast Signs, Forum Credit Union, F.E. Harding Asphalt, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Sadler Orthodontics, Oaklawn Memorial Gardens, Flanner and Buchanan, Kiddie Academy and 1st and 10 Passing Academy. 

Finally, we would like to thank all of the board members, team moms, parent volunteers, SPORTS, Coach May, Coach Wimmer, Lynda Carlino and Charlene Madden for all of their help this year.

Symptons of a concussion:

Athletes suffering from a concussion should not return to play until ALL symptoms have resolved (during rest and exercise).  Once exercise resumes, the athlete should increase effort only if tolerated.  Complete honesty with parents, coaches, trainers and physicians is the only way for an athlete to keep themselves from serious harm.

If you think your child/athlete has a concussion, seek medical attention right away and keep your child out of play.  To find a Community Health Network physician or medical facility near you, visit eCommunity.com or call 800-777-7775. 

Free IMPACT testing for S.P.O.R.T.S. athletes ages 10-18
August 29-31, 2011
3:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Community Health Pavilion Saxony , 13121 Olio Rd, Fishers
Click here for registration information

IMPACT testing provides baseline levels of brain activity so in the event of a concussion, a second IMPACT test is given to compare to the baseline. 

Information provided by: Dr. Deb O’Donnell, pediatric neurologist, Community Health Network.  Dr. O’Donnell is accepting patients from birth to 16 years of age at her practice, Community Pediatric Neurology, 7120 Clearvista Drive, Suite 3700, on the Community Hospital North campus. Children age 17 and older are seen on a case-by-case basis. To set up an appointment, call 317-621-0110.