Five reasons to celebrate being a Court Monitor

Since this is the Fifth Annual Fast Eddy's Summer BAM Jam, here are five great reasons to volunteer as a Court Monitor.

Court Monitors receive STADIA shorts and special shirts

1. Thanks to STADIA Clothing Court Monitors will get a newly designed pair of court monitor shorts. These shorts have pockets for your keys and cell phone, draw strings and breathable material. And of course, CM will also receive their Court Monitor shirts to go with them.

2. Private parking - this year, Court Monitors will receive special parking passes that put them right in the middle of the action. The Court Monitor parking lot is located right in the middle of the tournament so you can simply park your car and jump right on to your court.

3. Lunch both days - Thanks again to Pita Pit, all Court Monitors will be getting lunch on both Saturday and Sunday. Chicken? Ham and Turkey? You got it!

4. Keep the ball - yep, when you finish up with your court on Sunday you get to keep the basketball that your teams used.

5. And of course, by volunteering as a Court Monitor you are helping out a great community event that helps our local economy and local non-profit organizations. Plus, you get to meet some great people that are volunteering along side of you and the players that are on your court.

All Court Monitors will be provided with training and at the event you have a support staff specifically assigned to provide you with assistance if you need it. Your basic duties include: making sure the correct teams are on your court, getting games started on time, providing information on game rules and insuring that game scores get turning in to the master scoreboard. And if you are interested in officiating games, we can put you on a bracket that includes that as well.

Click here to learn more about being a Court Monitor and to register. When you register you can tell us what size of shirt and shorts you would like and we will be able to contact you about upcoming training options. 

GAME TIME: Week 3 Workout

How are you feeling? Stronger? Faster? Taller? Keep up the good work!

We’re going to talk a little about two types of stretching this week, Static and Dynamic.  Stretching is important! It helps keep our bodies flexible and moving fluidly. If you don’t have stretching in your workout schedule, you’re not getting the most out of your workouts and you’re not at your top playing abilities. Flexibility is affected by age and gender (among other factors), so is especially important as we mature, but it is important at any age!

Static Stretching will:

•  Increase flexibility
•  Increase range of motion
•  Decrease your chance of injury

Dynamic stretching will:

•  Improve explosive power moves.
•  Increases range of movement, blood and oxygen to your muscles.
•  Improve your performance.
•  Decrease your chance of injury.

1) Static Stretching- stretching without movement. You stretch a muscle (or group of muscles) to its farthest pain-free point and then holding that position 30-60 seconds. Ease into it, a stretching sensation and pain are two different feelings so don’t confuse the two.

When to use static stretching: when you have tight, sore muscles and/or after practice. Keep in mind, muscle soreness is not necessarily a bad thing but you want to work the soreness out in order to keep progressing your fitness and performance level.

You need to treat joint soreness differently than muscle soreness. Joint pain can be a sign of injury, which you don’t want to push through. If a nagging pain is not improving and it’s affecting your practice, call me for a free sports screen and one of our ATCs will evaluate what’s going on. Our goal is to keep you playing safely, now and the years to come.

So, if a muscle feels tight, stretch it statically but don’t overstretch, and hold 30-60 seconds.

2) Dynamic stretching- what you want to do before practice or games. It prepares the body for physical exertion and optimal sports performance.

Dynamic Stretching- stretching that involves movement as you move the width of a basketball court.

• Simple leg, arm and trunk motions (with or without the ball) that gently bring you to your full range of motion (ROM).
• Start with small motions and end with big ones, gently propelling your muscles towards their maximum ROM.
• Don’t use jerky or forced movements (this may cause injury).
• Don’t move past the limits of your ROM  but you should feel the muscles stretch as you warm up.

There are great routines for stretching. Here's one you can try:

There is a lot of controversy about stretching but one thing to keep in mind is.....a program with consistent dynamic and static stretching will make you a better player and increase your longevity and the court.

Yours in Sports,
Lorie Allison, LAT, ATC
St Luke’s Sports Medicine
208.484.0730

Top team names (so far)

Every year, some of the most creative team names come across the registration desk. Some are catchy, some reflect pop culture, some reflect a team's outlook and some are just outright funny.

Here are the top five that caught our eye:
Bad Idea
ManChestHair United
Swagg City Ballers
Tofu Substitute
WatchYourHansbrough

Will another team jump into the top five? There is still time to get your team in. Register by Tuesday, July 24 and you could make the list! Click here for the registration page. 

Elite Team's to receive extra benefits

Elite Teams on Idaho Trust Bank Center Court

At this summer's Fifth Annual Fast Eddy's BAM Jam, Elite teams will get more benefits than ever before including private parking, Elite Team check in and prize packed champ packs.

Elite Teams will have their own parking lot reserved for them just a block from their elite courts. Teams will each receive one (1) Elite Team Parking Pass when they check in their team. When Elite Teams check in they will have their own check in table, speeding up your check in process.

At the tournament, each Elite Team game will feature certified officials. And, teams will have a chance to play their games on the Idaho Trust Bank Center Court.

Champions will again be receiving Elite Team Champ Packs, which include Nike Champions shirts, a $40 gift card to Pro Image, a $40 gift card to Sports Authority and a $25 gift card to the Epic Exchange.

Normal registration ends on Tuesday, July 24 so be sure to visit www.bamjamboise.com to get your team registered.

Court Monitors get a first class experience

Our goal at BAM Jam is to give our Court Monitors a first class experience when they volunteer for the summer and spring tournaments. This summer, we've tried to make that experience even better (click here to volunteer or learn more).

Court Monitors are really the underpinning of the tournament. They make sure that games start on time and finish correctly. They get the correct teams playing on the correct courts and they facilitate the flow of the tournament. Each Court Monitor also gets the opportunity to network and interact with the athletes that are participating.

All Court Monitors will receive training to prepare them for the tournament (two different dates are available). They will also receive special Court Monitor shorts and shirts to wear during the tournament. Lunch is provided both days (thank you Pita Pit) and new this year, the first 30 Court Monitors that sign up will get a parking pass located in the middle of the tournament! And, as always, you get to keep the ball that is used on your court.

We are always looking for great Court Monitors. If you are available to help with this important position, please register online so that we can get your correct shirt and short size. Register at www.bamjamboise.com/volunteer. It's a great way to get involved and give back to your community.

GAME TIME: Week 2 workout

By now you should be doing some type of activity 3-6 days a week to prepare for BAM Jam. It just feels good to get out there and move! You don’t have to take a long time but you have to be consistent to make changes in your fitness level. Get your body ready to play! We are going to add some core strengthening to the program we started last week.

Get ready to train your core:

• Strength and power moves begin at the core.
• Improve performance-Core strength will help your jumping ability as well as your balance, agility and endurance.
• Injury prevention-Basketball can be a rough game and nobody likes to be injured.  Stabilize with core strength and decrease your chance of injury.

Core strength will help you hold that screen as well as come off a screen faster and with greater resolve. Don’t know what a plank is?

Hold a straight body position, supported on elbows and toes. Brace the abdominals and maintain a straight body line through feet, hips and head.

For even better results talk to someone who knows yoga or pilates.

Have a great workout and think about the fun you’ll have at BamJam!

Yours in Sports,
Lorie A. Allison, LAT, ATC
Certified Athletic Trainer

• Core 2 X :30 seconds
• Plank
• R plank
• L plank
• Plank with your feet on the ball
• Bicycle
• Flutter Kicks-lay on side, repeat other side
• Cross Overs-lay on back-alternate leg on top

Exercise program provided by Kevin Taylor, MS, ATL, ATC. Head Athletic Trainer for the Idaho Stampede

Now the COOLEST tournament in Idaho

Let's face it: in August it's hot in Idaho. But the fifth annual Fast Eddy's BAM Jam will likely feel a little cooler this summer, thanks to our new location.

Capitol Park provides BAM Jam with shade

Now located right next to Capitol Park, the tournament also features a lot of shade and a full square block of grassy park area where teams and spectators can kick up their feet, enjoy some food and drink and relax in the heart of downtown Boise.

And the layout also provides more shade on the courts. With large overhanging trees, players will benefit from lower temperatures during their games. And don't worry about the trees affecting your game. Unless you are these guys.

We've posted about a dozen photos of the area to give you an idea of what we mean. Click here to see the album we created on Facebook. 

Remember, the normal registration deadline is July 24 so make sure you get your team registered ASAP!

GAME TIME: Preparing for BAM Jam

Entry One: 

Bam Jam: Preparation for Game Day brought to you by St. Luke’s Men’s Health 

If you have not been exercising you should check with a physician before starting your 

program. Build your fitness so you can keep up with the game. 

Are you ready to: 

• Improve your acceleration and speed around the court.

• Improve your range of shots and passes.

• Improve your explosive power - in particular your vertical jump.

Basketball is about quick bursts of speed. You can improve your ability to move the ball, and 

to adjust quickly between offensive posture and defensive posture. We start today with a few 

strengthening and endurance activities and all you need is a ball and your own body weight.

If you haven’t been doing much, start with intervals of 10 seconds for each exercise and 

build as you get into better shape. Allow 30-60 second rest between exercises. 

• Body Weight Circuit  2 x :45 sec each

• Basketball Push-ups (Both hands on the ball)

• Mountain Climbers

• Push-ups

• Wall Sits

• Bench Dips

• Side Lunge

• Basketball Push-up (Left hand on ball, push-up, roll ball to right hand and do another push-up) 

• Burpees

• Lunges

• Squat Jumps

Exercise program provided by Kevin Taylor, MS, ATL, ATC. Head Athletic Trainer for 

the Idaho Stampede