Getting to the Final Four: $140 for Some UConn Students, Multiples Higher for Fans

For 51 UConn undergraduate students, $100 will provide a round trip to Texas for the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four as UConn pursues a National Championship.  For everyone else, the price tag is considerably steeper – and climbing.

UConn’s Undergraduate Student Government is sponsoring a bus to take students from Storrs to Texas this weekend. The bus will depart from Storrs at 6:00 AM on Friday and is expected to arrive in Arlington, Texas no later than 1:00PM Saturday – in time for the early evening game at AT&T Stadium.

The student government is not responsible for meals, lodging or other accommodations at any point during the trip, but will get the fortunate 51 (first come, first served, of course) within shouting distance of the Final Four.  For a shot at a bus ticket, however, students must have proof that they are already a NCAA student ticket holder for the Final Four, showing an email confirmation from the official NCAA purchase process. Student General Admission ticket price:  $40.

Why take the bus? Norwalk-based priceline.com is reporting that the national average airfare to Dallas/Ft. Worth is around $340, but the average round trip airfare from Bradley International Airport is $604.  By comparison, the average round trip fare from the home cities of the other Final Four are less - Jacksonville is $541, $584 from Wisconsin, and $385 from Lexington, priceline.com reported.  The average rate for an economy or compact rental car at the Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport is $60 a day for the weekend dates.

Online ticket aggregator TiqiQ reports that the average ticket price for the two semi-final match-ups on Saturday, as of April 2, is $1,091.81.  (A ticket for just one of the semi-finals runs averages about $595.) The Championship Game ticket for next Monday night is going for an average of $580.70.  That’s a slight drop from earlier in the week, but an increase of about 20 percent over the ticket price a week ago, before the four contenders for the National Championship were determined.

PrimeSport, the Official Ticket Exchange of the NCAA Final Four, lists available tickets ranging from $335.75 in the upper deck of the AT&T Arena to $4,037.50 in Row U facing mid-court.  There remain tickets available.

Compared to the last four years, this is shaping up as the second-most expensive price for NCAA tournament tickets to the final four, behind only last years’ Final Four in Atlanta, Forbes magazine reported this week. Last year, the average price for the semi-final game was $887, which was driven up by three big programs in Louisville, Michigan, and Syracuse, in addition to Wichita State. The lowest price for final four tickets over the last four years was 2011, the last time UConn won the national championship, the magazine reported.

Students holding the prized $40 tickets will not be able to resell them on the secondary market, TIME magazine reported this week. Students from the Final Four competitors - UConn, Wisconsin, Florida and Kentucky - must provide valid student ID’s, verification of purchase, and the originating credit card to gain entry to the Final Four stadium.

The Final Four at AT&T Stadium is expected to bring the largest crowd ever to attend a NCAA tournament game college basketball game. The previous record was the 75,421 people that saw the 2011 Final Four semifinal games at Houston's Reliant Stadium. This year’s Final Four may also break the all-time college basketball attendance record of 78,129, Huffington Post reported.

As for the return trip for the 51 UConn students taking the bus from Storrs, there are two scenerios: should UConn lose on Saturday, the bus will depart from Arlington at 9:00AM on Sunday, April 5. If the Huskies advance to the championship, the bus will depart from Arlington at 8:00AM Tuesday, April 8.  Sleep deprived, at the very least.

Volleyball to Overrun CT Convention Center Twice in 2015; New Event Coming to Hartford

2015 is shaping up as a banner year for the Connecticut Convention Center.  For the second time in the span of a few weeks, the convention center  has announced a new event will be coming to town.  The New England Region Volleyball Association (NERVA) will bring its first-ever Northeast Junior Championships to Hartford over Memorial Day weekend in 2015.

The tournament, featuring junior teams from throughout the Northeast, is expected to bring over 2,000 players, 400 coaches, 75 officials and volunteer tournament staff, and 3,500 family members and fans downtown, from Friday, May 22 through Monday, May 25, 2015.

Better yet, NERVA has committed to holding the event at the venue for the next three years, through at least 2017, with over 3,000 overnight rooms and 1,100 rooms anticipated for the new annual event.

Tournament organizers are planning to fill the facility with 200 teams playing on 25 courts set up inside the Convention Center’s exhibit halls. They have experience in turning the space into an enormous multi-court facility, having held its annual Mizuno New England Winterfest at the facility in January over the long Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, for each of the past five years.

Also on the docket at the Connecticut Convention Center in 2015 is the Museum Store Association national conference, to be held in Hartford for the first time next April.  It is the organization’s first conference in the Northeast in a decade.  They met in 2003 in Philadelphia, and will meet next month in Houston.

Other multi-year contracts continue.  ConnectiCon, which has been hosted at the Connecticut Convention Center since 2005, will return this year and next.  Mary Kay will return to the facility in 2015 and 2016.  And the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA), which has gathered at the Convention Center annually since 2007, will do so again this year and in 2015. The STITCHES-East regional knitting enthusiasts will be back every year through 2017.

“We have always valued our partnership with the Connecticut Convention Center and the Connecticut Convention and Sports Bureau,” states David Peixoto, NERVA Commissioner. “Our partnership has grown to develop Winterfest as the Premier Volleyball tournament in the Northeast. We look forward to making the Northeast Junior Championship just as successful.”

The new four-day event does not require teams to qualify to participate. While it will serve as a season-ending tournament for some, the event will allow for additional preparation to teams continuing on to nationals. Participants are 12-18 years old, as NERVA follows USA Volleyball age guidelines.

Winterfest, which is the largest volleyball tournament held in New England, is designed to showcase female high school volleyball players to college coaches and recruiters from throughout the Northeast.  The event brings in around 6,000 visitors to the area every year.

The New England Region is one of many Regions in the United States that aid in the governing of the sport of volleyball. Regional Volleyball Associations (RVAs) are member organizations of USA Volleyball (USAV). The RVAs serve as the grassroots function for the USAV and individually and collectively serve as a catalyst for USAV functions.

The Connecticut Convention Center is the state’s premier meeting venue and the largest full-service convention facility between New York and Boston. Overlooking the Connecticut River, it features 140,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 40,000-square-foot ballroom and 25,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as ample sheltered parking.

Concern Over Concussions Changes Playoff, Practice Plans in CT High School Football

Concern over concussions is impacting the high school football playoff calendar, and the practice regimen throughout the season.  The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference has voted to increase to one week the minimum time between playoff games a high school team can play.  Previously, high school football games could play two games in less than a week, at times with as little as three days between games.  In making the revisions, which eliminated a quarter-final round next season, the CIAC indicated it would “continue to evaluate possibilities for changes to the regular season and postseason schedule for the 2015 season and beyond.”

In addition, the organization’s Sports Medicine Committee approved policy changes that cut back on “permitted allotment of person-to-person contact time in practice” and are “intended to limit live action,” including:

• Prior to the start of the regular season a coach may conduct person-to-person contact drills up to 120 minutes during practice plus conduct one full scrimmage or seven-on-seven scrimmage per week under game-like conditions.  If a second scrimmage is conducted the time (60 minutes) must be deducted from the 120 minutes allowed.
• From the start of the regular season through Thanksgiving a coach may conduct person-to-person contact drills up to 90 minutes per week.
• During the post season a coach may conduct person-to-person contact drills up to 60 minutes per week.

The Hartford Courant reported that “for the first time, there will be limitations on contact drills in practice throughout the season.”

Guidelines on the Web

The CIAC website includes an 8-page document developed  by the National Federation of State High School Associations, “A Parent’s Guide to Concussion,” which includes the admonition  (in bold type) “when in doubt, sit them out!”.  The policy was revised and approved in April 2013. CIAC is a member of NFHS, which also offers a free on-line course on the subject for coaches and administrators.

The guidelines indicate that “following a concussion, many student-athletes will have difficulty in school.  These problems may last from days to months…”   The guidelines also explain that “At this time we do not know the long-term effects of concussions (or even the frequent sub-concussive impacts) which happen during high school athletics.”

The CIAC website includes a link to the “Sports Medicine & Concussion” information under two drop-down menu categories on the organization’s website: “CIAC for Students & Parents” and “CIAC for Administrators. “  It is not listed among the “CIAC for Coaches” links.

Regarding the schedule changes, Ledyard head coach Jim Buonocore, who serves on the committee that approved the revisions, told the New London Day, "You had teams playing three games in 10 days, which is not healthy." The Day reported that quarterfinal and semifinal games were played the Tuesday and Saturday after Thanksgiving because the playoffs had to be completed in two weeks. The CIAC didn't want to extend the season another week due to weather concerns, and because it would further interfere with winter sports.

The CIAC has changed its high school football playoff format in 2010, and intends to revisit the issue, balancing the traditional Thanksgiving conclusion of the regular season with the health interests of students on teams reaching the playoffs, the realities of New England winters, and the academic and school sports calendars.

Additional information about concussions and high school sports is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Whalers Return to Connecticut - On Lottery Tickets

If you’re wondering why you’re seeing and hearing more advertising featuring the logo and theme song of the defunct Hartford Whalers than the tryin’-to-survive Hartford Wolf Pack, the Connecticut Lottery is the reason.

The lottery is in the midst of a very visible media campaign prominently featuring the sound of “Brass Bonanza,” the former team’s distinctive anthem, and a computer animated rink with the Whalers logo glistening at center ice.

The television and web promotions for the scratch tickets come, coincidentally, as Gov. Dannel Malloy indicated in recent weeks that he’s spoken with “at least two groups” that are interested in acquiring an NHL team about the possibility of relocating or expanding to Hartford.

The Whalers were moved by their owner to North Carolina in 1997, despite solid attendance and a successful season ticket sale drive, after two decades in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League, first in Boston, then Hartford.

Last month, the State Bond Commission approved funds for improvements at the 34-year-old XL Center (formerly the Hartford Civic Center, rebuilt after a roof collapse three decades ago). Improvements will include an upgraded videoboard, a new fan club area, renovated bathrooms, concession stand upgrades, a new bar area within the arena bowl, renovated locker rooms and improvements in handicap accessibility. Construction is expected to take place in the summer and be completed by the start of the 2014-15 hockey season.

The CT Lottery received permission to use the Whalers logo for this promotion from the National Hockey League (NHL), which retains rights to the logo.  The scratch game tickets cost $3 and the maximum winning prize is $30,000.  It is anticipated that 1,200,000 tickets will be sold, and the overall odds of winning a monetary prize is 1 in 3.67.  The game launched at the start of the hockey season last fall, and will continue “until the last top prize in the game is claimed” according to lottery officials.

As of last Friday, there remained two $30,000 winning tickets, 15 tickets with  a prize amount of $1,979, 105 tickets worth $500, and 300 tickets worth $250 yet to be claimed.  More than 7,500 winning tickets between $25 and $100 have also yet to be claimed.

The CT Lottery's use of the Hartford Whalers® logo is a first for Connecticut, according to lottery officials  Other CT Lottery sports branded scratch tickets have included the NY Giants®, NY Yankees® and the Boston Red Sox®.  The last time that the Whalers were front and center on a CT Lottery ticket was in 1992, when the team was still in town.  At the time, “Whalers Power Play” tickets cost $1, with prizes ranging from  $2 to $1,000, including some drawings between periods at Whalers games.

“I have encouraged at least two groups that have expressed interest in acquiring a team to do so and that we would be active participants should they acquire a team and win the rights to that team,” Malloy said last month.  In the meantime, die-hard Whalers fans in Connecticut can buy lottery tickets - as they hope that an even bigger bonanza is in the cards.

Connecticut Skater Seeks Olympic Chance At U.S. Championships in Boston

Timing, as they say, is everything.  For Olympic hopeful Zachary Donohue of Madison, Connecticut, and his skating partner Madison Hubbell of Michigan, a lifetime of training, determination, resiliency and competition will be in full view at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Boston this week.

As U.S. national bronze medalists in 2012, and fourth place finishers at the 2013 U.S. Championships, the ice dance couple is at the cusp.  Three couples will earn U.S. Olympic team slots, to be announced on Sunday. The contest for those positions is expected to be extremely close.

For Donohue, it has been a long and winding road from New Haven and Madison, where he grew up, through New Jersey, Colorado, and Michigan where he trained and lived beginning at age 15, to the U.S. Championships in an Olympic year, just days after his 23rd birthday.

The journey began while visiting cousins in North Carolina, who took him along to go skating at a local spot.  “I was just messing around, imitating what they were doing.  One of my cousins said, “hey, you’re pretty good.”  Unbeknownst to 10-year-old Zach, his athletic ability on blades was mentioned to his mom, who promptly signed him up for a “Learn to Skate” program when they returned home to New Haven. He excelled, and skating soon evolved from a “cool outlet for all my energy” to a more serious interest.

Then at age 13, he grew a foot and a half in a year, and had to reduce his ice time to let his body catch up to itself.  The bones were outpacing the muscles, which made jumps and spins painful.  It was during that time that his love of music and interest in skating merged toward ice dance.

Now 6’2”, 195, Donohue is “tall, long and strong” – all attributes for a powerful yet graceful ice dancer.  Madison “Madi” Hubbell, at 5’8” is taller than many ice dance partners, and together they bring and impressive line to their skating.   The word most associated with their performances is “connection. “ They convey an emotional bond on the ice that is mesmerizing –earning the effusive admiration of commentators describing the fluidity, artistry and technical precision reflected in their routines.

In addition to training seven-days-a-week at the Detroit Skating Club, Donohue coaches skaters in nearby Troy, from 7 year-olds to young adults.  His coaching focuses on everything but dance, an understandable change of pace.  Through the years, he has discovered that he not only enjoys coaching, but choreography as well.  That is not only helpful with his students, but in developing the championship-caliber routines of Hubbell & Donohue.

Perseverance Through Injuries

It has been a stunningly successful and incredibly challenging, injury-riddled year.  Hubbell, out for two months recuperating from a concussion during which doctors precluded her from any exercise whatsoever, fought back and they not only competed effectively but won the coveted 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany, exceeding their personal best scores.  No small task in the best of circumstances; remarkable given the realities.  They had won the same competition two years ago, in their debut season together.

Barely back on the ice, and with pressure-packed competition as skating’s Grand Prix season intensifying, Hubbell has bravely forged through the current season despite a diagnosis of a labral tear, a hip-injury not uncommon in the sport, but incredibly painful, and at times, debilitating.  She has been forthright about the injury, describing the challenges and limitations on their blog, while remaining upbeat and positive.  And despite it all, they won their first-ever Grand Prix medal, and finished fourth at Skate America.

“They just focus, and they’re so supportive of each other.  It is the persistence of an athlete – I’ve worked so hard for this, I’m just not gonna stop.  They both have that,” observes Diane “Dee” Eggert, Donohue’s mother and biggest fan.  Their recent success, in the midst of trying times, comes built on a foundation of trust and confidence that is “essential to any partnership,” Donohue points out.  “Although still a relatively new team, just three years together, it was evident relatively quickly that “all the pieces fell into place” when they got together.  “It takes time to get the kinks out,” Donohue says, but “we have become that well-oiled machine, through a tremendous amount of hard work.”  Hubbell’s determination working through injuries has impressed not only Donohue, but the skating community.

It is an on-ice partnership that was unplanned, but clicked immediately.  Hubbell had skated with her brother at the lower rungs of the skating ladder, and excelled, winning championships and much notice.  When he opted to retire from skating, Donohue was simultaneously ending a previous partnership, which also had brought success.  They found themselves on the same Detroit rink, at the same time, in need of new partners, and a coach off-handedly suggested they help each other out that day by working together.  Hubbell and Donohue haven’t looked back.

Local Roads to National Acclaim

Donohue easily recalls time spent training and practicing at rinks in Cromwell, Newington and Simsbury, as his interest in and dedication to the sport grew.  It was his mom who drove endlessly through central Connecticut to get him to training sessions, coaches, and practice time.  “She’s always been by my side,” Donohue points out, appreciatively.  “Skating puts a lot of stress on parents.”  For those of modest means, especially so.

Employed by the security department at Yale University for nearly 15 years after a career in law enforcement, she added an extra job or two along the way to help meet the relentless expenses of a skating career.  She worked the overnight shift, so days could be spent with her son.  Because of his skating-centric life, Donohue was home-schooled through his teenage years, and college plans remain on hold for now.

Beyond the ever-present skating, he has interests – and talent - in music and culinary arts, in addition to coaching and choreography.  When Zach was 12 years old, he was selected as the singer to open a show at the Shubert Theater in New Haven, and his mom marveled at his ability to sing in front of an audience of nearly 500 people.  Entertaining crowds has always been something he’s comfortable with.  “He’s my cheering section, and I’m his cheering section,” she says proudly, recalling his growing success and relentless tenacity.

At every turn, she concluded “how can I stand in the way of his whole career,” as he proceeded to pursue the next step in the dream.  She recalls vividly when she once broached the subject of giving up skating, as a youngster.  “Well, there was just no way.  He said he’d run away from home, sleep on the ice, and drive the Zamboni if he had to.  That’s when I knew how much skating meant to him.”

At 15, he moved to New Jersey where he lived in his coach’s home and trained during the week, returning to Connecticut on weekends.  By 17, he was moving to Colorado to work with a new coach as his development and advancement continued.  While there, he had an opportunity to work with ice dance legend Christopher Dean, among his icons in the sport.

“It’s a sacrifice you make,” Eggert says, reminiscing about the Christmases, Thanksgivings and other holidays where Zach hasn’t quite been able to make it home.  Donohue’s mom and Hubbell’s mom talk regularly, provide support and encouragement as needed, and look ahead.  Whether or not they are selected for the Olympic team, other goals beckon, including the World Championships later this Spring, and noteworthy competitions thereafter.

“There are days it’s hard but then you get to the competition and you realize it’s all worth it,” said Donohue.  “There’s never a day I don’t love it.  I love being on the ice.”

Artistry and Athleticism

The music for their Short Program, to be skated on Friday, will be a “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy,” medley featuring the quickstep, foxtrot, and Charleston. For the free dance (long program) the next day, “Nocturne into Bohemian Rhapsody.” The music has been well received by audiences this year, and Donohue is pleased with his role assisting in the choreography.  “I’m stubborn and outspoken,” and thereby earns a say in choreography decisions.

“He and Madi both feel the music.  It’s a gift.  Even when he was young, when he was practicing and someone else’s music would start, he’d skate away to the music.  It’s been that way since day one,” Eggert recalled.

Four years ago, Donohue was in juniors, with a different partner on the ice.  Today, he is on the brink of the Olympic dream becoming reality.  What will fans see in Boston?  A “better-than-ever version” of performances that earned top honors in Germany, even as extremely talented American teams vie for coveted Olympic slots.

“We’ve been working on our lifts and elements, and becoming stronger, faster and lighter.” Donohue admits to some nervousness prior to skating competitions, but that is quickly eclipsed by confidence as the music begins.  The training regimen, from intense cardio to a relentless series of physically demanding exercises, is unending but essential.  Injuries have required adjustments, but no stoppage.

The contrasts in skating can take your breath away.  The unique combination of artistry and athleticism makes it a singular sport - also unique in that a man and woman are paired in competition.

Not to get ahead of the story, but the 2014 Olympics will have an attractive new feature – the first-ever figure skating team event, similar to the team competition in gymnastics.  That will provide Olympic skaters with an opportunity to medal not only in individual events, but as part of a team – and Team USA is expected to be very much in the running.  If all goes wonderfully in Boston, Madi and Zach – described by his mom as “two peas in a pod” - will be, too.

College Coaches Are Highest Paid Public Employees in 40 of 50 States, Including CT

When UConn announced the hiring of Bob Diaco as new head football coach earlier this month few flinched at the compensation – a reported five-year $8 million contract.  Diaco, who served on the Notre Dame coaching staff as the defensive coordinator for the past four years and the assistant head coach for the past two, was the 2012 winner of the Frank Broyles Award, given to the top assistant college football coach in the country and was the first Irish assistant to receive the prestigious award. He was a semifinalist for the award in 2011.

Earlier this year, the Yankee Institute for Public Policy compiled a list of the highest paid state employees, and three UConn coaches led the list:

• 1. Calhoun, James A., Men's Basketball Head Coach, UConn $2,865,769
• 2. Auriemma, Geno, Women's Basketball Head Coach, UConn $1,829,052
• 3. Pasqualoni, Paul L., Football Head Coach, UConn $1,613,920  (dismissed as coach earlier this fall)

As it turns out, that is not unusual.  According to data compiled by the website Deadspin, the ranks of the highest-paid active public employees in states across the country include 27 football coaches, 13 basketball coaches, one hockey coach, and  10 state employees with responsibilities outside of athletics.  That’s 80 percent of the states with a public employee salary roster led by a coach.

Perhaps surprisingly, the states of New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are among those where a college president, law school dean medical school dean or department chair top the state employee salary list.  In Rhode Island, it is the men’s basketball coach, and in Connecticut, with the retirement of Jim Calhoun, the leader is now women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma.

Last December, UConn and head men's basketball coach Kevin Ollie, a 1995 UConn graduate,  announced a new agreement to run from January 1, 2013 through April 15, 2018.  Under the coaching contract, Ollie receives a base salary of $400,000 per calendar year and for 2013 he will receive $800,000 for institutional speaking engagements and media related appearances for a total of $1,200,000, according to the University's announcement. The payment for institutional speaking engagements will increase by $50,000 each year. Ollie's total compensation for each year of the agreement will be: 2013-$1,200,000; 2014-$1,250,000; 2015-$1,300,000; 2016-$1,325,000; 2017-$1,340,000; 2018-$502,500 (annualized from Jan. 1-April 15).

The website reports that “looking at data from 2011-2012, athletic departments at 99 major schools lost an average of $5 million once you take out revenue generated from "student fees" and "university subsidies.”

Rounding out the top 10 list in Connecticut, as of 2012:

• 3. Onyiuke, Hilary Chief, Division of Neurosurgery UConn Health Center $1,030,732
• 4. Nulsen, John Director, Center for Advanced Reproductive Services, UConn Health Center $917,373
• 5. Makkar, Hanspaul Chief, Division of Pediatric Dermatology, UConn Health Center $916,600
• 6. Whalen, James Vice Chair, Dermatology UConn Health Center $884,602
• 7. Laurencin, Cato CEO, Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, UConn Health Center, $701,576
• 8. Herbst, Susan ,President, UConn $612,500
• 9. McFadden, David, Chief, Department of Surgery, UConn Health Center $576,923
• 10. Manuel, Warde Athletic Director UConn $551,305

Charities Receive Record-Setting Contributions from Travelers Championship

Charitable organizations associated with the Travelers Championship, Connecticut's only PGA TOUR event, were well-served in 2013 - the event generated a record $1,253,000 for 180 charities throughout the region.

It is the largest annual amount the tournament has given since Travelers became title sponsor in 2007, helped in part by 2013 winner Ken Duke who made a personal donation of $25,000 during the tournament’s closing ceremonies following his playoff win in June.

The Travelers Championship donates 100 percent of net proceeds to charity and offers a variety of fundraising programs that allow for community involvement. Duke, who won his first PGA TOUR event at the 2013 Travelers Championship, attended last week’s announcement at The Bushnell, where Travelers recognized his generosity by donating an additional $10,000 to the charity of his choice.

Hundreds of organizations have benefited from the charitable giving of the Travelers Championship, most notably The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. Founded in 1988 by Paul Newman, the Camp is dedicated to providing "a different kind of healing" to children and their families coping with cancer, sickle cell anemia and other serious illnesses. Through summer sessions and family weekends at the Camp in Ashford, Conn., and year-round outreach to hospitals and clinics across the Northeast, the Camp serves more than 20,000 children and family members annually. All services are provided free of charge.

The 2013 Travelers Championship benefited 180 charities through hundreds of thousands of dollars raised in the Birdies for Charity pledge-based fundraiser and the Chip In for Charity ticket-sales fundraiser. Additionally, the Travelers Championship raised awareness and funds for local charities through a variety of special events like the Birdies for the Brave Golf Outing, BlumShapiro 5K for Charity, Premier Limo First Tee Classic, Military Appreciation presented by Saint Francis Care, Golf Digest Junior Pro-Am, Northstar Wealth Partners Celebrity Mini Golf Tournament, Women's Day presented by Travelers, Powerstation Events Concert Series, and the LEGO® Children's Charity Golf Tournament.

Since 2007, the tournament has generated more than $7 million for charity, bringing the total giving since 1952 to more than $31 million.  For the fifth consecutive year, CohnReznick was the presenting sponsor of Birdies for Charity, by supporting administration of the program and contributing to a bonus fund for the charities that raised the most money. New this year, the bonus bucks pool increased from $15,000 to $50,000 to be distributed among qualifying nonprofits.

 "We are thrilled to be giving more than $1 million to charity for the fifth consecutive year, which wouldn't have been possible without the sponsors, volunteers and fans who support our event," said Travelers Championship Tournament Director Nathan Grube. "This record donation is a testament to the support the community gives in making our tournament one of the top sporting events in the Northeast. As we look ahead to 2014, we encourage everyone to continue to show their support."

Preparation has already begun for the 2014 Travelers Championship, which will be held from June 16 to 22 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell. More information is available at www.TravelersChampionship.com

WNBA Leads Major Sports in Gender, Racial Diversity; Baseball Mirrors Society Best

The WNBA received a combined grade of A+ for race and gender diversity, after earning and A+ for race and an A+ for gender in the 2013 WNBA Racial and Gender Report Card, produced by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES) based at the University of Central Florida.

The study provides an analysis of the racial breakdown of the players and management in the league office and at the team level. It also looks at team general managers, coaching staffs and other support personnel.

Meanwhile, the Institute’s comparison of the racial breakdown of players in major league baseball, the National Football League and the National Basketball Association, also released this month, shows that baseball has a demographic breakdown that more closely reflects the nation’s demographics. But the most diverse league – in terms of players as well as the front office – is the WNBA.

Richard Lapchick, the director of TIDES and primary author of the report, said, “The WNBA continues to set the standard for racial and gender diversity amongst all professional leagues.”

Among the key statistics compiled by TIDES highlighting the WNBA:

• At 67 percent, women held the highest percentage of assistance coaching positions in the history of the WNBA, setting a new mark for the second consecutive year.
• The percentage of people of color holding professional level staff positions in the WNBA League Office increased from 29 to 33 percent while the percentage of women increased by 8 percentage points.
• WNBA players of color increased by five percentage points in 2013.
• Nine women and seven people of color had ownership positions on a WNBA franchise in 2013.  Most were limited partners.
• The number of women in the top management role increased from two to five women CEO/Presidents from 2012 to 2013.

Locally, of the 24 individuals highlighted on the Connecticut Sun website as members of the team staff, 12 are women and two are individuals of color.  The CEO and VP/General Manager are men, and the head coach, Anne Donovan, is a woman.

Laurel J. Richie, the first woman of color to become president of a professional sports league, continued the WNBA’s tradition as professional sports’ most diverse organization.  Richie, a veteran marketing executive, brought more than three decades of experience in consumer marketing, corporate branding, public relations and corporate management, when she was appointed President of the WNBA, in 2011.

Many would argue that baseball is no longer "America's Pastime", but strikingly the racial composition of the average major league team corresponds almost perfectly to their proportions in American society, the Institute noted.“It truly is the game that looks like America the most, the other major sports leagues do not even come close,” the organization pointed out, as reflected in an Infographic on the website visually.

The WNBA Racial and Gender Report Card is the third report issued thus far in 2013 after the releases of the reports on Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association earlier this year.

Concussions in NFL, Youth Sports Earn Attention from Media, Government, Coalition

A number of the nation’s most prominent youth sports organizations announced this week that they will be partnering with concussion specialists, sports medicine professionals and leaders at other levels of sports to create an unprecedented coalition to focused on concussions among young athletes.

The announcement comes the same week as a major report on the NFL’s two decades of denial of a connection between football and brain injury, aired on Public Broadcasting System (PBS) stations across the country, including in Connecticut, as part of the investigative “Frontline” series.

The National Sports Concussion Coalition expects to be "the most comprehensive alliance of its kind", with science and medical leaders in the fields of concussions, brain injury and sports medicine working directly with a cross-section of organizations and governing bodies that represent millions of athletes across major organized sports in the United States. The partnership aims to share data and identify best safety practices that can assist in coaching, playing and officiating across sports.

To help ensure the health and safety of young athletes, this past spring the federal government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed the Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports initiative to offer information about concussions to coaches, parents, and athletes involved in youth sports. The  initiative provides important information on preventing, recognizing, and responding to a concussion.  A series of fact sheets and an informational video for players, coaches and families are available on the CDC website, www.cdc.gov/concussion.

The founding youth sports and medical members of the newly formed coalition include the National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS), Pop Warner Little Scholars, Sports Concussion Institute (SCI), US Lacrosse, US Youth Soccer, USA Hockey, American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Amateur Softball Association/USA Softball, USA Basketball, USA Football and the Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention. Coalition partners at the professional, college and foundation levels include the NCAA, NFL, NFLPA and National Football Foundation.

Connecticut Law

Just two weeks ago, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Attorney General George Jepsen issued a news release reminding student athletes, parents and coaches that head injuries and concussions are serious and that Connecticut law requires students who suffer a blow to the head or receive a concussion diagnosis to sit out games and practices until cleared by a licensed medical professional.

“A concussion is a very serious injury, and an athlete who has suffered a concussion needs time to heal,” said Attorney General Jepsen. “While proper use of helmets and protective equipment is important, it’s critical to remember that no helmet can fully prevent a concussion. Preventing head injuries by limiting contact is key. Parents, athletes and coaches should educate themselves in order to recognize the signs of injury and prevent concussions in youth sports.”

Under Connecticut law, anyone who has a state-issued coaching permit and who coaches intramural or interscholastic athletics must be periodically trained in how to recognize and respond to head injuries and concussions. State law also requires coaches to take a student athlete out of any game or practice if the athlete shows signs of having suffered a concussion after an observed or suspected blow to the head or if the athlete is diagnosed with a concussion. Coaches must keep athletes out of games and practices until receiving written clearance from a licensed medical professional.  Connecticut's youth sports concussion safety law was signed on May 18, 2010 by Governor M. Jodi Rell, and the state was among the first in the nation to enact a comprehensive policy.

 “Sports have the power to change the lives of millions of young people in this country by encouraging a physically active lifestyle and by teaching lifelong lessons. We want to make sure no child loses that opportunity due to fear of injury,” said Jon Butler, executive director of Pop Warner Little Scholars. “By coming together in this very important fight against concussions we believe our collective efforts will transcend our individual sports and benefit everyone.”

"The NCAA is committed to broad concussion education outreach, and to research that will identify objective biomarkers and sound management guidelines. We are excited about our partnership in this important alliance," said Brian Hainline, M.D., chief medical officer of the NCAA.

Documentary Production

The PBS program “League in Denial” began as a joint effort between PBS and the ESPN program “Outside the Lines,” announced in 2012.  Earlier this year, ESPN removed itself from the collaborative endeavor.

In a statement at the time, the network said “Because ESPN is neither producing nor exercising editorial control over the Frontline documentaries, there will be no co-branding involving ESPN on the documentaries or their marketing materials. The use of ESPN's marks could incorrectly imply that we have editorial control. As we have in the past, we will continue to cover the concussion story through our own reporting.”

The Bristol-based sports network has initiated major stories on the concussion issue in recent years, and ESPN reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru have written a book – published this week - about football and brain injuries -- "League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth," and are prominently featured in the PBS program.

Hartford Marathon Prepares for Hand-off to New Title Sponsor

More than 1200 volunteers, 30 bands and local entertainers, and thousands of participants and spectators will flood into the Capitol City on October 12 for the annual ING Hartford Marathon.  It will be the last time they do so under the ING banner, as the company is not renewing its sponsorship of the race after this year’s edition, their sixth as title sponsor.

This year’s race is expected to attract 18,000 runners and 57,000 spectators.  Prior to ING, United Technologies had been the title sponsor, following Aetna in the lead role since the race’s inception.  The Hartford Marathon has served as an increasingly impactful economic stimulus to Greater Hartford, helping to fill hotel rooms, bars, restaurants, and other tourist attractions throughout the region.

In 2012, the marathon brought in at least $11 million of economic value to the Hartford area, according to an analysis by Witan Intelligence Strategies Inc. About 29 percent was spent on lodging, 26 percent on recreation, and 20 on percent meals. The remaining expenses were for transportation and shopping, the Hartford Business Journal reported.

ING U.S., with major operations in Windsor, will end its association with the state's signature running event as it separates from its Dutch parent and rebrands into a new company — Voya Financial.  ING U.S. is also dropping its title sponsorships of races in New York and Miami. ING employs more than 1,700 people in the state, mostly in its Windsor campus on Day Hill Road.

The Hartford Marathon Foundation is already searching for a new 2014 title sponsor, which it hopes to have in place by the end of this year.

ING will have 200 volunteers at this year's event. ING staffers will anchor water stations, hand out material (including medals for participants), and assist in various capacities.  Water and carbo fluid stations are to be located at mile 2, mile 4 and every mile thereafter on both the the Marathon and Half Marathon courses, officials say.

In addition to more than a dozen major sponsors drawn from the ranks of Connecticut’s leading corporations (including United Technologies, Hartford Hospital, Power Station, legrand, Aetna, Travelers, Baribault Jewelers and Executive Auto Group), volunteers each year include staff members from Connecticut businesses, community groups and organizations that devote volunteers as a group service effort.

In addition to the Hartford Marathon, ING also sponsors Run For Something Better, a program that encourage kids to participate in the sport of running and make healthy lifestyle choice.  Participants in the initiative run various times per week in the weeks leading up to the race, and then arrive on marathon day to complete their final mile.

In addition to the race itself, numerous associated activities have grown up through the years.  For the first time last year, the “Mile Barkers", members of Sea Tea Improv of Hartford performed at mile markers as runners pass by. They’ll be back this year.  A new "Psyching Team" is available before race day, at the start, on the course and at the finish.   Hartford's Post-Race is "one of the best in North America," says The Ultimate Guide to Marathons.

The event has also developed a national reputation for extensive greening initiatives.  New this year are collaborative efforts with the UCONN EcoHusky Club and EcoHouse Learning Community and Hartford's Knox Park.