Gator Man Pools – basketball champions

The Anna Maria Island Community Center’s 2013 adult co-ed basketball league finished its season last week. The number four seeded Gator Man Pools team had to take the long road to get to the finals, but it paid off in the end.

In the semi-final game, Gator Man Pools faced the number one seeded Island Sun team. Gator Man was down at the half 23 to 26 and stormed back in the second half to defeat the Island Sun team 60-47

Aaron Dudukes led the way in scoring for the Gator Squad with 22 points. Matt Dwyer had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds and 3 assists. Joe Combs added 12 points and 9 rebounds in the semi-final win.

In the Friday night Championship game, the Gator Squad faced off against the number two seeded Bowes Imaging Center. The game was one of the most exciting championships in adult basketball history.

The first half was back and forth and pretty much a one point game the entire half. In the third quarter, Gator Squad went ahead by a commanding 14 points.

In the final quarter, Bowes Imaging Center battled back to tie the game led by the scoring of Brandon Kern, Jason Mickan and Matt Ray. In the final few minutes though, Aaron Dudukes, Matt Dwyer and Cody Sullivan poured it on to capture the Championship win for the Gator Squad 60 to 54.

The Cinderella number four seed Gator Squad had to defeat both the number one and number two teams to make the sweet taste of championship even sweeter.

To see the final results of all adult sports games and individual statistics check the Center’s adult sports web site at www.hometeamsonline.com/amicc/

Adult Co-Ed Basketball Playoff Results

Bowes Imaging Center 57
Island Real Estate  51

Gator Man Pools 60
Island Sun newspaper  47

Adult Co-Ed Soccer Results

Island Pest Control  3
Pink & Navy Boutique 0

Sato Real Estate 7
Slim’s Place Shootout OT 5

Wash Family Construction  6
1st USA Plumbing Shootout OT 4

Fl. Discount Signs & Wraps  1
Beach to Bay Construction  0

Wash Family Construction  7
Sato Real Estate 4

Island Pest Control  5
Fl. Discount Signs & Wraps  3

Adult Co-Ed Kickball Results

Lobstahs  14
Agnelli Pools & Spa  6

Lobstahs  18
Tyler’s Ice Cream  6

Tyler’s Ice Cream  10
Agnelli Pools & Spa  7

Youth Baseball Results

Beach to Bay Construction  4
Paradise Bagels Café & Catering  3
Beach to Bay Construction Tournament League Champs

 

The value of coaching

You may ask, “I’ve read so much about why becoming vegan or vegetarian is great for your health, animals, the environment and your wallet, but how do you do it? Where do you start?”

I get this question daily. You would think that in a world with so much information on the Internet and Amazon, it would be super easy. When I almost died of a colon blockage 33 years ago, I ran to the health food store and read all five books on fiber. That’s all there was at the time. It was easy to start.

The problem now is there is too much information. What I hear from clients is that information overload paralyzes them. You can immerse yourself in many great vegan books. Or you can attend immersion weekends. Attending a VegFest will give you a literal taste of the veg lifestyle with yummy foods and more information.

But if you want to take baby steps, working with a vegan lifestyle coach can be helpful to get you there quickly. One of the nicest evaluations I ever got when I was a cooking instructor for The Cancer Project at the Community Center here was, “It would take me a lifetime to know what she knows.”

When you hire a lifestyle coach, it is to tap into that tank. Hopefully, the coach has made enough mistakes so you won’t make them. A coach should be able to guide you in a way that fast tracks and helps you avoid common pitfalls.

What to look for? How can you tell if a coach is right for you? It is important to look at background, experience, education and certifications.

I mention my years of teaching cooking classes because of all the things I’ve done, it was the best training. Instructors went to a weekend training, but most of them were drawn to the program like I was. We had been informally teaching others for years. Of all the certifications and training I have, nothing trained me better for vegan lifestyle coaching than prepping and cooking two classes a day, sometimes five days a week, for 60 people.

You may recall from a Sun story, my biggest success was Corkie Carlson, who lost 120 pounds in 8 weeks, never counting a calorie. She had multiple myeloma, one of the more fatal forms of bone cancer. Eight years later, I still hear from her how well she is doing and is still "a raving vegan."

I obtained my personal trainer and running coaching certifications to allow me in that capacity, to ask clients to submit a food diary. I am always amazed when I talk to a client for the first time, she’ll say, “Oh I eat healthy.” Then when she gives me the three-day food diary with a laugh, she reconsiders, “OK, well maybe I don’t eat so healthfully.” Remaining accountable, realistic and honest with yourself is one thing a coach can help you do.

Don’t be afraid to ask what certifications, training and even consistent athletic accomplishments your coach has. Why? Because it shows more than just book knowledge, your coach has walked the talk over decades. It shows a level of commitment that can help you achieve your goals. Maybe your goal is to simply walk in a 5K race knowing that in the weeks before, you got enough protein and energy to address critics who might have said, “You can’t do that.” Or maybe you just want to eat a vegan diet simply to know you are helping a few animals.

It’s also important to know the difference between certified and getting a certificate. Certification includes an experience and education component and requires passing an exam. It allows a practitioner to put letters after his or her name (AFAA, RRCA). In addition, certification requires recertification, which ensures that practitioners stay current in their field. A certificate program typically indicates completion of a course or series of courses with a specific focus.

Some coaches will offer a free half-hour session so that you can ask how the coach will help you identify and achieve your goals. Coaching is about listening. You can tell in that session, how well the coach hears what you want to achieve and the probabilities of that happening.

You can follow Island resident Ellen Jaffe Jones on her Facebook page and keep up with her just released book:,"Eat Vegan on $4 a Day," or her website: www.vegcoach.com. She is also a nationally certified personal trainer and running coach. For training in a gym or private hire, contact Ellen at ejones@vegcoach.com or 941-704-1025.