Thom, Croton Tigers Building Basketball Momentum by Danny LoPriore
CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – Ian Thom has been around basketball courts since he was born, but the Croton High School junior guard can fill a highlight reel with his performances from plays made just the last two weeks of 2011.
Thom, a sharpshooting guard with long-range shooting and acute ball-handling skills, has helped lead the Tigers to a 6-1 record and two December tournament victories,
one at last week’s Slam Dunk Tournament Boys Challenge and the other at the 32nd O’Neill Holiday Tournamentwhere Croton won the title in the two–day event. The Tigers also took second place in their own William Mayclim tournament, losing their only game to unbeaten Dobbs Ferry.
“Playing in the County Center in the Slam Dunk gave the team a feeling of what it would be like to get there in the postseason. The tournaments helped because we had to win to advance to the championship game.
Playing Dobbs Ferry gave us a chance to see one of the elite teams in Class B," Thom said. "It was a measuring stick to see what we need to work on to play with the top teams. O'Neill is the second best team in Class B in section 9, so it was great to play that kind of competition.”
Thom, who learned basketball at the knee of his father Bill Thom, the longtime coach of the Tigers, scored a team-high 15 points to lead the Tigers to a 53-24 victory over Yonkers in the Slam Dunk Challenge to win the Most Valuable Player award at the Westchester County Center, where the Tigers hope to return for the Section 1 playoff Final Four later this season.
“At the end of last season we had meetings with the coaching staff to identify our strengths and weaknesses,” Thom said. “The players and coaches developed a plan to work towards November and the next season.”
As for his own development, Thom is working on all aspects of his game.
“The team has been working with Rob Baxter, the owner of BX Player Development in the areas of strength, agility, and basketball skills,” Thom said. “Rob was a point guard at Fordham University and owns a business in Binghamton and had a gym in Mamaroneck. We have been working with him for the past three years."
According to Thom, older brother Billy Thom, who is now the director of basketball operations at Davidson College, has also spent countless hours working with him on his skills.
“I also saw a nutritionist, Dr. Robert Silverman from White Plains,” Thom said. “We began working with him last April. He helped change my body type. I went from 18 percent body fat to about 12 percent. This really helped my quickness. In the off season I played AAU with the East Coast Panthers, where my dad and coach Lou DeMello ran the team. We were very focused on the defensive end and that was another area that we targeted coming out of the exit meeting from last year.”
Thom and the rest of the Tigers, led by Wes Turner, Aaron Thompson, Robert Simmons and Tyler Gilman, begin the meat of the season Wednesday at unbeaten Pleasantville (7-0) at 4:30 p.m. with hopes of revisiting the County Center for the Section 1 Final Four.
North Pole to Chappaqua to South Pole: Pat Farmer's Inspiring Run
By Alice Levine
June 21, 2011
Australian Pat Farmer, who is running from the North Pole to the South Pole to try to raise $100 million for the International Red Cross, streamed through Chappaqua this week. Needing relief from pain, he sought out Dr. Robert Silverman, a White Plains-based sports chiropractor and nutrition specialist with over 10 years experience.
Farmer, 49, who served 8 years in Australia’s Parliament, and has raised millions of dollars for causes including Lifeline, Cancer Council and Diabetes Australia. His current marathon, which began April 2, consists of running about 54 miles a day, a feat which is both grueling and physically demanding.
Dr. Silverman was inspired by Farmer’s story and offered his services at no cost. “One of the treatments that often helps runners is Active Release Technique® (ART® ), which breaks up muscle adhesions and helps relieve pain.
I’ve used this technique with Pat and I’ve also recommended nutritional supplements to restore his electrolyte balance. When you’re running over 50 miles every day, your body is under a lot of stress. I’m amazed by Pat’s level of commitment and his altruism; I am happy to help him in any way I can,” said Dr. Silverman. He added that he was especially impressed by one of Farmers’ running accomplishments. “Pat was the first person to run 24 hours vertically, climbing both up and down Sydney’s AMP Tower, a pretty amazing feat,” added Dr. Silverman. That run was equivalent to running up Mount Everest in 24 hours!
Farmer has two goals he is striving to accomplish with his Pole to Pole Run, he says. “I want to raise everyone’s awareness of the importance of supporting the Red Cross and all charities, and of course, encourage people to be as generous as possible. Mother Nature has been particularly destructive this year, with tornadoes and hurricanes. The Red Cross is always there to help people through crises and the role it plays in communities throughout the world is essential.”
The North Castle Citizen Corps Council (NC4), whose members receive training from the American Red Cross to provide shelter and other essential services if an emergency should arise, is familiar with Farmer’s contribution to the Red Cross and his long list of accomplishments.
Farmer ran through Central Park with the Champion System Cyclists and runners from the New York City Fire Department. His day in the city concluded with an honorary celebration at the Australian Consulate, and most importantly, another session with Dr. Silverman! Farmer’s personal goal is to complete the marathon to the South Pole by December 6, 2011.
Please visit poletopolerun.com to make a contribution to the Red Cross. As Farmer expressed, “Every donation, regardless of the amount, puts us closer to the 100 million dollar goal.”
Here’s an interesting fact: The body doesn’t like doing things that cause pain. If it hurts a golfer’s lower back to stretch into a full backswing, their body will instinctively find ways to alter its biomechanics to prevent experiencing that pain again – even if it results in a few extra strokes on the scorecard.
To resolve this crisis and maintain their game, golfers and other athletes will often turn to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. Likewise, other athletes have turned to NSAIDs to deal with pain and inflammation that often is associated with playing sports at an elite or even recreational level…continue
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