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La Crosse Area

Sports CommissionSports Commission WWW.LACROSSEAREASPORTS.COM

ISSUE NO. 13 - APRIL 2011

LOCAL AREAEVENTSCALENDARINSIDE

THE ALL NEWGUNDERSEN CUP:

SOCCER ON A MISSION!

MAYHEM IN LA CROSSE! Unique SportGrowing in La Crsse Area!

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ISSUE ThirteenAPRIL 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EDITORIAL CONTENT

5 :. RECREATION DESTINATION

3 :. NOT YOUR TYPICAL VALLEY GIRLS

7 :. CALENDAR OF EVENTS

A location to rent equipment and learn where the best outdoor recreation spots are is closer than you think.

See what’s happening around the area.

Take a closer look at the Mississippi Valley Mayhem to see what flat track roller derby is all about.

6 :. CLEAT UP FOR A CAUSEThe first annual Gundersen Cup will benefit a local

soccer association and Gundersen Lutheran.

HeartHealth & Wellness

Festival

Heartto

Come to the Heart to Heart Health & Wellness Festival and enjoy a variety of fun activities to get you active and healthier. It includes a Heart Walk to raise your heart rate, awareness and money in the fight against heart disease. Check out the booths, demonstrations, car show, games, raffle, food court, music and more. Proceeds benefit heart disease prevention programs and services of Gundersen Lutheran Heart Institute.

Heart Walk registration and event details are online at gundluth.org/heartwalk. For questions, e-mail HearttoHeart@gundluth.org or call (608) 775-3994.

Gundersen Lutheran’s

Heart to Heart Health and Wellness FestivalJune 11, 2011, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Gundersen Lutheran Onalaska Campus

Games played at “Fields for Kids” soccer complex 2500 Hauser Street, La Crosse

The Gundersen Cup:June 10 –12

Strap on your shin guards and tie up your cleats! The first Gundersen Cup is quickly approaching. It’s a soccer jamboree, open to all ages, to benefit Gundersen Lutheran Global Partners and Coulee Region United Soccer Association. Gather your team and register by May 13.

Visit gundersencup.org for a downloadable registration form and more information. E-mail gundersencup@gundluth.org or call (608) 385-1076 with questions.

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Look out La Crosse. The Mississippi Valley Mayhem are here to play, and they play rough. This local flat track roller derby team is in its third season and doing every-thing it can to spread the roller derby love throughout the community.

For those unfamiliar with the sport, flat track roller der-by is a high action, hard hitting game that takes place on a flat roller rink. During each game, or bout, five women from each team are allowed on the track at a time: three blockers, one pivot and one jammer. A bout consists of two thirty minute periods, and within each period there are an unlimited number of jams. A jam is a scoring period that can last up to two minutes. Confused yet? Don’t worry, learning the lingo is half the battle; it’s easy to catch on to actual game play.

Points are awarded for each time the lead jammer passes the pack consisting of both teams’ blockers and pivots. The jammer who makes it past the pack first is given the title of lead jammer, and she is the only one who can score during the jam.

To start each jam, two whistles are blown: The first al-lows for the pack to take off and the second signals the jammers to take off. Pivots set the pace of the pack and wear a stripe on their helmets. Jammers wear starred helmets. Once a jam is over the teams get back into po-sition and the process starts over.

With so much blocking and passing on roller skates, falls are bound to take place during bouts. This is part of what makes watching roller derby so entertaining. The other part is the personas put on by everyone involved. Face paint, intimidating makeup and nick names such as EmaLeethal give the roller derby community a per-sonality of its own.

But there’s more to the Mississippi Mayhem than cra-zy outfits and punk personas. The team aims to better the community and act as positive female role models. Each home game benefits a different charity; one game held in January benefited the National Federation of the Blind. “We’re trying to give off a positive vibe so we can be good role models for the community,” says team co-founder Amanda Boucher, better known as The Am-busher.

Not your typical valley girls

Mississippi Valley Mayhem show La Crosse what roller derby is all about

By Lauren Seidl

Photo by Krissa Valentine-Harnish

Photo by Krissa Valentine-Harnish

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Boucher knew she had to become involved in roller der-by after watching a few bouts. “When you first look at it, it looks like brute force,” Boucher says of the sport, “But then you start playing mind games and reading body language. Ninety-five percent is using your mind. It’s very mentally stimulating.”

Boucher believes that when women watch roller derby, they either have to play or they don’t; the love of the sport is black or white. And for all of the women on the Mississippi Valley Mayhem, participating in roller derby was a must. “All of these women are professionals, mothers, wives,” says team member Jenneral Payne, “It’s our release. Our ‘me’ time.” Most women who joined the team had no experience with roller derby and little experience skating. “It takes will power,” Boucher says, “You have to work really hard and you’re going to get bruises.” These women are showing girls that they can give back to the community by doing something other than wearing a sash and tiara. Females can turn to flat track roller derby for something that’s both fun and athletically-stimulating.

Bouts for the Mississippi Valley Mayhem take place at the Omni Center and usually begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $7 at the door for adults and $5 for children ages 3-12.

Fans are encouraged to bring chairs with rubber feet or cushions to sit track side with no additional cost. Consessions are available during bouts played at the Omni Center

Mississippi Valley Mayhem Schedule 2011Home:>April 15 - MVM vs. Mad Rollin’ Dolls’Unholy Rollers (Madison, WI)>May 28 - MVM vs. TBD>June 18 - MVM vs. Northstar Rollergirls Northern Lights (Minneapolis, MN)

Away:>Apr. 2 at Harbor City Roller Dames (Duluth, MN)>May 7 at Rockford Rage (Rockford, IL)>May 21 & 22 at Brewhaha Tournament (Milwaukee, WI)

Photo by Krissa Valentine-Harnish

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Now the the temperature is finally on the rise, every-one is looking for ways to spend some time enjoying the great outdoors. With an area as beautiful as the Coulee Region, the possibilites of outdoor adventures are end-less.

But not everyone is aware of where the best hiking trails are or where it’s safe to drop a canoe into the river. Those who do know of great areas to enjoy some recreation may not have the equipment to do so. One great go-to spot for the tools and know-how of outdoor activities is the Outdoor Connection.

The Outdoor Connection, or OC, is located inside the Recreational Eagle Center on UW-La Crosse’s cam-pus. The OC is stocked with camping and backpacking equipment, canoes, kayaks, bicycles, roller blades and much more to kick-start any fun to be had outside.

Equipment rental is available for anyone to take ad-vantage of, not just UW-L students. Renting is easy and prices are reasonable. An OC employee can help adventure-seekers find exactly what they’re looking for. Recent renovations made the renting experience more customer-friendly by making it simple for renters to see all the equipment themselves.

Rental lengths range from one day to one week, with prices varying accordingly. The OC also rents out bike racks, canoe racks and roof top carriers for anyone who needs assistance transporting equipment. Employees will even help load you up.

If you need tips on finding the best opportunities for enjoying the great outdoors, the OC can help. Equipped with maps and brochures of trails and state parks, this is a one-stop location for outdoor recreation.

Recreation DestinationUW-La Crosse’s Outdoor Connection offers recreational tools

and resources for the entire community

Take Ladder Golf to the park with you. Rent it for the day for the cost of $8.

Renting a 2-4 person tent? Keep it the whole weekend for $16. Need a sleeping bag, camp stove or additional camping supplies? Ask the OC about their other camping rentals.

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Need a ball to practice with? No problem. Gundersen Cup is teaming up with One World Futbol Project to provide ultra-durable soccer balls to you and Gundersen Lutheran Global Partners communi-ties. Log onto oneworldfutbol.com anytime between now and June 30 to purchase a ball using the “Give One Get One” link. Use the code GUNDERSEN in the coupon field and the “Give One” ball goes to a Global Partners community! Some balls will also stay local and be donated to area organizations that work with low-income families.

Get ready to strap on your shin guards and tie up your cleats! Plans for the first Gundersen Cup, a soccer jam-boree to benefit Gundersen Lutheran Global Partners and Coulee Region United Soccer Association (CRU-SA), are in full swing, and organizers are anticipating a very exciting weekend.

Mark your calendar for June 10-12. The tournament is open to all Ages—U5 (under age 5) through adult—and is being held at the award-winning “Fields for Kids” Soc-cer Complex at 2500 Hauser Street, La Crosse. Teams will be separated into 12 age divisions, with U15 through U18 and adult teams playing five versus five small-sided games. All teams are guaranteed three games with cer-tified referees and field marshals, and U5 through U8 teams will play under the “Friday night lights” just like professional players!

Games will begin the evening of Friday, June 10, and end on Sunday, June 12.“We’re expecting more than 100 teams to participate and up to 1,500 individuals at what could easily become the largest single soccer event in Western Wisconsin”, says Robin Swartz, co-chair of Gunderson cup, “We’re excited to have people of all ages and abilities playing the game they love for two worthy causes.” Robin has been actively involved with CRUSA for the past 15 years.

Proceeds from the soccer jamboree will benefit both Gundersen Lutheran Global Partners and CRUSA. In 2008, Gundersen Lutheran coordinated the Global Partners program in an effort to develop long-term sus-tainable partnerships beyond its borders in Porcupine, S.D.; Tanzania, Africa; and the Matagalpa district of Ni-caragua.

Global Partners is funded by philanthropy and fueled by area volunteers, according to Liz Arnold, Gundersen Cup co-chair, and Gundersen Lutheran Global Partners program coordinator. “When we travel to our partner-

ship communities, all of our volunteers pay for their own transportation and lodging expenses,” Liz explains, “That way, donations from events like the Gundersen Cup can be used to directly support medical services (i.e. surgical supplies, medications and diagnostic screening tools) in addition to supporting education and public health initiatives. These partnerships are all about helping communities improve their quality of life in a sustainable way.”

CRUSA, a non-profit organization dedicated to the growth of children and the game of soccer, will use pro-ceeds from The Gundersen Cup to continue to keep the soccer program strong in the Coulee Region. “Events like the Gundersen Cup ensure that we’re able to fund scholarships for children of all ages who may be new to the soccer program, in addition to continuing to of-fer the use of our fields to area schools and non-profit organizations like the Boys and Girls Club,” says Robin, “We’re also able to fund special projects such as coach-ing camps and maintain the beautiful fields we have.”

Registration for the Gundersen Cup is open through Friday, May 13. A downloadable registration form, which includes prices and more information about this exciting event, is available at gundersencup.org. Ques-tions about the tournament can be emailed to gunder-sencup@gundluth.org.

Cleat up f r a causeGundersen Cup soccer jamboree set to benefit Gundersen

Lutheran Global Partners and local soccer associationBy Jill Weber

Jill is a Communication Specialist at Gundersen Lutheran

16th: 1st Annual Fire House 5k Run/Walk in Onalaska. Fire House 5k

23rd: Galesville Area Fire Department 5k. Galesville Area Fire Department 5k

23rd: Between the Bluffs Beer, Wine, and Cheese Festival

29th: May 1st: Great Lake Lacrosse League Conference Tournament on UW- La Crosse

Campus. Great Lakes Lacrosse League Conference Tournament

CALENDAR OF EVENTSAPRIL

14th: Forest Hills Tennis Registration on Block Party

21st: Robin Gjertsen Memorial Golf Outing, four person best shot memorial tournament

MAY

Between the Bluffs Beer, Wine, and Cheese Festival

The 9th Annual Between the Bluffs Beer, Wine, and Cheese Festival is rap-idly approaching. Get your tickets now for the April 23 event! Tickets are still available for sale at the following Festival Foods locations: Onalaska, Holmen and La Crosse. Purchase tickets at the Quil-lin’s Food Centers of Foodfest, French Island, La Crescent and the Village, or visit the Bodega Brew Pub or Pearl Street Brewery. Tickets are also avail-able online at www.betweenthebluffsbeerfest.com.

As usual we will be featuring Wineries and Breweries from all over the Midwest and further. Event starts on April 23 at 2 p.m. at the Oktoberfest Grounds and ends at 6 p.m. Two bands have been signed to be this year’s entertainment. Guitar Logic and The Mighty Short Bus will both be playing tunes throughout the day. A limited number of tickets are being sold so get yours fast! For more information about the Festival visit: www.betweenthe-bluffsbeerfest.com.

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