In July, among the 16,452 attendees at the annual Texas High School Coaches' Association convention in San Antonio, two college coaches drew a crowd wherever they went.

Sure, Georgia coach Kirby Smart, continuing a tradition among national championship coaches, flew in for a few hours just to speak to the largest and most powerful coaching organization of its kind in the country. Texas' Steve Sarkisian and Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher drew plenty of attention. All 12 Division I coaches in Texas spoke on a panel together, which packed a crowd into a huge ballroom at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center downtown.

But throughout the three-day event, Texas Tech's Joey McGuire and UTSA's Jeff Traylor seemed to be in a huddle surrounded by coaches six people deep.

In a state that has inspired best-selling books, movies and TV shows based on the statewide pastime on Friday nights, where Kyler Murray went 42-0 playing in a $60 million stadium at Allen in the Dallas area, high school coaches loom as some of the most influential people in thousands of towns spanning the state's 269,000 square miles. And two of those coaches, Traylor and McGuire, were here returning as conquering heroes, former brethren who made it big, filling their colleagues with pride.

"They represent us because they're one of us," said John King, the head coach of Longview in East Texas since 2004, who was overseeing the convention as the last act of his tenure as outgoing president of the THSCA.

"They're two guys that people took a chance on that did it the right way. They love kids, coach kids and got a golden opportunity to go to the college ranks and made the most of it."

Both had engineered legendary runs in just their first head-coaching jobs. McGuire took over at Cedar Hill on the southwest edge of Dallas in 2003 after the school had suffered eight straight losing seasons. He immediately flipped the program -- going 141-42 with the Longhorns and winning three state championships. Traylor returned to his hometown of Gilmer (population 5,139) in deep East Texas in 2000 and restored the Buckeyes' pride, going 175-26 with three state titles.

After rising through the ranks as assistants -- McGuire at Baylor before landing the Tech job this year and Traylor at Texas and Arkansas before getting the UTSA job in 2019 -- they're both taking the big stage at the same time on Saturday as McGuire's Red Raiders travel to No. 16 NC State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN app) while Traylor's Roadrunners visit Texas (8 p.m. ET, Longhorn Network).

Chances are, there are going to be 1,400 coaches in the state keeping tabs on them.

"I'm a high school coach that gets to coach college football, and I think everybody understands that," McGuire said. "I really mean that. I know where I'm from. I know my background. I know how I got here. And I show respect to those coaches. Because of that, the reception has been incredible."

BOTH MCGUIRE AND Traylor are known for their relentless enthusiasm and energy. McGuire has stirred Lubbock into a frenzy upon his arrival, mobilizing Red Raiders fans into a Twitter army, and promising the faithful that, "I will die here at Texas Tech" in his introductory news conference. Last weekend's 33-30 double-overtime win over then-No. 25 and future Big 12 rival Houston has the Red Raiders at 2-0 and only amplified the optimism. Traylor, meanwhile, has already turned an 11-year-old UTSA program into Conference USA champions, the first title in the school's history, and the program's debut appearance in the AP poll last season.

But before they were rising stars in the college world, they were just two guys who happened to be candidates for the same job at the University of Texas.

In 2014, Charlie Strong had just arrived in Austin to take over for the departed Mack Brown, and Strong, as a Texas outsider, needed to build inroads to the state's high school coaches.

It's somewhat of a tradition that new college coaches -- particularly those who aren't from Texas -- make a peace offering to the THSCA by hiring at least one of their own to their staff. One of Brown's first hires upon arriving in Austin in 1997 from North Carolina was Bruce Chambers, the head coach of powerhouse Dallas Carter. It's smart business, paying dividends in goodwill as well as recruiting.

McGuire and Traylor were each coming off state championships in their respective divisions when Strong arrived. They both had stellar reputations and talked with a drawl so thick y'all mighta thought it was a put-on.

The job could've pitted McGuire and Traylor against each other, two ultra-successful, ultra-competitive coaches who were familiar with each other's rsum, but didn't know each other well, looking to step over each other as they jostled for position on the coaching ladder. But, McGuire and Traylor had an unspoken bond. They were Texas high school coaches, a fraternity unto itself, and those guys stick together.

"We talked almost every night, just from the standpoint of like, 'Hey, what do you think? Who have you talked to? How's this gonna go?" McGuire said.

"We never tried to mind-game each other," Traylor said. "We were literally like brothers. We were that honest with each other."

Still, someone had to win out. It came down to family. McGuire had previously had college offers, but he wanted to coach his kids, and they were almost done with high school. He wanted to stick it out.

"My son [Garret] was a junior, about to be a senior," McGuire said. "I got to coach my daughter [Raegan] in powerlifting and I wanted to finish out with my son and man, I'm glad I did."

Traylor got the job. But he had to make his own peace with it.

"Well, Jake, my son, was a senior as well," Traylor said. "I told Jake, 'Well, if he offers me the job, I'm telling you I'm taking it. Jake's teased me forever that Joey must love Garret more than I love Jake. So I've had to do a lot of reassuring to Jake that I love my son the same as Joey loves his son."

The two coaches became inseparable through a process that could've divided the oldest of friends, and their mutual admiration endures.

"Shoot, he would've probably got the job over me anyway," McGuire said. "He's a stud."

Remarkably, this dance continued with three other jobs. Matt Rhule hired McGuire at Baylor in 2016 once his son graduated, but Rhule also tried to land Traylor, who instead opted to go to Arkansas with Chad Morris -- another former Texas high school coach -- which didn't quite work as well, as Morris was fired. Both were candidates for the UTSA job Traylor got. And both were candidates for Texas Tech, which McGuire accepted while Traylor signed a $28 million extension that runs to 2031 at UTSA last season.

"Joey and I have literally talked for hours about each one of those jobs, which is freakin' crazy," Traylor said. "And if I ever find out that Joey McGuire is not the angel that I think he is, it'll just crush me."

TRAYLOR AND MCGUIRE got perhaps the greatest honor a Texas coach can receive this year, being featured -- together -- on the cover of the 400-page "Dave Campbell's Texas Football" magazine, the annual harbinger of fall in the state since 1960, with the headline, "FORGED ON FRIDAY."

It was something McGuire lobbied for immediately after being introduced at Texas Tech, saying he was issuing the editors a challenge.

"How do you not?" McGuire said. "If they're really about Texas high school football, which they're supposed to be -- it's like the Bible of Texas high school football -- Jeff Traylor at UTSA and Joey McGuire at Texas Tech should be on the cover."

For Traylor, it was a full-circle moment after his name appeared in the Gilmer preview in his senior year in high school.

"I really just thought I had arrived," Traylor said. "And then you fast-forward 36 years later, and to be on the cover ... I think what I'm most proud of is one, I'm on there with one of my very best friends, who I love dearly, and two, it says 1,400 Texas high schools are in this magazine. And I truly feel like I am representing all 1,400 of those head coaches and their assistants. I'd like to be that guy and say it's not that big of a deal. But I'd be lying."

Traylor said it was one of the biggest honors of his life, alongside when Gilmer renamed its football field Jeff Traylor Stadium in 2015.

The magazines were passed out at the THSCA convention, a surreal experience for McGuire, who was already having a surreal experience making the rounds as Texas Tech's head coach.

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"I'm not that old, but I'm an older guy and I've been doing this a long time," McGuire said. "I remember walking in [as a young coach]. I can literally close my eyes and I'm listening to Bob Stoops talk. I look up to those guys. Mack Brown had a huge impact on my career. I hate to compare myself to them but as far as sitting in the same position, I'm walking in and I get to see a lot of young coaches that I've run into over the years, whether it was at Cedar Hill or Baylor and now they're asking me about the program and how to make the move from high school to college. So it's a huge honor for me."

Over the course of the few days in San Antonio, McGuire and Traylor were part welcoming committee, part mentors, part comedy duo.

McGuire said the biggest difference in being a speaker and an attendee is what he had to wear, and he blamed Traylor for it.

"Well, I'm gonna get laughed at today for wearing this," he said, tugging at the lapel of his blazer. "But I'm not gonna let Jeff Traylor out-sports-coat me. Literally, I woke up this morning and said, 'Jeff's wearing a sports coat, then I'm wearing a sports coat.' That's my guy."

Traylor, for his part, says he wears his trademark coat and his white UTSA cap for similar reasons, especially as his profile has risen as the Roadrunners have captured San Antonio's attention.

"It's intentional," he said. "Joey likes to tell everyone I'm balding. Which is partially true. But I'm proud of this Roadrunner [on his cap]. When you win a lot of games you get invited to a lot of black tie affairs, right? So I've made this my official San Antonio tuxedo. They let me in and nobody's rejected me yet. So this is my black-tie San Antonio tuxedo."

THEY MAY BE on college campuses now, but both coaches cling to how important it is to be the coach in a community. They show up all over the place, with Traylor having to be reminded that he doesn't have to go to the UTSA volleyball game the night before he plays a football game.

They both know how to sell their programs to fans. McGuire brought the juice to a Texas Tech basketball game right after being hired in mid-November (the Red Raiders fired previous coach Matt Wells after eight games).

Traylor will proselytize about making San Antonio "Roadrunner territory" every chance he can get. Hence that trademark hat.

"In this city, man, it's catchin', it's hot," he said in July. "Everywhere you go in the city, someone's got it on. Now I'm gonna sound like a jerk here. But if you like the 'Horns, wear 'em in Austin, if you like the Bears, wear it in Waco. When you're in our city, rep the Roadrunners or leave. I'm all Roadrunners and I don't want any partial fans. So I wear it everywhere I go. I'm proud of it. We're not that little commuter school anymore. We want to play real football."

Sounds like two guys right at home at a high school pep rally. Which, to them, is a compliment.

"I'm telling you, the school pride, the chance to make a difference in kids' lives, the things that football does for our community," McGuire said, pondering those 14 years of his life he spent as Cedar Hill's coach. "I mean, there really isn't anything like it. The pageantry of Texas high school football, the event that a Friday night game is ... I mean, they make movies about it."

The pressure-cooker, too, prepared them for this moment. Lose enough games in a small town, and you'll find "FOR SALE" signs in your yard on Saturday morning. But the responsibilities at a high school in the state are a good training ground for running a college program. McGuire said he had 32 full-time coaches working for him at Cedar Hill.

"Me coming up on Friday night and coaching against some of the greatest coaches in high school prepared me for this, prepared me for what I'm facing every Saturday," he said. "I always laugh because I think everything trickles up not down. You know people are having such a hard time defending the zone read in pro football? Maybe they should call some high school coaches that face it every Friday night. It might help them out."

Both Traylor and McGuire said there are a number of other coaches at Texas high schools who could step in and run a college program right now, saying coaching in the state provides you with a grueling education, with McGuire adding what he saw in high school isn't any difference than the college coaches he's up against.

"Most coaches, if they're honest and don't let their ego get in the way they would say this too," McGuire said. "Man, there ain't any difference in coaching against Lee Wiginton on a Friday night. Those guys are elite football coaches. And they just happen to be coaching at the high school level."

Wiginton, who recently took over as the coach at powerhouse Allen High School -- Murray's alma mater with an enrollment topping 7,000 -- is the new president of the Texas High School Coaches Association, and aw-shucksed McGuire right back.

"I had the opportunity to coach against both of those guys and, Coach Traylor proudly thumped me out of the playoffs," Wiginton said. "I was in a district with Coach McGuire to where it was just so awesome facing him, being around him and seeing how he does things on a daily basis."

King, too, has known both coaches for a long time, and as the father of Texas A&M quarterback Haynes King, the No. 46 recruit in the 2020 ESPN 300, he has seen their recruiting style up close, as both recruited his son.

"They have instant street cred," King said. "They were no different recruiting him than they were coming in recruiting all the kids. I mean, they're gonna shoot you straight, good, bad, indifferent. Nothing was ever personal with them in terms of commitment or a non-commitment, whatever it was. It was business and they understood it, you know, but they still stay in contact."

McGuire said his recruiting philosophy and organizational style were informed by being a destination for coaches from across the country because of the number of college prospects that came out of Cedar Hill.

"I had some dudes," he said. "I mean, I had some great players. So I got to see so many great recruiters do it the right way. And then I got to see so many great recruiters that sold a lot of stuff that wasn't true. I also got to see the other side, of some of the recruiters that struggled coming into a school and not knowing really where you're at, not knowing the athletes."

Traylor, who was a two-time Big 12 recruiter of the year at Texas during his time under Strong, boasted that he believed UTSA was the only school that signed only state prospects.

"We signed 29 kids, all Texas high school football players," he said.

McGuire, meanwhile, touted that he had six former Texas high school head coaches on his Texas Tech staff. But he had to qualify it.

"I think Traylor's got me beat so I don't like that," he said. "I'm gonna have to start looking for some more."

Is it any wonder they're beloved by the state coaching organization?

"They were Texas high school coaches who didn't change when they became college coaches," Wiginton said. "So Texas high school coaches across the state look at them and say they're one of us. They're genuine people. They're sincere people. They're humble people."

And on Saturdays, when the state is watching, that carries its own weight for McGuire and Traylor.

"It's almost like a sense of responsibility just because you want to do so well," Traylor said. "Because they're your buddies and you don't want to disappoint 'em. You want to make 'em proud. We're proud of our THSCA and what that fraternity means to us and the way we want our teams to look and the way we want to treat our players and our coaches. It just means a lot to us."

See more here:
Texas high school football and the rise of Texas Tech's Joey McGuire and UTSA's Jeff Traylor - ESPN

The Central Jersey Jazz Festival arrives in Metuchen

Metuchen joined the Central Jersey Jazz Festival in 2021.

~Photos by Rob Wasilewski; compiled by Robert Diken, MyCentralJersey.com

After a quarter century as an athletics director, including the past 23 years at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, John Maggio has decided to retire, making it official with Tuesday nights Board of Education meeting.

Maggio, who spent two years as the AD at Bound Brook before taking over at Bridgewater-Raritan in July of 1999, will work his last day Nov. 30. He said he originally planned to retire in August, but with some of the programs at the school undergoing major transitions, including the football team bringing in a new head coach, he wanted to ensure thing were running smoothly before turning over the keys to Somerset Countys largest athletics department.

I love being the AD at Bridgewater-Raritan. I love the district, I love my coaching staff, athletic trainers, support staff, and all the departments I work with in the district. The only reason Im leaving is Im going to be 61 at the end of November, Maggio said. I really love the job, the people I work with, and our coaching staff if second to none. As is our administration and district. Its all top notch. I have zero complaints. Its just that Im getting older, and I want to do some of the things I have not been able to do.

A graduate of Bound Brook High School, where he played football and baseball, Maggio went to Glassboro State, before eventually returning to his alma mater as an assistant football coach. He then moved to Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, where he spent nine years as an assistant football and strength coach, before getting the AD job at Bound Brook in 1997.

Two years later, he moved to Bridgewater-Raritan, replacing Carl Weigner, becoming just the second AD the school has had in its 31-year history.

Athletics is in Maggios blood, and being an AD had been a longtime dream for the son of Ben Maggio, who spent 40 years in athletics, including 24 as the AD at Plainfield. John Maggios brother, Fran, is a Hall of Fame coach at Roselle Park High School, and the winningest softball coach in Union County history.

I grew up in that environment, and I wanted to be an AD since I was in the sixth grade, Maggio said.

FOOTBALL, SCOREBOARD AND COVERAGE: Your headquarter for our Week 3 game coverage, scoreboard, rankings, picks and more.

Maggio has not only run the athletic department at Somerset Countys largest school, he has tirelessly served on numerous state, conference and county committees, and ran several county tournaments, including the SCT softball tournament for 22 years. He also hosted plenty of county championships, including the Somerset County basketball finals.

He is the longest tenured AD in the Skyland Conference, and at a Somerset County public school.

Rich Shello has been the athletics director at Ridge since 1998, coming in a year after Maggio began at Bound Brook. Shello is also the son of a longtime area athletics director. His father, Mike Shello, spent over 40 years at Dunellen.

Im going to miss John tremendously, said Shello, who even spent a year working under John Maggios father at Plainfield, as an assistant football, basketball and baseball coach. Hes been a colleague and a friend, certainly, and weve both in this business a long time. Were both sons of athletics directors from the area, and I was quite surprised when he first mentioned he was thinking about it (retirement). I didnt expect it. John has done a tremendous job for Bridgewater, the way hes led the program there, and what hes done for the Skyland Conference and our Somerset County association. Hes been a workhorse. We are going to greatly miss him and all that hes done.

I will miss working daily with our coaches, athletic trainers and staff, Maggio said. Ive been an AD for 26 years. Its non-stop. And Ill miss that. Ill miss the games and doing what I do. Im sure theres other things Ill miss that I dont know Ill miss. Ill also miss my colleagues, the other athletics directors. Ill miss the work that we do and seeing them.

There are a lot of really great things going on at Bridgewater-Raritan, and Im disappointed that I wont be around to see all the positive things theyve got planned for the future. But at some point youve got to move on. I know when everythings good, its the time to go.

Football preview:Bridgewater-Raritan boasts depth and versatility, continues upward trend

Maggio is looking forward to life away from the 24/7, 365-day-a-year responsibilities of running a massive athletics operation. Hes looking forward to fishing and spending more time with his wife., Chrissy, their daughters, Francis and Dena, and their son, Jake, who is playing football at West Liberty College in West Virginia.

I know its the right time to do it, he said. Im still in good health and Im looking forward to doing some of things I havent been able to do.

I couldnt be happier for John as he opens this new chapter of his life, said Bridgewater-Raritan softball coach Sandy Baranowski, who arrived with the Panthers just a year before Maggio was hired. Finally, a time when he can put himself first after a career of dedicated service to both Bridgewater-Raritan and Bound Brook athletics. A true professional at a job that is, at times, thankless. It has been an honor to work with John for all these years. He will be deeply missed by all of the coaches here at BR as well as the athletes. I hope he knows the impact he has made on this community. I wish him all the best.

Fish beware!

Simeon Pincus has been covering New Jersey sports since 1997. He can be reached at SPincus@GannettNJ.com. Follow him on Twitter @SimeonPincus

Read more from the original source:
Longtime Bridgewater-Raritan HS athletics director to retire this fall - My Central Jersey

As Aces coach Becky Hammon and Sun coach Curt Miller paced the same sideline during Game 1 of the 2022 WNBA Finals, the man integral to both of their journeys took in the contest from 2,000 miles away. Sitting at his home in Atlanta, Tom Collen watched the Aces claim a 10 series lead, doing so without a rooting interest. Its really hard for me to pick a side, he says. No matter who emerges as this years champion, Collen will be pleased: Im gonna be a winner, one way or the other.

The reason being is that before the start of the 1998 college basketball season, Collen was hired as Colorado States head coach. He inherited a team with Hammon as its star junior point guard. Miller was one of the assistant coaches he brought in.

During Collens first year with the program, CSU went 333, finished the season ranked No. 7 in the country and lost in the Sweet 16. I inherited a team that I think was getting ready to explode on the scene and be really good, he says.

He still thinks of that group as some of the greatest times of my life, and recognizes that its success helped establish him in the coaching profession. No matter how many mistakes I would make, Becky bailed me out of every bad decision, he says.

Miller, who served as the teams de facto defensive coordinator, agrees, and said that Hammons play during her last two seasons with CSU single-handedly propelled my career and provided him with an opportunity to interview for head jobs down the road.

Collen says Hammons play during her last two seasons with CSU single-handedly propelled my career.

Courtesy of Colorado State Athletics

Ive been very honest that I probably dont get a shot to be a head coach without Beckys leadership on that 9899 Colorado State team, he said before Game 1 of the Finals. (For her efforts, Hammon was inducted into the CSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004 and the team, more broadly, was inducted in 19.)

Both the Aces and Sun are looking to win their franchises first title, as Las Vegas holds a 20 series lead ahead of Thursdays Game 3. But as the teams slug it out in the best-of-five, the bond between the coaches has been on display. A prime example came just over an hour before tip-off of the series opener, when Hammon stood at the podium to address reporters and threw a playful jab at her coaching foe.

I can tell Curt was here because I didnt have to pull [the microphone] way down, she said. Me and Curt got the same mike level. But, she then added, I love Curt. Curts invested into my life. Curts invested into my basketball life.

That buy-in was clear when Miller was an assistant with the Rams. Often throughout his tenure with CSU, he would serve as a practice playera dummy defender, in Hammons words. While doing so, Miller, wanting to draw the best out of his players, participated to such a devoted degree that Collen recalls sometimes being concerned Curt was gonna hurt somebody.

He was all of 5'8", but I would put him in there for a 10-minute scrimmage and he would lead both teams in rebounding, Collen says.

Remembers Miller: Yes, I was a rebounding little guard. We had a lot of fun. I played hard.

Now, he merely coaches hard, trying to bring the most out of his veteran group. Hammon is similarly animatedshe said after Game 1 she was lit at halftime, with her team trailing 3834. Neither star forward Aja Wilson nor star guard Chelsea Gray wanted to share the exact language she used.

Collen always felt Hammon would make for a successful coach if she wanted. He notes her instincts and leadership skills were both strengths, and that while she always had strong opinions, her opinions were pretty accurate, he says.

Long before she was an assistant under Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, Hammon was a graduate assistant for Collen, returning in her first two WNBA offseasons after her playing days with the Rams concluded. (Former Dream and current Baylor coach Nicki Collen also joined the CSU staff as an assistant, giving CSU three future WNBA Coach of the Years at one time.)

Hammon (far left) joined the Colorado State coaching staff in her first two WNBA offseasons with Collen (center) and Miller (far right).

Courtesy of Colorado State Athletics

You didnt know what level [Hammon] was gonna coach at, but when that playing career ended you just knew she was gonna be an unbelievable coach, because she had that natural charisma, Miller says. People followed her, her knowledge of the game was so high, she was so proactive with her thinking, she could see the second-level so often and see things happen before they really developed.

In the present, though, Millers hoping her foresight is more limited.

Im her biggest fan, he said. But Im gonna try and compete like crazy against her.

Hammon agreed. Were trying to whoop each others butt, she said.

So back to the key question: Which of his mentees does Collen think will win this years title?

Id love to see Curt win a WNBA championship at some point, he says. But if youve said Ive got to put my life-savings on somebody, I wouldnt be putting it on Curt or Becky. I would be putting it down on the talent of Las Vegas.

More WNBA Coverage:

Aces Rediscover Their Offensive Prowess in Game 2 Win Over Sun Suns Future Odds Look Less Promising in Las Vegas On a Team of Superheroes, Chelsea Gray Is the Scientist Behind Aces

Excerpt from:
Becky Hammon, Curt Miller and a Coaching Tree Rooted in the 90s - Sports Illustrated

BY N. LOTHUNGBENI HUMTSOE

New Delhi Going slow is not an option for millennials in our fast-paced environment. Multitasking has become a need for everyone, from working professionals and students to housewives and parents. However, in this on the go culture, individuals forget to live in the present moment. While rushing to do required duties, you may lose touch with the present moment, missing out on what youre doing and how youre feeling. This has resulted in increasing stress and worry. To avoid this, you might practise mindfulness to shift your focus to smaller events-and enjoy the little things in life.

Mindfulness is now being examined scientifically as it plays a key role to reduce stress and anxiety, improving attention and memory, and promoting self-regulation and empathy. It is known to improve ones overall well-being physical and mental. Although mindfulness is an easy practice, one needs a guide and ways to get started with it.

Various mindfulness and meditation apps available today can help provide guidance and offer some practices to become more mindful; one can simply download them. Here are some apps that can help you go on your mindfulness journey!

Evolve

A meditation & sleep app geared towards your personal growth & happiness, Evolve has a refreshing approach and joyful mindfulness techniques. Its programs help practice daily meditation & mindfulness, sleep better, manage stress, reduce anger, build relationships, increase productivity & improve focus. It also has curated content on effective methods to manage emotions oneself.

The app is available on both Android and IOS.

RoundGlass Living App

An integrated Wholistic Wellbeing solution aims to care for your mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. The app helps users meet their day-to-day wellbeing needs such as work-life balance, better sleep, parenting skills, healthy recipes, managing grief and making end-of-life decisions. It offers authentic evidence-backed content articles, recipes, playlists, classes, courses, and videos curated by the worlds best teachers who guide you on your wellbeing journey. Users can also attend live events with leading wellbeing experts from around the globe. Users can also attend more than 250 active meditation classes on the app.

The app offers multiple wellbeing pathways to choose from meditation and mindfulness, yoga, music and cooking. Users can create their profiles, receive personalized recommendations, and watch themselves grow into better selves.

The app is available on both Android and IOS.

Lets Meditate: Sleep & Guided Meditation

A very straightforward approach to guided meditation; no clutter, distraction, or ads. One can just choose a track and hit play. Its as simple as it can get. It offers a curated list of guided meditation tracks catering to various topics such as anxiety, body scan, healing, and sleep.

The app is available on both Android and IOS.

Insight Timer

A free app with more than 100k guided meditations led by the best teachers from India and the world. It helps with sleep, anxiety, and stress. From Sadhguru to Paz to Davidji, the app has featured events on multiple topics and even a 30-day affirmation challenge.

The app is available on both Android and IOS.

Serenity

Serenity allows users to learn several meditation and mindfulness techniques that help them to stay calm and relaxed. It provides personalized daily meditation, life coaching, nature sounds, stories, and music based on the selected mood. The app also provides sleep guides- a selection of guided meditations designed to help users sleep using relaxation techniques, peaceful tracks and tranquil sounds. Some features include stress relief, quick meditations, and daily meditations.

The app is available on both Android and IOS.

In this new age, millennials have found apps for their day-to-day needs and digitized their necessities. Similarly, to lessen the load of daily stresses, one can explore mindfulness through apps as well. With an abundance of options available on the aforementioned, it has become much easier to achieve a holistically balanced life. One can incorporate mindfulness techniques along with other meditative practices, into their daily routine. As technology evolves every day, different needs of various people can be catered to on such apps. Its time for you to download the best-suited digital buddy and begin your mindfulness journey today! (IANS)

Read more here:
Practice mindfulness to live in the present moment - India New England

Kurt Hines has been coaching the Coronado High School (CHS) Islanders football team for the past five years where he has become a well-loved and respected figure in Coronado athletics. Hines leads by example with a philosophy of building meaningful relationships with his teams and coaching staff, and putting players first, to help them reach their potential on and off the field.

Hines grew up playing football but it wasnt until his first coaching experience in college that he considered pursuing it. One of my professors asked for volunteers to coach for a middle school special needs flag football team and I jumped at the chance, he recalled. Hines was pursuing a major in elementary education at a school in New Hampshire and saw this as a perfect opportunity to get first-hand experience teaching students around that age.

There was a young woman in sixth grade, I believe, that had Down syndrome, and she and I were tossing the football. She dropped it five or six times in a row but then the first time she caught it she just lit up, he continued. It was a moment Ill never forget, where I always knew I wanted to be a teacher (although school was always hard for me) but I never thought about coaching until that moment.

Hines went on to teach elementary school and a few years into teaching ending up getting his first official coaching job leading a freshman football program at the Souhegan High School. [The high school coach] came by with his team manager, and he showed up with a young man who had Down syndrome so that was kind of a cool connection, he noted.

After seven years leading the freshman program there and a season as varsity assistant coach at Goffstown High School, Hines went on to become head coach at Bedford High School. I was able to be a part of building a powerhouse, Hines described of his time at the, then, brand new school and program. Hines and his family then made the move from New Hampshire to San Diego to be closer to their eldest daughter, where Hines has continued to both teach elementary school and coach football.

This is my 25th year of coaching high school football and I just love everything about it, he commented. Hines takes a people first approach to coaching with an emphasis on building relationships. I asked him if there have been any people or moments that have influenced that approach and Hines told me about a player he had coached and worked with in the offseason who had taken his own life. The family asked me to speak at the funeral, and that incident didnt really change the way I coached per se, but it really emphasized more the importance of relationships and that as great as the game is, its a tool. Its a vehicle to empower people, bless people, and serve people, Hines said.

I try to share with our staff all the time that our number one job is to serve [our players], he continued. Yes, we want to make them better football players but we want to build relationships. Hines says his background in elementary education has also served him well as a high school coach. People think, Oh, those are so different, but they are so closely entwined because I think it really comes down to those relationships. Ive had parents tell me about how their kids hated math and now they love it, and I dont think Im a special teacher, I just focus on the relationships.

For Hines that means creating a space where his students and players know that their interests, their growth, and who they are is something being genuinely cared about and encouraged, and they feel comfortable to try and fail. We tell our players all the time that we want them to mess up in practice. If youre not messing up youre probably not getting reps, and if youre not getting reps in practice youre not getting them in the game, he explained. So we tell them, Mess up as much as you can, Monday through Thursday, so come Friday night you mess up less when it really matters.

Hines continued, Teaching also helps me [with coaching] because there are kids in my class who have IEPs or 504s for special education, and sometimes coaches forget on the football field that there may be a kid that you think is being disrespectful but they may have a learning disability or something else going on. And they may care just as much, but need a lot more teaching.

He mentioned one player hes coached who lost a starting position, pulling himself out with a minor injury. I talked to him after the game and then called him two days later and just asked him, Was it really this body part that was hurting that much or were you a little bit afraid? And it was over the phone and he could easily have just lied to me but he paused and then told me it was both, Hines said, explaining that its those moments where he can connect with a player or student on a level to help facilitate their growth and personal success that keeps him inspired as a coach and teacher day after day.

Hines recognizes that his teams have players of different athletic backgrounds, abilities, and familiarity with the game and he and his coaching staff strive to create a program that meets each player where they are. There are players on the team that are all character, all heart, all great athletes; its easy to love them. But when you get the players that dont fit the bill as much, cant put their helmet on straight, all that stuff, that fires me up, he told me.

I truly think a lot of other programs they would either be bullied by the players, coaches, or not even part of the team and I think we pride ourselves on having a football culture where every one of our players thrives on and off the field, Hines added, mentioning the example the coaching staff sets for these young players when they see that each player is treated with just as much importance and respect as another. We want to empower our players and we tell them, We want you to be great, but you have to be willing to go out there and make mistakes.

That mentality plays into Hines philosophy of how to grow a program overall that looks at every upcoming class, freshmen to senior, rather than relying solely on senior players for success. If theyre a stud we want to help them become even better, and if they can barely put their cleats and helmet on we want to help them learn how to do that and then, get one percent better every day is what we preach.

And for Hines, if his players can walk away from their time on the team knowing that their growth was more important than the game and that they were a part of something bigger than themselves, thats a win. As passionate as we are as coaches about the game, were more passionate about them, he explained. I think as simple as that is whether youre raising a family, or its sports, or business when people have relationships with others, theyre going to do more good and do the right things more often.

This years program has 70 players on the roster (up from 41 last year) that includes students from each class along with three female athletes suiting up this year. I love where were headed and think there is strength in numbers. If you have backups and players in practice challenging each other, its going to make us all better. And the more success we have on the field, the more its going to attract young men and young women and the more lives we can change.

One thing that will make this years season special for Hines as well is the opportunity to coach with his son, Brockton Brock Hines. It has been absolutely amazing, for me, Hines commented, adding how appreciative his is of this chance for them to share this experience and time together right now. My dad recently passed away and I used to call him every Saturday morning after football games for 25 years. And theres no doubt in my mind that hes looking down and seeing us, and its just been awesome.

Coming to Coronado, Hines was aware that the community wasnt necessarily a football town. One thing he hopes to do as hes grown the Islander program, especially as sports have been able to return in full, is to generate interest and excitement for the sport and continue to let more students discover the game. Community support for all sports is huge, he noted, adding how important youth sports is for helping students stay healthy, motivated, and in successful in school.

The Islander Football season kicked off on August 19 with a win against Montgomery High School. Varsity games will continue to be played on Friday nights where fans are welcome and encouraged. Visit maxpreps.com for further schedule details for both the varsity and junior varsity teams.

VOL. 112, NO. 37 - Sept. 14, 2022

Continued here:
Coaching Kickoff: A Conversation With CHS Football Coach Kurt Hines - Coronado Eagle and Journal

Ashton Gibbs is going from the preps to the pros.

As a coach.

The 32-year-old Scotch Plains, N.J. native and former Seton Hall Prep and University of Pittsburgh star has been hired as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks organization after spending the summer coaching on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League circuit with the NJ Scholars 15U team. He will coach mainly with the College Park (Ga.) Skyhawks of the G League, but will spend training camp with the NBA club.

Ashton is going to bring youthful energy to our staff, Tori Miller, GM of the Skyhawks, told NJ Advance Media. Were really looking forward to having his strong player development background, as we believe he can use his playing experience to coach our guards in particular and help them develop on both ends of the floor.

Its quite an impressive jump for Gibbs, who has assistant coaching experience on the college level at Duquesne, and was also the head coach at The Phelps School, a prep school in Malvern, Pa.

This summer he coached the Scholars 15U team to the Final Four of their age bracket at the prestigious Nike Peach Jam. They notched a victory against Nightrydas Elite, which went on to win the 15U championship.

On that team, he coached the descendants of several former NBA players, including Olin Chamberlain, who is related to NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain, Jaron McKie, the son of Temple coach and former NBA player Aaron McKie and Brandon Lee, the son of former Butch Lee, the first Puerto Rican and first Latin American-born athlete to play in the NBA.

I did a little bit of research on him and saw that he went to Pitt and everything, Chamberlain, a Class of 2025 guard from Harleysville, Pa., said this summer at Peach Jam. Everything he did as a player, playing for the USA [Basketball] team, everything he did I want to strive to do as a player, and try to be like him.

Gibbs said he isnt exactly sure if someone with the Hawks organization noticed him at Peach Jam, but he recently got a call from them and then did several interviews by phone.

They heard I was doing a good job and one thing led to another, they interviewed me a couple times and I did well in the interview process, Gibbs said Friday by phone. From what they told me, I was impressive in the interview process...and it was a quick process.

He heads to Atlanta Sunday and training camps starts Monday.

The Hawks have several New Jersey players in Englewood native Tyson Etienne and Malik Ellison, who attended Life Center Academy in Burlington and is the son of former Louisville star Pervis Ellison. A.J. Griffin, the former Duke star and the son of ex-Seton Hall standout Adrian Griffin, is also on the Hawks.

They actually have a good little New York/New Jersey bounce on the team, Gibbs said of the Hawks. They got a couple guys from the area.

Gibbs has big goals down the road.

I want to be a head NBA coach, thats the goal, he said. Anything could happen, but the NBA is the NBA, its the top of the top.

Rutgers assistant Brandin Knight, who coached Gibbs at Pittsburgh, believes he brings a lot to the table.

Ashton was one of the most dedicated players Ive ever coached, Knight said. He loves being in the gym and working on skill development. I think he has a lot to offer teaching the game as well. There will be things he will have to learn about the NBA game but Im sure he can do a great job in any role their asking him to fulfill.

And to think, this summer Gibbs was coaching 15-year-olds at Peach Jam.

No, I wouldnt have believed it, man, Gibbs said. And thats why I tell people all the time, you just never know whos watching, whos connected to who. Just give your best effort at all times and control what you can control.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription..

Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.

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Preps to pros: N.J. native Ashton Gibbs gets coaching call-up from grassroots basketball to NBA - NJ.com

Social media account hackings or takeovers have increased dramatically since 2020, and NBC 5 Responds has found a key differentiating factor between users who get their accounts back, and others who do not.

Thieves are flocking to social media platforms now more than ever, and if youre not careful, you could be frozen out of your account.

Depending on what kind of user you are online may make the difference on whether you can get your account back.

NBC 5 Responds has been covering a rise in social media account takeovers in the last year, impacting thousands of users online.

And now, new numbers recently released are defining the trend.

In the 2021 Trends in Identity report from the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), the non-profit found a 1,044% increase in reports of social media account takeovers by bad actors, from the years 2020 to 2021.

The ITRC calls it an emerging scamdemic, with identity thieves flocking to social media profiles, leading to the highest number of personal identifiable information (PII) exposures from the accounts many use every day.

Compounding the problem is the fact that many users have said once their accounts were hacked into, they had no way of getting it back.

Recently, two Facebook/Meta users in the Chicago area contacted NBC 5 Responds, desperate for help.

At first blush, both users appeared to have much in common: Their pages were recently hacked, locking them out from years worth of memories, photos, and contact information for their family and friends.

But after inquiring on their behalf, only one user was able to get back into her account.

The different outcomes may be chalked up to two pivotal words: Business account.

I just never thought it would happen to me, Koren Utley told NBC 5 Responds after her Facebook account was taken over by hackers in July.

Korens Facebook account served two purposes: Connecting with friends and family, but also for her life coaching business.

Koren said her repeated attempts to contact Facebook for help had gone nowhere.

After NBC 5 Responds got in touch with Facebook staff, Koren successfully got back into her account.

But our same attempts to help another user, public school teacher Tracy Aleckson, went nowhere.

Why would someone want to hack a Facebook account? Aleckson asked. I was so incredibly frustrated. You have this billion-dollar company, and no way to contact them.

After NBC 5 Responds contacted Facebook for comment, the company helped Utley gain access to her hacked account, but did not help Aleckson.

The company did not respond to NBC 5s questions or requests for comment.

The reason NBC 5 Responds inquiry helped Utley, but had no effect for Aleckson, may be chalked up to the fact that Utley had previously purchased Facebook advertisements for her life coaching business.

Tracy had not made any purchases from Facebook.

The realization that not all users are treated equally is no surprise to cybersecurity analysts, like Alex Hamerstone of TrustedSec.

Its important for everybody to remember: If youre not paying for something, youre absolutely the product. Hamerstone said.

Hamerstone is not suggesting that we all buy ads, rather we need to understand the playing field, one that is growing riskier, day by day.

Analysts say the most common way for hackers to take over accounts is through social engineering techniques, through direct messages or by sending links that you should never click on.

Still, many users feel social media companies play a role in protecting their identities.

"You should not have to have a business account to be protected by Facebook, Utley said.Ever since getting her account back since the latest hacking, Utley said shes mostly stayed off of social media.

I don't post as much as I used to, Utley said. I honestly have lost the joy of sharing on Facebook to be honest with you. "

Many of the ways NBC 5 found to protect your social media accounts are preventative measures to take before anything like this takes place.

It all centers around your digital hygiene.

The Identity Theft Resource Center recommends using a strong and unique password, up to 12 characters or longer.

Don't use a password that you've used on any other accounts, Velasquez said. It can be a passphrase or something that you'll easily remember.

Also, setting up a two-factor authentication for profile changes, like passwords, can alert you to an account invasion, and prevent hackers from getting in.

Another important point to consider is storing your information in more than one place.

Having photos and other information you may need saved somewhere other than your account may help in the event something happens to your profile.

Do a health check of your social media accounts, Velasquez said. Make sure that you don't have data, photographs, contacts and things stored only [on your social media account] so that if the worst does happen, you have backups.

For the really meaningful photos, videos and important information, its also recommended to store those back-ups separate from your device.

If you only have your photos stored on Facebook, get a thumb drive, get a hard drive, store them somewhere else, so that you have a copy if something happens to that account, Velasquez recommends. It will definitely make it less traumatic if you aren't able to get the account back.

Some Facebook users are eligible for whats called Facebook Protect, an enhanced security feature that the company rolled out this past March.

Facebook Protect adds more security to a users account, including two-factor authentication and extra screenings by staff for hacking threats.

This feature is not available for all users. The companys website said it is a security program for groups of people that are more likely to be targeted by malicious hackers, such as human rights defenders, journalists, and government officials."

Its unclear whether Facebook plans to roll out the feature more widely.

To learn more about Facebook Protect and whether youre eligible to use it, click here.

Many Facebook users that contacted NBC 5 for help said their attempts to get through to Facebook for assistance after their accounts were hacked into were futile.

This has been noticed too by cybersecurity experts.

They don't have dedicated customer service. You cannot actually speak to a person, Velasquez said. That's fine when everything is going well. But when there is fraud or a significant dispute, that creates a real problem.

Users are encouraged by the company to visit this webpage to try and get their account back.

If your profile is a business account, or is used for your business, be sure to emphasize that when reaching out to Facebook for help. This can expedite a response on Facebooks end.

More helpful information from Facebook can be found here.

Experts also say users shouldnt feel embarrassed or ashamed if this happens to them.

We really want to encourage people not to be embarrassed or ashamed, not to think they should know or understand these things and to get help if they need it, Velasquez said. This is a really complicated space and not everyone can know everything about it.

To learn more about the Identity Theft Resource Center, including how to access its many free services and guidance, click here or call 1-888-400-5530

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Social Media Takeovers: As New Scam Emerges, Here's Why Some Users May Never Get Their Accounts Back - NBC Chicago

Its hard to say for sure which loss was worse, so completely interwoven as they were.

Obviously, the sudden death of Joshua Brooks as he rounded third was a blow that his baseball-loving brother, Luke, would never get over completely. Joshua and Luke lived for one thing: the game they loved. The game they always played together, almost as one person. And as their senior year rolled on, they were both on the brink of getting scholarships to keep playing the game, keep running the bases.

But Luke has barely begun to get on with his life when the other shoe drops: He learns that he has the same sudden-death heart condition his brother had. And that, his doctor tells him, means Lukes baseball days are over for good.

Adrift in a sea of grief and disorientation, Luke heads off to Evangel University. Its there, studying near the baseball teams practice one day, that he meets a coach whose providential words will redirect Lukes sense of calling:

You know, Luke, for those of us who love this game, its pain and glory, all wrapped up together. A few of us grow to resent it, because we cant find our place in it anymore. But others, well, we just keep searching until we do.

That inflection point will shape the course of Lukes life. And as the film jumps forward 20 years, we find Luke happily married to his childhood friend Jessica. And together theyre raising a high school baseball player named Josh (named after Lukes brother, of course).

Oh, and hes a dynamite baseball coach, too. Lukes acclaim as a baseball genius in his small Arkansas townwhere both he and Jess grew uphas started to leak out. Thats the kind of thing that happens when you win nine state championships.

And sure enough, one day a man comes calling. A man in a suita nice suit. A man named Michael Jamison with an offer Luke ultimately feels is Gods leading: To move to a 6A Texas school district thatll give Luke a chance to take his coaching to the next level.

He takes the offer and is, at first, thrilled about it. Its all starting to feel like happily ever after

until Luke says a prayer at home base one day and runs the bases in honor of his brother and of God before a game.

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Running the Bases - Plugged In

A coaching service for people in the music industry who have ADHD has been set up by a former manager at the Association for Electronic Music.

Tristan Hunt who himself has ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia has launched the service in response to increasing conversations around neurodiversity within the music industry. It sees him offer confidential online sessions, as well as a guide to peer-reviewed tools and strategies which are designed to help people with ADHD understand and manager their condition more easily.

Speaking about why he's launched the service, Hunt said: "I spent most of my twenty-year music industry career not knowing I had ADHD. So I know first-hand the struggles that artists and my industry colleagues face when working in the music business with the condition both pre and post-ADHD diagnosis. People with ADHD are often especially bright, yet there can be a great disconnect between their often huge accomplishments and shortcomings in their everyday life."

"Maybe they travel the world playing sell-out shows, or close multi-million-pound deals overseas. Then return home to a confused partner who struggles to understand how they can accomplish these big tasks, yet fail to do 'simpler' things, like paying their bills on time, remembering family appointments, or not sending out the invoices which get them paid.

"Helping these people my fellow ADHDers move past the shame that those disconnects can cause and helping them learn how to thrive with their incredible ADHD brain is hugely rewarding for me."

Before launching the service, Hunt held down the role of Regional Manager at the Association for Electronic Music for four years. He has previous experience of working as a mentor with Help Musicians UK.

For more information, you can contact Hunt via the email address [emailprotected] and visit his dedicated website.

Read DJ Mag's recent feature on the relationship between neurodiversity and dance music here.

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Coaching service for people with ADHD working in the music industry launches - DJ Mag

Sep 15, 2022

Eric GomezMexico writer

Canelo Alvarez will complete one of this century's most exciting boxing trilogies when he faces Gennadiy Golovkin on Sept. 17 in Las Vegas. The rivalry features hallmarks of some of the sport's all-time best -- explosive punching power by both fighters inside the ring, coupled with a fiery mutual dislike of each other outside of it.

Going into the trilogy, the fight also displays a subplot of its own: Alvarez's dalliance with a vegan diet, and a return to eating red meat following his most recent loss.

Before facing WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol last May, Alvarez revealed he had adopted a near-vegan diet. He said he stopped eating red meat in 2018 following a positive test for clenbuterol, a banned substance sometimes fed illegally to cows in Mexico. Alvarez alleged he had come into contact with clenbuterol after eating tainted meat in his home country. Regardless, the Nevada Athletic Commission suspended him for six months, delaying his second fight with Golovkin -- a fight the Mexican boxer won via split decision.

"I'm not complicated when it comes to food. I adapt quickly," Alvarez told ESPN earlier this year. "I eat [a vegan diet] all week now and if one day the opportunity presents to eat red meat, chicken or whatever, I'll have no problem with that. But I do try to keep vegan [right now]."

2 Related

The impetus behind Alvarez's change to vegan came after watching "The Game Changers," a documentary about athletes who incorporate plant-based diets. During training, Alvarez relied solely on vegan protein five days a week but ate fish and chicken on weekends.

"His output hasn't changed at all, physically he looks very strong and I don't see any change in him after he switched his diet," said Munir Somoya, who worked with Alvarez as part of his training team.

Come fight night, Bivol dominated Alvarez and retained his crown by way of unanimous decision. Bivol relied on his superior size and reach to hold Canelo to a career-low 84 punches landed over a full 12 rounds. Fighting at his preferred weight, Bivol used a two-inch reach advantage and taller frame, coupled with fluid movements and high energy output throughout to flummox Alvarez. In the later rounds, the usually durable Alvarez, who has won titles in four different weight classes, seemed sluggish and tired.

Alvarez's sudden dietary switch became a talking point after the fight. Among the critics, Alvarez's former promoter Oscar De La Hoya questioned the boxer's choices in the run-up to the Bivol fight.

"When you change something drastic like your diet overnight, you run the risk of it not working for your body, and it not adjusting properly," De La Hoya told reporters.

Since the loss, Alvarez is no longer training on a primarily plant-based diet as part of his fight plan to face Golovkin at super middleweight on Saturday.

"I tried to do it for some weeks and it's very complicated to change everything all of a sudden," Alvarez told the Associated Press in an interview. "So now, like I have all my life, I'm eating what I did before."

While Alvarez didn't use the diet to excuse his loss, his flirtation with veganism is notable in the sports world. In recent years, a number of elite athletes, including tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams as well as Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton have followed plant-based diets.

A consistent vegan diet over months or even as quickly as weeks can positively affect the maximum amount of oxygen a person's body can absorb and use during exercise, while maintaining strength through a similar level of plant-based protein intake. That's according to The Impact of Vegan and Vegetarian Diets on Physical Performance and Molecular Signaling in Skeletal Muscle, an academic paper published in 2021 by members of the Institute of Sport Science at the University of Hildesheim in Germany. However, the authors admit "research on the influence of a vegan or vegetarian diet on exercise performance is scarce."

Because of the lack of research, it remains impossible to make any conclusive judgment across the board for any athlete who chooses to transition toward a plant-based diet. Any change -- whether plant-based or not -- can carry adverse effects for a high performance athlete, the experts say.

"In Canelo's case, going on a mostly plant-based diet shouldn't have been done so near to a fight," said Colette Gonzalez, a nutritionist from Alvarez's hometown of Guadalajara. "We can't change a high-performance athlete's diet in such a radical fashion and expect them to perform the same way."

Though Alvarez has made other dietary shifts during his career before fights he ended up winning, a vegan diet -- or even a near-vegan diet -- requires time to adapt, Gonzalez said. "There was clearly not enough time to gauge how the change would affect his muscle mass or his energy requirements for such an important fight."

As for the apparent fatigue Alvarez showed during later rounds in his last bout, Gonzalez says diet isn't entirely to blame. Higher weight and muscle mass requires the body to exert more energy, and though Alvarez had sparred and fought at 175 pounds before, a fast opponent with quick hands like Bivol simply outboxed him as time went on.

"Any time you gain weight, your body has to adapt. If your opponent is more accustomed to that weight, it's a disadvantage," Gonzalez said.

Combat sports in general can claim a few top-level ambassadors for vegan or vegetarian lifestyles. Former heavyweight champion David Haye famously took on a vegan diet in 2014 in defense of animal rights, and maintained his diet toward the end of his career. Haye's change in lifestyle, however, had come after the dwindling of his prime, fighting only in a handful of bouts on a plant-based diet.

"If you don't have any examples of plant-based athletes who are succeeding in your sport, you're going to think this doesn't work here," said Bryan Danielson, a pro wrestler for AEW who went vegan in 2009. "You need people who look like you or do what you do to succeed."

Danielson initially adopted the diet for health reasons -- while training for WWE events, he developed three staph infections over the course of a year. Before then, Danielson suffered through a weak immune system for most of his life. Shortly after the switch to veganism, the infections went away and the diet became permanent.

With the guidance of a trainer, Danielson -- known as Daniel Bryan during his WWE days -- reached peak physical yield under the diet. "I've deadlifted 518 pounds while on a full vegan diet," Danielson said. "There was no difference in my performance. The only difference was I instantly stopped getting sick."

When Alvarez chose to drop red meat prior to his second meeting with Golovkin, he still ate other types of animal protein. The shift was made in direct response to, arguably, his career lowlight.

Alvarez tested positive for clenbuterol in 2018, a banned substance catalogued as a performance-enhancing drug. He claimed it had accidently entered his body via tainted meat. In Mexico, the illegal practice of feeding cows pulverized clenbuterol pills in order to stimulate their growth and obtain more meat has been well documented.

A six-month suspension followed, pushing his May bout to September, and leading to claims of foul play from Golovkin's camp. For his part, Alvarez espoused moving forward with an abundance of caution when it came to what he put in his body.

"After what happened to me, I've been very careful," Canelo told ESPN then. "Really, too cautious, I think, [to the point] of not eating meat."

3:36

Learn about the history and usage of Clenbuterol in cattle and the effects it can have on professional athletes.

When they finally clashed for their rematch on Sept. 15, Golovkin and Canelo staged The Ring magazine's Fight of the Year for 2018, with Alvarez narrowly coming out on top on two of the scorecards. The outcome did little to quell the debate over which fighter was better, as the controversy behind the draw in the first fight, coupled with Alvarez's previous doping suspension, created plenty of fodder.

Under the shadow of their third fight -- and as Canelo reels from the circumstances surrounding his second pro loss -- Golovkin continues to raise the issue, suggesting Alvarez's success might have less to do with diet and more with seeking unfair advantages.

"There are lab results," Golovkin told The Orange County Register in August. "And when asked, I said, 'Yes, I believe that he cheated.' And if somebody in his team didn't like my words, I believe it's their problem."

Alvarez will enter the ring at a dangerously unique point in his storied career. Coming off a loss for only the second time, he will stand opposite a man he has yet to beat convincingly -- whether in the scorecards or in the court of public opinion. Though Golovkin, who turned 40 in April, is likely in the latter stages of his career, a loss or even an unconvincing win will place detractors front and center.

Furthermore, Alvarez's flirtation with veganism will do little to subdue the debate as to whether a championship-level athlete in the most brutal of combat sports can thrive solely on a plant-based diet. Somoya is no longer advising Alvarez and has gone to work with another Mexican fighter, heavyweight Andy Ruiz.

"Someday, you'll have a fighter on [Alvarez's] level who wins championships and is on a vegan diet," Gonzalez said. "But that person will have likely been on the diet for years -- not just a few weeks."

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Why Canelo Alvarez moved on from a dalliance with a vegan diet after his recent loss - ESPN