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SPORTS & FITNESS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 4, 2024 

HUDDLE UP

With HARVEY HYDE


Michele Silence, M.A. is a 37-year certified fitness 

professional who offers semi-private/virtual fitness 
classes. Contact Michele at michele@kid-fit.com. 
Visit her Facebook page at: michelesfitness Visit 
her Facebook page at: michelesfitness.

BETTER WITH 
AGE

Anyone who has been 
active for most of their 
life gets to a point in 
time where they wish 
they had their younger 
body and were able to 
do the same things 
physically that they 
could do before. The 
same activities aren’t 
so easy anymore 
and it may seem like 
those days of peak 
performance are 
gone for good but not 
so. There are several 
aspects of fitness that 
can actually improve 
with age.

Lifestyle Habits. 
During the younger 
years, the body can 
handle late night 
outings, lack of sleep, 
poor nutritional habits and lots of stress while still performing quite 
well. But as the years go on the effects of that kind of lifestyle become 
much more detrimental. Usually as people advance in years they adopt 
healthier practices. More sleep, better diets, limited drinking, etc. 
These behaviors can positively impact overall fitness contributing to 
better physical health with throughout the years.

Flexibility. Flexibility tends to decrease with over time due to changes 
in muscle elasticity and joint mobility. However, individuals who 
prioritize flexibility training, such as stretching and yoga, can maintain 
or even improve their flexibility as they age, leading to better joint 
health and range of motion. individual flexibility levels may vary based 
on factors such as genetics, lifestyle, and previous injuries. However, 
by making flexibility training a consistent part of a wellness routine 
and paying attention to proper form and technique, you can help 
ensure that a flexibility remains functional and supports overall health 
throughout life.

Mental Toughness and Discipline. Competent active individuals may 
have developed stronger mental toughness and discipline over time, 
which can translate to better adherence to physical conditioning and 
the ability to push through challenges and plateaus. Older athletes may 
possess the skill to maintain focus and perform well under pressure. 
Developing effective coping strategies for dealing with setbacks and 
adversity offers a competitive edge over younger competitors.

Muscle Endurance. While muscle mass may decline over a lifetime, 
muscle endurance can actually improve through consistent training. 
Maintaining regular strength training and endurance exercises can 
develop greater muscular endurance, allowing you to perform tasks 
for longer periods without fatigue. There is no age limit for improving 
muscular endurance.

Wisdom and Experience. As individuals age, they often accumulate 
knowledge and insight about their bodies, exercise techniques, and 
what works best for them personally. Possessing years of expertise in an 
activity translates into superior skill, strategy, and tactical awareness. 
Over time, it's expected that one would have honed their techniques and 
learned how to maximize strengths while minimizing weaknesses. This 
wisdom can lead to more effective workouts and better understanding 
of one's limits and capabilities.

Adaptability and Versatility. With time comes the ability to adapt to 
changing circumstances and conditions. That means more versatility, 
the ability to adjust strategies and tactics to suit different opponents, 
environments, or situations. There’s more of a mindset built around 
overcoming challenges, a greater willingness to embrace change and 
adopt new perspectives. Over time we’re less likely to be bound by rigid 
beliefs or fixed ways of thinking,

Injury Prevention. Injury prevention and recovery, incorporating 
techniques such as strength training, flexibility exercises, and proper 
warm-up and cool-down routines into training becomes more 
important over time. It’s easy to become more aware of vulnerabilities 
and potential risk factors for injury. Having nursed injuries in the past 
or witnessed others dealing with injuries provides insight into common 
causes and prevention strategies. This focus on stability and injury 
prevention can help maintain health and peak performance levels. 

Motivation And Determination. Both are critical factors that can drive 
individuals of any age to achieve their goals and excel in their chosen 
activity. They are drivers of success for older individuals, characterized 
by an intrinsic passion for exercise, clear goal setting, resilience 
in overcoming challenges, and a desire to leave a legacy and inspire 
others. Fueled by a love for physical activity seasoned exercisers often 
view setbacks as opportunities for growth, persevere through adversity 
with unwavering determination, and find fulfillment in the pursuit of 
excellence, embodying the essence of tenacity.

Personal Growth. Whether it's pushing physical boundaries, mastering 
new skills, or experiencing the joy of competition, it becomes more 
fulfilling to strive towards goals and becoming the best you can be.

It's the above attributes that show us time and time again that mature 
athletes can often outperform their younger counterparts. As you 
may have noticed, many of these traits have more to do with the mind 
than the body. Time offers some valuable lessons and benefits that can 
continue to make exercising enjoyable over the long run. Fitness truly 
is a lifelong gift that may change with time but always offers the same 
gifts of improved health and wellbeing. 

USC FOOTBALL / SPRING SCOUTING REPORT

Listen up! We are about four months away from the 2024 Football Season! USC opens 
on September first, at 4:30pm on ABC against LSU… in Las Vegas. Starting with a 
serious game.

This month on April 20, along with about 15,000 others, I was in the Coliseum for the 
USC Spring game. That’s what they called it… “game.” I was looking forward to seeing 
the offense go against the defense in a spirited scrimmage so that we could get an idea 
about this team who has been practicing in secrecy the entire Spring. 

Up until this time we had very little information about the team. (Limited media at practice, ten minutes observation 
the first part of practices and then dismissed) No viewing of Saturday practices. Information from coach Riley on 
Zoom interviews after practice. Reporters were challenged about what to ask when they had seen mostly nothing 
about the team in person. 

So taking it from there, at the Spring Game: first play of scrimmage—Ball snapped, and NO tackling. Shock. There 
was no mention that it was going to be a ‘thud’ scrimmage.. (which means no tackling. Don’t bring players to the 
ground.)

As it continued, the pace picked up a little on both sides, but it was hard to evaluate either. It was a well-scripted 
scrimmage.. (to make both sides look good?)

I really cannot give you an accurate accounting of whether or not they might be better this season. Instead, let’s look 
at what I could see by positions.

Quarterback: Miller Moss didn’t have a great day. He started slow but picked it up. However with no running game 
everybody played pass. Linebackers did not worry about the run and all coverage played for the pass. Defensive backs 
did not have to worry about any run support either. New QB transfer from UNLV, Jayden Maiava, at 6’5” 220, had 
a good day. Again, he could’ve run all day on the keep, but that wasn’t in the plan. Defense was prepared for that. He 
needs more playing time, but has talent. He just has to make good decisions. He could be a real asset if down the road 
they decide to make him a double-threat run/pass quarterback.

Running backs: Hard to judge without going full speed and no tackles. Looks like an above-average group. No pass 
blocking responsibilities were needed with no Linebackers coming 

Receivers: A talented group of receivers rotated almost on every play. A lot of reps for all. Just like a 7 on 7 game. All 
passing so could not evaluate their blocking skills at half speed. (Blocking is a pretty critical part of the job.)

Tight Ends: Again, mostly blocking. I think one pass to the TE all day. They could be a real pass threat if staff ever 
decided to use them. They would have been open all day in the flat and for play action passing.

Offensive Line: Hard to tell, with half efforts from rush outside guys and defensive line. I would say two out of five 
may be ready for the Big Ten or LSU.

Defensive Line: Did not show much. Did not overpower USC offensive line. Bear Alexander was sidelined. I would like 
to have seen them get after it live! I don’t think the offense or defensive line got much out of the scrimmage. They did 
not have to battle in the trenches. 

Linebackers: Same group as last year. Played pass most of the day. Did not have to step up and stop the run, and shed 
blockers or make tackles.

Rush/end linebackers did not have to go hard the entire play. Couldn’t evaluate athletic ability on rush and run defense 
responsibilities. 

Secondary: the strongest group of athletes on the defense. Having fun playing, going to football. Athletic and coached 
well. (Just a couple of breakdowns on coverages, but it may have been set up for them to look good.)

In summary, I did not see any “stars” --players who you will read about in pre-season publications. That will have to 
come from the Sports Information Office to tell us who they want us to watch. I’d like to say this team is better than 
last year but cannot. I don’t know enough. Defense will be better coached. Do they have the front 7? Offense has the 
same stuff as last year, but without Caleb. I’d like to see a commitment to the run.

It was great to see the Trojan s huddle up on offense. The new communication through the helmet really speeds it up. 
No more eleven players standing around and looking at hog wash signals from the side. Hoping all players will get 
the play correct. 

Note: Reggie Bush got the Heisman back. About time. Should never have had it taken. My opinion-- How about now 
giving the wins to a championship back to the players who sacrificed for the wins and lost it all. 

Follow me @coachharveyhyde and harveyhyde.com. 

ALL THINGS By Jeff Brown 

 MY SOUL MATE 

The Summer wind blowing gently thru her hair, smiling broadly at finding 
my love, looking so long, patiently, hopefully, waiting for that moment when 
the gates of heaven open up revealing endless radiant light. Many connections 
thru time, lost memories emerge, insights fly, wisdom rears its head and we 
float beyond space and time…..holding hands, kissing gently, eyes see each 
others lost but found again friend, here now to love again. 

To bring into this world from beyond/within thru our love the divine bliss. 
Some around will rejoice in knowing me and her as we shine outward from 
our happiness. Her! Her! Those words melt my heart..To say your name each 
morning in the new light, a gentle kiss on your lips. I whisper, I love you! 
..Blue eyes seeing backward 10,000 years when we once split thru death, now 
again herein this time may we once again reunite, dance our dance, love again 
as we have many times before. Destiny will have its day as you read this and 
recognize me again as if your heart writes these words. May my love drop like 
thunder into you here now….Time is closing with us moving as we do thru this 
journey, thru pain, thru wonder, thru our foolishness. Have we evolved enough yet to meet again? Reach out, do 
you not know me thru these words?

 Touching lightly, our auras merge, we spin in our meeting letting no distant shallow hurts blind our way to keep 
our love, as the Spirit wishes, intact and long lasting.. I wait.


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