Raytheon and the New England Patriots Encourage Youth to Find the Science in Sports
More than 50 students competed in Science Fair; winning team awarded scholarships
Raytheon Company and the New England Patriots hosted the “Science of Sports” Science Fair on Saturday at Gillette Stadium. Eleven teams from Greater Boston-area Boys & Girls Clubs displayed their projects highlighting the science and math elements of popular sports.
The “Science of Sports” Science Fair is the culmination of a six-month program. It involved Raytheon employee volunteers making weekly visits to the Woburn, Lawrence, Waltham, Roxbury and Dorchester-Blue Hill Avenue Boys & Girls Clubs to help imagine and execute projects that explore math or science through sports.
The competing teams presented their projects to a panel of judges including Raytheon’s Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson, New England Patriots’ Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft, and Patriot’s inside linebacker Jerod Mayo.
The Gearheads from the Lawrence, Mass., Boys and Girls Club won the competition for their project, which determined how gears make pedaling easier on a bicycle. Each member of the team will receive a $1000 scholarship provided by Raytheon and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation. Projects were judged based on levels of creativity and innovation; scientific approach and demonstrated knowledge; presentation and display; and teamwork and team spirit.
“Raytheon is proud of its association with the New England Patriots and our opportunity to help the youth of New England make the connection between math and science and the excitement of sports,” Swanson said. “We believe that math and science will serve them well as they pursue exciting careers in the future — and that their success will contribute to the growth and prosperity of the region.”
“The projects are very impressive, and it is encouraging to see these young students excited by science,” said Kraft. “As a country, we are not graduating nearly enough scientists and engineers to compete in a global economy that is increasingly reliant on a high tech workforce. This is an issue that is especially relevant to New England. The work that Raytheon is doing with programs like this, getting kids excited about potential careers using math and science skills, is exceptional. We are proud to partner with them on Science of Sports and with other math and science education opportunities at The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon.”
“Science of Sports” is born of Raytheon’s belief that creating awareness and reinforcing math and science skills to youth are important to preserve the U.S. edge in technology and innovation. The program expands the partnership between Raytheon and The New England Patriots, who opened The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon in September 2008. Raytheon supports The Hall’s education program, which benefits visiting school groups, and sponsors an “In the Numbers” exhibit at the Hall, which is an interactive trivia game using math and science questions related to football.
Raytheon Company, with 2008 sales of $23.2 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 87 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 73,000 people worldwide.
Hall at Patriot Place Present By Raytheon
The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon is the crown jewel of Patriot Place and the only sports and education experience of its kind in the world. Through a dazzling array of interactive multimedia exhibits and artifacts never before viewable by the public, The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon showcases the tradition of the New England Patriots, explores the history of football in New England, and promotes math and science education for the thousands of schoolchildren expected to visit each year. For more information, please visit www.patriot-place.com/thehall.
The winners of the “Science of Sports” Science Fair are The Lawrence Gearheads:
- Cheyenne Alexander
- JC Figueroa
- Unity Henoud
- Bethany Maynard
- Alberto Polanco
- Kane Weber
- Chasity Weber
Source: Raytheon Company
New Study Shows Fish Oil Improves Cholesterol Levels in Professional Football Players
Fish oil given to professional football players has proven to be effective for improving cholesterol levels, according to a study published in the January/February 2009 issue of Sports Health, A Multidisciplinary Approach.
The patented fish oil supplement was administered to 36 professional football players from ages 23 to 41 years of age that volunteered to be randomly assigned to either the treatment or control group in the study. Players were grouped according to BMI and position played. A physical assessment and baseline cholesterol tests were given to directly measure LDL, HDL and other fat lipid concentrations in the blood.
The research team chose Ultimate Omega(TM) from Nordic Naturals, Inc. During the two month period of the 2006-07 football season, subjects in the treatment group were given 4 soft gels per day of Ultimate Omega, which provided 2560 mg of omega-3 fatty acids (650 mg EPA; 450 mg DHA; and 180 mg other omega-3 fatty acids per soft gel).
“The results illustrated a rather dramatic decrease in triglyceride levels, a healthy increase in HDL, and lowered LDL in the athletes who used a moderately high dose of omega-3 EFA fish oil,” relates Joseph Maroon, MD, a board certified neurosurgeon who serves on the Nordic Naturals Scientific Advisory Board and was one of the study researchers.
This study adds to the numerous publications that have shown fish oil to be a helpful preventative measure for heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends 2 to 4 gram of EPA and DHA daily for individuals with elevated triglycerides and 1 gram of EPA and DHA daily for individuals with risk factors for heart disease.
Dr. Joseph Maroon has become one of the nation’s leading advocates of fish oil and has recently authored two books, “Fish Oil: The Natural Anti-Inflammatory” and “The Longevity Factor: How Resveratrol and Red Wine Activate Genes for a Longer and Healthier Life”.
Nordic Naturals is the leader in omega-3 fish oils and EFA blends with exceptional taste, freshness, and purity levels. The company has over 150 different fish oil products, including liquids, soft gels, and children’s chewables. For information visit www.nordicnaturals.com.
Source: Nordic Naturals
Real Field of Dreams Found at California High School
School’s synthetic turf field turned around an athletic program on the brink of closure
In a true story of David vs. Goliath, the football team at Salesian High School in Richmond, California went from the brink of closure to defeating an “unbeatable” team with players twice its size. It was Salesian’s first game on their brand new synthetic turf field – a field that is now being hailed the Grand Prize Winner of the Search for the Real Field of Dreams. The national contest, conducted by the Synthetic Turf Council (STC), searched the country for the high school with the most compelling story behind its synthetic turf field.
Salesian High School unveiled its field for the varsity football Homecoming game in 2007. They were up against a school with three times as many students and an offensive line that looked like an NFL team. Nearly 1,000 fans packed the stands as Salesian High School defeated its opponent 40-37. The headline in the next day’s newspaper read, ‘David Slays Goliath.’
“We ‘play up’ on our synthetic turf field because the facility is a reflection of who we really are – a great school with great students destined for great things,” said Janet Wilks, the school’s Director of Development and Communications. “We attract better coaches and better competition. It’s been pivotal for our sports program.”
Located in a city with one of the country’s highest murder rates, the students at Salesian High focused their efforts on academics – the school boasts a graduation rate near 100 percent. And although 70 percent of students are involved in athletics, the conditions of their grass field were so poor that the soccer and football teams were on a three-year notice to be shut down. That all changed when the school raised funds to install a synthetic turf field. Salesian’s inspirational story is just one of 10 selected by an independent panel of judges as winners of the STC’s first annual Search for the Real Field of Dreams.
On the eve of Earth Day, it has become apparent that all the winning schools have made a positive impact on the environment. A typical synthetic turf sports field reduces annual water consumption by at least 500,000 gallons, eliminates the need for thousands of pounds of fertilizer and pesticides yearly, and uses 25,000 recycled tires that would otherwise end up in landfills.
Other Real Field of Dreams winners include First Runner-Up Junction City High School in Junction City, Kan. and eight National Finalists: Germantown High School, Philadelphia, Pa.; Uniontown Lake High School, Uniontown, Ohio; Oak Hills High School, Cincinnati, Ohio; Rutland High School, Rutland, Vt.; Virginia City High School, Virginia City, Nev.; Walton-Verona High School, Walton, Ky.; Wyoming City Schools, Cincinnati, Ohio; and Zanesville High School, Zanesville, Ohio.
Judges for the Search include Bob Vecchione from the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, Christine Sima of Parks and Rec Business and Christine Bolger of the National Association of Sports & Physical Education.
Source: Synthetic Turf Council