Fans Flock to High School Musical 2 Premiere in London

Fans Flock to High School Musical 2 Premiere in London

As High School Musical 2 debuted in London’s O2 Arena, thousands of fans dropped in to party with the stars while watching the much awaited second installment of Disney’s made-for-TV hit movie. Fans were ready and dressed in cheerleader outfits complete with red pom-poms for the premiere of the movie. To heighten up the excitement, the stars of the TV musical were also set to appear in the venue, including Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron, for whom fans waited patiently for over an hour.

Despite their instant fame, a number of High School Musical’s cast members have managed to stay grounded, and still in shock at how devoted the fans have been to the production.

Hudgens, who was popularized by her portrayal of Gabriella Montez, finds it “kind of crazy.”

“It’s overwhelming sometimes but it’s great to be here,” admitted the 18-year-old actress. “I’d like to say to my fans that they should never give up on their dreams.”

In addition, Lucas Grabeel, who plays Ryan Evans, said, “It’s really crazy and slightly unnerving, to be honest.” The 22-year-old actor recalled his last visit to the O2 stadium for a Prince concert, where he was part of the audience.

“I was there as a fan and I felt what all these people feel being here now, it’s fantastic and so great to be part of it,” Grabeel said.

Furthermore, Monique Coleman, 26, believes that she is still the same “regular girl” she was before becoming the known actress she is today.

“I’m just me, I wake up every day and brush my teeth, for me it’s really about the fans and this moment which changes their lives,” Coleman explained. She said that aspiring actors and actresses should focus on the real goal and work hard to achieve it.

“You must realize that being a celebrity isn’t an occupational choice. You have to do something specific, don’t just go out there trying to be a celebrity because you can take your clothes off to do that,” she explained. “That’s not how we got here.”

High School Musical 2 premieres on the Disney Channel in the UK on September 21.

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Horse-Collar Tackle Banned In High School Sports

Horse-Collar Tackle Banned In High School Sports

The horse-collar tackle has been banned in high school football. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the governing board organization for almost 19,000 high schools in the United States, it will be illegal to grab the inside back or side collar of the runner’s shoulder pads or jersey and subsequently pull the runner to the ground, effective 2009. The penalty will be 15 yards.

“Though this play does not happen often, we must ensure that our coaches and officials understand the importance of penalizing this act,” said Julian Tackett, assistant commissioner of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association and chair of the NFHS Football Rules Committee.

In 2005 the National Football League (NFL) outlawed the horse-collar tackle. The ban against the play is often referred to as the \”Roy Williams Rule.\” Williams, who played for the Detroit Lions, came under scrutiny during the 2004 season for repeated use of the horse-collar technique, in which a defender grabs an offensive player on the back of his shoulder pads and yanks him down. In studying the tackle, the NFL concluded that it had contributed to several lower extremity injuries in 2004.

The NCAA banned the horse-collar tackle in 2008, hoping it would lead to fewer injuries. Trainers and physicians agreed that players can suffer seriously back injuries when the ball carrier is immediately snapped to the ground by being jerked quickly.

“Football can result in serious…sometimes life-threatening…injuries to young players,” said Penny Hastings, author of How To Win A Sports Scholarship, (http://www.winasportsscholarship.com) “and it’s vital that the NFHS addresses risk minimization issues for football as well as other high school sports.”

Studies show that football has the highest injury rating among other sports for high school athletes. In a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), football injuries during the 2005-06 season was almost double that of other sports.

In terms of the number of participants, football is also the most popular high school sport for boys. According to the 2007-08 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, 1,108,286 boys played 11-player football, with another 27,075 involved in six-, eight- and nine-player football. Additionally, 1,225 girls played high school football in 2007-08.

Penny Hastings is the co-author (along with her son Todd Caven) of How To Win A Sports Scholarship, 3rd edition (Redwood Creek Publishing, 2007, 192 pages, .95), a step-by-step guide for high school and 2-year college student-athletes who want to play their sport in college and help pay their college expenses, too. Hastings gives presentations and workshops to student-athletes and their parents, guidance counselors, coaches and others interested in helping kids learn about college sports and how to play the recruiting game successfully. Hastings can be reached at penny@winasportsscholarship.com or visit the website: www.winasportsscholarship.com. Hastings is also the author of Sports for Her, A Reference Guide for Teenage Girls (Greenwood Publishing, 1999), which is currently being revised for a softcover 2nd edition by Redwood Creek Publishing (www.winasportsscholarship.com).