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NEW YORK -- The best thing young players can do for their basketball careers is not play too much basketball.They should participate in other sports and delay specializing in just basketball until they are at least 14 years old. They should also take at least one day off from organized competition each week and extended time off at least once a year for proper physical and mental recovery.Those were among the guidelines announced Monday by the NBA and USA Basketball to begin Jr. NBA Week. The Jr. NBA is the leagues youth basketball participation program for boys and girls ages 6-14. The research and recommendations come from panels of medical experts, former players, and coaches and administrators throughout basketball.They found that athletes who have the most success played multiple sports at a young age and didnt focus on a specific one until late adolescence.The idea of sampling and participating in other sports does not mean youre getting behind, said Dr. John DiFiori, NBA director of sports medicine and UCLA team physician. They actually provide a strong foundation for success in your sport.LeBron James, perhaps the NBAs best player, played football through his junior year of high school. But those who focus on basketball too soon face some risks that can last well beyond their teen years.Theres a concern that single sport specialization may contribute to injuries and may also contribute to basically loss of interest in the sport from sort of the repetition of incessant participation in one activity, DiFiori said, adding there are cases of young athletes developing overuse injuries specific to a certain sport.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has made player health one of his biggest concerns, working to create a schedule that allows more time for rest and recovery. The league went further earlier this year by looking into the youth levels.Working groups were created in the areas of health and wellness, playing standards, and curriculum and instruction. Their guidelines stressed the importance of time away from the court, with recommendations on amount of practice and game time, and even amount of sleep.I think sometimes parents and coaches can forget that there are only so many hours in the day and that when you have someone whos going to high school and theyre at school from 8 oclock to 2 oclock, or to 3 oclock and then theyre at practice for a couple of hours and they need time to study, they need time to eat, they need time to commute back and forth to school and practices, they need time to sleep, DiFiori said. They need time to recover and its important that people actually look at that and realize that you cant pack everything into one day and still necessarily have a healthy situation.The guidelines suggest limiting high-density competition, such as tournaments that feature multiple games in a short period of time.DiFiori noted the guidelines apply only to organized competition, saying that individual practice time or pickup games are beneficial. They have been endorsed by numerous youth organizations, athletic apparel companies and supported by the NCAA.Were sending a message to families, young athletes, coaches about rethinking how we do things at the youth level, he said.---Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney Peter Forsberg Jersey .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. Rob Ramage Jersey . 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Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Tyler Davis tallied game highs with 16 points and 10 rebounds and fellow big man Tonny Trocha-Morelos added 11 points as Texas A&M overpowered Northwestern State for a 72-44 victory on Friday night to open the season.We knew we had the size advantage, so we just played to our strengths in this game, Davis said. We just tried to execute and run our offense, and see what we can get.The Aggies dominated inside, outscoring the Demons 42-8 in the paint.Thats where we want the ball, A&M coach Billy Kennedy said of A&Ms guards following his game plan.The games outcome was never in doubt, as A&M quickly built on a 12-point halftime lead, and had more than doubled up the Demons at 57-28 about halfway through the second half. A&M shot 46 percent (28 of 61) from the field, while holding NSU to 28 percent (12 of 43).They have size and strength, Demons coach Mike McConathy said of the Aggies. In the second half, they were just too much.The Demons were led by Zeek Woodleys 10 points, and Ishmael Lane added eight points. The Aggies led 33-21 at the break, thanks largely to shutting down the Demons 18-0 in the paint over the first 20 minutes.The Aggies replaced four senior starters from last years Sweet 16 team, but didnt miss a beat in the opener.People talk about the seniors who left, but we know that were capable of doing the same thing, (maybe) better, Trocha-Morelos said. We just have to show people were here to play basketball.BIG PICTURENorthwestern State: The Demons figure even with a tough early schedule -facing SEC and Big 12 foes for starters -- their stiff competition helps prepare them for Southlaand Conference play.dddddddddddd And that theres plenty to learn from even in a 28-point loss.Texas A&M: The Aggies did exactly what coach Billy Kennedy promised in the offseason, mostly running the offense through their talented big men, often resisting the urge to just get out and run against an overmatched opponent.STAT OF THE NIGHTThe Aggies didnt even allow the Demons a point in the paint in the first half, and wound up with a 42-8 advantage. The Demons could do nothing with bullish center Davis, a member of the SEC coaches preseason first team.TURNING POINTThe Aggies led only 25-19 with 2:50 left in the first half when sharpshooter D.J. Hogg coolly drained a 3-pointer, deflating the Demons hopes of keeping the game tight at the break.CROWD PLEASERA crowd pleaser occurred with about 12 minutes remaining in the game, when A&M guard Admon Gilder tossed an alley oop to dynamic freshman forward Robert Williams, who snagged the pass a foot above the rim and slammed it home for a 55-28 A&M lead.I wish I could jump like him, Kennedy said.ROLE PLAYERWilliams came off the bench in his first college game and made 3-of-5 from the field for six points, He also snagged seven rebounds, tying for second with Tavario Miller behind Tyler Daviss game-high 10. His five blocks were four more than anyone else in the game.UP NEXTNorthwestern State will try and get its first victory of the season on Sunday afternoon at Oklahoma.Texas A&M will try and stay unbeaten against American on Monday night in Reed Arena. ' ' '