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College athlete speaks out about mental health pressures, gives advice to coaches, parents

April 14, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A college athlete who took time away from her sport to focus on her mental health is speaking out to urge coaches, schools, parents and fellow players to pay attention to the mental health of student-athletes.

“One of my favorite things to tell myself, if I’m not succeeding in the way I want to, I’ll put my hands on my heart now to say, ‘I love you and I’m listening,'” Cailin Bracken, a sophomore lacrosse player at Vanderbilt University, told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “And I want people to experience that from their coaches and administrators. I want there to be grace on all ends.”

Bracken said of the relationship between parents and kids, “I want for student-athletes and for parents to have an open communication.”

Bracken said that as a freshman at Vanderbilt, she struggled with depression after a mid-season concussion, which led her to stepping away from playing on the school’s lacrosse team.

“[If] I had a good day of practice, I was happy, and if I had a bad day of practice, I didn’t want to talk to anyone,” Bracken said. “I was investing so much of my worth in lacrosse.”

After taking time off from competing, Bracken reentered the sport and now is sharing her story to help others.

Earlier this month, Bracken opened up about her experience in an essay titled, “Dear College Sports,” for The Mental Matchup. In it, she describes how college sports can take a toll on student athletes, and how they are met with many expectations from coaches and administrators.

“Playing a sport in college, honestly, feels like playing fruit ninja with a butter knife,” Bracken wrote. “There are watermelons and cantaloupes being flung at you from all different directions, while you’re trying to defend yourself using one of those flimsy cafeteria knives that can’t even seem to spread room-temperature butter.”

“And beyond the chaos and overwhelm of it all, you’ve got coaches and parents and trainers and professors who expect you to come away from the experience unscathed, fruit salad in hand,” she added.

In her letter, Bracken mentions college athletes like Stanford University soccer star Katie Meyer and Duke University lacrosse player Morgan Rodgers, both of whom died by suicide at the age of 22.

Bracken wrote that when she hears stories like theirs, she feels fear, adding, “It scares me so much to wonder if it could’ve been my team; if it could’ve been me.”

On college campuses in the United States, around 30% of women and 25% of men who are student-athletes report having anxiety, according to data shared by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

Among athletes with known mental health conditions, only 10% seek care from a mental health professional, according to the ACSM.

The NCAA found that during the coronavirus pandemic, student-athletes’ mental health was even negatively affected, with students reporting stress due to academic concerns, lack of access to their sport, financial worries and COVID-19 health concerns.

Professional athletes like Michael Phelps, Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka have been public in recent years about the pressure, stress and burnout they’ve faced at the top of their sports, and those are struggles college athletes may feel too.

According to the ACSM, student-athletes face pressures from academics and competing, as well as other stressors like being away home home, traveling for games, feeling isolated from campus and other students due to their focus on sport and adapting to being in the public spotlight.

Bracken said that it is because of the support of her team and coaches that she was able to return to the field, writing, “I was able to navigate my way out of the darkness instead of letting it consume me.”

“I want other coaches to just say, ‘Hey, how can I be here for you?,’ because I never ever want a coach or a parent or teammate to see a situation like Katie Meyer [or] Morgan Rogers and say, ‘I wish I had done more,” she told GMA.

She added that she has been heartened by the response she’s received to opening up about her own mental health battle, saying, “I’m so grateful people are listening.”

“I had a father reach out to me and telling me that after reading the essay, he drove two-and-a-half hours to his daughter’s lacrosse practice and waited outside to give her a hug,” said Bracken. “And it was the most beautiful thing, because it’s exactly why I wrote it.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. You can reach Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 (U.S.) or 877-330-6366 (Canada) and The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386.

Loretta Lynn’s pre-show advice for Wynonna Judd? “Keep your drawers on”

April 14, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Earlier this week, legendary mother-daughter duo The Judds gave one of the stand-out performances of the 2022 CMT Music Awards when they brought “Love Can Build a Bridge” to the stage.

Naomi and Wynonna Judd looked cool, calm and collected as they sang together from an outdoor stage in downtown Nashville, but of course there were some nerves in play: It was the first time they’d sang together on television in over two decades.

Before she took the stage, Wynonna said she “needed a little advice” from one of her own country music heroes, so she called up none other than “Queen” Loretta Lynn. She shared the moment on social media, posting video of herself getting her makeup done while talking to the living legend on speaker.

“Do you have any advice for me tonight on TV?” Wynonna asks.

“Yeah, keep your drawers on,” Loretta shoots back, before the two women break into a laugh.

Those words of wisdom will serve Wynonna well in the months ahead, when she’s got a whole lot of shows on the books. The Judds just announced a fall 2022 arena tour that’s being billed as “The Final Tour,” and features supporting act Martina McBride.

“Fingers Crossed” is a hit, so give Lauren Spencer-Smith her “Flowers”: “It’s absolutely insane”

April 14, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Lauren Spencer-Smith has released “Flowers,” the follow-up to her breakout hit, “Fingers Crossed.” Like “Fingers Crossed,” it’s a breakup anthem — it was even inspired by the same guy who inspired “Fingers Crossed” — but Lauren says it’s got an important message.

“‘Fingers Crossed’ was definitely an angsty breakup [song],” says Lauren. “You listen to it and you’re like, ‘You know what? I’m not sorry…screw that person!’ Whereas ‘Flowers’…the lyrics are genuinely making you realize, ‘Oh. Somebody should buy me flowers. Oh. I should have been more conscious how somebody spoke to me.'”

She adds, “They really are lyrics that make you think if you’re being treated well or not. Whereas ‘Fingers Crossed’ is more like a relatable ‘screw this guy or girl!’ kind of thing.”

And since many fans have told Lauren that “Fingers Crossed” encouraged them to leave a bad relationship, she’s hoping “Flowers” will, too.

“Anyone that was helped by ‘Fingers Crossed,’ I’m just really hoping ‘Flowers’ kind of inspires and helps them in the same way,” says the former American Idol contestant.

As for “Finger Crossed,” Lauren was happy about its success on TikTok, but says she “never expected” that it would actually get on the radio.

“When [a song] blows up on TikTok, I’ll be like, ‘O.K., I’ve blown up on TikTok before, I’ve gone viral, that’s cool..it’s happening again. I love it. This is great!'” she explains. “But to be on the radio is just absolutely insane!”

“I mean, any radio station…but to hear myself on, like, the local radio station I grew up listening to? And hear me be, like, ‘Hey guys, it’s Lauren. This is my song’….that is the weirdest feeling ever, and it’s so cool!” Lauren raves. “It’s, like, one of my favorite parts about the whole thing!”

It’ll never go out of style: Taylor Swift’s catsuit now on display at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

April 14, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Taylor Swift isn’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but one of her outfits is.

According to Cleveland Scene, the black lace catsuit that Taylor wore to open the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is now part of the Rock Hall’s “Right Here, Right Now” exhibit. Taylor attended the ceremony to induct one of her musical heroes, Carole King, and started the show by singing King’s composition “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.”

Taylor paired the lace catsuit, designed by Sarah Regensburger, with Louis Vuitton ankle boots. Underneath, she wore a gold Greta Constantine catsuit, which gave the top layer a sparkly look. The entire ensemble, styled by Joseph Cassell, can now be seen on display at the Rock Hall in Cleveland.

In other Taylor Swift fashion and accessory news, she’s released a new line of merch for Mother’s Day, based on her song “The Best Day,” which she wrote for her mom, Andrea. It appeared on her 2008 album Fearless.

The “I Had the Best Day” collection features a sweatshirt, a tote bag, a picture frame, socks, stationary and a mug that says, “You’re the prettiest lady in the whole wide world.”

Miranda Lambert + Elle King’s “Drunk” chart-topper is a personal win, and a win for women in country music

April 14, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Ironically, Miranda Lambert and Elle King just scored a big ol’ chart-topping country hit about something they haven’t been able to do together since before the song came out.

“Her and I haven’t gotten to get drunk and not go home since we cut this song, because she got pregnant,” Miranda explains to ABC Audio, laughing. “So I was, like, drinking for two.”

With Elle’s baby boy, Lucky, now over seven months old, perhaps a little partying to celebrate the milestone is in order. “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” is Elle’s second number one at U.S. country radio — following “Different for Girls,” a Dierks Bentley duet — and Miranda’s ninth.

Every number one is a major accomplishment, especially since, even though Miranda’s career dates back to the mid-2000s, many of her singles have never reached the top spot at radio.

“I haven’t had that many number ones…That’s always like, ‘Oh my gosh, we got a number one?’” Miranda notes, adding that it’s especially nice “to share it with a friend.”

Reflecting on Elle, Miranda says, “[S]he just has great energy and we have great chemistry together.”

The win is worth celebrating on a larger scale, too. Not only is “Drunk” the first time a duet between two women has topped the charts since Reba McEntire and Linda Davis’ “Does He Love You” in 1993, but it’s also the first time that two all-female duets are in the top 10 at country radio at the same time.

The other song, of course is the Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde’s ballad “Never Wanted to Be That Girl.” The milestone didn’t slip past Ashley, who brought it to Miranda’s attention on social media.

“I was like, ‘Yeah…that’s awesome,’” Miranda marvels. “Like, we’re finally getting somewhere, you know what I mean?”

Van Halen’s fifth album, ‘Diver Down,’ was released 40 years ago today

April 14, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Van Halen‘s fifth studio album, Diver Down.

Diver Down became the group’s highest-charting album up to that time, peaking at #3 on the Billboard 200. It’s gone on to sell more than 4 million copies in the U.S.

The 12-track collection features five cover tunes, including versions of Roy Orbison‘s chart-topping 1964 smash “(Oh) Pretty Woman,” Martha and the Vandellas‘ 1964 hit “Dancing in the Street,” The Kinks‘ 1965 gem “Where Have All the Good Times Gone,” and Roy Rogers and Dale Evans‘ country classic “Happy Trails.”

Van Halen’s rendition of “(Oh) Pretty Woman,” which was first released as a standalone single three months before Diver Down came out, became the band’s second top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching #12. “Dance the Night Away” had ascended to #15 on the chart in 1979.

The band’s cover of “Dancing in the Street” also was a Hot 100 hit, peaking at #38.

Perhaps the most interesting song on Diver Down was the band’s rendition of “Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now),” an old-timey pop-jazz tune dating back to the 1920s. Van Halen’s recording features none other than Jan Van Halen, Eddie and Alex Van Halen‘s father, playing clarinet throughout the entire track.

Jan had been a professional musician when he was younger, and he passed on his passion for music to his two sons. Sadly, Jan retired from music after losing a finger in an accident in 1972. It was frontman David Lee Roth who suggested that the band cover “Big Bad Bill,” and that they ask Jan to play on the tune. It marked the first time that Jan had played the clarinet since his accident.

Here’s Diver Down‘s full track list:

“Where Have All the Good Times Gone”
“Hang ‘Em High”
“Cathedral” (instrumental)
“Secrets”
“Intruder” (instrumental)
“(Oh) Pretty Woman”
“Dancing in the Street”
“Little Guitars (Intro)” (instrumental)
“Little Guitars”
“Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)”
“The Full Bug”
“Happy Trails”

‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty’ shines a light on the team’s unsung heroes

April 14, 2022 by WDNY Radio

HBO Max’s new hit series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, airing Sundays, shines a light on the experiences of some of the often forgotten but essential players of the Showtime-era Lakers.

One of them was Norm Nixon, played by his son DeVaughn Nixon in the series. He tells ABC Audio, “some of the players that were such an integral part of the team in the Championship were a little bit overlooked by the shine, the glitz, and the glamour.”

“My dad really wasn’t too into, you know, my dad really wasn’t too into that, and celebrity now is different than what it was today,” he explains. “So if you weren’t a media person and you stayed out from that and you stayed away from that, I don’t think that you would have been recognized.”

In contrast, DeVaughn says Earvin “Magic” Johnson “had a charismatic personality, and Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar] was pretty nondescript…but I mean, he was one of the most dominant players, arguably ever in the game.”

“I think that the show does a really good job of showing just how important [my father] was to the entire team and the entire…championship.”

“A lot of people don’t know he was as good as he was,” notes DeVaughn. “And I’m not just saying this because it was my dad. I mean, the facts are there. He can look it up on YouTube. You know, he dropped 20 in 10. You know, he actually led the team in assists two years when Magic Johnson was on the team.”

“So, those [are] some of those facts, you know, like I said, were overlooked,” he adds. And I think that was the part that, you know, people might have misinterpreted that, you know, my dad was a dog.”

Russia-Ukraine live updates: Ukraine says 197 children killed in invasion

April 14, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian troops invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Russian forces have since been met with “stiff resistance” from Ukrainians, according to U.S. officials.

In recent days, Russian forces have retreated from northern Ukraine, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. After graphic images emerged of civilians lying dead in the streets of Bucha, a town northwest of Kyiv, the United States and European countries accused Russia of committing war crimes.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Apr 14, 4:51 am
197 children killed in invasion, Ukraine says

At least 197 children have been killed in Ukraine since the Russian invasion began, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office said on Thursday.

Another 351 children have been injured during the invasion, the office said. The actual number of casualties was assumed to be higher, because Ukraine’s official figures didn’t include “full consideration of places with active hostilities,” the office said.

Two children died after being hospitalized for injuries from a rocket attack on a train station in eastern Ukraine last Friday, according to Thursday’s update. Seven children have now died following that Russian attack, the update said.

Apr 13, 9:43 pm
Ukraine claims to have struck Russia’s Black Sea fleet flagship

Several Ukrainian government sources reported Wednesday that armed forces have struck Russia’s Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva.

The governor of Odesa Maksym Marchenko claimed on Telegram that two anti-ship cruise missiles struck the cruiser in the Black Sea, causing “very serious damage.”

Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych and Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, reported there was an explosion and that the cruiser is on fire.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said a fire onboard the Moskva caused a subsequent broadside munitions explosion.

“The ship received serious damage, the crew was evacuated,” the ministry said, adding that an investigation is underway.

There was no mention of a missile strike in the ministry’s statement, which was carried by Russia’s state-run news agency TASS.

Scoreboard roundup — 4/13/22

April 14, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

INTERLEAGUE
Cleveland 7, Cincinnati 3
LA Dodgers 7, Minnesota 0
Arizona 3, Houston 2
Milwaukee 4, Baltimore 2
Kansas City at St. Louis (Postponed)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston 9, Detroit 7
Oakland 4, Tampa Bay 2
Chi White Sox 6, Seattle 4
Toronto 6, NY Yankees 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Washington 3, Atlanta 1
Pittsburgh 6, Chi Cubs 2
NY Mets 9, Philadelphia 6
San Francisco 2, San Diego 1

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Atlanta 132, Charlotte 103
New Orleans 113, San Antonio 103

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Columbus 5, Montreal 1
NY Rangers 4, Philadelphia 0
Colorado 9, Los Angeles 3

Store owner arrested in shooting of 9-year-old girl at California mall

April 13, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(LOS ANGELES) — A store owner has been arrested in the shooting of a 9-year-old girl police said was hit by an errant bullet at a Southern California mall when the merchant allegedly opened fire on a pair of shoplifters he was chasing.

Marqel Cockrell, 20, was being held on $1 million bail after he was arrested in Nevada and booked on suspicion of attempted murder, the Victorville Police Department announced Wednesday.

The shooting unfolded around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Mall of Victor Valley in Victorville, police said.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department sent deputies to the mall after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire at the shopping center, authorities said. Multiple law enforcement agencies also responded to the scene as the mall was placed on lockdown and officers began to evacuate people and searched for the shooter, who apparently fled by the time officers arrived.

Deputies found the wounded girl and immediately began rendering medical aid, Victorville police said. She was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where she was in stable condition.

The girl’s family members told ABC station KABC in Los Angeles that she suffered a gunshot wound to the arm.

Investigators believe the shooting occurred near a Barnes & Nobles outlet at the mall. Overnight, investigators worked to identify Cockrell as the suspect in the shooting.

Cockrell, who is the co-owner of a sneaker store at the mall called Sole Addicts, attempted to chase down two shoplifters out of his store according to police. In an attempt to stop the shoplifters, Cockrell fired multiple shots, missing the shoplifters and striking the young victim.

After fleeing the scene, Cockrell was arrested by the Nevada Highway Patrol in Clark County, Nevada, about 9 pm. Tuesday. He was booked at the Clark County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder and is awaiting extradition back to California.

This is the second shooting to occur at the Mall of Victor Valley within the last six months. In November 2021, a man was killed and two other people, including a juvenile, were wounded in a shooting outside the mall.

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