Soccer & Fitness Trivia Hour with Los Angeles LampStrong Heroes

Did you know that aerobic exercise has been shown to improve the wellbeing of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) that are undergoing and recovering from cancer treatment? Do you know which MLS goalkeeper holds the longest shutout record for the Chicago Fire? Do you know how long it took following the first World Cup for the women to have a similar tournament of their own?

You would have known the answers to these questions if you had been given the special privilege of participating in an online event organized by Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles’ Teen and Family Support Service’s entitled “Soccer and Fitness Trivia Hour with Matt Lampson”. You even might have been lucky enough to win a pair of genuine LampStrong signed goalie gloves. This web-based event, directed specifically at teen and young adult cancer patients and their families, took place on May 7th, 2020.

In this time of the Novel Coronavirus induced social isolation, the LampStrong Foundation strives to continue to fulfill its vision of positively influencing the lives of those battling cancer. The brainchild of Dr. Laura Bava, lead of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’ Teen and Family Support Services (TFSS), an online trivia game was organized. The not so subtle focus of the program was to help those particularly vulnerable teen cancer patients cope with the unique stressors of illness induced social isolation made worse in this time of a world pandemic. Coping strategies, wellness education, and exercise tips were cleverly promulgated within the answers to health and silly trivia questions.

Participants included teen and young adult cancer patients, some undergoing treatment and others dealing with the long-term effects of successful treatment, and their families. Everyone participated in remote fashion via the internet. Dr. Bava moderated the discussion as Matt provided personal insight and color commentary. Everyone had fun.

Best of all, in its own way, The LampStrong Foundation is still working to fulfill its mission.

In the case that the reader did not know, it is a fact that exercise has been scientifically proven to help cancer patients feel emotionally and physically better regardless of their stage of treatment and recovery. It is also said that quality of life, overall stress, and the response to medical treatment is optimized when physical activity is part of the regimen.

By the way, Jimmy Douglas, the goalkeeper for the US men’s national soccer team during the 1930 World Cup would have been 93 years old had he still been alive when Mary Harvey took her place between the pipes defending the United States’ goal for the first Women’s World Cup. In 1930 Jimmy Douglas was 32 years old.

Finally, the goalkeeper that holds the longest shutout streak for the Chicago Fire Soccer Club is not Jon Busch or Sean Johnson. It is not even Mexico’s colorful Jorge Campos. It is Matt Lampson (412 minutes in the 2016 season).

You would have learned all that stuff had you been able to log into “Soccer and Fitness Trivia Hour with Matt Lampson” last May 7th, at 3 P.M PST.