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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 Sebastian Rudy Jersey . Rob Manfred, baseballs chief operating officer, testified last week during the grievance filed by the players union to overturn Rodriguezs 211-game suspension. 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Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazil and Uruguay each play away on Tuesday in a round of South American World Cup qualifiers that could see first place in the table change hands.Leader Uruguay will travel to Barranquilla to face fourth-place Colombia while Brazil visits Merida to challenge bottom Venezuela. If Brazil wins and Uruguay fails to, the five-time world champions will go from sixth place to first in only four matches under new manager Adenor Bacchi, universally known as Tite.Weeks ago, Brazil wasnt even among the top four in South Americas standings, which award automatic places at the World Cup in Russia. Now Brazil has 18 points, one behind Uruguay.Although Venezuela has only two points in nine matches, Tite recognized it will be a key match for Brazil. That is because Barcelona star Neymar wont be available for him for the first time due to a suspension. Under former coach Dunga, Brazil won 85 percent of the time with Neymar on the pitch and only 50 percent without him.Tite said the match against Venezuela would be important to show that the team has to be strong without Neymar and, when with him, become even stronger.Practice sessions in sunny Natal, in Brazils Northeast, showed Chelseas Willian in the starting lineup as a replacement for Neymar. Guangzhou Evergrandes midfielder Paulinho also seemed set to claim back his position -- he was suspended in the 5-0 thrashing of Bolivia on Thursday.Uruguay, who beat Venezuela 3-0 in Montevideo in the previous round, will have a much trickier challenge against a rising Colombia team.It will be the fifth time coach Oscar Tabarez Uruguay plays against Jose Pekermans Colombia. So far, each has won two.---ARGENTINAFifth-place Argentina has massive problems as it prepares to host sixth-place Paraguay on Tuesday: superstar Lionel Messi is still injured, its defense has been dismantled with the absence of three players and the team is getting farther and farther from the leaders.ddddddddddddWith 16 points alongside Ecuador and Colombia, but behind on goal difference, Argentina holds its worst position in qualifiers since the current system was implemented for the 1998 World Cup in France.Messi also missed successive 2-2 draws against Venezuela and Peru in the previous qualifiers. In its opening nine qualifiers, Argentina won the three in which Messi was involved and collected only seven points from the other six games.We cant always depend on Messi, we have to do something to get ahead so his absence is not noted, Juventus striker Paulo Dybala said.Besides Messi, Argentina is without defenders Pablo Zabaleta, Nicolas Otamendi and Ramiro Funes Mori.Paraguay, with 12 points, lost to Colombia at home 1-0 in the previous round and needs a win to keep alive its hopes of qualification for Russia.---CHILECopa America winner Chile will play perhaps the most attractive match of the week in Santiago against Peru. Lagging in seventh place with 11 points, Chile risks not qualifying for the World Cup if it doesnt beat its Andean rival. After losing 3-0 to Ecuador, Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi is under heavy pressure. He blamed the altitude for the bad result in Quito and promised a different attitude before the home fans.It will be different on Tuesday, Pizzi said. Three months ago we won Copa America Centenario with those players and these tactics. Then we played three games and our line was always the same, except for the match against Ecuador. We will insist with things that gave us good results.Eighth-place Peru, with eight points, has limited hopes of qualification.Elsewhere, ninth-place Bolivia hosts third-place Ecuador. ' ' '