The Greater Lansing Sports Magazine
Javon’s Mom Says Thank You East Lansing Girls Chase Basketball Crown Greater Lansing Winter Golf In Full Swing
A Season To Savor Tom Izzo’s Holiday Gift List For Mid-Michigan
December 2008 $3.00 U.S.
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SPORT CONTENTS
14 CHEERS TO THE LEADERS
“Gimme A ‘P’! Gimme A ‘W’! Give ‘Em A Trophy COVER ILLUSTRATION BY JULIAN K . VAN DYKE
BY andy flanagan
18 Taking The last step East Lansing Girls Eye Class A Crown BY CHUCK KLONKE
28 eye of the tiger (in a ram)
Holt High Wrestling Coach Rocky Shaft Does Things Right BY Ted Kluck
32 Shooting for the stars
Ingram Turns Individuals Into Teams… And Into Men BY SAm HOSEY
40 DON’ T PUT YOUR CLUBS AWAY
Mid-Michigan Golf Options Make The Season Last Year-Round BY burton smith
24
Great Gifts For Greater Lansing Football Success And A Sense Of Perspective Would Help Us All In 2009 BY TOM IZZO (as told to Jack Ebling)
06
EB-SERVATIONS
08
NEWS + NOTES
10
PSYCHOLOGY
12
FITNESS
Sports Can Ease SAD-ness
Think Before You Buy Exercise Good Gift-Giving Judgement At Holidays
Winning Teams And Winter Trips Provide Emotional Sunshine
By rita wieber
By Dr. John H. Braccio
44
LAW
Careful What You Wish For
Gender Discrimination Remedies Can Lead To Other Problems By Jeffery caminsky
39
SPECIAL OLYMPIC SALUTE
Moses Can Teach Us All
Strength, Perseverance Make Him A Survivor In Life By Crystal Krauskoff
48
FINISH LINE
Thanks For The Memories
Four Seasons As Spartans Bring Friendships For A Lifetime By darlene ringer
22 Every Sport Is Fair Game The GLSA Keeps Lansing On The Sports Event Landscape By Brendan Dwyer
36 Kevin Jackson Where Is He Now? By Walt Sorg
DECEMber 2008 3
Assists
SPORT CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ted Kluck A modern-day George Plimpton, Ted has written for ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com Page 2. His books include Facing Tyson and Paper Tiger. He has coached prep football, trained as a pro wrestler and served as a missionary. Ted lives in Grand Ledge with wife, Kristin, and son Tristan.
The Greater Lansing Sports Magazine
Volume #1 • Issue #4 DECEMBER 2008
Publisher NBB Publishing Editor Jack Ebling Assistant Editor Doug Warren PROOFREADING Andy Flanagan
Ceil Heller Ceil has been a nurse for 39 years and has worked in emergency medicine at Sparrow Hospital for the last 15. An avid cyclist, she has competed several Dalmac events. And she is the new president of the Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association. She is also a terrific nature photographer.
Crystal Krauskoff Crystal is a conservative business analyst for Blue Care Network by day and an outgoing sports freelance writer by night. A baseball lover, she covered the Detroit Tigers as a beat writer in another life. In her spare time, Crystal enjoys hanging out with her husband, Pat, and her adorable dog, Lulu, going to the gym, gardening and watching her alma mater, MSU, beat up on Michigan.
Doug Warren Doug has been a sportswriter and broadcaster since 1996. He worked for WBBL and WLAV in Grand Rapids and for WILS in Lansing. Doug also served as a columnist/reporter for Scout.com, covering the Lions and MSU. He’s on the staff of Spartan Magazine and SpartanMag.com and is a dedicated stay-at-home dad. He lives in Lansing with his wife, Lori, and their two children.
SPORT, The Greater Lansing Sports Magazine is published monthly by NBB Publishing with offices at 1223 Turner, Suite 300, Lansing, MI 48906. Postage is paid under USPS Permit #979. Subscriptions: One copy of SPORT, The Greater Lansing Sports Magazine is mailed complimentary to qualified business addresses in the Greater Lansing metropolitan area. Residential, household, promotional, out-of-area and additional subscriptions are available for $18.00 per year which is half of the shelf price of $3.00 per issue. Subscribe at: www.SportLansing.com Postmaster: Address changes should be sent to: SPORT Magazine, 1223 Turner, Suite 300, Lansing, Michigan 48906. 4 DECEMBER 2008
Contributing Writers Dr. John H. Braccio Jeffrey Caminsky Brendan Dwyer Jack Ebling Andy Flanagan Sam Hosey Chuck Klonke Ted Kluck Dr. Jeffery Kovan Crystal Krauskoff Burton Smith Walt Sorg Darlene Ringer Doug Warren Rita Wieber Photographers Rob Eible Kevin Fowler Al Goldis Margaret Hehr Ceil Heller Mike Holder Terri Shaver Rob Sumbler John Young COVER ILLUSTRATION Julian K. Van Dyke MAGAZINE Design & LAYOUT Vision Creative Printing Millbrook Printing, Co. Mailer Aldingers, Inc. Editorial Office 1223 Turner, Suite 300 Lansing, Michigan 48906 (517) 487-1714 www.SportLansing.com Copyright © 2008 NBB Publishing. All rights reserved.
SPORT EB-SERVATION
Unsung Heroes Here, Too Time To Give Thanks For Some Special SPORT Sacrifices BY JACK EBLING
The last issue of the first year of SPORT is staring back at you. Twelve months ago, it was little more than a twinkle in a few people’s eyes. I was reminded of that last week when a friend asked, “How do you do it?” “You get used to it,” I said, not quite sure if he meant deciding which 15 deserving members of the state’s media wouldn’t get to vote for the Heisman Trophy or how I’ve kept from rubbing it in when Tom Crawford, my Saturday morning radio partner, promised Michigan would win 10 games this year. In football, not basketball. Before I could pat myself on the back for a perfectly noncommittal answer, I was told in no uncertain terms that I needed to snap out of a coma. “Not that, you idiot!… How do put the magazine together without a full-time staff and with the economy in the toilet?” By the time I was finished answering that question, the Heisman race had been shaken like a giant martini and the Wolverines had lost two more games. The guy who posed the question had also left, muttering something about cleaning his gutters. So guess who gets to hear the rest of the answer?… Hi. I guess I should start with Don Loding, the one who got me into this. He almost has me starting to like breakfast, where we meet to critique and plan our content. It’s not my fault that he’s always early. But the real heroes are the people who’ve said, “I can do that! When do you need it?”
instead of “I need to fold socks… What are you paying?” Part of that has been the people we’ve asked for journalistic bailouts. And we didn’t take a private plane to do it. I spent more time with Steve Grinczel than my wife as a travel partner from 19862002. I wish I had a buck for every time we wondered, “Will they ever win again?” Earle Robinson, my best friend, jumped in with a pinch-hit column for one reason. He doesn’t want to keep hearing that he’s old, bald and short. Thus, I guess I won’t say that. Andy Flanagan saved my butt two decades ago when I could’ve sailed through a plate-glass window, so why wouldn’t he be there again? He is. And SPORT is much better for it. Doug Warren has done the jobs that no one else would offer to do. But he has done that before, keeping me in the radio game and not worrying about compliments or compensation. And Jeff Caminsky was there to pick up the ball, putting his own projects aside. But he was my locker partner 45 years ago. And he still owed me for a vicious beanball back in Little League. Our photogs have all said yes a lot more than my kids did. Mike Holder and Jim Fordyce have changed their plans several
times. They need to find something better to do. Ceil Heller and Rob Sumbler could teach a grad class in creativity. Ceil has done everything but a cartwheel on Grand River. And it’s great to know I can always call Rob for ideas that makes mine seem sane (see the winter golf shot on page 40). But with the Thanksgiving holiday and shorter deadlines, three contributors deserve special mention. Each has done much more than a prison warden could’ve expected. Crystal Krauskoff, who does our Special Olympics stories, had another special assignment this month. Just after finishing her best piece (see page 38), she gave birth to Brigette Anne Krauskoff – all 9 lbs., 4 oz. of her. She did that via C-section on November 18. Seven days later, still sentenced to bed, she kept apologizing for a minor photo inconvenience that wasn’t her fault. Julian Van Dyke, the master of the mural, took the challenge of painting a collectorsedition cover. He didn’t try to hold up the bank. He said, “Tom Izzo? You can bank on it!” It’s always nice to have a labor of love. And for the fourth straight issue, the Vision Creative team came through like a champion. Camron Gnass was there every step of the way and probably deserves assistant editor pay. Jon Eslinger, a graphic arts genius, put up with all my procrastination and supplied a system for greater efficiency. Magazine production is a team sport. And without the SPORT staff’s can-do attitude, a full buffet could’ve been a turkey.
Jack Ebling SPORT EDITOR
Jack has covered sports and much more as a writer and broadcaster in Mid-Michigan since 1978. A three-time Michigan Sportswriter of the Year, he was a 2006 inductee into the Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame. He has written five books–four on Michigan State and one on the Detroit Tigers– and has contributed more than 125 pieces for national publications. The former English teacher and coach spent nearly a quarter-century as a beat writer and columnist for the Lansing State Journal and won 21 major writing awards. He became a sports radio host in 2002 and branched into news talk in 2006. Currently, he hosts “Ebling and You” weekday afternoons and co-hosts “The Jack and Tom Show” Saturdays on 1320 WILS in Lansing. A two-time graduate of MSU, he has lived in the area for 36 years and has helped to raise two remarkable young adults. 6 DECEMBER 2008
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DECEMber 2008 7
SPORT NEWS + NOTES
Something For Everyone By Doug Warren & SPORT Staff
Michigan State women’s golf coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll has been named the GAM (Golf Association of Michigan) Women’s Player of the Year for the fourth time and the second year in a row. Slobodnik-Stoll reached the quarterfinals of the 22nd U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur in September and won her fourth consecutive GAM Mid-Amateur title over the summer. She also earned this honor in 1996, 1998 and 2007. St. Johns’ Dan Osterman has signed a National Letter of Intent to wrestle at Michigan State next season. Osterman will compete at either 133 or 141 pounds for the Spartans. He enters his senior season with a career record of 160-7 after a 52-0 junior year. Osterman is a three-time Michigan state finalist and a two-time state champion. He also placed third at the 2008 USA Folkstyle National Championships. Holt senior Kelsie Schooley ruled the pool in the 50-yard freestyle for the second year in a row in the MHSAA Division 1 State Swimming Championship with a time of 23.75. Schooley has not been beaten in the 50 free in the past two years. Schooley finished second in the 100-yard freestyle and will swim at Michigan State next season. Okemos’ Amelia Marsh won the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events at the MHSAA Division 2 State Swimming Championship the same weekend in November. Marsh set a Division 2 state record in the 500 freestyle in 4:58.35 and led Okemos to a seventh-place finish. Michigan State senior Doug DeMartin was named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic AllAmerica First Team. The Big Ten Player of the Year became the first athlete in the history of the men’s
8 DECEMBER 2008
soccer program to earn ESPN firstteam honors. DeMartin, a Mason native, became eligible for the award after being selected to the Academic All-District IV First Team. The All-America choices were made by the College Sports Information Directors of America. DeMartin, a finance major with a 3.91 GPA, also became a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. The Everett High Marching Band will send 50 students to perform at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on New Year’s Eve. The students will join 1,000 high school musicians from 12 other U.S. bands playing at halftime, said Ben Baldwin, Everett’s band director. The bands will perform “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Gimme Three Steps” and “Word Up” at the game, a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at the Georgia Dome. The Vikings each raised about $1,000 for the trip, which runs from December 26 - January. 1.
The Michigan State women’s basketball team took home the 2008 TD Banknorth Classic title with a 81-48 win over Quinnipiac on Nov. 23. Junior Allyssa DeHaan scored 21 points, becoming the 19th player in MSU history to top the 1,000-point plateau. Grand Ledge’s Kile Jones, 16, claimed first place in the junior division of the World Championship Goose Calling Contest at the 2008 Waterfowl Festival in Easton, MD. Michigan State senior Nicole Bush added to her long list of accolades when she was voted NCAA Great Lakes Regional Women’s Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. She is the first runner in MSU history to receive the award. Bush, the Big Ten women’s cross country champ, finished ninth in the nation as the Spartans tied for 11th.
The Holt Boys Soccer Team was No. 1 in the area and one of the top 10 teams in the state after winning the CAAC Gold Cup and the MHSAA District 1 title. The Rams wound up 22-3 in their second season under Coach Aaron Smith. Josh Barens was named second-team all-state.
Local Bulldogs Honored: Portland’s Matt Wellman was named Most Valuable Offensive Lineman; Lansing’s Terrell Heggins received Most Valuable Defensive Skill Player and Ovid-Elsie’s Damien Miller earned Special Teams Player of the Year honors for Ferris State University football team this season.
Michigan State men’s soccer coach Joe Baum was named Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading his team to the Big Ten regularseason and tournament titles. Baum, who will retire as head coach at the end of the season, now has three Big Ten Coach of the Year honors (1996, 2000 and 2008). The Spartans defeated Indiana 1-0 on Nov. 16 in the Big Ten Tournament final. The win gave MSU the league’s regular-season and tournament crowns for the first time in program history.
The Michigan State softball staff will host its annual hitting and pitching clinic on Sunday, February 8, for girls ages 10-18. The clinics will feature the Michigan State softball staff, as well as the 2009 team. The hitting clinic is $35 for those who register before Feb. 3 and $45 after, while the pitching clinic is $45 before and $55 after. To ensure quality instruction, MSU coaches suggest early registration, as space is limited. Call (517) 4329858 for more information.
“Faster, Higher, Stronger: Michigan Women in Olympic History,” a historical exhibit at the Michigan Women’s Historical Center, will continue through Feb. 20. A variety of information is presented, from the effect of Title IX on expanding girls athletic opportunities to a timeline marking the great strides women have made as Olympic athletes, coaches and administrators. Additionally, the exhibit features hands-on activities for younger visitors, such as a design-yourown-medal station, a chance to stand on a kid-sized winners’ podium and a miniature basketball game.
SPORT COMMUNITY
Contribute News + Notes Contact Doug Warren telephone:
(517) 323-6452 (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) e-mail:
news@SportLansing.com web:
www.SportLansing.com
spirited
sugar and spice and everything nice!
eggnog latte
DECEMber 2008 9
SPORT PSYCHOLOGY
Sports Can Ease SAD-ness Winning Teams And Winter Trips Provide Emotional Sunshine By Dr. John H. Braccio
As days get shorter and the amount of sunshine decreases in Greater Lansing and the Great Lakes Region, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a common condition for many people. It is a type of depression related to a lack of sunshine and is treated by therapists and physicians. Nationally, a half-million or more are deeply affected. Another 10 to 20 percent have mild symptoms. In fact, most people would rather avoid late fall and the coming of long, cold, cloudy winters. That is usually not true among children. But as we grow out of our teens, it tends to increase. Fortunately, so do the opportunities to feel better. One important remedy is available from coast to coast. The impact of sports as a partial treatment for SAD is undeniable. By uplifting spirits and encouraging a positive outlook, sports can help ease the suffering – unless you live and die with the Detroit Lions. Players, coaches and even the media have no idea how their activities affect those with SAD and help get through to the spring, when daylight hours begin to increase. Chances are that Mark Dantonio has no clue how his team’s success affects the mental health of our community. As the days grow shorter, the sun shines less, cloud cover thickens and temperatures plummet. But for many fans, the glare of the spotlight and the reality or fantasy of a warm-weather bowl game can take the place of a warm, sunny day. The thousands of Spartans who went to Orlando, Fla., last year for the Champs Sports Bowl can attest to that. The temperature was warm, the sun was shining, and the people were buoyant and friendly.
10 DECEMBer 2008
Even with a difficult loss to Boston College, a game that MSU dominated, the climate and camaraderie made up for much of the disappointment. Memories were made that will last long after the stats or even the score is forgotten. Long-time Bath High softball coach Mark Kibby said, “Being at the bowl last year made me and so many of my friends so happy. I’ll follow them to a bowl again this year. I like celebrating with other fans, especially in warm weather.” But what about the majority who can’t afford to travel, can’t get off work or can’t stand the physical strain? Believe it or not, success lifts them, too, whether they’re cheering for Ovid-Elsie or Leslie to represent their communities in the MHSAA Playoffs or pulling for their favorite college football or basketball program. “I find the holiday period sad since the death of my father,” retired postal worker John Bloomquist said. “The success of the Spartans last year and this year gives me a glow. It takes the edge off my sadness, even though I don’t go to the bowls.” The disappointment of a December-
January defeat is almost never as devastating as the anticipation and buildup is uplifting. With success-by-association so important, imagine the holiday lifts that Michigan offered its fans for 33 straight seasons. That euphoria is on hold this year. Going beyond football and bowl trips, think of the astounding joy and the reduction in SAD symptoms that MSU basketball has brought to Greater Lansing through many long winters. Even for fans who have never been to Jenison Field House or Breslin Center, the number of televised games have been a tremendous comfort. Those with long memories can remember “Jumpin’ Johnny” Green in the late 1950s, Magic Johnson in the late 1970s, Scott Skiles in the 1980s, Steve Smith as Breslin opened in 1989-90 and Mateen Cleaves with his “One Shining Moment” in Indy a decade later. For those who couldn’t care less about the Spartans and Wolverines, SAD has taken some direct hits from the Pistons and Red Wings through icy winters. And let’s not forget the rallying spirit around area high schools with more than our share of long tournament runs and championship teams, including Lansing Catholic boys basketball last season. Without those teams, imagine how much greater the misery from SAD would have been in Mid-Michigan. That would have been sad, indeed.
DECEMber 2008 11
SPORT FITNESS
Think Before You Buy
Exercise Good Gift-Giving Judgment At Holidays By rita wieber
Everyone knows you love to For the sentimental For those who didn’t Having coveted race T-shirts made into a manage moisture exercise. So when your first cousin quilt does more than capture memories. It Whether you are a sweaty mess from exercistwice-removed draws your name in saves you from having to reluctantly move ing, playing in the mud or getting caught in the holiday gift exchange, be pre- shirts to the rag bag when they accumulate the rain, no one wants a car seat contamiand require rented storage space. nated with sweat, dirt, food and gunk. Cloth pared for what you may get. Prices vary depending on the size of the seats soak up sweat like a sponge. Leather Cotton sweatpants or glow-in-the dark shoelaces require a response that only an Academy Award winner can deliver without laughter.
quilt. Unless you have a crafty aunt to make it for you, be prepared to spend up to $500. Several quilt-making companies, including Keepsake Quilts and Campus Quilt, can be found on the web.
But fitness gifts that you can’t or For the four-season exerciser Looking for job security? Become a won’t use can be awkward for Merino sheep. The Merino sheep’s superfine fibers become Smartwool’s non-itchy, everyone – giver and receiver. Here are a few sure-hit ideas this holiday season: For the techno-savvy
Merely knowing your run time isn’t enough these days for technology-minded runners. New and improved GPS devices that allow the tracking of everything from heart rate to elevation changes make the serious runner or cyclist giddy. Garmin has an extensive line of products for runners and cyclists, including software for your personal computer that produces detailed training plans based on previous workouts. Santa needs deep pockets for these devices that range from $250 to $400.
12 DECEMBER 2008
odor-free products that naturally regulate temperature. Any outdoor exerciser should appreciate apparel made of Smartwool – socks, base layers, tops, bottoms, outer layers, hats, mittens and scarves.
For those needing moisture management
Wearing cotton to exercise is not only a fashion faux pas but can be heavy, wet and uncomfortable. A good workout shirt needs to be breathable, lightweight and made of a synthetic wicking material. No exerciser would balk at a new “performance” shirt. It may cost a bit more than cotton, but all major and most minor brands of fitness clothes include a line of synthetic shirts.
seats absorb sweat into their upper layers, causing cracking and splitting. Waterproof Seat Covers by Seat Shield (www.seatshield.com) are completely waterproof, odorproof, comfortable and easy to place and remove. Their patented design is available in three styles, ranging from $20-$35.
For the inspiration-seeking runner
Just the thought of someone running 50 marathons in 50 days produces a sense of wonder and goose bumps. Ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes writes about that incredible feat in his new book 50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days. This inspirational and educational book will intrigue anyone on your gift list.
For the web-shopper
While the price of gas has dropped recently, it’s still convenient and easy to shop from the comfort of your own home. Yet, a Google search for “running gifts” produces over 51 million hits! Gifts-for-runners.com makes it simple by providing, among hundreds of individual items, several themed gift bags or the option to build your own gift bag.
Workout Wish List
For the practical You can’t go wrong with consumable items such as running socks (yes, they are consumable for most runners) and energy supplements like gels, Gu, or bars. No runner would turn down a homemade gift certificate for entry into a race, cash for race travel expenses, a magazine subscription to a new local SPORT magazine (hint, hint! www.SportLansing.com) or an iTunes card to add music to their iPod. It’s hard to go wrong when showing support for your fitness enthusiast and selecting something especially for them.
What would make an ideal gift for members of the Mid-Michigan Track Club this year? “An iPod Shuffle for those treadmill days in the winter.” - Nick Stanko, Haslett, high school teacher
“All I want for Christmas is my two front toe nails.” - Ruth Thelen, St. Johns, retiree
“A Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS device.” - Jason Peabody, East Lansing, grad student
“Massage therapy sessions.” - Megan Donahue, Okemos, astronomy professor
“Smartwool gloves and a treadmill.” - Sharon Becker, Fowler, stay-at-home mom and track coach
“Base layer clothing.” - Greg Pratt, DeWitt, pharmacist
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Cheers To The Leaders “Gimme A ‘P’! Gimme A ‘W’!” Give ’Em A Trophy BY ANDY FLANAGAN
14 DECEMBER 2008
Cheerleading as a sport? You’re probably thinking, “Yeah, right!… What’s next, ballroom dancing?” The truth is, competitive cheerleading has been sanctioned by the Michigan High School Athletic Association since 1994. It’s the fastest growing women’s sport. And over 100 schools have added it to the list of activities available for girls this season alone. Michigan now has 323 schools competing. Supporters of the sport point to the fact that there’s more athleticism involved than people realize. “Most people don’t understand it,” said Kathy Showers, head coach of Mason’s competitive cheer team. “They think back to when they were in high school. Competitive cheer competitions are completely different than what you would expect.” Those who think it’s not a sport should talk to Mary Kay Gavitt. She has officiated for 23 years, including competitive cheer when it became an MHSAA sport 14 years ago. “People who think that way need to go to a competition and see what these girls can do,” Gavitt said. “If they go to a couple of practices and watch these teams, they’re incredible. They are true athletes in every sense.” Certainly, the most accomplished team in the Lansing area is Pewamo-Westphalia. The Pirates have become the New York Yankees of the sport. In 15 years of state competition, P-W has won seven titles and finished runner-up six times. Pirates coach Staci Myers, who is beginning her third season, said the school’s past success has helped create expectations that the team will do well.
competitive cheer. But there is no competition for sideline cheerleading. Competitive cheer meets have three rounds. Round one has different elements that must be performed, including at least two jumps. Teams must have six formation changes and they are graded on execution and difficulty. Round two is known as the required round. Teams are given five requirements that they must perform from three different categories: flexibility, jumps and tumbling. Teams have to pick at least one from each category. Each category has a different point value, Gavitt said, and each is scored with a difficulty multiplier. “If you can do back handsprings and tucks (where the knees and hips are bent and brought to the chest), you’ll do those because they have the highest degree of difficulty,” she said. Round two also includes a 10-count precision drill at the beginning, where everything has to be in unison. “If you pick a back handspring, everybody in your round has to do it,” Gavitt said. Round three is the stunt round, where teams perform mounts. “This is the round that’s tough,” Gavitt said. “You don’t do music, it’s all words. While you’re saying those words, you’re stunting at the same time. Every single solitary skill you do has assigned points to it.” Gavitt said scoring is based on how many people are competing in a round. “Let’s say you have 10 girls on a team. In
“Most people don’t understand it… Competitive cheer competitions are completely different than what you would expect.” - Kathy Showers, Head Coach, Mason Competitive Cheer Team
“The girls just want to be part of that tradition,” she said. Myers has already helped that tradition, coaching the team to last year’s Division 4 state title. The Pirates were runners-up in 2006, Myers’ first season. Competitive cheer is much different than sideline cheerleading – “two ends of the spectrum,” Gavitt said. Traditional cheerleading involves other athletic events, especially football and basketball. Some sideline cheerleaders do
order to get at least 15 or 20 points for that category, you have to have met 700 points,” she said. Bonus points are also available for extensions, where a girl is supported at the shoulders by other girls, and for twist downs (rotating dismounts). Teams can have no more than 16 competitors. They can go up or down by two in moving to rounds two or three but cannot increase the original size of their team. The scoring is done by three panel judges DECEMber 2008 15
Cheers To The Leaders and two safety judges. Gavitt is often a safety judge at meets, where she makes sure cheerleaders have proper spacing for stunts “so they’re not running around and hitting each other.” After each round the judges fill out their score sheets independently. If Gavitt is acting as safety judge, she makes sure that teams have met their requirements. “I only look for things that they have not done for their requirements,” she said. “If not, they could be assessed a penalty.” Rounds one and two can last up to 1½ minutes per team. Teams get 2½ minutes in round three. Sounds like meets would be quick, doesn’t it? “You think that, don’t you?” Gavitt said. “Then you go to a meet and you think, ‘Is this ever going to be over?’” One of the reasons meets can last a long time is that between rounds, judges need at least two minutes to complete their score sheets. Since many meets involve 10 teams, you’re looking at a long time in the gym. “I don’t think people realize the paperwork and math involved,” Gavitt said. “Judges have to be at a meet least one hour prior. Round three sheets have to be submitted to the A.D. one night before the meet. Then, the judges sit down and make sure what they’re calculating is what the sheet says.” Others may not realize how well-conditioned competitive cheerleaders are, especially compared to other athletes. In a recent study conducted by Wayne State University, competitive cheerleaders were found to have strength and fitness on par with Olympiclevel soccer players and gymnasts.
The study measured workout capacity, flexibility and lean body mass. On all counts the competitive cheerleaders showed “superior athletic fitness,” similar to results seen in studies of top-level amateur athletes. “Any athlete who has seen us practice will say that we practice longer and harder than any athletes in the school,” said Showers, a coach at Mason for 20 years and a competitive cheer coach since 1994. Her practices last three hours a day and begin with at least a half-mile run. Then, the cheerleaders stretch before doing team activities. “Gymnastics is a huge component of what we do now,” Showers said. Mason is one of the most successful teams among the 18 Lansing-area schools that compete in competitive cheer. But the Bulldogs don’t have any state meet hardware to show for their work. They’ve been third in the regional competition the last seven years, with only two teams advancing to the state meet. “I absolutely hate the number three,” Showers said with a chuckle. “I just had my fourth child, and it’s a joke in my family that I didn’t want to stop with number three.” P-W, a program that won’t stop with seven state titles, does its conditioning at the end of practice. That includes running, sit-ups and push-ups. And there is weightlifting twice a week, focusing on abdominal muscles, legs and arms. “I like to think we’re stronger than the football team,” Myers said. Both Mason and P-W have middle school programs. Mason has about 23 girls on
its varsity team, while P-W will have 10 this season. “It’s a little lower (than normal), but it’s a great group of girls,” said Myers, who added that the Pirates will also have a 14-girl JV team this season. Showers said that she expects music to be incorporated into competitive cheer. Michigan, one of the first states to govern the sport and set rules, is the only state that bans music during routines. “I think at some point they will add it. It’s just a matter of when they do it,” Showers said. “I think it will be fun and exciting. It will add more crowd ‘wow.’” Because of the increased number of schools competing, the MHSAA added district competition this year. That’s one reason that all three women said they expect competitive cheerleading to keep growing. “It’s gonna be huge,” Gavitt said. “You’re going to see a lot more schools that need to have that balance between girls and boys sports. I think you’re going to see more interest from cheerleaders and coaches who have done sideline cheerleading and want to go back to a competitive format. “I think you’re going to see more and more teams added every year.” More growth means more competition for schools like P-W. Myers said she expects that to push her girls even harder. “I think it’s going to get bigger and more difficult for the girls to do what they have to do to make it to the state finals,” she said. “As athletes, they’re going to keep getting better and better.” Don’t tell that to the Pirates’ opponents. PHOTOGRAPH BY ROB SUMBLER
Mason’s Competitive Cheer Team works their routine for the judges.
16 DECEMBER 2008
The Bucs Don’t Stop Here The Pirates of Pewamo-Westphalia have placed first or second in 13 of the 15 years that competitive cheerleading has been sanctioned by the Michigan High School Athletic Association. Sherry Fedewa coached the team to six state titles, and Staci Myers led the program to last year’s Division 4 title. Year Result
1994 Class C state champion 1995 Class C state champion 1996 Class C state champion 1997 Class C state champion 1999 Class C-D state champion 2000 Class C-D runner-up 2001 Class C-D runner-up 2002 Class C-D runner-up 2003 Class C-D state champion 2004 Class C-D runner-up 2005 Class C-D runner-up 2007
Division 4 runner-up
2008
Division 4 state champion
Other area teams to win a state title or finish runner-up: Year School Result
1994 Webberville Class D state champion 1996 Webberville Class D runner-up 2004 Ovid-Elsie Class B state champion 2005 Ovid-Elsie Class B state champion 2007
DeWitt
Division 2 runner-up
DECEMber 2008 17
Taking The Last Step East Lansing Girls Eye Class A Crown BY CHUCK KLONKE
A poster created before last season explains a continuing basketball mission. A check mark is placed neatly to the left of four of the five goals the East Lansing girls set in 2007. CAAC championship? Check. District title? Check. Regional crown? Check. Final Four in Ypsilanti? Check. 18 DECEMBER 2008
One check mark is missing, however. The Lady Trojans lost in the Class A Final, falling 58-46 to Grosse Pointe North. Four out of five isn’t bad. But East Lansing would like nothing better than to check off that last remaining goal. The Lady Trojans believe they can do it. “It would be awesome to get a state championship,” said junior Klarissa Bell, an all-stater as a sophomore when she led her team in scoring. “That’s what we’re pushing for. It’s going to be difficult because we don’t have Rachel’s (Woodruff) experience. But it’ll be fun.” Seniors Sami Tucker, Kori Reinhart and Victoria Lipscomb have been starting since their freshman season. And Bell has been a major part of the rotation as long as she has been on the team. With their experience, the Lady Trojans have to be one of the favorites to make a return trip to Ypsi again this March. “We all know what to expect,” Reinhart said. “We’re so much more experienced. That’s bound to help us in the long run. We’ve been to the championship game once.” If some were surprised by East Lansing’s long tournament run last winter, Head Coach Rob Smith and chief assistant Gary Greider weren’t among them. “You look at teams and know they have
the potential to be good,” said Smith, who has led the Lady Trojans since 2002. “But when you get into the tournament, it takes a little bit of luck, too. We won two games by one point. It could have been Grand Haven in the final. It could have been Saginaw Arthur Hill.” Instead, it was East Lansing after quarterfinal and semifinal triumphs. “I don’t think it surprised us,” Greider said. “Things worked out our way. I’m sure the girls will come up with the same mission statement this year. And if we make it that far, I don’t think it will surprise anybody.” Smith knew East Lansing was good when it headed into the Christmas break. Just before the holidays, the Lady Trojans crushed a good Holt squad 72-34 behind Woodruff’s six 3-pointers in the first half. “We felt that we had a pretty good team at that point,” Smith said. “We had been picked to win the league. The three previous years, Holt had been the pick.” East Lansing breezed through the regular season undefeated. When the season finally ended with an emotional loss at Eastern Michigan University, there were mixed feelings among the players and coaches. There was obvious disappointment in not achieving the ultimate goal. There was also pride in doing the best that they could. “It was heartbreaking because we worked so hard,” Tucker said. “To end it with a loss just motivated us to work harder so we can go back this year.” The loss wasn’t forgotten after a few weeks. The pain lingered through the summer. “Everyone worked on their game on their own,” Reinhart said. “We all had that loss in the back of our minds, especially the seniors. This is our last year. We want to end it with a state title.” Winning a state title has been on the
minds of Lipscomb, Tucker and Reinhart since they were freshmen. “We’ve had success since our freshman year,” said Lipscomb, whose free throws in the final seconds produced a win in last season’s semis. “As sophomores we made it to the quarters – a game we definitely felt we could have won. Last year we made it to the finals. Now we know exactly what we have to do.” The Lady Trojans had to do a lot of things right to leave with heart-stopping victories over Grand Haven and Arthur Hill. “We were down to Grand Haven at the end of the first quarter, and their fans outnumbered ours by a lot,” Lipscomb said. “The gym was rocking that whole night. It was the first time I’d played in an environment like that. With the girls playing their games before the boys, you don’t usually have big crowds. When we came in to warm up, we looked to our left and saw about 200 students from Grand Haven. As a girls basketball player, those are rare opportunities. “To come down to the last second in a game that would make or break our season, then have the same thing happen again in the semis, was unbelievable.” Smith knew what had gone into the Lady Trojans’ title bid. “They had played together for so long,” he said. “The three seniors who are back this year have been the best players in their class the last eight or nine years. They’ve played together so long they have their own chemistry outside of the team. “What was interesting was how they were able to bring together kids like Klarissa Bell, Zakiya Minifee and Malika Glover to form a team bond. We spent a lot of time off the court with team dinners and other activities.” That atmosphere allowed East Lansing to develop a sense of trust that often separates special teams from good ones. “We throw a lot at them and they pick it up quickly,” Smith said. “We have open communication. The girls feel comfortable about coming to us and talking about their thoughts. And we feel comfortable implementing the things they want to do, especially with the experience they have. It’s a democratic society. It’s not a dictatorship.” Grosse Pointe North coach Gary Bennett came away with lasting impressions of the East Lansing program. “First of all, and it’s probably not what you’d expect me to say, I was impressed with the graciousness of Coach Smith,” Bennett DECEMber 2008 19
Taking The Last Step said. “I know he was disappointed. But I felt he was genuinely happy for us. He knew how long I’d been coaching without winning a championship. He didn’t have to say some of the things he did, but I certainly appreciated them.” Bennett expects the Lady Trojans to have another solid season and wouldn’t be surprised if they have another long tournament run next March. They could see Grosse Pointe North again in the title game. Long before that possible showdown, Smith knows what he’s going to get from his top six players, a comfort for any coach. “Sami Tucker has started 79 consecutive games,” Smith said. “She’s been one of our leading scorers and is a Miss Basketball candidate. Klarissa Bell has an intermediate jump shot now, and her passing has improved. She’s making real good decisions on the fast break. Her rebounding is excellent. And her athleticism is above and beyond anything I’ve seen in 18 years of coaching.” Tucker recently signed a letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She was last season’s top rebounder and averaged 12.0 points.
shooting. We look for her to also be a defensive stopper and fast-break specialist. She has improved her passing, too. “We’ll have those two on the perimeter, along with Malika Glover, who is going to have a breakout season. She’s had a knee injury but is starting to get healthy again. She has been great in practice and has improved her shot. I expect Zakiya Minifee to have a breakout year, too. She’s in her third year on the varsity. She’s long and rebounds like crazy. “After that it becomes interesting. Of the remaining six girls, who is going to step up and be our seventh, eighth and ninth players? Usually in a competitive game, that’s the rotation we use. We have all that scoring, so it’s a matter of who can play really tough defense, give us quality minutes and not turn over the basketball – in other words, take care of the rock and not try to do too much.” There’s also a role for the 10th, 11th and 12th players on the roster. They’re importance comes during practices when they provide competition for the starters. “They have to just be happy to be play-
Bell is being recruited by several Division I colleges, including Michigan State, Texas and Iowa State. She led East Lansing in scoring last year with a 13.8-point average. “Kori Reinhart is going to run the point and has been our standout defender,” Smith said. “Her shot has improved a great deal. Victoria Lipscomb has also improved her 20 DECEMBER 2008
ing on a highly competitive team,” Smith said. “They have to know their role and not get upset over a lack of playing time. It’s important to have the support of those kids and their parents.” Last year’s team was one of several outstanding squads that Smith has had at East Lansing. But it was his first recognition as the
PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKE HOLDER
The East Lansing Lady Trojans hope to end this season with a win… in Class A state championship.
Associated Press Class A Coach of the Year. His first Lady Trojans squad was 21-3. In 2006, East Lansing posted a 20-4 mark. “My first team here was big,” Smith recalled. “We had a couple of 6-footers. Athletically, this is definitely the best. But in 2002 we got upset in the district by Okemos, and they went to the finals.” One of the players on that Okemos team was Jennifer Smith-Dewey, who is helping out as an assistant coach with the Lady Trojans. Three Michigan State students who played on boys teams in high school are also helping out. “We’ve brought on some younger assistant coaches who have been mixing it up in practice with the kids,” Smith said. “It makes (the girls) better, because they’re bigger, faster and stronger. We scrimmaged (during the second week of practice), and I told the kids that we’re better at this time of the year than any team I’ve coached.” Smith’s players know how important it is to play strong defense, a Lady Trojans staple. “The harder we work on defense, the better we’ll be able to generate offense,” Lipscomb said. “If you’re able to break our defense and score, we’ll have a little trouble. Our defense is the main thing with our speed and our bigs – or should I say our semi-bigs, our 5-11s. We can be tough because people aren’t used to playing our type of game, running and jumping. We bring a lot to the table. No matter how many times you see our defense, that doesn’t mean you can break it. “In the end, our success will probably come down to a foot race or making smart decisions. Sometimes we have to out-think teams. It’s a little nerve-wracking, but it comes with us getting older.” With that age and experience comes added pressure. The poster has one spot left for a check mark. And the seniors want to be the ones to make it, whether or not they settle a score. “The chances of East Lansing playing Grosse Pointe North are like going out and buying a winning lottery ticket,” Smith said. “I want to go back and be a better team regardless of who we play. If we do go back, we’re going to be pretty good and have a better chance. But we’re not going to spend the whole year thinking about meeting up with a team in the finals. “It won’t be a grudge match, but it would be fun. It’d be more fun for them because they already have the state title. There’s more pressure on us. When the Patriots go back to the Super Bowl, they already have the hardware, now let’s add to it. With us, we’re so hungry.” Hungry enough to have room for dessert.
DECEMber 2008 21
SPORT AUTHORITY
Every Sport Is Fair Game The GLSA Keeps Lansing On The Sports Event Landscape By BrEndAn Dwyer
Mainstream sports probably pop into your head when you think about athletic events for the area. Softball. Hockey. Basketball. Bowling perhaps?… Not if you’re part of the Greater Lansing Sports Authority (GLSA). “We’re in the business of bringing sports to town,” said Mike Price, Manager of Sports Development with the GLSA. “Whatever form that may take. Sometimes it’s gymnastics or baseball. Sometimes it’s curling or even horseshoes. Any sport we feel can be adequately served by our community and its venues, we’ll go after it.” And go after it they do. The GLSA has gone outside the box in its short tenure to bring to town first-time unique sports events such as wheelchair basketball, Junior Olympics racquetball, Special Olympics poly hockey, competitive Wiffle® Ball and even national euchre and hearts tournaments, just to name a few. “With a city our size, you must have an 22 DECEMBER 2008
open mind and be creative with space,” said John Young, GLSA Manager of Events and Sponsorships. “We’re obviously not a Houston or Los Angeles, but we do have some nice sports venues, especially if you can find ways to diversify. So we’ve always got our eyes open for new or up-and-coming sports looking for a tournament home.” An attitude like this has led to successful kickball events on softball diamonds, floor hockey and wrestling tournaments on basketball courts and huge card tournaments in hotel conference spaces. Needless to say, a “by any means necessary” approach has been the GLSA’s formula for success. On at least one occasion, this approach opened a door that Price and Young weren’t sure even existed. Through research and contacts, the GLSA discovered that several local waterways are
To learn more about the GLSA or share any sports events you feel would be a good fit for the Lansing area, call (517) 377-1406 or visit www.lansingsports.org.
PHOTOGRAPH BY John Young
Haslett and Clarkston collide at the Chuck Vorce Invitational Lacrosse Tournament at Waverly High School.
laid out perfectly for competitive adaptive waterskiing, a popular sports event with a solid tournament schedule for qualifying Para-Olympians. BAM! The seed for a strong future event is planted. Taking a deeper and more calculated look into the sports event world has really helped the GLSA – and ultimately the community. It isn’t frosting on the cake. It’s how they stay in the game. Staying competitive as a sporting event host city means maintaining relationships with events that have historically been strong for the area. It also means monitoring national trends for sports on the rise. Youth soccer and lacrosse are wildly popular now and comprise two of the bigger sports events for the region, drawing an estimated 8,000 participants annually. Girls hockey is another growing trend throughout the Midwest and Canada with major tournament potential. In fact, score one more for the GLSA. The Greater Lansing area was recently selected to host the 2010 USA Hockey Tier II Girls National Championships. Scheduled to be held at Suburban Ice, the Summit and Munn Ice Arena, this event will draw over 1,000 participants and many more friends, family and spectators. “It’s a competitive marketplace for all businesses right now,” Price said. “Sports are clearly no different. Keeping the door open for a wide array of sports for the area helps put continued energy into this unique economic driver. And yes, every sport you can imagine is fair game.”
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DECEMber 2008 23
Great Gifts For Greater
Football Success And A Sense Of Perspective Would Help Us All In 2009 BY TOM IZZO (as told to Jack Ebling)
24 DECEMBER 2008
Everyone has a wish list for the holiday season and the year just ahead. But a few things jump out, some as gifts we can only give ourselves, as perfect presents for Mid-Michigan. The health and happiness of loved ones comes first. That hasn’t changed since time began. After that, we’re talking about things that can make us feel better and be better people. Number one for me as we start a new calendar would be a New Year’s Day bowl win for Michigan State. Some of you may not be football fans. Some, sad to say, may not even be Spartans. That doesn’t change the reality that it would help this area immensely. Like it or not, and I can say this as a basketball coach, we live in a great football state. And people are dying for football to be good, not only in East Lansing but definitely in Detroit with the way the Lions have been. I’ve always said that football is the engine for our universities’ athletic departments. I’ve never wavered from that from day one. Now, you’re seeing that all around the country. Kentucky needs to draw 70,000 fans. Kansas needs to draw 65,000. There’s still something about a football Saturday that you can never get in basketball. I’ve gone to tailgates where the same people have been there for 30 years. It does bring a community together. When you win,
you can leave here at 8:30 at night, and people are still out tailgating. They’re still out watching games. Sports can be a great front porch for a university because of the publicity we get, whether it’s free or not free. If you’re winning, it’s out there every day. Prospective student-athletes see it, unlike the cyclotron or all the neat things we have here. They’re just not the same in terms of marketability. And when you’re in a community like this, especially when you’re going through rough times, it leaves you something to talk about and feel good. Who knows? Maybe you go buy something because you’re feeling better. If you walk around and say, “My stocks went down. I’m on the verge of losing my job. And our football and basketball teams are lousy,” it’s like “What’s left?” The bridge loan for the automakers didn’t go through Congress last month. There’s talk of bankruptcy for the “Big Three” and as many as 3 million people being laid off. I have 1,000 reasons to want to win a championship, but the biggest one is to represent. Every once in a while I go back and watch the highlights of our championship year. Sometimes I watch it to motivate me. Sometimes I watch it invigorate me. And sometimes I watch it to see some of the things we did. But Jim Nantz said something incredible on CBS right after we won it. He talked about all the problems in Flint and in the car industry. And that was more than eight years ago. There were already problems.
Jim said, “On this night everybody in Flint can feel better.” Well, now that’s true everywhere. We’ve even talked about that as a team, that there are things we can do to lift this community or this state. And there could be no better time for our state than this year. We all need our rallying points. Shari Berger, who’s with the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau, came to me about a year ago when there was a rumor that they were going to lose the state boys basketball tournament in Breslin Center. It’s another one of those things that everyone will look at as a recruiting advantage. And I think there is some – some, not a lot. But bigger than that, it’s something that brings a lot of people to Mid-Michigan. From Traverse City to Grand Rapids to Detroit, they can meet in the middle. It’s even a little easier for us Yoopers. The businesses in this community – the hotels, the restaurants, the gas stations, the stores – all benefit. As I get a little older, I’m starting to realize why all these things are so important to everybody here. You can say, “If we lose it, it’s no big deal. So what? You go out and recruit a little harder.” But the recruiting part is such a small part of it. When we talk to fans about what they want, they want what we’re trying to give them. They want great games. They want great schedules. And they want contending teams. They don’t say, “I want a National Championship and won’t be happy with anything else.” They want to know that they can go to the water cooler on Monday DECEMber 2008 25
Great Gifts For Greater Lansing morning and stick their chests out. That’s something that’s even truer in football, because the weekend has so much buildup to it. When you win a big game in basketball, sometimes by the following Monday, you’ve played three games. You might have played great in two of them. But that’s why football is such a topic of conversation in barbershops and restaurants and around the water coolers. I always talk to our team about that. There hasn’t been a big game, not one since I’ve been a head coach here, where I haven’t talked about the community, the alumni and the students on campus. I believe in that. And I believe we’re role models. It’s kind of an obligation, but a good obligation. Some philanthropic people give money. We get to give pleasure. It’s probably worth more than money. Before the election, there was so much bitterness and so many allegations and so much junk, you just got tired of hearing it. But conservatives, liberals, Republicans, Democrats, in favor of Proposal 2, against Proposal 2, it didn’t matter who you supported. When people were asked what unified this community, they always came back to Michigan State sports. So maybe we’ve helped a little as a unifier and a healer. You can’t have success in an athletic department or a community without stability and continuity. I’m not sure anyone could come in and do a great job without stability. We haven’t had that in our administration. That’s why I think Mark Hollis is so important. He’s a guy who wants to be here and wants to be here for the long haul. Mark might have been the first Christmas gift for Mid-Michigan this year. Looking back, his appointment helped structure how we were going to select a football coach and what the process would be. So I’d have to say, he was a major gift to this community. So was Mark Dantonio. He brings credibility. And he has won. People ask me, “If he was 7-5, would you feel the same way?” I said before the Ohio State and Michigan games that I would have. I think I know what direction the program is going. I think you do, too. It’s easy to see that when you go from the number of penalties to academic success to what they’re doing in recruiting. The big thing to remember is that it’s a process, like getting our state back on its feet. It’s easier when you see some progress, and you’re continuously heading north. Even if it’s gradual, I think people will be patient if they see something positive. If they see things falling off the map, 26 DECEMBER 2008
Coach Izzo plays the accordion at the annual Rite Of The Season, during The Tom Izzo Radio Show hosted by Terry Braverman (right).
it’s harder to do that. With 2009 just around the corner, I’m sympathetic to the fans, the ones who save all year for season tickets. Most of them don’t make $200,000 a year. They’re teachers or they work in a shop somewhere. They need some sort of cost containment? Everything goes up, and it’s almost impossible for a family to deal with sometimes. If I had to pick one thing that bothers me more each year, from the bottom of my heart, it’s that. We have lost some of the real fans. The negative of Breslin is that it’s structured with a perception of haves and have-nots. As I say that, I worry about our football stadium being in the same boat. I think there are a lot more good seats in Spartan Stadium than in the bowl at Michigan. I think there are a lot more good seats in Breslin than in the bowl at Iowa. But there’s not a line of demarcation, separating the levels. That has created some problems, I think. But we’re financially land-locked. There’s no other way to make the money we need unless it’s through ticket prices. We don’t have all those auxiliary opportunities and options any more. So I see both sides of it to a certain extent. And I worry every day that it’s getting more corporate. There’s nothing wrong with corporate support. But even that’s coming to a halt now. We’ve all lost something with the recession. I’ve lost money this year, like everybody else, and have a little more to lose. The sum is bigger. That ate me alive for a couple of months. I’m almost looking at if maybe
we all needed this. I used to say that my trip back to Iron Mountain each summer was a trip back to reality. In this job you lose perspective. You lose reality. In some sick way, maybe this was our trip back to reality. We’ve been living in Disneyland a little bit, where we think there’s no end to things. We’ve stopped holding people accountable. Athletics used to be a way for regular people to attach to something. Maybe this will bring us back to that. Maybe we can be a leader in getting our community and our state back on our feet. I don’t feel as negative as I did three months ago. I almost feel good. Ticket prices in the playoffs are coming down for the first time ever. Athletics has been the golden egg for so long. That’s not true any more. So there are going to have to be some reality checks. I’m not a big nature guy, but mosquitos are good. Bumblebees are good. They keep balance and are part of the chain. Maybe this makes us a better community. I’ve told you a hundred times, adversity usually brings you closer. If I didn’t have adversity with Mateen Cleaves, I’m not sure I would’ve named my son after him. I’m not sure he would’ve helped us win a championship. For once, maybe Democrats and Republicans can join hands and say, “Let’s fight for the USA, not for the Democrats or Republicans.” Maybe we can do the same thing in sports and wind up better for it – at the holidays and in 2009, especially after a bowl win.
of the {in a Ram} Holt High Wrestling Coach Rocky Shaft Does Things Right BY TED KLUCK
28 DECEMBER 2008
“We do things, in wrestling, that would make a billygoat puke,” Rocky Shaft said, careful to attribute the quote to mat legend Dan Gable.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AL GOLDIS
But when he made that statement about the creatively torturous exercises most wrestlers endure, his voice sounded nothing like a wrestling coach’s – and even less like someone named Rocky Shaft. Wrestling coaches, for whatever reason, have a reputation, as do wrestlers. That reputation involves being incredibly tough. The wrestling coach’s class was the one place where you didn’t screw around. Shaft, who has coached three Holt High state championship teams in 1996, 1997 and 2008, is probably that teacher. Still, he’s known for thoughtfulness and kindness – two traits seldom associated with his sport. As an athlete, Shaft was a member of Holt’s 1971 state championship team and an individual state qualifier. After graduation in 1973, he went off to Western Michigan with aspirations of playing college baseball. But he couldn’t ignore the siren song of wrestling, a sport that’s nearly impossible to stop once you taste success. And Shaft hasn’t stopped. In his 29th year as the Rams’ wrestling coach, he seems to be enjoying himself as much, or more, than he did on day one. He looks a lot like what you’d expect, with a low-slung, bulldog build, a thick neck and a Wyatt Earp-ian Fu Manchu moustache. The best way to describe his stature is to say that it looks like it would be hard to knock him over. He’s quick with a smile and approachable to his athletes, despite sharing a name with two of the most testosterone- laden figures in pop culture, Rocky Balboa and John Shaft. “It’s a lot like teaching,” he said of coaching wrestling. “When the kids are able to catch on, there’s a great feeling of satisfaction. In fact, I get a lot of joy out of watching the lowliest junior-varsity match and seeing a kid win for the first time.” Shaft is clearly the king of his lair in the Holt wrestling room – a room so large that Shaft has to wear a remote microphone to
be heard from one end to the other. The room is comprised of wall-to-wall yellow mats and all sorts of training devices, including tractor tires and tall climbing ropes along the outside. The room is also a living reminder of Holt’s wrestling success, including a list of no less than 20 individual state champions, as well as more than 60 state placers. The Rams have gone 42 years in a row without a losing season and have been top-10 in their class in 23 of the last 38 years. A boom box blasts a song by the new metal band P.O.D., and the music will continue throughout the entire workout. What’s staggering is that there are nearly 60 kids in the room, which Shaft explains is “a light day.” He’s had as many as 70 at practice this season. And there’s true diversity – black kids, white kids, Hispanic kids and at least two kids with cotton stuffed up their noses in an effort to stop the bleeding. “I’m always walking the hallways, looking for kids,” Shaft said. “You find wrestlers in the strangest places. I’ve found some of my best wrestlers in the library.” The Holt wrestling team was designated as an academic all-state team for 2007-2008, the sixth time in seven years that Holt has achieved that honor. “To me, wrestling is the healthiest sport,” Shaft explained. “We do nutritional training
with athletes and parents together and have state-mandated body fat analysis so the kids are familiar with their bodies, both in terms of safe levels of body fat and where they need to be.” Without prompting, he added, “And you don’t see the rubber suits any more,” in reference to the old-school, draconian methods of cutting weight in days gone by.
“There’s a reason for everything we do in here,” Shaft shouted into the microphone. “And that reason may be to make your lives miserable.” He said those words with a smile, before ordering more pushups. The thing was, nobody looked miserable. Or nervous. Or starving. They looked like they were having a good time together. “I love it,” said freshman wrestler Chris Seyka. “I’ve been coming up here since the seventh grade, just working on stuff with Coach. He’s kind of old fashioned, but I like that.” Parent Bob Matthiesen, who was in the room to watch his son practice, added, “He runs a great program. He’s enthusiastic and dedicated, and he’s a proven success.” Matthiesen is a case study in the almostreligious fervor a person can have for wrestling in general and Holt wrestling in particular. His son, Ben, took fourth in the
Rocky Shaft, who was a wrestler on Holt’s 1971 state championship team, has coached the Rams for nearly three decades.
DECEMber 2008 29
Eye Of The Tiger (In A Ram)
Coach Shaft addresses a new generation of Wrestling Rams at a recent practice.
state as a sophomore and is expected to be a mainstay on this year’s squad. “I had nothing to do with this sport before Ben started,” he said, decked out in a variety of USA and Holt Wrestling paraphernalia. “Now, I’m hooked.” There is a de facto caste system in place. The high-level varsity guys – including state qualifiers Corbin Boone and Koort Leyrer and young Freddie Rodriguez – work at the west end of the room. The less experienced guys are at the east end. And the guys in the middle are, well, in the middle. That is perhaps wrestling’s greatest achievement. It’s impossible to buy success for a child in this sport, which may be the most overt example of capitalism and “free market” left in a sports landscape populated by dim-witted-but-deep-pocketed parents. “I like the hard work that wrestling requires,” Shaft said. “It demands the competitive nature of good, old-fashioned hard work. We still have good kids now, but they don’t have the same mentality.” Shaft has former wrestlers who are now his colleagues in the Holt school system.
And he has coached the offspring of his former wrestlers, helping to produce fatherand-son state champions. A handful of these men – all Holt wrestling alums – dot the room each day. Many come back to coach on a volunteer basis. Some just return to say hello to their old coach and soak up some wrestling ethos. “I introduce each former wrestler who comes in,” Shaft explained. “And sometimes when I tell the kids about their championships or accolades, the whole room will applaud.” Today there are several of these graduates dispersed throughout the room. They share the same thick limbs, squatty builds and T-shirts that read “Holt Wrestling.” And they move quietly around the room, pausing to give technique tips or encourage the younger wrestlers at the east end. The idea of volunteer involvement is key to Shaft and the Holt program. He said that many of his former wrestlers feel it’s their duty to leave something behind, to give back to the sport that was such a huge part of their formation as athletes and men. Shaft
said they’ll often pick out one wrestler and coach him in the evenings, showing moves and helping the young athlete to live the dreams that they lived. “We’re in the business of making memories,” Shaft said of a theme that is oft-repeated. And that may be even more true in wrestling, where the day-to-day reality can be brutal and hard. According to Seyka, a typical practice involves a couple of hours of live wrestling and move work, with another half-hour of running at the end. And there are no distractions in here. The monotony of a football practice can be broken by the inhalation of fresh air. In a wrestling room, the only thing fresh is the music. But the memories, he said, are worth the pain. A camaraderie forged with sweat seems to transcend the room, as well as soften the eroding effects of time. “The most satisfying thing,” Shaft said, “is to watch them turn into young men with a lot of class.” The medals for that are awarded much later – to champions in life. DECEMber 2008 31
Mike Ingram has raised the standard for successful men’s basketball at the junior-college level. Entering his 19th year at Lansing Community College, Ingram has a 387-130 record, 13 conference titles, one state and two regional championships and two NJCAA Tournament appearances. Unlike NCAA Division I powers, Ingram doesn’t have an unlimited budget to fly around and recruit the best players in the country. He has to work with a different type of player, ones who need a second chance. But Ingram has found a blueprint that works. 32 DECEMBER 2008
“Number one, you try to get good kids, and you can’t always get good kids,” Ingram said. “So you try to teach them how to be good kids. You teach them to work hard and be disciplined. And you teach them to go to class.” Without the carrots of television appearances and major media coverage, Ingram has found other ways to motivate players to be successful on the court and in the classroom. “If you go back to your old school and the teachers and students recognize that you have matured and grown, that’s what you want,” Ingram said. “You want them to recognize that you’re a real studentathlete now.” Ingram has developed a formula for success on the court, too.
Shooting for the Stars Ingram Turns Individuals Into Teams… And Into Men BY SAM HOSEY
“I put a lot of emphasis on winning our league championship,” Ingram said. “And I recruit kids that play the way I like to play. I like to have a couple of 3-point shooters and a couple of good point guards. Once you get them in the system, you can be pretty good.” It’s not always that easy. Ingram often has to use a firm hand to get the most from his players – something he’s not afraid to do. “I have to teach them that nothing is going to be given to them,” Ingram said. “That’s the other thing. I tell them they have to earn their keep.” The 2008-09 LCC Stars were ranked No. 10 in the NJCAA Division II preseason poll but have stumbled out of the gate with a 2-3 record. Still, Ingram is optimistic about his 15-player team this season.
“We’ve got a young group, but I think we’re going to be pretty good,” Ingram said. “Right now, we’re playing .500 basketball. We’re winning one and losing one. But we’re playing pretty tough competition.”
“…you try to get good kids, and you can’t always get good kids… So you try to teach them how to be good kids.” - Mike Ingram
Hampton Sallee, a 6-2 sophomore transfer from Ancilla College, leads the Stars in scoring at 20.5 points per game. He had 29 in an 80-71 loss to No. 1-ranked Mott Community College. Torrian Harris, a 6-5 sophomore forward from Saginaw is averaging 17.5, while 6-5 freshman Grant Stone is averaging 14.5. Against Mott, 6-6 freshman forward Willie Brown showed flashes of his talent, finishing with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Brown is a former Lansing Eastern standout and is the nephew of Detroit Pistons center Kwame Brown. “A lot of guys come in and think we’re just going to be running up and down the court,” Ingram said of his nine freshmen and six sophomores. “Coming in from high school, adding that extra eight minutes and DECEMber 2008 33
Shooting For The Stars a shot clock makes a difference.” But LCC’s slow start isn’t just because of its youth. “One of the things I think that has really hurt us is we’ve got seven kids from out of town,” Ingram said. “Traditionally, most of the kids I get are from Lansing. But with our gym being shut down this summer, it didn’t give us a chance to bring in a lot of kids from the area and recruit like we normally do.” The Gannon Gymnasium underwent a $300,000 renovation this summer – its first major upgrade since the 1970s. It now meets NCAA standards and can host high school games and tournaments. The gym has new bleachers, a new scoreboard, new lights and a repaired floor with a new paint job. It even has wireless Internet capability. But nothing is newer than Ingram’s roster. “Last year we had eight or nine sophomores, and I knew we were going to be good, Ingram said. “A couple of years ago when Ron Banks was here, we had 9 or 10 sophomores, so I knew we were going to be good. This year’s group can be good once they figure out what I’m teaching them.” Ingram has been the primary architect in building LCC into a power. But the former Stars guard for Art Frank (1979-81) won’t
take all of the credit. “When I came back in 1987-88 as an assistant, we were able to win the national championship,” Ingram says. “I like to think I helped to make it a great program. But what that title did is make kids in Lansing want to come here. When I came in as head coach, I really made it a point to make LCC attractive to Lansing kids. “That first year, we went to nationals and finished fourth. We’ve won quite a few championships since I’ve been here. I know the kids, the parents and the coaches. And I’ve had some great teams and great players. I had three 1,000-point scorers on the same team in Joe Blankenship, Rodney Cook and Tim Robinson.” Scoring 1,000 points is a milestone for fouryear players. Ingram said he has had 11 or 12 players reach that mark in two seasons. With all that success, it is nearly impossible to single out one player as the very best. “Guys always come back and ask me, ‘Coach, wasn’t I the best player you ever had?’” Ingram said. “A couple years ago we had Ron Banks, Nate Duncan, Muhammad El-Amin. Further back, we had Nate Huffman. As far as I know, he’s the only one from the Michigan junior-college ranks to make it all the way
Coach Ingram address his players in LCC’s newly renovated Gannon Gymnasium.
34 DECEMBER 2008
to the NBA. “We also had Levi Rost from St. Johns, our all-time leading scorer. At the end of his career, I told him, ‘Man, you scored over 1,500 points and made over 250 3s. You must have scored a lot of points in high school.’ He said, ‘Actually, Coach, I only scored between 300 and 400 points there.’” The list goes on and on. And with every great player came memories of triumphs on and off the court. “Marcus Norris, Ray Mitchell, Alex Ward… those guys could really do a lot of things,” Ingram said. “I was also an assistant when we had Kirk Baker. So when guys ask me, ‘Was I the best?’ I always talk about championships. Those are the players I consider to be the best.” Ingram was also quick to praise his assistant coaches over the years. “I’ve had some great assistants,” he said. “I had Ray Kimball. I had Roosevelt Green, who is now the athletic director at Detroit Central. I had Doug Fleming, who led East Lansing deep into the MHSAA tournament last year. Our program has had great assistants, great guys the kids can look up to. I’ve really been blessed.” While Ingram takes great pride in his accomplishments, he and his wife, Phebeit,
have even more satisfaction in the success of their children. Justin Ingram, a former Waverly Warriors and Toledo Rockets star, is averaging 19 points and six assists in his second year as a professional in France. Daughter Alayne is the Public Relations Director for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, and daughter Jocelyn plays for Grand Valley State. “My wife and I went over to France to see Justin and spent seven or eight days there,” Ingram said. “So I’ve been really blessed to travel around the country and around the world. Basketball has been great for us.” Ingram has been pretty good for Lansing, too, as a player, as a coach and as a parent.
Entering this season, Ingram has a .750 winning percentage (387-130) at LCC.
LCC Women Win, Too Brunson Points To His Players’ Great Successes BY SAM HOSEY
Don’t expect to see Ervin Brunson smile on the Lansing Community College sideline. Up in the women’s basketball office, his pride is impossible to miss.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Kevin Fowler
“Her? She’s a coach now. And that one right there, she’s a registered nurse,” Brunson said, pointing to former players on a wall with team photographs from the past 14 years. Before moving to Lansing, Brunson coached several men’s teams, including a stay at Division II Virginia Union where former NBA force Charles Oakley was starring. In his 15th season as the Lady Stars’ head coach, Brunson has a record of 267199. His teams have won three MCCAA state titles and the 1996 NJCAA National Championship. “People always come in and like to talk about awards and championships
I’ve won,” Brunson said. “I always tell them, ‘I organize it, but the players did it.’ I always emphasize the books, because that’s what matters.” This year’s team received a few votes in the NJCAA preseason poll but is still finding its way. “We lost the first two games, but we’re improving,” Brunson said. “We return five players. But only one, Jackie Feldpausch, started the whole season last year. Right now, she’s averaging a double-double. She plays everywhere for us.” Feldpausch, a 5-foot-9 sophomore from Grand Ledge, is averaging 16 points a game but isn’t bothered by the pressure of being
the Lady Stars’ No. 1 option. “Not really,” Feldpausch said when asked if she was concerned about leading. “It’s not like last year or the year before where we were coming off of a regional title run.” “It’s a big adjustment period,” Brunson said. “I think they had to get their feet wet, because at our level there’s size and a lot of quickness. We have to develop cohesiveness. And each game develops our chemistry.” While Brunson continues to mold this year’s team, he’ll keep an eye on each of his players’ futures and add to his wall of fame. “When I first took over this program, we finished 5th in the country, so tradition is high here,” Brunson said. “Six former players are head coaches. Several are teachers. Some are running businesses. I have one that’s out playing in Iowa. One thing I try to do is push them to succeed on and off the floor.” DECEMber 2008 35
SPORT QUICK HIT
Kevin Jackson Where Is He Now? By WALT SORG
He is arguably the second-best athlete ever produced in Mid-Michigan. Yet, only true sports fans know the name Kevin Jackson. A three-time world champion, counting his gold medal in the 1992 Olympics, Jackson is ranked among the five greatest wrestlers in USA history. But unlike his friends Jay and Sam Vincent, John Smoltz, Al Horford and hockey’s Miller family, Jackson excelled in a sport few people notice. “You always want to be recognized for the hard work and the sacrifice,” Jackson said. “It’s a little bit of a downer, a disappointment. But we didn’t do it for the cash. We do it for the gold and the goal. Wrestlers don’t wrestle for the money. They wrestle for the man.” Jackson didn’t set out with the goal of being the best in the world. He just couldn’t prevent it. “As a kid my goal was to become a professional athlete,” Jackson said. “It was never to be an Olympic champion. It was just to be a champion at every level. Once I reached that international level, it was a natural progression.” Jackson credits his early success to the
- Lansing native, Kevin Jackson
“family feeling” at Eastern High under the leadership of principal Don Johnson. He credits Johnson and the Eastern faculty for creating an ideal social setting. “We were multicultural and multiracial, with none of those issues that created problems at other places,” Jackson said. “It was a family-type environment which led to us becoming good citizens. Back then, Eastern 36 DECEMBER 2008
PHOTOGRAPH COUR TESY OF W W W.THEMAT.COM
“…Wrestlers don’t wrestle for the money. They wrestle for the man.”
produced some really quality people.” That list included older brother Wayne’s good friend, Sam Vincent, and Sam’s older brother, Jay. Jackson learned his work ethic from the example of Wayne and other local athletes, including one kid from his days in Pop Warner At the conclusion of the freestyle wrestling event Football. at the 2008 Olympic Games, USA Wrestling “I’d be waiting on National Coach Kevin Jackson talks to the press. the sidewalk for my ride after practice,” he said. “There would be this one last guy outside, always playing, USA Wrestling in Colorado Springs to lead always working on his game. We found out the Sunkist Kids club program in Scottsdale, Ariz., one of the top wrestling clubs real soon who it was.” The practice-never-ends kid was Earvin in the world. Jackson’s ultimate dream is to come home. Johnson, someone Jackson credits for changing “the vision of sports in the The former All-American at LSU and Iowa State would love to lead Michigan State when community.” “If a guy from Lansing can win an NCAA it’s time to pick a successor for Tom Minkel. “I’d love to come back home and take that title, then the next year win the NBA World title, maybe we’re a little special around program to a level that Michigan wrestling supporters would enjoy,” Jackson said. here,” he said. He has spent a lot of time with wife, Jackson, a two-time Class A champion with the Quakers, was more than “a little special.” Robin, coaching their six children. Cole, His last world championship came in 1995 17, is a star high school running back with at the relatively old age of 31, three years dreams of playing in the NFL. Bailey, 12, is still choosing between volleyball, basketball after taking Olympic gold in Barcelona. “In my era, you never left the sport until and soccer and is described by her proud somebody beat you for the spot on the team. dad as “a real stud.” Trinity, 7, is already I had to beat the man who was the man so I turning heads as an aspiring gymnast, while could become the man. That motto created Brin, 4, and Kira, 2, have yet to stake their athletic claims. the success we had.” Their dad changed wrestling in the Jackson, 43, has spent the last seven years as National Freestyle Coach for USA Wrestling, United States as part of a generation of teaching the next generation of Olympians wrestlers who, in his words, “wanted to become legends.” the skills that took him to the top. With amazing success as a champ for three His goal is to become a college head coach. Towards that end, he is moving from decades, Jackson has already done that.
DECEMber 2008 37
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SPORT SPECIAL OLYMPIC SALUTE
Moses Can Teach Us All Strength, Perseverance Make Him A Survivor In Life By Crystal Krauskoff
It is believed that Moses Davis entered the world without any intellectual disabilities.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MARGARE T HEHR
But someone with a bigger problem than Mose didn’t want him in this world at all. Thus, he spent his first three years so neglected and abused by biological “parents” that he will be forced to live with mental and physical challenges for the rest of his life. The Lansing resident nearly died when he was a toddler. Davis was found with his older brother, Joshua, after spending more than six hours at a bus stop in Detroit in the dead of winter. Police found him nearly frozen to death in a comatose state. But Moses proved to be much stronger than the cruel environment he had experienced. “They didn’t expect him to survive, but it was a miracle that he did,” said Hilda Davis, a loving mother to Joshua, Moses and four other special-needs, adopted children. “I tell him he’s my walking miracle, and he truly is,” said Dan Davis, Moses’ father. “He was once dead and is now alive. They said once he was going to end up a vegetable… As you can see, God has a plan for him.” When Moses first joined the Davis family, he was unable to speak or hold a fork. And he had holes in his teeth from gross malnutrition. It’s been quite a journey for Moses since surviving those dark days early in life. But he was adopted by the Davis family when he was about 4 and was graduated from Lansing Eastern High School in the spring of 2008. He proudly represented Lansing and the State of Michigan by winning a gold medal for basketball in the 2006 Special Olympics Nationals. “I’m a nice person,” said Moses, wearing a neatly pressed, button-down, white shirt with black slacks. “I’m a hard worker and very clean.” He has come a long way but is looking to go further. Moses’ latest goal is independence.
The 21-year-old works on the maintenance crew at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing. He also enjoys doing yard chores and handyman projects around the house. Moses’ parents, siblings, nieces and nephews all reside in a 3,000-square foot home just minutes from the Capitol. Despite all that Moses has done, he will need some assistance for the rest of his life since he lacks basic reading and writing skills. He also needs guidance on financial matters. But he can hold a job, is dependable, volunteers for extra shifts at the hospital and is self-sufficient in most every-day tasks. “He was a hard worker, but he liked to have fun,” said Lisa Fike, a cognitive impaired teacher at Eastern who worked with Moses for four years. “He tried to be a little bit of a class clown. But he knew when to bring it back in and to work hard.” Davis shows his appreciation for Fike and his former classmates by making regular visits to school on his way to and from work. “I have great satisfaction, and I’m happy for him,” Fike said. “He likes what he does, and the system worked.” Despite succeeding at his job, Moses is learning that life as a responsible adult has some drawbacks. An active participant in Special Olympics Michigan since he was in junior high, he has had to take a break from his favorite games of poly hockey, swimming, handball and basketball. His work schedule, which primarily includes weekends, has sidelined him temporarily. “I think programs like the Special Olympics are very important to children with special needs,” Hilda Davis said. “Sometimes that’s the only outlet for them. It’s a place to go and have fun and hang out with your peers. I think those are real important programs.” Moses’ return would be a plus for whatever team he represented. “As a basketball player, he brought good defense and a good attitude,” said Glenn Lopez, who coached Moses during the national title run. “He was a team player and was always willing to give 100 percent.” He is always willing to do that, even when someone refused to give him 1 percent of his or her attention two decades ago. DECEMber 2008 39
D o n ’ t P u t Y o u r C l u b s A w ay Mid-Michigan Golf Options Make The Season Last Year-Round BY BURTON SMITH
“We’ll use red balls.” James Garner, as King Marchand, from the film “Victor/Victoria” about playing golf in a snowstorm Just because the thermometer reads 15 degrees and you need to shovel your driveway, it’s OK to forget about the white stuff for a while and spend some time with that little white ball – or, if necessary, a red one. That’s easier to do than you may think in Greater Lansing. As we began to explore the area’s winter golf options, we discovered local businesses with dynamic alternatives to indoor video games. It doesn’t take a trip to Florida or South Carolina to enjoy winter golf these days. PGA instruction, multiple practice areas and virtual golf are just a few minutes away.
The Green-Grass Option: Golf MSU If we’re talking public golf in Mid-Michigan, we should start with the Golf Center at Michigan State University (www.golf.msu.edu). A premier practice facility at the Forest Akers East Course opened to very favorable reviews in 1997 and became a great place for try-before-you-buy equipment purchases. Of course, the timing of Tiger Woods’ Masters victory that year didn’t hurt. Most of the multiple-wedge systems, variable weighted drivers, hybrids and putter options made their area debuts at Forest Akers, long before website options were available. It was also the best place to get 40 DECEMBER 2008
answers from equipment reps. “Our goal is to provide the best grass conditions for the golfer,” said Steve Ruthenberg, PGA professional and director of golf instruction at MSU. “We will give more value to the customer and to the community with our practice and short-game facilities being open longer and with affordable green fees.” Ruthenberg can’t wait for the January 9, 2009 opening of Forest Akers’ covered practice facility. Currently in the final stages of construction, the new covered addition will have close to two dozen areas with heat and lighting – 18 for public use, two for instruction and three for the MSU golf teams. With a chance to watch their entire ball-flight year-round, golfers can sharpen their games before and after the season. MSU’s winter golf program, “10 Weeks to Better Golf,” is designed to help each player through personalized lessons and V1 Video System instruction. The Green package costs $199 and the White package $299. Ruthenberg’s instructional staff for the program includes PGA teaching experts Ron Applegate, Brian Harris and Tom Kang. The aforementioned White package includes a $100 debit card for golf balls, which can be used throughout the year. While players are there, they can watch some of the best collegiate golfers in the country. MSU coaches Sam Puryear and
Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll could have Big Ten champions again. And Jack Newman, the reigning USGA Amateur Public Links titlist, will play in the 2009 Masters. Positives: Excellent instruction, firstrate practice areas and aesthetics with wellmaintained turfgrass. Drawback: Facilities not available until 2009. Will golfers be asked to wait in line?
FunTyme GolfDome is part of FunTyme East Adventure Park and is located at the end of James Phillips Road, off Jolly Road between Hagadorn and Okemos (www.funtymepark. com/dome).
this facility. The Hawk Hollow Golf Academy offers its Indoor Winter Golf Program through April 5, 2009. This program is run by Greg Webber, Ron Ferry, Brian Bemis and Todd Lindemann. Legendary MSU coach Bruce Fossum also has group lessons available by appointment. And GolfDome will offer group golf lessons Tuesday and Thursday evenings with Centennial Acres’ John Nagel and Steve Wilson. Prices are related to time – $8 per half hour and $13 an hour weekdays ($9/$14 on weekends). There isn’t a facet of the game you couldn’t practice indoors here. Remember, FunTyme means also games available for your children, along with spacious lesson areas. Positives: Any facet of golf can be practiced here. Lesson areas are particularly spacious.
DECEMber 2008 41
PHOTOGRAPH BY ROB SUMBLER
A Two-Tiered Option: FunTyme East Golf Dome
As part of the FunTyme family of adventure parks, this seasonal facility reopened on November 16, 2008 with the following message: Welcome to the Finest Indoor Facility Around. Don’t Forget To Check Out Our State Of The Art Putting and Sand Trap Area. THANKS AND ENJOY YOUR VISIT! With 32 practice areas on two tiers, FunTyme is ready and able to assist those who need to scratch a “January short game” or “post golf show” itch. FunTyme features several video arcade games to welcome active participation by individuals, families and groups. But golf is the flavor of the winter months here, with area high school banners adorning the south wall. Instruction is clearly the main activity of
Don’t Put Away Your Clubs And as the name suggests, FunTyme has all sorts of diversions for children. Drawback: With a revolving-door entrance and no golf bags allowed inside, players should plan ahead and choose three or four carefully.
The Virtual Golf Option: DeWitt Family Golf Center Many players have no idea what awaits them on Old U.S. 27, north of exit 87 off I-69 (www.dewittgolfcenter.com). This family-run facility has long offered a variety of activities for those living on the north side of Lansing. It had a covered outdoor option for those who wished to fire practice balls into the setting summer sun, with unique targets. Heaters have helped prolong that opportunity. But the real attraction here is the virtual golf system. Mid-Michigan had a taste of that technology more than 40 years ago with GOLF-O-TRON on East Michigan Avenue at the Lansing/East Lansing border. The great Gary Player even filmed a commercial and visited the facility frequently. Well, it’s time to meet GOLF-O-TRON’s
42 DECEMBER 2008
grandchild, “Full Swing Golf 3.” With more than 40 courses to select, you can actually “play” Oakland Hills one week and Pebble Beach the next. You can visit the Old Course at St Andrews without so much as an online plane ticket. Granted, there are some drawbacks to the system, including putting and sand play. But for those who can work with touchactive 3G software, it makes older simulations seem like a rotary-dial telephone four decades ago. It normally costs $30 an hour. But where else can golfers get that challenge, realism and entertainment? Nowhere in Mid-Michigan or many other parts of the state. Champions of private clubs play there. They won’t tell you that. But they do. And there is league play that rivals anything in June or July. As Arnold Palmer once told protege Jack Lewis Jr., “It’s important to always hit golf balls at a target. Otherwise, you’re just spinning your wheels.” So what’s wrong with the target being the dastardly 7th hole at Pebble Beach or the 17th (The Road Hole) at St Andrews? Even the 18th at Valhalla is available for those of you who just knew you could keep it out of
the hazards during the Ryder Cup. PGA Professional Jamie Wiest is available most days and offers lessons. One note to left-handers: Bring your own clubs. And practice balls are available ($6 inside) for those of you who’d rather keep your real swing separate from your Tiger Woods ’09 “Wii” swing. Positives: The going rate for a round at Pebble Beach is north of $400, and you need to know a member to play Oakland Hills or Valhalla. Even with a plane ticket to Scotland, you still have to enter the lottery for a tee time on the Old Course. Weaknesses: You can hit golf balls here in the winter or venture outside, but why bother? Lots of people play golf. Some actually practice with the purpose of improving. They understand one key to achieving this goal is instruction. Jack Nicklaus sought out his childhood teacher, Jack Grout, every year for a review of fundamentals. And we are blessed by having several excellent teachers in this area. With all that expertise and all the opportunities available in Greater Lansing, there is no reason that this winter golf season can’t be your best one ever.
2008 MSU Radio Network Football Affiliates
Market Station Dial Position
Adrian WABJ-AM 1490 Alma WQBX-FM 104.9 Alpena WATZ-AM 1450 Ann Arbor WLBY-AM 1290 Bad Axe WLEW-AM 1340 Battle Creek WBCK-FM 95.3 Benton Harbor WCSY-FM 103.7 Cadillac WCKC-FM 107.1 Caro WKYO-AM 1360 Detroit WJR-AM 760 Escanaba WDBC-AM 680 Flint WWCK-AM 1570 Gaylord WAVC-FM 93.9 Grand Haven WGHN-FM 92.1 Grand Rapids WBBL-AM 1340 Greenville WSCG-AM 1380 Greenville WSCG-FM 106.3 Hastings WBCH-AM 1220 Hastings WBCH-FM 100.1 (varies) Holland WPNW-AM 1260 Iron Mountain WMIQ-AM 1450 Jackson WIBM-AM 1450 Kalamazoo WKZO-AM 590 Lansing WJIM-AM 1240 Lansing WMMQ-FM 94.9 Ludington WKLA-AM 1450 Manistee WMTE-AM 1340 Marquette WDMJ-AM 1320 Midland WLUN-FM 100.9 Mount Pleasant WMMI-AM 830 Newberry WIHC-FM 97.9 Ontonagon WUPY-FM 101.1 Petoskey WJML-AM 1110 Port Huron WPHM-AM 1380 Saginaw WNEM-AM 1250 St. Ignace WIDG-AM 940 Sturgis WMSH-AM 1230 Tawas City WKJC-FM 104.7 Traverse City WCCW-AM 1310
Join us for the 2008 Michigan State Football Season
George Blaha Jim Miller Jason Strayhorn Will Tieman
Subject to change 7/01/08
The Greater Lansing Sports Magazine
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DECEMber 2008 43
SPORT LAW
Careful What You Wish For
Gender Discrimination Remedies Can Lead To Other Problems By JEFFREY CAMINSKY
We often congratulate ourselves for living in enlightened times, where equality of opportunity is accepted as a shared, common goal. Teamwork, with a chance to feel part of something larger than ourselves, is something that benefits everyone. And just as no one begrudges an athlete the chance to win by outplaying an opponent, few would deny girls an equal chance to compete on the playing field. Unfortunately, competition comes in many forms. And when lawyers are involved, it gets expensive in a hurry. This year, Michigan high schools learned the hard way that good intentions rarely prevail in court. They also discovered that solving problems creatively can be hazardous to the pocketbook when courts, lawyers and activist judges get involved. Beginning in the 1970s as girls sports expanded, high schools confronted the age-old problem of limited resources. With demand growing for indoor courts, swimming pools and athletic fields, schools everywhere were feeling the pinch. They couldn’t use the same field for two sports at the same time. And game officials – an abused and barely tolerated minority that is always in short supply – could only be stretched so far. Most states solved the problem by cutting programs for boys as they increased opportunities for girls. Many states kept sports in their existing seasons, simply adding a girls team. Or they could cut a sport altogether in the name of gender equality. A few states, including Michigan, tried to expand programs for both by fitting the new girls programs around existing ones for the boys. This meant splitting seasons between boys and girls in a half-dozen sports.
44 DECEMBER 2008
In soccer, schools added a spring season for girls to the existing fall season for boys – a calendar that mirrored the men’s college season but conflicted with football. In basketball, the coaches themselves decided to place the newly organized girls season in the fall to avoid scheduling conflicts with the boys. And boys actually moved their golf season from spring to fall in 1972, while it remained a spring sport for the girls. To provide year-round activities for girls, schools in Michigan interspersed other sports throughout the year, hoping to maximize the use of fields, coaches and officials while expanding opportunities for all students. Being different is sometimes considered a constitutional right. Unfortunately, in our litigious society, if you have money it often becomes a reason to be sued. One by one, lawyers and activists noticed the scheduling differences; and one by one, the other states that had tried to fit the new girls sports programs around the existing ones for boys bowed under the threat of legal action. Michigan remained confident that its rationale – deploying scarce school resources to maximize opportunities for everyone – was sound. The growth of athletic participation by both boys and girls seemed to back up their claims.
But in 1998, two mothers decided that it was illegal for schools to play volleyball in the winter instead of the fall and wanted to switch schedules with girls basketball. An activist group – and a team of lawyers working for a contingency fee – filed a lawsuit challenging the Michigan practice. Acknowledging that the evidence was mixed and that Michigan schools believed they were marshaling resources in a responsible way, the federal judge decided that the law required the high schools to demonstrate “exceedingly persuasive” reasons for the differing seasons. Since the high schools could only point to their own sense of what worked best for the kids, the result was inevitable. The court ordered that the state realign the seasons to be the same for boys and girls and awarded a judgment for the plaintiffs – to the tune of $7.4 million, an amount that threatened to bankrupt the organization. Ironically, before the lawsuit, Michigan girls participation in sports was among the highest in the country, producing more than its share of athletic scholarships. Only the future will tell whether filling the lawyers’ pockets will do anything to help girls realize any athletic dreams they may have. We know this much: Athletic participation is down for all students this season. But then, participation numbers never seemed to be part of the battle.
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Jaclyn Barrett Vs. Kristen Eible GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSIT Y • GRAND RAPIDS, MI 10/05/2008 PHOTOGRAPHED BY RON EIBLE FATHER OF #23 KRISTEN Eible, 2007 DEWITT GRADUATE and former ca teammate of saginaw valley’s #8, Jaclyn barrett, A 2006 Williamston graduate.
DECEMber 2008 47
SPORT FINISH LINE
Thanks For The Memories Four Seasons As Spartans Bring Friendships For A Lifetime By DARLENE RINGER
Sending Javon off to school was very hard to do. He was my precious baby boy, my last child. I had to let him go. I cried as I packed his clothes. I cried again as I cleaned his room. And I cried all the way to East Lansing. Finally, Javon said, “Mom, it’s time for you to go.” I don’t mind when Javon sees me cry. It flushes the soul. I would always tell him, “Just because I’m crying doesn’t mean I want you to stay. I want you to go and be the best person you can be.” Tears would continue to flow through the years, as they still do today. The first two seasons were filled with frustration. Another knee injury. A coaching change. No bowl games. And comments on the Internet – comments about our sons. Thank God for His healing power. And for the Spartan Football Parents Association. Some probably lost all hope. Could we really make it a dream team? Do we transfer or wait another year? Who will the new coach be? Will he bring his own players 48 DECEMBER 2008
and replace our sons? As I read up on possible candidates, trying to get a feel for whose spirit matched Javon’s, a late entry caught my attention. Mark Dantonio was the person who wanted Javon in high school, even after he tore his ACL. I was excited and told Javon, “This man will be your next coach!” Did he believe me? Of course not. What do I know? Apparently more than he thought. When he got back to school, he called and wanted to know that name again. I was right! Sometimes it’s good to listen to Momma. Coach Dantonio went to work right away, bringing back old traditions. He was a man with a vision for an ailing team in need of a healing magician. I felt he was the man to turn it around. A Christian man with integrity and purpose. We decided to stick it out. Game after game, we began to see changes. The next thing we knew, a bowl game! I was so happy for Javon. And there’s nothing better than being warm in the winter. We
PHOTOGRAPH COUR TESY OF MSU SPOR TS INFORMATION
Being a Michigan State football mom has been one of the best experiences of my life. Being Javon Ringer’s mom is a blessing any parent would treasure.
didn’t win. But maybe on January 1. I did discover during the football banquet how selfless my son could be. Nobody knew why Javon rang up the yards but didn’t score many touchdowns. He gave up those opportunities to support a senior teammate, Jehuu Caulcrick. He would literally pull himself out for his friend to pound it in. As a parent, I was so proud! Were they talking about my son? Year four brought calls from agents and financial planners. Javon was finally being noticed. Mom’s job was to field these calls. Javon’s was to focus on football and school. Some seemed confused about my role. After all, I was just a woman. What did I know? They didn’t understand Javon’s relationship with his parents. Javon knew God gave me a gift of picking up on other people’s spirit. He trusted my judgment of character. Mom had a proven record. I prayed through entire games for God’s strength and protection. And I stood proud as fans wearing #23 clamored for autographs and handshakes. Young and old, black and white. Their were no boundaries to the lives Javon touched. Do I think he should win the Heisman? Of course. He brings character and integrity. He is a team player with proven leadership. He has shouldered the burden for his team in sickness and health. His numbers rank at the very top. But I’ll miss traveling up and down the highways each weekend, trying to see Javon before lights out. I’ll miss the Spartan tailgate parties and the excitement of Saturday mornings at Kellogg Center. Listening to that awesome Spartan Marching Band for Javon’s last home game brought tears to my eyes. Did he help turn around a sinking program? Was he really as good as his hype? Did he make a difference here as we walked hand-in-hand in a Spartan ritual? The time seemed to go by so fast. We’ve gained lifelong friends. And we’ll forever be part of the MSU family. From all the Ringers, thanks for the memories.
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