sport: October 2008

The Greater Lansing Sports Magazine

Spartan Marching Band Perfect On Saturdays Sensei Iha Lifts Lansing’s Martial Arts Profile DeWitt’s Nagel Could Make Area Golf History

Gymnastics Phenom Jordyn Wieber Looks To London, 2012 Olympics

October 2008 $3.00 U.S.

www.SportLansing.com

How do Sports IMPACT Local Business?

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So far in 2008, the Greater Lansing Sports Authority has worked with 50 amateur sports events, bringing over 65,000 athletes and their families into the community. Those visitors help stimulate our local economy through lodging, shopping, dining and all kinds of entertainment spending.

It makes sense. Bringing amateur athletic events to Greater Lansing is more than a lot of fun. It’s good business.

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REGIONAL BUSINESS TRAVEL TRUST

MAKING YOUR CONNECTIONS

Helping to shape the future of air service from Lansing’s Capital Region International Airport.

Together we can make a difference.

Capital Region International Airport is worth about $1 billion annually to the regional economy and a critical component for a strong economy. That’s why community leaders formed the Regional Business Travel Trust—to give the business community a greater role in helping strengthen air service in our region.

As a Travel Trust member you will be informed of the latest developments at the airport and you can let us know what you think should be our highest priorities in recruiting new air service.

Your organization can also take advantage of numerous perks including being first to know about special deals the airlines may offer, opportunities to be involved with airport community-sponsored events and discounts on a variety of airportrelated services.

Log on to flylansing.com for more information.

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Making Your Connections

SPORT CONTENTS

14 THE SPARTANS’ AIR GAME

Blaha, Miller, Strayhorn, Tieman: MSU’s “Four Voicemen”

BY PAVEL KOFMAN

17 MUSIC TO OUR EARS

The Spartan Marching Band Has A Special Place On Saturdays

BY CHUCK KLONKE

26 COMING to their sensei

From Michigan Avenue Dojo, Sensei Iha Shares Secrets With The World BY doug warren

30 ah…that sinking feeling DeWitt’s Liz Nagel Seeks Third State Golf Title

22

BY doug warren

Greater Lansing To Greatness in London?

Jordyn Wieber Has Physical Gifts, Flair And Focus To Chase 2012 Olympic Gold

BY JACK EBLING

06

EB-SERVATIONS

08

NEWS + NOTES

10

PSYCHOLOGY

11

MEDICINE

Tough Words to Hear, Rough Times Ahead Your Child’s Injury Has Ended A Senior Season

Better Safe Than Sorry In Treating, Clearing Athletes

By Dr. John H. Braccio

39

SPECIAL OLYMPIC SALUTE

Never A Cross Word

Mason-Holt Poly Hockey Player Lives To Compete

By Crystal Krauskoff

A Heads-Up On Head Injuries

By DR. JEFFREY KOVAN

44

12 Home Run of a Homecoming Garvey Returns To Relive Memories, Visit Old Friends

By Shireen Saski

32 ’80 Hero Still Makes Saves

Gold-medal Goalie Craig Visits Mid-Michigan

By Shireen Saski

34 Rolling On The River

The Capital City River Run: A Case Study In Community Collaboration

By Brendan Dwyer

FINISH LINE

No Degree?

No Marketable Skills?…No Job!

The Pro Dream Can Be Destructive

By Clarence Underwood Jr.

36 Dan Bass

Where Is He Now?

By Jerry Pecora

40 Sticking Up For The USA Red Wings Visit Lansing To Show Appreciation For Troops

By Pavel Kofman

OCTOber 2008 3

Assists

SPORT CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Shireen Saski Mid-Michigan native Shireen Saski grew up a self-proclaimed tomboy with aspirations of playing center field for the Detroit Tigers. Instead, the graduate of Michigan State has excelled at the other side of sports – journalism. Saski has won three Michigan Emmy Awards, reporting for FSN Detroit, She also reports for the Big Ten Network.

Pavel Kofman Pavel is in his fourth year covering Michigan State football and men’s basketball for Scout.com. He is a senior at Michigan State University, majoring in Journalism. In his second year as a producer at 1320 WILS-AM, Kofman co-hosts the “Spartan Sports Wrap” every Monday night on the IMPACT 89FM, MSU’s student radio station. He hails from St. Louis, grew up on Blues hockey and Cardinals baseball and interned this summer at historic KMOX radio.

Doug Warren Doug has been a sports writer and radio broadcaster in various capacities. Beginning in 1996, Doug worked for WBBL-AM and WLAVFM in Grand Rapids. From 2003 to 2005, Doug was a columnist and reporter covering the Detroit Lions and Michigan State Spartans for Scout.com. In the fall of 2005, Doug moved over to Rivals.com, joining the staff of Spartan Magazine and SpartanMag.com.

Dr. John H. Braccio Dr. John H. Braccio has been a well-known psychologist in Greater Lansing for many years. He is the director of Regional Psychological Services, where his children, John and Sara, work with him.

He has an active private practice, which includes athletes, and performs in-services and develops self-help programs. His website is www.drjohnb.com

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 at $18.00 per year which is half of the shelf price of $3.00 per issue.

Postmaster: Address changes should be sent to: SPORT Magazine, 1223 Turner, Suite 300, Lansing, Michigan 48906.

4 OCTOBER 2008

The Greater Lansing Sports Magazine

Volume #1 • Issue #2 OC TOBER 2008

Publisher NBB Publishing Editor Jack Ebling Assistant Editor Doug Warren Contributing Writers Dr. John H. Braccio Scott M. Dane Brendan Dwyer Jack Ebling Chuck Klonke Pavel Kofman Dr. Jeffery Kovan Crystal Krauskoff Jerry Pecora Shireen Saski Clarence Underwood Jr. Doug Warren Photographers Ron Eible Jim Fordyce Mike Holder Ceil Heller Terri Shaver Rob Sumbler 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

So Far, So Good…

And So Far To Go

SPORT Can Be All You Want It To Be, Even In Beijing

BY JACK EBLING

All babies are cute, or so I’ve been told.

But this month-old magazine you’re holding in your hands has had some hairy moments.

It skipped right past the crawling stage and started to walk with Issue 1.

Now, it’s toddling along, bumping into a few things and slipping every few steps.

So far, it keeps getting up with a wideeyed smile and incredible curiosity.

Something tells me this baby was born to run.

When SPORT debuted on Sept. 3, the cover’s headline, “Daring To Dream,” was as appropriate for the publication as it was for quarterbacks at four levels.

If that dream is still a long way from being realized, it’s definitely alive. So is a new way to monitor the heartbeat of Mid-Michigan.

As we check that pulse, we need your feedback. After all, SPORT is your magazine. It’ll be as good as each of you helps to make it.

For the past four weeks, all we’ve heard is: “Great job!”…“Excellent stories!”…

“Fantastic photos!”

Frankly, we know better. Being pleased with Issue 1 is a long way from being perfect. We can list at least two-dozen things that we wish we had done differently.

We’re just glad that no one has said, “What a waste of trees! You and your photogs ought to stick to radio.”

Instead, we had subscription requests from the blind and from as from as far away as Beijing.

That near-unanimous reaction was a little surprising. In 25 years at the Lansing State Journal, no matter what was written, a segment of the readership wished we had taken a long vacation – say, two or three decades.

Here, we’re just starting to roll. Where we go is up to you.

Have a unique story idea for SPORT? We’d love to hear it. Please call or write us.

Know of a News + Notes item we should report? Assistant Editor Doug Warren is easy to reach: (517) 323-6452 or news@SportLansing.com.

Take a terrific picture you’d like to share?

We’ll publish the best and say thanks with a prize each month.

Our staff is constantly expanding. And we’re all excited about what lies ahead, starting with the next 42 pages of stories and photographs.

The cover story is about gymnast Jordyn Wieber from Lansing’s Twistars training center. Remember that name. You’ll hear it plenty for the next eight years.

A more-familiar subject is the Spartan Marching Band, one of the best in the nation. If you haven’t seen their march to the stadium, you haven’t soaked up the pageantry of college football.

We’ll also take you behind the scenes of MSU football with a look at the Spartan

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 OCTOBER 2008

Sports Network. George Blaha’s voice is synonymous with Saturdays.

Want something different? Check the piece on a Lansing treasure, Sensei Iha’s world-famous dojo. And the Capital City Cage Fight Championships had to be seen to be believed.

DeWitt High golf standout Liz Nagel is shooting for a third straight state title.

We’ll tell you exactly how she has accomplished that.

Looking for some familiar names? How about Steve Garvey, Jim Craig and Henrik Zetterberg, all visitors to Greater Lansing last month.

Our “Where Are They Now?” segment catches up with former Bath High and Michigan State tackling machine Dan Bass at his home in Alberta.

We offer important advice in our Sports Medicine and Sports Psychology pieces, including a look at how Mike Repovz of Lansing Catholic and Drew Valentine of Sexton refused to stay down.

Our guest column comes from career educator and athletic administrator Clarence Underwood Jr., who reminds us why “studentathlete” doesn’t have to be an oxymoron.

It would take a moron to mess up that lineup. But Issues 3, 4 and 5 should be better with your help.

It takes a community to raise a magazine – your magazine – to where it should be.

Please keep in touch. We promise to try to do the same.

SPORT COMMUNITY

Kicking Some Grass

Greater Lansing Played Host to over 5,000 soccer players

BY SCOTT M. DANE

PHOTOGRAPH BY RON EIBLE

In just three short years the Capital Area Classic Soccer Tournament has nearly tripled in size. When I first came on board as Executive Director of the Capital Area Soccer League (CASL), I knew we had a diamond in the rough.

Our community embraces this sport like none other. Many of these kids travel to other cities around the state, some around the country and a few around the world to play the game. We had a chance to keep them home for one weekend.

On Sept. 27-28 more than 5,000 players and 10,000 spectators from all over the state participated in Michigan’s largest two-day soccer tournament (second-largest overall), with the collaboration of Ingham County, Holt, Waverly and Okemos schools, City of Lansing, City of East Lansing, the Greater Lansing Sports Authority, CASL and community soccer clubs. Seven complexes hosted matches on big fields, little fields, converted softball fields and park space.

Nearly 200 referees ages 12 to over 60 made from $15 to $30 per game, including participants from the highest officiating body, Michigan Referee Development Academy. The total economic impact isn’t available yet, but estimates could surpass $1 million. More than 1,000 hotel rooms were occupied by our guests, and many of those visitors were

Michigan Rush Capital Area U13 players (L-R, in white) Tyler Beck and Chris Lang of DeWitt, Tommy Lammers of East Lansing and Andrew Eible of DeWitt defend a Plymouth Reign player during the championship game at the Kenneth Hope Soccer Complex. experiencing our town, our restaurants and our stores for the first time.

Jo McCreery from Eaton Rapids was one of over 100 volunteers and organizations who pitched in to make this weekend a success.

McCreery volunteered more than 200 hours.

“To see our community come together and welcome these players and families is very special,” Jo said. “I am proud of the fact we can provide these players such great facilities and hospitality.”

She is not alone in her sentiment or effort.

With help from Tom Regan, the Grand Ledge Soccer Club president, to Oscar Castaneda from the East Lansing Soccer Club, these volunteers spent countless hours preparing for and working the event tirelessly for a great cause.

All proceeds benefit the scholarship fund that helps families with financial need to participate in playing a sport. Last year CASL provided nearly $20,000. With 25 percent more teams this year, that number is sure to increase.

Readers should submit their story ideas, News + Notes and Last Shot photographs by the 20th of each month.

To be a part of the community, go to: www.SportLansing.com

SPORT NEWS + NOTES

Something For Everyone

By Doug Warren & SPORT Staff

Michigan State’s Javon Ringer looked a lot like the Heisman Trophy statue with a spectacular month of September. The senior running back rushed 160 times for 816 yards and 10 touchdowns in a 4-0 month for the Spartans.

He carried 44 times for 198 yards and a score in a 42-29 win at Indiana on Sept. 27. Ringer was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for the third straight time in a 23-7 victory over Notre Dame on Sept. 20. Ringer rushed 39 times for 201 yards and two touchdowns against the Fighting Irish to become the first Spartan back with back-to-back 200-yard rushing games. The Dayton, Ohio, native is the first offensive player and just the second in Big Ten history to earn at least a share of three straight conference Player of the Week accolades.

Lansing Catholic’s Mara Kovac finished with a career-best 2-under-par 70 to win the East Lansing Invitational golf tournament on September 22. Okemos’ Amy Ruthenburg tied for third place with a 74, while DeWitt’s Liz Nagel took sixth with a 75. DeWitt was second in the team championship, shooting a combined 346 team score.

Lansing Catholic finished seventh, and East Lansing took eighth.

The Michigan State women’s golf team overcame an eight-shot deficit in the final round and stormed back to win the 25th Mary Fossum Invitational at Forest Akers West Golf Course on Sept. 21. The win marks MSU’s fourth straight victory and fifth in the last six years in its own tournament.

Pro-Bowl in Lansing is hosting an Actual Doubles Tournament for Seniors 55-up at 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24. Each team must have a combined age of 120 years or more to participate and must be USBC sanctioned (men or women). The

entry fee is $85. Teams will bowl four games to qualify, and half of the teams will advance to the onegame elimination stage of the tournament. The first prize is estimated at $300, based on at least 20 teams.

Thirty-two entries will be accepted.

Bowlers may sign up on the day of the tournament until 12:30 p.m. For more information, look for entries at all Lansing establishments, call Pro-Bowl, or contact Jim Andros via e-mail at jdabowl300@charter.net or (989) 350-2666.

history with a 77.43. A Grand Rapids native, Olson played on the Futures Tour following her career at Michigan State.

Former Michigan State men’s golfer Jimmy Chestnut reached the quarterfinals of the 29th U.S. Mid-Amateur at Milwaukee Country Club in River Hills, Wis. Playing in his first U.S. Mid-Amateur, Chestnut entered match play as the No. 36 seed. Chestnut, the youngest of the eight quarterfinalists, would eventually fall to 12th-seeded Sean Knapp of Oakmont, Pa., 2-and-1 on Wednesday, Sept. 10. Chestnut held a lead late in the match but dropped his final three holes.

Learn Kayaking Basics: A threesession course to introduce people to kayaking and kayak safety will take place Mondays from 6:30 -8:30 p.m. on Oct. 6, 13 and 20 at Kinawa Middle School, 1900 Kinawa Dr. in Okemos. Registration is $60. Call 706-5020 for more information.

Spartan Trail 5K: On Nov. 2 at 10 a.m., Grand Woods Park in Lansing will host the first Spartan Trail 5K race. The race is hosted by the MSU Running Club and travels on trails through the woods with a scenic view. There will be awards to the overall winners and the top three runners in each age group: 13-under, 14-19, 20-26, 27-33, 34-40, 41-50 and 51-up. To register online, go to the MSU Running Club home page at www.msu. edu/~running and follow the link to the Spartan Trail 5K. Or e-mail questions to the MSU Running Club at msurunning@gmail.com.

Stacy (Snider) Olson has been named a volunteer assistant women’s golf coach at MSU. Olson was a two-time All-Big Ten selection (2001-02) and owns the seventhlowest career average in Spartan

Lansing’s Meghan Hanrahan was awarded the AMHA Western Seat Silver Medal Award for her performance at the Jubilee Regional Championship Morgan Horse Show.

With the win, she qualifies to compete at this months’ 2008 Grand National and World Championships in Oklahoma City.

Youth Inline Hockey starts in November at Westside Community YMCA, 3700 Old Lansing Rd. in Lansing Township. Player evaluation is Friday, Nov. 7, from 6 -7 p.m.

The first games are Tuesday, Nov. 11. The league will end on Dec. 16.

Practices are on Friday nights at 6 p.m. The fees are $40 for members and $50 for non-members. That fee includes a team T-shirt. Goalies who sign up to play full time are free. Age groups are 6-under, 9-under, 11-under and 13-under.

Call Sports Coordinator Fred Thomas at 316-9622, ext. 16 for more details regarding all leagues and preschool classes or register online at www.ymcaoflansing.org.

SPORT COMMUNITY

Contribute News + Notes Contact Doug Warren telephone:

(517) 323-6452 (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) e-mail:

news@SportLansing.com web:

8 OCTOBER 2008

www.SportLansing.com

OCTOber 2008 9

SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

Tough Words to Hear, Rough Times Ahead Your Child’s Injury Has Ended A Senior Season

By Dr. John H. Braccio

Whether your son or daughter is a role player or a college prospect, a serious injury as a senior is, at best, disappointing. In many cases it can be devastating to individuals and their families.

Dreams and goals never to be attained are remembered long after the senior year ends.

As a psychologist often dealing with athletes, I have met with children and parents who were distraught after senior injuries.

My wife and I met with our son John and his doctor in August 1995 after he had broken his wrist in a scrimmage at Fowlerville.

The doctor said the injury had ended his senior season and, in effect, his football career. John was upset but said he would work his way back. We encouraged him but doubted he would again play.

John never missed a practice and helped out in any way he could with the coaches and players. With hard work and his doctor’s permission, John played in the last two games of the year. His experience on the sidelines allowed him to coach high school

10 OCTOBER 2008

football while attending Michigan State University. John always feels sympathy and empathy when a senior has a careerthreatening injury.

Those who follow sports in this area will remember last year when Mike Repovz, a terrific two-sport athlete at Lansing Catholic, went down with a knee injury in the first football game against Jackson Northwest.

He had been offered a scholarship to Central Michigan, which honored the scholarship.

Repovz is now on the Chippewas’ scout team and is being redshirted.

Ross Baldwin, who coached him in football, said great intensity and hard work made the difference. Repovz came back in the middle of basketball season and was a key component when the Cougars won the Class B crown in a classic game with Flint Powers. Repovz went 10-for-11 from the field that night.

Repovz never gave up after the injury and worked very hard to get back in condition to play basketball. On the football sideline, he became the team cheerleader and attended all practices, even though his season had ended.

“It was the death of a dream,’ his dad,

And if you’re ever in that situation: + Keep things in perspective. + Let your child internalize that one injury can end his or her career. + Make sure there is balance in their lives. + Stress commitment to the team, even if a playing contribution is imposible. + Remember the examples of Repovz and Valentine, student-athlete who were knocked down but refused to stay there.

Bill Repovz, said of the ACL tear. “But with a death, there is a resurrection. I believe that God had a purpose for him. There is something unique in him.”

This season, Drew Valentine, another terrific two-sport athlete at Lansing Sexton, had an ACL injury that took him out of football for the year. The Big Reds’ starting quarterback hopes to play basketball at some point this winter.

His father, Carlton Valentine, Sexton’s varsity head coach and a former Michigan State basketball player, said his son is a wonderful, thoughtful person. And after having three surgeries himself, the father is better able to support and advise his son.

Young Valentine is working hard, with the full support of family and friends, to overcome a crushing blow. He said everyone has been so encouraging that he can’t stay down for long. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he goes to many of the team’s practices and helps the other quarterbacks.

“The injury has been tough,” Valentine said. “But I see the rehabilitation as my game as I prepare to return for basketball.”

At a press conference on September 30, he announced a verbal commitment to play at Oakland University and said no to recent NCAA successes Bradley and George Mason.

Only a fool would bet against him.

Outstanding parents have been very important to Repovz and Valentine.

SPORT MEDICINE

A Heads-Up on Head Injuries Better Safe Than Sorry In Treating, Clearing Athletes

By Dr. Jeffrey Kovan

We’ve all had a little “ding”, had our “bell rung” or “seen stars” from falling off playground equipment, crashing our bicycles or even bumping the bedpost.

But when does a head injury truly warrant concern and further evaluation?

High school football, soccer and volleyball are well under way, and the number of head injuries and emergency room visits surely will increase with the change in seasons.

Many high schools employ certified athletic trainers to assist at practices and games and help to facilitate additional medical care when indicated.

When is the time to have your child seen by a pediatrician or family physician when a head injury occurs?

Who makes the call at the Saturday youth soccer game, Sunday afternoon youth football scrimmage or even the school playground?

Coaches and parents are often left on their own to make a judgment on a fourhour emergency visit vs. just riding it out.

Further questions arise with regards to return to play. A safe time frame and how best to reintroduce the athlete may vary.

Answers to these important questions may determine long-term consequences from a head injury and potentially protect a reoccurrence and risk for greater injury.

Difficulty in recognizing a head injury is often due to an athlete’s fear of being pulled from play. Withholding information from a

coach and simply staying silent and avoiding eye contact can keep trained individuals from ever recognizing the injury.

Estimates of Collegiate football players with head injuries may range from up to 10-15 episodes over a high school and collegiate career, often with few ever being truly reported.

Recognition of the classic signs and symptoms of concussion may make coaches, parents and fellow players more aware that a head injury is likely. These include: + Loss of consciousness + Confusion + Amnesia + Inability to focus + Headache + Nausea and vomiting + Feeling “in a fog” + Emotional variability + Visual disturbances Immediate removal from play is warranted and close monitoring of the above signs and symptoms is necessary when a head injury is suspected. Any further play on the date of injury is discouraged.

Any worsening or progression of symptoms requires an immediate medical evaluation. Awakening the athlete multiple times on the night of the injury to assess mental status and alertness is encouraged. If

symptoms worsen, emergency medical care is recommended.

Multiple concussion guidelines created from over 20 years of clinical experience are in place to assist with the decision making process on the degree of head injury and when to consider a return to play. These guidelines serve as a useful tool to provide a safe and consistent evaluation measure in the decision process.

Each of the above listed signs and symptoms warrant a medical evaluation and withdrawal from play. A team physician, if available, family physician or pediatrician can help with further evaluation and additional testing when indicated.

Return to play should not occur until all symptoms resolve at rest for a minimum of 24 hours. Light cardiovascular exercise – biking, swimming or a light jog – should be attempted next. If any return of symptoms occurs, all activity should be halted.

Repeating this pattern of light activity with slow progression of exercise may occur the next day with the same guidelines.

Once exercise is tolerated without any reoccurrence of symptoms, progression to a more advanced workout and ultimately contact drills at practice, then games is allowed.

Head injuries come in all shapes and sizes.

No two head injuries appear quite the same.

Therefore, each demands special attention.

Be aware that relatively minor head trauma can produce significant damage.

Close observation and an awareness that symptoms may progress at any time, should keep many from prolonged cognitive and physical deficits.

OCTOber 2008 11

SPORT QUICK HIT

Home Run of a Homecoming Garvey Returns To Relive Memories, Visit Old Friends

By Shireen Saski

Homecoming at Michigan State was the weekend of Oct. 4 this year. But that feeling can occur any time a Spartan returns home.

According to MSU alum and Major League Baseball great Steve Garvey, “You don’t have to have one home. It can be Tampa, East Lansing and Los Angeles. Home is where the heart is.”

Despite his many travels over the last four decades, a huge part of Garvey’s heart remains in East Lansing – with friends like attorney Jim Heos, his college roommate.

The Tampa native was heavily recruited in football and baseball. His passion to play both sports led him to East Lansing in the fall of 1966. MSU baseball coach Danny Litwhiler received a letter from Don Murray, a left-handed pitcher he had coached at Florida State. Murray had become a teacher at Chamberlain High School.

“He was the pitching coach,” the 59-yearyoung Garvey recalled. “And he said, ‘Listen, there’s this kid…he’s going to go high in the draft, good football player, wants to play both. Why not give him a shot?’”

Litwhiler called Lou D’Annunsio, a former Detroit Tigers scout who lived in Tampa, for a report on the third baseman. D’Annunsio said Garvey was a good hitter with good power but without a good arm. He doubted the youngster would make it professionally and recommended Litwhiler give him a scholarship.

Any question about Garvey’s destiny was answered in his first MSU plate appearance.

“I think we were playing Eastern Michigan,” he said. “The pitcher must have been nervous. He walked the first three hitters. I remember our freshman coach, Tom Smith, saying, ‘Wait for a good one now. Don’t just go up there swinging.’ I said ‘OK.’” Instead, he swung at the first pitch.

“I hit a high fly ball down the right-field line into the Red Cedar River – a grand slam at Michigan State! Now, where do you go from there?” Garvey said, laughing in astonishment. “You’ve got a 1.000 batting average and a 4.000 slugging percentage! I couldn’t wait to call home and tell my parents.”

By the end of his sophomore year, Garvey had earned All-Big Ten and All-America honors in baseball. He also started at right cornerback for Daugherty.

“He was your brother, father, uncle, grandfather and friend. He was everything,” Garvey said.

During his second season of football, Garvey had the unenviable task of stopping the USC Trojans and a relatively unknown tailback, O.J. Simpson.

“It was only his third game at USC. And it was quite the game,” Garvey said. “We lost 21-17 that day. The second half was a shutout. I had five or six tackles on him.

There’s a great picture in the memorabilia circuit of O.J. getting tripped up as I’m just about to tackle him. Somehow, they figured out that No. 24 is me.”

“My name is Tom Lasorda, and your life has changed forever, son.”

When the Los Angeles Dodgers drafted Garvey after his sophomore year, he left East Lansing for a shot at the show. It was a dream-come-true for any ballplayer – even moreso for a kid who once was a Brooklyn Dodgers batboy.

Next stop, East Lansing.

“There was a plane strike,” Garvey said.

“My mom and I took a 27-hour bus trip.

Fortunately, my dad worked for Greyhound, so it cost us $1.98, I think. We visited the campus. And when Danny got a hold of me, we ‘accidentally’ ran into Duffy Daugherty.

The rest is history.”

12 OCTOBER 2008

Former MSU football coach George Perles and ex-Spartan defensive back Steve Garvey.

PHOTOGRAPH BY TERRI SHAVER

The crisp autumn air permeates campus. Leaves decorate the backdrop with brilliant colors. And thousands of eager alums migrate to East Lansing to reminisce.

“It’s really a Hollywood script,” Garvey said. “I was going to be a coach and a teacher, But something happened along the way. I never got into the classroom.”

Garvey did continue his education. He returned to MSU in the off-season to complete his junior classes.

“My senior year, I was still in the minor leagues,” Garvey said. “I went to spring training for two weeks and was supposed to come back. Somehow, I got a chance to play third base in a few exhibition games and won the job. I had to get my finals sent to me. And I had to tell everybody that I wasn’t coming back that spring, which was going to be my student teaching.”

The Dodger came back that fall to student teach at Grosse Pointe South High School.

He received his B.S. in education from MSU in 1971.

“You want to play.

You want to get in the game.”

Back on the diamond, Garvey sparkled in a 19-year Major League career. The National League’s Iron Man appeared in 10 All-Star

Games, including one as a write-in. He was the 1974 MVP, a two-time All-Star MVP and twice the NLCS MVP. He batted .294, won four Gold Gloves, appeared in five World Series and was a World Champion in 1981.

In game four of the 1984 NLCS, Garvey smacked a two-run, walkoff HR to give the Padres a 7-5 victory over the Cubs. San Diego went on to capture the series in five games to win its first pennant. That set up a showdown between Garvey and another two-sport Spartan, the Tigers’ Kirk Gibson.

“We took one game and lost a couple of close ones,” Garvey said. “Then, Gibson hit a home run in Game 5. Goose (Gossage) kept telling (manager) Dick Williams, ‘I got him!’

To this day he’ll say, ‘I should’ve taken him out.’ Dick never listened to many people, but he listened to Goose. And that was a great team, the Tigers.”

That was nearly a quarter-century ago.

Today, the businessman and motivational speaker enjoys traveling the country, sharing baseball lore. Stops in Mid-Michigan hold a special place in a heart that still bleeds green and white – and Dodger Blue, too.

After speaking at the 2008 Greater Lansing

Business/Sports Luncheon on Sept. 16 at Eagle Eye Golf Club, Garvey visited with the current baseball and football Spartans.

“He talked about how much playing football here meant to him,” baseball-loving quarterback Brian Hoyer said. “Even when he was in the World Series, it was football that made him tough. And he talked about being the best you can be every day in practice and on Saturday.”

“Steve is a very proud Spartan alum, and we were fortunate to have him stop by to address the team,” new baseball coach Jake Boss Jr. said. “His love for Michigan State and our baseball and football programs was very evident when he spoke to our players.

He has a true passion for Spartan athletics, and we are certainly proud to have him as one of our own.”

That Spartan Pride increases exponentially with each homecoming.

OCTOber 2008 13

Blaha, Miller, Strayhorn, Tieman: MSU’s “Four Voicemen”

By Pavel Kofman

The Spartan Sports Network shows up to play each Saturday. And its players never run out of eligibility.

Play-by-play announcer George Blaha, best known as the Hall of Fame voice of the Detroit Pistons, broadcast Michigan State football before he began calling NBA games.

He called the action when current analyst Jim Miller quarterbacked the Spartans to a 17-7 win over Michigan in 1993 and when sideline reporter Jason Strayhorn was the center for the first two of their five straight wins over Notre Dame from 1997-2001.

Game day host Will Tieman, the play-byplay voice of MSU basketball, operates the network. But he takes orders on Saturdays– and strong suggestions all week–from producer Wendy Hart, his wife and better half.

“It just works. I can’t explain it,” Tieman said of a feed to 39 affiliates throughout the state. “I think if you listen, you’ll hear the chemistry. Sometimes it just works, and this is just working.

Blaha will soon be entering his fifth decade with the Spartans. Since Strayhorn and Miller joined the team in 2006, the four 14 OCTOBER 2008

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROB SUMBLER

Hall of Fame Broadcaster George Blaha

voices have helped create one of the most listened to broadcasts in the country.

“They’ve left some blood, sweat and tears here at Spartan Stadium,” Blaha said about Miller, a 1993 co-MVP, and Strayhorn, a 1998 captain. “They really love this program. And so do I. That makes us brothers.”

With degrees from Notre Dame and Michigan, Blaha might seem like an unlikely choice to spread the word about Green and White triumphs. Nothing could be further from the truth. His blood type is MSU-positive.

Born in Detroit, Blaha was raised in Marshalltown, Iowa, and spent a lot of time in Grayling. That explains why he attended the Spartans’ first Big Ten football game, a 21-7 win over Iowa on Sept. 26, 1953.

Blaha was there when MSU held host Notre Dame to -12 yards rushing in 1965 en route to a share of the National Championship. He was behind the mic for Eric Allen’s 350-yard explosion against Purdue in 1971.

And was there in 1974 for Levi Jackson’s 88-yard touchdown run gave the Spartans an upset of top-ranked Ohio State.

Blaha was not there when MAC beat Michigan for the first time in 1913, when the Spartans wore winged helmets and the Wolverines didn’t or when they met Auburn in the 1938 Orange Bowl. It only seems that he was. He has seen 10 MSU head football coaches since his first broadcast in 1971, the next-to-last year of the Duffy Daugherty era.

“I’ve seen an awful lot of Spartan coaches

Former MSU and NFL Quarterback Jim Miller with Larry Sernik (Statistician) and Blaha

That makes his new assignment as host of the post-game call-in show more enjoyable.

But Tieman and Hart are just as excited about the business success and on-air development of the network.

“George knows the Spartans inside and out and is the captain of the ship,” Hart said. “Jim brings untold knowledge to the booth. You can tell by our locker-room show and our post-game. When we take listener calls, they love talking to Jim.” Hart joined the Spartan Radio Network in 1992, a year after Tieman, who was hired to run the broadcasts by then-Head Coach and A.D. George Perles. Tieman still has a working relationship with Perles as the play-by-

over the years, and some have tasted pretty good success,” Blaha said. “It does prove that I’ve been around a while and what a difficult job coaching is. Being a college football head coach is one of the toughest things in sports because there’s so much that goes into it.”

Blaha’s experience is a comfort zone for the rest of the broadcast team, especially when it comes to historical perspective.

“I don’t think there is a situation the guy hasn’t seen three or four times in football or basketball,” said Strayhorn, who wasn’t born when Blaha began calling MSU games. “I can’t say anything about George’s Will Tiemen in the booth with MSU President age because it’s helping us Lou Anna K. Simon get better.”

Miller and Strayhorn have other links to MSU. Miller was a three-time Academic All-Big play voice of the Motor City Bowl.

“We all talk throughout the week,” TieTen choice and ranks second in school history in completions and accuracy. Strayhorn man said. “But since we all know the drill, was a first-team all-conference pick in 1998 what we really do is we talk to the producer.

We communicate with Wendy more than we and didn’t allow a sack all season.

“I guess you could say I’m sort of biased,” do with each other. She directs where we go. said Miller, a prep All-American at Waterford But what we have now is a really good blend.

Kettering and a nine-year NFL veteran. “I We have different generations of broadcastcan put myself in Brian Hoyer’s shoes. And ers. They can tell a story to Spartan fans. No it’s easy to get excited. George keeps telling matter what happens, we’ve seen it.”

They’ve also felt it, either from the broadme to be more objective. But I figure it’s Michigan State radio. I should be excited cast booth or the offensive huddle. That makes them able to handle any audible. about the team.”

Miller had plenty to be excited about with Javon Ringer’s exploits in a 4-0 September.

OCTOber 2008 15

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The Spartan Marching Band Has A Special Place On Saturdays

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CEIL HELLER & ROB SUMBLER

By Chuck Klonke

OCTOber 2008 17

Music To Our Ears

The scoreboard never shows it.

But before the opening kickoff in Spartan Stadium, the team in Green is halfway to victory. By the start of the third quarter, is there ever a doubt?

That’s what happens when the leadership is there, when big-game performers abound and when multiple workouts in the August heat pay dividends on Homecoming Day. Welcome to the world of the Spartan Marching Band, a beloved institution in East Lansing with roots dating back to 1870 – 26 years before Michigan Agricultural College played a football game.

“The band is where jock and musician meet,” Director John T. Madden said during a threeweek September homestand. “These people are very athletic.”

They also understand that 75,000 fans didn’t pay big money to see them. Even when fans think the show is great, which they usually do, and even if they start their day with band rituals, football is the engine. The band is along for the ride.

“Without football, there is no band,” Madden said. “We have a historic tradition, an incredible stadium and a program that so many people care about. There’s no doubt in my mind that without that, this band tradition would not have flourished.”

“It’s important that I share that with the students. They came from high school bands that support the football team. But high school bands do a lot of things away from football.

And that’s a good thing. The college marching band, especially in the Big Ten, was formed for the entertainment of a football audience. We’d be wrong to enjoy our own environment if we lost sight that we are attached to football.”

If the need a reminder, all they have to do is compare the halftime score with the response to their show.

“How excited the people are depends on whether the team is playing great or not,” said Rachel Linsmeier of Okemos, the second female drum major in the band’s 138-year history. “It’s awesome to hear the cheers.”

The band heard plenty of them on September 20, 2008. The Spartans hosted The Band of The Fighting Irish and took as much pride in their pre-game and halftime performances as Javon Ringer and Otis Wiley did in a 23-7 triumph.

“It’s been a blast of a day,” drummer Dan Pulter of Haslett said. “They have a lot of tradition. And we do, too. It’s a neat exchange with what they do and what we do. There are similarities and differences. The similarity is the tradition. But performing in front of their band makes everybody step it up a notch.”

Drum Major Rachel Linsmeier, Okemos

18 OCTOBER 2008

Pulter said that coming out of the tunnel to the cheers of a capacity crowd is an unmatched experience.

“It’s an incredible feeling,” he said. “No other time in my life will I be able to walk out of a tunnel and hear that much applause and see that many people. It’s something I’m really glad to experience.”

Pulter is a second-generation band member. His father, Dan, was on the drum line from 1977-80 and was a section leader.

“Growing up with him, drumming was one of my favorite hobbies,” the younger Pulter said. “Being in the Spartan band was something I’ve wanted to do all my life.”

Once you’re a member of the Spartan Marching Band, you’re always a member.

Madden was part of that family as a student.

And when the opportunity arose to return as the director, he jumped at the chance in 1989.

“You hear the expression ‘like a dream come true,’ and it was,” Madden said. “I was the band director at Rutgers. I had a great job and was doing well. But the personal satisfaction in being from here, knowing what the band was about and being so proud of my training ground made it an easier decision.”

Blake Holt is another former band member with close ties to the organization. The East Lansing firefighter and paramedic is one of two EMS volunteers at home games.

“The band is where jock and musician meet…”

-Director John T. Madden

“It’s an exciting experience, especially coming out of the tunnel and hearing the cheers and screams of the fans said Holt,who marched from 1992-96. “You feel more a part of the game than just a student sitting in the stands. We’re part of the crowd that gets everybody going. We’re part of the team.”

Most fans don’t realize how hard those marching musicians work, beginning with band camp 10 days before classes begin.

“It’s grueling and hot,” Madden said. “We have the deadline of the first game. In the old days under the quarter system, camp was very quick. The band didn’t always look real sharp for the first game. But they tried.

Ten days is perfect.”

One of the big jobs in band camp is to incorporate the freshmen into the group.

“We know spot-on what the freshmen need to do to get ready for the first game,” Madden said. “We get right down to the nitty-gritty and teach them the intricacies of how to high-step, how to swing your horn, how to drum. The Spartan band has such a well-known, pre-existing style that, combined with their work ethic and our

knowledge to teach it, it’s a quick formula.

“They get blindsided. If we have 90 freshmen in this year’s band, we probably have 45 who have seen the band and 45 who just want to be part of a great college band.

They’re overwhelmed. We require them to perform quickly at a high, competent level – and there’s no redshirting.”

The band practices daily from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on the field in front of Demonstration Hall. In addition to the full group practice, each of the sections meets for extra work.

On Monday evenings there’s a two-hour music rehearsal to learn the songs for the week’s show.

“The formula for being a great band is for the students engaged to do more than is asked for at rehearsal,” Madden said.

“Like anything in life, you have to practice it away from the time and place where it’s being done. It’s like athletes who invest their own time in shooting free throws or lifting weights.”

Band members have to be in excellent condition. There’s nothing easy about marching with a heavy instrument or flag.

“You have to be in shape for the physical requirements of the things that are traditional to us – the high step, the kick step, marching the ‘Series.’ Some sections are more athletic than others. Our Big Ten flags are workout machines. You can’t be a soft kid to carry a 68-pound sousaphone or to strap on a bass drum. The snares are very heavy. You have to be able to march precisely, do hairpin turns and fast-moving changes of direction with your feet.”

The deluge that hit Michigan the weekend of the Florida Atlantic game was especially disappointing. Not only was the band prevented from doing its halftime show on the field, it was alumni weekend.

“They come from all over the country, even some from all over the world, have a morning rehearsal to learn the show, and we weren’t able to put that on the field,” Madden said. “We just had to make the most of it. The weather is an act of God. We did a standstill version of the show, and people knew what was going on.”

The band members sat in the stands from start to finish and performed their postgame show, even though they were soaked to the skin.

“They were as wet as wet gets,” Madden said. “Some of them said, ‘We can’t get any wetter.’ So they never even thought about leaving.”

A typical football Saturday for the band is divided into eight parts. There’s the pregame warmup concert on Adams Field, followed by the march to the stadium.

“The march is a full-fledged performance,” Madden said. “It takes seven to 10 minutes to march to the stadium, and people line the

Lansing area Spartan Marching Band members: Dimondale

Zach Carter mellophone

Eagle

Lindsay Carl alto sax

East Lansing

Kelly Knupfer alto sax Eddy Lee trombone Daniel Svoboda mellophone

Eaton Rapids

Maryanna Burleson color guard

Fowlerville

Joe Blauwiekel tuba

Grand Ledge

Nick Ballou baritone Ross Burwell alto sax Sarah Phinney color guard

Haslett

Talya Rothfeld trumpet Dan Pulter drummer

Holt

Alex Allegretto trumpet

Mason

Emily O’Kon alto sax

Okemos

Nick Boyd alto sax Rachel Linsmeier drum major Mindi Murray color guard

Perry

Zachary Whaley trumpet

St. Johns

Garrett Berry alto sax

Williamston

Amy Sierzenga tenor sax

Lansing

Ana-Alicia Garcia alto sax Candace Motz color guard Kevin Gartung alto sax Patrick Sloan-Turrer trumpet OCTOber 2008 19

Music To Our Ears streets to watch.

“The parade marching is so huge for us. It’s a signature performance. The drum line performs the legendary street beat called ‘the Series.’ If you see the band on the street it’s gyrating with precision and choreography that each sections does individually. The trumpets joust while the tubas do a thing called the dip flash. There’s arm slashing, heads moving and chanting. It’s cool. It’s college. It’s pageantry.”

Then it’s the pre-game show. That’s where many of the traditions are seen. There’s the Block “S”, the MSU Shield, the national anthem and the alma mater.

The band then takes its place in the stands, which is another show in itself.

“We play between every play,” Madden said. “There’s the drum beat and songs that get crowd response. The halftime show is part five. That’s what we spend most of our hours working on. Then we do a post-game show in the stadium, do another parade march to the drill field, followed by a dismissal routine.

One skill that can’t be dismissed is the extreme backbend that’s a trademark of drum majors.

“It’s a cool thing,” Linsmeier said. “It’s a fun thing to do. It’s not natural. You have to figure it out. It’s easier for me than for some people. But you have to perfect it so you don’t fall on your head. That would be embarrassing.”

Madden said that he doesn’t have to recruit band members. He keeps the membership at 300.

“That’s our set number, and it’s been that way since the late 70s,” Madden said. “When students graduate we fill the holes through audition. Our positions are so coveted and highly auditioned that we get the best of the best. In a given year there are 50 to 100 kids who would like to make the band but don’t make it.”

As hard as it is to believe, some folks may not enjoy the Spartan Marching Band. Madden understands.

“Bill Moffitt (assistant director of bands from 1960-69) used to say that marching bands are like ice cream,” Madden said.

“Everybody has a favorite flavor. I’m not going to talk you out of your favorite flavor. There are people who love the Spartan Marching Band and others who are never going to like it. What I’m proud of is that band experts have continually identified our band as one of the great bands in the world.

I don’t gloat about it. But I’m delighted to carry the torch.”

Pouring rain does not deter drummer Dan Pulter, Haslett

20 OCTOBER 2008

OCTOber 2008 21

Jordyn Wieber Has Physical Gifts, Flair And Focus To Chase 2012 Olympic Gold

By Jack Ebling

22 OCTOBer 2008

When Jordyn Wieber was nine months old, she would stand on one leg for as long as it took till her dad could change her diaper.

Today, just a few weeks past her 13th birthday, the U.S. Junior Elite gymnastics champ gets a perfect 10 in her best event – living a life in balance.

At DeWitt Junior High two mornings and five afternoons a week, at Geddert’s Twistars Gymnastics Club for 30 hours of training or kicking back with her parents, sisters and brother, the 4-foot-9 dynamo is equally at home.

“The people in my life are so awesome,” she said. “They keep me balanced and always support me. When I go out of the country, my mom comes with me. And my brother and sisters all think it’s pretty cool. But sometimes they don’t want me gone so much.”

That’s part of the deal when a world-class talent like Wieber has a terrific opportunity for multiple medals in the 2012 Summer Games in London.

Her family and fans won’t have to travel to see her on November 7 when she joins the USA Gymnastics Tour, including gold medalists Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson, in Breslin Center.

“I’ve thought about that performance a lot,” Wieber said. “You’re always a little nervous out there. You don’t want to mess up. But I’m also really excited about it.

I’ve never done a show in front of all those people, other than competing.”

She has dominated enough competitions lately that an exhibition should be fun.

Besides her all-around title and individual-event brilliance at the 2008 Visa Championship in Boston, Wieber took top honors at a four-nation event in Italy and captured five titles at the U.S. Classic in Houston – all in a span of four months.

“Her scores at the USA Championship in the Junior division would have placed seventh in this Olympics,” said her proud coach, John Geddert. “She definitely would have been top-15 against the older girls. But she has friends from other countries who’ve

trained here and made the Olympics. Jordyn would blow them away.”

Wieber has the ideal mindset to reach her potential…Confidence? Check…Focus?

Check…Hunger? Double-check – and not because she’s denying herself any food to remain a 90-pounder with powerful muscles.

“I started doing this when I was 4,” she said with a smile. “There was a period when I went from Level 7 all the way to Elite in about two years. That was when I realized I was ready for this challenge and can do it.”

Her mother, Rita, and father, David, figured that out a long time ago. Though she’s just an average “Jo” at home, she’s a terror in the gym. And she saves her best for the judges.

“She was born with these little muscles,” her mom said. “When she stood on her toes, you’d see these calves. We thought, ‘Oh, she looks like a little gymnast!’ So we put her in this class for eight weeks. Then, when she was about 4½, everyone kept talking about her biceps. She just looked like this little mesomorphic kid. And she got picked out right away and put in an accelerated group.

She was our third child, so we recognized that she was different from the other ones.”

She was different from anyone Geddert had coached. And he had developed Elite athletes like Katie Teft, a 1996 Olympics alternate, and sent gymnasts to Stanford, Florida and Michigan on full scholarships.

“You have to understand, the Elite level is 1 percent of the gymnastics population,” Geddert said. “To be an Olympian, that’s one percent of the one percent, like winning the lottery. It’s five kids every four years.”

Four years from now, Wieber could be the brightest star in her sport’s galaxy. The best part is, if that dream is denied, she has the

“There’s a lot of sacrifice. So you have to have a kid who’s willing to spit some teeth out and go again.”

-John Geddert

smarts and personality to rank in the top 1 percent in other ways.

“It takes a combination of a lot of things to make it,” Geddert said, remembering how Teft was sidelined by a vertebrae injury.

“Obviously, you have to have luck. You have to stay healthy. You need a coaching staff OCTOber 2008 23

Greater Lansing To Greatness In London? that knows what it takes. And you’ve got to have the racehorse to do the run.”

Wieber has all the makings of a thoroughbred. She knows when to practice with blinders and when and where to horse around.

“There’s no getting to the top without a physical masterpiece of a kid,” Geddert said. “You can’t fake your way through it.

Some kids are more mentally stable than others. Some are more physically gifted.

But you have to have a pretty good package to start with.”

If an Olympic hopeful isn’t on the right track by age 10, he or she can have a nice career. It just won’t include the Opening Ceremonies.

Wieber’s age could give her two shots – at 16 and again at 20. Her passion and toughness could give staying power no one can safely predict.

“I’m never satisfied,” she said. “And when I fall on something, I have to get up and do it right before I’ll move on to the next thing.”

Wieber has never suffered a serious injury – knock on a Giant Sequoia. But a sprained neck and sprained ankles haven’t kept her down for long.

“There’s a lot of pain in this sport,” Geddert said. “If you land short, it hurts. If you fall and crotch the beam, it hurts. There’s a lot of sacrifice. So you have to have a kid who’s willing to spit some teeth out and go again. That’s huge.”

So is the relationship between athlete and coach, as many have seen with the tough love of Bela Karolyi and his Olympic champions.

“John is a lot like Bela in some ways,” Wieber said. “He’s perfect for me. He and the Karolyis look for perfection. I look for that, too. When I think about the choices I made and the things I’ve missed, I wouldn’t want to change anything.”

Including a rigorous schedule that fills her days and nights. When she’s not the first athlete in the gym, she’s often the last to leave. And if that incredible drive disappears, it won’t take long for her support group to notice.

“She’s totally content with her lifestyle,” said her mom, speaking from a nutritionand-fitness background. “We’re just letting Jordyn make the call on how she wants her career to go. She’s very mature and always has been. She’s very independent, as well.

If I ever saw her get stressed out or out of balance, we’d sit down and talk about it. I just want her to be happy. If she said she 24 OCTOBER 2008

wanted to stop, we’d never force her into continuing.”

Wieber could name her school in five years if she wanted to compete collegiately.

Or she could do what her friend, Johnson, did and renounce her eligibility by taking money to compete earlier.

“Jordyn is kind of up in the air,” Geddert said of a frequent position. “She hasn’t made that decision entirely. I would certainly like to see her college paid for one way or another, either on a full-ride or with enough

money from competitions to pay for it.”

Her long-range marketing potential is tough to predict, assuming she doesn’t lose interest. If Wieber stays healthy, there’s nothing that shouts “No Way” and plenty that suggests “Her Way Is the Way.” “She’s probably as gifted an athlete as we’ve ever had,” Geddert said. “When we go to the National Team Training Center, they always put us through a battery of physical and ability tests. She has consistently been the top scorer on the entire National Team,

including the senior athletes. As a 10-, 11and 12-year-old, she’s beating 16-, 17- and 18-year-olds. She’s stronger, quicker and faster than anybody we’ve had.”

Whether it’s timing her rope climbs or measuring her ability to hold a perfect handstand, Wieber stands at the top of the

charts. She also ranks near the top in the classroom and as a Twistars teammate.

“I don’t have time to play other sports,” Wieber said. “But I like to watch a lot of them, especially volleyball and football. My brother plays football, and I like to watch him every chance I get.”

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Her brother and everyone else who knows her will be able to reciprocate soon. They should clear their schedules for the summer of 2012. Chances are, they won’t have to learn another language, just the words to “The Star Spangled Banner.”

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The Greater Lansing Sports Magazine

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROB SUMBLER

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To subscribe to SPORT Magazine, go to www.SportLansing.com, or call (517) 487-1714 for more information.

OCTOber 2008 25

From Michigan Avenue Dojo, Sensei Iha Shares Secrets With The World

By Doug Warren

26 OCTOBer 2008

If you blink on your way through the 2000 block of East Michigan Avenue in Lansing, you’ll miss the “Original Okinawa Karate” sign painted on the plate glass window.

Those who have noticed and ventured inside have found smiles, laughter and perhaps the most respected karate dojo in the United States.

The school was founded by Sensei Seikichi Iha in 1976. Iha, the senior practitioner of Okinawa Shorin-ryu in the U.S., is a Hanshi 10th Dan, the highest degree of black belt.

Before coming to Lansing in 1975, Iha trained students in Japan, the Philippines, Guam and Los Angeles. His Lansing dojo is the headquarters for more than 30 North American schools and is visited by karate practitioners from around the globe.

Karate-do (“empty hand way”) is part of a more than 600year-old tradition. Iha is part of the most recent recorded lineage of the Shido-kan style. Born in Okinawa in 1932, he began training in 1950.

Iha has given back in Lansing since 1976, as Marian Reiter, a 4th Dan and longtime student and colleague of Iha’s, explained.

“This is a cooperative dojo,” Reiter said. “All of us take part in cleaning the dojo after class. Some of us help in other ways.

I help with the bookkeeping. Some help with maintenance and other things. All of us working together helps to create a sense of camaraderie and teamwork.”

That spirit is evident with one look at the dojo’s support staff. Frank Samples, an engineer by day, has been a student and instructor at the dojo for two decades. A 6th Dan, he talked about the importance of patience in karate.

“You learn that you can practice something for 20 years, and it’s still never quite right,” Samples said. “There is always something you can improve on.”

From the moment you walk through the door into the dojo’s small reception area, you get a feeling that you’re not an intruder, but a friend.

“Sensei has always said that the primary reason for learning karate is to make friends,” Samples said.

“Certainly you learn it for selfdefense. Some study karate to build confidence or keep physically fit. But the main reason that he has always emphasized is the opportunity to make friends.”

Reiter smiled at that thought and added, “Sensei always says that to practice karate, you need to have a partner.”

“If you make friends, you don’t have time to make enemies,” Samples said. “That’s the best defense of all.”

The eldest member of Iha’s support team is Alwin Henderson, a track athlete at Michigan State during the early 1970’s.

Henderson, a 7th Dan, took up karate as a way to stay in shape when his track days ended. He has been a member of the Iha dojo for more than 30 years and is also an instructor.

“Sensei is a 10th Dan Grand Master,” Henderson said. “Most of those guys don’t talk to people. It’s hard to get close to them.

Grand Masters are not normally outgoing. Sensei is different.

You’d never know he is who he is.”

“If you go out for a beer, he’ll come along and blend right

in,” Samples added before laughing. “He’s a stealth Grand Master.”

Karate often brings to mind aggression, theatrics and outright silliness, an image created by television and movie studios. The reality, especially at the Iha dojo, couldn’t be further from that stereotype.

“Karate is not an offensive art. It’s selfdefense,” Henderson said with a smile. “You have to be friendly. You have to have good character. You’re coming in to learn through teamwork and cooperation. Here, we usually weed out the fighters early on because we smile too much.”

Practicing karate is also a great way for students of all ages to stay physically fit.

“Al and I are both over 50, and we can go out and do foolish things that men half our age normally do,” Samples said. “I haven’t been skiing in ten years. But if I wanted to go and do it, I could. I feel good and stay in shape because of karate.”

While self defense and physical well being are some of the positives that Karate can bring, it can impact a person in many other ways as well.

“It’s become such an integral part of my life, I don’t know how to separate it from anything else,” Samples said. “It’s character development. It’s working toward goals.

It’s an excellent way to learn patience. And most of all, it’s a wonderful group of people from all walks of life – engineers, doctors, guys who work on the line at GM and people who wait tables in restaurants.”

“Sensei has always said that the primary reason for learning karate is to make friends… If you make friends, you don’t have time to make enemies.”

-Frank Samples, Lansing

Paul Snader, who operates a dojo in New Jersey, is another longtime student of Iha’s.

Recently, he visited Lansing with several of his students and spoke of the difference between the Okinawan teachings of Iha and the more aggressive American style.

“A lot of Karate in the U.S., especially when I started 26 years ago, was hardcore,” Snader said. “It was always, ‘Yes, Sir! No, Sir!’ The Okinawans are not like that. They sit back and let you evolve. They will give you a little nudge this way or that way to help you. It’s a much better learning environment. You can relax. They let you think outside of the box.”

OCTOber 2008 27

Coming To Their Sensei

28 OCTOBER 2008

Okinawa all performed katas. Eighth-degree black belts, ninth-degree black belts, 10thdegree…there were probably 15 masters.

“When the others performed, people were milling around. But when Sensei got up to do his kata, everyone from seventh-degree up stopped. They sat down and watched him. It was the weirdest feeling. I thought, ‘What the heck is going on?’ They all just froze. When he finished, they went back to what they were doing. He was the only one that they did that for. I said to myself, ‘Am, I with the right guy or what?’”

Iha had to learn to adapt his teachings to a faster, often-impatient American culture.

Students in Okinawa would spend three years mastering one kata, a detailed series of 20-70 movements. Here in the United States, students often move through five or more katas in one year.

“People in the United States want to achieve things quickly and see a result,” Iha said. “People want instant gratification.

Instant is perhaps good in technology, not in training. It takes time.”

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKE HOLDER

Sensei Iha instructing at his Lansing dojo, Original Okinawa Karate.

That all starts at the top. And no one sets the tone quite like Iha. “They are taught here by example,” Snader said.

“They are led by example.

There is a quiet energy here. You walked into the room and immediately saw that (Iha) was someone to watch. There was a very quiet and powerful respect.”

Respect for Iha is obvious in any conversation with students and colleagues. But that feeling is not just Lansing’s alone.

“I went to Okinawa with Sensei,” Snader recalled. “There was a large tournament held at one of their arenas. It was like their Madison Square Garden for martial arts.

Toward the end, the senior masters from

While adults like Reiter, Samples, Henderson and Snader have spent many years training under Iha, there’s also a large group of young students at the dojo.

Thengo Kalumbu, a 9-year-old from East Lansing and a four-year student at the dojo, talked about what karate has given him.

“It has taught me self-defense and has also helped me with my asthma,” Kalumbu said.

Andrew Marshall, age 12, attends Lansing’s Pleasant View Magnet School. He has been a student at the dojo since he was 6.

“It teaches you how to defend yourself if anyone tries to attack you,” Marshall said, “It also teaches you how to how to fall properly to protect yourself.”

Marshall’s mother, Maureen, talked about how karate has helped her son.

“Oh, my goodness, it has taught him to focus,” she said. “It has taught him discipline. It has really been an asset. Not only is he taking care of things here, he helps out at home. There is not a male in our home, so it has helped him tremendously. He has self-esteem now. He walks tall. He doesn’t walk with his head down.”

Doug McDaniel, an assistant to Iha who oversees the youths, has been with the dojo since 1982. He talked about one unnamed student who recently put his training to good use.

“There was a fight at school on the playground,” McDaniel said. “The other kid kept swinging at him, and the student kept blocking his punches until some teachers arrived to break them up. The kid who started the fight got in trouble. Our student didn’t and was commended for not fighting back.”

Emerson Hendry, a 16-year-old from Okemos and a student at the dojo for 10 years, talked about how he got started and described his relationship with his instructors.

“My brother started here, and I just kind of followed,” Hendry said. “I really like the exercise. I’ve never really had to use it in any situations yet. But I’ve really gotten to know Doug and Sensi over the years. They have become good friends.”

While Iha has had to adapt to his American students and a faster-paced culture, his message of self-improvement, discipline and friendship, in karate and life, remains timeless.

“Always work to make yourself better,” Iha said. “Never be concerned with mastery.

Always try to learn every day. It is the journey, not the destination, that will keep you strong throughout your life.”

MMA Growing in Lansing

Mid-Michigan Fans Love Mixed Martial Arts

By Doug Warren

A capacity crowd of roughly 1,500 was eclectic – young and old, blue collar and white collar – and all there to see one of the fastest rising sports in America, mixed martial arts.

Men on a night out with their buddies, moms and dads with sons and daughters and couples on Saturday night dates were all there on Sept. 27 at Lansing’s Harry Hill Center for Ron DeLeon Promotions’ second Capital City Cage Fight Championships.

MMA is a full-contact combat sport with a wide variety of fighting techniques. The rules allow punching, kicking and grappling and allow fighters with different styles to compete in the same ring – on DeLeon’s cards, under dual spotlights in an octogon.

“We think it’s cool because they aren’t just doing it because they are mad,” Alyssia Carroll, a student at Waverly East Middle School, said. “They are doing it because of sport.”

Carroll was joined by three friends: Mariyah Moore, also a Waverly East student, and Alexis and Robbie Flanders, who attend Windemere Park Charter Academy. All said they love to watch MMA on television.

“They were really excited when they found out we were coming,” Flanders mom, Rosie, said. “We’re just out for some Saturday night fun.”

If some believe that MMA is less of a sport than a bloody sideshow, even compared to a sport like boxing, those who roared through a 12-bout card had a different perspective.

“This, to me, is a total sport,” Rosie Flanders said. “My sister and I had this discussion on the way here. She couldn’t believe I was bringing my children. I told my sister, ‘This is not a bunch of bullies fighting behind a school. This is a sport.’ My children enjoy it. Their father and I do, too. It’s just a lot of fun.”

Instead of a matinee at the movies or a night of laser tag, Flanders’ group spent

more than $100 for tickets, refreshments, etc., for nearly four hours of entertainment, with general admission $20 and concession prices about half the cost of other venues.

“We go to Lugnuts games,” Flanders said. “And we do Detroit Tigers games and other things. But with the budgets being really tight these days, we have to cut back a bit. We still have a lot of family fun. One thing that is nice about this is that we save on gas because it is local.”

Pat Shiels and Brittany Forbes were on hand for their second time at a Lansing MMA event. They attended the first Capital City Championships last March and came back to see Jared Freeman, one of the many local fighters on the card.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Shiels said. “It gets my adrenaline going. We watch it a lot on TV but would rather see it in person.”

Gary Hollon came from Dansville to see local welterweight champ and Dansville native Sammy Watchmaker, one of the night’s brightest stars. Hollon has been to three Lansing MMA events and believes the sport has replaced boxing as “The Sweet Science.”

“Boxing is out,” Hollon said. “It has taken a hit. It’s a shame, but it has. MMA is it. It’s one of the biggest reality shows there is.”

On a day dominated by college football, there was room for another highenergy show with all the passion a fan could want. Fighters like Watchmaker and upcoming title challenger Brandon Johnson of Grand Ledge didn’t disappoint.

“I go to Pistons, Michigan State, Michigan and Detroit Lions games, and this is a much better value,” Hollon said. “We got ringside seats for $40 dollars. The first two events in Lansing, the fights weren’t as good. But tonight’s event was really well done and was promoted well, too. I’d say it has really taken off tonight.”

OCTOber 2008 29

Ah…That Sinking Feeling DeWitt’s Liz Nagel Seeks Third State Golf Title When it comes to high school golf resumes, DeWitt’s Liz Nagel has an amazing list of accomplishments. Let’s just say she has the honors.

Last October at Michigan State’s Forest Akers West, Nagel shot a two-day total of 153 (74-79) to capture her second Division 2 state title. Her first came the previous spring when, across Harrison Road at Forest Akers East, the then-sophomore shot 144 with back-to-back 72s to claim the championship.

More importantly, Nagel led the Lady Panthers to last year’s team crown. Now in her final season with the Panthers, she is eyeing another team trophy. Meanwhile, Michigan’s reigning Miss Golf hopes to capture an unprecedented third individual state championship.

Not bad for a young lady who got her first taste of golf as a little girl on daily summer trips with her father to John’s job 30 OCTOBER 2008

as general manager at Centennial Acres Golf Course in Sunfield.

“My dad and I have a good relationship because I’ve grown up at the golf course,” Nagel said. “Those 25-minute rides there and back are where I learned my most valuable life lessons. We could have just wasted that time and not talked. But we were always talking about something. We’d get there, and I’d play golf all day. Then, we’d get in the car to go home, and my dad would have had no idea what I’d done. So I would clue him in.”

She has made a verbal commitment to play college golf at Michigan State for Head Coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll. In 11 seasons, Slobodnik-Stoll has led the Spartans to 10 straight NCAA Regional appearances, (1999-

2008), six trips to the NCAA Championships (2000-03, 2005, 2007) and two Big Ten titles (2001, 2007). Nagle is hoping to help the Lady Spartans reach new heights.

“I consider it a once-in–a-lifetime opportunity,” Nagel said. “Stacy only has four full-ride scholarships. And it’s a Division I school in the Big Ten. I want to keep setting higher goals and keep getting better at Michigan State. I’m really excited.”

Her father is just as thrilled that his daughter will stay home and wear greenand-white.

“I would have been happy with Liz going anywhere,” John said. “But I have to say that Michigan State has one of the best golf programs in the nation. We looked at a number of places. I’ve been a professional golfer.

I’ve played college golf. I’ve been on the cusp of playing PGA Tour golf. I’ve seen it

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKE HOLDER

By Doug Warren

all. And Michigan State has one of the best programs in the nation. They have a great coach, great facilities and a great support staff. They have the financial backing. The only thing they don’t have is the weather.”

For those who have seen Nagel in action, it should come as no surprise that she tries to model her game after her favorite player.

“It’s Tiger Woods,” Nagel said with a smile.

“Tiger, Tiger, all the time, 24-7. I got really mad at first when I heard that he was going to be out this season.”

One thing that Liz has picked up from Woods is the importance of length off the tee. Mid-Michigan’s first couple of golf, Bruce and Mary Fossum, both talked about

just hits it a mile. And she is working hard on her short game. She is the kind of kid who is very receptive to help. Stacy is the best person to get that out of her. I look for that to be a wonderful relationship at Michigan State.”

It is clear that Nagel is motivated to be the best that she can be. She constantly sets goals, both short- and long-term, and works diligently to reach them.

“I just like her attitude,” says Terry Kildea, director of marketing at Hawk Hollow Golf Club. “I never see her down on the golf course. She likes to chatter with the other golfers. Good, bad or indifferent, she just remains fun to be around. I think that golf is such a humbling game, if you can keep your head on straight, it makes a big difference.”

Her physical -Steve Crowley gifts were undeniable. But Nagel has more than strength and technique. She has the right mindset, according to those who see her each day.

“From her freshman year on, she has continued to grow in her golf and her demeanor,” said DeWitt Athletic Director, Teri Reyburn.

“Liz was very strong as a freshman, and you

“She’s a leader, a motivator…She wants to be successful and wants her teammates to do that, as well.”

Nagle’s competitive edge with the driver.

“She is strong and can really drive the ball,” Bruce said. “Technically, she has a really good swing. Of course, her dad is a good teacher and brought her up the right way.”

“Liz is a wonderful young lady and is very talented,” Mary said. “She bombs it,

kind of wonder, ‘Where do you go from here?’

But Liz is not just an athlete. She is a good student and a great ambassador. She does a really good job of including her teammates and giving them credit for her success. Liz is a really good person.”

Her high school coach, Steve Crowley, talked about Nagel’s drive to succeed – not only for herself, but for her teammates.

“She’s a leader, a motivator,” Crowley said. “She wants to be successful and wants her teammates to do that, as well. She wants them to come along and share in her success. During her first two years, she was the only member of our team to make it to the State Finals. After her sophomore year, she said it wasn’t as much fun as it could have been if she would have had her teammates with her.’ So coming back her junior year, she made a big push to get back to take her teammates with her. Fortunately, that came to fruition.”

Every day is a competition for her. And Nagel wins most of those, too.

“If I play cards, I want to play until I win,” she said with a laugh. “I have a little brother and sister, so we always play games and stuff. I’ll play Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2008 with my brother. We’ll play till I win.”

Nagel hasn’t had to use that extended-play strategy in the last two Division 2 meets.

OCTOber 2008 31

SPORT QUICK HIT

’80 Hero Still Makes Saves Gold-medal Goalie Craig Visits Mid-Michigan

By Shireen Saski

“I was in the third grade, and the teacher asked me one day, ‘Jimmy, what are you doing?’ I said, ‘I’m practicing my autograph.’

She said, ‘For what?’ I said, ‘Because some day I’m going to be in the Olympics.’”

- “Miracle Man” Jim Craig

Jim Craig wasn’t just in the Olympics. He was the brightest star and the best story of the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid, N.Y. Nearly 29 years after the “Miracle on Ice” became reality, Craig was at Kellogg Center in East Lansing last month to help make another critical save, the saving of lives with screenings for abdominal aortic aneurysms.

They’re the only screens a goaltender could love.

As a national spokesperson for the Ultimate SAAAVE campaign (Screening Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Very Efficiently), Craig spoke from the heart about a simple procedure that could have saved his father’s life.

“They call it a silent killer because when it bursts, it ruptures,” Craig said. “Unless you’re already in the hospital, there’s probably not a chance they can save you. If they do, it’s not going to be a good quality of life.”

The numbers may change with a publicawareness campaign, sponsored by Gore Medical. The idea is for those with risk factors – anyone ages 65-75 who has smoked or had a family history – to get a quick, painless screening for AAA. “About 90 percent of the people can get fixed with a mortality rate of 0.3 percent,” said Dr. Alonso Collar, chief of surgery at Ingham Regional Medical Center, a proud partner in Craig’s visit. “It’s very easy to do, very painless and very efficient with an 32 OCTOBER 2008

ultrasound. Today, the silent killer is lurking in about 1.5 million people. Approximately 15,000 will die. By 2020 more than 5 million people in this country will be affected, with roughly 60,000 people dying from ruptured aneurysms.”

Turning those numbers around won’t be the first time Craig has defied the odds. He is still remembered as the poster boy for perhaps the greatest sports upset of the 20th century.

Less than two weeks after the Soviet “Red Machine” destroyed Team USA 10-3 in a preOlympics exhibition, a group of unknown amateur and college athletes and a fiercely determined head coach stunned the USSR 4-3 in the semifinals.

“Do you believe in miracles?…YES!” The Miracle continued 48 hours later as the Americans struck Gold with a 4-2 victory over Finland, helping to heal a nation that had been battered by double-digit inflation, the Cold War, soaring gas prices and Iranian students holding Americans hostage.

As pandemonium filled the arena, an exhausted and emotional Craig skated around the rink, dripping in sweat and draped in the American flag. He gazed into the stands and asked, “Where’s my father?”

“I’m one of eight kids and our parents gave us everything they possibly could,” Craig said. “More than anything, they gave us love and support. When you are able to achieve something of that magnitude, you want to make sure that they know that you really appreciate it and care.”

After leading Boston University to an NCAA Championship in 1977, Craig had lost his mother to cancer. That brought him even closer to his dad, Donald.

“My father was a great mentor,” Craig said.

“His work ethic was really quite amazing. He was a food director at a junior college and dealt with kids all the time. So I think my father always stayed young. I think he really understood kids. As I go around the country now, I run into people who say, ‘Your dad leant me money. He was a great guy.’”

Ten years ago, Jim was at Bruins-Canadiens game and called to check in with his wife. She told him something was wrong with his dad.

“She said, ‘He’s in a little bit of back pain.

We’re going to take him over to the hospital,’” Craig said.

A second call was no more alarming.

“She said, ‘He’s fine. They think he’s got kidney stones. Don’t hurry home. It’s no big deal,’” Craig remembered. “Then, she called me back and said, ‘You’d better come over here.’

His bodily functions started shutting down.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY JIM FORDYCE

(L-R) Dr. Alonso Collar, Great Lakes Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute with Jim Craig

His dad was transferred to another hospital better equipped to treat him.

“We had heard from the nurses that they were getting a bed ready for Mr. Craig, and I was excited,” Jim said. “Back then, I was treated even more like a celebrity. And I went up to the doctor and said, ‘I just want to thank you for Mr. Craig.’ He stopped and said, ‘The old man? The old man’s dead!’…

That’s how I learned what had happened.”

Donald Craig died from an abdominal aortic aneurysm that had burst. He was 68.

“I let my father have my Olympic ring and my NCAA rings and watches,” Craig said. “I remember the orderlies walking down the hall and handing them to me.

I knew from that day on that I had to take that energy and really channel it in a

positive manner.”

That effort continued on Sept. 16 at the Ingham Regional AAA Workshop.

“I’ve had bypass surgery, and I’m concerned that I might have an aneurysm or something, ” Joe Vandevenne of Mason said.

“So I want to get it checked out. It’ll probably prevent me from dying.”

As a teenager, goalie Zac Totten of Kenowa Hills High School doesn’t fit the AAA risk factors. However, he attended the workshop in hopes of meeting his Olympic hero. During their chat, Jim Craig challenged Zac and everyone else in the room to go home and spread the word to five people. Together, they can make the Ultimate SAAAVE. Zac accepted the call and said, “It’s kind of cool to know that you can make a difference

telling people what happened here. I’ll tell everybody I know.”

At age 51, Craig has done that for a decade.

“I’m in Utah at a speaking engagement,” he said. “All of a sudden this gentleman comes out of the elevator and says, ‘Jimmy, I went to school with you at Boston University. You really did a nice job.’ I said, ‘Thank you.’ He said, ‘As a matter of fact, I just called my 16-year-old son and said, ‘Josh, you’ll never guess who just spoke to our group…The goalie from ‘Miracle.’ His son said, ‘The actor?’ His dad goes, ‘No! No! No! The real guy! Jim Craig!’ And his son says, ‘Is he still alive?’”

Very much so – in part, because he has been tested.

Spice up your life!

Enjoy a pumpkin spice latte today. happy OCTOber 2008 33

SPORT AUTHORITY

Rolling On The River

The Capital City River Run: A Case Study In Community Collaboration

By BrEndAn Dwyer

Great things happen when people care more about a successful event than who gets the credit. Want an example? Look no further than Greater Lansing’s own Capital City River Run and Healthy & Fit Magazine Expo in late September.

Charged with promoting the area as a host city for athletic tournaments and events, the Greater Lansing Sports Authority saw potential for a new, high-profile, destination road race for the region. Mike Price and John Young of the GLSA took their concept to the running gurus at Playmakers in Okemos for a brainstorming session. It didn’t take long for lightning to strike.

“Curt Munson and Brian Jones at Playmakers opened our eyes to the challenges of planning a successful road race,” Price said.

“They suggested that rather than try to plan something like a marathon, we should instead grow an existing road race into a half-marathon.”

Erik Larson, executive director of Impression 5 Science Center and one of the main organizers of the Capital City River Run. “I loved the idea of growing our event into a half-marathon,” Larson said. “And my initial concerns about doing so were quickly resolved by the GLSA. With all the potential for collaboration, I knew we had a chance to do something special.”

When a survey of past participants showed support for making the race a half-marathon, the planning, promotion and advertising were soon underway. While the race committee was planning a course that would weave nicely through the community, the GLSA was getting the necessary approvals and buy-in from local municipalities.

“To accommodate the race length, we knew we were going to have to negotiate with the -Mike Price, GLSA City of Lansing, Lansing Township, Ingham County, the City of East Lansing, MSU and the Lansing and Ingham County Parks and Recreation Departments,” Young said. “The red tape and road blocks you might imagine did not occur. Everyone saw the value of the event and simply wanted to see it happen. We got just what we were hoping for – a scenic course showing off local points of interest, officially sanctioned and certified by USA Track & Field.”

With race plans progressing, the GLSA saw an opportunity for another community connection to enhance the event.

“…we were able to develop an event that is benefitting the local economy and the health of area residents for years to come.“

Immediately, Munson thought of the Capital City River Run, a popular 10-mile race with a 14-year history of success. With a proven support system, leadership structure and a healthy sponsor and volunteer base, the event was an ideal candidate for growth.

Logistically, there was much to do. Course changes would be required. And the race, historically held solely on Lansing’s river trail, would draw enough participants to push the event onto the community’s streets.

With many more questions than answers, the GLSA paid a visit to a key individual:

34 OCTOBER 2008

Previous meetings with Tim Kissman, owner of Healthy & Fit Magazine, had included discussions about the viability of a health and wellness expo for the area. The GLSA saw this as a perfect fit to bolster the event and create buzz in the region through a weekend-long fitness event in downtown Lansing. Kissman agreed, as did the eventual host, the Lansing Center.

“The partnerships that we made while getting this event together have been tremendous,” Price said. “By playing to everyone’s strengths, we were able to develop an event that is benefitting the local economy and the health of area residents for years to come. It’s a testament to Greater Lansing, our people and what we can accomplish when we all work together.”

To learn more about the GLSA or the Capital City River Run and the Healthy & Fit Expo call (517) 377-1406 or visit www.LansingSports.org.

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OCTOber 2008 35

SPORT QUICK HIT

Dan Bass Where Is He Now? By jerry pecora

Pound-for-pound, no one pounded ballcarriers better than Dan Bass at Bath High School, at Michigan State and in the Canadian Football League from 1972-1991.

“Danny Bass was, simply put, a hitting machine,” said Mel Comeau, Bass’s track coach at Bath and an assistant with the Bees’ undefeated 1975 football team. “He was a ferocious tackler and the most physical high school player I’ve ever seen. Danny intimidated his teammates and our opponents. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you I saw otherwise-competitive kids literally in tears at the prospect of lining up against him. He was really bigger than life.”

Bass gave much of the credit to former Bath Head Coach Ron Skorich and to being in the right place at the right time, as ballcarriers could attest.

“Coach Skorich not only taught me the game, but he helped to calm me down enough to maintain my focus on the field,” said Bass, who was also an All-State running back. “One of the joys of playing linebacker is that you never had to worry about anyone hogging the ball or how many catches or carries you got. You can make as many tackles as you want.”

His dream of playing for the Spartans was realized when

36 OCTOBER 2008

a three-year NCAA probation forced a change in recruiting philosophy.

“I certainly wasn’t at the top of State’s list early on,” Bass said. “The only schools to offer me at all were Northern Michigan and Wyoming. But MSU was almost forced to look at me.”

New Head Coach Darryl Rogers couldn’t believe his good fortune when he watched Bass blow up play after play in preseason camp.

“I’ll never forget the week of our first game,” Bass said. “Coach Rogers walked up and calmly told me that I’d be starting in the middle at Ohio State on one condition.

He said, ‘You have to promise me one thing – that you won’t (wet) your pants in front of 85,000 people.”

Though the suspension-riddled Spartans took a 49-21 pounding from the Buckeyes that day, No. 49 in white kept his cool well enough to make 32 tackles, a school singlegame record that still stands.

By his junior year, MSU ruled the Big Ten with a record-setting offense led by Eddie Smith and Kirk Gibson. But Bass had the play of the year, a 99-yard interception runback against Wisconsin that nearly took a year off his life.

With reckless abandon and remarkable health, the two-time All-Big Ten pick finished with 44 starts and a phenomenal 541 tackles, a school record that may stand forever.

“I was fortunate to have excellent coaches – Skorich, Dan Underwood and Walt Harris among them,” Bass said. “They reminded me that players tend to get hurt around the play, not in the middle of it.”

Despite his exceptional instincts, Bass was low on NFL wish lists and chose to play in Canada, primarily in Edmonton, where was named the top linebacker eight times and one of the top 50 players in CFL history.

“Most NFL teams were looking for the prototype 6-foot-4, 245-pound athlete at that position,” said Bass, a 6-1, 225-pounder.

“Obviously, I didn’t fit the mold.”

He fit the mold of a constant achiever in everything he did and a winner in almost every way.

“Danny’s parents passed on before their time, and it was very important for him to raise a family without the burden of constant travel or relocation,” his wife, Karen, said. “The CFL afforded him a chance to play and a more family-oriented lifestyle. He has always lived by the motto ‘What you do is not who you are.’”

Today, the Basses live in Sherwood Park, an Edmonton suburb. And the sales manager for Lakewood Chevrolet hunts and fishes with the best of them.

“I treated football like a business and became a student of the game,” Bass said.

“Studying your market competition is a lot like studying your upcoming opponent. The discipline, preparation and goal-setting are the same.”

Bass still follows MSU football and checks on his career tackles mark occasionally. He can do that as long as he likes.

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

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SPORT SPECIAL OLYMPIC SALUTE

Never A Cross Word Mason-Holt Poly Hockey Player Lives To Compete

By Crystal Krauskoff

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKE HOLDER

Elizabeth “Libby” Cross is a winner before she returns to the Michigan Special Olympics State Finals on November 21-22, 2008.

Success as a poly hockey player and a student with hearing aids has changed her life and helped her blossom.

“That’s the right word,” Beth Cross said of a quiet 13-year-old, the elder of her two daughters. “She’s caring and usually happy. She is a teenager, so…“ So Cross is understandably happy about her Mason-Holt team’s opportunity next month in the Age 8-15 Division at the Capital Centre Sports Complex in Dimondale.

“They’re ecstatic,”said Cindy Hyaduck, a cocoach and coordinator of Mason-Holt Juniors for more than 20 years. “The majority of this year’s team played together last year and wants to compete against teams not from the local area.”

Sixty-five poly hockey teams will compete for top honors at The Summit and Aim High Sports. Meanwhile, the state top 27-over bowlers will compete at Royal Scot in Lansing, as more than 1,000 Special Olympians take part in State Finals.

“They love that,” said Val Suszko, another co-coach and coordinator for Mason-Holt. “They understand that if they only play at the Area 8 games, it’s a letdown when their season is over.

If they go on to the State level, they get to play several more weeks.”

The Special Olympians would play yearround if that possibility existed. Instead, they have to qualify through an automatic-bid rotation or a series of area tournaments, including a 19-team poly hockey event for Ingham and Eaton counties at Michigan State’s IM West on November 7, 2008.

Poly hockey, named for its polyurethane puck and plastic sticks, is a six-player game on gymnasium floors. But success is measured far beyond the scoreboard.

“We work real hard to make them accept each other,” Suszko said. “It’s kind of magic watching the kids come together as a team. We just try to build up their self-esteem and work hard from that.”

Libby Cross learned the game quicker than most and built on her poly hockey success in several important areas.

“It’s so much fun when you’re out there,” the

eighth-grader at Mason Middle School said. “I like defense because I like helping our goalie.”

Her attitude has always impressed her coaches. And her willingness to help the team hasn’t been overlooked.

“She enjoys playing,” Hyaduck said. “She has great sportsmanship, is very coachable and will do whatever we ask of her. If she doesn’t do something well, she will work even harder until she gets it.”

“She brings teamwork,” Suszko said. “She’s always there on time. She wants everybody to feel included. She’s a very quiet individual, so she does that in her own quiet way. Everyone respects her.”

When Cross isn’t playing poly hockey, she competes in Special Olympics basketball, team handball and cross country skiing, winning medals in all four events.

“She’s very competitive,” her mom said. “She follows the puck with her eyes and knows where it is most of the time. Her favorite thing to do in basketball is steal the ball.”

Cross enjoys watching TV, playing games, riding bikes and frolicking on a backyard swing set with her 12-year-old sister, Alix.

Though she could try to compete in traditional sports with her hearing loss, she prefers to compete in Special Olympics events.

“She sticks with it because her friends are in it, and she likes playing,” Beth Cross said. “We just support her.”

It’s not known how her hearing loss occurred.

But it is known that she has come out of her shell since getting the hearing aids as a fifth-grader.

“That has really helped her,” her mom said.

“Otherwise, she would just ask everyone to repeat themselves or make you look at her because she reads lips. She has more self-esteem now because she doesn’t draw attention to herself. I think that was a problem.”

Next month, Libby Cross will do her best to help her Mason-Holt teammates win gold medals. Her only problem is that the tournament lasts two days instead of 200.

Libby Cross, Mason-Holt Poly Hockey

OCTOber 2008 39

SPORT QUICK HIT

Sticking Up For The USA Red Wings Visit Lansing To Show Appreciation For Troops Just one day after the Detroit Pistons visited Mid-Michigan students, it was the Red Wings’ turn to stop in Greater Lansing and salute some special people.

U.S. Army Master Sergeant Kathleen McCarty and Chief Warrant Officer Dave Ellis, among others, will never forget that.

With word that the Wings were on their way, excitement grew inside the Multi-Unit Readiness Center, filled with uniformed soldiers and their families.

Most held hockey paraphernalia and waited patiently for the players’ arrival.

When three Swedes and a Fin walked through the double doors at the Lansing National Guard Headquarters, nearly 100 soldiers in the room were in the presence of the 2008 Stanley Cup Champions.

Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall, Mikael Samuelsson and Valtteri Filppula took the western swing on a one-day tour the Wings assembled to raise excitement for the upcoming season and to pay special tribute to people who matter the most.

Dan Cleary, Chris Osgood, Brett Lebda and Kris Draper were on the state’s eastern tour, which featured an appearance by the Stanley Cup. “It’s really special for us to be here because these people do a really important job, and it’s truly an honor for us to come and see them,” Filppula said.

When the players arrived, they made their way onto a stage where a brief introduction was given. Each player spoke to the crowd before the session was opened for questions.

Some went straight to Stanley Cup talk and asked how the players spent their day with the trophies, as all champs are allowed

Henrik Zetterberg autographs a poster for Lansing’s Frank Whitehead J.H.H.Q.

40 OCTOBER 2008

to do. Others asked about Marian Hossa moving from Pittsburgh to Detroit as a free agent. And some were curious whether the Swedish players cherished the Stanley Cup or their 2006 Olympic Gold Medal more.

All four players had passed through Lansing, traveling to or from Grand Rapids while playing for the Griffins. But it was the first official trip to Lansing for all four. And other than Zetterberg, none had visited a military base.

“Seeing everyone in uniform reminds me of my brief time in the Army,” said Zetterberg, who underwent nearly eight months of training in Sweden at age 17. “It was a great time and something I will never forget.”

Zetterberg spoke about his military service.

And that seemed to surprise the crowd.

“I’m quite impressed,” McCarty said. “I like him more than I did before he got here.”

The final part of the visit was an autograph session. The soldiers and their kids got a chance to interact with the players, pose for pictures and get their jerseys, hats and other gear signed.

“It’s important for the families that the players are able to come here and acknowledge what our families do to support us,” said Ellis, who brought his three sons to the event. “It’s important that the soldiers finally get some recognition.”

While the soldiers and their families were excited to meet the Wings, the players seemed genuinely happy and honored to be at the base.

“This is all for them really,” Kronwall said.

“We do sports. But their job and what they do, there’s no words for how much that means for everyone in the world. It’s truly a pleasure to come here and meet all these people.”

The appearance lasted about 90 minutes before the players hit the road for another special visit later that day at the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.

But if it’s up to Zetterberg, it won’t be team’s last appearance in Lansing.

“Hopefully, this can be a tradition for many years to come,” he said.

A lot like the sipping of champagne from the Stanley Cup, which showed up at Spartan Stadium for the Notre Dame-Michigan State football game on Sept. 20.

But the Red Wings had already been part of a private celebration with a deeper meaning.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKE HOLDER

By Pavel Kofman

SPORT LAST SHOT

SPORT COMMUNITY

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Hannah Bez riding Loughnatousa Patty HORSE SHOW AT THE BAY 07/23/2008 PHOTOGRAPHED BY HER FATHER, DOUG BEZ

OCTOber 2008 43

SPORT FINISH LINE

No Degree?

No Marketable Skills?…No Job! The Pro Dream Can Be Destructive

By Clarence Underwood Jr.

Clarence Underwood Jr. served Michigan State University in many capacities after arriving on campus from Gadsden, Ala., and Fort Bragg, N.C. , nearly a half-century ago. Most notably, Underwood was assistant athletics director for student-athlete support services for 12 years, assistant A.D. for compliance and, finally, the Spartans’ A.D. from 1999-2002. Before that, he taught in several districts, including East Lansing, worked in alumni relations at MSU and served as deputy commissioner of the Big Ten. He and his wife, Noreese, live in East Lansing.

So many of our shining young athletes have reached for the gold and returned with empty hands. How can we serve them better?

As the assistant athletics director for academic support services at Michigan State University for nearly 12 years, I was directly responsible for monitoring athletics eligibility and the academic progress of 800 male and female students in 26 varsity sports. I was proactive, giving advice about academic performance and matters of personal welfare.

More than 90 percent of the studentathletes accepted that advice. They followed the script and made satisfactory progress in their academic studies. They focused on the goal of graduating from the university.

The most challenging part of my job was getting the remaining 10 percent to meet academic expectations. They were more motivated by the potential of becoming a professional athlete than the notion of graduating from the university.

The focus on becoming a professional athlete is usually ingrained at an early age and solidified in high school, particularly with a prominent player. The praise, adulation and recognition from coaches, parents, fans and others – to say nothing of the glitter and glamour of pros on television – can be damaging. So when a student-athlete is offered a college scholarship, the focus frequently shifts to preparing for the pros. The athletes put more emphasis on developing their sports skills than their academic skills.

The problem is that less than one percent

of all college athletes in revenue sports will make a professional team. After trying out and being rejected, they return home with no degree, no money and no job skills. The physical skills they learned are often worthless.

The world continues to change from an industrial society, with plenty of manufacturing jobs, to an information society where communication skills, negotiations skills and a mastery of technology are the way to earn a living. It is essential that studentathletes earn a college degree.

be of some value to them. Needless to say, he was not hired. He tried to earn money by hustling on the streets but was soon busted and incarcerated.

Scientists tell us that all students, including student-athletes, are highly intelligent and can learn to be good students and graduate from their institutions. But the “pro” mentality, which excludes academic excellence, must be broken in middle school or earlier. School administrators must establish a culture of high academic expectations. Too many people not connected with the school are telling the athletes otherwise. Some of these people are unethical and greedy player agents who try to cultivate the athletes’ interest so they can represent them with professional leagues.

Only coaches who believe in and have benefitted from education by earning a college degree should be permitted to coach children in school-sponsored sports.

Administrators and coaches need to be held accountable for emphasizing academic expectations to student-athletes.

The same expectations must exist throughout the educational system, with the reinforcement of academic support services for athletes who need additional assistance.

“A mind is a terrible thing to waste” at any time, but particularly today and tomorrow in this complicated world. It takes a college education to understand and cope with the economic and social challenges of today’s world in order to live a comfortable life. Student-athletes must be motivated to see more than one possibility for themselves. They need to focus on the skills they will need to survive after sports. Education is powerful and offers the best options for achieving wealth and success in life.

Those of us with the hindsight of maturity must impress upon our young athletes that “going pro” is a rare and transient outcome and that education is the key to enduring security and success.

“…less than one percent of all college athletes in revenue sports will make a professional team.“

44 OCTOBER 2008

I recall a specific case where a college athlete did just enough to stay eligible for his sport. Despite constant warnings over a four-year period, he did not graduate.

After earning All-America honors, he was confident that he would become a professional athlete. He was drafted but was cut from the team in the first year. He then tried out with several other pro teams and was rejected. After a few years, he returned to his hometown and started searching for what he called “a good job.” When potential employers asked him what skills he could offer them, he said his celebrity status could

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