BA Issue 44, April 19, 2012

we name winter's top atheltes. Pg. 18

vol. 3. issue 44

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April 19, 2012

endure | excel | achieve

bay area

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things your teams needs to be doing on social media Pg. 34

Deer Valley & Jeremy Rotman ready to explode.

Pg. 24

10

things you need to know from bay area's biggest meets.

Pg. 22

amador valley softball shows norcal who the best team is. Pg. 28

PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507 Editorial Editor@SportStarsOnline.com Editor Chace Bryson. Ext. 104 • Chace@SportStarsOnline.com Contributors Bill Kolb, Erik Stordahl, Mitch Stephens, Doug Gardner, Matt Smith, Clay Kallam, Jim McCue, Eric Gilmore, Dave Kiefer, Liz Elliott, Tim Rudd, Jonathan Okanes Photography Butch Noble, Bob Larson, Jonathan Hawthorne, Darryl Henick, Norbert von der Groeben, Phillip Walton Creative Department Art@SportStarsOnline.com Production Manager Mike DeCicco. Ext. 103 • MikeD@SportStarsOnline.com Publisher/President Mike Calamusa. Ext. 106 • Mike@SportStarsOnline.com Advertising & Calendar/Classified Sales Sales@SportStarsOnline.com, (925) 566-8500 Account Executives Erik Stordahl • Erik@SportStars Online.com, Phillip Walton • PWalton@SportStarsOnline.com Sac Joaqin edition: Breck Phillip • BreckPhillip@gmail.com, Dave Rosales • DaveRosales64@gmail.com, Finn Jensen • finnjensen1@mac.com.

Reader Resources/Administration Ad Traffic, Subscription, Calendar & Classified Listings info@SportStarsOnline.com • Deb Hollinger. Ext. 101 •

Atheltes of the year Winter edition Hannah Huffman & Aaron Gordon Shone Brightest. Pg. 18 get luck-y: The NFL Draft is coming and there are local angles to be found. Pg. 9 rising: Deer Valley’s boys tennis team aims to be the BVAL team to breakthrough in the postseason. Pg. 24 First Pitch............................................. 6 Locker Room...................................... 8 AAA SportStars of the Week........11

amador valley stampedes all comers. Pg. 28

Behind the Clipboard......................12 Health Watch....................................31 Camps + Clinics...............................36

Distribution/Delivery Mags@SportStarsOnline.com Distribution Manager Butch Noble. Ext. 107 • Butch@SportStarsOnline.com Information technology John Bonilla CFO Sharon Calamusa • Sharon@SportStarsOnline.com Office Manager/Credit Services Deb Hollinger. Ext. 101 • Deb@SportStarsOnline.com Board of advisors Dennis Erokan, CEO, Placemaking Group Roland Roos, CPA, Roland Roos & Co Susan Bonilla, State Assembly Drew Lawler, Managing Director, AJ Lawler Partners Brad Briegleb, Attorney At Law community SportStars™ Magazine A division of Caliente! Communications, LLC 5356 Clayton Rd., Ste. 222 • Concord, CA • 94521 info@SportStarsOnline.com www.SportStarsOnline.com

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your ticket to bay area sports admit one; rain or shine This Vol. #3, April 2012 Whole No. 44 is published by Caliente! Communications, LLC, 5356 Clayton Rd, Ste. 222, Concord, CA 94521. SportStars™© 2010 by Caliente! Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Subscription rates: 24 issues, U.S. 3rd class $42 (allow 3 weeks for delivery). 1st class $55. To receive sample issues, please send $3 to cover postage. Back issues are $4 each. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of Publisher is strictly prohibited. The staff and management, including Board of Directors, of SportStars™© does not advocate or encourage the use of any product or service advertised herein for illegal purposes. Editorial contributions, photos and letters to the editor are welcome and should be addressed to the Editor. All material should be typed, double-spaced on disk or email and will be handled with reasonable care. For materials return, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope. SportStars™© and STARS!™© Clinics are registered trademarks of Caliente! Communications, LLC.

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Fundraising for seriously-injured athletes is about to get a boost

T

First Pitch Chace Bryson Editor

Chace@ SportStarsOnline.com (925) 566-8503

his column begins with my email account.

It’s safe to say I spend at least an hour of my typical work day either reading, composing or deleting messages.

Actually, I admittedly don’t do enough deleting. I haven’t been told that our company’s last email crash had to do with the fact that I had more than 3,000 emails in my inbox, but I’m not asking around to find out, either.

So yes, I get a lot emails on a daily basis. Many of which are press releases for items that don’t really fit our magazine. With those messages, I tend to have little trouble pressing the delete key after scanning the first couple sentences.

But one such email avoided eradication last week.

It included a press release from the National Sports Leagues of America, a fledgling organization launched in February to create help with fundraising for the families of athletes who suffer a life-changing or fatal injury playing the sport they love. And the service they are trying to create seemed like something our readers should definitely know about.

In fact, the more people involved with interscholastic sports who know about the NSLA and what it can offer, the better. Most importantly, you can be part of its mission.

The organization is attempting to create a national “Injured Athlete Alert” system that would work like so: When an athlete — or even a coach — is involved in a serious life-threatening injury involving the spinal cord or brain trauma, the athlete’s family or school can reach out to the NSLA for support. In turn, the NSLA would activate its “Injured Athlete Alert” — a system that would deliver an email, text message, or social media post, to every registered member. That alert would include information about the athlete and his or her injury as well as provide a quick and easy way to donate to the athlete’s family for the medical costs.

According to the press release, families of the injured athlete would be able to have access to those donations within 48-72 hours of the “alert.”

“Even with immediate fundraising efforts in place, the problem is often getting enough recognition to raise the needed funds,” NSLA president Zina Barrow said in the release. “That’s where NSLA comes in. Immediate action through the NSLA network makes it possible for a sports-related injury or death to gain nationwide attention and greater fundraising results.”

Anybody can be part of the network. It’s free to register, and can be done easily through the NSLA’s website. In fact, the alert system won’t exist until the network reaches 20,000 members. The NSLA is currently promoting its “Race to Reach 20,000” campaign with a hope to have the alert system activated by May. As I read about this, I immediately thought of Gunnar Sandberg — the Marin Catholic-Kentfield pitcher who spent several days in a medically-induced coma after being struck in the head by a line drive in a preseason scrimmage against De La Salle.

Having written a handful of stories about Gunnar’s situation, I couldn’t help thinking how a national support system of 20,000 people donating just $5-10 each could’ve helped during Sandberg’s recovery.

Athletes who are able to make full or partial recoveries are just a part of it. This support system is also available to families who suffer the ultimate tragedy. Heat stroke and sudden cardiac arrest have taken young athletes’ lives far too often in recent years, and donations on their behalf through a network like this could make a huge difference in the lives of the affected family.

If you’re like us and think this is a cause worth being a part of, you can check out the NSLA and register for your free membership by visiting http://www.thensla.com/ And if you or your friends know of an athlete who has been seriously injured, be sure to let them know about the NSLA. Because the organization won’t know about the injury until somebody seeks the organization out and asks for help.

It’s my hope that we don’t see any of these types of injuries among our student-athlete population in Northern California going forward. But if we do, here’s hoping that ignoring my itchy delete key finger literally pays off for those affected. ✪

When an athlete — or even a coach — is involved in a serious life-threatening injury involving the spinal cord or brain trauma, the athlete’s family or school can reach out to the NSLA for support. In turn, the NSLA would activate its “Injured Athlete Alert” — a system that would deliver an email, text message, or social media post, to every registered member. That alert would include information ... and an easy way to donate to the athlete’s family.

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If you were a DJ, what would your name be

DJ CharBar

One dead person you’d like to meet

If you could only follow one athlete on Twitter - who?

3 people you’d like to have dinner with

Stat of which you’re most proud

Mark Twain

Build a water polo locker room on campus

James Harden

Ulysses S. Grant, George Washington, James Harden

Scoring final goal in sudden death at NCS WP final

2Pac

Buy a house

Michael Jordan

Kim Kardashian, Flavor Flav, Michael Jackson

Undefeated in league last two seasons

Charlie Wiser, Miramonte, swimming

DJ Cam Yee

First thing you’d buy if you won the lottery

rapidFIRE

Cameron Yee, Deer Valley,t ennis

firstPERSON

Carondelet-Concord senior Hannah Huffman, a signed recruit to the Notre Dame women’s basketball team, had a chance to see the Irish play in the National Championship game April 13 against Baylor. We asked her to write a short account of her experience.

It’s not very often that someone gets the chance to watch their future team play on the biggest stage college basketball has to offer. However I was blessed with a trip to Denver to watch my future team, Notre Dame, take on powerhouse Baylor for the national championship.

Although the outcome of the game was not as I hoped (Baylor won 80-61), the learning experience and the incredible national title atmosphere made the trip more than worth it. As the game was played, I was able to take in what the college game is like at its highest level. One thing was clear to see, its fast — really fast.

The pace of the game is so much quicker than a typical high school game. It was also interesting to watch the positions I think I will be placed in next year and analyzing what I could do in those situations in order to be successful. Besides the basketball aspect to the trip, there was one other thing I know I will take away from the trip, and that is the amazing support women’s basketball is receiving.

Many years ago, women’s basketball was in the shadows of the many male-dominated sports. However during my trip to Denver, I got to see firsthand the massive amount of attention the sport is getting. I had the chance to see the team escorted through a huge crowd at their hotel as they were being sent off to the game. The stadium was packed. ESPN was set up in the corner of the gym just like they would for a men’s game.

This type of publicity to women’s basketball is so encouraging to see. Players such as Skylar Diggins and Brittany Griner have taken the game to an entirely different level and I cannot wait to be a part of it. Even though Notre Dame did not win, my trip to Denver was one to remember. I plan to be back at the National Championship next year, this time with a Fighting Irish jersey on and a national title to go along with it.

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local angles at the nfl draft

“The Town Game”

getREEL

If you’re basketball junkies like we are then you’ve heard of Oakland hoops legends Demetrius “Hook” Mitchell and Leon Powe. But for the one percent who haven’t, you need to check out “The Town Game.” This documentary debuted April 9 on CSN Bay Area, and chronicles the lives of Mitchell, a streetball legend in the 80s, and Powe, who graduated from Oakland Tech in 2003 and won an NBA title with Boston in 2009.

Both grew up in an area rife with drug addiction and crime, and both took different paths in life. Jason Kidd, Brian Shaw, Antonio Davis and Chris Mullin are amongst the local greats featured in this powerful movie. If you missed the debut, you can still check it out on April 19, 25, and 29 at 9PM on CSN Bay Area.

out of four

sayWHAT

“She had been struggling offensively a little bit throughout the tournament.

She’s young, but there was no doubt in my mind that she was going to answer the call when she needed to. I just didn’t expect it to be such a big call.”

Are you ready for some football?! In April?

We know, we know. The season is long since over, and training camp is still a loooong way off. But it’s the draft, peoples! Show some enthusiasm. We at SportStars are here to help you cut through all the fluff and folderol from the insufferable talking heads (we’re talking to you, Mel Kiper, Jr.) and get right to the heart of the matter. Here’s a look at the top 5 most important local angles to keep an eye on for the 2012 Draft, beginning April 26.

1. You know who’s really, really good?

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford.

2. All due respect to the impressive turnaround season registered by the 49ers (and the subsequent impressively active offseason), but you might want to take a look into adding some depth at kick returner. Or maybe just a guy who won’t kick the ball all over the field when he’s the only guy within 15 yards of the thing. Bears mentioning.

3. The Saints are in total disarray in the aftermath of BountyGate. It’s going to be a long season in the Big Easy. You know who could help them navigate the tumultuous waters of the 2013 season, either in the front office or as the interim head coach? Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford. And do you know which player he’d be absolutely insane not to take if he had the top pick in the draft? Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford.

4. You know that bullet-shaped thingy in MarioKart where you go really fast and nothing can hurt you? Can the Raiders draft THAT? Because, frankly, we don’t know where else to start.

5. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor, won the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s top collegiate player last year. He’s an exciting, talented athlete with a million-dollar smile and Superman socks. You know who he is nowhere near as good as? Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford.

— Bill Kolb, unabashed Stanford fan

— Amador Valley softball coach Julie Marshall on sophomore shortstop Ashley Lotosynski, who hit two home runs in an 8-1 win over then state-ranked No. 3 Archbishop Mitty-San Jose in semifinals of the Livermore Stampede on April 7.

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There was no stopping Grauer and the Dons from winning the Livermore Stampede on April 7.

They steamrolled the competition en route to 8-1 wins over nationally-ranked Archbishop Mitty in the semis and 11-0 over Livermore in the final. Amador Valley climbed to No. 2 in the state rankings after their performances, and seem poised to defend their NCS Div. I title.

SportStars Magazine: You dominated the Stampede, including a shutout in the final with 12 strikeouts on just two hits. How were you so dialed in?

Johanna Grauer: Going into the tournament … I was working really hard and preparing for this tournament. Just staying rested, trying to get a lot of sleep … a lot of it was just preparation.

SSM: You guys are undefeated and one of the best teams in the state. How does it feel playing on a team this awesome?

JG: It’s obviously really great, everyone loves to be on the winning side. I feel like it’s our spot to lose in the league. … Obviously we have targets on our backs.

We’ve got to not let it get to us and focus on what we need to do.

SSM: How do you improve, personally, on this performance?

JG: I exercise during the offseason. … But a lot of it is just that I’m out there practicing six days a week. Also I play on a really really competitive (travel) team over the summer… so I can face the best possible competition.

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JOHANNA GRAUER AMADOR VALLEY . SOFTBALL . SOPHOMORE

honorable mention

FRANK KURTZ The Heritage sophomore sprinter won the 400 meter event at the Stanford Invitational on April 7 with a time of 48.26 seconds.

NIJAE JONES Crossing the finish line at 56.53 seconds, the San Leandro junior won the 800 meter race at the Stanford Invitational on April 7.

JOE DEMERS The College Park freshman phenom is 4-0 so far for the Falcons which includes a complete game win over WashingtonFremont on April 11.

JOHANNA’S QUICK HITS Favorite subject: Science Favorite athlete: Brian Wilson Favorite team: Chicago Cubs

April 19, 2012

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Attending summer exposure events isn’t as crucial as you might think I want to play (whatever) in college, and I know I have to play in the summer to get seen. I’m going to be a sophomore, and my team is going to a big tournament in July but my parents won’t let me go because we have a family reunion. They don’t understand how important it is for me to be in this tournament — my college career could depend on it, and that’s a lot more important than a family reunion.

J.S., Quincy

T

his comes up every year, and in every sport (which is why I didn’t specify), and what kids and parents don’t understand is this: Exposure isn’t a good thing unless you’re good — and you’re not as good as you think you are.

Let’s take that last part first.

Everybody, myself included, thinks they’re better than they actually are. For example, if I really knew how bad I was at basketball, I probably would have quit in shame in the ’90s — but because I deluded myself that I was OK, I kept playing. At the lower levels, we all know confidence is crucial, and so it really helps to have more confidence than maybe your talent justifies.

But still, before you go out and get seen by college coaches, you need to have a serious sit-down in front of the mirror, and look at just how much talent you really have.

For example, if you’re not the best player on your junior high team, you’re not going to the NBA. In fact, you probably won’t start at the varsity level in high school, so traveling to L.A. to supposedly get evaluated by D-1 talent scouts is going to hurt, not help.

“But I’m going to get better,” you say. “Michael Jordan didn’t make varsity as a sophomore.”

Behind the Clipboard Clay Kallam

But still, before you go out and get seen by college coaches, you need to have a serious sit-down in front of the mirror, and look at just how much talent you really have.

Though I hate that story for the false hope it gives to far too many young athletes, there’s also another point to it: If Jordan wasn’t ready for varsity, he probably wasn’t ready to be seen by college coaches either. He hadn’t grown yet, and was just another medium-sized guard.

Finally, you can’t help yourself, but you can hurt yourself, in the summer after your freshman year. If you’re great, people might say “I have to follow up next summer” — and if you aren’t very good the next summer, your name is off the list. But if you struggle as a young player and evaluators see you struggle, they’re liable to cross you off and never bother to look you up again.

There are a million players out there, and there’s never enough time to see them all, so many times all scouts are looking for is a reason to shorten a very long list.

Sure, you should play in some summer tournaments to get used to the environment, but if you miss a couple weeks to spend some time with your favorite cousins in the Ozarks, it isn’t going to make any difference when the scouts get serious in two years.

And now, all it can do is hurt you, because one thing that’s sure to happen in exposure camps is that a lot of kids get exposed. ✪ Clay Kallam is an assistant athletic director and girls varsity basketball coach at Bentley High in Lafayette. To submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email Coach Kallam at clayk@fullcourt.com.

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Michael Barton

5,700

Carrie Verdon (fall)

14 - FB, Girls VB, Girls tennis, Girls tennis (Korich/Hill), Boys XC, Boys XC (Joyce), Girls XC, Girls XC (Verdon), Boys Hoops, Wrestling, Wrestling Individuals (4)

Carrie Verdon

4,500

9 - Girls VB, Football, Boys XC, Boys XC (Melendez), Girls XC, Girls XC (Diaz), Boys Hoops, Girls Hoops, Girls Soccer

4,500

16 - Football, Girls XC, Girls XC (Stuscavage), Boys Hoops, Girls Soccer, Wrestling (team), Wrestling Individuals (10)

3,800

2 - Football, Boys Hoops

1 - Boys XC (Div. 3)

Freddie Tagaloa, Jabari Bird

Zach Kline

1 - Football (Div. 1)

3,100

5 - Girls VB (co), Boys WP, Boys XC, Boys XC (Deuel), Girls Soccer

➡

➡ ➡ ➡➡ ➡

11 - Football, Boys Hoops, Wrestling Team, Wrestling Individuals (9))

2,750

12 - Girls tennis (doubles), Girls golf, Girls golf (Chen), Wrestling (team), Wrestling Individuals (8)

2 - Boys XC (Div. 1)

➡ ➡

7. Castro Valley 8. Alameda 9. Misson San Jose 10. Las Lomas

Michael Barton (fall)

NCS Scholastic Team Titles

➡

5. Salesian 6. San Ramon Valley

7,150

League titles

All-State athletes

2,650

8 - Girls tennis, Girls tennis (Huie/Hamilton), Girls golf, Girls golf (Childs), Boys XC, Boys XC (Tu), Girls XC, Boys WP

1 - Girls XC (Div. 2)

2,400

6 - Girls tennis, Girls tennis (Chan), Girls golf, Girls golf (medalist), Girls Hoops, Wrestling Individuals (1)

2 - Girls XC (Div. 1), Girls VB (Div. 1)

➡

1. De La Salle 2. Campolindo 3. Bishop O'Dowd 4. College Park

Points

SportStar of the Season

2,350

7 - Girls WP, Wrestling individuals (6)

1 - Girls XC (Div. 3)

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d n a t s e w nter the final stretch WherSe tars Cup ’12 as we e Recapping Sport

length of the one that runs the p competition is Cu s tar tS h school athletic or Sp hig e Bryson, the ost successful ac m Ch y’s r, Ba ito st ed r Ea ou wning of the The brainchild of .

June with the cro expansion in 2013 ll culminate in midwi d an ar year, with plans for ye s ol thi on scho titi pe m co nly e as follows: s an East Bay-o of ways. They ar program. It remain through a variety s int po te or Spring) ula er m Year (Fall, Wint Schools can accu SportStars of the ed m na e let ath al) 100 — Have an (team or individu gue championship lea a in W m overall only) — ea 0 t-t 20 All-State (Firs ed m na be e let ath dual) 250 — Have an hip (team or indivi ction champions se a in W hest team GPA — hig 0 30 ampionship for ch on cti se tic las 350 — Win a scho e ividual NorCal titl 400 — Win an ind m NorCal title 500 — Win a tea pionship ividual state cham 700 — Win an ind on. hip ns pio ampionship seas m state cham Spartans ough the winter ch thr 1,000 — Win a tea s ing most, we view the nd e sta Lik . the lle u Sa yo La ow sh De ll of wi s exception These two page x schools with the ier. led for all single-se ub do e without the multipl ar te ts pe oin *P mfortably com co n ca t tha aly anom as a competitive

Section titles

NorCal titles

State titles

12 - Football, Boys XC, Boys BB, Boys Sccr, Wrest.

(Main), Wrest. (Duals), Wrest. (Cervantes113, Ramirez 120, Moita126, Chavez132, Abono145, Walker195)

Football

5 - Football, Boys XC, Boys XC (Joyce), Girls XC, Girls XC (Verdon)

Girls XC (Verdon)

4 - Boys BB, Girls BB, Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer

Girls BB

2 - Brian Sergi (Wrest138), Conor Young (Wrest182) 3 - Football, Boys BB, Girls BB

Girls BB

Brian Sergi (Wrest) Boys BB, Girls BB

Boys BB

5 - Boys XC, Boys XC (Deuel), Girls XC (Bayliss), Girls VB, Girls WP

1 - Girls golf (Childs)

Girls golf (Childs) Girls golf

2 - Boys WP, Girls WP

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Knocking at the door 11. (tie) James Logan........................... 2,200 Newark Memorial................... 2,200 13. (tie) Dougherty Valley.................... 2,100 St. Joseph NotreDame............. 2,100 15. (tie) Amador Valley........................ 2,000 Liberty.................................... 2,000 17. Berkeley......................................... 1,800 18. (tie) Albany.................................... 1,700 Carondelet.............................. 1,700 20. Miramonte..................................... 1,600 21. (tie) Northgate............................... 1,400 Heritage.................................. 1,400 23. Freedom......................................... 1,200 24. (tie) St. Mary’s-Berkeley................. 1,100 Clayton Valley.......................... 1,100 Head-Royce............................. 1,000 27. (tie) Foothill................................... 800 Deer Valley.............................. 800 Pittsburg................................. 800 30. Piedmont....................................... 700 31. (tie) Wasington.............................. 600 Dublin..................................... 600 San Leandro............................ 600 Arroyo..................................... 600 35. (tie) Pinole Valley........................... 500 Monte Vista............................. 500 Livermore................................ 500 Antioch ................................... 500 40. Concord.......................................... 450

TOP: Bishop O’Dowd’s Adam Gold dribbles upfield during the Dragons NCS Div. II championship win. MIDDLE LEFT: Mariya Moore, right, and the Salesian girls won their first CIF Northern Regional title. MIDDLE RIGHT: Jabari Bird, right, and the Salesian boys picked up a second straight regional title before going to win the Div. IV state championship. BOTTOM LEFT: Brian Sergi became College Park’s second individual state champion by claiming the top spot on the CIF podium for the 138-pound division. BOTTOM RIGHT: Randi Jackson and the Bishop O’Dowd girls basketball team brought home their first state championship trophy.

Photos by Jonathan Hawthorne, Butcn Noble, Dean Coppola and Abbey Ampon

April 19, 2012

SportStars™

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Cetrone continues to put Sherman Diving on national stage Representing the Sherman Diving team of Lafayette at the Hilton Honors Junior West National Championships in Oklahoma City, Brenna Cetrone’s trip to the southwest wasn’t entirely ordinary.

On the night before she was scheduled to compete in the meet featuring the top 31 divers in the Western Region, the 12-year-old Orinda resident had to endure a 2 a.m. tornado siren.

Fortunately for everyone, the divers were the Cetrone only things doing the twisting the following day.

Cetrone competed in the 12-13 year-old 3-meter springboard competition and placed 20th after scoring 201.30 points.

Nikki Waters of Stanford Diving won the competition with a point total of 310.60. Cetrone’s highlight of the meet was debuting her newest dive — featuring her highest degree of difficulty to date — landing an inward double somersault in the tuck position.

“She dove consistently,” coach Steve Sherman said upon return from Oklahoma. “It was a fine job for her first experience on a national stage.”

Cetrone qualified to compete in the event based on her performance at the Junior Olympic Spring Regionals held in Beaverton, Oregon, from March 2-4. She medaled at the event by placing sixth among the 26 divers in the 3-meter competition

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for her age group. The top six of each age group advanced. She also medaled (Top 12) in the 1-meter competition by placing 10th.

Sherman had three more divers who had standout showings in Oregon.

Asher Lichtig, 18, placed 11th to medal in the 3-meter springboard. Lichtig recently received early acceptance to Amherst College where his diving coach will be ex-Olympian Mary Ellen Clark.

Morgan Matranga, 14, placed 13th in both the 1- and 3-meter competitions. In the 1-meter she missed out on medaling by four-tenths of a point. While she undoubtedly came away a little discouraged, Sherman had nothing but praise.

“Morgan is one of the hardest-working divers I’ve ever worked with,” the coach said. “I expect her to continue to get better.”

Finally, Miranda Gold, a 14-year old from Lafayette, was diving in her first regionals. And despite only a few years of experience, she just cracked the Top 20 in the 3-meter and finished 21st in the 1-meter. Sherman praised her for overcoming the adversity of persevering mentally after struggling with a particular dive during her warmups.

For more information about the Sherman Diving team, visit www.shermanswim.com and click on “Diving.” ✪

Brenna Cetrone

Sherman Diving

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Campers get full experience at Golden State Warriors camps By erik stordahl | SportStars

The campers were in the middle of another action-packed day of hoops and listening intently as one of the coaches was instructing them for their next drill.

That’s when Andrew Bogut walked in.

The newly-acquired Warriors center worked with the 80plus campers of the Golden State Warriors Camp at Fallon Middle School in Dublin on April 11. That’s one perk no other local camp can offer.

“It’s definitely something unique for us to provide for our campers,” said Jeff Addiego who is the director of youth basketball for the Warriors. “Your typical high school coach that offers a camp in the summertime can’t really offer that. But we try to use our basketball resources whether it’s our practice facility or our players and coaches to enhance the experience.”

Bogut, who grew up in Australia idolizing Toni Kukoc and the late Drazen Petrovic, reflected on his basketball camp experiences.

“I remember when a pro player visited our school, I talked about it for years,” Bogut said. “It’s always cool to see someone in the flesh. I think it’s a good thing for these kids.”

These campers sat wide-eyed as the 7-footer discussed his early playing days and his path to the NBA, then fielded a number of questions from them. After the Q&A, each camper got their picture taken with him and his autograph.

Other than the midweek hysteria of meeting a pro player, these campers are put to work on the basketball court.

“Nine o’clock is when we blow the whistle to get start-

Phil Walton

A Warriors camper raises his hand to ask a question of new Warriors center Andrew Bogut during camp.

ed,” Addiego said. “We usually get some stretching and our warmup in. From there we move on to our fundamental stations, so they’re spending seven to nine minutes at each fundamental station: passing, shooting, dribbling, moving without the basketball, one-on-one, rebounding, defense — all the

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little things that go in to playing 5-on-5 games.”

After they get schooled on fundamentals, the competition begins with 3-on-3 games. But Addiego and his coaching staff implement rules such as no more than two dribbles, and everyone needs to touch the ball before a shot is attempted.

These rules may take some getting used to for the campers, but they learn the value of sharing the ball and playing together as a team.

“It gets them moving and not just putting their hands up in the air and calling for the basketball,” Addiego said.

Campers range from ages 7-15 and are split into three divisions depending on age.

While this is a general skills camp, the Warriors also offer weekly sessions for more advanced, older players. “We also offer in the summer a couple high-potential camps for 11-to-17 year-olds,” Addiego said. “Then we also offer usually one-day clinics called Future Star Camps for five to eight year-olds.”

Camps are offered throughout the year but mostly during the summer. In total, the Warriors hold 40 camps in 30 different locations spanning Santa Rosa to San Jose. They’re expecting about 2,500 campers for 2012.

Most of those 2,500 dream of playing in the NBA when they grow up. Bogut wants them to know it can be a reality.

“I think a lot of people say ‘Oh you gotta be tall to be a basketball player or you gotta be strong,’” Bogut said. “There’s guys in the NBA that are really short, there’s guys in the NBA that are really big. … I just stress to them ‘Don’t let anybody take away your dream.’ If your dream is to play in the NBA … it’s achievable if you work at it.” ✪

April 19, 2012

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Aaron Gordon Archbishop MittySan Jose

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BEST OF THE WINTER

Hannah huffman CarondeletConcord

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Boys Coach Derricke Brown, De La Salle-Concord soccer: In his first year heading the program after taking over for immensely successful coach Brian Voltattorni (172-28-33 career record), Brown guided the Spartans to sparkling 22-3-2 and record and a fourth consecutive North Coast Section championship.

After a 2-0 loss to Cathedral Catholic-San Diego on Dec. 27, De La Salle didn’t lose again. They closed the year with 18 wins and one tie.

Girls Coach Sue Phillips, Archbishop Mitty-San Jose girls basketball: Already one of the most accomplished girls basketball coaches in the state, let alone the Bay Area, Phillips put another notch in her belt this year by leading the Monarchs to their third state title in six years (fourth overall). This one was impressive on several levels, as she molded a young team to adapt to several situations — including the loss of their point guard for both the NorCal and state finals. Mitty also slayed the dragon in three-time defending state champion St. Mary’s-Stockton.

Boys Rising Star Temidayo Yussuf, St. Joseph Notre DameAlameda: It didn’t take long for the Pilots 6-foot-6 sophomore to establish himself as one of the more promising young big men in the East Bay and beyond. Yussuf looked particularly good in the CIF Div. V state final as he posted a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds against a massive Village Christian-Sun Valley starting frontcourt that measured 6-7, 6-7 and 6-6.

Girls Rising Star(s) Aisia Robertson / Asha Thomas, Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland girls basketball: In the ultimate case of the rich getting risher, the Dragons added a pair of freshman guards that made instant impacts on an already embarrassingly talented lineup. Robertson started in the Div. III state final and posted 13 points and two steals. Thomas offered five points, two rebounds, two steals and an assist off the bench. Both are a backcourt nightmare for any O’Dowd opponent over the next three years.

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Female Athlete of the Year carondelet-concord • basketball • senior

Hannah Huffman had to wait her turn.

In her time as a four-year member of the Carondelet girls varsity basketball program, Huffman certainly had some players to look up to. The Cougars leadership role was always in good hands with players like Ricki Radanovich and Erica Payne.

Until this year, when Huffman — with a scholarship to national-powerhouse Notre Dame secured before the season — got her chance to lead the Cougars. For the many who had watched Huffman over the previous three seasons of her career, the results were as good as expected.

Huffman was as steady as they come in leading Carondelet to a 27-4 record, a North Coast Section Division II title, and a trip to the California Interscholastic Federation Northern Regional semifinals. The latter is where the Cougars season ended with a 54-51 loss to eventual-state champion Archbishop Mitty-San Jose.

“Ending the last game the way we did was a hard one to let go,” Huffman said. “With all the wins we had and the memories that we made, I would still consider the season a success.”

Her comment was genuine, even if one knows she’s saying it through gritted teeth. Of all her talents and characteristics, her confidence and competitive fire may stand out the most. And she’s the first to admit it. “(Playing at) Carondelet only increased my will to win and desire to win,” Huffman said. “Every time we fell short in a game, my desire to win always increased.”

Her efforts in 2012 certainly backed that up.

Huffman averaged a team-high 18.7 points and eight rebounds a game. She also added 3.5 assists and 2.3 steals a contest. She and sophomore point guard Natalie Romeo comprised one of the most potent backcourt duos in the Bay Area.

Beginning this summer Huffman begins the waiting game again with an entirely new program — one which played for the NCAA women’s national championship on April 3.

“The first step is just finding a way to get on the court,” Huffman said. “It will be a grind, but if I can keep my confidence up and work on the parts of my game that need improvement, I think I have a good chance.”

— Chace Bryson

hannah huffman

The Huffman Files

HONORABLE MENTION

■ THE STATS: 18.7 points/game, 8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.8 steals.

■ SIGNATURE PERFORMANCE: March 2, NCS Div. II final — Huffman was best when she was doing a little bit of everything for the Cougars. Like this night when she had 13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks.

■ COLLEGE CHOICE: Notre Dame ■ BIGGEST WIN OF THE SEASON: “Probably the NCS championship game. Our game plan didn’t really go the way we wanted it to and we still found a way to bring the NCS title back to Carondelet.”

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Mariya Moore

Salesian basketball Few players have meant more to a basketball program than Moore over the past two years.

After a standout freshman year, Moore propelled the Pride to their first CIF NorCal title and Div. IV state final appearance.

Moore averaged 16 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 3.9 steals.

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K.C. Waters

Bishop O’Dowd basketball

Waters managed to stand out most often on what may have been the most talented girls basketball team the East Bay has seen in decades. Or ever. Waters averaged a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds as the Dragons rolled to the program’s first state title in dominating fashion, beating Laguna Hills 62-24.

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aaron gordon

Male Athlete of the Year archbishop mitty-San Jose BASKETBALL • junior

Jabari Bird

HONORABLE MENTION

Salesian basketball One year after he and his Pride teammates had the rug pulled out from them in the CIF Div. IV state final, Bird lead his team back to the final and scored 24 points in a runaway victory. Ranked with Gordon as one of the top two players in the 2013 class, Bird averaged 18.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

Brian Sergi

College Park wrestling Sergi wasn’t the highest ranked Bay Area wrestler going into the CIF state championships, he wasn’t even the highest ranked in the East Bay. But he was the steadiest, and it paid off with a state title in the 138-pound division. He’s just the second individual in school history to win a state crown.

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Living up to hype is not easy.

There are expectations. And pressure. Fans want to see you put up big numbers. Opponents highlight your name and put it into the middle of their game plans. Hype can take the fun out of the game.

In the 2011-12 season, Aaron Gordon looked hype in the face, and dunked on him — poster-style.

Few Northern California basketball players entered this season with more hype than Archbishop Mitty’s Aaron Gordon — opening the year among the top 10 junior recruits in the nation. And few had more fun than Gordon.

The 6-foot-8 center didn’t have any problem flashing a huge grin after he and his Monarchs teammates won a second straight California Interscholastic Federation Division II state championship on March 23. Gordon’s performance in that final — a 78-57 win over La Costa Canyon-San Diego officially qualified as living up to the hype.

Gordon scored 33 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in a dominant effort that inspired the following text from our editor’s brother-in-law, who was in attendance.

“Aaron Gordon is just that good,” the text message read. “Pretty amazing.”

Gordon averaged a double-double of 22.9 points and 12.8 rebounds, mixing in 2.6 assists and 2.3 blocks per game as well. The Monarch’s finished 31-3, closing the year out with 19 straight victories. Their last loss of the season came on Jan. 16 in an overtime loss to De La Salle at the MLK Classic in Berkeley.

“That game really defined us as a team,” Gordon said. “We all had a heart-to-heart in the locker room after that and decided we weren’t going to lose anymore.”

Gordon’s impressive season made him the first junior since Tyson Chandler in 2000 to be named CalHiSports.com’s Mr. State Basketball. It also made him a no-brainer to be named the SportStars’ Bay Area Male Athlete of the Winter.

The hype is sure to be even greater during his senior year, especially after Gordon chooses one of the many elite Division-I programs chasing him. He and his teammates will also have a new goal.

“Our goal (in 2010) was to win state, and our goal this season was to win state,” Gordon said. “So the only way we can really look at next year is to set a goal of winning state.”

– Chace Bryson

The Gordon Files

■ THE STATS: 22.9 points/game, 12.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 dunks.

■ SIGNATURE PERFORMANCE: March 23, CIF Div. II state final — 33 points, 20 rebounds. He shot 14 of 23 from the field and went 2-for-2 from behind the arc.

■ COLLEGE DESTINATION: Undecided ■ ON RECRUITING PRESSURE: “I’m not going to worry about it. I’m just going to have fun playing basketball and wait until the right college comes along.”

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The 2012 Northern California track and field picture got a little clearer with the Arcadia and Stanford Invitationals each held April 6-7. Here’s what we learned.

1. It’s not easy to repeat — even if your name is Trinity Wilson

The nation’s top 100-meter hurdler is shutting it down until at least May due to a big left toe injury she sustained at the Stanford Invitational while winning her trials heat in a nationalbest time of 13.41 seconds.

Meet officials were expecting her at Arcadia — she is the defending champion there and at state — but because the two mammoth meets conflicted for the first time, she opted for Stanford.

Wilson has a lifetime best of 13.15 she set during the USA Junior Outdoor Championships last summer. She also won titles over the summer at the World Youth Championships and Pan-American Junior Championships.

The winner at Arcadia, Long Beach Poly senior Traci Hicks (13.63) was hoping Wilson would have shown. “It’s always good to get pulled,” she said. “But I’m sure we’ll see each other soon enough.”

2. Kenneth Williams is a serious state title contender

Despite lowering his early-season state-best 110-meter hurdle time to 14.05 seconds at Arcadia, the Kennedy-Richmond senior was hardly pleased. That’s because he finished third in the race, well back of Brophy College Prep-Phoenix junior Devon Allen (13.52).

“I planned on running faster,” said Walker, a wide receiver on the Kennedy football team and UCLA-signee.

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10 Things We Learned About NorCal Track over Easter Break

Williams has time. The state meet is two months away and he’s one of six juniors to make last year’s finals. Walker finished sixth last season but at this point, he’s the front-runner.

3. Noel Frazier is ready

After placing second at state last season, the CaliforniaSan Ramon senior high jumper is the front-runner this season after winning at Arcadia with a clearance of 6-9. That was the same height he cleared at state last season — under wet conditions — and he’ll likely need to approach 7-feet to win it this season. Frazier actually tied two other jumpers at Arcadia but won on less misses. He’s tied for the state lead, according to dyestatcal.com, with Canyon-Canyon Country senior Cody Crampton at 6-10.

4. Byron Marshall in serious shape

The Valley Christian football star is absolutely ripped and ready for track action as he showed earlier this season by going a lifetime best 10.61 in the 100 meters at the St. Francis Invitational on March 17. He looked ready to better that time at Arcadia, but he pulled up at the end with a slight hamstring pull. He still finished in 10.70 and placed fifth. His status for the rest of the season is unclear.

Marshall missed much of his senior football season due to a shoulder injury. When healthy, he probably was perhaps the Bay Area’s top recruit. The powerful 5-11, 185-pound running back/defensive back signed to Oregon.

5. There’s another serious state contender at Valley Christian

And that is junior Sean Davis, who took sixth at Arcadia in the 800 at a superb time of 1:52.39. He may have finished

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sixth but the race was dominated by out-ofstaters. Davis owns the second best time in the state, though it’s almost two seconds behind Army & Navy-Carlsbad senior Alexander Monsivaiz, who has the nation’s No. 3 time at 1:50.47.

Two runners in the meet broke 1:50, winner Tyler Smith (Welaskiwin Composite-Alberta (CAN)) at 1:49.23 and Hector Hernandez (Ellison-Texas) at 1:49.91.

6. James Logan churns out another triple jumper

Every season it’s someone new, but James Logan-Union City has another state contender in the hop, skip and jump. This year it’s junior Jeff Prothro, who went 48-1¼ at Arcadia to place second. The mark is No. 2 in the state, behind Claremont’s Klyvens Delaunay (49-4¼) and No. 5 in the nation.

Here is the long list of placers (top six) in the triple jump (boys and girls) at James Logan: Rasheed Abdullah (1995, 4th, 482½), Angelo Jeffery (2003, 5th, 48-3¾; 2004, 3rd, 48-11½), Nkosinza Balumbu (2003, 6th, 47-5½; 2004, 1st, 50-6; 2005, 1st, 49-7½), Tracey Stewart (2004, 4th, 38-11½; 2006, 2nd, 41-7¾), Deconte Kaye (2005, 3rd, 4110), Brianna Stewart (2007, 4th, 41-3; 2008, 3rd, 40-3½), Ciarra Brewer (2008, 4th, 397½; 2009, 1st, 42-11½; 2010, 2nd, 41-10¼; 2011, 1st, 41-11); Lauren McGlory (2009, 5th, 40-1½).

7. Carrie Verdon isn’t only campo star at a distance

Yes, Campolindo senior Carrie Verdon continues to look like she’ll improve on her third-place 3,200 finish at state this year — she’s No. 9 in the nation with a time of 10:24.72 and No. 1 in the state in the mile (4:53.38) — but senior Thomas Joyce looks equally strong.

Though his placing was almost absurd at No. 22, Joyce recorded the fifth best 3,200 time in the state this season at 9:01.42.

There were a remarkable 16 runners who broke the magical 9-minute plateau in the Arcadia event.

8. Sasha Wallace deserves her due

When Wilson went down with her toe injury, Holy Names junior Sasha Wallace more than picked up the slack, winning the 100 hurdles in 13.73, the state’s No. 3 time behind Wilson and Hicks. She also won the triple jump at 40-5 ½, the best mark in the state this season and No. 3 in the nation. She has a slight edge over St. Mary’s Academy junior Rachel Toliver (40-3¾). Wallace has been lost somewhat in the shadows of Wilson and three-time triple jump champion Brewer. It appears this is the time for the soft spoken and jovial Wallace.

Jonathan Hawthorne

Thomas Joyce is another Campolindo distance runner that can’t be overlooked.

9. Fairfield Hurdles On

Sac-Joaquin Section power Fairfield shows no signs of slowing down, especially with the return of senior hurdler Daje Pugh, who took fourth in the 100s at Arcadia in 14.08. She also won the seeded 300 hurdles in 42.98, which would have placed her fourth in the Invitational. Last year Pugh finished sixth at state in the 300s and seventh in the 100s. She’s going to get pushed by Vacaville sophomore Daria Cook, who went 14.08 and 43.41 in Arcadia. Fairfield also has a section title contender in 800 runner Darrell Jackson who recorded the state’s fourth-fastest time at Arcadia in 1:53.85.

10. Two emerge from relative oblivion

Tamalpais-Mill Valley has never been confused for sprinter’s ally but senior Lilla McMillan ran the state’s third fastest 200 during the Arcadia meet in 24.45. McMillan reached the state meet last year but went 25.00 in the trials and failed to make the finals. … And out at Heritage-Brentwood, sophomore Frank Kurtz emerged from absolute obscurity to record the third fastest 400 time in the state this season with a mark of 48.26 at Stanford. ✪ — Mitch Stephens Mitch Stephens is a senior writer and national columnist for MaxPrep.com. E-mail him at mstephens@maxpreps.com.

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Zach ea

zac grosser cameron yee

zahid Ahmad

What the T Can Deer Valley finally have a team powerful enough to break the cycle of its league’s postseason futility?

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here’s really no spin zone that could deliver a silver lining in this matter.

The numbers don’t lie, and they certainly are not pretty.

To be quite blunt: The North Coast Section boys team tennis tournament is where Bay Valley Athletic League teams go to die.

In the three years since De La Salle left the BVAL as part of the quadrennial cycle of NCS league re-alignment, five different teams from four schools have represented the league in the team tournament. The combined score of their first-round losses? 34-1.

In fact, it was never much better even when De La Salle was still representing the league.

The Spartans were the BVAL’s lone representative from 2002-2008 and made it past the quarterfinal round only twice.

The program’s lone finals appearance in that stretch was a 6-1 loss to Monte Vista in 2003.

?

DEUCE

By Chace Bryson | Editor

Clayton Valley, which left the BVAL the same year as De La Salle, was the league representative in 2001. The Eagles lost in the first round, 6-1.

To steal a line by Kevin Bacon’s character, Capt. Jack Ross, from the movie “A Few Good Men”: Those are the facts of the case. And they are undisputed.

The cycle has been vicious, but it can be broken. And it’s quite possible that Deer Valley has the team to do it in 2012.

“This may be Deer Valley’s best team in 10 years,” Freedom coach Steve Amaro said in early April.

In 2010, Wolverines tennis coach Brian Richardson welcomed the type of freshmen class that can change a program. Bolstered by talented young players, many of whom he had worked with before as part of the Deer Valley Tennis Club junior program, Richardson’s team immediately ascended to the top of the BVAL landscape.

Deer Valley won back-to-back league titles

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LOVESICK Following is a list of the last five BVAL boys tennis teams to compete at NCS. Year

Team(record)

NCS seed

First-round result

2011

Deer Valley (16-4)

12

Lost to No. 5 Redwood-Larkspur

Score 6-1

2010

Deer Valley (14-6)

16

Lost to No. 1 Monte Vista

7-0

2009

Heritage (19-4)

11

Lost to No. 6 Campolindo

7-0

2009

Antoch (17-2)

12

Lost to No. 5 California

7-0

2009

Freedom (13-11)

16

Lost to No. 1 Monte Vista

7-0

in 2010 and 2011, accomplishing the second title without suffering a league loss. The playoffs were not so kind. The Wolverines were greeted with a 7-0 loss to top-seed Monte Vista in their first NCS team appearance in 2010 But last season was slightly different.

Redwood-Larkspur still sent the Wolverines home empty, but not after a spirited effort — which included a victory. A Deer Valley team which was only set to graduate two seniors, went home after a 6-1 loss hungry to adjust their goals for the following season.

“You get an introduction to (some postseason success), and you’re kind of like ‘Whoa, man! We can do so much more,’” said junior Jeremy Rotman, one half of the Wolverines‘ No. 1 doubles team. “Before, it had always

group to a new level, it would seem to start with the No. 1 doubles tandem of Rotman and Michael Djaja — both part of that freshmen class that arrived in 2010.

Rotman and Djaja have known each other since they were fourth graders, but only began playing as a duo last year. Richardson was hopeful that after a strong summer season the two would develop into a sturdy No. 1 team.

The pair didn’t take long to prove themselves to the coach, as they came from behind for a three-set win in the team’s first match of the season, a nonleague win over De La Salle.

Their consistent play has caught the eyes of not just their coach, but teammates as well.

“Michael and Jeremy together have really surprised me,” said senior and No. 4 singles

Before, it had always been like, ‘We’ve got to win BVALs. We’ve got to win BVALs. That’s our main goal.’ But this year it was more like, ‘Dude, we can go for NCS. Let’s go further.’”

Junior Jeremy Rotman been like, ‘We’ve got to win BVALs. We’ve got to win BVALs. That’s our main goal.’ But this year it was more like, ‘Dude, we can go for NCS. Let’s go further.’”

At this point, the BVAL is merely a foregone conclusion.

Through April 14, the Wolverines held an overall record of 13-3 and a BVAL mark of 6-0. The team to play Deer Valley the toughest during the first round of league play was Heritage, taking three matches in a 6-3 loss. However, there was little drama the second time around as the Wolverines won 8-1 on April 5.

Deer Valley has not lost a match to any of the four remaining BVAL teams on its schedule.

“This year we simply have more depth,” Richardson said. “Our whole team is solid.

Last year we went undefeated (in league) and felt that we had the top six singles players in the area from top to bottom. Now, we not only feel like we have the top six singles, but also the top three doubles as well.”

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player, Zac Grosser. “They didn’t have the best season last year, and they really improved and have made a big difference at No. 1 doubles for us.”

But as good as the doubles play has been in 2012, the Wolverines biggest strength and best example of their depth relies in their singles play. That certainly includes Grossor, who went undefeated in league play as the No. 6 last year and has yet to lose a BVAL match at No. 4 this season.

The top three singles players are senior Zahid Ahmad, freshman Zach Ea and junior Cameron Yee, respectively. After Grosse r, the rest of the singles ladder fills out with two more juniors, Jeremy Gonzales and Adam Alemnew.

As much as Richardson likes this group, it doesn’t include the player who represented the Wolverines in the NCS singles tournament a year ago. That honor belonged to Ahmad’s brother, Abid, who played a spirited three sets with Clayton Valley’s Jonathan Kim before succumbing 6-3, 3-6, 3-6. He was one

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of the two seniors to graduate last year, along with Daniel Phoe.

“I think this singles roster is on the same level as last year’s,” Richardson said. “Our depth really allows us to give teams a difficult time. There’s no freebies in that lineup.”

But can they ignore the history?

Can the several juniors who play key roles on the Wolverines channel what they learned in their first two NCS experiences in order to be better prepared, more loose, and more hungry than their 2012 postseason opponent?

“I’m definitely hoping that we can,” said Richardson. “We’ve put in a lot of work to prepare for this. ... We’re really hoping we can change the perception that teams can play some good tennis out here.”

Each player down the roster echoed the earlier sentiments of Rotman, that last year’s NCS result left them hungrier than ever before.

Now it’s just about charting a path to get where they want to go.

“We just need to keep working hard,” Zahid Ahmad said. “Hopefully the guys don’t go out there thinking about winning and losing, they just go out there ready to play their best tennis. We don’t want to worry about whether somebody is better than us, we just want to go out and play our game and see what happens." ✪

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Deer Valley’s Ron Allen

Photos by Phil Walton

April 19, 2012

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Dons atop NorCal elite after a convincing Stampede title run

By Chace Bryson | Editor If there was a flashpoint to the 2011 Amador Valley softball season that concluded with the program’s first North Coast Section title, it came in the Livermore Stampede tournament in early April.

The Dons were 9-0 after beating Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills in their tournament opener, and then a 3-0 loss to Archbishop Mitty-San Jose started a tailspin which lasted nearly two weeks. Julie Marshall’s team lost five in a row before the core of her young team steadied itself and closed the season with 11 straight victories.

But even with championship memories to cherish, it was clear that the 2012 Dons — missing just three graduated seniors from the titlewinning team — considered the Stampede tournament as one in which they had unfinished business.

This time they opened the tournament on April 5 with an 8-0 record, and exited two days later with a 13-0 mark that would set them up to earn the No. 2 ranking in the state by CalHiSports.com on April 11.

“We were able to capitalize when we needed to,” fifth-year Dons coach Marshall said immediately following the tournament. “We did the little things and had great pitching behind us. We made a statement.”

The team’s biggest statement came in the semifinals when it defeated it’s Stampede nemesis, Mitty — which entered as the state’s highest-ranked Northern California team at No. 3.

But this wasn’t just any win. It was emphatic. Amador Valley dispatched the Monarchs 8-1 behind the pitching of Johanna Grauer and a pair of home runs by shortstop Ashley Lotoszynski — both sophomores, by the way.

In fact, that it took us seven paragraphs before mentioning Grauer is somewhat incredible. The fireballing right-hander was named tournament MVP after pitching 27 innings and allowing just four earned runs on 11 hits and striking out 62. She closed the tournament with a fiveinning two-hitter in an 11-0 thumping of host Livermore.

Grauer’s final inning of the tournament included three strikeouts on just 10 pitches.

“Her maturity in the circle and her composure is unlike any pitcher I’ve ever been able to coach,” Marshall said. “I just can’t say enough about her. She definitely was the MVP of the tournament. Not only did she do it in the circle but she also did it offensively with some key hits in other games. She’s the backbone of my team.”

After showing flashes of her potential as a freshman a year ago — which included the complete-game victory in the NCS final against James Logan — Grauer has taken her game to new heights in 2012.

And if there was any one person who would know for sure, it’s her catcher, fellow sophomore and childhood friend Victoria Molina.

“Johanna is even better this year,” said Molina, who supported her battery mate with an impressive offensive tournament. “We just need to make sure we’re a team. Our team bonding is really great this year and I really do think we can succeed (at NCS) again.”

Following the post-tournament awards presentation, Marshall beamed.

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Phillip Walton

LEFT: Johanna Grauer has been an absolute pitching force for the Dons this season. She struck out 62 batters in 27 innings of work during the Livermore Stampede Tournament. ABOVE: Dons’ leadoff hitter Krista Williams drives the ball during Amador Valley’s semifinal win over Archbishop Mitty-San Jose on April 7.

Despite a strong nonleague schedule leading up to the Stampede — including a Queen of the Mountain Tournament title that featured a win over Sacramento-powerhouse Sheldon — it was clear that Marshall had the first weekend of April marked as the time when she would get at true gauge of her team’s mettle. And the Mitty win, and margin of victory, told her everything.

“That was probably the biggest win in program history,” the coach said. “It makes a statement and it shows that we’re here to come out and compete.”

Even Grauer made it clear after her 12-strikeout effort against Livermore in the final that the Mitty game had been the ultimate goal. “(Mitty) felt more like a championship game,” Grauer said. “We knew Mitty would be the toughest competition we’ve faced all year, so that was our main point with this

tournament — we wanted to face Mitty.”

And so the young and talented players of Amador Valley broke apart. Seeking their respective rides home, they each took separate paths into the dimly lit parking lot at Robertson Park. And no doubt leaving with a much different mindset than the one they shared a year before.

Only Marshall would know for sure, but it’s more than possible she’s never had a team reach a confidence level this high by the midseason marker.

And if she shares that confidence, she’s keeping it close to the vest.

“We definitely aren’t at the peak,” the coach said. “There are a lot of things that we still need to work on. Every game is a learning game, and an opportunity to grow as a team and mature as individuals. ... Our ultimate goal is still out there, but we definitely have our eyes on it.” ✪

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April 19 , 2012

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29

A scout’s search for the best athlete often begins at shortstop

O

ne of the most important positions on the field is shortstop. And from a scouting perspective, the position takes on added significance.

It is common for a high school team’s best overall athlete to be the shortstop. That doesn’t always mean he is the best player or the most polished player, just the best athlete.

When a scout arrives at a high school game, there is a progression of where his eyes go as he scans the players on the field. He starts with the pitcher then he goes to the shortstop. When he sees the shortstop, maybe he will feel like he is seeing the next Jimmy Rollins, but more likely he could be seeing the next B.J. Upton or Sergio Santos.

Upton may be a center fielder and Santos a closer, however both were shortstops in high school.

Upton eventually was moved to center field where his plus speed, plus arm and overall athleticism serve him better than they did in the infield, where he made too many fundamental fielding mistakes.

Santos didn’t hit enough in the minor leagues to make it as a position player but his plus plus arm remained a valuable asset and he quickly made the transition to the mound.

Blaine Clemmens You see, the best athletes have tools, and it’s the tools scouts are after. The position, well, frankly doesn’t matter.

Of course, scouts still want to find a high school shortstop who can become the next Jimmy Rollins, but that’s a long shot. Their job simply is to find and draft the tools, and then put those tools in the hands of their mechanics — the player development staff.

So who are some of the talented high school shortstops in the Bay Area? Among the seniors, Max Dutto of San Ramon Valley High is a good one. He is a left-handed hitting shortstop (always an extra-valued commodity) who is headed to Cal next fall. Drew Jackson of Miramonte High is probably the area’s best overall athlete at the shortstop position. He is headed to Stanford where he may or may not move to another position, like his brother Brett (now a highly-touted OF prospect for the Cubs). Both Jackson’s played in Bay Area World Series.

Freddy Avis of Menlo School is a two-way player (SS/RHP), and in addition to being one of the top high school right-handed pitchers in the nation, he can also really swing the bat.

Some juniors I have seen and liked a bit are Brett Binning of Monte Vista, Logan Lanza of Rodriguez-Fairfield, Steven McLean t Los Altos, and Chris Baker of St. FrancisMountain View. Lanza, McLean, and Baker will all be at BAWS 2012.

Sophomore Bryson Brigman of Valley Christian-San Jose is already on the national radar due to his big time hitting tools.

There are many local players having very good statistical seasons. Performance matJonathan Hawthorne ters to a scout, but just not quite as much as Miramonte senior shortstop Drew Jackson talent and tools — so long as there is some performance with the talent and the tools. ✪

Scout It Out Loud

Blaine Clemmens is the founder and director for the Bay Area World Series showcase event that will celebrate its ninth year this June. He has been a Bay Area scout for several years, spending time as the recruiting coordinator for USF and the Northern Californa scouting supervisor for the Atlanta Braves. For more information on the Bay Area World Series, visit www.bayareaworldseries.com

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All records through April 16.

Rank (Last wk) School

Record

1. (4)

St. Francis-Mountain View

18-1-1

2. (3)

Campolindo-Moraga

11-1-1

3. (1)

Valley Christian-San Jose

16-3

4. (2)

St. Mary’s-Stockton

13-4

5. (7)

De La Salle-Concord

10-2

6. (6)

Palo Alto

16-3-1

7. (5)

Jesuit-Carmichael

8-5

8. (10) St. Ignatius-S.F.

11-4-1

9. (8)

Elk Grove

8-4

10. (13) Deer Valley-Antioch

12-1

11. (14) Monte Vista-Danville

6-4

12. (18) San Ramon Valley-Danville

6-3

13. (16) Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills

9-5

14. (NR) Newark Memorial-Newark

12-3

15. (12) Foothill-Pleasanton

10-3

16. (9) Davis

10-3

17. (11) Granite Bay

11-3

18. (NR) Los Altos

15-3

19. (NR) St. Mary’s-Berkeley

10-4

20. (NR) Archbishop Mitty-San Jose

12-7

DROPPED OUT: No. 15 Bellarmine-San Jose,

No. 17 James Logan-Union City, No. 19 AcalanesLafayette and No. 20 Granada-Livermore.

BIGGEST MOVER: Newark Memorial and San Ramon Valley each moved up six spots in the rankings. Newark entered the poll from being nonranked and San Ramon Valley jumped from No. 18 to 12 after winning five of six and the only loss coming to No. 5 De La Salle-Concord.

TEAMS REMAINING FROM PRESEASON TOP 20: 13

UPDATED RANKINGS Get softball rankings and the all latest rankings every Wednesday at www.SportStarsOnline.com

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A closer look at the most common sports-related injury

A

n inversion ankle sprain is one of the most common injuries in sports. About 90 percent of ankle sprains are inversion injuries.

There are three ligaments that may be involved with an inversion ankle sprain; the anterior talofibular ligament (ATF), posterior talo-fibular ligament (PTF), and calcaneo-fibular ligament (CF). And there are three types of inversion ankle sprains, Type I, Type II, and Type III. Of the three types of injuries Type I is the most common. Type I is classified as, little to no tearing of the ATF, mild pain, weight bearing is minimally impaired, point tenderness, and swelling around the outside of the ankle.

Type II is classified as, slight to moderate tear of the ATF; little to no tearing of the PTF, weight bearing is difficult, moderate amount of pain, tenderness and swelling around the ankle joint.

Type III is classified as, a complete tear of the ATF, complete tear of the PTF, complete tear of the CF, weight bearing impossible, severe pain, and extreme amount of swelling.

In all three cases, in the first 24-72 hours RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate) is the best therapy to decrease swelling and pain.

Rest: Stay off the ankle if you can. Use crutches if needed.

Ice the ankle as much as you can, rotating between 20 minutes of ice and an hour break. Compression: Wear an elastic bandage wrap to help control the swelling in the ankle.

Elevate the leg above your heart to help the lymphatic system

pull the swelling from the ankle. Athletes should follow up with doctor for an X-ray to rule out a fracture.

Once the pain and swelling are under control, it’s time to start the rehabilitation process. Work on regaining full range of motion in the ankle.

Practice tracing out the ABC’s with your foot in the air. The ABC’s will allow the ankle joint to go through all ranges of motion.

Another exercise is to place the heel on the wall and try to tap the wall with your toes. This will allow you to practice full plantarflexion and dorsiflexion. Use a thera-band for resistance, work on all range of motion (ROM) of the ankle. Towel curls are good exercises to work on the smaller muscles in the foot. Standing calves stretch will help keep the lower leg loose.

After full ROM is achieved weight-bearing drills can begin.

Start with double leg calf raises then single calf raises. To get the ankle ready to return to play, add single leg balance drills.

All exercises and drills must be performed pain free.

To return to play, the athlete should be taped or use a brace for extra support. Keep playing hard, keep playing safe. ✪

Health Watch Jasmine Gittens

Jasmine Gittens is an athletic trainer for Alameda High School who also works with Sports Medicine For Young Athletes, a division of Children’s Hospital Oakland with a facility also located in Walnut Creek. If you have a health-related question for the “Health Watch” column, write the Sports Medicine For Young Athletes staff at Health@SportStarsOnline.com

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NCVA

The Northern California Volleyball Association is looking for sports-related companies to help them raise some money. They’re aiming to send their Dream Team to the Premier Volleyball League to compete in the 2012 USAV Adult Open Championship. It’s going down in Salt Lake City in May and they need your help pronto! Hit ’em up at here http://ncvanew.d4sportsclub.com/page.aspx?id=101

Popchips

If there’s one thing we love it’s food (oh yeah, sports too). It’s always a double-whammy when it’s good for you. Popchips fits the bill and occupies our office kitchen as hardcore as the Mr. Coffee machine. Maybe the only thing better than Popchips is being part of a great cause that benefits the community. Which is what Popchips is doing with its Game Changers program. They’ve reached out to some dude named Tim Lincecum to help. This season, fans can chime in and tell Timmy what charity and causes he should support. Here’s how it works: Now through April 30, you can submit your local cause to www.popchips.com/timlincecum or on his Facebook page (www.facebook.com/timlincecum). Then, from May 1-20, you’ll be able to vote on the submissions. Lincecum will choose the winner himself and in June, Popchips will help give back

Sea Otter Classic The Sea Otter Classic is April 19-22 at Laguna Seca Recreation Area in Monterey. Experience mountain biking, motocross and more. For more information, go to www.seaotterclassic.com.

City of Walnut Creek camps

If you’re in Walnut Creek and you love sports, then you’re about to have a busy summer. The City of WC is offering nine weeks of camp from June 18 to Aug. 13 and features all kinds of sports. Your head might explode when school rolls back around. Choose from two sports to play each session. Weekly trips include good stuff like A’s games, Boomers, Great America, the San Francisco Zoo and more! Register at www.walnutcreekrec.com or call (925) 943-5858.

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Bear Valley Mountain

If you’re looking to get away for the weekend, we highly recommend Bear Valley. They just closed their skiing season but the fun is just starting. Get info on their epic summer camps coming up soon. They’ve got camps for the whole family, skills camps for older kids and adults, and day camps for the little ones. You can go swimming, kayaking, hiking rock climbing, mountain biking and so much more. Go to www.bearvalley.com.

Pass Tha Ball

The battle for b-ball supremacy culminates in the second annual Bay vs. Sac All-Star Game on May 4. It’s going down at NorCal Courts in Martinez and will feature the top female ballers in the Bay Area and Sacramento. Hit up www.passthaball.com.

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1 reasons why coaches need to do more with social media, and how they can get started When it comes to coaching, the on-field work is just a small part of the job.

Coaches are the chief fundraiser, buyer, scheduler, reporter, historian, caterer, contractor, event coordinator, and traffic cop. They turn over every possible rock to find a competitive edge. As exhausting as this can be, they do it because they want to provide the best possible environment for their student-athletes.

But most are probably not doing enough with social media. Not even close.

Social media can be a quick and effective way to help coaches streamline their off-field activities and make their program more competitive.

NOTE TO COACHES: This isn’t going to solve your problem at shortstop, but it is going to create more energy around your team, help your program raise some muchneeded cash, and get the word out about the great things you and your staff are doing.

Following are seven ways coaches can use social media and internet tools to enhance their programs. But before any of it can get accomplished the coach must get serious and not relegate social media to an afterthought. Finding a dedicated person that is computer savvy (or willing to learn) is critical. Once that’s accomplished, there are many benefits that can be achieved.

— Ben Campopiano

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2 3 4

Instruct Athletes

Why should coaches wait until practice to show video when they can use YouTube? Why hold a meeting to hand out info when one can use Facebook? The simple fact is that it’s not difficult to instruct players and improve their performance from behind a computer. This won’t solve slumps or improve arm strength, but it can add to player development.

HERE’S HOW: Use Twitter to send out a motivational quote, or interesting response from a player interview.

Post exciting articles, informative pictures, and instructional video clips on your Facebook page. And after you take video footage of your athletes, upload the videos onto YouTube so players can view them from home.

This is all free, easy to do, and very effective.

Raise More Money

Raising money is like a colonoscopy — coaches hate it, but they know it must be done. While most are now desensitized to asking for money, they still don’t feel comfortable doing it. Nobody really does. So do something different.

HERE’S HOW: Solicit people outside your city walls with electronic contribution programs. Instead of hard solicitation letters or traditional crab feed dinners, try an E-mail or online program to raise money. There are businesses out there that will do the leg work for you for a percentage of your take. Or if you’re internet savvy, you can create your own E-mail solicitation program. Another option is a purchasing program where buyers go through your site before doing their online shopping. You would then receive some percentage of each sale. At a minimum, start promoting your off-line fundraisers online using social media sites.

Build New Relationships

Coaches aren’t looking for a best friend here. But they could be trying to find someone who can be their freshman coach or strength and conditioning coordinator. And seemingly every study says organizations which connect well with the community, attract more volunteers. Coaches typically don’t have funds to buy advertising or send out mailers, but free online tools can help.

HERE’S HOW: Search online for free directories, event calendars, and other websites that allow you to post news, needs, and events for your organization. This helps get info to people who aren’t necessarily familiar with your program. Then use all the usual social media suspects to let friends of the program know what you need.

Archive The Season

One of the coolest things about Facebook is that it allows you to store all your photos and videos on the sites for free. With a little bit of help from a team photographer and/or videographer, coaches can do a good job archiving their team’s season. After a season or two, it gets easier to track down past information which can be used to create a nice historical snapshot of the program. This highlights the program’s past successes, makes the alumnae proud, and shows current players they are part of a tradition.

HERE’S HOW: Take lots of pictures and video at your games and events, and upload them to Facebook and YouTube. Use MaxPreps or similar websites to track standings, statistics, and game info. Once you get the current season up to date, start working backwards on previous seasons. Use yearbooks, scorebooks, newspapers, and the internet to discover as much as possible about past teams and players. The more info you add online about your program history, the more involvement (money) you’ll get from alums and friends of the program. Plus, by highlighting your history, you’re actually promoting your current program and improving your chances for future success.

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5 6

7

Promote Players Online

Every coach wants to help their kids reach the next level, if that is indeed the player’s goal. Social media sites — especially those that tie into school, team or athletic department websites — make it very easy to promote players to college recruiters, professional scouts, summer coaches, and the media.

HERE’S HOW: First, get some video, pictures, and info for each of your players. Then have the webmaster of your school site create profile pages for each player where this info would be viewable to the public. If you are like a lot of high school coaches, you might have to build your own site. However, because most athletic/educational websites are designed for novices, you can easily learn how to build a site. Most of these websites are user-friendly, so you won’t have to know any code or be a computer genius to set them up.

Once you have the site built, you can use social media tools to promote it.

Sell Out Events

One of the most time consuming things for coaches is organizing, promoting, and putting on events. The events can range from hosting in-season tournaments to alumni weekend, golf tournaments, bocce ball night, or dinner auctions. It is extremely difficult pulling off a successful event. Social media won’t take care of all the associated tasks, but it can certainly help.

HERE’S HOW: Evite will help you track potential attendees and organize the event. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube will help increase attendance, solicit volunteer support, attract sponsors, and record the event. Once you get yourself signed up with these sites, start adding friends and marketing your event, and pretty soon word will spread.

Provide More Information

The best way coaches get the word out about their program is by winning.

The community will know more about a program when it wins a title. But in the meantime, there are ways to provide more information to those who are looking.

HERE’S HOW: Start off by putting your schedule, roster, results, and coaches bios online. Then when you get comfortable, start posting articles, pictures, videos, profiles, blog posts and more whenever possible. The more info you put out there, the better. And although this seems obvious, the easier the information is to access, the more likely they’ll view it

Ben Campopiano is currently the Director of Baseball Operations for Santa Clara University. Prior to his appointment at SCU in 2011, he had spent the previous seven years teaching and coaching baseball at Northgate High in Walnut Creek.

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BASEBALL/SOFTBALL

Blankenship Baseball We are a year-round competitive baseball program based in Danville.

The Camp focuses on teamwork, hustle and sportsmanship. We also offer small group training as well as one-on-one training.

Info: lancerblankenship@ sbcglobal.net or 925-7083173.

Cabernet Baseball Club The Livermore-based club hosts The Pitching Center’s Spring Break Baseball Skills Camp 2012, for players ages 8-14. Lil’ Baseball also offered for ages 3-7. 925-416-1600, www.thepitchingcenter. com.

EJ Sports EJ Sports provides individual, group, team, coaching and manager clinics in many levels of baseball. Among the numerous different services offered, the Spring Clinic, Summer Clinic and the Fall League for children of Little League age has proven to be successful, instructional and most of all fun for the kids. Contact EJ Sports for a list of upcoming clinics, or contact your local little league to see if they participate in our coaches and managers training program.

Info: 925-866-7199, www.ejsports.com.

The Pitching Center In an effort to develop baseball players to their full potential, The Pitching Center has become the Total Player Center (TPC), a fullservice baseball/softball training academy. We provide comprehensive, fully-integrated training programs that evolve based on the best research and information available in areas from health/safety, peak performance, education techniques and more. Age- and skill-specific programs available for students age 8-High School. Info: 925-416-1600, www. thepitchingcenter.com.

San Ramon Slammers Tryouts for the San Ramon Slammers Select/ Travel summer girls fast pitch softball teams are coming up on April 28-29 at San Ramon Central Park, Field 3.

The season starts in June and goes through August and entails summer tournament play — roughly two per month — with possible play into late fall. For those who want to participate in the 2012 softball season you need to attend tryouts.

Prospective players can RSVP via email to sales@cardozaandcompany.com to reserve your time. Teams include: 10u, 12u, 14u and 16u. Info: www.sanramonfastpitchsoftball. com, http://www.facebook.com/ sanramonbaseball City of Walnut Creek Baseball is Fun Beginner Camp. July 25Aug. 4, 9 a.m.-noon, Mon.-Thur. at Tice Valley Park; Extended day/week available with Deluxe Sport Option. Ages 5-9. $35/$75. Registration: 925-952-4450, www. walnutcreeksportsleague.com.

BASKETBALL

CalStars The Stars Basketball Academy (SBA) is

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pleased to announce our youth and high school summer camps. The SBA is a fundamental based skills development camp for kids in 3rd grade-High School. We offer three youth (3rd-8th) sessions and two high school (9th-12th) sessions. Go to www. calstars.org for more info.

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors welcome players of all skill levels to participate in a variety of spring camps that will be held in April and May. The camps are typically for boys and girls ages 7-15, and there’s a “parent/child camp” for adults and their kids as young as 5. Info: camps@gs-warriors.com; 510-986-5310.

Mike Allen Sports Learn the basics of basketball, sharpen your skills and improve daily at the Ballin’ Ambassadors basketball clinics!

Hosted by MIke Allen Sports in the South Bay, registration is easy. Go to www. mikeallensports.com to reserve your spot.

408-279-4123.

City of Walnut Creek Basketball is Fun beginner camp. July 11-21, 9 a.m.-noon, Mon.-Thur. at Tice Valley Park; extended day/week available with deluxe sport option. Ages 5-12. $35/$65 per week.

Registration and info: 925-952-4450, www. walnutcreeksportsleague.com.

CHEER

CheerGyms.com Six camps are offered from June through July: Coaches Camp, Freedom High School 2-day Cheer and Dance Camp, 2-Day Cheer Camps at ALL Cheergyms.com facilities, Jr. High/High School Cheer CampCalifornia Session 1, Individual/Group Stunt Cheer Camp, Jr. High/ High School Cheer Camp (Elite)-California Session 2. For more info: 925- 685-8176, 866-685-7615, info@cheergyms.com; www. cheergyms.com.

East Bay Sports Academy East Bay Sports Academy offers the best in gymnastics and cheerleading training. Our top of the line recreational and competitive programs earned us the exclusive “Best in the East Bay” award for Best Gymnastics Classes 2011. You can bring your team to be a part of the excitement, as our talented & motivated staff becomes your team’s best support system. All of our team camps are custom-built to complement your coaching needs and team goals. Info: 925-680-9999, www.EastBaySportsAcademy.com.

ENRICHMENT

Dianne Adair Programs Come join any of our eight Dianne Adair summer sites for our fun and exciting summer program. Each week campers will be able to choose from several

camps, including sports, fashion, drama, CSI, science and so many more. In addition to our weekly camps, we have weekly field trips to places like an A’s or Giant’s game, museums, the Jelly Belly Factory, Six Flags, the pool, the movies, parks and the Zoo. We also offer many “in-house” field trips like Games2U Mobile Entertainment, the Bubble Lady, Furs, Skins and Tails, magicians, clowns, singers and many more. Field trips and camps vary by site. Please consult your site of choice for more details. Bring in this article and receive half off our $40 summer registration fee. Info: www.dianneadair.org.

FITNESS

Aspire Pilates Dramatically increase core strength, power, flexibility, balance, focus and joint stability, while preventing injury.

Aspire prides itself on helping propel athletes to the next level by addressing muscular imbalances, helping athletes increase body awareness, correcting faulty body mechanics and accessing untapped strength. Info: 925-680-4400, www.

AspirePilatesCenter.com.

Children’s Hospital “Learn What It’s Like To Be An Athletic Trainer.” This twoday workshop exclusively for high school students will be April 13-14. The workshop includes: Overview of careers in sports medicine; ankle injuries and taping techniques; wrist, hand, and thumb injuries and taping; knee injuries and RICE Therapy; stretching techniques; low back injuries and CORE Training; sports concussions; shoulder injuries and rehabilitation. Who should attend? High school students interested in a career in sports medicine. Some of the perks you get include: class credit, certificate of completion, reference materials and box lunch provided on April 14. It will be facilitated by Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine staff and it will take place at the Children’s Hospital Outpatient Center Auditorium. 744 52nd St., Oakland, CA 94609. The fee is $99/student. RESERVE your spot today by calling the Sports Medicine Center at 510-428-3558.

Fit 2 The Core As a Youth Conditioning, Speed/Agility and Nutrition Specialist with the International Youth Conditioning Association, Fit-2-The-Core Training Systems offers an innovative approach to getting your young athletes back on the field of play post-rehabilitation (which gets your athletes to normal function), continuing the process by progressing their bodies to handle what they must endure on the field or court. For F2C’s Back to Sports programs we offer training weekdays, with 2 days/week or 3 days/week program options.

Bottom line: Our program gets your athletes back on the field. Sign up today for your twoweek free pass at www.fasteryoungathletes. com, or call 925-639-0907 for more information.

Walnut Creek Sports & Fitness Walnut Creek Sports & Fitness is offering a wide range of different sports fitness camps and classes in 2012. Here are

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three we’re featuring. Pilates for Sports — An ideal form of fitness for athletes to improve performance & prevent injuries. Hardcore Golf Fitness — A four-week golf-specific fitness camp is the ultimate physical conditioning program for golfers of any age who want to take their game to the next level.

TRX Team Fitness —A cutting-edge six-week small group personal training program is a team-sports inspired program for athletes of all levels who want results in a challenging, motivating environment.

For all info: Contact Bob Boos, Personal Training Director. Phone: (925)932-6400 or email: bob@ wcsf.net

FOOTBALL

Acalanes Football DONS CAMP The Acalanes coaching staff invites you to be the best football player you can be. At our camp you will learn skills, techniques, rules and how to perform to the best of your ability. There are daily camp awards. All athletes receive a T-shirt. This is a non-contact camp focused on having fun while learning the game of football. Staff members are coaches, teachers and parents. Info: contact Mike Ivankovich at mivankovich@acalanes.k12.ca.us.

Black Diamond Football Camp Black Diamond Football Camp is a four-day contact team camp from June 18-21 running from 4 p.m.7:15 p.m. each day. Cost is $1000 per team. This camp is designed to strengthen team concepts within YOUR program. Hosted by Pittsburg and Concord High Schools, it will take place at Pittsburg High. There will be Individual drills and team periods to install your offensive/defensive schemes.

There will be a 7-on-7 passing competition, a pass protection/blitz pickup session, team goal-line challenges, and controlled, full-contact scrimmages.

Info: Contact Coach Victor Galli at (925) 473-2390 ext. 7736.

Football University From the creators of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl comes a one-of-a-kind football training experience exclusively for the nation’s most elite youth and high school players. Born out of the appreciation that the most successful and skilled football players have mastered great technique, and that for many younger players this level of coaching is simply not available, the Football University (FBU) experience focuses on intense position-specific technique training taught by our expert faculty of former and current NFL coaches who have a passion for sharing this experience with young athletes.

NorCal Football Camps Space is available in all of this year’s camps & Flag Football leagues. Led by Ken Peralta, Norcal Football Camps are focused on serving youth ages 7-14. Norcal Flag Football Leagues serve kids entering grades 2-6. Info/registration: Ken, 650-2453608, norcalyouthfootballcamp@yahoo.com; www. norcalfootballcamps.com.

GOLF The First Tee-Contra Costa The First Tee Summer Camp is a youth development Golf program for boys and girls ages 7-18.

Participants will learn about golf and the life skills and values inherent to the game.

In addition to golf skills, rules and etiquette, participants are introduced to The First Tee Nine Core Values - honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment. Our Summer camps are four days a week, 4 hours/day @ Diablo Creek Golf Course, Concord. We have several weeks and facilities from which to choose. Fee assistance available. Info: Angela Paradise, 925-686-6262, Ext.

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0, angela@thefirstteecontracosta.org; www.thefirstteecontracosta.org. See you on The First Tee! The First Tee-Oakland The First Tee of Oakland participants receive a minimum of 12 hours of instruction over an eight-week period. Instruction is conducted at three City of Oakland affiliate golf courses. Each of the golf courses donates their range, golf course and classroom use. We introduce the game of golf in a way that allows participants to progress with the mechanics required, and that teaches the values of the game, celebrates the fitness aspect of playing, and is offered at little or no cost. Info: 510-352-2002, info@thefirstteeoakland.org; www. thefirstteeoakland.org.

The First Tee-Silicon Valley The First Tee of Silicon Valley develops youth through the game of golf throughout Silicon Valley. We impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices though the game of golf.

Participants learn to appreciate diversity, resolve conflicts, build confidence and set goals for their future. Spring classes begin March 13 and continue through May 12. Seasonal classes are offered

at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course (San Jose) and Palo Alto Golf Course.

We welcome participants ranging from second to twelfth grade. Scholarships are available upon request. www. thefirstteesanjose.org.

The First Tee-Tri-Valley We’re a youth development organization using golf and its etiquette to teach important life skills and core values.

We offer seasonal The First Tee Life Skills Experience Classes and Summer Camps for youth ages 7-17, held at the Pleasanton Golf Center on the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Life Skills Experience Classes - The Spring Classes begin the week of March 19.

Once a week Summer Classes will be held Monday-Saturday, beginning the week of June 11. Junior Golf Summer Camps - Summer Camps will be held 8-10 a.m., Tuesday-Friday for seven weeks this summer. Camps begin on the following Tuesdays: June 11, June 18, June 25, July 9, July 16, July 23 & July 30. Info: Call our office, 925-462-7201; www.TheFirstTeeTriValley.org.

HORSEBACK RIDING Earthquake Arabians Spring and summer camps are around the corner for Earthquake Arabians!

Registration is OPEN. Log on to www.

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earthquakearabians.com for more info.

925-360-7454.

Kelly Maddox Riding Academy Summer Camp, July 16-20, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. daily; ages 5-16. Enjoy a week of fun-filled learning as you develop new friendships with other horse-crazy kids like yourself.

Learn basic handling and grooming techniques, as well as how to saddle and bridle your horse. Activities include learning horse colors, markings and breeds; art and crafts; a farrier demonstration and human horse show; bareback riding and more! Info: 925-5754818, www.KellyMaddoxTraining.com.

LACROSSE Atherton/Vitality Lacrosse Join Atherton Lacrosse and learn the basics of the game in their spring, summer and fall camps.

Each Spring Break camp session runs weekdays from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Session rates are $235/week (sibling discounts available). Every camper receives access to the best high school, college and professional lacrosse coaches in the Bay Area in a setting with an extremely low coach to camper ratio.

Every camper receives a free Atherton Lacrosse T-shirt. Every camper needs a

lacrosse stick - we have partnered with Sling It! Lacrosse to bring the best value possible. Go to www.athertonlacrosse. com for more info. Sign up with Vitality Lacrosse to join one of their summer leagues in the Peninsula, Marin, East Bay, Petaluma and San Francisco. We serve the entire Bay Area! Go to www. vitalitylacrosse.com for more info.

MARTIAL ARTS USKS Adult and children’s programs, kick box fitness, mixed martial arts. Providing excellence in martial arts instruction and services for the entire family. 925-6829517; www.usksmartialarts.com.

OUTDOOR/ADVENTURE SPORTS Bear Valley Mountain Bring the entire family to mountain summer camps.

This summer, Bear Valley has residential & day camps for soccer, archery, climbing & a variety of outdoor adventures including kayaking, tennis, cycling, hiking, camp fires & so much more. Bear Valley’s summer camps offer outdoor recreation programs for the whole family & is a great place to visit. Info: www.bearvalley.com.

CYO Sports Camps/Leagues CYO summer recreation leagues begin in May. CYO offers coed volleyball, boys and girls basketball & tennis. Camps are

also offered in basketball and volleyball.

Info: http://athletics.cyo.org.

Diablo Rock Gym We will be offering kids summer camps every week starting June 19, ending August 18. Sign up for a week at a time or multiple weeks. Ages 6-12; multiple kid and/ or week discounts.

Call for pricing, 925-602-1000.

Keigwins@theTrack We conduct motorcycle schools and practice events (“track days”) at famous racetracks in the Western U.S. Events are for experienced motorcyclists looking to improve skills and build confidence while having enormous fun riding in an ideal, expertly-managed environment.

Riders provide their own motorcycles and protective gear. Keigwins@theTrack takes care of everything else: Info: www. keigwin.com; 650-949-5609.

RUGBY Diablo Rugby Youth rugby is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States.

Both non-contact and contact versions of the game are popping up in summer leagues, physical education classes, after school programs, YMCA’s, Boys’

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and Girls’ Clubs and backyards all over the country. Based in Clayton, our club is dedicated to providing a positive rugby experience for boys at High School, Jr. High School and Youth levels. 925-381-5143, diabloyouthrugby@gmail. com; http://diabloyouthrugby. clubspaces.com.

SOCCER Diablo FC With a history that goes back two decades, the Diablo Futbol Club has proved to be the premier training ground for youth soccer players in the area.

Headquartered in Concord, Diablo FC offers training to boys and girls from levels U6 to U23, and has premier, gold, silver and bronze level teams with players from throughout Contra Costa, Solano and Alameda counties.

For complete info, call (925) 798GOAL or visit www.diablofc.org.

Gino’s Soccer Academy Gino’s Soccer Academy is in its 14th season of running summer soccer camps. We are offering eight one-week programs this summer and have programs to challenge and enrich the game

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of every soccer player. Whether you are just beginning, or have been playing for ten years, you will leave the Soccer Academy on Friday a more knowledgeable, better player than when you came to us on Monday.

Half- and full-day sessions available. Ages 4-17. Info: www. ginossocceracademy.com.

Heritage Soccer Club In 2012, HSC will not only offer a members-only summer soccer camp, but will offer two separate soccer camps — one for boys, June 25-28, and one for girls, July 9-12 – that will be open to the community. In addition to the summer camps, HSC will conduct their annual 6v6 BlowOut tournament in June and their second annual Harvest Cup Tournament in October. HSC is based in the Pleasant Hill/ Martinez area and serves the surrounding community. Info: www.heritagesc.com.

Walnut Creek Soccer Club The Walnut Creek Soccer Club uses all the resources available to provide the proper coaching and playing environment for all members. Our goal is for every member of our club to learn and grow as a soccer player and person. We will promote a positive learning environment for our players and families as we work to provide the highest

level of coaching and coach’s education. Info: wcsc_info@ wcsc.org; www.wcsc.org.

West Contra Costa Youth Soccer League Our program caters to competitive youth players ages 8-9 regardless of race, creed, gender or religion. The main focus of our program is not on winning, but on the development of the total soccer player within the framework of a team. We also offer specialized training for strikers and goalkeepers. We desire to promote personal responsibility, fitness, sportsmanship and teamwork. 510-758-5288, http:// wccysl.com.

SWIMMING-DIVING Sherman Swim School Our year-round schedule allows children and adults to learn, retain and improve their swim skills with little interruption.

Lessons are usually offered on M-W-F’s and T-Th’s in sessions of 3-4 weeks. (During the slower months of Fall, Winter

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and Spring, schedules can be more flexible, such as M-W, W-F, or only one day/week.)

We teach from age 9-months to adults, from non-swimmers to competitive levels. Since our lessons are private, they are tailored to each student’s age, ability and readiness. We also offer beginning and competitive diving classes. Beginning sessions typically have three students and are 30 minutes long. Classes are taught in threeweek sessions. Info: 925-2832100, www.ShermanSwim.com.

Walnut Creek Aquanuts Week in the Creek! Synchronized Swimming Camp, July 27-31, ages 7-18. Email: weekinthecreek@aquanuts.org.

Summer Trainee Program 2012 held June 18-Nov. 12 in 5- and 6-week sessions @ Clarke Memorial Swim Center, Heather Farm Park, Walnut Creek.Info: 925-934-4792, WCA.Trainees@ aquanuts.org; www.aquanuts. org.

Walnut Creek Swim Club 2012 Spring practice will be held Mon., Wed. and Thur. evenings, April 16June 7, @ Larkey Pool for 6-unders through 13-up. 2012 Summer practice sessions

will be offered 7:30-10 a.m. daily beginning June 11 @ Las Lomas High School. Info: www. walnutcreekswimclub.org.

TENNIS

ClubSport Valley Vista ClubSport Valley Vista has successfully been hosting summer tennis camps in the Walnut Creek area for 33 years, with expert instruction. Tennis pro Dale Miller and his team of seasoned professionals will teach your children the fundamentals of tennis or help them improve their skills for recreation or competition. Camps are designed to touch on every major aspect of the game — stroke production, conditioning, strategy, footwork, psychology and most importantly, FUN! Players will be grouped according to level of play and age. ClubSport is located at 3737 Valley Vista Road in Walnut Creek. ClubSport Valley Vista members receive discounted rates. Info: 925-934-4050.

VOLLEYBALL

Diablo Valley Volleyball Club Seven one-week skills clinic sessions are offered from June-August. Camps differ in

age groups served. Each camp has a maximum limit of players allowed. Two sessions take place in Brentwood and the other five are in Walnut Creek. Info: 925451-6581; www.DiabloVBC.org.

Pacific Rim Volleyball Through private lessons, and the opportunity for yearround skills classes, athletes of any age or level can learn and improve the skills needed to gain a competitive edge. Our advanced training, for junior levels (12th grade & below), will provide athletes the opportunity to excel at becoming elite players in preparation for high school and/or collegiate volleyball. Info: www.pacificrimvolleyball.com.

U.S. Youth Volleyball League The USYVL is the leader in developing and maintaining youth volleyball leagues for boys and girls ages 7-15. USYVL summer camps are typically three days, with each day meeting for three hours. Camps are for beginner, intermediate and advanced players, and players will be grouped accordingly, based on age and playing experience. Info: 888-988-7985, www.USYVL.org.

WRESTLING

Community Youth Center The CYC wrestling program

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Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsOnline.com

offers young athletes the opportunity to participate and excel in one of the world’s oldest sports. The program trains and challenges wrestlers at all age groups from kindergarten through high school, and all experience levels from beginner to champion. The program is nationally recognized under the guidance of Head Coach Mark Halvorson. Info: 925-671-7070, Ext. 229, www.communityyouthcenter.com.

The Creighton School of Wrestling CSW was established to provide a successful youth wrestling program in the Palo Alto/Mid-Peninsula area that serves youth of all ages. Info: 650-219-6383; creightonschoolofwrestling@ yahoo.com.

MULTI-SPORT De La Salle Camps De La Salle High School will host athletic summer camps to provide a fun, skill-building week for kids.

They offer the following sessions: Football, Track & Field, Lacrosse, Wrestling, Quarterback & Wide Receiver, Lineman, Volleyball, Baseball, Soccer, Water Polo and Strength & Conditioning. Weeklong sessions will run June 9-June 28. Online registration. For more info: summercamps@dlshs. org; 925-288-8100, Ext. 7090.

Velocity Sports Camps Our Spring Break Sports Specific Summer Camps provide campers with a fun-packed, enjoyable environment where they can increase their athleticism and develop a wider range of skills. Velocity Sports Performance is looking for boys and girls ages 8-14 who are dedicated to making themselves better as athletes. Our Team Training programs are designed to deliver a challenging workout that is organized, educational, progressive and customized for entire sport teams. Info: 925-833-0100, velocitydublin. com.

Cal Camps Camps are offered in a variety of sports for girls and boys ages 5-19, with weeklong, half-day, full-day and overnight options. Most camps will take place on campus in Berkeley from June through August. Camps include the following sports: Baseball, Boys and Girls Basketball,

Boys and Girls Rowing/Crew, Field Hockey, Football, Boys and Girls Golf, Girls Gymnastics, Rugby, Boys and Girls Soccer, Softball, Boys and Girls Swimming, Boys and Girls Tennis, Boys and Girls Volleyball and Girls Water Polo. Information: CalBears.com/camps. Or email calcamps@ berkeley.edu.

Saint Mary’s College Camps We offer boys and girls overnight, day, team and specialty athletic camps. We have camps available for ages 4-18. Dates are posted and registration is open. Our various camp offerings include: Multi-sport, baseball, boys basketball, girls basketball, golf, rugby, girls lacrosse, strength and conditioning, boys soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.

Info: Click “summer camps” at www.smcgaels.com for detailed information and to register online. More info: smccamps@stmarys-ca.edu, 925-631-4FUN (4386).

City of Walnut Creek We offer 9-13 year-olds a fully-staffed and supervised recreational athletic camp. The program consists of eight weeks of sessions with your choice of two different sports for each of the sessions, with a ninth week session offering bowling. Our camp is specifically designed to teach and develop training skills, basic individual skills, sportsmanship, team strategies and concepts as well as building confidence and self discipline. Sports to choose from include: Tennis, Baseball, Multi-sport, Flag Football, Soccer, Lacrosse, Basketball, Golf, Volleyball and Bowling. Camp offerings start the week of June 18th and run through August 17th.

Info: www.walnutcreekrec.org or call 925-943-5858.

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