inspiration comes from everywhere
vol. 3. issue 48
FREE
June 28, 2012
Bay area
POW! Benicia arsenal breaks through
get sport specific this summer.
Pg. 12
Pg. 8
best in prep sports
heavy medal diablo valley VB digging for bling
top dogs Pit Bulls ready for close-up
james marvel, sasha wallace cash in season honors pg. 30
No heroes without villains. We have villains. Pg. 11
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, James K. Leash, Norbert von der Groeben, Phillip Walton, Doug Guler Creative Department Art@SportStarsOnline.com Production Manager Mike DeCicco. Ext. 103 • MikeD@SportStarsOnline.com Publisher/President Mike Calamusa. Ext. 106 • Mike@SportStarsOnline.com
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Jonathan Hawthorne
challenge accepted nothing like a summer’s day at the ol’ ball park for these kids.
BronBron has a ring? Now what? Take it easy there. We know hatin’ ain’t easy, so we have suggestions for you. (But we’re still not sure if you’re supposed to hate the player or the game. Both?) Pg. 11
tool time: Diablo Valley Volleyball Club is off to Junior Nationals. Pg. 24 on the cover James Marvel and Sasha Williams. Photo by Bob Larson.
spring’s best
James Marvel and Sasha Wallace did what they do better than anybody else this spring. Pg. 30
breaking through Ali Thanawalla
First Pitch.....................................................8
Eight years can be a long time to wait, but for Benicia Arsenal, it was all worth it. Pg. 20 Training Time............................................ 28
Locker Room........................................... 10 Health Watch .......................................... 34 Impulse...................................................... 35 Behind the Clipboard............................. 12 Powered by Trucks.................................. 36 AAA SportStars of the Week............... 13 Camps + Clinics...................................... 38 Club Scene................................................ 16 Photo Finish.............................................. 46
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: Ron Davis • RonD@SportStarsOnline.com • (916) 564-0111, Dave Rosales • DaveRosales64@gmail.com Reader Resources/Administration Ad Traffic, Subscription, Calendar & Classified Listings info@SportStarsOnline.com • Deb Hollinger. Ext. 101 • 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, June 2012 Whole No. 48 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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Serving up smiles
SportStars’ two weekends with inspirational athletes
I
t came across my desk recently that a small point of contention had been lodged against SportStars. In the eyes of one reader, it is believed we focus too much on the elite athletes. And while I will grant that we do devote a lot of coverage to some of the best high school athletes and teams in Northern California, I stand firm in the belief that this is not our only mission. We’ve devoted pages to more than a handful of stories on everyday athletes returning from hardships, or those who are trying make it in less mainstream sports. And we’ve also taken the time on occasion to highlight athletes with disabilities. This issue happens to be one of those times. Two summers ago when the magazine was a mere three issues old, I met youth softball coach Chris Ball while covering his Antioch Little League Juniors softball team in the District 4 All-Star championship game. Ball’s team won that day and advanced to the state tournament. I hadn’t heard from Ball in more than a year and a half when he called me during the first week of June. We caught up briefly. He asked about how the magazine was doing and he shared about the new competitive travel softball team in Antioch he’d started called the NorCal Diehards. He had called hoping to get some coverage of an event the Diehards were taking part in — though it really had nothing to do with competitive softball. Ball and his players were going to be volunteering their time and assistance at Antioch Little League’s final day of Challenger Division baseball. Ball thought of calling us because he assumed the exact opposite of the reader I mentioned earlier — that we WOULD devote space and time to some non-elite athletes. And of course, he was right. Myself and a photographer spent close to two hours out at the Antioch Little League fields on June 10, and for those who have never gone out to watch these games, there are three things you notice right away. 1. The kids can play. Sure, some need more assistance than others — and obviously many of the rules are bent to follow the golden rule that “everybody hits and everybody wins” — but many of these kids do possess varying degrees of real athletic talent and love having the
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First Pitch Chace Bryson Editor
Chace@ SportStarsOnline.com (925) 566-8503
Want to see both photo spreads? All our editions are available digitally at our website!
opportunity to use it. 2. The volunteers. To notice how much fun the kids are having is to also to notice the countless number of people who are helping to make it happen. On this certain day, more than 20 softball players were spread across two fields helping the coaches and other adult volunteers in assisting players and making sure each kid is enjoying his experience. Many of these volunteers selflessly devote much of their Sundays each spring to make this happen. Programs like Challenger Little League wouldn’t exist without these people. 3. The smiles. The fun each kid has is infectious. You can’t miss the smiles, and it’s hard to leave without a smile on your own face. Our Bay Area edition of this issue has a few pictures of those smiles on pages 1415. We hope they make you smile, too. If you’re reading our Sac-Joaquin edition, pages 14-15 have a different set of smiles. These come from the Special Olympics Northern California Games, which were held at UC Davis from June 22-24. It goes without saying that the same elements I used to describe the Challenger baseball games are just as prevalent at Special Olympics events. Only on an even grander scale. The athletes prove they’re capable of so much more than one might think. The volunteers work selflessly to make it all go. And the smiles never fade from your memory. Doug Guler, the photographer we sent to UC Davis to take the photos, was seemingly overwhelmed with the event. Here’s an excerpt from the email he sent me when he filed his photos. “What a humbling experience to see these athletes compete, but in the same breath they don’t care who wins. It is all about “heart”. They are genuine human beings that make the best out of everything in front of them. ... I’ve never had so many high fives in my life. This was an incredible event to have been part of.” So let us suggest that the next time you have a chance to witness these types of event, go check it out for an hour. We’re betting you walk away inspired. But in the meantime, let our pictures tell the story. ✪
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What’s the one thing you’d never do on Fear Factor Eat a cockroach
rapidFIRE Favorite Real books movie or e-readers series?
Favorite summer food
Best new song you’ve heard recently?
Real books
Madagascar
Grilled chicken
‘Rumor Has It’ by Adele
Real books
Harry Potter
Fresh fruit
‘That’s What Makes You Beautiful’ by One Direction
What app do you use the most
Pandora
Katie King, River City-West Sac., hoops
Eat a scoprion
Fruit Ninja
Sarah Robinson, Gunn-San Jose, soccer
random act offactness
Amador Valley-Pleasanton softball pitcher Johanna Grauer, far right, became just the second North Coast Section softball player to earn the state’s Sophomore Player of the Year award from CalHiSports. The only other NCS recipient? Her coach. Dons coach Julie Marshall, right, was named the state Sophomore Player of the Year in 1992 while playing for Liberty-Brentwood. The 2012 Junior Player of the Year also went to a Northern California player, Gabrielle Maurice of JohnasenModesto. Maurice is committed to UCLA, which just so happens to be Marshall’s alma mater.
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Butch Noble photos
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Sports Villains To Replace LeBron
The King finally got his crown. So enough already. Enough vilifying LeBron for The (admittedly idiotic) Decision. Enough crucifying him for taking his talents wherever, and promising “not five, not six, not seven.” Just. Enough. Let it go. He was a kid. He made some mistakes. He figured it out and grew up — kind of right before our eyes during one of the most impressive NBA Finals performances in recent memory. So quit picking on the kid. Pick on these guys instead.
1. Bryce Harper, OF, Washington Nationals — Why Harper, you ask? That’s a clown question, bro. 2. Roger Clemens, Dirtbag (retired), Somewhere In Texas — Wasn’t the Rocket already a villain? Haven’t we hated him for, like 20 years, or something? Sure, sure. But the guy keeps reinventing himself, finding new and exciting ways to be a jerk. So we’re keeping him on the list. 3. A Soccer Player, Europe-ish — We wanted to pick a really villainous villainy footballer from Euro 2012, but then we remembered that we don’t care enough about Euro 2012 to actually know any of their names. Is Zinedine Zidane’s gigantic head-butting cranium still around? That would work. 4. Tim Tebow, Homewrecker, New York J-E-T-S JetsJetsJets — Singlehandedly destroying the harmonious, contented, winning vibe that Mark Sanchez has cultivated in East Rutherford. Oh wait. 5. Tim Duncan, Power Forward, San Antonio Spurs — We heard that, after the OKC Thunder ousted the Spurs from the 2012 NBA playoffs, Duncan politely thanked his opponents for their spirited competition, then quietly went into the weight room to begin preparing for another run at the title. What a prima donna. How is this guy still in the Association? — Bill Kolb Allen Eyestone/ Palm Beach Post/ Zumapress.com
Throughout the week we like to poll our Facebook fans on random things that come to our mind here at SportStars HQ. Come ‘Like’ us at www.facebook.com/sportstars to join the conversation. You just might find your comments in a future issue. On the heels of Roger Clemens being acquitted of perjury charges in his recent trial surrounding performance enhancing drugs, we ask: Should Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds be inducted into the Hall of Fame? ■ “Absolutely, with no hesitation,” Peter S. ■ “Yes. And Pete Rose, too,” Randy C.
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By the way, just in case you needed another reason to join our Facebook community, you can win stuff! This past week we gave away $125 gift cards for Fit 2 The Core Training Systems to three lucky winners, Derrick Stom, Kisha Gaines and Joseph Cota.
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Skip the jogging and try to be sport-specific in summer workouts My dad wants me to go out and jog five miles every day to get ready for the high school season. Every day? That seems like a lot. S.T., Milpitas o here’s the real question: In what sport do you jog? Even cross country runners run … no one jogs on the football field, or on the basketball court, or during a soccer game (at least not for long). Almost all sports are about sprinting, and even volleyball is about quick explosive movements. So what exactly does jogging get you ready for? Well, basically, more jogging. OK, it does give you some baseline conditioning, so it’s not completely useless (though if you have bad knees or a bad back, it’s most likely going to make things worse). But whatever your sport, try to get your conditioning done in ways that mimic what you actually will be doing. For example, if you’re a football player, you go really hard for seven seconds or so, and then rest. So sprint for seven seconds, and then rest — and do that every day. Or if you’re getting ready for basketball, you also need to sprint, because if you jog during the game, you’re going to jog right over and sit next to the coach the next time the whistle blows. Volleyball players need to be explosive, and conditioning should help with jumping, diving and recovering — and you can do all of that and condition at the same time. Again, the thing jogging gets you ready for is more jogging. And while we’re talking about summer workouts, remember that if you don’t do 45 minutes of weight training a week during school, all those muscles you build in July and August will melt away after about a month away from the weight room. If you’re going to go to the gym three times a week all summer, then you better make sure you’re going at least once a week during the school year, or it’s really just a waste of time. The same is true of honing your skills at a camp. If you spend two weeks of your time and your parents’ money, then you better spend at least an hour a week refreshing those skills after camp is over. If you add to your soccer footwork at camp, that’s great — but if you don’t practice the skills you’ve learned between the end of camp and the first day of practice, then you’ve really accomplished nothing. The most important thing to remember about summer conditioning is to understand what you’re trying to get better at, and then work on things that help you get there. If it’s football conditioning, then sprint; if it’s soccer skills, then practice those skills. Of course, doing something is better than doing nothing, but really, jogging? Unless they start giving out letters for moving very slowly, it’s pretty much a waste of time. ✪
S
Behind the Clipboard Clay Kallam
Clay Kallam is an assistant athletic director and girls varsity bas-
ketball 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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There’s really nothing more nail biting than a championship boiling down to penalty kicks. Just ask Sarah Robinson, member of the Mountain View Los Altos SC Lightning U16 team. They won the FarWest Regionals on June 24 but not before they endured two overtimes and an epic penalty kick session in the sweltering Phoenix heat as they defeated Sereno of Arizona 1-0. SportStars Magazine: What was the mood like during the penalty kicks? Sarah Robinson: It was pretty nerve-wracking because last year we were knocked out on penalty kicks. We were really nervous when it got to penalty kicks again. SSM: You scored two goals in the quarterfinals. Is that one of the best games you’ve ever played? SR: I’m not sure. I guess maybe it was. I’m not sure if it was the best game I ever played, maybe I took a couple more shots than normal and they went in. I just really wanted to move on. SSM: Was weather a factor? SR: It was because during the game they would give us water breaks and that disrupted
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sarah robinson Gunn-San jose . soccer . junior
STEPEHN DOMINGO The St. IgnatiusS.F. senior was named to the USA Basketball Men’s U17 team on June 20. He had 15 points and six rebounds in his USA Basketball debut, a 10872 exhibition win over Latvia.
ALEX SBOROV
Norbert von der Groeben
the flow. SSM: Why can the Lightning win the national championship? SR: I think we play a really distinctive style of ball. Every single player on our team has the ability to make an impact. We won it our U14 year. … I think our experience can help us because we do know what to expect. SARAH’S QUICK HITS Favorite subject: Math Favorite athlete: Lionel Messi Favorite team: Barcelona and Manchester United
The Foothill senior placed second in the US Junior Amateur Qualifier shooting a 2-over 74 at Mira Vista CC on June 18. Her twin sister Katie is also qualified for the event.
JASMINE TOSKY The recent Palo Alto grad reached the semifinals in the 100 meter butterfly at the Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb., on June 25.
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C
hris Ball has no shortage of energy. And on June 10, he expended all of it and then some. A longtime Antioch Little League softball coach, Ball now runs his own travel softball organization known as the NorCal Diehards. And on June 10, he and girls from the Diehard’s 18U and 14U teams donated their time — and endless energy — to assist teams of the Antioch Little League Challenger Division in their final games of the season. Antioch has one of the most developed Challenger programs in Little League’s District 4, with four full teams and an open door policy to the remaining 18 teams across the district. “A lot of times what happens with kids who are disabled, there is a stigma associated with it that they can’t play physical sports,” said Juanita Garrison, who is in her 10th year of heading Antioch’s Challenger program. “But they actually can, and they do.” Ball bounced back and forth between games pitting the Giants and Tigers, and the A’s and Mariners. He and his players worked tirelessly to assist players throughout the afternoon before providing a season-ending BBQ feast. “It was really heartwarming,” said Diehards 18U player Lanae Rivers, a Pittsburg High student. “It made me realize a lot about being thankful every day. It just made me smile a lot.” The Challenger season runs from March to June with games being played on Sundays. It is available at no cost to disabled boys and girls from ages 5-22. “Our coach (Ball) has been wanting to do this forever,” Rivers said. “He chose each of us to come and help, and I’m glad he did.” — Chace Bryson
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Jonathan Hawthorne photos
FAR LEFT: Michael Alexander of the Giants cracks a large smile as one of his coaches helps him take a swing. TOP: Julissa Delgadillo takes her own swing at a pitch. BOTTOM LEFT: Danica Fowler, left, of the 18U Diehards softball team helps Tigers outfielder Devin Miller make a play. BOTTOM MIDDLE: The Little League Challenger Division patch worn by each player. BOTTOM RIGHT: Austin Thomas gets a good grip on the bat as he prepares to take his cuts. Support Your Local Business • Say You Found Them In SportStars™
June 28, 2012
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All World Sports adds Prospects Exposure Event for August All World Sports has mastered the baseball and softball tournament scene, but the latest venture it has in the works will be an event to give high school baseball players exposure to college and JC coaches as well as professional scouts. Individual players can sign up for the All World Prospects Exposure Event held Aug. 1-5 in Sacramento, where seniors, juniors, and select sophomores will receive training and evaluation by coaches and scouts while participating in showcase-style games over the course of three days. The event will provide an opportunity for local high school players to get exposure at the next level. For more information on the event, visit http://www.allworldprospects.com/ events.html In the meantime, the All World Sports tournament universe kept spinning in June. Here are the champions and runnersup from the first four weekends of the month.
June 2-3 — MARTINEZ: 13U champs, NorCal Titans 12U Blue (Brentwood); runner-up, Ross Valley Royals (San Anselmo). 14U champs, South Bay Diamondbacks (San Jose); runner-up, MH Baseball (Pleasanton). VACAVILLE: 11U champs, Patriots Baseball Club (Concord); runner-up, SV Storm (Yuba City). June 9-10 — WOODLAND (World Series NIT): 13U champs, NC Sluggers (Sacramento); runner-up, Nor Cal Baseball Cardinal (Livermore); 14U champs, Bombers BB Club (Marin); runner-up, Chico Aces. SACRAMENTO (World Series NIT):12U champs, Hank’s Bombers (Sacramento); runner-up Delta Pirates (Antioch). CARSON CITY (World Series NIT): 9U
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champs, Stanislaus Sting (Turlock); runner-up, Bret’s Muckdogs (Reno); 10U champs, Bret’s Muckdogs; runner-up, Fallon Hornets;11U champs, Bret’s Muckdogs; runner-up, Cepeda Baseball Club (Martinez); 12U champs, Team Velocity (Sparks); runner-up, Bret’s Muckdogs; 13U champs, Cepeda Baseball Club; runner-up, All Around baseball (Reno); 14U champs, Stanislaus Sting; runner-up, Sierra Valley Storm (El Dorado Hills). June 16-17 — BRENTWOOD/MARTINEZ (Bob Caldera Memorial): 9U champs, NorCal Titans Blue (Brentwood); runner-up, Oakland RBI. 10U champs, Delta Dawgs (Brentwood); runner-up, Sierra Valley Storm; 11U champs, Bombers Baseball Club (Marin); runner-up, Martinez Bulldogs; 12U champs, Lamorinda Spartans 11U (Lafayette); runner-up, OCR (Oakland); 13U champs, Delta Dawgs; runner-up, Norcal Titans Blue; 14U Blue Division champs, Rakers (San Jose); runner-up San Ramon Slammers; 14U Red Division champs Delta Dawgs; runner-up, Davis Crush. FREMONT (Father’s Day Classic): 10U champs, Fremont Fury; runner-up, NorCal Storm (Belmont); 11U champs, Dublin Dawgs; runner-up, Lamorinda Immortals 10U (Lafayette); 12U champs, Fremont Reds; runner-up Belmont Blasters; 13U champs, San Jose Pitbulls, runner-up, Tri-Valley Lightning (Livermore); 14U champs, East bay Rays (Hayward); runner-up, Central Coast Hustlers (Salinas). June 23-24 — CARSON CITY (Midnight Madness): 11U champs, Nevada Gunslingers (Reno); runner-up, SL Bomberz (Livermore); 12U champs, Regulators (Yuba City); runner-up, Black Hawks (Klamath Falls, Ore.); 13U champs, Bulldog Baseball Club (Vacaville); runner-up, Patriots Baseball Club (Sacramento); 14U champs, Bulldawg Baseball Club (Walnut Creek), runner-up Fallon Hornets; 16U champs, Star City (Sacramento); runner-up, JMA Bulldogs (Richmond). BRENTWOOD/OAKLEY: 10U champs, Vacaville Pony All Stars; Runner-up, Elite Baseball; 11U champs, Patriots Base-
ball Club (Concord); runner-up, Brentwood Blast; 12U champs, Mudcats (Brentwood); Runner-up, San Ramon Hawks; 13U champs, Grant Baseball 12U (Oakland); runner-up, NorCal Titans White (Brentwood); 14U champs, Brentwood Blast; runner-up, Brentwood Pony All Stars 4-1
For information regarding All World’s tournament schedule for the remainder of 2012 (nearly 150 more tournaments) go to www.playallworld.com. It is very easy to create a team and start playing exciting tournament baseball.
DIVING
The Sherman Divers of Lafayette had five qualifiers come out of the Region 10 Championships held at Santa Clara International Swim Center on June 8-10. Asher Lichtig, Morgan Matranga, Brenna Cetrone, Miranda Gold and Harrison Fisher each qualified to move on to the Zone E Diving Championships in Riverside from July 11-15. Lichtig, Cetrone and Fisher qualified for both 1- and 3-meter springboard. Matranga qualified on the 1-meter and Gold on the 3-meter. It was Matranga, a sophomore at Campolindo-Moraga, who ended up with the highest Region championship finish of the five. She scored 284.05 to grab a fifth place finish. Cetrone and Lichtig also had Top 10 finishes. Lichtig placed eighth in the 1-meter springboard (435.60 points) and Cetrone placed ninth (218.85). ✪
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Pro basketball world is beginning to take notice of the East Bay Pit Bulls
W
By erik stordahl | SportStars
hile most NBA hopefuls go undrafted this time of year, they keep their dream alive by playing elsewhere. And the options are always aplenty. For some, the NBA’s Development League is the way to go, where they can be one hot stretch of playing from being called up to the big time. For others it’s traveling overseas or staying in the mainland competing in the ABA (American Basketball Association). One of the teams among the latter option is the East Bay Pit Bulls. Located in Livermore, the East Bay Pit Bulls formed in 2009 and play their home games at Las Positas College. Their roster is comprised of former high school and college standouts, including Philip “Tree” Thomas, who grew up in the Bay Area. Thomas played for three years at Skyline High School in Oakland then transferred to San Leandro for his senior year. His path continued in the college ranks as he played for the University of Idaho, but due to a coaching change, transferred to a junior college in Utah before ending up at Portland State where he recently graduated. “It has been great actually,” Thomas said of playing for the Pit Bulls. “I came on to the team kinda late in the season. Right away, the environment, the arena and fans were all supportive and it was great.” The fans always provide plenty of energy at Pit Bull home games in large part because the Pit Bulls bring it on a nightly basis. Last season, they were ranked No. 24 out of 96 teams in the
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East Bay Pit Bulls
East Bay Pit Bulls center Marion Thurmond signs autographs for young fans following a game last season. The Livermore-based Pit Bulls are gaining notoriety within the American Basketball Association.
league. They provided fans with enough jaw-dropping dunks and plays to fill a SportsCenter Top 10 and made it all the way to the quarterfinals. No doubt a strong season, the Pit Bulls will be back when
the 2012-13 season starts up in November; maybe they’ll get to do some more traveling too. Recently, they toured China and displayed their talents in front of thousands of fans. “That was a great experience,” said Jordan Boreman, who plays for the Pit Bulls. “We had a two-week tour, we played against one of the best China teams in the CBA (China Basketball Association). We played in big stadiums that held like six to 7,000 people. The best part about it for me, the fans showed a lot of respect; they appreciate the art.” Playing for the Pit Bulls serves as a two-way street for guys hoping to advance their careers and for others who are coming off that mountain. “I think some of them do and some of them don’t,” Thomas said of athletes in the ABA wanting to keep the dream alive. “Some of them like the level of play, some of them are aspiring to go overseas and play in the NBA. … Some of us just have that drive to play basketball.” Only a couple seasons old, the Pit Bulls are headed in the right direction. The ABA is taking notice. “The ABA is looking to do some nationally-televised games,” said Deb Tenenbaum, owner of the Pit Bulls. “And 10 teams have been selected and we’ve been one of the selected teams.” National exposure will place the spotlight on the Pit Bulls, who will be putting on clinics throughout the summer: July 10 (Point Guard), Aug. 6 (Big man), and Aug. 10 (Skills & Development). To learn more about these clinics and to register now, go to www.eastbaypitbulls.com. ✪
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worththew After eight years of hard work, frustration and near misses, the Benicia Arsenal Soccer Club’s 19U girls team finally broke through
T
By erik stordahl | SportStars
he goal for the Benicia 95 Strikers started out eight years ago as a pipe dream. Win the State Cup. For the more talented, seasoned soccer clubs it can be a big deal, but it’s really the first step toward bigger and better things, like winning a national title. Yet, for Manny Bonotan and his Strikers, a State Cup would mean the beginning of everything, validating their efforts throughout the last eight years, especially considering no Benicia team had ever accomplished such a feat. “There was a boys team from Vallejo 30 years ago,” said Bonotan of the most successful youth soccer team in the history of the area. “They won the state cup.” But after eight years of countless hours of practice, numerous miles driven to tournaments out in the boonies, and many tears shed over a near decade’s worth of shortcomings, the Strikers started to put it all together. No longer a mirage, the State Cup was in sight. ■■■ The Strikers belong to the Benicia Arsenal, a soccer outfit in the North Bay comprised of boys and girls teams from ages 8-19. They typically compete against clubs all over the Bay Area and Northern California, and, for most of the time, were looked upon as a laughingstock in the soccer community. “They probably thought we were never gonna win the State Cup,” Bonotan said of local soccer pundits. “But we believed it.” Soccer clubs in more affluent areas boast state-of-the-art facilities, top flight coaching
staffs, and only the best equipment. That’s not the case with the Strikers. “Our budget this year is $500 for everything,” Bonotan said. “Registration is $250. The rest is tournament costs. … We do fundraising.” Putting the team together was easy considering the three coaches — Bonotan, Reynaldo Montano and Chris Vega — all have daughters on the team. Alyssa and Rachel Bonotan know full well what it’s like to play for dad. “He’s always been on the sideline with us,” Alyssa said with a laugh. “We hear it at the game, and then on the way home from the game, and at home if we played bad.” Bonotan admitted the tough love he’s dished out to his kin on the field. “I’m tougher on them than my other players,” Bonotan said. “My oldest daughter (Alyssa), she didn’t start at U10. I told her there are other girls who are better. She’s not the captain of the team, but she’s been the most committed player on the team. And she might not be the captain, but people respect her.” Rachel, 14, is by far the youngest on the U19 strikers, which consists primarily of juniors and seniors. Rachel just finished her freshman year at Benicia High, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t fit in with these girls. “It wasn’t really hard because I’ve been watching them play for so many years,” Rachel said. “But it was really fun.” ■■■ Given that soccer is practically a yearround sport, teams travel and compete in numerous tournaments; needless to say the costs quickly add up. As Bonotan said, the Strikers exist primarily because of fundraisAli Thanawalla photos
Rachel Bonotan, right, dribbles upfield during a June 13 exhibition game against the San Francisco Nighthawks at San Francisco State University. Bonotan, just 14-years old, is easily the youngest member of the 19U Strikers. 20
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Brianna Vega, daughter of assistant coach Chris Vega, fights off a Nighthawks defender as she attempts to turn the ball upfield.
ing — bake sales, car washes, whatever it takes to get to the next tournament. Because of the added hours, the girls have formed a bond off the field that lends itself to chemistry on the field. “I think it’s an advantage because playing together so long you know what the other player does,” Rachel Bonotan. “So you can anticipate what they’re gonna do.” It’s the equivalent of a group of best friends who finish each other’s sentences, sense when something’s wrong and can be open and honest in any given situation. “Me personally, from playing with other teams, I feel more comfortable playing with these girls here because I’ve been playing with them since I was like 12,” Elyza Montano said. “So we’ve been molded to play a certain way to connect and pass and stuff.” This past season, the Strikers rode that wave of sisterhood and produced their best season. They entered the Cal North State Cup on March 24 as one of 12 teams vying for the title. They stormed through preliminaries, winning all three games by a combined score of 13-3. Nearly a month later, the Strikers faced their closest call of the tournament when they defeated Redwood Alpine Strikers 92 4-3 in the semifinals. Then, on April 28, after years of coming up short and having to start over, the Strikers won the State Cup by taking down Hayward Chaos 3-0 in the championship. “It’s our last year of playing together so it’s really exciting,” Rachel said. “(My dad) was jumping around. He brought the trophy to work and my little sister’s practice.” Indeed, Bonotan could hardly contain himself. “We’ve been chasing this cup for eight years,” Bonotan said. “After eight years of trying. … What we’re doing right now is icing on the cake. We’re a team of no pressure.” ■■■ With the State Cup in hand, the Benicia Strikers qualified for the U.S. Youth Soccer FarWest Regionals from June 18-24 in Phoenix. The FWR is one of four geographic divi22
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sions in the youth soccer landscape. The winner from each division plays in the National Tournament later in the summer. Winning the State Cup was big. Winning the national championship would be monumental. “We’re David, we’re gonna fight Goliath,” Bonotan said. “We have a chip on our shoulder, we’re gonna fight. Our goal is to play with a lot of heart.” The Strikers no doubt played with heart, but they fell victim to circumstance. Playing against Riverside MGFM Starz in their first preliminary game, the Strikers’ goalkeeper suffered an injury that kept her out of the rest of the tournament. They yielded a goal with one minute left and, from there, the avalanche ensued. With no backup goalie, Bonotan had one of his girls volunteer who had never played the position and, as one could imagine, that didn’t work out. The Strikers lost 7-0 to Pride Predators of Colorado and 4-0 to Sereno White of Arizona. In a flash, the Strikers’ season came to a crashing, unforeseen halt. “It’s kinda disappointing, but at the same time, you take it,” Bonotan said. “You made it out there, we competed out there. We missed some shots that could’ve gone in; we paid the price at the end.” But it’s not the end. The Strikers are losing only three girls to graduation and will be primed for another run next year. “It’s huge, it’s a big accomplishment,” Bonotan said. “We’re the first ones in our area to win the State Cup. … We made it all the way to regionals but we gotta work at it (next year). “It’ll open doors for this program. A lot of city colleges are contacting me. A lot of our kids want to continue playing.” So far, three will. Alyssa will be playing for Hastings College in Nebraska in the fall. Montano and Brianna Vega will team up once again at Western State College in Colorado. “I look forward to another run,” Bonotan said. “You take a week off and you start again. We want to defend our title, so we’ll see what happens.” ✪
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Open up Here are the NorCal boys and girls teams qualified for the Open Division of their respective Junior Nationals tournaments
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BOYS - July 1-8 in Dallas ■ 18U: Bay to Bay Black 18-1 (San Jose); Mountian View Red 18-1. ■ 17U: Bay to Bay Black 17-1; Diablo Valley Tool Shed 17U (Concord); Mountain View Red 17-1; Northern California Volleyball Club “NCVC” Black 17-1 (Rocklin); Renegades Black 17-1 (Dublin). ■ 16U: Bay to Bay Black 16-1; Mtn View Red 16-1; NCVC Black 16-1. ■ 15U: Bay to Bay Black 15-1. ■ 14U: Bay to Bay Black 14-1; PacRim VB Academy 14-1 (Pleas. Hill).
GIRLS - June 28-July 7 in columbus, ohio ■ 18U: Vision Gold 18-1 (Los Gatos) ■ 17U: City Beach Black 17-1 (Fremont/Santa Clara); NCVC Black 17-1; Paye’s Black 16-1; (San Carlos); Vision Gold 17-1. ■ 16U: City Beach Black 16-1; Delta Valley 16-1 (Lodi); Vision Gold 16-1. ■ 15U: Five Starz 15-1 (Davis); Force 15-1; (Elk Grove/Sacramento); Paye’s Black 15-1. ■ 14U: City Beach Black 14-1; Paye’s Black 14-1; Vision Gold 14-1.
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Built TOUGH Not necessarily most-talented or experienced 17U boys club team, Diablo Valley’s Tool Shed heads to Junior Nationals with an upside
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Phillip Walton photos
Trevor Felix drives the ball into the net during a recent workout in Walnut Creek. Felix, a De La Salle senior, does a little bit of everything for the 17U Tool Shed team.
By Chace Bryson | Editor
n 15 years of coaching volleyball at the high school and clubs levels, Steve Siegmann isn’t sure he’s ever had a team like his current one. And when Diablo Valley Volleyball Club’s 17U Tool Shed boys team begins play at the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships in Dallas on July 1, Siegmann is hoping the rest of the Open Division teams haven’t seen anything like it either. The following statements can more or less describe the makeup of Tool Shed. ■ They are NOT exceedingly tall. (The team’s tallest player is a generous 6-foot, 5 inches.) ■ They are NOT especially experienced. (As many as five players are in their first full season of club volleyball. One kid’s high school doesn’t even have a team.) ■ They are NOT overly familiar with one another. (Unlike many club teams which have a core group that rises up the age ranks together, no more than four of five players have played extensively together prior to the team being assembled back in late 2011). ■ They ARE very talented, very versatile, and can frustrate opponents to no end. (The team features three league MVPs from the high school season which wrapped up in late May.) “We’re relentless,” said Nelson Fisher, a Diablo Valley Athletic League co-MVP for College Park High who — in a common theme — does a little bit of everything for Tool Shed. “We don’t give up. We don’t let the ball touch the ground, and we really just tick off the tall guys.” What Siegmann’s team lacks in size it undoubtedly makes up for in ball control and precision. Something that has taken it’s toll on bigger teams that expect to pound the ball repeatedly against them. “We’re definitely pretty small for our age group,” Siegmann said. “But, it’s probably one of the best defensive teams I’ve ever had.” Despite the several elements that would seem to stunt the team’s growth, Tool Shed seemed to soar from the outset. The team jumped
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out to win it’s preseason tournament and continued on to a 12-1 start. Perhaps their best performance came in early January, however. Taking part in the FarWestern Junior National Qualifier in San Mateo, the Tool Shed stormed to the championship match before losing to Southern California power Shorebreak. The runner-up finish was good enough to earn the Diablo Valley 17’s a bid to the Open Division of the Junior Nationals. It was at that tournament that Tool Shed’s players reached a new level of confidence. “That’s when everyone realized that we’re actually pretty good,” Tool Shed outside hitter Gabe Domecus said. “We also realized what it takes to win those types of tournaments. That was an eye opener for all of us.” Domecus, a chiseled 6-foot-1 hitter and setter, put up monster numbers in leading St. Patrick/St. Vincent-Vallejo to a 35-4 record and North Coast Section Division III championship as a junior this past spring. He posted a gaudy 54.3 kill percentage, connecting on a total of 368. He added 222 digs, 136 aces, and piled up 455 assists in his time as a setter. It was no surprise to see him named the Bay Shore Athletic League MVP. Domecus grew up in a volleyball family. His mom, Danette, is the head coach for St. Patrick/St. Vincent. He has one sister already playing collegiately for San Francisco State and another headed to play at Cal State Dominguez Hills. And according to Siegmann, Gabe is among the only Tool Shed players currently getting serious looks from Division-I schools. “He’s one of our strongest hitters,” Siegmann said. “He has setting experience, but it got to a point where it was better for us to have him hitting full time and he’s taken advantage of it.” Domecus wasn’t necessarily needed at setter because the third league MVP member of the Tool Shed is Deer Valley-Antioch setter Derrico Kwa. “Derrico has really surprised me,” said Domecus, whose St. Patrick/ St. Vincent team beat Deer Valley twice in tournaments during the high school season. “I’d seen him play high school when we played June 28, 2012
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To be honest, in my entire club and high school career, I’ve never seen an offense like this. That’s what we’re relying on. That’s what will make it so effective because no one else has really seen it.” Tool Shed hitter/setter Trevor Felix
ABOVE: Tool Shed coach Steve Siegmann, left, talks with assistant Mark Bauhs. Bauhs was an offensive force for both the Diablo Valley Club and San Ramon Valley High before going on to the University of Pacific and becoming a standout libero. RIGHT: Gabe Domecus, left, is a top hitter for the Tool Shed, and the one player who is currently gaining the most attention from college scouts.
against him. But playing with him, you realize he’s such a good setter because he opens up hitting for everybody and makes it a lot easier on the hitters.” With the presence of Kwa and Trevor Felix, a jack-of-alltrades talent who Siegmann coached at De La Salle-Concord during the high school season, the coach came to realize that his team could reach another level offensively under a new offensive scheme. The scheme was one he implemented at De La Salle this season and found a great deal of success with — not just due to his players’ talents, but also to the fact that very few opposing teams had ever faced an offense like it. The offense seems to be an ideal system for Tool Shed, which carries a number of versatile players, all of which are adept at ball control. “We can position people and put people in multiple positions at once,” said Felix, who is the primary serve-receiver in the offense in addition to stints at hitting and passing. “There’s always parts moving. Players aren’t going to be in the same spot on the court in each rotation. I know for a fact that there are 3-4 people who will hit left, middle and right. They don’t just stay in one position the entire time. So that’s going to mess with the blockers. “We can take those people, since they are all versatile, and can move them around and swing them to different spots as much as we want. And that’s the key importance of this of26
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fense, that we can move people around so easily.” Because Siegmann didn’t decide to install the new scheme until after the high school season, Tool Shed will be running the offense in competition for the first time at Junior Nationals. Felix isquick to point out that if they can master the offense before arriving in Dallas, it could serve as a very effective element of surprise. “To be honest, in my entire club and high school career, I’ve never seen an offense like this,” Felix said. “That’s what we’re relying on. That’s what will make it so effective because no one else has really seen it.” Siegmann thinks that the offense alone could yield the team an average of at least five more points a game. Taking that into account, and adding the team’s already-stout defensive game, he thinks his unorthodox team might just have a chance at making a legitimate run in the Open Division. “Realistically, we’re going to tell them ‘Let’s just give ourselves a chance and stay in the top half each day,’” Siegmann said. “If we just keep staying in that top half, we’ll get ourselves into the knockout round where anything can happen. Anything in the final Top 15 would be a good accomplishment for this team. Do I think we can do better? Yeah. But I think if we get inside that Top 15, it would be a good accomplishment.” ✪ Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsOnline.com
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College scholarships built on hard work, not exposure
n this issue’s column I want to share a recent article I received from Mike Boyle, owner of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning. He is one of the top Strength and Conditioning Coaches in the world and someone who has had a big impact over my career on how I train and prepare my athletes. This article has a very important message for parents and athletes trying to improve their chances for a college scholarship. He has helped and continues to help hundreds of high school, college and professional athletes succeed in their respective sports. — T.R. ■ The Road to College Parents are being misled. Yes, all the tournament and camp organizers are deliberately misleading you. Parents shell out thousands of dollars for exposure camps and exposure tournaments for their sons or daughters. The organizers tell you that attending a certain camp or playing in a certain tournament will improve your chances of getting a scholarship. The bottom line is it’s not true. If your child attends four days of camp it will not change him or her. Neither will weekend tournaments. Unfortunately, parents make a critical error at the wrong time. The most critical time in a young athlete’s career is the summer prior to his or her senior season. This is when a young player needs to train to prepare to have a great senior year. However, instead of preparation, parents choose exposure. The result is usually the same. The athlete goes to 5-6 exposure camps to be seen by college coaches. Instead of training and preparation, the summer is about travel and exposure. The final result is that the athlete is not physically prepared for the senior year and ends up either getting injured or having a sub-par year. Coaches that might have had interest suddenly disappear. Sure things turn into maybes. Suddenly all the time spent on exposure seems wasted as there is no product to expose. The road to college sports should go right through a weight room. I know this sounds old fashioned, but it’s true. If your goal is to play college sports, then, get ready to play. Don’t spend all summer trying to convince coaches how good you are. Spend the summer trying to get better so coaches will notice you. You can’t network your way into college sports, and even if you can, in these days of email etc., send a letter and a video. In football it’s camps, in basketball and baseball it’s AAU, in hockey it’s tournaments. Every sport has entrepreneurs and organizers who swear they know the answer. The problem is they have a vested financial interest in you and your child. They need you to make money. The reason we have had such great success is because we do it right. Our program is intentionally modeled on the programs that have helped high school, college and professional athletes succeed for decades. The programs are not flashy or sexy. In fact they are difficult and demanding. However, they are designed around a successful formula, not a quick buck strategy. This summer you have a decision to make. You can try to show everyone how good you are in a few camps or tournaments, OR you can actually work at getting better and preparing for the seasons that really matter. ✪
Training Time Tim Rudd for IYCA
Tim Rudd is an International Youth Conditioning Association specialist in youth conditioning (level 3), speed and agility (level 2), and nutrition specialist (level 1). For more information on anything you read in Training Time, email him at tim@fit2thecore.com. For more articles from Mike Boyle and to learn more about him go to: www.bodyby boyle.com
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Bob Larson
Bob Larson
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BEST OF THE SPRING BOYS COACH OF THE SPRING: John Diatte, Valley Christian-San Jose baseball — After a strong first two months, the Warriors sputtered to the finish line. Between the last two weeks of the regular season and the West Catholic Athletic League playoffs, Diatte’s club lost four of its last six and managed just a No. 4 seed in the CCS playoffs. Then just like that, they rebounded to win four straight — including knocking of heavy favorite Palo Alto 4-2 in the semis — to win the program’s first title since going back-to-back in 2007 and 2008. GIRLS COACH OF THE SPRING: Teri Johnson, James Logan-Union City softball — Johnson knew her team had the talent to beat the nation’s No. 1 team when they met Amador Valley-Pleasanton in the NCS Division I softball championship. She just had to convince her players of it. A tall order considering a little more than six weeks prior they had failed to collect a hit against Amador Valley ace Johanna Grauer in what had been the Colts only loss of the season. And despite being out-hit 7-3 in the final, the Colts found a way to win by playing superb defense. The team finished 24-1 with a No. 5 national ranking. Butch Noble
Phillip Walton
BOYS RISING STAR: Joe DeMers, College Park-Pleasant Hill baseball — The freshman began the season with all sorts of hype surrounding him, and he didn’t disappoint. At the plate, he hit .319 with a team-leading 19 RBI. On the mound he was even better, pitching 69 innings and posting a 9-2 record with a 1.01 ERA and 72 strikeouts against just 13 walks. GIRLS RISING STAR: Destiny Smith-Barnett, SkylineOakland track and field — Just a sophomore, Smith-Barnett established herself as one of the top East Bay sprinters to watch in the coming years. She dominated the Oakland Section finals with wining times of 12.04 in the 100 meters and 24.83 in the 200. She then posted the East Bay’s top times in the CIF preliminaries of both events (12.08 and 24.91).
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e c a l d l n a l a ak O W es a m a h N s y a ol H S nior -
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It’s impossible to pinpoint one event or meet that served as Sasha Wallace’s coming out party for 2012; one would be better off simply picking one at random. Maybe it was the NCS Meet of Champions on May 25, where the Holy Names junior effortlessly hopped, skipped and jumped her way to the triple jump title with a distance of 42 feet, 3 1/4 inches, electing to forgo her third attempt and winning by more than five feet. What about the CIF state championships in Clovis on June 2? One will recall Wallace not only winning the 100 meter hurdles, deemed her second best event, but setting the national high school girls mark with a time of 13.33 seconds. That surprising victory, coupled with another triple jump crown, made her the only Bay Area athlete to win two state titles. Or, the USA Junior Track & Field Championships in Indianapolis on June 17? Wallace placed third in the triple jump, losing only to two collegiate athletes, and finished fifth in the 100 hurdles. The sum of these accomplishments led to Wallace as a no-brainer selection for SportStars’ Spring 2012 Female Athlete of Year. “I’m pretty proud of how far I went this year,” Wallace said, a couple days after returning from Indiana. “I was able to sustain the whole confidence level throughout the season. I had my eyes on the prize this season.” The only prize that eluded her this year was a ticket to Spain, site of the World Youth Championships. Still, with all of the victories she piled up, Wallace will need a trophy room for all of the prizes she collected in the last several weeks. “This season was pretty long,” Wallace said, who trains at East Oakland Youth Development Center and competes for the club during the summer. “I was happy with what I did this year. My performance in Indiana was pretty bittersweet, but I know I can do better. It would’ve been nice to go to Spain but I can’t say anything bad about it.” With only the top two finishers qualifying for Worlds, Wallace has been on the cusp the last two years, finishing third in the triple jump both times. How will she make sure she punches a ticket for Worlds in 2013? “I pretty much got a lot of advice from family and coaches coming into this season,” said Wallace. “I worked really hard. … The only thing that’ll take me to Worlds is just to work harder. Pretty much that and keep my eye on the prize.” — Erik Stordahl
Bob Larson
HONORABLE MENTIONS
THE WALLACE FILES
■ STATS: Wallace picked up four gold medals in the span of two weeks, sweeping the triple jump and 100 hurdles at both the NCS Meet of Champions and the CIF State Track and Field Championships. ■ SIGNATURE PERFORMANCE: As the national leader in the event, her triple jump state title seemed a foregone conclusion. It was her 100 hurdles performance at state that truly produced her “Wow” moment. She blew away the field and set a national-best time of 13.33. ■ ALL IN THE FAMILY: The sporting life runs deep in the Wallace Family. Sasha’s dad, Joaquin, is the head women’s basketball coach at San Francisco State. Her older sister Jameelah was a Junior Olympic gold medalist in the 400 meters. ■ SERIOUS POTENTIAL: Will you see Wallace in Team USA gear one day? Her coach Curtis Taylor thinks so. “I think she’s operating on 60 percent of her talent right now. If she sticks to it with her passion and keeps learning ... She can be in the Olympics.”
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Butch Noble
Johanna Grauer, sophomore, Amador Valley softball To those who have yet to see Grauer command the circle, you have two more years to do it so make plans. She posted 18 shutouts and three no-hitters during the regular season as the Dons went unbeaten and climbed to the top of the national rankings. After breezing to two playoff wins, she took the loss in the NCS Div. I championship, but not before striking out 17 and allowing just three hits.
Jonathan Hawthorne
Chelsea Chenault, junior, Carondelet swimming After a disappointing sophomore year in which she lost both her individual events (and NCS records) at the NCS Swim Championships, Chenault returned in 2012 as the dominant swimmer every one knew she was. She set a new National Independent record (non-public high schools) in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:44.76 at the NCS finals. Then she reclaimed her NCS record in the 500 freestyle by swimming a 4:38.05 and topping her nearest competitor by more than nine seconds.
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Spring 2012 Male Athlete of the Year
James Marvel
Senior Campolindo-Moraga HONORABLE MENTIONS
Jonathan Hawthorne
Bob Larson For those who followed the four-year varsity career of Marvel, it’s hard to imagine anything else in his hands than a baseball or a bat. But of all things, he could’ve just as easily been holding a hockey stick. In an alternate reality based upon him and his parents staying in Connecticut and not moving back to California before his sixth grade year, Marvel could just as easily been heading to his mom’s alma mater (University of Minnesota) dreaming of one day playing in the Frozen Four. Instead, he’s heading the opposite direction across the country — going back to the East Coast in hopes of one day making the College World Series as a member of the Duke Blue Devils. And that’s just fine with him. Even though he can still admit that giving up hockey was extremely tough. “I was a really big hockey player,” Mavel said. “If I’d stayed back there it might have been hockey (as my main sport). When we moved out here it’s just a different culture, and hockey just wasn’t going to be quite the same. I still miss it, but it turned out great for me. The baseball out here is some of the best in the country and I was fortunate to learn from it.” Campolindo was fortunate to have him. Marvel tossed a four-hit shutout in the 2010 NCS Division II championship as a sophomore — beginning a championship run that would yield three consecutive NCS titles. The Cougars were the first East Bay program of the NCS modern era (which began in 1975) to win three straight crowns. This season, in his final campaign, Marvel batted .433 with 39 hits, 26 RBI and a team-leading .544 on base percentage. Some arm fatigue led to him only starting 9 games but he still went 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA and 59 strikeouts over 58 innings. He was the
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designated hitter in the NCS final, finishing 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two stolen bases. “It was an amazing experience,” Marvel said. “So much of that success has to go to (coach) Max Luckhurst ... But we were really lucky to have such a great group of guys over the years. ... We’re going to look back and realize just how successful we were, but we won’t remember the wins and losses as much as we’ll cherish the relationships we made.” — Chace Bryson
THE MARVEL FILES
■ THE STATS: Batting — .433 average, 32 runs, 39 hits, 26 RBI, 7 doubles, 3 home runs, .544 on base percentage. Pitching — 9 starts, 58 innings, 5-2 record, 1.81 ERA, 59 strikeouts, 23 walks/hit batsmen. ■ SIGNATURE PERFORMANCE: Filling the DH role for the NCS Division II championship, Marvel went 3-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored and two stolen bases. Campolindo beat Dougherty Valley-San Ramon 6-3. ■ HIS BASEBALL ROUND TABLE: Asked what three baseball people he’d invite to a conversation, he chose Derek Jeter, Roy Halladay and his personal pitching coach Jeff Pick. “I’m all about learning and continuing to get better. If you can’t get better sitting at that table, I don’t know what you’re doing.” ■ THE NEXT LEVEL: Despite having Major League suitors, Marvel never wavered in his intention to attend Duke and get an education. “My parents always stressed academics first. ... Duke is a great school in the ACC, one of the best baseball conferences. Why not go play great baseball in a great part of the country while going to a great school? It doesn’t get much better than that.
Mike Tagliaferri, senior, San Ramon Valley-Danville lacrosse Tagliaferri was arguably the most dominant boys lacrosse player — on the most talented boys lacrosse team — that the Bay Area’s seen since the sport was recognized by the North Coast Section in 2004. The Wolves’ captain finished with 48 goals and 25 assists this season. He was named East Bay Athletic League MVP and an All-American. He will play for the University of North Carolina and was recently named to the 19U National Team. James Shaw, senior, St. Francis-Mountain View volleyball If his presence on the U.S.A Volleyball Boys Youth National Team and his pending ride to Stanford weren’t enough to solidify Shaw as the Bay Area’s top boys volleyball talent, perhaps his career-high 40 kills in the Lancers’ CCS Division I championship victory over Bellarmine Prep-San Jose might do the trick?
Courtesy of FIVB
June 28, 2012
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A pointed look at the various types of common finger injuries
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ur hands have more than 30 bones and major joints. So it’s no wonder our fingers are vulnerable to sprains and strains this time of year, during the heights of the baseball and softball seasons. The force of a fall or a flying ball can easily bend and injure our fingertips. Some of the most common injuries include: ■ Fractures ■ Sprains ■ Dislocations ■ Mallet fingers
FINGER SPRAINS A sprain happens when you overstretch or tear a ligament — the tough tissue that holds our finger bones together. Ligaments are often completely torn with a dislocation of a finger joint. While a sprained finger may feel better after several weeks, soreness often persists for six to nine months.
Health Watch Eric Stuffmann
MALLET FINGER Strains are damage to tendons, which connect muscles to bones. In the hand, the most common example of this is a mallet finger. A mallet finger injury happens when we rupture an extensor tendon at its insertion into the last bone in the finger tip. In healthy fingers, the extensor tendon allows us to straighten the finger tip, but a mallet finger injury renders it impossible to straighten this joint. The majority of these injuries can be treated conservatively with a splint, but delay in treatment can compromise the ultimate result. So it is imperative to seek medical attention immediately.
FINGER FRACTURES Fractures of the small bones in our fingers should also be evaluated by a doctor immediately. The majority of fractures in the hand can be treated conservatively. However, some fractures require surgery. In children, finger fractures present special issues. On the one hand, children are able to remodel their bones given the presence of growth plates. This means that a finger that is angulated or deformed can turn into a straight bone as the child grows. But if there’s any rotation at the fracture site, the bone will not remodel. Another special consideration with children is that it’s possible to injure the growth plates in fingers, which could result in abnormal growth of the digit. With finger injuries in general and fractures in particular, stiffness in finger joints is common. Patients need to work hard to regain motion and flexibility. A specialized hand therapist is frequently necessary to address stiff fingers.
WHAT YOU CAN DO Most finger injuries have similar symptoms: ■ Swelling ■ Pain ■ Limited motion Rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE) work well for minor sprains. You should see your doctor if the pain and symptoms persist after one or two days. Sprains can be diagnosed by physical examination while fractures are diagnosed by X-ray. See your doctor immediately if you think you have a fractured or dislocated finger. He or she will administer the appropriate treatment, which may include realigning the fracture, if necessary, or immobilizing the finger in a splint or a cast. In some cases, surgery may be required to realign and/or stabilize a fracture. If not treated, finger injuries can sideline athletes of all ages for months. Stay in the game — see your doctor for early medical care. ✪ Eric Stuffmann, M.D., is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and hand surgeon affiliated with Eden Medical Center.
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Welcome to Impulse, your one-stop shop for gadgets, gizmos and gear. Compiled by staff writer Erik Stordahl, Impulse provides you with the latest and greatest and what’s currently hot on the market.
There’s a Storm a brewin’
The California Storm women’s pro soccer team is invading Tesoro Fields again on Aug. 11, and SSM will be there for every last minute of it. You know the drill: suit up with your cleats and shinpads and get schooled by some of the best female soccer players NorCal has to offer. When they’re through with you, they’ll take on one lucky girls soccer team. They may or may not come out of this alive (they will).
Eastbay
It may be summer break but don’t think you can galavant your way through the next 10 weeks without getting some work in. It’s time for waking up at 5 a.m., downing an egg smoothie and running the streets of downtown Philly. Cue the Rocky music! (If that reference is lost on you, ask your folks or, you know, google it). If you need new gear, it might be wise to browse www.eastbay.com. Eastbay has the latest deals on shoes, cleats, gloves and other gear. Don’t worry, there’ll still be time this summer for endless video games, TPing your ex-girlfriend’s house, and frequent trips to Cold Stone.
Splash & Dash
It’s time for the first annual Tri-Valley Splash & Dash brought to you by our friends at Tri-Valley Tri Club. If you’re between the ages of 7-15, show up at the Dolores Bengston Aquatic Center in Pleasanton on July 15 and get ready to rock ‘n’ roll. This swim/run event introduces kids to the wonderful world of triathlons. When you register you get a swim cap, finishers medal, event t-shirt, and goodies from sponsors. What are you waiting for?? Register at www.trivalleytriclub.com now!
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iPhone case
Are you getting sick of just having a boring ol’ iPhone? Join the rest of us! If you’re wishing there’s something you can do about it, wish no more! Go to www.exclusivephoneskins.com and choose from some of the most innovative, retro-y (it’s a word) phone covers known to mankind. Designs like DJ turntables, XBOX controller, Angry Birds, Hello Kitty (Awwww!!!!), cassette tape and Game Boy.
iPod armbands
Get one of these bad boys, strap your iPod in, and enjoy the ride… or marathon… or just enjoy. Go to www.exclusivephoneskins.com and get yours now. Seriously, holding your iPod while running is so 2005 (or something).
Odwalla
Not only do they have tasty smoothie drinks, but their health bars are the bomb-diggity. They’re also really good for you. Choose from the protein bar (for working out) and the original (for everyday munching). You can find these at just about any grocery store, mini-mart or even De La Salle and their summer camps.
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You don’t know squat: Lift won’t help you if your technique is wrong Athletes use their legs in almost all sports. Also, every sport takes explosive power to create dominating speed and agility traits. The most important aspect to true power is overall strength. So if you are an athlete who uses your legs and needs to build lower body strength, the squat — and its many variations — is a necessity to have in your training regimen to increase speed and agility. It’s like a muscle car. You can tune it up and have it running like dream, but at that point if you want to increase the speed you have to add some NOS. Your speed and agility training is the tune up, your strength is the NOS. The only major problem I see is that many people perform the lift so poorly they end up wasting the lift or even hurting themselves. So here are some basic principals and a progression to help you get the most out of the squat. First of all, every athlete needs great mobility and range of motion strength. In order to develop this you must focus on going through as full a range of motion as physically possible to create a long powerful movement. In this case you need a lower body power base that can slow you down and redirect you almost instantaneously, or give you long explosively powerful strides to accelerate like a Ferrari. The best way to gain initial mobility and flexibility is to do a movement screen to find out problematic movement patterns, and then infuse corrective exercises and stretches to fix those movement patterns. Next, progressive load is key. It is much better to have less weight with a great movement range, than more weight with a minimal and horrible movement range. It’s scary seeing athletes stack the bar with weight just to show off and kill their technique. So make sure to choose the CORRECT weight and not go too heavy. Technique is king. In order for anything you do in the weight room to show up on the field or court you must utilize proper technique. This way when you are coached through sport-specific movements in practice or speed & agility training your body is CAPABLE of performing the movement effectively.
Powered by Trucks
Anthony Trucks
Simple Squat Coaching Principals 1) Feet shoulder width apart and toes slightly pointed out 2) Upper back tight with a firm solid grip on the bar 3) Eyes forward throughout lifting range 4) Start the lift by pushing the butt back and “sitting” 5) Keep heels flat on the ground at all times 5) Keep the torso upright and do not let your back lean forward 6) Get as deep as possible and make sure your hips break parallel 7) Press the knees out on the way up like you’re trying to spread the floor apart 8) Breathe out on the way up
Trucks Training Squat Progression 1) Body weight patterning: TEACH the squat before adding an external load 2) DB/KB Goblet wall Squat: Add a light weight while ingraining the proper squat pattern 3) Stick overhead & back squats: Before putting a weighted bar on an athlete we teach bar skills with a wooden stick or PVC pipe 4) BB back/front Squats: After the athlete has shown proper mastery they are ready for a weighted bar to perform the lift 5) Single leg squats: This variation helps athletes increase unilateral (single leg) strength, stability and balance, which is imperative, because rarely are both feet on the ground together at the same time. ✪ Anthony Trucks was a decorated football player for Antioch High and the University of Oregon before spending time on multiple NFL rosters. His Trucks Training facility has been operating since 2008. Powered By Trucks runs once a month in the magazine and will include additional content at SportStarsOnline.com. Send your weight training questions to Anthony at Contact@TrucksTraining.com.
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BASEBALL/SOFTBALL All American Sports Academy All American Sports Academy aims to train and educate all student athletes on the correct physical skills and mechanics needed to compete at all levels, as well as understand the proper practice habits and time management skills needed to improve their game. The organization is holding camps at various locations through July 26. Info: (209) 833-2255, Email: dnelson@ allamericansportsacademy.net 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 925-708-3173. Cabernet Baseball Club The Livermore-based club hosts baseball and softball
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camps for players ages 8-14. Lil’ Baseball also offered for ages 3-7. 925416-1600, http://cabernet. thepitchingcenter.com. East Bay Youth Sports Baseball is Fun Beginner Camp. July 25-Aug. 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. 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. Contact EJ Sports for a list of upcoming clinics. Info: 925-866-7199, www.ejsports.com.
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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 full-service baseball/ softball training academy. Ageand skill-specific programs available for students age 8-High School. Info: 925-4161600, www.thepitchingcenter. com. BASKETBALL CalStars The Stars Basketball Academy (SBA) is pleased to announce our youth and high school summer camps. The SBA is a fundamental based skills development camp for kids in 3rd gradeHigh School. We offer three youth (3rd-8th) sessions and two high school (9th-12th) sessions. Go to www.calstars. org for more info. East Bay Youth Sports 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. FastBreak Basketball Margaret Gartner, the highlydecorated girls basketball coach for Carondelet High in Concord, leads this girls basketball camp focused on fundamentals. Three week-long sessions remain: Session III, July 9-13, Grades 1-6; Session IV, July 16-20, Grades 6-10; Session V, July 23-27, Grades 4-10. Info: www. FastBreakBball.com; or email Fastbreak_club@yahoo.com CHEER CheerGyms.com Six camps are offered 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 Camp-California 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. All of our team camps are custom-built to complement your coaching needs and team goals. Info: 925-680-9999, www.EastBaySportsAcademy. com. Sheldon Junior Huskies SJH Cheer Camp is put on by the Jr. Dragon Cheer Staff featuring members of the Sacramento
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Kings cheer squad. Camp dates are July 10-12 at T.R. Smedberg Middle School (8329 Kingsbridge Dr., Sacramento). Each session will run from 6-8 p.m.. Cost is $35 per camper. More info: Contact Korean Peoples/Cheer Coordinator 310-531-6569. Xtreme Cheer Camps Xtreme is a competitive All-Star Cheerleading, Dance and Recreational Tumbling Gym in Antioch. All of our camp classes are fast-paced, fun and geared toward achieving your child’s goals. Info: 925565-5464; xtremetumble andcheergym@ yahoo.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 offer weekly field trips and in-house entertainment. 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.
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FITNESS 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). For F2C’s Back to Sports programs we offer training weekdays, with 2 days/week or 3 days/week program options. Sign up today for your two-week free pass at www. fasteryoungathletes.com, or call 925-6390907 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 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 Football University From the creators of the U.S. Army AllAmerican 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 positionspecific technique training taught by our expert faculty of former and current NFL coaches who have a passion for sharing this experience with young athletes. Sheldon Junior Huskies The Herb Berry Football Camp will take place from July 10-12 at T.R. Smedberg Middle School (8329 Kingsbridge Dr., Sacramento). Each session will run from 6-8 p.m.. Cost will be $65 per child. More info: Contact Reuben Peoples/
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President 916-613-5606. 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. 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, 925-6866262, Ext. 0, angela@ thefirstteecontracosta.org; www.thefirstteecontracosta. org. 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. 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. Once-a-week Summer Classes will be held Monday-Saturday beginning in June. Junior Golf Summer Camps will be held 8-10 a.m., Tuesday-Friday. Upcoming camps begin on the following Tuesdays: 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
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Earthquake Arabians! Registration is OPEN. Log on to www. earthquakearabians.com for more info. 925-360-7454. LACROSSE Atherton/Vitality Lacrosse Join Atherton Lacrosse and learn the basics of the game in their spring, summer and fall camps. Every camper receives a free t-shirt and 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 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! Info: www.vitalitylacrosse.com. 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. 925-682-9517; www.usksmartialarts.com. OUTDOOR/ADVENTURE 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. Diablo Rock Gym We will be offering kids summer camps every week starting in late June and ending
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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, 925602-1000. RUGBY Diablo Rugby Youth rugby is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. 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) 798-GOAL 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 of every soccer player. Half- and full-day sessions available. Ages 4-17. Info: www. ginossocceracademy.com. Heritage Soccer Club In 2012, HSC not only offers membersonly summer soccer camps, but is also offering a separate soccer camp for girls on July 9-12 that will be open to the community. HSC will also conduct its second annual Harvest Cup Tournament in October. HSC is based in the Pleasant Hill/Martinez area and serves the surrounding community. Info: www.
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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 in sessions of 3-4 weeks. (During the slower months of Fall, Winter 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 three-week sessions. Info: 925-283-2100, www. ShermanSwim.com. Walnut Creek Swim Club Summer practice sessions will be offered 7:30-10 a.m. daily beginning
in June @ Las Lomas High School. Info: www.walnutcreek swimclub.org. TENNIS ClubSport Valley Vista ClubSport Valley Vista has successfully been hosting summer tennis camps in Walnut Creek 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. Players will be grouped according to level of play and age. ClubSport Valley Vista members receive discounted rates. Info: 925-934-4050. VOLLEYBALL Pacific Rim Volleyball Through private lessons, and the opportunity for year-round 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: 888-9887985, www.USYVL.org. Velocity Core Volleyball Club The Girls Volleyball Summer league is open to youth in 5th-8th grades. Highly trained and experienced staff will teach the fundamentals using philosophies from Gold Medal Squared and USA Volleyball. Teams will train twice weekly
during this six week program with one Saturday tournament. The registration fee includes a t-shirt for each participant. Lead instructor: Jack Cowden, Foothill College and USA Volleyball High Performance coach. Dates are Tues/Thurs from July 9-Aug. 15, 2012. Cost is $200.00 WRESTLING Community Youth Center The CYC wrestling program 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: 925671-7070, 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 Velocity Sports Camps Our Spring Break Sports Specific Summer Camps provide campers with a funpacked, 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,
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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 run through August 17th. Info: www.walnutcreekrec.org or call 925-943-5858. William Jessup University camps William Jessup University in Rocklin is hosting various summer sports camps in the coming weeks. Nike Basketball Camp, led by coach Aaron
Muhic, runs from July 1619. Open to boys and girls ages 8-18, this overnight camp promises to “provide quality individual instruction to young people and ultimately improve their basketball skills” according to Coach Muhic. Also July 16-19, the Competition and Junior Skills Camp will be held. Call coach Muhic at 916-577-2362 for more info. Girls Soccer Camp will also be held on from July 16-19. Directed by coach Jamie Howard, camp will focus on Team Development/Tactics, 1 vs 1 Attacking/Defending, and more. Email jhoward@ jessup.edu for more info. Girls volleyball camp led by coach Terry Stafford is on July 23-26 for girls 12-18. High-quality staff with player-staff ratio of 8:1 to ensure quality teaching of camp skill and training techniques. Setters Camp (Boys/Girls) will be held from July 27-28. Contact Coach Stafford 916-834-9801.
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Advertiser Index
❒❒ All World Sports..............................................................................................48 ❒❒ Army National Guard Recruiter..........................................................................4 ❒❒ Bald Eagle Sports Camps.................................................................................41 ❒❒ Big 5 Sporting Goods........................................................................................5 ❒❒ Big O Tires.........................................................................................................2 ❒❒ Cal Athletic Camps..........................................................................................44 ❒❒ Championship Athletic Fundraising................................................................36 ❒❒ Cheergyms.Com..............................................................................................26 ❒❒ Children’s Hospital And Research Center..........................................................18 ❒❒ City Beach Sports Club....................................................................................27 ❒❒ Club Sport Renaissance...................................................................................16 ❒❒ Concord Youth Football & Cheerleading..........................................................40 ❒❒ Core Volleyball Club.........................................................................................40 ❒❒ Crowne Plaza..................................................................................................45 ❒❒ Diablo Car Wash & Detail Center......................................................................44 ❒❒ Diablo Rock Gym.............................................................................................36 ❒❒ Diablo Trophies & Awards................................................................................36 ❒❒ Dream Courts U S A.........................................................................................47 ❒❒ E J Sports Elite Baseball Services.....................................................................38 ❒❒ East Bay Pit Bulls.............................................................................................29 ❒❒ East Bay Sports Academy................................................................................22 ❒❒ East Bay Summer Camps 2012........................................................................37 ❒❒ Eden Medical Center..................................................................................21, 45 ❒❒ Epic Indoor Skatepark.....................................................................................38 ❒❒ Excellence In Sport Performance.....................................................................40 ❒❒ Fit 2 The Core...................................................................................................39 ❒❒ Franklin Canyon Golf Course............................................................................38 ❒❒ Halo Headband...............................................................................................45 ❒❒ Home Team Sports Photography.....................................................................43 ❒❒ Hyatt Place Sacramento / Roseville.................................................................34 ❒❒ Image Imprint.................................................................................................38 ❒❒ Kinders B B Q.....................................................................................................3 ❒❒ Law Offices Of Frankel & Goldware..................................................................44 ❒❒ Mountain Mike’s Pizza.....................................................................................17 ❒❒ Norcal Courts...................................................................................................12 ❒❒ Oakley Raiders................................................................................................38 ❒❒ Passthaball......................................................................................................44 ❒❒ Pleasant Hill Youth Football Rebels.................................................................41 ❒❒ Red Zone Training............................................................................................45 ❒❒ Renegades Volleyball Club.................................................................. 39, 40, 41 ❒❒ Rocco’s Pizza..............................................................................................28, 36 ❒❒ Rockin Jump................................................................................................9, 39 ❒❒ Saint Mary’s Athletic Summer Camps........................................................28, 44 ❒❒ Sheldon Jr. Huskies Youth Football & Cheer.....................................................38 ❒❒ Simply Selling Shirts.......................................................................................36 ❒❒ Sky High Sports...............................................................................................36 ❒❒ Skywest Golf Course........................................................................................45 ❒❒ Sports Stars Magazine.....................................................................................42 ❒❒ Stevens Creek Toyota.........................................................................................7 ❒❒ Taking The World By Storm Soccer...................................................................19 ❒❒ Tesoro Golden Eagle Refinery..........................................................................23 ❒❒ The First Tee Of Contra Costa................................................................ 40, 42, 44 ❒❒ The First Tee Of The Tri Valley...........................................................................44 ❒❒ Tpc / The Pitching Center.................................................................................34 ❒❒ U S K S Martial Arts.........................................................................................44 ❒❒ United States Youth Volleyball League............................................................44 ❒❒ Valley Christian Vikings...................................................................................45 ❒❒ Velocity Sports Performance................................................................. 8, 36, 41 ❒❒ Walnut Creek Soccer Club..........................................................................39, 41 ❒❒ Xtreme Tumble And Cheer Gym.......................................................................39
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Dominic Foscalina of the East Bay SportStars keeps his eyes on the ball as he attempts to make a play near second base during the Northern California National Team Identification Series event at Big League Dreams Ballpark in Manteca on June 13. Photo by Butch Noble
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