CA Issue 26, 06.23.2011

vol. 2. issue 26

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June 23, 2011

endure | excel | achieve

California

Super 6 norcal represents at usa hoops tryouts

Pg. 14

brave attempts special olympics summer games come to uc davis

Pg. 24

sizzling pac rim volleyball making itself known

Pg. 13

suit up it isn’t easy to wear this uniform

Pg. 12

SOUTH BAY’S MVLA LIGHTNING READY TO STRIKE. PG. 20

all access

sac-area athletes gear up for norcal special olympics.

Page 24

ON THE COVER MVLA Lightning’s Sarah Robinson (right) swoops in on Marissa Hing of MVLA Mercury Black. Both teams are at the Far West Regionals. P. 20 Photo by: Norbert von der Groeben

First Pitch.............................................. 6 Behind the Clipboard......................... 7 Locker Room....................................... 8 AAA SportStar of the Week...........11 Wally’s World.....................................12 Club Scene..........................................13 Training Time......................................18 Health Watch.....................................28 Impulse................................................29 Tee2Green..........................................30 Camps + Clinics................................34

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Mariya moore was one of six norcal players to try out for team usa. Page 14 Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsMag.com

SportStars’ first year on the scene was definitely a good one

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n the days between our last issue and this one, we celebrated our first full year of publishing. Which means we also completed our first full academic year of covering high school sports in the Bay Area and beyond.

Partly due to nostalgia — and partly due to the fact that we’re hoping to spend the summer building some electronic archives of all the stories and photos we’ve compiled in our first year (there’s no app for that, but there are interns) — I spent a good portion of last week going through many of our previous issues.

The first thing I noticed was how much we’d grown in 25 issues — both in size, and in general look and design. The second thing I noticed was how many different things we covered.

Just a quick glance at our first 30 covers (there were 25 issues, but we had regional covers on five of them) yielded some pretty impressive numbers.

Among the 30 covers, 15 different sports were represented (but that number grows to 18 if you count smaller images placed on our cover). Even more impressive was that 27 different schools have been featured in the dominant cover image.

Looking back through the pages of SportStars also reminded me what a quality year of high school sports we were treated to.

Lots of good stuff, but here are four of my favorite themes/storylines from the 2010-11 high school sporting year.

Norcal Football Holds Own

stars one by one.

But this year we actually talked about quite a few of them. The most memorable of course would be Briana Gaines (Dougherty Valley-San Ramon) and Megan Reid (Miramonte-Orinda) who decided to play two sports — in the same season — and be really good at both. Gaines and Reid each played basketball and soccer for their schools, and Gaines and her teammates won North Coast Section titles in both sports.

Other two-sport standouts that come to mind from the pages of SportStars this year included Palo Alto’s football/baseball standout T.J. Braff, as well as Pinole Valley-Pinole Travis Feeney, who also pulled the football/ baseball double.

Year Of The Freshmen

FIRST PITCH Chace Bryson Editor

There hasn’t really been a year where at least one freshman failed to burst on the scene and created serious buzz, but this year they seemed to be everywhere.

The aforementioned Reid was one of them, as was William Brueckner of Acalanes-Lafayette, who just recently won the North Coast Section Tournament of Champions. There was also Nick Silverthorn and Sophie Hartley, both freshmen at Granada-Livermore, who were standouts in swimming and cross country, respectively.

Alhambra-Martinez stormed its way to a softball championship behind the bat of freshman Kylee Perez, who hit .628 with nine home runs over 26 games. And our East Bay cover for Issue 25 actually featured Amador Valley-Pleasanton softball hurler Johanna Grauer, who — along with four other freshmen — helped lead the Dons to an NCS title.

After four years of covering the California Interscholastic Federation State Bowl games and seeing Southern California teams win Chace@ all but three (two De La Salle-Concord wins SportStarsMag.com and one by Grant-Sacramento), it was really refreshing to watch the North take four (925) 566-8503 games in one weekend last December.

The story of Grauer and the Amador ValAdding to the excitement was the fact ley softball team transitions nicely to this that three of the winners were from public theme of the most recent school year: Long schools — two of which were making their time programs finally hauling in a section first appearance at the big dance in Folsom crown. and Escalon. Finally, the setting for the This happened throughout the school games — especially in the second day. Rainy. Muddy. Raw. It year, starting with Concord High football team’s storied run was high school football the way it ought to be. No bells and whistles. Just 11 on 11 with the last man standing reaping the to a title despite a roster of barely 30 kids. In the winter we saw San Marin-Novato shock the NCS Division III boys benefits. And the NorCal teams didn’t disappoint — punctubasketball world with a 30-win season behind a gifted big ated by De La Salle’s 48-8 plundering of nationally-ranked man in Stuart Wesonga and a fantastic low-profile supportServite-Anaheim. ing cast. In the spring, in addition to Amador Valley softball, we saw Palo Alto baseball finally get over the hump with a dramatic win in the Central Coast Section Division I final There was a time when I thought high school athletes against San Benito-Hollister. playing two or three different sports in a year was going to It all adds up to prove something I’ve learned in my 10 disappear for good. The growing trend of specialization in years of covering high school sports. It never gets boring.

Now, how many days until football practices start? ✪ sports and year-round play was picking off the multi-sport

Finally First

Multi-Sport Athletes Are Back

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PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507 Editorial Editor@SportStarsMag.com Editor Chace Bryson. Ext. 104 • Chace@SportStarsMag.com Contributors Bill Kolb, Erik Stordahl, Mike Wolcott, Jim Mannion, Mitch Stephens, Doug Gardner, Matt Smith, Clay Kallam, Jim McCue, Eric Gilmore, Ray Wolfe, Dave Kiefer Photography Butch Noble, Bob Larson, Jonathan Hawthorne, Chris Austria, Darryl Henick, Norbert von der Groeben Creative Department Art@SportStarsMag.com Production Manager Mike DeCicco. Ext. 103 • MikeD@SportStarsMag.com Publisher/President Mike Calamusa. Ext. 106 • Mike@SportStarsMag.com Advertising & Calendar/Classified Sales Sales@SportStarsMag.com Account Executives Mike Wolcott Ext. 109 • MikeW@SportStarsMag.com; Erik Stordahl • ErikS@Sport StarsMag.com (Special Sections, Calendar, Marketplace sales) Reader Resources/Administration Ad Traffic, Subscription, Calendar & Classified Listings info@SportStarsMag.com • Deb Hollinger. Ext. 101 • Distribution/Delivery Mags@SportStarsMag.com Distribution Manager Butch Noble. Ext. 107 • Butch@SportStarsMag.com Information technology John Bonilla CFO Sharon Calamusa • Sharon@SportStarsMag.com Office Manager/Credit Services Deb Hollinger. Ext. 101 • Deb@SportStarsMag.com Board of Directors 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@SportStarsMag.com www.SportStarsMag.com

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your ticket to bay area sports admit one; rain or shine This Vol. #2, May 2011 Whole No. 24 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).

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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.

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Summer ball vs. burnout: Weigh the outcomes and do what’s best for you So what you have to do is balance all of these factors — the coach’s attitude, your enthusiasm, your teammates’ improvement, your long-term goals, your standing on the team ...

My coach wants me to play all summer, but I’d like to take some time off. He says he won’t punish me if I don’t, but I don’t know what to do. I want to be involved, but I need a break every once in a while, even if some other kids don’t seem to.

What should I do?

J.Y., Pleasant Hill

T

hat’s a complicated question because there are a lot of factors involved, starting with the coach’s attitude.

It’s good that the coach said he wouldn’t punish you, but then again, he sort of has to say that. If he demands that you do the summer program, you and your parents could complain to the school — especially if it costs money to play — so his safest course is to say it won’t affect your status.

For the sake of argument, let’s assume he’s sincere about not holding your absence against you, which is what I try to do — but what I tell my players is that even though there will be no consequences from my end, what will happen is that the players who do work on their game all summer will get better, and thus they will be in better position to get more playing

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time during the season. So even though you won’t be “punished,” the other players are going to be “rewarded” because the work they put in will make them better, and they will find it easier to get in the game.

On the other hand, one of the most important aspects of success in sports (or any other activity) is enthusiasm.

The players who are excited about practicing and playing are the ones who are not only going to get the most out of their experience, they are also the ones who are likely to give a team its best chance to win.

Coaches, of course, are very enthusiastic about their sports, or they wouldn’t spend the countless hours for little pay doing what they do. That means it’s often hard for them to grasp that other people aren’t as fired up, and may need some time away from the game to recharge their batteries. But, as I’ve said several times in these columns, coaches like to win, first and foremost, and if you help your coach win games, he’ll be willing to back off on some of his demands — especially if you try to explain how you feel.

My guess is that if you don’t take a break, you get physically and mentally worn down, and you don’t

Behind the Clipboard Clay Kallam

get as much out of practices and you don’t play as well in games. That’s what you need to tell him. He probably won’t agree, but if you promise him that he’ll see a lot of enthusiasm and energy from you when you come back from your time off — and he does see that — he’ll most likely be OK with you not doing as much as some other kids.

Now, though, we circle back to your teammates who are there all the time. Not only are they getting better skill-wise while you’re not, they’re also showing their investment in the program by being at every event even if they don’t feel like it. They will have an advantage in some areas when you return, but it may be only a short-term advantage. Why? Because there’s a definite danger that those players will burn out and lose their enthusiasm for the sport before they graduate, while you’ll still be fired up and ready to go.

So what you have to do is balance all of these factors — the coach’s attitude, your enthusiasm, your teammates’ improvement, your long-term goals, your standing on the team — and figure out what works best in your particular situation. That’s probably not the answer you were looking for, but as with almost everything, there are lot more shades of grey than there is black and white. ✪ Submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email Coach Kallam at clayk@fullcourt.com

June 23, 2011

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rapid fire Chalese Davis Hercules track & field

Anti-LeBron

Pro-LeBron or anti-LeBron?

He’s too cocky

Best remedy for a sunburn?

Rank ‘em: Super Bowl, NBA Finals, World Series, March Madness When I was young, I wanted to be a ...

What athlete/ celebrity would you trade places with for a day?

Which fictional character would you like to meet?

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Jesus Rios Ygnacio Valley-Concord football

Gabby Green St. Mary’s-Berkeley hoops

Anti-LeBron Pro-LeBron Stay out of the sun

Honestly, I don’t get sunburnt

Cold shower

Madness, Finals, Super Bowl, World Series

Super Bowl, World Series, Finals, Madness

Finals, Madness, Super Bowl, World Series

Veterinarian/ track star

Pro football player

Superhero

Michael Jordan

Troy Polamalu

Derrick Rose

The Hulk

Spongebob

The Little Mermaid

Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsMag.com

Can we get an app for that?

We read recently that prep football coaches and athletic trainers will have a new tool at their disposal to aide them in diagnosing concussions on the sidelines. Turns out there’s an app for that. Yup. Just download ‘Concussion Recognition & Response’ to your iThingy, thumb in some info, and you, too, can be the world’s foremost authority on brain injury. We think this is fabulous, and it got us wondering about other great sports apps that need to happen.

1. The ‘Stick a fork in him’ app: Not sure if your starting pitcher can muddle through the next inning? Plug in some key statistics like inning, pitch count, current score and count and your pitcher’s mental-toughness quotient and let your iManager make the call to the bullpen for you! PERFECT FOR: The indecisive; Bob Geren 2. The ‘Wake me when I need to care’ app: Tired of wasting countless hours watching certain sports players go back and forth on your television with no apparent meaningful action? Let your iFan track the game for you and send you an alert as soon as something good is about to happen! PERFECT FOR: Soccer fans; Roberto Luongo 3. The ‘For two, or not for two’ app: Football coaches everywhere rejoice! The iCoach has eliminated the need for you to carry around a complicated chart of scores (or, really, to know anything about game management) in order to make the critical, ‘should I go for two or kick the point-after decision.’ Now plug in the score and time left and call it in. PERFECT FOR: The mathmatically-challenged; Mike Singletary 4. The ‘Racetracker’ app: Do you know how hard it is to follow a cross-country race as a reporter or fan? Darn near impossible. But with this app on you iXC (and a handy GPS tag on each and every runner in the field…) you can watch like an eye in the sky! PERFECT FOR: Cross country coaches and parents who are tired of slogging around in the mud; lazy reporters.

5. The ‘To foul or not to foul’ app: Your basketball team is up by three with under five seconds on the clock. The opposition is inbounding. Do you let them work for a 3-point attempt to tie, or foul them before they’re in the act of shooting, thus giving them just two free-throw attempts and sealing the victory? This app on your iHoopster can help you make that call. PERFECT FOR: Idiots. Seriously. You foul. This isn’t even a question. You foul.

— Bill Kolb

Norbert von der Groeben

San Benito-Hollister secodn baseman Ryan Jacob awaits the throw.

NorCal Baseball Top 15 Final rankings. Teams from the Central Section are not considered.

Rank, Team................................................................Record 1. St. Francis-Mountain View.......................................... 25-6 2. Palo Alto....................................................................... 28-9 3. Archbishop Mitty-San Jose......................................26-6-1 4. St. Mary’s-Stockton................................................... 24-10 5. Jesuit-Carmichael ...................................................... 25-9

she said what?!?

“It was high intensity. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such perfect volleyball in my life.”

Xceleration Volleyball Club outside hitter, Camille Condit, describing her first trip to the USA Volleyball Junior Nationals last year.The recent Clayton Valley-Concord grad will head back to Nationals at the end of June with Xceleration 18 Blue.

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6. James Logan-Union City............................................ 24-4 7. San Benito-Hollister.................................................. 22-9 8. Campolindo-Moraga................................................... 19-8 9. De La Salle-Concord................................................... 20-8 10. Alameda..................................................................... 25-2 11. Wilcox-Santa Clara.................................................... 26-8 12. Turlock....................................................................... 24-8 13. Monterey.................................................................... 27-5 14. Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills...................................... 21-11 15 Elk Grove.................................................................... 23-7

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who’s got next?

nominations: Editor@SportStarsmag.com

alex martinez

james logan-union city . baseball . sophomore

of the week Jitters were a thing of the past when Alex Martinez threw the first pitch of the North Coast Section Div. I championship game against De La Salle on June 6. If anyone was getting jittery, it was the Spartans’ offense as the sophomore hurled a complete game one-hit shutout in a 1-0 Colts victory.

His team faced with key injuries, coach John Goulding had no choice but to call on the young righty to help carry his team throughout the season and into the championship game.

SportStars: Be honest: Were you nervous heading into the game?

Alex Martinez: Actually, yeah. Being only a sophomore, my coach looks up to me as a big pitcher on the team. Our senior pitchers went down early in the year. Coach put a lot of faith and trust in me. De La Salle had great players, great team. I was definitely a little bit nervous going into the game.

SportStars: Was there one point where the butterflies went away?

AM: After I threw the first pitch of the ball game, I realized the moment was real ... I had to take it one pitch at a time. I had to go out there and battle for my team, and that’s what I did.

ALEX’S QUICK HITS Summer plans: Two-week family reunion in South Africa.

Favorite pitcher: Roy Halladay, he battles every game Favorite MLB team: A’s

honorable able ment mention ion honor

gio brusa The St. Mary’sStockton junior went 2-for-3, knocking in three runs, including a homer to help the Rams capture the SJS Div. I title as they topped Jesuit-Carmichael 6-1.

marguerite swearingen The Granada senior golfer shot a 2-over 73 tying her for second in a field of 41 at the US Girls Junior Amateur Qualifying tournament at Shadow Lakes GC on June 13.

katie zingheim The Granite Bay senior polevaulted her way to a third-place finish at the CIF Track & Field State Championships on June 4 in Clovis.

She will be bound for Stanford in the fall.

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June 23, 2011

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You want to play for USA baseball? Well you’ve got to be a SportStar first

D

on’t let the cardboard cutout what they can do.” fool you. Back in the day, the It’s a new approach for selecting the naman with his face sticking tional teams, which are under the direction through the hole of the East Bay of USA Baseball, a government-chartered SportStars figure to the right could program partly funded by Major League hit.

Baseball.

Send any medium-fast pitch “Hopefully it creates a more-balanced down the middle, at the same speed opportunity for kids in different areas to I’d seen the previous five pitches, be exposed,” Sekany said. and I’d crush it. As long as it didn’t The opportunity begins July 26-27, move or curve. I hated those. And when kids ages 13 and under compete in please, no throwing at my head. That a tournament at Big League Dreams Park sort of thing was always good for in Manteca. The 15-and-under tournaabout a two-year slump. ment will be Aug. 6-7 at Archbishop If nothing else, this photo breaks Mitty High School in San Jose, and the a string of 25 consecutive column 17-and-under tournament will be Aug. pictures featuring me with my black 13-14 at a location yet to be determined. shirt and my hands in the pockets of The players are competing for spots my green pants. And, it serves as a on next year’s 14U, 16U and 18U teams, perfectly awkward intro to the team respectively, that can go on to compete in represented by the SportStars logo. international competition.

Because, in real life, this is as close The next step out of this summer’s as I ever would have gotten to weartournaments, for those fortunate enough ing that prestigious uniform. to be picked, will be at a national tournaThe East Bay SportStars — like the ment in North Carolina in September. name? We do — is a group of three For a good taste of how much talent age-bracketed elite teams that will will be on the field in these tournaments, participate in the Northern Califorit might be wise to look at some of the kids nia Prospect Games, which is the first who did NOT make the team a year ago. stop on the road to the USA Baseball “Joe Ross (of Oakland’s Bishop O’Dowd National Teams for 2012.

High, and our Spring Male Athlete of the In other words, we’re talking the best of Year in the East Bay) and Robert Stephenthe best. You could say it’s to youth baseball son (Alhambra-Martinez) were both in the what “Top Gun” is to fighter pilots. working group for the 18U national team last As a magazine we’re proud to be a sponyear, and both of those guys got cut from that sor of the team and excited that our logo team,” Sekany recalled. will be worn by many of the same Northern For the record, they bounced back nicely: California athletes we’ve featured on the Both were selected in the first round of this pages of this magazine. And no one is more year’s baseball draft, with Ross going No. 25 excited by the potential of our players than to the San Diego Padres and Stephenson goJason Sekany, a former professional pitcher MikeW@ ing No. 27 to the Cincinnati Reds. in the Boston Red Sox organization who SportStarsMag.com Sekany, a Walnut Creek native who was a operates The Pitching Center in Pleasanton. second-round pick by the Red Sox in 1996, In his eyes, it’s not only an opportunity (925) 566-8500 marvels at the level of talent that seems to for the best players in the East Bay to be Ext. 109 only continue to improve with each generaseen, it’s a welcome (and rare) chance for tion, and he’s excited that much of that talent some competing summer baseball programs will be representing the East Bay — and, to work together. perhaps, the entire country — in 2012.

“We’re getting some collaboration and “From a local standpoint I look at the help from a couple of the other travel organitalent we see now at the high school age, and zations, so it’s a joint effort with other groups I wonder if I could have competed for a spot that on the field are adversarial, and that’s a on these teams,” he said. “We had no kids cool opportunity for our programs,” he said. like Tyson Ross (Joe’s brother, currently with That’s because, unlike most summer the A’s) or Joe Ross or Stephenson. They’re baseball programs, the idea behind the just more athletic; bigger, faster and better SportStars isn’t to win one tournament in trained. Those top-end players (from the past) would still be hopes of advancing to another — it’s about getting recognipretty darned good in this day and age, but how can these tion for the best players in our area, who can then move one kids not be better?” step closer to earning a spot on the national team.

Perfectly said. So, please ... pay no attention to the man in “It’s not about a team winning,” said Sekany, who describes the cardboard cutout. himself as the “administrative psycho” behind the three East Bay teams. “The real show of prowess will be which team will For more about the East Bay SportStars team — or, to nominate a player — go to https://sites.google.com/site/eastbayhave the most players move on to the next team. Our objecsportstars/, or visit our magazine’s Facebook page. tive is really to give our kids the opportunity to showcase

WALLY’S WORLD

Mike Wolcott

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club scene

Barely one-year old, Pacific Rim VB club is already bound for Nationals By erik stordahl | SportStars The Pacific Rim boys volleyball U14 team is no stranger to streaks. Take for instance its 41-match winning streak that stretched from September to November 2010. Now throw into the mix that this team didn’t drop a single set during that streak. That’s 123 consecutive sets.

Founded in May 2010 as a beach volleyball club, Pacific Rim took the Bay Area volleyball club scene by storm as it blazed a trail of dominance throughout the fall season. Head coach Roger Worsley knew he formed a good team, but when did he know they were going to be better than expected? “Bay to Bay from San Mateo was the No. 1 team in Nor Cal last year,” Worsley said. “We didn’t play them ‘til the second week (of our first tournament). ... We annihilated them. That really was the feather in our cap. We knew we could play with anyone.”

The rookie team, which is part of the rookie program, rode its winning streak all the way to the Far West Regionals in November where it emerged victorious and, consequently, punched a ticket to the USA Volleyball Junior Nationals in Minneapolis on July 28-July 3. Not bad for a squad that has a handful of players who had never played competitively before.

It wasn’t until the first week of January when Pacific Rim tasted defeat for the first time, while playing in a Southern California tournament. They still finished an impressive 7-2 in the tournament though, which prompted Worsley to explain continuing the streak wasn’t the

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desired outcome.

“I told my players to relax in SoCal,” Worsley said. “(This tournament) will give us an opportunity to see where need to improve.

Improvements were brought to the forefront.”

The only major improvement Worsley could identify was blocking.

Yet, given that Pacific Rim isn’t blessed with height, the team may just need to focus on enhancing its strengths.

“I went strictly for ball control ... passing and defense,” said Worsley, when explaining the type of players he was looking for in tryouts.

“We built our offense out of our defense. We had strong serving; that really separated us from every team out there.”

Worsley explains the team’s success really is a team effort.

Pacific Rim is led by Worsley’s oldest son, Joe, who is a setter and also acts as the captain. Also leading the attack are outside hitter Michael Standring, right side hitter Julian Egoian and Worsley’s youngest son, Gage.

Pacific Rim also boasts Sean Visima — a massive 13-year old, who stands at 6-feet, 1 inch. Visima didn’t even touch a volleyball until a few days before tryouts. He’s become a force to be reckoned with on the court since last fall. While the program may be new, Worsley says the team has enough experience to go into Junior Nationals confidently. “The majority of our kids have experienced Junior Nationals at least once,” Worsley said. “Having known that, we’re going there to win it.”

Want to see your club team in the Scene? Email results or story ideas to ErikS@SportStarsMag.com

Pacific Rim Volleyball Academy

Pacific Rim’s Derek Lodge, center, rises up for a kill during a club match earlier this year.

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Butch Noble Gabby Green (St. Mary’s-Berkeley), Natalie Romeo (Carondelet-Concord) and Mariya Moore (Salesian-Richmond), left to right, were among six to represent Northern California at the Team USA 16U tryouts.

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Six of NorCal’s brightest basketball players reaching for new heights

J

By clay kallam | Contributor

une in Cancun is usually the vacation of choice for teenagers, but six Northern California girls would have much preferred to have had memories of Merida.

The reason? The capital of the Mexican state of Yucatan may not be on the beach, but it was the site of the FIBA Americas U16 championship, and the six NorCal girls spent Memorial Day weekend in Colorado Springs trying out for the team.

Gabby Green of St. Mary’s High in Berkeley was the closest to making the final 12-girl squad, and the fact she didn’t make the team was a surprise to most media observers at the United States Olympic Center, but considering there were 115 of the nation’s best young players competing for just 12 spots, not getting on the final roster is hardly a cause for disappointment.

In addition, USA Basketball had specifically invited 35 players to the tryouts — the rest paid their own way and a small registration fee — and not surprisingly, all 12 players who made the team that swept to the U16 title June 13-18 were among the pre-selected 35.

Nonetheless, all the NorCal girls enjoyed the experience, though they had markedly different imButch Noble/File pressions. For example, Colorado Springs is 6,000 K.C. Waters of feet above sea level, which means the air is thinner Bishop O’Dowd and, for some, simple exercise can become difficult. puts up a shot.

“I was surprised by the elevation,” said K.C.

Open Season: 115 players take their shot at Team USA Though only six Northern California girls went to USA Basketball’s Under-16 tryouts over the Memorial Day Weekend, there could have been hundreds.

The reason? For the first time in more than two decades, the girls’ tryouts were open to all comers. Any girl who paid the $70 registration fee — and not incidentally ponied up for her travel expenses — could try out for the U16 team that played in the FIBA Americas championships in Merida, Mexico, June 13-18.

USA Basketball did invite 35 girls to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, but 80 more girls wound up making the trip.

One reason for opening up the process was to make sure that the Selection Committee got a look at all of the top players in the country — or at least as many as possible. And even though all 12 girls chosen were among the 35 selected, USA Basketball officials were pleased with the way the tryouts played out.

Still, paring down a group of 115 girls to just 12 in four days was a daunting task, so USA Basketball is considering going to regional tryouts for the next U16 selection process, which will be in 2013. That will open the door even wider for girls to get involved in the process, and make it even more likely that no qualified candidate will be overlooked.

But why isn’t there an U16 team next year? Because FIBA plays its youth championships in two-year cycles: The first year, countries qualify in regional playoffs, and in the second, the top teams in the regional competitions move on to the world championships.

So next year, an Under-17 team will play for the World Championship in the Netherlands, but note that the 12 girls who made the U16 team are not guaranteed a spot on the U17 team, even though they just qualified the United States for the World Championships.

It’s not only possible but likely that a 12 different girls will represent the U.S. in the 2012 U17 championships — but plans call for that team to be selected from a pool of invited candidates, rather than another set of open tryouts.

Nonetheless, this year’s middle-schoolers can start gearing up, because it’s likely they’ll be able to try out for USA Basketball’s U16 team in the spring of 2013 … and maybe even do so without having to leave California. ✪ — Clay Kallam

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Waters (Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland). “I did a warmup lap and I was sucking wind.”

Kelli Hayes (Archbishop Mitty-San Jose) and Mariya Moore (Salesian-Richmond) felt the same way.

“The first day it affected me,” said Moore, but Green, Natalie Romeo (Carondelet-Concord) and Mikayla Cowling (St. Mary’s-Berkeley) weren’t bothered nearly as much.

Another kind of altitude, though, was a factor — the altitude of the players. Led by 6-5 Mercedes Russell of Oregon, there were a horde of large, mobile and agile post players that made it a lot more difficult to score and rebound in the paint.

“Guarding taller girls” was a challenge, said Cowling. “I can’t outjump these girls.”

“I no longer see myself as a five,” said Waters, who at 6-foot, 2 inches was a dominant post in the Dragons’ run to the California Interscholastic Federation Div. III state title game.

“The height has surButch Noble/File prised me,” said Moore, Mikayla Cowling of a 6-1 wing, “and they’re St. Mary’s-Berkeley goes high at the opening tip. athletic.”

Romeo, a 5-7 point guard, had it the toughest. “I’m one of the smallest players here,” she said.

And as Moore mentioned, “tall” didn’t equal “slow.”

“The players are a lot faster here,” said Romeo, and Cowling too cited “quickness” as one of the things that set these tryouts apart from the basketball she’s used to.

“I’m surprised by how much talent there is,” said Green.

“And everyone is here to compete. Usually I can muscle smaller guards, but not here.”

In the end, it’s about survival. For each and every player.

“Everyone wants what you want,” said Moore, “so it’s tough.”

The combination of the size and speed of the athletes and the very physical style of play made it a demanding weekend in Colorado.

“It’s way better than an AAU tournament,” said Waters, though many of the girls knew each other from the summer circuit.

“It’s challenging,” said Hayes. “It’s surprising how fast and physical girls can get.”

Even though none of the six made the final 12, all felt the trip was worthwhile.

“I learned new things,” said Hayes, and she wasn’t the only one who used the word “learn.”

“It was really a good learning experience,” said Moore; and Waters said, “I’m learning what I need to work on.”

Cowling summed it up best: “It made me better.”

Cowling’s remark brought a focus back to the fact that all of the young players are much more concerned with what’s down the road than what happened in Merida last week.

“Seeing all these good players,” said Moore, “made me think about where I am going to be in the next few years.” ✪ Support Your Local Business • Say You Found Them In SportStars™

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Look for training centers that develop skill, not just conditioning N ot a week goes by that I don’t receive emails or calls from parents who want the secret to getting their young athletes bigger, leaner, faster, stronger and more agile. While I love their enthusiasm, this can sometimes be frustrating, since they usually want these results yesterday. A lot of them don’t like when I don’t tell them what they want to hear.

Whether you’re a parent, coach or athlete yourself, this article might not be what you want to hear, but it is something you need to hear. It’s time to get to the truth about what most speed training facilities really are and what your young athlete really needs.

There are a number of fundamental problems with the speed programs in today’s cookie cutter facilities which continue to adhere to ineffective programming for your young athletes. And the main reasons are that they don’t have the proper education, they don’t care, and may be in it just for the money.

These speed training centers push year-round, cookie-cutter group speed training sessions and market them as “speed training.” But the fact is that they are poorly supervised, non-scientific, random running drills without any concern for skill. It will condition your young athletes to move at the same speed for longer, but never at a faster speed.

There is a big difference between “conditioning” sessions

There are a number of fundamental problems with the speed programs in today’s cookie cutter facilities which continue to adhere to ineffective programming for your young athletes.

and “speed training”. The former serves only to enhance short-term metabolic preparedness, while the latter seeks to effect favorable changes in the powerful neuromuscular system that governs performance via long-term skill development.

The condition sessions offered at such facilities require less educated and skilled coaches.

It takes much less knowledge to simply tell an athlete to run than it does to instruct an athlete how to run — by identifying technical flaws, structural imbalances and movement inefficiencies — and then implement a program that will improve neuromuscular efficiency (skill) and performance.

When training for speed, strength and optimal technique, athletes must be allowed sufficient rest periods between efforts. Therefore, effective sessions require considerable time devoted to short-term recuperation. Conditioning sessions, on the other hand, are based doing more work in a given period of time, to improve sport specific endurance. Conducting conditioning sessions instead of programming to improve neuromuscular function (skill development) allows

Training Time Tim Rudd for IYCA

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even the smartest trainer or coach to be lazy.

Metabolic conditioning is more rapidly attained than neuromuscular efficiency. So if a coach is more interested in impressing you as a parent in a very short amount of time in order to encourage future cash flow, he or she will be able to demonstrate changes for your young athletes in the short term just by practicing a given skill like the 40 yard dash.

These improvements will be short lived and will leave you as a parent beating your head against the wall once your young athlete’s first plateau is encountered shortly after.

Neuromuscular adaptations (skill development) may take time, but they provide a foundation for continual improvements for the duration of your young athlete’s career while maximizing their potential. Conversely, metabolic conditioning is an acute quality that is more rapidly improved and lost for that matter, ensuring your young athlete will never reach their true athletic potential. ✪ Tim Rudd is an International Youth Conditioning Association specialist in youth conditioning (level 3), speed and agility (level 2), and nutrition specialist (level 1). You can contact him with questions or feed- back at tim@fit2thecore.com.

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Contributed

Competitors take to the streets as the 2010 Run to the Lake gets underway.

Eden Medical Center brings Run to the Lake back to Castro Valley By erik stordahl | SportStars

It’s time to gear up once again for Eden Medical Center’s annual Run to the Lake.

Taking place on July 10 at 8 a.m. in Castro Valley, Run to the Lake is always great fun for the whole family.

Participants will begin at 20103 Lake Chabot Road and can choose from the 5K run/walk or the 10K run. The 5K course is mostly flat and fast on paved surfaces, while the latter proves to be more challenging. Its course runs along with the rolling, hilly west trail of Lake Chabot with paved and trail surfaces and a fast finish.

Those registered will receive refreshments, a free t-shirt, and awards for top finishers in each age category.

The 50-yard Kids Dash, only for children ages 3-8, will be the featured family-friendly event during the day. Each kid will receive a finisher’s ribbon, goodie bag and special tshirt. They’ll get to meet the Nesquik Bunny and CHiPper, the California Highway Patrol Chipmunk.

Also, the first 100 children to participate will get one free month of Tae Kwon Do with a free uniform from Martial Arts America and will be entered in a drawing for a karate birthday party.

For the non-runners and walkers out there, Eden’s clinical staff and physicians are hosting a free Health Expo, which will provide people with free health information and health screenings for cholesterol/glucose and body fat.

To participate log on to www.edenmed center.org. It’s $25 ($30 after July 7) for the

Contributed Fremont resident Joanna Luk crosses the finish line as the female 10K winner a year ago.

5K/10K and $11 ($15 after July 7) for the Kids Dash before July 7. Registration will also be accepted on race day.

For more information on volunteering, call the Run to the Lake Hotline at (510) 7272744. ✪

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Norbert von der Groeben

LEFT: Gabrielle Matulich, Paige Crowley and Sarah Robinson (left to right) highlight the Lightning’s talented roster. All three are members of the U.S. U15 national team. ABOVE: The Lightning huddle together during a break in the action of a Far West Regional tune-up scrimmage with the MVLA Mercury Black on June 15.

With a loaded roster, the U15 MVLA Lightning of Los Altos begins defense of its national title

T

By david kiefer | Contributor

ry to conjure up a really dramatic sports moment. What would you picture?

A national championship game? OK. A tight contest decided at the finish? Got it.

Maybe a thunderstorm to add some spice? Indeed.

And, for punctuation, how about a well-timed lightning bolt?

Boo-Yah! It all happened — for real — around a soccer pitch in Overland Park, Kan., in late July, 2010. The team involved: the aptly-named Mountain View-Los Altos Lightning.

Playing for the under-14 girls’ U.S. Youth Soccer Association title against the Dallas Sting, the evening match was delayed more than two hours by poor weather. After a scoreless tie, it went into penalty kicks as the storm bore down once again.

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“We want them to feel comfortable with the ball at their feet. We don’t make it super-competitive. We try to take the focus off winning and make it fun.”

Erin Montoya

As the Sting took the first kick, a bolt of lightning flashed behind the goal an instant before goalkeeper Jacqueline Walker-Caginia made the save. The murmurs immediately began among the Lightning players.

“This is a sign,” they told themselves.

Sure enough, the Lightning won the shootout, 5-3, to give the club its first national girls’ title. The result was significant for a club that has become a burgeoning power in Northern California since husband and wife Albertin and Erin Montoya began coaching a decade ago. ◆◆◆ MVLA has three girls’ teams in the Far West Regionals (June 20-26 in Boise, Idaho), including the Lightning, the nation’s No. 1-ranked U-15 team as of May 23 on NationalSoccerRankings.com. Champions from four regions advance to the national championships July 26-31 in Phoenix.

Already, the Lightning has something no other club can claim: three players on the U.S. U-15 national team. Central defender Paige Crowley, attacking midfielder Sarah Robinson, and forward Gabrielle Matulich were among 24 players to receive call-ups for the May camp at Carson’s Home Depot Center.

In addition, forward Gabriella Kaplan, the Golden Ball winner as the top scorer in last year’s national tournament, was called to the U.S. U-15 camp in March and was active on the U.S. U-14 team in 2010.

All four, and perhaps others, could be in the mix for spots on the U.S. team that will compete for the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan.

Few clubs, if any, can match the Lightning’s quality and depth.

“Each person on this team has the skill to make things happen,” Matulich said.

That’s no accident. The Lightning may be young, but plays a mature game. Rather than a direct style (long balls played forward in the air) preferred by most American teams, the Lightning plays a possession game that emphasizes short ground-hugging passing and encourages beating opponents off the dribble.

Every player has been trained to be deft on the ball no matter their position, and it’s the team’s central defenders, Crowley and Caitlyn Wong, who may be the most vital to the attack. The Lightning builds through the back, gets opponents to chase, and then exploits weaknesses when defenders are stretched out of position.

It’s a formula that has been successful at places like Santa Clara University, where Erin played, and with the defunct Bay Area-based FC Gold Pride, which Albertin coached to the Women’s Professional Soccer championship in 2010 and is regarded by some as the greatest women’s club team in history.

And it works at FC Barcelona, the great Spanish club from which the Montoyas carry as their example and whose kit the 22

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Norbert von der Groeben

MVLA Lightning coach Erin Montoya co-founded the Mountain View-Los Altos Soccer Club a decade ago with her husband, Albertin. Her soccer acumen was honed by playing for both Santa Clara University and the now-defunct FC Gold Pride.

Lightning wears at every Wednesday practice. ◆◆◆ Albertin was an injured professional with Major League Soccer’s San Jose Clash when he decided to return to MVLA, the club he played for under his father, Alberto, in 1993 when they won a U-19 national title as the MVLA Shooting Stars.

Erin also came from coaching stock — her father, John, was a longtime coach at Overfelt High in San Jose — and helped Albertin in his first coaching venture, raising the MVLA Mercury into multiple State Cup champions. The team featured future Stanford first-team All-Americans Teresa Noyola, who will play for Mexico in the World Cup beginning June 26 in Germany, and Lindsay Taylor.

That’s where the journey truly began and the Montoyas have been building MVLA ever since, in their own style while the U.S. Soccer Federation has noticed, recently naming Al-

bertin as the U.S. girls’ U-17 national team coach. Meanwhile, the small club has grown, with 101 players coming to the recent girls’ under-10 tryouts.

From the time the kids first arrive, at the U7 level, the focus is on skill and creativity. For the first several years, schedules are scaled back in favor of in-house drills and small-sided games so each player can work on maneuvering in tight spaces.

“We want them to feel comfortable with the ball at their feet,” Erin said. “We don’t make it super-competitive. We try to take the focus off winning and make it fun.”

For the younger kids, coaches may offer a prize not for the goal scorer, but for whoever can execute a step-over move.

Creative plays are encouraged, even if the ball is stolen in the process and taken for an opposing goal. That’s OK. The creative attempt was worth it.

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BOISE BOUND A list of South Bay soccer clubs going to the USYSA Far West Regionals in Boise, June 20-26: Boys U12: Mt. Hamilton PAC Atlas (San Jose) U13: Alum Rock PAC Impact (San Jose) U15: Santa Clara Sporting 95 (Santa Clara) U16: Mt. Hamilton PAC Tigres (San Jose) U17: Santa Clara Sporting 93 (Santa Clara) U18: Palo Alto 93 Blue (Palo Alto) U18: Santa Clara Sporting 92 (Santa Clara) U19: West Valley Wegians 91 (San Jose) Girls U14: MVLA Mercury Black (Los Altos) U15: MVLA Lightning (Los Altos) U18: MVLA Avalanche (Los Altos)

“We learn so much each practice.

Every practice is extremely competitive. We all want to win.”

Paige Crowley

Norbert von der Groeben

Paige Crowley just finished up a solid sophomore year on the Central Coast Section Division I-champion team from St. Francis-Mountain View. The midfielder is the daughter of Oakland A’s president Mike Crowley.

By the time the teams reach U-14 or U-15, the skills already have been established. Those step-over moves are now part of their game. Winning no longer is stifled by experimentation.

By then, skills are firmly ingrained as “muscle memory,” Robinson said, and competitiveness is fully engaged. ◆◆◆ Of course, Robinson never had a problem in that regard. When she was younger, Erin tried to prevent the team from losing focus at halftime by telling the team the score was even.

“But I scored five goals,” Robinson countered.

“As a kid, she was really shy,” said Sarah’s mother, Nancy Ikeda, the team’s assistant coach. “On the field was where she could open up and express herself in her own way.”

Robinson, a rising sophomore at Gunn-Palo Alto, is extremely skillful — she’s been known to exceed 1,000 touches

when juggling the ball. And at 5-foot-3, she brings to mind Noyola, a player after whom Robinson has tried to pattern her game. But what Robinson offers beyond that is aggressiveness and speed.

“If she really tried, she could dribble through an entire team,” Matulich said. “If we need a goal, Sarah will work extra hard to get that goal.”

Robinson’s first team was the Purple Puppies, but her second was the Red Lightning, coached by her father, Rodney Robinson. In an effort to keep the talented team together, Rodney brought the group into MVLA. Four of the original Lightning — Jaye Boissiere, Melissa Fulton, Robinson, and Walker-Caginia — have remained together since 2003. Crowley joined a year later.

While Robinson had long been on the U.S. soccer radar, Matulich, a rising sophomore at Archbishop Mitty-San Jose,

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had not. The one time she tried out for a district Olympic Development Program team — the first step on the U.S. soccer ladder — she was cut.

“I never wanted to do it again,” she said. “I’ve never been to a regional or state ODP camp.”

And yet Matulich never let herself get discouraged and, after only two years with the Lightning, is a much improved player. The improvement was so great that she received the national team invitation — the equivalent of a baseball player bypassing the minor leagues and heading straight to the majors.

Crowley, a former Little Leaguer and the daughter of Oakland A’s president Mike Crowley, may relate to the baseball analogy.

She was an AYSO player who “didn’t know what I was doing,” when she joined the team at age 7, but now seems a fixture in the U.S. program, whether in defense or at her new position of holding midfielder, a transition made easier because of the ball skills she had already learned.

“We learn so much each practice,” said Crowley, a rising sophomore for Central Coast Section Division I champion St. Francis-Mountain View. “Every practice is extremely competitive. We all want to win.”

What keeps them together and enthusiastic at an age when so many elite young athletes begin to burnout?

“We love the game,” Crowley said. “Once we get on that soccer field, nothing else matters.”

And now for the bigger question as the team seeks a national repeat: Can Lightning strike twice? ✪ June 23, 2011

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Special

edition A pair of Sacramento organizations prepare their athletes for the 15th Special Olympics Summers Games of Northern CA By jim mccue | Contributor

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randen Grabach is a typical athlete with dreams to compete at the highest level, to be the best among his peers. He trains hard and is dedicated to improving his physical skills to attain the dream of becoming an Olympic athlete.

But Branden and his athletic endeavors are not typical; rather, they are special.

Branden has special needs limiting his physical and intellectual abilities, but he will realize his dream of Olympic glory when he participates in the Special Olympics Northern California Summer Games at UC Davis on June 24-26.

When he marches in the parade of athletes during the Opening Ceremonies and participates in the track & field events, his disabilities will be secondary to the mission of the Special Olympics Northern California — to provide athletic opportunities to children and adults with intellectual disabilities which instill the confidence needed to succeed in life.

“The Special Olympics program has helped Branden tremendously,” his father and BVDC assistant coach Harold Grabach said. “We have been able to find out so many different things that he can do, and the team and competition helps greatly with his socialization.”

In that way, Branden is typical among the more than 700 athletes who will be participating in the 15th Summer Games in Northern California. The athletes, who come from 32 Northern California counties, will participate in four Olympic-style sports, including aquatics, bocce, tennis, and track & field. In all, 2,159 awards will be handed out to athletes competing in 63 different events over two days at top-notch venues on the Davis campus.

Branden will be one of seven athletes representing the BVDC team, one of the most established teams for special needs athletics training and competition in the Sacramento area. Started by Bob Wood and his wife Cathy nearly 30 years ago, the team originally consisted of athletes from Bella Vista and Del Campo High Schools in Fair Oaks (which explains the BVDC team name). The Woods’ initially sought to create a sports offering for local athletes with special needs, which included their

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Chris Austria

Branden Grabach, in yellow, works with coaches on a running event.

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SPECIAL OLYMPICS

son, Kenny, who has Down Syndrome.

“We started the team because there was little diversity in athletic offerings in Sacra15th Summer Games in NorCal mento County,” Bob Wood said. “At first, we ■ WHEN: June 24-26, 2011 just wanted our own soccer team, and we ■ WHERE: UC Davis have been lucky to have coaches to help us ■ SCHEDULE: Friday, June 24 – Opening grow the program for differently-abled kids and adults.”

Ceremonies (Aggie Stadium) Saturday, The BVDC team will be joined at the June 25 and Sunday June 26 – Athletic Summer Games by additional local athletes Competition; Track & Field (Toomey Field); representing the Discovery All Stars. The Bocce (Howard Field); Tennis (Marya Discovery All Stars are teens and adults with Welch Tennis Center); Aquatics (Schaal special needs that have attended and are Aquatics Center); Aquatics Developmental currently attending schools in the Natomas Events (Hickey Pool) – Saturday only and Twin Rivers School Districts, American River College, and Orange Grove Adult School.

The Discovery program was started by ■ Athletes Participating: 700-800 Carl Gayle, a former basketball coach at ■ Sports: 4 (Aquatics, Bocce, Tennis, Grant High, who previously was employed Track & Field) by the City of Sacramento as a Program Coordinator for the Access Leisure After■ Events: 63 School Program for teens with special ■ Delegations: 28 (representing 32 needs. When that program was cut due to Northern California counties) budget constraints, Gayle continued to pro■ Volunteer coaches: 300+ vide activities for local teens and adults, in■ Volunteers: 1,200+ cluding Special Olympics sports.

■ Awards: 2,159 “The program is built on creating socialization, recreation, and building selfesteem,” Gayle said. “It’s important to keep these kids and young adults active through A list of Sacramento-Area athletes who will sports, but we don’t just talk and teach be competing sports, we talk about life. It’s important to BVDC make sports a way to keep them active and off the streets.”

■ Branden Grabach (Wilson C Riles Gayle’s program initially started offering Middle School / Center-Antelope HS in basketball only, but, with the help of other 2012) coaches and parents of some of the kids in ■ Elias Jimenez (Grant-Sacramento HS) the program, was able to build on that and Ian Frazier (Bella Vista-Fair Oaks HS) expand to other sports, including track & ■ Denise Campos (Odyssey Schoolfield. The Discovery All Stars will have four Orangevale) athletes competing in the Summer Games as ■ Trevor Rosebrock (Mira Loma-Sacraa 400 meter relay team and individually in mento HS) the 100 meter dash.

In order to qualify for the Summer ■ Kyle Sotelo (Bella Vista-Fair Oaks HS) Games, the athletes must train for 6-8 weeks ■ Camilo Soto (Mitchell Middle School) in their sport and participate in a regional Discovery All-Stars competition in April and May. The Discov■ Michael Villegas ery All Stars relay team took first place in ■ Jeremiah Eddins (Natomas-Sac. HS) the Open Division at the Special Olympics ■ Kaira Idleburg Regional Tournament at Cordova High ■ Robert Clemons (Natomas HS) School in late May. Anchoring the team is Natomas High School graduate Jeremiah Eddings, who also plays on one of Discovery’s three highly-competitive basketball teams.

“We teach sportsmanship, but we also want to allow these kids and adults to experience the joy of winning,” Gayle said. “These athletes can be very competitive and they want to win.”

Winning, of course, is not the primary goal of the Special Olympics as made clear by the organization’s famous motto of “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

But anytime hundreds of athletes gather to participate on a grand stage complete with all of the trappings of the modern Olympic Games — Opening Ceremonies, an Olympic Village, and medals — there is sure to be serious competition by all to be the best of the best.

The best of the best with special needs have been competing at the Summer Games in Northern California since 1995, when UC Berkeley hosted the first Special Olympics Summer Games in the region. Berkeley, Stockton, and most recently Davis have hosted the Summer Games since their inception. In addition to athletic competition, the Special Olympics are home to vol-

BY THE NUMBERS

IN THE GAMES

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unteerism at its height. For this year’s events at UC Davis, more than 1,200 volunteers and 300 volunteer coaches will help make the special dreams of athletes like Branden Grabach come true.

Just 14, Branden has been training with BVDC for five years. This year will mark the first time that he will participate in the Summer Games, as family and other commitments in the past have kept him from the area’s top-level competition.

“He is so excited about going to the Summer Games because we have tried to get in before, but I have had work commitments, and other things have kept us from being able to go,” Harold Grabach said. “He has always been into sports, and he is thrilled to be a part of this event.”

When the Summer Games end, many of the participants will return to their local teams to train and play other sports, including basketball, soccer, and winter sports with the constant goal of developing the physical and social abilities of children and adults with special needs.

“Year-round, we focus on what is developmentally appropriate for each athlete, whether it is in soccer, baseball, basketball, swimming, or whatever,” Wood said. “We want to challenge them to become more competitive in sports and to improve physically beyond where many of them thought they could be.” ✪

Chris Austria

Bob Wood (left), the coach of the BVDC Special Olympic team, works with Chris Grootveld on his running stride during a workout on Thursday, June 16.

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Scotty Dog Fracture: It’s not as cute as it sounds It is an overuse injury, common in young athletes, who are involved in sports requiring repetitive hyperextensions frequently with side bending or rotation.

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n athlete drops into her athletic stance, her weight perfectly balanced. She is ready to react instantly to her opponent.

Her lower back had felt tight during practice for a couple weeks but today she is ready to perform. Quickly, she leaps and is instantly racked by pain across the lower back as spasms shock the muscles surrounding her spine. She has suffered an injury called “spondylolysis”, a stress fracture of, most commonly, the 4th or 5th lumbar vertebrae.

It is an overuse injury, common in young athletes, who are involved in sports requiring repetitive hyperextensions frequently with side bending or rotation. While activities such as gymnastics, football, volleyball, weight lifting and throwing sports provide the majority of these injuries, it can occur in any sport utilizing the athletic squat positioning.

Many youth and high school age athletes spend the summer months competing in sports camps, playing on travel teams and training for the next sports season. However, some athletes who engage in the same sport for the whole year are at risk of suffering this painful back injury.

June 23, 2011

The area of the vertebrae that becomes damaged is the pars interarticularis, the bony ring through which the spinal cord passes. On an X-RAY, the bone resembles a Scottish dog and the fracture looks like a collar around its neck, hence the nickname “scotty dog fracture”. In severe cases, the vertebrae may shift forward away from the segment below it, becoming the injury “spondylolisthesis.”

Both of these conditions are uncomfortable and should be evaluated by a sports medicine professional if suspected. An evaluation of this injury may include assessing point tenderness, measuring the spine’s range of motion, feeling for muscle spasms, and noting compensatory gait or posture.

An orthopedist may look at X-RAY, MRI or CT scan images as well, to make a definitive diagnosis.

Besides overuse, other factors play a role in athletic spondylolysis injuries. Some athletes are born with thin vertebral bones or have degenerative spine disease, while some reach adolescent growth stages, use faulty technique or simply have tight hamstrings. No matter what the cause of the dysfunction, the injury remains the same. It is de-

Health Watch Mikel Jackson

bilitating to young athletes, taking them away from their favorite sport and teammates.

Treatment for spondyolysis means: ■ A rest period to allow the stress fracture to heal ■ Ice treatment ■ Possible back bracing ■ Physical therapy to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles with training in new techniques ■ Hip flexor, hamstring and glute stretching program The goal of the strengthening and stretching programs are to help the athlete stabilize the anatomy of her lumbar spine. When the activities resulting in the initial injury can be performed without pain, then sports-specific training can resume. She can gradually return to participation, performing sport-specific and position-specific activities, with a stronger back and more limber muscles. ✪ Mikel Jackson is an athletic trainer for the staff of Sports Medicine For Young Athletes, a division of Children’s Hospital Oakland with a facility also located in Walnut Creek. If you have questions or comments regarding the “Health Watch” column, write the Sports Medicine For Young Athletes staff at Health@SportStarsMag.com

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impulse With baseball and softball high school seasons in the books, it’s time for a much-needed vacay. Right? Wrong. Serious out-of-this-world athletes had about 36 hours to celebrate another championship season and chill to the max before summer leagues and travel organizations pick it up again for more hitting, fielding, pitching and walk-offing (That’s right, we just made it a verb). But the dog days of summer can be brutal not just for the Sahara desert-like heat but for wear and tear on your body. Let these next products help you out.

Building One Athlete At a Time Playing time is earned in the off-season. At Up 2 Speed Sports Performance, we train athletes and weekend warriors to maximize efficiency, and teach ownership of training techniques to reach individualized goals. In the 15 years training middle school, high school, college, and professional athletes, Dr. Michael Sanchez has built and perfected the SMART Stretch Technique. Created through efforts to push the limits of human performance, its ground-breaking combination of training for strength and power while enhancing recovery allows the athlete to be better prepared for the rigors of her sport.

Smart Stretch Technique brings together added mobility from static and dynamic warm-ups.

Having moved into a new innovative facility that opened in Octobert 2010, Up 2 Speed has expanded to address every facet of an athlete’s training regimen; nutrition, off-season conditioning, sports training, rehabilitation, and wellness. The opportunity created by having a doctor on staff allows for all of these components to be connected to a single package.

Up 2 Speed Sports Performance is located at 7071 Commerce Circle, Pleasanton, CA 94566.

Feel The Burn Bat Warmer — If hitting dingers and roping from gap-to-gap is your thing, then you’ll need the PyroFlite Microwaveable Bat Warmer. Playing in cool weather climates can cause even the best players’ batting averages to dip below the Mendoza Line.

Mother Nature can be a cruel, relentless beast with a merciless attitude toward baseball and softball players. Solution: Get the PyroFlite Bat Warmer. The Bat Warmer keeps your bat flexible in cool weather allowing a player to maintain better hitting consistency, while eliminating that nasty bat sting. The heat the Bat Warmer provides keeps composite, aluminum and wood bats operating the way they were designed to, so you won’t have to run out and buy a new one every few months. This is easily a must-have for ball players all over. What are you waiting for? Go to www. batwarmer.com and put a hot bat in your lineup today!

Hot Box — For teams with a treasure trove of bats they want kept hot on a game-by-game basis, they’ll need the HotBox. Let’s break it down for you: minimize cold weather damage, reduce bat sting, conveniently store and retrieve team bats, it’s fully portable with electricity required, it’s great for both baseball and softball, and it’s made in the USA. Reach ‘em at www.warmbats.com to get your HotBox today.

Fuel up All-Natural Premier athletes command their bodies to perform at an optimum level. Anything less is unacceptable. That’s why they choose FRS Healthy Peformance energy. Fueled with quercetin, FRS naturally triggers more of a reaction from your body. The more energy it produces, the longer you can compete, the longer you can outrun and outlast your opponent.

More FRS, more chances for dominance. The equation makes sense to us and to the thousands of elite athletes all over the world who use FRS. Quercetin comes from natural foods like blueberries, red apples and grapes which means FRS is the natural, real deal. Don’t rely on sugary, fatty foods and drinks to fuel your competitive drive. Fuel up with FRS and sprint to the finish line. Get yours now by going to www.frs.com.

Fridge A Go-Go Splat! You’re it!

Looking for more ways to claim complete and total ownage on your friends — other than through video games? Then head out to Sunol Paintball. They’ve got a landscape filled with obstacles that put most basic training sites to shame. Grab your friends and go for an afternoon, have your birthday party there, or show up to claim paintball supremacy amongst friends and foes alike. Sunol Paintball is the best place in the Bay Area for serious paintballing action. It’s centrally located so whether you live in the Tri-Valley or closer to the Bay, you’re only about a 20 minute drive away! Go to www.sunolpaintball. com for more info on cool deals.

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Moms, rejoice! No longer will those daily lunches you make for your kids before you send them off to school spoil before lunchtime. Get them hooked up with Fridge-To-Go, the just-gotta-haveit item of the year. Choose from many different kinds like the Pack ‘n’ Go, Luncheon, Roller Fridge, Travel Companion and the Wine Cooler amongst others. It keeps your food and drinks cold for at least 12 hours without the use of ice packs. And just so you know this product is legit, Fridge-To-Go just won the PTPA (Parent Tested, Parent Approved) Seal. This recognition comes from actual parents trying out the products in their own homes rather than some commercial or corporate group testing it out. These bad boys are the real deal. Get yours now by hitting up www.myfridgetogo.com

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tee2green

Bret Harte golf team takes its home-course advantage very seriously By erik stordahl | SportStars

Coach Rich Cathcart didn’t make it up.

Indeed, the boys golf coach at Bret Harte-Angels Camp wasn’t conjuring his team’s insanely awesome record at its home course at Greenhorn Creek, also in Angels Camp.

“Since 1996, we have 100 wins and five losses,” said Cathcart. “Our girls’ team record is 81-6.”

What’s the secret? How has Bret Harte dominated at Greenhorn Creek for 15 years?

“Our opponents always think it’s a really difficult course,” Cathcart said. “There’s water, there are rock walls.... Just because we play it gives us the advantage over our opposition.”

Nestled in its 100 wins at Greenhorn lies a 67 league match winning streak spanning the past four seasons.

Undoubtedly, home-course advantage at Greenhorn certainly plays a factor.

While the streak is impressive, it couldn’t be accomplished without Bret Harte’s star golfers seniors Carson Ellington and Tim Milward. “(Carson) was the league MVP this year,” Cathcart said.

“He is one of two players who’s been a part of this four-year

run where we were undefeated in league for four years, we won two division championships, second place the other two times.

“This year he only averaged like two-and-half strokes over par.... He has really devoted a lot of time to his golf game.

Just a really good kid.... Tim’s a great player too. He’s been a part of that big undefeated string as well.”

Where most Greenhorn opponents fall to the wayside are holes four, five and six with the latter two being the most handicapped on the entire course.

“Hole No. 4 is a Par-5,” Cathcart said. “There’s a rock wall in the middle of the fairway because there was a ranch that was on this property back in the 1800’s.”

That rock wall can be the death of Bret Harte opponents who may have gained momentum from the previous holes.

In addition to Hole 4, there’s also a water hazard on Hole 5 and Hole 6 features an island green. Never a walk in the park for any opponent.

Whether Bret Harte’s streak comes to end sometime soon remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure: If any team is going to beat them, they better get well-acquainted with Greehorn Creek. ✪

Angeles, Conder, Neilson earn prestigious invites Exciting things are happening at The First Tee of Contra Costa. Each summer The First Tee offers a week-long academy where participants play golf and participate in in-depth life skills activities and career exploration.

Participants are chosen through an application and committee interview process. Chapters then forward their selection to the national office of The First Tee where the selection of finalists are made.

This year two participants were selected to participate from The First Tee of Contra Costa: Eric Angeles and Andrea Neilson. Both have been with us since 2005 and are part of our mentoring program.

This fall Eric will be a freshman at Alhambra High in Martinez.

He participated on his junior high school golf team and plans to continue through high school with dreams of becoming a professional golfer. At his age, however, his focus is on his academics and earning a scholarship to Stanford. We wish him success.

For Andrea, golf and The First Tee are her passion. She participates to give back and to also better herself. She loves volunteering with the younger children and loves helping them learn the game she loves. Andrea is preparing for her junior year at Freedom-Oakley. She will be pursuing the sport on a collegiate level. Because of her dedication to the sport and The First Tee, Andrea has also been selected to attend The First Tee Training Program at Hank Haney IJGA. Andrea hopes to walk away from that experience with even better people skills, business skills and new ways of thinking. She wants to set the example for young golfers. As she sets out to obtain her dreams, there is no doubt she will be someone our young participants can emulate. We are proud of Andrea and her accomplishments.

Megan Conder is also one of our participants we are celebrating. Megan will be a junior at Heritage-Brentwood and has been selected to participate in Nature Valley The First Tee Open at Pebble Beach July 4-10. Each summer, The First Tee Open at Pebble Beach showcases the talent and character of young people who participate in The First Tee chapters worldwide. An official Champions Tour event, the tournament pairs one junior with a Champion Tour player and two amateurs. To be selected, juniors are measured in both golf proficiency and life skills knowledge.

Megan has been playing golf and involved in The First Tee for six years. She feels the skills she’s learned in The First Tee have helped her become a better person and also a better student. She volunteers at The First Tee whenever needed and strives to inspire younger participants as a positive example on and off the golf course. She is doing a great job. ✪

First Tee Files

Angela Paradise

First Tee Files is a rotating column featuring administrators from the four Bay Area chapters of The First Tee. Angela Paradise is the executive assistant for The First Tee Contra Costa. Find out more on each chapter at: www.TheFirstTeeContraCosta.org, www.TheFirstTeeOakland.org, www.

TheFirstTeeSanJose.org and www.TheFirstTeeTriValley.org.

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tee2green

Livermore’s Cathrea punches ticket to U.S. Junior Amateurs By gerardo recinos | Contributor

Most teenagers don’t have their own website. A site where they blog about their day and their latest trips.

Well, some might have blogs — but none that are actually read by more than their friends. But websites with live-stream practice sessions for fans to watch? YouTube videos by the hundreds, some of which draw comparisons to great professional athletes?

All that comes with the territory, when you’re Casie Cathrea — the reigning 2010 Northern California Golf Association Junior Tour’s Girls Player of the Year. And the accolades don’t stop there.

Cathrea, 15, was the top qualifier at the US Girls Junior Amateur Qualifying round at Shadow Lakes Golf Club in Brentwood on June 13. She came in one shot ahead of Marguerite Swearingen and Carly Childs, both of whom shot 73’s and also qualified for the championships Kelsey Ulep and Lauren Salazar filled out the list of qualifiers, each carding a 74.

Cathrea’s 1-over-par 71 was impressive considering her rough start on the first hole where she opened with a double bogey.

“I got the wrong yardage in the fairway, so I kind of flew the green, and started with a double,” said Cathrea, who will compete at the Girls’ Amateur Championship from July 18-23 at Olympia Fields Country Club, in Olympia Fields, Illinois.

“But I came back and got three birdies after that.”

Despite the rough start, Cathrea said part of her strategy was to play a bit more conservatively; play for par early and for birdies over the last couple of holes.

Butch Noble

Livermore golfer Casie Cathrea accepts her qualifying certificate after shooting the low score of the day at the U.S. Girls Junior Amateur Qualifier at Shadow Lakes Golf Course in Brentwood on June 13.

It was a strategy that clearly worked, and has been working for some time.

Cathrea is used to the spotlight. Not just a local name in Livermore, where she lives, Cathrea is known for being the second-youngest person to qualify for a Ladies Professional Golf Association event. She accomplished that feat when she was only 13 years-old.

She credits that success to her staff of coaches and supporters.

“My dad and my putting coach (Mike Schy) help, but all of my coaches help and play the same role,” Cathrea said.

At Olympia Fields, Cathrea will tee it up against some of the best competition in the country, but — as one might expect — she doesn’t seem too nervous at the idea of heavy competition. She was happy with the way she played in the qualifier, and when asked what if their was anything she’d like to improve upon before July, she simply said, “Not really.” ✪

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camps + clinics BASEBALL/SOFTBALL Golden Era Baseball Based in the East Bay, we offer several instructional-based programs as well as 9U thru 18U Club Teams. We are currently taking sign-ups for our Spring Hitting Classes.

Please see our website for full details: www.

GoldenEraBaseball.com The Pitching Center We develop baseball players to their full potential. The Pitching Center has grown to become the Total Player Center (TPC), a full-service baseball and softball training academy. Ageand skill-specific programs are available for students ages 8 – High School. Info: 925-416-1600, thepitchingcenter. com SportForm Based in Concord, SportForm provides individual and team instruction in baseball, softball, lacrosse. Highly trained professionals provide accelerated and advanced skills clinics. Prepare to Perform! Info: 925459-2880.

City of Walnut Creek Baseball is Fun Beginner Camp. July 25-Aug. 4, 9 a.m.-noon, Mon.-Thur. at Tice Valley Park; Extended day/week available w/Deluxe Sport Option. Ages 5-9. $35/$75. Registration: www.walnut creeksportsleague.com, 925-952-4450.

All American Softball 2011 Softball Summer Day Camp at Alyce Norman Bryte Playfields. Girls of all ages welcome. Camp features a college softball Q&A with our AllAmerican staff. $250/athlete; $150/ athlete when registering 6 or more at one time. Info: 916-374-1907, www. softballschool.com.

BASKETBALL City of Walnut Creek Basketball is Fun Beginner Camp. July 11-21 at Tice Valley Park; extended

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day/week available with Deluxe Sport Option. Ages 5-12. $35/$65 per week.

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

Saint Mary’s College camps Spend your July learning fundamentals or honing your skills at McKeon Pavilion.

Plenty of options are available. Registration and info: 925-6314386, smccamps@ stmarys- ca.edu; www.smcgaels.com.

Bladium Triple Threat Academy Alameda’s Bladium Sports & Fitness Club hosts multiple hoops camps for ages 6-12. Designed for players of ALL skill levels. Registration: AlamedaSales@bladium. com, 510-8144999; www.bladium.com.

CHEER CheerGyms.com We offer the best clinics in California!

Customize your clinic to fit your needs from basic stunting techniques or working on twist cradles out of one leg stunts, we take your team to the next level! Info: 866-685-7615, www.

CheerGyms.com East Bay Sports Academy Recreational, competitive athletes benefit from training with the best coaches.

Our 10,000 sq. foot facility is clean and bright with the newest equipment. Info: 925 680-9999, www.

EastBaySportsAcademy.com.

EQUESTRIAN Kelly Maddox Riding Academy Develop new friendships with other horse-crazy kids.

Weekly activities include learning horse colors, markings and breeds; arts and crafts; a farrier demonstration and human horse show; bareback riding and more! Info: 925-575- 4818, www.

KellyMaddoxTraining.com

Franklin Canyon Stables Based in Martinez, we provide two covered arenas and easy access to trails. Beginning riders or experienced equestrians, we have a place for you. Instruction in horsemanship on the ground and in the saddle while having fun. Info: 925- 2281801; http://www.kimshorsetraining.com/ franklin_canyon.html Castle Rock Arabians Activities for tweens and teenagers, where we build team spirit through various team activities on horseback. Visit the ranch by appointment.

Info: 925-933-3701, www. castlerockarabians.com FITNESS Children’s Hospital The “Sport Speed Camp” presented by the Children’s Hospital Oakland Sports Medicine is being held in a pair of two-week sessions: July 11-22, and Aug. 1-12. All camp sessions are Monday-Friday from 2-4 p.m. The camp will be at the Derby Street Athletic Field, 1900 Derby Street, Berkeley. Cost is just $250 per athlete and space is limited to 25 athletes per camp session. Info/Registration: call 510428-3558 and hit option 3.

Fit 2 The Core As a Youth Conditioning, Speed/Agility and Nutrition Specialist with the IYCA, Fit- 2-TheCore Training Systems offers an innovative approach to getting young athletes back on the field post-rehabilitation, and continuing the process by progressing their bodies to handle what they must endure on the field or court. Info: 925- 639-0907.

Walnut Creek Sports & Fitness We offer over 70 group classes per week. Members also enjoy our heated pool, sauna, spa, and steam-room.

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camps + clinics Massage, skincare and chiropractic services are available. Call us today for your free week pass! Info: 925-932-6400, www.wcsf.net ENRICHMENT Dianne Adair Programs We offer a wide variety of enrichment programs for your child, during the school year and throughout summer. Activities include: Home work help, 4th & Up Club, art and crafts, science, sports, and games.

Summer camps include weekly field trips. Info: www. dianneadair.org.

E.Nopi and Palm Academy Palm Academy’s “Summer Camp Spectacular” offers day camps with one-week or one- day programs to provide the flexibility for your busy schedule. Abrakadoodle Art Camps inspire kids to reach beyond and create art that is unique to them. Info: Palm Academy, Fremont, (510) 9799794 or E.Nopi, Newark, (510)79ENOPI (36674) FUZE Fit For A Kid FUZE is a privately-held, DOJ-certified youth-only health club and curricula modeled after the principles of the Positive Coaching Alliance. FUZE enhances athletic development, socialization and self-esteem. Info: 888FIT 4 A KID; www. fuzefit.com FOOTBALL NorCal Football Camps Led by Marin Catholic High coach, Ken Peralta (San Francisco 49ers High School Coach of the Year,) Camps serve youth ages of 714. We help each child reach his full potential as a football player and young person. Info: 650-2453608 . www. norcalfootballcamps.com Diablo Football Camps Contact and non-contact camps are available for players ages 6-14 in June.

The camps take place at Freedom Basin in Oakley. Info and registration: www. diablofootball.com/camps.php; 925-6252222, www.DiabloFootball.com GOLF Dave DeLong Junior Golf Camp This camp is for advanced and beginning junior golfers. Camps are designed for golfers 7-15. Camps include a 4 to 1 ratio of students to teachers where safety is the top priority as well as player development and enjoyment.

Boundary Oak Course, Walnut Creek.

Info: 925-997-3683; www. delonggolf. com Coach Rick Golf Learn to play on the course, where it

matters with Coach Rick! Golfers of all ages can sign up for clinics offered by Coach Rick starting now throughout summer. Info: 510 917-6442 • www.

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

Participants learn about golf and life skills and values inherent to the game, rules and etiquette. Summer camps at Diablo Creek Golf Course in Concord. Info: www. thefirstteecontracosta.org; angela@ thefirstteecontracosta.org or 925-6866262 x0.

The First Tee-Oakland The First Tee of Oakland has delivered The First Tee Life Skills Experience to over 262 participants.

Each receive a min.

12 hours of instruction over an 8-week period. Instruction is at three Oakland courses: Metropolitan Golf Links, Lake Chabot GC and Montclair GC. Info: 510352-2002; www. thefirstteeoakland.org.

The First Tee-San Jose The First Tee of San Jose develops youth through the game of golf throughout Silicon Valley. Participants learn to appreciate diversity, resolve conflicts, build confidence and set goals. We welcome participants ranging from second to twelfth grade.

Scholarships available. Info: 408-2882973; www. thefirstteesanjose.org.

The First Tee-Tri-Valley The First Tee of the Tri-Valley offers seasonal The First Tee Life Skills Experience Classes and Summer Camps for ages 7-17, held at the Pleasanton Golf Center on the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Junior Golf Summer Camps are held weekly. Info: 925.462.7201, www. TheFirstTeeTriValley.org LACROSSE Atherton Lacrosse Our lacrosse camps are designed for boys and girls ages 5-14, who are beginner or intermediate players. Our group of coaches and staff are leaders in the lacrosse community. Info: 888- 526-3330, www.

AthertonLacrosse.com.

SportForm Based in Concord, SportForm provides Individual and team instruction in baseball, softball and lacrosse. Highly

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trained professionals provide accelerated and advanced skills clinics. Prepare to Preform! Info: 925-459-2880.

Vitality Lacrosse Vitality offers summer league programs in four Bay Area regions, all of which come together on July 30 for the Bay Area Summer League Championships on Treasure Island. Locations include: Marin County, Peninsula, East Bay and Petaluma. League runs six weeks and began on June 20. Info: 888-501-4999, www.VitalityLacrosse.com.

MARTIAL ARTS United States Karate Systems 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 MOTORSPORTS Keigwins@theTrack We conduct motorcycle schools and practice events (“track days”) at famous racetracks in the West for experienced motorcyclists looking to improve skills and build confidence.

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

UmiGo Calling all speed demons and race rats: buckle up for the fastest go-kart camp this side of the Mississippi with Umigo Go-Kart racing! With camps going on throughout the summer, you’ll learn passing techniques, cornering techniques, throttle & breaking techniques, advance seat position, kart operation, kart control, real racing and improving your lap times.

Racers need to be at least 10 years old and at least four feet, 10 inches tall.

Two- and four-day camps are available, so sign up now because spots are filling up fast. Get ready for the ride of your life. Go to www.umigoracing.com to learn more and register.

OUTDOOR SPORTS Bear Valley Mountain Bear Valley has six camps with multiple sessions including: Soccer, Archery, Tennis, Climbing, Cycling and Day Camp. Summer Camps offer outdoor rec programs for the whole family;

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camps + clinics overnight resident skill camps and day camps, too. Age groups and activities vary by camp. Info: www.bearvalley.com University of Surfing Instructor Matt Cole offers lessons/ camps in Pacifica. 650-359-1425, mattcolesurfs@hotmail.com; http:// universityofsurfing.com/index.html.

SOCCER Heritage Soccer Club A Pleasant Hill/Martinez based competitive soccer club welcomes players ages 8-18.

Learn new skills and hone existing ones from top flight coaching staff with years of experience spanning the high school and college ranks.Info: www.heritagesc.com.

SoccerInsight.net 2011 Summer Camp Available to ages 5-12, the SoccerInsight.net camps are offered over three weeks in August. The camps are held from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. @ Paul Goode Field, The Presidio in San Francisco.

Info:415-595- 3760, www.soccerinsight. net.

SWIMMING-DIVING Walnut Creek Swim Club WCSC is a recreational team sponsored by the City of Walnut Creek celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Led by the experience of coach Brad Hoy, the staff is the finest in the area. WCSC believes in finding the healthy balance between competition and family fun. Info: 925-766-5664 Sherman Swim School We are a Lafayette swimming and diving school celebrating our 50th year.

Our year-round schedule allows children and adults to learn, retain, and improve their swim skills with little interruption. Info: 925-283-2100, www.ShermanSwim.com California Sports Center Among the many camps offered by San Jose’s Cal Sports Center includes its Swim Summer Camps at Sunnyvale Swim Center on the campus of Fremont High. The camps are held from either 9 a.m.-noon, or 9 a.m.-4 p.m. for ages 6-14. Info: 408-732-2257, www.

CalSportsCenter.com TENNIS Summer Tennis at Valley Vista ClubSport Valley Vista has successfully hosted summer tennis camps in Walnut Creek for more than 30 years, with expert

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instruction. Info: 925-934-4050, www. clubsports.com VOLLEYBALL Pacific Rim Volleyball We offer several skill-based camps and clinics, including setting camp, hitting camp and an all-skills camp.

Campers will be evaluated and placed in a group that challenges their level of play. Registration for beach volleyball is going on now as well. Info: www. pacificrimvolleyball.com U.S. Youth Volleyball League USYVL hosts series of Summer camps in several Northern and Southern California locations. We’re the leader in developing, maintaining youth volleyball leagues for boys and girls ages 7-15. With an emphasis on positive reinforcement, we seek to build confidence and self-esteem in each child. Info: 1-888-988-7985 or www.USYVL.org.

WRESTLING Creighton Wrestling The Creighton School of Wrestling in Mountain View offers its 2011 youth and elite summer camps through July 9.

Both camps take place at the JLS Middle School Wrestling Room in Palo Alto. Guest clinicians include NCAA-champion wrestlers Tony Davis, Gerry Abas and Jordan Leen. Info: creightonschoolofwrestling@yahoo.com; http://CreightonSchoolofWrestling.com Community Youth Center The CYC in Concord offers three types of week-long wrestling camps.

Elementary Camp for ages 5-10 runs July 5-8. All Corners Camp for ages 11-18 runs July 18-22, and Advanced Camp serves the same age group and runs Aug. 8-12. Camps are 9 a.m.-3 p.m. daily at the CYC. Info: 925-671-7070, Ext. 229, www. communityyouthcenter.com.

MULTI-SPORT De La Salle sports camps The school’s Athletic Summer Camps are running in week-long sessions through June 30. Camps are for incoming fourth-throughninth graders in the sports of football, track and field, lacrosse, wrestling, volleyball, baseball,

water polo, soccer, and strength and conditioning. Information: (925) 2888100, ext. 7090.

Cal Athletic Camps Cal Camps are offered in a variety of sports for girls and boys 5-19, with week-long, half-day, full-day and overnight options, and several choices for adults. Most camps take place on campus in Berkeley from June through August. Camp sports include: baseball, basketball, rowing/crew, field hockey, football, golf, rugby, soccer, strength & conditioning, swimming, tennis, volleyball and water polo. Info calcamps@berkeley.edu.

City of Concord Skyhawks Sports Skyhawks Sports and the City of Concord have teamed up to provide safe, fun and skill-focused sports camps this summer for ages 4-12. Camps range from soccer to lacrosse to our popular multi-sport camp where kids sample three different sports (Soccer, Basketball, and Baseball) in one camp. Info: www. concordreg.org or (925) 671-3404.

Renaissance ClubSport Spring and summer Sports camps are led by seasoned directors. Sports Day Camp is for children 5-12 and focuses on a different sport each day including: football, soccer, swimming, basketball, bocce, kickball, racquetball and karate.

Summer camps run thru Aug. 19. Info: 925-942-6344. www.clubsports.com Cabernet Indoor Sports Come Play Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Football, Lacrosse, Dodgeball, Capture the Flag, Futsal and much more at the world’s greatest summer camp experience in Livermore. Available to kids ages 5 & up, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. running through Aug. 19. More info: www. cabernetindoorsports.com Velocity Sports Performance The Dublin-based Velocity’s Sports Specific Summer Camps is looking for boys and girls ages 8-14 who are dedicated to making themselves better as athletes.

Camps are typically 4-5 days long and run through mid-August.

They include soccer, basketball, football, baseball and softball. The price is $200 for non-members per week, $150 for Velocity members or $50 per session. Information: (925) 833-0100.

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