Father’s Day Free-For-All. Pg. 40
vol. 2. issue 24
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unmatched DLS volleyball back on top. Pg. 30
splash hits NCS swim finals deliver the goods. Pg. 20
May 26, 2011
endure | excel | achieve
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More than a few Major league teams want a chance at alhambra hurler robert stephenson. Page 14 Bob Larson
Travis Rowney, foothill golf take NCS crown. Page 22
Jonathan Hawthorne
Carondelet’s Madison White was part of a record-setting NCS championship weekend. Page 33 4
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Chris Scott/ CalSports Photo.com
First Pitch.............................6 Locker Room......................8 Behind the Clipboard........7 AAA SportStar/Week.... 11 Wally’s World................... 12 Club Scene........................ 13 Training Time.................... 13 Extra Bases....................... 18 Tee2Green........................ 22 Health Watch................... 25 TriStars.............................. 26 Impulse.............................. 32 Camps + Clinics.............. 34 Photo Finish...................... 38
Bob Larson
De La Salle hauled in a sixth volleyball title in epic final. Page 30
ON THE COVER
Robert Stephenson, Alhambra pitcher. Photo by Bob Larson.
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Random thoughts of an editor on the loose T
Valley-Sacramento, I was reminded how his whole editor gig can be a bit restrictive sometimes. At least when it comes much I enjoyed it. And while the crowd to me personally being able to get out in attendance was fairly good-sized, I’m to events. always surprised there aren’t more when I I wouldn’t change any of it, of course. I’m attend boys volleyball matches. The fasthaving a blast planning and putting this magapaced athleticism has to make it one of the zine together every two weeks. However, it more fan-friendly sports around. has made me savor my coverage of games and It’s definitely a big deal in Southern events that much more lately. California, where they have CIF regional This past week of May 16-22 was a chartchampionships that are extremely welltopper as I made it out to three events in one attended. The North is a long way off from week. I hit the North Coast Section boys golf getting its own regional championships, Tournament of Champions on May 16, the but do yourself a favor and take in some Sac-Joaquin Section boys volleyball finals on boys volleyball next spring. You won’t be May 19 and the NCS Swimming Championdisappointed. ships on May 21. Sam Mills is really tall ... I thought it’d be fun to share some of the Vista del Lago’s middle hitter stands random thoughts that danced through my 6-foot, 10-inches and cuts a pretty immind while out enjoying these various composing figure if you’re lining up on the petitions. opposite side of the net. And he’s just a So here goes. My actual thoughts are in sophomore. Which is pretty scary. italics. May 21 — NCS Swimming May 16 — NCS Golf Tournament Championships of Champions Concord Community Pool, Concord Contra Costa Country Club, Pleasant Hill It’s an East Bay swimming world and the I’m pretty sure I couldn’t play my way onto a rest of the competitors are just along for the JV team in the East Bay Athletic League. ... ride ... All the EBAL did was was take the top three The North Coast Section covers a large team berths to the California Interscholastic geographic area, but only one seems to Federtaion/Northern California Golf Associamatter when it comes to competitive high tion Regional Tournament. Oh, and they also grabbed two of the four individual qualifying school swimming. Records fell in each of berths. Which means, five different EBAL the first four event finals, and a total of 12 teams were represented at NorCals. fell throughout the day — all to East Bay I now see how William Brueckner shot evenschools. Of the meet’s 24 records, just five par in his first-ever round at Spyglass Hill in belong to non-East Bay schools. Pebble Beach last summer ... Kimmie Kreuzberger of Marin CatholicThe Acalanes-Lafayette freshman was Kentfield might have had the best outing of already a well-known commodity before he any non-East Bay swimmer this year. She teed it up in the high school ranks. In fact, finished second in the 50 freestyle, third in SportStars featured him in an issue last August the 100 freestyle, and swam the anchor on Chace@ when he won won the NCGA Junior Amateur the second-place 200 freestyle relay team. SportStarsMag.com Championship for his age group (12-13 year What kind of toppings would go on a olds) — which was played over two rounds at (925) 566-8503 Kreuz Burger? I’m hungry. Spyglass. I watched Brueckner exclusively only I settled for a delicious Polish dog from for one full hole at NCS, but it was extremely the Concord Community Pool snack impressive as he scrambled for a par on the par-4 17th — all shack. without taking a shot from the fairway and sinking an apCould there really be a SportStars cover jinx? .... proximate 15-foot putt. Did I mention he did this during the I was seriously starting to worry about this one as our most steady rainfall of the round? Issue #23 cover girl, Marissa Neel of San Ramon ValleyOh, hey, a squirrel. Look out squirrel! ... Danville, ended up nearly a second off the pace set in the 100 I’m happy to report that the wayward drive on hole 15 butterfly and finished third behind Celina Li (Foothill-Pleasmissed my furry friend. anton) and Hilvy Cheung (American-Fremont), respectively. May 19 — SJS boys volleyball Then in the 100 backstroke, Neel missed qualifying for the championships final. Jesuit High School, Carmichael But all was not lost because the San Ramon Valley girls How is boys volleyball not a more widely followed sport? ... did succeed in their mission of upsetting heavy-favorite In what seems like many moons ago (2005), I worked the Carondelet for the NCS team title. The Wolves closed out an East Bay boys volleyball beat. And, before walking into the Jesuit gym, I’m pretty certain I hadn’t taken in a full boys vol- unbeaten season by edging the Cougars 299.5-284. I got to get out of the office more often... leyball match since that season. So after one game of the SJS Division II finals match between Vista del Lago-Folsom and YES. ✪
FIRST PITCH Chace Bryson Editor
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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; Patrick McCormick Ext. 102 • Patrick@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). 1st class $55. To receive sample issues, please send $3 to cover postage. Back issues are $4 each. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of Publisher is strictly prohibited. The staff and management, including Board of Directors, of SportStars™© does not advocate or encourage the use of any product or service advertised herein for illegal purposes. Editorial contributions, photos and letters to the editor are welcome and should be addressed to the Editor. All material should be typed, double-spaced on disk or email and will be handled with reasonable care. For materials return, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope. SportStars™© and STARS!™© Clinics are registered trademarks of Caliente! Communications, LLC.
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Programs are often built for the bigger picture, not just one season I’m very fast and have good hands, and we have a quarterback who can really throw — but the coach likes to run the ball, so we never get to show what we can do. Why won’t the coach take advantage of our skills? — A.R., Concord irst, you and the quarterback might not be as good as you think — in fact, you probably aren’t, because almost everyone, myself included, thinks they’re better than they really are. (That’s a good thing, really, because it gives you confidence, which is key to any kind of success.) But for the sake of argument, let’s say you’re right, and the coach is ignoring your obvious abilities. Here are some possible reasons: 1) The team has been running the same system for several years, and the coach would have to make major adjustments to go from a running team to a passing team. Though some coaches are good enough teachers that they can get an entire football team to learn and absorb an entirely new system each year, most aren’t. Most coaches feel it takes several years to truly ingrain a particular system (from play-calling to blocking techniques to overall attitude) into a program’s psyche, so shifting gears for a year, or even two, probably doesn’t make sense. In your case, maybe the team now can get more passing yards, but what happens to the running game? And if the linemen have been schooled in a particular kind of blocking scheme that isn’t as effective in pass protection, the quarterback might get sacked a lot — and many coaches claim that a sack is just a baby step from a turnover. 2) Though you and the quarterback can jumpstart the passing game, the past and future of the program could be locked up in talented drive-blocking linemen and fast, strong running backs. So maybe this year the team could throw effectively, but first, the system would have to change to allow that to happen, and then it would have to change back when you graduate and the new crop of running backs take over. In other words, a program is more than a single season. Good high school programs in any sport are built around continuity and a constant focus on the big picture. If switching to a passing-oriented attack wins two more games this year but loses four next season and two the season after as the team tries to adjust, what’s the better call? 3) Maybe most important of all, the coach has to be true to himself. If he has always been totally committed to a power running game, has grown up with it and had success with it, then it’s not very likely he’s going to have the same level of commitment to a passing-oriented offense — and that lack of commitment will, sooner or later, become apparent to everyone. Again, it’s a program, and if the program has been built around the ideas of we’re coming at you, we’re driving you off the line of scrimmage and our backs are going to pound you for four quarters, then that identity shouldn’t casually be
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discarded — or at least that’s what most coaches would say. (Some coaches are good enough to install different systems every season, and more power to them. I know I’m not one of them, and few high school coaches are.) Finally, this particular scenario is one of those life lessons coaches like to talk about all the time. When you’re out in the real world, working five days a week, you’ll almost always think your boss makes mistakes on a daily basis. (If you doubt that, ask some adults how many good bosses they’ve had in their careers — the answer will surprise you.) But you know what? At the end of the day, the boss is still
the boss, and you have to do the best you can regardless of whether you agree with his or her decisions. You have to find a way to be productive, and enjoy the process as much as possible even if it’s not all that it could be. So in your case, make sure you’re the best blocking wideout in the program, and be thankful for however many passes come your way. At least you’re playing, and there are lots of kids who don’t even get to do that. Submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email Coach Kallam at clayk@fullcourt.com
Behind the Clipboard Clay Kallam
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random acts of factness
The Aptos High softball season came to an end in a 2-0 loss to Valley Chrisitan-San Jose in the Central Coast Section Division II quarterfinals on May 21. However, it wasn’t before senior slugger Breana Kostreba set the Northern California career home run record at 47. The former record was 45, set by Kaila Shull of Jim Elliot Christian-Lodi in 2006. Shull still owns the NorCal record for HRs in a season at 17. Kostreba topped out at 15 this year. The state’s career HR record belongs to Alia Willliams of Crenshaw-L.A. who graduated in 2009 after belting 53 bombs.
rapid fire Drew Bender Monte Vista-Danville golf
Summer movie you’re most looking forward to?
Random fact about yourself Favorite sports moment as a fan? Season highlight?
Favorite cartoon?
Toughest place to play?
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Hangover, Part II
I can do magic/ card tricks
Attending Game 1 of the 2010 World Series
Team qualifying for the CIF Nor Cal Golf Tournament
Scooby Doo
Spyglass Hill Golf Course
Aaron Bronis, Livermore golf Hangover, Part II
I can whistle with all fingers one at a time
Giants winning World Series; went to the parade
Beating rival Granada for the first time
No cartoons, just SportsCenter
Spyglass Hill Golf Course
Griffin Galvin Vista del Lago-Folsom volleyball Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
I sing to myself while playing
Stanford men’s volleyball winning the NCAA Championship
Winning the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. 2 title
Scooby Doo
Any gym with a low roof
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he said what?!?
“It feels amazing. I’ll have some big expectations for next year, but for now, I’ll take it.”
— Acalanes-Lafayette freshman golfer William Brueckner, who outlasted tough conditions and a talented field to win the North Coast Section Tournament of Champions on May 16 at Contra Costa Country Club in Pleasant Hill.
Chris Scott/CalSportsPhoto
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Reasons a hard pitch count limit for high school pitchers is a bad idea
Jonathan Hawthorne
Miramonte-Orinda’s Spencer Marx
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New York City’s Public School Athletic League recently enacted a new rule for high school baseball players, coaches and umpires to fuss with. Pitchers are now going to be held to hard pitch count regulations. No more than 105 pitches per outing, and limitations on pitches in subsequent games based on counts from previous outings. Our thoughts and feelings on this issue are complicated, but we’ll try to state them succinctly: It stinks. Here are our Top 5 beefs with this issue. 1. It’s un-American —You’ve heard of America, yeah? Land of the FREE? Home of the 99-cent Whopper? Ring a bell? We are a FREE-spirited bunch. We value choice. FREE will. This rule takes game decisions out of the hands of the coaches and players and puts them in the hands of bean-counters. Or pitch counters. Whatever. 2. It misses the point — Ostensibly, this rule will preserve pitchers’ arms and prevent injuries. The danger here is that pitch count becomes a sort of panacea. Each individual player should be managed on his merits and strengths, not as Generic Player A. And don’t even get us started on what happens when Generic Player A is twirling a perfect game when his pitch count ticks down to zero... 3. It might just make things worse — So, we fall back on this pitch count thing (even though doctor after doctor after doctor will tell you that the best way to strengthen and preserve a pitching arm and avoid injury is to throw — not to baby the arm). What happens when coaches stop managing based on their experience and instincts? Our guess is more arm injuries, not fewer. 4. Bureaucracy is lame — With this rule, you effectively introduce a whole other nightmare scenario for coaches and officials whereby parents on opposing teams (and maybe even on your own...) become pitch-nazis who fanatically track all the pitches thrown by everyone in the league. There will invariably be discrepancies over numbers. Mediation panels will be formed. Lawyers will get involved. Because what everybody really needs is more lawyers in their lives. 5. The poor, poor umpires — It’s not often we stick up for the men in powder blue, but we’re doing it here. Hard enough to officiate high-level baseball with a two-man crew. Now you want them to count how many pitches kids are throwing and mediate math disputes? Some of those guys have enough trouble counting to four as it is. — Bill Kolb
May 26, 2011
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who’s got next?
nominations: Editor@SportStarsmag.com
Shaun Chaudhuri monte vista . tennis . senior
Bob Larson
of the week Shaun Chaudhuri is no stranger to the postseason. The Monte Vista senior has made an appearance at the NCS tennis singles and doubles tournaments every year. As a freshman in 2008, he lost in the NCS singles semis. Everything after that was gravy as he won the singles title in 2009, the doubles title in 2010 and a second singles championship on May 7 by defeating Albany’s Bernardo Saraiva 6-4, 6-0 in the final. He didn’t drop a single set in the two-day tournament. SportStars: You coasted to the NCS championship this year. Why? Shaun Chaudhuri: It was helpful that I had some experience in this arena. I played really solid tennis. I relied on my past experience in the tournament. SportStars: You lost as a freshman in the NCS semis. How did that experience make you better? SC: I had the opportunity to play the No. 1 player (Thai Tu of Alameda) in Northern California. He was more experienced. He had a strong serve and groundstroke. He showed me how to play the game at a high level. SportStars: You’re attending Harvard in the fall. How do you make that happen with tennis? Do you have a busy schedule? SC: It hasn’t been easy (laughs). I haven’t had much of a social life. It definitely has some difficult roads, but I couldn’t imagine my life any other way. SHAUN’S QUICK HITS Favorite tennis players: Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic Favorite surface: Hard Major at Harvard: Economics or Business
honorable mention
Jonathan lin The Irvington junior shot a 2-over 74 in the NCS Div. I Tournament of Champions at Contra Costa CC on May 16. He finished tied for third overall.
maja harren The Castro Valley senior led the way at the HAAL Championships. She won the 200 medley relay, 200 free, 100 free and 400 free. She helped the Trojans win first place.
cali castagnola Guiding her team to an 18-6 quarterfinal victory over San Ramon Valley-Danville in the NCS Div. I lacrosse playoffs on May 20, the Carondelet sophomore led all scorers with six goals and one assist.
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When it comes to athletes as role models, Killebrew was gold standard
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he whole question of “role models” in sports was around even before Charles Barkley proclaimed “I am not a role model. … Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.” At the time, it was a pretty jarring comment. The early 1990s were hardly “Father Knows Best” territory in terms of professional athletes’ off-field behavior, but it was a shock to hear an athlete as famous as Barkley actually come out and say it. Nearly 20 years later, it’s hard to appreciate just how much of a debate it sparked. As the months rolled past, seemingly everyone with a byline weighed in on the matter. It was such a big deal that Sports Illustrated even brought in Karl Malone, another NBA heavyweight of the day, to write an opinion piece. His words ring as true today as they did in 1993: “Charles … I don’t think it’s your decision to make,” Malone wrote. “We don’t choose to be role models, we are chosen. Our only choice is whether to be a good role model or a bad one.” I always tended to see both sides in the argument. Should pro athletes show a basic level of respect to people they deal with, especially young fans? Of course. Would I want certain pro athletes raising my kids? Of course not. But — and this is the point of today’s screed — I would have let Harmon Killebrew raise my kids in a second. Killebrew, who died of cancer May 17, is best remembered as the 11th-best home run hitter of all time, with 573 long balls — all pre-steroid. He was also known as a humble man who never got within smelling distance of off-field controversy and, in fact, was often perplexed by many ballplayers’ poor choices in their behavior away from the ballpark. But, above all else, he was a big, strong, kind and simple man. There aren’t enough like him today. Joe DiMaggio once famously said he played all out, every day, because “somewhere out there in the stands, there might be somebody who has never seen me play before, and it might be the only time they do.” (Ricky Watters’ famous “For who? For what?” quote comes to mind. Get out of my mind, Ricky. Right now.) Killebrew had the same outlook, only he extended it to his off-field encounters with fans as well. (Allen Iverson’s famous “It was PRACTICE” quote comes to mind. Iverson, go away. Please.)
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WALLY’S WORLD Mike Wolcott MikeW@ SportStarsMag.com (925) 566-8500 Ext. 109
Concord’s Kristen Crowe is one of probably tens of thousands of people who, as a child, were touched by Killebrew’s actions. “In 1986, he (Killebrew) accidentally bumped into my dad (Don Nicholas) at a Twins caravan stop in Fargo,” Crowe recalled, detailing the account as if it had happened yesterday. “Killer put his hand on my dad’s shoulder and apologized. “It was such a small but amazing gesture — something I’ll never forget. I thought my dad would just die of pure joy right there on the spot.” (At this point, I’m thinking about the experience some Bay Area kids had courtesy of Atlanta Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell a few weeks ago. Just as Don Nicholas never forgot bumping into the Killer, I’ll bet those kids will never forget their encounter with Roger McDowell.) How big was Killebrew in his day? Try this: According to legend, Babe Ruth once promised a dying boy he’d hit a home run for him. Never one for braggadocio, Killebrew once told a hospitalized boy he’d try to hit “a couple” for him — and delivered. Jack Guiney was 9 when Killebrew visited him in New York on May 20, 1964. Killebrew made a deal with the badly-burned boy: “If you hurry up and get well, the next time I’m in town, I’ll take you out to the ballpark and you can meet all the fellows.” Guiney said he’d watch that night’s game on TV. “Maybe I’ll hit you a couple,” Killebrew said. He hit two of his 573 career home runs that night. When the Twins came back to New York in September, Guiney was there. He got to meet the players, got a Killebrew bat and, yes, even saw Killebrew hit yet another homer. Guiney, now 55, told a New York paper he took the news of Killebrew’s death pretty hard, but can vouch for what “they said in the paper — that he was a great ballplayer but a greater human being.” I hope I’m wrong, but I’m really wondering how many of today’s young sport stars will be able to say that about their favorite athletes someday. While there are many athletes who have never met a microphone they didn’t like, they often don’t show the same basic respect to their fans. And if they’re not setting a good example for the young ones, what’s that say about the future of their sport? As Malone said, the choice to be a role model has already been made. It’s entirely up to each athlete if they’d rather be remembered as Roger McDowell or Harmon Killebrew. Either way, the fans will remember. ✪
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club scene
Mt. Diablo, Davis each claim 3 titles during Concord Cup XVIII By erik stordahl | SportStars Soccer teams spanning the Central Valley up to Northern California competed in the 18th Annual Concord Cup on May 14-15. Boys and girls teams made up of U10, U12, U16 and U19 battled for two days to claim the Cup. One of the more prestigious soccer tournaments in the Bay Area, the Concord Cup was hosted by Concord AYSO, Diablo Futbol Club, Mt. Diablo Soccer and the city of Concord. The boys U14 Red Palo Alto Raptors reigned supreme as they took home first place defeating the Davis Mojo 5-3 in the final. Before that match, the Raptors took care of the MDSA Diablos 7-1 in a semifinal match. On the side of boys U14 Blue, the Pacifica Thunderwolves and the MDSA United played to a 1-1 draw in the final. Moving up an age class, the boys U16 Davis Gold captured exactly that as they took down Concord Invasion 1-0 in the final. Davis was also represented in the girls U12 Red final as the Dynasty topped the MDSA Vortex 2-0. Making the farthest journey of all competing teams, the girls U14 Blue Tulare Thunder had a pleasant drive home after they obliterated the MDSA Rage 8-1 in the final. In its semifinal match, the Thunder dropped the MV-LA Aftershock 6-1. For girls U14 Red, the MDSA Rampage ousted the Concord Fusion 2-0 in the final. In a highly-contested girls U16 Red final, the San Bruno Lowen 95G Storm bested the Pacifica United Incredibles 94G 1-0. MDSA United captured the girls U16 Blue championship as they defeated Liga Latina Inter 1-0.
Jesuit-Carmichael rugby takes national crown Rugby powerhouse Jesuit-Carmichael just added another trophy as they won the USA Rugby Boys National Championship by defeating Xavier-New York 50-27 in Sandy, Utah on May 21. It’s the sixth national title in 16 years for the Marauders, who made quick work of their opponents in the two-day tournament. They shut out Penn-Indiana 47-0 in the quarterfinals, and took down Gonzaga-Washington, D.C., 45-7 in the semis before meeting Xavier-New York in the championship. Led by seniors Chris Fry, Michael Bush, Matt Chipman and Nick Boyer, who are all headed to Cal and are members of the USA Rugby U19 program, Jesuit has 150 players on its team, which was founded and managed by Fred Khasigian. The Marauders have 14 players moving to college next year.
Xceleration 18 Blue earn national bid The 18U girls volleyball squad for Xceleration Volleyball Club recently punched its ticket to the American Division of the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships held June 30-July 3 in Atlanta. The 18 Blue roster features a handful of faces that have already graced the pages of SportStars during the high school season. That includes Issue seven cover girl Camille Condit of Clayton Valley-Concord. Berean Chrisitan-Walnut Creek standout Jessica Vestal was our issue 10 SportStar of the Week, and Anisa Smith of Campolindo was featured in our Issue 13 Photo Finish. Want to see your club team in the Scene? Email results or story ideas to ErikS@SportStarsMag.com
Real training is on-going, not six-week bursts ■ “It was rough today. My timing was off. My movements weren’t crisp. My balance was off ”. ■ “I took 6 weeks off from my training; due to my soccer practice and game schedule along with all my schoolwork and wow did I notice a difference”. ■ “My conditioning was fine. I wasn’t breathing too heavy or feeling out of shape, but my SKILL LEVEL had dropped a lot”. his was an experience of one of my young athletes earlier this year, and it got me thinking about the way many trainers and coaches train your kids. With their “quick fix” programs or “give me six weeks and I’ll increase your vertical” training systems, they are robbing your kids of skill. They’re placing an over-emphasis on your kids’ conditioning and completely negating their skills and abilities, because skill takes time to develop. As one of my young athletes reminded me, skill takes consistency to make right. Alicia has been training with me for just over a year, and after only six weeks off she had decreased her skill levels noticeably. That’s the problem. Many coaches and trainers still look at the process of training young athletes as a conditioning path. It’s not. It’s a skill acquisition path. And those differences are huge. When coaches and trainers sell you on short-term training programs, they are selling little more than improved conditioning. Remember this, because this is the time of year that summer camps will pop up all over the place promising quick-fix improvements for your kids in the 40-yard dash, vertical jumps and drills, etc. Coaches and trainers can’t possibly teach effective skill in six weeks. And if they do, it’s short-lived and temporary. Make no mistake about it, strength, speed and agility are skills. And for your kids to truly become proficient at these skills, trainers and coaches must treat them like skills, even in summer programs. They must be taught, practiced and improved upon over time. It’s not how much your kids can lift or how quickly they can navigate through cones, it’s how well and efficiently they perform these movement skills. Lapses in skill or technique place a ceiling on your kids and limit their ability to improve beyond where they are now. And that’s why coaches and trainers who sell six-week programs,or five-day and two-week summer camps as the end-all-be-all solution to making your young athletes the fastest and most agile athletes on the field, are selling you nothing more than smoke and mirrors. You have to make sure your kids consistently train throughout the year so that skill doesn’t begin to fade. With our summer camps we start with foundational movement skills that are planned to be progressed and mastered
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throughout the year ensuring the long term development and success of your young athletes. This is what truly separates a developmental program apart from the quick fix, short-lived programs that will be offered this summer. As I found out with Alicia, time away from training results in a diminishing of skill. And skill development must be the number one consideration when choosing a summer program for your young athlete or athletes this summer. In order for your athletes to be the best, coaches and trainers must understand how to develop them, Pure and Simple! 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.
Training Time Tim Rudd for IYCA
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Alhambra’s Robert Stephenson has a mid-90s fastball and a work ethic that just might make him a first-round draft pick
“It’s been a long time since I remember a high schooler throwing as hard as he throws. You can tell when he throws the ball — he’s just different than other high school pitchers.” — El Cerrito coach Brian Nichols
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lhambra High School’s baseball field in downtown Martinez is deserted; the game long since over. It was a nonleague makeup from an earlier rainout that was crammed into a weekend morning, and the players have quickly packed up and headed off to enjoy the remainder of their Saturdays. Bulldogs coach Jay Heeb is in the dugout packing up his coaching paraphernalia. A lone player remains. Robert Stephenson, Alhambra’s captain, ace, and (when he isn’t pitching) right fielder, lingers. Is he talking strategy with his coach? Poring over pitch charts? Working on a new grip? Nope. Tiny bits of black rubber from the Bulldogs’ artificial playing surface in Martinez have found their way by the thousands onto the steps and the floor of the dugout. Stephenson is sweeping. That should tell you a great deal about the character of an 18-year old who many have ticketed as a first-round selection in Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft on June 6. “He’s an impressive young man,” Heeb said. “He has maybe the greatest work-ethic of anybody I’ve coached in 27 years. His conditioning and dedication to improving his body is unbelievable.” That work-ethic, coupled with an astonishing array of precise pitches — including a fastball that has been clocked at an eye-popping 99 mph — has Stephenson on the verge of becoming the first local high school baseball player to be plucked in the first round of the draft since Liberty-Brentwood’s Chris Gruler went No. 3 overall to the Cincinnati Reds in 2002. A recent mock draft projection by Baseball America had Stephenson going No. 29 to the San Francisco Giants, a franchise that knows something about developing young pitching talent (see: Lincecum, Tim; Cain, Matt; Wilson, Brian...).
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Heeb said that scouts from the Rays, Cubs and Jays, among many, many others, have told him they would be interested in Stephenson with picks anywhere from the low teens to the 30s. The earliest an Alhambra player had been drafted directly out of high school before this year was Dave Giberti, who went to the Rangers in the seventh round (171 overall) in 1989. The unflappable Stephenson, who already has accepted a full scholarship offer from the University of Washington, has taken the entire scout/media circus in stride. But even he can’t help but get caught up in the furor over his future. “To go from a year ago where I was just trying to find a college to now where there are 40 or 50 pro scouts there every time I pitch is pretty cool,” he said. “It has happened all of a sudden. … Just to make the draft is incredible. To have a chance to play for my favorite team (Giants) that I’ve watched growing up would be pretty special. To be anybody’s first pick would be pretty amazing to me.”
Evolution of an ace Stephenson wasn’t on anyone’s can’t-miss list as a sophomore. He was lucky if his fastball velocity climbed into the low 80s, and luckier still if those pitches found the strike zone. Heck, he wasn’t even really all that interested in being a pitcher. “He wanted to be an outfielder,” Heeb said. “I was talking to him in the outfield one day, and I told him he didn’t really run very well — it was awkward and he wasn’t very fast. I told him I had sent my oldest son to Gamespeed in Dublin with (former world-class sprinter) Aaron Thigpen, and that had really helped him. Robert didn’t say anything. I find out a while later that he’s going three days a week, and two days a week he’s going to a velocity improvement program. He’s doing extra
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Bob Larson photos
Robert Stephenson, right, and senior catcher Justin Green have already teamed up for a pair of no-hitters this season. Bulldogs coach Jay Heeb said that the mass of scouts who have followed Stephenson across the East Bay in 2011 has also benefitted Green, who has received interest from a few colleges. workouts five days a week.” To say it has paid off is a bit of an understatement. In the span of an off-season Stephenson went from awkward to athletic; from erratic to exact. “I went from low 80s as a sophomore to low 90s in the
spring of my junior year,” Stephenson said. Gary Hanks has coached some of the best players in Northern California in his 10-year run with NorCal baseball, players like the A’s Tyson Ross and the Astros’ Brett Wallace. He ranks Stephenson “at the top” of that talented group.
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all-around player. He leads the Bulldogs in RBI and extra-base hits. He’s batting .350 in the three-hole. Through May 14, he had a 7-2 record with 132 strikeouts vs. 23 walks, a 1.33 ERA and a sub-1.0 WHIP over 68 ⅓ innings pitched. He threw no-hitters at Encinal and De Anza early in the season, and has stared down the barrel of about 40 JUGS radar guns at every start. “He’s very analytical — borderline introverted,” Heeb said. “He’s our captain, but he’s not rah-rah. He leads by example. … He takes things in stride. He doesn’t get too rattled by anything. He’s like a 25-year old in an 18-year-old body.” The assumption is that he will go pro if his name gets called in the first round, but Ste-
“The common denominator is they really want to work hard,” Hanks said. “I put Robert in the upper echelon of that group in terms of work ethic, skill level, athleticism, heart, desire, and competitiveness.” Thanks to his desire and ability to quickly internalize the tools and processes recommended, Hanks has seen Stephenson go from what he characterized as “a spindly, gangly little character,” his sophomore year to a fairly strapping senior. There is a good chance that the 6-foot, 3-inch, 185-pound Stephenson will add muscle to his lean frame — maybe as much as 15 to 20 pounds. Added muscle often equates to added velocity. And when you’re already popping the glove at 99, well... “I know he wants to hit 100 before he leaves (high school),” Heeb said. “I think he can do it. His velocity is sky high because he works so hard.” Former USC catcher and current El Cerrito High School coach Brian Nichols has noted Stephenson’s progression from the opposing dugout. His Gauchos have faced Stephenson twice in the past two years. “He’s got, I think, an unhittable breaking ball at the high school level,” Nichols said. “His curve or slider is sharp and it’s in the 80s. He has control of all of his pitches. He
phenson hasn’t made a concrete decision just yet. “I really liked the (Washington) campus and the coaches, and the chance to play in the PAC-10,” Stephenson said. “UW is a great team environment. So I don’t think there is a bad decision. I’ll have to see how the draft goes, and then think about it.” Heeb, for one, isn’t worried at all about Stephenson’s future. “He’s got all the intangibles,” Heeb said. “I’m sure he’s going to be very successful whatever he decides to do. He’s got a circus following him around, and it’s amazing how he handles it.” No matter where he ends up, even if he’s still the last guy in the dugout, chances are he won’t be doing the sweeping much longer. ✪
has excellent command for a high school guy. … He’s hard to hit. You don’t often see that — a high school pitcher who can throw all his pitches for strikes at any time. He’s 89 to 94 with great command, including that split which is nasty. … You can look really bad because you have to gear up for the fastball, then he drops that breaking ball in for a strike.” Nichols has been around Bay Area baseball long enough to know when he’s seeing something special. When asked to compare Stephenson to another successful local hurler, Nichols mentioned Vallejo’s own Cy Young award winner, New York Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia. The comparison is loose — Stephenson’s a righty; Sabathia’s a lefty — but the quality is similar. “I haven’t seen anybody as good as him in a long, long time,” Nichols said. “It’s been a long time since I remember a high schooler throwing as hard as he throws. You can tell when he throws the ball — he’s just different than other high school pitchers.”
Sky’s the limit You’ve heard about the velocity, the accuracy, the work ethic. Stephenson is also a student of the game (and, ohbytheway, a 4.2 GPA, Advanced Placement student), and an
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extra bases
Playoff Time: A quick SportStars glance at the NCS tourney By Chace Bryson | Editor Only the North Coast Section will see its baseball and softball playoffs go past May 28. Which makes it the perfect candidate for us to throw some predictions toward. So here’s are outlook on the top three baseball divisions. All records are regular season records. Division I ■ TOP SEEDS: San Ramon Valley-Danville (18-6), James Logan-Union City (20-4) and California-San Ramon (15-9) ■ THE FAVORITE: It’s probably San Ramon Valley or James Logan, who both have strong 1-2 starting pitching combos. And as we all know, pitching rules all in the postseason. We’ll actually give the edge to the Colts of James Logan, which, as a team, appear to have a little more prowess at the plate than the Wolves. ■ THE DARK HORSE: Even though De La Salle-Concord (17-7) boasts the No. 4 seed, they still seem to be creeping under the radar a bit. But with the right matchups and some timely hitting, the Spartans could very
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easily make the final. ■ PREDICTED CHAMP: James Logan Division II ■ TOP SEEDS: Alameda (23-1), Clayton Valley-Concord (19-3-2) and Petaluma (185-1) ■ THE FAVORITE: It’s undoubtedly topseeded Alameda. The Hornets have been extremely consistent throughout the year. They enter the tournament on a 14-game winning streak, and not having lost to an NCS team this season. The only concern they might face is that they’ve been so dominant that they haven’t been in too many tight games (just three one-run decisions). Keep an eye on talented pitcher/infielder Trent Yee. ■ THE DARK HORSE:Speaking of one-run games, you’d be hard-pressed to find a team that played better in them than Las Lomas-Walnut Creek. The No.9-seeded Knights (14-9-1) were 8-1 in one-run games this season. They had a May 24 first-round game with No. 8 Arroyo-San Lorenzo. If they survived, they could be a serious threat.
■ PREDICTED CHAMP: Alameda Division III ■ TOP SEEDS: San Marin-Novato (20-5), Miramonte-Orinda (17-7) and Petaluma (14-10) ■ THE FAVORITE: Despite some talented East Bay teams in the field, San Marin is certainly deserving the of the top seed it was given. The Mustangs hit nearly .300 as a team (technically .296) and have a pitching staff ERA of 1.14. But we think what makes them the favorite is leadership. This team has several more than a handful of players who were part of San Marin’s NCS-championship basketball team — it won’t be afraid of pressure-filled postseason moments. ■ THE DARK HORSE:It would be hard not to choose the team with arguably the best pitcher in the field. If No. 7 AlhambraMartinez can maximize Robert Stephenson’s time on the mound, it has a shot to ride his right arm into at least the semifinals, if not beyond. Of course, the Bulldogs will need give him some run support. ■ PREDICTED CHAMP: San Marin ✪
Bob Sansoe/De La Salle
De La Salle’s Chris Costanza
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extra bases
Got what it takes to play for Team USA? It seems like a long time ago, but on the cover of our fifth issue last August we featured San Ramon Valley High pitcher John Hochstatter of Danville. In the photo, he’s sporting a Team USA uniform. The same Team USA uniform he sported in Canada during the 18U International Federation World Baseball Championships. Ever thought you could wear the same uniform? Maybe you can. But you’ll have to be a SportStar first. The Pitching Center and Cabernet Indoor Sports, along with our sponsorship, will be putting together three elite travel baseball (13U, 15U and 17U) teams named the East
Bay SportStars. The teams will attend and compete in the Northern California Prospect Games in late July and early August. Eighteen players from each age group will be be selected from these tournaments to attend the National Team Identification Series in North Carolina this September. Top players from that competition are then selected to compete for the national teams of 2012. The first stage of putting these teams together will begin with open workouts in June. But if you’re really eager to announce your presence with authority, you can express your interest in an email to EBSportStars@ gmail.com.
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We held our first SportStars Athletes of the Year banquet on May 9, honoring our Male and Female Athletes of the Winter — Treaven Duffy, left, of Las Lomas-Walnut Creek, and Brittany Boyd of Berkeley. Here the two hold up their individual award plaques in front of McCovey’s Restaurant in Walnut Creek, the permanent home of our Athlete of the Year banquets. The event brought a good-sized crowd of supporters from both of the athletes’ high schools — which was good because McCovey’s donated 20 percent of all proceeds from those orders back to the school’s athletic departments. A little more than $100 was donated. If you visit McCovey’s, be sure to scan the wall and find our perpetual plaque listing the honored athletes of each season. And when you order, tell them SportStars sent you! Bob Larson
May 26, 2011
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Jonathan Hawthorne photos
Amador Valley senior Catherine Breed cuts through the water during the 500-yard freestyle final at the NCS Swimming Championships on May 21.
Record Haul
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By erik stordahl | SportStars
ne by one the swimmers waited in the pool for their names to be called. From eighth place down to second, one by one they left the pool receiving their flowers and medals, some content, others despondent. Catherine Breed was the last one to emerge. Her grin ranging from ear to ear, it was obvious to even the latecomer that the Amador Valley senior won the girls 200 freestyle at the North Coast Section swimming championships at Concord Community Pool on May 21. “Last year was so disappointing,” Breed said. “I’m just really happy because I’ve been working so hard this year and it’s finally paying off.” Indeed, Breed’s junior year campaign was not her finest. Coming off back-to-back NCS championships in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle her freshman and sophomore seasons, Breed suffered an ACL injury in 2010 that limited her chances at delivering three consecutive championships in both events. She lost to newcomer and present rival Carondelet sophomore Chelsea Chenault in both races with Chenault setting NCS records in the process. This time, Breed exacted revenge. With times of 1 minute, 44.61 seconds in the 200 freestyle and 4:41.18 in the 500 freestyle, Breed recaptured sectional records in both events. “Catherine’s definitely in better shape than I was,” Chenault said. “I wasn’t as well as prepared
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No record was safe at the NCS swim finals, especially the two Catherine Breed wanted back
as I would’ve liked to have been. I kind of got a little bit out of it after the 200, it kind of messed me up for my (500 freestyle). But it’s only my second year here, so I’ll take it for what it is.” Heading to Cal in the fall, Breed’s departure leaves a void on the Dons swim team, which head coach Jon Pallesen will have to fill. “It’s just the capper to a phenomenal career,” Pallesen said. “To end like this, last year was a rough year…It was tough to see a new swimmer (Chenault) come on and not only beat her but take down her record.” The NCS championships was Breed’s swan song, an exclamation point on a stellar high school career. And while she’s moving on to the college ranks, spectators at Concord Community Pool saw the rise of a fresh talent in Granada freshman Nick Silverthorn. Like Breed, Silverthorn dominated the 200 and 500 freestyle individual events. Going up against favorites Jackson Miller of Las Lomas-Walnut Creek and Robert Ashby of Campolindo-Moraga, he proved he belonged with first-place times of 1:37.83 in the 200 freestyle and 4:26.15 in the 500 freestyle. “I was having really high expectations going into both races,” Silverthorn said. “I just knew that if I went out there I could have a strong back half because that’s where my field seemed to be pretty weak (during the qualifying trials), and that’s where I knew I could take advantage of everyone else in the race. In the 500, I knew if I got out to an early lead, I’d be able to hold it. And that’s what I tried to do.” Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsMag.com
by the 12 27 NUMBERS NCS swimming & diving
North Coast Section meet records set
Years that the boys 200 medley relay record (1:34.23) had stood before being broken by Miramonte (1:34.16).
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New meet records among the 12 boys events
Seconds that Catherine Breed’s 500 freestyle time (4:41.18) bettered the previous record of 4:43.43 set a year ago.
Meet records now held by Campolindo (4 boys, 1 girls), the most by any program.
Granada freshman Nick Silverthorn hangs leisurely in the pool and waits for his name to be announced after a record-setting win in the 200 freestyle. Silverthorn was a double winner at the event, also taking the 500 freestyle.
Not only did Silverthorn hold on to an early lead, he led the 500 freestyle wire to wire. It was a performance that would lead anyone who watched to believe the sky is the limit for him. “I think he has that ability to continue to grow,” Granada coach Julian Avilla said. “You rarely see at this level a freshman boy working with these kinds of times. For him to be doing it at age 15. … He’s a man amongst boys.” Silverthorn, who’s built more like a linebacker than a swimmer, has it all. “From in the classroom to out in the pool, he’s an outstanding kid,” Avilla said. “He’s one of those kids that not only do you love to have because he’s a great kid – he works hard, he does things well – but also just the tremendous athlete that he is. He swam some amazing races today.” While those in the swimming community can undoubtedly expect to see Silverthorn look to continue to make some noise in his events in the coming years, there are those like Madison White who are one step ahead of him. The Carondelet sophomore captured titles in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke with times of 50.49 and 53.74, respectively. She also helped her Cougars break the NCS record in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:26.47 while also helping capture the best time in the 200 medley relay. These efforts helped Carondelet secure second place overall finishing behind only San Ramon Valley, which capped off an undefeated season. “I’ve been working hard for a while,” White said. “Everything that I’ve been doing in practice, all the little things, it really just came down to that.” While others may be nervous or intimidated going up against the top swimmers in the section, this was child’s play for White, who competed against the top swimmers in the world at the FINA World Swimming Championships in Dubai last December. “Definitely there’s a little less pressure when it’s a high school meet here,” said White when comparing international meets to high school ones. “But still, I’m representing the national team. I definitely have the USA in my mind.”
The NCS championship meet may not have been a national competition, but a lot of the times showed that it could’ve been. The female swimmers alone recorded 38 All-American times while setting four sectional records, two by Breed in the 200 and 500 freestyle, and another by Chenault in the 400 freestyle relay, which came at the expense of Breed and her Dons who took fifth. ✪
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tee2green
Young Brueckner leaves mark on NCS golf championships By Chace Bryson | Editor
“I missed a lot greens on the back nine, but I had a lot of up and downs,” Brueckner said. “I had just 12 putts on the back William Brueckner had to spoil the party. nine and that was key to my round today.” The North Coast Section Tournament of Champions for Because he started on Hole No. 2, Brueckner still had two boys golf was a decidedly East Bay Athletic League affair more holes to go after his par save on 17. He would par both on May 16. With the exception of Mr. Brueckner, a gangly freshman from Acalanes-Lafayette who just happened to card 18 and 1 to close out the round. “When the weather started to pick up on the back nine, I the lowest round of the day at Contra Costa Country Club in thought I had a chance to qualify,” he said. “I didn’t think I was Pleasant Hill. gonna win.” As the post tournaHis 72 edged San Rament medalist honors mon Valley-Danville golfer were being announced, Cody Blick by one stroke. Alhambra-Martinez coach Steve Sloper — the Blick still qualified for the tournament director — California Interscholastic introduced Brueckner as Federation/Northern Will “The Thrill.” Not the California Golf Association most original nickname regional championship, — especially to Bay Area but the rest of Brueckner’s baseball fans — but apteam was on the wrong propriate nonetheless. side of a one-stroke While his even-par margin. score of 72 doesn’t Acalanes carded a conjure up a term like five-card score of 394 and “thrill,” all one had to was missed a top three finish watch the freshman play when Monte Vista posted Hole 17 (415-yard, par 4) a 393. De La Salleto understand what made Concord finished second his round so exceptional. at 390, and at six strokes Because it was very better than that was firstun-freshmanlike. place Foothill-Pleasanton First of all, Brueckner and the other three golfers at 384. in his group were offered “It’s a very unique a wet welcome to the team,” said Foothill junior 17th tee. The gray skies Travis Rowney, who that had been lingering carded a 74. “We’re all overhead throughout the very consistent. We’re day finally decided to Photos: Chris Scott/CalSportsPhoto.com very lucky to have a team open up and release a like this. We can all conAcalanes freshman Will Brueckner follows through on a steady drizzle. Brueckner drive from the 15th tee box during the NCS Tournament of sistently shoot mid-70s, was the first to tee off and Champions at Contra Costa Country Club in Pleasant Hill and it’s a lot of fun.” sent his drive on the slight Rowney was one of on May 16. dogleg left to the right and three Falcons golfers to off the fairway. It landed post a round of 74. He just below the tree line on an uphill slope. was joined by Nico Galletti and Roshan Chekuri. Matt Yount He lined up his second shot with his feet above the ball and was also in the 70s, finishing with a 79. took aim at the green about 170 yards away. The rain was its “It’s hard to play golf as a team because golf will always most persistent at this moment, and his shot landed left and be an individual sport,” Rowney said. “But it’s very fun when below the green. He then sent a soft pitch shot up onto the you’re part of a team like this because you can enjoy winning surface but was still left with a 15-foot putt — which he sank with other people.” ✪ as part of his stellar putting day.
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De La Salle is headed back to state
Just one week after taking second at the NCS championships, De La Salle finally got the best of EBAL rival Foothill. Thanks to five golfers posting scores of 75 or better at Butte Creek Country Club in Chico, the Spartans wrapped up their third CIF/NCGA NorCal championship on May 23 — by just one stroke. A score of 369 was enough to keep both Foothill and Robert Louis Stevenson-Pebble Beach at bay. But only barely, as both programs finished at 370. “Truth be told, the kids played just little better than they had all year,” De La Salle coach Leo Lopoz said. “They just did it at the right time on the right stage.” The win propels the Spartans into the CIF state championship tournament on June 8 at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach. De La Salle is the last Northern California team to win the state title, doing so in 2007. And they are the only NorCal team to do it during the modern championship era. De La Salle had two even-par rounds in Chico, one from senior Jonathan De Los Reyes (pictured below), and one from sophomore Justin Paglia. Still, It was the freshman Justin Nuval whose score of 3-over 75 made the unexpected difference. Foothill is a state qualifier for the second time in as many years. Leading the way for the Falcons was Nico Galletti — whose brother, Roberto, was coincidentally on the DLS team that won state in 2006 — with a 2-under par 70. Only Jonathan Garrick of St. Francis-Mountain View was better among individual scores. Garrick finished with a 4-under 68.
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tee2green
First Tee of Oakland’s summer plans: Golf, education and fundraising The First Tee is a youth development organization that is dedicated to impacting the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through golf. And for some chapters, sharing these lessons is getting more difficult. As a non-profit organization we rely on donations to continue operating; otherwise the program ceases to exist and we fail the children of this community. We have been so very fortunate this year to have received $10,000 from Jerry Rice’s 127 Foundation and another $10,000 from Sequoyah Country Club. However so much more is needed to reach the number of young people in Oakland who would not otherwise have access to the game of golf. During these challenging economic times we must rely on one another to ensure a better future for our community and our youth. To achieve these goals, we are asking for support from business leaders in and around the Oakland Metropolitan Community. As we continue to move forward, however, our 2011 Summer session “tee-up” begins on Monday, June 20, at the Lake Chabot Golf Course and Metropolitan Golf Links. The Summer session will run for eight weeks, meeting one time a week for 90 minutes per class. Sessions meet on Monday-Thursday and Saturday mornings. Check out our
website for the details. What else is in store for the Summer participants? Road Trip to the Beach … Pebble Beach! We have a special field trip planned to Monterey where we will be a part of a gallery of hundreds of other First Tee players, coaches, volunteers and families from around the country to watch over 70 First Tee participants who were selected to compete side-by-side with some of the greatest Champion Tour players at the renowned Pebble Beach Golf Course. The First Tee of Oakland hopes to continue to evolve into a powerful youth-development program that will teach hundreds more underserved and at-risk youth in the Oakland Metropolitan area through our after school programs, outreach clinics, and summer sessions. However, without a lot more support from individuals and corporations, we literally will not survive. If you are interested in helping The First Tee of Oakland by making a donation yourself, you could send a check to: The First Tee of Oakland, c/o April Kenyon, 11425 Golf Links Road, Oakland, CA 94605. ✪
First Tee Files
April Kenyon
First Tee Files is a rotating column featuring the executive directors of four Bay Area chapters of The First Tee. April Kenyon is the director of The First Tee Oakland. Find out more on each chapter at: www.TheFirstTeeContraCosta.org, www. TheFirstTeeOakland.org, www.TheFirstTeeSanJose.org and www.TheFirstTeeTriValley.org.
eTeamSponsor to tee things up for DVC athletics eTeamSponsor, the experts in fundraising, is extending its helping hand to the athletics program at Diablo Valley College. SportStars will be joining them in hosting the DVC Athletics Inaugural Golf Tournament at Boundary Oak Golf Course in Walnut Creek on June 6. “With statewide budget cuts and increasing costs for travel, uniforms, equipment, and general needs, our programs like many others are in need of help,” DVC Athletic Director Christine Worsley said. “By participating in this spectacular golf event you will share in the joy of the days’ events, as well as providing a small donation to the student athlete’s future opportunities.” This tournament is open to the general public and spots are still available. Entry is $150 per participant but SportStars cut a deal with the tournament directors. For participants registering before Friday, June 2, they will get $25 off the entry fee. Participants will get to experience Boundary Oak’s glorious 18 holes along with the chance to compete in a long drive competition put on by Fore 2 Your Door. For this event, Fore 2 Your Door will custom-build a long driver and will give it to the winner. They will also be donating a custom golf goodies package that will be auctioned off. “We have a need and a passion and a desire to help programs like DVC,” eTeamSponsor vice president Don Howell said. “We’ve already helped raise $42,000 for their sports programs to date. We’re looking forward to participation in this as well.” To get your $25 discount, go to www.dvcathletics.com, click on the Registration tab and complete the personal information sec-
tion. Click on the tab for $150 and type in ‘SportStars’ to secure
your discount. Log on to www.dvcathletics.com for more information on the DVC Athletics Inaugural Golf Tournament. ✪
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Jumping through hoops: The path to ACL recovery and prevention
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itting on the couch watching the NBA playoffs, you see your favorite superstar fly through the air going up for a twohanded tomahawk slam. AMAZING. And the crowd goes wild! As he lets go of the rim, you see him come down off-balance, he lands with his right knee buckled inward and he goes down immediately! He’s on the floor shrieking and holding his knee in extreme pain. Later on, you hear on the news that he tore the ACL in his knee and he’ll be out for a number of months for surgery and physical therapy. The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is one of the primary stabilizers that limit excessive movement of the tibia on the femur (your two primary leg bones, which meet at the knee). The ACL will be needed to return to activities involving such dynamic movements as jumping, pivoting and cutting. ACL injuries have become highly studied in regards to mechanism of injury, prevention, and rehabilitation methods. Physical therapy has become an important vehicle in returning individuals to their prior levels of function by correcting any faulty movement patterns that were developed. One of the most important components during the NBA player’s return to basketball will be to ensure that he develops sound squatting mechanics (double- and singlelegged), since these are the base of all jumping maneuvers. After strength is near normal and squat mechanics are sound, the athlete will need to develop the proper jumping and landing mechanics that all jumpers should possess to ensure there is no re-injury. Key components to proper jumping and landing mechanics include: ■ First developing sound squat mechanics (knees over toes, sit butt back), the foundation of jumping. ■ Incorporating strengthening of the posterior chain muscles, such as the hamstrings and glutes. ■ A sound CORE foundation (stabilizing muscles of the trunk). ■ Take-offs and landings with knees in
Health Watch Kristen Welsh
alignment over the feet and tracking over the seconnd toe. ■ Soft and controlled landings to prevent increased joint forces on the lower extremities. ■ Properly supervised training. The next NBA season is in mid-session and you see your favorite player back on the court. In the player’s postgame interview he talks about how part of his rehabilitation focused on development of proper mechanics with squats, jumping and landing, and how important they are in all injury prevention. With proper squat and jump training, any athlete has a very high chance of participating in their sport of choice without an increased risk of injury. ✪ Kristen Welsh is a physical therapist for the 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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Brotherly Run Fueled by a family passion to run, Austin and Ryan Donnelly have become an impressive triathlon duo
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By timothy carlson | Contributor
n most cases, high school athletes are more than happy to engage in sports which offer another chance to establish their own identity as separate and distinct from their parents. Which is as it should be — in the cases of football, basketball, baseball, soccer and most of the mainstream sports where the competition is strictly separated by age and organized in the usual club and school leagues. But some endurance sports offer a relatively rare alternative possibility where just the right mix of fathers and sons (and mothers and daughters) can train and race together. Ryan and Austin Donnelly tried a few other sports, but soccer was the one that they really loved starting in grade school in Los Gatos, California. Coaches saw their natural penchant for running and endurance and put the older son Ryan at right midfield and younger son Austin at center midfield. “Basically at my position you run, run and run up and down the field every minute, all day long and never stop” says Ryan. “You’re partly attacker and partly defender, you are everywhere.” Their father Peter Donnelly played rugby growing up in Great Britain, but he and
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the boys’ mother Julia had become dedicated runners as the boys moved up from club and middle and high school soccer teams. And with his sports background, Peter saw the boys might benefit from a little run training from the beginning. “When I was about 6 years old, my parents would kick us out of the house and force us to run around the block a few times to get exercise,” said Austin. “I hated it at first but it started to pay off in soccer and keeping fit. Now I respect what it did for me.” Both boys enjoyed success – Austin’s club team won a Northern California state cup when he was 11 and Ryan made the high school varsity in his first season with Los Gatos High. Even while their immersion in soccer was becoming increasingly serious, Austin remained intrigued with running and was sparked to join his father in a race — at age 12. “One day me and my dad were talking about what goal we could complete and dad came up with the San Francisco Marathon,” Austin said. “My body was not fully grown, so he said I needed nine months of training to build up and adapt to the distance.” So father and son began regular runs during the week and on weekends did a
Ryan Donnelly, left, and younger brother Austin both play soccer for Los Gatos High — and in their spare time, they both are competitive in long-course triathlon. long run that gradually built up to 18, 20 and 23 miles. “I would come home from school, do my homework early and jump into bed as soon as possible to get a few extra hours to sleep. ... We pushed each other through it all and I definitely had a lot of fun, and got closer with my dad.” On race day, Austin stood 4 feet, 10
inches tall and weighed 85 pounds, and despite pre-race nerves finished a very hilly course with his father in an admirable time of 3:29. Afterwards, Austin was undaunted. “I had a club soccer game after the race and told my dad I was fine to go play,” said Austin. “But he knew better and wouldn’t let me.” In 2009, Peter started training for a tri-
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athlon with some friends. He signed up for a big first-time challenge, the Wildflower half Ironman-distance triathlon and took his boys along for the trip. “I loved the idea of going out in the middle of nowhere to camp with friends who all have the same mindset you do,” said Ryan. “I just enjoyed the whole lifestyle that encouraged you to have good nutrition, get fit for the race, and I was a big fan of all the equipment — I became a big fan of biking. Plus everyone was so welcoming and nice and supportive of the goal to push yourself to do amazing things. My goal was to do the same Wildflower long course the next year.” But first Ryan had to figure out whether he wanted to stay with the expensive club soccer commitment. “It took me a few months to figure out what I wanted to do — continue play soccer or spend that money for a nice bike and swim stuff try to make triathlon a part of my life.” Ryan decided to do triathlon, and stick with high school soccer. Equally excited about triathlon, Austin decided to join his brother on this quest. Wildflower’s 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike over very hilly terrain and rugged 13.1 mile run over equally demanding cross country style dirt trails and tough paved hills is one of the toughest courses at the distance in the world. So Peter Donnelly supported his boys in the challenge only if they would commit to a tough training regimen equal to the test they would face. “Dad came up with a five weekday schedule with Saturday off and a long ride or run on Sunday,” Ryan said. “I followed it step by step. On a typical day I would wake up at 5 a.m. and run or do a long session on an indoor bike. Some days I would start by swimming. Then I’d go to school, and after school hit the weight room for strength training and weights. In the af-
“What I like about triathlon that differentiates it from other sports is it brings me closer with family. We all do it and we all love how it brings us closer together.” — Austin Donnelly ternoons, I’d mix in another workout in another discipline.” Austin joined them for almost every workout. “My dad and his two friends and I always swam together and trained together except for the occasional sick day,” said Austin. “It was hard to find three hours on weekend days to do long bike rides and hard to find 90 minutes to do a 13-mile run before school. There were challenges getting enough sleep and fighting off being tired and sore to get in the training we needed.” The final point of training was a weekend trip to the Wildflower course where they all swam, biked and ran the course in two days. On race day, Peter’s sons were ready and they were rewarded with a great duel to the finish with one another. “There was definitely a rivalry,” said Austin, who was 14 on race day. “We were both new to swimming and were about even,” said Ryan, who was 16. “I have him on the bike, and all that I make up on the bike he makes up on the run. So then we are
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about dead even and it’s down to who has the most energy at the finish.” Ryan made the swim in 40 minutes, 54 seconds, just 26 seconds ahead of his brother. Ryan biked 3:20:14 at a little over 16 mph and Austin soldiered through in 3:33:32. “My parents were cheering me and yelled “Go! He’s only 15 minutes ahead of you!’” said Austin. “I thought 15 minutes was a reasonable goal to make up. I tried to do the math in my head – if I made up 70 seconds a mile I could catch him.” Their father, after posting a 6:24:06 time the year before, obviously prepared much better and finished in 5:52:12. He was waiting with his wife Julia at the finish when Ryan came in at 6:11: flat. Austin, after a stellar run of 1:51:35, had made up 14 minutes but finished 73 seconds back. Ryan said his brother was a very good sport. “He said ‘Congratulations, you won,’ and was happy for me. It was a perfect finish for me that I held him off on the run. I loved it and wanted to do it again.” The brothers both played on Los Gatos High’s soccer team which went 8-6-5 last year. Triathlon has stayed in their lives, as has their asymmetrical but perfectly balanced rivalry. At Wildflower this year, Ryan showed up with some hightech aerodynamic wheels ready to break six hours while Austin, a little bigger and stronger, settled for less fancy spoked wheels. Unfortunately for Ryan, high winds on the bike turned his Aeolus 9.0 carbon wheels into sails that slowed him down considerably into the head winds and side winds and gave him cramps. Round Two to Austin. “What I like about triathlon that differentiates it from other sports is it brings me closer with family,” said Austin. “We all do it and we all love how it brings us closer together.” ✪
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Run. Bike. Paddle? Behold, Eppie’s Great Race the
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WHAT: Eppie’s Great Race & US Bank Kids Duathlon WHEN: July 23, 2011 WHERE: Rancho Cordova/Sacramento GET REGISTERED: www.thegreatrace.org
Contributed photo
rainbow of kayaks will take to the American River on July 23 as athletes compete in the world’s undisputed oldest triathlon. The 38th annual Eppie’s Great Race is a summertime tradition in the Sacramento area. This unique triathlon replaces the traditional swimming component with paddling. Eppie’s Great Race consists of a 5.82-mile run, 12.5-mile cycle and a 6.35-mile downriver paddle on a racecourse located on and alongside the American River that flows through Rancho Cordova and Sacramento. The run-bike-paddle triathlon is named for its founder, Eppie Johnson, formerly an avid skier and restaurateur known for unusual promotions — this triathlon being one of them. “The popularity of Eppie’s Great Race continues to grow,” said Johnson. “I think one of the reasons is because the triathlon offers something for evDiscounted kayaking eryone. Athletes can compete packages for Eppie’s as iron men or iron women — Great Race, athletes taking on all three legs of the ages 12-18: race. We also offer a number of www.current team divisions including coradventures.com porate and junior divisions.” Eppie’s Great Race and Current Adventures kayaking school have teamed up to offer a special program for racers ages 12-18. Participants receive heavily-discounted kayak lessons as well as rental kayaks for the lessons and for the day of the race. Kids can even take part in the fun by participating in the US Bank Kids Duathlon, a 2-mile run and 5.75-mile bike ride that provides young athletes ages 7-17 with their own event. Fitness and camaraderie are two great reasons to participate in Eppie’s Great Race. Another reason to take part is to support the event’s beneficiary: Sacramento County Therapeutic Recreation Services. Every year, the net proceeds of Eppie’s Great Race benefit the Sacramento County Therapeutic Recreation Services (TRS). This is a program that helps thousands of people with physical and mental disabilities to live more fulfilling lives through organized trips and community events. To date, Eppie’s Great Race has raised close to $1 million for TRS. The race festivities begin the day before with the Great Race Expo and spaghetti feed at River Bend Park in Rancho Cordova. For more information, training packages or to register for Eppie’s Great Race, visit www.thegreatrace.org or call 916381-0255. — Anita Fitzhugh for Eppie’s Great Race
Kid’s Kayak Cheaper
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May 26, 2011
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Return Game With its 42nd win of 2011, De La Salle won its first NCS title since 2002 By matt smith | Contributor
North Coast Section boys volleyball does not exactly have a long, extensive history, only crowning a champion as far back as 1992. Over those 20 seasons, there have been some great teams and a lot of dominance, especially when you consider Foothill had won four of the previous five titles. However, it is possible that no other team was as great or as dominant as this year’s NCS Division I champs. That statement in itself says a lot, but when you throw in the fact that it is De La Salle High, you’re really saying something. The Spartan program won five straight titles from 1998 to 2002, but this might be the best team they’ve fielded, which means it might just be the best NCS team of all time. “I think this is the best De La Salle team we’ve ever put out,” De La Salle co-head coach Michael Hurlbut said. “I think the record speaks for that. We haven’t ducked anybody, we’ve played in every top tournament that we could possibly get into and we finished 42-2.” Compiling those 42 wins was quite impressive. The Spartans did not lose a match to an NCS team this season. They lost only five games to NCS teams, winning 73 games in the meantime. They started the — De La Salle season with 18 straight wins before losing co-head coach at the Granite Bay Tournament, and after their second loss of the season — which Michael Hurlbut came at the hands of Mountain View at the Bellarmine Tournament — De La Salle finished the season with another 18-game winning streak. “Beating good teams over and over again is hard to do, especially when you have that target on your back,” De La Salle junior outside hitter Peter Edwards said. “Our goal was to win league, win 40 matches and to win NCS and actually doing all that is an amazing feeling.” Of the five games that the Spartans lost to NCS teams this season, three of them came in the final three days of the season. They dropped a game in a 2-1 win over Campolindo early in the year, and lost only one game in East Bay Athletic League play in a 3-1 win over California. Prior to the playoffs, that was it. Their amazing season came very close to crashing down in the Division I semifinals when a very feisty, talented and motivated Mission San Jose team came to Concord. The Warriors won games two and three to take a 2-1 lead, but facing elimination De La Salle was able
“I think this is the best De La Salle team we’ve ever put out.”
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FAR LEFT: De La Salle’s Peter Edwards zeroes in on a return during the NCS Division I final against Deer Valley. LEFT: The Spartans’ Brendan Byrne goes up for a kill as Deer Valley’s Noah Labonte contends in a block attempt. De La Salle won the tightly contested match in four games, 24-26, 25-19, 25-15, 25-23. Bob Larson
to turn it around and win big in games four and five. It was a very similar situation in the championship game, as Deer Valley won the first game, but De La Salle won fairly comfortable in game two (25-19) and won game three more easily (25-15). “The big thing we preached to them before this match is that we don’t need to change anything, we don’t need to run anything different, let’s just play our game,” Hurlbut said. “It’s the thing we’ve been doing since day one. They went out and did exactly that.” In what might be considered the best NCS finals matchups of all time, featuring teams entering the contest with a combined 80 wins, the Spartans knew that Deer Valley was going to make a run in game four. The Wolverines did just that, tying it at 23 apiece and nearly reaching the precipice of forcing a fifth game. However, in true De La Salle fashion, it got the side out it needed on a John Hayes kill, then was able to get the ball up on the ensuing rally and Trevor Felix kept the championship point just inside the court with a kill into the right corner. “We went out and played some tough defense in games two and three and brought it back to life and game four was a battle that could have gone either way,” Hurlbut said. “Deer Valley is an outstanding team, there is no question they were supposed to be here, but luckily for us we figured them out in time. “This match was very even, and it was outstanding all the way around.”
There was plenty of hype surrounding this match, seeing as it was clearly the two top teams in the North Coast Section. Adding to the luster was that somehow, through regular season and tournament play, these two teams had yet meet. That contributed to a packed gym, a gym that Hurlbut said contained more people than all of their other home matches combined. And it also led to extremely rowdy student sections on both sides. All of which added up to perhaps the most intense atmosphere any NCS boys final has seen in the sport’s 20-year history within the NCS. “It was definitely the most intense match that I’ve been a part of,” De La Salle co-head coach Steve Siegmann said. “I thought both teams’ fans helped get us pumped up. It was great.” A high energy level in the stands is only going to intensify the play on the floor, which it easily did as both teams fed off the energy of the crowd. “I’ve never played in front of such a big crowd and everyone was so full of energy,” Edwards said. “It was two great teams who were evenly matched and it was a great final.” Even in defeat, the Deer Valley side was astonished at the amount of energy inside the gym. “The crowd was unbelievable,” Deer Valley coach Lou Panzella said. “They created an atmosphere that I had never been a part of before, and it was awesome, and I don’t think that anybody was disappointed because both teams played really well.” ✪
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May 26, 2011
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impulse Attack the snow, bike style
Elite athletes go with GU
While your friends impatiently wait for the next ski lift, why don’t you meet ‘em at the top with a Hanebrink? This all-terrain, all-power, all-guts-no-glory vehicle looks like it came straight from the movies or the 22nd Century (we’re not sure). Loaded with carbon fiber and other materials probably best suited for a space shuttle, Hanebrink is no joke. Built by Dan Hanebrink, a former NASA aerospace engineer, the “ice bike” can go up to 20 MPH — and that’s without pedaling. It comes with tires that are 20” x 8”, easily the widest in the industry; you won’t have to worry about riding into potholes or getting stuck in crevices with this futuristic bad boy. Want one? Hit up www.fortunehanebrink.com to get yours now.
You’re an athlete and you’re more competitive than just playing a couple pick-up games with your buds. You run more than just once around the block and you actually take good care of your body. Rec leagues and 5K fun runs can be enjoyable but they’re not for you. No. You crave the triathlons, Iron Man competitions and 100-mile marathons. Training for those are no joke, which is why eating right and fueling up properly is key for success. Go with GU. GU Energy’s products come in a wide array from gels to drinks. Get your fix with GU Electrolyte Brew — this drink will increase your stamina so that marathon will feel more like a walk in the park. Also try Roctane Ulta Energy Gel. GU’s mad scientists worked hard on this one as they tested it on thousands of elite athletes with effective results. GU Chomps give you bits of energy bursts during a race, run, hike or swim. All of these products come packed with vitamins, proteins, amino acids — all the good stuff your body will thank you for. To be the greatest you need to eat like the greatest. Hit up www. guenergy.com to get these healthy supplements now.
Softball savings galore
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Look, we know the softball season is never-ending. Sure, the high school season is about to end but organizations and travel teams are kicking it into high gear for the summer months. That’s why you’ll need to reload on your gear. Ringor’s your source. Ringor is the only company to solely focus on women’s softball. Shop as an individual or as a team. Your team deserves the best gear. So why not go to the place that will get you the best. It’s an obvious no-brainer to us. Go to www.ringor.com to find all the latest and greatest in softball cleats, spikes, apparel, bags and other accessories. So, do the right thing; and GET CONNECTED with www.ringor.com today.
Fueling up pro style
Father’s Day Free-For-All around the corner
What do Kevin Durant, Peyton Manning, Serena Williams and Sidney Crosby all have in common? Well, other than being ridiculously good in their sports and more rich than we’ll ever be, they also drink Gatorade. Partakers of the innovative G-Series, these athletes are always fueling up with the good stuff. It all starts with the Before. Prior to your practice or game, take Gatorade Prime 01 — pregame fuel that comes in a 4-oz pouch. This will get the collective juices in your muscles flowing by tipoff. Now, let’s talk about the During. Gatorade Thirst Quencher gives the extra oomph needed when your legs start to wear down in the third quarter. You’ll feel like playing another when the buzzer sounds. Don’t forget about the After, probably the most crucial component to any workout. Gatorade Recover 03 will cool your muscles’ jets and send you into relax mode after the big game. Consistent use of the Before, During and After will go a long way in your career. Go to www.gatorade.com for more info on how to Prime, Perform and Recover.
Here it is again, folks. We’re putting on another one of our ultra-fun, super awesome, haveto-be-there SportsJams. Join us on Sunday, June 19 for our Father’s Day Free-For-All at Cabernet Indoor Sports in Livermore. There’s gonna be tons of FREE food, live music, games, prizes and many other goodies. There will also be plenty of challenges like soccer shootouts against pro goalies, speed pitch and base running competitions along with golf displays, skateboard stunt exhibitions and kart racing. Businesses: Call in to SportStars HQ to find out how to get booth space. Space is limited! The Father’s Day Free-For-All goes from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and promises to be the most fun this side of the Mississippi. Bring out your dad and the rest of the family. Check out our website: www.sportstarsmag.com for more info.
May 26, 2011
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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 signups 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. Age- and 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: 925-459-2880. BASKETBALL Saint Mary’s College camps Spend your June and July learning fundamentals or honing your skills at McKeon Pavilion. Plenty of options are available. Registration and info: 925-631-4386, smccamps@stmarysca.edu; www.smcgaels. 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 Earthquake Arabians We are hosting camps throughout spring and summer at their facility in the Morgan Territory. Camps are June 13-17 and June 20-24. Size is limited so sign up now! Info/Registration: 925-3607454 or www.EarthquakeArabians.com for more info. Kelly Maddox Riding Academy Develop new friendships with other horsecrazy kids. Weekly activities include learning horse colors,
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markings and breeds; arts and crafts; a farrier demonstration and human horse show; bareback riding and more! Info: 925-5754818, 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- 228-1801; 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 three two-week sessions: June 20July 1, 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. 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) 979-9794 or E.Nopi, Newark, (510)79ENOPI (36674)
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 7- 14. We help each child reach his full potential as a football player and young person. Info: 650245-3608 . www. norcalfootballcamps.com GOLF 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 925-686-6262 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: 510-352-2002; 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: 408-288-2973; 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. Summer classes begin on June 14. 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 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
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camps + clinics 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 starting June 20. Info: 888-5014999, 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 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. June is the third annual 6v6 Blowout Tournament. Info: www. heritagesc.com. 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 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 WRESTLING 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 name “De La Salle” is pretty much synonymous with “champion” in East Bay sport circles, and if that’s not an endorsement of their summer camps, we’re not sure what is! The school’s Athletic Summer Camps will begin June 13 and will run in week-long sessions through June 30. DLS is welcoming incoming fourth-through-ninth graders. Camp offerings include football, track and field, lacrosse, wrestling, volleyball, baseball, water polo, soccer, and strength and conditioning. For more information, contact Leo Lopoz, director of summer camps, or Derricke Brown, assistant director of summer camps, at (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. 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 June 13 thru Aug. 19. Info: 925-9426344. 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 from June 13-Aug. 19. More info: www. cabernetindoorsports.com
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Pick your favorites and we’ll get you hooked up! ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒ ❒❒
Apparel Automotive Camps & Clinics Endurance/Outdoor/Adventure Events Fun/Entertainment Fundraising Golf/Tennis Gyms/Health Clubs Health & Nutrition Home Improvement Martial Arts Restaurants Sporting Goods Teams/Clubs/ Leagues Travel & Leisure
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A A A Northern California, Nevada & Utah.......................... 10 Aabco Printing......................... 24 American Kenda Rubber............ 29 Aviva Promotional Products...... 18 Back Forty BBQ.......................... 17 Baseball Batting Cages.Com...... 24 Big 5............................................ 3 Big C Athletic Club....................... 5 Big- O Tires.................................. 2 Bob Larson Photography........... 34 Cabernet Indoor Sports.............. 34 Cal Athletic Camps..................... 35 California Adventure Camps...... 34 Cheer Gyms............................... 12 Children’s Hospital and Research Center........................................ 27
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Clayton/Countrywood Fitness Centers.......................... 25 Club Sport Renaissance............. 19 Community Youth Center........... 31 Crowne Plaza............................. 24 Diablo Car Wash & Detail Center... 24 Diablo Rock Gym....................... 25 Diablo Trophies & Awards.......... 25 Dianne Adair Enrichment Programs..................................... 7 E Teamsponsor........................... 28 East Bay Sports Academy........... 21 Excellence In Sport Performance..... 7 Farmers Insurance..................... 25 Fast Break Basketball Camps..... 13 Fit 2 The Core............................. 17 Golden Era Baseball................... 25
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Halo Headband.......................... 24 ❒❒
Sherman Swim School............... 21
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Heavenly Greens........................ 38 ❒❒ Home Team Sports Photography... 24 ❒❒
Sky High Sports......................... 25
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Jory’s Flowers............................ 35 ❒❒ Kaiser Permanente.................... 33
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Kelly Maddox Equestrian Training... 35
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Kinders B B Q............................. 31
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McCoveys................................... 18
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Mt. Diablo Soccer....................... 24
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Norcal Youth Football Camp....... 35
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Northgate High School.............. 25
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Smokin Okies B B Q Joint........... 25 Sports Jam Cabernet: Father’s Day Free- For- All.............................. 40 Sports Stars Magazine................. 4
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The First Tee Of Contra Costa...... 23
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The First Tee Of Tri Valley............ 23
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The Personal Golf Coach............. 23
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Tpc / The Pitching Center........... 35
Pacific Rim Volleyball Academy... 35 ❒❒ Peninsula Building Materials..... 24 ❒❒
Usks Concord............................ 24
Saint Mary’s Athletic Summer
Rocco’s Pizza.............................. 25 ❒❒ ❒❒
Vitality Lacrosse......................... 13
Camps....................................... 23 ❒❒
Walnut Creek Sports & Fitness... 16
Tri Valley Tri Club........................ 39 Velocity Sports Performance...... 25
Dublin’s Seong Woo blasts his way out of a fairway bunker during his round at the North Coast Section Tournament of Champions on May 16 at Contra Costa Country Club in Pleasant Hill. Woo finished with an 83 as the Gaels finished with a respectable sixth-place finish. PHOTO BY CHRIS SCOTT/CALSPORTSPHOTO.COM
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