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GAME DAY
SPARTANBURG COUNTY EDITION
UPSTATE
upstategameday.com
Youth Sports Magazine
Byrnes running back Shakeem Wharton makes his way through Dorman defenders in the 4A state championship game last year.
August 2011
FREE
All AAAA’s for Upstate football dynasties Road to state title goes through area
Where does tomorrow begin? ...it begins with opportunity.
Is your child missing out on the sports team experience? They wouldn’t at Spartanburg Day School
All sports programs offered at SDS have a no-cut policy All students are encouraged to participate in sports they enjoy and always provided the opportunity to try something new.
Sports offered
Boys & Girls Cross Country, Boys & Girls Soccer, Boy & Girls Swimming, Boys & Girls Tennis, Girls Volleyball, Boys & Girls Basketball, Cheerleading, Baseball, Boys & Girls Golf, Boys Lacrosse, & Boys & Girls Track and Field
New state-of-the-art athletic facilities and fields
The school enjoys new and renovated athletic facilities spanning 29,000 square feet of modern spaces. This includes a new performance gymnasium and locker rooms, state-of-the-art weight room, training room, dance and multi-activity studio. Our campus also features 15 acres of newly refurbished fields including a top-level track, revamped performance fields, and two additional practice fields.
Starting early
PE classes are offered four times per week in our lower and middle schools, helping our students build a foundation for a healthy lifestyle and prepare them for middle school sports and beyond.
Intrigued about our programs? Let us show you more. Click, call or visit.
An International Baccal aureate World School facebook.com/SpartanburgDaySchool twitter.com/spartanburgday
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spartanburgdayschool.org • 864-582-7539 1701 Skylyn Drive • Spartanburg, SC 29307
Leading Off
8
Lights, Camera, and Action Season Preview: The road to the 4A football championship usually runs through the Upstate.
King of the Court net results: Spencer Brown has catapulted his way to a top ranking in the junior tennis world.
16
Large Groups Welcome
14
Grace by which she stands Young warrior: Savannah Duke was born without a leg, but this amazing young lady doesn’t let that stop her, especially in the pool.
1509 John B. White Sr. Blvd / Spartanburg
864.576.8329
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Letter from the Publisher Hello, and welcome to Upstate Game Day Youth Sports Magazine.
W
e are excited to be here and hope you will enjoy this first issue. Our mission is to highlight and feature the many positive stories involving young athletes in our community. Beginning today, we want to tell entertaining and insightful stories through words, photographs and videos in both a monthly magazine and our website, upstategameday.com. This first issue is the culmination of a dream that began well over a year ago. A seed was planted after attending my three daughters’ various sportLES TIMMS III ing events where I would come in contact with other sports parents. Their excitement led me to believe there was indeed a market for this niche, no matter a weak economy. This was further proven through research and discovering other successful youth sports magazines and newspapers in various communities around the country. In May, we signed a licensing agreement with a company that has successfully produced Game Day in Fayette County, Ga. It so happened they had built a terrific model in their market and had just started exploring franchising opportunities. Thus, Upstate Game Day was soon born. Our plan is to focus on Spartanburg County first and then consider expansion opportunities in neighboring Upstate counties and elsewhere. Currently, ours is the only youth sports magazine in the Upstate and Western North Carolina. We appreciate the local advertisers for making this and future editions possible. At the time we started, we essentially only had an idea and few sample copies from our Georgia affiliate. Now that our first edition is out, readers we need your help. Please send us news tips, story ideas, tournament results, etc., as well as photos to consider for inclusion in print and online. As our website evolves, we will be posting sports videos and exploring many other exciting possibilities of how to use this medium. We have a lot of exciting content planned for our September issue, but here’s a hint, it has something to do with fall sports, and just maybe, football, soccer, volleyball, golf, and, well, you get the picture. See you next month. LT
dont’ forget to follow upstategameday on facebook and twitter WHO WE ARE
LES TIMMS III is the Editor and Publisher. He is a former award-winning newspaper editor and sports writer at the Spartanburg Herald-Journal and other newspapers in the Carolinas and Georgia. Most recently, Timms was the H-J’s Night City Editor. Previously, he was the newspaper’s Special Publications Editor and oversaw five niche products, one that captured first place in a statewide contest. Timms has over 20 years experience. He is married with three daughters. 4 GAME DAY u AUGUST 2011
KAREN L. PUCKETT is a Contributing Writer and Photographer for Upstate Game Day. She is a native of Nashville, Tenn., and has worked in newspapers as a cartoonist, columnist, feature writer, newspaper reporter and editor for publications in Virginia and South Carolina. She will be a regular contributor to the magazine.
GAME DAY
Youth Sports Magazine
EDITOR & PUBLISHER Les Timms III les.timms@upstategameday.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR / SENIOR WRITER John Clayton john.clayton@upstategameday.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Karen L. Puckett Pam Prevatte Ed Overstreet Sharon Moyer To Advertise Contact 864-804-0068 WEBSITE www.upstategameday.com CONTACT GAME DAY 864-804-0068 Upstate Game Day Youth Sports Magazine is not responsible for the return of submitted photography, artwork, or manuscripts and will not be responsible for holding fees or similar charges. © Upstate Game Day Youth Sports Magazine 2011 Upstate Game Day Youth Sports Magazine is published 12 times a year. All contents are copyrighted by Upstate Game Day Youth Sports Magazine. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine, including publisher-designed advertisements, may be copied, scanned, or reproduced in any manner without prior consent from the publisher.
JOHN CLAYTON is Associate Editor and Senior Writer. He is a veteran journalist with more than two decades covering sports at all levels in the Carolinas, Georgia and Indiana. He has covered everything from the Dixie Boys World Series to the NFL, NBA and NASCAR. He has won more than 20 writing and photography awards from various press associations.
There has never been a better time to buy a home! Call TERESA PAGE Today 864-316-5929 If you have been considering buying a new home, give me a call. Whether you are a first-time homebuyer or looking for a second home on the lake, it is my commitment to help you with the most important investment of your life! I have worked as a Buyer Representative for many families in the Upstate. With over 20 years of Marketing and Real Estate success, it will be my pleasure to use my knowledge and experience to help you find the right home, in your desired area, at the right price!
2117 Boiling Springs Rd. Boiling Springs, SC 29316
Real Estate is my profession, but my passion is serving others. This fall, filming will begin on the inspirational story of Hannah Sobeski. I am proud to be involved in this project and invite you to follow us on facebook!
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NEWS & NOTES FROM THE LOCAL YOUTH SPORTS SCENE SEND YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS TO LES.TIMMS@UPSTATEGAMEDAY.COM
Game Day Q&A
Game Day caught up with some of Spartanburg’s finest golfers after a recent tournament and asked them to list their FAVORITES. Here are their responses.
KIRBY BROWN SAMUEL WYATT Inman, S.C. Pacolet, S.C. Team/Organization: Team/Orgnization: Spartanburg Chapter SCJGA Spartanburg Chapter SCJGA Favorite Athlete: Favorite Athlete: Phil Mickelson Tiger Woods Favorite Food: Broccoli Favorite Food: Chinese. Favorite Movie: Favorite Movie: The Last Song The Legend of Bagger Favorite TV Show: Zoe 101 Vance Favorite Star: Favorite TV Show: Selena Gomez Big Break Favorite Golf Course: Favorite Star: Village Green Elvis Presley
ANNA CHANTHAPHAENG Boiling Springs, S.C. Team/Organization: Spartanburg Chapter SCJGA Favorite Athlete: Adam Scott Favorite Food: Fried rice Favorite Movie: Not sure Favorite TV Show: Criminal Minds Favorite Golf Course: Woodfin Ridge Favorite Star: Selena Gomez 6 GAME DAY u AUGUST 2011
ANGEL CHANTHAPHAENG Boiling Springs, S.C. Favorite Athlete: Michelle Wie Favorite Food: Chilcken Alfredo Favorite Movie: Kung Fu Panda 2 Favorite TV Show: Shake It Up Favorite Star: Bruno Mars
Club South 15 National team places fifth at AAU volleyball tourney Other CS teams perform well also Club South’s volleyball club performed well at the 38th AAU Girls’ Junior National Championship in Orlando, Fla., in mid-June. The 15 National team, coached by Sean Fitzgerald, lost to Crichton 2-1 (31-29, 19-25, 15-13) in the quarterfinals. They narrowly missed a semifinal berth, but recorded a fifth place finish out of 141 teams. The Club South 14 National team finished 21st, 16 National was 27th, and 17 National 77th. Club South, of Spartanburg, fielded several teams in the 18-year-old division. Top finisher was 18N Corey, coached by Wofford head volleyball coach Corey Helle, which was 13th. CS 18N Morgan finished in 19th place, CS 18N Brent was 77th. The Club South National teams essentially are all-star squads comprised of area high school players.
PHOTOS COURTESY / SHARON MOYER
Go to upstategameday.com for more u See Photo Galleries from Orlando and regular season tournaments
Club South 15N team members celebrate a victorious moment at the AAU Girls’ Junior National Championship in Orlando, Fla.
The Blade Junior Classic Moore, Chin capture boys, girls titles, respectively
Parker Mills, above, finished in fourth place.
Jackson Moore’s early birdie binge helped him to the 2011 Blade Junior Classic Title July 20 at Thornblade Golf Club in Greer. Moore’s torrid start, which included four straight birdies on holes No. 2-5, made it easy for the Isle of Palms golfer to survive stumbles on the final two holes. His final-round 66 put him at 3-under-par (73-66—139) for the tournament, and three strokes ahead of runners-up Trey Taylor (73-69—142) of Gaffney and Bradley Kaughmann (74-68—142) of Greer. Irmo’s Nicole Chin held off Easley’s Kaitlin
Matheson by one stroke and defending CGA Junior Girls Champion Kelli Murphy by two to win the Girls 14-18 division. Chin shot a 73-77—150 for the title, followed by Matheson’s 75-76—151 and Murphy’s 74-78— 152. Inman’s Harrison Corbin and Trent Phillips battled it out for the Boys 10-12 championship with Corbin (32-36—68) winning by two strokes over Phillips (36-34—70). Easley’s Savannah Goodman won the Girls 11-13 title with a 41-33—74, six strokes ahead of the trio of Spartanburg’s Natalie Srinivasan, Greenville’s Carly Burkhardt and Florence’s Sarina Sonoda.
Spartanburg City Swim League Hillbrook upends Lantern Ridge for title Hillbrook surprised defending champion Lantern Ridge 682-616 to capture the Ed Miller Spartanburg Summer Swim League Championship at the MIddle Tyger YMCA on July 16. The Westside Club tied for second in the meet, which was named for local coach Miller who succumbed to cancer recently.
Hillbrook’s title was its first since 2005. David Ingraham paced way with a record 50 breaststroke with a time of 27.25. Lantern Ridge was led by Lauryl Williams, a rising senior at Dorman, who broke her own record time with a time of 30.40 in the 50 meter breaststroke.
Go to upstategameday.com for more u Complete results from the City Swim Meet u Photo Galleries from the City Meet & regular season meets
Spartanburg County Jr. Amateur
AYSO 132 registration
Fowler, Cox win divisions
Anyone interested in playing soccer with AYSO Region 132 may register online at www.ayso132.org website until teams are full. Practices will begin after August 8th. Games are played at the Old Canaan Rd Soccer Complex. Spaces on teams are available for 5-18 year olds, boys and girls. For additional information, please contact 864-574-1720. Opening Day Jamboree is August 27th.
Forrest Fowler and Luci Cox won their respective divisions at the Coca-Cola Spartanburg Junior Amateur in midJuly at The Creek Golf Club. Fowler was able to shoot 69 and 73 for a 142 total and a three-shot victory over Will Woodard. Cox became the second member of her family to the win the title with a final round 76 and a two-shot victory over Anna Chanthaphaeng of Boiling Springs High School.
Baseball hits homers in Upstate Hosts AAU East Coast Nationals, Big League World Series Two major baseball tournaments -- the inaugural Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) East Coast Nationals and the Big League World Series -- were played last month in the Greenville area. The AAU East Coast Nationals was contested July 8-31 at Heritage Park in Simpsonville, Lakeside Park in Greenville and Sunset Park in Mauldin. Some 400 teams in 9-under, 10-under, 11-under and 12-under competed in the tournament. Attendance for the event was
reportedly estimated at 16,000-18,000. The Big League World Series, which features players age 16-18, returned for the 11th time to Easley, July 27-Aug. 3 at the city’s recreation complex. The BLWS featured teams from 10 regions across the country and the world and also includes a champion from South Carolina. The championship game, set for Aug. 3 at 6 p.m., was to be televised on ESPN. GAME DAY u AUGUST 2011 7
PREP FOOTBALL
Lights, Camera,
Action
All eyes expected to be on Upstate contenders as season gets under way By John Clayton Senior Writer
T
here is no doubt that high school football is king — from the Lowcountry to the Midlands to the Upstate — in South Carolina. But it is also obvious that the Upstate rules the kingdom in the state’s largest two divisions, the “Big 16” and Class 4A-Division II.
8 GAME DAY u AUGUST 2011
A power shift began in the 1970s and ‘80s from the likes of powerful programs Summerville, Irmo and Spring Valley to the Upstate, particularly regions 2-AAAA and 3-AAAA. In the 1990s, teams from those two regions won seven Big 16 titles and Union (now Union County) won a Division II championship in Class 4A, but since 2000, teams from those two divisions have more than doubled that number, winning 16 state championships and putting a capital “D” in dominance. “The fan base is much larger and the emphasis is on high school football in the upstate,” said current Byrnes and former Dorman play-by-play announcer Continued on page 12
PHOTOS COURTESY / ED OVERSTREET /
“We have such good programs and some have climbed to such a high caliber that, in order to compete, other programs have had to climb to that level, and that makes better competition for everybody.” Dorman Coach Dave Gutshall GAME DAY u AUGUST 2011 9
Area Prep Schedules $CLIP and save LANDRUM
WOODRUFF
BROOME
BLUE RIDGE
2010 Record: 7-4 (4-1), 2nd place
2010 Record: 10-4 (5-0), conference champ
2010 Record: 4-6 (1-4)
2010 Record: 4-6 (1-4)
Aug. 26 – at Travelers Rest Sept. 2 – Chesnee Sept. 9 – Polk Co., N.C. Sept. 16 – at Dixie Sept. 23 – Liberty Sept. 30 – at Whitmire Oct. 7 – at St. Joseph’s Oct. 14 – Southside Christian Oct. 21 – Blacksburg Oct. 28 – at Christ Church
Aug. 26 – Greenville Sept. 2 – at Clinton Sept. 9 – Chesnee Sept. 16 – at Chapman Sept. 23 – Union County Sept. 30 – Emerald Oct. 7 – Newberry Oct.14 – at Saluda Oct. 21 – Mid-Carolina Oct. 28 – at Broome
CHESNEE
2010 Record: 8-4 (4-1), 2nd place
Region 2-AA
Region 1-A
Region 1-AA
Aug. 26 – Chase, N.C. Sept. 2 – at Landrum Sept. 9 – at Woodruff Sept. 16 – at Broome Sept. 23 – Chapman Sept. 30 – Liberty Oct. 7 – at Crescent Oct. 14 – Palmetto Oct. 21 – at Pendleton Oct. 28 – Carolina
Region 2-AA
Aug. 26 – York Sept. 2 – Union Co. Sept. 9 – at Seneca Sept. 16 – Chesnee Sept. 23 – Fort Mill Sept. 30 – at Mid-Carolina Oct. 7 – Emerald Oct. 14 – Newberry Oct. 21 – at Saluda Oct. 28 – Woodruff
Aug. 26 – at Wade Hampton Sept. 2 – Eastside Sept. 9 – at Pendleton Sept. 16 – Berea Sept. 23 – at Travelers Rest Sept. 30 – at Chapman Oct. 7 – Clinton Oct. 14 – at Chapin Oct. 21 – Greer Oct. 28 – Union Co.
GREER
UNION COUNTY
CHAPMAN
2010 Record: 6-5 (3-2)
2010 Record: 8-4 (5-0), conference champ
2010 Record: 2-8 (1-4)
Region 3-AAA
Aug. 19 – at Seneca Aug. 26 – Rock Hill Sept. 2 – Berea Sept. 16 – Greenville Sept. 23 – at Eastside Sept. 30 – at Union Co. Oct. 7 – Chapman Oct. 14 – at Clinton Oct. 21 – at Blue Ridge Oct. 28 – Chapin
Region 3-AAA
Aug. 26 – Spartanburg Sept. 2 – at Broome Sept. 9 – at Gaffney Sept. 16 – Laurens Sept. 23 – at Woodruff Sept. 30 – Greer Oct. 7 – Chapin Oct. 14 – at Chapman Oct. 21 – Clinton Oct. 28 – at Blue Ridge
UPSTATE CLASS AAAA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS SINCE 2000 DIVISIONS I & II FINALS SCORES
2010 Class AAAA D-I Byrnes 34, Dorman 14
2009 Dorman 28, Byrnes 17 2008 Byrnes 31, Sumter 21 2007 Byrnes 48, Summerville 9 2006 Gaffney 45, Irmo 0 10 GAME DAY u AUGUST 2011
Region 1-A
2005, DI Gaffney 33, Summerville 32 2005, DII Byrnes 51, Richland NE 8 2004, DI Rock Hill 21, Stratford 7 2004, DII Byrnes 35, Irmo 7 2003, DI Gaffney 28, Sumter 21 2003, DII Byrnes 40, Conway 14
2002, DI Rock Hill 19, Irmo 0 2002, DII Byrnes 34, Conway 28
Region 1-A
Aug. 26 – Seneca Sept. 2 – Wade Hampton Sept. 9 – at Travelers Rest Sept. 16 – Woodruff Sept. 23 – at Chesnee Sept. 30 – Blue Ridge Oct. 7 – at Greer Oct. 14 – Union Co. Oct. 21 – at Chapin Oct. 28 – at Clinton
Dorman, here against Gaffney in 2010, has played in the Class 4A state title two consecutive years, while the Indians have played three times, winning back-to-back titles in 2005 and ‘06.
2001, D-I Spartanburg 24, Northwestern 21 2000, D-I Dorman 31, Lexington 24
ED OVERSTREET
DORMAN
GAFFNEY
2010 Record: 14-1 (6-0) conference champs
2010 Record: 9-4 (4-1), 2nd place
Region 2-AAAA
Region 3-AAAA
Aug. 26 – Gaffney Sept. 2 – at Spartanburg Sept. 9 – at Greenwood Sept. 16 – T.L. Hanna Sept. 23 – at Riverside Sept. 30 – Hillcrest Oct. 7 – Boiling Springs Oct. 14 – at Mauldin Oct. 21 – J.L. Mann Oct. 28 – at Byrnes Nov. 4 – Woodmont
ED OVERSTREET
BYRNES
BOILING SPRINGS
2010 Record: 12-3 (5-1) 2nd place; state champs
2010 Record: 6-6 (4-2)
Region 2-AAAA
Sept. 2 – Myrtle Beach Sept. 9 – Bayside, Fla. Sept. 16 – Gaffney Sept. 23 – at T.L. Hanna Sept. 30 – Mauldin Oct. 7 – Riverside Oct. 14 – at J.L. Mann Oct. 21 – at Hillcrest Oct. 28 – Dorman Nov. 4 – at Boiling Springs
Aug. 19 – Boiling Springs Aug. 26 – at Dorman Sept. 2 – Greenwood Sept. 9 – Union Co. Sept. 16 – at Byrnes Sept. 23 – at Greenville Oct. 7 – at Clover Oct. 14 – at Rock Hill Oct. 21 – Lancaster Oct. 28 – Northwestern Nov. 4 – at Spartanburg
Region 2-AAAA
Aug. 19 – at Gaffney Aug. 26 – Greenwood Sept. 2 – T.L. Hanna Sept. 16 – at Clinton Sept. 23 – Mauldin Sept. 30 – at J.L. Mann Oct. 7 – at Dorman Oct. 14 – at Wren Oct. 21 – Riverside Oct. 28 – at Hillcrest Nov. 4 – Byrnes
RIVERSIDE
SPARTANBURG
2010 Record: 2-9 (0-6)
2010 Record: 5-7 (2-3)
Region 2-AAAA
Region 3-AAAA
Aug. 26 – at Eastside Sept. 2 – Wren Sept. 9 – at Woodmont Sept. 16 – Easley Sept. 23 – Dorman Sept. 30 – at Laurens Oct. 7 – at Byrnes Oct. 14 – Hillcrest Oct. 21 – at Boiling Springs Oct. 28 – at Mauldin Nov. 4 – J.L. Mann
WestGate Mall
Aug. 26 – at Union Co. Sept. 2 – Dorman Sept. 9 – Sumter Sept. 16 – Greenwood Sept. 23 – at South Pointe Sept. 30 – South Aiken Oct. 7 – at Northwestern Oct. 14 – Clover Oct. 21 – Rock Hill Oct. 28 – at Lancaster Nov. 4 – Gaffney
Spartanburg
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION / 4A TITLE RUNS THROUGH UPSTATE / FROM 9
ED OVERSTREET photo Dorman and Byrnes have built a fierce rivalry over the years. The Cavs defeated the Rebels in the state title game in 2009. Byrnes returned the favor in 2010.
Eric Thacker. “I’ve said this before, and I really believe that teams from the Upstate of South Carolina can compete with the top schools in Florida, Texas, California, Ohio and Georgia. When you consider the depth of talent here, it’s as good a football as anywhere in the country at the top levels. “When you look at Region 2 and Region 3, it’s the most dominant football from top-to-bottom in the country.” Stratford was the last team from outside the Upstate to win a Big 16 title in 1999. Since then, Gaffney (3), Byrnes (3), Dorman (2) Rock Hill (2) and Spartanburg (1) have combined to win 11 Big 16 championships. Northwestern and Byrnes added five Division II titles during the decade, including four straight for the Rebels from 2002-05. “We have such good programs and some have climbed to such a high caliber that, in order to compete, other programs have had to climb to that level, and that makes better competition for everybody,” said Dorman Coach Dave Gutshall. “In order to compete, you’ve got to work hard and do all the little extra things just to get there and stay in the playoffs. That’s the way it’s been since I’ve been here — all the programs are feeding off of each other.” Gutshall said the rise of football in the Upstate has been complete community 12 GAME DAY u AUGUST 2011
efforts that begins now with little leagues and goes through middle schools up to the high school teams. “We’ve spent more time with our little leagues the last couple of years,” Gutshall said. “We’ve got three seventh-grade teams and three eighth-grade teams, and now our recreation teams going up to our ninth-grade team our JV and our varsity. It’s all part of wanting to be a Cavalier.” The story is the same at rival Byrnes. The two teams have traded state titles the past two years — Byrnes defeated Dorman 34-14 in 2010 finals and Dorman stopped Byrnes 28-17 in 2009, thanks to new playoff format that seeds teams without regard to geography. “That’s one of the best things (the S.C. High School League) has done,” said Thacker. “It guarantees that the two best teams are going to be playing for the state championship.” Byrnes and Dorman have produced bevies of NCAA Division I players over the past decade, including last year’s Southeastern Conference freshman sensation in running back Marcus Lattimore at South Carolina. Even as Lattimore toiled at Byrnes, fans began talking about this year’s freshman class for the Rebels. About that same time, a Byrnes feeder school team reportedly ran out of uniforms, and the coach came to former
Rebels head coach and current District 5 public relations director/offensive coordinator Bobby Bentley saying he would have to make cuts. The next day, the coach had enough uniforms to go around. But that is the type of commitment the Rebels get from what seems like Byrnes’ ever-growing fan base. Nixon Field is outfitted with a $320,000 high-definition JumboTron scoreboard. The money was raised by the Byrnes Touchown Club. In Duncan, a town of around 3,000, that amounts to about $320 per resident. “We’ve gotten that kind of commitment from the school district and the community — it doesn’t matter whether it’s football or volleyball or academics,” said Gutshall, whose team plays in a new state-of-the-art stadium on a new expansive campus, all of which would make many small colleges change their school colors to green with envy. Of course, with commitment comes expectations — realistic or otherwise. “It’s a mixed bag,” Gutshall said “We were 14-1 last year, and nobody seemed to be happy. But our kids get a chance to play in front of sellout crowds and on national television, so it can be a double-edged sword. “If you don’t want it, though, I guess you move on and go coach somewhere else.” GD
FCA spotlight A New Tradition By Ryan Gloer
“Y
ou are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” [Matthew 5:14-16] A couple of months ago I sat around a table at Chick-fil-A for breakfast with a group of nine highschool athletes. As we engaged in our typical small talk, I quickly realized there was a different hunger in the atmosphere. They were there for more than a chicken biscuit. “How do I stay on fire? How do I keep my faith exciting? What can replace a party? How do I reach the people that nobody will talk to? When does talking turn into gossip? How do I keep it pure? How do I make people feel accepted? What do I do when it is tough to obey my parents?” For the first small group of the new school year, I was thinking to myself, “They are ready to get after it!” As these questions were flooding my mind, I began to seek the Lord for answers. I was taken to the current theme for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, “Unleash the Power.” But, how do we do that? As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, how do we unleash the resurrection power that lives inside of us? I believe one of the ways we do this is by living in such a way that people see you and all they want is God. I think we “live in such a way” by walking in the light. Let’s face the facts, the middle school and high school hallways can be some of the most intimidating places on earth. Standing up for Jesus and boldly claiming his name is typically not on the top of a student’s priority list. And walking in the light, well that can be just plain weird. But these athletes told me they did not want to be known for what everyone
else is being known for. They want to replace the norm. “We want to start a new tradition…” Keeping that in mind I laid down a challenge, “LIVE as children of the LIGHT” [Ephesians 5:8]. I recently heard that this week in America, 90 percent of people will watch or play a sport in some capacity. As athletes and leaders in your school, you have been given a platform. A leader is a person of influence. What would happen if athletes of influence would let their light shine? Light can be seen in darkness for miles. When you live like Christ, you will glow like the lights. There should be a big difference between those who know Christ and those who do not know Christ. There should be a big difference between those who are walking in the light and those who are not walking in the light. Christ-followers should not blend in with the rest of the crowd. Do not let the cultural norm of complacency, embarrassment, and disobedience dim your light. Do not give up. Do not give in. Do not give out.You are the Lord’s warrior – competitors by conviction and disciples of determination. Your life and the way you live it is the most effective tool you have at sharing the message of Jesus Christ. If you want to impact your campus for Jesus, it begins through your own personal relationship with Him. Do people see YOUR light? If they don’t see your light, my question to you is, why not? “I pray that out of HIS glorious riches HE may strengthen you with POWER through HIS Spirit in your inner being…” [Ephesians 3:16]
King COURT of the
SPENCER BROWN, 12, TAKING TENNIS WORLD BY STORM
S
By PAM PREVATTE
pencer Brown can hardly remember what life was like before tennis. But then, how many of us can really remember what we did as a two-year-old?
LES TIMMS III PHOTOS
Spencer Brown, although 12, has been playing tennis for nearly a decade and has racked up international and national tennis titles, as well as countless tournament wins. 14 GAME DAY u AUGUST 2011
That’s right, this 12-year-old tennis prodigy has been playing for nearly a decade and in that time he’s racked up both international and national tennis titles as well as countless tournament wins. Earlier this summer, he recorded his seventh straight victory at Belton, in the Palmetto Championships. That’s four straight singles titles in the state’s premier tournament for juniors, dating back to when he competed in the 10-and-unders. He also has three doubles titles there. For him, he enjoys it all. The long practices on hot summer days. Hours of conditioning. Pressure-packed tournaments. It’s his passion. “I think it’s all a lot of fun,” Brown said. “I like to play pretty much every day. And I like going to the tournaments. There’s nothing I don’t like.” Brown got into the game as a threeyear-old after tagging along during older brother Chandler’s tennis clinic. Much to everyone’s surprise Brown picked up a racket and knocked the ball over the net,
repeatedly. The coach suggested he join the clinic and Brown hasn’t looked back. This summer he’s training at the Randy Pate Tennis Academy in Winston-Salem, N.C., while staying with his grandparents. Patrick McEnroe, a former professional player who is now head of player development for the United States Tennis Association, chose Brown to be a member of his National USTA Player Development Training Group. Brown often travels to the National USTA Training Centers in Boca Raton, Fla., and Atlanta for additional coaching. In the last year he also was selected as a member of the National Zonals Tennis team that practices in Knoxville, Tenn., and was named to the Southern Cup (Junior Davis Cup) team, which is headquartered in Chattanooga, Tenn. All this traveling can be a bit challenging for Brown, who is a rising seventh grader at McCracken Junior High School, but he’s as disciplined off the court as well as he is on it, making mainly A’s in his classes. Brown’s a student of the game as well. Just ask him what type of tennis racket most male and female professionals use, their records, type of shoes they wear on court, their sponsors, and their nationality. He can recite it all from memory. Professional players from Spain seem to
NET RESULTS 2011 be amongst Brown’s favorites with current No. 1 Rafael Nadal topping that list. Brown was even scheduled to meet his hero at the Davis Cup but Nadal got sick and had to cancel. While he didn’t get to meet Nadal, he has met or hung out with tennis greats such as Taylor Dent, Pat Cash, Jan Michael Gambill, Melanie Oudin and Justin Gimmelstob. Brown already has had to make tough decisions about his future. At age 10 he had to choose between tennis and swimming. A natural athlete, Brown was a good swimmer and still owns the Spartanburg Summer Swim League record in the 25 meter butterfly, that he set in 2005 as a six-year-old. “It really wasn’t that hard of a decision,” Brown said. “I liked swimming and going to the pool but it wasn’t the same as tennis. But I still like swimming.” In Brown’s spare time, sports are not far from his mind. He enjoys learning about other sports and can repeat, with ease, statistics from about every single sport imaginable, including hockey, soccer, tennis, football as well as men and women’s basketball. He still likes to hang-out at the pool or just spend time with brother Chandler and parents Steve and Sherri. And he’s not the only sports star in his family as Chandler is a top competitive swimmer and is nationallyranked in the backstoke. With a talent such as his, Brown does think about playing professionally but not before college. His favorite teams include perennial tennis powerhouses the University
Champion Bullfrog Southern Championships Macon, Ga. National Open Semi-Finalist , Springfield, Mo. State Champion Belton Palmetto State Championships National Zonals Team Member, Knoxville, Tenn. #1 ranked player in SC
of Florida and the University of Georgia. And, of course Brown already has caught the eye of national recruiters. His RPI (college recruiting) tennis ranking has been as high as number one in the nation this past year for the class of 2017 as ranked by www.tennisrecruiting.net. This tennis recruiting website ranks all junior players using an RPI rating that considers record, strength of schedule, level of tournaments, etc. And Brown is learning the world of sponsorships with two sponsors – Head and Athletic DNA, Inc. This all seems like a dream come true for a little boy that once slept with his racket and asked for a new one for every occasion – that includes every birthday, Christmas or holiday. And while Brown has hundreds of trophies, plaques, ribbons and silver trays, none mean as much to him as his racket and just being on the court playing. GD
GAME DAY u AUGUST 2011 15
Young Warrior Extraordinary Savannah Duke an inspiration, stands by more than grace By KAREN L. PUCKETT
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en-year-old Savannah Duke has developed more patience as she’s gotten older.
LES TIMMS III PHOTOS
Savannah Duke, a rising fifth-grade student at Woodland Heights Elementary School, doesn’t have a left leg, which didn’t develop in utero due to cancer. However, she doesn’t consider that a handicap, and instead considers herself blessed. 16 GAME DAY u AUGUST 2011
“When little kids ask me why I don’t have a leg, I’ve learned how to handle it,” says the rising fifth grader at Woodland Heights Elementary School. “I realize people aren’t being mean, just curious.” Those who know Savannah, a member of the Parkwood Swim Team, often forget she doesn’t have a left leg, which never developed in utero due to cancer. “They get used to me and don’t treat me any different than anybody else,” Savannah says. “Sometimes when someone asks why I have one leg, I ask, ‘why do you have two legs?’ I was born like that.” Chemotherapy treatments and surgeries removed the tumor within the first year of her life. She’s been cancer-free since then. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this life circumstance, it’s that you never count anyone out. Don’t underestimate
the human spirit. Ten years ago, who would have thought Savannah can do the things she’s doing now?” says her mother Wendy, who’s written a book, “The Grace by which We Stand,” about their journey. Among those “things” is Savannah’s ability to compete on the neighborhood swim team, with aspirations of swimming at a higher level. Donna Seay, director of the swim program at Parkwood, says it’s Savannah’s “normalcy” that makes her amazing. “She’s a great swimmer. No one ever considers her as having a disability. She doesn’t get special treatment, and we don’t cut her any slack. She does the same swim sets as everybody else,” Seay says. “To me, I don’t see her with one leg. I see her as any other child who wants to succeed.” Seay was called upon earlier in the season to check on a rule regarding the breaststroke and whether Savannah could be disqualified based on the fact she could not perform the stroke as outlined in the regulations. In other words, she cannot move her legs in the water to properly maneuver the stroke. “We determined that you can’t judge what is not there. Not having her right leg does not disqualify her but she could be disqualified for not moving her arms or the other leg the right way,” Seay explains. Out of the water and in the classroom, Savannah is smart, creative and motivated, according to Stacy Crump, her fourth grade teacher at Woodland Heights. Crump says when she found out
Savannah Duke enjoys a break from swimming with her mother, Wendy Duke at the Parkwood pool recently. Savannah swims on the Parkwood team during the summer season.
Savannah would be in her class, she was concerned about what would be needed to accommodate Savannah in the classroom.
“I found out really fast she didn’t need anything. She accepted assistance from her friends, but she really wanted to do it on her GAME DAY u AUGUST 2011 17
Savannah doesn’t let the loss of a leg stop her from being “unstoppable.”
own. She’s a strong student and an inspiration to everybody,” Crump says. “She’s unstoppable. There’s not anything in the world that she can’t do because she is so determined.” Savannah either hops where she wants to go, or she’ll use her straight-arm crutches. On this particular day, she forgot her crutches, leaving them at a park by the Green River in North Carolina, where she and her family had gone tubing the day before. She didn’t realize she left them there until her mother brought it up the next day. Until this season, Savannah was content to being a member of the swim team. Now she wants to win. “It’s been frustrating for her,” says Wendy, who played basketball at Converse College. “She’s learning the discipline to stick with it even when it’s hard. It’s tough for her. But she’s not a quitter. It’s built in her, and we’re proud of that.” With her parents’ background in athletics —father Scott played basketball at Wofford College — it’s not surprising Savannah also wanted to play Upward Basketball. “She loves the social interaction of sports. That’s really why she started swimming, and now she’s got the competition
“They (other kids) get used to me and don’t treat me any different than anybody else. Sometimes when someone asks why I have one leg, I ask ‘why do you have two legs?’ I was born like that.” Savannah Duke
bug,” Wendy says. “Through sports we teach kids they are not the center of the world, and that people have to depend on each other. They see the bigger picture where we have to support each other.” When Savannah loses or “comes close to first,” she is motivated to work that much harder in the pool to keep up with her friends. As a result, she plans to swim year-round to improve her time. “Spartanburg has several good swim programs. We are fortunate to have several good options,” Wendy says. Savannah says she has learned to be thankful for what she has, instead of dwelling of what she doesn’t. Scott is the founder and executive director of Impact Sports International, which conducts various ministries through sports. That includes overseas trips to restricted countries where Savannah has had the opportunity to visit. “You see how some of these people live,” Savannah says. “I am so glad I live here with all this good stuff.” In other words, she has seen people eat “rats” in those areas. “It makes me grateful,” Savannah adds. GD
Athletes in Action For considered inclusion on this page, submit photos to les.timms@upstategameday.com
It is how you show up at the showdown that counts.
The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is just the extra.
Nolan Miller, 7, gestures, trying to get his chip shot to stop rolling.
KAREN L. PUCKETT PHOTOS
Kiana Byrd, 10, right, tees off on The First Tee course under the watchful gaze of volunteer instructor Keith Ridley, left, and other players.
22 GAME DAY u AUGUST 2011
Teaching Life Lessons First Tee of Spartanburg program offers kids way to develop values, learn golf By KAREN L. PUCKETT
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he First Tee of Spartanburg offers kids the opportunity to develop core values and learn a new sport at the same time. “Through the game of golf, we teach character education, values and healthy habits,” says Fran Dunn, executive director of The First Tee of Spartanburg. “Many of the values and disciplines, such as honesty and respect, are easily identified with golf.” The First Tee curriculum focuses on nine core values and nine healthy habits. Kids as young as five years old (the Little Linksters) learn how to apply these values and habits on and off the golf course. Meeting the requirements for the next level, they progress to the Par, Birdie, Eagle and finally the Ace levels, each with ageappropriate lessons on the curriculum’s values. At the beginning of each lesson, the class meets at the Learning Center and the instructor introduces the core value of the day. After a few minutes of class discussion, the instructor and volunteers take the kids to the driving and The First Tee Par 3 Course. They divide in small groups with one participating in a game to teach them how to judge distance or the slope of the green, for example. Another group may play a few holes on the par 3 course while third group hones their swing on the driving range. “They do a really good job teaching the golf fundamentals and also life fundamentals that can carry outside of the golf course,” says Brian Miller, whose son, Nolan, 7, is in his second round of the program this summer. “It is also a very accessible program for everybody to do.” Whether or not the child ever picks up a club after program, the
GAME DAY u AUGUST 2011 23
Tee Times Local SCJGA chapter offers fun competition for young and experienced players alike
Anne Taylor Hough, left, and Natalie Srinivasan, below, both rising eighth-graders this fall, already are posting scores in the 70s and 80s and are the latest in a long line of top-notch players who got their start playing in weekly tournaments hosted by the Spartanburg SCJGA chapter.
JOHN CLAYTON PHOTOS
By JOHN CLAYTON Senior Writer
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retired Chris Parris no longer needs to take his vacation one Monday at a time to run the Spartanburg County chapter of the S.C. Junior Golf Association, but he can still be found each Monday as Spartanburg’s junior golfers tee off each Monday during the summer at courses throughout the county. “That’s the biggest thing — all these courses allow us to come out and play free of charge,” Parris said. “It wouldn’t be possible without them.” Participation in this year’s 10-event schedule is about 125 golfers ages 8 to 18 and all skill levels. “Back when Tiger Woods first hit, we peaked at about 250 golfers,” said Parris, who began running tournaments for the Spartanburg SCJGA Chapter when his daughter, Laura, was a junior player. She graduated from Dorman, played collegiately at Wofford, and is a former director of Spartanburg’s First Tee program. “There were kids everywhere you turned around. We have fewer players now, but
24 GAME DAY u AUGUST 2011
I’m able to talk to all of them now and help them.” The Spartanburg Chapter has a history of producing collegiate-level golfers under Parris. A long list of recent alumni includes Tory Johnson (Byrnes/Charleston Southern),Taylor Pleier (Dorman/USC Upstate), Sarah Timms (Dorman/Anderson), Brittany Lowe (Dorman/USC Upstate), Ronnie Funk (Spartanburg/Erskine), and Brad Thorne (Oakbrook/Erskine), among
others. Rising Dorman senior Morgan Webber, a major college prospect, also got her start in the program. Current competitors such as Anne Taylor Hough, an eighth-grader who plays for Spartanburg High School, and Natalie Srinivasan, an eighth-grader who plays for Dorman, have a chance to continue that legacy. Srinivasan, 13, picked up the game at the age of 10 when she tagged along with her father to the golf course. She made the Cavaliers team as a seventh-grader. She said she’s having fun. “I like meeting people and playing at the different golf courses,” she said. Participants on the chapter’s 10-tournament tour are able to pack a lot of golf into their respective summers. An $85 fee gives golfers entry into all the tournaments and covers registration. Trophies are awarded to the top finishers of each tournament. A season-ending tournament at Three Pines Country Club was held July 26-27. The winner advanced to an All-Star tournament in August against other SCJGA chapter winners. GD
FIRST TEE TEACHES VALUES, LESSONS / FROM 23 goal is to shape the child into becoming a better person overall. In golf, players have to make calls against themselves even when no one is looking. “That type of integrity goes a long way, and it’s something the kids internalize,” Dunn says. Dunn adds that the program emphasizes basic manners. “Some of what we teach just reinforces what the kids learn from their parents at home,” Dunn says. “Like the ability to make eye contact when greeting someone, we talk about how to properly communicate.” And how to properly play by the rules. For example, not many golfers are fond of the rule mandating that you can’t move a ball out of a divot. First of all, The First Tee instructor emphasizes that players respect the course and replace the divot so other players won’t have to fuss about that rule. Concerning the rule specifically, kids learn that they have to play by the rules and respect authority regardless of their personal opinions of such. “If you’re going to win a round or a tournament or whatever, you want to do it the right way,” Dunn says. Because they’re not competing in the U.S. Open just yet, The First Tee players want to have fun while learning a new sport. “My girls really look forward to it,” says Deanna Robbins, whose daughters, Savannah, 11, and
Rebekah, 8, are in the summer program. “They like the interaction with the other kids, and I like the things they are learning about honesty and being respectful of each other.” Dunn says that golf is a great avenue to connect with other people and make friends. “You see the true character of a person when you play golf with them. You see whether they accept setbacks,” Dunn explains. “You can tell how they’d react to other things in their lives by seeing how they react on the golf course.” Dave McElroy appreciates the encouragement players give each other on the course. “They always clap for each other,” says McElroy, whose son, Max, 8, chose to participate in The First Tee instead of swim team this summer. “The instructors are patient and spend time teaching the values of the game. It’s all about integrity.” That’s what Dunn wants to get across to the general public. “Our biggest challenge is to overcome the misconception that we just teach golf. It’s so much more than that,” Dunn says. “You’ve got to have the life skills that go along with it. We focus on the whole person. We want to equip them to be more successful in their lives and give them the skills to enable that.” GD
FIRST TEE EXPANDING IN FALL Dodgeball. Tetherball. Flag football. For decades, kids were introduced to these sports in physical education class. This fall, students at Pine Street, Houston and Jesse Boyd elementary schools will learn a new sport: golf. Local sponsors are funding these schools to train physical education teachers and implement The National First Tee Program. At press time, The First Tee of Spartanburg was vying for a $100,000 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation that would support the golf program in several more schools. The First Tee of Spartanburg began in 2002, five years after the program began at the national level. South Carolina has five other chapters— Greenville, Columbia, Aiken, Charleston and Myrtle Beach. Bringing the First Tee curriculum into the schools is a major initiative as it has previously only been offered through sessions at The Creek Golf Club and beginning this summer, at Woodfin Ridge Golf Club. Sign up for fall classes is open for kids five years old and older. Classes last an hour, and cost is $70 for an eight-week session. The First Tee of Spartanburg also accepts donations, including used golf clubs and accessories. For more information, call 864-583-7084, ext. 7. GD
C.J. Sturgill takes his turn putting as the group plays a captain’s choice format.
Fans in the Stands ED OVERSTREET
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Send your photos to les.timms@upstategameday.com
EXPERT OFFERS ADVICE OF HOW YOUNG ATHLETES CAN...
Beat the heat
By KAREN L. PUCKETT Kids often use the phrase, “no sweat,” when a task is not difficult for them. Maybe that’s because it can be a difficult task for them to sweat to begin with. “Kids have a higher threshold for when they start to sweat compared to adults,” explains Dr. Eric Cole, Spartanburg family physician. “So they may not realize when they’re too hot and continue playing until symptoms become critical.” For this reason, parents need to take the proper steps to prepare their children for the heat before they hit the field, and coaches need to be ready to take action when heat illness strikes their players. “A lot of people don’t realize how much they need to drink before and during exercise and what they should drink,” says Dr. Cole, also football team physician for Wofford College. “The worst thing you can drink is soda. Caffeine acts as a diuretic and can cause you to lose fluid and become dehydrated. It’s terrible for kids because of the sugar and it’s a stimulant. They shouldn’t drink it period, much less when they’re working out.” Water is the natural fluid replacement, Dr. Cole said, but he adds that sports drinks, such as Powerade and Gatorade, are good supplements because they replace sodium and electrolytes. While it may not be pleasing to all palates, pickle juice is
another good sodium replacement. The amount the child should drink before heading out to the practice field varies, but a good rule of thumb, according to Dr. Cole is drink enough until it produces clear urine. Dark yellow or brown urine is a sign of dehydration. Also, the child needs to weigh before practice and after practice. The weight loss indicates how much water he needs to drink to keep his body hydrated. Another way to beat the heat on the playing field is make sure players avoid heat-related illness is getting them acclimated to the heat. Many such illnesses occur within the first few days of practice because children are not used to the hot environment after being indoors and used to cooler conditions. A safe way to acclimate them to the heat is to build up outdoor time gradually. In addition, they should wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored fabrics. White and light colors reflect heat; dark and black colors absorb heat. Dr. Cole emphasizes that coaches and trainers need to monitor the weather as well as their players during practice. “They need to know the risk levels, the heat index charts,” Dr. Cole says. “As the heat and humidity rises, it’s harder for them to dissipate heat. Sweat needs to be able to evaporate from the skin to keep it cool, but humidity keeps the sweat on the
body.” One preventive measure on the field include taking frequent water and rest breaks in the shade. And they need to realize their young players produce more heat than they do because of a greater surface area-to-body ratio. In other words, kids get hotter faster than adults. However, kids may not realize their own increasing body temperature until other symptoms present themselves. That’s when conditions, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke, occur. Heat exhaustion generally develops when a person is working or exercising in hot weather and does not drink enough liquids to replace those lost liquids. A more dangerous illness, heat stroke occurs when the body fails to regulate its own temperature and body temperature continues to rise, often up to 104 or 105 degrees Fahrenheit. “That’s a medical emergency,” Dr. Cole says of heat stroke. “Call 911 and rapidly cool the person, preferably in a tub of cold water or an ice pack on the neck, groin and arm pits.” Heat exhaustion and heat cramps, which occur in the muscles, can usually be treated on the sidelines with wet towels, ice packs, fans, shade and liquid replacement, but if the symptoms do not subside in about 30 minutes, then medical treatment may be considered, Dr. Cole says. GD GAME DAY u AUGUST 2011 27
Babe Ruth tourney growing in popularity By JOHN CLAYTON Senior Writer A total of 25 baseball teams and more than 250 players competed this summer in the Babe Ruth Westside All Stars Tournament held at Duncan Park and the Highway 295 Recreation Complex. The tournament featured four divisions, beginning with age 6-and-under coach pitch, 8-and-under machine pitch and kids’ pitch for 10- and 12-under. Teams from Spartanburg and Cherokee counties competed, playing as many as seven games in six days. Tournament Director Johnathan Evatt said the event, which is more than 20 years old, was expanded this year to include a double-elimination final round. “We’re going to another level this year,” Evatt said. “It’s the first time we’ve had the double elimination, so we’ll see how it goes.” Evatt said about Babe Ruth Leagues in baseball and softball are composed of about 800 youth in Spartanburg County with about 200 of those playing in girls softball leagues. Westside alone accounts for about 320 of those with Boiling Springs also pulling in significant numbers. Boiling Springs featured two teams in the 10-under division as the tournament got under way at Duncan Park.
Evatt said Babe Ruth has lost participants in the past due to the popularity of soccer and other competing leagues, but added that numbers are back on the rise after a small dip in the area. The Westside Tournament was part of a busy month of June for area teams that lead to regional and state tournaments in July, including softball and baseball regionals July 7 in Landrum.
“We see a lot of each other in June,” said Westside coach Jaime Pruitt. Evatt said a great deal of parental support, which includes attendance and the occasional raffle or hot-dog supper, is instrumental in the success of the local Babe Ruth leagues. “Without a lot of support from parents and some fundraising events, it just wouldn’t happen,” he said. GD
Lessons learned from competitive athletics
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othing has prepared me for success in business more than the competitive athletics I participated in during high school and later on in college. With sports you have to be disciplined. Go through the motions and you won’t likely see the field. Slack off a couple of weeks and someone else gets your job. Here are 5 things that playing competitive sports taught me: Work ethic – My high school baseball team used to have a practice field exactly KEN one mile from our FINLEY locker room. We had to run (in 6 minutes and 30 seconds or less) to the field just to start practice. When
practice was done two and a half to three and a half hours later you guessed it. Run it back in the same amount of time. That was a rude awakening for a 14 year old, but I learned that to be successful (we won a state championship and were runner up in my four years) you can’t just do enough to get by. The ability to handle adversity – Every practice and nearly every game you are faced with adversity. The ones who handled it the best usually end up on top. Champions don’t necessarily avoid getting knocked down but they get back up every time they are knocked down. Hustle can help make up for a lack of talent – I’ve witnessed many highly talented players never make it as successful athletes. It takes more than just talent but a willingness to give your best effort every time out. I know that I made it a lot farther than my talent level simply because I out hustled the competition.
Competition will expose your weaknesses – Sports teach you that excuses don’t get you very far. You either put in the time and effort to get better or you didn’t. When you step up to the batter’s box everyone will soon know how you spent your time this week. How to be a team player – If you want to succeed at a high level then you have to learn to work within the framework of the group. Successful people learn to put aside their selfish goals and shortsightedness in order to become a champion. This is just a sample from what I learned in competitive athletics. What did it teach you? Ken Finley is a physical therapist and certified youth speed and agility specialist. To learn more about his youth athletic development programs you can contact him at kfinley@finleypt.
COMMENTARY
Remembering a baseball legend INMAN – If you grew up here, in the shadow of Inman Mills or even in the surrounding countryside, you also became accustomed to Jim Everhart’s shadow. His was a Hitchcock-esque profile, and it was always there if JOHN a ball was hit, pitched, CLAYTON kicked, thrown, bowled or if a game of any sort was somehow contested, “Big Jim” was there. You played for him or you played against him, but you knew him. And that’s why, when he died in the early morning hours of May 14 of this year at the age of 87, the entire town, who had lost its mill long before, mourned. I grew up in the Holly Springs community and graduated from Chapman High School and do not recall the auditorium in either the new school or the old one to be needed to host a funeral. But it was a fitting place – to both hold the large crowd and to serve as the backdrop for Jim’s good-byes.
He loved Chapman. The kids he coached – the Blue Angels and Red Devils in elementary school football leagues he ran – grew up to be Panthers. Before there were travel teams going far and wide every summer, the traveling teams did was from mill hill to mill hill in SparJim Everhart passed tanburg County – away at age 87. from Una to Startex to Inman to Arcadia. My old friend and classmate Todd Johnson recalled one such game during baseball season and a wisecracking Everhart at his best. “He said, ‘Johnson, get out to right field – that way you won’t have far to run when I take you out,’” Johnson said. Classic Jim. Everhart went to work for the Inman Mills
Recreation Program in 1954. The job was supposed to be temporary, but ended up lasting for the better part of half a century. He watched the Upstate’s once famous textile leagues flourish and then die. When the mill decided to put money elsewhere, he kept the rec program going. He wrote on the website that his nephew created as Jim’s and Inman’s online history book for its community sports, that he stayed on for “unknown reasons.” The rule, he wrote, was that if everyone behaved, everyone could participate. And that was true. I know because I was once one of those kids that showed up at the mills’ two-lane bowling alley asking to participate, despite the fact that I wasn’t exactly from Inman proper and my folks didn’t work there. But my friends were in the bowling league, so he said looked me over and said, OK – and told me to behave. In 2008, Inman Mills Ballpark, which so many of us had played in so often from little league to high school to American Legion, was renamed Jim Everhart Field. Putting his name on that field was a fitting tribute, but truth be told, it had been his long before that. GD
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Power or accuracy: The choice is yours
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MIDDLE SCHOOL &
HIGH SCHOOL
ATHLETES OF THE MONTH
in Upstate Game Day For more information, contact editor Les Timms les.timms@upstategameday.com
FULL TAKEAWAY
To develop power in your golf swing, you must have lag in your swing. This is easiest done by having a good wrist cock in your back swing. When KYLE breaking your OWINGS wrists, golfers often lose the feeling of using their big muscles such as their shoulders and arms to have a controlled and one piece takeaway. Examples of this on the PGA Tour are Steve Stricker and Bubba Watson. Stricker has a very stiff backswing that is reliable but not powerful, while Watson breaks his wrists early and has tremendous power in his swing. As a golf coach for five years, I have learned that for most players who want both accuracy and some power, a golfer must set their wrists
B
MORE POWER
early in the backswing and then when the shaft is parallel to the ground, simply turn your shoulders to the top of your swing. This creates a powerful, yet controlled swing. You can see this visually by the two pictures provided. Natalie Srinivasan is a good young player whom I coach. In Pic A, you can see a full takeaway, but not any cocking of the wrists. This produced a flat ball flight with not much power. Over time, we have worked on setting the wrists earlier in the swing and then turning her shoulders. You can see a clear difference in Pic B in how early she sets her wrists. This has produced more power and she still has very good accuracy. So to hit it long and consistent, set your wrists early and then turn your shoulders to the top of your backswing. Good luck and Happy Golfing! Reach the Kyle Owings Golf Academy at (864)205-4221
All-Sports Performance Training at the
Speed Academy of Finley Physical Therapy & Sport Training
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iddle and High School coaches are looking for young athletes with foot speed, agility and explosive quickness. Many young athletes are not prepared physically for middle school and high school sports. At The Speed Academy of Finley Physical Therapy and Sport Training, young athletes receive a structured training program to help them gain a competitive edge.
At each session, athletes are taught sport-specific skills that will help increase vertical leap, improve speed and core strength while reducing the risk of injury.
Contact us today to see how we can help your young athlete.
864.342.0180
1420 Skylyn Drive / Spartanburg, SC facebook.com/FinleySports
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