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BRIDGET DUESTERHAUS of the Converse Marlins competes in the first meet of the season.
Diving Summer
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INTO
> Local Swim League gets under way with new team, new faces
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Top L to R: Dr. Gerald Rollins, Dr. Stephen Harley, Dr. David Mitchell, Dr. Michael Funderburk Bottom L to R: Dr. Michael Henderson, Dr. Michael Hoenig, Dr. Mary Joan Black, Dr. James Behr
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Leading Off > 18
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BYRNES’ DUGGAR FULFILLS ONE DREAM BY CHOOSING TIGERS
Rebels disppointed with another near miss
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> 16 > 20
Junior golfer conquers mental game in big win Campaign takes on youth sports injuries
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ES IN ACTION NEAR MISS >> ATHLET
GAME DAY ISAN: >> NATALIE SRINIV
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Youth Sports Magazinen
GAME DAY
JUNE 2012
Spartanburg editio
Youth Sports Magazine
EDITOR & PUBLISHER Les Timms III les.timms@upstategameday.com
ERHAUS BRIDGET DUEST se Marlins of the Conver first meet competes in the . of the season
Diving Summer JOHN CLAYTON
PHOTO
INTO
gue gets under
> Local Swim Lea
ASSOCIATE EDITOR / SENIOR WRITER John Clayton john.clayton@upstategameday.com
m, new faces
way with new tea
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NEWS & NOTES FROM THE LOCAL YOUTH SPORTS SCENE
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Tyger River Park to host World Series The National Softball Association’s Eastern Girls Fast Pitch World Series is the crown jewel in the busy first-year schedule at Tyger River Park. With the tournament scheduled for July 2129, Spartanburg County Parks, the City of Spartanburg and the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors’ Bureau are planning “HubaPalooza” from 5-9 p.m. on Wednesday, July 25 at and around downtown Spartanburg’s Barnet Park to celebrate the tournament’s inaugural trip to the area and to help the NSA celebrate its 30th anniversary. More than 7,000 people are expected to attend the NSA event at Tyger River Park and organizers hope many will make the trek to downtown Spartanburg for HubaPalooza, which
will feature live entertainment from local musicians and family-oriented activities. “Our goal for the event is to showcase all the wonderful attractions Spartanburg and the Upstate have to offer in a festival-type atmosphere,” the Spartanburg Convention & Vistors’ Bureau put forth in a release. “Picture a gigantic party with strolling performers, costumed characters, interactive activities, food, drinks, rides musical performances, games and displays of everything Spartanburg. “We want our guests leaving with memories they’ll never forget. This is Spartanburg’s time to shine.” Local groups and organizations are encouraged to participate in HubaPalooza. For information on participation and other opportunities, contact the Spartanburg CVB at 864-594-5050.
NOW HIRING: SALES REPS for UPSTATE Game Day youth sports magazine seeks motivated sales and marketing professionals to join our team. Join a growing multimedia company and earn a comfortable income selling GameDay and additional products to existing and new markets. We offer a generous commission structure and chance to grow with our company. Interested applicants, please email Les Timms III at les.timms@upstategameday.com.
By the
Numbers
5
Number of consecutive titles won at the Chic-fil-A Palmetto Championships by Spartanburg’s Spencer Brown. The top-seeded Brown defeated No. 2 Robert Loeb 6-2, 6-3 to win the boys 14-under division title. The victory tied a record for consecutive titles won in the tournament that Brown now shares with four others. Brown also finished second Spencer Brown with Loeb in doubles competition. Spartanburg’s Philip Jordan finished third in the boys 12-under division. Oliver Crawford was sixth and Chambers Easterling eighth in 14-under competition. Spartanburg Day’s Anna Kate Anderson took fourth place in the girls 18-under division.
479
Pick used by the Atlanta Braves to select Wofford and former Landrum High School pitcher Alex Wilson in June’s Major League Baseball amateur draft. The junior right-hander was drafted in the 15th round by the Braves. After struggling earlier in his college career, Wilson, who made 31 relief appearances this past season, was 2-3 with one save. He struck out Alex Wilson 51 in 42 1/3 innings. His 3.61 ERA was second on the team. “Obviously I am very excited and blessed to have this opportunity,” Wilson was quoted on Wofford’s athletics website. “I have always dreamed about being drafted by a professional team and it is great to see that dream realized.”
23 6
Number of career victories recorded by South Carolina pitcher Michael Roth heading into the Gamecocks’ Super Regionals appearance against Oklahoma. Roth is a former Riverside standout. Number of touchdowns accounted for by Greer High’s Emmanuel Kelly during the Yellow Jackets’ annual Black-White spring football game. Kelly ran for four scores, passed for one and returned an interception for a touchdown in the game.
6 JUNE 2012 u GAME DAY
Former Chapman, USC star teaching the game Toby Cates to host football camps By JOHN CLAYTON Former Chapman and South Carolina football standout Toby Cates is busy this summer with the business of football. Cates is hosting his Second Annual Toby Cates Football Camp June 21-23 at Eastside High School and June 30 at Jim Everhart Field at Inman Mills. Information on the camps can be found at eteamz.com/catessports. He is also founding a new youth football organization – Carolina Ravens Youth Football that he expects to begin play this year. The tackle football organization will feature Pee Wee (ages 6-8) Toby Cates and Midgets (ages 9-10) football teams as well as cheerleading squads for Pee Wees (ages 4-7) and Midgets (ages 7-10). Practices will be held at Eastside High School. And Cates has big plans for the new organization. “My dream for it is for it to grow
CATES SPORTS FOOTBALL CAMPS June 21-23: at Eastside High School June 30: at Everhart Field, Inman Mills and to have an AAU traveling football team,” Cates said. “We want to schedule and play teams in Spartanburg and teams out of Landrum and all over to give these kids a variety and have them play the best competition. “The goal is to be ranked in the nation and playing for national AAU titles in youth football.” For complete information, visit ravensfootballsc.com. In addition to the work with younger players, Cates said he will also be working with players through a nine week course he calls, “The Blueprint: A Gameplan for Football Success.” The training program will be a combination of physical training and “chalkboard sessions” designed to teach positional assignments as well as schemes and strategies on both sides of the ball. “In all of our programs, we want to teach kids the hard work and dedication it takes to be good,” Cates said.
COMING UP:
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u Classes for the First Tee of Spartanburg begin this month at The Creek Golf Club in Spartanburg and Woodfin Ridge Golf Club in Inman. More information, go to http://www. thefirstteespartanburg.org. u The Coca-Cola Spartanburg County Junior Amateur Championship gets under way July 2-3 at The Creek. It is open to boys and girls under age 18 as of July 2, provided they have not graduated from high school. Entry fee of $45 includes cart, range balls and cart. More information, go to http://www. thefirstteespartanburg.org.
Have a smartphone? Scan the QR code, above, and go to a unique story that’s been in the news lately about how a high school runner carried a fallen opponent across the finish line. Who said sportsmanship doesn’t exist anymore?
Jordan Warnock hits out of the bunker during the SCJGA Spartanburg Chapter’s first event of the season at Village Green Golf Club.
Local SCJGA season tees off INMAN -- The Spartanburg Chapter of the S.C. Junior Golf Association opened its 2012 summer season with a June 4 tournament at Village Green Golf Club. The local series is part of the SCJGA’s Hootie & the Blowfish Junior Golf Series and will continue play this summer through August. A two-day SCJGA All Star Tournament is scheduled for Aug. 25-26 at the Anderson Country Club.
Here is the Spartanburg Chapter’s remaining schedule: June 11 -- River Falls Plantation; June 18 -- Woodfin Ridge Golf Club; June 25 -- Carolina Country Club; July 2 -- Country Club of Spartanburg; July 9 -- Heddles Hideaway Country Club; July 23 -- The Creek Golf Club; Aug. 6-7 -- Three Pines Country Club (Tournament of Champions);
Abby Driscoll chips up during a tournament at Village Green.
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Everyone plays...Balanced Teams...Open Registration...Positive Coaching...Good Sportsmanship...Player Development GAME DAY u JUNE 2012 7
from the sidelines
Byrnes players wearing “Finish” t-shirts prior to their deciding game against Ashley Ridge in the Class AAAA state finals. The Rebels fell in the title series for the third straight year, losing in extra innings to Ashley Ridge.
Rebels frustrated with another near miss LEXINGTON 2008 to ease congestion at Sumbaseball mantra merville High, would one day be exists that has kept thankful for. alive the hopes of But in as much as baseball the faithful on the is a game filled with its own north side of Chitraditions, it is also one of equal cago for a century or so: opportunity. Byrnes found “There’s always that out in its next year.” state finals loss to But Byrnes baseAshley Ridge in ball – maybe because May as the Rebels’ the high school reprised their games and careers unwanted and are so fleeting -- sure recurring roles as seems tired of waitbridesmaids in ing. the championship Three straight series. trips to the Class Are three AAAA state finals straight finals with nary a champilosses fair, really? onship to show for it Should one team JOHN has been an anomaly get so close only to CLAYTON for an athletic program be denied at the end that has a knack for by a single run? winning on the biggest Probably not. stages and bringing home the But this was baseball and its biggest trophies. numbers are foremost among its By comparison, Ashley Ridge traditions. They do not lie. High School has been here for, Here’s proof: oh, about five minutes. 4 – the number of unearned Byrnes, on the other hand, runs allowed by Byrnes in the has decades upon decades of 4-3 deciding-game loss. athletic tradition, a trophy case 5 – the number of errors brimming over with the symbols committed by the Rebels in of a past success that Ashley final and deciding game of the Ridge, which opened its doors in three-game series against Ashley
A
8 JUNE 2012 u GAME DAY
Ridge. 0 – number of errors committed by Ashley Ridge in Game 3 of the finals. When those numbers are considered, two things become
obvious. First, the Rebels were going to lose that game 99.9 percent of the time, according to the numbers. And, second, it is amazing that the game was so close.
REBEL YELL
scenes from the Class 4A State Championship
But the Rebels had 1-0 and 3-1 leads. Both times, the Swampfoxes rallied to tie the game and, finally, to score the game-winning run. If not for Byrnes ace Alex Cunningham, it wouldn’t have been so close. I refrain from using the adjective “heroic” in the framework of athletics, but that is the closest description to Cunningham’s complete-game performance that I can come up with. Inning after inning, he overcame the er-
rors made behind him. He turned in a gamesaving defensive play and recorded strike out after strike out with the game on the line to erase a couple of walks and those dooming errors. In the end, the third time was not the charm for Byrnes. District 5 Athletic Director Bobby Bentley talked afterward about 10 of 15 teams making the playoffs this past school year and, of course, two teams making it to the state finals.
PAM DUNLAP PHOTOS http://dunlap.phanfare.com/byrnes/2012/
The football Rebels won the Class 4A “Big 16” state title, while the baseball team came up just a run short of claiming finally a crown to call its own. Maybe it would have been easier to lose by 10 runs rather than be taken to extra innings in a game that featured the Rebels’ worst defensive performance of the season. Of course, that would be a hard sell, too. Either way, the pain seemed to be three times tougher than it used to be, and next year seemed to be so, so far away. GD GAME DAY u JUNE 2012 9
Athletes in Action
WE WANT YOUR SPORTS PICS! please email to: les.timms @upstategameday.com photos by: John Clayton • Les Timms III • Nancy Ballew • Steve Hinds • Jay Barbee
10 JUNE 2012 u GAME DAY
Nobody who gave their best regretted it.
GAME DAY u JUNE 2012 11
Adversity causes some to break; others to break records.
12 10 12 JUNE JUNE JUNE2012 2012 2012u u uGAME GAME GAMEDAY DAY DAY
Teamwork makes the dream work.
GAME DAY u JUNE 2012 13
y t r a P l o Po
T
he Spartanburg Athletic Club Sharks competed against the newly formed Converse Marlins to open the Spartanburg Summer Swim League season at Converse College. / JOHN CLAYTON PHOTOS
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spartanburg summer swim league
Marlins trying to make a splash in first year By JOHN CLAYTON
T
he minutes were ticking down on the beginning of the Spartanburg Summer Swim League season and Maddie Mitchell was holding it together. It was, after all, her first competitive swim meet and the debut of her team, the Converse Marlins. “I was super nervous – butterflies from my stomach to my toes,” said Mitchell, 12, a student at Spartanburg Day School. But Mitchell and the Marlins swam on with as many butterflies as butterfly strokes, facing the established Spartanburg Athletic Club Sharks in the season opener for both teams at Converse College. Suddenly, Mitchell and her teammates found themselves in the deep end – a good place to start for a swim team. “It kind of feels like everyone is just getting the hang of things now,” Mitchell said. “It’s like everyone is getting a fresh start.” The Marlins bring the total number of teams in the SSSL to 10 and join a list that includes the SAC Sharks, the Fernwood Frogs, the Boiling Springs Barracudas, the Westside Club Hammerheads, the Country Club of Spartanburg Sailfish, the Hillbrook Pool Dolphins, the Parkwood Sharks, the Lantern Ridge Stingrays and the Carolina Country Club Seals. Some members of the Marlins are experienced swimmers who have competed with other teams in the past,
M
arlins swimmer Maddie Mitchell competes in the breast stroke during the Converse Marlins inaugural swiim meet, while in photo at left, coach Jenni Russell cheers on one of her swimmers. / JOHN CLAYTON PHOTOS
SSSL on the Web www.sssl.us/meets but others, like Mitchell, are novices to the competitive sport. Bridget Duesterhaus, 11, is an SSSL veteran formerly with Fernwood, but jumped to the Marlins after her mother, Molly Duesterhaus, vice president of student life and dean of students at Converse College, formed the new team. Bridget said she wants to help the Marlins become competitive as quickly as possible. “I like to win, so I want to swim as fast as I can to get this team higher up in the rankings,” she said. Jenni Russell and Arnisha White, co-head coaches for the Marlins, believe catching up with the league’s more established teams will take increased numbers, faster times and, simply, time. “Some of our students have taken longterm swimming lessons, but have never really swum competitively,” White said. “So, just getting them inspired to swim against other swimmers is something that
is a big challenge for them.” Miles Brown is one of those swimmers. “I’ve been swimming since I was 5 at the YMCA,” Brown said. “I just decided to come out for this.” Brown, 12, a student at Roebuck Elementary, said he also plays basketball and the two sports both require focus from the competitors. “It’s definitely a young team, but once they get in the pool and start enjoying it, then it comes down to teaching technique,” said Marlins Assistant Coach Keegan Duesterhaus. “Then, they start to really fly off the walls, and it’s really fun to watch.” Russell said the Marlins will be working on becoming a team this summer as the swimmers work on better times in the pool. “We’re definitely trying to cheer for one another, trying to become a team,” Russell said. “One person can only do so much, so we’re depending on the strength of our team. We’re going to implement a ‘Fun Friday’ with the younger and older groups practicing together, having fund and really bonding.” GD
Mind Games
Srinivasan takes game to next level at Chateau Elan
By JOHN CLAYTON
T
he swing looks familiar as does the long ponytail flowing from the back of a cap that matches the rest of Natalie Srinivasan’s golf attire. But her game has changed, as evidenced by a surprise victory this past month at the IMG Golf Academy Preseason American Junior Golf Association event at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Ga. Srinivasan swing coach Kyle Owings said the rising freshman at Dorman displayed the mental game that allowed her take an all-important step on the national stage at Chateau Elan. “Mentally, her process is outstanding,” Owings said, crediting her father, A.J., a former college tennis standout, for working to strengthen her mental approach to golf. “Mentally, she has really improved. . . . With a combination of getting better and getting mentally better, she has really come on.” At Cheateau Elan, Srinivasan shot a final-round 71 in the second and final round of the 36-hole tournament,
16 JUNE 2012 u GAME DAY
SCJGA on the Web www.scjga.org/
N
atalie Srinivasan has taken the junior golf circuit by storm this summer with a surprise victory in an AJGA event at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Ga. The rising ninth-grader at Dorman High School entered June as the 23rd-ranked golfer in the state, according to the S.C. Junior Golf Association. / JOHN CLAYTON PHOTOS
Young
overcoming a double-bogey on No. 2 with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 3 and 4 and finishing the front nine at 1-under thanks to a third birdie on par-4 seventh. Srinivasan, who made the field as an alternate, told AJGA officials she had hoped to break 80 both days, but ended up doing quite a bit better, following up an opening-round 74 with an even-par 71 in the second. She edged Anna Redding of Concord, N.C., who shared the first-round lead with Srinivasan, by one stroke. “I was really focused,” she said. “I kept focusing on the next shot – that’s what my dad tells me to do.” Owings praised Srinivasan’s work ethic and said the future she wants in golf is there for the taking – and the win
guns
at Chateau Elan could be a harbinger of things to come. Srinivasan said the victory has given her a lot of confidence heading into her summer schedule of events, which will include The Blade upcoming in July. “It proved that I could play on the national stage,” she said. Owings said Srinivasan is a student of the game and has learned quickly the nuances of the short game it takes to consistently score well. “She’s got a bright future, she really does,” he said. “She works really hard, and this was the first of many wins for her. . . . She has big plans for golf. . . . She wants to play Division I golf and wants to succeed at whatever level she’s at.” GD
GAME DAY u JUNE 2012 17
TOUGH DECISION: PROS OR COLLEGE?
Major Move Byrnes outfielder Steven Duggar (4) will play at Clemson next season after choosing not to sign a professional baseball contract. / PAM DUNLAP PHOTO
Byrnes’ Duggar fulfills one dream by choosing Tigers By JOHN CLAYTON
T
he prospect of beginning a career in professional baseball mere days after graduating from Byrnes High School was tantalizing for outfielder Steven Duggar. But so was the thought of playing for Jack Leggett’s Clemson Tigers. After Duggar’s name was not called in the initial rounds of Major League Baseball’s amateur draft, he made a call himself – to Leggett. “I told Coach Leggett and Coach (Bradley) LeCroy that I wanted to come to Clemson,” Duggar said. The fifth-ranked prospect in South Carolina, according to Baseball America, Duggar could have been a top pick, a
18 JUNE 2012 u GAME DAY
so-called “bonus baby” in June’s Major League Baseball amateur draft. He said scouts told him he could have gone as high as the second round. Teams such as Kansas City and Houston had expressed interest. But this y ear’s MLB draft was the first operated under a new collective bargaining agreement approved during MLB’s Winter Meetings. The new agreement gave teams spending caps for their respective draft pools and slotted signing bonuses for selections. The result was an unpredictable draft during which teams put an emphasis on the signability of their selections, meaning some highly rated players fell while the stock of others rose. “I knew there was a chance that my
name wouldn’t get called, and that was OK,” Duggar said. “Clemson was always in the plan. It was always Clemson.” Duggar helped lead Byrnes to a thirdstraight Class AAA state finals appearance this past season, batting .444 with a pair of home runs. He drove in 20 runs and scored 37 as a senior. At Clemson, he will join former Byrnes teammate and friend Daniel Gossett on the Tigers’ roster. With his immediate future decided, Duggar said he still has an eye fixed on professional baseball. “I want to go to Clemson and play well and help that team,” Duggar said. “After I play at Clemson, I still want to play professional baseball. That’s what I’ve wanted for a long time.” GD
Gilmer book to tell story of football in county Former Herald-Journal prep editor writing ‘Where Champions Play’ By JOHN CLAYTON Former Spartanburg Herald-Journal staff writer Jason Gilmer spent a decade writing daily about high school sports in Spartanburg County for the newspaper. Gilmer, who now works as a freelance writer and lives in Boone , N.C. , is currently researching and writing his latest project, a book on high school football in Spartanburg County tentatively titled, “Where Champions Play – Prep Football in Spartanburg County ” for Hub City Press. “(Hub City Press Executive Director Betsy Teter) was looking to do a prep football book and I came to them with an idea because I had wanted to do a book on high school football in Spartanburg County ,” Gilmer said. “So it was kind of a perfect storm.” The book, which will include a chapter
Batting & Athletic Training
on each high school in the county and trace the game’s roots back to the early 20th century, is scheduled for publication in August of 2013. “The main question we’re trying to answer and Jason Gilmer one of the questions I’m asking is, ‘Why is football so good in Spartanburg County ?’” Gilmer said. “No one really has a definite answer to that.” Gilmer said in late May that he was working on the fourth chapter of the book and has already found unique stories, such as that of former Spartanburg High coach Red Dobson, who coached several sports at the school between 1925-45, but lost only five home games on the gridiron
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in his nearly 20 years as head coach. “That’s just incredible to me,” Gilmer said. Gilmer said he is also looking at the county’s increasing number of college football recruits annually produced by the county. The fabric of Spartanburg County football has given Gilmer a lot to research and a lot to write about, including Byrnes’ recent domination at the Class AAAA level, the Doc Davis years at Spartanburg and the long, storied history of Willie Varner at Woodruff as well the team’s recent resurgence in a new era. “One thing I want to do besides getting into the history of each program, is to try and figure out where they go next,” he said. The project has its own Facebook page at facebook.com/WhereChampionsPlay.
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2CCC
CDC: 2 MILLION INJURIES / 500,000 DOCTOR VISITS / 30,000 HOSPITALIZATIONS PER YEAR
Experts: Time to STOP sports injuries in young athletes LEADERS COME TOGETHER TO LAUNCH NATIONAL CAMPAIGN By STEVEN B. SINGLETON, MD, FACS Village Orthopaedic Surgery
S
ports injuries among young athletes are on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high school athletes alone account for an estimated 2 million injuries, 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations every year. In addition, the CDC says more than half of all sports injuries in children are preventable. To combat these shocking statistics, leaders in healthcare, wellness, safety and fitness came together in 2008 to launch the STOP Sports Injuries campaign (STOP stands for Sports Trauma and Overuse Prevention in youth sports). The campaign DR. STEVEN B. educates athletes, SINGLETON parents, trainers, coaches and healthcare providers about the rapid increase in youth sports injuries, the necessary steps to help reverse the trend and the need to keep young athletes healthy. The campaign encourages those affected to take The Pledge (see breakout box) to become advocates for sports safety and take the preventative measures to keep kids in the game for life.
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Athlete’s Pledge Youth at higher risk
We know that 30 to 50 percent of all youth sports injuries are due to overuse. Youth are particularly at risk for problems due to factors such as improper technique, ill-fitting equipment, training errors, coach or parental pressure, failure to recognize injuries early and inherent musculoskeletal imbalance. These problems are magnified in younger athletes who are more vulnerable to injury. Orthopaedic surgeons are currently seeing two trends: a rapid rise in the number of youth sports injuries and a much younger age for athletes with overuse injuries. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, every year more than 3.5 million children age 14 and younger are treated for sports injuries. The increasing number of youth sports injuries affects everyone involved in a young athlete’s life—coaches, parents, trainers and healthcare providers. With the correct information and tools, today’s young athletes can remain healthy, play safely and stay in the game. The main focus of the STOP campaign is to curb the number of youth sports injuries that are occurring in our country. We want to keep our young athletes out of the operating room and on the playing field by promoting safe practices in sports.
I pledge to: u Not play through the pain if I am injured. u Tell my parents, coaches, athletic trainers and healthcare providers when I’m injured. u Take the proper preventive steps to reduce my risk of injury by participating in annual pre-season physicals, stretching before and after workouts, staying hydrated during practices and games, and not overtraining. u Help my teammates understand there can be long-term consequences and effects of youth sports injuries. u Support the STOP Sports Injuries campaign by telling my friends and family about it.
Parents’ Pledge I pledge to: u Protect my children from sports injuries by talking about how they feel physically after practices and games. u Keep my young athlete out of practice or the game until any injury is properly healed. u Talk to my child’s healthcare provider to learn even more about proper prevention techniques to help ensure safe play. u Discuss any of my child’s health or wellness concerns with the coaches and athletic trainers. u Support the STOP Sport Injuries campaign by telling my children, neighbors, friends, coaches and healthcare providers about it.
Epidemic of youth sports injuries
Our country has experienced a tremendous rise in the sheer number of our youth participating in sports. Statistics show that the United States has 30 to 45 million youth athletes. An epidemic rise of injuries associated with youth sports accompanied the increase in participation. This makes sports the leading cause of adolescent injury. Along with time away from school and work, these injuries can have far-reaching effects. According to a study by the CDC, a history of minor or major injury is a risk factor for future injury. Additionally, combined healthcare costs for treatment of youth injuries in sports amounts to approximately $2.5 billion a year; aftereffects of youth sports injuries account for another $3 billion a year. This has become a major health reform issue! The STOP Sports Injuries campaign has more than 300 collaborative partners— organizations, medical practices
and major medical institutions around the world. The “Council of Champions,” individuals who recognize the importance of the campaign and support its goals, includes well-known professional athletes such as Sam Bradford, John Smoltz, Jack Nicklaus, Bonnie Blair, Eric Heiden, Hank Aaron and many more. Although media outlets and partnerships can give the campaign a national audience, individuals will ultimately make this initiative successful. Participation is open to anyone with an interest in preventing sports injuries in kids. Become involved as a parent or athlete; make a difference by supporting The Pledge. The campaign website and pledge are available at www. stopsportsinjuries.org. For more information or to make an appointment with Village Orthopaedic Surgery, please visit villageatpelham.com/physicians or call 864-530-BONE.
One-Day Bath Remodeling
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Faith in Sports
UPWARD TOURNEY PICS BY REV. ORSETH FCABUCKLEY COLUMN
‘Life-changing lessons’
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hen General Douglas MacArthur was the Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he introduced the mandatory involvement in athletic intramurals for all cadets. He is quoted as saying, “Upon the fields of friendly strife, are sown the seeds that, upon other fields, on other days will bear the fruits of victory.” It was very clear to him then and is obvious today that the life lessons that we are learn in athletics are invaluable tools that will pay dividends in the years and decades to come. This truth was played out several years ago when I was coaching a young 5th-6th grade flag football team. At the beginning of the season, I introduced myself to the parents and told them my coaching philosophy. I shared with them my desire to be competitive yet wanted every child to play any position they wanted to play. I also wanted every child to experience the joy of scoring a touchdown. Every child would receive equal playing time and my goal was for them to learn a life lesson through the season. After I shared, I asked the parents to share prayer requests before we closed. One of the parents, Tim, shared that he was dying of cancer. Before this meeting, I had never met Tim but after what he shared, it galvanized our parents and team. We prayed together often through the season as I was privileged to coach his son James James had never played football before and although he was eager to do whatever I asked, he could not catch a pass and had the tendency to run the ball straight into a crowd. Because of this, he never scored a touchdown as we rolled through the season. His dad missed several games because of the cancer and we could also see Tim struggling physically as we knew time was drawing to a close. Tim made it to the last game of the season and I was calling everything I could to try and give James a chance to score in that last game. In the fourth quarter, it looked like the season would end with an unfulfilled dream. With less than one minute
in the game, one of our players intercepted the ball which would give us a chance to possibly get Rev. Seth Buckley is Minister to Students James in the end zone. at First Baptist Spartanburg. I called a timeout and came onto the field. We had less than 30 seconds and realistically, only had two plays at best. I turned to a young man on our team named Eli and said to him, “Eli, we are going to run our Panther reverse. When you get the ball…I need for you to run forty yards and run out of bounds at the one yard line. DO you understand?” to which he obediently replied, “Yes sir.” Each player knew exactly what I was up to. The play went beautifully as Eli broke free and ran the field. The crowd was stunned at the last second when he angled over and ran out of bounds at the one yard line. I was getting mistyeyed as the other team called a time out. I came onto the field and called our favorite play, “Alabama-Blue”. I looked at James and said, “James, let it come to you. Eli will get it there. You just let it come to you and hold on tight.” The play was called. The ball was snapped. Each player carried out the play to near perfection as James ran his route. The ball flew straight into James’ hands and he gathered it in as he fell into the end zone. As our team tearfully and joyfully screamed, I looked over in the stands and I saw James’ daddy leaning against the fence with his hands held high saying, “that’s my boy!” What a celebration. We gathered and gave thanks to God for the gift of a life changing season. Three months later, our team dressed in our uniforms as we attended the funeral of James’ father Tim. As I stood there with tears rolling down my face, I saw my team and knew then…it was never about winning…it was never about a touchdown…it was about children learning to live their life for a cause greater than themselves. It was about learning sacrifice, team, selflessness, and determination. Life lessons that on other fields, on other days, will bear fruit that you cannot buy.
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22 JUNE 2012 u GAME DAY
Rebels’ 7-on-7 tourney gaining stature By JOHN CLAYTON The Palmetto State Showdown 7-on-7 football tournament has continued to grow in stature over the course of its five-year existence. And this year it is taking a big step toward the national stage. Twenty squads from five states, including two units from host Byrnes, will compete June 15-16 in the 2012 Palmetto State Showdown, which will be a qualifier for the National 7-on-7 Championships in Hoover, Ala., for the first time. “The folks in Hoover had been after me to become a qualifier for a long time,” said Palmetto State Showdown Director Tony McAbee. “But this year, they convinced me to become a qualifier because of the national exposure that goes along with it for our sponsors and the sponsorship that
is going on with the national tournament.” The Showdown is now one of 10 events that will send its winner to Hoover, Ala., to compete for a national title. But McAbee said his focus remains the same as when he started the local event. “We’re not trying to compete against anybody else,” he said. “We just want it to be a great tournament for coaches, fans and players. We want them to come here and to have the best time.” The teams will be divided into five pools of four squads with pool winners advancing to Saturday’s championship rounds. Play will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, June 15 and go throughout the day. Competition will resume with more pool play at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, June 16. Single-elimination champi-
onship rounds are set to begin at 2 p.m. Saturday. The championship game is scheduled for 5 p.m. All games will be played in Duncan behind Beech Springs Intermediate School, where Byrnes holds its summer workouts for football, adjacent to the high school softball field. Games are also to be broadcast via the internet at ihigh.com/ byrnes7on7. “It’s a great place to have it,” McAbee said. “We’re kind of separated down there and it becomes kind of a festival atmosphere, it really does.” Among the schools signed on to compete in this year’s Showdown are 23-time Georgia state champion Valdosta, Bergen (N.J.) Catholic, Lowcountry power Myrtle Beach and Union County with first-year head coach and former South Carolina quarterback Steve Taneyhill.
THE SHOWDOWN: June 15-16
FOLLOW THE SHOWDOWN
On twitter: @ Byrnes7on7 On Facebook by searching Palmetto State Showdown Live action at: ihigh.com/byrnes7on7 POOLS Pool A Byrnes A Myrtle Beach Davidson (N.C.) Day Berkeley Pool B Byrnes B Union Co. N. Gwinnett (Ga.) Dover (Del.)
Pool C Greenville Wren Jefferson Co. (Ga.) Bergen (N.J.) Catholic Pool D Brunswick (Ga.) Chesterfield Erwin (N.C.) Kings Mountain (N.C.) Pool E Lakeside (Ga.) Southern Durham (N.C.) Durham (N.C.) Hillside Valdosta (Ga.)
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Member SIPC
For anyone with the desire to play sports at the college or professional level, the road is long and hard. This regular feature is about local athletes, living their dream, competing at ...
Finding a Diamondback in the rough Former SMC, Boiling Springs HS star taken by Arizona in draft
Spartanburg Methodist College and former Boiling Springs standout pitcher Jonathan Pulley was drafted in the 33rd round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft in early June.
By JOHN CLAYTON
Jonathan Pulley’s cell phone had been blowing up for three days. Scouts. Friends. Family. Everyone had been calling in the days leading up to and following Major League Baseball’s amateur draft in early June. Even Tim Wallace, Pulley’s head coach at Spartanburg Methodist College, was having trouble getting through to his former pitcher. But Pulley got the call he wanted most, and it came from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The team drafted the hard-throwing right-hander in the 33rd round of the draft. A day later, Pulley was sitting at a table in his family’s home, signing a contract that made his lifelong dream of playing professional baseball a reality. “My name got called and I’ve got an opportunity,” Pulley said. “I’m going to take it and run with it.” A few hours later, the former SMC and Boiling Springs High School standout was boarding a plane that would take him first to Chicago and then on to Phoenix. “Practice starts tomorrow,” he said. “I can’t even put it into words. It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life. . . . It’s been a rollercoaster, but it’s the best baseball experience I’ve ever had.” The rollercoaster ride included a trip with SMC to Grand Junction, Colo., and the NJCAA World Series, a start against the top-ranked junior-college team in the country and a tense wait for his name to be called during an unpredictable MLB Draft. “I’m the kid who always watched the players and asked for an autograph – and now I’ve become the guy I used to watch,” Pulley said. “It’s hard to believe. When we were in Grand Junction, kids would
come up asking for belts, socks, anything autographed. I could see myself in their eyes.” And Pulley urged young players with those same big-league dreams to work hard and keep them alive. “If you have a dream, don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do it,” he said. “Go after that dream and don’t let anybody stop you.” Pulley praised the coaching staff at SMC, including Wallace and especially pitching coach Matt Williams for aiding his development during his year at SMC. “They’ve done wonders for me,” he
said. “In high school, I could be dominant because I threw harder than everybody else, but (Coach Williams) has done gave me the right path as a pitcher.” Pulley was 4-3 with a 4.12 eared run average at SMC. He allowed 70 hits, struck out 46 and walked 16 in his 63 1/3 innings of work this past season. But it was the 6-foot, 215-pounder’s 94 m.p.h. fastball that tantalized scouts the most and led the Arizona scout to the Pulleys’ living room soon after the MLB Draft ended and landed Pulley on a plane bound for the desert. Pulley said he has little experience facing the wooden bats used by professional hitters, but that experience was a good one. “The last time I pitched against wooden bats, I pitched a no-hitter in the Perfect Game World Series in Atlanta,” he recalled. “So, I’m read to get to work and break some bats.” GD
The Upstate’s PL AY destination
TYGER RIVER PARK IS LOCATED at 195 Dillard Road, Duncan for directions, log onto www.spartanburg parks.org/parks
March 10 GRAND OPENING March our Spartanburg County Join the10-16 fun on Pre-season Championships new playground! March 17-18 USSSA Tyger River JUNE/JULY TOURNAMENTS Spring Kickoff AT TYGER PARK March 24-25 RIVER Spring State ChamJune 16-17 USSSA Girls FP Softball pionships 10U/12U/14U State Tourney1 / 18U Qualifier March 30-April ASA National Girls Fastpitch June 22-24 ASA Girls FP Softball Softball Season Opener 16U/18U State Tourney April 13-15 USSSA UnderArmour June 27-29 NSA Girls FP Softball EastSummer Coast Global Alleycats Heat College Showcase 1 Championships June 30-July NSA Girls FP Softball SC NSA State Tournaments July 6-8 BPA Youth Baseball SC State Championship
MORE INFO: 864-595-5356 or log onto www.spartanburgparks.org
COMING IN JULY NSA Class A & B Girls FastPitch World Series at Tyger River Park
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JULY 23-29
Ages 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, & 18U
SOCCER ACADEMY
Want to improve? Learn by watching!
S
ummer is a fantastic time to get outdoors and play soccer with your friends! It also just happens to be a great time to watch a lot of quality soccer on TV! Perhaps one of the most under-rated learning tools in the game of soccer is watching high level soccer, either in person or on TV. The argument could be made that TV – or the internet actually gives you a better learning environment than in person, as with modern technology we have the option to rewind and repeat! Although, it must be said that nothing beats the excitement and passion at a real live game! This summer you have the opportunity to watch Major League Soccer, the Euro 2012 Championships, and the Olympics! Don’t miss out on
watching and learning from some of the world’s best players and teams! Here are a few thoughts for you to consider while watching: u Support your favorite team and/or player: Do some research on the internet. Schedule the time to watch. Invite your friends; educate them about the game if need be. After the game, go outside and emulate your heroes! u Style of play: Soccer is an art, not a science; there are many different styles. Try to identify the formations and styles. For example: In the 2012 Euro’s, you will see that the Spanish play possession soccer with creativity and flair, the Germans are strong and disciplined, and the Three Lions from England are direct and combative!
u Focus on soccer skills: How does a player pass or bend the ball? What is their body position when they receive the ball? When and why do they pass, dribble or shoot? Concentrate. It’s a chess game out there! u Don’t just focus on the ball: Don’t get caught up just watching the ball. Look at what the players are doing off the ball. How are a player’s teammates supporting the person with the ball? Do they communicate? Check your TV guide for ESPN, Fox Soccer, and local channels this summer to get your soccer fix! ESPN 3 is also a valuable resource online! So don’t feel guilty this summer when you cool off with a game of soccer on TV! You are
JUSTIN COLLETT not being a couch potato; you are learning how to master the beautiful game of soccer! GD
Justin Collett is the Executive Director of Coaching and Administration at Carolina FC. Carolina FC is a Youth Soccer Club in Spartanburg, SC. Carolina FC is a 501 (c) 3 Non-Profit Organization. Justin can be reached at Justin@CarolinaFC.net
TERESA PAGE
Better Homes and Garden Real Estate Young & Co. Spartanburg, SC 29301 864-699-6353 (Direct) 864-316-5929 (cell) 864-208-8275 (EFax)
one home at a time 26 JUNE 2012 u GAME DAY
Congratulations to all those volunteers, coaches, players, and other supporters of our great Spartanburg County and Upward Sports athletic programs.
GOLF ACADEMY
C
Make sure you flip, not dip
hipping is an important should look like Nicklaus Sriniaspect of the game of vasan in PicA. golf. It can really save a You can see he has only poor hole or having a swung his arms and held his great up and down finish with the clubface can keep a good pointing to the target. round going. In Pic B, you can see One flaw I Nicklaus has flipped his consistently see with hands and the clubhead poor chippers and is much higher. This a lot of amateurs is creates inefficiency the tendency to flip in both contact and If you their hands through distance. Most juniors swing propimpact instead of have this issue in early erly and do holding the proper stages of learning the not increase angle through the game. or decrease KYLE finish. Chipping is I believe this is a your hand and OWINGS very similar to putkey concept to get early shaft angle, ting. for juniors to make the your finish The only difgame more fun. Next should look ference for a basic chip is your time you work on your game, like this. set-up. Simply put the ball off try to hold your finish. This will of your right foot and lean the produce more spin and greater shaft to your left hip. This creates consistency. Happy golfing! GD a natural angle to swing from. If you swing properly and do Reach the Kyle Owings Golf not increase or decrease your Academy at (864)205-4221 hand and shaft angle, your finish
A
B Flipping hands makes the clubhead much higher and creates inefficiency in both contact and distance. Most juniors have this issue in early stages of learning the game.
GAME DAY u JUNE 2012 27
youth fitness
Map out your summer workouts to train for success
H
where you might end up. If you ere we are at the look at only the compass you beginning of might get to where you want to summer with a great opportunity to be but it could take too long to get there. make significant For the trip to be improvements to both efficient and your conditioning effective you need to and overall athletic create a map. Once performance. done then you need This can be a to correctly read the daunting place to map. Next, you most be. Many exercise consistently execute programs are a the correct steps to mix of scientific finish the journey. Let fact, fiction, biased me illustrate my point opinions, media KEN through the story of hype and personal the ancient Greek hero anecdotes. FINLEY Milo. You need what Milo never used the author Stephen weights or fancy exercise Covey says is both an efficient machines to achieve his goals and effective trip with both a of competing in the Olympics. clock and a compass to guide you. If you look at the clock and Every day Milo from the time he was a young boy carried ignore the compass you may make great time but who knows a young calf as part of his
28 JUNE 2012 u GAME DAY
training. As the bull grew in size the training intensity increased. By consistently working with a greater load as the bull grew, his body made the physical adaptations Creating a roadmap to accomplish the and following it will task of one day help young athletes carrying the bull obtain their goal. around the length of the track on the first day of the Olympics. Milo’s story introduces us to the three tenants of a successful strength and conditioning program. u First, training should be progressive. Milo didn’t start out by lifting a full grown bull. He started small and with goal he had set. He didn’t think hard work and dedication he about how heavy the bull was. was able to gradually increase He just looked at the calf which his strength and endurance. looked very much like it did the This gave his body the day before. His training was just ability to make the necessary part of his daily routine. adaptations to accomplish There you have it in a short such an amazing feat. story meant to illustrate an u Second, training must effective and efficient training progress toward an event or program. Training should competition. Milo planned include a physical load spread for his training to peak at across time to allow growth and the time of the Olympics. By development to take place. You doing this Milo had to set have to plan so that you will be goals. Without great planning at your best when the right time our training will mean very comes. Finally, you must believe little in competition if we that program will provide the don’t arrive in peak condition results you want. Psychology at the time of the event. is often as important as u Third, good training physiology. requires good vision. Learn from Milo’s story. He On Milo’s first day of first believed that it could be training it would have been done and then he went out and inconceivable to lift a fully made it happen. GD grown bull much less carry it while walking. Rather it Ken Finley is a physical therawas completely within reason pist and certified youth speed and to lift a small calf and walk. agility specialist. To learn more With both confidence in his about his youth athletic developprogram and dedication Milo ment programs you can contact him at kfinley@finleypt.com. know he would achieve the
Join the team! Grow your business and support youth sports
Be a part of the team that covers Spartanburg County youth leagues, middle school, and high school sports. Game Day magazine is a free monthly publication that highlights student-athletes and encourages active, healthy lifestyles in Spartanburg and surrounding counties. Game Day magazine gives advertisers an unrivaled opportunity to reach Spartanburg County’s passionate sports and outdoor fans. For more information, please email
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• The ONLY publication of its kind in Spartanburg County and Upstate South Carolina. • Locally owned and locally-produced • Reach sports and outdoor fans every month through retail outlets and the complimentary copies delivered to businesses. • The perfect target market for your products and/or services. • Read by people of all ages and backgrounds. • Affordable advertising rates. For more information, please call
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HIGH5 celebrating athletes
Send your team pics & accomplishments to les.timms@upstategameday.com
After a tourney victory, the Westside Cavaliers’ 8U AA baseball team is now #1 in the USSSA national baseball rankings. Submitted by David Ashley.
The District 2 / NSAA 12U Mongoose team, above, captured the preseason championship at Tyger River, the Season District 2 championship, and also the 12U Postseason championship.
Submitted by Tammy McCullough.
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON THIS SUMMER?
See an updated listing of summer sports camps and programs at www.upstategameday.com
30 MAY 2012 u GAME DAY
ING Now OFFER IGHT MONDAY N N CLASSES O URG’S SPARTANB WESTSIDE.
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Speed Academy of Finley Physical Therapy & Sport Training
864.342.0180 1420 Skylyn Drive / Spartanburg, SC facebook.com/FinleySports
TRY OUR SUMMER CAMP Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 5 through August 5.
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. 24 MAY 2012 u GAME DAY
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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.
COME CELEBRATE WITH YOUR TEAM AT FUDDRUCKERS!
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e now offer an additional private party room, perfect for
parties with youth sports teams, friends, family or company! Book your next gathering with us, just call and ask to book the Yellow Room!
864.576.8329
Did you know Fuddruckers caters, too? Visit
myfuddruckers.com to see all catering opportunities!
FUDDRUCKERS OF SPARTANBURG
Hours of Operation: Mon-Sun 11 AM - 10 PM 1509 John B. White Sr. Blvd / Spartanburg / 884.576.8329