ATHLETES IN ACTION >> SCA WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT >> TRACK & FIELD CHAMPS >> OAKBROOK SOCCER VICTORIOUS
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Middle schoolers lead the way for Vikings’ tennis team
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Martial arts provides more than just kicks
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Local team takes aim on up-and-coming sport
SPRING TRAINING
> The Road to November begins in the off-season
Doug Jeter, a junior at Spartanburg High School, cradles the ball after making a catch in practice.
JOHN CLAYTON PHOTO
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Oakbrook girls soccer coach Elizabeth Myers celebrates big win.
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Leading Off > 20
OAKBROOK GIRLS CAPTURE STATE SOCCER TITLE
> 15
Middle schoolers lead the way for Vikings’ tennis team
> 16
Martial arts provides kids more than just kicks
> 17 > 18
Homeschooled archery team aims high Road to November begins early
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Jay Barbee, with daughters Sierra and Taylor.
Jay Barbee named AYSO Region 132 comissioner Jay Barbee has accepted the position of AYSO Region 132 Commissioner beginning June 1. The position is being vacated by Fred DeAngelis, a long-time AYSO volunteer who will be sorely missed. Region 132 is very thankful to Fred for his years of excellent service. Jay has been involved with AYSO Region 132 for many years as a coach and board member, has represented Region 132 in various Area and Section tournaments, and is currently the Region Tournament Director. Jay is a long time resident of Spartanburg.
SCA girls capture fourth SCISA track & field title Members of the Spartanburg Christian Academy track and field team celebrate their title in Charleston.
CHARLESTON - The Spartanburg Christian Academy girls track and field made it four in a row. The Warriors won their fourth-straight SCISA 2A/1A state title, tying with Trinity Collegiate for the most points with 39 and bringing home a costate championship. SCISA names co-champions in the event of ties. Logan Morris was a three-time winner at the
state meet with victories in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs. SCA’s Madison Seay was a winner in the 100-meter hurdles and the 4X800 relay team of Seay, Hannah Ward, Kaylin Rogers and Taylor Morris also won, tying a school record time in the process. The SCA boys team finished a school-best fourth in the meet as Derrick Hackle won the school’s boys’ state championship with a victory in the triple-jump.
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PREP SIGNINGS
Game Day
Q&A
Game Day caught up with some of Spartanburg’s young athletes at a recent sporting event and asked them to list their FAVORITES. Here are their responses.
Foley George, left, signed to play baseball at North Greenville University.
JAKE EVATT Age: 11 Homeown: Spartanburg Team: Westside Cavaliers Favorite Movie: Courageous Favorite subject: Social Studies
DAWSON HOFFMAN Age: 11 Hometown: Spartanburg Team: Westside Cavaliers Favorite Movie: Knight and Day Favorite Athlete: Dustin Pedroia
COLIN MURPHY Age: 11 Hometown: Spartanburg Team: Westside Cavaliers Favorite Video Game: MLB 12 Favorite Team: Atlanta Braves
DEE RICE Age: 11 Hometown: Spartanburg Team: Westside Cavaliers Favorite Subject: Math Favorite Athlete: Lebron James
BRYCE WEBBER Age: 12 Hometown: Spartanburg Team: Westside Cavaliers Favorite Team: N.Y. Yankees Favorite Movie: Men In Black
6 MAY 2012 u GAME DAY
peyton williams Age: 11 Hometown: Spartanburg Team: Westside Cavaliers Favorite Movie: The Bad News Bears Favorite Athlete: Bryce Harper
NGU inks 2 homeschoolers, Landrum softballer to grants North Greenville University recruited and signed home-schooled baseball player Foley George to join head coach Reggie Reynolds’ Crusaders. George, a resident of Greenville, has played club baseball with the Upstate Mavericks and will play with the Mavericks this summer. He has also played the past two spring seasons with the Carolina Spartans, a home-schooled team out of Asheville, N.C., and is a graduate of the Spartanburg District 5 recreation program. He was named All-American at the Homeschool World Series in Auburndale, Fla., this past spring. He chose North Greenville over GardnerWebb, Wofford and Newberry. Point guard Maggi Ford became the first member of the Upstate Lady Eagles homeschooled basketball team to sign with a college team. Ford signed in April with North Greenville University.
Maggi Ford will play basketball at North Greenville.
Landrum High School pitcher Jordan Farmer signed in April to continue her softball career at North Greenville University. An all-state selection, Farmer was 13-3 this past season with a 1.21 earned-run average and 108 strikeouts. She also batted .537 with a pair of home runs and 32 runs scored.
AAU track meet slated for May 19 at Chapman The inaugural AAU Battle of the Borders track meet is scheduled for May 19 at Chapman High School in Inman. Several hundred athletes from across the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee are expected to compete in the meet, which
will begin at 7:30 a.m. and last throughout the day. Ages 6-18 will be competing. Organizers said national record holders and future Olympians will be competing in the event.
Everyone plays... Balanced Teams ... Open Registration ... Positive Coaching ... Good Sportsmanship ... Player Development GREAT SOCCER STARTS HERE.
Fun, safe, affordable, trained coaches, and memories that last a lifetime. AYSO has been the first name in youth soccer since 1964.
REGISTER NOW
AYSO Region 132 Fall Registrations Who: Boys and Girls, Ages 4-‐18
Must be 4 by July 31, 2012-‐-‐NO exceptions Birth certificate required for all new players
When: Westside Library-‐-‐June 5th -‐-‐ 5-‐8 PM OR
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Bike Worx-‐-‐June 9 -‐-‐ 10 AM-‐2 PM
Online Registration: www.ayso132.org Costs: $65.00 per player Includes: Registration Fee; Insurance; Uniform (jersey, shorts, socks); Photos; Magazine; and more! For complete registration information, call 574-‐1720 or visit www.ayso132.org
Games played at Old Canaan Rd Soccer Complex. Season begins in August!
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COMMENTARY
Title IX at 40: A good time to remember how you got here
H
ey, you. Yes, you with discriminate against you in the the ponytail stickclassrooms and in athletics. ing out of the back And two years after Title IX of your came along as the batting helmet. And letter of the law, you, the girl with Pat Summit took the day-glow pink over as the women’s fingernails dribbasketball coach at bling the basketball, the University of and, you, holding Tennessee. the lacrosse stick – I In Knoxville, know the reasons Summit became the you’re here. force for women’s And you should athletics that Title know them, too. IX was intended to The first one be. She propelled just turned the and compelled JOHN big 4-0. That’s women’s sports Title IX. It’s a little into the national conCLAYTON boring in comparison sciousness with her to the other, but really sheer force of will. important because it said that Yes, Tennessee was a football public institutions such as high power under Johnny Majors and schools, colleges and universities then Philip Fulmer. had to equal the playing field, But Summit, 59, who anso to speak. The law required nounced her retirement this that they invest in you and not past month due to early onset
There is a New Game in Town !
Carolina FC is reinventing Recreational Soccer in Spartanburg County!
No Travel !
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No Need to Volunteer !
Have your child trained by a soccer coach!
Everyone Plays - All the Time !
Yes, this unique format allows for EVERYONE to play ALL THE TIME!
Fun, Family, Fitness & Friends for Boys & Girls, Ages 6-12 !
Register online now ! www.CarolinaFC.net
REGISTER BY JUNE 1 and receive a free summer camp valued at $75 ! For the past 10 years Carolina FC has provided the best training environment for the competitive soccer player in Spartanburg County. We now offer the same high standards to the Spartanburg recreational soccer community! Come and join us! Carolina FC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization providing soccer programs for boys and girls, ages 5-18. Carolina FC is affiliated with US Youth Soccer
Spread the Word! For more information contact: Justin@CarolinaFC.net | 864.357.1975
8 MAY 2012 u GAME DAY
dementia, turned Tennessee women’s basketball into a bright orange perennial national championship contender. The Lady Vols won eight national titles and went to the NCAA Tournament in each of Summit’s 38 seasons. She won 1,098 basketball games at Tennessee. As men’s coaches came and went, many Tennessee supporters wanted to her to take over the men’s basketball program at the Southeastern Conference School. And as she retired to face a dread disease and the uncertain future it brings, a legion of admirers and pundits mentioned her name in the same breaths as John Wooden, Bob Knight and Dean Smith as the greatest basketball coaches of all time. In 1990, a surprising invasion of Hilton Head Island occurred. I’m not quite sure how it was pulled off – maybe because of the cache of Hilton Head – but four of the top women’s programs in the country came to the South Carolina Lowcountry for a holiday tournament. Tennessee, Texas, Stanford and Ohio State. Three of those teams -No. 7 Tennessee, No. 8 Stanford and No. 20 Texas – were ranked in the top 20. Stanford and Tennessee went on to the Final Four and the Lady Vols won the national championship. One problem: Hilton Head lured some of the top women’s programs in the country to play at a 450-seat recreation center. The court itself was 10-feet short of being regulation size. Tennessee alone requested a block of 2,500 tickets.
Pat Summit retired this year as women’s basketball coach at the University of Tennessee with 1,098 victories. However, she will also be remembered as a force for Title IX.
Because of the tournament’s location off of major flight paths and its New Year’s timeframe, I was actually one of the few members of the media to actually see the tournament. Summit and Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer both voiced frustration at playing in a cracker box away from the bright lights of television and without any financial guarantees. It was a step backward, they said. It went against everything they were trying to build – awareness, passion, fandom. Women’s sports has all of that now. But without Summit, who took a lifeless government document called Title IX and made it live and breathe, the NCAA Women’s Tournament would not be expanded to 64 teams; there would be no WNBA; and there would be no lucrative deals with ESPN. Of course, Summit didn’t do it alone, but she was a force and the face of women’s sports for so long that it is hard to not give her credit as she leaves the game she helped build. And as she leaves the games she helped bring to you. So, play on. It’s the best way to honor her and all those who filled up the cracker-box gyms and dusty ball fields before you. GD
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Athletes in Action
WE WANT YOUR SPORTS PICS! please email to: les.timms @upstategameday.com photos by: John Clayton • Ed Overstreet • Les Timms III • Lorin Browning • Nancy Ballew • Brian Blick
10 MAY 2012 u GAME DAY
It is how you show up at the showdown that counts.
GAME DAY u MAY 2012 11
The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is just the extra.
10 12 MAY MAY 2012 2012 u u GAME GAME DAY DAY
It is how you show up at the showdown that counts.
SCENES FROM
JOHN CLAYTON PHOTOS
Top tourneys on the horizon at Tyger River Park May 12-13: BPA If You Build It They Will Come, Youth Baseball/ Softball May 12-13: NSA Spring Blast State/World Series Qualifier, girls fast-pitch softball May 19-20: USSSA State Directors Global NIT Challenge, youth baseball May 25-27: ASA Memorial Day Invitational/12U Hall of Fame Qualifier, girls fast-pitch softball June 2-3 USSSA S.C. Global State Championships (at TRP and 14 MAY 2012 u GAME DAY
North Spartanburg), youth baseball June 8-10: 10U/12U/14U ASA Girls Fastpitch Softball State Championships, 18U National Qualifier June 16-17: USSSA S.C. Upper State Championships June 22-24: ASA Girls Fastpitch Softball 16U/18U State Tournament, 10U/12U South Atlantic Regional Qualifier. June 27-29: NSA Girls Fastpitch Softball Alleycats Summer Heat College Showcase
Young
guns
Spartanburg Vikings’ Noah Nawabi returns a volley during a playoff match, while below, Omar Williams hits a backhand.
JOHN CLAYTON PHOTOS
Vikings’ middle schoolers setting stage for bright future and Jonah Nawabi, Chambers Easterling and Omar Williams. “I think Spencer has lost t was one match – one victory in a long string of them three or four matches at No. 1 this year,” said Spartanburg head – for the Spartanburg High coach Roy Shelton, who notched School boys tennis team. hist 200th-career victory with The Vikings took one step toward a Class 4A state title with the Vikings in April. “The players he lost to were high school a narrow playoff victory over seniors who are all going to be Riverside, but the present that playing in college next year.” looms before the team seems to The physical differences in pale in comparison to the future. middle-school students and The entire singles lineup for high school seniors is the Vikings is threatoften evident on the ening to win a high court with most of the school championship Viking middle schoolon top of its region ers having yet to hit a crown and each of serious growth spurt. those players is still in None of the five are middle school. taller than 5-foot-5. Only the doubles But they have team of Jake Keim honed their games to and Lewis Moyer are face down power with in high school – and they’re both freshmen. Spencer Brown quickness and finesse. And a little attitude. “It feels good Playing at No. 4, Jonah because I don’t think the boys Nawabi became incensed when team from here has won (a state his opponent called him “kid” championship),” Keim said. “It during a disputed call. Nawabi feels good to be a part of a team scrambled to a lopsided victory that can make it to state, either in the second and deciding set. our first year or multiple years “This crowd, they talked throughout our careers.” from the beginning of pracThe lineup of seventh and tice that they could win state,” eighth graders includes highly Shelton said. “I said, ‘not so fast. ranked No. 1 singles player We’ve got a lot of tennis to play Spencer Brown, brothers Noah By JOHN CLAYTON
I
and there’s some good teams. Don’t be counting your championship yet.’” At least not this year - J.L. Mann defeated Spartanburg 4-3 in the Upper State championship round - but Shelton certainly sees the bright possibilities that lay ahead. Brown, a veteran tournament player on the junior circuit who has played the game since he could hold a racket, said he has enjoyed the team aspect of tennis this season.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Brown said. Easterling agreed. “When you’re playing for a high school championship, it’s not an individual sport,” Easterling said. “It’s about the team.” Noah Nawabi, who is playing No. 2 singles, said the experience the team is gaining during this playoff run has been extremely beneficial. “Last year, I was just happy to be out here on the team and helping everyone win,” he said. “When we made the playoffs last year, I didn’t think it was that big a deal. . . . This year, we have a chance at the state championship and I want everyone else to think that we have a shot at it, too.” While winning a state title this year would have been something of an upset, Noah Nawabi said he doesn’t think it will be that way for long. “The biggest part of tennis is mentality, so if you think you’re going to win, you have to stay focused at this point in the game,” he said. “Thinking ahead is not too good, but it’s hard not to because we’re definitely the youngest team in the state, and we’re one of the best.”ling said. “It’s about the team.” GD GAME DAY u MAY 2012 15
Karate Kids
Lee: Martial arts makes athletes stronger, faster
By MARY CALDWELL
M
artial arts has been a lifechanger for Rick Lee, owner of Spartanburg Martial Arts. It’s taught him mental and physical skills that have served him throughout his life and been the basis for a successful business that has trained hundreds of children as well as adults. It led to him meeting his wife, Nicki, who competed on a traveling martial arts team with Rick. Rick started martial arts as a way to rehab his legs after two knee surgeries. He had played football, basketball and baseball at Dorman but tore all his knee ligaments in his senior year. “I had a life without sports for the first time in a long time, and I stumbled into martial arts,” he explained. His interest grew, and he joined a traveling martial arts competition team based out of Anderson. He became friends with one of his teammates, Nicki, who achieved great success as a sparring fighter on the national circuit.They eventually married and had two chi;dren. Today, they work together at Spartanburg Martial Arts, with Nicki overseeing the afterschool and summer camps. “When you’re really dedicated to something, you almost have to have a mate who has the same passion,” Rick says. Looking at the bustling studio today, it’s hard to imagine its humble beginnings. Rick taught his first small group in his parents’ basement after he returned home from Clemson in 1991. He went to work for the family but started his business in 1994 in a modest commercial building - so modest, in fact, that it had no heat or air conditioning. From there, Rick and Nicki eventually opened Spartanburg Martial Arts on the west side and Kickin› Kids in Boiling Springs about 15 years ago. Rick says that counter to the image of a martial arts studio in a small,
16 MAY 2012 u GAME DAY
Taylor McCowan practices her technique at Spartanburg Martial Arts, which is owned by Rick Lee, inset.
JOHN CLAYTON PHOTOS
cramped building in a strip mall, he thinks they have one of the finest facilities in the Southeast. The Lees expanded even further but eventually cut back to these two locations after having their sons, who are very active in sports year-round. Rick and Nicki teach everyone from four years old on up, and they have an active after-school and summer camp program. Athletes and non-athletes alike can reap great benefits from martial arts, Rick says. Since first opening his business in 1994, he has seen hundreds and hundreds of children come through his studio through the years. Some of his young students have grown up to become high school or even college athletes, and he sees the benefits that martial arts has given them even in other sports. “I’ve had a lot of parents over the years come back and say, ‘My son got his start here,’ “ Rick explains. The agility, coordination and balance that martial arts demands are skills that translate well into other sports, he says. It also develops core muscles as participants kick and strike. Many sports require control and mastery of hip movement, and martial arts is a great help because of its focus on the same part of the body.
Even if a child is not particularly athletic when he or she begins martial arts, they can still reap the benefits. “You can take a child who’s not athletic at all, and if they hang in there four to five years, most look athletic. If they›re already athletic, it enhances what they have,” Rick says. “I really think it’s the best thing you can put kids in in the beginning.” Rather than being about winning, martial arts focuses on personal development and building confidence and concentration and focus, Rick says. It enhances mental and physical aspects that can help a person throughout their lives. The shy child who may be smaller or less athletic can gain a great deal of confidence by participating in martial arts, according to Rick. “It makes them feel like, ‘I’ve got an edge. I can take up for myself. I’m good at martial arts.’ “ “It’s a good confidence-builder. I feel like kids become a lot more assertive. We teach them to express their power and abilities when they’re in here. That may be the number-one thing overall. I think that’s what carries people,” he explains. Bullies and even strangers looking to harm a child may be deterred when faced with an assertive, confident child. “Most criminals aren’t looking for a fight,” he points out. GD
Andrea Hall lines up to take a shot at a target during practice.
Upstate Mavericks take aim on up-and-coming sport By JOHN CLAYTON
E
mily Bryant knew her way very well around a bow when she joined the Upstate Mavericks, an archery team for home-schoolers in Spartanburg. At 16, she was an experienced bow hunter, but decided two years ago to take a shot with the Mavericks and international-style target archery. “It’s a lot different from hunting. You have the sights and releases and stuff and here you have to look down your arrow and sight it with your bow,” Bryant said. “It’s a lot more challenging and more competitive, too.” Bryant finished fifth in the state championships this year as the Mavericks qualified for the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) backed national championships in Louisville, Ky., in mid-May. There, Bryant will be competing along with her teammates in what the Guinness Book of World Records is expected to certify as the largest archery tournament in the world with more than 8,300 archers from across the U.S. The Mavericks were borne from head coach D.J. Neubauer’s Centershot Ministry, a faith-based organization that teaches and promotes archery among students and adults. “It started out as a vision for an archery ministry for those who couldn’t do regular or traditional
sports or didn’t feel like they could,” said Neubauer, overseeing a recent practice inside the gymnasium at Cudd Memorial Baptist Church. “Archery has been a great accelerator for them. Along the way, we happen to have found other opportunities and one of them happened to be a home-school team as part of the Archery in Schools Program.” NASP encourages archery as an activity in schools, but it must be school affiliated, so the idea of a program for home-schoolers came to life three years ago and has continued to grow ever since. The popularity of the sport has reached new heights recently with the success of “The Hunger Games” book and movie franchises and of Hawkeye, an arrow sharpshooter in “The Avengers” movie. “As these movies are coming out, we’re getting more contacts and phone calls,” said Joy Hall, an archery mom and public relations manager for the team. “These kids committed in the fall before the movies came out, but it is causing the sport to become more popular.” If a book or movie brings a young person to the team, Hall said the sport itself keeps them around. “There’s just something magic about being on the archery range,” Hal said. “When these kids get here, they just can’t get enough of it.” Katie McCreary, 15, got her first compound bow as a present from her father when she was 8
years old. She also played Upward basketball and soccer, but leg injuries prevented her from continuing as she grew older. A friend told her about Centershot, and, from there, she joined the Mavericks last year, finishing third in the state in her age group in 2011. “It was shocking,” McCreary said. “I didn’t think I would do that good, so I was in shock.” Archery, she said, has been passed down to her from her father, who learned from an uncle. “We just enjoy archery as a sport,” she said. Neubauer said that is exactly what he wants to see – students learn the sport and take it with them for a lifetime. There’s a lot of life lessons taught here. I don’t care about the points on the archery range right now,” he said. “I care that I’ve created an archer for life. I want them to learn the proper technique right now, but archery is a lifelong sport they can come back to in 10, 20 or 30 years if they want to go and do other things and still have a good foundation to come back on.” Bryant said she would like to compete at the college level. McCreary, who shoots for the middleschool Mavericks, said she would she will continue on with the Mavericks and see what happens. “I don’t know if want to continue through college or maybe learn to shoot Olympic style,” she said. “I guess I can aim big and go.” GD GAME DAY u MAY 2012 17
Road to title begins in spring Teams survey the playing field By JOHN CLAYTON
I
t all starts here, when the so-called “boys of fall” become the boys of spring, at least for a couple of weeks. Area high school football teams, including defending Class AAAA state champion Byrnes, began spring practices in early May with an eye already turned to late August when the road to the next state championships begins. And, at Byrnes, that means looking for a 12th state championship. It comes with the territory. To be a Rebel is to carry high expectations on your shoulder pads. Seasons without championships are both aberrations and disappointments. “It’s something you’ve got to embrace,” said sophomore quarterback Shuler Bentley soon after leading the Rebels to an 11th state championship in December, a 31-24 finals victory over Gaffney. “You walk into the weight room and you see Trey Elder, Shrine Bowl All-Star; you see Willy Korn, Shrine Bowl All-Star; you see Chas (Dodd), my brother, NorthSouth All-Star -- there’s a legacy you’ve got to live up to. “You say, ‘this is what I’ve got to live up to.’ There are photos of (alumni) in their college uniforms and you say, ‘wow, this is what I’m stepping into. If I put in the hard work, then maybe two or three years from now, my picture will be up there.’” The Rebels were auditioning to find a replacement for two-year starter at running back Shakeem Wharton, who will graduate this year, during a recent spring practice. “The program, everybody expects us to win,” said Wharton. “But it’s not about the players, it’s about the team.” The road through the Big 16 Byrnes coach won’t be easy in 2012. Chris Miller Spartanburg is improving and hit oversees a recent its stride during the playoffs under spring practice. Coach Freddie Brown, Dorman is a perennial contender and Boiling Springs returns a strong nucleus from last year’s team. In other spots, new coaches are getting their first looks at their new teams, while others are looking for key replacements: u Mark Hodge takes over at Chapman after the Panthers went 2-8 last season under Kevin Farmer. Hodge, a former Broome and Spartanburg assistant, was head coach at Carolina High School & Academy in Greenville. u At Chesnee, Lynn Fleming, a Broome High graduate, takes over for Brent Bridges after six seasons. Fleming was 25-24 in four seasons at South Florence and was Class 4A Lower State Coach of the Year in 2010. u At Landrum, the Cardinals will be searching for a replacement for four-year starter Brandon Cannon at quarterback. GD 18 MAY 2012 u GAME DAY
Spartanburg High players run through drills during spring practice.
JOHN CLAYTON PHOTOS
Byrnes players go through spring drills recently. The Rebels are expected to contend for a 12th state title next fall.
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DOWNLOAD Camp Brochure at www.wofford.edu/athletics GAME DAY u MAY 2012 19
SPRING ATHLETICS: STATE CHAMPIONS State Track Meet Rundown
Local athletes win individual titles LINDSAY BROGDAN PHOTO
Coach Elizabeth Myers, front row, fourth from right, holds a trophy as her team celebrates their win over Beaufort Academy to capture the S.C. Independent Schools Association Class AA state championship.
OAKBROOK GIRLS WIN, BOYS EDGED FOR SOCCER TITLE From staff reports Three years of playoff frustration for the Oakbrook girls soccer team ended with a goal from a freshman and a long-awaited celebration from its once-and-current state champion seniors. Oakbrook defeated Beaufort Academy 3-2 to win the S.C. Independent Schools Association Class AA state championship, its second state title but first in four years. “The first time when you win a state championship and you’re a second-year program, you think it’s a little easier to get there,” said Oakbrook head coach Elizabeth Myers. “Then, for the next three years, we couldn’t get out of the first round. . . . For these seniors, there’s been so much heartache these three years in between.” But Myers said this team was different than those of the past three seasons – and even a vast departure from the defensive-minded team that won the program’s first state championship. The Knights scored 87 goals this season, including a tough go at a Mauldin tournament that included public-school powerhouses. Defensively, the Oakbrook defense, led by senior goalkeeper Kat Hunter and stopper Courtney Pfeiffer, allowed 27 on the year en route to a 15-4 record. Even so, Beaufort Academy made Oakbrook battle back from a goal down twice.
Freshman India Kozel scored the first and gamewinning goals for Oakbrook, the latter coming on an assist from Brittney Doornbos with about eight minutes to play. While the Oakbrook girls team was erasing three years of playoff frustration, the Oakbrook boys were trying to make history by winning a second soccer title this school year. Oakbrook won the fall season state title before moving the program to the spring season, but Northwood came away with a 2-1 victory finals victory in Columbia. Trailing 2-0, Michael McGetrick scored the Knights’ lone goal late in the second half on a header from Coleman Force’s corner kick. Oakbrook head coach Jonathan Burnett said though the Knights dominated statistical categories such as possession and shots-on goal, credit belonged to Northwood for being able to score two early goals and play tight defense the rest of the way to preserve the victory. “It was one of those games you don’t expect to happen,” Burnett said. “But every now and again, the game turns itself on its head.” The Knights finished the season with a 13-2 record.While seniors Hunter, Pfeiffer and Casey Rosborough provided the senior leadership all season, Kozel was cool in the clutch in the playoffs.
Boiling Springs distance runner Sage Kosiorek earned the state title that had eluded him over the course of his high school career with the Bulldogs, capturing the 3,200-meter run at the Class AAAA state meet in Columbia. Kosiorek, recognized as one of the better distance S. Kosoriek runners in the state and a perennial state title contender, had been denied state titles in both track and cross country until his final meet. He will continue his career at Butler University in Indianapolis. Spartanburg High’s Aubreya Smith won the Class AAAA state title in the long jump with a jump of 19 feet, ½-inch. Smith was also the Spartanburg County champion in the long jump, triple jump and 100-meter dash. Greer sophomore Takeyra Jenkins-Dodd won the girls 400-meter race in 55.72 seconds to take the Class AAA state title. She also took silver in the 200m with a time of 24.92. Spartanburg High senior and South Carolina signee Anna Todd won her first state title with a victory in the 800m run in the Class AAAA state meet at Spring Valley High School. Her winning time was 2 minutes, 16.72 seconds. Landrum sophomore Shelby Morris won the Class A state championship in the polevault with a vault of 9 feet at Spring Valley High School. Morris is a three-sport athlete at Landrum. Christ Church earned the Class A state track-and-field championship, edging Southside Christian by a single point, 58-57 at Spring Valley High School.
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
20 MAY 2012 u GAME DAY
First Tee Spartanburg enrolling students for summer sessions The First Tee of Spartanburg is now enrolling students (and parents) for summer sessions. Registration closes Friday, June 8 at 5 p.m. Classes will take place at Woodfin Ridge Golf Club, June 11 - Aug. 8 and will include classes for progressive learning and certification, ages 5 and up and Little Linksters, PLAYer, Par, Birdie. The Creek Golf Club is enrolling students for classes, June 12-Aug. 2. Weekly classes include progressive learning and certification, ages 7 and up PLAYer, Par, Birdie, plus 3-day summer camps, with five sessions June through August, ages 5 and up Little Linksters, PLAYer Advanced, “More Than Golf.” More information, go to http://www.thefirstteespartanburg.org.
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Indoor batting facility opens in Spartanburg Staff reports When Laney Caspio traveled to faraway places on family trips, she would eventually make her way to the nearest batting cage facility. No, she was not in the market to improve her hitting skills, but instead for research. After observing that Spartanburg did not have a complete, full-scale practice facility for aspiring softball and baseball players such as her son and his friends, Laney and her husband decided to explore the possibility of opening just such a business. Months later, during the first week of May, All-Star Batting and Athletic Training opened its doors at 511 Southport Rd. in Spartanburg in the the former Greer Heating & Air facility.
Batting & Athletic Training
The couple looked at several buildings, but decided this location would best suit their needs. Weeks of work followed, and now the building boasts 6,700 square feet and three 70-foot lanes with pitching machines, as well as another 60-foot lane with four soft toss machines and an alley between the two “where a coach can stand beside and give lessons,” Laney said. “It was important for us to have a place where kids could be trained and work on skills, and also a parent would feel good about
Seth Fargher, left, and Laney Caspio operate All-Star Batting and Athletic Training, located at 511 Southport Rd. in Spartanburg.
bringing them here, that it’s a safe place,” she said. All -Star Batting and Athletic Training has signed up four area coaches to give lessons and a speed and agility coach to help train athletes on other aspects of their games. The new business has an events room for birthday parties and
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available Wi-Fi. Seth Fargher, a family friend from Oregon, relocated to the Upstate to oversee the day-today management of the business, including designing its website. For more information, go to www.AllStarBAT.com or call 864580-0091.
Faith in Sports
UPWARD TOURNEY PICS BY REV. ORSETH FCABUCKLEY COLUMN
‘LIFE LESSONS’
T
he clock was winding down as Clover, losing 31-28, was driving the football against Dorman. The winner of this game would advance in the playoffs and emotions were at a fever pitch. As Clover lined up for what was to be the last play of the game, thousands of spectators rose to their feet to experience this climactic moment. The quarterback rolled out to throw a desperation pass towards the end zone. The Clover receiver had momentarily broken free and was closing in on the game winning catch until Kyle Stanley heroically saved the game. The ball fell harmlessly to the ground and the Dorman fans cheered while the Clover stands stood in shock. The celebration began at midfield… but one player never moved as Kyle laid motionless face down in the end zone unnoticed by most of the spectators.
Players and fans who were celebrating moved towards the end zone as the medical staff and trainers attending the star senior defensive back. Players gathered to pray as coaches soaked in this somber moment. Coach Gutshall surveyed the scene and everyone who saw his face knew then that the most important thing right now had nothing to do with football. There was an eerie silence on the Dorman coach Dave Gutshall taught his players an important life lesson following the injury to a key player.
field and as I stood there near the coaches, I looked up to survey the stands. The thousands that just Rev. Seth Buckley is Minister to Students a few moments ago had at First Baptist Spartanburg. been standing up cheering and yelling for a football game, were all still standing….but were silently praying for this young man. The Clover fans stood as well...almost as if to say for this one moment in time…we were family…. not opponents. You could hear soft whimpering in the background from students who were struggling with the thought of what might have happened to Kyle. As the ambulance prepared to depart, Coach Gutshall called all of the players together and the next few moments would galvanize these boys together for life as Coach spoke to them with the heart of a father. Each player leaned in to hear from their misty-eyed coach because they knew that this was unlike any moment they had ever experienced. In the stillness of that moment, with the entire place at attention, a message was sent to each person. One of the amazing things about the students being involved in sports is that they learn so much more about life then they do sports. They learn about sacrifice, goal setting, discipline, team, perseverance, overcoming adversity and so much more. Kyle Stanley walked away from the hospital the next day but the life lessons we all learned from that athletic event will never leave us. We say first hand that God really does use all things to shape us and change the way we see Him and others. One of the verses that I have used throughout my experience with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes is taken from Roman 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
GAME DAY u MARCH 2012 25
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 ...
Chesnee’s Brandon Henderson hurling toward stardom Princeton (W.Va) pitcher has sparkling numbers in minor leagues From Princetonrays.net
PRINCETON, W. Va. -- He arrived in Princeton in June, 2011 as a second-year professional pitcher with the impressive numbers in tow: a 2010 Gulf Coast League debut that featured a spotless 3-0 record to go along with a sparkling 1.59 ERA while also striking out 28 hitters versus only three walks in 22.2 innings of work. Definition, however, though: still pending. Reason being is that Chesnee native Brandon Henderson proved to be a mixed bag of tricks in 2010 where his pitching role is concerned since these numbers were reached over nine appearances and two starts. And, now after putting the 2011 season under his belt as a member of the Princeton Rays, the 19-year-old left-hander is again still a plan in progress for 2012 as he just about evenly split his time between starting and relief outings for Princeton. “In my mind, there’s not much difference between starting and relieving. The biggest thing in relieving is that a pitcher has to be sharper right out of the gate since a lot of times he is walking into a situation with men already on base,” said Henderson as part of a January 22 telephone interview. The comment is very relevant when you consider his 2011 season contained 13 appearances that consisted of seven starts and six relief stints. He led off his 2011 season wearing the Princeton colors in fine shape, as a member of the starting rotation and recording two wins and two no decisions in his first four starts. The Chesnee resident logged no less than five innings in all of the four outings while notching both wins on the road, June 29 at Danville and July 9 at Kingsport. His fifth start this past summer was the one that led to seeing his labor for the balance of the season being divided between a starter and the bullpen. In Johnson City on July 15 against the powerful Cardinals, a five-inning performance yielded the bad news that he had allowed seven runs on eight hits, including a staggering four homers. Even at a
Chesnee resident Brandon Henderson has worked as a starter and relief pitcher in the minor leagues.
dark moment in defeat, his first loss as a pro, Henderson fought it off by dwelling on how this excursion would benefit his future. “Numbers-wise, that game looked bad but I didn’t pitch that bad. It was my first time in a game trying to incorporate some new things in place that I was being taught. I just treated it as a building block for the future. It didn’t look good at the moment but I felt it was the turning point for me for the rest of the season,” revealed Henderson. Pitching versus a team the caliber of Johnson City reinforced Henderson’s thoughts when asked about the differences between Gulf Coast League and Appalachian League hitters. “I think in the Appalachian League, the hitters were more patient and had a better plan for what they wanted to accomplish in their at-bats,” assessed Henderson, who originally joined the Rays’ organization as their 15th-round selection in the 2010 MLB amateur draft. As the 2011 season continued to unfold, many of the new things he was being shown began to take hold and by season’s end, Henderson was being credited with the win in the P-Rays last victory of the season, an 8-4 home decision on Aug. 25 versus the Bristol White Sox. He also finished the season the way he began, as a member of the starting rotation and received one more start in the season finale at Elizabethton. Like many other pitchers that have taken
the mound for the P-Rays over the past five seasons, Henderson can give you a two-word answer as the reason he showed progression during his time here: Marty DeMerritt. “I enjoyed him a lot and talking with him about a lot of things. He changed some things with my windup and some other minor mechanical flaws. I just had to build repetition with these new techniques. By becoming able to recognize my mistakes and why they happened, it got to the point that I could correct myself immediately when a ball didn’t go the way it should have,” shared Henderson about DeMerritt’s impact on his abilities on the mound. In the end, with all the trials, tribulations, and sometimes uncertainties the 2011 summer held for Henderson, he was able to display a very respectable report card at season’s end: a 4-2 record with a 4.30 ERA that delivered 44 strikeouts versus only 15 walks in 58.2 innings of work. His ability to always remain with an even disposition is still on display as he prepares for the fast approaching spring training, and subsequent season that is 2012. “I have spent the winter so far trying to get a little stronger as I got a little tired toward the end of last season,” he said. “I have just started consistently throwing to get my arm strength ready. It doesn’t matter where they send me in 2012. I’m just planning to have a good year wherever it is,” he said. GD
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SOCCER ACADEMY
Juggling ... soccer balls, that is! better soccer player! Not every great juggler is a great soccer player. But every great soccer player is a great What is Juggling? Juggling juggler! a soccer ball requires you to keep the ball in motion. Ideally, Growing up, my friends and you would want to keep the ball in the air without it touching I would spend hours simply the ground. You literally can juggling a soccer ball! Learning use any part of your body, new tricks and breaking your including your arms and hands. juggling record was exciting and certainly worthy of bragging So why Juggle? rights. Little did Juggling a soccer ball we know, but it helps you develop was those hours a touch, a feel for spent juggling that the ball. Through facilitated our path juggling you become to greater things on more comfortable the soccer field! with controlling the ball using all parts of your body. Good ball As a soccer control is critical for JUSTIN coach, charged maintaining possession with evaluating COLLETT and getting yourself a player under out of tight spaces the age of 12, during a soccer game. determining an individual’s juggling record would give me a pretty good assessment Juggling Tips? Start out of that player’s level of ability. simple. Use your favorite foot Rolling a ball to the individual and make contact with the and instructing them to control ball with your laces so the ball it and juggle it, would almost goes about head height. Allow complete the assessment. Why? it to bounce on the ground and repeat. The next step: use alternating feet. As you progress, try to eliminate the bounces on the ground. Use all parts of your body: head, thighs, shoulders, etc. Be creative and have fun! Google Free Style Juggling on YouTube and be truly amazed! GD
The results would tell me just how much time that player spends playing with his or her soccer ball at home, in their back yard or on the driveway! This is a strong indicator of the player’s level of commitment and determination to become a 26 MAY 2012 u GAME DAY
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
Juggling a soccer ball helps you develop a touch, a feel for the ball.
GOLF ACADEMY
How to properly drive through the golf ball
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will be to the left, the opposite hat a beautiful time for a left handed golfer. There are of year to play golf! Nothing is worse than two drills to work on properly driving the ball. One is to put a really getting excited to play some spring golf and then by the tee in front of the ball and drive the ball into the tee. (Pic A) 10th tee, you are ready to pack The other is to simply know your clubs up and go home. what a good impact position Having high expectations of looks like. Next time you are on yourself and then not the range, try to stop meeting them with your swing at impact bad swings is a recipe and put yourself in for frustration. In my a good impact positeaching, I see many tion. There are two amateurs that have a important angles to good enough swing to drive the ball. One is be a low to mid 80’s your hand and shaft weekend golfer, but angle into the ball don’t break 90. and the other is your The reason I believe right leg position and hear for this is lack KYLE (left, if you are left of consistency. To prophanded). It is imporOWINGS erly hit shots solid off tant these two angles of the ground, a golfer be similar to each MUST hit the ball first other to properly and powerfully and then the ground. I constantly drive the ball. (Pic B) tell my students to imagine that You can see Natalie Srinivayou are the hammer and the golf san (Dorman HS) really drives ball is the nail. her right knee and has a driving Drive the nail (ball) into the angle with her wrist angle. Try ground. When I tell people this, these key positions to drive the they often do swing steeper and ball and become more consistent drive the ball, but they do so in your next round. Remember to by casting the club. You can tell not get frustrated playing golf. if you are doing this by simply What is the most important looking at your divot. shot in golf? The next one! If you are a right-handed Happy Golfing. GD golfer that is casting, your divot
A One drill to work on properly driving the ball is to put a tee in front of the ball and drive the ball into the tee.
B Natalie Srinivasan drives her right knee and has a driving angle with her wrist angle.
GAME DAY u MAY 2012 27
youth fitness
How to build your biceps, triceps
W
e have all heard the cliche “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” This certainly holds true when it come to the arms. When you train almost any part of your upper body it will involve using the arms. Whether your sport is football, basketball, golf, or any other sport, you will need to have strong arms. Two basic movements that JOHN are excellent for LANKFORD developing the biceps and triceps are the dumbbell curl and the dumbbell overhead tricep extension.
Let’s first review the proper way to perform the dumbbell curl. 1. Grasp the dumbbells with your palms toward your outer thigh with your arms hanging straight to your sides. 2. Stand erect with your feet shoulder with apart. 3. Curl one dumbbell upward toward your shoulder rotating your wrist bringing the palm of your hand toward your chest. 4. Lower the dumbbell slowly to the starting position (slowly to take advantage of the negative resistance). 5. Now perform the same movement with the opposite arm. (continue with alternating arms until you have completed 10 repetitions with each arm. Use a weight that you can perform 10 times using good form. Tips: Keep elbows pressed firmly against your side to help maintain form. Avoid rocking your body. If you have low
back discomfort, try this exercise seated on the edge of a bench. Next, we will review the proper method of performing the dumbbell overhead tricep extension: 1. Grasp one dumbbell on the end with both hands and sit erect with both feet on the floor. 2. Lift the dumbbell upward until both arms are fully extended directly above your head. 3. Bend the elbows lowering the dumbbell slowly behind your head toward the base of the neck keeping elbows as close to the head as possible, then fully extend
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Congratulations to all those volunteers, coaches, players, and other supporters of our great Spartanburg County and Upward Sports athletic programs.
youth fitness
Strong doesn’t equal tough
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manageable through hard work, s a reasonable proper technique and physical successful high adaptation. Once a hard activity school baseball became easier I moved on player I entered to something more college with the difficult still keeping opportunity to the workouts simple play at a division along the way. 1 university. It was then that I was Now I often see introduced to a people doing awkward real weight room and unnatural and I was surprised movements just to to find that even make things harder. a skinny teenager Somehow we think I was able to that if we can make keep up with our an exercise look hard KEN more experienced enough it is good and older lifters. for us. People raise FINLEY Having not really a dumbbell with the lifted in weights in thumb pointed down high school I had to ask myself while awkwardly shrugging the how did this happen. shoulder and contorting the I believe I was successful in face. Why would you do that? part because of my upbringing. The answer I get is usually it I was challenged right there isolates the rotator cuff. The in my own backyard pushing guys I grew up with never heard a lawn mower, using a chain of a rotator cuff and managed saw, lifting the resulting log to get strong and be successful and shoveling mulch. I believe athletes. that work brought an edge Why not learn to push, of tenacity, toughness and pull or press correctly adaptability I wouldn’t have thereby creating a stable and developed with a rigid routine, integrated shoulder never fancy lifting gadget or 400 needing to isolate a muscle? mirror checks. That’s the way to get strong My philosophy (instilled and tough. Squatting on by my parents) of getting the an unstable surface does work done spilled over into not seem to me smart or the weight room. My workouts necessary. Balancing on an were an obstacle that became unstable surface is great
for improving balance reactions and squatting can be a great way to get strong but combining the activities only reduces each ones effectiveness and puts people at risk for injury. Many athletes and coaches focus on superhuman feats of strength, speed and endurance instead of developing athletic fundamentals with a balanced approach to training. The end goal is not just strength but rather we develop strength to help our athletes improve their abilities and reduce their injury risk. A real workout trains you to tap into more efficient strength and effective movement patterns. You can’t fool your body into thinking that bad alignment and awkward angles are a good exercise. Instead learn to make lifting a large
Kettlebell swings are time-honored exercises to build strength.
weight manageable by having good alignment, pressurization (breathing) and proper technique. Pick exercises that are time honored like deadlifts, kettle bell swings, and presses and stay off of machines. The work you do should produce better movement, improved body awareness and maybe produce some toughness along the way. GD 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.com.
Nautilus Fitness Center
LANKFORD:ARM WORKOUTS / FROM 28 arms upward again. Repeat for 10 repetitions and again use a weight that allows you to maintain good form throughout the exercise. Tips: Maintain an erect posture thoughout this exercise without excessively swaying the back. Avoid allowing the elbows to flare out by keeping the arms close to the head throughout each repetition. GD John Lankford is the owner of Nautilus Fitness Center in Spartanburg. He has over 30 years experience as a trainer, bodybuilder and fitness expert.
2 lines of Nautilus machines Free weights Zumba Classes
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HIGH5 celebrating athletes Send your team pics & good news to les.timms@upstategameday.com HUB CITY MAJORS WIN TOURNEY The Hub City Majors went undefeated and won the 9U majors division USSSA Global NIT tournament at Tyger River in May. Head Coach, Chuck Turner. Assistant Coaches: Jay Bagwell, Kevin Horres, Rick Lee. Players: Standing Left to Right: Chase Turner, Garrett Williams, Hudson Lee, Hayden Lee, Austin Horres, Jake Little. Kneeling: Left to Right: Corey Jolley, Benjamin Fowler, Nathan Godfrey, and Lawson Bagwell. DIST 5 REBELS 8-UNDER TEAM WINS S. SPARTANBURG SOFTBALL TOURNEY “On Saturday, May 5, South Spartanburg Hosted a Softball Tournament in Pauline - Walnut Grove area. The Dist 5 Rebels 8-under girls team White/Nodine went undefeated in 4 games to win it by beating very good teams from Boiling Springs, Westside and Dist Five. The Championship game was between two teams from Dist Five. Southside and Pacolet also was in it . All the teams played hard and were very well coached. It was a well run tournament by South Side. The team was lead by first baseman Laurin Nodine with MVP honors going to Molly Mattas and Kendall Hill. This team is 18-1 and won this weekend against the only team that beat us during the pre-season championship game in March at Tyger River.” - submitted by Brian Nodine DORMAN ATHLETES SIGN WITH RESPECTIVE SCHOOLS Dorman held a ceremony in April for athletes receiving scholarships to pursue sports at the college level. Front row, from left: Arista Setro, golf, Anderson University; Hannah Cabiness, volleyball, Coker College; Hannah Wertz, volleyball, Brevard College; Keke Cooper, basketball, Appalachian State; Terrika Foster, basketball, Lander University; Curtis Webb, basketball, Lincoln Memorial. Back row, Lexi Cathcart, lacrosse, Newberry; Ethan Jarrett, lacrosse, Catawba; Hannah Watchorn, lacrosse, Converse. 30 2012 u GAME DAYDAY 30 MAY MARCH 2012 u GAME
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