Who doesn’t love summer camp?
And who doesn’t love saving money?
With the economic squeeze continually tightening its grip on metro Detroit, extracurricular spending is bound to take a hit.
That’s why communities should consider themselves fortunate when local coaches host their own summer sports camps — a growing trend in the area.
For the most part, local camps are considerably much more affordable than ones hosted by universities.
And from what I’ve seen, there’s hardly, if any, drop off in instruction.
I attended a few sports summer camps at area universities when I was in school, and after spending some time recently at the Eastside Soccer Camp at Fraser High, I didn’t notice any significant differences.
The Eastside camp, directed by Warren De La Salle boys and Fraser girls soccer coach Thaier Mukhtar, was run in a very similar fashion to the camps I remember going to.
But with a fee of just $150 (including each camper receiving a Nike ball) for five days of training, instruction and competitions, local camps like the Eastside one can’t be beat — unless, of course, the camper wants to be crammed into a stuffy dorm room and feast on collegiate cafeteria food (which I suspect was all just leftovers from the school year) for a week.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
How sweet it is
While most of his counterparts throughout the minor leagues are focusing purely on baseball and that coveted call up to the big show, you'll probably find Parker Dalton occasionally sitting back and just taking it all in.
Dalton, an infielder with the Great Lakes Loons — the Los Angeles Dodgers class A affiliate, describes carrying out his duties as a ballplayer as, "icing on the cake."
Don’t get the wrong impression. Dalton isn’t a lazy athlete along for the ride.
One of the first things the 25-year-old Houston native mentioned to me when I was talking to him about the Loons for my summer series about minor league teams around the state was about how hard he and his teammates work to impress fans and scouts alike.
But after a bout with cancer, Dalton knows playing baseball isn’t the number one focus of his life anymore — living it is.
“One of the things I realized was you have no control of your life, your baseball career, anything like that,” Dalton said.
Preparing for his senior year at Texas A&M University, Dalton was diagnosed with malignant melanoma — a serious form of skin cancer. Fortunately, he was able to overcome it through treatment.
While there is no trace of cancer left in his body, it did leave Dalton with a stronger sense and grip of humility, spirituality and awareness.
“They could have found more, and that could have been it,” he said. “It was a lesson early in life that you don’t have much control. Playing baseball now is a gift.”
“When you think about it, when you remember, ‘Hey, you almost never got to do it again’, it really makes you cherish it.”
Dalton’s perspective of simply enjoying the game and realizing how privileged he is to play it was refreshing to hear.
It was one of the many examples I came across during my baseball excursion that truly encompasses the passion surrounding the sport, its players and its fans — regardless of the level.
And, for a few days this summer, I was glad to be apart of it, too.
Dalton, an infielder with the Great Lakes Loons — the Los Angeles Dodgers class A affiliate, describes carrying out his duties as a ballplayer as, "icing on the cake."
Don’t get the wrong impression. Dalton isn’t a lazy athlete along for the ride.
One of the first things the 25-year-old Houston native mentioned to me when I was talking to him about the Loons for my summer series about minor league teams around the state was about how hard he and his teammates work to impress fans and scouts alike.
But after a bout with cancer, Dalton knows playing baseball isn’t the number one focus of his life anymore — living it is.
“One of the things I realized was you have no control of your life, your baseball career, anything like that,” Dalton said.
Preparing for his senior year at Texas A&M University, Dalton was diagnosed with malignant melanoma — a serious form of skin cancer. Fortunately, he was able to overcome it through treatment.
While there is no trace of cancer left in his body, it did leave Dalton with a stronger sense and grip of humility, spirituality and awareness.
“They could have found more, and that could have been it,” he said. “It was a lesson early in life that you don’t have much control. Playing baseball now is a gift.”
“When you think about it, when you remember, ‘Hey, you almost never got to do it again’, it really makes you cherish it.”
Dalton’s perspective of simply enjoying the game and realizing how privileged he is to play it was refreshing to hear.
It was one of the many examples I came across during my baseball excursion that truly encompasses the passion surrounding the sport, its players and its fans — regardless of the level.
And, for a few days this summer, I was glad to be apart of it, too.
Friday, July 18, 2008
A change is coming
In the past week, I got to see firsthand how one woman is bringing change to the male-dominated sport of sailing by encouraging women to take the helm.
By hosting a women's only sailing clinic Aug. 1 at Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, Dawn Riley — a St. Clair Shores resident and world-renowned sailor — hopes that women will find confidence to brave the waves on their own, sans the men in their lives.
Riley began sailing with her family when she was a young girl. She said by the age of 13 she was "obsessed" with the sport and was ready to captain her own ship. Since then, she has manged to become the first woman to captain an America's Cup sailing team and race on three America's Cup teams and two Whitbread Round-the-Word Race teams.
While all that may seem daunting for a novice sea gal, Riley said sailing is not an exclusive sport. If you're interested in trying it out, Riley says there are always boats looking for crew. To get involved, she said just get to a local marina or club and ask around.
“All you have to do is show up,” Riley said. “Even if you don’t know ( how to sail), they’ll train you.”
Riley's clinic welcomes women of all skill levels to participate. By learning some basics — and a few tricks Riley has picked up during her travels — the next time you're out boating, you can surprise your friends (and yourself) by taking the helm.
By hosting a women's only sailing clinic Aug. 1 at Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, Dawn Riley — a St. Clair Shores resident and world-renowned sailor — hopes that women will find confidence to brave the waves on their own, sans the men in their lives.
Riley began sailing with her family when she was a young girl. She said by the age of 13 she was "obsessed" with the sport and was ready to captain her own ship. Since then, she has manged to become the first woman to captain an America's Cup sailing team and race on three America's Cup teams and two Whitbread Round-the-Word Race teams.
While all that may seem daunting for a novice sea gal, Riley said sailing is not an exclusive sport. If you're interested in trying it out, Riley says there are always boats looking for crew. To get involved, she said just get to a local marina or club and ask around.
“All you have to do is show up,” Riley said. “Even if you don’t know ( how to sail), they’ll train you.”
Riley's clinic welcomes women of all skill levels to participate. By learning some basics — and a few tricks Riley has picked up during her travels — the next time you're out boating, you can surprise your friends (and yourself) by taking the helm.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Down at 'The Corner'
The seemingly endless "efforts" to save Tiger Stadium have seemingly ended.
Barring a multi-million-dollar miracle before the end of July, Detroit will be a lesser city with the total destruction of the old ball park.
With that in mind, a handful of friends and I went down to The Corner July 14 to soak in the nostalgia.
I snapped some pictures and marvelled at how well-kept the field seemed to be from behind the security fencing. But the best part was being there with my high school friends Doug Belles, Mike Weathers and Dave Luedtke.
They are just a few of the friends who shuffled down to Tiger Stadium in the lean years, when we were in high school and college.
From when we got our driver's licenses in 1995 to the parks closing in 1999, we went to what at the time seemed like too many games and now feels like not enough.
Those years, while we complained about the team, were amazing. It sounds sappy, but I fell in love with baseball in those four years.
I had played Little League, but growing up the Lions and Pistons were my teams. I cared little for the Dead Wings of my youth, and beyond 1987 never really paid much attention to the Tigers.
From seeing the Tigers take on the NL East in the first years of inter-league play with (hot dog) vendors selling fresh, hot "Bobby Bonilla's" as the Tigers played the would-be World Series champion Florida Marlins, I found an experience at the ball park rivaled by few things in the world and grew to appreciate seeing a home-team win.
Those years of 'Fan Stand' tickets and 'Dollar Day' smorgasbords made experiences like seeing Magglio Ordonez's pennant-winning home run all the more exciting. Knowing I was one of the fans who had truly been there when it was the worst made the best times amazing.
Even beyond that, though, the memories I have with friends — like Andy Melitz, who I will forever be grateful to for getting me a ticket to the final game at the Corner — are of the most value.
Whether it was sitting in the bleachers as Mark McGwire shelled the left-field roof in batting practice, or sitting in the right- field overhang to see the eternally-expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays, those memories are where Tiger Stadium will always stand, and there's nothing the Detroit City Council can do about it.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Star impressions
For the most part, the focus of minor league baseball is to develop young players so they can reach their full potential, and ultimately, the majors.
But once in a while, pros spend time with their club’s affiliated organizations to rehab from injuries.
Such was the case of the Detroit Tigers star Curtis Granderson, who spent the early portion of this season recovering from a finger injury.
He kicked off his road to recovery with the West Michigan Whitecaps, Detroit’s single A affiliate located near Grand Rapids, in Comstock Park.
Granderson went 4-for-11 in three games with the Whitecaps, including a pair of triples while also turning in some solid defense.
But Whitecaps manager Joe DePastino was more impressed with his off-the-field performance. After sitting down with DePastino to talk about the Whitecaps for my summer series, he told me a quick story about Granderson’s stint with the team.
Apparently, the center fielder’s charm, which has made him one of the Detroit’s most popular athletes, isn’t reserved just for fans but for his teammates as well, regardless of what team he’s on.
“He was great, a great person,” DePastino said. “He came in here and he said to me, ‘I’m doing whatever you guys do here.'"
“He was one of the team,” DePastino continued. “When he first walked into the clubhouse, instead of going to his locker and sitting there, he walked in, put his stuff down and started talking to everybody, introduced himself.
“That right there was the first sign you know he’s a great guy.”
But once in a while, pros spend time with their club’s affiliated organizations to rehab from injuries.
Such was the case of the Detroit Tigers star Curtis Granderson, who spent the early portion of this season recovering from a finger injury.
He kicked off his road to recovery with the West Michigan Whitecaps, Detroit’s single A affiliate located near Grand Rapids, in Comstock Park.
Granderson went 4-for-11 in three games with the Whitecaps, including a pair of triples while also turning in some solid defense.
But Whitecaps manager Joe DePastino was more impressed with his off-the-field performance. After sitting down with DePastino to talk about the Whitecaps for my summer series, he told me a quick story about Granderson’s stint with the team.
Apparently, the center fielder’s charm, which has made him one of the Detroit’s most popular athletes, isn’t reserved just for fans but for his teammates as well, regardless of what team he’s on.
“He was great, a great person,” DePastino said. “He came in here and he said to me, ‘I’m doing whatever you guys do here.'"
“He was one of the team,” DePastino continued. “When he first walked into the clubhouse, instead of going to his locker and sitting there, he walked in, put his stuff down and started talking to everybody, introduced himself.
“That right there was the first sign you know he’s a great guy.”
Don't miss the boat
Every summer I hang up my prep sports pass and head to the lakes and rivers. After the baseball and softball state champs are crowned, writing stories on the Bayview Mackinac and the Gold Cup races are a nice summer home away from home in regards to my high school sports beats.
This year, I got to write a feature on the Simon family and their connection to the Gold Cup races on the Detroit River. It all started with George Simon Sr. racing his boat, the Miss U.S. in 1953. As President and founder of U.S. Equipment, Simon was a quintessential American industrialist.
Fresh out of service in WWII, Simon started a business buying and selling machinery. He started buying the equipment from his mother's home and storing it under the bleachers at the old De La Salle High in Detroit. He and his brother made a name for their company throwing live turkey's into purchasers homes for Thanksgiving and buzzing an office full of buyers with a plane at Willow Run.
After all that established his business, Simon took up racing boats — powered by airplane engines situated mere inches from the driver's seat — at speeds approaching 200 mph.
Needless to say, George Simon was an interesting person. For his full story, check out the history of U.S. Equipment on its Web site at:
http://www.usequipment.com/story.htm
That's what makes these stories about boats, whether powered by sail or airplane engine, so interesting - the people. The nautical types are always willing to talk with you and always have interesting stories to tell. Go down and check out Gold Cup races on the Detroit River July 11-13 and the Bayview Mackinac Race when the yachts leave Port Huron July 12. Get there early and you might even hear a boat story of your own.
This year, I got to write a feature on the Simon family and their connection to the Gold Cup races on the Detroit River. It all started with George Simon Sr. racing his boat, the Miss U.S. in 1953. As President and founder of U.S. Equipment, Simon was a quintessential American industrialist.
Fresh out of service in WWII, Simon started a business buying and selling machinery. He started buying the equipment from his mother's home and storing it under the bleachers at the old De La Salle High in Detroit. He and his brother made a name for their company throwing live turkey's into purchasers homes for Thanksgiving and buzzing an office full of buyers with a plane at Willow Run.
After all that established his business, Simon took up racing boats — powered by airplane engines situated mere inches from the driver's seat — at speeds approaching 200 mph.
Needless to say, George Simon was an interesting person. For his full story, check out the history of U.S. Equipment on its Web site at:
http://www.usequipment.com/story.htm
That's what makes these stories about boats, whether powered by sail or airplane engine, so interesting - the people. The nautical types are always willing to talk with you and always have interesting stories to tell. Go down and check out Gold Cup races on the Detroit River July 11-13 and the Bayview Mackinac Race when the yachts leave Port Huron July 12. Get there early and you might even hear a boat story of your own.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
A refreshing reminder
Within the next week or so, my summer series about jobs in sports will officially begin with a piece on Channel 7 weekend sports anchor Vic Faust.
You’ll read about his start in the broadcasting business, his climb to sports producer in Tulsa, Olka., his eventual unemployment and his arrival in Detroit.
You’ll learn about his faith in God, which he said has guided him through the ups and downs that come with the business.
Still, in talking to Faust, learning about his job and his life, there was one refreshing aspect of our conversation that many people sometimes forget.
“One of the things I enjoy most is the fact that professional athletes are really ordinary people," Faust said. "Sure, they are extremely gifted and make a ridiculous amount of money, but what’s cool to watch from my perspective is just how ordinary they really are.”
This came as no surprise to me. While covering prep sports doesn’t often translate to a behind- the-scenes view of the world of pro sports, I’ve had an occasion here and there to see these “celebs” in their ordinary moments.
Take away the cameras, the fancy cars and flashy clothes, and you have ordinary men and women with families, friends and lives outside the world of sports.
“Hockey players are probably the most down to earth,” Faust added. “But they’re all pretty cool people. Pretty ordinary.”
You’ll read about his start in the broadcasting business, his climb to sports producer in Tulsa, Olka., his eventual unemployment and his arrival in Detroit.
You’ll learn about his faith in God, which he said has guided him through the ups and downs that come with the business.
Still, in talking to Faust, learning about his job and his life, there was one refreshing aspect of our conversation that many people sometimes forget.
“One of the things I enjoy most is the fact that professional athletes are really ordinary people," Faust said. "Sure, they are extremely gifted and make a ridiculous amount of money, but what’s cool to watch from my perspective is just how ordinary they really are.”
This came as no surprise to me. While covering prep sports doesn’t often translate to a behind- the-scenes view of the world of pro sports, I’ve had an occasion here and there to see these “celebs” in their ordinary moments.
Take away the cameras, the fancy cars and flashy clothes, and you have ordinary men and women with families, friends and lives outside the world of sports.
“Hockey players are probably the most down to earth,” Faust added. “But they’re all pretty cool people. Pretty ordinary.”
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