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Pioneering Spirit Track coach Charlie Grimes could have gone one of two ways with his career. He chose Malone. He ChOSe wisely BY JOSH HACHAT
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2 6 Silver Lining This No. 1 draft pick appeared to have no hope after becoming a drug addict, but Josh Hamilton had people who never stopped believing in him BY KEN SNYDER
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Almost Famous If you have heard of new KC skipper Trey Hillman, you're either from Kansas City Or Japan BYALLEN PALMERI
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Closely Guarded Friendship At Tennessee and on missions trips, Sidney Spencer and Shanna Crossley were close friends. Still are- except when San Antonio plays LA BYJENNA sAMPsoN
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It's not easy to impress Don Nelson, but undratted Kelenna Azubuike did, and now he's a Warrior BY MATT SEIGER
Permissions, Reprints Contact: Sports Spectrum permissions Fax: 1-704-821-2669 E-mail: permissions@sportsspectrum.com COVER • PHOTO CREDITS: Brad Newton I Texas Rangers INSET PHOTOS (from lop rioht, clockwisef. Don Smithi NBAEvia Getty Images: Jamie Squire/ Getty Images: Alissa Hollimon/ NBAE via Getty Images: Andrew 0. Bernsteln/NBAEvia Getty Images: Chris McGrath/Getty Images Volume 22, Number 3 May-June 2008 SPORTS SPECTRUM MAGAZINE Aproduct of Spcrts Sjl«trum Publishing PUBLISHER Robert B. Walker publisflerflsportssf)«trum.com
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Power Up! pull-out devotional guide. The Sports Spectrum athlete contributors for this edition are Ruth Riley and Russ Ortiz
Sports Sptcfrum magazine seeks to highlight Christian athletes of all sports and levels to help molivate, encourage, and Inspire people In their faith through the exciting and challenging world of sports. Printed in USA.
SPORTS SPECTRUM (USPS t 023-364) is six limes • year by Sporls Spectrum Publishing. 105 Co<ponte Boulevard. 2.
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Who knew that Ryan Hall would become an Olympic marathoner? Not even Ryan Hall BY MICAH MCDANIEL
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4 2 Quick Study
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Debbie Miller CONTROllER Sharon Wade WEBMASTER Steve Coltharp webmJsterttsportsspectrum.com CHAPLAIN Steve Jirgal
from the HOLYBIBLE. NEWINTERNATIONAL VERSION. CopyrlghtC 1973. 1978, 1984, International Bobte Society. Used by
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GRAPHIC ARTIST, PHOTOS l aurie Nelson DIRECTOR ol ADVERTISING Jocelyn Godfrey
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Bringing It
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Focal Point-with Kaka Countdown- It's all about the numbers Up Close-with Josh Davis BY LORILEE CRAKER Personal Best BY CHRIS ROLFE Heart and Soul- A major leaguer quitsand for good reason BY VICTOR LEE Up Next!- Patrick Briaud, Maureen Masters, Trevor Marsicano, Danny Lima BY JIM GIBBS lntake-Omega-3: EPAs & DHAs, Part 2 BY BENJAMIN BAECHLER Staying Well BY TRISHBEARDEN Body Language BY CHIP SIGMON The Coaching Zone BY STEPHANIE ZONARS Value Added BY CHRIS SNOPEK Pro and Con BY ALLEN PALMERI AND TED KLUCK The Big Picture--Josh Hamilton Legends- John Wetteland BY RYAN BARNHART Plan- Stephen Drew
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REAL LIFE Six things you didn't know about TODD JONES, closer, Detroit Tigers 0 Greatest spiritual challenge? "Just discipline in the Word. I hate to read. I'm lousy at it. I've got ADD, but mine's so bad it's DAA. I try to find a better way to grow, and Bible studies and DVDs have really helped me and force-fed me." 8 Favorite Bible passage? "There's a tattoo on my hand that for me is the whole crux: The story of John 20:29: Doubting Thomas. For me, I don't really need to understand the complexity of the Holy Trinity, I don't need to know the procedural things li ke when you go to heaven, do you wait in line? Do you take a number? Why are we judged before the throne if we're already forgiven? I just need to believe in Jesus as my Savior, believe in the resurrection, and believe in the whole thing." 0 Dumbest fan request? "'Could you get a tea mmate's autographlike Pudge Rodriguez's- because he won't return fan mail?' I've never done it." 0 Favorite off-day activity? "I enjoy going to movies and concerts. I'm really good friends with the guys in MercyMe. When I'm done [with my baseball
Whitehill played in the 2004 Olympics for the USA as Cat Reddick. She got married in 2005.
THE OLD OLYMPIC TRY Five Christian athletes who are attempting to return to the Olympics for at least their second try BONUS: Favorite bullpen munchies? "Anything that's dipped in chocolate. We have a pretty impressive candy bag. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Butterfingers are up there. So are M&M's."
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ca ree r], I want to be a volunteer roadie for a week with them." 9 Most exciting baseball moment? "I've had a chance to do a few things: I was the last person to ever pitch in Tiger Stadiu m. I pitched for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. I got to pitch in the World Series. Getting my 300th ca reer save." 0 Toughest hitter to pitch to? "There's one on every team. My personal demons are Jim Thome and Albert Pujols. Those are the guys that just love me." 0 HUNTER KEMPER, triathlon, USA. Kemper competed in the 2000 Games in Sydney and the 2004 Games in Athens. 8 LAURA WILKINSON, diving, USA. Wilkinson won t he gold medal in platform diving in 2000, but she did not medal in 2004. 0 SHEILA TAORMINA, modern pentathlo n (s he has competed in swimming and triathLon in previous Olympics), USA. Taormina won gold in swimmi ng in 1996 and competed in the triath lon in 2004. 0 DEBBIE FLOOD, rowing, Great Britain. Flood won a silver medal in the 2004 Games in Athens. 0 CAT WHITEHILL, soccer, USA. RIO< STEWART I G拢TT't' IMAGES
TWENTIETH路 CENTURY HOLDOVERS Four Christian major leaguers who have played for the same team exclusively in both the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. 0 JOHN SMOLTZ: Atlanta Braves: 1988-2008 8 GARRETT ANDERSON: California/Anaheim/ Los Angeles Angels: 1994-2008 0 LANCE BERKMAN: Houston Astros: 1999-2008 0 MARIANO RIVERA: New York Yankees: 1995-2008
TOP OF THEIR GAME Three Christian athletes who cap tured their sport's top honors recently 0 LORENA OCHOA: 2007 Rolex LPGA Player of the Year 8 RICARDO KAKA: 2007 FIFA Player of the Year 0 ALLYSON FELIX: 2007 Women's Outstanding Performance of the Year
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UP CLOSE • With Lorilee • JOSH DAVIS did something at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta that no other male athlete in the world did: He won three gold medals. Davis accomplished that feat in the pool as a top American swimmer. He also won two more medals in the 2000 Games. Now, however, Davis is busy helping his wife, Shantel, raise their five children. He also spends time as a motivational speaker, and he has recently written a book called The Goal and the Glory. lorilee Craker caught up with Davis to talk about this latest venture.
THE QUEST "What was your most exciting moment behind the microphone?"
JERRY HOWARTH PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER, TORONTO BLUE JAYS
JUST GETTING STARTED
• "The most exciting moment for me in my 27 years behind the microphone for the Toronto Blue Jays occurred in the top of the
Lorilee: If you could narrow it down to one moment, what was the most exhilarating time in your career? Josh: When I was able to worship in the Olympic village with other Christians from all over the globe. It gave me a little glimpse of heaven and what it will be like to have every tribe and tongue enjoying the immediate presence of our Savior.
Two Christian former assistant coaches in the NFL who are busy getting ready for their first head coaching gigs 0 MIKE SMITH, head coach,
Atlanta Falcons 0 JIM ZORN, head coach, Washington Redskins
11th inning in Atlanta in Game 6 of the 1992 World Series, when I had the pleasure of calling Dave Winfield's two-run double off Charlie Leibran di: which gave the Blue Jays a 4-2 lead toward an eventual 4-3 win to capture their first of two straight World Series. However, being with my two so ns, Ben and Joe, congratulating each and every player in the clubhouse celebrations in both 1992 and 1993 was the highlight of my career." WE B SIT E: www.SportsSpectrum.com
lorilee: How did your faith inspire you in your swimming career? Josh: My faith in Jesus has given me a better attitude, more motivation, and strength to persevere. Learning that God created me with these gifts has inspired me to have an attitude of gratitude. This attitude is so powerful because my intensity in the pool is a reflection of my thankfulness for God's blessings in my life. When I began acknowledging the power of Christ at work in me, I steadily was able to eat better, go to bed on time better, work harder, and work smarter.
Lorilee: What led you to write The Goal and the Glory? Josh: An Olympic gold medal means that a person has worked hard to achieve outstanding success in our society. Because a person is a "winner," people want to know his or her secret, so they, too, can win. I found the secret to fulfillment in life and power in sport through the gospel. If someone looks to me as a winner, I'm more than happy to point that person to the secret of my success: The power of the grace of God at '• work in me. Every Christian has the platform of the power of the gospel at work in their lives, and t hat makes each one a credible witness to God's saving truth, This book is full of examples of the power of Christ at work in people's lives. lorilee: In your mind, who is the target audience for the book? Josh: This book is for anyone who has ever set a goal and attempted to achieve it. I think they wi ll be encouraged by the journeys of others who have done the same. lorilee: How do you think the book will encourage athletes and Christians? Josh: Win or lose, God can use any of us to glorify Him. It's not just reserved fo r the winner or the good times. This next generation of Christians needs to know how much God loves them and what our response to that love looks like in our relationships an? in vocations. SPORTS SPE CTR U M ... MAY · J UNE 2008
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Personcl Best SQUEEZING YOUR BEST EFFORT OUT OF T HE ABILITY GOD GAVE YOU
stoay of Wlud it Takes
Oae MU
BY CHRIS ROLFE , FORWARD, CHICAGO FIRE
• I guess, in a way, this was all my dad's fault. qJ When I was in middle school, my father built a soccer goal for our backyard. I spent countless hours after school, on weekends, and sometimes before school, dribbling, passing, and shooting. Many times, I was the only one back there, passing off a tree or the chain link fence, pulling off a sweet move-then scon·ng a goal. Then, of course, would come the dramatic goal celebration that I had seen on television many times. I'd run, with my arms out wide, around the goal and slide to my knees, ending with an emphatic fist pump in the air.
l{eeping It Simple! I'm not the only member of the US National Team with such humble beginnings; almost everyone has a similar story. Growing up, I kept it simpleplay, pass, and kick-bringing my older brother and my dad into the games with me. I put countless hours into those backyard sessions that still impact me today. Improving my first touch, picking angles, and getting comfortable with the ball at my feet. Sometimes, kids in the US rely too much on coaching to teach them how to play. Great players around the world first played in alleys and roads, not in complicated training sessions.
Increasing the Intensity Around high school is when my training got more intense, and I see the effects to this day. We'd start nearly every session with a simple exercise called "5 v. 2." It is a game of keepaway in which a circle of five players pass the ball around while two in the middle attempt to steal it. The defender who steals the ball replaces the person who made the errant pass. (Options: One-touch-no·trapping, receive the ball and pass in one motion. Restricted circle- limited space marked out with cones, forcing crisp, precise passes.)
Avoiding Temptations High school has a lot of temptations, and the soccer team was not exempt. Around my junior and senior years, some of my friends began to party. I can't begin to tell you how many Friday nights I spent dribbling, shooting, and 8
SPORTS SPEC TR UM • MAY·JUNE 200 8
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ments in the weight room, trying to assimilate motions we would need on the field. Deadlifts, cleanjerks, and lunges became the norm. Every offseason, we'd begin by focusing on lighter weights and higher repetitions to build lean muscle, then eventually progress to heavier weights and lower repetitions. This added bulk and allowed my body to take the beating defenders deal out on us goal scorers.
I Improving Skills juggling on my own. I constantly worked on fitness but always with a ball at my feet. Many coaches make you run laps or sprints, but that doesn't simulate game action. Think about it: A soccer player's stride is different when he has the ball at his feet. As a forward, I had to learn to run while dribbling. I'd make games with myself; I'd punt the ball, receive it on a bounce on my thigh, make a move, and shoot. I was always simulating game action. play till dark-day after day.
Transitioning to College I went to the University of Dayton on a soccer scholarship. The biggest transition for me went beyond the speed of play and the increased skill level; it was the physicality of college players. Here I was, 5' 5" and 130 pounds soaking wet, going against men in their early 20's. I didn't buy into the idea that soccer players should lift weights. This was more of a skill sport, right? That changed by my sophomore year, when I began working out with the team. We focused on explosive move-
And now I play in the MLS. Even though I practice with players who have been in World Cups and been in top leagues around the world, our work remains the same. With the Chicago Fire, we spend a lot of time on individual skills. Much of the time we're practicing organization, whether it be attacking in numbers or defending in an overloaded setting. Our main focus remains to be crisp, so we spend time on passing and making sure that · our touch is sharp. Every practice opens with the "5 v. 2." We involve a lot of running so we're game-fit. The main thing that has changed from high school is the speed and intensity. It's so fast.
Creating Cohesiveness With the national team, it is a bit different. Since we come together only a few times each year, our most important goal is to gel- to take a group of players from many different teams and make them a cohesive unit. So, our practices are different and very intense, because everyone wants to make the starting eleven. This means we have to take time to make sure we
understand our roles and how we as unique players interact.
Prioritizing Life The most important training I do is off the field. I try to stay grounded in the Word each day. With the Fire, we have a good nucleus of guys who are believers, and there is comfort in that. On the national team, it is the same thing. This past training camp, I went to church with Jeremiah White, also a forward, who plays in Denmark. We stay plugged in as a unit of Christians. Oh, and that man who built that backyard goal for me? He still helps me. He is a faithful and deep man of convictions who really walks his faith. Always just a phone call away, he now helps me score goals off the field as well. C)
Chris ' PERSONAL BESTS BEST HIGH SCHOOL SEASON: 30 goals in 1999, Fairmont High School, Kettering. Ohio • BEST COLLEGE SEASON: 33 points in 2002 (includ· ing 15 goals), University of Dayton • BEST MLS SEASON: 8 goals, ,t 5 assists in 2005, Chicago Fire
Chris Rolfe has been a mainstay with the Chicago Fire since his 2005 rookie season. He has logged more than , 5,000 minutes on the pitch for the Fire. In addition, Rolfe is a member of the US National team, which is beginning its preparation for World Cup qualifying. The US team traveled to Poland in March and faces Spain in Ju ne. Rolfe grew up in Kettering, Ohio, where his dad Ralph built that soccer net. After a successful career at the University of Dayton, Rolfe was drafted with the 29th pick in the MLS SuperDraft by the Fire.
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* Action Paints june 30 • Get Serious: Is there something you've been meaning to turn over to God. but doubt has kept you from asking? Why not take a minute today to amp up your faith level and go to jesus in confidence, believing that He will come through on His promise to give you what He believes is best for you. • Go Deep: Read Matthew 21.
JUNE 30
"If you belieue, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.· MAITHEW 21:12
YA IiOTTA BELIEVE
Hea rt and Soul •
Victor
• At the end of August 1973. the New York Mets were 10 games under .500 and fast from the National league playoff picture. Sensing a need for a quick turnaround. pitcher Tug McGraw pleaded with his mates to have some faith. "You gotta believe!" he said. How did the Mets by winning 21 of their final 29 games to finish with an 82-79 record. The then shocked the powerful Cincinnati Reds in the NLCS to reach the World Series. Pretty gutsy stuff. huh? And yet, all it took was a little urge to believe. In Matthew 21' Jesus gives us a pretty powerful picture of what faith can do. If Fast eCISIOD do n?t doubt, "you can say to this mountain, 'Go throw yourself into the s • He was fed up Over it Had seen enough of the big leagues. The boozing. The carousing. The lives centered on self. He was, frankly, pretty and 1t w1ll be done (v.21). lmag1ne that- havmg the power to move a mountain just • · · · lfful'F;ll d· d h· believing it can happen. disgusted._ all Major Baseball players or are that way, but ?e saw _graVltatwnal pull to se _an 1t move 1m And yet, that's the confidence Jesus wants us to have when we turn to Him the oppos1te d1rectwn. <j[ So he retlred. Walked away. BoWie Kuhn, then baseballs commrsswner, wrote hrm a letter to ask hrm if he was sure prayer. Jesus doesn't want us to go to Him filled with doubt and not believing He's po that's what he wanted to do. After all, he was only 21 years old. erful enough to meet our needs. And all He asks from us is a little faith. After all, like t ______ ___ : ______ --- -- --- --- - - -- -- - ---------- --- - -- ----------- ------------------------------- ----Mets, all it takes is for one person to know that a little faith can go a long way. - jw ARN Yeah, 21-with eight appearChristian athletes; we need Fast Fact: Tug McGraw, who died on january 5, 2004. was the father of music star Tim McQra ances in the big leagues. He them as much as we need - - - - - -- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - j p i t ched for the 1968 Chicago clergy-but they need to Cubs, a cagy, veteran team, led make sure they don't allow by the crusty sage of cage, Leo their perspective for their "The Lip" Durocher. The Cubs life to be different from were high on the 6-foot-3 power God's perspective. The object left-hander with a sinking fastis to make God the No. 1 ball that tailed away from rightpriority, not just what you handers. He had three other g can do for yourself in life. good pitches too. The kid was "We need to be like the destined to be a star-especially apostle Paul. He said to let JJ. Chicago Hope: Darcy jwith that name! nothing good interfere with Fast left baseball and the Darcy Fast. Go ahead and look Chicago Cubs behind for a life's race. Sometimes what is him up in a baseball encyclopedia more sure thing. good is the enemy of what is -he's real; this is not the April 1 best. I think he was talking edition of Sports Spectrum. turned professional. I wantabout forgetting personal It turns out the Cubs could ed so badly to be a major accomplishments-and his have used a youthful power league player. personal accomplishments were pitcher the next year. Nineteenon what I should be doing," Fast "When I got to the top and pretty great." sixty-nine was the year of the saw what was there, what was says. "I wasn't in despair over it. I The bottom line question for great collapse, when the Cubs just felt that I needed to practice each life must be 'What is God's happening in the lives of so lost a mid-August 9ljz-game God's priority for my life. I needmany of the players-some Hall heart for me?' Fast says, "Make lead to the Miracle Mets, of Famers, some AU-Stars-! saw ed to make Him my priority, and sure you're going after the right arguably because of a bullpen I chose Him over everything." a lot of emptiness," Fast says. goals in life. The main thing that Durocher didn't trust. Could "I saw the power, the prestige, And so, almost 40 years later, is keeping Christ at the center Fast have made the difference? the money. how great was that price? It is of your life. I played with guys That's the speculation in a book "In my life, the Lord let me probable that Fast would have who, if they didn't make it, called The Missing Cub by Fast get there so I could get perspec- been a successful major league didn't have anything else in and Jonathan Franzen. tive on life. Perspective puts.us pitcher. He could have made life. God doesn't call all of us to But back to how all this began. in our place and helps us keep millions, been a star-with the be pastors, but He calls all of us Or ended. (You can hardly tell the God in His. name and the talent, he was a to be His followers, and that two apart). Sports columnist John natural. Maybe he could have "For me, it was like a child in means putting His purposes McGrath of the News Tribune kept the Miracle of '69 from the toy department of a large first. That's also very fulfilling, of Tacoma, Washington, deftly happening and helped alter store being told he can have and I have no regrets." 0 wrote that Fast "renounced his the Cubs woeful lore. anything he wants. He's got his The book chair in the bullpen for the arms full, then he comes upon The question amuses and The Missing Cub chance to devote his life to a the one, large item, and thinks, intrigues Fast, but it doesn't trouby Darcy Fast !different kind of save." It wasn't That's the one I really want. But ble him. "The could-have-beens!" and Jonathan quite that simple. Fast says, laughing heartily. "I the only way he is going to get Franzen can I "Basically, I changed my per- it is to put the others down. It's had to give up something very be purchased !SPE!cu•ve on baseball and had to almost like the story of the good in my life to get something at the Web site a new perspective on what pearl of great price." even better. I would never have www.themisswanted me to do with my That decision sank in through known that unless I had given ingcub.com " Fast says. He is 60 now 1969 and 1970 as he let go more up the something better. has been senior pastor of Veteran sports journalist Victor Lee and more, freeing him to pick up "I know ballplayers who are Community Church of millionaires-and by no means lives in Knoxville, TN. He can be the prize. "AUthrough that time, for 30 years. "When I first I was gaining a new perspective am I saying we don't need reached at victorlee@victorlee.org
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ny life." :"I try to ·ayer and 3y for all 1lile. I also evotional 1y main finish play in the eagues, and ;e that as a n to spread pel." :CHILL
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Up! is published by the creators of Sports Spectrum magazine and is designed to help its readers understand the gospel of jesus Christ and grow in their faith in Him. Managing Editor: Dave Branon Graphic Design: Steve Gier Contributing Writers: jeff Arnold, freelance writer Rob Bentx. freelance writer josh Cooley, freelance writer Tom Felten, Managing Editor, Our Daily journey Tim Gustafson, Managing Editor, Our Daily Bread Brian Hettinga, Host. Producer. Discover the Word Jeff Olson, Biblical Counseling. RBC Ministries Molly Ramseyer, freelance writer Roxanne Robbins, freelance writer Russ Ortiz, Major League pitcher Ruth Riley, Center, San Antonio Silver Stars Cali Magatlenes, chaplain. New York Mets Andrew Provence, former NFL player Scott Fletcher, former MLB player Weekend articles: Bryan Adams, minor league baseball player Lindsay Adams, communications, Sports Spectrum Natalie Creech, creatiue director. Sports Spectrum Ryan DiNunzio, freelance writer Eric Harris, marketing. Sports Spectrum Robert Walker, publisher. Sports Spectrum
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SPORTS SPECTRUM • MAY· JUNE 200 8
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Up Next • Written and Compiled
Jim Gibbs
PATRICK BRIAUD: ENGINEERING ATENNIS CAREER • He has an industrial engineering degree from the University of California at Berkeley, but he's not quite ready to put it to work just yet. At 25, Patrick Briaud says he still has a lot of tennis left in him. "I graduated in December of 2005 and was an assistant tennis coach at UC for a while after I graduated," Briaud says. "After I stopped playing at the college level, I figured that I was pretty much done with the game as far as playing it. But when I came back as an assistant coach and started getting out there on the court again, it sort of rekindled my love for the sport and also made me realize that not only could I still play but that I still wanted to play, which surprised me. I still feel like I have a lot more matches in me, and I'm
determined to do the best with the abilities that God has given me." Briaud has been playing pro tennis for about 2 years now and hopes to reach some of the bigger tournaments as a doubles player. "My goals are to be in the Top 100 in doubles and play in at least one grand slam event," he says. "If I tried to compete as
a singles player, I could probably get my ranking up to about 500, but that wouldn't get me into too many tournaments. But in doubles, they take your best combined score from singles and doubles along with that of your partner. So, if you can team up with a good partner, you can get ranked high fairly quickly. And the higher the ranking, the better tournaments you get to compete in." Briaud says that he also enjoys the camaraderie of playing doubles. "I really enjoy playing singles but I enjoy playing doubles a little bit more because of the teamwork involved. When you win, you have someone to share the thrill of winning with. When you lose, you have someone to commiserate with." Ideally, he likes to play on the same team with other believers. "I don't think it's make or break to have a Christian partner, but I think it does make it a lot easier,
especially in a game when you're not playing well," he says. "But, unfortunately, I have to change partners quite a bit because of scheduling conflicts, and most of the time I find myself playing with non-Christians. But even that is a good opportunity to share Christ if the moment presents itself." Earlier in 2007, Briaud was ranked as high as No. 125 in doubles (as opposed to No. 928 in singles) and has played in tournaments all around the world, including Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Costa Rica, India, the Ukraine, and Africa. Briaud enjoys the travel -and the competition. "In Philippians 3:7-14, Paul talks about the gospel and how we should consider everything a loss for the sake of Christ," he says. "Press on to the prize. There are so many times on the road when you don't do as well as you want to and you struggle with losses. Just a point here and there can make a difference. So, without Christ, it's very easy to lose your Moving up. Patrick perspective in this sport. Briaud has raised his That's why I'm so appredoubles rankings over the ciative of all that the years from No. 956 in 2006 Lord has given me." 0 to No. 132 at the beginning of the 2008 season.
MAUREEN MASTERS
Softball. Pitcher. Freshman. Cornerstone University, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Age 19.
• Known for her unpredictable junk ball, her pitches have been clocked at more than 64 miles per hour. Graduated from Brampton Centennial Secondary school in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, where she led her team (which competed in the 16-under divisionI to back-to-back national championships in 2004-2005. Despite having Crohn's Disease, she was one of Canada's top high school pitchers in 2006, striking out 523 batters in 298 innings and posting a record of 326 while compiling an ERA of 0.30. During the Lisa Fernandez Challenge in Hamburg, Germany, in 2005, Mo was honored with the Pitcher's Award after posting a 0.00 ERA. HIGHLIGHT: "''ve been on two Canadian national championship teams, and that was very exciting. I was also on the Junior British National
- JIM GIBBS
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team. In 2005, when I was a sophomore, I played in a tournament in Germany where I was tournament pitching MVP and pitched in four of the five games we played and had an ERA of 0.00." TOP VERSE: Proverbs 3:5·6 HER STORY: "My parents are both very strong Christians, and I accepted Christ as Lord of my life at a very early age. But over the past year or so, especially as I have had to battle Crohn's Disease and other things in my life, I have just been totally sold out to Christ because I have come to realize that His ways are not my ways and that I have to learn to trust Him with every aspect of my life." KEY INGREDIENTS: "Being in a strong Christian environment like Cornerstone really keeps me strong, especially when I see so many of those around me living out their faith." COALS: "I just want to keep liv· ing for Christ and stay strong and not let my disease control my life. I want to work in advertising when I graduate." FAVORITE CHILL ACTIVITY: "I like to sit in a hot tub and' listen to music. I also play the flute." LIFE'S TOUGHEST MOMENT: "When I was 12 and diagnosed with Crohn's Disease." SPORTS HERO AND WHY: ':Just after I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, I saw a university volleyball player who had Crohn's Disease, and it was very inspirational to me." FAVORITE CHRISTIAN MUSICIANS: Family Force Five and Flyleaf WE B SIT E: www .S portsSptct rum. co m
for me, and that, no matter what anyone said, Jesus loved me. And that really helped me through that very difficult time of my life." KEY INGREDIENTS: "I try to read my Bible every day, especially on the road. My church back home also has a podcast of their church services, and I watch those." GOALS: "I plan to go to college and major in psychology. After US Speedskating team. ComI graduate, I'd like to become petes in 500-meter, 1000m, a youth pastor and help kids." 1500m, 3000m, 5000m races. FAVORITE CHILL ACTIVITY: Ballston Spa, NY. Age 19. "Actually, I like to serve • Led the USA with a gold others when I want to relax. medal performance at the I like to visit people who are World Juniors (lnnsbruck, receiving hospice care or who Austria) in winter of 2007. are in assisted living proAs a member of the 2007 grams. It really makes me feel USA World Short Track good to help people." Junior Team and a LIFE'STOUGHEST member of the 2007 MOMENT: "In eighth World Long Track grade, I was in Junior Team, he school and was won the gold having to deal with medal in the some really bad 3000-meter event bullies. Guys just at the World Junior kept picking on me Championships with and wouldn't leave me a personal best time of alone. I was just so emo3:52.05- bettering his former ! tionally beaten down by all personal best of 3:59.83. that, and finally, my parents HIGHLIGHTS: "Finishing third $ had to pull me out of school in the Junior World Champiand home-school me. I can onships in lnnsbruck, still remember how traumatic Austria, and also winning it was for me. For a long time the gold medal in the 3,000· after that, every time I'd drive meter speed skating race." o by a school, I'd almost get TOP VERSE: Eccles. 7:13-14 physically sick." HIS STORY: "When I was in SPORTS HERO AND WHY: "My middle school, I was very shy G coach Paul Marchese is my and quiet, and bullies were r hero because he's a great always picking on me. It was coach and teacher." really a bad time in my life. 0 FAVORITE CHRISTIAN As a result of that, my selfMUSICIAN: Jeremy Camp esteem and self-worth were very low. I was in so much emotional pain that I just Baseball. Shortstop. Junior. wanted to find a way out of it. University of Tennessee at It was at that point that I heard Knoxville. Age 21. the gospel and gave my life to Christ. My relationship with • As a sophomore last year, Christ really did a great deal he earned an immediate spot to comfort me. I found hope in the UT infield and finished in the Scriptures, and I also his first Division I season batfound my self-worth because ting .280 with 33 runs, 63 I realized that Christ had died hits, three home runs, 32 RBis
TREVOR MARSICANO
i I i
DANNY LIMA
and 11 stolen bases. Hit .260 in SEC play with 27 hits and nine RBis. Recorded 15 multihit games and 10 multi-RBI games. Had at least one hit in each of his first 10 college games played. Played summer ball for the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League and hit .270 with 34 hits in 35 games. HIGHLIGHT: "Winning back-to-back state cham· pionships in 2004 and 2005 at Florida Christian High School in Miami, Florida." TOP VERSE: Philippians 4:13 HIS STORY: "When I was a young boy, my parents were strong Christians and always took me to church every Sunday. But then one day at school, we had an evangelist come in and speak to the student body and it really changed my life. I was 16 at the time, and he came in and spoke during our chapel service. He shared his testimony with us and asked us the question, 'If you were to die today, would you know for sure that you'd go to heaven?' And when he asked us that, it made me realize that I needed to accept Christ as my Lord and Savior and make
some changes in my life." KEY INGREDIENTS: "I try to stay in constant prayer and thank God every day for all the blessings in my life. I also have a daily devotional that I read." GOALS: "My main goal is to finish school, play in the major leagues, and then use that as a platform to spread the gospel." FAVORITE CHILL ACTIVITY: "I just like to watch TV, listen to music, and talk to my friends and family on the phone." LIFE'STOUGHEST MOMENT: "I lost my grandfather when I was 17, and that was a very difficult time of my life. He was my biggest fan both off and on the field, and it was tough to lose him." SPORTS HERO AND WHY: "Derek Jeter of the Yankees is a guy I really admire because he is very competitive and very unselfish." FAVORITE CHRISTIAN MUSIC: "As far as Christian songs go, I really like that song 'I Can Only Imagine' [MercyMe]."
Intake --
Benjamin J. Baechler. M.D.
EXPLORING TH E NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF SERIOUS ATHLETES
n.tdlag the Missing Fatty Acids, Pad 2 In the previous edition of "Intake," we presented the distinction between essential and non-essential nutrients, plus an overview of the essential fatty acids, including Omega-3. In this installment, we will explain in further detail how to find the Omega-3s you need for good health. tain essential fatty acids in their formulations or they are found at inadequate quantity. As such, I recommend individuals consume a separate EPA and DHA Omega-3 supplement aside from their daily multivitamin. And as always, please check with your personal healthcare provider for advice on using and selecting Omega-3 essential fatty acids in your nutritional sports regimen. Essential nutrients are critical for the athlete. By ensuring the presence of the "healthy fats" EPA and DHA in a sports nutrition program, an athlete can further achieve his or her fitness goals and overall well-being. Don't be fooled, not all "fats" are bad. Until next time, train smart and live well! 0 mend 2,000 mgs. These numbers • Many athletes are taught represent the combined amount to limit their dietary fat intake of EPA and DHA. If you have because of concerns about joint issues, I recommend overall body-fat percentage. between 2,000-3,000 mgs. This, however, may mean they When it comes to sources are missing some key nutritional components-substances called · for EPA and DHA, we look at foods and supplements. In Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). foods, EPA and DHA are found Of particular interest is the in fish or marine sources. Omega-3 subgroup of EFAs Salmon and cod are two fish containing two very special fats: types relatively high in EPA and EPA (eicosapenteanoic acid) and DHA content. However, because DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). of concerns about heavy metal and environmental contamiWhere to find Omega-3 nants, I would caution against You may wonder: "Where can I find the Omega-3s EPA and DHA excessive fish intake. I generally recommend no more than 1-2 and how much do I need?" Let's servings of fish per week start with how much one needs. because of those concerns. I recommend all individuals Another potential source is vegover 14 years old consume etable Omega-3s. Although the 1,000 milligrams (mgs) daily of Omega-3s from DHA and body can convert vegetableEPA. For adult athletes, I recom- sourced Omega-3s to EPA and 1 2
SPORTS SPECTRUM - MAY·JUNE 2008
DHA, it is done at an exceptionally low rate (usually less than 5 percent in men and less than 10 percent in women), and as such, trying to use vegetable-sourced Omega-3s to achieve adequate EPA and DHA levels will be difficult. This leads us to supplemental Omega-3 intake.
Understanding the supplements When supplementing, be sure to calculate the actual EPA and DHA content, not just the total Omega-3 amount. Many products have a large amount of total Omega-3s but are low in EPA and DHA. Also, be sure to look for a product that has had heavy metal and contaminant testing performed-this is a must. Most traditional multivitamin/mineral dietary supplements do not con-
Dr. Benjamin J. Baechler completed his undergraduate work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Immunology and Medical Microbiology and then graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School. He has additional training in family and community medicine as well as nutritional and integrative therapies. Dr. Baechler's scientific and academic studies have concentrated in the areas of nutrient delivery systems, antioxidants, and angio-genesis. He has formulated more than 100 products, including several strategically designed to address the issues of aging, sports nutrition, healthy cellular replication, and cardiovascular health.
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Well • Bu Trish HappiaeBBIB ••• id you know that 81 percent of British citizens would rather have the government make them happy instead of rich? Iceland folks embrace failure as part of their happiness, whereas Thailand's mantra is Mai Pen Lai, or "just let it go," meaning every problem need not be solved right now! We all want happiness. Although your definition may not be the same as neighbor Joe's, it is probably more similar than that of a guy in Moldova, a chunk of the former Soviet Union, the least happy of all 194 countries, where poverty, human trafficking, and selling human organs are commonplace. Most Americans embrace personal success and self-expression as parameters for bliss. According to a December 2007 Gallup Poll, the happiest in our borders appear to be white, married, with young children, once-aweek church-going Republicans. Whether that reflects you or not, the sweet land of liberty should rank higher than 23rd with the "pursuit of happiness" etched in our Declaration of Independence!
HAPPY HEROES Nigeria won the moniker as the happiest place in 2003.1 Vibrant family life and culture trump professional life and wealth for Nigerians. Many in the western world would scoff at their 30,000N, or $200 per month, in wages. That would barely cover my monthly communications bundle! (Nigerians certainly do not lack in communications; most folks there speak three of their 521 languages). Denmark came out a winner in 2006.1 With a high standard of living, low population, and rich beauty, this Scandinavian nation hails a more modern, developed country with great education, health, and negative poverty. 1 4
SP ORTS SPECTRUM • MAY-JUNE 200 8
"happy" hormones, which offset the common cold.
POWERFUL CHOICES Dr. Inglehart shared 10 keys for those on the journey to joy: 1. GENETIC PROPENSITY TO HAPPINESS 2. MAR!uAGE 3. STRONG FRIENDSHIPS 4. DESIRE LESS 5. Do GOOD 6. HAVE FAITH 7. STOP COMPARING 8. MAKE MORE MONEY 9. EMBRACE AGE
10. DoN'r woRRY
In The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Place on Earth, Eric Weiner traveled the world to find the happiest place. One country he visited was Bhutan, a beautiful region with subtropical plains in the south and Himalayan heights to the north. In 1972, their king declared a policy of Gross National Happiness more important than Gross National Product. One woman declared that life recently improved with ·developments like hospitals and electricity-except for the introduction of television.
HAPPY=WELL Dr. Ron Inglehart, director of the World Values Survey, found a connection between happy and well nations. The Top 5 happiest countries, according to the study, were also ranked in the Top 20 for well-being. Healthcare may revolutionize with this discovery. A friend recently doctoring his severe back pain was prescribed laughing at least six times a day as part of his road to recovery!
(Coupled with medication and possible steroid injections.) Also to note, a cardiologist friend said many sad patients undergo simple heart procedures that end in fatal complications, while many happy patients fly through complex surgeries with ease. In another study reported in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, Dr. Sheldon Cohen of Carnegie Mellon University ined happy people, sad people, and the common cold. He injected 334 participants with the rhinovirus, the germ that causes the common cold. Sad people got the cold while happy people had no change in initial status. His reason was simple. Symptoms of a cold are caused by a release of chemicals that makes us sick. However, happy people naturally combat the release of chemicals because of increased levels of
How you spend time alone also affects your happiness and well-being. Dr. Tedd Mitchell, President of the Cooper Clinic, encourages reading, writing, singing, listening to music, meditating, and physical activity. Negative activities include smoking, eating or drinking too much, using mind-altering drugs, criticizing yourself and others, and driving aggressively. 0
Two-Minute Dl'ill: Every choice we make influences our potential for personal happiness. And it is as unique as your fingerprint. I am thrilled that my husband made the choice to move our family from high-profile jobs in Washington, DC to the happiest state in 'I· America. You may think we are in Hawaii (No. 2). But we are in South Dakota and have never been happier. Find your happiness and be well, - TRAINER TRISH, HEALTHSTYLIST 1
World Values Survey, 1003. 1 Britain University of Leicester, 1006.
Trish Bearden creates balance in her clients' lives through exercise, nutrition, Pilates, and massage therapy. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise and Welln ess from South Dakota State University and is certified by both the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American College of Sports Medicine. After an 11-year adventure advising two Presidents, she's happy to be back in a little house on the prairie- or at least close enough in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. TO SUBSCRIBE TO SPORTS SPECTRUM: CALL 1-8 66 -821-29 71
Bodu Language
The CH__ASE Ufeatyle1 Pad 3 con.ti&aecl BY CH IP SIGMON
The continuation of the third installment of a four-part series on the "CHASE, " a lifestyle plan of exercise, fitness, and nutrition. HASE is an acronym designed to help us what the proper lifestyle is all about. C=Cruciferous Vegetables H=High Fiber and Limit Hydrogenated Oils A=Assortment of Fruits & Nuts S =Sweat, Stretch, and Strength Training E =Extra Protein (legumes, lean meats, & whey protein)
PART 3: STRENGTH & FITNESS EIGHT ESSENTIALS When designing a weight-training program, one should follow some guidelines. A blueprint is used when designing a building or a car, so that's exactly what you are doing when following these eight simple rules. To review: Write down your goals. Write down your short- and long-term goals. If you want to lose or gain weight, jot down your ultimate goal. Also write down what you would want your weight to be after a 4- to 6-week period. Be precise! 8 Keep a journal. Record the results of each workout. If you don't have a chance to write down the results immediately, that's okay. Just make sure to write down what you did sometime before you go to bed that night. 9 Movement prep. Taking the time to make sure the body is properly warmed up will help ensure that your improvements are injury-free. (See the MarchApril article for two suggested warm-ups.) 0
WEB SIT E: www.SportsSptctrum.com
0 A strong "Core."
Think of the "core" as an imaginary line anterior of the spinal cord that runs from the bottom of the hips to the top of the shoulder blades. Whether you're a stayat-home mom trying to make time with your busy schedule or a fitness fanatic, make sure you include exercises to keep the "core" strong and functional. 0 Have variety. Without variety, we can get bored, which leads lo very little improvement or simply losing enthusiasm.
The final three rules: 0 Do Unilateral Work. Unilateral means "single arm or single leg movements and exercises." As strength coach Mike Boyle states, "Train single-leg movements (unilateral) over double-leg movements (bilateral) but neglect neither." It's important to perform single-leg movements not only for strength but also for stability training and balance. Try doing just a simple bodyweight squat without any support from the arms or the non-weight-bearing leg, and see how far you can bend down without falling. A good way to work this into your program is to do double-leg movements one workout, then single-leg the next. Or try going from bilateral front squats to performing single-leg squats with the back leg elevated.
For the upper body, perform single-arm dumbbell bench presses or single-arm barbell curls. Any time you have to balance a bar or dumbbell, more deep stabilizer muscles have to be recruited. This makes the exercise more intense and more functional. 0 Add Compound Movements. If you want to burn calories, speed up the metabolic rate, and add strength and explosiveness-then add "compound movements" to your training. "Compound movements" can be a series of 2 to 4 exercises performed in one set. These series of exercises can be as simple as a dumbbell squat into a dumbbell curl followed by a dumbbell press repeated 6 to 8 times. Or, for the more advanced lifter, it could be a bent-over dumbell row into a hang clean, followed by a front squat, followed by a push press for 3 to 6 reps of each. The possibilities are endless, plus you'll get the heart pumping, and you'll also
create a lot of "oxygen debt." 0 Oxygen Debt. I hate to see a client at the gym walking around talking on a cell phone between sets. Rest intervals between sets should be focused on how you feel. When your breathing is almost back to normal and you feel that you can perform the weight being lifted in the rep ranges prescribed, then you're ready for the next set (even before breathing returns to normal). So, create some "oxygen debt" in your weight training workouts. Your body will reap the rewards! It's your time, body, and money, so if you're going to spend an hour in the gym it might as well be as beneficial as possible. Try these eight ideas to produce the athletic and fitness level you desire and deserve. C>
Chip Sigmon is the speed and agility coach at the Epicenter for Sports Performance, a division of Ortho-Carolina in Charlotte, North Carolina. (See their Web site at www.epicenterperfonnance.com.) He spent 12 years as the strength and conditioning coach for the NBA Charlotte Hornets and the WNBA Charlotte Sting. SPORT S SP EC TRUM- MAY-JUNE 2008
15
The Coaching Zone BY STEPHANIE ZO NARS
hen I ask coaches what they love about their profession, their almost universal answer is "my players." When I ask about their least favorite part of their job, however, nearly every coach mentions dealing with parents. When did it become okay for parents to publicly disrespect their children's coaches? This hit home recently when a close friend who coaches seventh grade girls needed a security escort from the locker room as a precaution to protect her from a disgruntled parent. Are you kidding me? We're not talking college or even high school, but seventh grade! No matter what level you coach, one ofyour greatest challenges is learning how to respectfully interact with parents, especially those who consistently create a spirit of dissension in or around your program. Thankfully, most parents will be supportive, but here are some tips for handling those who are not.
PRESEASON Many sport associations and schools require coaches to communicate (verbally, in writing, or both) with parents prior to the season. Even if yours does not, this is a good idea. Items to cover include the following: • Coaching philosophy • Team policies • Practice and game schedules • Expectations for athletes and parents • Protocol for parents to contact coaches This last point is especially crucial. Make sure parents know how and when to contact you, as well as what you will and will not discuss. For instance, it is almost never good to discuss a student right after a game, so provide for a cooling-off period of perhaps 24 hours. And you might want to limit aU communications to verbal or face-to-face. E-mail communication is not good for parent-coach conflict resolution. Also, parents should want to talk about their child's attitude or efforts to improve, but you might make it off limits to discuss playing time or play selection. Many youth sports programs even require parents to sign a Parental Code of Conduct to further clarify expectations.1
DOCUMENTATION With the pace you keep and 1 6
SPO RTS SPECTRUM- MAY ·JU N E 2008
the multitude of things on your mind, I recommend that you keep records that will help you to recall specific details should a dispute arise. These could include: • Dates and times of in- and outof-season workouts • Attendance at all meetings, workouts, games • Log of aU dialog with parents
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT When conflict with parents happens (and it will), here are some helpful hints to help you navigate the situation well: Pray. Jesus knew what He was doing when He told us to pray for our persecutors (Matthew 5:44). It may not change them,
but it changes us and helps us to respond more gracefully. Stick to procedures. If you've stated a protocol for parents' communication with you, stick with it. For instance, if a parent approaches you with a concern right after a game and you have already stated that you will not meet with parents on game day, stand your ground and ask them to contact you the next day. Stay calm. Choose not to raise your voice or become defensive, and you will likely diffuse the emotion of a disgruntled parent.
Seek to understand before being understood. Demonstrate good listening skills by maintaining eye contact and an open posture. Reflect back to the parents what you hear them say. ' Interaction with parents may never become your favorite part of coaching, but with some prayer and preparation you can handle even the toughest situations in a way that honors the Lord. 0 For a sample Parental Code of Conduct. see www.nyssf.orgfsportparentcodeofconduct.htm\
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A Life Coach trained by the Institute of Life Coach Training, Stephanie Zonars resources coaches through 1:1 life coaching, team-building sessions, and coaches' retreats. Visit www.lifebeyondsport.com for more information. Zonars lives in Xenia, Ohio. TO SUBSCRIBE TO SPORTS SPEC TRUM: CALL 1 · 866 ·82 1·2971
Rdded- Bq Chris Snopek TOP ATHLETES TALK ABOUT CHRISTIAN LIVING PRINCIPLES
UviD.g With Relatloaslllps โ ข I was saved in 2000, so during my last 3 years in baseball I was more involved spiritually than I was the previous 7 years. Over 162 games there's a lot of guys with whom you get involved-some closer than others. You establish a connection that gets you involved on a lot of levels. qr When you're in the Word and have a relationship with Christ, it's a lot more effective and sincere. Guys who know that will open up to you. qr Jesus used to hang out with sinners. Even though you're a believer, you don't want to alienate yourself and make people think you're better than they are because you have a relationship with Christ. I think it's the opposite; I think it's about staying le. If there are three or four guys who you enjoy being with and they invite you to sit in the hotel lobby bar, those are things where you've got to be really careful because you don't want to make somebody stumble. That's where you've got to lead and be a good example. At the same time, you just never know. Something might open up, and you can share the gospel with them. Where I work now, we teach baseball and softball to boys and girls from ages 5 to 25, as well as indoor soccer. I teach baseball and softball hitting and defense. Sometimes, the kids bring their personal problems with them. I recall a situation where I knew that the parents of a child we were training were planning on getting a divorce, and I was asked to talk to the child; that was difficult. He was dealing with the
The most important thing is to have a foundation in God's Word. The Bible is the sword; and we've got to put on the armor every day because Satan is always trying to put dents in our armor. We survive as a business because we glorify God and treat every person that comes through the door like he or she is a blessing from God. So what can we do for you? C>
situation of knowing his parents were not getting along, and he had to concentrate on preparing for the season. I tried to encourage him to stay focused, rely on the Lord, and pray. e Chris Snopek spent As far as anyone who comes 4 years in the major through our doors, people know where I stand. By the grace of leagues, playing God I try to lead, for exammostly for the ple, by putting Scripture ยง Chicago White Sox. verses on our Web site or From 1995 through Christian music on the 1998, he played for the Sox before radio- the kinds of things spending his last eight games as that aren't intimidating but a big leaguer with Boston. Born in they're there. So when people Cynthiana, Kentucky, Snopek went come through the door, I think to Harrison County High School if you respect them and you do and then the University of Missiswhat your service says you're sippi. He was first drafted in 1989 going to do, that gives you more by the Texas Rangers, but waited of an opportunity to get into a until he was drafted by the closer relationship with them. White Sox in 1992 to sign. Now ยง In the world of personal serv- Chris helps run the Performance ice business, God puts so many Sports Academy in Flowood, people in front of you. His Word Mississippi. Learn more about lives every day because people PSA at www.performancesports_ _ _ ยง come in with different questions. academy.com.
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• The remedy should be no ! amnesty and more honesty. l Should Rome have gone to "tough · testing" on her gladiators if steroids : had been available to them? What is it about America that makes us so uptight about our baseball players using these products? Could it be that Americans in 2008 really do care about the concept of right and wrong, and the ideal of applying just standards to a popular sport? Ideals are nice, but where do they fit in when there seems to be no soundness ·-----------------·-····-······················· from the sole of the foot even unto ' the head in the body of baseball? Isaiah 1:6 contains wisdom. Steroids have produced wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores on 1.... the game, and we all feel a little bit helpless. What in the world are we supposed to do? Wait until it all hits rock bottom. Wait until it looks like professional wrestling. What baseball fan wouldn't want to see a 6-foot-7, 380-pound muscleman jacking the ball 700 feet? Would you pay to watch a pitcher throw the ball 150 miles an hour? How cool is that? We are prisoners of our ideals. We see a guy like Derek Jeter and say, "Future Hall of Farner, no steroids, I like the way he plays." We want to believe in right and wrong, the honor system, apple pie, and the basic integrity of Derek Jeter. The ambience of baseball in America does that to us. But baseball in America is also about money, sex, violence, and success. It often appears to be an ongoing circus. Five years ago in this space, I wrote that about professional wrestling. Where is Major League Baseball headed? I would hope not toward amnesty. That won't stop the cheating. And I have serious doubts that tough testing will either. Major League Baseball needs to hit rock bottom, where its players (including Christian players) quit toying with steroids, or else it needs to be more honest with itself and allow aU of its players to use steroids. Be like Rome and WWE. Don't the fans deserve that? The hope of Christians is to believe that Jesus can one day move us beyond gladiators and professional wrestling to a ballpark called Beauty. 0
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SPORT S SPECTRU M - MAY·JUNE 2008
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• Baseball is a game built largely around the love of i statistics-sitting in your bedroom, reading the backs of baseball cards by the light streaming in your windows. It's about knowing that despite your uncertainty about large issues like Calvinism vs. Arminianism or the will of God, at least you can recite Coco Crisp's batting average from 2003 (.266). It's about restoring order to chaos. Unfortunately, thanks to ·----------------------------------------------· BALCO, the Mitchell Report, and the Steroids Era, our kids know more about pharmaceuticals and legal proceedings than batting averages and on-base ! percentages. They'll know the duties of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee before they'll be able to explain the infield fly rule. The real stars of this show are, of course, the attorneys. That's why baseball should offer amnesty to aU pre-Mitchell Report users of steroids and HGH and start over with tough testing. Amnesty means that the statistics still mean something. It means "forgive and forget." No asterisks, and no omissions. It means that even though Mark McGwire (allegedly) had the combined testosterone level of Rambo, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and John "Wild at Heart" Eldredge flowing through his bulging veins, he still hit the ball out of the park 70 times. No small feat. But if we give amnesty to these juiced-up 'roid freaks, we'll have to grant the same to Pete Rose, who was as handy with the Daily Racing Fonn as Sammy Sosa was (allegedly) 1 with the syringe. As for tough testing, you read it here first: Equip all MLB clubhouse urinals with the technology to immediately detect elevated testosterone levels. In fact, do this for aU urinals, everywhere, just to be safe. I want to know that my accountant and favorite magazine columnists aren't hitting the needle on the way into the office. Hey, if we can put men on the moon, we can do this. In fact, we have to do this. The future of baseball depends on it. And until then, kids, good luck reading the 311-page Mitchell Report each night by the light streaming in your bedroom window. 0 0 ' 0
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I SAY WHAT? Would you like to respond? Send a note I Ted IC:Iuck I to edttor@sportsspectrum.com. We'd love to hear what you think about this topic.
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WHEN CHARLIE GRIMES TOOK A WALK TO REMEMBER ON THE MALdNE COLLEGE CAMPUS, HE KNEW HE HAD COMETO THE RIGHT PLACE
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SPORT S SPECT RUM - MAY·J UNE 200 8
BY JOSH HACHAT
twas a simple walk that changed Charlie Grimes' life. In an interv iew at Malone College in 1997, Grimes quickly felt at home. But while walking out to the track- a place where his impact has surely surpassed even his own surreal feeling came over Grimes. Immediately feeling the presence of God, Grimes knew Malone was where he belonged. He also instantly knew he could use track and field as a way to change peoples' lives. "I said to God, 'Use this place and use me any way You can to build people,' " says Grinies, who is now in his lOth year at Malone. "That track has always been a special place for me. It's really powerful to me to walk out there each day." That track is now home to one of the top programs in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAJA) and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). The Pioneers have won six NCCAA championships on the women's side, and the men 's team has a 2007 title to its credit. The list of NAJA All-Americans is too numerous to list- both the men's and TO SUBSCRI BE TO SPORTS SP ECTRUM: CALL 1 ·8 66 - 821 - 297 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------, "He's always encouraged me to do more than what I thought I was capable of," says senior Brady West, who was a 2007 All-American in the heptathlon and decathlon. "He's had me think outside the box with my faith and pushing myself. I might fail, but it'sjust the fact that l tried. "He tells me to do something, and I think I can do it." Grimes grew up in Gobles, Michigan, just outside Kalamazoo. A three-sport athlete in high school, Grimes was recruited to compete in the decathlon at Western Michigan University. He graduated in 1993 with a degree in exercise science, and after marrying - he and his wife, Wendy, have three daughters ages I2, I0 and 8- he took a graduate assistant position at Eastern Michigan. But God tugged on Grimes' hemt and led him to Malone. His coaching merits indicate he's more than talented enough to lead a Division I program- a notion that has
certainly crossed his mi nd. But he's also passionate and knowledgeable enough that a venture into full-time mi nistry wouldn 't be Slii1Jrising either. In the search for that perfect balance, however, Grimes says he's found the ultimate middle ground at Malone, which had six All-Americans in 2007 and six individual NCCAA champions. "What God was doing was moldi ng me to go to Malone, where Christ is first, but there's a call to excellence as well," says Grimes. "If I would have gone one way or the other, it wouldn't have been as effective. If I was a Division I coach, I would have missed the opportunity to minister to kids, witness, and share my faith. But ifl were a pastor, I would have missed out on this idea of using a specific activity to bring about Christ's will." Finding that happy medium hasn't always been easy, and Grimes readily admits it. At times, the focus became too much on winning, and on collecting trophies and banners. But Grimes said he's gone too far on the other side as well, neglecting the details and the work needed to excel at track and field. But just as Grimes pushes his athletes to excellence, he's done the same in his own life. Through trial and error, surrounding himself with respected mentors and certainly plenty of prayer, Grimes has found an ideal mix. Though it's a constant trial-anderror process, Gri mes says he loves
women's teams have 34 under Grimes -and the program has turned into a perennial national contender each year, thanks to Grimes. But the track symbolizes far more than just athletics, trophies, and honors. The track is Grimes' ministry, and he treats it as such. His passion for faith and his passion for track combine to form a powerful ministry that has had an impact on hundreds of athletes. He challenges his team to think in new terms and push themselves in new ways, and his incredible energy seemingly rubs off on everyone who meets him. He talks of "Christmanship" and constantly tells his athletes, "Yes, you can." Ultimately, he attempts to push his athletes past what they thought was possible.
<4 The Grimes Gang: (far left) Distance runner Chris Sinick (third from right) starts a race at 2008 NAIA Indoor Nationals in Johnson City, Tennessee, In March; (L) The Pioneers gather for prayer at the Nationals. It's all under the direction of Charlie Grimes (below), who has been a staff coach at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California.
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.l Making a run for it. (above) Two of Charlie Grimes' runners, Rebekah Genter and Sarah Hines, compete in the 5000 meter run at the NAJA Indoor Nationals In March. Rebekah finished eighth and Sarah finished 12th. Another of Charlie Grimes' proteges is AllAmerican heptathlete and decathlete Brady West, who finished sixth In the heptathlon at the NAJA Indoor Nationals.
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the balance of ministry and track. "God said l can do both. He expects our best, and the reason I' m to strive to be successful is because l give Him the glory." Grimes isn't afraid to be bald- in fact, boldness drives him, his program, and his ministry. He accepted Christ when he was 7 years old, knowing every implication of that decision at the young age. But he leaned on Christ and his grandparents through his parents' divorce at a young age, and it's allowed him to be daring. His passion seeps through to others. Even in intervie,vs, Grimes' voice gets louder, quicker, and more excited as he talks about God's possible impact through track. That impression has rubbed off on his team- and it draws even more enthusiasm from Grimes. He speaks of senior Laura McElrath, a shy, timid, and soft-spoken athlete when she first came to Malone, who transformed to an outgoing athletepushing herself to be an All-American in the pentathlon. " ! told her to do it ; try the impossible and find out what is possible," Grimes says. McElrath says she has enjoyed the progress she's made under Grimes. "He challenges us a lot," she says.
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"He tells us to run for God and give Him the glory. Through God, I'm able to do what I' m able to do. It's not just me. "[Grimes]likes bringing God into the team. He wants to develop your spirituality in your lite in general. He invests an interest with our time, and he tries to do everything he can to help people." Grimes' passion is getting his team to push themselves for the glmy of God. It's certainly not always worked, and not everything flows together with every athlete and Grimes. But the track record of success, both spiritually and athletically, speaks for itself. Grimes' approach, however, is far from conventional. He's not afraid of failure, as long as it happens while an athlete is giving his or her all. He talks about a variety of biblical characters in training-everyone from Gabriel to Ma1y is fair game-and Grimes will readily use verses to suppmt what he is saying. He also isn't afraid of applying God to the sportand the example it can provide. To wit: "If Jesus was on the team and ran the decathlon, what would He be like?-and then do likewise." "Can you carry the pole vault and worship God? Yes, because he's everywhere. You can worship God while you're doing your event." But says Grimes' methods
shape a young adult in every way. "He's willing to take chances. He puts a lot into it, he takes chances, but he always does what's best for us," West says. "He definitely treats track as a ministry. He cares about each one of us, and he knows th is is a big ministry." Grimes says he wants to push his athletes to move past their conventional models of worship. He wants them to embrace tension and hard work, if only because of the impact these things can have on their lives after they graduate. That approach has certainly worked on the track. But has it had an equal effect away from track? Grimes thinks so, and he has a lifechanging walk around a track to thank for that. "I want them to learn to pray like it's all up to God, work like it's up to them, and try with all their might," Grimes says. "Every one of our athletes is a leader and a person of influence somewhere. "God is using this sport to build people. It's a high calling. Jesus is using us and growing us to be leaders. We have to be faithful to the Lord but be excellent in what we do. We're doing it all for His glory." 0
Josh Hachat is a freelance writer who lives in Millersport, Ohio.
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----- -- --------------- ----- ----- ------ -------- --- --- -- ---- -- -his daughter and stepdaughter lived, he anived on the doorstep of his grandmother, Mary Holt, at 2 a.m. after a drug binge. He had lost one-fourth of his weight from a 6' 4" frame that today carries muscled, can't-pinch-an-inch 240 pounds. "I had nowhere else to go," says Hamilton, "but something clicked in my head. My grandmother had always told me I could come to her for any reason, at any time."
"But the voice of truth tells me a different story .... " HE VOICE OF TRUTH,"
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Casting Crowns, is what you'll hear when you call the cell phone of Katie Hamilton, wife of Josh ,___, Hamilton, who spent his rookie season with the Cincinnati Reds in 2007. The Voice ofTmth is also, in a literal and spiritual sense, what Josh had to listen to before he could put behind him a life-threatening and typically debilitating addiction to crack cocaine. It was that Voice of Truth that enabled him to crack the Reds' starting lineup as their centerfielder. Hamilton 's struggle and eventual retum to baseball was one of the top sports stories of 2007. He went from No. 1 pick overall in the 1999 major league draft to addiction and being entirely out of baseball for 3 years. In 2007, dmg-free and restored spiritually and physically, he surprised everyone with his retum to the game at its highest level. The song tells the story of Peter's walking on water and David's defeating of Goliath after they heard the Voice of Truth. Josh Hamilton's miracle was hitting 19 home runs in just 298 at-bats in his debut season after what he had to overcome. This miraculous journey is, as much as anything, a story of family and faith.
"They keep on telling me time and time again, 'Boy, you'll never win.'" OT TWICE OR THREE TIMES
but eight times Josh Hamilton _ rwent to drug rehabilitationand not once did his trips lead to recovery. Talk about "You'll never win!" With no place to go and a comt order preventing him from going to his own home where his wife Katie, along with
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Hamilton had grown up a baseball's throw from a classic "praying grandma:â&#x20AC;˘ "As long as I can remember, my grandmother was always at church when she wasn't working," he says. "She also never missed any of my games-any sporting event growing up, never missed one." How the home of a grandmother could provide refuge and produce recovery that eight stints in rehab couldn't is a mystery known only to
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------, God. But it wasn' t the only miracle that brought Josh to where he is now, poised to roam the outfield this season for the Texas Rangers, to whom the Reds traded him in the offseason.
"And the voice of truth says, 'This is for My glory.'" , - . ) EFORE THE JOURNEY to his . r-"" grandmother's, and even while 1 ____../ Josh was still in his addiction,
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Katie Hamilton had heard her own Voice of Truth. Josh and Katie were married in November 2004, and in January 2005 he had a relapse that shook his new bride. "I was like, 'We may have a long road ahead of us,' " says Katie. "I just spent the next few days in prayer, and that's when I felt God lay it on my heart that Josh was not only going to play baseball again but that the call on his life was so much greater than baseball. It was going
to be to share Christ with people and to share what God has done in his life." Rough times were still ahead- the worst of which was separation during a period of drug use by Josh. "Did I miss that message? Was I that wrong?" Katie asked herself in that time about what she believed God had told her. She got through the storm by reminding herself of something else she believed God was speaking: "He always told me to just wait, just wait, just wait." "That's really how I stayed focused in prayer, because there were so many times when I did not want to pray for him. I just wanted to wash my hands of the whole thing and be done, but God always renewed my faith and my
Y Flaming hot! Josh Hamilton made a good first impression on his new team by hitting over .400 in spring training.
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Story. The good part of the Josh Hamilton story came to the surface after the Cincinnati Reds gave the former No.1 draft pick a chance to play in 2007. Hamilton proved his worth with 19 home runs for the Reds in his rookie season. He hit .312 at Great American Ballpark, home of the Reds.
strength, and always reminded me of His promise."
"To step out of my comfort zone to the realm of the unknown. " oddly enough, brought the Hamilton family together after Josh had made the Godled trip to his grandmother's home. The Hamilton's baby daughter, Sierra, became sick with flu serious enough to requi re hospitalization. Katie soon came down with the same flu-and then Josh. Katie had called Josh when
the baby became ill, and he helped take care of Sierra. Then he nursed Katie when she fell sick. "Taking care of each other that whole week we thought, 'Well, maybe we still care about each other-maybe there's still something here,'" remembers Katie. It was then that Roy Silver of the Winning Inning baseball camp in Clearwater, Florida, and former minorleague manager in the Tampa Bay Rays' farm system, reentered Josh's life. "He was going out of the system when I was corning in back in '99," says Harnilton, who was the Rays' top draft
selection that year. Silver had read a story about Hamilton. "He called metracked me down at my grandmother's-and asked me if I'd like to come down there," recalls the outfielder. Reentry into baseball was far removed from the glamour of draft day and the signing of a contract wi th a huge bonus. "When I got down there in January, I lived upstairs above the locker room, sleeping on an air mattressand I worked around the facility. I was cleaning toilets, cutting trees, helping keep the field up, vacuuming the offices, taking the trash out- just whatever. If l didn't fi nish my chores, I wouldn't get baseball." Manual labor wasn't the only regimen for Hamilton. ''They had a Bible study every Tuesday night, and I would have to learn a new Scripture," Hamilton says with a smile. "If I wanted to go in the batting cage, I'd have to say the Scripture to Roy. [Those verses] helped me out so much spiritually." The time in Florida also helped Josh and Katie heal their marriage. "I'd visit him down there, and we had time to just get reconnected with each other," says Katie. "It really gave him a chance to show me he was serious about staying clean and sober." It also gave Katie a chance to live out the forgiveness that God had led her to extend to Josh while he was still using drugs. "I had forgiven Josh before we ever even thought about reconciling. It completely freed me from feeling bitter toward him. It wasn't like, 'I'm forgiving you, but I'm so going to be throwing this back in your face all the time,' " says Katie.
• "People, places, things, and the choices we make with each of them" is a theme in Josh Hamilton's testimony to youth groups, addicts in recovery, and churches that invite him to speak. It is the basis for telling people, especially young people, how to avoid the mistakes he made. "When I talk to teenagers, I tell them the choices they make in high school are going to determine what they do for the rest of their life," he says. Hamilton points to a tattoo parlor as a "place" and "choice" that led to drug addiction and eventual suspension from base ball. Drugs were what the "people" were doing in the tattoo parlor Hamilton frequented. "Keeping God fi rst in your life-when you're that age-it doesn't seem like a priority. But I would have wanted to keep God fi rst. It would have made decisions li ke staying away from a tattoo parlor where drugs were a part of the scene easier," says Hamilton. Church, too, is something Hamilton says can't be minimized. From age 12 through high school, traveling teams took Hamilton away from church for the most part. Saved at age 18, he believes church attendance as a child created a foundation for a return to Christ and recovery. "God never leaves your side." -KE N SNYDER
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The next stop and step for Josh was a move to Brockton, Massachusetts, and an independent-league team owned by a friend of Josh's from his native Raleigh, North Carolina. Suspended from baseball because of his addiction, but hopeful of returning, Josh had begun taking thrice-weekJy dmg tests. Not wishing to jeopardize possible reentry, he called the offices of Major League Baseball to see if the Brockton Rocks would be pem1issible. "I called them, and they talked and debated and called me back and said, 'Well, if we're going to let you play independent ball, why don't we just let you play for the Devil Rays?' "I said, 'That' ll work.'" Hamilton played 15 games with a Tampa Bay farm team, the Hudson Valley Renegades, in 2006 in the Class A New York-Penn League before a knee injury sidelined him. When Tampa Bay left Hamilton off its 40-man roster in 2007, he was eligible for baseball's Rule 5 Draft. The Chicago Cubs selected him, then traded him to the Cincinnati Reds before the 2007 season. It was in Cincinnati that he would encounter a past acquaintance as important as Roy Silver. "And the voice of t路r uth says, 'Do not. be afraid!'"
brother of then Reds' manager Jerry Nan-on, had known Josh from a recreation basketball league for 8- and 9year-olds in which his own son had played. He later coached Josh, then 15, on a fall-league baseball team. Without conscious intent, Narron became what Josh calls his "accountability partner." " It just kind of evolved. He and I both are men of faith, and the foundation of our relationship is the devotions that we do, the daily Bible study," says Nan-on. Josh, his wife Katie, and Narron established a kind of support system. This support system seemed to suffer a blow, however, after the 2007 season: John Nan-on chose not to return to the Reds for 2008, which, at the time, would have left Josh without a key member of his accountability group. Katie remembers feeling an inexplicable, yet overwhelming sense of peace when Josh broke the news to her that Narron was leaving Cincinnati. The peace Katie felt turned out to be wan路anted.
JJ
OHN NARRON,
WEB SITE: www. S p o rts Sp ectrum . com
than drugs" It's another song by another group, but words from SRIIIet 's tune "Better Than Drugs" say, " How can I tell you just all that you do you to me.'' That sentiment could be directed t o these special people In Josh Hamilton's life: Texas coach John Narron, who has been Josh's accountability partner; Roy Silver, who gave Josh another chance at baseball; and Katie, Julia, and Sierra, who gave Josh a reason to straighten out his life.
"The trade with Texas happens, and the first thing the general manager asks me is, 'What do you think about Johnny Narron coming?" says Josh. "I said, 'That would be great,' and then it popped into my mind Katie's overwhelming peace. God had it all plan ned out." Narron will assist the Rangers' hitting coach and serve as a scout. Commenting on the move to Texas from Cincinnati with Josh, Narron said, "In my feeling and in my heart, it was God's work. It's His plan, and I'm blessed to be a pm1 of it." That success will follow Josh is beyond 路question for Narron, but what God has done beyond baseball is what has most impacted the Hamiltons, according to Katie. "The best change out of everything has been Josh becoming the spirirual leader in our home," she says. "I was 'it' for a while, and that's not how God plans marTiage; it's not God's design. When that transformation began taking place, it was such a welcome change." She adds: "He' ll just burst out with a prayer, and I just love it because it's not showy- 'Our father, thee and thou.' It's just real, genuine prayer to our Lord." Josh's prayers have set an example for the Hamilton children. ''They've heard us pray so much, even the little 2year-old will pray for her Mom and Dad
and for her little friends," says Katie. "IF I WANTED Today, Josh knows that Katie's prayers and the prayers of many others TO GO IN THE have led him to freedom from drugs and BATTING CAGE a place in major league baseball. "There I'D HAVE TO were so many people praying for memy aunt and uncle at their church, other SAY THE churches, people I didn't even know," says Hamilton. "When I meet people SCRIPTURE TO for the first time, they say, 'We've been ROY [SILVER]. praying for you for years.' That's the reason I feel like I was allowed to live THOSE VERSES through all that- because all those HELPED ME prayers were going up for me. "It's such a great thing to see how OUT SO MUCH God never leaves your side, or is always SPIRITUALLY." waiting on you to come back to Him," Josh says. JOSH HAMILTON His own prayers are not about continued success in baseball. "Every day I wake up, I pray that today I'll be a responsible Christian man, a responsible husband, and a responsible father. Keeping that order- keeping God firsthelps me do all those things. "Just surrendering and letting God take over, it's li ke what Katie says: He can do all things and He does it in a perfect way. I can't comprehend or think about what God is doing. Alii can do is open my heart and try to listen." And to hear the Voice of Tmth. 0
Ken Snyder is a freelance writer who lives in Louisville, Kentucky. SPO RTS SP ECT RU M - HAY路 J U NE 20 08
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he new manager of the Kansas City Royals is Trey Hillman. That's Trey Hillman. T-r-e-y H-i-l-1-m-a-n. "I' m a no-name," he says. "I've never managed in the major leagues in the United States. Very few people know who I am, which is fine with me, and I believe it's all part of the perseverance of goi ng through more, and enduring more. I want to have as much success as I can, but not for individual gain- for the good of the whole group, and for the platform that God has blessed me with." Hillman, 45, was a career minor league manager in the New York Yankees system, laboring 13 years before spending I year as director of player development for the Texas Rangers and 5 years managing in Japan. When he pulled on his No. 22 jersey for the Royals on March 31 against the Detroit Tigers, it was his first major league game. "I had to manage 'A' ball for 8 years before I got promoted to Double A," he says, "and I believe that everything I went through
is coming full circle. I believe I'll go through more. I believe that's part of God's plan for me." Hillman began to walk with Jesus out of a Christian home in his native Texas. He was 13 when his sins were cleansed. "I knew there was a plan and a purpose, and for that plan and that purpose I needed Christ," he says. "I made God a promise a long time ago, and that prqmise was this: 'Give me an opportunity with a platform in professional baseball, and I will never be hesitant; I will not be shy abou t professing my fai th.' That's my job as a Christian." One of Hillman's favorite slogans is "Adapt, Adjust, Overcome." It seems ideally worded to describe the three major parts of his professional life with the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, and Nippon Ham Fighters of the Japan Pacific League. It also may fraille the depth and scope of the work he now faces with the Royals, a franchise that has finished last in the American League Central Division for each of the past four seasons. With the Indians, he was a minor league second baseman who retired at the age of 25 and became a scout. "I felt like God gave me an ability at a young age to get control of my own ego," he says. "I evaluated it and saw that my talent level was WEB SITE: www.SportsS p ec tr um.com
AFTER AN ANONYMOUS CAREER AS A COACH STATESIDE,
TREY HILLMAN MADE QUITE A NAME FOR HIMSELF IN JAPAN. NOW HE'S BACK TO MANAGE THE KC ROYALS â&#x20AC;˘
probably not indicative of a longterm career at the major league level, and I was blessed that God provided another avenue. That was a matter of adapting. I had to adapt to reaching my dream through a different route." Soon he had to adjust to making all kinds of bad decisions as the youngest manager in the country, at age 27, on the lowest nmg of the Yankees' ladder. "I'm never slow to talk about my deficiencies, my mistakes, because I think it helps me stay humble," Hillman says. "As soon as I got the managing job, I lost control of my tongue. I had to read James 3 about a thousand times [that season]." He eventuall y earned three
BY A LLEN PALMERI
Manager of the Year awards and fi nished his tenure with three seasons at Triple A Columbus. In Japan, he led the downtrod: den Hokkaido Nippon Ham franchise, which had gone 25 years without a pennant, to victory in the 2006 Japan Series. The Fighters followed that up with a runner-up performance in 2007. By this time Hillman was developing a reputation as a top-notch skipper, and he knew he was getting closer to his dream when three major league ballclubs interviewed hi m for their manager jobs. He began to study the situation more closely, and friends remarked to him that the leadership and skill set possessed by the young Royals general manager, Dayton Moore, would make SPO RTS SPE CT RU M - MAY¡J U NE
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.& Hamming It up: Trey Hillman is tossed Into the air by his Nippon Ham Fighters players after they won the Japan Series In October 2006.
JAPANISIIDOI • NO-NAME? That Trey Hillman is foreign to Kirk Kriegel. "It was kind of a surreal experience for me because it was kind of like being in the entourage of a rock star, wa lking around with him," says Kriegel, executive pastor of Hillman's home church, First Baptist, in Georgetown, Texas. The scene was Sapporo, at the end of Hillman's second year managing the Nippon Ham Fighters. Kriegel had come to visit Hillman during a fanfest, and one evening a large hotel ballroom was filled with hundreds of fans. "People just going nuts" is what Kriegel remembers. "When t hey opened t hose double doors, it was just flashes going off, people crowded at the door, just like you would see on TV or in a movie," he says. "It was surreal. I joked with my wife when I came back, saying, 'I'm probably in thousands of pictures over in Japan, and t hey're wondering who in the heck is that guy?"' Hillman "just kind of shrugged his shoulders about it and was very humbled by it all," Kriegel says. During his years in Japan, when interviewers would ask about his favorite saying, Hillman was known to answer 1 Corinthians 13:13, which uplifts the supremacy and sufficiency of God's love. -AllEN PALMERI
the two of them a perfect fit. Moore is also known as a bornagain believer. Intrigued by Hillman's ability to make something out of nothing, the Royals became the fourth club to show a serious interest. "I was elated when they called," Hillman says. Unlike the other three interviews when he was not chosen, in October of 2007 the Royals committed to be the franchise that would actually punch his ticket back to the States. "There is not a more qualified person out there to lead," Moore said to reporters covering the new hire. "He's been a winner his whole life. There are a lot of guys with great bubble gum cards who aren't great managers." For the Hillman family, which consists of wife Marie, son T.J., and daughter Brianna, it was God's way of reeling them in from the Far East to the familiarity of Liberty Hill, Texas, about 30 miles no11h of Austin. "Socially and scholastically for our children, it was time," the manager says. "There were things that the international school system just couldn't provide for my 14-year-old son and 11 -year-old daughter. My wife is an angel, but to continually pack up and move all the way to the other side of the world, twice a year, to go back and forth, it can get taxing." Framing what it will take to get the Royals, who have not been to the playoffs since winning the 1985 World Series, back into the postseason is not difficult for Hillman. "The market here is very much like the market I was in in Japan," he says. "There are some scary similarities. The state of the club when I took over in Japan and the state of this club [are similar]. It was a perennial last-place club, and we found a way to make it successful , and it wasn't because of Trey Hillman. It was because of the cumulative efforts of a lot of people. "I think there's a fine line between confidence and arrogance. I say this confidently, but I don't want ever to be perceived as being an·ogant. I think it's impossible to win a championship
unless you plan to win one, so I go into every season with the plans of winning a championship. There are always critics. People always talk behind managers' backs, but quite honestly I don't want to go into the season saying, 'Golly, I hope we have a I 0-game improvement. I hope we can just finish .500.' I want to win, and I want to win right now." In Japan he learned how to overcome by transitioning from a team that led the league in home runs to a team that was near the bottom in every offensive category except stolen bases. Those were his last two squads, and both made
"It may be a one- or a two-nu1 game. You get two runs off some of these guys in the American League Central, you're fist pumping! You're pretty fired up against that Detroit staff if you get two to three runs off them." Japanese players have a "workball" mentality that drives them to practice longer than American players. In a February 2007 interview with ESPN.com, Hillman observed that Japanese players "will flat work all day. They are on a mission. They do not let up. And that's part of their comfort level, actually. They want to be immersed in the game."
Pitching in: Trey Hillman takes a hands-on approach to managthrowing BP to his players. Says Hillman of Kansas City: "We have to raise our Individual and collective expectations:• .&
the Japan Series. Playi ng for one run is something that Hillman is going to require quite often against the likes of Detroit and Cleveland in the potent AL Central. "To beat pitching like that, you have to diversify your offense," he says. ''That's what we're going to do. I've talked to all the o!Tensive players about that, and I'm just going to ask everyone to be as unselfish as possible. There may be times midway through a game, and definitely late in a game, when we're facing the tougher pitchers, and we might have to play sacrificial baseball a li ttle bit longer.
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So Hillman has seen plenty of athletes who demand a tremendous amount out of themselves. Those who have followed the Royals for the last several years are not used to seeing that, so Hillman said his question for his players is, "How bad do you really want to wi n?" He will be looking this season for the team to develop a passion for playing si tuational baseball , where a batter gets excited about moving a runner up a base for the good of the team. And he also wants the Royals to be thinking, believe it or not, about playing
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welcome: Team president Dan Glass and GM Dayton Moore announce the appointment of Trey Hillman as the new KC skipper in October 2007. Marie and Trey have two children.
in the 2008 World Series. "My expectation is for us to play 181 games, not 162," he says. "We play 181 games, we max out, and go all the way through the World Series. Mentally and physically, you've got to prepare for that." Royals Hall of Fame Broadcaster Denny Malthews said in January that his first impression of Hillman was that he has "great enthusiasm, great passion for baseball" and that he has good people skills, which will result in the Royals playing hard for him. But Malthews has sat through so many lean years in the 1990s and 2000s that he can't help but deliver a dose of reality. "You can have a great manager, and if he has bad players, he's not going to do very well," Malthews said. "We all know that a manager needs good players. That's not a revelation or something that's magical. That's just a fact of life. But I think he's going to really do well." He may be relatively :young, and this may be his first major league season, but Hillman has learned how to overcome not only by adapting and adjusting to Japanese baseball but also by watching and fellowshiping with American Christian missionaries in the Asian nation over the last five years. "I don't know how our missionaries in Japan persevere," he says. "It's amazing. I know missionaries who have been there for 25, 30plus years, and they do it day in WEB SITE: www .SportsSpectrum.com
and day out, grind through sharing the Word of God and the plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. It's almost unimaginable how they can continue to do it day in and day out without going crazy. I've got a tremendous amount of respect for them." Grind is the word that Hillman uses to describe his unified approach to baseball and faith. "You've just got to keep grinding, and with the right altitude," he says. "Life is not easy, but the challenges that we incur in life are nowhere close to the challenges that Jesus Christ incun路ed in His life. He saved us. That's very cool and very impressive." True to the promise he made to God at the tender age of 13, Hillman is going through his first season in the major leagues neither hesitant nor shy about sharing his faith. "Because of the platform, people can think that I'm forcing things on them, and I don't want that," he says. "It's an offer, and I want to tell people about my faith but not if they don't want to hear it. I' m hopeful that the way that I cmry myself, and the way that I perform my duties as a leader, will cause people to say, 'Wow! What is it about that guy?' I've had that happen several times. 'Til be the first one to tell you, 'Don't follow me. I'll let you down. Follow Jesus.'" 0
Endorsed by the creator of the game of Basketballwhat more can we
Allen Palmeri is associate editor ofThe Pathway in Jefferson City, Missouri. :>-1...-:--:--:----:--L
Call to order 1-800-428-4385
r---------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- -- ------------ -----------------··N THE FAMED FILM SERIES ROCKY,
heavyweight boxers Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed were the greatest of rivals but eventually became the greatest of friends and training partners. The same can be said of WNBA rising stars Shanna Crossley and Sidney Spencer, though in the opposite order. The two hoopsters refined their basketball game together as teammates at the University of Tennessee and now compete in the highest level of competition for rival teams. Sharma is a shooting guard for the
San Antonio Silver Stars, while Sidney sports purple and yellow for the Los Angeles Sparks. The former training partners admit that the first time they stepped into the ring as opponents was a bit humorous to them. "I couldn' t stop laughing," says Shanna. "It was a major adjustment. The most difficult situation was when we were guardi ng each other. It felt like a pick-up game, not a WNBA game. She's a little bigger than me, and at one point I ran into her shoulder and almost got knocked out. I said, 'Sidney, what are you doing?' and she said, 'I've got to, son-y !' "
WH EN THE SAN ANTONIO S THE LOS ANGELES SPARKS,
SHANNA CROSSLEY AN D HAVE TO TURN FRIENDSH I COMPETITION
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BY JENNA
The third time the two played against each other is the time Sidney really remembers. "She scored a ridiculous number of points on us, and I said, 'Sharma, you have to stop this.' She was on fire from the three-point line, and I kept telling my teammates, 'You can't let her touch the ball.' I accidentally clapped for her one time when l was sitting on the bench, and my teammates gave me the eye." At the time, Sidney had just come off a national championship season her senior year at Tennessee and was already off to an exceptional stait for the Sparks. She worked her way into the start ing lineup, quickly becoming a fan favorite. Her 2007 numbers include averaging 9.6 points and 4 rebounds per game-both of which she hopes to raise this season. Shanna has had a similar start in the WN BA, coming off a successful college career in which she nabbed several NCAA and Lady Vol records. She averaged 9.2 points per game during the 2007 regular season and ranked second TO SUBSCRIBE TO SPORTS SPECTRUM' CALL 1 · 866·821·2971
-, in the WNBA in three-point field goals made. Her impressive playoff performance included averaging 8.2 points per game, ending with a 20-point performance in the conference finals against Phoenix. And while this pair isn't supposed to be cheering for each other on the court, they're each other's biggest encourager off the court. "Whenever we play each other, it always happens to be at a time when I need some encouragement," says Sidney. "It's refreshing to have someone for that." Shanna agrees. "We have other friends, but I
SELY DED OSHIP SILVER STARS PLAY TWO CLOSE FRIENDS, ) SIDNEY SPENCER, IP INTO )A MP SO N
think we understand what the other is going through because we're both athletes, playing the same position, and facing the same issues. When she gives me advice on something, I listen because I know she knows what I' m facing. Sidney is an unbelievable woman of God, and that in itself is an encouragement." There have definitely been some times when both have needed encouragement during their playing careers-Shanna, when she was going through a big slump, and Sidney, when she had a severe knee injury. It was during these times in college that the women grew closer to the Lord. "The first half of my junior season was the worst I've ever had as an athlete," says Shanna. "l placed the blame on different things, but the slump remained. God really got my attention, and I realized that I had been trying to find significance and fulfillment in my success as a basketball player instead of finding it in my relationship with Jesus Christ." WEB Stt E: www.SportsSptct ru m.com
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For Sidney, it was an ACL injury that pulled her off the court for 7 months. "I' m a hardheaded person, and I think God was able to use my injury to get my attention. God taught me so much about having a good attitude and various character lessons. It humbled me and reminded me that my career could be taken away at any time." Shanna wore Sidney's number while she was injured to show her support, which meant the world to her injured friend. "The first time she did it, I had tears in my eyes. That was a really special thing to do. When you're injured, it's
easy to feel disconnected from the team, so that helped me still feel like a pa.t of what was happening on the court." Both players were involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and Athletes in Action (AIA) during college, and they a.路e outspoken about how the ministries prepared them for life after college. "The biggest thing I took away from that experience was seeing peers come together, because they want to know more about God as their Savior and how they can be a light to their teammates," Shanna remarks. "We learned how to be an example for Christ." SPORTS SPECTR UM - MAY路JU NE 20 08
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â&#x20AC;˘ Lady Vol-unteering: (above) Shanna and Sidney, who met while playng for Pat Summitt atTennessee,enjoyed taking missions trips together (right, lower left, taken in Costa Rica). While taking trips with SCORE International, their teams played national and junior national teams. Also, they fed the homeless, visited orphans, and shared the gospel. .,. Shooting Shanna: Shanna Crossley, shown here taking it to Lauren Jackson of the Seattle Storm, began being noticed as o high school star at Wawasee High School in Syracuse, Indiana. She scored more than 3,000 points in high school, setting the Indiana high school girls record.
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That's something they've both put into practice. Shanna says that Sidney's greatest strength is her boldness in speaking up for her beliefs. Sidney admires Shanna's wisdom and knowledge of the Bible. "She knows Scripture and can always come up with a reference," she says. Boldness and knowledge of Scripture is a great combination, which makes for perfect tean1work in a different arenamissions. The pair traveled to Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic during college with SCORE International and plan to do more short-tenn missions trips in the future. "The only reason God has given us the opportunity and talent to play professional sports is that we're able to reach people that others can't reach," says Shanna. "It's because of the game of basketball, and that's why people
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• Sparks fly: Sidney Spencer, going to the basket against the Minnesota Lynx, spent more of her time on the outside-hiHing 54 three-pointers in 2007, her rookie season in the WNBA.
look up to us. Seei ng people come to Christ through my testimony or example is encouraging." "The game gives me an opportunity to be a guest speaker and share about Christ,'' she adds. "I get to use it for His glory. We've been given a lot, so we need to give back a lot." One way that Shanna gives back is WEB SITE: www.SportsSpectrum.com
through her offseason basketball camps for girls and boys age 6- 17. Her favorite Bible verse is Phili ppians 4: 13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," which is why her camp is aptly named "All Things Basketball Camp." The camp focuses on the impo11ance of a positive self-image, goal setting, and sportsmanship.
And these two ladies aren't the only players stepping up for Christ. Sidney happens to have a vety well-known teammate who will no doubt go down in history as the greatest women's basketball player of all time-Lisa Leslie. "Lisa Leslie is an incredible leader and a woman of great faith," she says. "She also leads our team Bible study. I try to soak up her advice as much as I can, and sometimes I work out with her. I looked up to her when I was growing up, so it's really cool to be on the same team." Shanna also feels like she's in a great position in San Antonio, with many fellow believers on her team to serve as a support system for each other. "As a Chdstian athlete, you're definitely the odd one out," she says. "But I have a unique situation, because God has placed a lot of believers on my team who profess their faith and try to live their lives for Christ. I say that proudly." Even with teammates to provide support during the season, it's still easy to lose focus, especially with the crazy travel schedule and physical demands. "I think it's really easy to get off track because we travel really early in the morning," adds Sidney. "You have to get in the Word every day and keep your priorities straight. When you're physically ex hausted, it's especially important to stay in the Word every day to keep your head on straight." She also has this advice for young athletes trying to be a Christian example for their teammates: "There are a lot of people that talk the tal k, but your actions are the best way to represent Christ to your teammates. Standing up for your beliefs and how you act on the court and off the court is important." Pursuing God is vi tal to spiritual health for Christians, and pursuing godly relationships with others is also extremely important. Both Shanna and Sidney are a great example to others of how maintaining Chtist-centered friendships can lift them up in times of need and strengthen them to be able to contimte to use their gifts for His glory. And if you happen to see the Stars and Sparks play each other, you just might hear "Eye of the Tiger" playing in the background as Shanna and Sidney meet at half court. Greatest Iivals, greatest ftiends; Rocky and Apollo would be proud. 0
SPENCERCROSSLEY
ZONE
• Shanna met her husband, Andrew Crossley, a form er football player at the University of Tennessee, at a college FCA meeting. • Sidney was one of her bridesmaids. • They both idolized Michael Jordan when they were growing up. • Shanna has a passion for holding camps for kids during the offseason. Read about it at www.szcross.com • Sidney and Shanna claim that laughter is an important part of friendship.
SHANNA
ZOLMAN CROSSLEY
• NICKNAME: ZSmooth • HEIGHT: 5'10" • BORN: September 7, 1983 • HIGH SCHOOL: Wawasee High (Syracuse, Indiana) • COLLEGE: University of Tennessee • 2006 DRAFT: 16th overall, San Antonio Silver Stars
SIDNEY
SPENCER
• HEIGHT: 6'3" • BORN: March 7, 1985 • HIGH SCHOOL: Hoover High (Hoover, Alabama) • COLLEGE: University of Tennessee • 2007 DRAFT: 25th overall, Los Angeles Sparks
Jenna Sampson is a freelance writer who lives in Carlsbad, Ca/ifomia. SPORT S SPECTRUM- MAY ·JU N E 2008
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olden State trailed the
Denver Nuggets by six with three minutes left in the second quarter at the Warriors' Oracle Arena earlier this season. The Warriors' Kelenna Azubuike leaped over Carmelo Anthony to grab a defensive rebound, threw an outlet pass, ran downcourt, and set up just behind the three-point line. Monta Ellis whipped a pass to Azubui ke, who nailed the three. That play highlighted Azubuike's great leaping ability, aggressiveness, and three-point shooting touch. It also typified the frenetic style that carried the Warriors to their first playoff appearance in 13 years last season and a stunning 4-2 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the
, ._,
Western Conference playoffs. It was the first time in NBA history that a No. 8 seed had defeated a No. I seed in a seven-game series. Don Nelson, who has the second most wins of any coach in NBA history, brought a free-wheeling style to Golden State when he returned to coach the Warriors last season. Azubuike, who at 6' 5" can play both guard and small forward, is a model player in Nelson's scheme. "He's a pretty good all-around player. His No. I thing is that he has some shooting range," says Nelson. "He works on defense, he's a pretty good rebounder, and fits right into our system." Last season, Azubui ke's .430 three-point fi eld-goal percentage was second among NBA rookies. He averaged 7. 1 points in 16minutes per game. This season he is playing more, providing quality play off the bench to ease the load on star players Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson. "I've got to bring a lot of energy when I come in," Azubuike says, "and do whatever we need at the time, whether it's getting rebounds or shooting threes if the right shot is there." Azubuike's path to the NBA is as incredible as the Warriors' resurgence from doormat of the league to one of its most excit ing teams. Raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Azubui ke led Victory Christian High School to the state basketball title as a sophomore. He topped the state in scoring in each of his final three high school seasons, averaging 39.1 points and 13.3 rebounds as a senior. After three years with the University of Kentucky, including two trips to the NCAA Elite Eight, Azubuike decided
WHEN HE WASN'T PICKED IN THE NBA DRAFT, KELENNA AZUBUIKE PICKED UP HIS GAME A NOTCH AND EVENTUALLY EARNED A SPOT WITH THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS â&#x20AC;˘ BY MATT SIE GER 3 8
SPORTS SP ECT RU M - MAY¡ JU NE 2008
to enter the 2005 NBA draft. No team selected him. He was devastated, but the Cleveland Cavaliers asked him to play in their summer league. "I decided I wasn't going to give up. l'mnot going to let my dream die here," he recalls. "I decided I belong in the NBA. So I just kept working hard to stay focused. I realized that I had a tough road ahead of me, but I was ready." There were more bumps in the road. Azubuike played the preseason for Cleveland, but the Cavaliers waived him before the season began. He signed with Fort Worth in the NBA Development League, where he shot over 50 percent for the season and
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helped the Flyers win the regular season 0 -League title. Then the Houston Rockets invited him to training camp. "I played well there, but they had too many guys," says Azuhuike. "They signed Bonzi Wells late, so that wasn' t good for me. I realized that I probably wasn't going to make the team. I just kept working hard, and I was ready if they cut me to go to the 0-League and then try to get back up." Houston di d cut him. Azubuike went back to Fort Worth and played with passion. After 12 games with the Flyers, he was leading the league in scoring at 26 points per game. Fort Worth coach Sydney Moncrief, a former NBA All-Star and now the WEB SI TE: www .S portsSpec tru m.com
Wan路iors' shooting coach, recommended Azubuike to Nelson. The Warriors signed him on January 2, 2007. "He [Moncrief] told me about him, and I just basically took his word," Nelson remembers. "I had never seen him play. He came in, and he was everything Sydney told me he was." Many players have been called up from the 0-League, but not many have thrived in the NBA. "There are other players who have failed their first time around in the NBA," Nelson notes. "He is one of the guys that the 0 -League looks to as a success story." It may be a cliche, but Azubuike succeeded because after each setback, he refused to give up. He easily could
have quit, especially after coming up empty in the NBA draft. "It was definitely depressing, and you get tempted to get down on yourself and give up," Azubuike acknowledges, "but my family was huge. They gave me a lot of suppmt and encouraged me to keep going. And my relationship with Jesus Christ, that was definitely huge too. I could go pray and read the Bible and just get back strong again." Azubuike's parents nurtured his faith as a child, and he remembers when he was five or six asking Jesus to forgive his sins and come into his life. "My parents kept me in church, they raised me right, they read the Word a lot," he recalls. He admits it is not easy to maintain the spiritual discipline he grew up with now that he is in the NBA. "It can be a challenge, trying to get into the Word every day," he explains. "A lot of times we're on the road, you got early practices or early shootm路ounds. Jt's tough to keep your routine going. And not just make it a routi ne, but get something out of it." Azubuike regularly attends the Warriors' chapel services, where he is joined by teammates AI Harrington, Troy Hudson, Patrick O'Bryant, and Assistant Coach Keith Smart, all fellow believers. Azubui ke is also involved with Crossover Mi nistries, an organization that takes American basketball players overseas to play against international competition. His brother, Nonzo, is president. At halftime, the Crossover athletes use drama, music, and their life stories to explain how to have a personal relationship with Christ. The tours also include youth basketball clinics, integrated with Bible studies. Kelenna supports Crossover financially and also fi nds time to speak at some events. He and Nonzo have discussed the possibility of Kelenna play ing with a touring team one summer in Nigeria, the country their parents are from. In the meantime, he will keep living his dream in the NBA, but it's doubt- 路 ful he will ever take it for granted. He says that making it to the league the hard way gives him plenty of motivation to stay there. "You've got to bring it every game," he says. He does. Just watch him. 0
.._ Whoa, Nelly. Kelenna Azubuike's ' Intensity, along with his deft shooting touch, was just what Don Nelson had in mind to complement the Golden State Warriors' wideopen style.
Matt Sieger is a jreelm1ce writer who lives in the San Francisco area. SPORTS SPECTRUM - MAY -JUNE 2008
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Legends • Bu Ruan Barnhart C:atchlag Up With John Wetteland -----------------------------------FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE PITCHER he ninth-grade Bible teacher has no seminary degree, background in preaching, or formal training, but he knows about life. He knows about mistakes, how to overcome them, and why one needs Jesus Christ. He prides himself on transparency and building relationships, and he accomplishes such by being honest and candid. John Wetteland, a three-time American League AU-Star and MVP of the 1996 World Series, is that Bible instructor. But Wetteland, who arrived in Texas upon signing a four-year, $23million contract in 1996 with the Texas Rangers, isn't in it for the money. On top of playing the guitar in a band and spending time with his family, Wetteland teaches four Bible classes, serves as an assistant coach for the seventh grade football team, and is the pitching coach for the baseball program at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas. "The best part of retirement is the extra time. But being a professional athlete is such a different arena that when you do return to your family, it can be quite a shock for everybody," says Wetteland. "There's a verse in the Bible I love. It says, 1f a man does not work, a man should not eat.' "
Wetteland, who retired from baseball in 2000 because of recurring back problems at age 33, says, "I think God instills something within us that says you need to be glad to earn a living. Something inside of me kept saying, 'You need to go work: " He sought guidance from God. "My prayer in 2002 was, 'Lord, what would You have me do?"' says Wetteland. "And God started steering me into coaching." Over the next few years he served as a roving instructor and a pitching coach in the major leagues. But there was something missing. "Now here I am teaching high school," he says to the class. "I asked God, 'Am I where You want me?' And guys, God will be very honest with you. Sometimes we don't want to hear the answer. So I listed what I was passionate about. I absolutely adore kids and I adore God's Word." Wetteland and his wife Michelle already had four children attending LCS and were well aware of the school's prominence. "I )'lad heard there were teaching opportunities available at Liberty,. and I came here hoping to teach sciencesomething I love," he says. "I walked into
• Give me Liberty. John Wetteland with five of his Bible students.
Dr. Haire's office, and ten seconds later, it was, 'You're hired: " Dr. Rodney Haire, the founder and president of LCS, says, "John brings to the table a true spirit of humility." And it is that sincere humility of having tasted the trophies of the world and still being excited about teaching high school boys that impresses Dr. Haire the most. "Everybody has their own platforms and that's what Christ has called us to .. . John's platform of wealth and fame is what he's responsible for, and he's standing up to it and influencing boys and girls. And I'm proud of him." In an earlier class, Wetteland encouraged the boys to envision fulfilling their dreams and career aspirations, despite the negatives. "Find something you're passionate about, and I guaran-
tee you that it will not matter what you make," said Wetteland. "Everything we do is in preparation for something much bigger than we think," he added, explaining how playing and coaching professionally led him to LCS. Speaking out about faith matters isn't new to Wetteland. He did that as a major leaguer. "The biggest thing that I tried to keep in mind is that nobody responds to being hit over the head with a Bible. When you walk in Christ, people will know that you're different. People will see that you're different. Then people will say, 1 want what he's got: And that happened aU the time." And now Wetteland knows what he wants to display to his students: "Love! There's nothing else." The bell rang, and as the students departed, he yelled, "I love you, guys." After the last student left, he continued, ''You can know Acts inside and out, and that doesn't really matter. Knowledge is great, but when they see love completely and unconditionally from me, they're going to start to understand that I love them that much." The boys at Liberty don't want to be in awe of a superhero who played professional baseball; they want someone to love them. And that's just what John Wetteland does. 0
Ryan Barnhart is a freelance writer who lives in Denton, Texas. SPORTS SPEC T RUM - MAY· JUNE 2008
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r- ------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------, I
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TWO YEARS AGO, RYAN HALL HAD NEVER RUN
I I I I
A MARATHON. NOW HE HAS LEARNED THAT RACE SO WELL
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HE IS ON HISWAYTO BEIJING TO SEEKAN OLYMPIC MEDAL IN THE EVENT •
BY MICAH MCDANI EL
FTER HIS VERY FIRST JOY RUN AS A 14·YEAR·OLD1 Ryan Hall knew he was destined for this. It just took him II years to figure it all out. 1J From a high school mjddle-distance phenom to an up-and-down collegiate career to the top American marathoner, Hall's transformation has been nothing shy of extraordinary. A miler by trade, Hall quickly progressed to the longer distances and is now the best marathoner this nation has to offer. 1J He won the 5K as a 2005 senior :lt the NCAA Championships and then won both the USATF 12K Cross Country and US Half Marathon titles in 2006. He set the American 20K record (57:54) at the inaugural IAAF World Road Running Championships in Hungary to close out 2006 and then set the American Half Marathon record (59:43) at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon in January 2007. 1f In his first-ever 26-mile jaunt in April 2007 at the London Marathon, Hall set an American debut record, placing seventh with a 2:08:24. Seven months later, he stunned the racing community and won the US Olympic marathon trials in New York City, shatteting by 17 seconds a record older than he is, mtming a 2:09:02, more than two
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minutes ahead of his next competitor. It wasn't the fact that he won that was so aston ishing- his talent has been oozing from his pores since he empted onto the national running scene in high school. It was the fact that this 25-year-old rookie literally sprinted his way to victory over veteran Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi and former world record holder Kh alid Khannouchi, neither of whom made the team. Over the first 40K of the race, each of his 5K splits was faster than the previous one. Now the United States is pinning its marathon gold medal hopes on someone who has run the distance only two times. No need to worry, though. He was made for this. Hall 's "ah-ha" moment came during
the 2006 USATF 12K Cross-Country Championships. He had finished third in the 4K the previous day in the race he actually came to nm. A few weeks prior, he had decided he was going to try to double and mn the 12K as well. At the time he was spuned more by curiosity than by anything else. He won by 27 seconds and instantly knew that long distances were his new specialty. "There was something surreal about that day," says Hall. "Everything was clicking. I was experiencing a runners' high and was in my flow. There was a point late in the race where I looked up into the sky and realized that this is what I was created to do- to run long distances. 1t was a tough day for many, but not for me. It was cold and snowy, just another 'Big Bear day.' " Tucked high in the San Bernardino
i
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4 Digging for medal. Ryan Hall will take to Beijing the US team's best hopes for a medal in the men's marathon. In 2004, Meb Keflezighl won silver in Athens. Before that, the last was Frank Shorter's 1976 silver. Shorter was the last US gold medalist- in '72.
SPORTS SPECTR UM • KAY· JUNE 2008
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.A Anatomy of a marathon win. Ryan Hall sets the pace for Dathan Ritzenhein and Meb Keflezlghl during the US Olympic trials held In New York's Central Park on November 3, 2007. (Right) Hall celebrates as he crosses the finish line to capture first place and high hopes for the Summer Olympics. Then he pauses to give thanks to God.
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Mountains in Southern California, about a two-hour drive from downtown Los Angeles, the community of Big Bear Lake is your typical mountain communi ty. The Halls moved there when Ryan was five. It wasn't until he was 14, though, that his dad took him for a relaxing jog around the lake, and Ryan was hooked. "God gave me a vision for my life that day," says Hall. "When I got home from that run with my dad, I knew that God had something special for me on a grand stage. It wasn't about me, but rather, I knew that he was going to use the gift of running to encourage others
"I was heading down a scary path in middle school," says Hall. "I wasn't getting into trouble, but all my friends were. I was hanging out with the wrong people. We didn 't have a cross country or track team at my high school, so my dad started a team and made sure I had good friends to run with. Those friends changed the trajectory of my life." Hall burst onto the running scene as a high school junior when he fini shed third at the 2000 Footlocker Cross Country Championships behind Dathan Ritzenhein, who finished second at the marathon trials, and Alan Webb. Hall
al meet. On the track, though, Hall bounced back to win the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Championships. Perhaps his biggest accomplishment at Stanford, however, was meeting his wife, Sara (Bei), who herself was a four-time state high school cross country champion. The two met as high school athletes, then became freshmen teammates at Stanford and instantly hit it off. They dated all four years and married just three months after graduating in 2005. "I would have quit running if she hadn' t been in my life," says Hall. "I had some really difficult times at
and spread the gospel." The instant success has indeed opened doors for Hall to share his faith. It doesn't hurt either that a GodTube.com video telling his story has more than 32,000 hits. "I do my best not to pass up an opportunity to talk to people," says Hall, "but I'm not going to force it upon anyone. I just want to be myself and be honest and authentic in all I do. That GodTube video is a huge opportunity in a non-intrusive way to share my heart." He grew up in a Christian home and came into a personal relationship with Christ at a young age. However, it was that initial run around the lake that changed his life.
was a two-titi1e California state crosscountry champion and was a state champion in the 1,600 meters, running a record time of 4:02.62 as a senior. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at Stanford. With lofty expectations and impressive credentials in tow, he struggled initially- marred by injuries and inconsistencies. In 2003, however, he led the Cardinal to the NCAA Cross Country Championships, fini shing second individually (again behind Ritzenhein). He was named Pac10 Cross Country Athlete of the Year. As a 2005 senior, he finished second in the Pac-1 0 Championships, won the West Regional Championships but finished a disappointing 26th at the nation-
Stanford, and she was a constant support. She is passionate about she does, and that passion is contagious. She has a good grasp on what's important in life and running. God brought us together for a reason. We both have a passion for running, and she has a passion for missions. Someday soon we' ll be able to mesh the two and help others." But for now, all eyes are on Beijing. Teammates in college and now professional teammates, the Halls spend most of their ti me training in Mammoth Lakes, California. Sara has her eyes set on Beijing as well in either the I,500 or SK (see sidebar). They both train under the guidance of Terrence Mahon, one of
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the top distance coaches in the nation. "Ryan has a legitimate shot at winning a medal in Beijing," says Mahon . "He has shown in his short marathon career that the event really suits his strengths as a runner. The goal is to get him ready to run his best at the greatest race ever for a marathoner to run in- the Olympic Marathon." For Hall, it all comes back to the first time he ever went for a run and the dream that was birthed that day to someday win an Olympic medal- the pinnacle of his sport. After that 12K win in 2006, Hall reali zed his best chance for a medal was in fact in the marathon. So his transfor mation began, and in less than one full year, he became the best marathoner in the Un ited States. "Prior to that 12K win, I was ready to give it all up," says Hall. "I was stmggling with my training, and my times in both training sessions and competitions were the slowest they had ever been. Sara encouraged me to stick with it, because we both knew that the Lord had a purpose for me. He brought me from the miry clay and transformed me. The body can do extraordinary things when the spirit is in tune." Hall's day-to-day training regimen is quite extensive and repetitive. Being a world-class marathoner requires discipline and includes everything from ice baths, stretching, nutrition, weights, and even a dai ly nap. A morning run stmts at 8:30 and lasts until just before noon. After lunch, it's nap time, and then after an hour or so to handle personal business, it's off to the gym for a late afternoon weight workout prior to dinner. Bedtime is around I0 p.m., just to get up and do it all over agai n the next day. "Running is so different from other sports," says Hall. " It is more than a sport. It is a total lifestyle. ll really is a simple lifestyle that suits me well. Running a marathon is so taxing on the body that I actually need to sleep a lot, so that is part of my training schedule." But success at a high level requ ires so much more than just a qual ity training schedule. It really is a team effo rt that includes a quality support crew, teammates, coaches, and an environment conducive to success. With a combination of his wife, teammates, coach, training schedule, and training location, Hall has it all. Everything came together perfectly last November when Hall put together the race of his life in winning the trials. Less than four miles past the halfway WEB SITE: www.S p o rts S ptctrum . c o m
poi nt, he put together a 4:32 mile to take complete control and then opened a half-minute lead after 18 miles. He cruised over the final eight miles, acknowledging the crowd support over the final mile. "When I crossed that finish line, I was in awe of what God had just clone in my life," says Hall. "It was a humbling experience, and I was amazed by what He did. The race played out His way, and He had his hand on me. We shared an intimate moment for more than two hours. It was something special." Those two hours not only pushed him to a title and the accomplishment of a lifelong dream- an Olympic betth, but they also prepm·ed him for what lay ahead in the next few minutes. Just 20 minutes after Hall crossed the line and with competitors still on the course, news came down that training partner, close ftiend, and Olympic hopeful Ryan Shay had collapsed just 5 '12 miles into the race and later died, casting a dark cloud of grief on the day. "It was such a roller coaster day of emotions for me," says Hal l. "I was reminded of the verse that talks about rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourning with those who mourn. There were times of rejoicing and times of
mourning that afternoon. I have a picture of us lining up next to each other at the start of that race. I see it every day and realize exactly how precious life is. As cliche as that may sound, it is a truth in my life. It is now my goal to honor him with my performance at the Olympics." As a 14-year-old nmning around Big Bear Lake, Hall knew he was ordained to run. He plans to make a return trip to the London Marathon in Apri l, and "I have a picture after a shot1 two-week break to recover, of us lining up he wi ll begin training for the Olympics next to each in August. Remarkably, the Olympic other at the start marathon will be just his fourth com- of that race ... petitive marathon ever. To him, though, It is now my it doesn't matter. goal to honor "I wou ld be thrilled to win a gold him with my medal, but I don't feel like it's someperformance at thing I have to do," says Hall. "Not every race will be perfect, but there is still a the Olympics." - Ryan flail. 011 the loss of purpose. Ali i need to do is set aside my frielld a11d mnner Rya11 Shay pride and do what He has called me to during tile US Olympic do. I want to honor Him in my prepaMe11's Maratho11 Tn1111 Trials 011 N01·ember J. 2007. ration and then run to praise Him. It is my job to worship Him every day as I run . It's in those moments where I find the most fulfillment." 0
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Micah McDaniel is a f reelance writer who lives in Chino Hills, Ca/ifomia.
.A Bel ... as in Beijing? (L) Sara Bel Hall would like to join her husband, Ryan, on the US Olympic team. Her main events are the 1,500 and 5,000 meter races. Sara and Ryan were married in September 2005.
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There must be something in t he water at the Hall house. Ryan is the top American hopeful in the Marathon at the 2008 Olympics. His younger brother Chad won the 2006 Foot Locker High School Cross Country National Championship, and now wife Sara (formerly Sara Bei), also a high school national cross country cham pion, is eyeing her own spot on the 2008 US Olympic Team in the 1,500 and/or 5,000 meters. "The Olympics are a goal and the focus of the season," says Sara, who was a two-time Pac-10 cham pion and NCAA runner-up in the 5,000 meters at Stanford. "I never thought that I'd be running professionally after college, because running has just been another aspect of my life, not the sole focus. However, I know this is what I'm meant to be doing right now." Since graduating in 2005, Sara won t he USA 5K road title and the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York in 2006. Though the 2007 season was filled with ups and downs, she finished third at the Fifth Avenue Mile in October. However, she is now primed to make a legitimate run at an Olympic bert h, and she is getting some help from a likely source. "Being able to train with Ryan is inspiring," says Sara. "His discipline and work et hic is contagious. It also makes it more enjoyable to train with my best friend every day." "Now that I have my berth, our focus is to get her on the team," says Ryan. - MICAH MCDANIEL SPORTS SP ECTRUM - M A Y- J UN E 2008
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Th e Pl an MAJOR LEAGUE SHORTSTOP
Stephen DJrew
FAITII AND FAMILY â&#x20AC;˘ I grew up in a Christian family, going to church on a dirt road a mile away from home in Hahira, Georgia. My parents are wellgrounded in the faith, and the way they raised my brothers and me was important to each of us. I had heard many Bible lessons, but when I was 9 years old, I was ready to make a decision for myself. Sitting in my room one night, I started thinking about the earth-that it is way too big to come out of nowhere-and the complexities of the human body. I knew none of this happened by chance. That night, I trusted in Christ as my Savior. While it was great to have parents and two older brothers who were strong believers, none of them could have made that decision for me. They taught me many good things, and I learned a lot in church-but what mattered most was my personal decision to believe that Jesus died for my sins and was raised to life 3 days later. In high school and college, I didn't get into trouble or fall in with the wrong crowd. I just enjoyed being a country boy, going to my granny's farm, and doing some hunting and fishing. And I was working toward my goal of playing professional baseball. I knew God had given me a gift, and I didn't want to waste it. Having two older brothers, J.D. and Tim, who were also first-round draft picks, was a great blessing. After getting drafted in 2004, I made my major league debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in July 2006. My faith plays a huge role in my profession. At this level, things aren't easy, and they certainly don't always go your way! It can be the complete opposite. You might not understand why things happen a certain way, _but eventually you can look back and see the Lord's hand in everything. Jesus is walking beside me every day. My wife Laura and I want to reflect Jesus and touch as many people as possible. While there are many sinful temptations in this profession, it's easy for me to be a witness because I am grounded in my faith and I know where I stand with Christ. Other people may be doing ill-advised things, but I keep my focus on the Lord and His Word. I try to share my faith with others, but sometimes the subject of religion can cause arguments. I never jump down anyone's throat or act as if I am better than someone else. It's just a matter of telling others, "We were born as sinners and Jesus died for all of us. Do you accept that?" Dear Lord, I admit that I am a sinner. I have done so many things that do not please You. But I believe that You made the ultimate sacrifice for me, dying on the cross to save me from my sins. So I ask for Your forgiveness, and I trust in You as my Savior. Please take control of my life and help me to live every day in a way that pleases You. Thank You for loving me and accepting me into Your eternal kingdom. Amen. 0
What Does It Mean? If Stephen Drew "didn't get into trouble" in high school, why does he need to have his sins forgiven? Isn't it enough to live a good life and expect God to take you to heaven one day? The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of God's glory. We all need what Stephen wrote about in his prayer. Have you trusted Jesus as your Savior? 4 6
SPORTS SPECTRUM - MAY -JUNE 2008
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