Yooper Bowl Four alums assist with UP game for high schoolers
ABOVE: High school football players from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan work on fundamentals with children during the annual “Yooper Bowl” in Marquette. A group of alums has teamed up to create a special football game and other events for outstanding high school athletes from the UP.
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group of alums has teamed up to create a special football game for outstanding high school athletes from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Todd Goldbeck, ’98; Dave Carl, ’89; Jon Jungwirth, ’97; and Mike Maslowski have been involved with the “Yooper Bowl.” The Upper Peninsula Football All-Star Game is a week-long celebration for 90 U.P. high school football seniors at Northern Michigan University in Marquette. Goldbeck is owner and founder of Xcel Sports Training, a company that performs high school recruiting throughout the Midwest. He started the U.P. bowl in 2008. “Some parents were heard discussing the short-comings of the current Michigan all-star game held in Lansing each year,” says Goldbeck. Michigan has over 700 high schools. The U.P. has only 40 and typically got only one player selected. Goldbeck encouraged the parents to start their own all-star game just for the U.P. He was approached by parents in 2007 to do just that. Along with practicing twice a day, players participate in media day, skills challenge, youth camp and a banquet. Goldbeck turned to fellow ’95 national championship teammate Maslowski, ’85 national champ squad 32
UW-L Alumnus magazine Summer 2010
member Carl and friend Jungwirth to help. They did and remain involved. Following a stint with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, Maslowski started his own company, MB2 Sports, which supplies apparel and uniforms to athletic teams in Kansas City. It also supplies gear for the U.P players in the All-Star Game. Carl works with the National Collegiate Scouting Association, a group responsible for matching high school student-athletes with prospective colleges. Jungwirth, a sports medicine program coordinator for Dickinson County Healthcare System, provides athletic training services for the all-star game. Proceeds from the game go to numerous U.P. non-profits. “Giving back to the communities and schools who have supported these players throughout their lives is the main emphasis of the Yooper Bowl,” says Goldbeck. “Although it is a celebration of their accomplishments, which are very well-deserved, these players need to understand how important is to take their success and use it to help others. They need to keep paving the way for future generations of studentathletes to be successful.” See more about the game at: www.xcelsportstraining.net/upallstargame.aspx.
All-americans:
Two earn top honors
Swimmer Chelsea Hoff and wrestler Dan Laurent were selected to the 2010 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® of the Year for the College Division Women’s and Men’s At-Large Teams, respectively. They are the first studentathletes in school history to earn the honors. The college division includes NCAA divisions II and III, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, Canadian Interuniversity Sport and two-year institutions. The two who graduated in May earned Academic All-America® First Team honors for the second straight year. Hoff maintained a 4.00 GPA majoring in exercise sport science-fitness pre-physical therapy. Laurent had a 3.94 GPA majoring in biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology.
For the love of basketball There are gym rats and basketball junkies. Then, there’s Dick Luther. Luther, ’68, will take to the court for his 45th season this fall. The current UW-Whitewater assistant men’s basketball coach has accomplished much since coaching a La Crosse elementary school during college. He coached at Spence and Waukesha North high schools before joining the UW-Waukesha staff where he helped the Cougers earn six conference titles and two junior college state titles in the nine years he was there. In 2007 he was inducted into the UW-Waukesha Hall of Fame and was named the state’s Assistant Coach of the Year by the WBCA. Luther continues to run his popular Actions basketball Camps that have attracted more than 24,000. He retired from teaching physical education after 32 1/2 years in Waukesha in 2000.