BA Issue 87, July 2014

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a lot of myths surround34 There’s ing mental preparedness. Erika Carlson debunks a few.

pitch: Sports. They’re 6 First just great, aren’t they? Have to love how events like the World Cup can bring us all together.

What’s better: raw 13 Clipboard: talent or superior tactics? Clay Kallam explores the issue.

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With the high school sports season over, it’s time to settle the scores and see which school reigned supreme over all others.

SportStars honors those schools that dominated all year long.

Sabrina Ionescu 18 Miramonte’s repping the Stars and Stripes.

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BREAKDOWN: 10 STATE The three-sport athlete used to be all too common and now they’re all too rare. So take a moment with CalHi Sports’ Mark Tennis to appreciate those who feel starring in one or two sports just isn’t enough.

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of the week 7 Sportstar Arturo Sotomayor, Roseville

8 locker room: A year ago, Aaron

Gordon was dominating Bay Area basketball. Now, he’s revelling in being the fourth overall pick in the NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. What’s he think of that?

on the cover Drew Anderson of Miramonte.

Photo by Phillip Walton

camps & Clinics

Find your sport. Turn to page 41.

Fence: Tryouts, sign-ups, 42 The fund-raisers and more!

45 Advertiser’s index

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The Beautiful Game I love the World Cup. And it’s not because I’m a big soccer fan.

I love the World Cup because it turns me — and millions of other fair-weather futbol Americans — into soccer fans. All-consuming soccer fans. Even if just for a few summer fortnights.

It’s a testament to the all-encompassing power of sports. And competition. And drama. And good ol’ red-blooded patriotism. But mostly, it’s sports.

Sports unifies in spectacular ways. And it always has.

It’s why I’m writing this column in a standing-roomonly eating establishment at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday watching the USA play Belgium — during a VERY extended “lunch break.”

It’s why the decibel level of our watching venue may have reached its peak when Chris Wondolowski — a De La Salle-Concord graduate and San Jose Earthquakes star — entered the game with approximately 20 minutes left in regulation.

The unification of sports trickles down to the high school level, too. It’s why an 18,000-seat high school football stadium was built in Allen, Texas, just a couple years ago. For the price of just $60 million. A high school stadium. High school.

It’s why “When The Game Stands Tall,” a movie based on the De La Salle football program and its coach Bob Ladouceur, is one of the most anticipated movies in the Bay Area since ... wait for it ... “Moneyball,” which was based on the Oakland A’s — currently the best team in baseball, by the way.

It’s why we here at SportStars have created things like the SportStars Cup and the Bay Area 75, because it unifies our readers and creates conversation and debate.

Sports bring people together.

As many — I’d imagine nearly all of you — know, the Americans lost their match against Belgium. It was another round of 16 exit after a promising effort in group play. But Julian Green scored our lone goal, and he’s only 19 years old. DeAndre Yedlin played over 90 minutes, and he’s only 20.

There’s a bright future for the U.S. Men’s Soccer team, and there are a lot more fans who will be following that future. And let’s not forget that the U.S. Women’s Team has the chance to bring us all together once again in 2015. The Women’s World Cup begins in less than a year and will be on North American soil. Until then, we’ll remember this World Cup fondly as another moment in which sports transfixed us and made us care more than we wanted to. It’ll never get old.

Also, Tim Howard is our hero. ✪

Osvaldo Aguilar/ MEXSPORT/ ZUMAPRESS.com

join our team PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507 Editorial Editor@SportStarsOnline.com Editor Chace Bryson • Chace@SportStarsOnline.com Staff Writer Jim McCue • JimMcCue16@gmail.com Contributors Bill Kolb, Matt Smith, Clay Kallam, Ben Enos, Dave Kiefer, Liz Elliott, Tim Rudd, Trevor Horn Copy Editor Bill Kruissink Photography Bob Larson, Jonathan Hawthorne, James K. Leash, Norbert von der Groeben, Phillip Walton, Doug Guler, Dean Coppola, Berry Evans, III Marketing/Events Ryan Arter Editorial Intern Mike Young Creative Department Art@SportStarsOnline.com Production Manager Mike DeCicco • MikeD@SportStarsOnline.com Publisher/President Mike Calamusa • Mike@SportStarsOnline.com Advertising Sales@SportStarsOnline.com, 925.566.8500 Account Executives Leslie Ellis • Leslie@SportStarsOnline.com Camps & Clinics: Ryan Arter • Camps@SportStarsOnline.com Alameda County: Berry Evans • Berry@foto-pros.com Central Valley, World Events: Anthony Grigsby • Area Director anthony.grigsby@worldeventssports.com Darin Wissner • dwissner@wordeventssports.com Reader Resources/Administration Subscription, Calendar, Credit Services Angela Paradise • Info@SportStarsOnline.com Distribution/Delivery Phillip Walton • Mags@SportStarsOnline.com Information technology John Bonilla CFO Sharon Calamusa • Sharon@SportStarsOnline.com community SportStars™ Magazine A division of Caliente! Communications, LLC 5356 Clayton Rd., Ste. 222 • Concord, CA 94521 • info@SportStarsOnline.com www.SportStarsOnline.com

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SportStars™© 2010-2014 by Caliente! Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Subscription rates: 24 issues, U.S. 3rd class $42 (allow 3 weeks for delivery). 1st class $55. To receive sample issues, please send $3 to cover postage. Back issues are $4 each. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of Publisher is strictly prohibited. The staff and management, including Board of Directors, of SportStars™© does not advocate or encourage the use of any product or service advertised herein for illegal purposes. Editorial contributions, photos and letters to the editor are welcome and should be addressed to the Editor. All material should be typed, double-spaced on disk or email and will be handled with reasonable care. For materials return, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope. SportStars™© and STARS!™© Clinics are registered trademarks of Caliente! Communications, LLC.

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Arturo

Got Send your nominations to: Next? Editor@SportStarsOnline.com or tweet us using #SSOTW

Sotomayor Roseville - Track & Field - Junior After a disappointing trip to the CIF State Track and Field Championships at the beginning of June, the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters 800-meters champion was determined to get back to his winning ways.

After a week of rest, and then two intense weeks of training, Sotomayor attended the Golden West Invitational in Sacramento on June 28 and delivered a strong performance in the 800 meters. The soon-to-be Roseville senior ran a time of 1 minute, 52.74 seconds and finished more than a second ahead of the second-place finisher.

His time helped him qualify for the 800 meters event at the USATF Junior Nationals which are taking place in Eugene, Ore., July 5-6. That meet will conclude his track and field season, and he’ll begin preparing to run for the Roseville cross-country team in the fall. ›› IN HIS OWN WORDS: “We reached the 400-meter mark around 57 seconds, which is a bit slow. I thought to myself that I hadn’t been training so hard to get a bad time, and I took off from there.” ›› WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW: Arturo holds dual citizenship with Mexico through his mother’s side of the family.

honorable mention Maddie Haynes: The Rocklin junior outside hitter got her first USA Volleyball experience as a member of the USA U18 Youth National Team which took silver in the NORCECA Continental Championships.

Sabrina Ionescu: Playing in the FIBA U17 World Champions, the MiramonteOrinda basketball star led Team USA in assist after two games. She was also averaging 4.5 points and 4 rebounds.

Christina Chenault: The CarondeletConcord basketball and track star took first place in the triple jump (39 feet, 4 inches) at the Golden West Invitational in Sacramento on June 28.

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Trending What’s hot this week in the world of stuff that’s hot Eminem’s daughter graduated from college this week. Think about that for a few minutes.

North Korea declared the new Seth RogenJames Franco movie could be seen as an act of war. See, we CAN agree with our enemies sometimes. Obama? Boehner?

What did we learn?

Miss Florida was de-throned after a week when a counting error led to another woman being named the winner. Oddly, this is just the 10,378th weirdest thing that happened in Florida this week.

The new Transformers movie made $100 million on its opening weekend. We don’t know why either.

When we grow up, we want to be Tim Howard.

top five thoughts of aaron gordon upon being drafted into the nba The NBA draft came and went last week. Missed it? Yeah, us too. I guess we got all caught up in the drama of a 1-0 loss that allowed Team USA to advance to the knockout round. Screwy, screwy World Cup… Anyway. It should NOT escape your attention that the Bay Area’s own Aaron Gordon, the hyper-athletic forward out of Archbishop Mitty, went No. 4 overall to the Orlando Magic. No. 4! That’s like, only three after No. 1! Which is pretty good, we think. By way of congratulations, we’d like to posit our list of the Top 5 thoughts that went through Gordon’s head when he heard his name at the draft.

1. Oh man, this blue suit I wore TOTALLY goes with my new uni.

Nailed it!

2. This is almost as good as that time when I won back-to-back state titles. Almost.

3. Take that, Bellarmine!

4. Now all I have to do is get popped for a misdemeanor, and then I’ve really made it.

5. Is it too soon to hold out and demand a contract renegotiation?

— Bill “Nothing But the Bottom of the Net” Kolb

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Campo's Triple Crown 1. Campolindo.................... 7,050

11 league titles, 1 All-State athlete (Kelly Wirth, volleyball), 8 section titles, 1 NorCal title, 2 state titles (girls XC, Aidan Goltra boys XC)

2. De La Salle..................... 6,000

6 league titles, 1 All-State athlete (Sumner Houston, football), 10 section titles, 1 scholastic title, 1 NorCal title, 1 state title (Marquis Morris, track)

3. James Logan................. 5,700

10 league titles, 10 section titles, 1 state title (Alyssa Hernandez, girls wrestling)

4. San Ramon Valley.......... 4,700

1 SportStars of the Year (Kat Klass, water polo), 8 league titles, 1 All-State athlete (Katherine Claybaugh, volleyball), 8 section titles, 1 scholastic title

5. Dougherty Valley.......... 4,600

3 league titles, 4 section titles, 8 scholastic titles

6. St. Joseph-Notre Dame. 4,050

1 league titles, 3 All-State athletes (Rebecca Langowski, volleyball; Maddie Doud, volleyball; Alexa Martinez, volleyball), 2 section titles, 1 NorCal title, 2 state titles

7. (tie) Carondelet............... 3,900

2 league titles, 4 section titles, 1 scholastic title

St. Mary's-Berkeley......... 3,900

5 league titles, 2 All-State athletes (Gabby Green, basketball; Mikayla Cowling, basketball), 8 section titles

9. Bishop O'Dowd............... 3,700

SportStar of the Year (Ivan Rabb, BB), 5 league titles, 3 All-State athletes (Bryanna Davis, VB; Kyle Carlson, VB; Rabb), 1 section title, 3 scholastic titles, 1NorCal title

10. Mission San Jose......... 3,600

5 section titles, 6 scholastic titles

11. Amador Valley................................3,350 12. (tie) Albany.....................................3,300 Monte Vista..........................................3,300 14. Castro Valley.................................3,250 15. Livermore.......................................2,950 16. Miramonte......................................2,900 17. Northgate.......................................2,350 18. Acalanes........................................2,200 19. (tie) Granada.................................2,100 Heritage..........................................2,100 21. Deer Valley....................................2,050 22. Piedmont.......................................1,950 23. (tie) College Park...........................1,850 Salesian..........................................1,850

25. Hercules........................................1,700 26. Dublin.............................................1,500 27. (tie) Alhambra................................1,350 Moreau Catholic............................1,350 29. Arroyo............................................1,300 30. (tie) California...............................1,250 Valley Christian...............................1,250 32. (tie) Foothill....................................1,100 Liberty.............................................1,100 34. (tie) El Cerrito................................950 Kennedy-Fremon...........................950 36. (tie) Head-Royce...........................900 Newark Memorial...........................900 San Leandro...................................900

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Washington......................................900 40. Las Lomas.....................................850 41. (tie) Alameda.................................800 Clayton Valley Charter...................800 43. Berkeley.........................................750 44. Berean Christian...........................700 45. Encinal...........................................600 46. Concord.........................................550 47. Pinole Valley..................................500 48. Freedom........................................450 49. (tie) Bentley...................................400 Pittsburg..........................................400 St. Patrick-St. Vincent....................400 San Lorenzo...................................400

For the third straight year, it was Campolindo Athletics’ universe and the rest of the East Bay was just living in it.

The SportStars Cup — which we hope to actually create a physical manifestation of this summer through the help of our friends at Diablo Trophy — will once again reside on the Moraga campus.

As a quick reminder, the competition runs the length of the school year and culminates in mid-June with the crowning of the East Bay’s most successful high school athletic program. Schools can accumulate points through a variety of ways. They are as follows: 100 — Have an athlete named SportStars of the Year (Fall, Winter or Spring) 200 — Win a team league championship 250 — Have an athlete be named All-State (First-team overall only) 300 — Win a section championship (team or individual) 350 — Win a scholastic section championship for highest team GPA 400 — Win an individual NorCal title 500 — Win a team NorCal title 700 — Win an individual state championship 1,000 — Win a team state championship Campolindo held off strong spring efforts from De La Salle — which finishes as the runner-up for the third consecutive year — and James Logan. Campolindo’s margin of victory was not as large as the 1,050 points seem to make it look. Had the Cougars’ boys volleyball team not repeated as CIF Div. II Northern Regional champions, things would’ve been much closer. In fact, other than the boys volleyball team, it was a fairly quiet spring for Campolindo.

De La Salle had two near-misses at state this year which would’ve put them over the top. The football team fell six points shy at CIF Open Div. state bowl game and Marquis Morris just missed winning both hurdles events at the CIF State Track and Field championships. He took gold in the 300 and silver in the 110.

James Logan finished in third place for the second straight year, but San Ramon Valley and Dougherty Valley each cracked the Top 5 for the first time.

Though CalHiSports.com’s all-state baseball and softball teams had not been announced before printing, we’re making an educated guess that it won’t affect the final standings.

Congrats to Campolindo once again, and we hope to bring you an actual Cup this August.

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Saluting the

Three-Sport Athlete

Miramonte’s Drew Anderson

It won’t be known until early July who will be the 2013-14 State Athlete of the Year, but for someone who put in the effort to excel in three different sports, a special tip of the hat should go to Miramonte’s Drew Anderson.

There’s no doubt that the three-sport athlete, especially one who competes in the big three of football, basketball and baseball (or track and field), has been a dying breed for many years. So when you run across one like Anderson, special attention is deserved.

The recent graduate from Miramonte passed for 4,074 yards and 47 touchdowns for the Mats’ NCS D2 title team in football, then he averaged 21.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in basketball.

He followed it up with an All-East Bay third team season on the diamond as an outfielder.

Northern California did have another outstanding three-sport athlete who just graduated in Vanderbilt-bound Nifae Lealao from Capital Christian-Sacramento. Nifae, who is going to Vandy for football, started on the Cougars’ NorCal Open Division finalist basketball team and was a key contributor in volleyball.

Still, in these days of specialization, it’s hard to find very many high school athletes who strive to compete in three different sports.

My favorite three-sport athlete from Northern California in the last 20 years would have to be C.C. Sabathia of Vallejo. Everyone knows him now as a shutdown starting pitcher for the New York Yankees. Before being slowed by injuries in recent seasons, Sabathia has been one of the top starting pitchers in baseball since going 17-5 in 2001 for the Cleveland Indians.

At Vallejo, though, Sabathia did much more than throw fastballs. He was a solid starting power forward for Vallejo basketball teams that were among the best in the state and played defensive end/tight end in football. He came to one of the Nike football camps one year and was tough for anyone to handle. If he’d gone on in football (and before he gained weight as a baseball pitcher), he definitely had NFL potential.

For all he did at Vallejo, Sabathia was the 1997-98 Cal-Hi Sports State Athlete of the Year.

Two other three-sport State Athletes of the Year from Northern California in recent years have been Drew Shiller of Burlingame (football, basketball, baseball) for 2004-05 and Antwon Guidry of Leigh-San Jose (football, basketball, track) for 2000-2001.In more recent years, three-sport athletes from Northern California who’ve caught our attention include Jason Welch from Las Lomas-Walnut Creek for 2007-08, Jeffrey Maehl of Paradise for 2006-07 and of course Colin Kaepernick from Pitman-Turlock for 2005-06.

The only reason that Kaepernick’s accomplishments in football, basketball and baseball at Pitman did not end with him being State Athlete of the Year is that we had him ranked third on the list behind Chase Budinger from La Costa Canyon-Carlsbad (basketball, volleyball) and Richard Sherman of Dominguez-Compton (football, track).

Budinger and Sherman weren’t three-sport athletes, but Budinger was the national player of the year in boys volleyball that year in addition to basketball while Sherman was the CIF state triple jump champion in addition to football.

Maybe we’ll just have to start a separate list in the state record book someday of the top three-sport athlete for each school year. Kaepernick would be on it for sure for 20052006, and now that we’re thinking about it, so would Anderson for 2013-14. ✪

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Mark Tennis is the co-founder of Cal-Hi Sports, and publisher of CalHiSports.com. Cal-Hi Sports is the authority in state rankings for football, basketball, baseball and softball, as well as the recognized state record keeper for all high school sports. Contact him at markjtennis@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, @CalHiSports.

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Draft Double-up

Aaron Gordon takes fast-track to NBA lottery pick

It was only fitting University of Arizona freshman forward Aaron Gordon was selected by the Orlando Magic with the No. 4 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

After all, the 6-foot-8 1/2 forward from Archbishop Mitty-San Jose proved over the last three years he’s among the very best in what shaped up as a fantastic group of players selected on June 26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Three years ago, Gordon proved he belonged among the nation’s elite when he was California’s first junior to earn Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball honors since Tyson Chandler of Dominguez-Compton in 2000. As a senior, he was in the running for Mr. Basketball USA honors along with eventual winner Andrew Wiggins (Kansas) and Jabari Parker (Duke).

Gordon led Mitty to the first NorCal Open Division title, earned MVP honors at the McDonald’s All-American Game and was the choice for Mr. Basketball once again.

Wiggins went No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Parker went No. 2 to the Milwaukee Bucks and then Gordon was selected after center Joel Embiid (Kansas), who was not a high school superstar in Florida, was taken No. 3 by the Philadelphia 76ers.

One of the most impressive things about Gordon’s rise is his age compared to his peers. Even after a season of college ball, Gordon won’t turn 19 years old until September 16. To put that in perspective, he’s actually younger than some high school players from the 2014 class.

Aaron’s mother, Shelley Davis Gordon, once told ESPN, “My son went to college at the age of 17 because I didn’t know people held their kids back for sports purposes.” She should know a lot about academics, too. Aaron’s sister, Elise, went to Harvard after going to Mitty.

Gordon is the highest Californian draft pick since Derrick Wil-

liams was selected No. 2 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2011. Williams attended La Mirada in Southern California. The only Californian ever picked No. 1 remains Bill Walton (Helix-La Mesa), who was the top choice in 1974 by Portland. Gordon is the highest player from a Bay Area to be chosen since Drew Gooden of El Cerrito went No. 4 overall to Memphis in 2002.

Gordon’s high school coach, Tim Kennedy, was ecstatic to see his former player picked early.

“I am so excited for Aaron to make his dreams come true,” Kennedy said. “He deserves everything coming his way and he won’t stop working to get better. I’m so proud of him because he is so poised for being as old as a high school senior.”

Other high California natives taken in the top 10 of the NBA Draft in recent years include NBA All-Star James Harden (ArtesiaLakewood) at No. 3 by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009. That same year, DeMar DeRozan was taken No. 9 by the Toronto Raptors and Gardena native Brandon Jennings was selected right after him at No. 10.

Another NBA All-Star taken in the top 10 was Paul George (Knight-Palmdale) at No. 10 by Indiana in 2010. In 2012, the Portland Trailblazers selected Damian Lillard (Oakland) at No. 6.

In the 2014 second round, former Taft-Woodland Hills teammates DeAndre Daniels (No. 37 to the Toronto Raptors) and Spencer Dinwiddie (No. 38 to the Detroit Pistons) were taken back-to-back. Dinwiddie played at Colorado and Daniels helped UConn with the NCAA title.

The fourth and final California product taken was Xavier Thames, the No. 59th pick overall by the Toronto Raptors. The former Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove product was 2014 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year at San Diego State. He began his college career at Washington State. ✪

FROM CCS TO NBA

Here’s a list of all-time NBA first- or second-round draft picks from Central Coast Section schools.This list includes those from schools that are now in the CCS but previously were in the North Coast Section. The NBA Draft actually has been going on longer than the CCS has been in existence Year

Pick

Player

School NBA team

2012

36

Orlando Johnson

Palma-Salinas

2014 1999 1993 1982 1978 1975 1969 1969 1955

4

27 16 22 22 7 7

13 5

Aaron Gordon Tim Young

Rex Walters

Mark McNamara Ray Townsend Rich Kelley

Bob Portman Bud Ogden Ken Sears

Archbishop Mitty-San Jose

Magic.

Harbor-Santa Cruz

Warriors

Piedmont Hills-San Jose

Kings*

Aaron Gordon

Nets

Del Mar-San Jose

76ers

Camden-San Jose

Warriors

Woodside

St. Ignatius-San Francisco Lincoln-San Jose Watsonville

Jazz

Warriors 76ers

Knicks

1950 10 Kevin O’Shea St. Ignatius-San Francisco Lakers *Later traded to Pacers. Note: Perhaps the best CCS alum ever chosen in the third-round of an NBA Draft was Kurt Rambis (Cupertino). He went at No. 58 overall in 1980 to the New York Knicks.

moseby’s no. 2, still no. 1 In the recent MLB Draft, a Southern California high school pitcher – Brady Aiken from Cathedral Catholic of San Diego – was the No. 1 overall selection. In case you are wondering, no high school player from Northern California has ever been the No. 1 choice, although just last year Mark Appel of Stanford (and from Monte Vista-Danville) was the very first pick.

There has been one high schooler from Northern California who was the No. 2 overall selection in the first round and he’s still

the only one ever chosen that high. No, it’s not Rickey Henderson of Oakland Tech but Lloyd Moseby of Oakland High.

Moseby, who is the 1978 Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year, was taken No. 2 overall by the Toronto Blue Jays. He eventually became a solid MLB player with 169 career homers, 737 RBI and 280 steals.

Derek Hill of Elk Grove was the 23rd player named in this year’s first round.

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TALENTtactics?

— or —

During the World Cup, there is a lot of talk about the formation and the tactics, but then they focus on the star players. What’s more important?

P.L., Sonoma

G

reat question — and it applies to all sports. In fact, I’ll start with college basketball.

When college basketball first got on television, Dick Vitale, a former coach, became the voice of the game. He knew all the coaches, and he watched the game like a coach, so he would say things like “John Thompson is pounding the ball inside,” or “Bobby Knight has the 3-pointers working tonight.” This was OK, I guess, but it confused things, and made the audience think that the coaches were the ones making the entry pass to Patrick Ewing, or hitting threepointers.

Of course, they’re not. If the wings can’t make an entry pass then Thompson’s team (not Thompson) can’t pound the ball inside, and if the shooters keep missing, Knight’s

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team (not Knight) won’t have the 3-pointers working.

To expand that even further, coaches in all sports have certain systems they like to run.

They are both tactical and strategic, and they reflect the coaches’ beliefs and experience. In hockey, for example, some teams will dump and chase, and others prefer to build up an attack with shorter passes; in baseball, some teams bunt a lot, and others are more focused on moving runners along with base hits.

In the end, all systems work — if you have enough talent. And, in the end, all systems don’t work — if the talent can’t execute.

The answer to your question, then, is pretty obvious: Star players win games, in all sports, and if one team has a major advantage in talent, then it will win the vast majority of games regardless of the formation or tactics.

Note, however, the adjective “major.” If one team has a slight advantage in talent, then tactics and strategy take on more importance, and the teams are even in talent, then

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the team that utilizes its talent the best – or neutralizes the other team’s talent – will have a better chance to win.

In the World Cup, and in almost every other kind of competition, there are generally different levels of talent.

Some teams, like Brazil, are so much better than other teams that they’re going to win some games no matter what.

In high school leagues, there are usually a couple of teams that aren’t very good at all, and a couple of teams that stand out. When the standout teams play the weak teams, strategy doesn’t matter — but when the standout teams play each other, then the tactics and formations and such become very important.

So, though talent is No. 1 on the list, for a team to excel, whatever talent it has must play in a system that maximizes its ability, and that’s where coaching comes in. But without talent, formations and coaching are about as important as the color of the uniforms. ✪

Clay Kallam is an assistant athletic director and girls varsity basketball coach at Bentley High in Lafayette. To submit a question for Behind the Clipboard, email him at clayk@fullcourt. com

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Canyon Creek Little League’s Intermediate All-Stars earn the right to take on the world in their own back yard Canyon Creek’s Jordan Nevarez

as presented by

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I

t wasn’t exactly how the Canyon Creek Little League Intermediate All-Stars drew it up.

But if felt good nonetheless.

It started with Jordan Nevarez throwing the first pitch of the game for Canyon Creek, and ended with him catching a pop fly at shortstop to secure the victory and solidify Canyon Creek’s status as the host team for the second annual Intermediate Little League World Series July 29-August 4 in Livermore.

Canyon Creek’s District 57 championship win over the San Ramon Valley/Tassajara Valley Little League team on June 24 came in a back and forth game that ended with Canyon Creek on top 10-6.

But as we mentioned, it wasn’t how they might have drawn it up.

Canyon Creek edged out to 3-1 lead, and eventually built it to a 7-1 lead before SRV/ TV received a wake-up call and rallied with five runs to bring it within one.

“In the beginning I knew we were going to do it,” Nevarez said. “Once they started scoring a lot, I started to get down, but the defense and the team were there to back me up. They made me keep going and going forward.”

There was plenty of twists and turns to keep fans on the edges of their seat. Canyon Creek’s third baseman survived a scare with a line drive off his face mid-way through the game. Then in the seventh inning came the protest.

Canyon Creek made a pitching change and placed Naverez in the infield and brought Ryan Kang to the mound to finish off the game. However, SRV/TV challenged whether or not Kang — based on the number of pitches he had thrown in Canyon Creek’s semifinal victory — had been allowed enough time to rest his arm between games. Had the protest been upheld, Canyon Creek would have had to forfeit the game and caused a rematch the following night.

The protest was denied, Canyon Creek prevailed and SRV/TV was sent on to the regular Little League World Series qualifying path. Should they survive the Sectionals and Regionals, they could be the West representative in the U.S. bracket when the tournament opens in late July at Max Baer Park in Livermore. “(SRV/TV) is one of the toughest teams I’ve seen at any level and they’re a class act,” Canyon Creek manager Jason Kicherer said. “I know that they’re probably going to end up making it through the sectionals, but it felt pretty good to watch them pretty much whip everyone’s butt all year long but we came prepared and showed them what we’re capable of.

“They’re a class act, and they definitely draw from a bigger pool than us, and for us to have such a small area to draw from, and to have these kids come together and know they can believe in themselves. It’s fantastic, and I couldn’t be prouder of them anymore than I am.”

The SRV/TV Little League team has already proven it can handle a set back. After losing to Canyon Creek for the first time in the tournament, the team fought its way through the consolation bracket and defeated Danville 15-10 the night before meeting Canyon Creek in the final.

Fortunately for Canyon Creek, no more qualifying is necessary. The team is focused on what lies ahead of them — and whether or not the gravity of the situation has sunk in yet — that just happens to be a Little League World Series.

The Intermediate Little League World Series is in its second year of being, and Livemore is considered the permanent host. Last year’s inaugural event attracted over 36,000 people and featured 10 different teams — six U.S. squads and four international teams hailing from Canada, Puerto Rico, Asia-Pacific and South America. This year, as Little League works to further diversify the new division and its tournament, a Europe/ Africa representative will be introduced.

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As a quick refresher, the two-year-old division is build upon the field dimensions of a 50-foot pitching distance and 70-foot base paths. It’s meant to be a transition league that ushers 13-14 year-olds from the standard Little League field dimensions of a 46-foot pitching distance and 60-foot bases, to a regulation diamond of 60-feet, 6-inch pitching distance and 90-foot base paths they’ll find at the high school level.

After a season’s worth of competition with the new dimensions, the Canyon Creek team has already made the adjustment to the new field dimensions. Now it will have to learn to adjust to the level of competition that will come as part of an international tournament.

“I’m sure the competition is going to be really good,” Canyon Creek coach John Stankana said. “Coming through districts here we did peak at the right time. We played our best baseball in this tournament, winning four games in a row in a tough bracket. So hopefully we can just keep the roll going from there.”

Last year’s tournament was claimed in dominant fashion by Izumisano Little League, the Asia-Pacific representative out of Osaka, Japan. The 2013 District 57 host team, Pleasanton National, went 2-2. So that will be the initial bar that Canyon Creek hopes to pass. Canyon Creek hopes that the teamwork it has developed throughout the season will carry over to the series and be a formula that leads to contender status in the U.S. side of the World Series bracket.

Kicherer is more than blown away from the performance his team showed through the All-Star Tournament.

“All of them. All of them contributing. It doesn’t come down to pitching. It doesn’t come down to just one at bat. It comes down to all of them buying in to what I want to call World Series rhythm,” Kicherer said. “It’s a team effort and not an individual effort, and that’s why we’re where we are.”

Naverez couldn’t be more excited to get to the World Series with his team.

The fact that his teammates are his best friends, he knows they’re capable of going all the way and winning it all.

After Nevarez made the catch he’ll never forget — as the Canyon Creek team rushed the field following its 10-6 District title victory — it was more than evident that Canyon Creek was ready play host to the world.

Now it’s just got to figure out how to beat the world. ✪

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BAWS is Back Bay Area World Series, the popular three-day showcase event, returns mid-July with plenty of talent

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BAWS is now preceded by BAWS Underclass, which is designed for freshman and sophomores. This year’s event was held June 13-15 — here are a few of the standouts.

›› Andrew Nnebe (2016), St. Mary’s-Berkeley, OF/RHP — He was named the Spalding Most Outstanding Player at the event. His fastball was up to 86 mph, he showed power with the bat and good range in the outfield.

By blaine clemmens | Contributor

lot has been happening with Bay Area World Series (BAWS) since last summer and it’s time to preview BAWS 2014 — which takes place July 18-20 at Santa Clara University, home to BAWS since 2005. Over the years, nearly 600 BAWS participants have moved on to play Division-I college baseball, roughly 170 have been drafted and there are currently 10 former participants who’ve reached the big leagues.

Let’s identify a few players to keep an eye on at the event later this month.

On Team Alameda a pitcher to watch is LHP Thomas Triantos (Class of 2015) of Livermore. Other positions to watch are catcher, shortstop and centerfield. The Alameda roster has good players at those positions, particularly Head-Royce shortstop Reid Gibbs (2015), Monta Vista-Cupertino catcher Sam Nastari (2015) and Arroyo-Hayward OF/LHP Tim O’Dalaigh (2016).

Team Central has players from the valley and the coast region. Watsonville right-handed pitcher Christopher Rivera (2015) has good stuff and excellent mound presence. Gregori-Modesto shortstop Tyler Janitz is a physical, athletic player at a premium position and he’s a multi-sport standout.

A pitcher who may have many eyes on him when he takes the mound is 6-foot, 4-inch, 205-pound. Santa Cruz lefty Brock Theilen (2015).

Each year Team Contra Costa is one of the most talented teams at BAWS. This year a big group of De La Salle-Concord players highlight the roster.

Some of the DLS players to know are RHP Tyler Lonestar (2015), SS Armani Smith (2016), RHP Camerson Schneider (2015) and catcher Andrew Schatz (2015). That is not to suggest that those are the only Spartans who will stand out. Monte Vista-Danville catcher Charles Zaloumis (2015) has been on the radar of college coaches for some time now and CampolindoMoraga outfielder Max Flower (2016) is the type of young athlete who will stand out with his tools and size.

Team North Bay has a very strong roster. Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa LHP/OF Cal Clamar has been a strong performer in the region for a couple of seasons now, and at BAWS he can make a name for himself. HeritageBrentwood catcher Jake Cruce (2016) was MVP of the BAWS Underclass championship game in 2013. Marin Catholic-Kentfield centerfielder Johnny MacLean has the tools and size that will draw attention and Petaluma outfielder Austin Gabbert is another talented hitter to keep an eye on.

Perhaps the one player who already is most well-known among college coaches is Heritage’s RHP/3B Kevin Milam (2016). Milam is on the Peninsula roster and he will perform as both position player and pitcher.

Serra-San Mateo RHP Hunter Bishop recently transferred from St. FrancisMountain View and is another name to know on the Peninsula roster.

Team South Bay looks to have the best overall roster. Leland-San Jose catcher Brendt Citta (2015), Mitty-San Jose catcher/RHP Tommy Hudson (2015), Mitty HS 3B Brooks Allen (2015), Los Gatos SS Matt Wilcox (2015), and Westmont-San Jose catcher Mitchell Sancier (2015) are names to know.

St. Lawrence Academy outfielder Addison Mock is from a small school and he has a chance to show he’s more than a player who dominated small school competition. Los Gatos HS 3B/P Hunter Bigge (2016) was a standout at BAWS Underclass last summer. ✪

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›› Jordan Williams (2016), Albany, SS — Williams showed arm strength that rates with any in the region and hands that will keep him at shortstop. He also showed power with the bat.

›› Riki DeSa (2016), ProspectSan Jose, SS — He has been a standout in his two years of high school baseball and showed why, with his athleticism, feel for the game, not to mention his outstanding infield skills and tools, but also his ability to hit with authority. ›› Sid Iyer (2016), Bellarmine Prep-San Jose, RHP — He was named Spalding Most Outstanding pitcher due to his stuff (fastball up to 86), command, feel, and the fact that he faced nine hitters and retired them all.

›› Zach Chalmers (2017), California-San Ramon, RHP — Chalmers opened a lot of eyes with his stuff (fastball up to 85) and a really good curveball.

He’s also a good infielder with good hitting ability. ›› J.J. Barnett (2017), American Canyon, RHP — Barnett was a blast to watch, with his quick arm, good stuff (fastball up to 85) and perhaps the best curveball at the event — an absolute wipeout pitch.

De La Salle’s Miles Coston (top) and Clayton Valley Charter’s Ryan Milligan will both compete in the 2014 BAWS. Score Digital Content: Scan SSM With LAYAR

›› Alejandro Lara (2016,) Vanden-Fairfield, SS — He showed off a strong bat and arm, good range and the ability to make both the routine plays and the difficult plays at shortstop.

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Now in her second major international tournament with Team USA, Sabrina Ionescu is already NorCal’s next great girls hoops talent Story by Clay Kallam Photos by Phillip Walton

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linded by the light of professional sports – and of course, the money on the men’s side – it’s easy to overlook USA Basketball.

Of course, it’s considered an honor, but what does it really mean to make a USA Basketball team? After all, the games are played in the summer, and are drowned out by everything from Wimbledon to the World Cup. And the big events, the age group world championships, are usually played far away and are pretty much ignored by the media and the casual fan.

But stop a minute and consider the USA Basketball Under-17 team — featuring Miramonte’s Sabrina Ionescu — which has been playing in the Czech Republic for the past two weeks.

Unlike men’s basketball, the biggest dates on the women’s basketball calendars are international competitions. The Olympics and the World Championships are the most important events on the planet, and the players know this.

The USA Basketball U-17 team draws from younger players, and there are a whole lot of them around the country. There are a whole lot of them at the End of the Trail in Oregon this week, and at tournaments in Northern California every summer weekend.

Ionescu, though, will not be in Oregon with the Cal Stars, her local club team. She will not be playing in L.A., or even Las Vegas. She’s otherwise occupied. As one of the 12 best 16- and 17-year-old female basketball players in the United States, she’s playing for a world title in Pilsen in the Czech Republic.

Ionescu lives in Walnut Creek and goes to high school at Miramonte-Orinada. Those who pay close attention to girls’ basketball know who she is, but up until now, she’s played in the shadow of Gabby Green, Mikayla Cowling, Mariya Moore, Kelli Hayes and Natalie Romeo on the local scene. When top players are mentioned, the 5-foor-11 Ionescu, who will be a junior this year, has been an afterthought.

But of the players mentioned above, only Green has represented her country overseas, and Green didn’t make the cut on her first trip to Colorado Springs, where tryouts for USA Basketball are held.

Ionescu did. For its female youth teams, USA Basketball holds open tryouts. About 35 players are invited, and they are the presumptive favorites to make the final 12-person roster. The other hundred or so who pay a small fee and make the trip (on their own dime) are there for the experience, mostly, and to be able to say they played with Katie Lou Samuelson or Asia Durr or the other acknowledged young stars.

“My coach told me to go,” says Ionescu, “so I went. I didn’t know anything going in, or what to expect, so I just played.”

As observers watched over the four-day process in 2013, Ionescu emerged from the pack. The selection committee cuts players, from 145 to 90, from 90 to 40, from 40 to 12. At the end of last year’s tryouts, Ionescu was on the team instead of many more highly touted girls. Those 12 players headed to Cancun, where they rolled over competition from this hemisphere and qualified for this year’s World Championships.

But USA Basketball is about competition, and just because a particular group of 12 girls got America to the World Championships doesn’t mean that same 12 get to play in the World Championships. So this May, there was another round of open tryouts.

Naturally, Ionescu was one of the select invitees, but this time, even though she played well, she didn’t

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McDonald’s All-American Mariya Moore (right) and her Salesian teammates were the only team to beat Sabrina Ionescu and Miramonte last season. make the final cut. Te’a Cooper, who had been a very surprising cut in 2013, came back determined to make the top 12 this year, and did so. Kennedy Burke, a Southern California player, came out of nowhere to claim as spot as well.

There was some consolation, though, as Ionescu was named an alternate. “We always have replacement players in mind,” explains Carol Callan, USA Basketball’s Women’s National Team Director, “and this year we had an injury on the last day of practice, so we brought in Sabrina.”

“It was awesome that USA Basketball brought Sabrina in,” says U-17 coach Sue Phillips, who is familiar to NorCal fans as the hugely successful coach at Archbishop Mitty-San Jose – especially since Cooper became ill at the last minute at training camp and couldn’t go to the Czech Republic.

In fact, Ionescu had her plane tickets in hand, and was packing to go home when she got word that Cooper wouldn’t be able to play. “It was very much a surprise,” says Ionescu, who now will go to Europe for the first time ever – a trip that means even more to her given her parents’ roots in Romania.

Last year, Ionescu started every game, but in the practice games for the World Championships, she’s come off the bench. “What makes Sabrina valuable is her consistency, her ability to make reads, and her ability to knock down shots,” says Phillips. “She brings tremendous energy and intensity, she attacks the rim aggressively, finds the open player, hits the open three and defends effectively in the open court.”

All of that, of course, is not news to those who have seen her play with the Cal Stars or Miramonte. The Cal Stars lost in the finals of the most prestigious club tournament last year (the Nike Nationals), and Miramonte went 30-2 last year before losing to Mariya Moore and Salesian in the NorCal Open Division playoffs. On a team with five seniors, Ionescu was the star, but she knows her role will change this coming season, just as it already has this summer with the Cal Stars. “I need to do more,” she says. “I have to take on more of a leadership role” – which isn’t that easy for a person who doesn’t usually talk a lot.

“We need leadership,” says Kelly Sopak, her coach at Miramonte. “Can Sabrina step on the floor and make everyone better without making a shot or making a pass? Mariya Moore made kids better just by being there, just by her presence, and we need that from Sabrina.

“She doesn’t like to lose, and she hasn’t lost a lot.”

Sopak doesn’t expect a 30-2 record, and Ionescu will be tested if the Matadors stumble, as the pressure will be on her, and the expectations will be high.

“Will she be able to pick herself and her teammates up off the mat and play well?”

Of course, that’s asking a lot, as Ionescu will be expected to score, rebound, hand out assists and defend at the highest level. But remember, there are only 12 girls in the entire country who went to the Czech Republic, and Ionescu was one of them. She’s a special talent, an elite player, and on track for more media-friendly honors such as the McDonald’s All-American Game and national recognition.

And barring the unexpected, she’s also on track to be one of the best players to ever come out of Northern California. ✪ 20

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44. ANDREW ZOLINTAKIS

Campolindo-Moraga, Football-Basketball, Senior Zolintakis earned 3rd Team All-State Grid-Hoop honors from CalHiSports.com for his combined efforts. He passed for over 2,600 yards with 33 touchdowns and just 6 INTs, and averaged 18 points a game for a 23-8 hoops team.

Welcome to the second annual Bay Area 75 — SportStars’ countdown of the top 75 Bay Area athletes from the 2013-14 school year.

This is the second of two unveilings of our prestigous list, featuring the Top 50 athletes. The first 25 athletes, which were revealed online on June 26, are listed here as well. To see their full capsules, visit SportStarsOnline.com. The only criteria used in generating the list were that the athletes must be from one of the nine Bay Area counties, and they must have played in a sport which culminated in a sanctioned section title.

Our list includes at least one athlete from each county and 14 different sports. This year’s ranking process proved much more painstaking, including our choice for No. 1 — we felt it could’ve gone to at least three different athletes. All sports fans know rankings are an opinion, and spark debate and conversation, which is why we love them. As you look through this list, we encourage you to share your thoughts on how we did or who we missed. Reach out to us on Facebook or Twitter (@sportstarsmag, #bayarea75). Let the debate begin.

—Chace Bryson, Editor 75. Josh Nashed, Leland 74. Elizabeth Schultz, Acalanes 73. Michelle Xie, Palo Alto 72. Jomon Dotson, American Canyon 71. Rebecca Faulkner, Carlmont 70. Manny Wilkins, San Marin

69. Kelly Wirth, Campolindo 68. Morgan Bertsch, Santa Rosa 67. Annika Jensen, Campolindo 66. Jordan Ewert, Deer Valley 65. Frankie Ferrari, Burlingame 64. Jonathan Ayala, Ygnacio Vlly 63. Julia Maxwell, Branson

50. KIRSTEN MEAD

Valley Christian-San Jose, Volleyball, Senior Mead earned Mercury News Co-Player of the Year honors with teammate and fellow setter Maddie Dilfer (#51 on the list) after posting 639 assists, 302 kills, 310 digs, 83 aces and 69 blocks for the Div. III-state champion Warriors.

She’s committed to Santa Clara.

49. MALLORY HROMATKO Monte Vista-Danville, Soccer, Junior The gifted forward made everything go for a Mustangs team which went 24-0-2, won an NCS Div. I title and finished ranked No. 1 in the nation by StudentSports.com. Hormatko was the Bay Area News Group’s East Bay Player of the Year after scoring 11 goals and adding 13 assists.

48. MEGAN REID

Miramonte-Orinda, Basketball-Soccer, Senior With both her sports in the same season, Reid is one of the Bay Area’s most fascinating two-sport stars. Reid was a full-time contributor (and top defender) for

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62. William Brueckner, Acalanes 61. Morgan Mahalak, Marin Cath.

60. Maddie Schoenberger, Branson 59. Nick Bisconti, Menlo School 58. Yize Dong, Campolindo 57. Asha Thomas, Bishop O’Dowd

56. Conor Neumann, San Ramon Valley 55. Trevor Dunbar, St. Ignatius 54. Aidan Goltra, Campolindo 53. John Porchivina, Casa Grande 52. John Gavin, St. Francis 51. Maddie Dilfer, Valley Christian

a Matadors’ basketball team which went 30-2. She also played in 13 soccer matches and led Miramonte to a league title behind 21 goals and seven assists.

47. JOE LANG St. Ignatius-S.F., Lacrosse-Football, Senior Lang makes this list for the second year in a row after earning All-American honors in lacrosse following a football season in which he was the Wildcats’ leading receiver and scored eight special teams touchdowns.

He’s committed to Harvard.

46. MICHAELA GORDON Saratoga, Tennis, Freshman Gordon didn’t compete for Saratoga in the fall, but her play on the amateur circuit has already made her one of the most recruited female tennis players in the country. As of late June she had a juniors WORLD ranking of No. 78.

45. CHANAL CHAWALIT Albany, Wrestling, Senior Chawalit didn’t just defend her CIF state wrestling title in the 126-pound weight class, she trounced all challengers. She won each of her state tournament matches by pin and finished the year 38-1 overall with 35 pins.

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43. DJ CALHOUN

El Cerrito, Football, Senior Calhoun is ticketed for Arizona State after a dominant season of leading the defense for a Gauchos team which won a long-coveted NCS title and reached the CIF Div. III NorCal bowl. He held more than 20 major offers before changing course from an early USC commitment.

42. JACKIE GILBERT

Amador Valley-Pleasanton, Lacrosse, Junior Gilbert was among the most skilled attackers in the state as she led the Dons to an undefeated 27-0 season and No. 1 state ranking. She finished the year with 87 goals and 48 assists.

41. KATHERINE CLAYBAUGH

San Ramon Valley-Danville, Volleyball, Sophomore The Div. I NCS-champion Wolves are in good hands with Claybaugh. The Bay Area News Group’s East Bay Player of the Year finished 2013 with an eye-popping 646 kills and 358 digs.

40. JUSTIN SUH Evergreen Valley-San Jose, Golf, Junior Suh was easily the Bay Area’s most accomplished golfer of 2013-14, and he has a CIF state championship

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medal to prove it. Suh shot a 4-under 67 to win the state tournament, a 1-under 71 for a top three finish at NorCal’s and a 5-under 66 to win the CCS tournament.

26. REONNA COLLIER

Piedmont Hills-San Jose, Track and Field, Freshman Collier has set the new Bay Area 75 bar for freshmen. She debuts at just outside the Top 25 after winning three CCS individual titles (100 meters, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles) before taking state gold in the 300 hurdles and silver as part of the 4x400 relay team.

39. JULIA DePONTE

Vacaville, Softball, Senior DePonte was an outright force for a Bulldogs team which finished 29-11, won an SJS title and ranked among the best in the state.

The Washingtonbound shortstop batted .516 with 47 hits, 39 RBI, 33 runs, nine doubles, seven triples, seven home runs and 22 stolen bases.

34. KELLI HAYES

Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, Basketball, Senior Hayes was named the Mercury News Player of the Year for the third straight season after averaging 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.8 steals for the CIF Div. II NorCal champions.

The UCLA-commit was also named 2nd Team All-State Elite and 1st Team SSM All-NorCal.

38. MAXIME ROONEY

Granada-Livermore, Swimming, Sophomore Rooney was the East Bay’s most dominant swimmer in 2014. He staked that claim by first setting NCS Championship records in the 200 and 500 freestyle events, and then swimming the anchor leg for Granada’s national-record swim in the 400-freestyle relay.

37. DAVID HSU

Lynbrook-San Jose - Tennis - Senior The Stanford-bound star chose not to defend his CCS singles title and instead focused on his amateur career. It paid off as he recently won the U.S. Open Qualifying Sectionals and will compete in the national playoffs in mid-August.

36. NICK SCHNABEL

Serra-San Mateo, Soccer, Senior Schnabel, who decided before the year that he wouldn’t pursue soccer at the next level, closed out his competitive career in style. With 30 goals on the season, and countless clutch performances, Schnabel led Serra to a CCS title and was named Mercury News Player of the Year.

35. HARRIS ROSS

Pittsburg, Football, Senior Had it not been for a fractured leg suffered midseason, Ross may have been a serious candidate for Mr. State Football. Instead, the Oregon State-bound tailback settled for 2nd Team All-State after rushing for 1,831 yards and 20 TDs in eight games.

33. SUMNER HOUSTON

30. JERAMY SWEANY

Vacaville, Wrestling, Senior The Cornell-bound Sweany occupies No. 30 on the list for the second straight year after winning a second consecutive state title. He finished the season with a 58-1 record and 36 pins (four over six matches in the state tourney). He won the 220-pound state title in a 2-1 decision.

29. KYLEE PEREZ

Alhambra-Martinez, Softball, Senior The UCLA-bound shortstop was perhaps the East Bay’s most-feared hitter.

She led the Bulldogs to an NCS Div. II title by batting .486 on 37 hits (18 for extra bases) with 35 runs scores and 26 batted in. She had more home runs (6) than strikeouts (5) and she also walked 22 times.

De La Salle-Concord, Football, Senior If they created a mold for a De La Salle lineman, Houston could be the model. Bound for Oregon State, Houston was an SSM All-NorCal defensive lineman and a two-way Bay Area News Group 1st Team All-East Bay selection after leading the attack on both sides of the Spartans line.

32. CASEY SOLTIS

Granada-Livermore, Football-Baseball, Senior Soltis is headed to Oregon on a baseball scholarship after a senior year of batting .353 with 30 hits, 27 runs, 16 RBI, nine triples and four home runs. He also had six saves and a 0.00 ERA in nine pitching appearances. He played running back and was an all-league kick returner for the Matadors football team.

31. MECCA McGLASTON

Dublin, Track, Sophomore McGlaston didn’t enter the CIF State Track and Field championships as the favorite in the 100 hurdles, but she walked away with gold nonetheless. Her time of 13.54 was six-one hundredths of a second faster than second place. She was the NCS champ in the same event.

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25. CLARE POWERS

Archbishop Mitty-San Jose,Volleyball, Senior Powers is headed to Saint Mary’s after a heavily-decorated Monarchs career concluded with a CIF Div. II state title. She was a MaxPreps.com All-State honoree after posting a team-best 408 kills to go with 304 digs, 33 blocks, 31 aces and a 96 serve percentage.

24. ANDREW CELIS

Marin Catholic-Kentfield, Football-Baseball, Senior Celis helped two different Wildcat teams reach NCS title games. Headed to Nevada on a football scholarship, Celis caught 58 passes for 1,322 yards and 16 TDs. In the spring, he batted .323 with 30 hits, 21 runs, 17 RBI, 10 doubles and 13 stolen bases.

23. JAZMYN JACKSON 28. TEMIDAYO YUSSUF

St. Joseph Notre Dame-Alameda, Basketball, Senior The Long Beach-commit concluded his fouryear Pilots career with his second Div. V state title. Yussuf had 21 points and 16 rebounds in the state final and finished the season averaging 18 points and 16 boards. He was 2nd Team All-State Elite and 1st Team SSM All-NorCal.

27. BEN BURR-KIRVEN

Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton, Football, Junior The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder was the Mercury News Player of the Year after anchoring the Gators defense with 201 tackles —16 of which came in the CIF Div. III State Bowl, which they lost 27-15. Burr-Kirven also had six sacks and four interceptions on the season, while rushing for 461 yards and 11 TDs.

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Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, Softball, Senior Jackson will continue her softball career at Cal next spring after wrapping up her stellar Mitty career with a senior season that saw her bat .538 with 49 hits, 44 runs, 27 RBI, 14 doubles, seven triples, eight home runs and 19 stolen bases. The Monarchs went 30-1 and won the CCS Div. II title.

22. SARAH ROBINSON

Gunn-Palo Alto, Cross country-SoccerTrack, Senior Bound for Stanford on a soccer scholarship she earned through her play with MVLA Soccer Club, Robinson was also NorCal’s best female distance runner. She ran the fastest Bay Area girls time at the CIF Cross Country Champions (17:16) to finish 4th in the Div. I race. At the state track meet she took gold in the 1600 and silver in the 3200.

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21. PAUL FOX

17. CURTIS OGREN

Gilroy, Wrestling, Senior After two years of runner-up finishes at the CIF State Championships, Fox closed his career at the top of the podium as the 152-pound champion. He went 52-0 on the season and will continue his wrestling career at Stanford in the fall.

St. Francis-Mountain View, Swimming, Senior Ogren will stay local and attend Stanford after a prep career that featured seven CCS titles. His 2014 season included CCS-record swims in the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley.

He also lowered his own independent (private schools) national record time in the 200 IM.

20. KYLE NELSON

Galileo-S.F., Football-Baseball, Senior There’s little doubt that Nelson was the S.F. City Section’s best athlete in 2013-14. The Lions’ QB threw for 3,195 yards and 47 TDs against just four INTs. He also rushed for 338 yards and 11 more TDs. In the spring, he batted. 310 with 20 RBI and was 3-2 with a 0.86 ERA. He struck out 86 in 49 innings.

19. JOHN VELASCO

De La Salle-Concord, Football-Baseball, Senior Velasco was a 3rd Team AllState football selection as the productive workhorse of the Spartans’ dominant rushing attack. He ran for 2,090 yards and 29 TDs for the NCS Div. I and NorCal Open Div. champs. He hit leadoff for the NCS-champion baseball team, batting .397 with 27 hits, 22 runs scored and 13 RBI.

16. SABRINA IONESCU

Miramonte-Orinda, Basketball, Sophomore Currently in the Czech Republic competing for Team USA in the FIBA 17U World Championships, Ionescu will begin her junior year as the most recruited girls player in the Bay Area. She was namd 2nd-team All-State Elite, 1st-team SSM All-NorCal after averaging 18.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists. She also set a school record with 150 steals.

18. GABBY GREEN

St. Mary’s-Berkeley, Basketball, Senior Green was a McDonald’s All-American with unlimited potential, but missed nearly 20 percent of the season due to injuries. Green was still named 2nd Team All-State Elite and 2nd Team SSM All-NorCal after averaging 14.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists.

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15. MARQUIS MORRIS

De La Salle-Concord, Track-Football, Senior Morris earned a career sweep in the CIF State Championship hurdles event by taking gold in the 300 hurdles one year after doing so in the 110 hurdles. He took silver in his attempt to defend the 110 title. His sprint skills helped make him the Spartans’ leading football receiver with 23 catches for 521 yards and four TDs.

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14. KATHERINE KLASS

San Ramon Valley-Danville, Water polo, Junior One of the most prolific scorers the NCS has ever seen, Klass scored 151 goals in 27 matches, giving her a two-year total of 283. She was named SSM’s Bay Area Female Athlete of the Fall after the Wolves went 27-0 to win the NCS Div. I title.

She was also the East Bay Girls Water Polo Player of the Year and the All-NCS Div. I MVP.

13. MIKAYLA COWLING

St. Mary’s-Berkeley, Basketball, Senior A Cal-bound McDonald’s All-American, Cowling’s versatility and athleticism made her a matchup nightmare at both ends of the court.

She averaged 16.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists. She also blocked 59 shots. She was 1st-team All-State Elite and 1stteam SSM All-NorCal selection.

12. NIKKO VILLAREAL

Gilroy, Wrestling, Senior Villareal has quite simply been the Bay Area’s most dominant wrestler since the 2008 graduation of Jason Welch (Las LomasWalnut Creek).

Like Welch, Villareal joined the three-time state-champion club in 2014 (just the 18th member) by claiming the 145-pound title.

He finished the season with a 54-0 record and will move on to Arizona State in the fall.

7. JOHANNA GRAUER

10. ALLY HOWE

Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton, Swimming, Senior The Stanford-bound Howe claimed four CCS titles. She set a CCS record in the 200 IM and broke the independent national mark in the 100 backstroke, previously held by U.S. Olympic champ Missy Franklin. Her other titles came in relays — Sacred Heart’s first two CCS relay titles.

9. NSIMBA WEBSTER

Amador Valley-Pleasanton, Softball, Senior The Bay Area’s most dominant pitcher over the last four years, Grauer went out in style.

Her 2014 season included a 27-0 record, 0.51 ERA, 290 strikeouts and just 60 hits allowed over 191.1 innings pitched. She was also the team’s top hitter with a .429 average with 39 hits and 20 RBI. The Dons went undefeated to claim the NCS Div. I title and earned a mythical national championship by finishing No. 1 in the MaxPreps.com final rankings.

El Cerrito, Football, Senior The UCLA-commit was named the SportStars’ Defensive Player of the Year in addition to earning full Player of the Year honors from both the Bay Area News Group and SF Chronicle.

He had nine interceptions (three returned for TDs). He was equally dangerous on the offensive side of the ball, rushing for more than 1,800 yards and scoring a total of 31 TDs.

5. JOE MIXON

Deer Valley-Antioch, Football-Basketball, Senior A 1st-team All-State all-purpose selection and SSM’s Bay Area Male Athlete of the Fall, the Eastern Washington-commit threw for 2,026 yards and 22 TDs (with just four INTs). He rushed for 1,544 yards and 28 TDs. He also spent time on defense and contributed 22 tackles, one forced fumble and two blocked field goals. He was also a starter on the Wolverines basketball team.

Freedom-Oakley, FootballBasketball, Senior Achieving 5-star status from every major recruiting service before the season, Mixon was the most-watched player in the Bay Area in 2013. Despite dealing with the struggles of a young Falcons team, Mixon still rushed for 1,704 yards and scored 28 total TDs, including a sevenTD performance in Freedom’s lone playoff win. On the day he committed to Oklahoma, he was named MVP of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He was also a starting forward for a Freedom basketball team which reached the CIF Div. I NorCal finals.

4. MARIYA MOORE

Salesian-Richmond, Basketball, Senior Moore’s ability to take over games in a variety of ways — scoring, rebounding, passing — plus a long series of clutch performances made her Northern California’s best girls basketball player during the 2013-14 season. The Louisvillebound wing was a McDonald’s All-American who averaged 17.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 7 assists and 3.5 steals per game while leading Salesian to a 30-7 record and a NorCal Open Division championship. She was named 1st-team All-State Elite and 1st Team SSM All-NorCal.

11. NATALIE ROMEO

Carondelet-Concord, Basketball, Senior Romeo brought the ball up, ran the offense, defended a top opponent and scored as much as the Cougars needed.

The Nebraska-bound guard averaged 19.8 points along with 7.8 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 5.6 steals a game. She was named 1st-team All-State Elite and 1st-team SSM All-NorCal.

6. ANTOINE PICKETT

8. JOE DeMERS

College Park-Pleasant Hill, BaseballBasketball, Junior A complete baseball player, DeMers dazzled as a pitcher by going 12-2 with a 0.65 ERA, 94 strikeouts and just nine walks in 72 innings. He was equally dangerous at the plate, batting .371 with 25 runs scored and 27 RBI. He starred again on the hardwood by averaging 17.1 points and 6.2 rebounds in 24 games.

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‹‹ 3. IVAN RABB Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland, Basketball, Senior Ranked by ESPN.com as the No. 1 recruit in the nation for the Class of 2015, Rabb’s list of suitors includes Kansas, Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky and defending-champion Connecticut, just to name a few. The 6-foot-10 talent averaged 27 points (shooting 65 percent from the field), 14 rebounds and five blocks a game for a Dragons team which went 28-5 and won a CIF NorCal Open Division title. He was named 1st Team AllState Elite and 1st Team SSM All-NorCal.

2. NATE MOORE ›› Castro Valley, Track-Basketball, Senior Moore etched his name into the history books as the first boy to win both the long jump and triple jump state titles in backto-back years. Moore’s winning jumps (TJ: 51 feet, 4 inches, LJ: 25-8.75) were both the top high school marks in the nation this season. For perspective, both of the winning marks would’ve placed him second in each event at the 2014 Pac-12 Championships. Moore also earned a silver medal with the Trojans’ 400-relay team. Moore was the Castro Valley basketball team’s secret weapon off the bench. He often played as many minutes as the starters and was the team’s best player on the floor in certain stretches, according to coach Pete Vaz.

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Want to hear from our editor Chace Bryson on who the toughest cuts were? Want to know where our Bay Area 75 senior class will be headed to college. Read more Exclusively at SportStarsOnline.com or scan the QR Code.

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1. Drew Anderson

Miramonte-Orinda, Football-Basketball-Baseball, Senior If his 4,000 football passing yards or his double-double average of 21.3 points and 10.3 rebounds during basketball weren’t enough proof of Anderson’s supreme athletic talents, we offer up this nugget: In his first competitive baseball season since his eighth grade year, Anderson hit .415 with 22 hits and 10 RBI in just 16 games.

As three-sport athletes grow increasingly more rare, Anderson was the ultimate throwback. He was a game-changing athlete from August to June — enough to convince us he deserved the honor of the Bay Area’s No. 1 Athlete for the 2013-14 school year.

“I just really like competing,” Anderson said in late June, one week before he was scheduled to leave for San Diego State where he’ll join the football team as a preferred walk-on. “To me it’s surprising that people can pick just one sport so early. It was never too hard to make the time for them all. I just did them because I liked them.”

His football team won a North Coast Section championship, his basketball team earned a thrilling road upset in the first round of the state playoffs and his baseball team reached the NCS quarterfinals after winning an 18-inning marathon game that spanned two days (Anderson drove in two of the four runs for the Matadors).

“It’s crazy,” Anderson said on being named No. 1. “It’s awesome and I just feel very fortunate.”

DREW KNOWS... ›› FOOTBALL — He passed for 4,074 yards and 47 TDs while also rushing for two more scores. He was named 1st-team AllState Medium Schools and 1st-team SSM All-NorCal. ›› BASKETBALL — He averaged a double-double of 21.3 points and 10. 3 rebounds over 30 games. He also chipped in 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals per contest.

›› BASEBALL — In his first season of high school baseball, he played left field and hit safely in 14 of his 16 games. He batted .415 with 22 hits and 10 RBI.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT: 4th Annual Taking the World By Storm Soccer Clinic FOR: Girls of ages 8-16; Limited to first 250 registrants FEATURING: Members of the California Storm, Elk Grove’s representative of the Women’s Premier Soccer League.

WHEN: July 26, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

WHERE: Arbolado Park, 3341 Arbolado Dr., Walnut Creek MORE THAN JUST SOCCER: The event will also include a healthy living fair provided by the physicians of Kaiser Permanente and

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John Muir Health, and a cooking demonstration leading to a nutritious lunch.

HOW TO REGISTER: Visit the event page at http://tinyurl.com/2014STORM, or call 925-521-1511 WHO’S MAKING THIS HAPPEN: The following is a list of the partners and sponsors: Tesoro Golden Eagle Refinery, Wells Fargo PG&E, Garaventa Enterprises, Phillips 66, California Storm, SportStars Magazine, Kaiser Permanente, John Muir Health, NRG Energy, Diablo FC, Heritage Soccer Club, Walnut Creek Soccer Club

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2014 California Storm roster The Storm does not play every game with a fixed roster. It’s game-by-game roster is

subject to player availability. Below is a list of players who have played at least one match for the Storm this season.

No. Player

Pos.

20

M

5

Cat Barnecow

15

Mariah Cameron

2 7

21 18 10 9

11 6

13

8

00 26 29 0 3

16 19

34 4 1

12 27

25

D

Cara Curtin

F

Lauren Curtin

M

Hannah Diaz

F

Kelsey Dickerson

D

Sissi Do Amor

M

Kaitlyn Dry

F

Amanda Ellsworth

F

Karissa Garcia

M

Carolyn Greco

D

Haley Hughes

M

Kory Lamet

M

Ashley Luis

GK

Krystal Luna

D

Casi Lynch

D

Meghan Maiwald

GK

Katie McCoy-Hardeman

M

Maggie Murphy

D/M

Felicia Novoa

D

Katie Oakes

D

Victoria Ramirez

D/M

Rachael Ritchley

D

Madalyn Schiffel

Marisha Schumaker-Hodge Marcia Silva Ana Sola

GK M D D

Mireya Witmen-Mayorga

M

2014 Storm Schedule/ Results

Photos from previous Taking The World By Storm events.

TOP LEFT: A few clinic attendees learn the basics of CPR as part of the health fair.

TOP MIDDLE: Storm veteran and former Brazilian Women’s National Team star, Sissi, walks with a few young players.

TOP RIGHT: Storm players look on as a couple of clinic attendees work in one-onone drills.

CENTER: Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, backed by several Storm members, speaks to the entire group of young players.

BOTTOM: A pair of young players work on the skills they learned.

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D

Ariana Calderon

The Storm is having one of its best

season’s to date, leading the Pacific-North Division by 5 points with two games left.

Date Opponent Result 5/31

@Primero de Mayo

W, 7-0

6/7

North Bay FC Wave

W, 3-0

6/1 6/8

S.F. Nighthawks

W, 1-0

6/13

Real Salt Lake Women T, 0-0

6/22

West Coast Wildkatz

W, 3-1

@ SF Nighthawks

4:30 p.m.

6/14 6/28 7/12 7/13

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@West Coast Wildkatz T, 2-2

Real Salt Lake Women W, 3-0 Primero de Mayo

W, 4-1

@ North Bay FC Wave 5 p.m.

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get mental: erika carlson

Let’s debunk myths about mental performance in athletes When potential clients walk in my office they usually have some sense that mental performance is important, but they usually don’t know exactly what mental skills are or how they are taught.

“Is it therapy?,” they might ask. “Will I (or my child) be ‘psycho-analyzed?’”

While mental training has come a long way in the last 15 years, the stigma of being a “head case” or a “problem athlete” is still attached to doing the work. The truth is, mental training is designed to help good athletes become great athletes, not sick athletes become well. Big difference.

That said, there are still vast numbers of athletes, parents and coaches who are still in the dark about how mental training complements and enhances all the other physical training athletes do. Let’s debunk the myths around mental training once and for all.

MYTH #1 Good physical training is enough — It’s “old school” thinking that perpetuates that good, hard training develops the mental toughness needed to succeed in competitive sports. Not so. Mental toughness is a skill set that can be learned many different ways: 1) From a tough coach with high expectations who actually has the skills to teach a player how to meet those expectations. 2) From a parent who models problem-solving and a strong work ethic. 3) From a mentor or sibling who helps guide the development of an athlete. 4) From a mental training expert who helps to minimize the trial and error in learning. The point is, mental toughness is learned. And once learned, it can generalize to academics and life beyond sports.

MYTH #2 Good focus means, “really pay attention to the game.” — This is the answer I get most often when I ask clients, “What does it mean to focus?” A better answer is, focus is knowing exactly what to pay attention to and when. For example, when looking to find a pass option, you must have strong field vision (external focus) and be able to anticipate where your teammates will be in a few seconds. Too much thinking (internal focus) will compete for attention and

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therefore minimize your field vision, decisions will be slow (and your feet will slow down) and therefore passes won’t connect.

MYTH #3 If you can see it (visualize it), it will happen — Many athletes, coaches and parents fear the skill of visualization. The reason being, it’s been sold in pop culture as kind of new age, mystical practice that seems to magically produce results. That’s not what it is, nor how it works. First and foremost, visualization is a misnomer. Athletic performance imagery practice should really be called “Feelization.”

The athlete should be primarily focused on the feel of what they are doing, literally going through the motions mentally. Doing so in a detailed way, produces impulses from the brain to the body which is a form of learning. Need proof? Think about the last time you woke up in a panic from a nightmare. Your heart was beating fast, your respiration increased, you woke up sweaty and scared. In reality, you were asleep, safe in your bed. But your brain managed to convince your body to respond physically to what it imagined.

Imagery (focused on feel) works the same way, sending subtle signals through your neurological systems blueprint for response to certain situations: scoring under pressure, connecting a pass, making a save.

MYTH #4 “I play better mad.” — I hear this a lot. However, it’s important to understand that it’s not being “mad” that makes you play better. It’s actually the higher intensity level that comes along with being angry that fuels effort … temporarily. There are a few problems with relying on anger to play well. 1) The high intensity also tends to cause chaotic effort rather than a clear mind that can read the field and anticipate the game well.

2) This mentality also requires a never-ending supply of things to be angry about. Not a good way to go through your sport experience.

Check back in the July 31 issue for Mental Training Myths #5-9. ✪ Erika Carlson is a certified mental trainer and owner of Excellence in Sports Performance in Pleasanton.

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Build Back up

health watch: michelle cappello, PT

Having a recovery strategy will get you through those long summer workouts \With the World Cup rounding into full swing, we are watching the most elite soccer athletes playing consecutive matches in the heat of the Brazilian winter.

Here at home, with our summer soccer programs in full swing, we are seeing our young soccer athletes compete in three-day tournaments. This highlights the question of how can these athletes achieve complete physical performance recovery after each match?

Incomplete recovery might result in underperformance, fatigue and a higher risk of injury. Fatigue is the primary risk factor for injury in young athletes. Recovery strategies are therefore required to alleviate post-match fatigue, regain performance faster and reduce the risk of injury. Post-match fatigue is linked to a combination of dehydration, glycogen depletion, muscle damage and mental fatigue. To reduce the magnitude of fatigue and to accelerate the time to fully recover after competition, several recovery strategies can be used with young developing athletes. ›› Hydration strategies are to be maintained both during (every 20 min) and after competition. Athletes who are dehydrated lose 15 percent of their strength. ›› Active recovery exercise and some light active and static stretches (10 seconds per stretch). Focus on the major lower

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body muscles. ›› Refueling by having a light snack (e.g. fruit, muffin, or yogurt, etc) and a meal within two hours of the sport session. Those athletes who do not consume appropriate food in sufficient amounts may experience excessive fatigue and may pre-dispose them to a number of illnesses and injuries. ›› Encourage athletes to shower to relax for mental and physical relaxation. ›› Contrast showers, spas, saunas, and cold baths are NOT recommended for prepubescent children as their thermodynamic regulatory systems are not fully developed. ›› Sleep is an essential part of recovery management. Sleep disturbance after a match are common and can negatively impact on the recovery process.

Recovery in soccer, and all of youth sports, is a complex issue. Recovery strategies should be targeted against the major causes of fatigue and need to be individualized to each athlete’s developmental and training age. ✪ Michelle Cappello is a physical therapist and clinical director for Sports Medicine For Young Athletes, a division of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, with a facility in Walnut Creek.

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KNEE Knowledge Work on lowering your ACL injury risks next season by using these approaches this summer

knee health: hunter green, m.d.

A torn ACL is one of the most serious injuries a football player can suffer. Besides having to possibly sit out the season, players may face loss of scholarship funding and long-term problems from the painful joint condition osteoarthritis.

Most ACL injuries do not occur from playerto-player contact. The most common causes of non-contact ACL injury include change of direction or cutting maneuvers combined with sudden stopping, landing awkwardly from a jump, or pivoting with the knee nearly fully extended when the foot is planted on the ground.

REDUCING THE RISK

Talk with an athletic trainer, physical therapist or sports medicine specialist to identify and target weak muscle areas (e.g., weak hips, which leads to knock-kneed landing positions) and identify ways to improve strength and thus prevent injury. They can also assess other risk factors, such as hamstring strength and joint range of motion.

Though ACL injuries are not entirely preventable, athletes can reduce their risk by maintaining general health and fitness year-round. Coaches and trainers may work with players on the following approaches: ›› Increase strength — When the muscles surrounding the legs are strong, the ligament gets an extra level of protection. ›› Improve flexibility — Dynamic stretching helps improve range of motion of the leg muscles. ›› Increase proprioception (balance) —The one-legged squat and reach is a great example to improve balance. ›› Include plyometrics — Plyometric exercises such as single leg hops over a cone and scissor jumps help improve power. Be sure to perform exercises on a soft surface. ›› Include agility training — Focus on drills involving changes in direction. ›› Follow football-specific conditioning — Practice movements, forms and techniques, such as proper pivoting, specific to your sport.

Hunter Greene, M.D., is a board certified orthopedic surgeon with Summit Orthopedic Specialists in Carmichael. He specializes in adult and pediatric sports medicine.

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PitchPrep training time: tim rudd for iyca

The 2014 World Cup is in full swing and I can’t think of a better time to cover the importance of offseason training for soccer. If athletes want to improve their skills as a player, they need to improve their athletic capacity, and becoming the best soccer player possible requires that they improve upon these three qualities in the offseason: IMPROVE MOVEMENT QUALITY — No matter the age or experience of an athlete, virtually every one of them can get better by improving movement quality.

An athletic preparation facility is a great place for athletes to learn what good movement looks and feels like in a slow and controlled environment. This will have a huge impact on their performance and health.

GET STRONGER — One of the biggest predictors of injury for most athletes is when they fail to strength train in the off-season. Also, in order to become faster or more powerful on the pitch, they must get stronger.

As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, getting stronger has a direct impact on performance — giving athletes the potential to be faster, more powerful and explosive.

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IMPROVE CONDITIONING —Trainers who are conditioning or testing athletes have them going 25, 30, or 35 or more seconds per bout, are making a mistake.

The scientific literature clearly shows how misguided this is, showing that the average sprint in soccer takes 2-4 seconds, followed by up to 90 seconds of down time. If your athletes want to be prepared for the actual demands of their sport, they should begin with low-intensity, highervolume methods to build a sufficient aerobic base.

Once that’s been improved, shorter explosive bouts of running can be utilized, which better simulates what really happens on a soccer field.

The off-season is the ideal time for athletes to gain the physical tools necessary to succeed. And if they don’t take the time to build their athletic capacity in the off-season, when will they? ✪ Tim Rudd is an IYCA specialist in youth conditioning and owner of Fit2TheCore.

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powered by trucks: anthony trucks

It’s time to show off the body you’ve been building, but don’t forget proper maintenance As I write this on the official first day of summer, it’s really time to show off the body those weights and exercising have developed. With that in mind, the goal around this time of the year is usually maintenance for most people while they start spending less time at the gym, and more time at birthday parties and barbecues eating unhealthy food.

So I always want to maximize my clients’ workouts in the gym by getting the most bang for their buck in their exercise selections during the limited time spent training. Here are some simple ideas to keep that body in shape while not being able to spend the same amount of time in the gym. ›› PLAN!: Don’t walk in the gym without a plan of attack. You will wander around and waste valuable minutes when every minute counts. ›› CUT DOWN REST BETWEEN SETS: Not

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only does this save time but it increases your cardio as you will most likely get to heavy breathing during your strength training workouts. ›› USE COMPOUND MOVEMENTS, SUPERSETS: Instead of just doing one movement, you can add to the movement by doing a curl to a press, for example. You can also do multiple movements back to back with no rest to get as many reps in as possible. ›› DON’T MISS WORKOUTS: Since you are already losing time and are getting busy, the worst thing you can do is miss your workouts altogether.

You’ve worked hard for that body, now go enjoy it while still keeping it intact. ✪ Anthony Trucks is the owner of Trucks Training facility in Brentwood and covers weight training for SportStars.

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Altitude Training Center Headlines New East Bay Gym By mike young | SportStars

The Quad, the newest gym facility of Leisure Sports Inc. — the company behind ClubSport and Renaissance ClubSport— just recently turned two months. After hearing terms like “revolutionary” and “unique” to describe the new Pleasanton facility, SportStars felt like checking it out for ourselves.

What we found was a gym that offers state-of-the-art workout facilities accessible to any desirable athlete looking to up their game.

One of the most unique features about The Quad is the Air Fit room. Air pressure is controlled to recreate different oxygen levels at altitudes of anywhere from 2,000 to 22,000 feet in order to replicate altitude training in the convenience of a gym without the constrictions of wearing training masks.

“The best way to relate it in terms of sports is the Denver Nuggets,” According to Carlo Maravilla, Director of the Air Fit Facility. “It’s a known fact that when they come down from altitude, they have a physiologic advantage over any other team that they play at sea level.”

With the Air Fit facility, any high school athlete has access to that advantage, especially for when traveling to altitude to compete. An Air Fit facility has been in use up in Oregon that has attracted the use of Olympic Skiers, world-class climbers and MMA Fighters, as well as working with a local high school.

“We’ve taken it from being something that you had to travel and pay a large amount of money to do as an elite athlete, we can now do for the general public and high school athletes,” said Dennis Dumas, Director of Wellness for Leisure Sports.

“If you take it up to the elite level, which should translate straight across the board down to every level, 95 percent of Olympic athletes who have won gold since the 1960’s — in any track event 800 meters and up — used altitude training.”

In addition to the top of the line Air Fit facility, The Quad in 40

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Pleasanton offers high school athletes the ability to train specifically to their needs — in more ways than one.

“You can pick and choose what you want to do, you can spend your money wisely, and have it specific to your goal,” Dumas said. “At a lot of other clubs and gyms, you pay one set price and you’re paying for a lot of things you’re not going to use.”

With an a la carte approach to pricing, The Quad allows members to pick and choose exactly what the member has access to, which makes prices flexible, as well as offering discounts for students and other deals.

“We’re likely to attract all the high schools in the East Bay that have high-performing athletic departments, or those which are striving to,” Dumas said.

Though new to the area, The Quad has been quick to reach out to local high schools and middle schools to host a series of camps to introduce local athletes to the accessibility that they now have. To learn more about the gym, visit its website at www.TheQuadFit.com. ✪ Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsOnline.com

even more camps + clinics at sportstarsonline.com BASEBALL/SOFTBALL All Star Academy of Baseball All-Star Academy in Santa Clara features a 17,000 square foot indoor and outdoor training facility that is home to a variety of instructional programs. ASA offers All Skills Camps for ages 7-12, and Summer Boot Camps for 12 & Under, middle school, and high school athletes. Info: 650-961-2255; www. asabaseball.com Cabernet Baseball Club The Livermore-based club not only hosts The Pitching Center’s Spring Break Baseball Skills Camp, its also hosts its own baseball summer camps. Each camp is designed for specific skill development. We feature camps for the youngest and newest players ages 5 - 7 all the way to the most elite high school and college players.

We keep our student to instructor ratios low. This ensures the best possible instruction experience for each participant. Lil’ Baseball is also offered for ages 3-7. Info: 925-416-1600, www.cabernetindoorsports.com Cal Club Baseball CCB is one of the premier college development baseball programs in California. We have hitting sessions on Saturdays and Sundays. Times for these hitting sessions will be sent out at the beginning of each week and will be listed on our website.

In these hitting sessions we set up stations for players to work on hitting for power, gap-to-gap, two strikes, balance and opposite field. Pitching sessions are set up with stations to get specific work on certain mechanics for pitching. Info: erick@ calclubbaseball.com; (408) 204-8771 Got ‘Em Baseball College Development The College Development Camp is a camp geared toward those elite high school student athletes that have aspirations of playing at the next level. We have teamed up with numerous colleges, professional instructors, current MLB scouts, motivational speakers and life skills coaches to bring to you an unforgettable 4-day/3-night baseball and life skills experience. The College Development Camp for grades: 9-11 takes place at University of the Pacific & Delta College in Stockton. Max Number of Campers: 60. Info: baseball@gotembaseball.com Gregg Jefferies Sports Academy Former first-round draft pick for the New York Mets, Gregg Jefferies put together an amazing 14-year career at the Major League level. Now he can train you! Enlist in camps and specialty clinics like hitting and pitching classes; onsight rehab and arm care, speed and agility, srength/core classes, team programs or join our monthly Baseball Membership.

We even offer Family Membership Plans so all your children can be involved and share our 12,000 square foot indoor facility. Info: (510) 209-6194; (925) 484-1036; tarynalexander13@gmail.com Headfirst Baseball Academy Though many people have heard about Headfirst, few understand the HF network, especially in the Upper Division. The basic principle is that we want to train young players who are willing to work hard to make the next level. We are proven in the area of recruiting talented players and developing them.

Most importantly (and this is the most overlooked concept by young players) Headfirst is proven in having the relationships with colleges that will result in players being connected with their desired school. Info: MJi0209@aol.com; Mario74iglesias@ aol.com The Pitching Center In an effort to develop baseball players to their full potential, The Pitching Center has become the To-

tal Player Center (TPC), a full-service baseball/softball training academy. We provide comprehensive, fully-integrated training programs that evolve based on the best research and information available in areas from health/safety, peak performance, education techniques and more. Age- and skill-specific programs are available for students aged 8-18.

Info: 925-416-1600, www.thepitchingcenter.com.

BASKETBALL Advantage Basketball Camps Advantage Basketball Camps are for kids 7-18.

Players grow and learn about more than basketball in our sessions. Advantage camps’ main focus is ball handling skills and moves off the dribble. Trying to learn the rest of the game is a waste of time if you can’t handle the ball. We also cover shooting, defense and court awareness. We run a professional camp that is hard work but produces great results. Our newest camp is on Rocklin. For all dates/locations: 425-670-8877; info@advantagebasketball.com, www.advantagebasketball.com East Bay Bulldogs The Bulldogs are pleased to bring back our hugely popular Week Night Skills Workouts. The program focuses on fundamental skills that are tough to spend much time on in practice. We do three 2-hour long skills workouts, that are open to boys and girls from 2nd-12th grade. This is a complete workout touching on all skills needed to play the game. You don’t have to be a Bulldogs player to attend. We are based in Martinez. Info: PGLeClaire@comcast.net; 925-570-1334 Moreau Catholic Basketball Camp Co–ed basketball camps for incoming grades 3-9, Cost: $150/session, $400 for all sessions: Week 1 6/16 – 6/20; Week 2 6/23 – 6/27; Week 3 6/30 – 7/3. All camps 9am – 2pm; Info: Varsity coach Frank Knight, knight@moreaucatholic.org; moreaucatholic.org/Athletics NorCal Courts Basketball Camps Norcal Courts in Martinez covers all the major fundamentals: Dribbling, passing, shooting, defense, rebounding. Sessions will have fun and exciting drills for campers that will help them become better players. Camps are rub by qualified coaches from Cal Stars and Cagers Basketball. Info: 925-4575081; www.norcalcourts.com Ray Wear 5 Basketball Ray Wear is a former Michigan State University Grad and All-Big 10 star who hosts basketball skills camps nationwide. The camp visits Northern California on April 27 at NorCal Courts in Martinez.

Camp package includes Game Gear reversible jersey and solid short, Reebok drawstring bag, cotton tee and Rebok Zig Kick Hoops. Info/Registration: raywear5.com Redwood Christian Basketball Camp Our camps are directed by varsity basketball coach Drew Sanchez each June. They are designed for players who want to learn and improve skills.

SHOOTING CAMP: This camp is focused on teaching technique of shot and footwork. SKILLS CAMP: This camp will incorporate all the fundamental skills of the game with a fun, competitive approach. Info: rcsathletics.org; 510-317-8988 CHEER/DANCE California Spirit Elite Cheer Camp CSE Cheer Camp, based at our facility in Dublin, is four days of fun-filled activities. Learn cheers, make crafts and make friends! Learn more about our club at csecheer.com. Info: (925) 556-1095 CheerGyms.com Customize your clinic to fit your needs! Let us teach the clinic you need to take your team to the next level! We offer residential overnight camps that

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even more camps + clinics at sportstarsonline.com include many awards, team bonding ideas and an experience of a lifetime. We also offer Two-Day Camps for a less-pricey overnight experience.

Finally, there are Private Camps in which your cheerleaders get all the attention. You pick the hours and decide what they will learn. Cheergyms. com facilities in Concord, San Jose and Petaluma!

Info: morton@cheergyms.com, 925-685-8176 ENRICHMENT Dianne Adair Programs Come join any of our eight Dianne Adair summer sites for our fun and exciting summer program.

Each week campers will be able to choose from several camps, including sports, fashion, drama, CSI, science and so many more. We take weekly field trips to places like an A’s or Giants game, museums, the Jelly Belly Factory, Six Flags, the pool, the movies, parks and the zoo. Field trips and camps vary by site. Offers and rates may vary at any of our nine locations. Info: www.dianneadair. org.

FITNESS Children’s Hospital Athletic Training Conference This workshop is designed especially for high school students interested in sports medicine careers. Learn about ankle injuries and taping techniques; wrist, hand, and thumb injuries and taping; knee injuries and RICE Therapy; stretching techniques, lower back injuries and CORE training, sports concussions; shoulder injuries and rehabilitation. The two-day workshop runs April 4 (5:308:30 pm) and April 5 (8 am-5 pm) at Children’s Hospital Oakland, Outpatient Center Auditorium.

Info: Call (510) 428-3558; www.chofoundation.org/

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sportsconference Children’s Hospital Sports Speed Camps Learn and put into practice the five pillars of SPEED training. Emphasizing flexibility, stability, strength, power, and speed. We’ll give you the training secrets that will make you faster than you’ve ever been before. The 2-week program is best suited for athletes (ages 12-19) who play soccer, football, basketball, lacrosse, and track & field.

Space is limited to 15 athletes per session with 3 sessions offered. Camps are held in Walnut Creek and Berkeley. Info: (510) 428-3558 Fit 2 The Core As a youth conditioning, speed/agility and nutrition specialist with the International Youth Conditioning Association, Fit-2-The-Core Training Systems offers an innovative approach to getting your young athletes back on the field of play post-rehabilitation, continuing the process by progressing their bodies to handle what they must endure on the field or court. Athletes are closely supervised while being coached through the workout, with attention on proper technique and safety. For our Back to Sports programs we offer training weekdays, with 2 or 3 days/week options. Info: www.fasteryoungathletes. com, 925-639-0907.

Renaissance ClubSport We offers sports and speciality camps for kids ages 5-12. Participants have fun-filled, active breaks as they receive instruction in a variety of sports, activities, and projects. For families with multiple children, we offer a 10% discount on each additional sibling. Info: Kids World at 925.942.6344.

Trucks Training We know exactly what it takes to achieve the next

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level of sports & fitness safely and effectively. A true hometown feel from true hometown people. We offer 1-on-1, group and small group training for fitness and sport-specific needs. Info: truckstraining. com; 925-756-7321 FOOTBALL AG Evaluations Artie Gigantino, a former NFL coach with the Rams and Raiders, and college coach at USC and Cal, offers players evaluations and consultations. Its guidance for your football future. Info: artiesports@ yahoo.com, 925-209-9465 All Out Sports League Our football camps are held in Antioch and Clayton.

The four-day non-contact camp teaches every position on the football field and are geared toward the fundamentals. Every aspect of the game is covered. Camps are open to boys and girls ages 6-16. Info: 925-203-5636 or www.alloutsportsleague.com Cascade Football Team Camp The purpose of the Cascade Team Camp is to provide a fundamental camp for high school athletes to learn the game of football from their own coaching staffs and to allow teams to meld together and spend quality team time for activities. The 5-day, full-contact camp is held at the beautiful campus of McCloud High at the base of Mt. Shasta. It’s attended by 7 teams and features facilities for both 11-and 8-man teams. Info: Matt Hunsaker 530-2330333; m61hunsaker@gmail.com Coach Cotter Football Camp This Moreau Catholic High camp is designed for everyone to have fun while learning essential football skills in a non-contact environment. Each

camper will have the opportunity to learn the skills for all offensive and defensive positions. Campers will also tour the campus, weight room and team room areas. Each day of camp will conclude with “Mariner Ball,” a fun touch football game giving everyone an equal opportunity to participate. Info: (510)-881-4333 or acotter@moreaucatholic.org Cougar Football Camp This is a full-gear youth football camp for grades 4-8 which is now in its 18th year. Long-respected Camplindo High coach Kevin Macy is the lead instructor for the camp which runs from July 7-18 and takes place from 1:30-5 pm each day. Info: CampoFootball.com, kmacy@acalanes.k12.ca.us, 925-280-3950 ext. 5163 Diablo Football Camps We offer contact and non-contact camps for players ages 6-14 which take place at Laural Ball Field and Shady Oaks Park in Oakley. Info/registration: 925-625-2222, www.DiabloFootball.com.

East Bay Youth Football Academy EBAYFA is designed to provide instruction to young boys and girls about the game of football. In addition to developing skills and running drills to teach fundamentals, EBAYFA also teaches you how the game is played. Our summer schedule is open for registration. We have two sessions in June and July at Bladium in Alameda and a session July 1519 at Bishop O’Dowd High in Oakland. All summer camps are for ages 6-10 and run from 9am-1pm Monday through Friday. Info: 510 599-4292; mike@ebay-fa.com National Wing T Team Camp We have been presenting exceptional WING-T football camps for 27 years with a superior staff,

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even more camps + clinics at sportstarsonline.com comprised solely of highly successful college and high school coaches from around the country. We highlight the importance of teamwork, self-discipline and consideration of others, while helping players to develop the confidence and work ethic needed to attain their full potential. This year’s NorCal camp is at Escalon High. The High School Wing-T Camp (helmet/shoulder pads) and Youth Wing-T camp (no equipment) both occur in June. Info: 209-2474700, ecoachlou@hotmail.com Walnut Creek Marauders The Walnut Creek Marauders are part of the Diablo Valley Youth Football Conference. This division represents 18 cities across Contra Costa, Solano, Napa and Alameda counties. The Marauder tackle football program is led by trained volunteer coaches who strive for the personal and athletic growth of each athlete. Info: (925) 941-4745; ldavenport41@ gmail.com GOLF The First Tee The First Tee Summer Camp is a youth development Golf program for boys and girls ages 7-18.

Participants learn about golf and the life skills and values inherent to the game. Check with local chapters, Oakland, Contra Costa, Tri-Valley, Silicon Valley or find another at thefirsttee.org GYMNASTICS East Bay Sports Academy Summer Day Camps at East Bay Sports Academy offer the best gymnastics, cheerleading, and tumbling SUMMER CAMP FUN anywhere! We offer four AMAZING WEEKS of half-day and full-day camps for girls and boys ages 5 and up. Recreational and competitive athletes will benefit from

training with most-committed coaches in the Bay Area. Our 13,000 square foot facility is clean, bright, and has the newest equipment around. We host private mini-camps and clinics. We gladly welcome all high school, middle school and youth football teams. Info: www.eastbaysportsacademy. com, 925-680-9999.

LACROSSE ENCORE Lacrosse Our camps are for those players looking to take their game to the next level. Jonathan Christmas is present at every camp where the focus is on developing each and every player according to the S.T.R.I.V.E. model (Sustainable, Training, Reactive coaching, Innovative, Video, Energy). Beginners, check out our introductory and intermediate camps. All camps offer goalie training and there are a limited number of goalie discounts available.

Camp locations include Walnut Creek, Belmont, Marin, Sacramento and San Francisco. Info: info@ EncoreLacrosse.com MARTIAL ARTS Hanabi Judo & Japanese Culture Hanabi’s Judo and Japanese Culture Summer Camp is a fun, active introduction to the traditions of Japan. Every themed session will have children learning judo (a requirement in Japanese schools), Japanese songs, Japanese stories as well as the main artistic, linguistic or culinary activity. Info: (510) 530-8312; dan@hanabijudo.com USKS Adult and children’s programs, kick box fitness, mixed martial arts. Providing excellence in martial arts instruction and services for the entire family.

925-682-9517; www.usksmartialarts.com.

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OUTDOOR/ADVENTURE SPORTS

Diablo Rock Gym We offer kids summer camps every week starting in June and ending in August. Sign up for a week at a time or multiple weeks. Ages 6-17; multiple kid and/or week discounts. Call for pricing, 925-6021000.

Tri-Valley Triathlon Club We will train you for a sprint, Olympic or half-ironman triathlon. Join us at one of our free practices occurring 3-5 times a week. Located in the East Bay with practices in Fremont, Newark, Union City, Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore and San Ramon.

Info: liz@trivalleytriclub.com RUGBY Diablo Rugby Based in Clayton, our club is dedicated to providing a positive rugby experience for boys at high school, jr. high and youth levels. Info: 925-381-5143, diablorugby.com SOCCER Dublin United Soccer Camps Dublin United Soccer is pleased to offer their excellent program in a day camp format. Each camp session is one week long, and runs from 9-noon.

Spring Break Camp runs from Marcy 31-April 4 for girls and boys ages 5 - 17. Our camps feature a fun & friendly atmosphere with challenging curriculum.

We take an educational approach to coaching that focuses on being inclusive & welcoming of all players. Participants are not required to play for DUSL. Interested community members are invited and encouraged to attend. Info: td@dublinsoccer.org Heritage Soccer Club HSC Soccer camp is at Tesoro Fields in Concord

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from July 14-18 from 9am-2pm, open to all U8-U15 boys and girls (HSC, non-HSC players welcome).

Come and have a great time and learn about soccer techniques. Players will be instructed by coaches with 25+ years of experience at almost every level. Fees are $200 for HSC players and $300 non-HSC players. Info: conctat Julio Borge at Julio@heritagesc.com, www.HeritageSC.com Impact Soccer Club We are a community-based organization dedicated to the development of the soccer culture in Brentwood, Oakley, Antioch, Knightsen, Byron and Discovery Bay. Our summer camps are run by Impact Coaching Director Rick Morin. Rick has 30 years of coaching experience and coaches at Carondelet

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even more camps + clinics at sportstarsonline.com High and the Univ. of California. Impact’s Junior Academy Program, for under-6 is designed to provide age-appropriate soccer training and the proper foundation for young players in our club. Info: richardmorin1@comcast.net, (925) 323-1410 Taking the World by Storm Soccer Camp The fourth annual Taking the World by Storm Soccer Clinic for girls ages 8-16 is July 26 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Arbolado Park in Walnut Creek.

Registration is limited to 250 kids. Members of the California Storm, Elk Grove’s team in the Women’s Premier Soccer League will be hosting the camp.

There will also be a healthy living fair and a cooking demonstration to help eat nutritious lunches. To register, call (925) 52101511 or visit http://tinyurl. com/2014STORM. SWIMMING/DIVING Santa Clara Aquamaids JUMP IN with the Santa Clara Aquamaids and learn the basics of synchronized swimming! The Santa Clara Aquamaids are looking for swimmers ages 7-12, who are eager to learn, attentive, able to follow directions and work cooperatively in a group setting. Basic synchro skills are taught such as sculling, ballet legs, simple figures, arm strokes, land drilling, and more. The Santa Clara Aquamaids has been producing world-class synchronized swimmers and Olympic athletes since 1964.

We have programs designed for beginning through elite levels. Info: 877 722-4630; 408 988-9936; info@aquamaids.org Sherman Swim School Located in Lafayette, our year-round schedule allows children and adults to learn, retain and improve their swim skills with little interruption. Lessons are offered on M-W-F’s and T-Th’s over 3-4 weeks. We teach from age 9-months to adults and non-swimmers to competitive levels. Our private or semi-private lessons allow you to progress at YOUR pace. We also offer beginning and competitive diving. Classes (30 min. long) are taught in three-week sessions. Either on M-W-F or T-Th. Info: 925-283-2100, www.ShermanSwim.com.

Terrapins Swim Team Camps and clinics open to all ages and ability levels @ Concord Community Pool. Visit our website for fees/registration info. Info: www.terrapinswim. com TENNIS ClubSport Valley Vista Our club has been hosting summer tennis camps in the Walnut Creek area for 33 years, with expert instruction. Tennis pro Dale Miller and his team will teach your children the fundamentals of tennis or help them improve their skills for recreation or competition. Camps are designed to touch on every major aspect of the game — stroke production, conditioning, strategy, footwork, psychology and most importantly, FUN! Players will be grouped according to level of play and age. Info: 925-934-4050.

VOLLEYBALL Bay Area Blast Summer Clinics Bay Area Blast Volleyball Club (BABVC) is a volleyball organization in Martinez. Our primary goal is to build character and develop sportsmanship. BABVC offers personalized 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 lessons and skills clinics designed for beginner and intermediate players. The clinics focus on player development in the fundamental skills. BABVC holds two summer skills clinics for boys and girls of all levels, each running three nights a week for two consecutive weeks from 7-9 pm at NorCal Courts in Martinez. Sessions cost $125. Info: tracyfeld-

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mann@gmail.com City Beach Volleyball With facilities in both Fremont and Santa Clara, we offer a wide variety of camps and clinics to serve junior girl players of all experience levels. Academic Camp is for the rising 10-12th graders looking for an opportunity to work with over 15 college coaches.The Sand Program takes place on the sand courts at West Valley College from April-June with 18 sessions to improve your outdoor skills.

Our traditional summer camp serves players of all levels. We also have Saturday Sessions available. Info: (408) 654-9330; aaron@citybeach.com dan@citybeach.com Core Volleyball Club We offer a competitive, fun environment where your daughter will enjoy competing at a high level not only in games, but in practices as well.Our goal is to prepare your daughter for the next level; whether that is her middle school, high school, or college program. Clinics are held at Velocity Sports Performance in Dublin. If you are looking for some extra touches prior to tryouts this is an excellent clinic for you. We work on all skill development and fundamentals. Info: info@teamcvc.com; Ph: 925925-230-9795 Moreau Catholic Volleyball Camp Girls volleyball camp for incoming grades 6-9, Cost: $100; July 7 – 11, 4:30 – 7:30pm; Info: Coach Ami Schelin, aschelin@moreaucatholic.org; moreaucatholic.org/Athletics Pacific Rim Volleyball Pacific Rim Volleyball Academy in Pleasant Hill is dedicated to providing athletes with the technical, tactical and physical training, to reach their highest potential. Pacific Rim will assist each athlete in reaching maximum performance through proper training and nutrition education. Our advanced training for junior levels (12th grade & below), will provide the opportunity to become elite players at the high school and/or collegiate level. Clinics are available for beginners, girls fall ball and skillsspecific, boys skills-specific, open play and private lessons. Info: (585) 313-2215; rworsley@pacificrim volleyball.com U.S. Youth Volleyball League The United States Youth Volleyball League is hosting a series of camps in several Northern and Southern California locations. The USYVL is the leader in developing and maintaining youth volleyball leagues for boys and girls ages 7-15. Its motto “Volleyball starts here,” clearly represents its commitment to the development of the sport. Each camp is taught by instructors who have played or coached at the club, high school or college level. Registration fee includes a t-shirt, certificate, snacks and water. Info: 1-888-988-7985, www.

USYVL.org.

WRESTLING Community Youth Center The Concord-based CYC wrestling program trains and challenges wrestlers from kindergarten through high school, and all experience levels from beginner to champion. The program offers three types of week-long (July & August) wrestling camps. The Elementary Camp for ages 5-10 and The All Corners Camp for ages 11-18, and the Advanced Camp serves the same age group and runs in August.

Each camp runs from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. daily at the CYC. Camp fees vary slightly. Info: 925-671-7070, Ext. 229, www.communityyouthcenter.com.

MULTI-SPORT Cabernet All Sports Camp All Sports Summer Camp at Cabernet in-

cludes soccer, dodgeball, baseball, obstacle course, crush zone and more! We have a variety of cost options available. Early drop-off 8am (+$10) and late pick-up 4pm (+$15) are available. Registration limited to 80 kids/day. Drop-in on the day of will be accepted up to 80 kids for an additional charge of $5 per listed camp price. Info: 925-4558300 Cal Camps Enrollment for Cal Athletic Camps are now open.

Space is limited, so please make sure you reserve a place now. Camps are offered for girls and boys ages 5-19, with week-long, half-day, full-day and overnight options. Most camps take place on campus in Berkeley and are held from June through August. Among the sports offered are: Baseball, Basketball, Rowing/Crew, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Rugby, Soccer, Strength & Conditioning, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball and Water Polo.

Enrollment is based on a first-come, first-served basis. Info: CalBears.com/camps.

De La Salle Camps De La Salle High School will host athletic summer camps to provide a fun, skill-building week for kids. Camps appeal to local youth with a variety of athletic interests. De La Salle will offer the following sessions: Football, Track & Field, Lacrosse, Wrestling, Quarterback & Wide Receiver, Lineman, Volleyball, Baseball, Soccer, Water Polo and Strength & Conditioning. In addition to serving local athletes, the camps also benefit De La Salle students by contributing to The Bishop John S. Cummins Scholarship Program. Info: summercamps@dlshs. org; 925-288-8144.

Livermore Area Rec and Park Sports Camps LARPD offers a variety of sports for all ages. The popular Sports Camp (ages 5-12), Pee-Wee Sports Camps (ages 3-5) and Flag Football return to complement year-round traditional Baseball/T-Ball, Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, Golf and Tennis programs from youth to teens. New sports have taken off with the introduction of Frisbee Golf, Gymnastics and Martial Arts. Most of our sport-specific camps accommodate ages 8-14. Info: (925) 373-5733; zsilva@larpd.dst.ca.us Saint Mary’s College Camps Camps for ages 6-18. Dates posted, registration open. Camps include: All-sports, baseball, basketball, rugby, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. Each clinic features head coach of the Gaels’ program along with a hand-picked staff of trained profs. Each athlete has opportunity to develop skills through individual & group instruction and game experience. Click “camps” at www. smcgaels.com for detailed information and to register on line. Info: smccamps@stmarys-ca.edu, 925-631-4386.

USA Elite Camps We offer camps with superior instruction from professional athletes and top Division I collegiate coaches. Sports served by USA Elite Camps include boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, girls volleyball and baseball. See our ad in this issue for more info.

Valley Christian Sport Camps VCS sports camps are a place for boys and girls, grades K-12, to make the most of their athletic potential. From June to August on our San Jose campuses, we offer programs for football, baseball, tennis, soccer, volleyball, basketball, cheer, strength& conditioning, leadership and multi-sport programs. Info: 408-513-2455 ✪

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A G: Guidance For Your Football Future.............................................................................24 Antioch Sports Legends....................................................................................................43 Big O Tires Northern California/ Nevada.............................................................................2 Cal Athletic Camps...........................................................................................................45 California Flag Football Academy.....................................................................................24 Championship Athletic Fundraising.................................................................................12 Cheergyms.Com...............................................................................................................40 Club Sport..........................................................................................................................5 Club Sport Renaissance....................................................................................................39 Community Youth Center.................................................................................................45 Concord Youth Football & Cheerleading...........................................................................42 Core Performance.......................................................................................................43, 44 Core Volleyball Club..........................................................................................................42 Diablo Futbol Club............................................................................................................33 Diablo Rock Gym..............................................................................................................44 Diablo Trophies & Awards.................................................................................................44 East Bay Parks..................................................................................................................45 Excellence In Sport Performance......................................................................................37 Garaventa Enterprises......................................................................................................29 Gregg Jefferies Sports Academy ......................................................................................36 Halo Headband................................................................................................................45 Head First Baseball West Coast.........................................................................................15 Home Team Sports Photography......................................................................................41 Kangazoom......................................................................................................................41 Laguna Creek Junior Cardinals Football & Cheer ..............................................................43 Little League Intermediate World Series..........................................................................48 M L B Scout Online...........................................................................................................42 Mountain Mike’s Pizza......................................................................................................13 Muir Orthopaedic Specialists............................................................................................38 National Scouting Report.................................................................................................42 Northern California Youth Rugby Association...................................................................43 Passthaball.......................................................................................................................45 Play It Again Sports..........................................................................................................20 Rhino Sports Of Northern California.................................................................................15 Rocco’s Pizza.....................................................................................................................44 Sacramento River Cats......................................................................................................27 Sherman Swim School.....................................................................................................37 Sky High Sports................................................................................................................43 Sport Clips........................................................................................................................16 Stevens Creek Toyota........................................................................................................21 Sutter Health East Bay........................................................................................................3 Taking The World By Storm Soccer....................................................................................32 Tesoro Golden Eagle Refinery...........................................................................................30 Tilden Park Golf Course.....................................................................................................45 Tpc / The Pitching Center..................................................................................................15 U C S F Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland......................................................................35 U S A Elite.........................................................................................................................20 U S Cryotherapy................................................................................................................26 United States Youth Volleyball League.............................................................................47 Wells Fargo Bank..............................................................................................................28

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Vacaville High’s Jurnee Woodward grits her teeth as she makes her final push across the finish line in the 300-meter hurdles event at the Golden West Invitational in Sacramento on June 28.

She finished second in the event and took third in 100-meter hurdles.

Photo by James K. Leash

Want to submit your pic for Photo Finish? Send it to us at editor@SportStarsOnline.com. Photos must be 300 dpi and at least 10 inches wide in the jpeg format.

Please identify every person in the photo and include your contact information.

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Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsOnline.com