SPORTS & RECREATION
SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 5, 2022
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GBAC tournament kicks off summer football BY ZACH ALVIRA Progress Sports Editor
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igh school football programs from all over the East Valley and state have begun the transition from spring to summer, with team workouts on a near daily basis and various 7-on-7 and big man tournaments. These events, typically held at various high schools, have exploded in popularity in recent years with local colleges jumping on board to host high school programs. The summer circuit of tournaments helps teams prepare for the full season in the fall. It builds team chemistry. It allows quarterbacks and receivers to work on timing and defenses to play fast and quickly recognize an opposing offense. The COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on all the tournaments in 2020 and most last year. But they’re now back in full swing. And it started in Mesa on Memorial Day
Notre Dame Prep football coach George Prelock said this was the first time things truly feel like they have returned to normal after the pandemic. He enjoyed being able to compete on a large stage at the GBAC tournament with his team over Memorial Day weekend. (Dave Minton/Progress Staff)
weekend with the Gotta Believe Athletic Club’s annual high school championships. “From a high school perspective running this tournament with the guys we have involved, it’s the best,” Mesa coach and founder of Gotta Believe Athletic Club Chad DeGrenier said. “IT’s been nice to see the competition, the sportsmanship, all those things that kinda got lost but hopefully it’s all coming back to center.” DeGrenier is in his 12th year hosting the camp. In previous years, it was held at Fear Farm in the West Valley or Scottsdale. This year, however, he aimed to show off the upgrades to Mesa’s athletic facilities. Some pool play games were played on Mesa’s new turf �ield. The big man competition was held on the football team’s practice �ield just behind the east bleachers. Other games took place on the baseball �ields.
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Modernization, pandemic help revitalize golf BY BRANDON BONAPARTE Cronkite News
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fter a boom in golf’s popularity that followed the emergence of Tiger Woods as a sports superstar, the game slipped into a post-Tiger effect downtrend. Over a 15-year period from 2003 to 2018, the number of golfers declined in the United States by 6.8 million. Then along came a global pandemic. At �irst, people were con�ined to the indoors when COVID-19 struck. Eventually, social distancing and small gatherings were encouraged. Outdoor activities were deemed safer, which aligned perfectly with golf. In 2020, especially over the second half of the year, numbers for golf suddenly improved. And they’ve continued to sky-
Golf has returned with a vengeance, attracting players young and old, thanks to attempts at modernization and a pandemic that drove people outdoors. (Susan Wong/Cronkite News)
rocket. “The golf course was considered a place for people to escape the pandemic,” Longbow Golf Club general manager Bob McNichols said. “You don’t play golf indoors where you’re restricted in the air you breathe and the access you have to the environment. So, golf became a popular activity for people who were no longer doing things the same way they always did and looking for not only activities, but a way to get better at the game.” According to the National Golf Foundation, 2020 saw an increase of golfers by 500,000, a 2% uptick from 2019. An estimated 502 million rounds of golf were played in 2020, compared to 441 million played in 2019.
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