Club team promotes horseback riding and competiton

Photo courtesy of Crossroad Farm.

Crossroads Farm is currently accepting students in grades 6-12 (including those who are homeschooled) to join the Crossroads Farm East Valley IEA Team.

The full-service hunter/jumper and equitation barn in Gilbert has partnered with the Interscholastic Equestrian Association to bring the sport of horseback riding to students in middle and secondary schools and to promote and improve the quality of competition and instruction in the East Valley.

The cost to ride on the team is approximately $280, which covers the eight-week semester riding lessons. Show and travel fees are additional.

The Crossroads Farm IEA Team will participate in a minimum of three shows per semester. Shows are one-day, weekend events. All regular season shows are in Arizona at this time, with teams currently in the North, West and East Valley.

“This program is meant to give non-horse owners, and those unfamiliar but interested in horses and hunt seat riding, a chance to gain knowledge and compete in school-associated equestrian programs, while offering regional and national championships to qualified teams and individuals,” says Rachel Jansen Jones, owner and head trainer of Crossroads Farm. “No horse or prior riding experience is needed.”

The IEA horse shows will include classes ranging in skill level from walk/trot for beginner riders up to 3-foot equitation-type courses for the varsity riders. Teams need to be in place by Nov. 1.

Learn more

Crossroad Farm
460 E. Ray Road, Gilbert
480-812-8924 • crossroadsfarm.com

Interscholastic Equestrian Association
rideiea.org

AZ Girls Lacrosse announces summer ball

Your daughter can keep her stick skills sharp over the coming off-season, as AZ Girls Lacrosse, or AZGL, is announcing a new summer league.

Summer Ball begins on July 7 and runs through August 4, with leagues for under-15, under-16 (rising seniors) and 2011 high schools grads/post-collegiate players. The format of the league is similar to AZGL’s Fall Ball — teams will play a game a week with no practices. Game times are at night to beat the heat, and play will be at the brand new Salt River Fields facilities at Talking Stick in Scottsdale. Here’s some more information from the website:

• Cost: $85 (includes jersey)

• Where: Salt River Fields

• When: Every Thursday July 7- Aug. 4

• How to register: There are two registrations depending on your child’s age. If your daughter is in fifth through 12th grades or just graduated high school, you register here. If your daughter graduated high school in 2010, is in college currently, or post-collegiate, she will register here. There are only a limited number of spots available so it will be first come, first serve.

Game Times

U15 and Younger 7:30-9pm

U16 – Rising Seniors 8:30-10pm

High school grads-post-collegiate 8:30-10pm

Sign up before June 30th to reserve a spot and grab the best deal. — Robert T. Balint

Mid-June karate tournament is for all ages

Image via Wikipedia

Valley martial artists and enthusiasts, take note: the VSN II Karate Tournament is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 11, at South Valley Junior High in Gilbert. Four divisions will compete for first through fourth place: black belts, advanced belts, intermediate belts and beginner belts. Tournament entrants may compete in a number of events, including open, musical and traditional forms; weapons and sparring. There are male and female divisions, as well as age groups ranging from 5 and under to 30 and over.

To enter, print out the registration flyer, fill it out, and mail it in to:

AZMARRS
3107 S. Lindsay Rd. #104
Gilbert, AZ 85295

Pre-registration fees:

One event: $40
Two events: $55
Three events: $65
Four or five events: $75

Entry forms must be postmarked on or before June 4. You can enter the day of the tournament, but pre-registration will save you some cash.

Day-of Registration fees:

One event: $55
Two events: $65
Three events: $75
Four events: $85
Five events: $95

On-site registration begins at 9:30 that morning. All black belt divisions are scheduled to begin competition at 10am, with advanced belt beginning at 10:30 and beginner and intermediates at 12:30pm.

The top four placers in each division will be awarded a trophy. In addition, the grand-champions of the adult black belt weapons/forms, men’s fighting and women’s fighting divisions will each receive a $75 cash prize. The top contender in the youth black belt weapons/forms event will win $50.

Don’t feel like taking blows to the torso and/or face, but still want to catch the action? Completely understandable. Spectators ages 16 and up can watch for $10, while kids 15 and under need only $5 to enter. — Robert T. Balint

Martial arts students place high

From left: Andrew Rodgers, Chance Glover, Mackenzie Bouise, Cameron Kessner, Max Bouise, Julianna Chin-Tung. Sensei Poage is in the back.

Six students from Peaceful Warrior Martial Arts, a Scottsdale karate school, placed high in their divisions at the recent 2011 USKA Martial Arts Nationals Tournament in Albuquerque, N.M.

• Chance Glover (13), 1st place sparring, 4th place koshiki
• Cameron Kessner (13), 1st place kata, 4th place weapons
• Mackenzie Bouise (10), 2nd place sparring, 2nd place team sparring, 4th place kata
• Julianna Chin-Tung (12), 3rd place sparring, 3rd place koshiki, 5th place kata
• Max Bouise (12), 4th place weapons, 4th place team sparring
• Andrew Rodgers (11), 5th place kata

“Competing in tournaments has helped me gain confidence at school speaking in front of the class, asking questions and within my friendships,” says Kessner, a student at Scottsdale Preparatory. “I feel great knowing that I’m part of a bigger team, a team that encourages me to be a better athlete and person. I enjoy supporting my team members and seeing them succeed, knowing that I have helped them train to become great at what they do.”

The competitors, all from North Phoenix, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, began their martial arts training under Sensei Richard M. Poage, himself a National and World Champion  and has been named a #1-rated Martial Arts Instructor by the United States Karate Alliance for six years running.

“Martial arts is an excellent way to build confidence and focus,” says Poage. “Our programs not only teach karate but assist with life skills that help kids become successful individuals in society.”

Peaceful Warrior Martial Arts & Healing Center offers a wide range of classes for youth and adults including karate, jujitsu, mixed martial arts (MMA), conditioning and self-defense. For more information call 480-200-1187 or visit peacefulwarriorphx.com.

Grant Hill to honor all-stars in Kids Sports Stars lifestyle challenge

Phoenix Suns forward Grant Hill.

Tomorrow, Phoenix Suns forward Grant Hill will recognize more than 180 students from across the Valley who successfully completed the Kids Sports Stars healthy lifestyle challenge. The event will take place at US Airways Center at 5:30 p.m.

More than 1,000 students participated in the 12-week challenge. All-stars logged 26 miles, tracked eating habits and write essays about healthy living.

Hill will meet with the all-stars and describe his own fitness routine along with sharing tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The Gorilla and Verve Sol Patrol will be on hand to take photos and perform for the students.

Kids Sports Stars is a non-profit organization founded to encourage young people to adopt healthy lifestyles. The non competitive, fun activities developed by Kids Sports Stars and partners have involved more than 10,000 kids across the Valley in the last seven years and operated in 17 Phoenix area elementary schools. Learn more.

Do you know a comeback kid?

Now a Xavier College Preparatory High School graduate, 2010 Fan Fave winner Tayler Renshaw returned to her alma mater to present a $1,000 check on behalf of PCH Sports Medicine for Young Athletes to make the inaugural donation for the $1.5 million new sports field.

Do you know a young athlete who was forced to sit on the sidelines because of an injury, illness, or physical limitation? Someone who had to go to physical therapy or treatment while teammates were competing and having fun?

The PCH Sports Medicine Program Comeback Student Athlete of the Year Awards Program is a chance to reward that hard work and dedication to get back in the game.

Nominations are being sought for the 2nd annual Comeback Student Athlete of the Year Awards Program, which recognizes outstanding young athletes who have returned to athletic competition after receiving treatment for an injury, illness, or physical limitation.

Throughout the school year, contest nominees will have the chance of being chosen as the PCH Sports Medicine Comeback Student Athlete of the Week and highlighted on KPNX Channel 12’s Friday Night Fever or 12News Saturday Today. In April 2011, a panel of judges will choose the PCH Sports Medicine Comeback Student Athlete of the Year. An award will also be given for the “Fan Fave” who is selected by online votes. Both winners will be awarded scholarship money to be presented at an end-of-the-year banquet. The winners’ athletic programs will receive cash grants.

Nominations are open to Arizona residents between the ages of 8 and 18 who are currently enrolled in Arizona public, private, charter or home elementary or high schools. Nominees must have participated in organized sports (school, club  or intramurals) and missed part of a season due to injury, illness or physical limitations. You do not have to be a PCH patient to be eligible for the awards program.

Last year, PCH Sports Medicine received more than 100 nominations. From those, 28 comeback student athletes were featured on 12News as weekly winners. Two of those athletes, Brett Butler and Tayler Renshaw, were selected as the PCH Sports Medicine Comeback Student Athlete of the Year and Fan Fave Comeback Student Athlete, respectively.

Brett, who graduated from Corona del Sol High School last June, was diagnosed at the PCH Children’s Neuroscience Institute with a brain tumor that caused debilitating seizures. He underwent surgery to remove the growth, but the procedure resulted in paralysis to the right side of his body. He battled a long road to recovery, but eventually returned to Coronal del Sol’s cross country and varsity baseball teams.

Currently a freshman at Arizona State University, Brett was selected as the Comeback Student Athlete of the Year by a panel of judges.

In August 2008, Tayler began feeling ill and over time her health deteriorated to the point where she could barely run or jump. In February of 2009, her sickness was diagnosed by a team of specialists in the Division of Gastroenterology at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Tayler found out she has Crohn’s disease.

In order to treat her illness and regain her strength, Tayler had to stop playing soccer for two months and now receives regular infusions every six weeks. Tayler worked extremely hard to get back into top playing condition during the summer before the start of her senior year at Xavier College Preparatory.

Tayler, now a freshman at Occidental College in Los Angeles, was selected by a public online vote as the Fan Fave Comeback Student Athlete. Over the 19 days of voting, close to 34,000 Fan Fave votes were collected.

Nominations will be accepted through February 27, 2011. To nominate someone you know, visit comebackathlete.azcentral.com.

Robby Mayasich Memorial Cup

Chaparral High School and Brophy Prep have played several important lacrosse games against each other the past few years, including the last four state championship games.  They will play again tonight, April 22, at 8 p.m. at Chaparral, but this game will be different.  Tonight everyone will be wearing pink in honor of Brophy senior lacrosse player Robby Mayasich, who died last month after being struck by a car during a road race on February 27.   Earlier this week, the Chaparral Lacrosse Club board established “The Robby Mayasich Memorial Cup” with the following announcement:

Robby Mayasich

“The Chaparral Firebirds and the Brophy Broncos have long been rivals on the lacrosse field, competing with unparallel intensity and mutual respect for one another. But off the field we are all part the Lacrosse family in Arizona. The sport of lacrosse and each of our school’s commitment to excellence truly connects each player to one another.  By establishing the Robby Mayasich traveling cup, we hope to forever preserve his memory in the Arizona Lacrosse community and further establish a tie between our two teams that reaches across competition. Robby was well known and loved in many circles. Many of us knew Robby personally, through academics, or while playing alongside him on the lacrosse field.  The Robby Mayasich Cup will be awarded to the winner of each game that is played between Chaparral and Brophy. This memorial cup embodies the idea of team spirit that captures the way Robby approached life. It is our hope that this tradition lives on as does the spirit of a young man who touched so many lives.”

If you want to see the best that high sports has to offer, stop by Chaparral High School in Scottsdale tonight to watch the top two lacrosse teams in Arizona play for something more important than winning a game.  And remember to wear pink.  – Dan

A chance to soar

I was lost when I walked into my first Chaparral High track and field meet this season. What were the events again? I knew there were sprints and distance events, some jumping and throwing and relays of some sort. I wasn’t quite sure which part was track and which was field. I knew a little bit about the pole vault, because for some reason my freshman daughter had decided to try planting a 12-foot pole into a three-foot hole and see if she could soar into the air.

Emily Kaplan, the author's daughter, attempts a vault during track practice at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale.

I had arrived late, and I didn’t know the order of things. How much had I missed? How long do these things go on? And where were my kids among the sea of red and white Firebird warmups lounging on the football field inside the track?

Standing by the fence along the finish line, I hoped one of them would see me and decide to acknowledge me. Then Emily came racing down the track, in what I later learned was the 200-meter dash. She came in second in an exhibition heat. Looked good to me, but she was disappointed because she hadn’t beaten her best time.

Best times. Exhibition heats. A co-ed sport that offers plenty of time for socializing and flirting between events. This was starting to sound familiar.

Our children have been swimmers for many years, and the similarities are striking. I knew from our swim coaches that track was great cross-training, but I never realized the two sports had so much in common. The scoring has parallels, with points given in descending order based on your finish, all combined for the team score at the end of the meet. You try different events and, as you grow, begin to specialize in one or two. Like swimming, the athletes carb load at pasta parties before each meet.

Chaparral has some terrific track and field athletes, including state champ pole vaulter Liz Portanova, sprinter Nikko Landis, twin distance runners Shane and Shawn Maule, and triple-jumper Cody Moore. They benefit from an excellent coaching staff, with decades of experience and an Olympic gold medal in the trophy case of pole vault coach Nick Hysong.

But it’s a huge team and it appears that most of the kids, like mine, are there to learn and have fun and stay in shape. That takes a lot of the pressure off the kids, though it’s not necessarily a recipe for a championship team. Maybe that’s not surprising, given all the emphasis on football, basketball and baseball, and the club sports that take up every moment in between. Still, it’s a shame for those dedicated, one-sport athletes who miss the chance to sample what high school has to offer and try something new.

I find my way to the bleachers and recognize a family whose son joined the team last year. They patiently answer my questions and explain some of the rules. I’m still scouring the field for my son when he whizzes by in another exhibition heat of the 200-meter dash. It’s his first race ever and he looks great.

It occurs to me that I’ve never seen my kids run like that, a full-on sprint with techniques they had surely learned in the past few weeks of practice. They might never run track again, but these were lessons they could take with them. I was learning, too, about a new sport, meeting a new batch of families who were cheering on the team and reacquainting with parents I hadn‘t seen in years.

The regular season ends with a home meet April 21 against Desert Mountain, followed by the Scottsdale City Meet on April 28. That’s likely the end of the season for my junior-varsity track dabblers. Regionals and finals are set for early May.

Emily is still working on getting over the crossbar in competition. I’m in awe that she’s chosen what looks like an impossibly difficult event and she loves it. But she turned down her first chance to compete at the last meet, afraid that she’d fail, and she wasn’t entirely happy with her decision. That’s the beauty of high school: You can still miss opportunities, make mistakes and take chances, without so much at stake. The next opportunity she gets to soar into the air, I’m betting she takes it. — Mary K. Reinhart

With wrestling, there’s no substitute for hard work

Robert Balint (left) faces an opponent on the mat.

I was introduced to wrestling during my freshman year of high school. In fact, before the wrestling coach recruited me during football season, I didn’t even know that Brophy College Preparatory even had a wrestling team. Before high school, I played baseball, basketball and soccer, but I never once came into contact with a junior high wrestling program.

Arizona is far behind states such as Pennsylvania or Iowa, where the sport of wrestling is closer to a way of life than a mere pastime and 4- and 5-year-olds are hustled onto the mat by screaming parents. Like all sports, athletes who begin training earlier have a greater advantage than latecomers, as they have more time to learn and master the techniques, giving them a head start on muscle memory and body awareness.

That shouldn’t discourage high school athletes who have no prior experience. There’s no substitute for hard work. No matter how experienced a wrestler is, he still has to work for victory.

So what should you do if you have a child in seventh or eighth grade who is interested in wrestling?

Find the nearest grade school with a wrestling program. It probably will be a club program, not an actual school team. Club coaches teach the basic rules and fundamentals. They’ll take just about anyone who shows up ready to work. Here are some contacts to try:

Desert Mountain Wolfpack Wrestling Club
12575 E Via Linda, Scottsdale, AZ 85259
602-826-8887 • cfredericks@susd.org • wolfwrestling.com

Sunkist Kids Wrestling Academy
P.O. Box 12520, Scottsdale, AZ 85267
480-205-3015 • gressley@sunkistkids.org • sunkistkids.org

How is wrestling different from other sports?

Wrestling is a balance between an individual and a team sport. In dual meets, which pit two teams against one another, the two wrestlers in each weight class wrestle each other. Whoever wins captures team points, the number of which awarded depends on the nature of the win. After all 14 weight classes are done, the team points from each individual match are added up, and whichever team scored more is the winner.

Each team member has not only a personal desire to win, but also a responsibility to do well for the good of the entire team. Getting pinned sacrifices the most team points, so even if a wrestler has no chance of winning, he still has to fight hard to avoid giving the other team extra points that could decide the match.

The victor.

Concerning individual matches, wrestling is as close as you can get to a non-team sport. There’s nobody out there on the mat to help you. There is only your opponent. It’s a do-or-die situation: no substitutions, no half-times, nothing.

What are the time commitments and physical challenges of wrestling? What are the benefits?

Athletes should be prepared to dedicate a large amount of time to wrestling. Because the sport demands an extremely high level of conditioning, going to practice every day (grueling though that may be) is crucial to success. As for the physical challenge, there is not much that is more difficult than doing sprints after a couple of hours of drilling techniques and sparring with teammates. After all, it’s full-on combat.

However, if you commit, the rewards are great. Close bonds with teammates, personal pride and self-confidence are all gained from a sport that lets you be as successful as you want to be: it all depends on your personal work ethic. Wrestling helps develop determination, confidence and a refusal to quit. Like Olympic gold medalist and American wrestling legend Dan Gable said, “Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy.” — Robert Balint

Regulating common sense

There are regulations for everything these days, so I guess I should have not been surprised. But still, it is sad to discover that the Arizona Interscholastic Association has issued five pages of guidelines on how cheerleaders should conduct themselves at the high school state championship football games. That’s right, when Chaparral plays Marcos de Niza this Friday night at ASU’s Sun Devil Stadium and Hamilton plays Mesa the following day at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, the pom and cheer squads for those four schools will have to abide by the AIA’s guidelines for how they should conduct themselves.

The guidelines are not onerous and their purpose is laudable. The AIA says that their purpose is “to re-emphasize the important role spiritlines play in promoting school spirit, appropriate behavior, and good sportsmanship during the regular season and at State Tournament games.”

Fine, but are five pages of regulations really necessary? Do you really need to tell high school girls and their coaches, “If you arrive in private vehicles, you are responsible for finding a parking space?” Plus, for some reason, the AIA prohibits glitter “on any part of the body (including hair) or uniforms.” Does the AIA have glitter police at the state championship games?

The AIA’s “Spritline Conduct Guide – Football Game Conduct” informs the cheerleaders that “[y]our squad also plays an important role in discouraging crowds from yelling or cheering…while an opponent is shooting free throws.” Have the rules of high school football changed recently? Do teams now shoot free throws when their opponents jump offsides? Believe me, if that happens this Friday and Saturday there will be a lot yelling in the crowd and I doubt that cheerleaders will be able to discourage it.

Finally, the AIA guidelines reflect some naivete. While good sportsmanship must always be encouraged, state championship games are emotional events and the officials sometimes make unpopular, and even incorrect, calls. When that happens, some people will boo the officials. It has been, and always will be, part of the game.

So what do the AIA guidelines instruct cheerleaders to do when a crowd starts booing? This is what it says: “Squads should divert the crowd’s attention by starting a popular cheer should booing or other unsportsmanlike conduct develop.”

I have never seen cheerleaders divert the crowd’s attention from booing “by starting a popular cheer” or by doing anything else and I doubt anyone else has either. Who writes these things?

My guess is that the four pom and cheer squads will do just fine exercising their own judgment at the upcoming 5A state championship football games. As for the person who wrote the AIA’s “Spiritline Conduct Guide,” I am sure that he or she has a future drafting rules and regulations for some government agency. — Dan Barr