Rivaling for a Cause
January 25, 2013
It’s impossible to include all the perspective we gain from every “Battle of the Fans” visit.
But this anecdote, although it didn't make Tuesday’s story about our Frankenmuth trip, tells of another great example for what student cheering sections can accomplish.
Frankenmuth and Millington are heated rivals, to say the least, separated by 13 miles and made more competitive by plenty of championship-deciding matchups over the years.
But for their boys basketball game Jan. 10 at Frankenmuth, student section leaders from both schools almost completely on their own set up the game as a cancer awareness night, complete with Frankenmuth students in black shirts and Millington’s wearing pink.
The idea was the brainchild of a of Frankenmuth section leader, who then received help from a local bank and contacted Millington to get the ball rolling.
Battle of the Fans has shown us the obvious – these student sections need strong leaders – but also the special things they can accomplish with additional initiative.
“Never Forgotten”
Two more rivals, Fennville and Saugatuck, met late last month for their second “Never Forgotten” boys and girls basketball games with proceeds going to the Wes Leonard Heart Team for the purchase of AEDs.
Players wore jerseys with names on the backs of friends and family members who had died, and those jerseys were then given to family members after the games. Officials Ace Cover, Chris Dennie and Kyle Bowen also donated their game checks to the Heart Team, as did the winner of that night’s 50-50 raffle.
Leonard died from sudden cardiac arrest after making the game-winning shot in a basketball game March 3, 2011. The two schools played their first “Never Forgotten” games last season.
More support for less specialization
I’m asked once a year at least about sport specialization – that is, athletes focusing on just one sport, often from an early age, and if it pays off some way down the road.
Most of my evidence to support my belief in the well-rounded athlete has been anecdotal, based on conversations with people at the high school and college levels over the years. But a British study published this fall in the Journal of Sport Sciences by University of Birmingham researchers provides some interesting empirical findings.
The study of 1,006 people from the United Kingdom showed that those who participated in three sports at ages 11, 13 and 15 were “significantly more likely to compete at a national rather than club standard” between ages 16-18 than those who had practiced only one sport.
In other words, the study found that those who played more sports at earlier ages played at a higher level during their high school-age years, which seems to contradict the one-sport focus philosophy.
Click for more perspective on the study from Chris Kennedy, the Superintendent of Schools in West Vancouver, British Columbia.
PHOTO: The boys and girls teams for Fennville and Saugatuck pose together after their "Never Forgotten" games Dec. 21 at Fennville High. (Photo courtesy of Al LaShell.)
Flashback 100: Michigan High School Baseball Trio Provide World Series Voices
November 1, 2024
The 2024 Major League Baseball World Series showcased a distinct Michigan flair during its television broadcasts these last few weeks.
The Los Angeles Dodgers triumphed over the New York Yankees in five games, with viewers treated to the commentary of Joe Davis and John Smoltz, while Derek Jeter made appearances on the pre- and postgame shows. Notably, all three athletes hail from Michigan and have left their mark on the sports field.
Davis graduated from Potterville High School in 2006, where he earned honorable mention all-state honors as a quarterback while playing football for his father, Paul. He played four years of baseball at Potterville, too. After high school, he continued his football career at Beloit College in Wisconsin before transitioning to broadcasting. Today, he serves as the television voice of the Dodgers and covers both MLB and NFL national games for Fox.
John Smoltz, a graduate of Lansing Waverly in 1985, made his mark as an all-state basketball player but gained fame on the baseball diamond. During his senior year, he hit a game-winning home run in the championship game of the Greater Lansing Diamond Classic after pitching in the semifinal. Drafted by the Detroit Tigers out of high school, Smoltz enjoyed a remarkable 21-year career in Major League Baseball, spending 20 seasons with the Atlanta Braves. He holds the unique distinction of being the only pitcher in history to record 200 wins and 150 saves.
Derek Jeter graduated from Kalamazoo Central in 1992, where he was named the Gatorade High School Player of the Year after an impressive third consecutive season with a batting average exceeding .500. In addition to baseball, he also excelled in cross country and basketball. Jeter was selected in the first round of the 1992 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees, where he went on to win five World Series championships during his illustrious 20-year career.
Both Jeter and Smoltz are members of the MLB Hall of Fame, representing two of only six inductees who played high school baseball in Michigan.
Previous "Flashback 100" Features
Oct. 25: Flashback 100: Before Leading Free World, Ford Starred for Champion GR South - Read
Oct. 18: Mercy Links Legend Becomes World Golf Hall of Famer - Read
Oct. 11: Fisher Races to Finals Stardom on Way to U.S. Olympic First - Read
Oct. 4: Lalas Leaves High School Legacies on Ice & Pitch - Read
Sept. 27: Tamer's History-Making Run Starts in Dexter, Continues to Paris - Read
Sept. 20: Todd Martin’s Road to Greatness Starts at East Lansing - Read
Sept. 13: James Earl Jones, Dickson High Hoops to Hollywood Legend - Read
Sept. 6: Pioneers' Unstoppable Streak Stretches 9 Seasons - Read
Aug. 30: Detroit dePorres Rushes to 1995 Class CC Football Championship - Read
PHOTOS Top row, from left: Fox Sports broadcasters Joe Davis, John Smoltz and Derek Jeter. Bottom row from left, Davis as a student at Potterville, Smoltz pitching for Lansing Waverly and Jeter playing infield for Kalamazoo Central. (Current photos courtesy of Fox Sports. Past photos courtesy of Potterville High School, the Lansing State Journal and the Detroit Free Press, respectively.)