sports gwinnett march 2013

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SUMMER CAMP GUIDE | UPCOMING 5K, 10K RUNS

SPORTS GWINNETT

LIFE IS ACTIVE | MARCH 2013

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GWINNETT PARKS HAPPENINGS

ALSO INSIDE:COACH’S CALL

NINEPEOPLEWHO HAVEIMPACTEDSPORTS IN GWINNETTIN THEIROWN WAY

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CONTENT

NINE PEOPLE WHO HAVE IMPACTEd sPOrTs IN GWINNETT IN THEIr OWN WAy There are many more, but we chose these 9 for now, more to come in future issues.

suMMEr sPOrTs CAMP GuIdE Our guide to some great camps in a variety of sports, skill levels and ages.

6 FIrsT uP Happenings in the next 45 days

16 yOuTH Youth Sports Leagues, Clubs and Achievements

18 HOW I dO IT Every month we ask questions of athletes and people on “How They Do It”

19 MOVE 5k, 10k, Half-Marathons, Cycling, Skating and More.

26 sPOrTs MEdICINE Each month a new medical professional shares their thoughts and answers questions

29 PArKs Highlighted events and happenings at Gwinnett County Parks

30 bEsT sEAT IN THE HOusE Highlighting the past month in pictures.

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facebook.com/sportsgwinnett

twitter.com/sportsgwinnett

youtube.com/sportsgwinnett

pinterest.com/sportsgwinnett

COVER CREDIT Photography by Kate Awtrey First cover: Norcross HS Coach Keith Maloof and Alvin Kamara Second cover: GGC Director of Athletics Dr. Darin Wilson Third cover: Norcross HS basketball player Diamond DeShields

TEAM MOMs & dAds Some great tips and recommendations from the team moms and dads that have been there.

COACH’s CALL Our monthly column of invited guest coaches. Kicking off this month’s column and advice is our own Clint Conley.

SUMMER CAMP GUIDE | UPCOMING 5K, 10K RUNS

SPORTS GWINNETT

lIfE IS ACtIvE | MARCh 2013

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GwINNEtt PARKS hAPPENINGS

AlSO INSIDE: COACh’S CAll

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SPORTS GWINNETT

The Best Seat in the HousePHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

From the courts, down the muddy cross country trails, to the fi elds of play, we want the thrills, the suspense, the agony, the up and comers and the veterans of the game.

SHOW US WHATYOU HAVE...

IT’S YOUR CALL!

·ENTER TO·WINSPORTSGWINNETTGIVEAWAYS

Visit www..sportsgwinnett.com/itsyourcall for more information on prizes, contest rules and deadlines. First Place Prizes for Amateurs and Professionals. SUBMIT ENTRIES MARCH 15 - JUNE 10, 2013


FROM THEPUBLISHERS

KATE AWTrEy Kate Awtrey is a professional photographer and

owner of Gwinnett Event Photography. She was born and raised in Gwinnett County and

enjoys taking photographs of interesting people, places and things.

JOEL HILLsMAN Joel Hillsman is a native of Athens, GA and is a sports media freelancer who has covered high

school and pro sports since 2009 for various out-lets. He is play-by-play announcer for high school

football and basketball for iBN Sports covering the southeastern United States including several

Gwinnett County teams on occasion and produces game highlights for NBATV and Turner Sports. He

was also the play-by-play voice of the Gwinnett Jets minor league football team from 2009-2012 and

has been in the Market Research and Development industry over 13 years.

sTAN AWTrEy has been a sports writer for 30 years and spent

many of those covering Gwinnett County.

Abby WILKErsON Abby is currently the Program Manager

and Communications at Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and a graduate of UGA.

Life lessons can be acquired from a variety of places, sports is one of those places. In sports we learn

that winning isn’t everything - win some, lose some; practice makes perfect; it ain’t over til it’s over; play fair; be a good loser and more importantly be a good winner. Success in sports and in life is what you do with what you’ve got. The role of sports is an integral and huge part of our lives in America – no doubt, around the world. Monday night football; Super Bowl Sunday; The Tour de France; The Masters; the World Series; The Soccer Cup. From world sporting events to your child’s first day in the pee wee league, sports has and is a large part of life. Those that have a passion for playing sports, those that play as kids and the par-ents that help them, those that paint the lines on a field, or keep scores from the stands, or run in the mud through trails on a rainy morning. These are the people that build a community, these are the people that share their passions, and these are the stories we want to share through our new publication. Sports Gwinnett’s mission is to bring our readers stories and information about that

passion and to also become a resource for the great sports and recreation available to all of us here in Gwinnett County. Through my experience as a board member of the Gwinnett Parks and Recreation Author-ity, and my own personal experience with my kids in a variety of league play, I have learned that sports, in its purest form can provide the most memorable life moments that we hold onto forever. The life lessons learned as kids through sports can be shared, enjoyed and passed on to future generations. The adven-ture continues and the lessons keep coming. We just never know what the next play brings. I’ve been blessed to have known Clint Conley for over a decade - my new partner and co-publisher of Sports Gwinnett. His wife, Simpson Elementary school teacher Leigh, has taught my kids and we’ve shared a pew. Clint also shares the passion and dream of sports. It’s been an adventure getting to the starting line of this first issue, but here we are! Stay with us until the finish line; share your thoughts with us. We’re always learning – and, never the kind to “watch life from the sidelines.” So, on your mark, ready, set - GO!

Life is Active. Enjoy Sports Gwinnet Rico & Clint

CONTRIBUTORS

Have a story, news piece, sports event or

something you want to share with us?

Write us at [email protected]

or visit us on Facebook, or

tweet us @sportsgwinnett

Rico Figliolini and Clint ConleyCo-Publishers

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Ph: 770-513-8640 • Email: [email protected]

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SPORTS GWINNETT

Clint Conley and Rico Figliolini C0-PUBLISHERS

Rico Figliolini EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Kate Awtrey

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Stan Awtrey Clint Conley Joel Hillsman

Trey Johanson-Smith Abby Wilkerson

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

KATE AWTREY PHOTOGRAPHY BOB CHADWICK | NORCROSSPICS

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

RICO FIGLIOLINI

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES

TOM BALL [email protected]

PATTI LEACH [email protected]

SPORTS360GROUP LLC

4305 River Stream Circle, Norcross, GA 30092 678.358.7858 www.sportsgwinnett.com

Sports Gwinnett Magazine is published once a month by

SPORTS360GROUP LLC. Opinions expressed by the contributing writers

and editors are not necessarily those of the publishers, editor or

Sports Gwinnett. The publisher will not accept responsibility for sub-

mitted materials that are lost or stolen. Every effort has been made

to ensure the accuracy of this publication. However, the publisher

cannot assume responsibility for errors or omissions. No part of this

book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written

permission. ©2013 SPORTS360GROUP LLC.

The editors welcome submissions and photogrpahy. Please direct

them to [email protected].

We want to share the inspirational stories; to improve lives, and the world around us,

through the passion of sports.


FIRST UPWhats Happening 45 Days Out

MARCH 16WORLD’S TALLEST BASKETBALL PLAYER LEADS HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS INTO ATLANTA AND DULUTHThe world’s tallest professional basketball player, Paul “Tiny” Sturgess, will add 7-feet 8-inches to the Atlanta skyline when he leads the Harlem Globetrotters for two games on Saturday, March 16 – playing games at Philips Arena (1 p.m.) and The Arena at Gwinnett Center (7:30 p.m.). www.harlemglobetrotters.com.

March 30, 2013B.A.D. Extreme Obstacle 7K Challenge B.A.D. Extreme Obstacle 7K Challenge is the ultimate adventure and obstacle course. Each race consists of a 5-7 k course that will boast unconventional, but achievable obstacles. And although each race will have a minimum of 10-12 obstacles, not every race will have the same ob-stacles and you won’t know every obstacle that is on the course as an the element of surprise.

FIRS

T UP

Each racer has the opportunity to register for one of 2 Divisions:

RECREATION - Run, Jog, Walk or Crawl - It’s your personal Challenge.

ELITE TRAINED - Need we say more... you know who you are

FAMILY / GROUP / TEAM DISCOUNTS - To register a team - a captain will create the team and assign a team password. For additional members to join your team you will need to obtain the password from another team member. 5+ participants receive a $10 discount on each team members registration.*

For more information visit Stone Mountain’s website http://www.stonemountainpark.com

March 30, 2013Kid’s Tennis Play DayKids age 4-10 will learn the basics of tennis while having fun by using smaller rackets and balls that bounce slower! Tennis classes start that afternoon for those who want to continue the experience. Drinks and snacks provided and each kid will get a certificate for participating!

Rock Springs Tennis Center 550 Rosk Springs Rd, Lawrenceville, GA 30044 For information call: 770.904.3996 or 770.417.2210

Arena at Gwinnett Center 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway Duluth, GA 30097 http://www.gwinnettgladiators.com

GLADIATORS VS. ORLANDO THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2013, 7:05 PM

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2013, 7:35 PM

SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2013, 4:05 PM St. Patrick�s Day Celebration / Kroger Family Sunday

GLADIATORS VS. CINCINNATI WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2013 - 7:05 PM

GLADIATORS VS. SOUTH CAROLINASATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013 - 7:05 PM $5 Frenzy - TBD

GLADIATORS VS. GREENVILLESATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013 Fan Appreciation Night

GWINNETT GLADIATORS SCHEDULE

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GREATER GWINNETT AT TPC SUGARLOAF APRIL 15-21

Allianz Championship winner Rocco Mediate has committed to play in the Greater Gwinnett Championship Presented by Mitsubishi Elec-tric Cooling & Heating, an Official Event on the PGA TOUR’s Champions Tour coming April 15-21, 2013 to TPC Sugarloaf.

The Gwinnett Sports Commission will operate the 54-hole stroke play tournament with 81 Champions Tour professionals com-peting for the $1.8 million purse. The top-10 finishers in the tournament will also be awarded official Charles Schwab Cup points. The Charles Schwab Cup is the season-long, points-based competition launched in 2001 to determine the Champions Tour’s leading player.

The focus of first year giving for the Greater Gwinnett Championship is on healthcare and education. The 2013 beneficiaries include: Gwinnett Children’s Shelter, Gwinnett Techni-cal College, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia Gwinnett College and Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation.

More information and tickets can be checked out online at: http://www.greatergwinnett-championship.com/

March 30, 2013WOD for a CauseWOD for a Cause is a unique fundraising event. Members of our community will join together on March 30th to celebrate fitness and impact the homeless community by work-ing out. This year, WOD for a Cause has been expanded to include a 5K, Team Challenge, and Individual WOD.

Suwanee Town Center Park Buford Hwy at Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road, Suwanee, GA 30024

SUWANEE SPORTS ACADEMY EVENTS3640 Burnette Rd., Suwanee, GA 30024

HoopSeen ShootoutMarch 15 – 17, 2013

Hardwood ClassicMarch 30 – 31, 2013 Basketball travel teams from across

the region will compete in this popular tournament.

Norman Parker Elite ShowcaseApril 05 – 07, 2013 Basketball travel teams from across the region will compete in this popular tournament.

Dawson Jam Memorial ClassicApril 13 – 14, 2013 Basketball travel teams from across the region will compete in this popular tournament.

Peach State Tip-Off ClassicApril 19 – 21, 2013 Basketball travel teams from across the region will compete in this popular tournament.

Gwinnett Braves vs. Charlotte Knights April 04 – 07, 2013

Gwinnett Braves vs. Norfolk Tides April 15 – 18, 2013

Gwinnett Braves vs. Charlotte Knights April 21 – 22, 2013

Coolray Field, One Braves Avenue Lawrenceville, GA 30043 The Atlanta Braves AAA affiliate, the Gwinnett Braves, plays baseball in their 10,000 seat state-of-the-art Coolray Field on Buford Drive in Lawrenceville, less than 5 minutes from I-85 and the Mall of Georgia.

GEORGIA GWINNETT GRIZZLIES

Local college baseball of interest? Check out the Grizzlies at GGC. The following are the BASEBALL homes games:

03/12/13 Point University 3:00 p.m. ET

03/14/13 Ohio State -- Lima 7:00 p.m. ET


Ohio State -- Lima 5:00 p.m. ET


03/19/13 Reinhardt University 2:00 p.m. ET

Reinhardt University 5:00 p.m. ET

03/23/13 Covenant College 1:00 p.m. ET

Covenant College 4:00 p.m. ET

03/24/13 Cumberland University 1:00 p.m. ET

Cumberland University 4:00 p.m.

03/27/13 Toccoa Falls College 2:00 p.m. ET

Toccoa Falls College 5:00 p.m. ET

03/28/13 Emmanuel College 2:00 p.m. ET

Emmanuel College 5:00 p.m. ET

Georgia Gwinnett College is located at 1000 University Center Lane, Lawrenceville, GA 30043, accessable from Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road, Highway 316 and Collins Hill Road.


By leading Norcross High School to its first football championship, coach Keith Maloof and standout running back Alvin Kamara have added their names to the growing list of gridiron legends born in Gwinnett County.

Norcross completed a perfect 15-0 season in 2012 and won the Georgia High School As-sociation championship in the highest divi-sion. The Blue Devils defeated Lovejoy High of Clayton County 21-14 in the title game, which saw them come from behind with five minutes remaining to secure the victory. “You have to look at the overall picture and see what Norcross had done,” Maloof said. “They are the team people are always watching some point in time. They were won-dering, ‘Are they going to get there?’ Eventu-ally, I’ve always said. Now we’re here. We’ve got a great football team, a great bunch of players and coaches and team.” Maloof is a member of one of Georgia’s most iconic names in coaching. His father was George Maloof, who began the football

SG2012NINE PEOPLE WHO HAVE IMPACTED SPORTSIN GWINNETT IN THEIR OWN WAY.by STAN AWTREYphotographs by KATE AWTREY

program at St. Pius in 1958 and compiled a 162-83-12 record before retiring in 1983. The elder Maloof, who played for Bobby Dodd at Georgia Tech, won a state championship in 1968. George Maloof, after whom the St. Pius football stadium is named, uttered a famous quote that is synonymous with his upbeat personality: “Do the best you can with the ability God gave you and you’ll always be a champion.” K e v i n M a l o o f , Keith’s older b r o t h e r , was a head coach for 26 seasons at Loganville, M e a d o w -creek and D a c u l a . He is best known for his 20 years of service at Dacula, where he r e a c h e d the state s e m i f i -

Coach Keith Maloof& Alvin Kamara

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nals five times and reached the champion-ship game in 2005. His overall record was 75-105-1. Keith Maloof began his career as an assis-tant for his brother at Loganville and Mead-owcreek and joined an all-star staff at Dacula, where he was defensive coordinator. He got the opportunity to be head coach at Tucker and went 22-11 in three season. In 1999 the Norcross job came open and the administra-tion turned to Maloof to restore the luster to the program. The reclamation project wasn’t easy. It wasn’t until his seventh season that the Blue Devils returned to the playoffs. Since then they’ve made the postseason in seven of the last eight years. It culminated in 2012, when Norcross went 15-0 to complete the first un-defeated season in school history. “I feel good about the development of our program,” Maloof said. The Blue Devils are now 107-48 under his watch and will cele-brate the school’s 300th all-time victory with its third win in 2013. “I know we’re doing things the right way and we would eventually get there,” Maloof said. A large part of that success can be at-tributed to Kamara. Considered the No. 1 running back prospect in Georgia and the fourth-best in the country, Kamara rushed for a school-record 2,264 yards and 26 touch-downs. “I had something I wanted to do and that’s win a state championship,” Kamara said. Kamara rushed for 141 yards in the championship game. It was his 11th straight game with more than 100 yards rushing. But the key play was a pass reception on third-and-14 from the Norcross 39 that Kamara turned into the game-winning touchdown. “The tougher the game, the better he played,” Maloof said. “It showed more in the playoffs than in the regular season. When he needed to, he played at a level that not many can play.” Kamara averaged 172.6 yards rushing and nearly 208 total yards in the five playoff games. “Time after time, Alvin rose to the occa-sion,” Maloof said. “What he did was not just bring his level of play, but he brought every-body’s up. He’s basically the one who led us to a state championship.” When the season was over, Kamara had to consider his college options. After getting of-fers from nearly every school in the south, he narrowed his choices to Alabama and Geor-gia. He made the decision on national sign-ing day to go to Tuscaloosa and be a part of the Crimson Tide machine that’s won three national championships in four seasons. Per-haps he was swayed by the intense recruit-ment by Alabama coach Nick Saban, who mailed him 105 different letters on one day.

Stan HallExecutive Director Gwinnett Sports Commissionby ABBY WILKERSON

“I just hope to fit in with them,” Kamara said. “I feel comfortable there. Hopefully, I can get on the field and do what I have to do. I just love to play football.” Kamara is one of 60-plus players who have signed scholarships since Maloof became the coach. He’s the latest in a long line of stellar running backs produced by Gwinnett County, a list that includes Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers of Duluth. “Alvin is a great kid,” Maloof said. “He’s

Stan Hall spent 33 years working in the law enforcement arena, most recently serving as Director of the Victim Witness Program for

the Gwinnett District Attorney’s Office. A graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy, Hall holds a master’s degree in criminal justice and is a published author on topics concerning child abuse and satanic crime investigations, and a frequent lecturer on hate and sex crimes, and victim’s rights. After retirement, Hall took the most logical next step: Executive Director of the Gwinnett Sports Commission. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense, does it?” laughed Hall. “I was just ready for some-thing entirely different. There was defi-nitely a moment after I got the job when I

thought, ‘now what?’ But it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”Hall focuses on developing Gwinnett as a lead-ing destination for sporting events. His most daunting task will come to pass this spring: debuting April 15-21, TPC Sugarloaf will play host to 81 Champions Tour professionals at

the inaugural Greater Gwin-nett Championship. The Greater Gwinnett Championship is modeled after the Regions Tradition, held outside of Birming-ham. The Greater Birming-ham CVB conservatively estimates the tournament’s economic impact at $28 million. A 2003 study sug-gested that the annual im-pact of the AT&T Classic was roughly $15 million. “This tournament is the biggest thing to happen to Gwinnett since the AT&T Classic left,” said Hall. “Golf is the universal sport, and offers business opportuni-ties like nothing else.”

continued on the next page

handled everything so well and it never af-fected him on the field.” Kamara will be difficult to replace, but the Blue Devils are already hard at work in the weight room. The season opener against South Gwinnett will be here before you know it. STAN AwTrey has been a sports writer for 30 years and spent many of those covering Gwinnett County.

Kat DingGwinnett Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Youth Sports Spokeswoman by ABBY WILKERSON

Kat Ding is one of the University of Georgia’s most decorated gymnasts. Earning her second straight NCAA Individual Gym-

nastics Title in 2012, Ding’s list of accom-plishments is extensive.

Pictured Left:Kat Ding and Stan Hall

14 SPORTS GWINNETT MAGAZINE

SG2012 PEOPLE WHO HAVE IMPACTED SPORTS IN GWINNETT IN THEIR OWN WAYDAT KING, continued from the previous page

Since graduation from UGA, Ding has embarked on a new path: promoting youth sports and active living as the new Youth Sports Ambassador for the Gwinnett Convention and Visi-tor’s Bureau. As ambassador, Ding talks about how sports shaped her into the person she is today, and how being involved in sports can enhance the lives of all kids. “I want to encourage parents and kids to become involved, active, and healthy together,” said Ding. Ding’s parents started their little girl out in a dance class at age 5. “It became evident that I sucked at dance,” says Ding. “When my mom found me hanging upside-down from the kitchen counter, she enrolled me in gymnastics.” One of the things Ding hopes parents will learn from her is that when kids are involved, they gain so much more than physical fitness. She remembers making tough choices, like going to a Friday night football game versus getting much needed sleep before an early com-petition. The demands of her sport required Ding to develop the discipline to balance her academics and her training. Ding just hopes more kids and parents get involved, and is an outspoken proponent of exercise and healthy nutrition within families – no matter how athletically gifted. I’ve done so well in one sport, but I’m so awful at these others,” Ding confesses. “Outside of the gym I’m tripping over my toes, and I can’t throw a ball to save my life. I have no hand-eye coordination. That’s okay, though. The point is to be involved!”

Check SportsGwinnett.com for the complete story on Stan Hall and Dat King.

Mike EmeryDirector of Athletics, Student Activities and Community Schools – Gwinnett County Public Schoolsby ABBY WILKERSON

As the Director of Athletics, Student Activities and Community Schools for Gwinnett County Public Schools, Mike Emery provides leadership and sup-port for all extracurricular programs associated

with GCPS schools. Emery came to Norcross High School in 1984 to coach and teach social studies, earning the accolade of Teacher of the Year in 1992 and again in 1997 –the same year he became Athletic Director at NHS. After being honored as Region Ath-letic Director of the year in 2002 and 2005 and named State Athletic Director of the Year in 2006, Emery made the jump to his current position where he has taken GCPS athletics to a new level. An expanded Student Behavior Conduct Code, created

by Emery, went into effect in the fall of 2012. The new code sets a standard for conduct by stu-dent athletes, both on and off the field. The guidelines focus on the expectations of student-athlete behavior as a GCPS representative. “It’s important for students and parents to understand that when a student chooses to participate in these activities, he or she is going to be held to a higher standard,” says Emery. “We hold the students who participate in extracurricular activities in high esteem, with that comes added responsibility.” Emery was also instrumental in making GCPS the first system in the state to implement the ImPACT Concussion Program – a framework to minimize the risk of long-term damage after a concussion. “This program will enrich the athletic community of Gwinnett by establishing a network of care for our athletes with concussions,” said Dr. Mat Pombo of Gwinnett Medical Center. “This program [will help us] to safely return athletes with concussions to play.”

Check SportsGwinnett.com for the complete story.

Diamond DeShieldsBasketball, Norcross High Schoolby JOEL HILLSMAN

Norcross’ standout basketball player Diamond DeShields has earned numerous ac-colades for her talents on

the hardwood. From International gold medals in 5-on-5 and 3-on-3 competition to State Championships to individual honors, there are few things the 18-year old senior committed to the University of North Carolina has not accomplished prior to suiting up in college let alone finishing high school. DeShields hoop game is filled with athletic grace, smarts and a competi-tive fire that is unleashed on opponents nightly. A smooth gliding layup, a pull jumper or a defensive play that leads to a bucket-like the one against McEach-ern earlier this season where she stole the ball, fell down but kept her dribble, got up and drained a three-pointer, just to name a few. Is it genes? Her father Delino DeShields played Major League Baseball for 13 seasons after choosing baseball over basketball, her mother Tisha M. DeShields was a standout on the Uni-versity of Tennessee Track & Field team from 1989-1991 and her older brother is currently in the Houston Astros minor league organization - maybe so. Each athlete is always looking to carve their own niche and be their own name. How did Diamond DeShields embark on her journey of becoming a successful ath-lete? We sat down with her for a little one-on- one.

Sports Gwinnett: where did your de-sire to play basketball come from and when did you know you were pretty good?Diamond DeShields: The idea of be-ing apart of a team. One thing that al-ways drove me want to be an athlete in general was winning; winning gold medal, winning trophies. My brother had a huge trophy case and I wanted some and I knew I could do that playing basketball because I was good at it and

continued on page twelve

15

Diamond DeShieldsat Norcross High School - Peachtree Corners, GA


I just wanted to be a winner and be part of something like family.

SG: were there any other sports you seri-ously considered playing?DD: Initially I was a tennis player and of course always growing up I wanted to play baseball. Baseball was my love and passion. Basketball did just fall into my hands, a coach one day asked me to just come and try it to see how I liked it and I did really good, we won state I got trophy and it felt good. I was like 9 at the time. I trained with Venus & Ser-ena’s dad in Orlando and I took it very seri-ously and I was very good at it. I put a lot of pressure on myself because individually you did have any help out there so when I would lose I would take it all out on myself but as a basketball player it’s dis-tributed amongst the team and everyone is being held accountable, I felt better losing together.

SG: you’ve accomplished a lot so far in your basketball career, so far what is the accomplishment that means the most to you?DD: Winning back-to-back state champion-ships with the teams we had because my first year we were the underdogs and the second year we won I was the leader of the team be-ing sophomore so we had a lot of youth in-volved in those state championships so I take a lot of pride in those two because of all the things we went through in order for us to even win those.

SG: what is the best part about playing for Coach Hembree?DD: She doesn’t let you get away with any-thing, on and off the court. If she finds out you’ve been mouthing off to a teacher more than likely she’s going to have you running or depending on the extent she’ll suspend you a game or two or three it doesn’t matter. She’ll discipline you and she has your best in-terest at heart no matter what and no matter who you are. If you’re the superstar on the varsity or the 12th person on the freshmen team she’s going to take care of you, she’ll give you the shirt off her back if she has to. She came from Miami she has that college mentality, the practices are go hard or go home there is no walking, pouting, crying if you can’t do it and you show you can’t do

it she’ll kick you out, you have to be tough and get over it. Basketball wise she listens as long as you know what you’re talking about if you don’t know basketball she’s not going to listen to you. She’s adaptive to the player and listens but for the most part as she said ‘mama knows’ and for the most part she’s right and doesn’t need our opinion. If there is a personal issue I feel comfortable enough to go talk to her.” Through the 2012-2013 regular season and region tournament Diamond averaged 20.7pts 6.8reb 4.1stl and 3.7ast. She has scored over 2,100 career point points, is the all-time leading scorer in Norcross history and is 3rd in Gwinnett County history. The unfinished business of winning an-other state championship is still in progress at the time of print however we asked for her outlook on being able to win the state title as a senior. “We definitely have another chance and my confi-dence level has never been this high in a team or in myself so I have a very strong belief that we’ll win state again and I have no problem saying it. I think and plan on doing it again this year, simple as that”, DeShields said.

Behind every athlete is a support system that does not receive the attention it may warrant. This can come from family, mentors or very close friends. For Diamond she gives a ton of the credit to her mother. “My mom has made tremendous sacrifices for myself and the rest of my siblings whether it’s missing a meeting or spending some money she may not have been in the position to be spending to get us where we needed to go…all those long road trips. No one loves you like a mother does and she’s impacted me in ways I couldn’t even explain’” DeShields said. Her mother has always been by her side and openly admits she knows nothing about bas-ketball and they rarely talk basketball between them. “When it comes to basketball Diamond is all Coach Hembree’s,” Tisha DeShields says. “I’m there for the things that are important. I was not going to just raise an athlete but a well-rounded person and to use the gift she has in basketball to her advantage and make people remember Diamond the person not the athlete,” her mother added. Diamond has taking that to heart.

Darin Wilson had called himself a Dutchman since 1993. A highly successful shortstop for the Union College baseball team – once se-

lected as Male Athlete of the Year – Wilson transitioned from undergraduate student athlete to graduate assistant to head baseball coach by age 25. As head coach, Wilson was named the 2001 Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year, setting a school record with 41 wins and posting a 161-106-1 record. Most would have been satisfied with head baseball coach of their alma mater, but when the opportunity to take another step forward presented itself, Wilson seized it, and was se-lected to head up the entire college’s athletic department. During his tenure as athletic director, Union College won 47 Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships, four Midwest Collegiate Cy-cling Conference titles, and six NAIA Region XII championships. Union was awarded the Appalachian Athletic Conference Duard Walker All-Sports Trophy in 2010, 47 players were named NAIA Scholar-Athletes, and four players were selected as CoSIDA Academic All-America Team members. Wilson oversaw extensive renovation of Union’s sports facilities, including: baseball and football locker room remodels, new scoreboards and press boxes, the installation of a $1 million synthetic turf multi-purpose field, and expansion of athletic training facil-ities, while also growing Union’s department of athletics from 15 to 23 intercollegiate pro-grams. But, like all athletes, Wilson felt the over-whelming pull of yet another challenge. After serving nearly 10 years as athletic di-rector, Wilson made the move from Barbour-ville, Kentucky to Georgia, becoming Georgia Gwinnett College’s inaugural Director of Ath-letics. As Georgia Gwinnett College’s Athletic Director, Dr. Wilson is responsible for all

SG2012 PEOPLE WHO HAVE IMPACTED SPORTS IN GWINNETT IN THEIR OWN WAYcontinued from page 10

Diamond DeShields

Check SportsGwinnett.com for the complete interview.

Dr. Darin Wilson Director of Athletics – Georgia Gwinnett Collegeby ABBY WILKERSON


17

aspects of leading a comprehensive department of athletics. He wasted no time growing the college’s sports pro-gram to include baseball, softball, and men’s and women’s tennis and soccer. Wilson hired the college’s first athletics staff and established accounts for the Grizzly Athletic and Scholarship Funds. He chairs the intercollegiate athletics committee, and – thanks to Wilson’s leadership – Georgia Gwinnett College has successfully been accepted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and Association of Indepen-dent Institutions. Currently, Wilson is overseeing the development and con-struction of Georgia Gwinnett’s $15 mil-lion Varsity Athletics Complex. “It’s going to be a great experience to move into our new state-of-the-art athletics administration building,” said Wilson. “The building houses all of our administrative and coaches offices as well as a first class athletic training room, weight room, locker rooms, an academic resource center, and team meeting rooms. There are also two suites that overlook our new baseball and softball stadiums, so there is a lot to look forward to regarding Grizzly ath-letics. “ So far, Wilson’s hard work has paid off: in their inaugural seasons, the Griz-zlies have posted a .690 winning per-centage as a college. “I am really excited to watch our spring teams [baseball, softball, and tennis] compete,” said Wilson. “Both of our soccer teams had tremendous suc-cess this fall and now it is time for our spring teams to build off of that suc-cess.”

Left: Dr. Darin Wilson pictured overseeing one of the newly constructed sports stadium.

DARIN WILSON, continued from previous page


Once upon a time, Gwinnett County high school football was not the dominant force it is today. The larger schools rarely made the

playoffs and most often served as punching bags for the powerhouses in Athens. Dave Hunter helped change that. Hunter led Brookwood to the 1996 championship, the first for a Gwinnett school in the high-est level of competition. Since then the big class has crowned a Gwinnett winner eight other times: Parkview (1997, 200, 2001, 2002), Peachtree Ridge (co-champions in 2006), Brookwood (2010), Grayson (2011) and Nor-cross (2012). Hunter was hired as the head football at Brookwood High School in 1987 and he knew that before the program he was building could gain any level of respect around the state, it would have to first knock off the bul-lies. “I knew we had to be able to beat Clarke Central. Nobody else from Gwinnett had been able to do that and I knew that’s what we’d have to do,” Hunter said. That seemed like a big challenge. Legend-ary Clarke Central coach Billy Henderson had built one of the most powerful football ma-chines in the state. The task seemed daunting. Hunter inher-ited a program that had won only one game the previous year. He came in with a fresh coaching staff, most of them the men he had worked with at DeKalb’s Peachtree High, and stressed fundamentals and teamwork. The players bought into Hunter’s mes-sage and after winning the season opener, the Broncos had the difficult task of trav-eling to Athens to meet Clarke Central at a stadium known as Death Valley. Despite the long odds, Brookwood came away with a 6-0 win and became the first Gwinnett team to beat Clarke. Two months later the Broncos beat Clarke Central again in the first round of the play-offs. In 1988 Brookwood made it three in a row and wound up playing Warner Robins for the state championship, the first time a

Dave HunterRetired Athletic Director - Brookwood High Schoolby STAN AWTREY

Gwinnett school had played for all the mar-bles in the largest classification. “We never would have been able to do the things we did if we hadn’t been able to beat Clarke Central,” Hunter said. “That was very important.” The program really started to take off un-der Hunter. After the 1988 season, he spear-headed a drive to build an on-campus sta-dium. Brookwood previously had to play its home games at Parkview High School, an un-easy arrangement that neither side enjoyed. Brookwood finally got back to the state championship in 1996 and wound up going on the road to beat the legendary Valdosta Wildcats in the championship game. Hunter was fittingly named Georgia Coach of the Year. After the 2001 season Hunter decided to stop coaching and only serve as director of athletics, a position he retained until 2005. His record at Brookwood was 149-36. In addition to building the program at Brookwood, Hunter and former Cobb County athletic director Corky Kell helped start the Kickoff Classic at the Georgia Dome. It was the first time high school teams had compet-ed at the facility. Hunter continues to orga-nize the event, which will be celebrating its 21st anniversary in 2013. Hunter and his wife Beverly live in Snell-ville. In addition to playing golf at Summit Chase Country Club in Snellville, Hunter stays busy helping as an analyst for Georgia Public Broadcasting.

STAN AWTREY has been a sports writer for 30 years and spent many of those covering Gwinnett County.

Loving the outdoors came natural-ly to Arian Bates, who grew up in Maine and has traveled extensively throughout the New England region.

But it was at age 17 when Bates got his first taste of rock climbing, an activity that has started to catch on with a new generation intrigued by the adventure and sense of ac-complishment it brings. Bates, 27, moved to Gwinnett County two years ago to head up the youth climbing team program at Adrenaline Climbing in Suwanee. He heads up the A-Team, a group of young climbers (ages 7-17) that will represent the club in national competition, such as the USA Climbing National Championship. Although he loves New England, Bates was excited about the opportunity to enjoy a longer climbing season. He’s had many 400-foot climbs on an outdoors exposed surface and is eager to pass along his knowledge to younger students. Bates didn’t learn to climb until late in his teens, but he recommends that boys and girls who are interested begin lessons when they are 6 or 7. “By the time you’re 13 or 14, your brain is starting to slow down and your movement becomes a lot slower,” he said. Although the act of climbing a sheer face looks physically daunting, Bates said it doesn’t require tremendous strength in the beginning. “It’s really a matter of under-standing your body’s natural flow,” he said. “It’s getting on the wall and understand-ing where you need to have your hands and where you need to have your feet and then applying the technique. The strength will come.” Trey Johanson-Smith, co-owner of Adren-aline Climbing, found Bates after going through a few other candidates that didn’t work out. “He exemplifies all the highest qualities and characteristics anyone could ask for in a mentor for children and teens,” she said. “He is joyous in spirit. He is disci-plined in his own training and is an example of our young climbers that hard work and dedication pay off.”

Arian BatesHead Coach - A-Team at Adrenaline Climbingby STAN AWTREY

SG2012 PEOPLE WHO HAVE IMPACTED SPORTS IN GWINNETT IN THEIR OWN WAY

19

Arian Bates (inset and above)at Adrenaline Climbing - Suwanee, GA


Most parents do not seriously consider the possibility of collegiate scholarships when

their child takes up a sport. Their reasoning is justified; only a small percentage of high school athletes involved in the traditional sports (football, basketball, baseball. soccer), will actually receive a varsity collegiate scholarship.

Not so in the sport of competi-tive cycling. The odds of landing an athletic scholarship are considerably higher for junior cyclists who want to continue to race in college.

As a non-traditional sport, there are less kids competing for the scholarships. This is true even though there are a limited number of colleges that offer varsity cycling programs. USA Cycling, the govern-ing body for bicycle racing in the United States, identifies 13 colleges that offer varsity cycling scholar-ships.

These are characteristically smaller private colleges. For a list: http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=6584. We asked coaches from some of these colleges* to give us info on:

What makes a good candidate?

High to solid academic back-• ground, good people skills, a team attitude and leadership.

Strong riding and racing skills • and experience in racing in a team environment.

Competent at more than one • cycling discipline (road, track, mountain, cyclo-cross).

BROOKWOOD FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION Walk-Up Registration For Football and Cheerleading March 23rd for the 2013 Season at 10:00 – 2:00 at Mt Zion Baptist Church

On-Line registration opens for Football and Cheerleading-March 23 at 10 am. Check their website at http://bfabroncos.com/

These games are played at Bethesda Park is located in Lawrenceville just off Ronald Reagan Parkway at 225 Bethesda Church Road

BRYSON PARK YOUTH ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION - FOOTBALL

Bryson Park Titans Football and Cheer Registration March 23rd. Online Registration opens March 23rd. Check out their website at http://www.brysonparktitans.com

The games are played at Bryson Park 5075 Lawrencville Hwy., Lilburn, GA 30047

COLLINS HILL FOOTBALL Registration begins March 23rd at 10:00. Register online anyime after 10:00 that date. A one day only early registration discount on the 23rd.

Six Year olds and up. Check out their website for more information http://www.chaasports.com/

The first of two walk up registra-tions begins on the 23rd from 10am until 2pm at Collins Hill High School computer lab (located at the rear of Collins Hill High School near the gym).

The games are played at Collins Hill Park.

CYCLING FULL RIDE TO SCHOOL?

Registration Schedules for

Various Youth Leagues

Note: some colleges are seeking women candidates and will consider non-cycling athletes.

Advice for parents:

Stress the importance of grades • while gaining experience riding and racing.

Encourage high school athletic • departments to acknowledge your child’s accomplishments in cycling.

Begin visiting schools and • developing relationships with admissions counselors and coaches during the junior year of high school. Note: There will be a cycling college tour for high school cyclists July 15-19. The riders will cycle to five col-leges in TN/NC/VA.

Ask your child after college • visits: Is this a place you can see yourself living and pursing your academic and athletic goals?

Prepare a simple yet informa-• tive resume of your child’s success on and off the bike.

Any sport that your child • participates in seriously will be an investment in your time and dollars. It is rewarding when you can get a return on your investment.

Cathy Frazier is the owner of Fra-zier Cycling Inc. Coach Ralph Frazier is the head coach of the Frazier Cy-cling Junior Development Program. Their son and daughter have been awarded cycling scholarships as well as four other Frazier Cycling Juniors members. For more information on cycling scholarships contact Cathy: [email protected] or 770-513-8640.

Note: King College in Bristol TN, Marian University in Indianapolis IN, Mars Hill College in Mars Hill NC, Virginia Inter-mont College in Bristol VA

Note:2 USA Cycling verifies the schools offer everything from full rides to small scholarships, all together valued at close to six figures at each school, if not more. Across the schools that offer scholarships, there are 20-30 full rides, and a hundred or more slots for partial scholarships.

YOUT

H

Youth Sports Leagues, Clubs and AchievementsYOUTH

Scholarships

21

SHILOH ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION SHILOH FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE Registration Dates: thru March 30th, Online only – No refunds with online registration. Check out their website at www.saa-youth.org

Season: Sunday April 14th through Sunday May 19th Location: Lenora Park / with Championship Round: Shiloh High School Age Groups: 4-5u /6-7u / 8-9u / 10-11u / 12-13u

Any Questions Email: [email protected]

PEACHTREE RIDGE YOUTH ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

2013 CHEERLEADING REGISTRATION - Registration begins on 03/23/13 In person registration date is 03/23 from 10AM to 2PM at Peachtree Ridge High School. Online registration will be open 03/23 through 06/08. Please see the Cheer page for further information.

2013 FOOTBALL REGISTRATION - Registration begins on 03/23/13 In person registration dates and uniform fittings are 03/23 and 06/08 from 10AM to 2PM at Peachtree Ridge High School.

Online registration will be open 24/7 beginning 03/23 through 06/08. The 2013 registration fee is $230 ($245 after 06/08). All online regis-trants must attend a uniform fitting to properly outfit the participants for the coming season.

Day One Only - On 03/23, the registration fee will be $195 for paid in full registrants. For more information visit their website http://www.pryaa.com

MOUNTAIN VIEW ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION MVAA Football MVAA BEARS FOOTBALL 6 year old – 8th grade (Age group determined by September 1st cutoff date) Registration Open Online from March 23rd – June 8th

Football Walk-up Registration and Fitting Dates: March 23rd, May 18th & June 8th 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Mountain View High School Media Center More Info

For more information check out their website at http://www.mvaasports.org/football.html

Registration Schedules for Various Youth Leagues

Suburban Medical Center has been serving the Peachtree Corners community since February 2001. Our Internal Medicine/Family Medicine practice is committed to

serving our patients with a caring, knowledgeable, and accessible staff.

770-582-13005075 Peachtree Parkway

Norcross (Ingles Shopping Center)Monday-Friday: 8:00am -6:00pm

Saturday: 8:00am-2:00pmSunday: Closed

The following services are provid-ed by Suburban Med Spa:

Botox Juvederm Silk Peel Microderm Acne Treatment Microdermabrasion Facials Skin Tightening Skin Rejuvenation Massage Waxing

PLAYING SPORTS IS A GREAT WAY TO HAVE FUN AND STAY FIT

STAY SAFE BY GETTINGA PRE-PARTICIPATION

SPORTS PHYSICAL EXAM

Get one even for youth league participation and other sports programswhere it may not be required, but may be worth it for peace of mind.

WWW.SMCMD.COM

SUBURBANMEDICALCENTER

Suburban Med Spa78.282.0051

5075 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 107 Norcross, GA 30092(Ingles Shopping Center)

www.suburbanmedspa.com

Suburban Med Spa can recommend a full skin care plan that’s

right for you.

Teen and Youth Facialsfor Repairing the Damage

from Sun Exposure

Suburban Medical Center has been serving the Peachtree Corners community since February 2001. Our Internal Medicine/Family Medicine practice is committed to

serving our patients with a caring, knowledgeable, and accessible staff.

770-582-13005075 Peachtree Parkway

Norcross (Ingles Shopping Center)Monday-Friday: 8:00am -6:00pm

Saturday: 8:00am-2:00pmSunday: Closed

The following services are provid-ed by Suburban Med Spa:

Botox Juvederm Silk Peel Microderm Acne Treatment Microdermabrasion Facials Skin Tightening Skin Rejuvenation Massage Waxing

PLAYING SPORTS IS A GREAT WAY TO HAVE FUN AND STAY FIT

STAY SAFE BY GETTINGA PRE-PARTICIPATION

SPORTS PHYSICAL EXAM

Get one even for youth league participation and other sports programswhere it may not be required, but may be worth it for peace of mind.

WWW.SMCMD.COM

SUBURBANMEDICALCENTER

Suburban Med Spa78.282.0051

5075 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 107 Norcross, GA 30092(Ingles Shopping Center)

www.suburbanmedspa.com

Suburban Med Spa can recommend a full skin care plan that’s

right for you.

Teen and Youth Facialsfor Repairing the Damage

from Sun Exposure

Please check SportsGwinnett.com for the complete list of youth associations.

Please check the individual websites for accuracy. Information may have changed since publication. Want to be included here? Stories, photos, achievements and registration information? Send your complete information to [email protected]


RUNNINGKatherine Yost

HOW I

DO IT

Katherine Yost grew up playing tennis and turned to cross country her sophomore year at Norcross High School. She committed Ole Miss cross country and track and field program this past September over interest from Georgia, …Auburn, Clemson, Perdue and North Carolina State.

What inspired you to run? Honestly I just love being in shape. I ran before I started cross country, but it was to stay in shape. I did a couple of races in Norcross just for fun, and the women who was in charge of the race told my mom I was in the wrong sport (tennis). I never thought I could turn my running into an opportunity to go to college.

What inspires you to keep running? I love to win. It keeps me going through all the hard work. It’s worth the pain to have a few moments of glory at the finish line.

How do you mix your running and training? We run at practice and weightlift after sometimes. On off days, i go to the YMCA and do core workouts and strengthening workouts. I enjoy other activities to keep me in shape, like hiking, biking, swimming, and zumba.

What do you do to wind down from a run? I take a breather for a while, drink some water, and then i do a slow cool down. My favorite part is eating after a race, it’s like a celebratory meal, and its usually Chick-fil-A.

Are there any particular foods or adjustment to your eating style that has helped you in training? Yes, I started eating mostly salad, fruits, and vegetables. I don’t eat red meat much anymore, just turkey, chicken, and fish.

I understand you started running with the boy’s team when you first got to high school, how do you think that helped you? It helped because they were so fast and I’m so competitive so I refused to let them all beat me. It made me fast and prepared me for fast girls I would compete with.

Do you run on vacation? I do run on vacation. I usually go on cruises and there’s a running deck and a gym. Last year I competed in a 5k race on one of the islands we stopped at, and won. That was fun!

What’s your favorite footgear? I love socks. Most people wouldn’t understand the importance of socks, but there’s a particular type that I like. They have to have the heel protector part and they have to be tighter and thinner around the middle of my foot so there’s extra padding on my heel and on the ball of my foot.

Katherine Yost three proudest races included: last year’s state track meet, when she took 3rd in the 3200 after an upsetting mile the day before; her cross country race at UGA last season was she says “an amazing race, [where] a girl broke off from me and I thought she was going to win but then I started kicking harder and passed her for the win.” Finally, Georgia Tech during last track season was one of her favorites as well, her goal for the mile was 5:10 and it was the first race she broke 5:07.

23

MOVE MOVE

5k, 10k, Marathons, Cycling, Walking and Moving

CALENDAR OF RACES

Suwanee Kiwanis 5K Shamrock RunSaturday, March 16, 2013, 8:00 AMSuwanee Town Center Park Address: Buford Hwy at Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road, Suwanee, GA 30024

5K/1Mile Chick-fil-A® Connect Race Series: Gwinnett, GA

Join the herd & lace up your run-ning shoes for a 5k & 1 Mike Run/Walk at the Chick-fil-A® Connect Race Series of Lawrenceville, GA. This race will include chip timing, a sanctioned and certi-fied course, dri-fit shirts, and a chance to win Chick-fil-A® for a year! Compete in SPEED (run fast) or compete in SPIRIT (dress up like a cow) to win awesome prizes. More information at www.cfaraceseries.com.

Fallen Heroes of Georgia 10K.5K.1KSaturday, March 16, 2013Buford, GA 10K run, 5K run, 1K run WWW.fallenheroesofgeorgia.com/

Honoring and remembering Georgia’s Fallen Soldiers who have been killed in the Iraq and Afghan Wars. All race proceeds

Continued on the next page

benefit charities created in memory of a Fallen Georgia Soldier, and the ranks and names are listed on the rear of the race tee.

Georgia SPCA Run for the RescuesSaturday, March 23, 2013 Suwanee, GA

5K run, 1M fun run, 1M walk www.run4rescues.georgiaspca.org/

In addition to the race, there will be a Festival at the Suwanee Town Center from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Enjoy food and beverage, arts and crafts, inflatables for the kids and treats for dogs, cats and runners alike. Vendors of all kinds will have samples and products for sale.

The Gwinnett PD is presenting a demonstration with a K-9 unit, and Smart Critters is doing an agility/frisbee demo.

Many local rescues will be there with dogs for adoption.

INAUGURAL PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER March 23, 2013, 8:00 AM 5K and FUN RUN Location:First Baptist Church Loganville 680 Tom Brewer Rd Loganville, GA 30052

Come out and run one of the fastest courses in Walton County at the Pregnancy Resource Center 5K. The start and the finish will be at the First Baptist Church of Loganville. The course will be an out and back run on paved streets. Packet pickup and race day registration will begin at 7AM.

Gift Certificates will be given to the Overall Male/Female. Awards will be given to the Overall Masters Male/Female and the top 3 in standard age groups begin-ning with 10 and under to 75 and over. Finish line management and results will be provided by Classic Race Services with results posted to www.classicraceservic es.com, www.active.com, www.runningintheusa.com and www.coolrunning.com.

ATLANTA BADASS DashSaturday, March 30, 2013Stone Mountain Park

1000 Robert East Lee Blvd Stone Mountain, GA

Entry fee for individual recreation division is $55-$85 and $45-$75 for team 5+. Registration is

$65-$105 for individual elite division and $55-$95 for team 5+.

www.badassdash.com/2013-atlan-ta-georgia.html

ROCK THE NEW MOON III HALF MARATHON, 10K & 5KSUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 8:00 AMWHERE: Lenora Park - 4515 Lenora Church Road SW - Snellville, GA 30039

www.deborahmontgomeryracing.com

Entire course will be run on a wide paved path through a beautiful park. Well stocked aid station at the start/finish area. Generic tech shirt. Medal to all finishers.

Five Points of Life Kids Marathon AtlantaSaturday, April 27, 2013 @ 9:00 AM Gwinnett Braves, Coolray Field One Braves Avenue Lawrenceville, GA www.fivepointsoflife.org


MOVEMOV

E

5k, 10k, Marathons, Cycling, Walking and Moving

continued from the previous page

Fees: Free until March 15, $5 until April 26, $10 on April 27

Registration Closing Date Friday, April 26, 2013 @ 8:59 PM PST

Resurrection 5K RunFriday, March 29, 2013Snellville, GA

WOD for a Cause 5K Fun RunSaturday, March 30, 2013Suwanee, GA

WOD for a Cause is a unique fundraising event. Members of our community will join together on March 30thto celebrate fit-ness and impact the homeless

Dunwoody DuathlonSaturday, March 23, 2013, 9:00 AM Dunwoody, Georgia Brook Run Park 4770 N Peachtree Road Dunwoody, GA

Registration closed March 22 Brook Run Park 4770 N. Peachtree Rd. Dunwoody, GA 30338 (770) 604-3924

http://www.peachtreecornerstri-athlonteam.org/

community by working out. This year, WOD for a Cause has been expanded to include a 5K, Team Challenge, and Individual WOD. Space is limited

Java Jog 5KMarch 30, 2013, 8:30 AMDooley’s Southern Stone Pizza Kitchen 1862 Auburn Rd Dacula, GA 30019

3rd Annual Event...Awesome race shirts, custom awards in 5 year age groups, FREE Coffee. www.fivestarntp.com/

Diamond In The Rough Girls Wellness Walk/RunSaturday, April 6, 2013Lawrenceville, GA 8:30 a.m. – 5K Kick-off & 8:45 a.m.

– Fun Run/Walk Kick-off Tribble Mill Park, 2125 Tribble Mill Parkway, Holly Pavilion, Law-renceville, GA

Run Into SpringApril 7, 2013, 7:30 AMHalf Marathon, 10K & 5K

Tribble Mill Park 2125 Tribble Mill Parkway Lawrence ville, GA 30045

Entire will be run on a wide path through through a very scenic park. Well stocked aid station. Generic tech shirt. Medal to all finishers.

Gwinnett Children’s Shelter Run for HopeSaturday, April 20, 2013Braselton, GA

The Gwinnett Children’s Shelter Legends Run for Hope will host a 10.2K, 5K and 1K Tot Trot start-ing and ending at the beautiful Chateau Élan Winery.

Trot to Clot Walk and RunSaturday, April 20, 2013 Stone Mountain , GA

Stone Mountain Park 1000 Robert E. Lee Drive Stone Mountain, GA 30083

The Trot to Clot Walk and Run is a fun, family-centered event that raises money to fund Camp Wannaklot, the only camp in Georgia that provides children who have hemophilia or other inherited bleeding disorders the opportunity to enjoy a traditional camp experience.

Zombie Stomp Obstacle Mud RunSaturday, April 20, 2013 Dalton, Georgia

Silver Shoe Ranch Adventure Race: Obstacle Mud Run Kids 1 mile obstacle/mud fun run 10k obstacle/mud run Team of 4 obstacle/mud run www.zombiestomprace.com/

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Mountain View Bear Tear 5K Run/WalkSaturday, April 20, 2013, 8:00 AM Lawrenceville , GA

Mountain View High School Stadium, 2351 Sunny Hill RoadLawrenceville, GA 30043

Please come out and join us for our 4th annual Bear Tear 5K and Cub Run. It is a great community event around our Mountain View High School campus!

T-SHIRTS Quality short sleeved race shirt for all pre-registered participants. AWARDS Overall M & F; Masters M & F; Awards for top 3 finishers in the following age groups: 10 & Under, 11-14; 15-19; 20-24; 25-29; 30-34; 35-39; 40-44; 45-49; 50-54; 55-59; 60-64;

65 over RACE DAY REGISTRATION Race Day registration available at Mountain View Stadium 7-7:45 am SEVERE WEATHER In the event of severe weather, please check our website for race updates www.mtnviewcrosscountry.com

Grayson Days Road Race 5K & 1 MileSaturday, April 27, 2013 7:30 AMLocation: Grayson Elementary School460 Grayson Parkway Grayson, Georgia 30017

Come join the Grayson Rams XC Team in a fun filled 5K and & 1 mile on April 27th to help support the GHS Cross Country team! Times: 6:30 AM - Packet pick-up & registration opens 7:30 AM - 1 Mile Fun Run Start 8:00 AM - 5K Race Start www.graysondayroadrace.com


2013 SUMMERSPORTS CAMPSA Guide to this Summer’s Sports and Recreational Camps in Gwinnett

2013

Now you can find the right sports camp for your child in Sports Gwinnett’s Camp Guide. Registration has started for some of these camps, so don’t wait if

you don’t have to. Plan your where child or teen will spend their week of summer camp, improving their skills or learning new ones. Just remember many camps fill up quickly so plan for early registration for some of the best camps in Gwinnett and the surrounding areas.

►ClimbingAdrenaline Climbing CampSuwanee, GA

For kidz, ages 6 to 12, each 1 week program is jam-packed with field trips full of fun and adventure on a “Higher Level”! They travel to exotic locales, both indoors and out, seeking the most unusual and interesting experiences for their kids. They were voted BEST DAY CAMP IN ATLANTA, by Nickelodeon Parents. Program fee: $225 per week, $55 Daily Rate. 9am-4pm.There is also free Early Drop Off and Late Pick Ups. No registration fee and the fee includes all field trips. Suwanee, 770-271-1390 www.adrenalineclimbing.com/summer-camps.html

►CyclingCamp Frazier at King CollegeBristol, TN

Frazier Cycling presents Camp Frazier at King College in Bristol TN July 8-12, 2013. Road Cycling Camp for Juniors 10-18. Open to parents and coaches. For info go to fraziercycling.com/camps.htm. Contact Cathy Frazier, [email protected] 770-513-8640.

►BaseballCoach Clint Conley-PCBC 2013 Baseball CampsPeachtree Corners/Norcross, GA

Baseball Camp June 17-19, 9:00AM -1:00PM, $150 Ages: 5-13 Baseball Camp will be led by Coach Clint Conley, a private instructor for recreation, all-stars, and travel teams from Norcross, North Gwinnett, Peachtree Ridge; Coach Conley is also the pitching coach and special advisor for the Georgia Stars tournament teams. Campers will learn basic drills and fundamentals of fielding, throwing and hit-

ting. Each camper will receive a T-shirt at the end of the week.

Bonus Pitchers and Catchers Day, June 20, 9:00AM - 1:00PM, $50 Coach Conley will be working with pitchers and catchers only, working on their skills and mechanics on the mound and behind the plate.

Baseball Camp II July 10-12, 9:00AM -1:00PM $150 Ages : 5-13 Baseball Camp will be led by Coach Clint Conley, a private instructor for recreation, all-stars, and travel teams from Norcross, North Gwinnett, Peachtree Ridge; Coach Conley is also the pitching coach and special advisor for the Georgia Stars tournament teams. Campers will learn basic drills and fundamentals of fielding, throwing and hit-ting. Each camper will receive a T-shirt at the end of the week.

4480 Peachtree Corners Circle, Norcross, GA 30092 For More information contact Coach Clint Conley, 770-329-6094

Emory Baseball CampsEmory University, Atlanta

Emory Baseball Camps Date: One-week camp from Jun 10 – Jul 26, 2013 http://go.emory.edu/General/Baseballcamp/Home.html

EBC Academy Baseball Summer CampsEBC Academy, Marietta

EBC Academy Baseball Summer Camps Date: One-week camp Jun 10 – Jul 25, 2013 https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ASP/home.asp?studioid=8379

Georgia Stars Summer Skills Baseball CampDuluth, GA

Date: June 11-13 and June 24-26 Where: Duluth High School Website: Georgiastars.com, click on camp registration Online Description. Georgia Stars Summer

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Skills Baseball Camps are for kids 8 to 12 and 13 to 18. The camps focus is developing the fundamental skills of baseball. Pitching, hitting, fielding, catching, throwing ,speed and agility will all be covered in detail in this 3 day camp. Position specific training for infielders, outfielders, catchers and pitchers will also be included. Kids are grouped via ages 8 to 12 and 13 to 18. Our staff of certified baseball instructors, travel baseball coaches and travel ball players will lead your child through comprehensive drills to improve there overall skills and technique. Fee Range: $175 to $225

►BasketballNike Basketball Camps with Elite Hoops BasketballLilburn, Ga

Date: One-week camp June 6-10, 9:00-3:00 July 25-29, 9:00-3:00 www.ussportscamps.com

Rising Stars Hoops Basketball CampsMarietta, Roswell, Dunwoody

Date: One-week camp from Jun 10 – Jul 26, 2013 http://www.risingstarshoops.net/cam-plistings.htm

Gwinnett MajicYouth Basketball ClinicsBuford, GA

Program: Gwinnett Majic Individual Skills/ Team Clinic #1 Date: Mon June 3rd-June 7th

Skills,Drills and Shooting Clinic/ Team Clinic #2 Date: Mon July 1st - Wed July 3

Where: Bogan Park Gym The Gwinnett Majic Academy is a youth basketball training program designed for boys and girls grades K through 12. Pricing from $90 http://www.gwinnettmajic.com/clinics.ph

Suwanee Sports Academy Basketball CampsSuwanee, GA

Invitational Camp June 10-13, 9:00am-4:00pm, Grades 6-8 Rising Stars Camp I June 10-13, 9:00am-12:00pm, Grades K-5 Mark Price Basketball Camp June 17-20, 9:00am-4:00pm, Grades 4-12 Rising Stars Camp II June 24-27, 9:00am - 12:00pm, Grades K-5 King of the Hill Scorer’s Camp June 24-27, 2:00pm-5:00pm, Grades 8-12 Train to Reign Point Guard Camp July 9-12, 9:00am-4:00pm, Grades 6-12

3640 Burnette Road, Suwanee, GA 30024 http://www.ssasports.com/basketball/summer-camps For questions, contact Emmanuel Blackwell at (678) 541-032 6; [email protected] or Eric Eleton at (678) 541-0263; [email protected]

►FootballKids and Pros Youth Football Summer CampsRoswell. GA

Date: One-week camp Jun 3 – Aug 1, 2013 For more information visit: http://www.kidsandpros.com/Events.aspx?state=12

Offense-Defense Football CampsOglethorpe University

Date: One-week camp from Jun 9 – 12, 2013 For more information visit: http://www.o-d.com/camps/locations/Atlanta

►Gymnastics/ CheerleadingWOW Gymnastics Camps at Gwinnett Gymnastics CenterLilburn, GA

Date: TBA Location: Gwinnett Gymnastics Center For more information visit: http://www.gwinnettgymnasticscenter.com/wow-camps.php

Summer Camps at Ultimate GymnasticsDuluth, GA

Date: Daily and weekly camp from Jun 4 – Aug 1, 2013 Location: Ultimate Gymnastics For more information visit: http://www.ultimategymnastics.org/pdf/2012/recre-ational_summer_camps.pdf

Cheer & Dance Atlanta CampDuluth, GA

www.cdaspirit.com 770 418-9550

►Horse Back RidingEquestrian ReserveAlpharetta, GA

Most camps are 4 day camps and are $295 with the exception of two 3 day “mini” camps (Dances with Horses May 28-30 and the end of summer Aug 5-7 Western Riding Camp

which are $225. All camps include an Eques-trian Reserve T-shirt. www.equestrianreserve.com 739 Old Alpharetta Rd., Alpharetta, GA 30005 770 205-1230

►LacrosseGrayson Athletic Association Youth Girls Lacrosse CampLawrenceville, GA

Session 1: Monday, June 25th – Thursday, June 28th, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m Session 2: Monday, July 9th – Thursday, July 12 th, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m

Location: J.M. Tull YMCA on Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville Fee: $99.00 per session $175.00 for both sessions Information: Craig Champaign - [email protected]– 678.429.7711 www.gaasports.org

Thunderbird Summer Boys’ LacrosseU17 - Two 2-hour practices a week and FOUR tournaments weeks of U15 - Two 2-hour practices a week and THREE tournaments weeks of May 19 – July 20 and May 19 – July 20 U13 - Two 2-hour practices a week & THREE tournaments weeks of May 19 – June 29 U11 - Two 2-hour practices a week & TWO tournaments weeks of May 19 – June 29 Register by March 15

Thunderbird Summer Girls’ LacrosseHigh School & U-15 Teams Two 2-hour practices a week and three tour-naments (SAT + Catawba Classic + Heatwave)weeks of May 19 – July 14

High School, U-15, U-13 Teams 2-hour practices a week & Thunderbird Jamboree weeks of May 19 - week of July 19

U11 - Two 2-hour practices a week & Thun-derbird Jamboree weeks of June 2 – June 29

U9/U7 Girls & Boys - Thunderbird Learner Lax – FIVE one-hour sessions with mom/dad weeks of May 26 - week of June 23

Non-Travel Clinic: U9/U7 Girls & Boys Thunderbird Learner Lax – FIve one-hour sessions with mom/dad - week of May 26 - week of June 23



Lacrosse for Kids Under 9Get ready to learn the best game in town! Kids all over the country are picking up sticks ... let’s get your family in the game! We are inviting Moms and Dads to play alongside your Little Laxer.

Girls ages 5-9, Boys ages 5-9 FIVE one-hour sessions with Mom or Dad Saturday Mornings May 25th to June 22nd Register by April 15th

Register: www.thunderbirdla-crosse.com Contact us: [email protected] 678-876-0042

►Multi-SportCamp All-AmericanJohns Creek, GA

Voted best summer day camp by local pub-lications, Camp All-American is in their 24th summer offering world class facilities that in-clude more than 100 secure acres loaded full of fun: 11 acre wilderness and ropes course area contains over 1 mile of zip lines, giant swings and one thrill after the other, pristine athletic fields, tennis courts, water complex,

putting green, and over 300,000 square feet of air conditioned space! They run a variety of sports including: volleyball, self-defense, tennis, lacrosse, football, soccer and more. Rates run at $219 per week (5-Days), from May 28 – August 2, hours 9am-4pm

www.allamericanrecreation.org/camp Johns Creek, 678.405.2266

►SoccerYouth Skills Camps at Atlanta SilverbacksDate: One-week camp from Jun 17 – Jul 26, 2013 Location: Atlanta Silverbacks, Atlanta For more information visit http://www.atlantasilverbacks.com/pro/Camps.htm#camptype4

Tavani Soccer CampsDuluth, GA Camps are for all skill levels players,

boys & girls ages 4-15. Dates: June 24-28, July 8-12, July 15-19, 9am-12pm Where: Bunten Rd Park, Duluth Players are assigned to a coach according to age and skill. Dribbling, passing, shoot-ing and playing as a team, are emphasized in small-sided games daily. Each player receives a camp t-shirt, leather hand-stitched ball and a personal evaluation. www.tavanisoccer.com 770-396-8258

►Swim & DivingGreater Atlanta Christian Sports Camps for Diving Norcross, GA

Dates: June 10-14, July 8-12, July 15-19 4-6 pm Location: Greater Atlanta Christian, 1575 Indian Trail Road, Nocrcross, GA 30093 For more information visit www.gwin-nettdiving.com/sign-up-2/summer-camps-2013/

►VOLLEYBALLSuwanee Sports Academy Volleyball CampsSuwanee, GA

Individual Skills Camp June 3-6, 9:00am-3:00pm, Grades 6-12

VolleySkills Camp (June), June 3-6, 9:00am-11:30am, Grades 3-5 Libero Specialty Camp June 24-27, 9:00am-11:30am, Grades 7-12 VolleySkills Camp (July), July 15-18, 9:00am-11:30am, Grades 3-5 VolleyStars Camp July 15-18, 9:00am-3:00pm, Grades, 6-8 Train for Tryouts Camp July 22-24, 9:00am-3:00pm, Grades, 9-12

Location: 3640 Burnette Road, Suwanee, GA 30024

For more information visit http://www.ssasports.com/summer-camps/volleyball# For questions, contact the Director of Vol-leyball, Cindy Young, at (770) 614-6686 x 108 or [email protected] www.ssasports.com

►North Gwinnett Community SchoolBob Sphire’s Air Raid Football Camp – June 10-13 Baseball Camp – May 28-31 (upcoming fresh-

Wesleyan School Summer Camp Their Fun Camp 2013

continued from the previous page

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men) and June 3-6 Bryan Sellers’ Lady Bulldog Basket-ball Camp – June 11-13 Zach Smith’s Boys Basketball Camp—July 15-18 Volleyball Camp—June 3-6 SNAG Golf Camp—June 24-27 and July 22-25 Please go to northgwinnett.com/communityschool/ for more information 20 Level Creek Road, Suwanee, GA 30024, 770-271-5179

►YMCARobert D. Fowler Family YMCAPeachtree Corners, GA

Most of the Camps are held at the Simpsonwood Retreat Cen-ter. Some camps being offered include: All-Around Sports Camp, TGA Premier Junior Golf Camp, Summer Swim Cap, Gymnastics Camp, Skate Camp and cheer-leading.

Fees Run from $150 and up. One-week Sessions: May 28– August 6 Pre-camp hours: 7:00 – 9:00 am* Camp program hours: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, post-camp hours: 4:00 – 6:00 pm* Check for additional details at ymcadaycamping.com or call (770) 246-9622 5600 West Jones Bridge Rd., Nor-cross, GA 30092

►Wesleyan School CampsSummer Camps at Wesleyan School CampusPeachtree Corners, GA

Camps for Wesleyan School 2013 season begins June 3 and runs through July 26th. Their pro-grams use Wesleyan teachers and coaches to help children build on their strengths, improve their weaknesses and discover their passions. Programs are week long, depending the program hours run from 9am-3pm, 8am-11am, 9am-1am and ages from Rising K-10. Fess ranges from $92 to $205.00 Sports include baseball, basket-ball, cheerleading, football, fun

camps, golf, lacrosse, peewee ball camps, soccer (coed), softball, volleyball and wrestling. Check out their website for more infor-mation www.wesleyanschool.org

►Gwinnett Park Summer CampsSummer Camps at Various Gwinnett Parks and Aquatic CentersGwinnett County, GA

Summer Day Camps: ages 4-14, camps feature art, swimming, dance, games, outdoor exploration, and many other fun activities.

Tennis Camp: all levels welcome. Tennis offerings include league play, junior tournaments, classes, camps, lessons and team coaching. Call 770-417-2210 for information.

Basketball Camp: $150, 7 years to 18 years old. Call 770-723-9516 for information.

All Sports Youth Camps Camps include: Basketball, Base-ball/Softball Camp, Recreational/Sports Camps, Soccer Camp, Cheerleading Camp, Lacrosse Camp

Each child will be divided into a division based on age and/or ability level (i.e.: 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 etc.). Hours 9am-3:00pm, Fees range from $80 to $110

Camps are held at various Gwinnett County Park locations (Bogan Park, Collins Hill Park, Dacula Park,Rabbit Hill Park, George Pierce Par, and Bogan Parks)

Check the county website www.gwinnettparks.com or http://www.allsportsyouthcamps.com/ or call 770-822-8840


What’s the best way to protect a kid’s teeth in sports?The best way to protect your teeth while playing sports is to wear a mouth guard and this is true whether or not a helmet is required for the sport you may be playing. Some sports may not require the use of mouth guards, but they’re easy to wear and greatly reduce the chance for accidental fracture or loss of teeth. Additionally, the mouth guards need not be expensive or professionally made in most cases. The kind you’ll find in your lo-cal sporting goods store (or website) usually work just fine.

Can retainers be worn while playing? That’s a tricky question. The answer is technically yes as most retainers could be worn simultaneously with most mouth guards. Practically speaking however, it’s not necessary so my advice is to store your orthodontic retainers in their case during competition/practice, wear the aforementioned mouth guard, and resume normal wear of your retainer after your victory celebration meal.

What type of mouth guard can I wear with braces? Orthodontic patients can protect not only their teeth, but also their braces with the use of a mouth guard. The popular “boil and bite” mouth guards that are custom molded to the teeth, however, are not appropriate for orth-odontic patients. The heated plastic material can actually mold around the braces during fabrication making it difficult or impossible to remove from the mouth without the destruc-tion of the orthodontic appliances. A quick Google search for “orthodontic sports mouth guard”, or some variation thereof, will give you several options to choose from. Again, no need to break the bank for one of these. Just find one that’s comfortable and easy to wear.

Wes Fleming, DMD, MSD Orthodontiist, Imagix Dental

Peachtree Corners, GA

FULL SERVICES OFFEREDOrthodontics (Braces) •Cosmetic Dentistry•Dental Implants•Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery•Endodontics•General Dentistry•Pediatric Dentistry•Periodontics Porcelain•Teeth Whitening•TMJ Syndrome •

LOCATION: 5075 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 105B, Norcross, GA 30092 | CONTACT: 770-448-9333

ABOUT DR. WES FLEMING

Dr. Wes Fleming graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Chemistry from Western Kentucky University. He then went to the University of Ken-tucky to earn his DMD degree. He points out that he had perfect attendance for all home basketball games while at Kentucky.

After earning his dental degree Dr. Fleming did a twelve month general practice residency at the University of Kentucky and Lexington Veterans Af-fairs hospitals. Subsequently Wes attended Saint Louis University for a thirty month period achieving his Masters degree and certificate in the specialty of Orthodontics. He has been with Imagix ever since graduating in 2006.

MEDICINE& GENERAL HEALTH

GWINNETT’sEXPERTS SPORTSSPORTS

MEDICINEEXPERT2013

Wes Fleming, DMD, MSD Imagix Dental

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SPORTS GWINNETT

We’re just gearing up.We will be introducing an iPad version of the

magazine in a few months with an app as well.Become a fan on Facebook for more immediate updates.

·ENTER TO·WINSPORTSGWINNETTGIVEAWAYS

www.sportsgwinnett.com | 678.358.7858


GET TO KNOW YOUR PARENTS

Make sure that you introduce yourself to each parent. It will be important that they feel comfortable talking to you and sharing information with you – Plus, you will make great friends that will last a lifetime!

SHARE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE TEAM

Make sure that it is ok with each family that you share directory information with others. Create a “roster” including parents’ names and phone numbers. This will also come in handy for you and the coaches if you have to call your players at the last minute. Also include the Rainout hotline number on your roster. This will always be the quickest way for parents to find out if fields are closed due to weather.

AFTER GAME SNACKS

It is tradition that for the younger teams (rookie, tee ball, pee wee) a snack is provided at the end of each game. You can either create a

snack schedule assigning each family a game to be

responsible for, or you can collect funds at the beginning of

the season and have the provided by one family/person. It could be the team mom, or another family that volunteers to perform this task. This prevents issues if someone forgets.

TEAM PARTYPlan the date and location of your team party early. You will need to secure the location and time so that all of your families will know ahead of time. Sugges-tions may include pizza parlors, picnics, or meeting at an ice cream shop. You will also need to collect funds from each family to cover the trophy. Trophies are very important to the kids and parents. As they get older, there are other options – like pennants or medals – but especially for the younger teams, trophies are the way to go.

TEAM MOMS & DADSM

OMS

& DA

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Tips, Recommendations and Advise

DUGOUT PARENTEach team will need a parent in the dugout to be with the kids. You can make a dugout schedule or ask for a few parents if they would be interested in helping with that task for the season. This helps keep the kids focused on the game and with the flow of the game with respect to batting order.

Please check SportsGwinnett.com for more team mom and dad advice

Want to be here? Send your team mom or dad advise with your photo to [email protected] with “Team Mom and Dad” in the subject

line. Make it original and different from what you’ve already read in the magazine. Include a 35-40 word “bio” of who you are, how many kids,

sport and youth association. Deadlines are the 18th of the month prior to publicaiton.

Sydney Sattler is a mom of 2 boys that have grown up play-ing baseball in the Duluth Youth Baseball and Softball Associa-tion. She has been a Team Mom for both recreational teams and travel teams – from tee ball through majors. She also serves as uniform coordinator for the DYBSA.

The list above was adapted from

the book, Home Team Advantage:

The Critical Role of Mothers in

Youth Sports (HarperCollins 2006)

by Brooke de Lench.

Money manager

Answer person

Keeper of the list

Pre-season meeting

coordinator

File Clerk

Fundraiser coordinator

Volunteer coordinator

Webmaster

Travel agent

Team Pin Buyer

Here’s a list of 10 responsibilities moms and dads end up with when enlisted as a team mom or dad:

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Easter Bunny BonanzaMarch 1610:00am to 1:00pm. Here comes Peter Cottontail hoppin’ down the bunny trail! He’s hiding eggs as he goes, so join us for an Easter Egg Hunt, fun spring crafts, and photos with the Easter Bunny. All ages, $5/person if pre-register by March 11 or $7/person at the door. Dacula Activity Building, 205 Dacula Road, Dacula. Call 678.277.0850.

Lunch and LearnMarch 21 · Free11:00am to 2:00pm. With the confusing markets, you may have more questions than answers. Join us for lunch and an informa-tive financial seminar to learn how to navigate these challeng-ing markets and make sense of your investment options. Age 18+. George Pierce Park Community Recreation Center, 55 Buford Hwy, Suwanee. Advance registra-tion required by March 15. Call 678.277.0910.

Girls Just Wanna Have FunMarch 226:00pm to 9:00pm. Come dressed ready to dance, sing and have fun with just the girls! Glitter hair, crafts, karaoke, pizza and a spe-cial treat! Age 6 to 11, $15/person. Mountain Park Activity Building. 1063 Rockbridge Road, Stone Mountain. Advance registration required by March 15. Call 678.277.0179.

Highlighted Parks and Recreation Events and Programs

PARKS PARKS

Kids Night OutMarch 226:00pm to 9:00pm. It’s Friday night fun - filled with swimming, games, crafts, and dinner! Bring your swimsuit and towel; you must be on time to swim. Age 7 to 12, $12/person. Bogan Park Community Recreation Center, 2723 North Bogan Road, Buford . Advance registration required. Call 678.277.0850.

Bunny Bash BreakfastMarch 239:00am to noon. Hop on out for breakfast and pictures with your furry friend, the Easter Bunny! Fun crafts and Easter egg hunts, too! Parents must attend with children and are free, but must pay if they wish to eat breakfast. Age 3 to12, $5/person. Lucky Shoals Park Community Recre-ation Center, 4651 Britt Road, Norcross. Registration required. Call 678.277.0860.

Spring Bridal LunchMarch 2311:00am to 1:00pm. Congratula-tions on your engagement! Our Bridal Brunch is the perfect time to meet with select wedding professionals and get ideas at our spectacular fashion show! During our Lunch and Learn session, hear about the latest trends in wedding gowns, acces-sories, honeymoon destinations, accommodations, floral design and more! $13/person. Gwinnett

Historic Courthouse,185 Crogan Street, Lawrenceville. Advance registration required by March 20. Call 770.822.5450.

Herb Garden WorkshopMarch 231:00pm to 4:00pm. Be earth friendly and reuse materials to make your very own small herb garden! Learn the tips and tricks to successfully cultivate indoor and outdoor herbs in our hot Southern climate. Age 10+, $10/person. George Pierce Park Community Recreation Center, 55 Buford Hwy, Suwanee. Advance registration required. Call 678.277.0910.

Cruising the Ocean BlueMarch 296:30pm to 10:00pm. Come sail away with our Home School Prom! The Gwinnett Historic Courthouse is your port of call for fun, dinner, souvenir photo, door prizes, and music! 9th to 12th grade, $37/person. Gwinnett Historic Courthouse,185 Crogan Street, Lawrenceville. Advance registration required by March 15. Call 770.822.5450.

Line Dance MarathonMarch 306:00pm to midnight. Learn The Cupid Shuffle, the Charlie Brown and more! Grab your friends and come for a line dance marathon

in the gym! Country to hip-hop and everything in between will be played for all levels of dancing. Bring a dish to share, drinks are provided. $5/person. Lucky Shoals Park Community Recreation Center, 4651Britt Road, Norcross. Registration required. Call 678.277.0860.

GWINNETT COUNTY ADULT ATHLETIC LEAGUESSoftball

Flag Football

Volleyball Information: Stacy Fowler - 678.277.0891 - [email protected]

Kacy Cargile - 678.277.0891 - [email protected]

8,719 Adult

Participation in Leagues

in 2011


Collins Hill High SchoolCourtesy of Bob Chadwick

BEST SEATIN THE HOUSEM

OMS

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The Passion of Sports and Recreation in Pictures

Berkmar High SchoolCourtesy of Bob Chadwick

Ella Stevens, Grayson High School Courtesy of Rick Craine

Josh Brickell, Cross Country, Peachtree Ridge High SchoolPhoto by Kate Awtrey for Sports Gwinnett

Please check SportsGwinnett.com for stories and pictures.

Want to be here? Send your photos to [email protected] with “Best Seat in the House” in the subject line. Include a caption (name of

person or people in the picture, team, school, game, etc., photo credit). It needs to be a current photo - meaning for the April issue,

it should have happened in March. Deadlines are the 18th of the month prior to publicaiton.

35

Peachtree Ridge High SchoolCourtesy of Bob Chadwick

Above:A 1 mile fun run follows the 5k race

-- all runners, young and old, can

participate in the fun!

Courtesy of

Cliff Watson The Blue Devils Run is the major fundraising event for the Norcross High School Boys and Girls Cross Country and Track Teams. Courtesy of Cliff Watson

Race time! The Blue Devils Run is a 5k open road race that starts and ends at the Pinckneyville Middle School. Participants can run, walk or choose to support the race as “phantom” runners.

Courtesy of Cliff Watson

Former Norcross High School student, Amelia Watson, was honored for founding the

Blue Devils run and for serving as race director for two years.

Courtesy of Cliff Watson

James Todd, 2013 Hincapie Training Series, Greenville, SC


Coach Clint Conley, co-publisher of Sports Gwinnett Magazine and respected baseball coach talks about starting your baseball team on the right track.

COACH’S CALLCO

ACH’

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Advice and Insight From Respected Coaches

With the baseball season starting, now is the perfect time to think about how to lay the foundation for a positive experience this season for players, parents, and coaches.

I was 6 years old when I first played in Little League, and 30 years have passed since I coached my first team. Most of my youth was spent at ball fields with my family and a father who coached, umpired, and organized tournaments. Now, I train, teach, and mentor hundreds of players at all skill levels and work with numerous coaches and travel teams year round. I have seen a lot of baseball!

Coach Clint Conley’s advice for parents and coaches of Little League youth baseball:

Make the season about THEM - the players, not you.

Coaches, hold a preseason meeting with your parents to discuss your teaching philosophies, feel-ings about playing time, the schedule of practices and games and enlisting their support.

Coaches, teach how to play the game of baseball the right way - make it fun, and teach fundamentals as a team.

Parents, play catch and throw before the season and during the season. These skills improve mechanics by using both movement and motor skills.

Coaches, use patience at practices and games. Your players’ development depends on this. Since baseball skills do not come naturally to all, they must be taught, repeated, and reinforced.

Parents, show patience to coaches and players. You are there to support! If you think you have a better way, sign up to be a coach next season.

Coaches and parents, be a positive influence. Demonstrate maturity, honesty, and integrity. Be the team that is known to have the best coaches, players, and parents on and off the field. Insist that the players are going to play with a respect for their teammates, opposition, and the umpires regardless of the outcome.

Coaches, stay focused on the well-being of your

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players; this relates to the game, dugout behavior, and encouraging their fellow teammates.

Parents should focus on watching the entire game, not delivering food and drinks to the dugout. Enjoy the game by cheering for both teams. Cheer for team play, not for an individual player

Demand commitment from parents and players; commitment to the season, commitment to practices, commitment to a time schedule.

Good Attitude Matters Everytime (GAME) …before, during, and after the game.

Go Hard! Teach the players to be aggressive and to play for each other from the weakest to the stron-gest.

Let every player play multiple positions.

Make your time at the park a family gathering; it’s a chance to spend time outdoors and to unplug.

No instructing or coaching should be heard from outside the fence, especially behind home plate; let the players focus on doing their best. Be a silent source of encouragement. Most players, if asked what they would want to hear from their parents, is “NOTH-ING”. Most parents feel they must participate with loud cheering and “Come on, let’s go, you can do it”, which just adds more pressure to the kids when all they’re thinking about is not getting hit with a ball or striking out. Let the players play, the parents watch, and the umpire call the game. End of story. There will be no questioning of calls on or off the fi eld. (Set that good example, Coach!)

Teach them “you play to win,” but let them know that their best doesn’t always go their way; fi nd posi-tives in every game.

The game of baseball is so much more than wins and losses. How coaches and parents handle young play-ers can have long lasting effects, either positive or negative. Cultivating positive, healthy, and knowl-edgeable baseball players is a collaborative job. If coaches and parents follow the same guidelines and speak the same language, your players will thrive.

SPORTS GWINNETT

LIKEUS ONFACEBOOKANDWE’LL LIKEYOU BACK!EveryMondayfrom March 18to April 29we’ll be giving away prizes to our fans on FB.GiftCards,Dinner,ticketsto sporting events. So keep an eye out and help us notice you on Facebook.

www.facebook.com/SportsGwinnett

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CampsSummer

Adventure Camps

Special Interest Camps

Preschool Camps

Full day recreation camps with a thematic twist!

Partial day camps led by specialized instructors.

Fun morning camps at select locations.

LilburnMountain Park Park Depot Building 678.277.0179NorcrossLucky Shoals Park Community Recreation Center 678.277.0860Pinckneyville Park Community Recreation Center 678.277.0920SnellvilleLenora Park Gymnasium 770.978.5271Stone MountainMountain Park Activity Building 678.277.0179SuwaneeGeorge Pierce Park Community Recreation Center 678.277.0910

Top Notch convenient locations

BufordBogan Park Community Recreation Center 678.277.0850DaculaDacula Park Activity Building 678.277.0850DuluthShorty Howell Park Activity Building 770.814.4914LawrencevilleRhodes Jordan Park Community Recreation Center 678.277.0890

Register today!www.gwinnettparks.com

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sports gwinnett march 2013

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