Got Game?
Think you have what it takes to be the next Michael Jordan, or Carmelo Anthony, or Lebron James? Imagine stadium crowds chanting your name? Envision yourself spritzed and oiled in full-flex for a sexy sport drink commercial? See a space-aged shoe with our illustrious name on it, your handsome face plastered on a cereal box or soup can? Hear the music swelling as you soar across the screen in flawless slow-motion artistry? You think you got what it takes? You think you got game?
Get in line You are now entering the City of High School Athletics, population in the millions. You are one of a multitude of faces in the crowd who harbor plans to be the next Jordan... or Brett Favre... or Mia Hamm... or Ken Griffey Jr. ... Or Eric Lindros... or Sheryl Swoopes... or Ronaldo... or Michael Johnson... or Cammie Granato... or Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Most of you are just in it for the fun and some exercise, something to do. Some of you will star right away. Other will pay their dues. Many of you will earn starting spots on the varsity. Some will even be all-tourney, city, region or state. A lucky few will catch the eyes of college coaches. A handful will emerge as collegiate stars. And a few - a microscopic few - might someday carry the torch for the Olympic Games or play in the pros for some of that mad skrill. But this is your story we're talking about. It begins here, on the courts, tracks, fields, diamonds, rinks, mats and pools of high school athletics. It's a land of hopes and dreams. It's a place to learn about life through a game. And it better be fun. So rule number one...
Don't Freak "Any time kids are coming to high school, there is an anxiety," says Monte Kohler, athletics director at Seattle's O'Dea High School, a perennial power in many sports. "The first thing they need to realize about their participation in high school athletics: It's a game. It's fun. It's not life and death. They shouldn't be intimidated." In high school, you may find your life spinning out of control. You've heard of puberty? Hormones? Peer pressure? These are just adult buzzwords to describe what you're experiencing. But suffice it to say that you're going to have plenty on your plate in the coming years. So...
Routine May Not Be The Spice Of Life,but It Might Work For You. The rigors of extra-curricular activities can force a boot-camp structure to your life. Wake, eat, go to school, practice, eat, study, sleep. You could look at this as restricting... or you can view it as a builder of organization skills, an aid to your classroom performance. It can help you keep your life together, and stay on the straight and narrow in the process. "We find that kids do better when they have a structure to their lives," Kohler says. "They generally do better in their classes during their sports season than out of their sports season. Athletics and academics is a good mix." "Studies show that kids do better in school when they are involved in a sport," agrees Danny Haney, head boys basketball coach of Lexington Catholic High School in Kentucky, a program that has been a fixture on the national polls in recent years. "We have study halls. People are thinking more academically. Proposition 48 and minimum requirements were the best thing to happen for student-athletes. They for us to get it done in high school." And when you take a break from the books...
Don't Bogart That Sport Most high schools offer a wide variety of athletic teams. Be a smart shopper; try on as many as it takes to find the right fit. "Try out for every sport you can," Kohler advises. "You might think you're a basketball player, but you might find you do better at track, or some other sport. Take time to find a sport you enjoy and can make a contribution." And, to learn the ropes... Get Help (and look up) People have been learning from their elders - a practice adults call mentoring - ever since the first caveman dad showed his caveman kid how to start a fire and slay a mammoth. It's simply the best way to learn. "Our seniors take younger kids under their wings," Haney explains. "They don't treat them life freshmen. They cycle through the next group. This is the only way to get better."
"Hopefully mentoringnaturally takes care of itself," Kohler adds. "A good senior class will help the younger teammates each year. It trickles down." Finding receptive juniors and seniors to teach you the tricks of the game can help you work your way into the lineup quicker. But until then, remember...
Patience Is A Virtue...If Only It Didn't Take So Long. Putting in time, waiting your turn. These are hard concepts for the ambitious young athlete to swallow. "You don't need to accept it," Kohler says. "Just understand, 'I'm an underclassman and I'll compete and work my tail off to find a niche..." It's all about working with and for a team. But as for yourself...
Pahmp Yourself Ahhhp!And not just in the gym. "We're talking about athletes of the 21st century," Haney says. "Bodies are so much bigger in high school now. Regardless of the sport, kids seem to be bigger, stronger, more athletic." "What I suggest, to give you the edge, is to get into the weights, get into the training. That's the big thing. Coaches are becoming much more interested in proper diet and training. It gives kids with average physical ability the edge. The ones that don't do it often get left behind." Of course, training isn't everything. You can do it till you're blue in the face, but don't forget to learn the game.
Just Do It!Unglue your beak from the boob tube. Give the mall a rest. Forget virtual reality and get real. Unplug that Playstation and get out and play. Get in the game. "You can't forget to play the sport," Haney says. "You still have to play and play a lot. These days there are so many other things to take up a young athlete's time. The mall, TV, Nintendo - all these things are taking kids out of the parks." These parks, and gyms and practice fields are where you can best learn the game, both its individual skills and team concepts. Haney sites the SportsCenter Factor as a danger to team sports. "As good as Michael Jordan is - and as good as he has been for the game - he has also been kind of bad for the game. Kids just want to do what he does." This goes for every sport That's ESPN-highlight worthy. So it's important to build the muscles and hone the individual moves. But the best teams win games. "We find that we play teams that are far superior to us physically," Haney adds. "But we beat them because our kids know how to play, knew the fundamentals. That gives us the edge."
The play's the thing. "Our philosophy is just to compete," says Kohler. "Go out for whatever. Don't specialize in grade school. Play as many sports as you can so you will learn different skills from different coaches." Then when It's time to participate in sports at the high school level, the experience will help you make the most of our teen years. "High school athletics helps you find out about yourself, teaches you about life," Kohler says. "It teaches you about how to make commitment - if not to athletics it could be something negative. And it allows you to grow and mature in a way that will make you proud of yourself. That's of the utmost importance for kids." Coaches are becoming much more interested in proper diet and training. It gives kids with average physical ability the edge. The ones that don't do it often get left behind."
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B.A.S.E. Bonus: Magic Johnson
The Game, The Magic Not all high school students are that fond of a doubleshot cappuccino, but they are definitely interested in social interaction and television. If the coffee alone won't attract them to the Starbucks on Colfax and Kalamath, then let "Magic" Johnson's commitment to the community reel them in. Earvin "Magic" Johnson, along with this partner Kenneth T. Lombard and the Johnson Development Corporation (JDC) promoted the opening of a new Starbucks on April 7, 2003.
Also promoting a book drive with the "Reach Out and Read" program, they helped celebrate the first joint venture Starbucks coffee shop in Denver. "It's a great city and very sport-oriented," said Johnson about why his company chose Denver as the next home for Starbucks. Then he also mentioned that Denver's cold weather often lured people to drink more coffee and laughed wholeheartedly. His partner and president of JDC added to his comment: "We study the residential areas and look at the ethnicity in the area." Starbucks also provides job opportunities to the locals and is an equal opportunity employer. "You are going to see a very diverse group of employees," said Lombard while on the topic of the selective location. A neglected, urban society, or what Johnson calls under-served communities are according to Lombard, "...places where there are mostly fast-food restaurants, and where quality products are very deserved." It is these places that the JDC sees out for their project sites.
Johnson said, "Starbucksreaches everybody. It is a social place as well as somewhere to enjoy a drink even if you're not a coffee drinker." Johnson went on to list to the different "Tazo" teas and other beverages that non-coffee drinkers might be interested in. Kelly Hewitt, the public relations manager for Starbucks Coffee Company, commented on how Mr. Johnson is very generous with his Urban Projects. Johnson has, within his JDC projects, the development of numerous "Magic" Johnson's T.G.I.Friday's restaurants along with the burger chain "Fat Burger". The sole purpose of these companies is to "...make people feel relaxed as if they are at their home away from home," said Johnson about his plans to use the Starbucks to create a sense of community for the area. This joint-venture Starbucks will keep on holding public events, like food drivers and even more book drives down the road and Johnson said, "I'll come back and check out my businesses," so look for him at the Magic Johnson Starbucks on Colfax and Kalamath in the future.
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