APRIL 2012

M E M P H I S P O R T. n E T

One-Two PunchRudy Gay and Zach Randolph

prepare for a playoff run

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V O L U M E 6 , n U M B E R 8

“He definitely was the missing piece. He’s our franchise player. If we had him, we would have won that series (against Oklahoma City).”

— Zach Randolph 14

Hot Shots 6 Reigning Again

Front Nine 8 Coach Bill Courtney talks about being undefeated.

Nothin’ But Net 10 Five good deeds from Gilbert Arenas.

All-Stars 12 Local hoops squad takes national title.

Varsity Spirit 26 The Black Smack brings home another championship.

Tailgating 28 The Tour de Grizz

Picture Puzzle 30 Super Grizz run amok

14

20 24

One-Two Punch 14Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph prepare for the playoffs.

A League of His Own 20 The closer for The University of Memphis works

to make childhood dream a reality.

Summer Shape-Up 24Tips to get fit for the season.

6

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Contributing Photographers Justin Ford Chris Evans

Contributing Writers Ben Hogan Andre Johnson Michael Jones Preston McClellan Meagan Nichols

Cover Photo Joe Murphy (NBAE/Getty Images)

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M E M P H I S P O R T. n E T 5

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H O T S H O T S These pics are on fire!

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M E M P H I S P O R T. n E T 7

Photos by Justin Ford

Reigning AgainTarik Black (opposite page) and Wesley Witherspoon (this page) combined for only 35 minutes and 19 points, but it was more than enough to beat upstart and sixth-seeded Marshall in the Conference USA Championship Finals at FedExForum March 10th to once again reign as champions of Conference USA.

7M E M P H I S P O R T. n E T 7

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With so many great and memorable moments during your time at Manassas High School, which one makes you the proudest?

There were 19 seniors on the 2009 team and 19 of them went to college. That makes me the .proudest. And I do not mean that they went to play college football. I mean went to college. There was a scene where Aaron asked the kids how many of them had a mother and father who both went to college and nobody raised their hand out of 70 kids. And then he asked how many people have a family member incarcerated and every

one of them raised their hand. We are talking about a zip code where kids are more likely to go to jail than to college, and 19 kids graduated off of that 2009 team and 19 went to college. So that has to be the thing I am most proud of.

When did you know or feel like Manassas had turned the corner from being a bad football team to a good or respectable team?

Going into the 2006 season. And it was not because I felt like I had more talent, but because that was a group of juniors and seniors that I had been

with for three years. They had come up understanding that X’s and O’s was secondary to character, discipline, and commitment. So as upperclassmen they started tutoring the new freshmen and sophomores coming into the program on how to act. Not how to play football, but how to act. And I knew once I had that kind of leadership based in the right fundamentals that we were going to start getting good, and we did.

How did you stop the filming of the documentary from becoming a distraction for your team?

Coach Bill CourtneyCoach Bill Courtney has gone from local high school coach to nation wide star in a matter of months. The documentary Undefeated, about the Manassas Tigers 2009 football season, has gained nationwide attention

thanks to its intimate portrayal of inner city athletics. Before Courtney arrived at Manassas, the program that had never won a football playoff game, and its’ players were more likely to go to jail than to college.

F R O n T n I n E Nine questions. Nine answers.

Written by CJ Hurt, photo courtesy of Manassas High School

M E M P H I S P O R T. n E T 9

Dan (Lindsey), Rich, and TJ (Martin) were 30 year old guys with no credit to their name except a documentary on beer pong for God’s sake. There was no crew; it was just two guys carrying around camcorders. We did not think this was going to be a major production, but the opposite. We thought we might see this thing buried on channel 365 at three in the morning some random Wednesday. They went to graduation, prom, they taught a film class, they were at chalk talk playbook studies, they were at practice and games. So the truth is you were cognizant of the fact that two guys were running around with cameras, but because they were so consistent and always around that they blended into the team.

Did anything happen during the movie that you were not aware of while the movie was taking place?

Yep, the scene where I am walking away from my son’s football game carrying his equipment. I did not know they filmed that, and the first time I watched the movie, that scene about broke me down. Earlier in the movie I talked about my relationship with my father. Then I am watching the movie for the first time and that scene comes up. I did not know they were filming, I had no idea it was in the movie, and it was so intimate for me that the scene hit me in the face hard. It really showed how my life from 15 years old to 43 years old had come full circle.

Is there anything you would do differently?

Yeah, absolutely! I would not have called pro right trap left.

If there was one message you want a young person to take from the documentary what would it be?

Do right. Every human being who is born on this Earth knows right from wrong. It is just whether or not they choose to do right. If you do right you will be disciplined, committed, and people will be willing to give you an opportunity to get out of your circumstances. So do right, because if you do right you cannot do wrong. None of this has to be complicated. If you do right and realize that your foundation cannot be a football then you will do fine. If you get off track of that then you are going to end up falling on your butt.

Which actor should play you in the remake?

Man I don’t care. I leave that up to the artist. But Chris Farley is dead so I do not know what they will do.

Did you or Manassas get an Oscar?

No, that is for the producers and directors and stuff. It is enough that a documentary, made about our lives, is an Oscar winner. We do not need a 14 inch piece of metal to validate us. We did what we did and we are who we are. Our story has garnered attention from the entire country, and brought heart felt emotions from places we didn’t even know existed. That is what matters, not some stupid statue.

Was the most memorable thing about being at the Academy Awards?

I had just finished an interview with Ryan Seacrest and when I turned to go to the next reporter and I bumped into somebody. So when I turned around to apologize it was George Clooney. When I stuck my hand out to say, “Excuse me George, hi I am Bill Courtney,” he says, “Hey coach! How are you?” And I thought if George Clooney recognizes me this thing has gotten to be pretty big.

Which rags to riches story best exemplifies the documentary Mighty Ducks, Blind Side, or Bad News Bears?

Bad News Bears because it is a story about kids who were not doing anything with their life. Who turned it around and got better. And a very unlikely coach who led them.

What do you mean when you say football does not build character it reveals it?

You don’t have control over anything but your soul, your character, your worth and what goes on inside of you. So something as trivial as football game is not going to build character. What builds character is our recognition that the only thing you have control over at the end of the day is how you walk, how you handle yourself, your character, your discipline, your commitment, your courage, your honor. And then, the trials that are put in front of you throughout your life reveals the character that you built. I do not think football or working hard builds anything, what builds character is something of much greater depth than just football.

Scores for SchoolsWhile a member of the Washington Wizards, Arenas donated at least $400,000 to several schools in the D.C. area via his Scores For Schools Program. It was a very simple concept. 41 schools were randomly selected (one school for every home game on the schedule) and given 25 tickets to the game. In addition to the free tickets, the school was given anywhere from $100-$150 for every point that Arenas scored. In one night he has donated more than $5,000 to local schools so that they can buy more supplies and improve the education for their students.

Twitter Shoe GiveawayTwitter can sometimes get athletes into trouble and Arenas has had his share of questionable tweets, interesting pictures (to say the least), and fines. So the fact that he gave shoes away to his followers is often over shadowed. He was one of a handful of athletes who gave gifts away on Twitter, but people are ignoring that positive fact. Not only did he give away shoes, but he paid for the shipping, gave fans the options of having them signed, and even shipped them to fans who lived outside the states.

Written by CJ Hurt, photo by Sam Forencich (NBAE/Getty Images)

Five Good Deeds from Gilbert ArenasIn our society we tend to let the bad outweigh the good. We feed off negative stories instead of embracing the positive stories that are out there.

This is the case with Gilbert Arenas, who has been defined by his locker room incident with his teammate Javaris Crittenton, where guns were shown after a dispute. Although the gun incident is what he is most remembered for now, Arenas has done some exceptional things throughout his time as a professional off of the court.

n O T H I n ’ B U T n E T The best articles from memphisport.net.

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Written by CJ Hurt, photo by Sam Forencich (NBAE/Getty Images)

Five Good Deeds from Gilbert Arenas The Zero Two Hero Foundation

We are all familiar with the 50 game suspension that Arenas served after his locker room incident, but how many of us know about his charity? The Zero Two Hero Foundation was started in 2005 by Arenas and has helped numerous families in the D.C. area. When hurricane Katrina hit Arenas bought $18,000 in supplies and gave them to victims of the storm. He did an annual Christmas event called Annual Christmas Dreams For Kids, where he treated hundreds of underserved children to a Wizards game, dinner, and presents. Also, Arenas hosted an online auction that raised $75,000 for the Arial Home Initiative.

Playoff Bonus DonationRobert Suller, an equipment manager for the Wizards while Arenas was there, was in need of help. His daughter had Angelman Syndrome and was in need of 24 hour care. On top of that, the family needed a van that could accommodate the special needs of their daughter. Arenas stepped in and donated his entire playoff bonus to help the Suller family out. Arenas made close to $12 million that year before the bonus, so he had more than enough money. Yet, how many athletes have you heard of donating their ENTIRE bonuses?

Andre McAllister, Jr.On December 20, 2004 a 10 year old Andre McAllister, Jr. was the sole survivor of a fire that left him without his mother, sister, cousin, and great-grandfather. His father was in prison for a parole violation and Andre was in desperate need of some joy, love, and comfort. Enter Arenas. He spent a day with Andre Jr. taking him shopping and letting him come to a Wizards practice. At the end of their day, Arenas decided he was going to make the child who lost so much just five days before Christmas his “little brother”. Arenas made Andre Jr. a ball boy and invited him to several of the Wizards home games. The two have hung out at Arenas’ D.C. home, and he even threw Andre Jr. a 14th birthday party. He also takes Andre Jr. shopping around the Christmas season every year. As if that is not enough, Arenas has offered to pay Andre Jr.’s college tuition when that time comes. But, Arenas is remembered for one bad decision instead of his years of generosity while a member of the Washington Wizards.

M E M P H I S P O R T. n E T 1 1

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People love a good Cinderella story and this year, there is one about a Memphis team that is being talked about around the country. There is a high school basketball program that is on the rise. The Margolin Hebrew Academy Cooper Yeshiva Boys’ High School represents Memphis and the Mid-South as the only Jewish High School in the area.

The Margolin Hebrew Academy is a small school in the heart of East Memphis. The boys high school, Cooper Yeshiva, has only 40 young men. The academy was founded in 1949 in order to provide academic excellence in general studies as well as in studying the Torah and Israel. In recent times, however, the school can add successful extracurricular activities to their list of accomplishments.

This year, under the coaching of Richard Lewis and Craig Wiener, the boys basketball team broke all previous records held by the school as well as won regional and national recognition. (quote from Lewis)

Head Coach, Richard Lewis, has a rich history with the school. He played for the high school all four years and then went to Yeshiva University in New York, where the Championship tourney was held,

and played at NCAA Division III level.

Lewis returned home after college and wanted to get back involved with the school. He was contacted about a job opening three years ago and took the job. He does this completely voluntarily, as does his coaching staff. That is something he has in common

with his players, as they go to school for over nine hours a day and have to fit basketball into their everyday lives.

There are many things that made this team special. For one, these kids are not only teammates, but they do everything together as they have such a small school and very tight-knit community.

Coach Lewis said this year was different because, “usually we have one good player and the team revolves around them, but this year we had a really good player and a great supporting cast.” The specific player that Lewis referred to is junior Eli Osdoba. The other starters on the team were Bryan Itkowitz, Justin Wruble, Ethan Cooper, and the lone senior Jeremy Cooper.

The Margolin Hebrew Academy recently brought home the Tier 2 Championship title from the 21st Annual Yeshiva University Sharacheck HS Basketball Tournament held at Yeshiva University in New York. Not only did the team win this title, a first for their school, but they went into the tournament as a major underdog. Other schools at this tournament had long-running records and nearly six times the student body compared Margolin.

Another honor Margolin brought back to the Midsouth was Tier 2 MVP, awarded to a Cooper Yeshiva junior, Eli Osdoba. Eli Osdoba generated quite the buzz at the tournament not only on the offensive end, but on defense as well. Eli was the 2nd leading scorer in the entire tournament and guarded

the best player in the “Box-1” scheme called by Lewis Osdoba even caught the eye of Yeshiva University coaches.

The end of the game was intense, Margolin held a lead at halftime, their first halftime lead in the tourney. They fell behind in the fourth quarter and had to mount a comeback in the final minute to snatch the victory. The game came down to a foul call in the final 20 seconds that went Margolin’s way and Osdoba sealed the win with a pair of free throws in the final seconds.

On the victory, Lewis said, “The victory was a culmination of the season and all the hard work, I had to fight back tears once that buzzer sounded.”

While the season is over for the team, they can take off their uniforms knowing that they had an incredible season. Regional season highlights include winning the Shelby County Basketball League in both the regular season and the playoffs and winning the Collierville Classic. On a national level, Margolin Hebrew Academy finished as the #14 Jewish high school in the country with the Jewish nation’s longest winning streak of 17. They also finished the year with an impressive record of 27-5, putting them as the second best of any Jewish high school in the country.

Next year the team hopes to compete in Tier 1 of the tournament. “I think we can compete with the best Jewish schools in the country with this team.” The team will be returning all but one player from this year’s squad, Jeremy Cooper, who is the team’s only senior. The main thing Coope brought to the table was a leader off the court. Cooper was a young man who organized team BBQs, team trips, and provided many things that were not seen on the basketball court. Lewis is hoping that one or some of the current players fill the void of Cooper’s absence next year.

This team has given Memphis another reason for some pride!

Written by Ben Hogan, Photo courtesy of Margolin Hebrew Academy

A L L- S TA R S Best of the Preps

Local Hoops Squad Takes National Title

M E M P H I S P O R T. n E T 1 3

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Written by Andre Johnson, Photos by Joe Murphy (NBAE/Getty Images)

One-Two Punch

Generally, their on-the-court success has afforded them to develop a remarkably tight rapport away from basketball, one that ultimately was put to test during the Grizzlies’ memorable playoff run last year.

For instance, although the Grizzlies became the first team in ten years to knock off a No. 8 seed, the excitement surrounding their first playoff series win in franchise history resulted in mixed feelings, or sorts, for Gay, who was sidelined with a season-ending shoulder injury he suffered against Philadelphia days after the All-Star break.

“It was tough,” Gay recalls. “In a way, it was like a dream come true for me. But the only difference is that I wasn’t a part of it. But teammates had a great run.”

Among those who routinely kept Gay in high spirits was Randolph who, despite being the subject of an Indianapolis drug investigation in May 2010, emerged as the catalyst of a Grizzlies team that came within a game of advancing to the Western Conference finals last year.

“I see him as a big brother,” Gay said of Randolph. “Anything I needed, he’d help me and vice versa.

The New Year didn’t start off particularly well for Randolph, a 2010 All-Star who found himself in a similar predicament as the one Gay endured last year. In Memphis’ 40-point loss at Chicago Jan. 1, the 10-year veteran went down in the first quarter with a partially torn medial collateral ligament of his right knee, an injury that Grizzlies

coach Lionel Hollins initially sensed would sideline his star power forward for the remainder of the year.

Randolph’s injury, which occurred five games into the season, proved costly for the Grizzlies. Despite reeling off wins against Sacramento and Minnesota, Memphis dropped its next three games. During that stretch, Gay, the team’s leading scorer, averaged just 14 points while connecting on 22-of-53 field goals.

Consequently, Gay’s subpar numbers brought about criticism during the losing streak, in large part because fans, members of the local media, and those affiliated with Grizzlies organization felt that the six-year small forward wasn’t playing up to the five-year, $82 million contract extension he signed in July 2010.

While Gay admittedly didn’t pay much attention to what was being said and written about his play after Randolph went down, he essentially took the criticism in stride.

“Where much is given, much is expected,” said Gay, when asked to assess the early-season criticism. “But I don’t think I was 100 percent ready after I came back (from injury). Mentally, I don’t

Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph have been

teammates for the past three-and-half years,

long enough to establish a close knit friendship

between each another. To their credit, their

veteran leadership has complemented their

contrasting roles and benefited greatly to the

Memphis Grizzlies’ success in recent years.

One-Two Punch

“He definitely was the missing piece,” Randolph said of Gay. “He’s our franchise player. If we had him, we would have won that series (against Oklahoma City).”

1 6 A P R I L 2 0 1 2

think I was basketball ready the first of October. Had the season started on time, I know I wouldn’t have been ready.”

Conversely, there were some who felt that Gay being discredited for the team’s early struggles was a premature assessment, considering the Grizzlies were in the early stages of the season following a 149-day lockout that reduced the 82-game campaign by 16 games.

“I think people should raise up off of Rudy,” ESPN play-by-play announcer Mark Jones said in a telephone interview from Miami. “He’s shooting about 45 percent from the field. Plus, I believe Memphis is right on track to make a run in the Western Conference.”

Among the biggest reasons the Grizzlies are, as shooting guard O. J. Mayo affirmed before the season, “ring chasing,” is that they finally have a healthy Gay and Randolph back in the fold during what undoubtedly is a pivotal stretch in the season.

Though Hollins is slowly working Randolph back in a starter’s role by having him come off the bench, the Grizzlies managed just four victories in nine games through the end of March, this after both players returned from injuries March 16 against Toronto. However, Hollins has repeatedly said in recent weeks that Memphis can’t possibly duplicate, let alone eclipse last year’s postseason run with Randolph averaging only 14 points and 26 minutes per game.

As for when Hollins plans to reinsert Randolph back in the starting lineup remains unclear with less than a month left in the regular season. The way Jones sees it, though, even with Randolph, Memphis’ third-leading scorer, assuming a reserve role, the Grizzlies, who currently occupy the sixth spot in the West, have sufficient chemistry and depth to mount a lengthy postseason run.

“I can definitely see them making a deep run,” Jones said. “I think they can win in the postseason. I mean, you’ve got Zach and O. J. Mayo coming off the bench. That, I believe, gives them a tremendous scoring punch. Would it be nice to get home court (in the opening round)? Yes. But they have proven they can do without it.”

If the playoffs started today, the Grizzlies would face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round and, like last year when they upset then No. 1-seed San Antonio, would play Games 1-2 on the road. Whether Memphis can repeat last year’s opening-round shocker will depend largely on how Gay performs in his first postseason appearance since 2006. Once again, the Grizzlies would need a similar effort from Randolph, who exhibited arguably the best postseason display of his career against the Spurs and Oklahoma City.

Randolph started each of Memphis’ 13 playoff outings, averaging team highs in points (22.2), rebounds (10.8), and minutes played (39.6). Gay, on the other hands, appears to have used the early-season criticism as motivation, given he has registered consistent numbers, even after sustaining what team doctors diagnosed as a concussion after a March 12 game at Denver.

Through the end of March, Gay has started 48 of Memphis’ 49 games, leading the team with 18.8 points per contest. Add to that the team’s solid offensive balance, and it’s no wonder many haven’t dismissed the notion that the Grizzlies, who boast six players averaging in double figures, are serious threats to come out of the West.

What’s even scarier, at least for opposing teams, is that the Grizzlies, barring no severe injuries, will have Gay around for the postseason to complement the excitement Randolph and company created throughout the Bluff City last year.

“All good teams are not 1-2-player teams,” Hollins said. “When Rudy went out (last year), guys stepped right in and played even better. It’s just like when Zach went down, we went to a more up tempo style of play. All of these guys are NBA players and realize they have a job to do.”

Only this time, the responsibilities for the Grizzlies likely will appear much easier now that Randolph is steadily working his way back into midseason form and Gay is performing much like the franchise player many anticipated at the beginning of the season.

“He’s a great, great player,” Golden State coach Mark Jackson said of Gay. “He can hurt you in so many ways. He’s made a strong case that he could have been an All-Star player.”

That honor, it turns out, went to Grizzlies center Marc Gasol. Like Gay and Randolph, Gasol, who is second on the team in scoring at 15.5 points per game, has also been hampered by injuries of late. Hollins decided to rest the 7-foot-1 Spaniard for the Grizzlies’ recent home game against Minnesota. Gasol, dressed in street clothes, was seen wearing an ankle boot on the bench, prompting Randolph to joke with reporters in the dressing room after the game.

“It seems a curse has hit this team,” said Randolph, when asked to assess the Grizzlies’ assortment of injuries this year.

Fortunately for the Grizzlies, Gasol’s injury kept him out for only one game as he returned for the next outing at Houston and scored 19 points in a losing effort. Now with everyone back for what appears to be a healthy and hungrier Memphis squad, Gay and Randolph are hopeful that the “curse” remains a

“The sky’s the limit for us,” Gay said. “Obviously, now that me and Zach are back is an added dimension. But right now, we’re proving we’re a great team.”

M E M P H I S P O R T. n E T 1 7

nonfactor with playoffs looming.

“The sky’s the limit for us,” Gay said. “Obviously, now that me and Zach are back is an added dimension. But right now, we’re proving we’re a great team.”

A team that, given its formidable chemistry and depth, has emerged as a serious threat to advance past the Western Conference semifinals in the coming weeks, something Randolph believes likely would have happened last year if not for Gay’s injury.

“He definitely was the missing piece,” Randolph said of Gay. “He’s our franchise player. If we had him, we would have won that series (against Oklahoma City).”

Gay appreciates that Randolph looked to him as a leader, particularly during the Grizzlies’ intense playoff series against the Thunder.

“It means a lot for Z-Bo to feel that way about me,” Gay said. “He had a terrific series. Now we’ve got a chance to make some noise.”

Especially now that both players will be around for what the Grizzlies hope will be another dramatic playoff run.

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M E M P H I S P O R T. n E T 2 1

Written by Meagan Nichols, Photos courtesy of the University of Memphis

The closer for The University of Memphis works to make childhood dream a reality.

A League of His OwnIt’s the ninth inning, the game is winding down. The signal has been given to the University of Memphis bullpen to bring in the closer.

“Bad Company” begins to play on the loud speakers and No. 32 Jonathan Van Eaton, makes his way to the mound with an unmistakable look of intensity and purpose on his face.

A few pitches later the inning comes to a close and Jonathan’s job is done.

Van Eaton, a 20-year-old junior interdisciplinary studies major is a Memphis native. He began his baseball career when he was 5 years old. He discovered his passion for the game two years later while playing wiffle ball with his brother one afternoon. It was at this moment he said he realized he wanted baseball to be more than just a game; he wanted it to be his life.

“I had visions of just bunches of fans surrounding my backyard, it was odd it was very odd … I feel like that is my life calling to be a baseball player,” Van Eaton said.

In his youth, Van Eaton played for The Memphis Travelers baseball team. While in high school he played for APAK travel team in addition to playing for his school team, Arlington High

School. He was the starting pitcher for Arlington from the end of his sophomore year through his senior year. Van Eaton is the record holder for wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts at Arlington.

Van Eaton came to the U of M with a singular purpose, to make his childhood dream a reality. He made it clear to his athletic academic advisor that baseball came before everything else. As one baseball coach said according to Van Eaton, the players are majoring in “baseballology.”

“I immediately went to my academic counselor and said look, I don’t want to be here very long,” he said. “Put me in the easiest classes possible. I want to study nothing I want to commit a 100 percent of my time to baseball, that’s what I’m here for. That’s what I want to do, if people want to support me while I do it than more power to them.”

In addition to being the closer for the U of M baseball team Van Eaton is also one of the

co-captains. He was elected by his teammates, which he said demonstrates how his fellow Tigers trust him and recognize his ability to lead.

“It’s a job that I love and I hope to get paid

for it one day and support a family on it,” he

said. “If I got the opportunity to play baseball

professionally, I would be able to live while I

make a living. Some people work so hard to

make a living and they never get to live.”

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Leadership is not something he says he learned or tries to do, but rather it is an instinctive part of himself.

“The captains aren’t the ones who put down consequences on others, but we are the ones who prevent them from happening,” Van Eaton said. “It is our job to remind and enforce the way the Memphis baseball program is run.”

Practices, travel, games and school consume the majority of his time; however, when he is not on the field Van Eaton said he is usually spending time with his No.1 fan, his girlfriend Jenny Johnston.

Johnston said she understood from day one the role baseball plays in her boyfriend’s life.

“When I first met him baseball is all he talked about, and I know that playing baseball will make him the happiest person in the world,” Johnston said.

While baseball is a huge time commitment Van Eaton said he is confident the hard work he puts in now will pay off in the future.

“It’s a job that I love and I hope to get paid for it one day and support a family on it,” he said. “If I got the opportunity to play baseball professionally, I would be able to live while I make a living. Some people work so hard to make a living and they never get to live.”

Playing on a Division 1 collegiate team has provided Van Eaton a platform to showcase his talent to prospective scouts, which he hopes will lead to him getting drafted by a major league baseball team before he graduates.

When scouts come to observe the talent of the various U of M players, Van Eaton says he treats those games no differently than any other.

“Pressure only falls on the shoulders of the unprepared,” he said. “It’s kind of like OK, let me do what I have done my whole life and you get to watch me do it. I get to show off and pitch my game and if you like it then you like it.”

In the 2011 season Van Eaton made 11 appearances and finished with a 6.48 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 16.2 innings of pitching. With the 2012 season now underway, Van Eaton leads the team with eight appearances. He has 1 save and is 2-1 with an ERA of 1.64.

While Van Eaton says at the moment he is putting all of his eggs into one basket he does on occasion find himself doing a reality check.

“I don’t like to admit it but sometimes I think about life after baseball, and I don’t know, I don’t know what it would be like,” he said.

USA Cheer, the national governing body for cheerleading is excited to announce...

Learn about cheerleading's new sport, , at usacheer.net

The all-new Memphisport is looking for a motivated and energetic freelance advertising account executive for print, online and radio sales.

The ideal team member will have a proven track record, with skills and knowledge of the advertising/publishing/media industries. Must be target driven, passionate, committed to excelling in sales. Must be computer literate and have access to email.

Memphisport offers the highest commissions of any local media outlets.

Submit your resume to sales@memphisport.net.

Join the Team!

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Written by Preston McClellan, Photos by Justin Ford

Summer is synonymous with staying in shape. Whether it’s doing laps in your apartment pool, enjoying a jog in anyone of Memphis’ numerous parks or just taking the dog for a walk, fitness is on everyone’s mind when the sun comes out and temperatures rise. The folks at Power Life Fitness spend each and every day helping ordinary people like you get into the best shape of their lives. Here are some of their suggestions for getting fit as summer approaches:

Summer ShaPe-uPTips to Get Fit for the Season

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KELVIN “YORK” BROWN VP DIRECTOR OF TRAINING

1. Get on a Fitness plan; if you don’t go in to fitness with a plan, you are planning to fail! 2. Stay around positive people with your same mind set to keep you motivated. 3. Clean all the junk food out of your home. If it’s not there you’re not likely to leave home to get it.

KEVIN MANAGER 1. Beware of the BBQ. Calories can add up quickly, so make sure to load up your plate with vegetables and skip all of the sauces and sugar. 2. Cool off with more than “Ice Cream.” Calories are very important in relation to your health and fitness plan. Therefore, when cooling off, use water or frozen juices before 2pm. 3. Have fun and do outdoor activities.

CECE CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER

1. Make your last meal no later than 6pm, or at least two and a half hours before bed. 2. Eat your carbs early in the day before 3pm so that you use them as your fuel and not stored as fat. 3. Drink plenty of water 4-5 (16oz) of water on daily basis (Helps with the decrease of weight loss).

CAROLINE CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER

1. Mix up your workouts throughout the week keeps your body guessing to avoid hitting a plateau. 2. Strength train; don’t just gravitate to the cardio machines. It will raise your metabolic rate and sculpt your muscles. 3. Limit, Limit, and Limit processed, packaged and boxed foods. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store.

FELICIA CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER

1. Plan and Pack your meals daily so that you don’t fall into the trap of eating out or hitting the vending machines. 2. Start out slow on any fitness plan and listen to your body. 3. Start a fitness journal and record your foods and calories burned it will help you track your progress and you can always refer back to it.

For more information about “getting in shape for summer, contact Power Life Fitness at 901.454.0003 or go to www.powerlifefitness.net.

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Each spring, hundreds of hopeful cheerleading squads assemble in Orlando, Fla. with routines mastered for the biggest competition in cheering. This year, the Memphis Elite Senior Black Co-Ed team, also known as the Black Smack, took home another championship in the team’s storied past.

“Words could not describe the feelings of winning a championship,” team captain Courtney Lindsey said. “My team and my coaches worked so hard and went through so much all year to prepare for Nationals.”

Lindsey’s team was competing in the UCA Nationals – a competition that features teams from across the country. The Memphis Elite team was up against ten other outstanding teams for the final championship.

“We wear our Nationals jackets with pride now because we know how hard we worked and how much we pushed ourselves,” Lindsey said.

Memphis Elite has a series of coaches that include Frankie Conklin, Chad Odle, Kasey Astor and Bowd Beal that help the teams get ready for the nationals competition.

The All-star squad was established in the fall of 1992, the first cheer and dance program of its kind in the Memphis area. The first dance team was launched after Sky-View Academy – where Conklin had been the long time cheer coach – closed. Tryouts for the team are ongoing during the months of March and April, and training for next season’s competition will begin immediately. There are currently more than 430 athletes in the Memphis Elite program.

Written by Preston McClellan, Photo courtesy of Memphis Elite

VA R S I T Y S P I R I T Go. Fight. Win.

The Black Smack Brings Home Another Championship

a 2012 Summer Camp Brochure

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April 7, 2012, Memphis Zoo Photos by Chris Evans

Tour De Grizz

1. Daryl Whalen

2. Krystal Hardy and Kewon Singleton

3. Stuart Smith

4. Lora Strauss

5. Kaley, Lisa, Shane, and Jake Smithmier

6. Ben Morada, Martin Lelis, Owen Naron, Behrdan Boongaling, and Andy Eugenio

7. Gabriel, Patrick, Griselda, and Alyssa Fellmann

8. Kevin Bryan and Joe Royer

9. Krystal Hardy, Kewon Singleton, Ashley Brown, and Tomeco Hubbard

10. Massey and Kyle Cooper

11. Matt Dean

12. Josh Raiford

13. Tameka and Ethan Thomas

14. Terrence, Alex, and M.C. Robinson

15. Mack Moore

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TA I L G AT I n G Sports was happening and you were there.

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Do these two photos of Super Grizz look the same to you? Look again. We made seven changes to the photo on the bottom.Photo by Justin Ford

P I C T U R E P U Z Z L E Play. Play. Play.

Super Grizz Run Amok

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Do these two photos of Super Grizz look the same to you? Look again. We made seven changes to the photo on the bottom.

enjoy a summer camp experience at

st. george’sindependent schoolvisit our website at www.sgis.org

to download a camp brochure, or stop by one of our campuses to pick up a printed brochure

Collierville campus1880 Wolf River Blvd. Collierville, TN 38017

tel. (901)457-2000 • fax. (901)457-2111

Germantown campus8250 Poplar Ave.

Germantown, TN 38138tel. (901)261-2300 • fax. (901)261-2311

• Personal Training Starting at $25 Per Session

• Nationally Accredited Certified Personal Trainers

• Group Exercise Classes

• Nutritional Coaching • Affordable Memberships for Everyone

901.454.00032858 Poplar Avenue

POWER LIFE FITNESS Performance With Purpose!

www.powerlife�tness.net