News sports 2008-07-13 Andanh.com

Gearing up for Akron Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:47:18 -0500
Jordan Pruden has become a soap box derby veteran, but his ride might have never looked so good. The 12-year-old, who will make his fourth consecutive appearance at the national All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio, later this month, wanted his car to be painted like a fighter plane. The final product, which helped Pruden win the Superstock division of the BB&T All-American Soap Box Derby at Phil Moore Park in May, “wowed” even him. “It was more than I expected,” Pruden said. “We started looking online for pictures and then we just started looking at which one we wanted. It was a surprise to me as to what it was.” As nice is Pruden’s car is, he and other local qualifiers had to say a temporary goodbye to their cars this weekend - qualifying vehicles for the All-American Soap Box Derby were due in Akron this weekend for inspection. Along with Pruden, brother and sister qualifiers Lucas and Sydney Leach and Kyle Martens will rejoin their cars in Akron when weeklong festivities for the July 26 race begin next week. It’s a long wait for Pruden, who hasn’t raced his vehicle since the weekend of his win at Phil Moore Park. Since winning, all Jordan has been able to do is tinker with the vehicle, and he’s done plenty of that. “I want to get back in it,” Jordan said. “ We took the whole body off and checked stuff and made sure everything was perfect.” Jordan wanted a paint job designed after a P-51 Mustang World War II aircraft because his grandfather Ferrell Froedge used to work on planes. Jordan and his uncle Doug Froedge looked at pictures for the right design, and eventually Graphic Motorsports did the rest. Then, Jordan said, Ferrell Froedge got a look. “We showed him when we first got it back and he said it was one of the best-looking cars he had ever seen,” Jordan said. While Jordan is making yet another trip to Akron, Lucas and Sydney will be making their first appearances. Both qualified in the rally division by accumulating enough points in various races across the region. By seeing their cars leave for Akron, the two know the event is now getting close. “It should be fun and a great experience,” 11-year-old Sydney said. “(I’m looking forward to seeing) just how fun it’s going to be.” Just don’t expect any help from 14-year-old big brother Lucas, since both will be competing in the same division. “I’m not allowed to touch his car,” Sydney said. “So I pretty much stay on my own.”

Youngsters win national crowns Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:47:18 -0500
It’s rare enough for a youth athlete to achieve the honor of being a state champion. To take that a step further and earn the distinction of national champion is rarer still. But for three local gymnasts, such an honor recently became a reality. Ben Kash, 8, of Bowling Green, John Mark Heard, 14, of Alvaton and Laura Duffy, 11, of Smiths Grove all recently won United States Tumbling and Trampoline Association national championships in Cincinnati. The gymnasts - who all train at Tumble Town in Bowling Green - each qualified for nationals by placing in the top 10 of their respective age groups at the state championships in Lexington in April. From there, the gymnasts moved onto nationals, where the competition included three events, a tumbling event as well as two trampoline events. “They all practice two days a week, four hours a week and it’s a year-round program so they don’t get too much time off,” said Tumble Town owner Gus Vamvas, who has been involved with gymnastics for 27 years. “But they have to be here in order to excel.” One of the things the kids said was most exciting about competing nationally was the abundance of new opposition. “It’s fun because I like to be athletic and it’s fun to do and it’s fun to compete and have competition,” said Kash, who said he wants to be an Olympian when he gets older. “It was exciting because there was 12 people and I’ve never competed against more than one.” Duffy, who someday hopes to compete in gymnastics at Ohio State University - where she would like to study to become a doctor - she said she was just happy to get the chance to show off her talent on a national stage. “It felt good,” said Duffy, who’s been competing in gymnastics since she was 3 years old. Plenty of dedication is required from the children to achieve success, but almost an equal amount of parental dedication is needed as well - from equipment costs to extensive travel for weekend competitions nearly yearround. Those are things that Laura’s father, Jeff Duffy, said are easy to provide. “It’s not for everybody, it takes a lot of dedication and it’s like anything else - you’ve got to want to do it,” Jeff Duffy said. “Laura loves it, she loves the environment and has never said anything negative about it, she even wants to come in on her days off.” Jeff Duffy that gymnastics has become something of a family activity, as both he and Laura enjoy it. “As a parent you’ve just got to support her because this is what she wants to do and this is what she loves to do,” he said. “To me it’s just being a good parent, this is what they want, they’re learning and growing and to be a good parent you have to support them. “But it’s not a chore, it’s a joy.”

Pike's Peek: Media, Little League a bad mix Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:47:19 -0500
My phone number is 783-3271. E-mail is dpike@bgdailynews.com. Just getting my contact information out of the way early, because I expect plenty of readers will want to use it - even though what follows isn’t groundbreaking. The arguments are standard, the positions oft-repeated. But some of you need a reminder, and you probably won’t like it. That’s because I’m writing about Little League, and Little League - perhaps more than any other sporting topic - makes people upset. Upset. Funny how that emotion colors the concept of Little League. And therein lies the problem. First, though, a disclaimer. The opinions expressed here are mine alone, and do not necessarily represent those of my bosses, the other employees of the Daily News or any other media members in this town. So whatever you’ve got to say, say it to me. What I’ve got to say is this: Little League, at any age level, at any stage of competition, should not be considered news. Period. In today’s news market, that’s a tough stand to take. Shrinking newspapers are zeroing in on their anchor communities - “hyperlocal” is the journalism jargon - in an effort to provide content unavailable to readers elsewhere. Little League has become a sort of flagship in that approach. These games matter to the community, reporters and editors tell themselves, and the community buys newspapers. Meanwhile, we choose to ignore the myriad reasons why Little League coverage might do the community more harm than good. Sports is not a peaceful realm. The definition of competition is that two sides aren’t cooperating. Little League, though, often rockets into a tense, aggressive and sometimes feral stratosphere. An undercurrent of unbridled anger contradicts the point of youth sports - for children to develop teamwork, to get exercise, to acquire new skills and to learn to gracefully handle winning and losing in a relaxed environment. We’ve witnessed the problems in this area. That ugly, embarrassing fight between adults at an 8-year-old game at Ephram White Park last week. Histrionic e-mails, phone calls and letters to the editor flow steadily into this newspaper. All because kids - young kids - are smacking and chasing baseballs. It’s an issue not exclusive to Bowling Green and Warren County. Professors study the psychology of youth sports, of the interaction between parents and coaches and players. The “Little League parent” is a pop culture stereotype; there’s even a term floating around - Little League Parent Syndrome - to describe the behavior. Steve Wininger, an associate professor of psychology at Western Kentucky University, isn’t sure the phrase “Little League Parent Syndrome” carries much academic weight, but says the concept sure does. Wininger, who holds a Ph.D. in sports psychology from Florida State University, says some parents’ inability to put youth sports in perspective is well established. “No. 1, they’re living vicariously through their child,” Wininger says. “So the child is a reflection of them, they want their child to do this thing that they weren’t able to do, and so it’s their chance to do this thing, even though it’s their child doing it. “The other (motivation) is that you have a lot of parents who think, ‘Oh, I’m going to make my child a professional athlete, or if they can’t be a professional at least maybe they’ll get a college scholarship. Since college is so high, that’ll save us a lot of money.’ ” Remember, we’re talking about children as young as 4 years old who are participating in these youth leagues. The statistics are all over the place, but Wininger reiterates: Only about 2 percent of all high school athletes will ever receive any kind of athletic scholarship. One in every 13,000 high school players will earn a professional paycheck. And yet, some parents behave as if scouts from the Yankees are watching their toddler waddle down to first base - the toddler perhaps only partially aware of the sport he or she is playing. And there the newspaper is, snapping photos and scribbling notes for tomorrow’s big headline. Those headlines legitimize not only what are wholly meaningless games, they legitimize the misbehavior of the adults who so badly want to believe their child is the next big thing. It’s a tremendously uncomfortable feeling for sportswriters to make heroes and goats out of 9-year-olds. But when games are covered, who wins and who loses becomes the primary concern. And if winning matters, it’s impossible to gloss over the big error in the fifth inning or the poor young pitcher who walked in the winning run. But it’s about recognizing the kids. We hear that all the time, and I wish I could believe it. But think back to what Wininger said about living vicariously. None of the phone calls or e-mails is totally rooted in the kids’ interests - parents want other parents to know that their kid went 4-for-4, that their kid is on the championship team. We don’t often receive calls from parents touting the achievements of someone else’s Little Leaguers, who surely are equally worthy of recognition. I’ve been covering sports for a long time, and I’ve never understood why our culture is so eager to put innocent, impressionable children in such oppressive situations. If parents put too much pressure on the players to achieve headline-worthy success, why on earth does the media think it’s a good idea to play along? What’s being accomplished? “If the parent’s so worried about them performing, increasing your child’s anxiety and stress, it’s actually undermining their performance,” Wininger says. “They’re going to perform worse if you’re doing this.” It’s hard to imagine that bold fonts and giant photos make kids play better or help maximize the development opportunities Little League offers. But it’s easy to imagine media coverage exacerbating the troubles adults stir up - when cameras roll and shutters snap, the attention-starved are quick to elbow into frame. I don’t think that nixing Little League coverage will cure anything. But I do believe ignoring Little League - which some media outlets do outright - makes a statement: This community isn’t going to egg on such foolishness; it isn’t going to glorify, or denigrate, the endeavors of preteens. To be clear, this newspaper has no plans to halt its coverage of the local teams we’ve followed this summer. We can’t stop midstream. But it might be time to figure out if it’s worth it. Are these games - and everything that goes with them, good and bad - really so important to this community that the media remain involved? Or should we rethink our priorities? Maybe just let our kids be kids, without being held accountable for it. In turn, we can at least hold the folks who are old enough to know better accountable for their mistakes. — Daniel Pike is sports editor for the Daily News.

Outdoors: Jugging a different way to fish Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:47:19 -0500
The open water at midnight on a summer evening just might be the most peaceful place a person can hope to find. This is precisely what I was thinking as my friend and I maneuvered his two-person paddleboat across the big pond, our wake shattering the moon’s reflection atop the warm water. Only a few short hours before, the same pond had momentarily relinquished one of its mammoth whiskerfish to a rod and reel for long enough to snap a few photos. Fueled by the sight, several of us were on the hunt for a similar big catfish - albeit using a less traditional approach. From within the dim glow of a yellow porchlight near the bank, our buddies directed us to spots where we could keep track of our baits in the faint moonlight throughout the wee morning hours. To a casual onlooker, it might have appeared that we were strategically placing trash into the lake for some reason or another - which I suppose we were in a way. Much like homemade ice cream, horseshoe pitching and lightning bugs, jugging for catfish goes hand-in-hand with easy summertime living. Jugging is just as much a reason to get together with some pals as it is an excuse to fish. Yet jugging is probably one of the best ways to land a whopper, because you tip the odds in your favor by having so many hooks in the water at once. The equipment is quite simple - an old milk jug or two-liter cola bottle with the cap on, heavy-test monofilament line or nylon string cut to length for desired depth. Add a 4/O hook and you’re set to go. I might add though that in our circle of semi-serious “juggers,” plastic jugs have been all but replaced by a smaller, more visible floatation device. The slender, noodle-like, foam swimming pool floats that sell at just about any shopping center for less than $4 make the easiest “jugs.” Cut into foot-long sections, these floats are quieter when setting out and always have a safe place to hold the sharp hooks since it can be pushed right into the foam. Large minnows netted earlier in the evening from the banks of the pond were our choice of bait for the quest, and when it was all said and done, 15 orange jugs lay strewn across the pond. All of us had high hopes for another lunker as we sat back relaxing with our eyes occasionally scanning the darkness for a moving jug. Unlike when holding a fishing rod, another comforting aspect of jugging is that there really is no urgency involved. If a jug rises off of its side into an upright position and begins to silently drift around the water with a hooked fish, you can finish grilling a steak, telling a story, or watching the game and let the float do the fighting for you. Yet, after three hours of waiting for a big one to hit, the only thing we were fighting was the urge to catch some shuteye. The following morning, one of the behemoths had made his presence known. Among the several moving jugs that held small channel cats was a three-pounder which had taken the bait - and then become bait. During our slumber, a monster had struck and eaten half of the small catfish while it was hooked - a testament to just how large the fish had to have been. Truthfully, I don’t know if we would have been happy catching him anyway, because now we have an even better excuse to do the same thing again. — Geordon T. Howell is outdoors columnist for the Daily News. He can be reached by e-mailing highbrasshowell@yahoo.com.

Getting their kicks Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:47:20 -0500
Photos by JOE IMEL, The Daily News, photo@bgdailynews.com Click here for a slideshow from Hilltopper Soccer Camp.

Sports briefs: BGHS soccer tryouts set Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:47:20 -0500
Bowling Green High School will hold boys’ and girls’ soccer tryouts on Tuesday and Wednesday. Every player must have a completed KHSAA physical/consent form on file to try out. Forms are available in the BGHS office or online at khsaa.org. The boys’ program will include varsity, junior varsity and a new junior high/middle school team for the 2008 season. Tryout times each day are: 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. conditioning (all ages); 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (grades 10 through 12); 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (grades six through nine). The girls’ program will include both varsity and junior varsity teams. Tryout times are 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. each day for all ages. All players should meet at the pool field at BGHS each day. — For additional information, contact boys’ coach Craig Widener at 746-2300 or by e-mailing craig.widener@bgreen.kyschools.us. Contact girls’ coach Lisa Correa at 746-2300 or by e-mailing lisa.correa@bgreen.kyschools.us. Bensonhaver wins flight at BGCC The Bowling Green Country Club held a Ladies Day Most 5’s event on Thursday. Kandace Bensonhaver won Flight A. Ruth Anne Bell was first and Nancy Carwell was second in Flight B, while Donna Lee won Flight C and Linda Stephens won Flight D. Muni Ladies hold golf events The Muni Ladies Golf Association held events July 1 and July 8 at Paul Walker Golf Course. On July 1, Ann Aries won the first flight, Brenda Fry won the second flight and Sonja Kimmel and Judy Dobernic won the fourth flight. Chip-ins were recorded by Louise Culp on No. 13, Georgia Zoellner on No. 16, Shirley Jakie on No. 17, Rachael Higdon on No. 15 and Kimmel on Nos. 1 and 10. Judy Lee birdied No. 2. On July 8, Judy Lee won the first flight, Trudy Lee won the second flight, Dobernic won the third flight and Zoellner won the fourth flight. Culp chipped in on No. 13. Birdies were recorded by Judy Lee on Nos. 15 and 16, Culp on No. 17 and Trudy Lee on No. 9. Holes-in-one for BG golfers Bowling Green’s Pete Johnson made a hole-in-one on July 2 at CrossWinds Golf Course. Johnson aced the 130-yard third hole with a gap wedge, a feat that was witnessed by Jim Morehead, Wally Hill and Charlie Cummings. On July 3, Bill Link of Bowling Green aced the 110-yard third hole at Paul Walker Golf Course with a pitching wedge. Link’s shot - his first hole-in-one - was witnesed by Paul Bartley.

Cards are headed to the Games Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:11:00 EST
The University of Louisville's Ralph Wright Natatorium has become its own global village.

Game on once again for Cosby Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:21:00 EST
Aaron Cosby is happy again -- and thriving. One of the state's top high school basketball players in the Class of 2010, Cosby sat out all but two games of his sophomore season after transferring.

Favre case may affect Brohm, too Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:10:00 EST
So apparently Brett Favre wants to do the Willie Mays, Joe Montana and Michael Jordan thing: play forever even if it means wearing a strange uniform. My primary interest in this story is how it affects former University of Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm, who was selected by Favre's team, the Green Bay Packers, in the second round of the NFL draft in April.

Favre asks Packers for release Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:16:00 EST
Brett Favre asked the Packers to release him so he can return to the NFL with another team after apparently being told his latest retirement reversal wasn't welcome news in Green Bay.

A nightmare, then a dream Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:12:00 EST
When Eric Shanteau touched the wall second at the U.S. Olympic Trials, he was overcome by the joy of reaching a lifelong goal. The celebration didn't last long.

Former UK receiver Burton attends camp Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:28:00 EST
Keenan Burton has yet to play in his first NFL game with the Rams, but he sounded like a longtime pro while serving as a camp counselor yesterday. Burton was in town for the Back 2 Basics Football Camp at the Flaget Community Center. The inaugural camp -- for children ages 5-14 -- began Tuesday and will end today.

Pros ready to do some heavy pedaling Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:04:00 EST
There'll be lots of out-of-towners breaking the posted speed limits this weekend, but they're sure to get away with it -- and they'll collect cheers and cash. They're the pro bicycle riders in the Louisville Metro Police Foundation Criterium, a daylong affair at Waterfront Park.

First night Cup race at Chicago a challenge Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:02:00 EST
Although there will be floodlights all around the track, teams are still in the dark going into the first Sprint Cup night race at Chicagoland Speedway. After seven years of racing at the 1.5-mile track during the day, the race was moved to night this season.

Fire looks for victories to shore up playoff berth Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:01:00 EST
The Louisville Fire would be in the arenafootball2 playoffs if the regular season ended today, but with three games left the team doesn't want to take any chances.

Perry rallies into second Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:04:00 EST
Kenny Perry again sizzled after a sluggish start and is two strokes off the lead after the second round of the John Deere Classic.

Connections hope grass is greener for Curlin Sat, 12 Jul 2008 01:01:00 EST
Horse of the Year Curlin takes the first step today on a journey that could carry him to France. Curlin is set for his turf debut in the $500,000, Grade I Man o' War Stakes at Belmont Park.

PREP BASEBALL: Elizabethtown upends Central Hardin Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:08 -0500
ELIZABETHTOWN What a difference two weeks can make.

PREP BASEBALL: John Hardin sweeps North Hardin Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:06 -0500
RADCLIFF It’s been said that hitting is contagious and the John Hardin Bulldogs certainly had a bad case of it spread through the team Thursday night.

PREP SOFTBALL: Krupinski, Central Hardin shut out John Hardin Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:06 -0500
CECILIA Having been shut out in their previous two games, the Central Hardin Lady Bruins were in a little bit of a funk.

PREP SOFTBALL/BASEBALL ROUNDUP: Lady Panthers fall; Mayfield moves to 7-1 Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:07 -0500
The slumping Elizabethtown Lady Panthers lost for the 10th time in 13 games, falling to visiting Warren Central on Thursday, 3-1.

BOYS'/GIRLS' PREP TENNIS RESULTS: Thursday's Matches Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:07 -0500
Results from Thursday's area high school tennis matches:

National makes it four
Different kids fill out the Ashland National All Star uniforms each season, but the result is the same.

Morehead 9-10s hang on for title
Morehead’s 9-10 Little League All-Stars know all about comebacks.

State host Russell-Flatwoods extends warm greeting
So far, it’s been nothing but smooth sailing for the Russell-Flatwoods 11-12 softball All-Stars.

Reliford recalls his defining moment
If Charlie Reliford has a defining moment during a brilliant 19-year umpiring career, it came in 2000 during the Subway World Series between the New York Mets and New York Yankees.

Barren rolls to easy tourney win
EDMONTON – Barren County opened the 10 and under Babe Ruth District 14 Tournament on a roll.Barren dispatched Edmonson County in easy fashion in the opening game with a 21-0 victory in the double elimination tournament.Metcalfe County opened with an 11-8 loss to Green County in Friday’s other opening game.

Chinese Dir