May 11, 2006

Local athletes share their passion

Almaden tennis stars Eric Johnson, Brent Johnson, and Kennedy Davis joined Boston Marathoner Michelle Cunningham and Select soccer players Dominca DeAngelo and Sarah Johnson recently for a very special Sports Day for Brownie Troop 1392.

The athletes spent the first part of the afternoon sharing their enthusiasm for each of their respective sports and educating the young girls on the fun and opportunities that the different sports offer.

“Some sports are played with team members to help you, while others are more of an individual effort,” said Eric.

“Making new friends and hanging out together in other towns is really fun,” shared Brent, while Dominica wowed them with her fancy footwork. Michelle educated the girls on the importance of keeping well-fueled and hydrated during any athletic activity, especially with the warm weather here.

After a warm-up conditioning run and water break, the girls broke into groups, playing soccer and then learning how to do forehands and backhands. Kennedy understands that the time she spent with the girls is time well spent. “You never know who will pick up the game because of this,” said Kennedy while she chased down tennis balls.

The girls were most surprised that these athletes train for at least three hours every day. When the first graders were unsure how long three hours really is, troop leader Cindy Feldman explained, “That’s like playing from right after school until after dinner time every day.”

“That’s a long time,” replied one of the girls, “I couldn’t do it without a snack.”