SPORTS

Almaden entrepreneurs offer innovative strategy for children’s fitness

By Miranda Schultz
Sports Editor

With all of the diet trends these days, what is the best way to be healthy? For adults, it is a change in lifestyle, but how about for kids? Children retain more information at a young age, so why not teach them about health and the importance of physical fitness while they’re still young? Before they become one of the many overweight adults, worrying about what diet they should try.

William Choi and Ed Lee of Almaden, co-founded PEAQ Performance in order to bridge the gap between children and a healthy lifestyle. “In today’s society, there are no opportunities for kids to exercise outside of organized sports,” says Choi. “We’re focusing on kids of all levels of athleticism and trying to teach them the value and importance of all aspects of health and physical fitness.”

National studies, according to a June 4 CNN headline story show that 30 percent of American children are overweight or obese.

This summer is the first run of any PEAQ programs. Choi and his team are conducting 15 four- and five-day training camps at Graystone Elementary throughout the summer.

“We know that a child isn’t going to become physically fit in five days, but we’re really just trying to make it fun and engage awareness of health and physical fitness,” says Choi.

The one-week course consists of many different activities, from teachings by a certified fitness trainer, along with endurance, aerobic and strength activities. Teachings focus on the importance of hydration and maintaining a healthy diet. Training sessions include everything from stretching techniques to obstacle courses.

Choi came up with the idea with his friend Lee. He quit his job in the high tech telecommunications field to give his business goals a boost. “I have always wanted to start my own business and both of us wanted it to involve children. We did some research and found that there weren’t many types of programs or facilities besides organized sports. Our program is designed to focus on some athletic ability, but mostly focusing on teaching health and fitness,” says Choi.

Choi says that in order for kids to learn, the exercises have to be fun. His ultimate goal is to have a studio in Almaden, which will include adult and children’s fitness programs from cardio kickboxing to hip hop dance classes.

“We want to have a studio, and implement a running club for kids. We already have interested sponsors, we would enter races as a team,” says Choi enthusiastically. He has three children of his own; two attend Graystone and one goes to Bret Harte.

“Children go to daycare and do arts and crafts, but physical fitness isn’t stressed very much. I think that’s a lot of valuable time. Parents don’t let kids just run around outside anymore, there’s too much to be cautious about, so there aren’t a lot of opportunities for kids to be physically active besides organized sports. With the government cuts in schools, physical education has been among the cuts. We saw a need and we’re fulfilling that need,” says Choi.

Choi says that the 13 campers enrolled is fewer than he expected, “but it’s the first session, we have the whole summer to go.”

The price isn’t something that will break the bank. The cost for 12 hours in a five-day session is $90. “We really aren’t doing this to make money, but to engage an interest,” says Choi. For more information visit the Web site at www.peaqperformance.com.

Girls lacrosse clinic in San Jose on Tuesday nights

Girls Lacrosse of San Jose and the Leland High girls’ lacrosse team are sponsoring lacrosse clinics on Tuesday nights this summer for new and experienced players. The clinics, which are open to girls in grades five through high school, will be held at Kirk Community Center, 1601 Foxworthy (about one block east of the intersection with Meridian Avenue) and will run from 6 to 8 p.m.

“This is a great opportunity for girls to try a fun sport that’s growing quickly in California,” says Girls Lacrosse of San Jose President John Fensterwald.

There will be clinics for new players and scrimmages for experienced players. Equipment will be provided. Girls should bring a mouth guard and water.

The cost is $5 per session. Girls can attend any week. A one-year membership in U.S. lacrosse ($18 for youths) is required except for new girls trying out the sport. (see www.uslacrosse.org/membership/#facts for membership information).

Girls Lacrosse of San Jose is a non-profit club open to any middle school girl in San Jose. For more information about the club and the clinics, contact Fensterwald by e-mail at john@sjextreme.org or call him at (408) 265-2224.

Almaden Mariners sail through season

By Miranda Schultz
Sports Editor

Only one team in any league ends their season with a win.

The Almaden Little League AAA Mariners didn’t lose one game all season. In fact, they didn’t lose until they reached their final tournament of the season, the Tournament of Champions. The 9-11 year olds represented the south division of the Almaden Valley Little League.

The boys shouldn’t feel badly, they didn’t lose a game until they were 21-0, after dominating the in-league tournament and advancing to the Tournament of Champions. On June 16, in the semifinals, the boys met their match, losing to Saratoga 9-8 in the bottom of the seventh inning.

“I guess it had to happen sometime,” says manager, Dave Painter. “It was kind of sad because we didn’t play our best game, but it was such a great season and a great accomplishment to go undefeated until the very end of the season.”

The boys will receive a special gift from the actual Seattle Mariners, major league baseball team. “One of our parents knows a guy who works for the team,” says Painter. Each boy will receive a personalized letter, a pendant and t-shirts signed by the entire Seattle Mariners.

“They really deserve it for doing so well all season. I was really surprised to hear they were really getting signed t-shirts,” says Painter.

Painter also said that they never expected to win every game of the season. “When we won seven or eight games, it started getting contagious,” he says. “We had a great time. The kids got along really well and the parents did a lot of things together. It was a dream season really,” he says.

Blue Jays dominate Almaden Valley Junior division

By Mike McCormick
Special to the Times

The Junior division Blue Jays, managed by Mark Krail, capped off the 2004 season with a 16-1 record in league play. The Blue Jays played stellar defense all year behind the starting infield of Drew Marino, Mike Cobb, Kevin Krail, Daniel Trotter and Shawn Bundlie. Todd Westhauser handled the catching duties while Matt Alongi, Mike McCormick, Cam O’Halloran, Adam Rodriguez, Eric Uyeda and Ryan Avilla shored up the outfield.

The one-two starting pitching combination of Mike Cobb and Drew Marino kept batters off balance throughout the season with Trotter, Krail and O’Halloran in the bullpen. Throughout the season, Coach Krail would constantly say, “This is a team effort, you can’t lose the game in one inning, come to play a full seven innings every game.”

The maturity of the 14 year olds rubbed off on the younger players, raising the level of expectations on them.

There was no one superstar on this team, but there was a collection of 12 players that learned to play together, never give up and support one another.

The Blue Jays moved through the league tournament undefeated in their first two games and met the Angels coached by Jeff Martarano for the championship. In the championship game, the Jays fell behind early and faced the third inning clutching a 3-1 deficit. Krail led off the inning with a single, followed by Trotter’s single, a walk to Marino, a double by Westhauser and a two runs batted in single by O’Halloran.

The Blue Jays took a 7-3 lead and never looked back. In typical Blue Jay fashion, it was a total team effort as players up and down the lineup contributed to the victory with timely hitting and solid defense. Coach Krail was supported this year with coaches Jim Marino, Dave Trotter, Terry Bundlie and Mike McCormick with one of the strongest family supports in the stands in the junior division.

After a bottom of the seventh win Tuesday night against Lincoln Glen, the Blue Jays advances to the District 12 Tournament of Champions Wednesday evening against Willow Glen at Almaden’s senior field on McKean Road.

Leland basketball shut down by St. Francis

A much taller St. Francis High School shut down the Leland basketball team, 53-28, playing in a league at Oak Grove on June 22. Could be because the boys are playing without some key players, like seniors Danny Hamouie and Iasias Asfaha due to injury. The Chargers will play each Tuesday and Thursday night at Oak Grove High School. The boys will play Pioneer on Thursday.

Calgary and Banff a smashing combination for mobile tourists

By Karl Laucher
Staff Writer

It is advisable to take a summer vacation before summer, if you have the time and the legs. I only have the time, but nevertheless showed up in Calgary in the western plains of Canada last week for some social rugby.

That I was able to play all 80 minutes for the San Jose Silverhawks (over age 35 team) in a 45-30 victory against the Calgary Hornets says much about the super restorative powers of exotic adventures.

Just a few weeks shy of my 64th birthday, I run like a wounded corn-fed buffalo.

Ah, but rugby is the ultimate tackle-football game that can be played into the twilight of life. It is a glow on the horizon for those of us who resist, however futilely, the natural life cycle.

So we played and we partied, hosted by the Hornets, some of whom had joined ranks with the San Jose Seahawks in years gone by. We also watched the Churchill Cup international action during which both the USA men and women were soundly thumped by the New Zealand Maoris and the New Zealand Black Ferns, respectively.

The following weekend, in Edmonton, for the final round of the Churchill Cup, the USA Eagle men lost to Canada 32-29 while the U.S. women gained a measure of consolation defeating their Maple Leaf counterparts 29-10.

For social players, there is no great pleasure in winning or pain in losing. It is about friendships, which are particularly poignant when they transcend international borders. We were hosted in Canada by a rugger who played several seasons in San Jose, met and married a local lady and moved home. They now have three teenage children and live on the fifteenth fairway of the Swanee Golf Course in Calgary. To visit them now is like a cosmic leap forward in time and space.

Provincially prejudiced as we are, my wife Kathy and I ,of course, believe few places in the world can match San Jose for beauty and maybe weather, too. But we have to admit that the ski resort town of Banff in the Canadian Rockies, just a spectacular 140-kilometer drive west of Calgary, has dream-like qualities, as does nearby Lake Louise.

Our heads were in the clouds in more ways than one, doused as we were with a short spell of slushy snow, but we did see the sun too, and it was a crowning jewel for well-sated tourists. An especially nice aside to our Banff visit was that several of the pubs had a Wild West motif, a comfortable retreat from the elegant, but pricey luxury hotels and restaurants. Note: we did score an off-season hotel rate of $89 per night in Banff by inquiring at the visitor center.

Calgary’s biggest attraction, the Calgary Stampede, featuring a world-class rodeo and chuck wagon races, is scheduled for July 9-18. It could be a smashing package—rodeo and dramatic vistas. The people are great, and you don’t need legs.