Marty Kirkland: News helps young triathletes prepare

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July 21, 2010

By Marty Kirkland martkirkland@daltoncitizen.com

I once had a conversation with someone who said that, because I worked at a newspaper where much of the sports focus was on high school athletics, summer must be a horribly slow time for local activity. Well, I said, while things may not operate at the breakneck pace sometimes common from late August to early May, things do happen in that “down” time.

In fact, if you’re tempted to call this time of year “those lazy days of summer,” I’d like for you to talk to:

• George News, who will lead a triathlon clinic for kids on July 26-30 at Dalton High in preparation for an Aug. 7 event at the Dalton Recreation Center. It’s the second year for both the clinic and the triathlon, which is sponsored by Carpet Capital Aquatics Club.

“Each age group will have a different distance and we’re trying to teach them how to do that distance without having to stop or get too tired,” News said. “It’s basically just to teach them how to do it efficiently.”

In addition to teaching pacing in each phase of the swimming/biking/running competition, News, an assistant coach for the CCAC’s year-round Makos, a USA Swimming program, will help the young triathletes get the grasp of the transition required between each phase. A former soccer player and swimmer who picked up the sport four years ago and has competed in the famed Escape from Alcatraz triathlon among others, the 26-year-old News has found out how important transitions are to good times.

“That’s one of the hardest things for a triathlete to ever get used to, switching from swimming to biking or biking to running,” he said, “because the muscles are used to doing one thing and you have to turn around and change it. That’s where practice comes into play, because for most people that’s where a triathlon is won or lost.”

But for many of the participants in the CCAC’s youth triathlon, winning will be a secondary concern — and that’s OK with Rob Cushman, who’s helping oversee the event once again.

Cushman said swimmers from around the area were drawn to the chance to add some new dimensions to their competition last year, and the children of established triathletes and runners also found their way to the event. One young triathlete from the latter group tried his own age’s triathlon, had plenty of energy left over and — with his parents’ blessing — did a second triathlon in an older classification later the same day.

With three age/distance options, Cushman believes there will be something for any kid interested in seeing what a triathlon’s like.

“They don’t even care what place they come in,” Cushman said. “If they did it and finished, every kid that comes across looks proud.”

For more on the clinic and triathlon — as well as lots of other area camps and competitions — please visit daltoncitizen.com/events.

• Still not convinced there are plenty of busy athletes in the area?

All right, why don’t you ask what the Whitfield Americans and Whitfield Nationals have planned for this weekend?

The pair of 8-and-under Whitfield County Recreation Department all-star baseball teams are headed for Clarkton, N.C. — about an hour west of Wilmington — and the Dixie Youth’s Region 1-AA Tournament, which runs from July 23-27.

The tourney will feature some of Dixie’s top coach-pitch league teams from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. In most cases, in fact, it will feature the champion or runner-up from a Dixie state tournament.

Georgia is an exception because most leagues in the state use a pitching machine for that age group, so the two Whitfield teams advanced without having to go through the state phase of competition. (The Americans were first in district play and the Nationals second.)

But Americans coach Jody Buckner believes he’s taking a solid group just the same.

“We’ve got a lot of good athletes,” he said.

One of the challenges presented since the all-star team was formed in early June was putting players in new positions. Most had played the WCRD’s regular season as his team’s third baseman, shortstop or first baseman, so Buckner was forced to find some outfielders quickly.

But with a little bit of experience back from a team that made the same trip last year, he’s optimistic.

“This year we’re going with a pretty mature group and expectations are pretty high,” Buckner said. “The boys are pretty hungry and they’ve worked hard. But at the same time, we know that no matter what happens on the field, we’re going out there to have a good experience.”

Buckner is assisted by J.T. Sanders, Rodney Brock and Chris Kierse. The Americans are Reade Chadwick, Logan Akins, Ethan Ensley, Ethan Rittenhouse, Brett Buckner, Murphy Flood, Kaleb Valdez, Jacob Sanders, Austin Brock, Jace Estrada, Chipper Kierse and Adam Sowder.

While the Nationals may not have as much experience or age as the Americans, coach Mark Richardson has been pleased with how far they’ve come in the past two months.

Richardson expects his lineup to hit solidly from top to bottom and, even with two 6-year-olds and three 7-year-olds on the roster, he’s looking for a grand experience.

“I’ve just told them it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event for them, so just go up and enjoy it,” said Richardson, who said he’s received great help from assistants Chris Frady, Kenny Reed and Brad Nance.

“The main thing through the whole two months of practice has been hustle, because we’ve got to outhustle teams because of our size and be in the right place at the right time on defense, back each other up and just have a good time.

The Nationals are Chase Sornson, Keyonte Baker, Eli Nance, Justin Gribble, Zander Frady, Spencer Amos, Sam Reed, Baily McQuaig, Blake Deal, Matthew Rollins, Micah Richardson and Mickey Hawkins.

• As for baseball in our own neighborhood, former Murray County High baseball coach Jason Lanham will act as tournament coordinator for the Dizzy Dean Senior League World Series. The tourney starts with opening ceremonies and an 8 p.m. home run derby tonight in Chatsworth, begins with games on Friday morning and continues through July 26.

The 16-team bracket includes squads from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as Georgia.

• You know who else will be busy starting this weekend? Try Dalton chiropractor Kent Ball, who’s taking part in the 14th annual Tennessee River 600.

The 600 is the number of nautical miles participants will travel on personal watercraft along the big river from Knoxville to Paris to raise funds for the Children’s Miracle Network and Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency. That’s a long way on such a vehicle — the weeklong trip will require overnight stops — but it’s for a good cause or two.

If you’d like to donate, you can call Ball Chiropractic Clinic at (706) 226-2332. To learn more, visit tennesseeriver600.com.

It might be hot. But plenty of people in the area are proving it’s not too hot to get out and stay busy.