As Strong As A Wolf, Hear Me Howl

No one really believes there is life off the strip. Tourists, family members, even the President sometimes think that what we do out here is party hard and gamble recklessly. So if I was to mention football in Las Vegas, the first thought would probably be towards the Rebels embarrassing defeat against Wisconsin their first week. Allow me to introduce you to something that has been the staple of many a small towns. HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL!
Las Vegas has had their share of athletes come and go. Records have gone unbroken by some of the talent we've seen. So ask yourself, why aren't there more professional athletes from Las Vegas? Do we have a problem here, Houston?
When you consider what it takes to really make it as a professional ball player you must think of where it starts. In a wolf pack, the wolves are often lead by an alpha male who has proven himself worthy to be a leader. Imagine being in competition with hundreds of alpha males. Wolves, that will eat you alive and sleep with your fur. It just aint as easy as it seems.
Then you have the standouts who do more than enough to continue to produce great teams and winning seasons. Palo Verde High School is ranked # 2 in Las Vegas. They plan ahead and start most of their players at peewee age so that they're ready for the year round regiment they are put through. By the time they make it to their upper class years, they are ready and primed for athletic success.
Bishop Gorman has had the greatest success these past few years with the standout players from their teams making it to division 1 schools. The coaching staff really does do a great job keeping all that talent focused. Although many have questioned the fact that they should be under the same standards as maybe a Findley Prep. How can I not agree with that?
I wanted to believe that there was a way for Vegas to break the spell. So I researched and questioned everyone with a history of this town. I was lead to Henderson where, nestled in the mountains, the wolves roam. Basic High School Wolves. I went out there looking for the scoop. I wont lie, I was a little leery about what I would hear. I walked away impressed.
I first spoke to Robbie Faiman, who is the offensive coach for junior varsity as well as the quarterback coach. If the name sounds familiar, it should. Robbie was the 2009 Henderson MVP. He made the All Sunrise Team and was the offensive player of the year for the Southeast Conference in 2009. If you've done the math then you know that he's not more than 20 years old. Still, he spent a semester at Northern State University as a red shirt quarterback.
If you were to break down how many players-turned-coaches or trainers or managers are actually running things out there you'd probably come up with a handful of them who never played. Shortly put, I'd want this guy coaching me if I were a player. I had a chance to interview him and ask him how he felt about going into the season as an underdog. His response was somewhat of a shock. He replied, "They will know you by your fruits." It's a strong Biblical reference from the book of Matthew that shows the mental conditioning of a wolf. Wolves often run alone so I was curious to know why so many of the coaches leave and come back to the pack. I was told that he had a great experience as a player for Basic and wanted to share that with the kids who are playing now. Robbie believes that most college scouts who come out here to recruit are looking at the school and not the players. To combat that myth, the coaching staff instills in their players a strenght that goes beyond the football field. When you have a 23 year old NFL players commit suicide, it makes you wonder how prepared these kids are for the limelight.
I met with head coach of Basic High School, Jeff Cahill. If that name sounds familiar, it should, his dad has been around since the 70's and was head coach of Basic High School. He now offers his wisdom to his son as his assistant. Young Wolf, Jeff, is a graduate of Basic, class of 1992. He played defensive end and tight end for the Wolves. He's practically been around football as long as the Manning brothers. So, what made him return when he was done with college at Cal Lutheran University? "Basic still has community... they still have pride..." Those are some of the words I would expect to hear in a locker room in a small town down south.
How proud can you be when season after season you're looked over in the rankings, coach? "We rally around being the underdog." That's the response. Because in Cahill's pack, they don't believe in just building football players, they believe in building men. The fact that they have talent is an extra bonus. Players like wide receiver, Blaze Galardy, quarterback, Vince Carducci, wide receiver, Matt Dembinski, and outside linebacker and defensive end, Kevin Bayes all deserve mention. As coach Cahill puts it, "We know that we have a good squad with heart.." His satisfaction going into every game comes from knowing that he and his coaching staff are putting their best talent on the field.
In today's world where hard times break down even the strongest of character, I find great joy in knowing that there are still people who think positively. I tip my hat and applaud the Basic High School coaching staff for teaching these young men that the next level is not the NFL or the NBA or MLB... The next level is LIFE. And if you are not prepared for it, it will devour you whole. Just like a Wolf.
The interview with Coach Cahill, Robbie Faiman and the rest of the staff will be coming up soon. Stay tuned for the scoop.
Keep up with Basic's football season @ LasVegasSunSports

July Is Hotter Than Hot

Isn't it a coincidence that as soon as you start talking about bringing in big athletes someone has to step up to the plate with the NBA newcomers? Well, can I say that I told you so? Or would that be a premature assumption? In the month of July we've had more NBA big name visit Las Vegas than any other month. Excluding the All Star week a few years ago. Wouldn't this be a great time to show off our city. I'd say. I'm just a blogger though.
So, where are all these big athletes then if they're supposed to be out here? Thanks for asking that wonderful question. The problem with Vegas and athletes is that they try to protect them so that everything they do out here stays true to our fabulous slogan and stays out here. And if you''re not with the "in crowd" then you would never know a thing. For example, you wouldn't know that the USA team is out here now and holding practices @ Valley high school. Of course that's under wraps. I tried to get into one of the practices but didn't have my firstborn son to offer as a sacrifice to the Basketball God. Now I know for future reference.
It is also the time for all those wonderful athletes that we watched in high school all year show off their skills in front of numerous scouts from colleges of all levels. When the basketball season ends, Las Vegas and California are the hot spots for high school graduates looking to earn a scholarship or impress scouts with their skills if they already haven't. Not only that, but a great majority of business comes thru Vegas in the month of July.Travelling basketball teams from all over the world come out here to play in tournaments ranging from 3 days to a week.
It's also a good time for the casino world. Not only do they get to house these teams, but they also get to feed them. How expensive will it be to feed 8 or 9 teenage boys who eat, sleep and sports all day? If you get as lucky as the Hilton has, then you get to turn your convention center into basketball central from July 21 thru August 1st. Get this... there's going to be 30 basketball courts placed in this convention center hosting the best of the best teams in the AAU (ammeter athletic union). Now that's what I call showing me the money.
If the youth can do it then so can the adults. Let's lead by example here. We have the number 1, 2 and 3 draft picks playing out here and if you have time I would encourage you to stop by and chat with these fellows after or before a game. They'll be headliners one day and judgement will be pass on them from people who have never even spoken to them. Make the decision yourself. The activities are endless. I plan on watching as many of these games as I can. Not just because I'm a sports junkie... OK that's why... but, also because I want to be able to share this experience with others.
Never worry about the month of July though. Plenty of hoops to keep you happy. If you still want to catch the tail end of the summer league then you have until the 18Th of July. Tickets are 22$ for regular all day admission and 12$ fro seniors and kids under 12. The USA team plays on the 24Th of July at 7pm. Tickets for that event range from 12$ for end balcony seating, to 75$ for center court side seating. With all the hype about Lebron James and the Miami Heat, this is definitely and event to see.
I'll see you next time with results and more Vegas sports scoop. Oh yea, we''ll start the countdown to kickoff too. Stay tuned for more...

SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!

To fully understand the Las Vegas sporting world you'll have to take off your rose colored glasses and pretend that this city is problem free. Let us imagine that this years rebel football team will be unstoppable. I believe. Let us cast aside any doubts of not having a championship basketball season. And, for the most part, never, ever give up hope on having a professional team of any kind out here. Yes, we believe. Umm, to a certain extent that is. Most professional athletes are well off. Micheal Jordan, Tiger Woods, Charles Barkley have all been out here spending their hard earned cash. So why isn't there a major sports training facility here in Vegas? There's the Tarkanian Basketball Academy that used to play host to professional as well as many high school and college up and commers. But, nothing for those football or track or baseball or soccer players wanting to train for the next level. On any street out here there is a home up for sale or in foreclosure. On any major business street out here there is a business that went bust. There is desert all around us. Can we please get some architects in here to design a facility that will bring this city the big athlete moolah? Or am I ahead of myself. All people need a sport. Most people have a sport they love. Vegas does not have to choose just one to support. What happens here stays here. If we want to get in bed with 3 or 4 sports at a time... don't judge us world. We just wanna be loved too. And we should be. We're definitely sexxxy enough. We are also a city full of hidden talent. Everybody is glued to the TV watching the World Cup, wrapped up in all the excitement. Did you know that Las Vegas has an adult amateur soccer league? The Las Vegas Major Soccer League was started in 1965 and has since been an affiliate with the United States Soccer Federation. They are responsible for bringing amateur youth teams from Texas to Canada here to Las Vegas to compete in major tournaments. Many of their top players have played on levels from college to the MLS. And it's non-profit. Can we hire Tom Cruise to recruit on of these high paid soccer players to build us a soccer training facility? SHOW ME THE MONEY! These young athletes are hungry for success. Maybe I am ahead of myself. So let me go back, back to my highlight youth team/coach of the week. The soccer season for the Nevada Youth Sports has just ended but I would like to take the time out to tip my hat to a couple who have been coaching not just soccer, but flag football, baseball, and basketball for nearly 10 years. Brian and Linda Gay are Green Valley residents known in the NYS circle for taking on coaching as an experience for each child. Throughout the years they have dedicated their time and resources to making sure that each child willing to play any sport has that opportunity. It is not an easy thing especially since they have 4 boys of their own. Two of which just graduated this year. Congratulations young men. We look forward to seeing you continue the legacy your parents have started. And if you happen to see any big time athletes along the way, tell them Las Vegas is lonely. Sigh! You've just got the scoop. Stay tuned for more...

Why so many questions?

Today is a very curious day for me. I got questions y'all and I need some answerin'. Like, when they show Bryce Harper on sports center and talk about his hometown, will we be subjected to another video clip of the strip? Is that the only clip newsrooms were given when they passed out clips for cities? Why can't they show the beautiful mountain landscape that surround us? Ahhh, what serenity...Speaking of serene, how cool is Bryce Harper for gettin' tossed for the second time this season. This time for a two game suspension. Ok, so we know it's not easy doing the things he's done, but if you can't manage your behavior now it won't get much better in the big leagues. With that being said, its not a way you want to end your amateur career. What it boiled down to was Harper disputed a pitch that by all rights should have been a strike. This would have been fine, he could have shown up the ump, maybe swapped spittle, kicked a little dirt and then continued to play ball. But, you know he is only 17 so what did he do? He drew a line in the dirt. I don't see what all the fuss was about. He missed the strike, I thought Harper was just giving him a little help. Oh well, it remains to be seen what his future will be. Guess it's back to Cashman Field. Yup, I'll be basking in the sunlight sipping my soda pop wondering what the weather is like in Toronto. It'll be fun though. The 51's will be back in town next week. Kids are out of school and parents are out of options. Does, "I'm borreeed!" echo around your house? Well if it does, then get the whole family out there to have a ball. The next game is is Thursday the 10th. That's not a long wait. You will be waiting in line a long time for tickets to the Lakers/Kings game October 13th. Could it be possible that we'll have the NBA champions in our town, or am i getting ahead of myself? I hate when that happens. Let me back it up. I said last blog that I would feature a youth team or coach that is showing a positive image in the Las Vegas sporting community. This week I must commend Denard Whiteside, aka Coach D. Coach D is owner and CEO of Hoops Heaven. This organization not only runs basketball tournaments, but they offer trophy ceremonies, pictures, shirts and videos. Wow. What is impressive is the fact that Coach D and his staff are able to reach out to youth in the community who would otherwise slip thru the cracks of this city. Because of that, he has been a large influence in his community by helping these youths believe in themselves and others. I had the pleasure of watching one of his teams at the Memorial Day tournament held at Tarkanian Basketball Academy and was impressed. Mainly because sports should be more than a "w" or "l", they should have some lesson that you are able to take back with you and use in your lifetime some day. Coach D, we tip our 51's baseball hats to you. Stay around for the next blog you'll actually get directions the Cashman Field. You just had your scoop...

LasVegasSportsScoop

Memorial Day is to Las Vegans somewhat of a special holiday. In a town where restaurants never close and nightclubs cater to earlybirds, is there any other reason we need to fire up the grill? And what goes best with a braut fresh off the grill? Ding! You guessed it...Baseball!!! Ok, so, if you haven't been to a 51's game yet then I suggest you check for the next game and give it a shot. I dare say you will be impressed. With the lovely weather we've been having out here, on occasion that is, at least you'll be able to escape Father Sun before he decides to shine his light on us. Ouch. Speaking of ouchies, it hurts that we would have to travel to Grand Junction, CO if we wanted to get one last peek at the MLB's possible first round draft pick. Yup, Bryce Harper and the College of Southern Nevada Coyotes have made it to the Junior College World Series. So I'm guessing most baseball fans will stick with the 51's this weekend. They'll be in town until the 4th of June. Check out their schedule and show them some support.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be heated up this weekedn as well. With the NHRA Heritage Series and the Rockabilly Rod Reunion happening, car fanatics will be drooling at these events. Its sure to be a good time especially since they had to add a third round of qualifying because there were so many entries. Some people just can't resist the need for speed. Let me take a minute to comment on the youth sports here in Las Vegas... Whether it's baseball, basketball, soccer or football, all of which kids are still playing now, these kids go all out. We often forget about the process of becomming an athlete and the hard work it takes just to make it in the big leagues. Let's support these kids by helping and encouraging them not to give up on their goals. I would like to mention a selected youth sport program or team each week to show that Las Vegas has support for their youth. With graduation coming up and school being out, parents, you can't go wrong with a sport program for your child. There are plenty to choose from here in VegasLas . Who knows, maybe you'll be taking the trip someday to Grand Junction, CO to watch your child play in the junior college world series. Just remember me, I'm already missing this one. You have just got the scoop. Stay tuned for the next one.