What Made Michael Jordan Great?
September 19th, 2008
By Carl Hilliker
It’s not what you think!
Michael Jordan is perhaps the greatest basketball player of all time. Certainly he was the greatest player for the last 10 years, until his retirement.
What made Michael Jordan so great?
There are a lot of things. But the answer I am about to give will most likely surprise you.
Michael Jordan became a great basketball player because of government! That’s right! Government!
What do I mean? Let me explain.
Softball, Chicago-style
August 11th, 2008
Last week, some of us graduates, members and students took some old PYC advice and tried a new sport! It’s called 16-inch softball; the way they play it in Chicago. The ball is a huge 16 inches in circumference, lead-offs are allowed, but gloves aren’t! It’ll make a man of you! Here are some pics; we really had a blast!
David Weeks gets under a fat meatball pitch.
Even More PYC Photos!
August 7th, 2008
Hey campers and teens! Here’s another installment of Philadelphia Youth Camp photos, this time it’s of the all-star games. We know you all had a blast and want to keep all your memories fresh. Enjoy!
The girls all-stars played a thrilling game under Saturday night-lights and in front of a packed crowd at the beginning of all-star festivities.
Some Super Softball Sports Shots!
July 24th, 2008
posted by Adar Kielczewski
So last week started “Trumpet week”—which means Mr. Joel Hilliker, Mike Dattolo, Philip Nice and I were all working on various aspects of the September Trumpet. We’ve been really busy with this, camp and the work party. That was last Wednesday night, where the campers got the opportunity to see different aspects of the Work: the MPC building, talking to the guys in Jerusalem via Skype, watching a slideshow chock-full of pictures from college events, filming a skit of their own, and seeing and talking about this website. All this plus a busy life in general would be why there hasn’t been a lot of material coming up on the site in the past few days. These things are nearing their end now, however.
I came across a series of good softball shots and thought all you softball and AC and PYC fans might be interested to see a few of them, taken by our lovely photographer, Aubrey Mercado.
PYC Update: From the Diamond
July 14th, 2008
posted by Philip Nice
Camper Aimee Lowry smacks the ball as Miss Ivory Vendig, her counselor, spectates.
Hey there! Just got in from the softball diamond, where I’ve been for the first few days of PYC. I assisted Mr. Jason Cocomise, who has written more than a few articles for this blog. Wanted to let you know what it’s been like on the diamond this year, especially if you’ve never been to camp before.
A Newfound Respect
July 9th, 2008
posted by Adar Kielczewski
I like to exercise about three times a week. Sometimes I get more in than that, sometimes I get less. I was recently fired up to do a really challenging workout. Like at the beginning of most workouts, I started warming up.
Today I’ll start with pull-ups, I thought. So I excitedly jumped up to grab the bar. Now I’m not very good at pull-ups, and I can really only do chin-ups, but I’ve been getting better. I used to not be able to do any, but now, with a small jump, I can pull myself up.
There’s a type of pull-ups called “kipping” pull-ups. The difference between these and regular “dead hang” pull-ups is the momentum created by swinging one’s hips. This momentum makes the pull-up easier. I was trying to learn to kip. I barely got started when ….
The Best Sport I Almost Hated
July 7th, 2008
With summer camp coming up for quite a number of teens, I thought this story from our archives might encourage some who aren’t as fond of certain sports. ~Adar
By Malinda Moutz
It was a blistering-hot, sticky, humid day in August, and I was about to do something I did not want to do: learn how to play soccer. I didn’t have anything against the sport itself, I just knew it was not going to be for me. Sure, there were a lot of people who did like to play. But when I went to summer camp that year, I really didn’t think I would be one of them. However, I also came to camp with the goal to try my best at everything I did.
Bottom of the Ninth
May 30th, 2008
By Jason Cocomise
Actor James Dean once said, “Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” For 18-year-old John Challis, this has become a stark reality. Two years ago, John was diagnosed with liver cancer. Just a few weeks ago, he was told that the cancer was winning and that he is nearing the end of his young life. Doctors tell John he may only live two more months. He thinks he can make it two more years.
John has always been an athlete. He is an avid hunter and has played baseball and football for as long as he can remember. He is now in the midst of his senior year at Freedom High school in Beaver County, Penn., and will graduate with a 3.7 GPA, even though he is now too sick to go to school. Because of his deteriorating frame, now down to 93 pounds, John is no longer able to play sports the way he used to. John’s hometown of Freedom and neighboring communities have rallied around John and his family in this most difficult of times, finding inspiration in his never-quit attitude.
Baseball or God?
May 19th, 2008
By Darren Verbout
Ah, spring is in the air … and so is baseball! Only a few of my childhood memories can compete with the many hours, days, months and seasons spent playing America’s favorite pastime! The smell of a leather glove, the feel of a brand new genuine cowhide baseball, the scent of freshly cut grass and the crack of a squarely hit ball generates a boyhood youthfulness that’s difficult to match.
In sorting through these fond memories, I ask myself, What value has sports given my life? I can say now that the score at the end of the game or in what place we finished at the end of the year has had no significant impact on where I am in life today. But what has influenced me are the timeless lessons, the tests and the sacrifices that baseball provided.
A Test of Priorities
My 11-year baseball career began when I was 8 years old. Even though I had a glove, cleats and a hat like everyone else, I was different from day one! A difference that translated into missing 10 out of 20 games each season. No, it wasn’t a reoccurring injury. Nor could it be called a half-hearted approach to the game.
“It Was the Right Thing to Do”
May 6th, 2008
By Jason Cocomise
The term sportsmanship is practically out-of-date these days. In just the first two weeks of the 2008 NBA playoffs, there have already been multiple incidents involving on-court taunting and fighting, and off-court trash-talking.
Herbert W. Armstrong once wrote, “In interschool or intercollegiate competition, or the pro game, the attitude too often is bad” (Plain Truth, July/August 1984). This same attitude can often rub off on us, especially in a world with too few good examples.
But there are some rare examples of sportsmanship in this world worth emulating. One occurred just days ago, on Senior Day at Central Washington University, that can’t help but inspire you.
April 26 marked a key women’s softball matchup between conference rivals Central Washington University (CWU) and Western Oregon University (WOU). Senior Sara Tucholsky of WOU stepped up to the plate. In her entire softball career, including high school, she had never hit a home run. That was about to change.