Maccabi USA Organizational Meeting a Huge Success

As I walked into the New York City building where our meeting would be taking place, I noticed several of my co-workers waiting with another man who was noticeably large in stature. It was only 7:45 a.m. and our scheduled start was still over an hour away. After a train ride Saturday afternoon and a night in the Big Apple, it's safe to say I still wasn't exactly "awake".

I had no idea who else would be there that early besides the office employees. Ami Monson, our Program Director, introduced me. "Jameson, I'd like you to meet Dolph Schayes." Needless to say, I woke up. With the 12-time NBA All-Star in attendance, followed a half-hour later by Tennessee Volunteers Head Men's Basketball Coach, Bruce Pearl, I knew the meeting would go well.

General Chairman, Ron Carner and Maccabi USA President, Toni Wortman each gave phenomenal speeches to get us started. A video of the Maccabiah Games in Israel was also shown as the meeting had officially gotten underway. One of the best moments of the meeting was when our Team USA Rabbi, Irwin Kula spoke. His speech was truly a passionate and provocative one. Many people who attended the meeting continued to mention it in the following days.

Bruce Pearl soon followed the Rabbi. Coach Pearl explained to everybody how honored and excited he was for this opportunity to represent the United States at the 18th World Maccabiah Games as well as travel to Israel for the first time.

In other Maccabi USA news, tryouts continue to be scheduled. You can refer to my last post, http://maccabiusajameson.blogspot.com/2008/04/updates-on-tryouts-and-events.html for the dates and locations of sports that have already been finalized. Tennis tryouts are close to being set. We expect those to be established and put onto our website, http://www.maccabiusa.com/ in the next week or so.

Soccer and Futsal are the most recent sports that have scheduled tryouts:
Men's and Women's Soccer(Juniors, Youth, Open)
Plantation, FL- December 19-21, 2008

Men's Futsal(Open)
Plantation, FL- December 19-21, 2008

Masters Soccer in both age groups(Men's 35+, Men's 45+), have yet to be determined. For any specific questions regarding Soccer and Futsal, please feel free to contact the Overall Soccer Chairman, Mark Knue(markk@vwg.com).

Log on to our website, http://www.maccabiusa.com/ as well as my blog for all the latest information. Everyone here at Maccabi USA would like to wish you a good Pesach.

Jameson Singer, Outreach Coordinator
Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel
1926 Arch St., Suite #4R
Philadelphia, PA 19103
JSinger@maccabiusa.com
(215) 561-6900 ext. 114
http://maccabiusajameson.blogspot.com/
http://www.maccabiusa.com/

Updates on Maccabi USA Tryouts and Events

It seems as though the million dollar question on every Jewish athlete's mind is, "When are tryouts for my sport?". Well, there's good news. Over the past couple weeks there have been plenty of tryout dates tentatively scheduled. I have listed these updates below and you can also find them on our website, http://www.maccabiusa.com/ under the Sports Explorer section:

Juniors Boys' Baseball(born 1991-1994)
Los Angeles, CA- August 3rd, 2008
Miami, FL- August 10th, 2008
Chicago, IL- July 27th, 2008
Northeast(PA, NY, NJ area, specific location TBD)- July 13th, 2008

Juniors Boys' Basketball(born 1993-1994)
Midwest Tryout
Deerfield, IL- September 6th, 8pm-11pm;
September 7th, 9am-12pm & 1:30pm-3:30pm
West Coast Tryout
Location TBD- September 13th, 8pm-10:30pm
September 14th, 12pm-2pm & 3pm-5pm
East Coast Tryout
Philadelphia, PA- October 4th, 8pm-11:30pm
October 5th, 10am-12:30pm & 2:30pm-5pm

Men's and Women's Golf(Juniors, Open, Masters)
Palm Beach Gardens, FL- July 19th-23rd, 2008

Men's Rugby(Open)
Chicago, IL- August 15th-17th, 2008

Men's Fast-Pitch Softball(Open, Masters)
Chatsworth, CA- June 1st, 2008, 9:30am-12pm & 1pm-3:30pm
Philadelphia, PA- June 28th-29th, 2008
Chicago, IL- July 19th-20th, 2008

Men's Water Polo(Open)
California- December 6th-7th, 2008

Men's Wrestling(Open)
Beachwood, OH- April 5th, 2009, 10:00am, registration/weigh-in is April 4th, 2009

Remember that all these dates and places are tentative so nothing is set in stone. Also, not all sports have tryouts. In sports that are based on qualification times(i.e. Swimming, Triathlon, Half Marathon), the coaches and chairmen for those respective sports will decide who is accepted onto the team based on recorded times, etc.

Along with scheduling tryouts, we have also set times and places for several golf tournaments we are sponsoring. If you are interested in participating in any of the golf events at the locations listed below, please contact Sara Feinstein(sfeinstein@maccabiusa.com) and she will provide you with more information:

June 9th, 2008
Fenway Golf Club
Scarsdale, NY
Chair: Richard Myers

July 28th, 2008
Sunset Ridge Country Club
Northfield, IL
Chair: Mark Fishman

October 7th, 2008
Four Streams Country Club
Beallsville, MD
Chair: Brent Goldstein

For whatever sport you may be interested in, I continue to encourage you to get your applications in. We have received plenty of them this week which is great. Also, we continue to fill our chair and coaching positions. Everything is looking great as we get ready for our organizational meeting next weekend.

As always, you can contact me with any questions whether it be through the comments section, email, or phone.

Jameson Singer, Outreach Coordinator
Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel
1926 Arch St., Suite #4R
Philadelphia, PA 19103
JSinger@maccabiusa.com
(215) 561-6900 ext. 114
http://www.maccabiusa.com/

Maccabi USA Springs Forward

Finally, Spring is here. We have turned the clocks forward and picked up the pace. Hopefully there will be no more crawling through the slush or shoveling the driveway(obviously this doesn't apply to much of the West Coast contingent).

Even though it was halfway across the world, Major League Baseball has already thrown its first meaningful pitch. Fans of America's Pasttime have to be excited for that. But, don't forget about the basketball enthusiasts. I'm sure you all haven't stopped humming that March Madness theme song we've all grown to love. All of this lets us know that Summer, 2008 is right around the corner. Though for us here at Maccabi USA, the Summer of 2009 is just as close.

Before I go any further, I just wanted to congratulate Bruce Pearl on a great season. Obviously, nobody wants to go out in the Sweet 16, but Coach Pearl has built a college basketball force down in Tennessee and I'm sure the Volunteers will be right near the top again next year. We are extremely proud to have him a part of the Maccabi USA family.

The month of April will be a very exciting time for us. Our 18th Maccabiah Organizing Committee is almost complete and on Sunday, April 13th, a meeting will be held to get the ball rolling for Team USA. Chairmen, coaches, managers, medical staff, and leadership for our organization will meet to discuss preparations for the 18th World Maccabiah Games in Israel. Applications have already started coming in and we expect this to be the best team we've ever brought to Israel.

Speaking of applications, it is important to get them in if you haven't yet. With tryout dates and places yet to be established for some sports, we will need your information so we can contact you when plans become finalized. Log onto, http://www.maccabiusaapp.com/ to apply.

I have received several emails over the past couple weeks regarding participation as both an athlete and as a member of the staff. Each applicant must apply for only one position as a member of Team USA.

Everybody here is working very hard to get the word out and find athletes. As I have expressed to the Alumni via email, I encourage you to spread the word as well. I can't tell you how many athletes we find because of past members of Maccabi USA telling people about their experience. There have already been thousands of fliers produced and I would be more than happy to send you some to post at any athletic facility(country clubs, national tournaments, JCC's, etc.).

Make sure to keep checking in on my blog for the latest happenings with Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel. I will be posting every week. Don't hesitate to email or call me with any questions or if you just want to give a shout to our Program Director, Ami Monson. I know how much the Alumni love him.

Jameson Singer, Outreach Coordinator

Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel
1926 Arch St., Suite #4R

Philadelphia, PA 19103

JSinger@maccabiusa.com
(215) 561-6900 ext. 114

fax: (215) 561-5470

http://www.maccabiusa.com/

Bruce Pearl to Coach Open Men's Basketball at the 18th World Maccabiah Games

The press release below is from early February when Bruce Pearl, the Head Men's Basketball Coach for the Tennessee Volunteers, agreed to coach the Open Men's Basketball Team at the 18th World Maccabiah Games coming up in the Summer of 2009.

Maccabi USA is recruiting for dozens of sports along with basketball. They include:
Beach Volleyball, Bridge, Fencing, Field Hockey, Futsal, Golf, Gymnastics, Half Marathon, Judo, Karate, Rowing, Rugby, Soccer, Softball, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Ten Pin Bowling, Tennis, Track & Field, Triathlon, Volleyball, Water Polo, and Wrestling. Applying is easy. Just head to our website which is www.maccabiusa.com and click on the application link. Feel free to call our offices as well with any questions at (215) 561-6900 or email me at JSinger@maccabiusa.com. Of course, comments on the blog are always welcome.

Philadelphia, PA, February 6, 2008 - Bruce Pearl, Head Coach at the University of Tennessee, has been officially appointed the Head Coach for Maccabi USA's Open Men's Basketball Team. The Team will compete at the 18th World Maccabiah Games in Israel, July 12 - 23, 2009. Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel is thrilled that Pearl has accepted the appointment and will join the USA Team in Israel in 2009.

"The opportunity to coach in the Maccabiah Games is a dream come true." Pearl stated, "To represent the United States in international competition in a place that is the Jewish homeland is very special. I appreciate the total support that the University of Tennessee is giving me to help realize this dream."

One of the most successful active college coaches, Pearl is in his third season at the University of Tennessee (UT) where his Volunteers are currently ranked No. 7 in the nation. In less than three full seasons at UT, Pearl has won 65 games and led the Volunteers to a 2006 Southeastern Conference Eastern Division championship and an appearance in the Sweet 16 of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

The second-fastest active coach to reach the 300 career win milestone, Pearl has posted a 382-105 record in his 16th year as a head coach. His .784 career winning percentage ranks third among active coaches and he has led his teams to 14 postseason appearances, including a 1995 NCAA Division II national championship while at Southern Indiana. Six times he has earned conference coach-of-the-year honors and two times (1995 and 2006) he was named the national coach of the year.

Pearl's teams have led their conference in scoring in all but one season that he has been a head coach. Tennessee is leading the Southeastern Conference for the third consecutive year under his leadership, averaging more than 80 points per game.

"We are pleased and delighted to have a coach of Bruce's caliber join us for the 18th Maccabiah," said Ron Carner, General Chair, USA 18th World Maccabiah Games Organizing Committee. Carner continued, "Bruce wears his Judaism on his sleeve and will be a tremendous draw in recruiting high quality athletes."

About the organization:

Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel (MUSA) has an extensive history of enriching Jewish lives through athletic, cultural and educational programs. The organization is the official sponsor of the United States Team to the World Maccabiah Games, the Pan American Maccabi Games and the Maccabi competitions in Europe and Australia, as well as a co-founder of the JCC Maccabi Games for teens in North American. As the official Maccabi representative in the U.S., Maccabi USA supports Jewish athletic endeavors, enhanced by cultural and educational activities in the United States, Israel and throughout the Diaspora.

MUSA develops, promotes and supports international, national and regional athletic-based activities and facilities. We strive to provide Jewish athletes the world over, the opportunity to share their heritage and customs in competitive athletic settings. We support programs that embody the Maccabi ideals of Jewish continuity, Zionism and excellence in sport.

The World Maccabiah Games are a quadrennial event that takes place in Israel. The 18th World Maccabiah Games, scheduled for July 12 - 23, 2009 will be the world's third largest international athletic competition. Over 9000 of the world's best Jewish athletes from over 54 countries will compete at the Games.

Argentina, the Experience

As I sit at a bar in JFK International Airport and await my last flight back home to Rochester, NY, I can only think about what a great journey it has been for me as well as everybody that participated with Maccabi USA in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

It seems so long ago that I strolled into the LaSalle University gym in Philadelphia two weeks ago to meet my teammates and coaches. What’s amazing about it is that in only those two weeks I feel like I’ve already made some lifelong friends and I can guarantee many other Maccabi athletes can say the same.

I think it’s important to include everything as I write about this experience, even the negatives because it was all part of the trip. Some of the bus rides were too long and sometimes it was difficult to find time for a real meal. Many have complained about compensation with the meals and I definitely agree to a certain extent, but the one thing that needs to be realized is that a lot has to do with the host country and the way they run things. Everybody from within Maccabi USA did everything they could to keep this event as organized as possible. The constant movement and need to do something at all times during the trip really took a toll on everybody when all was said and done.

Plenty of athletes found themselves sick (including myself) at some point during their stay. We all learned the importance of staying healthy during the trip, but more importantly before it. With some days starting as early as 6 a.m. and ending as late as…well 10 a.m., people (including myself) were begging their bodies to be vulernable to some illness.

Even with the lack of sleep, the competition in extremely hot weather, and the long flights, it was all worth it. The positives enormously outweigh the negatives as this ride truly proved to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not many people have the unique opportunity to first, play athletically for their country as well as represent it. Along with that, the competition took place over 5000 miles away from home on the opposite side of the equator. Again, not many people have a chance to travel that far.

For the most part, every sport had amazing competition to go up against us. Many countries brought extremely talented teams and really made the USA work hard and earn each medal. I know this personally because each one of the 5 teams in the Men’s Open Basketball group was good enough to win the gold. We were fortunate enough to play together and leave everything on the court, which eventually earned us a silver medal.

Fred Cohen said it best during the Maccabi USA orientation; “Maccabi athletes should do this for the cultural, social, and athletic experience.”

Along with the athletic portion, we all gained a much greater sense of what people from other countries are like as well as what Argentina was like. I mean, how many people knew that Argentina dinners usually happen at midnight and that a night out on the town didn’t get going until 2 a.m.? Not I. Most importantly, I think we all learned how crucial those Spanish classes we took in high school actually were. I bet there’s a lot of regret from our athletes that we fell asleep while that was going on.

The entire trip including the week in Philadelphia went above and beyond all my expectations. I can’t thank enough everybody that put this together and organized it from day one especially those who volunteered in Argentina to make sure everything went as according to plan. So for now, enjoy the medals your family members brought home and get ready for an even better trip when Maccabi USA heads to Israel in 2009.

Medals in Sight

I have seen your requests for the lack of individual swimming results and I'll try to get some sort of list of the medal winners if I can. If any of you speak with somebody from the swim team, ask them if there's anything they can do to help me out. With dozens of different teams including mine having completely different schedules, it's difficult to get you all the results you want to see. That being said, I'll continue to try and find swimming medal winners.

In regards to the opening ceremonies, I haven't been able to load the video on here because someone(I won't that terrible and say the name) gave me the wrong cord to connect it to my computer, but if and when I get it I'll the get the video up on the blog.

Because of Shabbos, almost every team didn't play yesterday, however, my team wasn't one of them. We took on 2-0 Australia in a game that determined who would get the 1 seed heading into the medal rounds.

In what was by far the most exciting game of our competition thus far, we pulled out a nail-biter in the closing seconds to win by 4. It was a high-scoring game that went back and forth the whole way. At the end of the 1st quarter it was tied 25-25 followed by a 42-42 tie going into the half. Australia is easily the most physical team we've played and they used it to gain a lead that stuck for almost all of the second half. Key word, almost.

We managed to keep the game within reach never trailing by more than 7 points. With about 4 minutes left we made our run. Our point guard Drew Braver hit some key shots late and Seth was, well, Seth. Along with those two, Eli Hami hit several clutch free throws for us in the final minute to seal the win.

On a side note, Seth won a bet with teammate Jeremy. This wager came after several games of Seth failing to hit a three. Seth felt pretty good about his long range ability and raised the stakes...to a smoothie. If Seth hit a three Jeremy would owe him a smoothie...and he did. It took only 2 minutes into the 1st quarter before Seth won the bet and our coach Howard Fisher preceded to run alongside the bench with a fist pump saying "There's the smooooothieee!".

It was a great win for us and with the day off today all we can do is wait and see who we play in the 1st of 2 medal rounds. We had awesome support from the likes of our own Master's team among others and hopefully we can get even more supporters to cheer for us on Monday.

I haven't been able to track down recent team results, however I'll keep checking the lobby for updated results...yes, including swimming.

Oh yea, and good luck to all the teams and players fighting for medals in the coming days. Especially my fellow basketball Jews in the Master, Junior, and Youth divisions. Go USA.

Basketball, Soccer, Hockey, Softball

Ok, so I finally hunted down some results even though it's almost a day and a half later...and in Spanish. Here are some scores from Thursday's games:

Basketball
Master's - USA defeated Chile 69-52
Junior's - USA defeated Argentina B 76-53
Open's - USA defeated Brazil 77-66

Soccer
Junior Encuentro - USA lost to SUB 1-0
Open's - USA defeated Brazil 4-0
Junior Inter Zonal - USA lost to Argentina 5-0
Youth - USA tied Mexico 0-0

Field Hockey
Open's - USA defeated Argentina A 3-1 and lost to Argentina C 3-0

Softball
Open's - USA lost to Israel 6-1, defeated Argentina 6-0, defeated Canada 9-6

I will continue to try to get these scores up for you. As for my team, we pulled off a huge comeback and win yesterday to defeat Argentina. After the first quarter we were down 24-10 and down 16 at one point. We kept our cool, though and stormed back. Our force down low, Seth, took control and managed to get several big men in foul trouble including their main scorer. Early into the second half we took the lead on Albert Braha's three-pointer(who knew he had that kind of range) and never looked back. The win clinches a spot in a medal round game and we can get the 1 seed if we beat Australia today. It's amazing that two days ago we lost one of our key big men and were down in the dumps because we let inferior country, Canada beat us, but now we're ready to beat anybody.

If any of you readers are in contact with athletes, please let them know that I'll put any information they give me onto the blog whether it be scores or interesting things about one of the teams. Thanks.