An errant drive, but a right-on response
May 16, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Junior Garcia was minding his own round last week when, seemingly out of the sky, he was nailed in the hand by an opponent's golf ball.
It clearly hurt -- so much so, he had to quit his round before finishing. He could've responded in a number of ways. Many of us wouldn't have responded so well.
Instead of finding the player who had hit him -- and letting him have it back -- Garcia, a Shelby senior, did seek out Montague junior Nate VanGeison, to make sure VanGeison was OK and to let him know that these mistakes are part of the game. He was equally, if not more concerned with VanGeison's well-being than his own.
It's something we all should keep in mind the next time an errant shot comes at us like a comet from above.
"It was so touching. It's hard to really put it into words unless you were there," Montague golf coach Tom Kearney said. "He was just so sincere."
Shelby and Montague were playing in a West Michigan Conference jamboree at Oceana Golf Course. VanGeison pulled a drive so far left that it left his fairway and flew over an adjacent green that Garcia's group was approaching.
Garcia's hand began to swell up immediately. He'd leave to get it X-rayed before the teams finished play that day. But not before he asked Kearney to check on VanGeison and make sure his opponent knew there were no hard feelings. And not before following up that request by asking Kearney to then drive him back onto the course himself to pass on a few words of encouragement.
VanGeison had asked to leave the course as well so he could check on Garcia. The two instead met in the middle.
"Nate apologized to him, and Junior said, 'It's OK. I know it was an accident,' and they hugged," Kearney said. "Just before we left (to go back inside), Junior said, 'Nate, don't worry about me. I want you to shoot a good round for me.'"
And VanGeison did, firing a 94 to finish second for Montague in that round.
Garcia went so far as to ask his mother if he could stop by Montague the next day, just to check on VanGeison one more time. Both returned to the course Tuesday.
"I really thought it was a wonderful example of sportsmanship," Kearney said.
PHOTO: Nate VanGeison (left) of Montague and Shelby's Junior Garcia returned to the golf course Tuesday, in great spirits after last week's jamboree ended for Garcia after his hand was bruised by a VanGeison drive. (Photo courtesy of Tom Kearney.)
Summits Offer Chances to Learn, Share
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 2, 2019
“Be the Example” is a driving philosophy during the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s annual Sportsmanship Summits, and this fall’s series – provided at four sites during the first two full weeks of November – will offer more opportunities for students to present their ideas to each other as a way of sharing best practices for sportsmanship on and off the field of play.
The MHSAA has conducted Sportsmanship Summits across Michigan for more than 20 years, and this year’s series kicks off Nov. 4 in Marquette and finishes Nov. 14 in Kalamazoo.
MHSAA staff, with assistance from school administrators and the MHSAA Student Advisory Council, conduct Sportsmanship Summits. More than 1,000 students from more than 100 schools are expected to take part in the four workshops, where they will discuss the line that separates good from bad sportsmanship, both as athletes during competition and when it comes to cheering at athletic events. Instruction will be based in part on insights gained during the Student Advisory Council’s Battle of the Fans competitions, which annually began recognizing the best student cheering section in Michigan during the 2011-12 winter season. Details for BOTF IX will be introduced during all four Summit stops.
This fall’s Summits again will feature hands-on breakout sessions and opportunities for students to meet with and discuss sportsmanship with local game officials, who will explain sportsmanship from their points of view and how they may differ from what students experience as competitors or fans. Members of the Student Advisory Council have developed and will instruct during another breakout session and also play a role in the opening all-Summit presentation. To conclude the Summits, the delegation from each participating school will meet to develop a sportsmanship campaign to implement upon returning to school.
Sessions will take place at the following:
• Marquette – Nov. 4 – NMU University Center – 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
• Warren – Nov. 6 – DeCarlo’s Banquet Center – 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
• Lansing – Nov. 11 – Crowne Plaza Lansing West – 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
• Kalamazoo – Nov. 14 – Downtown Radisson – 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Registration at each site is limited to the first 250 students and administrators. Schools are welcome to bring as many as 10 total representatives, including two administrators. For additional registration information, contact Andy Frushour at the MHSAA office – [email protected] or (517) 332-5046. Registration information also is available on the MHSAA Website.