Why Bernard King believes Knicks have a chance to topple Celtics
Knicks legend Bernard King takes a shot at some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby. Q: What do you think of Knicks versus Celtics? A: It’s going to be a great matchup, the regular season doesn’t matter at all, and I think we’re ideally positioned to potentially, even though we don’t have much rest coming […]
Knicks legend Bernard King takes a shot at some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: What do you think of Knicks versus Celtics?
A: It’s going to be a great matchup, the regular season doesn’t matter at all, and I think we’re ideally positioned to potentially, even though we don’t have much rest coming out of a tough series against Detroit, I think it’s going to be a tough matchup for Boston, and I think that we will have an opportunity to win in Boston.
Q: How do the Knicks beat the Celtics?
A: Pressure all passes that are going to be made. If you pressure all passes at the entry point, that is going to be very difficult to find an offensive player when he comes off of a screen, make sure you pick up [Jayson] Tatum early on so he doesn’t pull up in transition and hit the 3-point shot. We have to rebound well, and we have to get back on defense. And more contribution from the bench as well. [Miles] McBride is going to have to be consistent, we’re going to need [Cameron] Payne to be consistent.
Bernard King (l.) and John Starks are pictured at the Knicks’ game April 19. Imagn Images
Q: So you believe the Knicks can win this series?
A: You always believe you’re going to win, you never doubt that. And so yes, I do believe the Knicks can win this series. … I’m not looking past the Celtics, I’m not saying the Knicks are going to win the championship, what I’m saying is they’re well positioned to win this series.
The Knicks are a great team. They came in third in the standings. I just think that the matchups are very suitable for the Knicks to win this series. You have to make sure you control Derrick White. If you control him, then you control [Jaylen] Brown and Tatum to a large extent.
Q: Jalen Brunson is your favorite Knick?
A: I had an opportunity to meet several of the Knicks early this year at a charity event. I said to him: “One of the beauties of your game beyond your basketball IQ, I love how you have mastered the art of scoring. To do that, you have to understand defense, and you understand it very well.” I felt that I arrived at a point in my career where I mastered the art of scoring, I was 27 at the time. Brunson is 28. What he’s doing is truly phenomenal at the position of having to run the team and also making sure everyone’s involved in the offense, and still be there at the end to take the shots that matter, and make them. And he feels no pressure whatsoever. That last play for example …
Jalen Brunson reacts after the Knicks defeated the Pistons in Game 6 on May 1. Charles Wenzelberg
Q: His three to eliminate the Pistons.
A: I’m going to break that play down for a moment. He gets the ball at half-court, and [Mikal] Bridges comes up guarded by Cade [Cunningham] to look like he’s going to set a screen, and because he fades, Cade can’t double-team Brunson because that’s going to leave Bridges open for a 3-point shot. So now Brunson is going one-on-one, and the defender [Ausar Thompson] is leaning to his left, and Brunson puts his right arm out and he drives left. So the defender’s off-balance, he already has the lead position on the drive. It’s one of the greatest moves I’ve ever seen in basketball. When he makes that drive and Thompson does not have positioning on his feet properly so he doesn’t have the spacing to slide properly, so when Brunson makes that drive and Thompson tries to catch up, check out what he did — he patted the ball between his legs with his left hand, took it with his right hand, and Thompson is still sliding left! He created separation of five feet, it was amazing … pull up for the jumper with his strong hand, his left hand, and shoots the ball, and it’s too late for Thompson to recover.
That is one of the greatest moves I’ve ever seen in basketball.
Jalen Brunson hits the game-winning shot during the Knicks’ win against the Pistons on May 1. Charles Wenzelberg
Q: Is Brunson on a Hall of Fame trajectory?
A: I’m not one to project what happens six, seven years from now. All I know is that he has decided that he’s going to be a great player. And when you make that decision, that means that you’re making all the sacrifices in the offseason necessary to take your skill sets to your game to another level. I see no reason why he will not continue to build and sustain this for the remainder of his career … he grew up around the game with his dad [assistant coach Rick] … he’s great for the city, he’s great for this organization, he’s great for young kids that watch the game.
Q: To be as clutch as he is and as you were, what is required of that moment?
A: I’ll take you back to the fifth game in Detroit (first round of the 1984 playoffs) for example. No air conditioning in the building, I’m playing with two dislocated fingers, I’m playing with the flu. I did not attend shootaround. I entered the team bus, I said, “I’m sick, I’m sorry, but I have the flu,” and [assistant coach] Rick Pitino had the flu as well. I went back upstairs to my room. But I’m not going to let the team down, I know I’m going to play that night, no matter what it takes, I can’t let my team down.
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However in that huddle, with the game on the line, [Coach] Hubie [Brown] is executing a play — for Billy Cartwright. And I’m sitting there, and I’m averaging 42 points a game. I have never in my lifetime questioned a coach on any level. But I’m sorry, when the season’s on the line, and the game’s on the line, I want the ball. Period. And I yelled out: “Hubie. Do I have the right to take the ball myself?” And he finally looked up and he said, “Yeah.” What I’m telling him when I asked him that question is “I’m breaking your play.” So the ball’s not going to go to Billy Cartwright. It’s going to me. Earl Cureton is defending me, in the heat of that moment, he says, “Come on and bring it.” (laugh).
So the point I’m making is when you have someone that has the willingness to accept the challenge of providing for the team and scoring a basket when needed, when the game is on the line, when the season is on the line, you got a special player in Brunson. He’s willing to accept the pressure. And there’s no pressure. You don’t feel pressure in that moment when you take on that challenge.
Q: You spoke with KAT (Karl-Anthony Towns) too at that charity event?
A: He loves playing in New York. I said to him, “I knew that you would come here and do very well, because this stage means a lot to you.” Obviously we know he’s the best-shooting big man in basketball today in terms of 3-point shooting. With his skill sets and his passing ability as a big man, it’s amazing. So he has an all-around game, he can put the ball on the floor, he can post, he hits the 3-point shot, he can hit the jump shot, he rebounds and he can defend.
Karl-Anthony Towns addresses reporters during a press conference May 3. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
Q: What do you like about OG Anunoby?
A: He’s tough. He’s a great defender. He comes to play every single night. He plays to win. And he doesn’t mind taking on whether it’s a frontcourt player or it’s a guard, he can guard all over the entire floor, any player. He can deliver points for you as well. OG’s going to be extremely important in this series matching up against the frontline of the Boston Celtics.
Q: What do you like about Josh Hart?
A: Oh the toughness. To think that Hart is only what, 6-[foot]-4, 6-5? He can get double digits in rebounds, it’s amazing, he’ll go in there against anyone. His tenacity, his toughness is what I really enjoy about his game, and he meshes very well obviously with Brunson, and he’s very effective in doing that.
Josh Hart reacts during the Knicks’ win against the Pistons on May 1. Charles Wenzelberg
Q: Mikal Bridges?
A: Mikal Bridges is a player that’s a great, great jump shooter. And I think that he alleviates a lot of the pressure off of KAT down low when KAT decides to post because that extends the defense out to the 3-point line where Bridges is very effective in shooting from. And he’s also capable of putting the ball on the floor and getting to the basket, and we’re going to certainly need him during the series.
Q: How important will Mitchell Robinson be?
A: It’s very important in terms of this series that the frontline keeps themself out of foul trouble. But Mitchell Robinson, with his shot-blocking capability and his rebounding ability, is going to be very crucial in this series when you have a [Kristaps] Porzingis and you have a frontline that the Celtics have.
Mitchell Robinson attempts a shot during the Knicks’ game against the Pistons on April 29. Jason Szenes for the NY Post
Boston has been out for a considerable amount of time. So yes, they’re rested, but when you’re rested, you become rusty. And so I don’t look for their shots to fall early on, and I think that’s an opportunity for us to really pounce on them in the first quarter.
Q: Tom Thibodeau?
A: He’s from the Hubie Brown school. What I mean by that, that’s greatness. You’re looking at greatness as a coach. He’s going to always ensure that his team is well prepared, and they’re going to execute the system, the game plan well. You have to be able to make adjustments that game so that you don’t lose that game. He’s capable of doing that as a coach.
Tom Thibodeau speaks with the Knicks during the third quarter of their game against the Pistons on May 1. Charles Wenzelberg
Q: How hostile will the TD Garden be Monday night?
A: The Celtics don’t like the Knicks (laugh). It’s going to be very hostile — you just have to hope they don’t turn the heat up (laugh). I remember during the [1984] series we came in, it was April, and the heat was on in our locker room. Come on now! I know it’s not the old Boston Garden, but I’m just having fun with that comment I just made. They’re going to emotionally support the team as much as possible to get them to a different level, and that’s what fans can do for a ballclub, take them to a different level.
Q: In 1984, what was the rivalry with the Celtics like?
A: It was always a significant rivalry that existed between the Knicks and Celtics. Everyone hated the Celtics (laugh), we didn’t like the Celtics as young players, and it wasn’t a hate toward the city or a hate toward the organization, it was the competitive fire that each team had against one another. We always wanted to beat the Celtics and we never would allow them to beat us in our house.
Bernard King is guarded during the Knicks’ playoff game against the Celtics in 1984. Boston Globe via Getty Images
Q: Game 6 of that Eastern Conference semifinals at the Garden.
A: I remember at the start of the series Cedric Maxwell walked up to the jump-ball circle when we all lined up and shook hands, and he stood in front of my face and he said to me, “Why is it that you look like that?” (laugh) I had my game face on. And I ignored him, and I didn’t say a word. And I think that set the tone with him of what I was all about and how I was going to play throughout that series.
Boston is hoping to close us out in Game 6, and it was very important that we got off to a very good start, and so I came out shooting jump shots to ensure that I can open up the lane and open up the baseline for my other part of my game … we came out very aggressively defensively … we established [Bill] Cartwright in the low post, on the low block, and Rory Sparrow was defending very well in the backcourt … and really the fans helped to carry us to that Game 6 victory.
Q: They were chanting “MVP, MVP, MVP” for you.
A: I won’t forget that (laugh). I think I went out and got 44 in that game. We were never intimidated by the Celtics. We felt that we were on equal footing, regardless of the Hall of Famers they had on that team. We knew that we were on par with them in terms of matchups. Billy Cartwright was a great center, he matched up well with [Robert Parish], Truck Robinson matched up well with Kevin McHale, and so we never felt we were at a disadvantage at any position against that roster.
Bernard King gets fouled by Cedric Maxwell during a Knicks playoff game against the Celtics in 1984. AP
Q: Didn’t Cornbread (Maxwell) say something about you before the series began after you had averaged 42.6 ppg against the Pistons?
A: Coming out of the Detroit series, every city I’ve ever gone to with the Knicks, I always pick up the local paper, so that I get a feel of the city and culturally what’s happening in that particular city. I picked up the newspaper and on the back page — “The B” — and they spelled it out (laugh) — “The B is not going to score 40 on us.” Hmmm. Quite interesting (laugh). I’m not impacted by that sort of thing. I’m just going to go out and play each minute the same until the horn blows at the end of the game. And nothing is going to change my demeanor, nothing is going to change my approach.
Q: How much trash did [Larry] Bird talk during that series?
A: I’m going to say it very succinctly — you can’t talk trash if 40’s being scored on your head (laugh). Bird and I played against one another for 10 years. We played at the highest level. And I always heard he talked trash, but I never heard him talk some trash, he never spoke trash to me ever. Not once.
Bernard King defends Larry Bird during the Knicks’ playoff game against the Celtics in 1984. AP
Q: Cornbread and McHale were on you mostly that series.
A: I had to guard Bird. Don’t ask me why he didn’t guard me. And when you have to play against Bird, who I’ve always said publicly was my toughest player that I’ve ever had to face defending, because he’s 6-10, he can pass over the top of me, I’m 6-7, he can put the ball on the floor, he’s a great rebounder, a great scorer. … During that series, I was at a point in my career where I had mastered the art of scoring. So you were not going to stop me at that point in my career.
Q: Not even with those dislocated middle fingers with a splint on each hand?
A: I was never at 100 percent, but emotionally, and mentally, I took myself to a different place to deal with the pain factor that I felt each and every game and every play.
Q: How painful was losing Game 7 at Boston Garden?
A: It’s something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. Bird outplayed me, it’s very simple, that game.
Bernard King attempts a shot during the Knicks’ playoff game against the Celtics in 1984. AP
Q: If you could build the perfect basketball player, what one thing would you take from Bernard King?
A: Tenacity. Because if you have a significant and genuine love for the game, then you’re going to work as hard as possible to develop your skill sets at whatever level you’re playing at, whether it’s in youth basketball, in high school or in college or the pros. And that tenacity could take you to different levels of the game. And so if you have that habit formed, you can develop yourself into a tremendous player.
Q: You had a killer instinct. Is that something you’re born with?
A: Nooo, you’re not born with that. That’s something that you develop. It’s a drive, it’s an inner fire that you have inside yourself that you develop because you love something so very much that you want to be very good at it, and you’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that you become highly skilled and spend the necessary time and sacrifice whatever you have to sacrifice to make yourself into the player that you want to be.
Q: Why do the Knicks have such a hold on New York City?
A: It’s a basketball town. You have the Giants, you have the Jets, you have the Yankees, you have the Mets, but New York has always been a basketball town. And when the Knicks do well, New York loves to celebrate that. Historically speaking, it takes everyone back to the time when the Knicks won the championship with Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, Willis Reed, [Bill] Bradley, [Dave] DeBusschere and those great teams. It’s a reminder and a reflection of that.
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Q: May 8, 1970 (the Willis Game against the Lakers), where were you?
A: In 1970 I was 14 years old (laugh). I was in the ninth grade at the time.
Q: The game was blacked out in New York.
A: It was something that we talked about in the playgrounds. It was something that all of us kids, we emulated the players on the Knicks. So someone would be Walt Frazier or Earl Monroe or Dave DeBusschere, which was my favorite player growing up.
Q: Why was DeBusschere your favorite?
A: I was noted for scoring in my later years in high school, in college, obviously in the pros, but rebounding was my love, I averaged 28 rebounds a game in high school (laugh). I just loved being under the basket, boxing out, grabbing rebounds as Dave DeBusschere did.
Q: What message would you have for Knicks fans?
A: We are New York Knicks Strong.
Q: Can you elaborate on that?
A: That means that we are going to come out and play and represent ourselves as a team, represent ourselves as an organization, represent our fan base, represent the city of New York City. We are New York Knicks Strong, and we are going to play that way. And we’ll demonstrate that on Monday.
El Modena’s CIF So Cal regional title hopes end in loss to Mater Dei Catholic –
El Modena players and coaches with the CIF So Cal Division I regional plaque. (PHOTOS: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone). It was a promising start for El Modena High School’s softball team in the CIF So Cal Regional Division I championship game Saturday afternoon. Kaitlyn Galasso led off the bottom of the first inning and […]
El Modena players and coaches with the CIF So Cal Division I regional plaque. (PHOTOS: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).
It was a promising start for El Modena High School’s softball team in the CIF So Cal Regional Division I championship game Saturday afternoon.
Kaitlyn Galasso led off the bottom of the first inning and Monica Garcia belted a home run to put the Vanguards ahead 2-0.
But No. 2-seeded Mater Dei Catholic from Chula Vista stayed close, then broke the game open with six runs in the fourth inning and went on to capture a 12-3 victory, securing the program’s second regional title.
To see the slide show, click on the first photo:
Mater Dei Catholic players celebrate the championship.
El Modena Coach Bobby Calderon looks on as El Modena and Mater Dei Catholic players take part in the post-game ceremony.
El Modena starter Ashley Driskill throws a warm-up pitch. The third baseman is Monica Garcia.
El Modena coach Bobby Calderon talks with his hitters during a brief break.
El Modena pitcher Ashley Driskill throws a pitch to Liana Quinones of Mater Dei Catholic.The catcher is Parker Mayes.
El Modena catcher Parker Mayes waits for a pitch.
Mater Dei Catholic pitcher Arri Romero gets ready to throw a warm-up pitch.
El Modena coach Bobby Calderon writes up the starting lineup.
Arri Romero went the distance for Mater Dei Catholic (27-7) scattering six hits and striking out nine. Mater Dei Catholic banged out 13 hits off starter Ashley Driskoll and relievers Jules Vega and Kylie Campana.
Top-seeded El Modena was trying to bring home the school’s first CIF So Cal regional title after losing to Norco last week in the CIF Division 1 final. A big turnout of fans from both schools packed the stands at El Modena.
“I knew we were going to compete as long as we could, it’s just unfortunate we ran out of bullets there at the end,” said El Modena Coach Bobby Calderon. “They’re legit, they have their full squad, you can’t take anything away from them. We knew what we were walking into.”
El Modena (23-10) was 12-2 at home going into the game.
“Us being here at home, obviously this is our home, we’ re comfortable and we do what we do, we came out and struck first and put is in a good situation, there are probably a couple opportunities that we wish we could capitalize a little more but we came up short and they kept playing, that’s the name of the game.”
Calderon was pleased with the start.
“Those girls, Kaitlyn Galasso and Monica Garcia have been carrying us all year,” Calderon said. “When they’re successful, we’re successful and they proved it, we just came up short.”
After Mater Dei Catholic cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth inning, the Vanguards answered in the bottom of the inning with a run on an RBI single by Parker Mayes, who drove in Driskill who singled.
But in the fifth innning, Mater Dei Catholic used four hits, four walks and a hit batter to score seven runs. Analesse Garcia had the key hit, a bases clearing double. The Crusaders added five more runs in the seventh inning. Maya Matthies had a two-run home run and Garcia a solo home run in the inning.
Despite the tough ending, Calderon and the El Modena players remained proud of what the team accomplished. El Modena was ranked No. 1 in the final county poll by OC Varsity.
“To be honest with you, it was absolutely historic,” Calderon said. “You look at what we accomplished, winning the Dave Kops Tournament without one of our best players, winning the league title and obviously getting to the CIF Division 1 championship, El Modena has been in Division 1 only one other time.
“We came out, we were that close to a championship at the Division 1 level, we got to do this which was very important to our school, our community. You look at the tremendous amount of support we got here today, I think that sums it up. The crowd was awesome, we’re missing a lot of players (who opted out). For everyone to be here and want to be a part of it, and alumni showing up and parents of former players showing up, it’s exactly what you want to be a part of.”
Calderon said that four El Modena starters opted out and were not available for the final.
Garcia, the El Modena senior third baseman, was excited about the Vanguards’ start.
“Going into this game we all had the mindset of attacking early on every single pitch that we can,” Garcia said. “Obviously, she’s (Romero) is a really great pitcher so we just wanted to attack as hard as we can, that was my mindset was going into the at bat, put the ball hard in play and find a way to get the runner in and it happened to work out.”
Garcia was proud of what the team accomplished.
“I transferred in my junior year,” she said. “It’s probably the best environment that one can play softball at. Our coaches are super supportive of each other, our teammates have one of the best connection with each other, I think that this season was obviously super memorable, winning Dave Kops (Tournament), making CIF championship and obviously being here. It was definitely one of the best seasons that anyone could have.”
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Go to X (at OC Sports Zone) for post-game interviews and highlights by OC Sports Zone’s Adam Kunin.
National Archery in the Schools Program fosters inclusivity and confidence in youth
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) — The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Championship, hosted by the International Bowhunting Organization, provided young archers with a unique opportunity to build confidence and social skills on Saturday. The event, held at the John T. Rhodes Myrtle Beach Sports Center, saw participation from over 2,300 students in grades […]
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) — The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Championship, hosted by the International Bowhunting Organization, provided young archers with a unique opportunity to build confidence and social skills on Saturday.
The event, held at the John T. Rhodes Myrtle Beach Sports Center, saw participation from over 2,300 students in grades four through 12, with some traveling from as far as Alaska.
Ryan Bass, Vice President of the International Bowhunting Organization, emphasized the inclusive nature of the competition. “Every kid can do it. This is a, what a confidence builder and what it does for a kid’s social abilities, and things that where every kid can come out here and compete,” said Bass. “They’re all using the same bows, the same arrows, shooting at the same targets. No matter where you come from, what walk of life, everybody can compete against everybody else on an even playing field.”
Participants in the tournament aimed to achieve the highest possible score of 300 by shooting at six different 3D targets.
The top archers have the chance to win a trophy or plaque and advance to the International Bowhunting Organization’s International Championships in West Virginia this August.
The NASP Championship alternates its host city each year between Myrtle Beach and Daytona.
First-ever Memorial Bowl flag football championships take place in Great Falls
GREAT FALLS — To cap off the first-ever spring season in the new Great Falls NFL flag football league, the individuals who helped create the league set up the championships to be played at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. WATCH THE VIDEO: First-ever Memorial Bowl flag football championships take place Saturday in Great Falls “Let’s get […]
GREAT FALLS — To cap off the first-ever spring season in the new Great Falls NFL flag football league, the individuals who helped create the league set up the championships to be played at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
First-ever Memorial Bowl flag football championships take place Saturday in Great Falls
“Let’s get the kids in (to Memorial Stadium), see what they’re going to eventually play in,” league founder George Fontanez said. “Get the parents out here … have the community out here, get some food trucks out here just to make it a big community event. And especially to have the kids play on the turf for the first time, it’s going to be awesome.”
Fontanez, alongside Mitchell Morris and Zack Ringler — a current assistant football coach at Great Falls High — grouped together to create this league, and with that the opportunity for kids to play for a championship in a setting they aren’t normally accustomed to.
Cody Westbrook is one of the coaches, and he said it gets the kids pumped up to play at Memorial Stadium.
“Because you get a big stadium like this, the kids are thinking they’re only getting to play in the back of a baseball field or at a practice field,” Westbrook said.
Some kids expressed their positive feelings about Saturday’s event, as well.
“Yeah, very excited,” Noah Lambers said.
“Pretty awesome,” Cooper Willis said.
“It’s a lot different and cooler,” Colt Popham said.
“It’s really cool,” Hurley Grant said. “In my tackle football league, we played in this for our championship and won it, so it’s really nice to be back here.”
Grant also has a nickname on the field.
“Mr. Touchdown,” Grant said. “Because my coach says every single game I score the most touchdowns and get MVP most of the time.”
Memorial Bowls will be held for every flag football season moving forward, Fontanez said.
“This just shows that the sky’s the limit,” Fontanez said. “If we can show it here, when we move to Helena and then eventually Butte, get something the same way to where we can all just bring all the cities together and say we did this, the kids, the families, the parents did this together. We all do this together. It wasn’t just one person.”
Fontanez and Westbrook both have been anticipating this day, too, they said.
“I want to win a championship today with my son,” Fontanez said. “My son is 6 years old. I told my wife this morning — and I kind of teared up thinking about it — 6 years old, I said this could be his first championship, and then we’re going to look back on it when he’s playing in the state championship in high school.”
“I get giddy every time,” Westbrook said. “I’m pumped up right now. This is kind of my favorite thing to do in life is coach, so this is probably something I’m going to do after I retire from my job and then continue it on. I love it. … I get pumped up for the kids every time.”
Tumbling Toward Success: True Blue Athletics | Rockport Fulton
Notes: pg1, MUST, 6/12 Newspaper: Rockport Pilot Headline: Tumbling Toward Success: True Blue Athletics Byline: Walter Perry, rockport@southtexasnews.com Photo Names: True Blue Athletics Photo cutline: True Blue Athletics are teaching kids the basics of gymnastics Photo byline: Walter Perry Step inside the vibrant world of True Blue Athletics, and you’ll immediately feel it. Not just the […]
Headline: Tumbling Toward Success: True Blue Athletics
Byline: Walter Perry, rockport@southtexasnews.com
Photo Names: True Blue Athletics
Photo cutline: True Blue Athletics are teaching kids the basics of gymnastics
Photo byline: Walter Perry
Step inside the vibrant world of True Blue Athletics, and you’ll immediately feel it. Not just the buzz of bouncing tumblers or the cheer of tiny voices, but the heartbeat of something bigger. That heartbeat belongs to Brittanee Cameron, the founder, head instructor, and the humble force behind one of Rockport’s fastest-growing youth athletic programs.
True Blue Athletics has already become a name kids chant and parents trust. But Cameron’s journey didn’t begin with big budgets or state-of-the-art equipment – it started with two donated mats and a dream.
“I was asked to run a free summer camp through the local youth football league,” Cameron recalls. “I said yes without knowing what it would become. That one camp changed everything.”
From those humble beginnings, holding tumbling classes in the park, mats laid out under the Texas sun, True Blue grew quickly. With each new student, Cameron saw more than just potential; she saw purpose. As interest exploded, the community began to rally around her mission: to give kids a safe, supportive, and fun place to grow stronger in both body and spirit.
“We moved from the park to a church fellowship hall,” she said. “Then to a school gym. But when that door closed, I wondered, ‘Is this really what I’m meant to do?’”
She didn’t have to wonder long. A building in town suddenly became available. At the same time, a gym in Louisiana was closing and selling equipment.
“It was perfect timing. A leap of faith, for sure. But I knew God was guiding every step,” she said.
Now, Cameron is preparing to expand again, into a brand-new, 8,000-square-foot facility. The new space will offer more than just tumbling and cheerleading. She envisions after-school programs, volleyball, martial arts, gymnastics, and adult fitness classes.
“We want to be a home base for every kind of athlete,” she said.
But Cameron’s story isn’t just about sports. It’s about resilience, faith, and community. She’s created a space where young girls perform cheer routines after just three days of camp, where boys get to build confidence and strength in a space just for them, and where college cheerleaders and working professionals alike volunteer their time to support the next generation.
“Sometimes I’d question if I was supposed to do this,” Cameron admits. “But every time I thought I’d hit a wall, another door opened. God had plans far beyond what I imagined.”
This summer, True Blue’s themed camps, like Barbie Week, Neon Camp, and a Boys’ Strength & Agility camp, are more than just fun and games. They’re a reflection of Cameron’s vision: blending athletic training with creativity, inclusivity, and mentorship.
And the kids? They’re not just learning cartwheels. They’re learning discipline. Confidence. Teamwork. They’re growing into who they’re meant to be, one tumble at a time.
So if you hear laughter echoing from the gym off the highway, if you see a group of glitter-covered kids cheering in unison, or if you spot a determined young girl landing her first back handspring, know that behind it all stands a woman who believed in something bigger, and built it, one mat at a time.
Brittanee Cameron isn’t just coaching a team. She’s leading a movement. And Rockport is cheering her on.
Mountain Home Parks and Recreation Opens Registration for Fall Sports
Mountain Home Parks and Recreation Opens Registration for Fall Sports | KTLO
Rain: 7am to 7am: 0.46″ Month: 1.51 Year: 35.75 Recorded temps: High:83 Low: 65 Registration is now open for the Fall youth soccer and volleyball season at Mountain Home Parks and […]
Mountain Home Parks and Recreation Opens Registration for Fall Sports | KTLO
Rain: 7am to 7am: 0.46″ Month: 1.51 Year: 35.75 Recorded temps: High:83 Low: 65
Registration is now open for the Fall youth soccer and volleyball season at Mountain Home Parks and Recreation, with updated pricing and important changes to note for players, parents, and coaches.
For soccer this years registration fees are as follows: U6 is $30, U8 is $35, U12 is $40 and U15 is $45. A $15 late registration fee will apply to all sign-ups received after August 9, so families are encouraged to register early to avoid the additional cost.
Fall volleyball registration is now also open. It will be available to girls ages 6 to 15 and will be played at LC Sammons Youth Center in Cooper Park. The cost is $25 per person, and the deadline is August 9. There will be a fee of $15 for any sign-ups received after the deadline.
For soccer registration visit www.cityofmountainhome.com/online-youth-soccer-registration.
For volleyball registration visit www.cityofmountainhome.com/girls-youth-volleyball.
Contact Enoch Pepen with Mountain Home Parks and Recreation at 870-424-9311 with any questions about the upcoming season.
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Local fieldhouses look to capitalize on surge in basketball excitement
Pacers mania sweeps across Indiana adds fueling dreams of championship glory on courts big and small. The surge in basketball excitement is timely, as new and expanding local fieldhouses look to capitalize on the sporting fever. The Farmers Bank Fieldhouse in Lebanon is a new 200,000-square-foot sports complex isn’t just a testament to Indiana’s love […]
Pacers mania sweeps across Indiana adds fueling dreams of championship glory on courts big and small.
The surge in basketball excitement is timely, as new and expanding local fieldhouses look to capitalize on the sporting fever.
The Farmers Bank Fieldhouse in Lebanon is a new 200,000-square-foot sports complex isn’t just a testament to Indiana’s love for the game; it’s a promise of economic growth and community engagement. Home to the Lebanon Leprechauns, a professional team in The Basketball League’s Midwest Division (TBL), the Fieldhouse is also designed as a center for youth athletics.
This massive facility isn’t an isolated project. It’s a just of an example of a statewide boom in sports tourism and infrastructure. From Westfield’s sprawling Grand Park to other ambitious developments across Indiana, communities are investing heavily in state-of-the-art complexes. The goal is clear: attract visitors, stimulate local economies, and provide top-tier venues for a growing youth sports scene. These facilities promise not only to host tournaments and draw teams from across the region but also to become integral parts of their local communities.
However, as these gleaming new facilities open their doors, a crucial conversation is emerging about the cost of participation. While the Pacers’ on-court heroics inspire a new generation, families are navigating an increasingly expensive landscape for youth sports. Nationally, the average cost for a child’s primary sport has soared to over $1,000 annually, a figure that can quickly multiply for families with multiple children or those involved in elite travel leagues.
This financial pressure raises a critical question for communities investing millions in these impressive arenas: Will they be accessible to all, or do they risk becoming exclusive domains for those who can afford the rising fees, equipment, and travel costs?
Local leaders across Indiana find themselves in a delicate balancing act. As the state cheers on the Pacers and celebrates, the conversation about affordability and accessibility in youth athletics will only become more vital to the long-term success and inclusivity of these community investments.
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