Fundamentals

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE - Before they were Falcons, Knights and Rebels, a good number of the boys' and girls' basketball players currently occupying roster spots on area high school teams began as Blazers. Renaissance Academy boys' basketball Coach Sid Cooke has been instructing youth players from around the area and the greater San Gabriel Valley long enough to count alumni of his camps and travel ball program at just about any local game he attends, whether it's at Crescenta Valley High, La Cañada, St. Francis or Flintridge Prep.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Never underestimate the motivating power of Gatorade on a hot summer day. With each victory in a competition or heads-up play performed in a drill, the attendants of the second annual Falcons Summer Baseball Camp would rapidly scurry across Stengel Field to claim their liquid reward. But it was far more than just the chance to win free sports drinks that lured a sizable group of youth ballplayers ages 7-12 to Stengel Field for the camp, which began on Monday and concluded Thursday.

BURBANK — It's the middle of summer, and Bruce Breeden can't seem to leave the basketball court. More like the former Crescenta Valley High girls' basketball coach doesn't want to. That's no surprise, since he's intent on assisting youngsters to become better players by helping them grasp the fundamentals of the fast-paced game. Breeden, who now serves as the Burbank High girls' basketball coach, oversaw a group of about 12 girls who took part in his camp at Burbank High last week.

For Latin Dance Pro salsa dance instructor Sergio Leal, teaching dance comes down to one thing: the fundamentals. “My philosophy is to really start them off at the very beginning,” Leal said, as salsa music pumped through the speakers of the dance hall of Stardancers Horizon on Wilson Avenue in Glendale. These fundamentals to salsa, he said, make reaching the intermediate level a lot easier. He begins by teaching his students basic steps used in most forms of salsa, Leal said.

The Crescenta Valley Youth Basketball Program can help youths improve their playing skills no matter what their performance level is. The program focuses on shooting, ball handling, rebounding, passing, defense, guard play, post play, footwork, conditioning and court awareness This program, conducted by Coach Michael Gayle, offers one-on-one coaching, in conjunction with a systematic approach, to develope sound basketball fundamentals which...

Charles Rich They didn't travel halfway across the world to have their spirits dampened by a rare rainy day in Southern California. Nor did the members of the Tokyo-based Rikkyo-St. Paul's University baseball team shed tears after they had exhibition games against USC and UCLA canceled Wednesday because of inclement weather. There were traces of disappointment, but the Japanese athletes carried on by practicing and scrimmaging Thursday at venerable Stengel Field.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — While Conor Blakey has attended his share of baseball, basketball and soccer camps in recent years, he had yet to win a prize. It wasn't something that tugged at Blakey, 11, but it might have been the perfect motivation to reverse course. For that to change, Blakey knew he needed to apply his complete concentration on catching tennis balls while looking into the blinding sun in short left field at Stengel Field on Wednesday during the Falcon Summer Baseball Camp.

BURBANK - For the past four years, the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy basketball team has enjoyed a renaissance by qualifying for the postseason. Ty Buxman had a hand in that achievement by grooming multiple players at the junior varsity level as a coach and preparing them for the transition to the varsity stage. Buxman will now be in charge of the varsity team for the first time after he succeeded Gino Pacella, who resigned following last season. "We built a program over the last four years and we are going to try to keep making progress," said Buxman, whose team suffered a pair of pool-play losses Friday, including a 59-17 defeat against Country Day La Jolla, at the Summer Slam Tournament at Burroughs High.

PASADENA - With his team up by 45 points midway through the third period of its CIF Southern Section Division 6 quarterfinal game against Arshag Dickranian on Tuesday, Renaissance Academy basketball Coach Sid Cooke called a timeout. Despite being ahead comfortably, Cooke didn't like what he saw after the two teams exchanged a number of baskets during a two-minute stretch. The coach wanted his squad to keep its focus. "I just wanted our kids to keep playing hard," Cooke said.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE - It could be argued that both the Marshall Fundamental and Flintridge Prep boys' soccer teams enjoyed small victories when the pair met in nonleague play. The visiting Eagles, who entered Tuesday evening's affair having scored 19 goals through three contests, were held well below their average and spent most of the evening in irritation, with part of that sensation due to the Rebels. Even so, Marshall's attack still proved potent enough in a 2-0 victory at the Glendale Sports Complex.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE - Without a top player and down its head coach, circumstances weren't exactly in favor of the Flintridge Prep girls' soccer team in the Rebels' season opener Friday afternoon at the Glendale Sports Complex. Then again, the Rebels had the benefit of playing visiting Marshall Fundamental, which was down four starters, and took advantage with dominant midfield play in a 4-0 nonleague victory. “We said before the game, during the game and at halftime that we had to look for touches and control the ball,” said Rebels assistant Sean Beattie, who was filling in for head coach Esteban Chavez, who is at the NCAA Men's Soccer Final Four.

Falling behind 34 points at halftime, the Marshall Fundamental football team knew it was in for a tough Saturday evening. The Eagles, though, showed some defensive resilience in the second half in only allowing two touchdowns before falling, 48-0, to host Windward School in Alpha League play at Palisades High. With the defeat, Marshall's second in a row, the Eagles fell to 3-5 overall and 0-4 in league. "We didn't give up and that's what I appreciate about the guys. They kept fighting," Marshall first-year Coach Jim Arellanes said.

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE - Across two multi-purpose fields at Flintridge Intermediate School, Barry Ritson went from one drill station to another. Ritson's interest peaked while watching 60-70 campers go though a variety of drills during the first day of the inaugural Launch Soccer Camp. In the camp that featured athletes 4-14, players spent nearly 30 minutes perfecting their dribbling skills on the all-grass venue while absorbing all the material. "Youth soccer is built on reputation and you want to see the kids do well," said Ritson, a native of England who started Launch Soccer in February and will conduct several similar camps through Aug. 17 in Pasadena, Arcadia and Temple City.

BURBANK - For the past four years, the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy basketball team has enjoyed a renaissance by qualifying for the postseason. Ty Buxman had a hand in that achievement by grooming multiple players at the junior varsity level as a coach and preparing them for the transition to the varsity stage. Buxman will now be in charge of the varsity team for the first time after he succeeded Gino Pacella, who resigned following last season. "We built a program over the last four years and we are going to try to keep making progress," said Buxman, whose team suffered a pair of pool-play losses Friday, including a 59-17 defeat against Country Day La Jolla, at the Summer Slam Tournament at Burroughs High.

PASADENA - With his team up by 45 points midway through the third period of its CIF Southern Section Division 6 quarterfinal game against Arshag Dickranian on Tuesday, Renaissance Academy basketball Coach Sid Cooke called a timeout. Despite being ahead comfortably, Cooke didn't like what he saw after the two teams exchanged a number of baskets during a two-minute stretch. The coach wanted his squad to keep its focus. "I just wanted our kids to keep playing hard," Cooke said.

LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE — Before they were Falcons, Knights and Rebels, a good number of the boys' and girls' basketball players currently occupying roster spots on area high school teams began as Blazers. Renaissance Academy boys' basketball Coach Sid Cooke has been instructing youth players from around the area and the greater San Gabriel Valley long enough to count alumni of his camps and travel ball program at just about any local game he attends, whether it's at Crescenta Valley High, La Cañada, St. Francis or Flintridge Prep.

LA CRESCENTA - In a designed 20-second shooting drill, Henry Alvarez worked diligently. His hand-and-eye coordination didn't desert him in the process. With a basketball planted on each side of the key inside the Crescenta Valley High gymnasium, Alvarez raced toward each ball, scooped it up and made all 10 shots he took in the allotted time. The performance drew plenty of attention and Alvarez, 11, worked up a sweat before being greeted by his fellow participants at Coach Z's Basketball Camp.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Never underestimate the motivating power of Gatorade on a hot summer day. With each victory in a competition or heads-up play performed in a drill, the attendants of the second annual Falcons Summer Baseball Camp would rapidly scurry across Stengel Field to claim their liquid reward. But it was far more than just the chance to win free sports drinks that lured a sizable group of youth ballplayers ages 7-12 to Stengel Field for the camp, which began on Monday and concluded Thursday.