PASSION

Articles on this page show how student-athletes in the MIAA demonstrate their love for their particular sport and a passion to compete.

Wide-eyed and pony-tailed, they circle around the net, the bottom of which is set at a height most of them could walk under standing upright. At the moment, however, that’s not a concern for the on-looking crowd of elementary school girls at Calvin College's Van Noord Arena. Their gaze is fixed at the top of the net, where the 6-foot-1 Lizzie Kamp just smacked a would-be kill cross-court.

It’s a tutorial on "approach," volleyball’s designated pattern of steps for attacking at the net, but the day’s lesson isn’t merely tactical: It’s also emotional, nutritional and spiritual. The hop, skip and swing of Kamp’s approach is part of the larger lesson on self-esteem, physical health and faith.

Those themes guide the Calvin volleyball team’s "Girls in Training" program, an initiative designed to get girls thinking holistically about health. Since February, the volleyball team has met with third and fourth-grade girls from local Christian schools twice weekly.

"We play a lot of games, run a lot of laps and at the end of each day we talk about a theme like health," said Katie Winkle, a nine-year old from Grand Rapids Christian Elementary.

Holistically fit

In the first four weeks of the 10-week program, the girls exercised and had discussions at Grand Rapids Christian Elementary School. For the remaining six weeks, the Calvin volleyball squad hosted the girls at Calvin to run on the track, practice in the gym and talk about health issues. The program will culminate with each of its 28 members participating in Calvin’s 5K Fun Run, held in April.

"Girls in Training is about getting girls physically and spiritually fit," said Amber Warners, head coach of the volleyball team and the brains behind the initiative. Warners specifically emphasized the program’s relational aspect. "Yes, it’s about learning the game of volleyball, but the most important piece is establishing relationships."

Sixteen of Calvin’s 18 varsity volleyball players have participated in the program thus far. That number includes seniors Erin VanderPlas and Rebecca Kamp, who, though have played their final game for the Knights, still take part in the program.

"They’re really, really nice and always encouraging to us. I like that," said Winkle before scurrying off to a closing prayer circle.

Rebecca Kamp, who spent last semester student teaching most of the girls at Grand Rapids Christian Elementary, called her reunion with the girls an "automatic connection." "We get to know the girls really personally," she said. "And in return, we get to bring a part of our lives into theirs."

Everybody Wins

But the younger girls aren’t the program’s only benefactors. Both Warners and VanderPlas stressed the program’s mutually beneficial nature.

"It’s so rewarding for what I’m giving them but also what I’m getting out of it," said VanderPlas.

Warners concurred: "I think what our team is finding is that they’re being blessed just as much as the girls are," she said.

She stressed the importance of mentorship among young women. "I would think most of my players can think about a person in their life who has mentored them. Hopefully, we can do that for some of these girls," she said.

The "Girls in Training" program is part of a movement across Calvin’s kinesiology department to involve athletic teams in service-learning opportunities. Warners has expressed interest in engaging other women’s teams in the initiative. The athletic department has also discussed plans of helping out with the Special Olympics event held annually on campus.

March 2012

Albion College senior guard Nicole Dennis has been through it all in her four-year basketball career. Dennis has experienced the thrills of a dazzling freshman season, the pain and struggle of having to battle through injuries on both of her knees, and the surreal amount of perseverance needed to rediscover her form as a senior captain.

Dennis came to Albion as a freshman expecting to play early, but even she was surprised by the impact she had on the team. Not only did Dennis lead the team in scoring her first season with 11.1 points per game, she was a second-team All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association selection in 2009.

"Coming in I didn’t expect to have such a big impact on the team, but I did expect to play," Dennis said. "I came to Albion because I had a better chance to play as a freshman than I would have at a school like Hope or Calvin."

Calvin College undoubtedly realized they missed out on a talented basketball player when Dennis torched them for a career high 32 points in Albion’s 77-75 upset victory back in December 2008.

"I still think about that game," Dennis said as she reminisced the game in her head. "It seemed easier as a freshman playing with no fear against those teams because you have never seen them before. The basket just looked huge."

Albion head coach Doreen Carden had no doubt in her mind Dennis could handle being the focal point of the team in her first season.

"Coach (Carden) always told me to play confidently," Dennis said. "It’s hard for freshmen to play with confidence, but I had the support of Coach (Carden) to take control of the team."

Having the chance to play early in her career was a big factor in Dennis’ decision to come to Albion, but she also knew her academics were just as important. A communication studies major with a minor in history, Dennis is searching for a graduate assistant position that would lead her to a career in the sports industry.

Click here to read more about Nicole Dennis

February 2012

Coming around the fourth turn at Grand Valley State University’s Early Bird Open, he heard them, the cheers of his teammates.

"Calvin! Calvin! Calvin!"

These cheers weren’t new to Nick Kramer; he was actually quite familiar with them. For the past three years he’d heard them at conference jamborees and regional meets. He even heard them at last year’s nationals, where just enough Advil and an uncanny amount of focus allowed him to momentarily ignore the pangs of a torn hamstring to finish fourth in the 5,000 meters at the 2011 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

But these sounded a bit different. They met his ears with the same cadence, the same passion. Still, they weren’t the same. Were they louder? Probably not, though the chants of the two-dozen teammates who came out to support Kramer and teammate Alex Wrobel certainly amplified as the race progressed.

In fact, these cheers weren’t entirely accurate. Though Kramer and Wrobel proudly don the Maroon and Gold, they couldn’t today. The meet wasn’t listed on Calvin’s schedule, which meant Wrobel and Kramer had to run unattached in a talent-loaded field. But that wasn’t the difference; no, these cheers rang with heightened significance. That’s because these chants, along with their rhythmic exuberance, carried with them the silence of four months on the sideline.

After the 2011 NCAA championships, Kramer had a decision to make. The strained hamstring was wearing on his hip flexor. Though he felt fine during practices and competitions, afterwards his stride gave way to a limp. Choosing to run in that year’s cross country campaign might jeopardize not just that season, but the 2012 track and field season, as well as Kramer’s running future. With help from Calvin coach Brian Diemer, Kramer elected to sit the year out.

"[Sitting out] was a lot harder than I thought," said Kramer, whose workout regimen included daily stints on an exercise bike and regular sessions in the pool. "The hardest part was watching."

Click here to read more about Nick Kramer

December 2011

As a child growing up in Grosse Pointe, Mich., Mark Ghafari loved playing sports of all kinds, but basketball was always his favorite. Being part of a close knit team was one of the things he loved most about basketball and it satisfied his competitive nature.

Ghafari played three sports in high school, but his dream was always to continue to play basketball at the college level.

His competitive drive, which he developed early on, helped him pursue and achieve his dream of playing basketball in college, now as a sophomore guard at Kalamazoo College.

Ghafari is majoring in economics, minoring in sociology, and plans to study abroad in Strasbourg, France this coming spring. He is also involved in other extracurricular activities such as K-Crew, which provides prospective students with a view of the ‘K’ experience, along with the Athletic Leadership Council.

"The best part about playing basketball is the adrenaline rush you get when you’re on the court in that pressure moment and when your team comes out with the victory," said Ghafari.

He also appreciates the team mentality of the game.

"Your team can rely on you and you can rely on your team to pick each other up and win the game; we all help to keep each other going and motivated, both on and off the court," said Ghafari.

When they aren’t hanging out in the locker room, riding to and from games on a bus, or eating a team dinner together, Ghafari and his team can be found just hanging out during free time or studying for a big exam in the library.

"Having a team is like having a second family. What people don’t see is what we do together off the court; that makes us that much better on the court," said Ghafari.

November 2011

There is a saying that no one swims because they like it. The battle between body and water, the grueling workouts, the mental exhaustion of repeats, constantly hitting the physical wall and barreling through a level of fatigue that would make anyone want to give up - it is not a sport for the faint of heart. Couple the pure exhaustive nature of swimming with the fact that Saint Mary's does not have a pool on campus, it takes more than the average amount of resolve not only to compete, but to compete at an elite level.

Senior co-captain Audrey Dalrymple not only takes on all these hurdles head on, but she excels in spite of them. Going back to the 2007-08 school year, it was difficult for Dalrymple to choose a college. Her choices included a Division I school where she would try to walk on to the team, a Division II school where she was offered a full scholarship, and Saint Mary's.

"I chose Saint Mary's because I did not want to have to compromise my education for swimming," recalled Dalrymple, who is majoring in biology and earning a minor in chemistry. "I wanted to be able to receive a good education and have the opportunity to compete and excel in swimming."

The Grand Rapids, Mich., native has done just that from the on-set of her collegiate career. In her very first dual meet for the Belles, she was a winner in the 200 individual medley against defending conference champion Calvin.

At the end of her freshman campaign, she became just the second swimmer in school history to earn a chance to compete at the NCAA Division III Championships. At the national meet, she set a new school record in the 400 individual medley, finished 26th in the 100 breaststroke, and narrowly missed the consolation finals of the 200 breaststroke. None of those moments, however, are classified by her as her best moment in the pool.

"My best moments were the moments I got to share a win with the team, whether it was a win at a dual meet or out-touching a relay at conference. While individual successes are great, I would much rather share the excitement with my teammates. I cherish the moments where we can experience it [swimming] together."

Click here to read more about Audrey Dalrymple

October 2011

Adrian forward Yadi Aliakbar seemed destined to be a soccer player. As an infant, his first gift was a soccer ball.

His father, Lee, is chief executive officer for the Toledo Celtics club soccer team and was his high school coach at St. Francis de Sales High School in Toledo, Ohio.

After playing two years at Owens Tech Community College, Aliakbar is now making his presence and passion for the game felt as a starting forward for the Bulldogs.

"Going from St. Francis to Owens was an adjustment to college," Aliakbar said.

Now it's another jump from Owens to Adrian. "It's definitely a different level. It's a faster pace and stronger boys."

Adrian coach Chris LeFevre welcomed the seasoned player into the Bulldogs program with open arms.

The 5-foot-9, 154- pound junior brings a level of skill and intensity the Bulldogs could use as they come off a 9-9-2 season in 2010, the program's most successful season since 1983.

"We actually knew about him when he came out of high school two years ago, but he decided to go to Owens," said LeFevre, who is in his third season as the Bulldogs coach.

"He's a very talented player and technically he's been sound. He's definitely an attack player, so we're trying to help him up the field. He's kind of the maestro."

September 2011

Some people bend when they are met with adversity. They face a conflict and turn away, too scared to take the challenge. Keisha Brown, head coach of the women’s basketball team at Alma College, is not one of those people. She is better described as the exact opposite.

Coach Brown faces challenges head on with the kind of strength that most of us can only hope for and she does so without even breaking stride. Potentially her largest obstacle was when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in June of 2007 while playing with her daughter, Angel.

"You wouldn’t know that I have cancer unless you asked me," she says.

Coach Brown, a survivor of breast cancer, or a "lifer" as she prefers to call it, has seen adversity – she has lived adversity. News of a life threatening disease cannot possibly be easy. But she does not let her breast cancer control her life.

"I have a disease. However, it doesn’t control me, it doesn’t define me and my life is great," Brown explained. Instead, she continues pursuing basketball, one of the things that Brown credits as giving her the mental strength to make it through. In fact, during the time when she was diagnosed, she was the head coach of the boys varsity basketball team at Sacred Heart Academy in Mount Pleasant, Mich. She pressed on with her regular practice and game schedule without missing a beat.

As a head coach and former player, basketball has been a part of Coach Brown’s life for years. Little did she know when she started playing that her passion for basketball would later help to save her life. Now, heading into her third year as the head coach at Alma, her passion shines through both on and off the court. It is contagious and she continues to be a model of what true passion looks like for her players and for everyone around her.

May 2011

By the traditional sense of the term, track and field and cross country are not team sports. Outside of relays, the sports are designed for the individual.

Talk to members of Calvin’s cross country or track and field teams, and you’ll likely think otherwise. In building a tradition-steeped program, the Knights have relied heavily on team spirit and encouragement.

"At Calvin, we use the team to help us reach our goals," said junior Nick Kramer, a Calvin standout in track and field as well as cross country.

Bret Otte, Calvin’s head track and field coach, is intentional about promoting the concept of team to his squad. Otte makes a point to integrate different the team’s different event groups in warm-ups, bus rides, and small groups. For him, the team nature of the sport may seem slight, but is crucial and unavoidable. "The subtle nature of the sport is that we are very dependent on one another in practice for encouragement and to push one another," said Otte.

Critical to this team atmosphere is encouragement and team spirit, of which the Knights have no shortage. "I’ve never seen more Calvin athletic gear than I do at every single track practice," said senior Rachel Boerner, one of the Knights’ most accomplished runners. "We are proud to support Calvin College and strive during every practice and at every meet to show the rest of the world how great the school and people of Calvin are," she added.

This united mission is evident in weekly meetings, called "spotlighting," where team members draw attention to areas requiring improvement or notable achievements.

Click here to read more about Calvin's track and cross country teams

April 2011

Three years.

That's all the time Bay City, Mich. native Rafe Maxwell wanted to spend in college.

Maxwell, a star swimmer at Bay City Western, wanted to get on with his life. He had plans. He wanted to become a police officer, and the sooner he finished school, the sooner he could get to the police academy.

So as he sat with his mother, a third-year swimmer at Olivet College ready to compete for the final time at the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association conference championships, Maxwell broke down.

"The first two days at MIAA, every night I had to cry myself to sleep because I could not get it together," Maxwell said. "On the last day, my mom came up to me after one of the sessions and I said to her, 'I can't do it. I've lost it.'"

A year later, and four years after graduating high school, Maxwell plans on graduating this spring from Olivet as a two-time MIAA champion in the 200-yard butterfly. The path to MIAA champion was not easy, and even the decision to swim in college was a struggle for Maxwell.

Click here to read more about Rafe Maxwell

March 2011

The game of golf is filled with bad breaks. Even if you are on top of the leaderboard, odds are you are going to have to overcome an obstacle during your round. How you deal with it however will determine whether you succeed or fail. The same can be said in life. Things happen that you cannot control, but how you respond determines your future.

That brings us to the story of John Weishar. John is a freshman at Adrian College and a member of the men's golf team. The events surrounding an accident nine years ago could have been the end of John's life; instead, it saved his life.

John thought that playing a game of basketball with his sister would be a fun way to pass the time during Memorial Day weekend in 2002. He really liked to play sports and be active and beating his sister would be icing on the cake. The two went out to the driveway and after a few minutes things were going great. The mood changed moments later when John's sister knocked the ball out of his hands. The ball bounced against the concrete and struck John in the left eye.

After a few days, his eye began to swell and his parents finally decided that it was time to go see the family doctor. She sent them to a well-known optometrist near his hometown of Westlake, Ohio. John was then instructed to set up an MRI with the Cleveland Clinic and that is where he found out about a tumor growing behind his eye. John was born with cancerous cells and the accident basically jumpstarted the tumor to grow. He had rhabdomyosarchoma which is defined as a cancerous (malignant) tumor of the muscles that are attached to the bones. The tumor was described to John as being the size of a golf ball.

Click here to read more about John Weishar

February 2011

The pride of a student body is many times reflected in its enthusiasm for its sports teams. Hope College is no exception. Tradition anchors the Dew Crew student cheering section in spirit and passion.

If passion were a color, it would be orange. If passion were a person, it would be Dutch. If passion were a place it would be Hope.

Welcome to Hope, home of the Dew Crew, and home to some of the most passionate student fans on earth. The Dew Crew isn't afraid to spar with the Izzones or the Cameron Crazies. They like to say that it isn't the size of the dog in the fight that counts, but the size of the passion in the stands that makes a difference. In Division III schools, athletics rely on the voices of a few to carry the tradition of a fan base. Yet at Hope the concept of “few” is replaced by the enthusiasm of the “Crew.”

With each bite of passion comes the lingering taste of tradition. Since its founding in 1996, the Dew Crew has become contagious. Each graduating class is replaced by a freshman body of eager fanatics. Many have grown up around Hope basketball. Many have grown up with a habit of watching the Dew Crew more than watching the game. And yet some are experiencing the heartbeat of Hope for the first time. But no matter what background Hope students come from, everyone’s chest shares the same racing rhythm.

Visiting teams put the Dew Crew in their scouting reports. The “Dew Crew” dominates attendance records and decibel levels while creating a homecourt atmosphere of passion. For those who play the game, all they need to do is look into a sea of their peers to find motivation. The painted chests of their classmates, the hoarse throats of their resident assistants and professors, their entire student population in the stands, all combines to unify both athlete and school under an orange and blue flag of passion.

Click here to read more about Hope's Dew Crew

January 2011

It is no surprise that runners are passionate about what they do. They brave elements from extreme heat to wintery cold to pound the pavement.

For Saint Mary’s alumna and head cross country coach Jackie Bauters '04, that love of running means helping others grow and learn self-respect and discipline through a healthy lifestyle.

That mindset of self-growth and education of healthy practices is the essence of the mission statement for Girls on the Run (GOTR), a non-profit organization whose curricula address all aspects of preteen girls' development - their physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual well-being.

Currently 42 of the 50 United States and two Canadian provinces have Girls on the Run councils. Seven councils exist in Indiana, and Bauters was part of the team that helped bring GOTR to the Michiana area. The girls in the program culminate a 10 week season with a 5-kilometer run that they complete as a group. It is a program that is all about moving forward in any fashion in life, not just running.

"Being a coach at Saint Mary’s, I have seen how challenging society is for even the most educated and privileged young women, let alone those facing tougher circumstances," said Bauters. "I believe Girls on the Run is a program that can help provide all young women with the tools to be more prepared to face their futures."

Click here to read more about Jackie Bauters

December 2010

Imagine trying to run a little more than three miles as fast as you can when someone has their arms squeezing around your chest. Katie Broekema, a junior captain of Albion’s women’s cross country team, experiences the feeling every time she hits the trail because she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic lung disease, when she was a toddler.

"My lungs are filled with mucus and my small airways are the worst because they get clogged easier," Broekema said. "I just can’t get a deep breath in.

"Last year I was diagnosed with CF related diabetes so that added another component," she added. "I carry a note that says I can carry food with me in my races and sometimes I eat Gummi worms during my race."

Broekema has already defied expectations – her life expectancy was only 18 when she was first diagnosed – and that likely comes from doctors and parents who treated her like a normal kid. She played youth soccer and claims her lack of hand-eye coordination was a factor in her pursuit of running.

Guided by her father, Tom, an All-America runner at Western Michigan who served as an assistant coach of her Schoolcraft High School squad, Broekema was the No. 4 runner when the Eagles finished fourth in the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Division 3 finals her senior year.

While Broekema admits to feelings of frustration because CF has slowed her times – she hopes to return to her high school form of completing 5-kilometer races in less than 20 minutes – she is happier with the life skills she has developed.

November 2010

Alex Ducoffe is a firm believer in the power of perseverance. Now a sophomore at Kalamazoo College, the native of Granger, Ind. has been playing soccer since he was five years old. Despite enduring many difficult injuries since he first began playing, those tough times have not deterred him from his passion for the game. It was through these injuries that Alex realized how much he needed soccer in his life.

Watching his fellow teammates play, Alex says that, “I realized how much I had put into soccer, and felt like something was missing without it.” Determined to play, Alex pushed past his injuries, going the extra mile to succeed.

Alex first injured his knee in the winter of 2007 during an indoor game. He was misdiagnosed multiple times and his knee would pop out every few weeks. Alex eventually went to a doctor in Indianapolis who determined that he had an exploded anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This injury put Alex out for most of his senior season of high school, yet Alex had the strength of mind to persevere through the injury and make an amazing comeback. At the end of the season, his coach put him in for two minutes at the end of the game. With only those two minutes, Alex pushed through and scored his first high school goal.

Click here to learn more about Alex Ducoffe

October 2010

The summer tennis camps in Hamilton, Ind., have been as much a part of summer as swimming and fireworks. Trine University tennis coach Bill Maddock has been an active part of it nearly from the start.

The tradition continued at Gnagy Park, with Melanie Sobeske, one of Maddock’s players for the Thunder, directing the week-long camp.

In 13 summers, Maddock and his players have become like pied pipers for the sport, attracting more than 500 students in grades 2-12 to instruction.

"Most of these kids have never seen a court or tennis pro, and for some of these kids it’s the only week of the year they play tennis," Maddock said. "But it amazes me as an educator how much they remember."

"It’s a great asset for the community," Hamilton Park Board Director of Tennis and Trails Brad Stevens said. "It’s a life-long sport that we are introducing to kids. While they may never play in high school or college, it’s something they can do for the rest of their lives."

Click here to learn more about Bill Maddock

September 2010

Alma College sophomore cross country/track runner Garrett Lacy of Carson City, Mich., has always had a passion for running and a spirit not easily deflated. That spirit and passion was given a big test in August 2009, when Garrett learned that his mother, Jennifer Lacy, had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Garrett was preparing to leave for his second year at Eastern Michigan University after redshirting his first season when he learned of his mother’s diagnosis. He made the decision to remain at his Carson City home to be with his parents and attend school at Alma College.

He was able to get registered into Alma in the final week before classes started and the one thing he knew – other than being with his mother – was he wanted to run. Eastern gave him a release and shortly thereafter, Garrett was on Alma’s cross country team, under the direction of head coach Gordon Aldrich.

“The important thing for me was to be with my mom as much as possible,” said Lacy. “Living at home allows me to be there, and both my parents know how much I love running. My dad was an assistant coach at the high school level, and the sport has been a big part of my entire life.”

Click here to learn more about Garrett Lacy