FS_071918

42 | July 19, 2018 | The frankfort station sports
frankfortstation.com
Athlete of the Week
10 Questions
with Hunter Stumpf
Hunter Stumpf plays for
Frankfort Force and is an
incoming freshman baseball
player at Lincoln-Way
Central
How’d you get started
in baseball?
I started playing baseball
when my dad signed me up
for tee ball when I was 5, and
I have developed a love for
the game ever since.
What keeps you playing
baseball?
I think my love for the
game and the bonds that I
have created with some of
my teammates is what has
kept me playing all these
years.
What’s your favorite
position to play?
My favorite position is
definitely pitcher since I feel
that it lets me be in control of
the game, rather than being in
the infield or outfield where I
might only get to touch the
ball a few times a game.
Who’s your favorite
player?
My favorite player is Mike
Trout [of the Los Angeles Angels]
because of his work ethic
and how he is able to make
adjustments to his game year
after year to become the best
player possible.
What’s your spirit
animal?
My spirit animal is the
dog because it is loyal and
friendly to others, which are
two characteristics that I try
to show in my own life.
What would be the first
thing you’d buy if you
won the lottery?
If I won the lottery I would
pay off my college tuition
and send my parents on a trip
to Europe since they work
extremely hard and I feel that
they need an extended break.
What would be your
dream college to go to?
My dream college right
now is either University of Illinois
or University of North
Carolina.
If you could own an
exotic pet, then what
would it be?
Photo submitted
I would pick a penguin
because they are really cool
looking and I love the way
they look when they waddle
around from place to place.
If you couldn’t play
baseball, then what
other sport would you
play?
I would play basketball
because that’s the other sport
that I have been playing for a
long time other than baseball.
What’s a life lesson
you’ve learned playing
baseball?
Never give up.
Interview conducted by Contributing
Editor T.J. Kremer III
basketball
From Page 46
cluded a Bulls basketball,
a duffel bag, a T-shirt, preseason
Bulls tickets, a White
Sox voucher and a pass for an
exclusive tour of the United
Center.
Coach Jacquelyn Eubanks
has been coaching with the
Bulls and Sox Academy
for two years. She said the
coaching staff tells the players
that every exercise they
complete, regardless of how
fun it may be, has an important
purpose.
The week-long camp drills
participants on their ball handling,
defense, shooting and
passing skills.
“Those are the main fundamentals
that any player needs
to start at," Eubanks said.
"We hope to see them grow
by the end of the camp, each
and every day."
One drill the children practiced
was an exercise called
dribble knockout. The players
had fun dribbling the ball,
but the coaches said the real
purpose behind the exercise
was learning how to dribble
with pressure while staying
within a certain boundary.
“When you mix in some
games, they don’t realize it
at first but they’re using the
drills they learned to play
those games,” Schalk said.
Schalk said learning fundamentals
of the game such
as dribbling with control and
proper shooting techniques
help participants become
overall better players on and
off the court.
“They get to learn different
paces," he said. "If you’re
dribbling up to a defender
you have to change paces
to get by them. It’s learning
angles of the rim, change of
direction and speed and different
awareness of where
they’re at on the floor."
Throughout the week, several
parents and family members
of the young athletes
watched the players from
the stands, often calling out
words of support and encouragement.
Eileen Gaffney, a grandmother
of two of the participants,
said she has seen
firsthand how the camp has
refined her grandchildren's
skills.
“The coaches are wonderful
and take their time with
the children," Gaffney said. I
think this is a great camp for
kids. With my two grandsons,
I have seen a big improvement
in how they dribble and
shoot the ball."
One of her grandsons, Cullen
Jorgensen, of Frankfort,
said he enjoys taking part in
the sport.
“My favorite thing is shooting,
and now I’ve learned
how to dribble between the
legs,” he said.
Another parent in the
stands, Monee resident Amy
Caldwell, said her son has
begun to develop a passion
for basketball by learning the
game at the camp.
“He had an interest in basketball
and loves the Chicago
Bulls," she said. "I think it’s
good to be with other kids on
a team learning new skills.
He’s only 6, so he’s all new
to this, but he’s excited about
learning how to play the
game."
Schalk said that he pushes
students to do their best to
improve their game because
he remembers being around
their age and discovering his
passion for basketball — a
driving force that has remained
with him his entire
life.
“You figure out how much
you love the game when you
get to teach it to someone
else or help them get better,"
Schalk said. "They have the
same kind of drive I had to
get better."
Scores are compiled
throughout the local summer
camps, and players who rank
the highest in each age group
will compete in a Champions
Day competition.
Eubanks said the coaches
can easily connect with the
students because they all
have one thing in common.
“These are all people that
love the game,” she said.
Children line up to shoot hoops July 12 at the Chicago Bulls basketball camp held at the
Founders Community Center in Frankfort. Megan Schuller/22nd Century Media