SPORTS
Preparing
for Baltimore
75 Detroit teens are planning to compete
in the Maccabi Games in August.
STEVE STEIN
Special to The Jewish News
W
founders of the Detroit Mac-
cabi Club, Robinson was the
delegation head from the
club's inception in 1982 until
Horowitz took the reins four
years ago.
Robinson was also general
chairman when the North
American Games, held every
two years in rotation with
regional events, were staged
here in 1990.
"The idea of the Maccabi
Games is to create an outlet
for Jewish kids to interact
with other Jewish kids from
different cities, states and
countries:' Horowitz said.
"Sure, the competition is a
means for getting the kids
together. To be honest, you
wouldn't attract these kinds
of numbers if you were hav-
ing, say, a Torah study week.
The Olympic-style sports, all
the social functions and the
religious events are a great
draw."
Photos by Glenn Triest
inning isn't
everything. Al-
an Horowitz
makes sure of
that.
Horowitz is the head of
the delegation from the
Metropolitan Detroit Maccabi
Club which will participate in
the Jewish Community
Centers' North American
Maccabi Youth Games in
Baltimore in late August.
Some 160-175 boys and
girls ages 13-16 will make up
the bulk of the Detroit Mac-
cabi group which will number
around 200 including
coaches, parents and delega-
tion officials.
There will be competition in
13 sports during the Aug.
23-30 event. And the Detroit
Maccabi contingent, expected
to be one of the biggest in the
field of more than 2,000
athletes from around the
world, should bring home its
fair share of medals.
But Horowitz wants the
Detroit Maccabi youngsters
to get much more out of the
Games than the thrill of
victory.
"Is winning important? To
Jay (Robinson) and me, not at
all;' said Horowitz. One of the
Members of the 1992 Maccabi golf team.
Apparently, the experience
leaves a lasting impression on
the athletes and their
coaches.
"Kids who compete in the
Games can't wait to go back;'
Horowitz said.
"Last year," said Detroit
Maccabi golf coach Matt
Lester, "was my first as a
coach. We competed in the
regional games in New Jersey
and I was blown away by the
whole thing.
"People were saying, 'just
wait for the North American
Games; " Lester added. "Go-
ing to New Jersey was a great
experience for me because I
had a chance to see how a fun-
damental goal of the Maccabi
Games was achieved through
athletic' competition.
"You saw that among
members of different delega-
tions and you saw that in
your own group. Our kids
were friendly and cordial on
the bus going to New Jersey,
and on the way back they
were singing and hugging
each other."
A potential problem with a
few current Detroit Maccabi
team members was averted
this spring. School is schedul-
ed to begin in the Farmington
Public Schools on the fourth
Tuesday in August. Students
in the district who earned
berths on the Detroit Maccabi
squad will have to miss 3Y2
days of classes. District of-
ficials, recognizing the Games
as an educational experience,
declined to penalize the
students.
"The school district and the
(Farmington Education) Asso-
ciation were unaware of the
conflict with the Maccabi
Games at the time the calen-
dar was negotiated:' said
Susan H. Zurvalec, district
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
49