ore nsi e:

HEALTH, TRAVEL, SPORTS, FOOD

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Health: Breast and ovarian
cancer link found.

Travel: Carolina "triangle"
a Jewish maven haven.

J

Food: Summer fruit choices
are just peachy.

Special to The Jewish News

he Detroit Maccabi teams have high
expectations during this summer's Mac-
cabi Games. The boys and girls volley-
ball teams and the coed golf team are
no exceptions.
Sam Skeegan has been involved with and
coaching Maccabi teams since 1984. Ken Bertin
has been involved since 1990. They are continu-
ing a long partnership to organize the 1998 vol-
leyball competition.
Skeegan is responsible for hiring USVBA refer-
ees and Bertin was in charge of finding locations
for the matches, which will be at the Maple/
Drake Jewish Community Center and Walled -
Lake Community Education Center for all 12
female teams, which will play indoors, and tenta-

Athletes
old and new
on Detroit's
volleyball and
golf teams
expect
Maccabi success.

Max Burgman
returns serve during
a volleyball
scrimmage.

tively Farmington Hills' Heritage Park fo-r the
male teams. The boys will play outdoors.
Skeegan has had many experiences with the
game of volleyball: He played in high school in
Pittsburgh and has won gold in the Senior
Olympics. He also assisted with the Andover
High School boys club team and at the YMCA.

Bertin is an experienced player who also loves
being with his children. His daughter Gennifer, a
head coach for one of Detroit's girls Maccabi
teams, got involved playing the sport when her
father began coaching.
Gennifer was an assistant Detroit coach last
year in Pittsburgh. She feels that the girls "have
substantially improved over one year's time."
Leah Trahey is coaching the other girls team,
assisted by Jaimee Wiener, and has been coaching
for five years. Trahey also coached in an AAU vol-
leyball league. She is a former Maccabi athlete
who is looking forward to "good, all around corn-
petition and tough matches."
Sarah Schreiber, 17, a senior at Walled Lake
Central, will be assisting Gennifer Bertin. She
participated in three Maccabi Games and plays
varsity volleyball at Central.
"I decided to continue with Maccabi after I
could no longer play because I love the athletic
competition," said Schreiber. "It is fun helping
others develop their skills and I enjoy it."
The Detroit girls have been separated into
teams, but there may be changes before the
Games begin. The teams practice together.
"The only time Leah and I do not coach
together is when we are scrimmaging each other.
When Leah's team is playing, I will be right by
her side during the Games, and the same for
when my team plays," Gennifer said.
Emily Baker, 14, who will be a freshman at
Berkley High School this fall, is entering her
rookie year with Maccabi but has been playing
volleyball for five years. "I am looking forward to
the challenge of doing my best against tough
competition," said Baker.
Nancy Levy, mother of 15-year-old Melissa, a
sophomore at Cranbrook, said her daughter
played last year in Wisconsin.
"Melissa loves volleyball and sports in general."
She's following in the volleyball footsteps of older
sister Jody.
The Detroit boys will be making their debut in
beach volleyball, a first at any Maccabi Games.
They will be led by first-time coach Aaron Fen-
berg.
"The guys play really well and have a lot of
potential. They work hard and like the sport,"
Fenberg said.
Walled Lake Western junior Greg Galperin will
participate in his second Games after taking last
year off becauk Detroit did not have a men's
team. Although the team has yet to practice on

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Photos by Joshua Kristal

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MIKKI MENTZEL