sports

Gordon Will Coach U.S.
Basketball Team In Israel

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

K

aren Gordon’s summers are
tour the country and learn about it.
busy. This summer will be par-
Cost is $4,600 per U.S. athlete,
ticularly hectic.
including round-trip transportation
Gordon has been a JCC Maccabi
from New York.
Games & ArtsFest delegation head
Gordon said she doesn’t look at the
for Detroit since 1999. She’s in that
International Maccabi Youth Games
role again this year for the Detroit
as competition for the JCC Maccabi
delegation that will participate in the
Games. She wouldn’t have accepted
Maccabi Games from Aug.
the coaching job if she did.
5-10 in Orange County, Calif.
“I live and breathe the JCC
Another responsibility has
Maccabi Games. I’ve done that
been added to Gordon’s full
for years,” she said.
plate.
“Having one site this sum-
The Farmington Hills
mer has challenges. Orange
resident and Ferndale High
County can accommodate
School math teacher is the
about 2,000 kids. The last few
coach for the U.S. girls basket-
years, we’ve had about 3,000
ball team that will participate Karen Gordon
kids participate at multiple
in the inaugural International
sites. Plus, that week in August
Maccabi Youth Games from
[Aug. 5-10] is not good for
July 23 to Aug. 1 in Israel.
some kids because they’re back in
When all is said and done after a full school.”
July and August, Gordon will need to
Gordon said she’ll select her bas-
add “globetrotter” to her resume.
ketball team from virtual tryouts that
“I’ll be home for a couple days after I most likely will include videos, and
get back from Israel. I’ll do my laundry, interviews with athletes and coaches.
pack and get ready to go to California,” A three-day camp probably will be
Gordon said.
held in the New York-New Jersey area
Her quick turnaround will involve
before the team leaves for Israel.
more than washing clothes. Gordon
Gordon is excited about the oppor-
also will need to deal with the 10-hour
tunity to coach in Israel. One reason is
time difference between Israel and
her own personal experience involving
California.
a dream that never came true.
“I guess I’ll have to get myself accli-
“When I was 17 in 1989, I was a
mated to California time at the end of
finalist for the U.S. women’s basket-
my stay in Israel,” Gordon said.
ball team for the Maccabiah Games
So what is the International
in Israel,” she said. “I didn’t make
Maccabi Youth Games?
the cut, but I thought I had a good
It’s an event for female and male
chance of making it four years later.
Jewish athletes born in 2002, 2003 and
Unfortunately, women’s basketball was
2004 organized by several organiza-
dropped by then.”
tions including Maccabi USA and
A Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of
Maccabi World Union that’s in the
Fame Pillars of Excellence recipient in
spirit of the Maccabiah Games held
2013, Gordon played basketball, vol-
every four years in Israel.
leyball and softball at Farmington Hills
About 300 teen athletes from the
Harrison High School and softball and
U.S. will be joined by counterparts
basketball in college.
from Australia, Canada, Great Britain,
She’s coached Detroit Maccabi vol-
Israel, South Africa and other coun-
leyball, softball and basketball teams,
tries in team sports including baseball
was co-chair for the JCC Maccabi
(boys only), basketball, soccer, softball
Games & ArtsFest held in Detroit in
(girls only), volleyball and futsal (boys
2014 and was games director when
only). There are no age groups.
Detroit hosted the event in 2008.
U.S. athletes will stay in Haifa.
Players interested in trying out for
Competitions will be held in and
Gordon’s U.S. basketball team can go
around the city, with the opening cer-
to maccabiusa.com/2018-internation-
emony scheduled for July 23 in Haifa.
al-maccabi-youth games or contact
With only one site offered for the
her at or karengordon44@icloud.com
JCC Maccabi Games in 2018 (Orange
or (248) 561-3329.
County), the International Maccabi
Tryouts have begun for Detroit
Youth Games provides a second
teams for the 2018 JCC Maccabi
opportunity this summer for Jewish
Games. Go to maccabidetroit.com for
teens from around the world to com-
a schedule. •
pete and mingle.
Send tips to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.
Athletes who go to Israel also will

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January 11 • 2018

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