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 Providing skilled nursing and rehabilitation care to the Jewish Community since 1996! Make sure you choose the right provider to get you back on the road to recovery. Contact us to learn more, including our Jewish services featuring the only kosher kitchen* in Michigan within a skilled nursing center. Heartland – West Bloomfield 248.661.1700 Marvin & Betty Danto Health Care Center 248.778.5300 West Bloomfield, MI IChooseHeartland.com *Kosher kitchen only at Marvin & Betty Danto Health Care Center © 2017 HCR Healthcare, LLC Have Fun & Lose Weight ³ßãéǵããǵ FREE ù³é±ǵÐîÜÐÉ Ljǵ ߍą³Â³Éǵv_: in a Joyful, Non-Judgmental, Relaxed Atmosphere LjǵPlus Samba, Barre, Weight Training, Yoga Ljǵ!ߣéǵ4Кé³ÐÉ – Northwestern/Orchard Lake, Across from Langan’s Bowling Alley 248-325-9167 www.celyfi t.com 33008 Northwestern Hwy West Bloomfi eld, MI 48322 jn January 11 • 2018 31