26 August 15 • 2019 jn A nthony Ianni doesn’ t get lost in a crowd. Not at 6-foot-9. But there was another reason why all eyes were focused on him Aug. 6 when he spoke to about 500 teens at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township during the JCC Maccabi Games & ArtsFest. The 30-year-old former Michigan State University basketball player was a keynote speaker for JCC Cares, a pro- gram that gets Maccabi participants involved in community projects in the host city and teaches them life lessons to take home. Ianni brought his “Relentless Tour” speaking series to JCC Cares, which had a theme of “One Community.” The “Relentless Tour” is an initiative of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. He talked for 45 minutes about autism and bullying, how he defied the experts who said his autism would derail his dreams, and how he rose above those who bullied him in ele- mentary school and particularly in middle school growing up in Okemos. It’ s estimated that between 65 and 90 percent of children with autism are bullied, so Ianni’ s impassioned speech- es resonate with many listeners. That certainly happened at Temple Israel. “Several Maccabi coaches and ath- letes came up to me after my speech and said they could relate to what I had to say,” Ianni said. “One of the first athletes I spoke with was a kid from Vancouver who said he was inspired by my presentation. “Every time I speak, my goal is to make a difference in at least one per- son’ s life. If that happens, I consider it a successful speech.” Samantha Cohen, vice president of the JCC Association of North America, said Ianni “hit it out of the park.” “I’ m always concerned when you get a room full of teenagers that they won’ t listen to a speech, especially one given by an adult,” Cohen said. “But you could hear a pin drop when Anthony spoke. “I was so happy to see that. The Maccabi Games & ArtsFest is more than about sports and the arts. We want participants to practice the Jewish value of tikkun olam, to go back to their communities as better citizens, and do good work that helps not just Jewish people.” Looking back, Ianni said, it doesn’ t surprise him that middle school was the worst time in his life for bullying. “Middle school is a time when you don’ t know where you fit in ,” he said. “And you certainly don’ t understand what someone like me on the autism spectrum is going through.” What made matters worse for Ianni at that time of his life was his height, which was both a blessing and a curse. “I was 6-feet-tall and wore a size-13 shoe when I was in sixth grade,” he said. “In middle school, I was a freak- ishly tall kid who was bullied by kids who came up to my hip. At the same time, I dreamed about being a profes- sional basketball player.” Ianni graduated from MSU in 2012 STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Tall Tales Ex-MSU basketball player brings his personal story of autism and bullying to the JCC Maccabi Games & ArtsFest. sports quick hits Defenseman Eric Israel has signed with the Fort Wayne Comets of the ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League). The 5-foot-9, 180-pound Huntington Woods native just finished a four-year hockey career at Robert Morris University, where he scored 21 goals and had 85 points in 146 games. Israel, 24, led Robert Morris defensemen in goals, assists and points each of the last three seasons. Last season, he tied for fifth in Division I with 85 blocked shots. BY STEVE STEIN David Vinsky con- tinues to make news with the State College (Pa.) Spikes, the St. Louis Cardinals’ short-season Class A team in the New York-Penn League. The 21-year- old outfielder from Farmington Hills Harrison High School hit a walk-off single with one out in the 10th inning July 14 as the Spikes beat the Staten Island Yankees 3-2. Vinsky scored the winning run July 26 in a 2-1 walk-off victory over the West Virginia Black Bears in front of a season-high 5,266 fans at Lubrano Field. Vinsky led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a double, moved to third on a bunt and scored on a single. Through 32 games, Vinsky was batting .269 for the Spikes with one home run and 10 RBI. He had scored 20 runs. This is Vinsky’ s first season as a professional baseball player after a great career at Northwood University. In June, he was selected by the Cardinals in the 15th round of the Major League Baseball draft. Rock climbing phenom Nate Emery of Farmington Hills finished in 10th place in his age group in the USA Climbing sport climbing national competition July 11-14 in Bridgeport, Pa. There were more than 50 competitors in the age group. Nate placed 27th in his age group earlier this year in the USA Climbing boulder- ing national competition in Redmond, Ore. A fifth-grader at Hillside Elementary School in Farmington Hills, Nate competes with the Madison Heights-based Planet Rock climbing team. Gary Klinger led the individual standings through Aug. 7 in the weekly B’ nai B’ rith golf league at the Links of Novi. He had accumulated 58 points. Adam Vieder and Ryan Vieder were tied for second place with 57.5 points. Mitch Cohen and Jeff Vieder were on top in the team standings with 118 points. Adam Vieder and Ryan Vieder were in second place with 116 points and Dale Taub and Klinger were in third place with 115 points. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Anthony Ianni speaks at Temple Israel during the JCC Maccabi Games & ArtsFest. ELLEN CROMIE/JCC ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA