By Dave Krider
MaxPreps.com
James vanRiemsdyk turned a negative into a positive when he was 14 years old and that's one of the major reasons he was the No. 2 selection in this year's National Hockey League draft.
The Middletown, N.J., native was invited to a USA tryout for 14-year-olds but failed to make the team. "That definitely motivated me and made me evaluate what I wanted to get out of hockey," he told MaxPreps. "I played a lot of games that summer."
The next year he did make the 15-year-old team and the stage was set for a brilliant career. The Philadelphia Flyers made him the No. 2 pick behind Patrick Kane of Buffalo, N.Y., who was taken by the Chicago Blackhawks. It marked the first time in history that Americans were chosen 1-2 in the NHL draft and was shining proof of how far the USA development program has come.
"It was a thrill for me," vanRiemsdyk said. "My heart was pumping as I was called to the podium. I came a long way the last two years and worked very hard to put myself in this position. Before this season, I was pretty highly regarded, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be taken No. 2."
The talented teenager became an instant celebrity during the draft, which was held in Columbus, Ohio. "It was pretty hectic," he pointed out. "People would come up to me in the street and ask for my autograph. I probably signed a couple hundred in three or four days."
VanRiemsdyk was destined to be a hockey player, because his father, Franz, played high school and club hockey and always watched games on television. It was osmosis at its best. At age three, he went skating for the first time and, as he put it, "They had a hard time getting me off. I made my way around the rink pretty well as a youngster."
At age seven vanRiemsdyk began playing for a travel team, the American Eagles in Wall, N.J. He estimates that he scored 120 points in 50 games. He, indeed, was a natural. He played travel hockey for nine years, the last two years doubling for his high school team, Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft, N.J.).
One of his most memorable efforts, however, came as an 11-year-old, playing in a 12-year-old roller hockey game. He scored every goal in a 9-8 victory and had to leave immediately to sing in a school choir program. He donned a white shirt and black pants and hoped that no one would notice all the sweat underneath.
At age 12 he was shifted from a center position to a wing where he has played ever since. "It gave me a little more freedom to play offense," he explained. "I really didn't have a preference."
VanRiemsdyk played soccer for 11 years and baseball for five years before dropping both sports to concentrate on hockey.
As a freshman at Christian Brothers, he accounted for 10 goals and 16 assists in 20 games and CBA lost an overtime heartbreaker in the state semifinals. As a sophomore he had 36 goals and 24 assists in 30 games and scored the winning goal as CBA nipped Morristown Delbarton, 2-1, in overtime to win the state championship.
The USA National Development League tryouts were being held the same week as New Jersey's state championships, but vanRiemsdyk had exhibited enough talent to be chosen for the USA program without going through tryouts. He was placed on the USA under-17 team in the North American Hockey League and enrolled at Pioneer High in Ann Arbor, Mich., for his junior year.
"He was talented and had all the tools," Coach Ron Rolston recalled. "He was not as heavy or strong as he is now. He skated well and had good offensive instincts. All the kids we invited have potential to be good representatives of the USA. The first year he showed flashes, but was not as consistent. He made himself stronger and gained confidence.
"He has good speed and shoots the puck really well. He's strong on skates when he has the puck. He's someone we relied on every game. He would put up a goal and assist almost every night (as a senior)."
The 6-3, 205-pounder played 51 games as a senior. He scored 38 goals and had 40 assists for 78 points. He had 11 goals and 13 assists against international competition and was named April Male Athlete of the Month by the U.S. Olympic Committee after leading the U.S. under-18 team to a silver medal at the IIHF World Championships in Finland. During his two years in Ann Arbor, vanRiemsdyk played overseas eight times.
"Just playing for your country is a once-in-a-lifetime thing," the young hockey star noted. "It makes you appreciate what you have in America."
During his two years at Pioneer High, vanRiemsdyk compiled a 3.4 scholastic average. Math was his favorite subject. He has done volunteer work in Middletown at a soup kitchen. He enjoys playing video games and tennis - "just being very active." He attends The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Old Bridge, N.J., and says, "I go to church pretty regularly. It's been a pretty big part of my life."
His favorite pro is Rick Nash, a left winger from the Columbus Blue Jackets. "He's a big guy and people have told me that I play a little like him," vanRiemsdyk explained.
VanRiemsdyk has just completed the Flyers' mini camp in Voorhees, N.J., with 44 other young prospects. He was surprised to find that the Flyers issued him uniform No. 10, which was worn by John LeClair, whom he predicts "is going to be in the hockey hall of fame." Interestingly, the Flyers moved him from wing to center, which was his original position as a youngster. "I had to shake off the rust and get the feel for the position again," he admitted.
Before the Flyers drafted vanRiemsdyk, members of the organization saw him play close to 40 times. Chris Pryor, director of hockey operations, told MaxPreps, "He's one of those guys with size, skating and hands. You don't see many guys with all those qualities. He's got something special and was rated pretty high by everybody. We love his potential - there's no rush. We think he's going to be a good pro."
VanRiemsdyk still has his amateur status and plans to attend the University of New Hampshire in the fall on a full hockey scholarship. The Flyers have four years to sign him before he would become a free agent.
"I've been doing some hard off-season training," vanRiemsdyk related. "I'm trying to get stronger and playing at a high level (in college) every night will help. I plan to take it year to year. I'll see how I progress. I want to play in the NHL soon. I'm going to take my time, but I'll try to get ready as fast as I can."
Football Notes
* Northwestern (Miami, Fla.) has an estimated 14 Division I prospects and will be one of the favorites to win this year's national high school championship. However, the entire coaching staff - plus some other teachers and counselors - was fired last week because they covered up a 2006 sex scandal involving a star football player and a 14-year-old girl on school property. The principal resigned in March and the longtime athletic director resigned earlier this month. Northwestern received over 100 phone calls the very next day inquiring about the coaching vacancy.
Northwestern will play Carroll (Southlake, Texas) for what could be the national-championship game at Southern Methodist University. Carroll, which has won 48 consecutive games and three Class 5A state titles, lost three times last week in the Texas Class 4A-5A FSN Southwest 7-on-7 State Championships. The tourney, which emphasizes passing, was won by Georgetown, 41-24, over Houston Stratford. Georgetown quarterback Morgan Mickan was named MVP.
* In California Long Beach Poly raised some eyebrows by beating Santa Ana Mater Dei, 26-22, to win the Nike 7-on-7 Passing Championships. Poly's rising junior quarterback, Morgan Fennell, emerged as a true force and threw the winning three-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Norell on the game's final play. Poly wide receiver Randall Cox was named MVP.
* El Camino (Oceanside, Calif.) rising senior Nelson Rosario has chosen UCLA over Oregon, Arizona State and Boise State. The 6-6, 210-pound wide receiver was named Male Athlete of the Year by the San Diego Union-Tribune. He caught 53 passes for 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns, long jumped over 24 feet, high jumped 6-9 and triple jumped 48-2, in addition to leading the basketball team with a 12.4 scoring average. He also has a 3.2 scholastic average.
* The University of North Carolina has received a commitment from Latin (Charlotte, N.C.) quarterback Braden Hanson. As a junior the 6-6, 200-pounder passed for 2,695 yards and 39 touchdowns.
* Southeast Raleigh (Raleigh, N.C.) linebacker Demetrius Hartsfield announced he will attend the University of Maryland. During his junior year the 6-2, 215-pounder made 128 tackles and recovered six fumbles.
Track Notes
* USA athletes sparkled during the fifth annual IAAF World Youth Championships (ages 15-16-17) in Ostrava, Czech Republic. One of the meet records was set by the Americans' youngest male member, Wayne Davis, a rising junior from Southeast Raleigh (Raleigh, N.C.), who won gold in the 110-meter hurdles in a blazing 13.18 seconds.
The meet record also fell in the 400-meter hurdles as William Wynne of McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) clocked an outstanding 49.01 seconds.Conor McCullough, a rising junior from Chaminade (West Hills, Calif.) broke his own U.S. national youth hammer throw record with a toss of 249-3 in the preliminaries before placing fourth in the finals with a 244-06 effort.
* The USA dominated the Pan American Junior Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil with 24 gold, 16 silver and eight bronze medals. Johnny Dutch won a pair of golds in the hurdles. The North Carolina native captured the 110-meter highs in 13.46 and the 400-meter highs in 50.82.California star Ke'Nyia Richardson won gold in the triple jump with this year's No. 1 USA leap of 44-05.50.
* One of Tennessee's premier track/cross country coaches, Sam Roberts, is leaving Knoxville West for a teaching position at Oak Ridge. The 48-year-old Roberts, who is expected to join the coaching staff of best friend Allen Etheridge, tutored 42 individual state champions during his 21 years at West. He also won two state titles in cross country and one in track.
Basketball Notes
* Wake Forest coaches still are celebrating after getting commitments from two outstanding rising seniors: 6-8, 210-pound Al-Farouq Aminu, who helped Norcross to Georgia's Class 5A state title last winter; and 6-11, 230-pound Tony Woods of Rome, Ga. They join 7-0, 230-pound Ty Warren (Wilmington, N.C., New Hanover), who had committed earlier.
* The New York Gauchos nipped The Family of Detroit, 70-68, in overtime to win the prestigious Nike Peach Jam 17-and-under division in North Augusta, S.C. Chris Fouch, a 6-1 guard, scored 15 points for the champs, including the winning three-pointer at the buzzer. The Gauchos also won the 16-and-under division.
* Indian Hills Community College has landed Leon Powell, a 6-6, 200-pound forward from Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.). Powell, a spring graduate, averaged 20.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and blocked 3.9 shots per game as a senior.
* Bob Schulz has retired after 27 years as a head coach at his alma mater, Avonworth (Pittsburgh, Pa.). He tutored the boys for 15 years and the girls the last 12. The 61-year-old coach compiled a record of 456-209, winning a girls Class AA state title in 2005. His most outstanding achievement, however, was beating leukemia.
* Another Pennsylvania school, Pittsburgh Schenley, is looking for a new coach since Fred Skrocki took a job as head coach at Butler County Community College. Skrocki, age 56, led Schenley to a 449-198 record in 24 years, capped by this year's Class AAAA state title. He will continue to teach health and physical education at Schenley for another 2 « years so he can qualify for full retirement benefits.
* Joe Leonard has been named head coach at the second-year Fishers High School in suburban Indianapolis, Ind. He succeeds J.R. Shelt, who has taken the job as head coach at Lawrence Central. Two years ago both were assistants at Indianapolis Lawrence North as it captured a record-tying third consecutive Class 4A state title behind All-Americans Greg Oden and Mike Conley.
* Two of the top players in Baltimore have transferred to DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, Md.: 6-5 rising junior Naji Hibbert from St. Frances Academy and 6-1 rising sophomore guard Josh Selby from John Carroll. Coach Mike Jones also is very high on incoming freshman Quinn Cook, a point guard, and 6-8 sophomore Chris Frank.
* Kevin Love and Maya Moore have received Gatorade's National Athlete of the Year awards. Both earlier had been named Player of the Year in basketball. Love (Lake Oswego, Ore.) is headed for UCLA, while Moore (Suwanee, Ga., Collins Hill) will attend Connecticut.
Baseball Notes
* Chet Lemon's Juice edged the South Charlotte Panthers, 4-3, to win the World Wood Bat Association national championship in Marietta, Ga. Cory Thomas, a third baseman and pitcher for the champs, was named MVP. The 6-3, 190-pound rising senior from Middleton (Tampa, Fla.) was 8-for-18 at the plate - including a 400-foot home run - and drove in 11 runs during the tournament.
* Lansing Kee senior slugger Andy Beck slammed a home run during the Iowa state playoffs to tie the 25-year-old state record with 271 career hits. He is batting .525 this summer and .425 for his five-year varsity career.
* Eric Maupin is a late addition to the Washington State University baseball team. A spring graduate of Galena (Reno, Nev.), the 6-5 pitcher/first baseman was Nevada's co-player of the year. He batted .457 with 12 home runs and 44 RBIs and scored 46 runs. On the mound he posted a perfect 11-0 record with a 0.97 ERA, striking out 87 in 65 innings.
* Rising senior Tyler Chatwood has made a commitment to UCLA. The highly-rated outfielder batted .564 last spring for East Valley (Redlands, Calif.).
* One of California's top baseball coaches, Dave Demarest, has retired after 34 years at La Quinta (Westminster, Calif.). The 57-year-old Demarest put together a superb 753-212 record and won three Southern Section championships.
* Jarrod Parker has been named Indiana's 2007 Mr. Baseball following a brilliant career at Ossian Norwell. The 6-2, 175-pound right-handed pitcher, whose fastball has been clocked as high as 98 miles per hour, compiled a 12-0 record this spring with a microscopic 0.10 ERA. In 70 innings, he struck out 116 and walked 11. He also batted .530 with 52 RBIs and 43 runs. In the Class 3A state-title game, he shut out Evansville Mater Dei, 5-0, and hit a two-run homer as Norwell (35-0) became only the third Indiana baseball team to finish unbeaten. He was the No. 9 pick in the Major League baseball draft and is expected to sign soon with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Volleyball Notes
* Sports Performance of Aurora, Ill., rallied to defeat Mizuno Long Beach, 25-17, 21-25, 22-25, 25-19, 15-2, to win the prestigious age-18 Open Division during the Junior Olympic Championships in Minneapolis, Minn. MVP Kelly Murphy had 33 kills. The 6-3 Murphy, who is a rising senior at Joliet (Ill.) Catholic, is the No. 1 player in the country, according to John Tawa of PrepVolleyball.com.
* In the age-17 Open Division, Team Z of Cincinnati, Ohio, defeated Asics KIVA, 30-28, 21-25, 25-20, 25-19. MVP honors went to Missy Harpenau, a rising 6-0 senior from Mother of Mercy in Cincinnati.
* In the National Division, the 18-year-old champion was Point West Mizuno (Agoura Hills, Calif.), while the 17 crown went to Nebraska Volleyball Academy. Dunes Black of Michigan City, Ind., won the American Division titles for age-18 (unbeaten) and age-17.
Potpourri
* The USA women won the Pan American Games gymnastics team title with 243.225 points in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Favored Brazil was second with 236.725. Shawn Johnson, who will be a sophomore this fall at Valley Southwoods (West Des Moines, Iowa), placed first on the balance beam and was second in floor exercise and uneven bars. Valeri Liukin of Parker, Texas, placed first on the uneven bars.
Johnson, age 15, won the Pan Am all-around gold medal with 61.725. Adding to the USA sweep were second-place Rebecca Bross, 14, of Plano, Texas, who had 61.050, and third-place Ivana Hong, 14, of Blue Springs, Mo., who had 59.375. The USA women had not swept the all-around event since 1995.
* World LPGA Hall of Fame member Amy Alcott has been named head golf coach at Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.). Alcott won 29 LPGA events, including five majors.