By Gary Curreri

Zack and Henri Crockett will be back at it again on June 30 as they host their 13th annual football and cheerleading camp. The popular event will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Mitchell Moore Center, 901 NW 10 St. in Pompano Beach.

Henri Crockett, 43, who played linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos and the Minnesota Vikings, along with his brother Zachary, 45, a former fullback for the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys, are expecting between 300 and 400 local children to attend. Both men grew up in Pompano Beach, and graduated from Blanche Ely High School, before they both played at Florida State University in their path to the NFL.

“It is important for us to give back to the community,” said Henri Crockett, the founder and president of the Crockett Foundation. “When you give back, it does something for your soul. It is important for us to come back and show these kids that we are human and there isn’t anything you can’t do.”

“It isn’t necessarily about making it to the NFL,” he continued. “It is about building lifelong relationships and how to work with people and learning how to get along with all different kinds of cultures. We go to the communities and try to build leaders one child at a time.”

The clinic is designed to introduce children, ages 4-16, to football by teaching basic skills in a fun and energetic environment and is supported through a grant from the NFL Foundation. The camp is free and includes T-Shirts and autograph signings from the professional athletes.

Some of the notable current and former professional athletes expected to attend are Al Harris, Jabari Price, Tyrone Carter, Walt McFadden, Rashard Robinson, J.T. Thompson, OJ Santiago and Eddie Jones (Heat). They are also trying to get former Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson along with some college players. Tony Sands will be running the timing stations.

Family Health & Community Fest

They also will hold The Family Health and Community Festival on Aug. 4 which is one of Broward County’s largest school-supply donation events. The festival is attended every year by more than 2,500 students and their families.

The Crockett Foundation’s Family and Health Community Festival provides backpacks, filled with school supplies, and shoes. It also offers free physical exams, free immunizations, and free haircuts — all in a progressive circuit-style setting. For more information, call Zeffery Clark at 954-773-5245.

Simply Soccer camps slated

Area residents are encouraged to attend the Simply Soccer camp, which is about to begin its 30th year of soccer camps for children 5-15 in nearby Coral Springs.

There are three sessions, each day ranging from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; extended hours camp is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a Tiny Tot program for kids ages 5 and 6 is from 9 a.m. to noon. Full day campers must bring a soccer ball, swimsuit, shin guards, water bottle and lunch. You do not have to be a city resident to attend.

The dates are: June 11-15; June 18-22; June 25-29; July 2-6; July 9-13; July 16-20; July 23-27; July 30-Aug. 3 and Aug. 6-10.

You can register daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Coral Springs Gymnasium, 2501 Coral Springs Dr., Coral Springs. For information on the camp, call 954-345-2200.

By Gary Curreri

Blanche Ely senior cheerleader Makya Harvard couldn’t have been happier with her team’s performance this season as they reached the FHSAA Class 2A state semifinals.

Harvard, 17, of Pompano Beach, finished her fourth year on varsity and third year on the competition team. Even though the team doesn’t have captains, Harvard is one of the leaders on the squad.

“I have to make sure everyone is okay physically and emotionally,” said Harvard, who has been a cheerleader since age 4. “I also make sure everyone is on time and able to do what they are supposed to do. The best part for me? When I hit the mat and do what I do.”

More than 50 teams and 800 athletes from Broward, Palm and Miami-Dade counties competed in the Region 4 competition at Coral Springs High School. The top two teams in each division with a raw score of 70 or better earned an automatic entry into the state finals. A qualifying score of 60 or better earned the team a spot in the state semifinals at the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on the campus of the University of Florida.

The Tigers finished ninth in the Large Non-Tumbling division and qualified for the state semifinals. They finished fourth at the state competition during those semifinals and failed to reach the finals at state.

“There is an excitement knowing what I am doing, that people want to participate and I am making others happy…” Harvard said. “That’s what cheerleading is about, cheering people up.”

She said the hardest part about the sport is getting fans excited when a team is losing. She said the football season was very difficult.

“That happened a lot this year; but, being a leader, you can’t let your emotions get the best of you,” she said. “I have to show my teammates and cheer everyone else up.”

How will that help down the road?

“I think knowing that I can put my emotions aside in things that are important to me, and being a leader and taking charge, will help me when I get out in the real world and [with] a real job,” she said. “When I first came in my freshman year, we weren’t too good, and each and every year, we have progressed … We have unity and we go out together now. We have become one big family.”

Harvard said she was relieved that the team qualified for state this season.

“It just shows that all of those long nights paid off,” she said. “Even though there were times when our fliers had injuries, we just pushed through.”

Deerfield Beach placed 10th at the regional competition in the Small Non-Tumbling Division and Pompano Beach finished ninth in the Medium Non-Tumbling Division as both squads failed to advance to state.

By Gary Curreri

Approximately 130 cheer and dance squads recently competed in the Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance (OBYFA) Cheer & Dance Championships at the University of Miami’s Bank- United Center.

The day consisted of competitive choreography performed by the nearly 2,000 participating 4- to 16-yearold girls from throughout South Florida. With squads traveling from OBYFA parks, ranging from as far north as Lake Okeechobee to as far south as Key West, girls competed for first, second or third place in their respective divisions, top winner in both the morning and afternoon sessions and grand champion with the highest overall score.

There were also trophies handed out to the team with the most spirit and the team with the best sportsmanship. The top scholar athlete from each park was recognized as well. The Sports Authority presented the competition.

Orange Bowl Committee member and Chair of the Orange Bowl YFA, Gerald Grant Jr., who has personal ties to the cheer and dance community, assisted in presenting the awards.

“My daughter was involved in middle school and it helped develop her character and leadership skills,” Grant said. “This is really what the Orange Bowl is all about, impacting the lives of young people.”

The Deerfield Beach Packer Rattlers program (National YFL) took first and third in the Jr. Prep Division- Small (Cadets, first; Pee Wees, third), was second in the Mini Division – Medium (Bandits), and placed third in the Prep Division – Medium.

The Pompano Steelers (Glades Tri-City YFL) also captured three awards as it won the Sportsmanship Award for the Mini Division – Small, the Semi-Pro Division – Medium, and took second in the Pee Wee Division Small.

Flegel wins gold

Lighthouse Point’s Noah Flegel won a gold medal recently for the United States in the 10th IWWF Wakeboard World Championships recently in Busan, Korea.

Flegel, who won the gold medal in the Boys’ division at the 2011 world championships, won the gold medal in Junior Men, scoring 80.56 points in the finals. Australia’s Cory Teunissen (57.67 points) earned the silver medal and the Netherlands’ Marc Kroon (55.78 points) earned the bronze medal.

The U.S. Wakeboard Team earned the silver medal, and Flegel was one of four U.S. team members to earn individual medals in the event that included athletes and teams from 28 countries. Australia won the gold medal, while Korea earned the bronze medal.

Divisions for competition at the 2013 IWWF Wakeboard World Championships were as follows (all ages taken as of Jan. 1, 2013): Boys/ Girls (14 and Under), Junior Men/Junior Women (18 and Under), Masters Men/Masters Women (30 Years and Over), Masters 2 Men (40 Years and Over) and Open Men/Open Women (Open).

The United States has won world team titles in 2004, 2005 and 2011. Australia has won team titles in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2009 and 2013. South Africa won the team title in 2001.