Mr. Basketball

It seems like all we hear about these days are the bad boys of professional sports. Gambling, dogfighting, take your pick.

Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing one who — with dignity and humility — redeemed the failing athlete image in my mind.

On Sept. 11, while the nation acknowledged and mourned the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Beverly Hills Detroit Country Day recognized the day in another way — honoring 1997 alumnus and NBA star Shane Battier by retiring his high school basketball No. 55 jersey.

Battier is best known for his exploits on the basketball court — he was 1997's "Mr. Basketball," led the Yellowjackets to their best-ever record of 26-1 and to three state championships (1995-97) — but few know of his accomplishments in the classroom where he graduated summa cum laude.

“Shane is the epitome of the scholar-athlete tradition,” said DCDS Upper School Athletic Director Kurt Keener, who is also the varsity basketball coach.

Keener said Battier was "never one to toot his own horn."

Faculty member Carol Keeler said he "never got caught up in all the bravado." Instead, was nurturing and empowering of the people who surrounded him.

In person, Battier personified all these things, and more. Namely, he was humble and modest about his accolades — he made you nearly forget that he's an NBA player. His unpretentious demeanor is something you don't find in many athletes, let alone professional athletes, and he had an uncanny way of making everyone around him feel exceptional.

In short, Shane Battier is a true role model and an inspiring athlete.

Yellowjackets get swarmed

As I walked up the bleachers at Bloomfield Hills Andover, I watched the boys in white practice corner kick drills and the team in blue fire off shots on net from near midfield. I could tell right away it was going to be a battle between Andover's and Beverly Hills Detroit Country Day's boys soccer teams.

I kept my eye on senior forward Abe Fadel and midfielder John Rogers of the Yellowjackets — they're the two that drive the Country Day offense. As the game got under way, the Yellowjackets put a lot of pressure on the Barons' defense, which eventually broke down and let a goal slide in.

“They put a lot of pressure on you not to make mistakes, and they punish you if you make them," Andover coach Geoff Parkinson said. "That’s how that goal came about."

Throughout the game, my eye was on Fadel, waiting for him to head in a goal like he did in the Fenton High game Aug. 28. But the Barons must have had their eyes on him, as well, keeping him silent the entire game. For an athlete who is normally a playmaker, the Barons were able to keep him under control by putting two defenders on him at all times. Smart move by Andover, but too bad for the fans in the bleachers who were looking for another highlight-reel goal.

Country Day coach Paul Bartoshuk urged his forwards to hold the ball more and create counterattacks, but they spent so much effort trying to hold off Andover that they weren't much of an threat offensively. In the end, Andover rallied for a goal and tied things up, 1-1, and that's the way it ended. Overall, it was a hard-fought game on both sides.

Watch for the Yellowjackets — who ended last season ranked No. 3 by the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association — to host Southfield Christian, which was ranked No. 4 Division 4 at the conclusion of 2006, at 7 p.m. Sept. 18. It could be a very entertaining game.