Page 8, Portland Observer, August 14, 1986
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• SPORT TALK • SPORTTALK•
Program to eliminate
abuse in youth sports
Amp Elmore sells
karate/kickboxing
I he Electrifying Anthony " A m p ”
Elmore it just what the new, exciting
sports o f karate/kickboxing needs —
a super salesman.
" I 'm a fighter, promoter, com­
mentator and trainer — I 'll even set
up the ring if that's what needs to be
done," says the champ. Often called
the "M uham m ed A ll o f Professional
Karate,” because o f his non-stop
comments and predictions, Elmore
maintains such a style is necessary. " I
talk a lot, but I do it to bring atten­
tion to the sp o rt."
f lic A m p describes himself as "a
former skinny kid who ran his mouth
a lo t." He began training by learning
from books and later studied with a
friend who had learned karate in
Vietnam. Elmore earned his black
belt in 1974. There arc differences be­
tween his sport and the traditional
Oriental art. "Karate, in its old, pure
form , is an Eastern art o f self-
defense. A decade ago, it was still
regarded in this country as a mystical
art. Karate/kickboxing takes (he art
o f self-defense and modifies it into a
form o f self-offense for competitive
purposes." And although karate has
been around for thousands o f years
and Elmore held his black belt since
1975, a 1979 television broadcast
kindled Elmore's interest in the new,
professional sport. Bitten by the bug
o f competition, he closed his retail
carpet store and devoted full-tim e to a
rigid training program. His first pro­
fessional bout was to follow later that
year.
Eull contact karate is very different
from anything else. A fighter is re­
quired to throw at least eight kicks
per round and there is no clinching al­
lowed. These rules make fo r a de­
manding and exciting spectator sport.
" In karate/kickboxing, a fighter
needs to run like a track star, have the
grace o f a ballerina, the stamina o f a
boxer and the flexability o f a gymnast
in order to w in ," Elmore explains.
The 6’4” , 215-pound Memphis na­
tive is known for his devastating
kicks, and holds the world record for
the most kicks thrown in a profession­
al championship bout — an impres­
sive 189. That records goes along with
Elmore's strategy in the ring, which
includes lots o f long kicks in order to
keep his opponents away from him.
Keeping competitors at bay is
especially important to Elmore.
“ There is no weight lim it in the Super
Heavyweight division, and I've given
up as many as .30 pounds to an op­
ponent.”
His ring expertise and personality
have done much to draw attention to
himself and his sport. Operation
Push bestowed Elmore with their
Sports Award for 1984, he was fea­
tured as one o f Ebony magazine's 10
Most Eligible Bachelors for 1983,
and a column on the front page o f the
Memphis Commercial Appeal called
Elmore a “ one man chamber o f com­
merce” for the city. “ I believe the
work has paid o ff in calling attention
to the sport. The Ebony article, for
example, got the attention o f the
ladies — and I want to attract every­
b o d y," he says.
Elmore is as proud o f his sport's
clean reputation as he is o f Ins 17
knockouts — and works toward bet
tering both. Champions, to him, must
set examples as good citizens as well
as good sports. "T h e man must make
the title, the title doesn’ t make the
man ”
The lessons young people learn
from sports are often remembered the
rest o f their live«.
That is why volunteer coaches
and youth administrators have a re-
ponsibility to the kids with whom
they work, according to Curt Gowdy,
National Spokesman o f the National
Youth Sports Coaches Association
(NYSCA) and chairman o f the
"M a kin g Youth Sports Fun For
K ids" program.
“ The irony o f youth sports to­
d a y," Gowdy said, "is that while
many psychologists, reporters and
educators denounce organized youth
sports, millions o f parents still en­
courage their offspring to partici­
pate.”
According to Fred Engh, founder
and president o f NYSCA, “ Even
though the elementary school-age
population is decreasing, overall o r­
ganized youth league programs have
increased to nearly 20 m illion partici­
pants throughout America.
"T h a t indicates that youth league
sport arc here to stay, but those who
criticize youth sports make some
good points, too. Although problems
exist in a number o f areas, the state­
ment that 'no program is better than
it's leader,' can best summarize the
problem in youth league sport«,”
Engh said.
In nine out o f 10 cases, the leader
is a parent o f one o f the team players.
“ In most cases," Engh said, "th e
parent probably has never been told
that his or her responsibility extends
beyond ensuring that the team wins
the championship. Perhaps more
importantly, that responsibility in ­
cludes the development o f the value
systems o f the young people being
coached, and it is just as important
for parents and coaches to remember
that youth sports should be a fun
experience."
“ No parent would let a 10-year-
old take swimming lessons from a
person who is not qualified to teach,"
Engh said. "W e ll, what about the
young people who suffer emotionally,
psychologically and sometimes physi­
cal abuse because the youth sports
coach was never told that he had the
responsibilities in these areas?"
Engh believes the coach's volun­
teer status dix*s not exempt him (or
her) from these responsibilities. To fill
this training gap the NYSCA, a non­
profit organization formed in 1981,
offers a basic certification program
that can be completed by attending
three-hour sessions on tw o consecu­
tive nights.
“ The feedback we've received
from leagues that have implemented
the NYSCA certification indicated
that by clearly stating minimum stan­
dards for volunteer coaches, the vast
majority willingly com ply,” Engh
said. "M o re importantly, the young­
sters benefit almost immediately
from the more positive experience
vouth sports wav intended to achieve
in the first place " NYSCA doesn’ t
stop at educating and certifying vol­
unteer coaches. They have also creat­
ed special programs to offer com­
prehensive guidelines fo r parents,
youth league administrators, and
game officials who arc involved in
community youth sports programs.
Certification o f an NYSC A volun
teer docs not denote qualification to
coach, per se, but moreso indicates a
basic awareness o f the very important
role that each volunteer has on the
psychological well being, safety, and
the need fo r basic sports instruction
o f each child in his (or her) care.
Atlanta, Lieorgia, County Comnns
sinners make NYSCA certification
program mandatory for over 1,500
coaches in leagues using municipal
facilities.
I angles , Virginia, U.S. A ir Force
Tactical A ir Command bases with
youth sports programs w ill require all
coaches to be certified beginning
tall I9K<
Io obtain further inform ation on
NYSL A and their programs, contact
the NYSCA, 2611 Old Okeechobee
Rd.. West Palm Beach, FT 33409.
A u d ie N o rris , n ic k n a m e d " T h e A t o m ic D o g ." h as re m o v e d h im s e lf
fro m J a c k R a m s e y 's d o g h o u s e a n d w ill ta k e his ta le n ts to E u ro p e N o r ­
ris, w h o has o n e y e a r re m a in in g o n his c o n tr a c t, fe e ls th e t th e E u ro ­
p e a n e x p e rie n c e w ill b e n e fit h im in th e lo n g ru n . T h a n k s fo r th e m e m ­
o ries. A u d is , a n d th e b e s t o f lu c k to y o u .
The lo n g e st bicycle ever co n s tru c te d w as a te n d e m th e t co uld seat ten
dl A ck
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