KAREN GORDON APPOINTED AS HEAD COACH FOR MACCABI USA’S YOUTH GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM FOR THE 2018 INTERNATIONAL MACCABI YOUTH GAMES
Philadelphia, PA, January 10, 2018 – Drew Golin, Overall Basketball Chairman for the 2018 International Maccabi Youth Games, is pleased to announce the appointment of Karen Gordon as Head Coach for the Youth Girls Basketball team at the 2018 International Maccabi Youth Games. Gordon has 30+ year participation in the JCC Maccabi Games, as coach for the Detroit JCC Maccabi volleyball team, softball and boys’ basketball teams, and serving as Detroit Delegation Head in 1999. In 2008 she was the Games Director, co-chaired the Games and ArtsFest in 2014 and will be co-chairing again in 2019.
“The 2018 International Maccabi Youth Games are an opportunity for Jewish teens to meet other Jewish teens from around the world!” said Gordon. “It is not the score of the game these kids remember, but the new friends they have made. Being part of making this happen and watching it unfold is priceless.”
Gordon was a 7-letter winner in high school competing in basketball, volleyball, and softball and played both softball and basketball in college. Gordon was honored with the Pillar of Excellence Award from the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. She is beyond thrilled to combine her love of Maccabi, coaching and basketball, and participate in the International Maccabi Youth Games in Israel. The 2018 International Maccabi Youth Games will be Gordon’s first time participating with Maccabi USA.
The Maccabi Youth Games will take place in Israel, July 22-August 1, 2018. The Games are in cooperation with JCC Association, the JCC Maccabi Games, BBYO, and Maccabi organizations around the world. Maccabi USA is looking to field a USA Team that is 300+ strong. The USA delegation will be part of approximately 1,200 participants from around the world including Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Israel, and South Africa. There will be six days of competition in around the city of Haifa, followed by three days of touring based in Jerusalem. The Games will consist of U.S. teams for Boys and Girls born 2002-2004 in Baseball (M), Basketball, Futsal (M), Soccer, Softball (F), and Volleyball. To learn more about the sports offered and to access an application, please visit maccabiusa.com. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
Maccabi USA builds Jewish pride through sports, generating the emotional intensity, high ideals, and powerful camaraderie of competition. We connect athletes, volunteers, and supporters with the global Jewish community. Our athletic, educational, and cultural experiences build Jewish identity, perpetuate Jewish continuity worldwide, and strengthen support for the State of Israel.
For more information, please contact Maccabi USA Program Director Shane Carr at 215.561.6900 or by email at scarr@maccabiusa.com.
About the organization:
Maccabi USA (MUSA) is a federally-recognized not-for-profit 501(c)(3) Organization with an extensive history of enriching Jewish lives through athletic, cultural and educational programs. The Organization is the official sponsor of the United States Team to the World Maccabiah Games, and the Pan American and European Maccabi Games, as well as a sponsor of the JCC Maccabi Games for teens in North America. As the official Maccabi representative in the U.S., Maccabi USA supports Jewish athletic endeavors, enhanced by cultural and educational activities in the United States, Israel and throughout the Diaspora.
MUSA develops, promotes and supports international, national and regional athletic-based activities and facilities. It strives to provide Jewish athletes all over the world the opportunity to share their heritage and customs in competitive athletic settings. MUSA supports programs that embody the Maccabi ideals of Jewish Continuity, Zionism and Excellence in Sport. Maccabi USA Builds Jewish Pride Through Sports.
Maccabi USA has been selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) as a Multi-Sport Organization (MSO). The nonprofit Organization becomes one of 35 MSOs nationwide to be recognized by the USOC for its ability to cultivate a national interest in sport and increase opportunities for participation internationally, nationally and at the grassroots level.
###