July 17, 2002

Three who will be missed in Ocean City

By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist


Already, in the first six months of 2002, Ocean City has lost three members of its sports community.

Tom Herrington, Lynn Baker and Berwyn Hughes, each is his own way, brought a great deal to sports in this resort.

Herrington was the co-captain of the 1963 OCHS football team and most of his family participated in the school’s athletic program, either as athletes or cheerleaders. His daughters, Kelly and Vicki, were also members of the Young Entertainers and traveled with us to Florida with their mother, Joanne, as a schedule coordinator.

Baker, who was a successful football and baseball player at Ocean City and a football player at Wake Forest, was also a star 15 year old on a Babe Ruth team that featured its share of 13 year olds. Along with other veterans like Rich Dorsey and Jim Bernosky, he helped the younger players settle in and contribute. Like Herrington, Baker had a family that got involved in sports at OCHS. And, as judge chairman of the Miss Ocean City Pageant for many years, he enjoyed trading practical jokes with the emcee.

Hughes, my 6th grade teacher, was well known as a big band drummer and radio host. But he was also right next to Dixie Howell, one of his closest friends, throughout many of Dixie’s finest basketball seasons. And, years later, his stories about those seasons were almost as enjoyable as the seasons themselves.

These three will be missed.


The time for sports camps is Ocean City has arrived once again.

It all started last week when Trish LeFever conducted her highly successful Sandy Sticks Field Hockey Camp, the camp that has helped her future players continue the great championship run her high school program began five years ago.

This week, Stephanie Vanderslice Gaitley is in town for Hoop Heaven, the basketball camp for players between 8-16 years of age. But don’t worry if you missed the signup deadline, Gaitley will practically be spending the summer.

Her Hoop Heaven sessions will be held the weeks of August 5 and August 12 at the Intermediate School. Daily sessions run from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. If that isn’t enough, Gaitley, the new head basketball coach at Long Island (NY) University, will direct the Raiders Girls Basketball Camp at the Intermediate School the weeks of July 22 and July 29. Former Ocean City High School coaches Pat Dougherty and Chris Lentz will work with Gaitley. For more details, phone 609-390-8933 or 609-628-4206.

Next week (July 22-26) the University of Virginia lacrosse staff will conduct A Shore Thing, the Virginia Lacrosse Day Camp. Sessions will be held from 8:30 a.m. until noon on the football practice field on 6th Street, behind the Civic Center. For more details, phone 434-982-5667.

Two more camps are coming up the following week. From July 29-August 1, John Cole’s Summer Classic Baseball Camp will be held on the baseball field at 5th and Bay. Cole is the head coach at Rowan University and his sessions are divided into age groups covering ages 5-13. For more details, phone 856-256-4687.

From July 29-August 2, the National Champion Soccer School comes to town. Directed by Dan Gilmore, the head coach at Rowan University, this camp is for boys and girls, ages 5-17. The daily sessions run from 9 a.m. until noon at the Intermediate School. In case you can’t make it the week of July 29, the same soccer camp will return from August 5-9.

As usual, there is virtually something for everybody this summer on the sports fields and courts of Ocean City.


GO TO OUR FORUM TO EXPRESS YOUR OPINION ABOUT THIS COLUMN, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S ON YOUR MIND!