The Palisades Tennis Center will host the third annual “Shotgun 21” Tournament on Sunday, July 25, and if this year’s event is anywhere near as exciting as the first two, it’s a day of tennis local residents won’t want to miss. Organizer Steve Bellamy has again lined up a star-studded field for the 32-player unisex, drop-hit tournament, which will start with a qualifying draw from 12:30 to 4 p.m., followed by the main draw beginning at 4:30 p.m. Men and women will play each other head-to-head in a format that implements underhanded serving, no “lets” and no “winning by two.” There will be a minimum of $15,000 in cash and prizes. The inaugural tournament two years ago saw Alex Bogomolov edge John Isner in one semifinal and Phillip King edge Sam Querrey in the other, both by 21-20 scores. In the final, Bogomolov took a commanding 20-11 lead before King reeled off nine straight points to force a winner-take-all championship point. Bogomolov won after a breathtaking 40-stroke rally. Last year, PTC junior Clay Thompson advanced all the way to the final and had four match points, but ATP Tour veteran Vince Spadea ultimately prevailed, 21-20. Other past and current pros who have played the first two years include Taylor Dent, Alexandra Stevenson, Ashley Harkleroad, Donald Young, Devon Briton, Robert Kendrick, Derrick Rostagno, Scott Davis, Chuck Adams, Cecil Mammitt, Jill Craybus, Alex Reichel, Zack Fleishman, Ramon Delgado, Kevin Ulyett and Andre Sa. The tournament also gives some of the PTC’s best players a rare chance to test themselves against the pros–on the very same courts they practice on every day. Last year, Thompson and Palisadian Walker Kehrer (now playing for Stanford) were joined by ranked PTC juniors Blake Anthony, Alex Giannini, Robbie Bellamy and Brandon Michaels, among others. Celebrity participants have included John Lovitz, Gavin Rossdale, Josh Morrow, Melissa Rivers, Elisabeth Shue, Chad Lowe, Donna Mills, James Larosa and Pacific Palisades’ own beach volleyball legend Sinjin Smith. “This is one of the most unique tennis experiences you can ever have–and it’s free to anyone who wants to come out and watch,” Bellamy said. “It’s a great chance to see a ton of tennis from some of the best players in the world in one afternoon. You also get to see men playing against women, which is something you don’t get on the regular tour. I mean, where else would you see a 9-year-old boy playing a 50-year-old woman?’ The rules are designed to “level the playing field.” Servers must strike the ball with their racquet hand above the point of contact. A feed is considered ‘in’ if it lands anywhere on the half of the court from which the feeder is serving in singles and anywhere on the side of the court the feeder is serving to plus the alley in doubles. Players alternate serving five points apiece, switching from the “deuce” or “ad” courts, just like in ping pong. “I’ve played World Team Tennis too and I think exhibitions like this that introduce new rules are awesome,” Bogomolov said after pocketing the $10,000 winner’s check and a $2,000 limited edition Fender Stratocaster electric guitar in 2008. “Anything that attracts more people to the game is only going to help our sport.” Those who want to do more than just watch can pay $50 for a spot in the qualifying tournament. At least four qualifiers will earn wildcards into the main draw and an opportunity to trade groundstrokes with the pros and celebrities. The main draw will start at 3 p.m. and conclude by about 7 p.m. Anyone interested in playing should call 310-573-1331 or visit the PTC Web site: www.palitenniscenter.com.

When he played professional football, Jim Brown always attracted a crowd–both on and off the field. He gave it everything he had on each and every snap, and he never missed a play. Five decades later, the man considered one of the greatest sports figures of the 20th Century applied that same zeal and concentration to his role as grand marshal of this year’s Pacific Palisades Fourth of July Parade–and, once again, he scored the winning touchdown. “To me, this is a real honor–something you jump at the chance to do,” said Brown, who was accompanied by his wife Monique, son Aris (8) and daughter Morgan (7). “I’m absolutely delighted.” The Browns live above the Sunset Strip in the Hollywood Hills, but they are no strangers to the Palisades. “I used to come here and swim at the beach with the kids,” Jim said. And Monique added: “We’ve come here periodically. We enjoy the Palisades very much.” One of the first people waiting for Brown when he arrived at the Pacific Palisades United Methodist Church before the VIP luncheon was Charlie Meister, founder of the L.A. Lacrosse League, who had Brown sign several sticks and a black-and-white photograph of Brown at Syracuse University, where he starred in football, basketball, track and lacrosse: “The guy is a legend so it’s kind of him to sign stuff for our inner city program,” Meister said. “We’ll be working with his Amer-I-Can Foundation so I’m thrilled.” During his junior season at Syracuse, Brown was named a second-team All-American in lacrosse. Then, his senior year (1956-57) he made first-team All-American and his 43 goals in 10 games ranked second in the nation. The only person enshrined in the pro football, college football and lacrosse halls of fame, Brown was an all-star midfielder in lacrosse at Manhasset High School on Long Island. “I loved lacrosse and the best thing it gave me was conditioning,” Brown said. “It kept me in great shape and it was also very physical, just like football.” Next to greet the sports icon was local resident Barbara Smith along with her great- nephew, 13-year-old Jacob Alexander of Allentown, Pennsylvania, who was in town visiting. His grandfather, Sam Alexander (Smith’s brother-in-law) was Brown’s teammate at Syracuse and is even mentioned in Brown’s 1989 autobiography “Out of Bounds.” In fact, both of them were running backs on the football team–Alexander a senior and Brown only a sophomore. “It’s great to meet him because my grandfather is always talking about him,” Alexander said. “Sam was a great, great competitor… very smart, very scientific,” Brown remembered. When he retired in 1966 at the age of 30, Brown was the National Football League record-holder in single-season rushing yards (1,863 in 1963) career rushing yards (12,312), rushing touchdowns (106), total touchdowns (126) and all-purpose yards (15,549). His career rushing record was finally surpassed in 1984 by Walter Payton, but Brown still ranks eighth on the all-time list even though he played only nine seasons, all with the Cleveland Browns. “I have no regrets about walking away when I did,” Brown said. “I’m happy I left in my prime and didn’t stay too long. I accomplished everything I wanted to. We won the championship in 1964, we were runner-up in 1965 and I was MVP my last season. That speaks for itself. I could leave without having to explain myself.” Asked to name his proudest accomplishment as a football player, Brown said it wasn’t his 5.2 yards-per-carry average (still the highest in league history), his three Most Valuable Player awards, his eight rushing titles or his nine Pro Bowl berths. It wasn’t being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971, nor was it the fact that he did not miss a game his entire career. No, the two things he cherishes most are winning the NFL championship and the respect he received from his opponents. “That [1964] championship was such a perfect example of teamwork,” Brown said. “Not just on offense, but defense too. We shut out [quarterback] Johnny Unitas, which wasn’t easy to do. We had a potent passing attack and knew their defense was going to stack against our run. We had several of what we called ‘attitude plays’ that we could run at any time, no matter what defense they ran against us.” In the first NFL title game to be televised by CBS, Brown rushed 21 times for 114 yards as Cleveland crushed the Baltimore Colts, 27-0. Brown possessed a unique blend of power, speed and agility that made him the premier ball carrier of his day. In 2002, the Sporting News named him the greatest professional football player in history. Yet on July 4 he hesitated to compare himself to greats from other eras: “I don’t like to do that because the game is constantly changing. I just admire individual talent. When you think of someone like Earl Campbell you immediately associate him with power and explosiveness. Other guys, like Gale Sayers and Eric Dickerson, were poetry in motion. With Walter Payton it was sheer heart and willpower. All great runners have their own characteristics that make them great.” Now 74, Brown is still an astute observer of the game. Among his favorite active players to watch are running back Adrian Peterson, linebacker Ray Lewis and quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Drew Brees and especially Brett Favre, whom he called “a freak of nature.” Brown thinks the way football is marketed and the product presented today has improved tremendously, but the game sometimes is being shortchanged: “Money is the driving force in the game now and agents are looking out for their players but not necessarily the player’s team. Money is not something that should be No. 1 in anyone’s life. Look at all of the millionaires who are unhappy or in trouble. Quality of life is what’s important.” Considered a “throwback” player, Brown bristles at the idea that athletes of his generation were not as good. “When you deal with a classic car that’s built with care, part by part, you take a lot of pride in it because it’s well-made,” Brown said. “Now if you buy a new car, it’s made of paper mache but it has all the technology and you can get any [radio] station you want. It is what it is. Old or new, it’s all good.” While eating lunch and mingling before the parade, Brown shared numerous stories from his life and career, like the friendship he formed with another iconic sports figure of the 1960s and 70s, boxer Muhammad Ali. Brown was one of the first athletes to publicly support Ali when he was stripped of his world heavyweight title for refusing to be inducted into the United States Armed Forces during the Vietnam War. “It was the right thing to do because you could see Ali was sincere in his religious beliefs,” Brown said. “I was the color commentator at ringside for several of his fights, including the Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire against George Foreman when Ali won back the title. I remember thinking Foreman would kill him. I even told Ali ‘You can’t beat that guy!’ And he said ‘Just you watch.’ Afterwards he said ‘So, what do you think of that, big boy, huh?’ He just had tremendous confidence and belief in himself. The only thing I didn’t like is that he went a bit too far with his cruel comments toward Joe Frazier.” In 1988, Brown founded Amer-I-Can, a life-management skills organization that operates in inner cities and prisons to combat the gang problems in Cleveland and Los Angeles. More than 20 years later he remains active in both voice and action. “We walk into schools and bring kids’ grades up,” Brown said. “Not just me, everyone involved. We’ve done some great work.” Regarding his acting career, Brown named “Dirty Dozen” and “100 Rifles” as two of his favorite roles. He went on to co-star in films such as “Three the Hard Way,” “Take a Hard Ride,” “One Down, Two to Go,” “Original Gangstas” and “On the Edge” along with fellow pro football player-turned-movie star Fred ‘The Hammer’ Williamson. During the luncheon, Brown was besieged by parents asking him to pose for pictures, autograph footballs and jerseys for their children, or merely wanting to shake his hand. Yet he patiently obliged every request as he stood in the middle of Via de la Paz waiting to climb into the back seat of the car that he and his family would ride in the parade. Just as he always did on the football field, Brown gave it his best as grand marshal–and the crowd cheered. His family seemed to enjoy the experience just as much as he did. “We’re very family-oriented,” Monique said. “It’s great to be here. I used to come to parades with my dad when I was a kid. It’s an honor to share this patriotic day with the community.”

The Palisades Pony Baseball Association’s Mustang 9 All-Stars won the Section Championship for the first time last weekend, beating Torrance American 11-10 on Saturday in the semifinals and beating Smith Park/Pico Rivera 16-1 in the championship game on Sunday. Bryant Reese pitched three innings Saturday, allowing one run, and added five hits, including four doubles. Justin Howard had four hits, walked twice and scored four times. Shane Skelly pitched a four-inning complete game in the final, allowing one unearned run. He also made a game-ending double play with the tying run on third base to preserve Saturday’s win. Nico Chapus had three hits and three walks in the tournament and pitched the sixth inning to record the save against Torrance American. Xander Hurley had four hits and two walks batting clean-up and pitched in relief on Saturday. Andrew Arth had four hits and Harrison Listen had three hits, including a three-run triple in Sunday’s final. Russell Cohen played second base and Nick Kerkorian played third base and threw a runner out at first from right field. Jack Sandifer pitched in relief Saturday. Rounding out the roster were Alyssa Wallin, Trey White, Jack Rocchio and Joe Suddleson. Jason Reese was the head coach and John Hurley and Mark Skelly were his assistants. Palisades continues its season in the Super Regionals in Los Alamitos this Saturday at 11 am. Also advancing to the Super Regionals was the Bronco 11s team, which defeated Monterey Park, Charter Oaks Silver and East Long Beach last weekend in West Covina. The Super Regionals open today in Fontana. In all, the PPBA fielded teams in the 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and Pony age divisions. The 10s (Mustang) squad hosted the Sectionals at the Field of Dreams complex last week but lost its first two games to Lynwood and Paramount.

When the summer Junior Lifeguards Program started up again last week at Will Rogers State Beach, hundreds of aspiring lifeguards ages 9-17 took to the sands and swells to learn the basics of water safety, swimming, body surfing, surfing, physical conditioning, competition skills, first aid, lifesaving, rescue techniques and CPR. Pacific Palisades resident Lee West recalled he and his sister attending the clinics over 37 years ago and he still remembers the skills and confidence they gained that summer. “We had our mom drive us to Will Rogers [Beach] every day from the Hollywood Hills for this same Junior Guard program,” he said. “That was the best summer I had as a kid! I still remember the skills and confidence I gained from that training.” West, who runs on the sand every morning, watches new waves of children go through the program each year and can’t help but get a little nostalgic: “The equipment is better now, but I can see it is still the same fun and experience!” Head Program Director Eldin Onsgard remembers West from the summer of 1973: “He took fifth place in the All City competition back when they used large canvas rafts instead of the new paddleboards today. Back then we never used sunscreen and now we mandate it and rash guards too!” Last summer was one of the most successful ever for the local program. Several Will Rogers members stood out at the National Lifeguard Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in events such as the Individual Paddle Board Race, Individual Run-Swim-Run, Individual Swim Race, Rescue Race (a simulated rescue event which requires a JG “victim” and a JG rescuer), Swim Relay (a team event made up of 5 swimmers) and Iron Guard (an individual event consisting of a Run-Swim-Run-Paddle-Run). There are four age groups: AA (ages 16-17); A (ages 14-15); B (ages 12-13); and C (ages 9-11).

Six years ago, Ethan Rill started a roller hockey league at the Palisades Recreation Center with the encouragement of his 10-year-old daughter Callista. Rill had moved to Pacific Palisades from Toronto to “spread the gospel of hockey” to a new generation of kids. Two weeks ago, the spring season concluded and players of all ages showed up to bid their mentor farewell. Rill is moving back to Toronto to continue his coaching, but he leaves a lasting legacy behind. “Thanks to Ethan I’ve had the great experience of traveling with my ice hockey team throughout North America and have met players from all over the world,” said 12-year-old Hunter Van Duzer, who started playing roller hockey at the park five years ago. “He has really changed my life.” Rill started as a volunteer at the park coaching 12 children. Thanks to his passion for hockey, parents have since fundraised nearly $50,000 to help build a portable rink at the park, where well over 200 kids have learned how to roller skate and have caught the highly contagious hockey bug. Rill wanted all children to have access to hockey, so he started an ice hockey program at the Valley Ice Center in Panorama City for children with special needs. Many of the players who first learned how to skate on the Rec Center blacktop are still pursuing their hockey dreams. Some now playing ice hockey at the club level, the AAA level and even at prep schools. The torch has been passed to capable hands, however, as Justin Blaszak will now direct the park program. He has played competitive ice hockey and has well over 15 years’ worth of experience in roller and ice hockey. He brings to the job strategy, team building, youth development and personal skill advancement in the sport. Blaszak, a California native, is eager to offer children of all ages and abilities a well-rounded experience. Call the Rec Center at 310-454-1412 for early registration in August and possible summer hockey clinics.