Team Wisconsin Wins Big in Detroit
While all eyes have been on Paris and the Olympic Games, five local athletes had an incredible opportunity to compete in the 2024 JCC Maccabi Games in Detroit July 28 to August 2.
Led by Charlie Glynn, JCC Recreation Director, and Ronna Ruffin, JCC Youth Programs Director, this year Team Wisconsin was represented by:
- AJ Katch, swimming
- Molly Schmidt, swimming
- Asher Friedman, soccer
- Zach Bakalinsky, soccer
- Garin Ruffin, hockey
Established in 1982 to provide Jewish youth with a supportive environment that fosters sportsmanship and an atmosphere of fun, democracy and peace, the JCC Maccabi Games is one of the largest organized sports programs for Jewish teens in the world. In addition to the sports competitions, athletes participate in opening and closing ceremonies, community service projects, social and cultural events, and opportunities to make friends and memories to last a lifetime. Our delegation has a proud tradition of competing, and our Milwaukee community hosted the JCC Maccabi Games in 2015.
The 2024 Detroit Games began with a spectacular Opening Ceremonies in the Little Caesars Arena in Midtown Detroit, emceed by Michael Harpaz, a Detroit native and Israeli music superstar. Marching into the loud arena filled with supportive fans to represent our JCC was an empowering experience for the teens. The stadium was filled with energy, dancing, and excitement for the week ahead.
Just like at the Olympics, Maccabi athletes trade pins. Not unlike Snoop Dog’s pin, this year the Wisconsin cheese pins were highly coveted. Everywhere Team Wisconsin went, people were asking them to trade, but by Day 3 they had to turn them away because they were all snapped up.
Once the competitions began, Team Wisconsin got to work! Our soccer players, Asher and Zach, were on a mixed team with kids from St. Louis, East Bay, Central Jersey and Vancouver. Mixed teams allow athletes from smaller delegations, like ours, to participate in team sports, but since the teammates do not have months to practice together, they don’t traditionally end up winning medals. This was not the case for Asher and Zach!
“It was so cool to see them come together and win a bronze medal!” shared Charlie Glynn, “Gold and silver went to two teams from Mexico, and both those teams have been playing together for years, while our team hadn’t ever practiced together. In the final minutes of the bronze medal match, Zach Bakalinsky scored a goal to put them up 2-1 and it ended up being the deciding goal that gave them the bronze.”
Meanwhile, in the pool, AJ and Molly were also garnering some hardware. Both were returning for their third year and looking to add to their medal counts. At the JCC Maccabi Games, swimmers are allowed a maximum of twelve events, and AJ medaled in all twelve events in which he participated. Molly participated in the relay events where swimmers are randomly placed on teams each day. She earned gold in 3 of the 4 relay events, so no one had as many golds as her in the relays, and she also received individual swimming medals.
While Garin’s mixed hockey team did not end up earning a medal, it was the total experience that meant the most to him. “It’s cool playing hockey with kids I’ve never played with before, but I had the most fun joking around, laughing, and meeting new friends,” he said.
The housing model for the JCC Maccabi Games places athletes with local host families, which many of the teens find to be one of their favorite parts of the experience. Host families serve as interim parents for the week, transporting the teens to and from JCC Maccabi, providing breakfast, laundry, and giving teens an unforgettable home hospitality experience.
Garin, Asher, and Zach stayed with a host family alongside three boys from Ukraine. Their host mom, Lisa Weinberg Spector, is an empty nester with five grown kids. “I loved every moment of the full house of Maccabi athletes and loved seeing the three Wisconsin boys create new friendships with the three Ukranian boys,” said Lisa.
Ronna Ruffin, who not only co-led the delegation, but is also Garin’s mom, reflected, “As a parent watching, it’s an incredible experience to watch not only your child, but everyone else’s children make new friends from all over the world, while competing in the sports they love, all for a common goal.”
But Asher probably said it best. “It was the best week of my life!”
To catch a glimpse of the action in Detroit, you can watch this recap video posted on the JCC Maccabi Games Detroit Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JCCMaccabiDetroit/videos/803050775365635
If your teen wants to experience the magic of JCC Maccabi, contact Charlie Glynn, Recreation Director, to learn more about joining our Wisconsin delegation and representing our community in Summer 2025.
