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| IT'S BEEN AN EVENTFUL YEAR FOR MIKE SHUE
March 29, 2004..Harrisburg, Pa.. Since July, the Harrisburg Horizon guard has broken his wrist in a motorcycle accident, coped with the unexpected death of his father and witnessed the birth of his first child. But the former Lock Haven standout has found a way back to the basketball court and is poised for a breakout year. The uphill climb began this past summer, when a car veered in fron of Shue as he attempted to pass it. Shue quickly hit his breaks, causing him to flip over the handle bars of his motorcycle. His left wrist was broken, which happens to be his shooting hand, was broken. After months of physical therapy, Shue was playing basketball again despite pain. It was around this time he received a call he had not planned on getting. He was told his father died of a heart attack. "It was extremely difficult and unexpected," said Shue. "I know he was anxious to see my daughter born. It put a lot of things in perspective." A little over a month later, Aubrey Shue was born on Valentines Day. "She was something that brought some happiness and joy back into my life." Now Aubrey is five weeks old and already 22 inches long, a possible basketball star in the making. Shue said that a year of mixed emotions changed him. "It's definitely changed my life," said Shue. "The biggest thing I can take from this is not to take anything for granted. For twenty-seven years I had no worries, but you never know what's going to happen." But one thing Shue does know is that he wants to play basketball. He has played in all three Horizon games so far this year, averaging 15 points a game and helping the Horizon to a 3-0 start. The other big help has come from power forward Kevin Rowe, someone who Shue knows well. Rowe and Shue played on the same team at Dover High School and weren't exactly friends. They often competed with each other. The competition was literally taken to the next level when the two played against each other in college. Shue played for Lock Haven, while Rowe played for Millersville. Their first couple of years in the EBA were no different. Shue played for the Harrisburg Horizon and Rowe for the Lancaster Storm. It was not until Rowe joined the Horizon that the two gelled. Now they are good friends and have deep respect for each other. Ironically enough, they see each other off the court once a week. Their rexpective jobs require them to interact for business purposes. But the wrist hurts. "It hurts to this day. Everyday I play it hurts. I Play with a constant pain", said Shue. It only adds to the agressive mentality that has made Mike Shue a fan favorite during his six year run with the Horizon.
HARRISBURG HORIZON GAMES: THE PLACE TO BE FOR KIDS Contact: Peter Strella (717) 096-0499 - Fax (717) 986-0495 March 29, 2004.. Harrisburg, PA... The kids are everywhere. You can see them pestering Harrisburg Horizon mascot Revillee or shooting baskets on the court at halftime. You can see them in the stands cheering their favorite player or perhaps they are in the locker room with the team because Coach Clocker said it was OK. No matter where they are, the Harrisburg Horizon have a way of making sure that children have fun. The Horizon are the only professional team in Pennsylvania who can bring kids so close to the game without their parents having to dip into the college fund. "They're having a blast," said George Downey, Cub Master of the Palmyra Pack 414 cub scouts. "They were out at halftime playing basketball and they actually had some Horizon players come up and introduce themselves and they got autographs. Downey came with a group of 57 people to the Horizon-Wilkes Barre game. He said the price was one of the things that convinced the PACK leaders to come to the game. Each person saw a men's game and a women's game and received a hot dog and soda for six dollars. The Horizon offer discount rates to large groups from churches, schools and other organizations. Other members of Downey's group agreed. "They're having a great time," said Ted Hermanson of his two sons Miles and Vance, fellow members of Palmyra PACK 414. "This is their first time ever coming out to a game so it's a new experience for them. They're having fun." Hermanson added that his kids were just beginning to play basketball and the Horizon game was a good experience for them. But it's not only the games that make Horizon games fun for kids. The Horizon continually reach out to the children of the community by hosting basketball clinics and tournaments. Most recently, Ceda Cliff Elementary won a four-team sixth grade girls basketball tournament that also featured students from Paxtonia, Mechanicsburg and Tri-Community.
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