Norm Young, 67, cracked a wide smile and began laughing modestly after having the Ranney Park handball courts named in his honor.
"You want the truth?" said Young, a former MSU wrestler and 1961 NCAA champion. "I wish they would have asked me beforehand. I'm a person that doesn't like these types of things, I really don't."
For two years, the dedication was kept secret from Young by Robert McCormick and John Foss.
McCormick and Foss raised almost half of the $8,000 needed to renovate the courts and buy the plaque without broadcasting their efforts, they said.
A ceremony was held Friday dedicating the Ranney Park handball courts, which neighbor the skateboard park, to Young - a 20-time national handball champion and life-long Lansing resident.
More than 50 people gathered at the newly refurbished courts despite the mild weather, slight breeze and occasional light rain.
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero gave brief remarks at the podium, which stood in front of the 17-foot white wall in the center of the courts.
"(Young) is an amazing man," said Bernero, amid the sound of falling skateboarders in the background. "He's a great example for our kids in Lansing, really for all of us. (Young's) legacy of achievements really demonstrates that hard work and determination can achieve spectacular results."
Following the speeches, the crowd filed over to the unveiling of the giant boulder with Young's commemorative plaque embedded in it. The words "Norm Young Handball Courts" appear at the top and a list of his athletic accolades are featured below.
Young saw the bronze plaque featuring his name and accomplishments for the first time in April.
"Have you ever started laughing when something wasn't really funny … That's what I did," Young said. "I just broke out laughing."
Young's mixed feelings about the ceremony did not surprise Foss and McCormick, who had the revelation to dedicate the courts after they finished a game at the park two years ago.
"He's very quiet and private," said McCormick, an MSU law professor.
"The phrase 'intense competitor' really is a synonym for Norm," said Foss, who has known Young for 30 years.
Young is a dominant competitor, said Dale Chimenti, vice president of the Michigan Handball Association.
"Everybody aspires to be as diligent and dedicated a player as he is," Chimenti said. "Everybody in this park (Friday) has gotten beaten by him."
While Young may be the silent type, he is very well known among handballers, McCormick said.
"(Young) is just a wonderful person, a wonderful human being, a great competitor and a great person to know," he said. "He's a real asset to the community."
