Adidas 757 All-Star HS Football Game Prepares for December 20th Kickoff

Attention to all Hampton Roads high school senior football players:

Craig Spruill is looking for you!

Well, maybe not all of you. But as the Adidas 757 All-Star Football Game prepares for its inaugural kickoff on December 20^th, Spruill is happy to share that there is still some room on the rosters for what looks to be a high-octane game and an annual highlight of the Peninsula and Southside high school football seasons.

“Right now, were at about 30-35 players who have confirmed,” says Spruill, the event’s director. But even as the online announcement, found on the game website at www.adidas757game.com states, there is room for 70 players on the rosters.

But the slots are filling up quickly, and the list is turning into a Who’s Who of Hampton Roads high school gridiron stars.  Phoebus’ Harry Lewis, who recently committed to Virginia Tech is on the list. So is Bethel QB Beau Morgan, Ocean Lakes guard Hudson Dunaway, and Hickory tight end (and U. VA commit) Richard Burney Jr.

But this game is about diversity, and one may play for any high school team to accept an invitation. Spruill’s wish list of players encompasses Peninsula, Southside, private schools and Bay Rivers District teams.

On a grander scale, the event is all about helping the community.

To kick off the series of events leading up to the game, four game participants, Ben DeBastiani of Indian River; Menchville’s Xavier Keys, Blake LaRussa from Bishop Sullivan Catholic, and Landstown’s Eric Magwood, paid a visit to the Norfolk CHKD last Saturday, where they spent an early afternoon spending time, playing games and presenting toys to local youths.

The toys were sponsored by Walmart and reflect the heavy corporate backing for the event. With the impetus of sponsorship director Oliver Walmon, at least a dozen businesses have thrown their backing into the event. One, Buffalo Wild Wings, will host a pre-game dinner for the players and families.

But in the spirit of its mission to encourage community involvement, social responsibility and academic excellence, there will be more to the Adidias757 than football. First Advantage Credit Union will host a Financial Literary Workshop on the day before the game.

Says Spruill, “our players will be going to college next year, and we want them to be prepared for their personal financial responsibilities. First Advantage will be teaching them about the importance of credit scores, personal budgeting, and other areas.”

While the Hampton Roads community is sure to benefit from the game, it is also a unique opportunity for players to test their mettle against the cream of the local crop. In the past, the few outlets for high school senior players have included spring combines and the Virginia High School Coaches All-Star Game, which has been held in July. For the borderline college prospect, the December date might be crucial.

“We wanted to play the game while the kids are still in fairly good football shape,” added Spruill.

And given the nature of college scholarships, an opportunity to excel in December may allow colleges to find a few more scholarship athletes before their allotment of athletic money runs out.

That’s why so many schools are interested in being involved with the game.

Says Walmon, “We have commitments from the University of Connecticut, U. VA, Virginia Tech, ODU, Norfolk State – really, just about every college team around here wants to see this game.”

(L to R): Blake LaRussa, Bishop Sullivan; Ben DeBastiani, Indian River; Craig Spruill; Eric Magwood, Landstown; Xavier Keys, Menchville — at CHKD, Norfolk.

There is one problem. NCAA rules allow Division II and III coaches to physically attend the event, but for BCS and FCS (Division I) coaches, the perimeter of Powhatan Field (the game site in Norfolk, and ODU’s home field) is off limits.

Spruill found a solution to that problem.

“We will be broadcasting the game on Huddle (www.hudl.com) and hopefully get some time with Cox Cable, so that the Division I coaches can watch the game on TV.”

For more information on attending or playing in the game, please visit the website. You can also log in to the game’s Facebook page by searching “Adidas 757 All-Star Football Game”

Revisiting the ESL Teachers of Hampton, VA

As some of you may know, when I'm not covering high school football, or writing about the latest and greatest 17-year old (boxer, wrestler, swimmer, fill in the blank), I have been known to pay some attention to contemporary educational issues. Makes sense, seeing as I am a post-graduate degree earner, and current student, in educational administration, as well as policy.

M'kay-y-y-y!!??

This week, I'm making plans to re-visit an old pilot study which I conducted for a Qualitative Research course. Three years ago, I conducted interviews with four (of ten) ESL teachers in the city of Hampton, VA. In 2011, the English as a Second Language (ESL) program was in its embryonic stages in Hampton. Knowing that increased diversity in the Hampton Roads region will force the program to grow and develop, I wanted to see what strategies the newest teachers were using for survival in a position that barely existed within the city limits.

Thinking back, here was my original idea:

My main research question for the original study was:


·     What are the personal and pedagogical characteristics specifically focused toward teaching ESL students? (compared to a traditional classroom teacher)

I even had some other questions constructed:

Tell me why you became an ESL teacher. (Warm-Up – should provide some personal background)

·         Describe a typical day in your school (Warm-Up – might help to shed light on how school system/Title III funding affects one’s job)

·         Describe the classroom methods or strategies that you use to teach ESL students?

·         What role does resources play in helping you develop lesson plans to teach ESL students?

·         How do you use the resources available to you to teach ESL students in your classroom?

·         Do you think your school system properly provide you with the necessary resources to work in an ESL classroom? (is improvisation important?)

·         Do you think there are differences between the classroom needs of ESL students and students for whom English is a first language?

·         Do you think that your cultural and social background plays a role in the classroom? Why or why not?

·         What is your favorite lesson to teach to ESL students? (can ask…might be more for background)

·         What is the greatest challenge you face as an ESL teacher?

·         What are some of the ways you work to overcome this challenge?

·         What are some of the ways that you utilize the course curriculum? Is there room for creativity and thinking “outside of the box?” Give me some examples.


·         How would your students describe you as a teacher?

Three years later, I am curious of a few things. First of all, how many ESL teachers work in Hampton now? Out of the original ten teachers, how many are still in the position? And most important, what developments in budget increases, resources, and support have been added to insure the continued success of this program?

In 2011, the ESL teachers I interviewed were enjoying success within the program, but also worked from the seat of their pants - gathering resources which other teachers were tossing out, and remaking lessons on the fly. I wonder if this was an empowering experience, or one which eventually caused burnout. perhaps having the ESL teachers work from an existing self-efficacy instrument (i.e. -- survey) can add some richness to this post-study.

Stay tuned!

America's Next Great Boxing Hope - Meeting Shakur Stevenson

Original version of article which appeared in Daily Press sports (front page) on October 15, 2014. To view the link, visit:

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-spt-stevenson-feature-20141014,0,2370904.story

It’s easy to be caught off guard by Shakur Stevenson’s laid-back demeanor. As the senior from Bethel High School gets comfortable on the family living room couch, few people would recognize the young man as possibly America’s best hope for a boxing gold medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

But as Stevenson begins to speak, in a voice brimming with self-confidence and awareness of his unique talents, the 5’7”, 120-pound teenager suddenly appears larger and much older than his 17 years of age.

Perhaps it stems from a toughness that could only be built up in rough-and-tumble cities such as Newark, N.J., where the young boxer spent his first 16 years before relocating, to be with his grandparents in Hampton, last year.

How tough is Stevenson? He started boxing at the age of five, under the direction of his other grandfather, Wali Moses, simply because he loved performing and improving at something. While singing or acting, or really, just about any other sport would have been a less painful pursuit, the decision to box has paid off in huge dividends, namely in the form of gold medals at global competitions.

Stevenson is a perfect 17-0 in international matches, and most recently won the flyweight (52 kg.) division at the Youth Olympic Games, held in Nanjing, China last month. As if the trip halfway around the world wasn’t hard enough, he found one more challenge in the final bout – an opponent with a genuine home advantage – China’s Ping Lyu.

“It was like me against the crowd,”  said Stevenson, bringing to mind the final sequence of scenes in Rocky IV. “But, it hyped me up even more. I was nervous at first, but that went away in a hurry.” The American went on to win all three rounds, making him 9-0 on all judges scorecards for rounds in the tournament.

It’s performances like that which earned Stevenson the AIBA World Junior Fighter of the Year award, making him the first American to earn that distinction.

Surprisingly, his toughest opponent to date is one he has fought twice, with the second bout being the semifinal at the Youth Olympics before matching up against Lyu.

“Yes, Muhammad Ali was my toughest opponent.”

Come again?

Stevenson hesitates for a second, then snickers. “No, not that one! Mohammed Ali from Great Britain.” He starts to spell the first name to show the difference. “Ali gave me a hard fight the first time in Bulgaria; he’s a tough competitor.”

How was the rematch?

“After my first fight in China (the one leading to the Ali bout), his father called me from the stands. “Hey Shakur! I looked up and he flashed his Mohammed Ali shirt, tugging at the bottom for emphasis.”

Asked if the attempt to psych him out worked at all, he laughs a bit. “No, not at all. The second fight was so easy. I didn’t think it would be that easy, but it was.”

Stevenson, who was named for his mother’s favorite rapper Tupac Shakur, is enjoying a rest in Hampton until his training begins in earnest again this November. “I know how to start myself up,” says Stevenson, in a broad understatement. With his regular coaches (Kay Koroma is the other) stationed in Newark, he trains alone in his grandparents’ garage, where a heavy bag hangs from a wooden beam. However, he will go to a gym in Norfolk when he needs to spar.

“Pernell Whitaker is from Norfolk,” notes Stevenson, who studies the history of the sweet science.

So who’s his favorite boxer?

“Sugar Ray Robinson. He’s the best boxer of all time!” He also likes Floyd Mayweather and Andre Ward. Speaking of Ward, Stevenson adds that “he added me on Facebook, and we chat every once in a while.”  Ward also happens to be the last Olympic boxer to win a gold medal, back in 2004.

The tie-in is remarkable. Stevenson’s first goal and current focus is to emulate Ward’s gold medal performance, then move directly to the pro ranks where his plan mirrors Mayweather’s. Asked what division he’d like to compete at, he quickly exclaims “147! That’s where the money’s at.”

It’s also Mayweather’s division, a fact that he is very well aware of.

“He (Mayweather) started in the lower weights, and worked himself up to 147.” For the Rio Games, Stevenson is aiming to compete in the 123-lb. class. To date, he has competed in this division once, at the Ringside World Championships in Missouri, where he won.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t really a world championship. They had some good national level boxers there.”

But the plan for the next two years is quickly taking shape. Next year’s schedule includes the Olympic Trials or a last chance competition to make the U.S. team, and this will begin Stevenson’s Road to Rio, a road which has a predictable ending, at least according to the young boxer seated on his grandparent’s couch.

“I’m going to win.”

  

Stevenson’s honors include:

2014 YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES GOLD MEDALIST
2014 YOUTH WORLD CHAMPION
2013 JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPION 
2013 VICTORY DAY CHAMPION
2012 JUNIOR OLYMPIC NATIONAL CHAMPION
2013 JUNIOR WORLD TEAM OPEN CHAMPION
2012 VELES CUP CHAMPION

Hindrances to Student Creativity - A Few Thoughts

In recent months, I have strayed away from my blog posts on creativity. While the subject remains relevant, particularly as it relates to the youths of today, I haven't had many reason to drop into the subject matter. I did have an excuse recently, as a myself and a couple of classmates (Pete Goodrich and Sakhavat Mammadov) took a shot at explaining some possible problem areas, as well as solutions, to the creativity crisis.

Since I hadn't told my partners about this post, I'll just give a brief overview. Pete Goodrich examined the reduction of emphasis on standardized testing as a possible way to help children retain their creativity. It is widely understood that giving tests to kids might not hinder their creative ability, but it surely does not enhance their capabilities. While the reduction is a great idea, and something that has been considered here in Virginia (number of required SOL tests has been reduced from 22 to 16), one could also argue that the practice cannot be eliminated. In fact, Dr. Richard Phelps, who has been the topic of a blog post here, believes that the practice, although unpopular, needs to be maintained at some level, simply because of the wide variance in teacher grading. With standardized testing, at least we can use the same measuring stick to determine a student's retention of a subject matter.

I took a brief look at the technological aspect with creativity, but went to the other side of the argument. Of course, technology in its existing form can do wonders to enhance the creative mind of a child. But, it must be used properly in a school setting. I examined the idea of online testing. While students can use technology to take a test, there are other great distractions that can get in the way of that function - most notably video games and checking social media sites. Technology is a plus, but it must be harnessed in order for young students to retain focus.

Sakhavat looked at the topic through the lens of the evolving teacher. As he wisely noted, teachers need to enable certain characteristics to help enhance the creativity of their students, even if they do not possess high levels of creativity on their own personal level.  He examined some notable articles, and I am sure that he will offer more to the rich literature offering himself as a doctoral candidate.

I will revisit this concept of wisely utilizing technology to enhance student creativity in the near future.