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.

The Next Great Boxing Hope - Meet Shakur Stevenson

I had the great pleasure last Friday afternoon to meet a young boxer who many believe is the best American hope to win a gold medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Shakur Stevenson in training. Remember the name.

His name is Shakur Stevenson, and last year he moved from Newark, NJ to Hampton, VA which is how he found his way into my sights. Actually, Andi Petrini @andipetrini, the sports editor at the DAILY PRESS, put him on my radar. As I did some research, it was amazing that this assignment fell to me. The article sent by Shakur's "people,"  was a recent one from USA Today, and written last month after the 17-year old had won yet another world amateur title. He's 17-0 in international competition.

I had a great talk with Stevenson at his grandparent's house in Hampton, where he is taking a break from boxing, but getting ready to begin training again in November. Amazingly, both of his coaches are still based in Newark. But, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Mary Cain, the young phenom distance runner, who recently turned pro, has legendary Alberto Salazar as a coach, and he's still coaching runners in Oregon, while Mary just graduated from Bronxville HS, just outside of New York City.

I'm not going to give the highlights of the interview away, because it will be shown in a soon to be released DP sports page. Could be as early as tomorrow (Wed.), and I'll put an addendum on the top of this post with a link to the story. As I like to say, stay tuned. :)

Tales from Wagner College - Tom Chimento, Dr. Lieberman, Bill Anderson, the Rev. Jesse Jackson visit and ensuing "exclusive" interview for the S.I. Advance

Kudos to Tom Chimento, my former classmate at Wagner College. Every Thursday for the past few weeks, he has been posting a wide array of “Throwback” pictures on Facebook, capturing the essence of the people we knew at our old beloved “School on the Hill.” Even though Tom was a couple years ahead of me, there are enough familiar faces in most of the pictures to brighten my day, as well as the day of quite a few other folks, from the looks of the attached comments.

The Wagnerian gang - Spring 1983. Scott Lieberman in front
Geek with painter's hat in back, next to NY Post reader
Thanks for posting Tom C.!

Last week, to my surprise, Tom posted a Wagnerian picture, circa 1982-83. Now I always love to hear about my old college newspaper, for two reasons. First, I was blessed to serve as editor or co-editor in chief of the paper for three semesters while in college. Secondly, the Wagnerian was recently named the 14^th most influential college newspaper in the United States, by none other than the Princeton Review!

Of course, the comments followed. Scott Lieberman, managing editor of the paper during that school year, was fronting the group in the picture, and made notice of the old gang. Scott, who is now an esteemed cardiologist in Tyler, Texas, actually became famous for his picture of the Columbia space shuttle as it disintegrated on its way back to Mother Earth. He may be the most noteworthy journalist to emerge from the Wagnerian. We have some famous writers who graced the staff, but that’s for another post.

Dr. Scott Lieberman's picture of the Columbia
gained worldwide attention

Bill Anderson also chimed in. Bill, who was managing editor in the fall of 1983, commented on how it was an important year for Wagner news because of the student killed on a Korean Air Lines hijacked jet, the return of one of our graduates from medical school in Grenada, and the visit of the Rev. Jesse Jackson to our campus.

Ah yes, the Good Reverend’s visit. What a lesson I learned that week.

In 1983, Jackson, already an esteemed minister, as well as public speaker and figure, decided to run for the 1984 Democratic nomination for President. At the time of his visit to Staten Island (weeks before his Hymietown comment cost him the nomination), he was polling in strong double digits and had a legitimate chance to win at the upcoming primary.

We knew that his visit to the Island was going to be short, and his time at Wagner would be very brief. There would be a speaking opportunity, followed by several questions. Twenty minutes tops.

Being the cub reporter (albeit a sports one), I angled for a good spot in the audience. When the time came, I got my hand up high enough to be noticed. And I was.

“Reverend Jackson, being that the 20^th anniversary of the March on Washington just passed, do you believe that any true progress has been made with the Civil Rights movement?” The question went something like that.

Jackson gave a great answer, and by that I mean his response was awesome, and full of true Jesse Jackson verbiage. In truth, the gist of his answer was “some progress, but a lot of work still needs to be done.”

Wow, so Rev. Jesse Jackson answered my question.

I became doubly sure of what a great question it was the next day. On the front of the Staten Island Advance was news of Jackson’s visit to Staten Island. In a sidebar was a promo for Stevie Lacy-Pendleton’s “exclusive interview” with Jesse Jackson.

My first thought was “wow, how did she get a whole interview in such a short time?” Then I flipped to the interview page and found the answer.

I believe it was the third “interview” question that read, “Rev. Jackson, do you believe that any progress has been made with the Civil Rights movement?” And Jackson’s great response from the previous day was now in print, as part of a perceived one-on-one interview.

In a huff, I called the paper, and asked to speak with Ms. Lacy-Pendleton. The surprised voice on the other end noted that she was not in. Unsatisfied with that response, I went on a short tirade about how dare this reporter take other people’s questions and claim them as her own. She may have never received the message.

And up until Tom’s posted picture and Bill’s comment, I had totally forgotten about the incident. On a whim, I did a search on the Ms. Lacy-Pendleton. She appears to be gainfully employed with the Advance 30 years later; in fact, she is listed as a senior columnist and the deputy editorial page editor.

Great for her. I’m sure there’s a wonderful explanation why her involvement with the Jackson visit was listed as an exclusive interview the next day. There’s probably a legitimate reason.

I just never got to hear it.

Mrs. McGrath Goes to Japan -- Donations Welcome. No, Really :)

Elizabeth and Jim

I am proud to announce that my wife Elizabeth,
shown on the right, will be serving as a citizen
delegate for Sister Cities of Newport News next
month. Where the designation is an honor, it
is also quite expensive. (Comparing point of
note -- did you know that Olympians families
have to raise their own funds to go see their
son/daughter compete?) I've given until it hurts (still) and now I'm happy to ask on her behalf. Of course, Elizabeth has a link and a statement. The 
link is below. Please read and feel free to support her cause.

http://www.gofundme.com/c8jx1w

Hi, everyone! I am departing on October 15. I could really use some support, as I am preparing to purchase my ticket and meeting my host family in Neyagawa, Japan. I am looking forward to this adventure. I will represent not only the City of Newport News but also Juvenile Services Education. For those in the Southeast Virginia region, I plan to sell Krispy Kreme doughnuts to help with expenses as well. 

Please spread the word for this worthwhile cause on your social media pages. Thanks in advance for your support. 

Love, Mrs. McGrath

John Harvey Starts Rev City Sports

My friend John Harvey, former sports editor of the Virginia Gazette in Williamsburg (VA), has started a new venture, and indeed it is a bold one. A couple of months ago, he made the decision to launch Rev City Sports, (revcitysports.com), a website dedicated to the coverage of youth, high school, amateur -- basically, all sports offerings in the greater Williamsburg area. 

An operation which started from a Blogger.com platform has since found its own web home (thanks to Williamsburg Web Works), and some early sponsorship assistance. Of course, as noted in John's introduction below, he is in search of site advertisers, as well as story ideas.

"RevCitySports.com is the premiere online site or sports news in greater Williamsburg. If a sporting event is happening in the area, you can find the results here. From youth sports to middle school sports, to high school and college athletics, you can find it here. John Harvey is a veteran sports writer in the area with 15 years experience covering everything from Pickleball to football. If folks have a story idea or if a company would like to advertise on the site, have them contact me at jharvey@revcitysports.com or via Twitter @RevCitySports."

Fortunately, John has a lot of juice behind the operation. As a reporter, he was recognized by the Virginia Press Association as one of the top writers in the state, garnering 22 VPA awards for sports writing, as well as photography, page design, headline writing and multi-media production. Fans of Rev City are quick to note the video footage which accompanies several of the articles, as well as the sharp use of graphics and sleek two-column design for stories.

Readership is on the upswing, so be the first on your block (especially if your block is on the Historic Triangle!) to give an eyeful to Rev City Sports.

"Life Treats You the Way You Treat It" - Book Update

Labor Day has rolled past, and it is time to assess where D'Shawn and I are with the book project.
At our current rate, we'll be ready for the holidays. The publicity pictures have been taken and a working cover has been designed.

The photo day was interesting. D'Shawn poses for pictures all the time between the bodybuilding routines and other photo shoots. Me, not so much.

That's not a problem. Fortunately, I'm the organizer of the story and not its main subject. It would be odd for me to end up standing out in any picture of us. As I always joke -- a line I stole from 1980's comedian Steve Mittleman -- Let me tell you about my modeling career. I used to model socks  --- on the radio <rim shot!>

The working book cover looks great!

I hope that this ends up being the cover we go with. Some Facebook comments have noted that it looks too much like an evangelist looking toward the heavens. I think it fits the topic. D'Shawn says a lot of things about belief and confidence and looking for inspiration. In my frame of mind, this picture is a great metaphor for the message.

Right now, I'm figuring that we are at roughly 75 pages. Keep in mind -- we're not setting out to rewrite "War and Peace." Our aim starts with the minimum of 150 pages. The goal is to provide the type of book that someone could carry around in a purse or gym bag. I'd like to push closer to 200, but realize it will be a lot of work. But there will be some pictures of Body By D events, and perhaps some excerpts from other writings about D'Shawn, the gym clients, trainers, and surely the BBD movement in general.

Lex Gillette

We have found a worthy candidate to write the forward. Lex Gillette is one of the most amazing people you will ever encounter. Blind since the age of 7, he has become renowned for his feats in the long jump, clearing about 22 feet as a world class Paralympic athlete. He also writes music, plays instruments, and does a number of other things that one might not expect from a person who is sight impaired. However, he lives daily by his own creed - "No need for sight when you have a vision!" Travis Masters, my editor at TrackNation magazine, found Lex's story a couple of years ago and gave me the assignment. Our article can be found at this link http://tracknation.com/trackside2/ on page 19.

As it stands now, we are on target to have the book ready toward the middle of November, and just in time for the Holidays! Plan ahead and get ready for our drop date.

Peninsula Catholic's McKenna Prepares for Next Run as Auburn Tiger

After a record setting senior year with Peninsula Catholic,
Molly McKenna has made a huge jump in competition,
now competing for Auburn University of the SEC.

On the heels of the most successful outdoor  track season for any female distance runner in Peninsula (VA) history, Peninsula Catholic’s Molly McKenna found herself in a unique and unusual position. Just the year before, she had been overshadowed by teammates such as Martine Hunnicutt, who won the Daily Press cross-country female runner of the year, but established herself as the solid #2 or #3 harrier on a team which won the VISAA Division II crown in 2012, beating teams such as Walsingham Academy and Wakefield School — solid squads, but like the Knights, ones which represented schools with under 500 students.

Even at the previous week’s State Catholic meet, the largest team Peninsula Catholic faced was Fairfax’s Paul VI high school, a member of the prestigious Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, but still, a school which would qualify as Group 4A (out of six) under the newest Virginia High School League (VHSL) conferencing alignment.

But in spite of her regular doses of small school competition, between these schools and the TCIS (Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools) meets which her Newport News school competed in, McKenna broke out in a big way during her senior year, setting 1600 (5:00) and 3200-meter (10:47) records for the Virginia Peninsula, marks which rivaled those of the public school standouts in the southern half of the state. 

By the end of the 2014 outdoor track season, McKenna was a full-fledged blue chip recruit, but one who had peaked too late for many schools to notice, much less hold scholarships for. 

Fortunately, late appearances at the MileStat.com Elite Track Classic and New Balance Nationals helped her star shine as graduation neared.

PC girls cross-country coach Susan Bender recalls the move that inspired her star runner’s leap of faith into college, marked by a jump from the TCIS and VISAA conferences of private school Virginia straight into the SEC as the newest cross-country and track runner for Auburn University.

“I believe they contacted her and had her come visit the campus.  She really liked the school and the coaches and the few runners she met.”

Even McKenna saw the unfolding of events as something beyond the ordinary.

“I actually can't remember exactly why I applied to Auburn, but did so pretty late in the game and kind of out of the blue. I knew very little about the school, but I guess it was just meant to be.”

In fact, her two day official visit to Auburn also marked her first excursion to Alabama. But McKenna’s first impression was her lasting one.

“It just had the right feel to it. (There’s) no other way to put it.”

Her start as a political science major has been an auspicious one so far. McKenna made the trip south on August 6th, and reports that  “Aside from some homesickness, the transition has been very easy, thanks to the great team and coaching staff here. It truly is like moving in with a second family. After one week, I already feel at home. And I'm really enjoying this level of training."

Any worry about her new SEC competition, which includes nationally ranked Arkansas (#7) and Vanderbilt (#23), as well as Florida and Alabama?

“The pressure is on, but it's a good pressure. I can feel the potential for great things down here.” 

She also added that her “classes are great! I'm loving being able to focus on subjects that really interest me.”

Somewhat surprisingly, a look into the 2014 Auburn cross-country media guide shows that McKenna also sports the fastest 1600 and 3200 times among her five person incoming class. But the 18-year olds goals remain modest and have nothing to do with breaking a certain time barrier.

“I have several goals, but my main ones are to stay healthy, drop time, and score for the team.”

At this point, there is no benchmark. The college women run many of their races at the 6 kilometer distance, one which McKenna admits she does not have a time for. But there is one other goal, and for that, she makes note of the September 26th entry on the Auburn schedule, the Panorama Farms meet, hosted by the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville.

Thinking back to the VISAA meets at the scenic Woodberry Forest campus in nearby Orange, VA, she adds, “I'm really hoping to travel for that race. It would be nice to see Virginia in the fall.”

Newport News (VA) to Host Inaugural "One City" Marathon in March 2015

Although it shouldn’t be viewed as a move to secede from the Hampton Roads (VA) region, the founders of its newest marathon have opted to call the race which will begin and finish in Newport News, Virginia, the “One City Marathon.”

Surprisingly, fitting a marathon into this one city isn’t that hard of a feat. Starting at the far north end of town in Newport News Park, the race course makes some diversions into local neighborhoods, but still manages to follow a mostly north to south course which covers all 26.2 miles of the race. This becomes more understandable when one learns that the narrow city of Newport News measures about 24 miles from top to bottom.

Along with the self-identifying race title, the inaugural marathon has also been scheduled for March 15, 2015, exactly one week before the annual Shamrock Marathon in neighboring Virginia Beach.

Ironically, one person who may be vexed by this scheduling impasse is also one of the most visible spokespersons. Last year, Desiree Williams, the  representing the state as Miss Virginia 2013, completed her first marathon on the flat Shamrock oceanfront course. This year, as a Newport News resident, doctoral student at nearby Hampton University, avid runner and professional yoga instructor, and public figure, she was asked to help promote the One City race.

Asked whether she was planning on running the race itself, Williams wants to keep her options open. 

“I will be running an event as well as presenting at the Health & Wellness Expo, but I have not yet determined whether I will run the marathon or the 8K,” said Williams.

Desiree Williams will be involved with
the One City Marathon, as a
spokesperson, and runner, although her
race has not been decided yet.

I’m looking forward to the event. Although 33 years have passed since the last time I ran a marathon, it is inspiring to see an event which has the opportunity to enhance community pride, while encouraging physical fitness and spirited competition. One of my favorite memories of completing the Marine Corps Marathon three times was seeing the swarms of people who lined the course from Rte. 110 in Arlington, through Crystal City, over the Key Bridge into Georgetown, around the Capitol, into West Potomac Park, around Hains Point, back over the 14th St. Bridge and toward the finish at the Iwo Jima Memorial. Tens of thousands of people showed up and made the day for the thousands more competitors.

The One City Marathon has the chance to bring the community together, for this year, and hopefully many more to come. Stay tuned here for more race updates.

Yorktown's Burden Wins FINA World Championship in Masters Diving

Just received word from Jim Burden, one of my former article/post subjects, that he won the gold medal for 1-meter diving at the recent FINA world event in Montreal. For the record, Jim is the diver who found his way back into the sport after a 38-year absence. Now 61, Burden also placed third in the 3-meter competition. As he told me,"I can't believe it really happened!" Coming off of 2nd place finishes in the U.S. meet, it is quite a feat. Congratulations Jim, and I look forward to covering this in more detail in the very near future.

Southeastern Virginia Swimming's "Magnificent Seven" 13-14 Year Olds Break U.S.A. Top 200 Rankings

Most of article is shown as published in the Hampton, Newport News and York County Town Square sections of the DAILY PRESS on Thursday, July 17, 2014

The pride of SEVA Swimming -
Danika Katzer, Jenna Thompson, Morgan Miller,
 Jacqueline Tinneny,Skyler Dewall, Kathryn Nunez,
 Andrea Ducar

In organized sports, coaches, athletes and fans are known to long for the fairy tale season involving their favorite team.

This summer, Jeff Kincaid, coach of the Southeastern Virginia Seahawks swim team, has been living through the experience, both literally and figuratively.

That’s because seven of his 13 year old age group female swimmers have pierced through the plateau of the Top 200 IM Xtreme national rankings established by USA Swimming, Inc. The rankings, which Kincaid says are “a motivating factor” to all of his swimmers, is based on a point system for key races starting at 100 meters, including the freestyle and individual medley.

Two of the Seahawks, Danika Katzer and Jacqueline Tinneny, both of Yorktown, have even made it into the Top 20. Katzer has scored in 14 different events, the most of any individual  in Virginia, while Tinneny’s strength comes from being the highest ranked in the breaststroke.

Joining the pair in the rankings are fellow Seahawk teammates Morgan Miller (highest rank 35th), Jenna Thompson (#81), Skyler Dewall (#112), Andrea Ducar (#129) and Kathryn Nunez (#189).

For Kincaid, the success of his 13 year olds all part of a group effort, one which has earned a nickname from their coach, a moniker that associates more with Walt Disney than Mark Spitz.

“They’re like the Seven Dwarfs,” says Kincaid, now in his third year at the helm of the Seahawks. “Each one brings unique personalities to the pool.”

And while the Dwarfs reference may sound demeaning, it engages the larger effort involved with youth swimming, an effort that requires six days a week of summer workouts, which on a recent Tuesday at the Midtown Aquatic Center in Newport News, began at 5:45 AM.

“We try to do fun things to keep the swimmers happy,” adds Kincaid. “If this were easy, every child would be up at 5 AM to go to practice.”

Katzer and Tinneny are no strangers to the early morning regimen. Both have been swimmers for at least six years, and Tinneny in particular has a master plan to keep her summer schedule as regular as possible.

“It’s exhausting,” says the rising ninth grader, who will enter Grafton High School this fall. “I have to go home after practice and take a nap,” a comment which drew a knowing nod from Katzer.

The hard work is paying dividends.

Last month, at the CGBD (Coast Guard Blue Dolphins) Summer Madness meet at the Midtown Center, the younger swimmers were able to match up with older competitors in “Super Finals” races, which were open to all age groups. Both Katzer and Tinneny matched up well with more accomplished swimmers, such as Peyton Baldwin and Nicole Piercy from Hampton Roads Academy. In one memorable race, the 200-meter freestyle, Katzer held her own against former Menchville star and current University of Tennessee standout Amanda carnet, keeping up for several laps before fading behind by 1.7 seconds, still good enough for a respectable second place finish.

“Danica really pushed her (Carner) to the limit,” said Kincaid. Katzer looked at the opportunity as “really fun.”

Next up for the Seahawks was the non-scoring Summer Awards meet, the Senior Champs, and finally, the Age Group Championships, which was held at the Christianburg Aquatic Center in southwest Virginia. At the Age Group Championships, SEVA collected enough points to win the girls 13-14 age group title for Midsize team, while Katzer won high points award for the age group. 

However, the Seahawks alignment with Katzer will be ending soon as her military family will be relocating to Northern Virginia before the beginning of next season.

Is Derek Jeter The Last of The Cooperstown One-Teamers?

If you choose to believe the utterances of a few baseball analysts, last Monday may have signaled the recognition of a crossroads in the game. On this evening, soon-to-retire Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter passed Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski for seventh place on the all-time hits list. In true Jeter fashion, the Captain needed two hits going into the contest against the Texas Rangers and belted out three against Yu Darvish to tie, then break Yaz’s standard of 3,419.

Although Boston’s Number Eight won baseball’s Triple Crown in 1967, neither player is viewed as a stat monster, but rather as models of consistency for their respective organizations. Despite their high career ranking on the hit parade, neither Jeter nor Yastrzemski is the greatest ballplayer in their franchise’s history. Yaz takes second place to Ted Williams, while a strong argument can be made that Jeter is only the fifth greatest Yankee to wear the pinstripes, unless one truly believes that Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle were lesser talents.

So why were the talking heads of the diamond rumbling on Tuesday morning? Because, the case is being made that Jeter, along with Robin Yount, George Brett and Cal Ripken Jr., are the last of a dying breed – players who cobbled out a Hall of Fame career without ever switching team uniforms.

After Albert Pujois chose to forego an offer from his St. Louis Cardinals several years ago, and take the money hiding in the shadow of Disneyland with the Anaheim Angels, several assumed that it would be a long time before any star player spent his whole career with the same team.

I hope they’re wrong, and would like to introduce several potential Hall of Famers as examples of the new wave of one team – one career.

The first one is Pujois’ teammate with the Angels, Mike Trout. Even at 21, Trout has become not just the game’s most dominant young player, but one of its most dominant overall. His team has already taken notice, signing the outfielder to a six year, $144.5 million deal, which keeps Trout near L.A. until 2019. Given his employer’s initial show of good faith, there’s a good chance that he will stay in sunny Southern California for the duration.

Close by, the Dodgers inked two-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw for seven years for $180 million. Given that his predecessors at Chavez Ravine include Hall of Famers such as Koufax and Drysdale, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the young fireballer stay near the fun and sun while earning his way to Cooperstown.

It’s not just a West Coast thing. In New York, the Mets recently signed David Wright to a long term deal (with $19.3 million in 2014) in the hopes of developing a face for their franchise. While Wright’s numbers may elude HoF status, especially with the recent decision to reduce Hall eligibility to ten years, with a .299 career batting average, 1,668 hits and 230 home runs at age 31, he’s still capable of making the cut.

Heading toward the Nation’s Capital, the O’s of Baltimore may have found its Ripken incarnate in the form of young Manny Machado. The early returns are optimistic for the third baseman, still just 22 years old. But the Birds are getting only spending $519,000 for Machado’s services this season, and will have to buckle down (and pay up) to keep his talent within the confines of Camden Yards.

Finally, from the banks of the Anacostia River, the Washington Nationals have a trio of ballplayers who could fit the Old Faithful Mold for Old DC. One, Ryan Zimmerman, has already been identified as the future of Nats baseball. While a cursory look at his stats so far (184 HR, over 700 RBI at age 29) doesn’t say Hall of Fame, one could argue that 6-8 consecutive seasons of 25 HR, 90 RBI starting in 2015 could have Zimm in sight of 400 homers and 1500 ribbies by age 35 – much more respectable in the eyes of Hall voters. But he'll have to at least beat Ron Santo’s career numbers (342 HR, 1331 RBI) to have any shot.

The other two candidates should come as no surprise – Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. Both entered the show with high hopes and a mountain of press clippings. The Nationals are spending a shade over $6 million to keep both players. The reasonable assumption is that one will eventually be traded, and with “only” 36 wins (against 28 losses) at age 25, plus previous Tommy John surgery, my guess would be that Strasburg will be dealt after his current contract expires. The trade wheels could start turning following his likely arbitration hearing after this season.

Why keep Harper? Aside from putting butts in the seats, he’s still a major talent waiting to happen. If not for Trout, and now Machado, Harper would continue to be considered the game’s next bright light. And last night, he became the eighth youngest player in MLB history to record 300 hits. We tend to forget that he’s still only 21.