Peninsula Catholic Boys, Girls XC Win "Triple Crown" of Championships

The term “Triple Crown” is utilized to signify a rare and extraordinary accomplishment of some honorable measure. In the sporting world, we tend to interject these two words to categorize the achievement of a “once-in-a-generation” horse or a powerful baseball player who is adept enough to lead his league in batting average as well as home runs and runs batted in.

Triple Crown is not associated with teams quite as often as individuals, and Three-Peat looks to be the more popular term for a team which wins three titles in a row. Regardless of which moniker we use for the feat, it is still befitting of any team which glides into rarefied air when they complete a championship trifecta.

The girls team from PC with Coach Susan Bender (far right)
after defeating 36 other teams to capture the
VISAA Division II championship for the 3rd straight year

It’s even more amazing when two teams from the same sport at the same school dare to dream of earning this distinction.

But, as the Virginia Independent Schools (VIS) cross-country championships got under way on Friday afternoon over the rolling hills of Woodberry Forest High in Orange, VA, Peninsula Catholic entered both boys and girls teams who had completed two-thirds of the act. By winning the Virginia State Catholic and TCIS championships in the past two weeks, only a swift 5,000-meter run by 14 individuals (seven runners from both the boys and girls teams count in the scoring, although ten may compete) separated the Knights from their date with destiny.

And succeed they did!The girls won their fourth straight championship and both teams completed a triple crown sweep by winning the Virginia State Catholic meet, the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools (TCIS) meet and the Virginia Independent School meet. It is believed to be the first time in history that one school has fielded two teams that swept all meets.

The PC boys team placed seven out of the top 22 runners. The Knights finished with 38 points, outdistancing runner-up Veritas (58) of Richmond. Williamsburg's Walsingham Academy was fourth.

Peninsula Catholic’s Max Weidman, as expected, led the way for the Knights, placing third in 18:41.21 seconds. Teammate Collin White was fourth, and Walsingham’s Jack Grimson finished fifth. Freshman Andrew Via was seventh.

Martine Hunnicutt, the Lady Knights ace all season, led PC’s girls with a fourth-place finish in 20:25.85, while Julia MacMasters finished ninth.

Here is the box score, as it read on HR Varsity (hrvarsity.com) yesterday.

BOYS

Team scoring: 1, Peninsula Catholic 38. 2, Veritas (Richmond) 58. Others: 4, Walsingham Academy 227. 

Individuals: 1, Clikeman, Veritas, 17:42.24. 

Peninsula-area runners in top 25: 3, Weidman, Peninsula Catholic, 18:14.21. 4, White, Peninsula Catholic, 18:22.19. 5, Grimson, Walsingham, 18:26.66. 7, Via, Peninsula Catholic, 18:34.28. 11, Khalsa, Peninsula Catholic, 18:42.16. 13, Gustke, Peninsula Catholic, 18:46.65. 17, Taleghani, Peninsula Catholic, 19:49.39. 22, Keegan, Peninsula Catholic, 19:00.35.

GIRLS

Team scoring: 1, Peninsula Catholic 82. 2, Walsingham Academy 112. 

Individuals: 1, Lewis, Veritas (Richmond) 19:38.45. 

Peninsula runners in top 25: 4, Hunnicutt, Peninsula Catholic, 20:25.85. 5, Mann, Walsingham, 20:51.63. 8, Kinney, Walsingham, 21:17.97. 9, MacMasters, Peninsula Catholic, 21:18.43. 12, Theurer, Peninsula Catholic, 21:36.43. 18, Riggs, Walsingham, 21:47.70.

And here's an unedited (not better) version of the article I wrote for the Daily Press, which appeared in yesterday's sports. The official version can be found at:

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/highschool/dp-spt-pc-cross-country-feature-20141106-story.html

In the VIS meet alone, it had been seven years since a boys and girls team swept the team titles, with Covenant from Charlottesville taking both trophies home for the Division II classification in 2007.

PC also ran in the D-2 category, but only because of school size (under 161 students per gender), not ability. According to the latest statewide Milestat.com rankings, the Knight boys are ranked second among all independent schools, just behind Trinity Episcopal, while the girls stand in third overall behind traditional D-1 powerhouses St. Catherine’s and Bishop O’Connell.

But there’s always room for a scare, even for the girls team, which has won the past two VIS Division II crowns and completed the triple crown last year.

“(Going into the TCIS meet) Norfolk Academy was looking tougher each week. We knew they were going to be hard to beat. And we hadn’t faced Walsingham at all, so it was hard to say how we would fare against them,” said girls coach Susan Bender.

As it turned out, the scare from Norfolk Academy (a VISAA Division I team) was real. The Lady Knights won with 39 points, but NA was close behind with 48. Walsingham placed third with 69.

Martine Hunnicutt, the Daily Press cross-country athlete of the year from 2012, has paced the team in both races. She won the State Catholic race at Newport News Park with a time of 19:48, then dropped 25 seconds the following week to place second to Nansemond-Suffolk Academy’s Chandler Bergeron at the TCIS meet, also run at Newport News Park.

Hunnicutt’s improvement over one week has been indicative of each runner’s individual growth over the course of the season.

“I think we have all surprised ourselves by how much every single member of the team has improved their times,” said the senior team captain.

Not to be outdone, the boys team, led by Coach Mike
Pilola, also won the State Catholic, TCIS and VA
Independent School (Div. 2) titles in 2014

Emily Theurer and sophomore Julia MacMasters also placed in the top seven at both meets to earn first-team State Catholic and TCIS honors. To win on Friday, the Lady Knights will also have to rely on their depth in the fourth through seventh slots, as the cross-country scoring system (lowest score wins) is unique in that the fourth and fifth best runners can help a team more than the fastest runners as long as they place high in the standings. A core of runners will look to help box out opposing harriers, including Grace Miner, Abby TAnko, Emily Bennick, Maria Mummert and Jessica Luff.

Junior Max Weidman has led the boys team for the duration of the fall season. Weidman placed second in both the State Catholic (16:26) and TCIS (16:24) meets, followed to the finish both times by teammates Troy Gustke, Collin White and Ryan Duregger. For their efforts, Gustke and White earned first-team honors for both the VSC and TCIS, while Duregger, Guru Bandaa Khalsa, Eric Taleghani made the second team. Freshman Andrew Via (10^th in TCIS) also earned second team honors.

Previous to Friday's meet, boys coach Mike Pilola looked at the significance of the moment, noting that “it would be tremendous  for both teams to accomplish something this significant in the same year.”

Reflecting after the TCIS meet, Bender added, “It is an even greater blessing when the Peninsula Catholic boys and girls accomplish these goals together.”

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.

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.