Back On The Coaching Trail

 Amazingly, I have not used this space to talk about my return to coaching cross-country and/or track after a three year layoff. 

After 15 years of working with high school boys and girls with cross-country and track at four different high schools (Bishop Ireton, J.E.B. Stuart, Denbigh, Grafton), my work schedule forced me to hang it up after the spring season of 2009. Entering a doctoral program at William and Mary just a month later seemed to cement the idea that this chapter of my life was completed.

Never say never.

With the completion of my doctoral classes and free afternoons, all of a sudden, the option to coach was there again, although I didn't think seriously about it.  I have been covering high school games for the Daily Press, which has been a whole lot of fun. Plus, my intention of late has been to find full-time employment with a university or school system in a position more in line with my new skills. With this cause, I spend a few minutes every day scanning the employment sections of local institutions.

But, a cross-country position popped up at Menchville HS here in Newport News, and I went ahead and applied. A week later, practice started. 

It has been fun, and it was great to see both our boys and girls enjoy undefeated dual meet seasons. However, it was disappointing that we fell short of district titles, although we were hindered by a few severe injuries, and the fact that some runners made it to the starting line was amazing enough. But our senior Dreux Gray did win the  boys race, knocking 36 seconds off his PR to finish the 5,000 meter race in 16:14. Tomorrow we go to regionals and he has a great chance of making it to the state meet as one of the top 15 (seeded #9 right now). A couple of our girls are long shots to make the team, but again, never say never.

Future also looks bright for our girls. Very young team which could have won our district at full strength. We know what to do differently for next year.

Ironically, my old team from Bishop Ireton ran their State Catholic meet at the same site as our district meet, at Newport News Park, and took runner-up for both boys and girls. At their next meet, the WCAC championships, the boys were 3rd and girls 4th. Here's a blurb I wrote for the State Catholic meet:

The Peninsula Catholic girls placed third, while the boys took fourth in Wednesday’s Virginia Catholic League championships, held on the 5,000 meter course at Newport News Park.

In the girls race, Martine Hunnicutt finished in second place with a time of 20:02, while Philip Harpen (second – 16:47) and Kevin Riley (third – 16:55) were the highest scoring Knights.

Paul VI swept both events, as the boys won with 49 points while the Panther girls scored 43 to outdistance Bishop Ireton, which placed runner-up in both races.

Matt O’Neil of Pope John Paul the Great (Dumfries) was the overall boys winner in 16:44. Bishop Sullivan’s Hannah Frazier paced the girls with a winning time of 19:36.

Virginia Catholic League Championships

(held at Newport News Park, 5,000 meters)

Boys – 1. O’Neil (PJP) 16;44, 2. Harpen (PC) 16:47, 3. Riley (PC) 16:55, 4. Stepka (PVI) 17:00, 5. Kocis (PVI) 17:25, 6. T. Jackson (S) 17:33, 7. Shaw (S) 17:33, 8. Roach (BI) 17:40, 9. LoGrande (BI) 17:42, 10. Leist (PJP) 17:45

Team scores – 1. Paul VI (PVI) 49, 2. Bishop Ireton (BI) 63, 3. Pope John Paul the Great (PJP) 65, 4. Peninsula Catholic (PC) 72.

Girls – 1. Frazier (BS) 19:36, 2. Hunnicutt (PC) 20:02, 3. Lohrer (BI) 20:10, 4. Necochea (BI) 20:17, 5. Rosini (PVI) 20:45, 6. Turcol (PVI) 20:47, 7. Aungst (PC) 20:53, 8. Bucaro (PVI) 20:55, 9. McKenna (PC) 20:58, 10. Lucas (S) 21:06

Team Scores – 1. Paul VI (PVI) 43, 2. Bishop Ireton (BI) 52, 3. Peninsula Catholic (PC) 59, 4. Bishop Sullivan (BS) 93, 5. Seton (S) 151, 6. Pope John Paul the Great (PJP) 157.

Today's Term is -- "Fact Checker"

I woke up this morning and turned on the laptop to start my morning routine. Generally, the first thing I like to do is check e-mail, see the news of the world from overnight and get a heads-up on the weather forecast for the day.

My first site of choice is always www.yahoo.com, and today’s headline made me realize how much times have changed. It read:

“Fact Check: the Final Presidential Debate”

Are either of these candidates telling the truth? Not
 as often as we should expect, says many fact checkers

It’s not breaking news that the third and final, presidential debate was held last night. Surely, about 60 million people watched it, if the ratings of the previous pair of debates held up.  During the recent presidential cycles, certain terms have entered the lexicon of our English language. A couple of decades ago, we learned that a spin doctor was more than one of the guys from the quirky 90’s group that liked to sing about Superman. Later, the exit poll became a popular term. For this election, our new term is fact checker.

Actually, I like the idea that the proverbial “Big Brother” is now overseeing the debates and reporting back to the public of the blow-by-blow recap of the truthfulness of each candidate’s statements. It is a much needed public service and is long overdue.

My problem is – how did we come to this?

Our public figures are beginning to develop under a cloud of gray. Do singers lip sync? Is the home run hitter taking steroids? Are those breasts real or fake? Are the reality shows staged? What is Kim Kardashian’s talent?

Amazingly, part of a celebrity’s persona is now built on the mystery behind the person. This is more astounding in the age of You Tube and Twitter where we can reach out and “touch” our heroes. Politicians have now grown to fall into the category of “mystery person.”

In other words, they lie. Profusely. We know they lie, they know they lie, their handlers know they lie, the moderator knows they lie, but now, it’s OK, and acceptable.

Regardless of one’s political persuasion, I hope that more people are seeing what I am – which is – our current presidential candidates, Gov. Romney and President Obama, lie an awful lot. And we accept this. Perhaps we were numbed by the President Clinton “Monicagate” scandal, when after all was said and done, many people nodded and said, “Well, he lied to protect his family.” In other words, again, it’s OK.

It’s also shameful.

My wish is that many American citizens will take action. Please write to your Congressional officials, and demand that they tell the truth. If you meet the official in a public forum and get the opportunity to ask him/her a question, have a follow-up question ready which will make that person prove their first answer. If we continue to lower our expectations for public officials, the outcome will never change. It’s like the old saying ...”I feel like a mushroom. Everybody keeps me in the dark and feeds me (manure).”

Get out of the dark.

It’s days like this that I miss Ross Perot’s campaign of 1992.

The Best Game in Town

Reprinted from various editions of Daily Press Town Square sections in Hampton, Newport News, Gloucester and York/Poquoson. This was the Newport News version published on October 4, 2012.

Founded in 1960, the Peninsula Youth Football Cheerleading Organization (PYFCO) has dedicated itself to teaching boys and girls from the Peninsula, Gloucester and even West Point and Middlesex, the disciplines of football and cheerleading while providing a high quality environment where a great deal of the learning happens outside of the gridiron lines.

According to its mission statement, the objective of PYFCO, known as the Peninsula Youth Football Association (PYFA) until last year, is “to instill in the youth of the Association members the desire to engage in an activity that will teach them physical and mental skills through the enjoyment of the game of football and its related activity of cheerleading.”

The league is headed by a seven-member board, which consists of a president, Criszon “Heavy” Courtney, three commissioners, a treasurer, secretary and sergeant-at-arms. The board oversees the 14 teams within the league, and each association, which has its own leadership structure, headed by a president, fields football and cheerleading squads in as many as four age group categories – the Mites (ages 6-7), Mighty Mites (8-9), Midgets (10-11) and Juniors (12-14).

PYFCO is a large operation. For example, the Golden Saints of Newport News are represented by more than 150 individuals – over 90 players, 32 cheerleaders, 19 volunteer coaches (16 for football, three cheerleading), and another volunteer staff of 13 which handle everything from equipment, parent volunteers, photographs and the team website. The Saints’ annual budget exceeds $20,000, and the team was recently granted their own home field with lights at Lee Hall Elementary school. Overall, over 1,700 athletes and nearly 800 cheerleaders participate in what the promoters like to call the “Best Game in Town.” It is the culmination of a dream started by Vernon Taylor and George Teagle, Jr., long time youth league supporters and the driving forces behind the success of the original PYFA. Both men have passed away in the past several years - Taylor in 2007 and Teagle in 2008.  

The teams play a 10-game schedule with the top four teams qualifying for the playoffs. Winners of the semifinal games square off in the league’s Super Bowl, which is a four-game, all day consummation of the season’s events. Each division plays its championship while a carnival like atmosphere surrounds the field, much like the festivities which take place at its NFL namesake. By the end of the day four league champions are crowned.

Last year’s Super Bowl was held at the “Pit” on the campus of Bruton High and saw two teams from Grafton-Tabb, the Yorktown Patriot midgets and Tri-City Hurricane junior team win championship trophies.

The 14 organizations representing the PYFCO are:

Back River Panthers (Poquoson)

Gloucester Knights

Golden Saints (Newport News)

Grafton-Tabb Tigers

Hampton Tornadoes

James City Jaguars

Middlesex Colts

Poquoson Bulls

Tidewater T-Wolves (Hampton)

Tri-Citi Hurricanes (Newport News)

Tri-Rivers Titans (West Point)

Williamsburg Hornets

York-Seaford Bulldogs

Yorktown Patriots

Last year’s PYFCO Super Bowl Results (held at Bruton H.S. on November 19, 2011)

Mites (6-7) – Grafton-Tabb Tigers 20, Hampton Tornadoes 19

Mighty Mites (8-9) – Grafton-Tabb Tigers 32, Williamsburg Gold Hornets 7

Midgets (10-11) – Yorktown Patriots 12, Poquoson Bulls 6

Juniors (12-14) – Tri-City Hurricanes 20, Poquoson Bulls 0

More information about the league can be found at the website for the Peninsula Youth Football Cheerleading Organization, which is located at www.pyfco.org. Games are played for all four divisions every Saturday with the Mites game first, at 9:30 AM, followed by the Mighty Mites (11:00), Midgets (12:30) and Juniors (2:00)

Not Just Another Fish Story

Reprinted from various Daily Press Town Square sections (Hampton, Newport News, York-Poquoson, Gloucester) from September 20, 2012

Like many of us, it takes a lot to get Dawn Martin up at four AM. As she says, “it’s not something I do often or willingly.”

But after getting married ten years ago, her husband Anthony decided to introduce his new wife to some of the activities he enjoyed while growing up next to the Chesapeake Bay in Seaford. One of his favorite pastimes was fishing. While Dawn had fished before, it wasn’t part of her regular regimen as a youngster in Richmond. Since he wanted to own a boat and live on the water, the couple buried stakes and settled in Poquoson.

As years passed, the Team Martin fishing entourage grew to include their two children. For Dawn, their shared experiences with a rod and reel were classified as family outings which involved traveling short distances to places where spot and croaker were easy to snag.

Recently, Anthony took his hobby to the next level and asked Dawn to join a real fishing team – the one that he entered into the Chesapeake Bay Cobia tournament, held at White House Cove Marina in Poquoson on August 11. While the event required a 4 AM wake up call, Martin, who ended up winning the women’s division for catching the largest cobia, was quite excited.

The story behind her catching the winning prize was more than your typical fish story.

There are two ways to catch a cobia. The first is chumming, when the fisherman drops a combination of ground up fish and fish oil into the water in the hope that it will melt into a chum slick and entice the cobia to bite on the slick or one of the live eels left dangling. The drawback is that it can also attract sharks. Four hours into the competition, the team, which included friends Shane Zasmowich and Trent Casey, had caught two sharks, but no cobia.

On to plan B.

Sight casting has become a more popular method for making the big catch. According to Martin, this can be evidenced by the growing number of boats sporting towers to view for fish. This takes the guesswork out of the process, and when a potential catch is sighted, bait is thrown on a line in front of the fish, with the hope that it will be taken. Martin added that “cobia often hang out near buoys so many boats will circle buoys and throw out live eels or spot hoping a cobia is lurking about.  Otherwise cobia hunters will kind of cruise around looking for the fish swimming around.  In some cases there will be a fin sticking out of the water but not all the time.  Polarized glasses help.”

Martin and her crewmates chose their coordinates, settling their boat in an unnamed spot (as she states, a fisherman never reveals his secrets). However, because of the cloudy conditions that day, they could not see the cobia until they were close to the boat and too close for casting. They did catch one cobia, but it was 35.5 inches long, just a 1/2 shy of the minimum to keep.

Morning turned into afternoon and the bleakness of the sky was overshadowed by the doom and gloom of the crew as their allotted time neared its 5 PM deadline.

With time winding down, the foursome decided to throw a “Hail Mary” cast, moving to a site where the Martins had caught a large cobia on a previous trip.

At 4:15, the anglers cast their line and eel and immediately hooked up with a cobia. Says Martin, “(it) was just that quick. We went from having not had any luck for 12 hours to hooking a fish in minutes. Suffice it to say, it was quite a mood changer!”

After a five minute battle to get the 45 inch, 23.5 pound fish (average size, according to Martin) into the boat, the crew high-tailed it to shore with 35 minutes remaining, making it to the marina in three minutes, leaving ample time to weigh the catch.

For her efforts, Martin won a $100 prize, and of course, her fish.

  

Still Kicking After All These Years

Kyoshi Bateman (R) with his group of winners from the recent
Commonwealth games, held annually in Roanoke, VA

For Jeff Bateman, the sport of karate has become more than a healthy outlet to get rid of excessive aggression or a defense mechanism used to scare away intruders. For the lifelong Hampton, VA resident and owner of the Isshinkan Academy of Martial Arts which bears his name, karate has provided an opportunity for the 54-year old to excel at the highest levels of his craft.

Since beginning his training in 1980, Bateman has earned numerous titles, while rising to the ranks of 7^th Degree black belt (Nanadan) in Okinawan Shorin-Ryu karate and 4^th Degree black belt (Yondan) in Zen Okinawan Kobudo. Much of his training has been conducted under the guidance and tutelage of Master Tadashi Yamashita, with whom he has been affiliated since 1988.

One of the highlights for Bateman’s students occurs during the third week of every July when his young group of martial artists loads up in carpools and heads to Roanoke for the annual Subway Commonwealth Games. The Games (commonwealthgames.org), which just concluded their 23^rd competition has grown by leaps and bounds since its humble beginning from a $175,000 grant, provided by Virginia Amateur Sports Inc. Says Bateman, “The games have grown. Now we call it the Mini-Olympics because it covers everything from A to W – Archery to Wrestling.” Bateman notes that the Games started in 1990 with “about 33 sports,” but have since grown to over 60 individual and team events. The economic impact is especially beneficial for the region; the Games contribute an estimated $4 million to the Roanoke Valley.

One highlight of the games, just like with the regular Olympics is the opening ceremony. At the Commonwealth Games, over 10,000 athletes, coaches and spectators pack the Roanoke Civic Center to take in the pomp and pageantry which mark the beginning of the multi-sport festival.

But the Games are about more than the glitz and glamour. Each medal winner from 2011 and 2012 has also earned the opportunity to compete in the State Games of America, which will be held next year in Hershey and Harrisburg, PA.

Since the Games are open to athletes of all ages and skill levels, Bateman gets to compete with his students. At this year’s karate competition, both teacher and students won medals. Kyoshi Bateman earned a gold medal in weapons kata as well as a bronze in the open hand kata.

Several students joined their teacher on the medal stand. Twelve-year old Austin Abrams won three bronze medals – in open hand kata, weapons kata and kumite (fighting).

Ten-year old Jarod Riggle placed third to earn a bronze, also in the kumite competition. Overall, eight of Bateman’s students, several from Suffolk where his school originated, earned medals to advance to the State Games.

While winning medals is a positive by-product of their training, Bateman is quick to point out that the core of his philosophy starts off the mat.

“Academics come first. Grades are the most important thing. The parents want the discipline and structure of karate for their kids and they ask for it. Every week, our students are required to bring in their report card.” For a student to maintain a place inside the dojo, his or her grades must be acceptable.

The balance of academics and athletics works well for the students of the Isshinkan Academy, and after “30 or so” years as one of the premier karate instructors in America, Bateman shows no signs of slowing down.

The Hampton dojo for Jeff Bateman’s School of Karate is located at 1343-B North King St. (down the street from the Langley AFB King St. gate.) The phone number is 757-722-BELT (2358), while the website can be found at www.jbkarate.com.

Golfing on Virginia's Middle Peninsula - Pt. 5 - The "Golf Museum"

Today, we actually move off the Middle Peninsula to Virginia and head south to Newport News. Known primarily as a shipbuilding town, there are three unusual facts about my current hometown worth sharing. First, within its city boundaries sits the largest park east of the Mississippi River. In fact, Newport News Park, with 8,065 acres, is nine times larger than Central Park. I see it everyday, the park hedges across the street from Elizabeth and myself.

Second, both Ella Fitzgerald and Pearl Bailey were born and raised in Newport News. Their legends hold the most prominence in the downtown section, where buildings and streets bear their names. 

Finally, the oldest golf museum in the world, yes, the WORLD, can be found here. (I would have assumed Scotland; in fact, the original curators sent people to Scotland for collecting purposes, as noted in the article.) Simply called the "Golf Museum," or officially, the Golf Museum at James River Country Club, one can see some of the oldest golf balls, clubs and books known to the game.

One of the most unique hidden treasures in Newport News can be found tucked within the St. Andrews room adjacent to the lobby of the James River Country Club. Within the four walls of this high ceilinged confine, the oldest golf museum in the world can be found.

Upon entering “Golf Museum,” a visitor will be greeted from across the room by a glass enclosed topographical map of the legendary Old Course at St. Andrews golf course, spanning at least 15 feet. Another picture map of the Scottish course, this one dated to 1836, hangs to the left. It is not a coincidence that many of the items in the Golf Museum are from Scotland. According to museum trustee Bill Hargette, it was all part of Archer M. Huntington’s plan 80 years ago.

“He (Huntington) liked to build museums,” recalls Hargette, before identifying three others which emerged from the vision of the Newport News shipyard owner, including the nearby Mariner’s Museum. “In 1931, it was the height of the Depression and not many people were buying golf artifacts. Mr. Huntington sent several people to Scotland and they came back with some amazing items.” In 1932, Huntington presented the museum to the James River Country Club; however, the club only houses the museum; it is owned and operated by a separate Board of Trustees.

The artifacts in the collection tell the history of the game. There are many “first and oldest” items included. Among them is the oldest identifiable golf club in the world, the Simon Cossar, dating back to 1790. The oldest golf ball in the world, also from 1790, is among the 150 on display. The oldest book in the world with reference to golf, published in 1566, can be found among the 1000 volumes in the library. The A.G. Spalding and Bros. first set of golf irons, designed in 1920, are also available for viewing.

The oldest artifacts in the museum may be two Kolven clubs plus a ball. Kolven was a Dutch game which was played on ice, a cross between golf and hockey. It is believed that the clubs and ball are approximately 500 years old.

Personal touches from some of the game’s most renowned heroes are interspersed throughout the room. Harry Vardon’s complete set of clubs and golf bag can be found, as well as the putter used by Horace Rawlins when he won his first U.S. Open in 1895. Bobby Jones donated three clubs uses in his Grand Slam (winning all four major tournaments) year of 1930, including the legendary “Calamity Jane” putter. Sam Snead and Gene Sarazen are among the other professional golfers to have donated clubs. Pictures of more current golfers such as Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer provide the backdrop for the 16 glass casings which surround the museum.

Each exhibit is aptly named. Along the left wall, there are separate club displays – putters, short irons and wedges, long irons and drivers. Other exhibits include an “Early Golf in America” display, as well as one titled “British Open.” One significant section shows the Young and Old Tom Morris’s. The father-and-son Morris tandem both won four British Opens in the 1860’s, and the younger Tom is credited with the first official hole-in-one, scored in 1868.

On many of the displays, a quote is enclosed, sometimes from a celebrity or sports figure not known for having a solid golf game. One saying comes from baseball legend Hank Aaron, whose quip reads – “It took me seventeen years to get three thousand hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course.”

There is more than golf equipment at the museum. Artwork and pictures decorate the wooden walls of the room, with over 100 lithographs and oils on display, adding color and life to the visual history lesson.

Says Hargette, “It is really amazing to have all of this history right here in Newport News,” modestly adding, “This is really something special.”

The Golf Museum at James River Country Club is located at 1500 Country Club Rd. in Newport News (off of Shoe Lane). It is open every day except Monday. The clubhouse phone number is 599-3327. Admission is free; however one may want to call ahead as the room is occasionally used for social functions.

Golfing on Virginia's Middle Peninsula - Pt. 4: Speaking with Piankatank Golf Pro Kris Keith

The water holes at Piankatank Golf
Club

It is the rare individual who discovers a talent or hobby at a very young age and gets to pursue it for a living as an adult.

Kris Keith began playing the game of golf at the age of six in his rural hometown of Marion, VA. While serving as a successful athletic endeavor, golf was never at the forefront of Keith’s career goals.

However, his mindset began to change in 2001. Soon after moving to Richmond, Keith found himself working at Second Swing Golf, a now defunct retail store. There, he found his niche as a teacher and club fitter working in the “one-stop shop,” which serviced golfers of all ages and levels.

“I never really thought of golf as a career until 2003,” said Keith, now the head golf pro at Piankatank River Golf Club. Reflecting on his latest career change, he casts a grin and adds, “Golf was a good decision.”

As golf pro, working with a variety of people, one never knows who might come by for a tune-up. In Richmond, Keith recalls one celebrity client.

“Trent Dilfer.” Dilfer is now a football analyst for ESPN, but in early 2001, he was the starting quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens, who had just won the Super Bowl over the New York Giants. Getting ready for the offseason banquet and pro/am golf circuits, Dilfer stopped into Second Swing while visiting Virginia. “He needed some tweaks,” said Keith, adding that he spent four hours helping the passer refine his links game.

In 2007, Keith met John and E.G. Fleet, the owners and driving forces behind the Piankatank Golf Club in Hartfield. A brief stint with the Fleet brothers was followed by a return tour, which began in March 2011.

Now 34, Keith is happy with his career trajectory.

“I really have packed a lot into a short period of time.”

Speaking of Piankatank, Keith admires the distinctive nature of his home turf. “From a golf perspective, it is one of the most unique courses anywhere. The atmosphere is not boring.” The course features a number of streams on its front nine, as well as a 110-foot elevation change, while the back nine, which lies closer to its namesake river, is relatively flat. Golf Digest magazine has rated the Piankatank links as a “Best Place to Play.” At 425 acres, it is larger than most golf courses, mainly because there are no parallel fairways, a rarity which falls in line with the Fleet’s original vision. Says co-owner John Fleet, “we did not want to be like the ones (courses) built in the 90’s.”

But it’s more than the Piankatank course that stands out in Keith’s mind.

“I love the area. The people are genuine and very supportive. The members here (Piankatank is open to the public, but boasts a membership of over 275) want to support this club.” The club hosts may social and charitable events, and in its past has also sponsored the state single-A golf tournament twice on behalf of nearby Middlesex HS.

As the only 18-hole golf course in the region, Piankatank enjoys widespread appeal and draws golfers from Richmond to Virginia Beach. For Kris Keith, having the opportunity to turn his childhood avocation into a career as a head golf pro is as unique as the course he spends his days playing.

Golfing on Virginia's Middle Peninsula - Pt. 3 - Piankatank Golf Club

In spite of its rating as a “Best Place to Play” by Golf Digest, and the word “Club,” at the end of its name, the Piankatank Golf Club in Hartfield is open to the public, affordable, and designed for use by golfers of all ages, regardless of ability level.

“We probably shouldn’t have added the word “club,” says John Fleet, the older of the two Fleet brothers (E.G. being the younger brother), who own and operate the bucolic course which touches the banks of its namesake river in Middlesex County.

Opened in 1996, the club sits on a plot of land which reflects some of the rich history from the Middle Peninsula. Along with the 285 acres which have been owned by the Fleet family for 11 generations, the bottom seven holes are located on 130 acres of Margaret Beckwith’s property, Woodstock, a former plantation home which was built in 1840. Beckwith is the widow of Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, who is Abraham Lincoln’s great grandson and last blood heir.

Fairfield Landing, site of the club, and where the tributary empties into the Piankatank River, is adjoined to the east by Scoggins Creek, whose headwaters start at Lower Church, formerly known as the “Chapel of Ease,” with ties linking back to 1650, when it was the first parish church of Christchurch. The steamboat “Fairfield Landing” can be viewed from the 13^th and 14^th greens, leaving one to picture a simpler time in history, when commerce was accomplished by boats and trains.

The Fleets, who were originally involved with the farming and equipment industry, fell into the golfing business by accident. With the Middlesex and Mathews regions lacking an 18-hole golf course, the National Golf Association headed up a feasibility study to explore the possibility of finding land to design one.

“One of the architects had family in Mathews. We shared a mutual friend so he stopped by and told us that he was passing through,” said John.

E.G. quickly interjects, “We told him that you don’t just pass through Hartfield. It’s a destination.”

From their initial conversation in 1994, a bond was formed and the architect inspected the Fleet’s property.

John recalled, “He was a man of great vision, because at the time, 70 percent of our land was woods.”

The determination was made that a course could be built, but there was a problem.

John adds, “We didn’t own all the land.”

Fortunately, Margaret Beckwith was happy to offer a 40-year lease for her property, with the future option to purchase. The addition of Beckwith's property gave the course a unique look, and topography.

“There are two distinctly different nines (holes). The front nine has seven streams and a 110-foot elevation change. Then it flattens out on the bottom nine as you get closer to the river. It’s not your prototypical golf course, like the ones being built in the 90’s,” continues John. “It’s a unique course, but a good test of golf.” To prove the point, he adds that unlike many other American golf courses, there are no two completely parallel holes at Piankatank.

“I want the culture of the course to be where a golfer is standing on the 15^th  green, looks around and asks “Where am I?”

Piankatank’s club pro Kris Keith tags on to the thought. “From a golf perspective, it’s one of the most unique courses anywhere.”

Along with its status as a top notch course, Piankatank also plays host for many civic and charitable events. Recently, the course hosted a tournament for Bliley House, an organization dedicated to brain injury issues. The annual Relay for Life has also hosted many events at the club, which features room for 150 people in its Steamboat restaurant and accompanying multi-purpose room, whose large windows overlook the course.

Eighteen years after the Fleet brothers looked at each other and asked, “What are we getting ourselves into?,” the Piankatank Golf Club has emerged as an athletic and social hub for the Middle Peninsula, as well as neighboring Richmond, Williamsburg, and other parts of the Peninsula.

The Piankatank Golf Club is an 18 hole, par 72 golf course, located at 6198 Stormont Road in Hartfield, VA, just off Rt. 3 W/33 (General Puller Hwy.) at the Grafton Church Rd. intersection. Memberships are available. For further information, call the club at 804-776-6516.

Predicting the Future of Educational Policy - Viewing Answers from 2009

While in the process of studying for my qualifying comprehensive exam - scheduled for the second week in September - it has been enlightening to go back and review some thoughts I shared with various professors at William and Mary as a beginning doctoral student back in 2009. At the School of Education in Tribeland, one of the four developed attributes expected of its graduates is to be a reflective practitioner. As I reflect on my answers to a question presented in EPPL 601 class during the summer of 2009, I'd ask the reader to assess my prognosticating skills.

The question presented in this instance was "What are the four factors impacting educational policy today? Agree? Disagree? I'd like to read your thoughts on this matter.

Back to studying!

1. The four factors I see impacting education policy most today are the following – economics, technology, diversity and high stakes testing.

By economics, I am looking at a few sub-factors. Of course, the first is our stumbling economy in America. Unemployment is over nine percent and as high as 18% in states such as Michigan. The lack of growth in the economy is causing Americans more stress, but more importantly it is leaving school districts in the position of having to make cuts. Last year, school district had to slice 5-10% of their budgets and the 2010-2011 year budgets are looking at more cuts. At the family level, rising prices and higher real estate assessments are causing families to have to buckle down – take on second and third jobs, which leaves them less time with their children.

Technology is greatly affecting education policy, but its potential looks to be a benefit within school policy. School systems such as Henrico (VA) have been able to undertake a “one-to-one” laptop agreement thereby giving each student access to his/her own laptop. Surprisingly, Henrico did not have to outlaw a great amount of funds to make this policy a reality, but rather re-allocate some of the existing funds.  Technology will continue to have a positive impact on education policy in the near and distant future.

Diversity also affects policy. Several years ago (2002-2003), I was the boys track coach at JEB Stuart H.S. in Fairfax County. Stuart was a school represented by students from over 70 countries. The world is changing and evolving and the America as “melting pot” continues constantly as pockets of many nationalities continue to make America their home. Within the next 20 years, white students will lose their majority status and new policies have to keep in mind that the schools are becoming much more diverse, sometimes in unexpected places, such as Harrisonburg.

Finally, high stakes testing will continue to impact educational policy. The NCLB Act is scheduled to reach its goals by 2014. Since no one believes that 100 percent of students will be able to pass the SOL’s it is apparent that more policy discussions will occur to determine how to alter NCLB. As noted in class, this should be a knockdown, drag-out “12 rounder.”

Golfing on the Virginia's Middle Peninsula - Pt. 2: The History of Gloucester Country Club

The second in a series on golf courses and pros who serve the Middle Peninsula of Virginia

In its 80-plus year existence, the Gloucester Country Club has enjoyed a unique history, one which has shadowed that of the Middle Peninsula region. As a centerpiece of the community, the Club has played host to numerous events and served as more than simply a local recreation outlet.

Current owners John and Bobbie Firth have maintained a scrapbook since purchasing the club in 1960. The following excerpts are highlights of Gloucester Country Club in the news, culled from the archives of local publications.

Thursday, August 23, 1928 – Twenty five men are at work at Country Club of Gloucester on what will be one of the finest and most up-to-date nine-hole golf courses in Virginia. The course has been laid out for 18 holes, the other nine holes to be constructed later. (Note: Construction on the golf course began in 1924.)

Friday, June 20, 1930 – The first of a series of women’s golf tournaments, held at the Gloucester Country Club, was a great success with the ladies showing much interest and skill.

Thursday, October 15, 1931 – Gloucester Country Club holds an “open house” marking the formal opening of its recently completed clubhouse. Tea was served from four to six in the afternoon, and a dance was held later that evening. Music was provided by an orchestra from Richmond.

Tuesday, October 16, 1933 – Bobby McWatt, professional of the Gloucester County Golf Club and a widely known golfer in Tidewater, was acquitted by a jury in the circuit court of a charge of hit and run. The incident occurred near Armistead Avenue and Queen Street in Hampton. McWatt denied leaving the scene of the accident and said that he went to see the victim, as well as offered to call a physician if necessary.

Thursday, July 8, 1937 – Mrs. Madeline Rawlings won the $5 prize offered by President John T. DuVal of the Young Democratic Club of Gloucester for enrolling the most new members. The club’s drive was highlighted with a dance at the Country Club of Gloucester. Rawlings signed up 91 of the 250 members enrolled during the campaign.

June 1939 – Green fees at the Gloucester Country Club are reduced to 50 cents for weekdays and 75 cents for Sundays and holidays.

Thursday, October 25, 1945 – Clearing and grading operations continue at the Evans Airport, on the country club field near Gloucester. When finished it is expected to be one of the best rural airports on the Eastern seaboard.

May 1, 1946 – Virginia Governor William Tuck attended an Al Evans winch demonstration in Gloucester, held at the country club. The guests included South American highway engineers and other dignitaries. Tuck’s executive secretary at the time, Moss William Armistead III, went on to become a journalist, eventually rising to become the head of Landmark Communications, owner of the Weather Channel and The Virginian Pilot.

Thursday, May 26, 1949 – Mrs. H. E. Thomas was sweepstakes winner in the Garden Club of Gloucester flower show, which was held at the Gloucester Country Club. Mrs. Louis Maxfield was the tri-color winner.

Thursday, July 4, 1957 – Miss Linda Darden of “Exchange” and Drew Carneal of New York and “Eagle Point Plantation,” led the Cotillion figure at the first Cotillion of the season at the Gloucester Golf Club. Attractive favors were distributed to the guests and the dance was a gala occasion for the Gloucester, Mathews and Richmond members of the social set.

1960 – The Firths and C.B. Raby purchase the course. Raby becomes the manager.

1962 – Firth takes over managerial duties, and is still working at the club 50 years later.

Special Education Reflections

Some final thoughts on special education as a part of today's school system - reflections captured after completing my first special education course at William and Mary.

Like many other educators before, I entered EPPL 640 with only a brief understanding of special education issues. The few concepts I could grasp came from being thrust into the position of special educator by necessity. Examples of this would be looking at my class homeroom list and seeing seven students with a one letter mark under the disability category, which meant they had been labeled with some sort of learning disability and that I would need to go to the main office and read the IEP. Another example would occur when the assistant principal would come in my classroom during a break and ask me to attend an IEP meeting for one of my students, as a core subject teacher.

In instances such as these, my learning curve only developed to the point of realizing two things. First, the special education community shared a lot of acronyms as part of its jargon. To me, it was like learning a foreign language, and being unwilling to do so, I chose to pick up any information that was necessary to know, and leave the rest for others. Second, I learned that the IEP document had to be followed, so it was important to read the file, and ask for its whereabouts when being unable to find the file for one of my chosen students. Particularly in my three years as an alternative school teacher, I learned that in many cases, the file lagged behind the student, or was not immediately updated in my school. This happened because many of our students were transient, arriving and departing in a fashion which was not orderly. Therefore, as a teacher, it was important to make sure that I was aware of a student’s status by our special education coordinator.

The special education experiences of many teachers mirror my own. We teach general education students, but must work within the parameters of the individual education plan (IEP) set forth for the special education students who are included in our classes. We do not necessarily choose our students, but are required to learn about their unique situations, and some of the rules regarding special education, in the process. It is my belief that all teacher induction programs should include a required course in special education law, because most of us are affected by them.

Reflecting, after a condensed ten session introduction to deeper issues within the special education community, one thing is apparently clear. Each student and situation has to be reviewed from a number of lenses. There is not always a “one size fits all” type of answer to solve each problem. During my master’s degree program at the University of Virginia, I recall a professor who addressed each case study by saying…”it depends.” At the time, it was humorous, because the initial implication was that the professor was unsure, However, after weighing every factor and nuance of a case, it becomes obvious that they are not all handled in the same manner, and it really does depend. To me, this made our case studies the most meaningful aspect of the course, and a focal point of my reflections.

Golfing on Virginia's Middle Peninsula - Part I - Gloucester Country Club

For this summer, my writing assignments for the DAILY PRESS have centered on the golf courses of the Middle Peninsula, the scenic chunk of land which juts out into the Chesapeake Bay while separating our Peninsula from the Northern Neck of Virginia. 

Tucked into the end of a side street (aptly named Golf Club Road) off Route 17, the Gloucester Country Club has earned a rightful spot as a local sports institution. Looking through a folder of newspaper clippings from its past, a reporter noticed the earliest mention of the course from a recap of an article in the Mathews Journal dated on August 23, 1928.

On that day, a short article was written to promote “what will be one of the finest and most up-to-date nine-hole golf courses in Virginia.” Originally, the course was laid out for 18 holes, but the other nine were scheduled to be developed later. As a stopgap measure, a second set of tees was added to every hole in order to satisfy the golfers who wished to play a full round.

The question could be asked, “Why weren’t the other nine holes built?” Perhaps the airport next to the course was taking up too much space.

Owner Lem “John” Firth Jr. recalls the past. “Sure, we had an airport and airstrip which used to be right in front of the entrance.” Firth and his brother Alvin, along with C.B. Raby, bought the course in 1960. For Firth, now 79, it was an opportunity to satisfy his “hobby,” and a place to golf with his friends. In 1960, the siblings owned and operated Firth Brothers Ironworks, a welding supply firm in Hampton. Alvin oversaw the welding business, while Lem handled the golf course.

Things were much different then. According to wife Barbara “Bobbie” Firth, “we didn’t have any electric carts.” But the lack of power provided another opportunity. Adds Bobbie, “sometimes, we had as many as 15-20 men waiting to caddy.”

Son John III, now the general manager, adds, “We’ve come a long way… I guess.”

One constant over the past 50-plus years has been the family aspect of the club. The elder Firth’s live on the grounds, in a home adjacent to the clubhouse. Daughter Debra Firth Higgs, travels from her home in Poquoson to help out on a part-time basis. Even granddaughter Mara fills shifts during her breaks from college, or as Bobbie notes, “comes in to pinch-hit,” adding that “John and John III do the outside work, while my daughter and I handle the inside.”

Part of the uniqueness of the Gloucester Country Club comes from its simplicity. The name is a misnomer; anyone expecting an actual country club will be disappointed. In fact, the clubhouse could best be described as an older, very large white wooden house.

But for the golfer looking for a bargain on greens fees, the Gloucester course is a must-play. Another article from the folder, this one from 1939, points out that the green fees were reduced to 50 cents for weekdays and 75 cents for Sundays and holidays. Even now, the green fees remain in the low twenty dollar range, far below the typical cost for a round of golf. But the Gloucester course provides an honest 6165-yard challenge with a par of 72 to both the champion golfer and weekend hacker. Both the older and younger John Firth’s agree that the low fees and country atmosphere are the reasons why they have maintained a steady clientele of repeat golfers for decades.

The Firth’s attitude toward golf is probably another reason why their duffers come back.

“Working keeps them (parents) young,” says John III. “Even at 79, Dad always starts (the work day) before me.” Bobbie interjects, “most of our golfers are very nice home folks who have been with us for a long time.”

Or as Dad was quoted in an article from the 1960’s, “The popularity of golf is increasing all the time and I’m glad to be a part of it.” After 52 years at the helm of Gloucester Country Club, it’s a safe bet that his outlook has not changed.

The Gloucester Country Club is located at 6731 Golf Club Rd. in Gloucester, VA. The course rating is 34.2 with a slope rating of 111. Gloucester is a daily fee golf course with an 'Open to Public' guest policy. Their phone number is 804-693-2662.