Woodside's Brown Plays the Silent Beast

Having just submitted an article on some Phoebus (Hampton, VA) high school soccer players who have succeeded each other as the valedictorian or salutatorian of their class, I got to thinking about some other athletes I have covered this school year who will also be graduating next month. Here's a piece from the Newport News Town Square section of the Daily Press on Shaheem Brown from Woodside High. It was published in early March. We met at the Peninsula District wrestling championships and the most striking thing to me was Brown's tranquility. He was very quiet. On the phone weeks later, the personality came out a bit more. Good kid..and I wish him well in the future.

In a sport known for its fierceness and physicality, Woodside’s Shaheem Brown possesses an uncommon aura of silence. At the Peninsula District championship last month, a first glimpse of Brown found the senior in the bleachers at Phoebus High School, headphones on, in total silence.
In this case, he was getting ready for a semifinal match. However, a later meeting presented a relatively soft-spoken young man who chooses his words carefully.

When asked about his penchant for appearing to be quiet, yet intense, Brown’s answer was well constructed, and humorous.

“Everybody at school asks me all the time if I’m mad. But if you get me in a conversation, I won’t stop.”

Brown did note his change in appearance during competition.

“When it comes time for a match, I’m getting ready. Basically, I am thinking that I know what I have to do.”

This quiet intensity has made Brown one of the more accomplished grapplers in the Peninsula District. Last year, he was the district champion at the 171-pound division. In the recently completed season, Brown moved up the 182-pound class and found a tough opponent for the Peninsula final in the form of Hampton’s Chris Lee., who entered the match undefeated at 9-0. The match was close at 3-2 after the first period, but a pair of takedowns in the second gave Lee an 8-4 advantage, and he held the momentum for a 10-5 decision.

Brown went on to win two matches at the Eastern region meet, only to eventually fall in the double elimination competition. Still, his final season record was an impressive 21-7, giving him a 35-12 mark for the final two years with the Wolverines.

But his start with the sport started three years ago at another school. While attending Bruton as a ninth grader, Brown’s older brother Shamar had decided to try out for wrestling. Looking for an ally in the sport, he recruited Shaheem to try out.

So, your brother and you got to wrestle together for a few years?

“Well no,” said Brown. “He only wrestled one year. Broke his hand.”

Woodside wrestling coach Doug Camp has his own recollections of meeting Brown.

“Since the first time that he walked into our mat room he has stood out from the rest as a natural leader. Since taking over the wrestling program he is my first District Champion. Personally, his drive to become better at wrestling or whatever he puts his mind to is always evident. Watching this young man grow these past three seasons has been a pleasure, I know he's going to go far in life.”

Even after losing his brother as a teammate, the younger brother stuck it out and wrestled for all four years of high school. There might be an opportunity to extend his season as preliminary talks are in place to begin a Peninsula vs. Bay Rivers wrestling tournament at the conclusion of each season. While the intention is to begin this event soon, parts of the talks have included an attempt to start the meet this year.

Would Brown be interested in perhaps wrestling against Andrew Junio of Tabb?

‘I probably would not,” answered Brown, again wasting no time in getting to the point, but speaking of the match itself, not the opposition. But his reasoning makes perfect sense. “I messed up my leg after regionals. Actually, it had bothered me all season, but I must have done something else to it that day.”

But his career on the mat may not be over. Brown’s plans, to no surprise, are well defined. His outlook on wrestling mirrors the choices he is currently making in life.

“I like having competition. I am always trying to get better.” Quiet, but driven.

His choice of colleges has narrowed to the University of Maryland or the Florida Institute of Technology. A future stint with the Air National Guard waits. There may still be time for wrestling.

“I may go on to club wrestling. But, if I go to Maryland, I might try to make the team as a walk-on.”

With the dedication and preparation that he puts into every other aspect of his life, there is every reason to believe that if any wrestler could walk-on and compete for a nationally recognized program, it could be the quiet, determined young man from Woodside.

Lambert Defies Odds, Back on Beam

For Ashley Lambert, the hope is that her 2012 season in gymnastics will have a happier ending than 2011.

The level 10 gymnast with the World Class team was enjoying another successful season, with a state all-around title and regional crowns in the vault and floor exercises under her belt. A scholarship offer from a large Division I school in the SEC was on the table. Heading into May and one week before Junior Nationals, Lambert looked to have the world on a string.

In an instant, she almost lost it all.

Ashley Lambert's gymnastics
career almost ended abruptly
last year when she suffered
a broken neck.
Amazingly, she's back in
the sport.

Doing some less structured activity after practice one day, Lambert suffered a career-ending type of injury, one which left her with a C1 bone broken in two places as well as a broken C6 bone. To understand the seriousness of the injury, one only needs to know that 80 percent of individuals who break the C1 bone end up dead because the broken bone blocks the breathing passage which suffocates the victim. As a point of reference, actor Christopher Reeve became paralyzed after breaking his C1 bone when falling off his horse during an equestrian competition.

Amazingly, the Menchville junior was not aware of the seriousness of her condition and continued to practice. Mother Tonia came to pick her up, and as she recalls found her daughter “doing crunches and crying.” However, Ashley did not want to make World Class coaches Tami Harrison or Jon Angle aware of her pain. Later, at home, Tonia recalls spending 15 minutes trying to pop Ashley’s neck, thinking it was simply jammed. Looking back she now realizes, “I could have killed my child and didn’t even know it at the time.” But as soon as Ashley complained that her left eye had gone numb, the mother quickly knew what had occurred.

Says Tonia, “Right then, I knew it was neuro (related).” Four hours after leaving practice, the pair headed to the hospital emergency room.

After several hours in the waiting room, Tonia was approached by the doctor.

“He came to me and said, I have some good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?” Of course, she wanted to hear the good news first.

He said, “it is by the sheer grace of God that your kid is walking and talking. She only survived because of her sheer physical condition and her youth.”

Ashley recalls her time in the ER.

“They did an X-ray and didn’t really find anything specific. But when they looked at the results of the CAT scan, the doctors started freaking out.” She was quickly transported to Portsmouth Naval Hospital and fitted for a halo by the next morning.

For Lambert, the dream looked to be over. Gymnastics appeared to be a sport of the past, replaced by the halo to stabilize her neck and a lifetime of shattered dreams. Letters and get well wishes poured in from fellow gymnasts in every corner of the country. It was assumed that just getting Ashley back to normal activities would be the new goal.

But Ashley had larger aspirations. She missed not seeing her World Class teammates and friends at Menchville as she completed the school year with the homebound program. But after spending two-thirds of her 17 years in competitive gymnastics, Lambert was not ready to call it quits.

Recalls Tonia, “we had a conversation about it and she said, what else am I supposed to do?  I have been doing this my whole life.”

After almost two months in a halo, Ashley placed a video on her website, thanking her well-wishers. The most amazing feature of the 19-second clip was the bright smile displayed. The next day, the halo was removed.

Was there ever a concern about not competing again?

“Uh-huh.”  The biggest concern was that with junior year approaching, it was time to get back to the gym and make sure that she earned her athletic scholarship, her goal since beginning the sport at the age of six. The junior year of high school is usually the most crucial, particularly in gymnastics, as most of the scholarships for her class are awarded by the end of 11^th grade.

So it was time to go back to work.

After six grueling months of training, averaging 30 hours a week in the gym, the young lady who escaped a life-threatening injury returned to competition in January. In only her second competition, Lambert placed second in two events and qualified for the level 10 regional meet, which will be held on April 21-22 in Allentown, PA. But the larger goal is to qualify for Junior Nationals, which will be held from May 10-13 in Hampton, VA. At this point, Ashley feels as though she is “just getting back to where I was last year.”

Is there anything to be learned from this experience? In a closing thought, Tonia notes her daughter’s new found appreciation for gymnastics, one which can only be gained by almost losing the ability to continue at it.

“I think that she finds herself working much harder now. For a long time, a lot of this was very easy for her.”

For more information about Ashley Lambert, visit her website at http://www.gym-style.com/ashley

For Black Male Athletes, No Fear = Huge Stigma

Several months ago, I ran a post about the Golden Saints, a youth league church football team in Newport News. It was a story about the team looking for a home field, something that all of the other teams in their Hampton Roads league had. Last night, Chaplain Deborah Mitchell of the World Outreach Center (the Knights sponsor) reported to me that the city of Newport News has given the team a field at Lee Hall Elementary to call their own! On top of this, IHOP (ihop.com) has volunteered to pay for the cost of installing lights at the field so the team can practice and play at night.

Today, I wish to turn to a more serious subject, that of false bravado....

At the beginning of March, I had the opportunity to cover the AAA state track meet for the Daily Press. During the course of the day, I encountered several other reporters, but spent most of the day seated next to Carl Little, who covers high school sports for the Washington Post. I was not aware of this information until the end of the meet, when we happened to be conversing with the same athlete. Actually, all I knew was his first name. But, as a lifelong reader of the Post, I told him that there would probably be an embarrassing moment when I returned home, because a cursory search of "Carl" and "Washington Post High School Sports" would make me realize exactly who he was.

After a poor game four years ago,
then Titans QB Vince Young
grabbed a gun and disappeared
in his car. For hours, his whereabouts
were unknown.

To no surprise, once I looked up All-Met sports (the Post’s online high school outlet) and matched the surname, I remembered that there was a reason why Little’s name stuck out in my mind. A deeper search helped me to understand why.
In 2008, Little authored a piece entitled “The Pain Beneath the Swagger,” for a website called The Root, which is found at http://www.theroot.com. As it turned out, I had recalled reading this article.

The first line reads:

“Black male bravado allows no room for a mental health crisis. What a sad and dangerous thing.”

Little’s piece goes on to tell the story of Vince Young. At the time, Young was a highly touted quarterback from Texas who was in the early stages of his career with the Tennessee Titans. While showing flashes of brilliance, the former Heisman Trophy winner was considered a disappointment, despite leading the Titans to a 17-11 record in the games Young started over his first two seasons. On September 7, 2008, Young was mightily booed in a winning effort. A sprained left knee simply added injury to insult.

The following day, Young told a psychiatrist that he wanted to quit football. He also shared thoughts of suicide. Later, Young grabbed a gun, exited his home unannounced and took off in his car. For over four hours the whereabouts of the 25-year-old were unknown. Eventually, he was found unharmed.

The huge response to the story forced a press conference from Young just three days later. While multitudes of sports media jocks and self-proclaimed “experts” had bandied about with their theories of Young’s condition, the quarterback was going to be allowed the opportunity to settle the record.

“I was never depressed,” proclaimed a self-assured Young.

What??

In a nutshell, Young was obeying the man law which was described by Little with the following four words – Black boys don’t cry.

After citing other examples of African-American athletes suffering from episodes of depression, Little brings home his point, and it is a valid one. His words speak much better than mine, so to quote:

“While there is much to appreciate about black masculinity, there are some insidious aspects to playing the part. For instance, many believe that we have to struggle alone with our demons and that asking for help makes us appear weak. That kind of individualism is a façade, and we do ourselves no good when we hold back the tears.”

Well put Carl. It was nice to meet you.

Yorktown's Prata Makes Name on the Mat

Original version of article printed in the Yorktown Town Square section of the Daily Press on March 30, 2012



Joey Prata collecting the hardware after winning
the Big Horn tournament

For a young man weighing only 93 pounds, Joey Prata packs a lot of weight.

The eighth grade wrestler, representing the Virginia Predators, has rightfully earned a name for himself on and off the mat. As a wrestler, Prata has compiled a record of 87-2 (with 30 pins) this season. His feats in the weight room have also drawn attention. In fact, a video of the 14-year old dead lifting 225 lbs. is currently making the rounds on YouTube and Facebook.
The sky looks to be the limit for the grappler from Yorktown.

With his middle school career reaching an end (his last tournament will be in Fargo, ND in July), Prata is looking ahead to the next step. Currently homeschooled, he will be attending York High next year. According to Joey, the family has already met Coach Todd Parrish and he is anxious to begin.

The start of high school competition should be a relief for the Prata family. Practicing with the Predators requires a 140 mile round trip to and from Chester, VA, a trek they make 4-5 times a week. But the effort has been worth it. According to his father Tony, “Coach (Mark) Strickland and his assistants have helped make Joey into a national champion.”

The first hurdle for his post-Predator career has already been set. Prata aims to be a multiple state champion. But the lightest competition weight at the high school level is 106 lbs. Even though 106 is the maximum weight, there is still a disadvantage to giving away as many as 12 pounds to an opponent in a sport as balanced as wrestling.

Two years ago, the family realized that Joey’s slight build might hinder his future wrestling career.

Enter D’Shawn Wright.

The trainer and owner of Body by D Gym in Yorktown has earned a reputation based on the pursuit of excellence mindset he instills in his students.  With many of his high school clients moving on to collegiate sports, the gym has become a focal point for young athletes looking to gain the extra edge needed to earn an athletic scholarship.

Father Tony, a Battalion Chief with the York County Fire Department, found Body by D two years ago while searching for his own workout spot.

Says mother Shannon, “We appreciated his (D’Shawn’s) intensity. The motto is “the harder, the better.”

Joey, who started his training regimen weighing about 75 pounds, didn’t take long to see the developing results.

“Everybody started noticing.” said Prata. “The difference was unbelievable and it was quick…within a month.”

Over the first year, Prata says that he gained “about 10 pounds.”

The improvement in strength and stamina has already paid dividends on the mat.

One of Prata’s trademarks with the Predators has been his ability to avenge a loss. Earlier in the season, he lost a 14-2 decision to a wrestler at the Super 32 match in North Carolina. Just six weeks later, at the Virginia Challenge Holiday Duals, Prata turned the tables and scored an 8-0 shutout over the same wrestler to win the championship.

The shutout was not unique to his performance at the Holiday Duals as Prata did not allow any of his ten opponents to score a point, a feat which is rare in a single match, but astronomically difficult to accomplish over the course of an entire tournament.

His intensity is not limited to the field of play. Prata is an honor student and currently takes advanced classes which will allow him to begin his academic work at York with four high school credits. A college career in wrestling awaits, possibly at Old Dominion or Virginia Tech, a school where he could showcase his “math whiz” skills.

Prata prefers the freestyle and Greco-Roman forms of wrestling. His favorite moves are the cradles, riding legs and sweep maneuvers. Now in his sixth year of wrestling, and second with the Predators, he enjoys the individual challenge of the sport. “I like that I get to compete against somebody my own size, an even matchup.” He also likes the team aspect of the sport, a by-product of his earlier athletic endeavors in soccer and lacrosse.

Is there anything else he enjoys about wrestling?

“After weigh-ins, we get to eat. I like the “food buzz.”

Learn more about Joey’s accomplishments with the Virginia Predators at www.vateampredator.com.

Wyllie's View of Friere's "Pedagogy of the Oppressed"

Paolo Friere, world renowned educator and
political activist of the mid 20th century

In 1968, Paolo Friere introduced political and educational scholars to his “Pedagogy of the Oppressed.” Friere, a Brazilian educator and political activist, published this work in Portugese, but it quickly found a worldwide audience and was translated into many languages.

Justin Wyllie, an essayist and blogger from England, has presented an in-depth critique to Friere’s most famous writing on his blog site at http://justinwyllie.net. His objective is show whether Friere’s beliefs are relevant in today’s society.

In its 19 pages, Wyllie breaks down Friere’s work into its four chapters. In short, they deal with 1) the oppressors and the oppressed, 2) the “banking” concept of education, 3) Friere’s theories as used in practice among the poor in South American schools, and 4) the contrast between the “antidialogical” and “dialogical” theories of cultural action.

Wyllie does a credible job of explaining Friere’s work. In his introduction, he notes the author’s model of dialectical materialism. In other words, this is the idea that human destiny is only resolved after a clash between two economic classes of owners and labo(u)rers, which are defined as people who sell their labor to capital.

This concept reminds me of a reading from freshman year in college entitled “Labor Capital and Monopoly: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century,” by Harry Braverman. Braverman was an American and a Socialist who shared some of the same political and social views as Friere. This book, written in the early 1970’s, had a great influence on my views between labor and management.

While Braverman focused on the difference between the “oppressor” and the “oppressed” in business, Friere aimed to separate the two with regard to social and educational issues, but uses economic class warfare as an analogy. In his essay, Wyllie aims to critique the views of the latter author. In essence, this is a review of a book review.

As such, Wyllie sees no use for Friere’s discussion of the economic class struggle in this book, but identifies the book as useful for social and educational issues, particularly in its discussion of “banking” education. In this age of “teaching to the test,” I find Friere’s views on “banking” education to be poignant. Metaphorically, banking is building up information, much in the way a piggy bank fills up loose change. In the same sense, our brains collect information, then use it when needed.

Contrary to Wyllie’s argument, I see the usefulness of the economic class discussion in Friere’s work; therefore, I disagree with the assumption that its inclusion in “Pedagogy” is useless. When describing two disparate groups, it is worthwhile to draw the parallel comparison to a “rich” versus “poor” struggle.

Otherwise, Wyllie gives a thorough breakdown of Friere’s book, chapter by chapter. For those who have not read “Pedagogy,” Wyllie’s essay is the next best thing.

My Mike Wallace Moment

Mike Wallace, of CBS News, and
"60 Minutes" fame, passed away
at the age of 93.

This has been a sad week for many in the broadcast media community with the passing of legendary newsman Mike Wallace. Wallace, mainly known for his work on CBS News “60 Minutes,” probably did not invent the confrontational interview, but he was the first well known journalist to use it effectively. His interviewing approach became so synonymous with his name that it was said the worst four words a person could hear were “Mike Wallace is here.”

Years ago, 1986 to be exact, I had the opportunity to see Wallace in action. In a stranger twist, it was my question to him that set things in motion and enabled those in attendance to witness his fiery side.

The event was a daylong conference on “The Future of American Business.” College business and finance students from all over the tri-state region were invited to the symposium, which was held at New York University’s Tisch Hall.

This was a high powered event. Co-sponsored by NYU’s Business and Public Administration School, there was no shortage of heavy hitters. President Gerald Ford delivered the luncheon remarks, his topic being “The Future of International Trade.” I have mentioned his appearance on this space previously for two reasons. First, I got to shake his hand when he entered the room, so my day was already made. Second, my battle to avoid going to the bathroom that afternoon fell short. It happens when you drink six cups of coffee to offset the mere 45 minutes of sleep the morning before. Unfortunately, it happened during Ford’s remarks, and I was stunned to find three Secret Service agents follow me all the way to the men’s room and back.

Arthur Levitt Jr. was also there to deliver a speech on “The Future of Entrepreneurship.” At the time he was the chairman of the American Stock Exchange, but would eventually become the longest tenured chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The chairpersons of PaineWebber and Monet Jewelers were also presenters. And of course, Mike Wallace was on hand to speak on the subject of “Media and the Business Community.”

The Home Group was the other co-sponsor of the event. In that year, Marshall Manley, a high powered New York attorney had been selected as the new chairman of the group, as well as its failing subsidiary, Home Insurance Company. Within one year of taking over, Manley brought the company from the ashes, turning a loss of more than $280 million into a gain of $230 million. Six years later, Manley sold the company for $1 billion and set up a new business called M82 Group, LLC, a private investment banking and consulting service. Not a bad decades worth of work.

I bring this point up because Manley served as the moderator that day, keeping the traffic moving and the panels on point. He must have served early notice because I remember Jeff Delutis, our group leader, requesting that I “not ask any questions.” The point was that there were panels in place to ask the questions and I was really there in the capacity of a college newspaper reporter and not a participant. Fine.

Anyhow, at 2:00 PM, Mike Wallace gets up to address his panel of five as well as an audience of several hundred. Honestly, I don’t remember much about his talk, except that it ended and that each member of the panel followed with a question.

But to my utter delight, the next statement got my immediate attention.

“We will now take questions from the members of the audience.”

Sorry Jeff.

I immediately threw my hand in the air and only had to wait for a couple of other questions to be recognized. Just like it was yesterday, I remember my question. It had to do with trusting the media, especially after the Janet Cooke episode. Since it has been a long time, let me reiterate. Janet Cooke was a reporter with the Washington Post, and in the mid-1980’s she wrote a series of pieces about a 9-year old crack addict living in the slums of Southeast DC. The shocking coverage won her a Pulitzer Prize. Only later, did the public learn that Cooke’s story was completely fabricated.

Wallace’s answer was forthright and direct. No, he couldn’t blame the public for losing trust in the media, and it was going to take them a long time to earn it back, and yes, they would have to EARN it.

So, thank you very much Mr. Wallace. I sat down, again satisfied with the events of the day.

Next question.

“Um. Mr. Wallace, what advice would you recommend to a college student who is aspiring to be a journalist?”

I could see Manley getting hot under the collar. The topic had been diverted.

“Mr. Wallace, I have a question about 60 Minutes…”

By now, Manley was incensed. He stood off and broke the questioner off at mid-sentence.

“Excuse me,” he began. This is supposed to be a forum about media and business. If your question is not about business, please do not ask it. I’m sure you understand Mr. Wallace.”
But the newsman wasn’t quite ready to finish. “Well, with all due respect Mr. Manley, I can’t imagine why you would think to invite me here and assume that no one would be asking me a question about my job. 60 Minutes is what I do for a living,” (roar from audience)

“I understand that Mr. Wallace. However, that is not our subject today, so again, if the audience members could just keep their questions to those dealing with business,” continued Manley.
Wallace replied with a smirk, “Well, I guess you consider this to be...your show” (louder roar)

My heart started racing. Oh my God...I got Mike Wallace into an argument!
<><> <><> <><>

Wallace, shown in the 1950's,
also hosted a variety show
for CBS.

This went on for a couple more verbal jabs before calmer heads prevailed. The panel ended and I bolted for the door. After all, was the day going to possibly get any better??? As I turned, I saw Jeff looking at me.

“That was awesome! Way to go.” Whew! Guess I wasn’t in trouble.


I waited in the hallway for a couple of minutes, and sure enough encountered Mike Wallace en route to getting his coat. In a fit of nervousness, I walked up to him and stuck my program in front of him.
“Mr. Wallace... I have admired your work for a long time. Great job today... Could you sign this?” Something like that, but surely as dopey.


He took the program to sign, looked at me with a knowing glance, and said “Thanks a lot.”
As he walked out into a waiting car (not a limo, more like a four-door K-car), I only hoped that he was really thanking me for putting a bit of excitement into what could have been a boring afternoon for him.

Rest in peace Mike Wallace, and thank YOU!