Extreme-Supreme: Cheerleading at a New Level

As published in the Newport News Town Square section of the Daily Press on Thursday, February 21st.

With practices on Tuesday and Saturday, the confines of World Class Gym, on Bell King Road, now serve as the home base for a local competitive cheerleading squad.

In short, it’s not the cheerleading you remember. Even the team name says it all – Extreme Supreme.

Huddled around a tiny table in a crowded coffee shop, the coach and one of the athletes from Extreme Supreme take turns explaining the differences between competitive cheerleading and regular cheerleading – the type that a reporter remembers from attending high school 30 years ago.

Angel Ackerman, the coach, is more analytical in her explanation. “The biggest difference is that we are not there to root for a team. We are the team. Regular cheerleaders will stand on the sidelines. They do one stunt, or tumble, and try to stir up the crowd. We’re there to put on a show. It lasts two and a half minutes, but it’s non-stop – there’s dancing, tumbling, throwing. There’s a great deal of skill involved.”

Sarah Allen, the athlete, is more direct with her comparison. “We fly!”

Perhaps it’s the aerodynamic aspect of competitive cheerleading that drew Allen to the sport. Now 18, she started cheering at the age of six, in the traditional rec league setting. About “three or four” years ago, Allen crossed paths with one of her colleagues, Ackerman’s daughter-in-law, who told her about the new competitive team. Says Allen, “she talked me into joining.”

Ackerman, now in her 20^th year of coaching, also sprouted her roots on the rec league circuit. “I started there, coached some All-Star teams. I started Spirit Empire (her other team) six years ago and branched out.”

Currently, 35 girls, between the ages of three and 18, compete for Supreme Extreme. The competition schedule mirrors the school year, with the season running from September to May. Competitive cheerleading has an ardent following. The state competition, held at VCU’s Siegel Center this year, will draw well over 10,000 spectators. The best state teams qualify for a national competition.

Though she competes with traditional cheer squads to recruit athletes, Ackerman is willing to share. “I allow our cheerleaders to cheer for other teams. The only thing I ask is that they respect our team. If there’s a competition coming, I expect them to be at my practice.” She feels the relationship with traditional cheerleading is a symbiotic one. “We have girls that work on dancing, tumbling. That helps with (traditional) cheerleading.”

Despite the name, competitive cheerleading is not a cutthroat, win-at-all-costs type of sport. On the Extreme Supreme Facebook page, their motto reads, “Where winning isn’t everything, but wanting to is.” Ackerman adds to that thought. “The best part for me is seeing a child accomplish something that they couldn’t do before. For example, if a girl couldn’t do a back handspring, and then completes one in a competition, I’ll cry like a baby.”

Allen adds, “Yeah, she will!”

The trust and caring aspects of competitive cheerleading appeal to both athlete and coach. Allen, now a senior at Woodside, says that the sport has “taught her how to deal with people.” Upon graduating, she plans on attending Thomas Nelson as a stepping stone toward nursing school. “I want to do pediatrics and work with younger girls.” Ackerman interjects, “and she’ll probably be coaching with me!”

The trust piece is obvious. There are two main positions in competitive cheerleading – base and flyer. In a sport where young ladies get thrown ten feet into the air, the flyers have to rely on the bases to catch them. Says the coach, “It’s definitely a sport that teaches girls the importance of depending on each other.” But there’s something to be said for putting on a show that combines athleticism and showmanship. “They (girls) get to be not themselves, to be out of the box. Some girls are quiet, not outgoing, but when they put on the makeup, the uniforms and the glitter, they’re someone else.”

The Extreme Supreme team practices on Tuesday evening and Saturday morning at World Class Gym on 343 Bell King Rd. (off Jefferson Ave.) in Newport News. There are plans to form an adult team this spring. For more information, you can find their page on Facebook, or call Coach Angel Ackerman at 757-871-7607.

TrackSide Magazine - Let The Revolution Begin

On Sunday, the revolution began. TrackSide, the parent magazine of the TrackNation movement, launched on the Internet (www.trackside1.tracknation.com) and with it, the hopes and aspirations of many of us involved were awakened.

My involvement with the project was almost accidental. I happened to “like” TrackNation upon seeing it listed on Facebook. In short, my vote of approval was consistent with an effort I have been making to “like” all track related pages. Mostly, these affirmations reflect my involvement as a correspondent with the Daily Press here in Virginia, but my motivation is geared closer to approving all track related pages and projects, with the simple hope of doing a small part to continue promoting the sport.

Long story short, Travis Masters, the force behind the movement and editor-in-chief of the magazine, was working on his own vision. Travis has been looking for a unified movement, one which will truly promote track, particularly when it comes to the interests of the athletes. He took his vision to the recent U.S. Track and Field convention and was pleased to find a great deal of support for his fledgling magazine. When we first spoke, a couple of months ago, he rattled through the names of people with whom he had talked. It sounded like a Hall of Fame lineup – Bob Beamon, John Carlos, Tommie Smith, Justin Gatlin, Greg Foster, etc…

Oh yeah, why were we talking in the first place? As it turned out, Travis was looking for writers for his new magazine. I’m bold enough to believe that I cover cross-country and track as well as anyone in our neck of Virginia, so even though my overall portfolio is at less than 150 articles, I figured that it was worth the effort to cull through the 50-60 that dealt with cross-country and track and find a few good samples to send.

Hopefully, the rest will be history.

I am relatively pleased with my first three TrackSide entries. My initial interview was with David Prince. David’s story is inspiring, but you have to read through a lot of tragedy and hard times to get to the happy denouement. Regardless, David’s life as a world record setting Paralympic runner is a testament to the power of hard work and faith. It’s hard to find an athlete, even a world class one, who proclaims to “like” hard work, and the pain, and the burn. Many put the work in, but rarely enjoy the process.

Ironically, David is about to become much more well known, and not for anything I have done. Tonight (Monday at 10), he will be appearing on Fox News, more specifically, the Greta van Susteren program, speaking as someone who knows and has competed against Oscar Pistorius, whose fiancée was shot dead last week in South Africa – with Pistorius being charged with the crime.

My second interview was with Sean Pena, a renowned physiotherapist who works on everybody who is anybody in track, including Gatlin, Allyson Felix, Lolo Jones, and Shawn Crawford. He will be writing for the magazine and his insights into the field are going to blow away the mindset us coaches and runners have grown up with. Some of the most cutting edge technological equipment for physical therapy sits in his living room, and the A-list of track stars stop by his house for treatment when in Florida.

Finally, I had the opportunity to speak with legendary hurdler Greg Foster. He’s someone I grew up with, as his reign at the top of the high hurdling heap ran from the late 1970’s to the early 90’s. His showdowns with Renaldo Nehemiah were legendary, and ironically, Nehemiah is another runner I am currently trying to track down for an interview. I really enjoyed my 30 minute talk with Foster, and for a short time, almost forgot this was the same man I saw in all of these meets on TV. His best time of 13.03 for the 110-meter hurdles would win a lot of races now, and it still places at 12^th or 13^th on the all-time list.

I’m truly looking forward to this opportunity to work with Travis and the rest of the people on TrackSide. The first issue looks great, with its interactive features. But there’s more than sizzle with TrackSide; in fact, the information within, on topics like nutrition, training, and such are beneficial to runners of all ages and abilities.

Please feel free to give TrackSide a look. I think you’ll find it to be worthy of the hard work that has been put into this first issue. 

Inside the Mind of President Lincoln

February brings together Black History month and President's Day. And it's easy to combine the two by thinking of one particular president --  Abraham Lincoln. The interest in Lincoln has revived recently, mostly due to a full-length Hollywood biopic featuring renowned actor Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role. Although I haven't seen the movie yet, the reviews appear to be favorable and the awards are starting to come in. It will be interesting to see how the film and its players fare in the upcoming Academy Awards.

To know Lincoln was to know that like many others of his generation, he was a man of letters. Because of his limited formal education, he was apt to seek the advice of others when confronting a situation. In the heat of the Civil War, and only fifteen months after the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln consulted with three Kentuckians and his review of the proceedings show the personal turmoil which conflicted the president.

Abraham Lincoln, Letter To Hodges, April 4, 1864

In early April of 1864, President Abraham Lincoln summarized, by letter, a conversation which he had with three fellow residents of Kentucky. One of them was Albert Hodges, the editor of the Frankfort Commonwealth. Another, Thomas Bramlette was the Governor, and the third, Archibald Dixon, had previously served as a senator. Bramlette, in particular, was opposed to the recruitment of black regiments in the state of Kentucky.

Abraham Lincoln. Our 16th
President was a conflicted
man who presided over the
most divisive period of
American history

The letter gives great insight into the thoughts of President Lincoln. He initially states, “"I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel.” In earlier times, Lincoln had proposed non-interference with regard to the issue of slavery, but he realized that the thoughts of many of his constituents had changed. As quoted in his letter, Lincoln writes, "I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me."

For Lincoln, the dilemma came from his ability to serve his oath as the new president, and serve his desire to free the slaves. While he swore to defend the Constitution, he vowed that “life and limb must be protected.” Lincoln added, “By general law life and limb must be protected; yet often a limb must be amputated to save a life; but a life is never wisely given to save a limb. I felt that measures, otherwise unconstitutional, might become lawful, by becoming indispensable to the preservation of the constitution, through the preservation of the nation. Right or wrong, I assumed this ground, and now avow it. I could not feel that, to the best of my ability, I had even tried to preserve the constitution, if, to save slavery, or any minor matter, I should permit the wreck of government, country, and Constitution all together.” Strong words.

The 16^th president was in a pressing situation. The North was fighting against the South in the United States and a division was imminent. But, to Lincoln, the act of slavery was wrong. At the end of his letter, Lincoln wrote that if God removes a great wrong and “wills also that we of the North as well as you of the South, shall pay fairly for our complicity in that wrong, impartial history will find therein new cause to attest and revere the justice and goodness of God."

Youth Wrestling Returns to Newport News

Published in the January 17th issue of the DAILY PRESS' Newport News Town Square section

Nestled in the hallway bowels of Denbigh High School, a nondescript room houses the spot where the youth wrestling movement has revived in Newport News. Off of these corridors, next to the Patriot cafeteria, roughly 40 young grapplers, from ages 4 to 14, meet at 5:30 PM three evenings per week to showcase their skills while preparing for future high school competition.

Thanks to the efforts of Oliver Walmon and others,
youth wrestling is back in Newport News

Founded by Oliver Walmon, the Newport News Warriors team has brought local youngsters back to the sport. “For a while, kids were going to York and Poquoson to wrestle because they didn’t have another option. They’re coming back now.”

The Warriors are one of 16 teams which comprise the Peninsula Youth Wrestling League, covering the Peninsula, Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck.

The early numbers came as a pleasant surprise. “I thought we’d max out at 25 or 30,” adds Walmon. But he is optimistic about the future. “Next year, we are hoping for 75.”

Part of the reasoning for starting a youth wrestling team is to build up the pool of wrestlers in Newport News. “There is no feeder system to the high school.” In fact, local high school coaches have had trouble building a full team, and no Newport News high schools were represented in last weekend’s Virginia Duals, the largest meet of its kind (high school and college matches together) in the world.

Walman continues, “I cannot stress the importance of providing the children of Newport News with an outlet such as wrestling.  Not all kids play basketball or football or baseball, but everyone loves to wrestle.  We want to feed the high schools with disciplined and quality kids and build a dynasty that will last.  Our kids are having a blast and the results are already showing.”

Teante Gray is one of the eight Warrior coaches. Gray and Walmon share a bond, having both wrestled for Denbigh (Walmon is from the Class of 1989, while Gray graduated in 2000) and the two shared a common coach. Gray, who finished third in the State for his weight class as a high school senior, generally works with the older and more advanced wrestlers. But with so many coaches, Gray adds, “we’re able to give kids individual attention, with the idea being to build something that is going to last.”

“Wrestling in this area had kind of fallen by the wayside. We’re trying to get kids ready to compete with Poquoson and Great Bridge,” continues Gray when explaining his vision for the Warriors.

The early results are encouraging. In mid-December, the Warriors competed in their first tournament, the North of the James Tournament, held at Bethel High. Of the 16 wrestlers, 14 earned medals. In total, there were seven golds, five silvers and three bronzes. Madison Hinnant, one of the team’s two female wrestlers, won both a gold and bronze medal as a contestant in two separate brackets. The results were especially favorable considering that five wrestlers were competing in their first tournament ever.

A week later, four grapplers, between the ages of six and nine, took part in the Grassfield Holiday Wrestling Classic, with all winning medals. Trevon Gray won gold, Khaleo Smith and Temonte Gray took home silver medals and Karon Smith earned a bronze. Being a Tournament of Champions qualifying meet, Walmon was pleased to see all four advance to the next round.

The Warriors have been able to cover the $5,000 needed to cover their season expenses, thanks to sponsors such as National Counseling Group and Village Bicycles (formerly Conte’s Bike Shop). But as the team grows, so will the cost of the operation, a fact that is not lost on Walmon. “We have others (sponsors) who say they are interested, but we need some to step up to the plate. We all support keeping our kids safe from the negatives of the streets and want to do all we can to support our youth and the bright future they have in front of them.”

Newport News Warriors’ North of the James Tournament Results

Gold – Seth Naotala, Jalen Terry-Winston, Madison Hinnant, Khaleo Smith, Karon Smith, Ricky Flores Jr., Ricky Palm

Silver – Marc Jackson, Koa Naotala, Temonte Gray, Anthony Chamblee, Jacob Walmon

Bronze – Hinnant, Tyreece White, Noah Williams

Fourth place – Trevon Gray, Kyle Jackson

For more information on the Newport News Warriors, or other Peninsula Youth Wrestling League news, please visit their website at www.pywl.org.

The Making of "Slap Shot"

"The Making of Slap Shot,"
available on Amazon and most
other vendors

With the NHL hockey teams now back on the ice, it may be time to remember the most notorious hockey team ever captured on film.

Unlike the Flyers or Bruins, this team made its home in the fictional city of Charlestown, and didn’t have the perks awarded to the skaters gunning for the Stanley Cup. But I can guarantee that every NHL player on the ice knows the story of the Chiefs. Why? Because “Slap Shot” has been a fixture showing on the team bus of every minor league hockey team for the past 35 years.

Its notoriety is timeless. In today’s Yahoo! Sports, writer Michael Silver listed his “Baker’s Dozen” of sports sibling combinations. His original point was to show that the Harbaugh brothers are not the most famous. In his opinion (a valid one) the Williams sisters are.

But it was his last paragraph that caught my attention. To make the “Baker’s Dozen,” Wetzel had to throw in a 13^th entry. His choice – the fictional Hanson brothers, from “Slap Shot.”

In my humble opinion, the movie, penned by a woman (didya know that?), Nancy Dowd, is the funniest picture ever made. Its mixture of humor and violence, set in a world of lower income desperation, brings the world of minor league hockey front and center to the viewer.

Jonathon Jackson has produced a first rate book on
"The Making of Slap Shot," one of the greatest, and
arguably, the funniest sports movie ever made

Paul Newman starred as the player/coach Reggie Dunlop. In his role, he makes a conscious decision to turn his ragtag bunch of Chiefs into a contender. Knowing that the town mill is about to fold, which will mean the demise of the team, Dunlop decides to make a spectacle of his team, hoping that large crowds at the War Memorial will keep them in business. Before long, the skittish Chiefs are quick to drop the gloves, resulting in some hysterical scenes, both on and off the ice. The opening scene introducing the Hanson’s is three minutes of unadultered,  laugh-out-loud fun.

In later life, Newman said that Dunlop was one of his favorite roles, although he realized he may have taken his role too seriously while sitting at the dinner table at home one evening. In need of a certain spice, he gnarled at his daughter to “Pass the f---in‘ salt!”

One of the most remarkable facts about “Slap Shot” is that, aside from a handful of actors, most notably Newman, but including Michael Ontkean (“The Rookies”), Strother Martin (“what I see here is a failure to communicate”), and M. Emmet Walsh, most of the stars of the film were actually minor league hockey players. Even Ontkean had some background, having played hockey for three years at the University of New Hampshire. And why not? Who else could pull off the skating and hockey moves? The making of the movie is as fascinating as the storyline itself.

Jonathon Jackson has written a must read book – “The Making of Slap Shot,” which captures every nuance behind the filming of this 1977 classic. His story goes deep, from Dowd’s stories of listening to her brother Ned (Ogie Ogilthorpe in the movie) telling his tales of life on the road with the Johnstown Jets to casting, filming to even deeper background material, such as the story of Bill “Goldie” Goldthorpe, the real life Ogie.

Jackson was a fan of the movie, and it was that connection which got him started. "I got the idea for the book when i attended a cast reunion, intending to write a magazine article. I realized that there was much more to the story than i would ever be able to fit into a single article. Once I started tracking down other cast members and people who had been part of the film, it snowballed very quickly."

It is amazing to learn some of the names behind the story. In fact, one of the best stories in "Making" tells of Goldthorpe playing for the Syracuse Blazers in 1973 and immediately developing a hatred for their young announcer, a recent Syracuse U. grad named Bob Costas. To quote Jackson’s version:

“He (Goldthorpe) also developed a dislike for Blazers play-by-play broadcaster Bob Costas, leading to a frightening incident on the team bus. As Costas recalls it, he was reading the New York Times when Goldthorpe grabbed the newspaper, tore it to shreds and showered Costas with the pieces. Costas, youthfully stupid, responded by telling the player he would teach him how to read. Goldthorpe had to be restrained by teammates from doing to Costas what he had already done to the newspaper.”

There’s plenty more, as many of the characters were inspired by real life minor league players, coaches and announcers. For example, “Slap Shot” announcer “Jim Carr” was patterned after Bill Wilson, Johnstown announcer with a ‘sensationally ugly” toupee.

The book is a must read for all “Slap Shot” fans – heck, for all hockey fans. It’s view of the minor league hockey life is gritty and unencumbered. There were sure some characters back in the day, and Jackson manages to “capture the spirit of the thing!”

Visiting Parenthood

I have known Ed Nitkewicz for over 30 years. We started out as freshmen at Wagner College in the fall of 1982 - dorm neighbors actually. To see our band of misfits storming the corridors of Harbor View Hall was to see chaos run amuck. It's a wonder that we made it through the year, and actually, not everybody did.

Now, we work together on the Alumni Association Board of Directors at Wagner. Through this work, and several past experiences, I have come to learn more of Ed's life, and especially of the hard work he has done as an advocate for autism.

His writings have always impressed me and made me think because of his ability to cut to the core of an issue. As I told him last weekend after reading this piece, the core is not always a comfortable place to be, but is necessary when to are trying to make a point. This post can also be found on the aweinautism.org website. But, while deciding to invite guest bloggers to share their views on this site, I knew that Ed would be one of the first people I would invite.

By Edward J. Nitkewicz

Recently, I had an opportunity to spend my annual summer vacation with my wife’s family in Cape May New Jersey. It was, for different reasons, the most difficult week of my life. My 14 year old son suffers from autism. Many in the community rail against using the phrase “suffers from.” I however militantly and liberally employ it when my mood dictates. Though I try, I cannot always embrace my son’s disability cheerily with the earthy Lola Granola attitude that his disabilities make him so unique that we are the luckiest family on the planet. His inability to easily express his feelings, to socialize with any other children or to tell me when he feels disappointment, sadness or sheer joy is something he and his parents endure and “suffer.”

Attorney Ed Nitkewicz
of Long Island, NY
is a school board member
 in Huntington (NY) ,
as well as an advocate for
autism issues

I have spent the entirety of the past 14 years developing a different perspective on what “fatherhood” could be for me. It is certainly not what I planned on or prepared for. As I have offered many in my circumstances, “people plan and God laughs.” Sometimes however, I don’t feel like I am in on his joke. Other times, I just don’t have the emotional strength or desire to celebrate my “unique parenthood.” Sometimes, I just feel bad that my son suffers the significant limitations that come with having autism.

Over the past week, I have visited (albeit as a surrogate) the parenthood I always thought I would have. At the shore house in Cape May, New Jersey, I am the “awesomist uncle in the universe.” That does not represent a baseless boast. It is the title on the portrait of me drawn by one of my niece in laws. It is the term used when I take any of three teams rotating throughout the week for the daily $50 “candy run.” It is the battle cry yelled when the “pool fight” to drown and defeat the evil (yet still awesome) Uncle Ed ensues each day at 2PM after the last hot dog is consumed.

Watching seven children burying each other up to their heads in the white sand is unforgettable. Having them teach me how to boogie board “tasty waves” (as Jeff Spicoli once taught us) is priceless. And seeing them narrowly avoid a sugar coma from literally eating a grocery bag of candy every night is hilarious. It is heartbreaking that my son is not right in the middle of the daily blizzard of activity.

“It is acceptable to feel bad for our child, for our family, and for ourselves. The key is not letting it consume and define you.”

It is watching Edward’s cousins grow from babies to tweeners, witnessing them develop personalities and the accompanying “attitudes”, and seeing them move swiftly towards adulthood in a “typical” way, that cause me to experience a complex combination of joy, admiration, envy and pain. Professionals often push parents of impaired children to celebrate their unique qualities. I get that. However, grief requires that we allow for those moments in our life when we just feel sad for what our children aren’t. It is acceptable to feel bad for our child, for our family, and for ourselves. The key is not letting it consume and define you. This week, as I spent a week in a beach house in New Jersey with seven children related to me only through marriage, I was at once as happy and as sad as I have been in a very long time. I visualized what the world would look like if my son, the first and thus oldest cousin, were “typical.”

I am grateful that Edward has so many terrific cousins on both sides of his family. But as I enjoy their company, I can’t help but wonder in my heart which one among them will take the lead in looking out for my son when I am gone. After this week, I am confident the answer is “all of them.” And, I am eternally grateful to them for allowing me to visit the parenthood I once planned to have.

Weekend at the Virginia Duals

I was pleased to have been asked again to cover the Virginia Duals wrestling extravaganza for the DAILY PRESS. The Duals are a must see for the grappling enthusiast. This year, 76 college, high school and middle school teams took part. As mentioned ad nauseum in my articles, the fun of watching the Duals is that most of the time, 10 matches are taking place at once, making the sole announcer the most focused person in Hampton Coliseum. The focal point can change at any second, and for any reason. One minute, a grappler from Kent State can be spinning out of a hold on Mat 3, and then the next a 12-year old is throwing down an opponent for a pin on Mat 10.

Hampton Coliseum, site of the annual
Virginia Duals

The other highlight, and certainly not one that ever got mentioned in an article, is the food. It's a well known secret that the volunteers do a tremendous job at the Duals. But the cooks are the stars of the show. The fare is usually seafood, and to quote my younger runners, it's BANGIN' !! Saturday dinner in the Hospitality Room of Hampton Coliseum consisted of homemade clam chowder, scallops, clams, fried oysters, flounder stuffed with crab imperial, fries, salad. And I missed about half a dozen trays. So help me, i gained five pounds at the Duals, Very ironic in an arena where thousands of wrestlers were working hard to drop pounds for weigh-in. I almost felt guilty. Almost.

Here are some of the highlights from my two days of wrestling coverage, as posted on HRVarsity.com and printed in the Saturday, Sunday and Monday sports pages of the DAILY PRESS.

Day 1 results - Four teams win first-round matches

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-spt-virginia-duals-feature-0112-20130111,0,5248548.story

Day 2 results - Hampton HS places fourth in Black and Blue Division

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/highschool/dp-spt-virginia-duals-feature-0113-20130112,0,426368.story

Conclusion - VA Tech defeats U. VA for National College Division title

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-spt-virginia-duals-notebook-0113-20130112,0,2458112.story

Feeling the Power of the "HIPS"

Last month, I sent out (and posted) a holiday update noting some of the projects that are coming on the horizon for both the blog and McGrath Educational Services. In spite of the company name, the business is involved in many more things than simply tutoring.

I had mentioned a couple new projects, but left out one of the more important ventures with the idea of holding the thought until April. However, after continued thought, I decided, why wait?

 

Here’s the backstory. Leslie Dupree is a gospel singer and actress – she is originally from Williamsburg, but now lives in Newport News. About seven years ago, she was a student in my technical writing class at Centura College. For our final project, the students were required to write a proposal – an honest assignment requiring 10-15 pages of effort to push a real or imagined business endeavor.

My advice to students was this -- if you’re going to make the effort to develop a proposal, make it something that you really want to do. After all, you can put the plan out “on the street.”

Well, Leslie took this to heart and presented a creditable proposal for a record company. To my amazement, soon after the assignment was completed, she found a financial backer from her proposal and recorded her first CD,”Full Circle,” quite a heroic testimony which used the power of gospel music to tell the story of one woman overcoming personal struggles and finding light on the other end. You can do the Google search – the CD is available through ITunes, Amazon and quite a few other outlets.

Leslie Dupree, writer and director
of the stage play "HIPS," which will
debut in Newport News on June 1.

I knew this venture was serious when learning that she had received permission from Anita Baker’s record company to cover one of Baker’s songs, because according to record execs, “you’re the only other person who can sing it!”

Others may know Leslie from her work in the starring role of Fluorine in the nationally touring stage play, “Chaos in the House.” When they brought the show to the historic Kimball Theatre in Colonial Williamsburg, people from the outside started hovering around the front door because the sound of the singing and laughter in the theatre was loud enough to draw people off the street. Eventually, the fire marshal had to come and stop letting people in because of crowd issues. Imagine, the first African-American based play to hit CW in over 30 years, and they ran out of seats!

Making a long story short, her Les D Records has now become Les D Entertainment, and Leslie’s latest endeavor is another combination of drama, song and dance, brought to the viewer with a hard dose of honesty which will be sure to make one laugh, cry, but most importantly, think. I am delighted that Leslie has asked me to help with the promotion of her new play, “HIPS, “as it prepares for its opening night on June 1^st. For today, however, I’ll let Leslie introduce her play:

"HIPS" is an unorthodox, multicultural, informative, raw stage play about how pop culture and men views Plus Size women. It gives you a personal peek into the horrific betrayal of Danielle (the main character) by her husband, friends, society and her own body! In addition, the story-line brings awareness to the elusive, incurable disease SARCOIDOSIS, which prevents her from controlling her weight! Thus, leaving her trapped in a shell that causes a variety of attacks!

The writer, Leslie L. Dupree is directing this production through her own company, Les D Entertainment! She is taking this brave opportunity to expose some very private issues that she currently is living with, while bringing awareness to SARCOIDOSIS! Leslie also wrote "HIPS" to give a voice to Plus Size women; letting them know that you still can be beautiful, sexy, alluring, self-confident, creative and successful, in a word coined by Leslie herself, "HIPS-O-LICIOUS"!

The show is riddled with drama, comedy, unforgettable dance routines, witty dialogue, sultry solos, a Broadway styled duet and scenes that will have you on the edge of your seats!

"HIPS" - The Stage play will debut Saturday, June 1, 2013 at 7 PM at The WOODSIDE THEATER, located on 13450 Woodside Lane in Newport News, Virginia. For those near the Peninsula region of Virginia, this is right off Ft. Eustis Blvd. and Exit 250 on Route 64.

Don't miss the opportunity to be a part of History in the Making!

I can already report that this will be much more than a one-night show. In fact, there is already enough buzz that the play will be made into an independent film – and this has been managed five months before opening night! Stay tuned for more updates.

Tabb Wins BayPort Holiday Basketball Tournament

I figure that it might be proper to finish 2012 by posting the last two articles I wrote for the DAILY PRESS in 2012. Over the past couple of nights, four local teams gathered for a basketball tournament in Yorktown. Tabb HS emerged as the winner, and here are the links for the articles which appeared on Friday, Dec. 28 and today, the 29th.

Day 1: 

Poquoson, Tabb boys advance to BayPort Holiday Tournament title game

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/highschool/breaking/dp-spt-tabb-boys-tournament-1228-20121227,0,7915690.story

Day 2:

Tabb wins own tournament, 50-44 over Poquoson

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/highschool/breaking/dp-spt-tabb-boys-tournament-1229-20121228,0,636595.story

Peninsula Catholic Girls CC Repeat as State Independent Champs: Harpen wins TCIS and VISAA Boys titles

Bolstered by the late season return of last year’s Daily Press Runner of the Year Martine Hunnicutt, the Peninsula Catholic girls’ cross-country team returned to the site of its greatest team victory, Woodberry Forest School, in early November and successfully defended its VISAA Division 2 title.

The Lady Knights tallied 76 team points to finish 22 ahead of local rival Walsingham. Hunnicutt, who was hampered by injuries earlier in the fall, took fourth place (20:55) to lead the way. The team was helped by the pack running style of its other runners, a strategy which helped them to achieve runner-up status in the earlier TCIS championship. Becky Aungst (12^th  - 21:51.23) and Molly McKenna (13^th – 21:53.13) ran a strong second and third for Peninsula Catholic, while Grace Miner and Jessica Armstrong rounded out the top five.

Now in her 18^th year at the helm of the PC girls program, Coach Susan Bender attributed her team’s success to their ability to “tighten up the pack,” in essence, closing the gap between their second and fifth runners. Because of the way it’s scored, in a championship style meet, the success of the fourth and fifth fastest team finishers can affect the team score more than the performances of the top runners.

The girls’ team was not alone in their post-season success. The boys squad, led by Philip Harpen and Kevin Riley, took the top team honors at the TCIS meet, while placing second in the VISAA Division 2 championships.

Harpen took the top individual honors in both races. His time of 16:19.95 at TCIS easily outpaced his competition, with Riley taking third, helping PC to a narrow 62-64 victory over Norfolk Academy. At VISAA, Harpen traveled over the rolling hills of Woodberry Forest’s 5,000-meter course in 16:52.54, with Riley in fourth. The Knights team score of 143 was far short of first place Veritas Christian of Richmond who totaled 42, but still resulted in a second place finish of the 29 full teams represented.

Season's Greetings!!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the “Wall!!”

I did send this message via e-mail today. My apologies 1) if you did not receive one - just means I don't have your e-mail address and 2) if you received duplicates :)

I didn’t pull a Humpty Dumpty and fall off the wall; however, I haven’t sent a message out in quite a while. No reason for this, just staying busy with some other things.

Best news – Elizabeth is almost finished with her Master’s degree in Special Education and spent part of her summer as an Oxford scholar. Yes, the one in England!

There are some other great things on the horizon.

First of all, as noted in an earlier post, I am back in the coaching arena after a three-year layoff, now with girls’ cross-country and working with the younger track athletes (officially, I’m the throwing coach) on the Menchville HS team here in Newport News. It is much fun to be back and it looks like the saying is true that “you always go back to what you love.”

Still doing some writing with the DAILY PRESS. There have been ample opportunities to work on community sports features for the Thursday Town Square section, either with Newport News, Hampton, Gloucester, or York County/Poquoson. It has been interesting just because of the wide range of stories – karate, bowling, even covered the winner of a fishing tournament. This week, I’m working on a story about an up-and-coming youth wrestling team which just started in Newport News. Look for it soon, probably the first Thursday after the New Year.

Staying with track, there might be another big opportunity in the works here. There is a new movement called TrackNation. You can find it on Facebook, where over 64,000 people have already “liked” it. Part of their vision is going to include publishing a magazine, which will be called TRACKSIDE. There is already some major corporate sponsorship behind the effort. The good news is that I may be doing some writing for the magazine. Had a great (almost two hour) talk with the editor last Saturday and he showed me the business plan and magazine ideas. WOW!! This movement is surely going to blow up the track world, mainly because with an online presence, it will bring out the “worldwide community” feel for the sport, bringing everyone together. Listening to the names rattled off as magazine contributors and potential article features was like listening to a “Who’s Who” of track. In fact, here’s his quote,  “Ok. Well Greg Foster, John Carlos, Tommie Smith, Bob Beamon, Justin Gatlin, etc are all waiting on your call.” More to come.

Also, while in the middle of doctoral comps and having some time, I’m getting ready to collaborate with one of my professors from William and Mary on an article on creativity and at-risk students. Dr. Kyung-Hee Kim has already conducted some eye opening research on the topic, drawing worldwide attention from publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, The Metro World News (England). Superinteressante (Brazil), Periodista La Tercera (Chile), Korrespondent (Ukraine), the Globe and Mail (Canada). Her work was notably featured in a cover story for the June 19, 2011 issue of Newsweek.

Thank you for reading the Wall at http://jfmcgrath.blogspot.com. Many blessings to you and yours this holiday season.      ---  Jim   

HRA's Marston Wins Virginia HS Heisman

Original version of article published in Daily Press Newport News Town Square section on November 30, 2012. For more information, please visit www.dailypress.com or www.hrvarsity.com.

Geoffrey Marston of Hampton Roads Academy was recently honored with one of high schools highest awards of athletic distinction. In early November, the senior swimmer was selected as the Virginia State Winner of the 2012 Wendy’s High School Heisman award.

As the name suggests, the award is given in conjunction with the Heisman Trophy, college football’s most distinguished honor. And the competition is almost as fierce. Over 45,000 applicants started the process, working through a rigorous elimination system beginning at the school level, one which resulted in 100 winners - one male and female winner from each state.

The high school program, now in its 19^th year, celebrates the hard work, dedication and exceptional records in athletics, academics and community leadership. Spokesman Archie Griffin, a two-time winner of the collegiate Heisman said, “Colleges want well-rounded students, and with admissions being more selective, a national award like the Wendy’s High School Heisman can really help students stand out. Geoffrey and Caroline (Brailsford, the girls state winner) are inspirations to others in their school and community, and we’re honored to welcome them into the Heisman family.

As noted in its literature, the award has set the standard for high school student-athletes and gained prestige among colleges and universities nationwide. From listening to Marston and his swim coach and teachers at HRA, it becomes apparent that he is indeed a worthy recipient.

Mrs. Rebecca Deeley, Marston’s AP Environmental Science teacher, commented on her student’s influence on his classmates. “Geoff is remarkable in the way he raises the level of the game. He’s proactive, he’s engaged, and informed, which brings the rest of the class up.” In an interesting twist, she adds, “When we do labs or group projects, he doesn’t always pick another “A” student to work with. He finds someone that might not have the best grade in the class, and that way, they both earn “A’s.” For their current project, the class is working with the growth of a pet lunar moth, and are awaiting its emergence from the cocoon to occur “any day.”

Navigator swim coach Jeff Scott has spent more time with Marston, working with the versatile swimmer for “about six or seven years, beginning with the Coast Guard (club team).” Now in his third year as coach at HRA, Scott spoke of Marston’s leadership qualities. “Geoff is very versatile as a swimmer. Last year, he did the fly, the back, the intermediate medley. Really, he does whatever is best for the team. I look forward to his leadership this year.” Giving an example, Scott added, “If I were not to show at practice, Geoff would be able to take over.” The HRA swim team will be defending its Division 2 VISAA (Virginia Independent School) title this year for both the boys and girls squads.

While maintaining a 4.21 GPA and having scored 1370 on the two main components of the SAT exam, Marston has found time for other interests, to the amazement of both his teacher and coach.

Because of his experience as a basketball and baseball player at Warhill High, his previous school, Marston has stayed in touch with both sports by being involved with Buddy Ball, a program sponsored through the Williamsburg Youth Baseball League (www.williamsburgbaseball.com) and designed for children and young adults, ages 5-20, with special needs who are unable to participate in the established Cal Ripken or Babe Ruth leagues. His inspiration came from older brother Rob, who is autistic. Now 25, Rob was involved in the program and introduced the younger Marston into both Buddy Ball and Buddy Hoops, its basketball counterpart.

“It’s amazing to me how forward everyone looks to it,” said Marston, thinking of the Sunday sessions which he has worked for three years in the fall and spring. “Even if it’s just for one hour on Sunday, (the players and buddies) talk about it all week.”

It’s an experience which has helped him as a leader on the HRA swim team. “Seeing the younger kids develop has made me realize how much we have improved as a team. We want to continue the tradition.” With HRA’s standing as a pre K-12 school, the younger Navigators are aware of Marston’s accomplishments. Adds Deeley, “it’s safe to say that a lot of the little kids know Geoff.”

Marston’s future plans are not finalized yet, but he wants to attend college next year and study either engineering or medicine. Both coach Scott and teacher Deeley agree that he can do either one ably. Competitive aquatics are also part of his future. “I’m planning on swimming at a Division I school.” A trip to the NCSA Junior National swim meet in Orlando next March should be a good measuring stick for his recruitment value.

Perhaps the only question left in Geoffrey Marston’s planning deals with the location of the state Heisman award itself. His selection as the state winner was noted on the Wendy’s website two weeks ago. But at the time of the interview, no contact had been made with the Marston’s, nor had an actual award, or ceremony plans, arrived. Marston took the communication blunder in stride. “It’s just an honor to be representing HRA.”

.

Resolving School Conflict Creatively - A Big Apple Approach

Over the past 30 years, the term “conflict resolution” has taken on deeper meaning in the educational world.  Most of its understanding derives from the idea that conflict is inevitable, and as such, as with life in general, some conflict is a normal occurrence in all schools. (Inger, 1991).

Many of the advances shown recently in the bully awareness movement can be traced back to the fundamental idea that students and teachers need to be able to work out their differences. In fact, this conflict resolution skill needs to be developed by all members of a school community. One of the more successful programs had its beginnings in New York City.

Resolving Conflict Creatively

By definition, conflict resolution is seen as a “constructive approach to interpersonal and intergroup conflicts that helps people with opposing positions work together to arrive at mutually acceptable compromise solutions.” (1991). In New York City, schools such as James Madison High School in Brooklyn are putting a new approach to work.

The program is called Resolving Conflict Creatively, or RCCP. It is a joint undertaking between the educational board in New York City and an organization called the Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR). The project started small over twenty-five years ago, with less than 20 teachers in a few schools. But, because of its success, now over one thousand teachers and close to 35,000 students from over 100 city schools have an RCCP program in place. In New York, classroom teachers set aside valuable time to institute this ten-unit lesson on diversity relations, group learning and dispute techniques into their lesson plans.

How Does RCCP Work

The 20 hours of training begins between fourth and sixth grades for those who will serve as student mediators. For a three day session, as many as 40 students from twelve selected schools around the city receive three days of mediation training. This sets the foundation of trained students needed to implement the program. After completing the program the students begin serving as mediators at various schools. Their job is strictly to work in the mediator role, listening to both disputants and facilitating communication in the conflict resolution process.

Schools have to actively use the RCCP curriculum for at least a year to be eligible for the training course.

Training for All Stakeholders

Once their training is complete, the student mediators are able to serve the population within their schools, making the program available to all students.

However, there is an added dimension to the RCCP program, that being its availability to all stakeholders of the school. Teachers, counselors, and even parents are eligible to receive training at the various “outreach seminars” offered by the qualified counselors of RCCP. The counselors apply to be involved with the program and are chosen on merit. After selection, they are trained on the same curriculum which they will teach to the young students of New York City.

Parents have also been known to work as counselors. The training involves ten 4-hour sessions with the 20 hour course included as part of the training.

References

Inger, M. (1991). Conflict resolution programs in schools. ERIC/CUE Digest 74. ERIC

       Clearinghouse on Urban Education, Institute for Urban and Minority Education: New York.

 Rifkin, J. (1991). An overview of dispute resolution in educational institutions. National

       Institute for Dispute Resolution FORUM, 1-4.