Jim McGrath - My Life as a Sportscaster

LIONSBRIDGE FC CAMPS TO BEGIN ON WEDNESDAY

HEY, PARENTS!

SUMMER CAMP BEGINS NEXT WEEK!

Phase 3 will be here next week... just in time for Lionsbridge FC Summer Youth Soccer Camps!

Registration is open for all five July sessions, including Yorktown (day and night camp), Newport News (day and night camp), and Gloucester (night).

All campers will receive instruction from Lionsbridge FC coaches and players, a camp t-shirt from All-Pro Tactical, and a ticket to a future home game.

Lionsbridge FC has taken a number of health and safety precautions to reduce the risk of COVID-19, and more information on that can be found below in RED.

CAMP SCHEDULE:

Gloucester / Woodville Park:

July 1-2 (Wed-Thu: 5pm to 7pm)

Yes! Registration is Open!

Yorktown / McReynolds Sports Complex:

July 6-10 (Mon-Thu: 8:30am to 2:30pm; Fri: 8:30am to noon)

Yes! Registration is Open (keyword search: Lionsbridge)

July 13-16 (Mon-Thu: 5:45pm to 8pm)

Yes! Registration is Open (keyword search: Lionsbridge)

Newport News / Warwick HS:

July 20-24 (Mon-Thu: 8:30am to 2:30pm; Fri: 8:30am to noon)

Yes! Registration is Open!

July 27-30 (Mon-Thu: 5:45pm to 8pm)

Yes! Registration is Open!

CAMP DIRECTORS:

Chris Whalley

Lionsbridge FC head coach

Chowan University head coach

Tennant McVea

Lionsbridge FC assistant coach

Old Dominion University associate head coach

COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS:

All campers must bring and use their own equipment (ball, water bottle, towel, etc.). Sharing will not be permitted.

Parents or guardians of campers and camp staff will be required to complete a daily COVID-19 symptom screening questionnaire prior to arriving each day.

Camp participants will be subject to additional regulations as required or recommended by local, state, and federal health authorities and parks & rec departments. This may include, but may not be limited to, physical distancing, daily temperature checks, etc.

Coaches and staff will wear protective face coverings.  

While such measures may be an inconvenience, Lionsbridge FC and our camp partners are all committed to meeting health and safety protocols to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Failure to participate according to these guidelines may be a reason for dismissal without a refund.

Simply put, we intend to provide a safe, healthy, and fun environment for campers, coaches and staff!

Local Swimming Team Powers SEVA and Coast Guard Blue Dolphins (CGBD) to Merge

(Note: A special thanks to coach Jeff Kincaid of SEVA for giving me the heads-up on this merger. Mr. Keith's original article was posted yesterday at swimswam.com, and edited for posting here at VPS)

By Braden Keith and Jim McGrath

The Coast Guard Blue Dolphins (CGBD) and SEVA Seahawks, two of the top USA Swimming club teams in Hampton Roads, have agreed to merge swimming operations under one umbrella, effective September 1 of this year. The combined team is expected to have more than 325 year-round swimmers and 20 employees serving Newport News and surrounding areas in Southeast Virginia.

At the 2020 Virginia Senior Championships in early March, one of the final meets before competition across the country was halted, the CGBD team finished 3rd overall while SEVA finished 13th overall.

This merger continues a trend in Virginia of clubs combining into multi-site mega clubs. The club that finished first at those Senior Championships, NOVA of Virginia, is the product of a 2013 merger between two clubs - the prior NOVA program and the Virginia Association for Competitive Swimming (VACS). 

Jack Bierie of the Coast Guard Blue Dolphins will emerge as the head coach of the combined program.

“I am very excited about the unification of the two programs,” Bierie said. “I feel that combining our coaching staffs and programs will have a positive impact on the swimming community and make us one of the premier programs in the US. It has been a long time coming and I look forward to working with their staff and families.”

Bierie, a 1984 US Olympic Trials qualifier, joined the team’s coaching staff in 2006. He works under the club’s CEO and senior coach Steven Hennessy. Hennessy has been with the club since 2000 and served in his current position since 2008.

“Bringing together the talent, experience, and spirit of each organization will create a new chemistry of swimming excellence on the Peninsula,” Hennessy said. “Discussed many times in the past, we have finally made it happen because of the vision, courage, and determination of the leadership of both teams. Unifying our programs is exciting for the swimmers, the families, coaches, and our swimming community. Working alongside outstanding swimmers, families, and staff as one is a dream come true for those of us who have labored long at creating a united program.”

Dave Henderson, the head coach of SEVA, also expressed excitement about the merger.

“It is exciting to start working with the combined resources of both teams including swimmers, staff, and member parents,” Henderson said. “Together, we will offer expanded programming and achieve a higher level of competitive success. The combination of our programs will offer the Peninsula and Hampton Roads community learn-to-swim, stroke technique instruction, Masters (adult) swimming and additional options for youth competitive swimming. We will have programs for very young children all the way to adults that are well into their 90’s and all ages in between. The staff will become the most experienced not only in our area but in the United States. Our community will benefit the most and will want to be a part of the team. I look forward to being a part of a new beginning.”

Henderson has 37 years of coaching experience and was the head coach at SEVA for 18 years. His primary on-deck focus is the team’s age group elite program.

Among CGBD’s most accomplished alumni is 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Christine Marshall, who trained with the Blue Dolphins in her youth until matriculating to Texas A&M, and continued to represent the club at the USA Swimming competition.

A spokesperson for the club says that the conversation began in late January of 2020, before the global coronavirus pandemic took hold in the US, and that the new club has started practicing.

(Archives) 1968 Olympian Tommie Smith promotes healthy living at Hampton youth track event

By Jim McGrath (published in Daily Press on January 20, 2015)

HAMPTON -- On Oct. 16, 1968, Tommie Smith stepped on to an Olympic track in Mexico City and officially became the fastest man in the world, winning the gold medal in the 200-meter dash with a time of 19.83, a mark was the world record for 11 years.

It was the second-most significant thing he did that day.

You may need help with the names, but you know the picture. After winning the race, Smith, flanked on the medal podium by college and USA teammate John Carlos, and Australian silver medalist Peter Norman, thrust a black-gloved fist toward the humid Mexico City sky. The picture that captured Smith's right fist and Carlos' left became an iconic image of the Olympics, and a key event of the Civil Rights movement.

On Sunday, Smith raised his arm in another gesture, but this one was to fire the starting pistol for the first race at the first Tommie Smith Indoor Youth Track Meet and Health Fair, held at the Boo Williams Sportsplex. The meet, hosted by Hampton's William and Charlene Moore and the Technique Track Club, included more than 600 athletes from four states and the District of Columbia. There will be a similar outdoor meet in late May at Hampton University's Armstrong Stadium.

While the historical event of 1968 may have been recognized by more people, the meet, the first indoor event to bear Tommie Smith's name, is fueled by another great cause — the need for youths to exercise and eat healthy.

"This brings about positive change," said Smith, who at 70 (born on D-Day, June 6, 1944) still bears a strong athletic presence. "We focus on health, but we also look at things of organization, like the importance of being prompt. We use track and field as part of the program."

It's a message that Smith and his wife, Delois, are taking around the world. They are based in Atlanta but "probably make two or three trips each month," said Delois Jordan-Smith.

While the travel is burdensome, the by-products of their presence are evident.

"Because of the involvement of Dr. Smith (he recently retired after 33 years as a sociology professor) and other representatives, we have the opportunity to give our kids a chance to make healthy choices in life. It would seem like we're only focused on SOLs (Standards of Learning) and grades, but we want to work with the social and emotional development of each child, to create a well-rounded individual," said Kimberly Judge, principal of Newsome Park Elementary in Newport News, one of two pilot schools that will receive health and educational services as part of the Youth Movement Initiative of 100 Black Men of America.

"We focus on how to address our youth's health and wellness," said Dr. Jeremiah Williams, president of the Virginia Peninsula chapter of 100 Black Men. "We take care of health first, but we'll also visit the schools weekly to read with the students, and we do things such as Secret Santa every Christmas. We commit a lot of resources to this, and our aim is to get the community involved. I love it."

The Health and Wellness initiative started 14 years ago in Oakland, Calif., but has branched out to several other cities, making the most impact in the District of Columbia, and now Hampton Roads.

Health screenings, conducted by biology and nursing students from HU, gave an indication of some of the program's elements.

"We will meet weekly with students and their parents," said Michelle Penn-Marshall, biology chairperson at HU. "We'll measure their height, weight, and BMI (body-mass index), give them cooking lessons and show them how to prepare healthy snacks. We also show them how to budget their money and eat healthy."

The significance of the event was lost on few spectators. Newport News Mayor McKinley Price was in attendance, as well as 100 Black Men national president Charlie Hill and track Olympians LaTasha Colander and Bershawn "Batman" Jackson.

Colander, a Portsmouth native who anchored the gold-medal 4x400-meter women's relay at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, spoke of the importance of the inaugural meet.

"This ignites the flame and inspires youths," said Colander, who was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in April. "The younger generation hasn't experienced the track and field world. They don't realize that we run track meets in football stadiums all over Europe. It's bigger than what we see, and they should know that you can have a future, and a profession in track."

HU track coach Maurice Pierce mirrored the feeling.

"Tommie Smith is my childhood hero," said Pierce, who has coached several Olympians, including Francena McCorory, whose 49.48-second clocking in the 400 meters was the fastest women's time in the world last year. "I hope that people realize the historical significance of today."

Before the meet, all of the competitors were summoned to the infield, where Smith addressed the youngsters.

"Today is a day of historic recognition. You have a legacy that will last for the rest of your life. Consider yourself to be winners, regardless of your time or place. Today, in you, a winner is born!"

After the opening race, Smith met with fans, both young and old, in the auxiliary area near the front entrance. While the older visitors spoke of his impact on their lives, some of the younger kids in line gained a valuable history lesson.

Amirah Critz, 9, had her first opportunity to speak with Smith. As she received her autographed picture of the three Olympic medal winners on the medal stand, her eyes brightened up and the young lady announced her newfound revelation.

"You're famous!"

(Archives) Francena McCorory, Allen Iverson headline Lower Virginia Peninsula Hall of Fame class of 2017: Lisa Dillard, Yvette Lewis, Keith Witherspoon, Bev Vaughan Selected

(Note: Just a reminder as to why it is so much fun to cover sports here on the Peninsula in Hampton Roads, Virginia. This article is from 2017. (Photo)  L- Former  Bethel HS Track Coach Eddie Williams, R - Francena McCorory

The Athletic Hall of Fame of the Lower Virginia Peninsula will hold its triennial inductions Aug. 13 at the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton.

The hall, which is operated through the City of Hampton, inducts a maximum of six individuals each cycle, as well as two others who are recognized as contributors.

This year's slate will be full. The athlete inductees are Allen Iverson, Francena McCorory, Bev Vaughan, Lisa Dillard, Yvette Lewis, and Keith Witherspoon.

The contributor awards go to Linwood D. "Butch" Harper and Bob Hintz. Harper is a longtime youth athletic figure in Hampton, while Hintz coached basketball at Bethel before moving on to become a longtime broadcaster with Hampton's Local Sports Channel, where he has served for many years.

Four of the inductees are best known for their exploits in track and field. McCorory (Bethel High, Hampton University) won three NCAA championships for the Pirates before striking Olympic gold twice, in 2012 and 2016, as a member of the 4x400 relay. She is also a former American record-holder in the indoor 400 meters, and she won the world outdoor 400-meter crown in 2014.

Lisa Dillard was a six-time outdoor state champion for Tabb (100, 200, long jump), then ran for one season with Christopher Newport (1986-87), where she won five individual Division III national championships, while setting national D-III records for the indoor 55 meters and long jump and outdoor 200 meters and long jump. From there, Dillard transferred to Clemson and won six individual ACC titles while earning All-American status four times. She was named to the ACC's 50th-anniversary team.

Lewis (Denbigh and Menchville High, HU) scored 48 points to win an outdoor state title for Menchville by herself in 2003 before competing for Coach Maurice Pierce at HU, winning an indoor and outdoor NCAA title in the triple jump. Lewis later moved on to compete as a professional in the 100-meter hurdles. She won the 2011 Pan-American Games title for the U.S. team and finished her career competing for the Panama team at the 2016 Olympics.

Lewis, now an assistant coach at Norfolk State, may be the first woman ever to run under 12.7 in the 100-meter hurdles (12.67) and triple-jump over 45 feet.

Witherspoon won the 1971 AAA triple jump for Huntington at 49 feet, 4.5 inches, which tied the existing state record. Moving on to the University of Virginia, Witherspoon was a three-time All-American in the triple jump and set Cavalier records in the long and triple jumps. His indoor and outdoor triple-jump records stood for 36 years. His success has continued well into adulthood, as Witherspoon has set the masters' (40 years and over) world indoor triple-jump mark of 49-11.

Bev Vaughan is originally from Portsmouth but is best-known on the Peninsula for establishing the women's athletic program at Christopher Newport, where he served as athletic director from 1967 to 1987. Under his guidance, the Lady Captains transitioned from independent status into the Dixie Conference, from junior-college club teams to Division III national champs. Vaughan doubled as the school's first men's basketball coach and won 204 games in 14 seasons.

The best known of the inductees is Iverson, who led Bethel to state championships in both football and basketball in the school year of 1992-93. Both his 948 single-season points in basketball and five interceptions in one football game are Virginia records.

Iverson played two years for John Thompson with Georgetown, where he was a consensus All-American, before being drafted No. 1 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996. Iverson was named the league's MVP in 2001 and led the 76ers to the NBA Finals.

At 6-1, he is arguably the best "small man" in NBA history, and last year, the 11-time All-Star was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Will There Be High School Sports in the Fall? My Two Cent Scenario to Play Ball

Yesterday, The Virginia High School League issued the following statement, which can be found on its website at vhsl.org.

"(Charlottesville, VA)) — The Virginia High School League released guidelines on Friday alongside Phase 1 of reopening the state regarding out of season practice for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year.

After receiving numerous inquiries from school divisions, the VHSL says it will continue to follow protocols and guidelines. This means that currently, out of season practice and all activities this summer are canceled until further notice. 

The current relaxing of the Governor’s stay at home order applies to businesses and schools remain closed as well as in-school facility use are still off-limits.

The VHSL said in a release that after Governor Northam declares schools can re-open and guidelines are provided for the reopening, the organization will work with the Executive Committee to set protocols and guidelines for resuming athletic activities. 

“We ask every member school to support the Governor’s directives and the DOE during this time,” said VHSL officials. “Every decision will be made in compliance with those orders and will continue to be made with the best interest of our student-athletes and the public. Safety will always be our number one priority.”

More information on the Virginia High School League can be found online."

By the verbiage of the statement, this does not cancel summer practices, as the decision can be reversed after further review. The powers that be will meet again next month, unless there is a decision to congregate and reconsider sooner.

However, many skeptics took this as the next step of the process to cancel fall sports, or at least push their seasons forward to next spring.

Can fall sports be played this year? Maybe, but it will depend on a certain set of circumstances.

I see a scenario (based on nothing but my educated guess) where a "virtual" summer school keeps buildings closed until mid-August, and then teams could get their 20 required practices and start contests in mid-September. For HS football, by cutting out the bye week and the first round of playoffs (bad news for the 1-9 and 2-8 teams who make the postseason in the lower classes), the season could be wrapped up the week before Christmas break. 

Here is my thinking. Generally, one school is designated for a school system's summer school, and an assistant principal is chosen from a host of applicants to be the principal of the summer sessions. In Arlington, summer school is slated to take place at Washington-Liberty, while in Prince William, Potomac High in Dumfries has been designated as the location.

Yesterday, I asked an assistant principal in Northern Virginia about the possibility of conducting summer school. The response surprised me - "We don't know yet." In the meantime, many summer teaching positions throughout the state have remained unfilled. For those checking the calendar, summer school would be starting in 4-5 weeks, and because many schools are not teaching new material, or in some cases, issuing grades other than pass/fail, how can a teacher objectively determine who should fail a course and be forced to remediate with a summer session?

Anyhow, that is my rationale for either canceling summer school, or making it virtual for those who may choose to attend for academic reinforcement.

While this not directly relate to sports, it does serve as a reason to keep the buildings closed until August.

Point 2 -- Northern Virginia will not reach Phase 1 for at least two weeks. I can't imagine that the coaches at Westfield and Stone Bridge will be silent if Oscar Smith and Maury are allowed to practice for a week or two before they can. The starting date has to be a uniform one, and current VHSL regulations require that a player participate in 20 days of practice before being allowed to play in a game. There will be no two-week warm-up session, followed by the start of competition. There will have to be three-and-a-half to four weeks of practice.

My scenario would probably have practices start on August 10, with the four weeks leading into Labor Day weekend. Games would begin on Thursday, September 10. If the bye week is eliminated and schools have to play ten games in ten weeks, the regular-season finale would be on November 14. 

If the VHSL decides to revert its former decision of allowing the top eight teams from each region into the playoffs, and whittling it to a Final Four, we could save a week of post-season play, and the state championships could commence on December 12. If the decision is made to include a bye week, it would be postponed to the 19th.

Then again, if there is a marginal growth in COVID-19 cases and deaths throughout Virginia after the implementation of Phase 1, then this proposal goes out the window. But this will be a test of self-discipline as the teams with the most athletes continuing to dutifully stay conditioned will have a strong advantage from Day 1. The underlying message. Stay in shape and stay tuned!

(Archives) Fox Hill Fast-Pitch Softball Celebrates 50 Year Anniversary of World Championship Run

(Originally printed in the Daily Press - September 22, 2015. Posted on Chicago Tribune.com - 2020)

With the passing of another Labor Day, a landmark event in Hampton Roads sports reached its silver anniversary. During that late summer weekend in 1965, the Fox Hill fast-pitch softball team won its first regional tournament and earned a berth in the world championships, where they placed fifth of 22 teams.

For the Hampton-based team, which played its home games at Francis Asbury Field, the win culminated 15 years worth of effort. At the time, the Central Atlantic Regional, which consisted of state champions from

 Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware, and metropolitan qualifiers from Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and the host team, was 25 years old and Fox Hill had participated seven times as the Virginia state champion.

But through 1964, a regional tournament victory to advance had been elusive for the Fox Hillers.

At Guy Mason Field in Washington, D.C., the team got off to an auspicious start, first beating Baltimore 3-0, and followed with a 1-0 win over D.C. in Game 2, highlighted by a perfect game from ace pitcher Ron Peterson.

Although the Fox Hill team was formed in 1950 as part of a church league, it was not the beer league many recreational softball players are accustomed to joining.

“This was not like some Sunday school league,” said Peterson, who later won first-team All-American honors for his performance in the 1969 national tournament. Indeed, pitches reached speeds upward of 100 miles per hour, and as Peterson added, “runs were at a premium. We had a lot of 1-0 games.”

In fact, the third game was another 1-0 affair, this time in a victory over Philadelphia. A 2-0 loss to Baltimore followed, pinning the Fox Hill team into a must-win situation in the double-elimination event. Based on their 3-1 record, the Fox Hillers earned a berth in the championship, but faced Baltimore for a third time. Fox Hill won the rubber match and region with a 3-1 victory. In that game, Don Brandt’s two-run homer turned out to provide the margin of victory.

Peterson was named the Most Valuable Pitcher of the tournament, while Brandt won overall Most Valuable Player honors.

Looking back 50 years, first baseman Ronnie Weber reflected on Brandt’s performance as the key to victory. “Home runs were a rarity. (Brandt) had an exceptional tournament.”

Manager and team catcher Jack Hull credited Brandt’s defensive skills.

“He caught the last out at the wall. If that ball had gotten by him, it would have been a whole other story.”

Looking ahead to their first world championship, which was held in Clearwater, Fla., the Fox Hill players took advantage of another asset — their fan backing.

Hull looked back on the celebration that took place immediately after the regional final. “After the regional, the old-timers got together at the firehouse. There were so many people there that they had to push the fire trucks out (of the building).”

Recalls Peterson, “Fans would follow us everywhere we went to tournaments,” noting that as many as 4,000 to 5,000 Fox Hill fans made the trip to Clearwater. Spectators were not the only people tracking the team. As Weber remembers, “writers from the Daily Press followed us back then, at home and on the road. In the ’60s, there was a morning and afternoon edition and we’d have Ron Colbert at our games. We outdrew the local Carolina League (minor-league baseball) team.”

The team got off to a quick start in the world tournament, beating St. Thomas (Ontario) 3-0 and Lakewood (Calif.) 2-0. However, the team hit the wall when it played against seven-time world/national champion Clearwater, losing 1-0. Fox Hill was eliminated by Chattanooga (Tenn.) 3-0 in Game 4.

Despite the two losses, Fox Hill’s 2-2 mark was good enough to tie for fifth place of the 22 teams. After 1965, the final tournament was reinvented as the national championships. Fox Hill went on to win three more regional titles, but the ’65 effort remained the club’s greatest collective accomplishment on the diamond.

Hull, who previously worked as a minor-league catcher in the Cincinnati and Boston organizations, recalled the difficult time he had learning to catch softballs whizzing toward him with the speed of a Sandy Koufax fastball.

“I thought I was a pretty good catcher. But that ball would jump 12-18 inches up, down or sideways, and you never knew where it was going sometimes.”

Asked if he had ever been injured, Hull quickly emitted an “Oh yeah!” and interjected that on one occasion, a pitch caused him to require 16 stitches in his hand.

“It (fast-pitch) is a hard game to play, especially for catchers,” added Hull, who managed for 12 of his 13 years with Fox Hill.

Weber, who was inducted into the Softball Hall of Fame in 1985, looked back on how the team recruited new prospects.

“We picked up a pitcher from Langley (Air Force Base) and another one from Oceana. Not all of our players were military guys, but a lot of our pitchers over the years were in the service.”

Peterson summed the experience up in one word: “Camaraderie.”

The term makes sense since the ballclub was together for 65 to 80 games throughout a season that started in early May and ended with either the regional championships on Labor Day weekend, or the world/nationals two weeks later.

“We’d play doubleheaders on Friday night, Saturday night, and usually on Wednesday night,” he said.

The friendships last until this day. Now, 50 years later, a group of players, “about 15, but a lot are non-ballplayers,” Weber said, gather every Wednesday morning at Vancostas Restaurant in Hampton to swap stories about softball, the military, or any other topic an octogenarian might find interesting.

Hull added one more recollection from his playing days — having the opportunity to play against famed pitcher Eddie Feigner, whose four-man King and His Court softball team toured the country, taking on all challengers with only a pitcher, catcher, shortstop and first baseman.

According to Hull, the reality of the King and His Court’s greatness may have become more legendary than it should have been.

“We’d go along with his shenanigans for a few innings. They were like the Globetrotters.” Asked if the King and Court were as good as they were cracked up to be, Hull was silent for a moment before answering.

“You know ...,” replied Hull, in a manner suggesting that indeed, the answer might have been no.

Fox Hill - 1965 Central Atlantic Regional champions

P – Ron Peterson, Bob Atterholt.

C – Randy Dale, Bud Porter, Jack Hull (also manager).

1B – Ronnie Weber.

2B – Jess Kersey (later an NBA official).

3B – Don Winegrad.

SS – Jim Dugan, Joey Lawrence.

OF – Don Brandt, Keith Goodson, Charlie Mayer, Herb Weaver, George Weikel.

Assistant coach – Rudy Forrest.

Virginia Crusaders Football Team to Hold Interest Meeting

The Virginia Crusaders, one of the most successful semi-pro football teams in America, will hold its annual interest meeting this Saturday, May 16th at 1:00 PM.

Because of the COVID epidemic, the meeting will take place on Zoom. As posted on social media, "all positions open - seeking coaches and players."

Since its expansion year of 2005, the Crusaders have enjoyed unparalleled success, winning multiple Mason-Dixon Conference titles, and several national championships. In 2017, Head Coach Larry Stith was honored for his efforts in a ceremony held at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

To gain access to the Zoom meeting, the meeting ID is 729 4445 4604, and password OZFPIE. More information about the team and its history can be found on the team website - www.virginiacrusaders.com.

Lionsbridge FC Aims to Play 2020 Season

Since its inception in 2017, the Lionsbridge F.C. has been a popular attraction on the Peninsula. On April 30, Kevin Joyce and Mike Vest, the club's co-owners, posted a message on its website (lionsbridgefc.com) announcing its plans and expectations for the upcoming season.

April 30, 2020

To our fans and supporters,

We are sending our best wishes to you and your families and hope everyone is safe and healthy.

We wanted to share an update about our season. First, Lionsbridge FC still plans to play in 2020 with a modified schedule as soon as it is deemed safe for everyone involved. We are fortunate to have the full support of our league (USL) and stadium partners (CNU).

However, earlier today, USL League Two announced it will not have a formal 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

How will that work for us? Our new timetable is to play games in July, August and into the fall against available USL League Two, NPSL, UPSL and NCAA universities in our region. We already have tentative agreements to play Virginia Beach United, Virginia Beach City, Chowan University, Christopher Newport University and will seek additional games once restrictions are lifted. We also still plan to hold our summer camps in Newport News, Hampton, Yorktown, and Gloucester.

As everyone knows, these are uncertain times. We appreciate your patience as we construct a new calendar.

While we absolutely hate to contemplate a scenario without a 2020 season, we do recognize that is possible. That would have an extremely painful effect on our small club. If we are unable to play in 2020, please be aware that season ticket holders will able to use their 2020 season ticket jerseys and wristbands for the 2021 season.

This is a tough time financially for our community and many of you. Lionsbridge FC is in the same boat. We are fully dependent on ticket sales, sponsorship and camps in order to make this club go. Without it, Lionsbridge FC could not exist. So on behalf of the players, staff and founders of the club, thank you for sticking with us through thick and thin.

 

We cannot wait to get back onto the field to represent you and this community – stronger than ever!

Until then, stay home, stay safe, be kind to each other and if you get the chance… please be sure to thank all of our essential workers who are keeping us safe. 

This Is Our Bridge! 

Kevin Joyce and Mike Vest

Co-Founders, Lionsbridge FC

(Archives) Aaron Rodgers Visits All-Pro Campers at W&M

(Note: Digging into the archives again, I dug up this gem, back from when I was writing for WYDaily in Williamsburg. I am proud that it is still used as a reference on Aaron Rodgers' Wikipedia page (#47?). Was also proud at the time because it became of the most read articles in WYDaily history, as Green Bay fans sought it out and even left comments. In fact, it was the last article I'd write with them as then-sports editor Andi Petrini at the Daily Press answered my email and offered to let me work as a HS football stringer. Also the only time I saw former Daily Press reporter Melinda Waldrop at work. I didn't know her then.)

Aaron Rodgers threw a pass to each of the campers at
the William and Mary All-Pro Camp, back in 2011

By Jim McGrath
Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The first things you notice are the hands.

Even from far away, it is apparent that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has good-sized hands. As one observer on the sideline at Zable Stadium called them yesterday, “catcher’s mitts.”  Certainly large enough to wrap around a football like most of us wrap ours around a double-decker sandwich.

However, these hands have worked wonders. Five months ago, they were the key to precision passes to Packer teammates Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson en route to a rousing post-season performance of almost 1,100 yards and nine touchdown passes in four playoff games, the last a 31-25 Super Bowl victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The hands that held not only the Vince Lombardi trophy, but also that of the game’s Most Valuable Player. The hands that might be holding an ESPY award in two weeks as either the Best Male Athlete or Best NFL Player, or both.

Not bad for a guy who was only 5’10” and 160 pounds, with no scholarship offers, out of high school.

What? Not true?

Rodgers bluntly interrupted the first reporter’s (fortunately from another outlet) question at yesterday’s press session, held inside the Laycock Football Complex, adjacent to the Stadium. “That’s incorrect. I was 6’2”, 195.”

But the part about no scholarships may have been true.

“I didn’t have any expectations coming out of high school,” noted Rodgers, the star guest of William and Mary head football coach Jimmye Laycock's Colonial All-Pro Camp, which ended yesterday. “I was a realist. I wasn’t a great player yet. I knew that I had a lot of hard work between where I was at and where I wanted to be, at a big-time Division I program.”

Only one, Illinois, made an offer, as a walk-on. In a surprising move, Rodgers turned down the offer and decided to play at tiny Butte Community College, near his hometown of Chico, California. In 2002, after leading his team to a 10-1 record while throwing 28 touchdowns, other schools took notice. California, led by Coach Jeff Tedford, was one of them.

Immediately, Rodgers took charge of the Bears offense, throwing for almost 5,500 yards and 43 TD’s in his first two years at Cal. In spite of having one year of eligibility remaining, the junior made himself available for the 2005 draft and fell all the way to the 24th pick before being scooped up by the Packers.

Rodgers was groomed to be the heir apparent to future Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre. However, Favre began his on-again, off-again relationship with the topic of retirement early in Rodgers’ career, not leaving until finally being traded to the New York Jets in 2008, soon after talking himself out of retirement for a third time.
While many players may have faltered from the unwillingness of the mentor to leave, Rodgers only grew stronger.

“It (the experience) forced me to improve as a football player, but also as a person. I knew that the opportunity was going to come and I was going to have to make the most of it. People were going to be watching, and I knew that the way I prepared for that situation would go a long way in the locker room with those guys (teammates).”

It may have also taught the quarterback something about humility. Yesterday, the large hands of the quarterback who has thrown for over 12,000 yards over the past three years while posting the highest passer rating in regular and post-season history, was lobbing soft passes for hundreds of young campers, waiting patiently for their opportunity to catch a ball from perhaps the hottest hand in the NFL.

For the record, neither hand was sporting the Super Bowl ring that Rodgers and his teammates collected earlier this month.

Back to the camp subject, it would seem that Rodgers was simply emulating his own camp experience as a youth. Again, no?

“I remember being a kid in California and not having this opportunity. To be able to spend time at a camp setting, with college players and Clay (Matthews), Ndamukong (Suh) and myself (Matthews and Suh appeared on Sunday and Monday, respectively), it’s just exciting to be here. Hopefully, we’ll inspire the kids in some way because I remember being that little kid with a dream.”

One parent, Hoss ("Everyone calls me Hoss," he said), brought his wife and children for the festivities. Although living on the Peninsula, both parents are from the Green Bay area, and were happy as Packers fans to be able to see Rodgers and Matthews. “We try to make it here whenever a pro player visits,” he said. The children appeared to be in possession of a Packers helmet which may or may not have been signed over the course of the morning.

Looking at next season, Rodgers is hopeful that in spite of the lost time, his teammates and he will be ready when and if the strike ends.

“I miss the guys. I’m probably in the best shape of my life, but getting ready to play, whenever that happens.” On the team front, he added, “I’m getting ready to begin my seventh year. Capers (Dom, the defensive coordinator) is in the third year with his system. (Head coach) Mike McCarthy is starting his sixth year. We’re not going to lose a lot of players. We don’t have to make a lot of adjustments as a team.”

Hampton Roads Sports Media Hall of Fame Ceremony Postponed

The Hampton Roads Sports Media Hall of Fame will have to postpone, or even cancel, its third induction ceremony, which was scheduled for May 9th at Langley Speedway in Hampton, VA.

"There are just no guarantees. Langley's (Speedway) not even open," said Greg Bicouvaris, who with Speedway promoter Chuck Hall, founded the organization in July 2017.

The Hall, which inducts five members each year, had announced the 2020 class last November - a list which included Calvin Jacox, Harry Minium, Wayne Nooe, David Teel, and Debbie White. But for now, the future of the ceremony remains in limbo.

"Whether we have a ceremony or not is up in the air. Chuck and Langley will have to follow what the Governor says," added Bicouvaris, known for his work as a veteran local sportscaster, and network television stage manager. "The good thing is that we had already announced the class, but we may end up having to mail their plaques to them."

More information about the history and inductees of the Hall can be found on its website at hrsmhof.com.

(Archives) Menchville's Perry Brothers Reunite at Penn Relays to Honor Mom

(In honor of this being Penn Relays week, I decided to go back to the archives for an older story that combined Peninsula athletics with the Relays. Somewhere in between is my favorite article to write - about the Perry brothers, all track stars at Menchville High in Newport News. Their mother Mary was ailing and four of them got together in her honor as the "Sons of Mary" to run one last relay. This ran in the Town Square sports section of the Daily Press back in 2012, and I thank Lynn Burke for allowing me to write so many great local sports stories. These assignments served as my lead-in to eventually writing the weekly Community Sports Notebook for two years. Mother Mary passed away a couple of weeks after this article was published, which added extra meaning for me, 

BY JIM McGRATH

Within the confines of the Newport News track and Menchville athletic halls of fame, the Perry brothers have built their own wing. From the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, the brothers dominated local and state high school track and helped the Monarchs, under coach Steve Lewis, to three consecutive state titles from 1979-1981.

Each brother had his own niche.

Clifton owned the middle distances, winning a state title in record time in the 880 in 1975, followed by a high school national record in the 600-yard run the following year, a record which still stands. James was a half-miler who competed on Menchville's school record 4x880 yard relay. He also ran cross-country.

Eric was a three-time high and intermediate hurdles state champion who earned All-American status. Ray was also a state champion in the 330-yard intermediate hurdles. In all, the Perry brothers built their legacy on excellence.

It was a trait inherited from their mother Mary. Last November, the family gathered for Mary Perry's 80th birthday celebration. On that day, all of the Perry brothers celebrated their mother to the tune of the Intruders "I'll Always Love My Mama," while each brother (nine, in all) presented a single gold rose to their matriarch. It was a special day for Mary Perry and her 14 children.

Just weeks later and three days after Christmas, she complained of stomach pain and was taken to the emergency room. The doctors' initial prognosis was confirmed and in early January of this year, she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

Now in hospice care, the brothers said they all realized that their mother doesn't have much time left. Still, her spirit continues to inspire them.

"She is such a fighter," Eric Perry says. "Her spirit is so strong as is her passion for love and passion for life."

Now a detention officer in Texas, Eric shared one of the stories which best describes his mother's passion.

"My mother has a favorite window at the home. Every day, there's a squirrel that comes up to her window as if he knows she is going to be there. Mom even gave the squirrel a name… 'Runner.' We like to say that the squirrel is sending nature to her window every day."

Now in their 50's, five of the brothers (Mike was added as an alternate runner) decided to bond and compete one more time in honor of their mother. So they turned back to their track background.

Thinking of the prestigious Penn Relays meet in Philadelphia, they signed on to run as a 1,600-meter relay. Under the moniker "Sons of Mary," the brothers entered the 50-and-older Masters race. Uniforms were designed and pictures were taken to commemorate the event.

Last Saturday, the brothers took to the track at Franklin Field, to relive their past glory in front of the 42,000 fans who commonly attend the last three days of the meet. Ray led off, followed by Eric, James and finally Clifton with the anchor leg. Their time of 4:15.13 was good enough for a ninth-place finish of 22 teams.

"We wanted," Eric said, "to have an opportunity, before the Lord calls her over, for our mother to see her sons together, focusing on one cause … one more lap."

Gunderson Tapped to Head CNU Women's Soccer

CNU women's soccer
coach Jamie Gunderson

Hot off the presses from Christopher Newport University, the Captains have found their new women's soccer coach. In fact, he was already there, as athletic director Kyle McMullin took the interim tag off Jamie Gunderson, and made him the full-time coach.

According to their press release, Gunderson, has been with the Captains since the fall of 2012, and previously served as an assistant coach under Dan Weiler for seven seasons before stepping into the interim position earlier this year.

"I am extremely pleased that during a time of great uncertainty, we are able to move forward with someone who will bring steady leadership and exceptional ability as our Head Women's Soccer Coach," said McMullin. "Jamie's presence has been key to the success of our women's soccer team for the past seven years and his ability to lead our students has become evident over the past month. Jamie will excel as our Head Coach."

Prior to taking the reins as the top assistant coach in 2014, Gunderson also served under head coach Ruth Keegan as a volunteer assistant coach in 2012 and started his tenure with then head coach Dan Weiler in 2013. Gunderson was elevated to the full-time position in the Spring of 2014 after helping guide CNU to 12- and 14-win seasons in his first two years on the sideline. He has helped lead the Captains to six straight regular-season conference titles and five NCAA Tournament berths in his tenure under Weiler. In a three-year stretch between 2016-18, the Captains set and re-set the program record for wins in a season while capturing the program's first three Capital Athletic Conference Tournament Championships.

In 2018, Gunderson was a part of the coaching staff that led Christopher Newport to the NCAA Division III National Semifinals and wrapped up the season with a 21-2-0 overall record. For his efforts, he was honored as part of the United Soccer Coaches Atlantic South Region Coaching Staff of the Year.

In addition to his time with the Captains, Gunderson has spent four years coaching with the Virginia Legacy Soccer Club. He also excelled as an athlete both collegiately and in the professional ranks.

A four-year starter for Methodist, Gunderson starred on the field and also represented the Monarchs on the USA South All-Sportsmanship team. Following his collegiate career, he competed professionally as a member of the Norfolk Sharx in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He also played with the Lionsbridge FC team in the PDL in each of the past two summers. the Captains set and re-set the program record for wins in a season while capturing the program's first three Capital Athletic Conference Tournament Championships.

In a statement, Gunderson wrote, "I could not be more honored and grateful for this opportunity. I would like to thank President Paul Trible, Vice President Bill Brauer, Director of Athletics Kyle McMullin, along with Carrie Gardner, Matt Kelchner, and the entire search committee. Also, I would like to send a special thank you to Dan Weiler for helping me start my journey at CNU. Dan's passion and drive to run a successful program has helped develop me into the coach I am today. I am looking forward to continuing the growth and traditions of the CNU Women's soccer program."

Lionsbridge FC Soccer Season to be Delayed

The United Soccer League, keeping in line with other school and professional sports has announced that its season will also be delayed to an unknown date.

At the local level, that means the Lionsbridge FC squad, based on the Virginia Peninsula, will have to wait a while longer to begin their 2020 season.

In a statement, the USL sai, "in close collaboration with the USL League Two Executive Committee, the start of the 2020 League Two season will be delayed in order to align with recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on restricting public gatherings of 50 or more people through Sunday, May 10.

In Virginia, that number for public gatherings has been lowered to 10. The Lionsbridge team plays in the South Atlantic Division of the Southern Conference, and are now scheduled to open the season on May 9 in an away match against the Wake FC.

Lionsbridge, who plays its home game at CNU's TowneBank Stadium, finished the 2019 season just outside of playoff contention with a fifth-place standing and a record of 5-6-3. Since their inception in 2017, the team has built a solid fanbase and helped revive the local soccer scene.

Meghan's Home!! -- A Football Trip to Honduras Goes Awry

A lighter moment of the trip -- plenty of
toilet paper in Honduras

For Smithfield resident Meghan Gianni-Bradford, the opportunities presented to her by the AFE Team USA All-Stars have been too good to pass up. The organization, which promotes football through community service and by sending men’s and women’s American teams to play games and tournaments in other countries, had agreed to play in the American Women’s Bowl in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and offered Gianni-Bradford, an up and coming tight end and receiver, a chance to play at the international level.

The Newport News Shipbuilding employee took great pride in making the trip. She had played with local teams, but joined the AFE squad last July, and was part of the team that played against a squad from Mexico in Cancun last December. Still, any opportunity to join her new team and represent her country was an honor, and as she told Recruit757 on Saturday, “It was extremely selective to get on the national team.”

The AFE All-Stars team arrived early, on March 11, and spent some time practicing for the games, as well as volunteering their collective time for various forms of service in the Tegucigalpa region. The first two days of the tournament went well as the US squad won its first three games, against Mexico, Costa Rica, and host Honduras,. However, on the third day, and with news of the Coronavirus making its way to the Western Hemisphere and points south, the decision was made to suspend the tournament before its conclusion.

However, the evening before the team was to head to the airport to fly home, Honduran officials made a second decision – this one to close its country’s borders for at least seven days, and shut off all forms of travel, essentially stranding the American team at their hotel without enough food, money, and in some cases, medicine, to last the duration of the suddenly extended visit.

Said Linda Gianni, Meghan’s mother (both of her parents made the trip), who was with the contingent of 55 players, coaches and staff in Honduras, “We learned the night before from social media and our Honduras team representative that the borders were being closed in five hours.” Gianni added that even days later, the team had received no notifications from the State Department regarding the border closing, even though they had signed up for the State Department's notifications for Honduras through their STEP program.

There was another, more pressing problem, that being the availability of food and supplies for the group of 55. They were left in a hotel with only a handful of other patrons, according to Sandy Glossenger, operations manager for American Football Events, and wife of head coach Dale Glossenger. The hotel offered limited types of food, which it had recently cut further in an effort to conserve. Their stay and meals were discounted, though they were still expected to pay, she said.

“It gets to be a scary situation because we don’t know how many days it will last,” Dale Glossenger told the Chicago Tribune.

The hotel did set up a room for them to watch movies together, and one of the players, a fitness trainer by day, led them through workouts.

In a social media post, Linda further explained the arrangements.

“The AFE Team USA All-Stars negotiated the (hotel) rates and food. Room service (was) required because the hotel closed the restaurant and only allowed "take out", just like in the US. The AFE negotiated food options for us to choose from in order to keep the food expense reasonable for the team. We had to work out a schedule with the hotel so that they could cook all the meals for the team and deliver them hot to each room. We basically ordered ahead of time from a small list of food options, like in a hospital, and handed in our slip by a set time for the next meal. John (Meghan’s father), Meghan, and I missed lunch one day because we were so busy making phone calls to legislators and news organizations that we forgot to order our food.” She noted that the team shared their food with the police guarding the team outside the hotel, as they didn't have time or a chance to get their own.

With the possibility of an extra-long stay shadowing the non-profit team, they turned to the resources at hand to explain their situation, and eventually receive permission to return home. A call for donations was posted on the team web site (afeteamusa.com), and the push was made to alert the US Embassy in Honduras, as well as the American media.

Thanks to the efforts of local and national lawmakers, the process started to commence. Yet, it took six more days to finish the job.

As assistant coach Billy Avalos told the Las Cruces Sun News, "(On Day 9), we settled in to bed and an AFE USA Football message came in reading “Lobby now - bring your passports,” An embassy spokesperson was there and said, good you passed (we were all there in 10 minutes) Good news and bad news - I will check all passports and thank the President. You are all coming home tomorrow."

The Gianni’s felt that there was one other person deserving of special recognition for helping to secure the two Air Force C-130 cargo planes that delivered 25, and then 30 members of the group to Joint Base Charleston (SC), where they arrived early Sunday morning.

In a separate Facebook post from Saturday afternoon, Meghan wrote, “Emily Brewer  (VA Delegate – 64th District) is one of the main reasons that all 55 members of the Women’s USA football team were able to get airlifted by the US Air Force, via two military planes, from the Air Force base in Honduras to an Air Force base in South Carolina. Emily worked tirelessly with every local, state, and federal government resource she could to push to ensure we all got home safe. Emily didn’t just fight to bring me home as someone who lives in her district, to bring the three Virginia residents’ home from her state, she fought to bring all 55 fellow Americans back to the United States safely and quickly. That itself shows the kind of beyond outstanding individual she is.”

Donations are still needed, as the team landed in South Carolina, but some still need help getting to one of the 23 states represented by the AFE team. In the Gianni’s case, they rented a car and drove the rest of the way to Isle of Wight County.

As for the AFE Women’s All-Stars, they are scheduled to travel to Spain this December to play against their national team. At this time, there are no plans to cancel or postpone the trip. Said Meghan, “At the moment Honduras doesn’t affect Spain at all. That’s all based on the coronavirus. So as of right now, we are still playing in December.”

But as she arrived home on Saturday, one line summed up her Gianni-Bradford’s relief.

“Feels good to be back on US soil!”