Fundamentals still at core of seasoned basketball program

By Jesse F. McClure | Published  06/19/2008 | Sports | Rating:

Memphis Mayor Dr. Willie.W. Herenton, a former college basketball player, told the young hoopsters what his grandmother told him: “If you get a good education, you can be somebody.”  (Photo by Wiley Henry) For hundreds of boys and girls at Northside High School last week, it must have been basketball heaven. The 475 youngsters, ages 10-19, participated in the first of four, weeklong basketball clinics as part of the Shelby Metro Sports and Awareness Program. The program is the brainchild of Donald Holmes, the athletic director and girls’ basketball coach at Northside High. The City of Memphis Summer Youth Initiative funds the program, which over the years has involved thousands of area youngsters in the skill building sessions.  The other three clinics are being held at Carver High School, Ridgeway High School and Kirby High School. Area coaches and college basketball players staff the program. Holmes says the goal is “to provide each boy and girl instruction in the fundamentals of basketball.” From 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. each day, the players worked with coaches in groups and one on one. During the final day on Friday, there were free-throw shooting contests as well as 3-on-3 games. ­­Xavier Henry, the number one high school recruit in the nation, made a brief appearance. Dozens of colleges are recruiting the 6’6” shooting guard from Putnam City High School in Oklahoma. In town for a basketball camp at the University of Memphis, he did not participate in drills, but showed off his shooting skills on a side basket in the Northside gym. Over the years, the Shelby Metro Sports and Awareness program has involved thousands of area youngsters in skill building sessions. (Photo by Wiley Henry) Several college coaches came to observe, no doubt on the lookout for future talent. A new assistant coach at the University of Memphis, Orlando Antigua was among those who stopped by. Antigua, who moved to Memphis a week or two ago, appeared to enjoy watching the youngsters go through their drills. He was the first Latino player on the Harlem Globetrotters. Also watching the action was David “Smokey” Gaines, the current LeMoyne-Owen coach and former coach for University of Detroit and San Diego State. Gaines also played for the Harlem Globetrotters. The highlight of the closing session was a rousing talk by Memphis Mayor Dr. Willie.W. Herenton. A former college basketball player, Herenton stressed the need to get a good education and stay away from gangs and drugs. “If you get a good education, you can be somebody,”  said Herenton quoting his grandmother. The mayor said education changed his life and urged the boys and girls to follow his example. Participants enjoyed a brief exhibition game between staff coaches and the Memphis Blues of the World Basketball Association (WBA), an exposure league that gives former college players an opportunity to show their talents to scouts from professional leagues, such as the NBA, NBDL, CBA, and international leagues. The session ended with an awards ceremony in which boys and girls received trophies for outstanding performances during the week. copyright tri-state defender 2008

Honors for a Legend

By Dr. Jesse F. McClure | Published 06/12/2008 | Sports | Unrated

Legendary LeMoyne-Owen College basketball coach Jerry C. Johnson said he takes the greatest pride in seeing the youngsters who played for him “grow and develop into contributing members of their communities.” (Photo by Wiley Henry) The college basketball coach with the most victories and direct ties to Memphis is on this list: Gene Bartow, John Calipari, Larry Finch, Jerry C. Johnson and Vertis Sails Jr. If you selected Johnson, the legendary coach of the LeMoyne-Owen College Magicians, you’re on your game. On June 20, the Memphis Chapter of the LeMoyne-Owen College Alumni Association will host a citywide toast of Johnson and a celebration of the coach’s 90th birthday. The special evening at the Holiday Inn Select on Democrat Road will also launch the Jerry C. Johnson Scholarship Program at the college. Johnson is one of only 10 college basketball coaches in history to win more than 800 games. During his 46-year coaching career at LeMoyne-Owen, Johnson won 821 games, a national championship, 10 conference championships, and made several N.C.A.A. tournament appearances. Three years ago, Johnson retired from coaching. Since then he has received numerous honors for his outstanding career. He was inducted into the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (S.I.A.C.) Hall of Fame, the Fayetteville State University Hall of Fame, and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. The coach of the year award for the S.I.A.C. is now The Jerry C. Johnson Coach of the Year Award. And in 1991, LeMoyne-Owen College awarded Johnson an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. With all his victories and awards, Johnson said he takes the greatest pride in seeing the youngsters who played for him “grow and develop into contributing members of their communities.” Memphis Mayor Dr. Willie W. Herenton is among the most recognized of Johnson’s former players. “Herenton had not played much basketball before joining my team. Over time (he) became a good rebounder and valuable member of the team,” said Johnson, who chuckled as he recalled that Herenton, a champion boxer, was a real asset sometimes in the small Southern towns where a team from Memphis was not welcomed with open arms. David “Smokey” Gaines is another of Johnson’s high profile former players. After LeMoyne-Owen, Gaines played for the Harlem Globetrotters and the Kentucky Colonels of the old A.B.A. Later, Gaines was one of the pioneering African American coaches at so-called majority institutions when he became the head coach at the University of Detroit and at San Diego State. “Johnson was so successful that he almost didn’t have to recruit players because so many wanted to play at LeMoyne-Owen,” said Gaines. That observation draws a smile from Johnson. “Gaines must have a bad memory because recruiting was always one of my strengths,” he said. Several of Johnson’s former players have become outstanding basketball coaches. That list includes Vertis Sails, the legendary coach at Southwest Tennessee Community College. Robert Newman, the leading scorer on Johnson’s national championship, heads the successful girls basketball program at Melrose High School. Coach Johnson also had a hand in the development of Tony Johnson (no relation), who is considered one of the best athletes to attend LeMoyne-Owen. Tony Johnson earned All American honors in basketball and baseball, and played major league baseball for the Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays. LeMoyne-Owen board chairman Robert Lipscomb did not play basketball at LeMoyne-Owen, but he was a member of the cross-country team that Johnson coached. Lipscomb now runs the Memphis Housing Authority and the Division of Housing and Community Development for the City of Memphis. Johnson said he landed in Memphis and LeMoyne-Owen almost by accident. While a student at Fayetteville State University, Johnson met John McClendon, the renowned African-American basketball coach who was then at North Carolina Central College. McClendon, who learned his basketball from Dr. James Naismith, the recognized inventor of the game, took Johnson under his wing. McClendon – the first African American to coach a professional basketball team – left North Carolina to take the head coaching position at Tennessee State University in Nashville in the late 1950’s. Johnson planned to follow McClendon to Nashville, but McClendon learned the LeMoyne-Owen coaching position was open and almost demanded that Johnson accept the job. During his early years at LeMoyne-Owen, Johnson’s teams played all comers, including several that now would be considered Division 1 schools. That prepared his teams for the smaller colleges in LeMoyne-Owen’s conference. Johnson’s 1974-75 team won a national championship, and as he recalled they “had a pretty easy time winning because we were battle tested.” With so many good teams during his 46-year tenure, Johnson said he is not sure which was the best. One of the better teams, he said, was the 1999-2000 team that won the S.I.A.C. championship and made the NCAA Tournament. That year, Johnson coached against the current University of Tennessee Coach, Bruce Pearl. Pearl was then the coach of the University of Southern Indiana. LeMoyne-Owen lost narrowly after center Wade Evans fouled out just after the second half began. Johnson had opportunities to coach elsewhere, including at a Big 10 Conference offer that he and his family vetoed because they loved Memphis. Family is a big deal to Johnson. For 53 years, he was married to the late Vaster Johnson, an elementary school teacher for over 50 years. The couple had three children, Wandra Johnson Haywood, a nurse with the Veterans Administration in Florida, Dr. Jerry Johnson Jr., a physician in Philadelphia, and Oliver Johnson, a computer professional who lives in Atlanta. Mayor Herenton will headline next week’s event in recognition of Johnson. Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, Tennessee House Speaker Pro Tempore Lois Deberry, U of M Coach John Calipari, and Southwest Tennessee Coach Vertis Sails Jr. will be among the many dignitaries paying tribute to Johnson. Many of Johnson’s National Championship team members will attend, along with dozens of former players from other years. “The celebration on June 20 will not only recognize Coach Johnson’s lifetime of achievement, but will insure that his legacy will continue forever,” said Jeffrey Higgs, the executive director of the Lemoyne-Owen College Community Development Corporation. The scholarships named for Coach Johnson will help future student athletes pursue both their athletic and educational goals. copyright Tri-State Defender 2008

Tournament volunteer rolls on with a love for golf and St. Jude

By Jesse F. McClure | Published 06/5/2008 | Sports | Rating:

Tournament volunteer rolls on with a love for golf and St. Jude Wendell Berry, the “captain” on hole number seven at this year’s Stanford St. Jude Championship, has been a volunteer at the Memphis tournament for 21 years. He loves golf, but it’s his passion for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital that drives him. (Photos by Warren Roseborough) Wendell Berry will be all over the TPC Southwind golf course during the Stanford St. Jude Championship this week. If Berry fulfills his role as expected, players and spectators will cross paths with relative ease. No African Americans are in the tournament field this year. There will, however, be a number of African Americans involved in other aspects of the tournament. Berry, an employee of FEDEX Corporate Services for the last 22 years, has been a volunteer with the Memphis golf tournament for 21 years. Berry enjoys golf, a game he has played since 1971. That’s not why he volunteered. “I fell in love with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” he said. There’s a story behind that love. It goes backs to the 1980s when Berry returned to Memphis after serving almost seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps. The son of Berry’s former fiancé was diagnosed with cancer and money was tight. St. Jude – one of the world’s foremost research and treatment institutions for children with catastrophic diseases – stepped in with state of the art treatment, and never asked for any payment. Berry said that experience made him determined to “give back to St. Jude” as a volunteer and as a financial contributor. “St. Jude is a special place and all Memphians should be grateful to have it here,” he said. Many of the tournament volunteers have stories to tell about how St. Jude helped someone in their family or someone they know, Berry said. Song Writer David “I’m A Soul Man” Porter Gets A Tip Before Teeing Off in the SSJC Pro-Am So each year, Berry lends a hand while watching many of the world’s best golfers perform. A member of Memphis National Golf Club, Berry plays as often as he can, but he said there is nothing like watching the pros. Although he still considers himself a very good golfer, Berry said he once had a two handicap, which would make him just a few notches below some of the last minute additions to the field of the Stanford St. Jude Championship. Outside of T. O. Fuller State Park, the Memphis of Berry’s childhood afforded few opportunities for African Americans to learn the game of golf. As children, he and his friends made their own clubs from sticks and created their own “course” in fields near their homes. Berry honed his game on courses on military bases while in the Marines. He’s played a lot of rounds at the course at the old Naval Air Station in Millington. Every year, meeting the world’s top golfers adds to Berry’s tournament memories. He vividly remembers meeting Calvin Peete and Lee Elder, two African American pioneers on the professional golf circuit. Berry sees golf as a tool to teach children many positive things about life. He and his wife, Lesa, have supported the First Tee Program and a number of other efforts to get more African American youngsters to play golf. This week at the Tournament Players Club Southwind, Berry will spend his mornings as the “captain” on hole number seven. copyright 2008 Tri-State Defender

Tim Thompson Part Two

Thompson steps toward youth ministry amid off-season football controversy

By Jesse F. McClure | Published 05/29/2008 | Sports | Unrated

Thompson steps toward youth ministry amid off-season football controversy Former high school football coach Tim Thompson believes he can connect with the youngsters in the neighborhoods surrounding Cathedral of God Holy Word Temple in North Memphis and help in reducing drug use, gang membership and criminal activity. (Photos by Warren Roseborough) In the sanctuary of the Cathedral of God Holy Word Temple in North Memphis, Tim Thompson started to talk about doors last week. “As one door closes another one opens,” said Thompson, whose name for years has been associated with the words football and coach. The “old door” was his position as interim – on track to be fulltime – football coach at Ridgeway High School. The “new door” is the one that leads to youth ministry in North Memphis. Thompson believes he can connect with the youngsters in the neighborhoods surrounding Cathedral of God Holy Word Temple and help in reducing drug use, gang membership and criminal activity. He is confident that he has the charisma and coaching skills to turn lives around.” Such work will be much more rewarding than coaching football, said Thompson at a press conference he called to shed light on a predicament that lead to the closing of door number one. Ridgeway Principal Jim Long decided not to let Thompson coach football this fall after an investigation revealed that students from other schools participated in spring football practices. Thompson said he has been “betrayed and misled” by the Ridgeway administration. According to Thompson, an administrator at Ridgeway High School approved letting students who were enrolling at the school in August participate in spring football practice. He said that four students who were not enrolled at Ridgeway practiced with the Roadrunners’ squad during spring practice. Thompson said that he was volunteering his time as coach until August when he expected to join the faculty as a fulltime teacher and coach. He said current Ridgeway staff members were also involved with the off-season football practices and determination of which students were eligible to participate in the spring drills. Thompson said “I don’t take the full blame” in reference to an ineligible players controversy that derailed his plans to take over as Ridgeway High School head football coach. “I don’t take the full blame,” he said. Calls to Ridgeway and Memphis City Schools officials had not been returned by press time on Wednesday. Thompson said the loss of the Ridgeway job was tied to his previous problems as head football coach at Melrose High School. In 2001, the Memphis City Schools suspended Thompson for three years for accepting $1,400 from a University of Kentucky assistant football coach. Thompson said Ridgeway administrators at first time told him that letting non-Ridgeway students practice was not a big problem. Principal Long told him “not to worry about it,” he said. Thompson won two state football championships while coaching at Melrose High School, with a number of players going on to the National Football League. Part of the Ridgeway problem was that so many young men wanted to play for him, he said. At his news conference, Thompson said he was unaware that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating him for financial irregularities while he was coaching at Fayette Ware High School. According to a local news report, a parent of one of Thompson’s football players accused the coach of charging players for athletic equipment and the district Attorney General’s office has confirmed the investigation. Thompson said he did nothing wrong in his three years at Fayette Ware High. Although he said he has not been banned from future coaching positions in the Memphis City Schools, Thompson said he is moving on. Rev. Libra Mitchell is the senior pastor of the Cathedral of God Holy Word Temple and the sister of Thompson, one of the most successful high school football coaches in Memphis history. He won’t be alone. His sister, Rev. Libra Mitchell, is the senior pastor of the Cathedral of God Holy Word Temple – the base from which Thompson plans to extend his life into the North Memphis community.

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