THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 16, 1995 TAG: 9502150195
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PHYLLIS SPEIDELL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
FANS PACKED the bleachers and rocked the gym with cheers and applause of NBA caliber.
Saturday was the 7th annual Family Day at Birdsong Recreation Center, and families turned out by the hundreds to watch their sons and daughters compete in the Suffolk Parks and Recreation youth basketball league.
Throughout an entire day of games, each team enjoyed a private reception and a hearty refreshment buffet with their families when their game was over. Most importantly, each one of the almost 200 players was recognized individually for his or her participation in the league.
Eight years ago, Faye Tillery, city recreation specialist, watched proudly as her 7-year-old son, Damon, received a first-place trophy in that year's competition. Her happiness was cut short abruptly, however, when she noticed another little boy, sobbing because he had not been given anything and did not understand why.
Tillery knew then that somehow the league must give each child, not just the winning teams players, some award. Tillery and Peter Mitchell, recreation superintendent, brainstormed with their co-workers and came up with the idea of a family day.
It was to be a day to get parents more involved, to publicly recognize each child's contribution to the league, and to dress up the games with playing the national anthem, providing music for the warm-ups and announcing each of the players. ``Just like they see at the high school games,'' Tillery said.
The youth league runs from early January to late March and offers boys and girls from 8 to 13 a chance to learn the fundamentals of good sportsmanship and teamwork as well as the art of ballhandling and a good jump shot.
Willy Covington played ball in the league for eight years before he graduated from Suffolk High School in 1971. Seven years ago, he returned to the league as a coach. ``I coach because I saw a need within the community to bring some mentorship and guidance to the little kids, to show them the different aspects of the game and hopefully to transfer some principles of the game over to their daily lives,'' Covington said. ``The coaches I had taught me a lot about the game and sportsmanship which I was able to transfer over to my adult life.''
Chris Joyner, a former Forest Glen and Coppin State College small forward and shooting guard, has coached in the league for 11 seasons and seen several of his players go on to play high school and college basketball.
Now Joyner spends all day Saturday at the gym, coaching his two sons on two different teams and helping out with some of the girls' teams. ``If we win the game that is fine and I like to do that, but what I am really teaching is life,'' he said.
Damon Tillery, grown up from the little boy with the trophy to a 15-year-old, 6-foot-3 inch sophomore forward on the Lakeland High School varsity team, was on hand to help hand out the award certificates. ``I come out and help and do what I can,'' Damon said. ``The older guys coach but I would love to try it someday.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by MICHAEL KESTNER
Marquisha Goodwin, holding 4-month-old TaShayla, above watches the
girls basketball game (while TaShayla watches 3-year-old Alvin
Daughtrey) at Birdsong Recreation Center during Family Day on
Saturday. One of the players for the AP girls, Shauntae Faulk, at
right, was contemplating her foul shot.
by CNB