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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Sports
The following is a summary of the BAFF 2009 Spring College Tour.
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH (NCAA DIV. I)
The first stop on the tour was to the Pittsburgh Panthers Sports Performance Complex.
The BAFF contingent was met by Bob Junko, Pitt’s Director of Football Relations & Program Enhancement.
He toured the group of their facility and discussed the program’s accomplishments and plans to continue to play great football.
The UPMC Sports Performance Complex,
http://pittsburghpanthers.cstv.com/facilities/pitt-facilities-upmc.html, is the only college facility in the United States to directly share a building with a NFL team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Toward the end of the tour, the group was joined by Head Coach Dave Wannstedt.
He is entering his fifth year as the Head Coach of his collegiate alma mater.
CAMPUS VISIT TO CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA (NCAA DIV. II)
Traveling one hour south, the group stopped at Cal U,
http://www.cup.edu.
While at Cal U, the BAFF prospective student-athletes toured the campus, met with coaches and players of the football team, watched spring practice, discussed admission and financial aid procedures and ate dinner with some football players.
Toward the end of the visit, the BAFF group met up with former U.S. Olympic 110 Gold Medalist Roger Kingdom, Head Men’s Track and Field Coach at Cal U.
The visit with Coach Kingdom was significant to the BAFF group because they are working with Coach Kingdom and Dr. Taunya Tinsley (Cal U Counselor Education Professor and Consulting Advisor to the BYF Program) to host an Athletic Counselor Workshop and Track Clinic in Grand Bahama during the early summer of this year.
TOUR OF BALDWIN-WALLACE COLLEGE (NCAA DIV. III)
On the second day of the BAFF Spring College Tour, the first stop was Baldwin-Wallace College,
http://www.bw.edu.
Head Coach John Snell (B-W graduate) and his staff welcomed the players and coaches to the college visit.
BAFF athletes joined two additional football players from area high schools on this visit.
Coach Snell, in his seventh year at B-W, spent time with the players discussing the rich traditions of B-W football and its family-oriented program.
Following the presentations and discussions from the coaches, all of the prospective student-athletes toured the campus and had lunch together with B-W players and coaches.
TOUR AND PRACTICE VISIT OF UNIVERSITY OF AKRON (NCAA DIV. I)
Next on the agenda was the University of Akron,
http://www.uakron.edu.
Head Coach J.D. Brookhart welcomed the team to the Akron Zips new indoor training facility and offered everyone an opportunity for a tour.
B
rookhart is in his fifth year at the University of Akron as the Head Coach.
After the tour, the group observed the Zips spring practice.
BAFF 2009 Junior National Team Member Justin Adderley (EMR Blue Jays) mentioned to everyone that, “this was a learning experience for me to see football on a college level.
The coaches were very excited and were happy to see us, especially coming from the Bahamas.”
While watching Spring Practice, former Akron player and 2009 NFL Draft Prospect Bryan Williams stopped by to meet and speak to the BAFF players and coaches.
Williams, who plays kick returner/defensive back, completed his NFL Pro Day testing the previous day and clocked a 4.3 in the 40yd dash.
He
is rated 21st among 144 strong safeties by the NFLDractScout.com for this year’s draft.
BAFF MEETS WITH TED GINN, SR. – HEAD COACH CLEVELAND GLENVILLE
To finish off the day, members of the BAFF contingent took some time to sit down with Coach Ted Ginn, Sr.,
http://tedginnsr.com, just after his track practice.
Ginn is entering his twelfth season as the Head Football Coach of the Glenville Tarblooders in Cleveland, Ohio.
He coached Heisman Trophy winner and Baltimore Ravens’ Troy Smith and Buffalo Bills’ Donte Whitner.
He is also the father of Miami Dolphins’ wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr.
The group spent a couple hours with Ginn discussing players, building a program and what he believes makes a coach.
Ginn simply stated that, “It's about saving lives and saving souls. Football is just the vehicle we use to ride in.
It is never about the wins and losses, only the lives I save and change.”
CAMPUS AND PRACTICE VISIT AT WALSH UNIVERSITY (NAIA)
Day three of the tour started off with Walsh University,
http://www.walsh.edu.
Mr. Brett Freshour, Vice President of Enrollment Management and the Football staff met with the BAFF group to discuss admission, financial assistance, playing sport at a NAIA institution and the football program.
Following the school overview, the group was joined by current football players for a campus tour and lunch.
The BAFF group was also able to attend a spring practice on Saturday morning at the invitation of Head Coach Jim Dennison.
Varsity football has only been played at Walsh for fourteen years and Coach Dennison has been the Head Coach for all fourteen seasons.
He has had twelve winning seasons and is a passionate believer of ‘positive mental attitude.’
AFTERNOON & OVERNIGHT VISIT AT MOUNT UNION COLLEGE (NCAA DIV. III)
The final college stop was Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio,
http://www2.muc.edu.
Head Coach Larry Kehres met with the group to discuss how to find a “good fit” in a college or university.
He was aware that Mount was the last of the six college tour and wanted the young men to think realistically about how to make the best decision on what school they may select to attend.
Coach Kehres is in his twenty-fourth season as the head coach at Mount Union College and recently won its tenth NCAA DIV III National Championship.
According to Kehres, “A successful football program is built on organization and consistency.”
BAFF 2009 Junior National Team Member LaShawn Bain (Marco City Fire) shared with the group after meeting with Coach Kehres that, “This trip was an amazing experience.
It was a pleasure to see different schools perform at different levels.
I know that when I go to school that I am setting up a college gateway for the younger kids and I am proud that I have that responsibility.”
After the campus tour, dinner and practice, Coach Kehres and his staff extended an invitation for the prospective student-athletes to spend the night with some of the football players.
Mount Union College is also the host college for the BAFF contingent traveling to the 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship games and events in June/July of this year.
TIME WITH CURRENT NFL PLAYER REGGIE CORNER (Rookie, 2008)
Reggie Corner stopped by while the group was having lunch at a local restaurant – Sophia’s Soul Food – on their way to the airport.
He plays Cornerback for the Buffalo Bills. Corner was d
rafted in 2008 in the 4th round by the Bills with the 114th overall pick...is the first Akron player to ever be selected by Buffalo...is only the 14th player in school history to be drafted.
His advice to the players was, “Take seriously your opportunity for an education; the NFL will not last forever.
I have already finished my Bachelor’s Degree and preparing to start in graduate school.”
Overall, the trip was a huge success and all of the Bahamian travelers took something from each visit.
BAFF Vice President David Adderley in the viewpoint of an administrator discussed that the knowledge gained from the trip would, “Allow for the coaches and program administrators to build relationships and gather information from Deans of Admissions and financial assistance officers to assist the athletes in their pursuit of higher education.
It also affords opportunities to observe football program operations and practices of the various systems to aid in the continued development of the BAFF programs.”
Prospective student-athlete Ahmad Williams (2007 High Rock Steelers) spoke from a student’s perspective and stated that, “This was a learning experience.
Got to go somewhere I never thought I would be and do things most kids need to do.
I visited six great schools and got to tour them all. . .
At one school, we spent the night with the team.
I think all kids who plan to go to college should do this.
It helps you decide which one suits you first hand and you get a feel for college life.”
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