Millionaire coach supports prep girls hoops team

This story is pretty awesome.

A USA Today feature profiles Coach Jim Justice who, over the past  25 years, has coached more than 1,000 games — from AAU teams to West Virginia’s Greenbrier East girls high school team, which he took over 10 years ago.

What makes the 58-year old coach different from most high school basketball coaches is the fact that for him, it’s much more than just a job. He’s a millionaire who owns coal mines, farms and the nearby Greenbrier Resort.

He’s a coach whose generosity directly benefits his players. He paid $300,000 to have a parquet floor installed in the Greenbrier East Gym. At every game, the players run through an inflatable tunnel to the court when they’re introduced, and a video screen flashes their pictures.

When two feet of snow threatened to postpone a game against Huntington Spring Valley in late December, Justice hired a contractor to plow the parking lot.

Jeff Bryant, principal at Greenbrier East, admits there might have been cynics when Justice took the job. After all, why would a wealthy businessman want to coach? And how would he have time?

“That’s so pitifully easy to explain,” Justice says. “I love the game.”

He says he thinks he makes $3,300 to coach but doesn’t  know for sure because he gives the money to his assistant coaches.”

“There’s a lot more to him than what’s in his pocket,” wrote Alexis Hornbuckle, a former Justice pupil, in an e-mail. “He has a great heart and is a very loving and forgiving man.”

Hornbuckle played on one of his AAU teams before leading South Charleston to victory vs. Greenbrier East in the 2004 championship game. She played on two NCAA championship teams at Tennessee and now is with the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock.

For those who believe that wealth transcends dollars, Justice is an example of someone who has gotten way more back from life than he’s been able to give.
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Sporty Saturday Spotlight 1-16-10

This Saturday the sporty spotlight shines bright on fourteen-year-old BMX racer and road cycling mountain biker, Mary Mae Duarte. Check out Mary’s interview below where she shares her fave BMX moment, how she balances school and sports, and much, much more.

Name: Mary Mae Duarte

Age: 14

Sport(s): bmx racing and freestyle road cycling mountain biking

Hometown: Riverside, California

High School: Citrus Valley High School

What’s your fave sport? bmx racing

What was your fave sporty moment or memory?

My favorite moment while racing bmx was when I finally jumped for my first time.

What was the biggest lesson you’ve learned from playing your sport?

Never give up! And once that gate goes down keep it pedaling!

What have you learned about teamwork?

When you’re all together we all equal as one person. Nothing will be able to happen if one person doesn’t get along with someone else.

How do you balance school and sports?

My dad makes me finish all my homework before I can go anywhere or do anything!

Who’s your fave athlete, both male and female?

My favorite male would have to be Brian Deegan and my favorite female is Danica Patrick! (:

What’s the girliest thing you like to do? (Pretty Tough signature

question)

HA OMG! The girliest “things” I LOVE to do are get my nails done, go shopping, make sure my makeup is perfect! haha (:

Thanks, Mary! I agree. Danica Patrick is amazing. Best of luck with your sports career.

Do you or someone you know want to be spotlighted? Send an email to Keri Mikulski at kerimikulski(at)gmail(dot)com.

Happy Saturday!

Women’s Basketball’s Next Superstar?

Brittney Griner has been in the news a lot lately, dunking regularly as a member of Baylor women’s basketball team and helping to redefine the college game.

But basketball’s next superstar may be playing for a girls’ prep school team in New Jersey. Even more surprising – she just took up the sport.  As CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod reports, this teenager is remarkable in more ways than one.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

It’s not every day a Bubbles Anderson comes walking through your door (after she ducks her head, of course).

That’s especially true if you’re a basketball coach.

“Once in a lifetime, 6-10, 6-11 comes your way,” said Mary Coyle-Klinger, Anderson’s high school coach.

Six-foot, ten-inches would make this 16-year-old tied for the tallest girl in the world.

Anderson wears the number 23 in a tribute to basketball legends Michael Jordan and LeBron James. “They’re so good,” she said.

But Anderson is taller than both – nearly half a foot taller than Jordan and two inches taller than James. And she’s still growing.

Her doctor says she’ll reach at least 7-foot-1 Asked how she feels about that, Anderson said, “I don’t know. It just feels normal.”

She came here this summer from Jamaica, looking for a better life and ended up at Rutgers Prep in New Jersey – on the basketball team – even though she had never played before.

She’s a natural, Pat Coyle, a former WNBA coach and NCAA star Pat Coyle and the sister of the Rutgers Prep coach Coyle-Klinger.

“If she continues to grow as a player the way she has the last three months she’s going to redefine the game because of her size and her athleticism,” Coyle said.

Establishing an identity can be the toughest part of a teenager’s life and when you’re just under seven feet tall an identity would seem to be ready made. But ask her classmates about what makes Bubbles so special. You might be surprised at the answers.

We asked a dozen classmates to describe her in one word. Among the answers: “hilarious,” “lovable,” “friendly,” “outgoing,” and “loud.”

Not one said “tall,” which is something considering that Bubbles Anderson is head and shoulders above the crowd.

Podcast: Pretty Tough Peak Performance Episode 08

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:12 — 4.8MB)

Pretty Tough is proud to present the eighth in our series of weekly podcasts focusing on Peak Performance.

The PT Peak Performance series features leading experts from the fields of sports nutrition, diet, sports psychology and core and fitness training, as well as athletes, trainers and coaches. Each program is 6 – 8 minutes in length and provides cutting edge information and actionable advice to help athletes of all ages perform at their peak with a special focus on the female athlete.

Episode 008: Rebecca Scritchfield discusses the ins and outs of sports drinks.  Listen as Rebecca provides essential details about nutrition, hydration and maintaining optimum health.

About Rebecca Scritchfield: Rebecca Scritchfield is a Washington, D.C. based registered dietitian in private practice. Members of Congress, corporate executives, and professional and recreational athletes seek Rebecca’s  expertise to help them reach their performance goals. She received a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and was recognized by American Dietetic Association in 2009 as “Young Dietitian of the Year”.

Podcast: Pretty Tough Peak Performance Episode 007 Pt. 2

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:10 — 4.7MB)

Pretty Tough is proud to present Part 2 of our seventh podcast in our weekly series focusing on Peak Performance.

The PT Peak Performance series features leading experts from the fields of sports nutrition, diet, sports psychology and core and fitness training, as well as athletes, trainers and coaches. Each program is 6 – 8 minutes in length and provides cutting edge information and actionable advice to help athletes of all ages perform at their peak with a special focus on the female athlete.

Episode 007 Part 2: Rebecca Scritchfield discusses the ins and outs of energy drinks in our second of a two part  podcast. Listen as Rebecca provides more essential details about energy drinks, nutrition and maintaining optimum health and fitness.

About Rebecca Scritchfield: Rebecca Scritchfield is a Washington, D.C. based registered dietitian in private practice. Members of Congress, corporate executives, and professional and recreational athletes seek Rebecca’s  expertise to help them reach their performance goals. She received a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and was recognized by American Dietetic Association in 2009 as “Young Dietitian of the Year”.

http://www.rebeccascritchfield.com

Podcast: Pretty Tough Peak Performance Episode 007 Pt.1

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:27 — 5.9MB)

Pretty Tough is proud to present the seventh episode in our series of weekly podcasts focusing on Peak Performance.

The PT Peak Performance series features leading experts from the fields of sports nutrition, diet, sports psychology and core and fitness training, as well as athletes, trainers and coaches. Each program is 6 – 8 minutes in length and provides cutting edge information and actionable advice to help athletes of all ages perform at their peak with a special focus on the female athlete.

Episode 007 Part 1: Rebecca Scritchfield discusses the ins and outs of energy drinks in our first of a two-part podcast. Listen as Rebecca provides essential details about energy drinks, nutrition, and maintaining optimum health and fitness.

About Rebecca Scritchfield: Rebecca Scritchfield is a Washington, D.C. based registered dietitian in private practice. Members of Congress, corporate executives, and professional and recreational athletes seek Rebecca’s expertise to help them reach their performance goals. She received a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and was recognized by American Dietetic Association in 2009 as “Young Dietitian of the Year”.

http://www.rebeccascritchfield.com

Role of a Sub

A player who shows envy or jealousy toward the starting team is often judged to have a poor attitude. In truth, envy and jealousy are natural feelings. It’s how a player handles her feelings that determines whether she is team-oriented.

Not wanting to sit on the bench is perfectly acceptable. If you’re a player who has given everything you’ve got, and it’s not good enough to be a starter, you can either quit the team and take on another challenging project, or accept the role of being a substitute, knowing you will have opportunities to contribute to your team’s success.

A substitute must learn to take satisfaction in performing steadily and reliably each time she steps on the floor including 100% effort in practice. A team can only be as good as the players they practice against. If the starters practiced against a group that was not giving it their best shot, they’d have a tough time improving. But if they have to scratch and fight every day to beat the subs, they’ll improve easily.

How a substitute handles feelings of jealousy or disappointment determines her attitude and her team spirit. A substitute should never:

Start or listen to gossip that alienates the team against another team member

Sulk or act disinterested while on the bench

Put a damper on everyone’s spirits after a game because she didn’t play, or

Grumble about having to practice with the weaker players.

The role of the substitute is difficult to master, but its rewards are worth the effort.

Podcast: Pretty Tough Peak Performance Episode 006

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:27 — 5.0MB)

Pretty Tough is proud to present the sixth in our series of weekly podcasts focusing on Peak Performance.

The PT Peak Performance series features leading experts from the fields of sports nutrition, diet, sports psychology and core and fitness training, as well as athletes, trainers and coaches. Each program is 6 – 8 minutes in length and provides cutting edge information and actionable advice to help athletes of all ages perform at their peak with a special focus on the female athlete.

Episode 006: Rebecca Scritchfield discusses how an athlete can eat well while on the go.  Listen as Rebecca provides essential details about nutrition, hydration and maintaining optimum health.

About Rebecca Scritchfield: Rebecca Scritchfield is a Washington, D.C. based registered dietitian in private practice. Members of Congress, corporate executives, and professional and recreational athletes seek Rebecca’s  expertise to help them reach their performance goals. She received a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and was recognized by American Dietetic Association in 2009 as “Young Dietitian of the Year”.

http://www.rebeccascritchfield.com

Podcast: Pretty Tough Peak Performance Episode 005

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 9:27 — 8.7MB)

Pretty Tough is proud to present the fifth in our series of weekly podcasts focusing on Peak Performance.

The PT Peak Performance series features leading experts from the fields of sports nutrition, diet, sports psychology and core and fitness training, as well as athletes, trainers and coaches. Each program is 6 – 8 minutes in length and provides cutting edge information and actionable advice to help athletes of all ages perform at their peak with a special focus on the female athlete.

Episode 005: Rebecca Scritchfield discusses the importance of fueling during exercise for athletes. Listen as Rebecca provides essential details about nutrition, hydration and maintaining optimum health.

About Rebecca Scritchfield: Rebecca Scritchfield is a Washington, D.C. based registered dietitian in private practice. Members of Congress, corporate executives, and professional and recreational athletes seek Rebecca’s expertise to help them reach their performance goals. She received a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and was recognized by American Dietetic Association in 2009 as “Young Dietitian of the Year”.

http://www.rebeccascritchfield.com

Podcast: Pretty Tough Peak Performance Episode 004

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:20 — 6.7MB)

Pretty Tough is proud to present the fourth in our series of weekly podcasts focusing on Peak Performance.

The PT Peak Performance series features leading experts from the fields of sports nutrition, diet, sports psychology and core and fitness training, as well as athletes, trainers and coaches. Each program is 6 – 8 minutes in length and provides cutting edge information and actionable advice to help athletes of all ages perform at their peak with a special focus on the female athlete.

Episode 004: Rebecca Scritchfield discusses the importance of pre and post game meals for athletes.  Listen as Rebecca provides essential details about improving athletic performance through proper nutrition.

About Rebecca Scritchfield: Rebecca Scritchfield is a Washington, D.C. based registered dietitian in private practice. Members of Congress, corporate executives, and professional and recreational athletes seek her expertise to help them reach their performance goals. Rebecca received a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. She has been recognized by the American Dietetic Association in 2009 as “Young Dietitian of the Year”.

http://www.rebeccascritchfield.com

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