OPINION: TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE AT FHSAA OF CORRUPT AND UNETHICAL EXECUTIVES

EDITORS NOTE: It is the longstanding practice of Treasure Coast Sports Journal to report on only positive news relating to student-athletes. We will, however, hold adults accountable for their actions as this Opinion Column seeks to do.

19 May 2017, Fort Pierce, FL -  My phone started ringing last night around 6 PM. Caller after caller wanted to know one simple question - where was I today and why was I not in  Vero Beach at the Florida High School Athletic Association's State Softball Semifinals, in which a local team was playing?

By 9:00 PM my voicemail was full. My text messaging app showed over 70 new messages received since mid-afternoon. My email and Facebook Messenger had blown up.

Student-Athletes, parents and fans were obviously both upset and concerned that I was not there – just as I had been in years past.

Was there some type of emergency? Had I been in a car accident? Was something wrong with my son? Or did I just not feel the need to continue to follow and report on a team that I have been so close to for several years.

The girls at John Carroll High School on Delaware Avenue in Fort Pierce made it to the State Final Four last season. Prior to that many of the same girls made it to the State Tournament the year before as members of the Lincoln Park Academy Greyhound softball team.

Treasure Coast Sports Journal has always provided unparalleled coverage of these remarkable student-athletes.

Strong relationships have been built with players, parents, coaches, schools, school district administrators, teachers, and fans.  We give away thousands of dollars of free photographs to the kids, their families, and to schools while earning nothing for our efforts. We work closely with student-athletes, student yearbook photographers and others who are interested in a career encompassing multimedia journalism.

So, what happened? What was going on? Why was Treasure Coast Sports Journal so noticeably absent and not on hand to document, report and celebrate with a group of kids their coaches, parents, and fans who have come to rely upon and appreciate the positive coverage we provide?

Simply put, The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) advised us in an April 19, 2017, email message from Mr. Kyle Niblett their Public Relations Specialist that they would not issue Treasure Coast Sports Journal media credentials for the spring unless we removed certain photographs from our internet site.

FHSAA demanded that photographs posted on our website and for sale from a District Tennis Finals event on April 10-11, at a public county-owned park at which no admission was charged, violated their media policy because the photographs were for sale.

Their Media Credential Policy states:

"The FHSAA prohibits the sale of photographs from state series events, and will not credential any photographer whose photos will be used for any purpose other than news media coverage". 

The policy also states that "the following organizations and/or individuals will not be granted credentials: Internet sites with content that is subscription-based or that require paid membership to view content".

We immediately responded to Niblett’s concern and pointed out that the local daily newspaper and their website (TCPalm), of which are owned by one of the largest media companies in the world, Gannett / USA Today, also has posted photographs for sale from the same District Tennis Finals event and that unlike Treasure Coast Sports Journal their website required visitors to pay a monthly fee for access in violation of FHSAA policy. Our email was copied to Dr. Roger Dearing - CEO of FHSAA and Ms. Jamie Rohrer - Associate Executive Director for Administrative Services of the association.

We sent copies of screen shots from several nationally owned newspapers of photographs from district, regional and even state championship events that were posted on their website and all for sale. We inquired if these media outlets were going to be credentialed, just as we have asked in years past. FHSAA ignored our question and instead Rohrer sent us an email thanking us for bringing to their attention a “potential” violation of FHSAA policy, ensuring us that the matter would be investigated as deemed appropriate by staff.

Of course, this was just another one of the many lies Dearing, Rohrer, and Niblett had spewed, as front and center at the FHSAA State Softball Finals was TCPalm.com, reporting, taking photographs and posting these photographs for sale on their website which requires a fee to access. And other larger media outlets were doing the same thing!

Our position was simple. The Tennis District Finals just like the State Softball Championship Series was a news-making event in which a media outlet that has been covering Florida high school athletics for almost two decades has not only every right to attend, but a responsibility to the public to report on.

Dearing, with a history of controversy including alleged bid-tampering and official misconduct, leveled against him by Manatee County School District staff attorney Mr. Mitchell Teitelbaum while he (Dearing) was the County School Superintendent, responded to our email with the following:

"Mr. Niblett has applied our standard properly. We totally understand your point of view, but we ask that you respect our standard of professionalism on behalf of our member schools".

Implying that Treasure Coast Sports Journal does not adhere to standards of professionalism started a firestorm. Evidently, our work is so unprofessional that FHSAA would take one of our copyrighted stories and photographs (without our permission) and include it as the lead news item in an email blast to over 800 Athletic Directors throughout Florida on April 12, 2017.

The "professionalism" is good enough for them to steal and use our work without our permission, yet we are not professional enough for FHSAA to issue Media Credentials to the State Softball Championship Series? Is it just me or is something wrong with this scenario?

We inquired with Dearing, Rohrer, and Niblett’s as to who gave them permission to use our copyrighted material? We asked what right does FHSAA have to just take our work and use it at their will with no credit back to Treasure Coast Sports Journal giving an impression that our story was somehow original FHSAA material when in fact it was stolen.

Not surprisingly none of the three had enough professional standards to respond, completely ignoring the fact that they have placed their 800+ member’s schools in a liability situation, as all FHSAA member schools share equally the cost of legal fees, litigation, and settlements according to FHSAA internal policy.

And most of their member schools are public taxpayer schools.

We advised FHSAA that it was our belief that they received at least partial public tax dollar funding and were a quasi-state agency which meant that they could not deny us access because as a media outlet we were protected under the first amendment of the United States Constitution.

Dearing immediately emailed us back saying in part: 

"I want you to know we are not a quasi-state agency.  We do not accept nor do we take any tax dollars in our revenues.  We receive no state or federal funding what so ever. We also reserve the right to offer press credentials to whomever we choose. It is Mr. Niblett¹s opinion that you do not qualify for media credentials under our policies, which he assures me is justifiable."

So, let's break this down. First, what is a quasi-state agency?

According to Refrence.com, quasi-government (state) agencies are created and funded by the government but enjoy operational and political independence.

FHSAA is a 503c (3) private corporation that was given statutory authority in 1997 by the Florida Legislature as the official governing body for interscholastic athletics in Florida, according to the FHSAA web-site.

Florida Statute 1006.20 reads: The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) is designated as the governing nonprofit organization of athletics in Florida public schools.

Dearing is obviously incorrect in part one of his response, but what about his statement that FHSAA does not accept or receive any state or federal funding?

According to a March 18, 2013, story by Matt Baker at the Tampa Bay Times, "the FHSAA is partially funded through public dollars" because they receive an annual membership fee from their member schools.

But FHSAA states that their policy is that schools must pay any fee's, including membership fee', fines, etc. from non-tax dollars, such as gate receipts. However, according to several Athletic Directors Treasure Coast Sports Journal contacted they are unaware of this policy.

And even if FHSAA has such a policy, clearly it would be ambiguous and unenforceable at best.

Here is why.

In St. Lucie Public Schools when a school receives their annual bill from FHSAA the Athletic Director forwards it to the county Athletic Director who then forwards it to the County Accounts Payable Office for processing and payment. The Athletic Director, county Athletic Director and accounts payable clerk receive their salary from tax dollars. Further, the ticket collectors and money handlers at the gates at games are also school district employees who are paid by the school district with tax dollars. FHSAA demands 100% of the revenues from district, regional and state championship events yet many of the persons working these events are public school employees who are paid with tax dollars. And if a substitute teacher is needed to cover for a teacher or coach so that they can work the district, regional or state championship event or coach in one of the games that substitute teacher is paid with - you guessed it - taxpayer dollars.

So now part two of Dearing's response has been proven inaccurate, false and just a flat out lie.

Why is this even important one may ask? Because a government agency or entity is prohibited from censorship and interfering with the media.

But is FHSAA really a government entity or agency if they are a private not for profit corporation? 

Although Dearing boasts that FHSAA is an independent tax-exempt corporation, he states in a  September 27, 2016, Tampa Bay Times story that FHSAA is a "state actor" - a person who is acting on behalf of a government body and thus subject to regulation under the United States Bill of Rights, including the first amendment and freedom of the press, according to multiple online legal sources.

The United States Supreme court has interpreted state actors to cover many persons who have only an indirect relationship with the government - such as the FHSAA. Of interest, the Court has ruled that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is not a state actor because it is a national association rather than one acting on behalf of a state.

Yet the shining example as to the FHSAA's status being considered a state entity is the 2001 opinion of the US Supreme Court in a case titled Brentwood Academy vs. Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA). The TSSAA is structured in an almost identical way as to the FHSAA where both associations are recognized by their respective State Boards of Education as the regulatory authority of high school interscholastic athletics. This case created what is known as the "entwinement standard" in which the Court ruled that because the Association could essentially "coerce" the member schools to follow its rules, and that the state would back this up, it was utilizing state police power.

So, given the totality of the situation including legislative authority, public tax dollars being spent on membership fees or at the very least the administration of these fees, the FHSAA's own admission that they are a "state actor" and United States Supreme Court Opinions, FHSAA must afford first amendment protections, including but not limited to freedom of the press, to media outlets, regardless of Dearing’s statement to the contrary or his own personal views.

Dearing, Rohrer, and Niblett are bullies overstretching their reach in some type of perverted power play, something that Florida lawmakers have pointed out in the past. For example, Representative Elizabeth Porter from Lake City said in 2013, “the amount of power they have is just unbounded. There have been a number of occasions of them really overstepping their boundaries”, according to a story in the Winter Park / Maitland Observer. Representative Larry Metz, who represents much of Lake County, Florida suggested that legislation he had proposed previously “would level the playing field between FHSAA and parents and students” according to the same article.

Individual School Districts take a much different approach however. E. Wayne Gent, Superintendent of St. Lucie Public Schools and Jill Willette, the Districts County Athletic Director have continuity gone out of their way for all members of the media and have been very accommodating no matter the size, style or views of the media outlet. In fact both Gent and Willette have stated on several occasions that they refuse to play favorites when it comes to the press and that what the district does for one they do for all.

With Dearing set to retire in just a few weeks one can only hope that new FHSAA Executive Director, George Tomyn, has the wisdom to not only obey federal and state law but to clean house of those who violate it, act as bullies and do things that are not in the best interest of this state’s most precious resource – it’s children.

Because the worst part of this entire firestorm caused solely by the unethical behavior of Dearing, Rohrer, and Niblett is that hard working kids don’t get the publicity they so rightfully have earned.

LIONS ROAR TO FIRST EVER REGIONAL APPERENCE

St. Andrews Senior Center Fielder Courtney Brooks has a whopping .471 batting average, has crossed the plate 43 times, connected 32 times, belted two home runs and knocked in 34 RBI’s, all while striking out only six times helping the Lions win the school's first-ever District Title in any sport.

May 5, 2017 – Fort Pierce, FL - When Andy Wells took over the St. Andrews Baseball program this year as head coach he didn’t know what to expect. This would be the small private school’s first year of eligibility for Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) district play. He was stepping in for not only the school’s Athletic Director but a long-time friend and college teammate at IRSC, Jason Fletcher.

“We just wanted to be competitive and maybe win a few games here and there” recalls Wells.

Wells appointed Fletcher as the team's pitching coach and win a few games these Lions did – to say the least!

The 2-A team started the season with nine straight wins before finally dropping a game to powerhouse 8A school Fort Pierce Central. And for the rest of the spring, they only dropped two more games, one to another powerhouse school (Lincoln Park Academy) and just a single district loss.

The Lions team made school history by winning not just the schools very first District Playoff Game, but the school’s first ever District Championship and they will now host the school’s first-ever FHSAA Regional Playoff Game later this week.

So just how did this team come together and take over Treasure Coast Baseball?

It all starts with the fundamentals, hitting, baserunning, fielding, and pitching – something that Wells and his staff preach at every practice, before every game, during each game and after each game.

At the plate, the Lions have been nothing less than amazing. The team batting average of .337 is 26^th best in all of Florida, 7^th best in Class 2A and number one on the Treasure Coast.

Senior Center Fielder Courtney Brooks leads the way with a whopping .471 batting average, has crossed the plate 43 times, connected 32 times, belted two home runs and knocked in 34 RBI’s, all while striking out only six times.

Senior flame thrower and shortstop Lee Kubitscheck has a .398 batting average this spring with 46 runs, 35 hits and 26 RBI’s and has struck out only six times this spring.

Underclassman Steven Stagg leads the team with 37 RBI’s and is batting .391 with 27 hits, while Matt Gustin has scored 38 runs accounted for 21 RBI’s and has a .355 batting average.

Enter in Brandon O’Shea and Nick Hardman who are batting over .300 with a combined 50 runs scored and a combined 35 RBI’s and it’s easy to see why this team is ranked so high in Class 2A.

St. Andrews pitcher Lee Kubitscheck has had an all star year helping the Lions to the number one ranking in all of Class 2A for the lowest Earned Run Average.

But on the mound, is where these Lions shine. And it’s no wonder as Pitching Coach Jason Fletcher, who still holds all-time records at IRSC for most wins in a season, most career wins and lowest ERA brings his teaching skills to his young players. Fletcher, who pitched in the 2004 College World Series for the University of South Carolina credits the team’s success to the team’s attitude of being a part of a family.

“We are a family and every member of this family had something to contribute this year”, Fletcher tells Treasure Coast Sports Journal.

St. Andrews is ranked number one in Florida Class 2A for the lowest ERA, 40^th statewide and second on the Treasure Coast by only nine-tenths of a percent to LPA. The team is tied for second statewide for no-hitters thrown this season and ranked seventh in Class 2A for strikeouts.

With the Lions only losing one pitcher next year they appear to be stacked and ready to roll with several experienced flame throwers.

Kubitscheck has been the anchor this year, as would be expected of any senior. He threw 55 of the teams 147 innings (37.8%), accounted for 44% of the team’s strikeouts (55 out of 125) and allowed only 14 walks (17.9% of the teams 78). Putting those numbers in perspective, opposing batters only walked 5.4% of the time they faced him, struck out 21.2% of the time and had a hit only 22.6% of their plate appearances.  

O’Shea, who tossed 39 innings has a stellar 1.44 ERA, leading all pitchers who have thrown 20 or more innings, allowing just 11 runs, fanning 51, walking 25 and giving up 15 hits.

Add to the mix the likes of Matthew Gustine (who saw limited time with a shoulder injury this season), Kyle Schammn, Nick Hardman (eighth grade) and Stephen Stagg who have a combined average ERA of 3.13, 14.8 strike outs, 9.5 walks and just 7.3 hits allowed and you can see why Fletcher smiles from ear to ear when talking about his future pitching staff.

For St. Andrews Coach Andy Wells this is his third straight trip to the Regionals. His impressive coaching style has brought him back to back District Title at two different Treasure Coast area High Schools.

Wells has a strong following of former players who have gone on to have much success both on the diamond and off. One example is last year’s Treasure Coast Sports Journal Student-Athlete of the Year Chase Solesky who is having an amazing year himself at Division One school Tulane University.

“Coach Well's success comes as no surprise. As a first-year head coach at St. Andrews he did a phenomenal job taking his group from the bottom to the top. He knows how to coach, which is a lot more than teaching someone how to catch, throw, and hit; he knows what it takes to earn the respect of his players. I’ve never played for a coach that I had more fun playing for or had more respect for. It's well known that if a player respects his coach, they will run through a brick wall for him. In my time playing for Coach Well's I would run through a brick wall any day that ends in Y for him. In this regard his success is easy to understand, nevertheless, It's amazing to see how far he and his team have come and are going”, said Solesky.

With all eyes on this week’s Regional quarterfinal, one has to wonder what is going through the mind of Wells, who coached John Carroll all the way to the State Final Four last year.

“The goal is always a State Championship, but really, we just want to be competitive, just want to have some fun playing the game we love. We could not be more proud of these kids no matter what happens from here on out. They have exceeded all our expectations”, said Wells.

COREY DAVIS: TREASURE COAST HIGH SCHOOLS MR. HAPPY GO LUCKY!

Treasure Coast High School 11th grade Student-Athlete Corey Davis sprints down the track at Lawnwood Stadium during the Counties Unified Special Olympics meet. In typical Titan fashion, 10th grade student-athlete Allyson Eno runs beside Corey encouraging and motivating him. It is not uncommon for non-disabled student-athletes to partner with their exceptional peers for support, which is one of the hallmarks of the Unified events.

April 17, 2017 - St. Lucie County, FL - All too often when we hear the words Down Syndrome (DS) we think of children (and adults) that don't look or function "normally". Yet most of us don't have the first idea of what Down Syndrome is or the fact that persons with this common disorder (affecting over 200,000 people per year, in the United States alone), are just as "normal" as the rest of society in so many ways. 

When I was growing up kids with Downs were picked on because their facial appearance was different than the rest of us. But today, children with Down Syndrome are treated just like everyone else. Sure, they may have some unique special needs - but doesn't everybody?

Contrary to popular belief, there are many children with the disorder that are not mentally or even developmentally disabled at all according to Dr. Sigfried Pueschel, Professor of Pediatrics at Brown University and Director of the Child Development Center at Rhode Island Hospital.

So, what is Down Syndrome?

Simply put it is a genetic disorder caused by an extra chromosome 21.

While there is no cure for the condition, a caring and enriching home environment, early intervention and integrated education efforts have been shown to have a positive impact on children with Down Syndrome.

Perhaps that's why Treasure Coast High School 11th grader Corey Davis is just one example of kids with Down Syndrome that are helping St. Lucie Public Schools become a national example of school districts that continually break through the barriers for children with special needs.

Corey, who is 16 years old, was born with multiple holes in his heart and suffers from the chromosome 21 defect as well. Yet, through the perseverance of his father, Mr. Edward Banks who is an insurance agent, and his mother, who works in the mental health/addiction field, Corey has thrived at Treasure Coast High School where he is well-known on campus for his big smile and happy disposition according to principal Ms. Susan Seal.

He interacts well with other students, is extremely social and has been a vital part of his school's Special Olympics Track Team for two seasons - a track team that made it all the way to the Regional Games last season in the 4 x 100 relay with a second-place finish.

Corey thrives on being very independent, loves to shoot hoops, sing, play the drums and swim according to Mr. Banks. 

"When he was younger his windpipe was underdeveloped and his tongue is too big for his mouth so speech was a challenge. However, thanks to a team of professionals at Manatee Academy in Port St. Lucie, where Corey attended middle school, they made significant accomplishments helping him to be able to orally communicate just like every other child - another example of the school district, as a whole, breaking down those pesky barriers that plague children with exceptionalities. 

Corey interacts well with other students,
is extremely social and has been
 a vital part of his school's
Special Olympics Track Team
for two seasons.

But it's Corey's personality and his disposition that really turn heads. 

"Corey brings such joy to not only our unified track team but really all of Treasure Coast High School. He is a team motivator whom his fellow student-athletes adore and respect. He helps cheer on his fellow teammates and brings such positive energy to our team. Having Corey on our school track team has helped promote the program and bring about inclusive practices within our school community," says Amanda Hammel, the school's track coach, and ESE teacher.

Treasure Coast High School has a rich history of this positive energy that started with it's founding Principal Dr. Helen (Roberts) Wild, who built the school from the ground up. Dr. Wild, who has since moved on to become the Chief Academic Office for the school district was responsible for every detail in every nook and cranny that went into the area's newest traditional public high school. 

The most recognizable accomplishment she implemented at Treasure Coast High School (and is now implementing district-wide) is a keen sense of pride and family which has carried over to the for former Principal Mrs. Denise Rodreguiz and to current Principal Ms. Seal. 

"Our teachers and staff are so dedicated to meeting the needs of each student.  They strive to motivate, encourage and support student goals and help them reach their dreams.  It is so inspiring to see our teachers work with students with challenges to help them overcome barriers and thrive", Dr. Wild tells Treasure Coast Sports Journal.

It was under her leadership that some of the school's first coach's coined the phrase Titan Born, Titan Bred which has stayed with the school since it opened in 2006. Teachers, staff and most importantly students have all bought into being a Titan. And recently graduates of the school have been sporting "Titan Born, Titan Bred, Titan Grad" apparel, indicating that this sense of pride extends well beyond a student's high school years.

It is this sense of pride that Dr. Wild developed, and others have carried forward, that has helped students like Corey realize the success they are entitled to.

BOOM!

Freshman Ciera Clark knocked in two home runs for the 'Hounds against Martin
County on Tuesday, April 4th as the team and community celebrated Coach Roger Mathews 500th career victory, placing him second in Florida for wins by an active softball coach and in the top 1% nationally.

April 5, 2017 – Fort Pierce, FL – When Lincoln Park Academy Head Softball Coach Roger Mathews arrived at Greyhound Field in the Lawnwood Sports Complex on Tuesday night he knew it was going to be special. But just how special this night would end up surprised even Mathews.

Although Mathews and his Lady Greyhounds were scheduled to take on an always strong Martin County Tigers team, the real story was the milestone that Mathews and Company reached right at the start of Spring Break – or so we thought.

Let’s set the stage.

Stand out 8th Grade Short Stop
Layne Chesney got things started for the
Greyhounds with a dinger over the
 fence in Centerfield in the first inning.

Mathews is nothing short of a legend when it comes to coaching softball. In Florida, he is second, only behind Kathy Finnucan or Winter Park Trinity Prep, for wins by an active coach and third for all-time wins, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.  

Nationally Matthews is ranked 22^nd of the 5,517active high school softball coaches putting him in the elite top 1%.

A diverse crowd of friends, former players, and school district employees, led by Troy Ingersoll the Chairman of the School Board and E. Wayne Gent the Superintendent for St. Lucie Public Schools were on hand to honor the man they don’t just call “coach”, but that they call “friend”.

LPA Athletic Director, Ms. Jill Cory, who coordinated the event, spoke of how she has known Mathews for 25-years,  at first calling him a rival and now calling him a true friend.

Superintendent Gent reflected on how as a coach at Fort Pierce Central, he and others would marvel at achieving 100 wins and never thought that 500 wins were even possible, while School Principal Henry Sanabria spoke of the tough love that Mathews is famous for.

Senior Madison Walsh
puts the ball over the
centerfield fence for the
Greyhounds third home
run of the first inning.

And Ingersoll, who is also the youth minister at Westside Church where Mathews and wife Karen attend, spoke of how dedicated he is to the kids in St. Lucie County.

But, it is the people that Mathews has mentored over the past 29 seasons that bring a tear to his eye as he has watched them grow and start families of their own, some of who had made their way to Greyhound Field to pay tribute the ‘ol ball coach.

There was Taylor Strickland, a star pitcher for the Lady Greyhounds who led the team to the State Final Four a few years ago, Jennifer Pottorff a successful small business owner and assistant softball coach at John Carroll, Paul Langel a Captain in the St. Lucie County Fire District, college instructor and Mathews trusted assistant coach as well as many others, including much of the current John Carroll High School Softball Team.

So as this year’s Greyhound team made their way to Foundation Academy in Central Florida for a doubleheader on March 11^th they knew that something special was about to happen. Coach was sitting on 498 wins and they desperately wanted to do whatever was needed to get him to 500.

Yet, they knew it would not be easy as they had defeated Foundation last year by the slimmest of margins. But this year’s team is a group of young up and coming student-athletes who are driven by success and have responded well to that tough love Principal Sanabria had spoken about.

So well in fact that the ladies tossed back to back 14-0 not hitters on that magical March day to help Mathews reach the milestone of 500 wins.

But now with Spring Break lasting a week and no home games scheduled until April 3^rd the community and his players would have to wait to honor their coach.

And wait they did.

A lightning delay caused everything to be pushed back for over an hour and the first pitch didn’t come until well after 6:30.

LPA Pitcher Catlin Comer gets all of this
pitch in the second inning for the
Lady Greyhounds fourth
home run of the night.

Sophomore pitcher Caitlyn Comer made quick work of the Tigers in the top of the first setting up the surprise that no one saw coming.

LPA’s first batter was eighth-grade standout shortstop Layne Chesney who patiently waited for “her pitch” knocking the big yellow ball over the Centerfield fence to the delight of the crowd, her teammates and especially Mathews who shouted “you see what happens when you wait on it”, from the third base coaches box.

Two batters later ninth grader Ciera Clark knocked in the first of her two home runs for the night prompting Langel to yell “BOOM” from the first base coaches box.

The next batter, Senior Maddison Walsh, then put a ball way over the fence in Centerfield, just as a bench player from Martin County was retrieving Clark’s dinger causing Mathews to say in disbelief “I’ve never seen anything like this in my 29 years of coaching”, while “BOOM, BOOM” could be heard from the first base side of the field.

In next frame “BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM” was heard as this time pitcher Comer connected for a home run.

From Left: School Board Chir Troy Ingersoll, LPA Principal Henry Sanabria, Coach Roger Mathews and LPA Athletic Director Jill Cory  

And so, a night that was to be special for one reason turned into a night made special by a group of young ladies looking to give a true legend one of his best memories from a 29-year, 500 plus win coaching career!

RUN SAM RUN

FP Westwood Senior Samantha Jones stole the show at last week's St. Lucie County Track Championships where the impact of Kids at Hope filled the air at Lawnwood Stadium as students, coaching staffs, parents and fans from all of the counties six traditional public schools as well as a contingent from John Carroll High School roared with approval as she made her way around the track. And by Sams side was a non-Special Olympics student-athlete, Alma Garci, another senior at FP Westwood, encouraging her to just do her best.

April 3, 2017 – Fort Pierce, FL – When Kids at Hope Founder & Chief Treasure Hunter Rick Miller coined the slogan “All kids are capable of success – NO EXCEPTIONS” he must have been thinking of kids like Fort Pierce Westwood’s Samantha (Sam) Jones.

Sam was born with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a very rare but severe genetic disorder that results from an abnormality on the 15^th chromosome and affects about one in 15,000 newborns each year. Putting that in perspective that equates to 0.000002% of all live births worldwide in the year 2016 alone.

Although rare, Prader-Willi syndrome is one of the ten most common conditions seen in genetics clinics and is the most common genetic cause of obesity that has been identified according to pwcf.org a California-based Foundation that supports individuals and families with the illness, along with those that care for them.

PWS is a life-long, life threating condition with no known cure that affects growth, metabolism, appetite, behavior and overall development. Many who suffer from it have no control of their appetite as their stomach never tells the brain that it’s full. For those with this debilitating illness learning disabilities are common and PWC is considered to be a mild form of mental retardation according to the National Institutes of Health. 

“When Samantha was younger I had to actually padlock the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets because she lacked that belly to brain signal”, says Sam’s mother Joan.

She has very low muscle tone and at times needs the assistance of a wheel chair because walking can be a struggle. She is in self-contained (non-mainstream) classes at FP Westwood and requires the assistance of an aide at all times. Her mother was forced to stop working to care for her. Her step father, Joe, who has raised her since she was two, is the Parts Manager for Martin County Public Schools.

Yet despite the odds being stacked against this charming young lady, Sam is a happy go lucky social butterfly who just loves to be involved.

“She understands that she is different than other kids, but that has not stopped her. She can read, write, do basic math and work on the computer. She has a boyfriend, Billy, and the two go to the Tim Tebow prom annually. She just loves to be involved”, Joan told Treasure Coast Sports Journal in an exclusive interview.

And part of that involvement includes participating in the St. Lucie County Special Olympics Unified Games where a student-athlete with a disability is paired with a not disabled student-athlete to compete in various events. For Sam that means the fifty and one-hundred-yard dashes and the four by one hundred relay.

It’s this Kids at Hope Philosophy, that every child is capable of success - no exceptions, brought to St. Lucie County by the Children's Services Council and the Executive Roundtable that enable children like Sam to wake up each day with a smile on their faces.

“Kids at Hope has become part of St. Lucie County culture. We know that providing nurturing adults help enhance resiliency in children (and adults) which decreases the factors of being "at risk". We no longer look at a child as being at risk, but look at each child's potential which gives him or her opportunities for success which is the future of hope,” according to lifelong child advocate Mrs. Kathryn Hensley, St. Lucie County School Board Member and the Chairwoman of St. Lucie’s Children's Services Council.

As Samantha stole the show at last week's St. Lucie County Track Championships the impact of Kids at Hope filled the air at Lawnwood Stadium as students, coaching staffs, parents and fans from all of the counties six traditional public schools as well as a contingent from John Carroll High School roared with approval as she slowly made her way around the track. And by Sams side was a non-Special Olympics student-athlete, Alma Garci, another senior at FP Westwood, encouraging her to just do her best.

“Creating opportunities for all students to experience what these (disabled) student-athletes experience at track meets is the essence of high school athletics.  To watch them compete, smile and enjoy the sense of teamwork and belonging.... What could be better?”, says John Lynch the Executive Director of School Transformation for St. Lucie Public Schools.

And yes it's true - All Children Are Capable of Success - NO EXCEPTIONS!