Kansas Baller Aerial Smith Blazes Court from End to End--and Finishes!

The above is a screen shot from Aerial Smith's highlight video.

By Will Cummings
myHitNews.com

I recently had the pleasure of producing a highlight video for Aerial Smith, a dynamic high school girl basketball  player out of Blue Valley High, which is located in Stillwell, Kansas not far from Kansas City--just a little south of the Olathe and Overland Park areas. Smith is  a class of 2011 prospect who plays point guard for the Blue Valley Tigers, and last season she earned First Team All Eastern Kansas League (Class 6-A) honors as a junior.

 The 5-foot-8, 125 pounder is a smart aggressive player that has the ability to see the whole court. She also possesses an explosive first step, great quickness, outstanding ball handling skills and--most importantly--the body control to finish when she takes it to the hoop at full tilt, which is something she does often. Defensively, opponents dare not to be lazy with the ball, because Smith will take it the other way for two if they do! Aerial Smith is definitely one of the top steal-masters around.

Her father, Kevin Leach, said that Aerial already has several scholarship offers on the table from William Jewel, Missouri State, Wichita Benedictine and a couple others. She is also drawing a lot of interest from Drake University where she just recently completed a summer basketball camp.  In addition to being a standout  basketball player, Smith is just as proficient in the classroom--a honor studnet with a 3.57 GPA.

It’s obvious from watching Aerial Smith play that she had some good coaching along the way. Smith’s high school coach, Andrew Unrein, has those girls schooled. I’ve seen boys basketball teams that can’t space the floor and move the ball around like the Tiger girls do. Of course being a good basketball player is a constant pursuit and during the summer Aerial tightens up her skills by playing on an AAU team coached by former KU basketball star Calvin Thompson. 

Aerial Smith has been well-schooled in the art of playing basketball--and it shows!

Check her out.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=raPP_WLfr1E

If the above video fails to appear click  on the following link or copy and past it into your browser:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raPP_WLfr1E.

Iowa HS Quarterback Set New Standards in Year 2000

Ben Stover

By Will Cummings
myHitNews.com

   In the year 2000–before the the age of YouTube (2005) and the onslaught of digital media and the omnipresence of national recruiting services like Rivals.com–Iowa high school quarterback Ben Stover broke several state passing records during his senior year:

     The 6-foot-1 207lb gunslinger played for the Muscatine High School Muskies, located in the small town of Muscatine, Iowa (population roughly 22,000) that sits along the Illinois border nestled between Iowa City and Davenport. Whether Stover slung the football after dropping back from underneath center or from the shotgun formation, his perefectly thrown balls ultimately found their way into the hands of Muskie receivers at a rate never seen in Iowa before his time.

   Records are meant to be broken; over time, all of Stover’s state records have fallen. His current Iowa All-time  Best 11-man high school football rankings are as follows: Most passing yards in season (11th); Most completions in season (8) and most completions in a game (2). His senior year performance in 2000 still ranks very high among the state’s all-time best!

   The highlight video of Ben Stover’s record-breaking season in 2000 is courtesy of his friends and teammates

Ben Stover's highlight video cover. Click Image to enlarge.

who scrounged up a half dozen VHS tapes and chipped in to have Hit Highlights.com sports video editing service produce a digital video highlight of Stover as one of the gifts to be given to him at his bachelor party on February 20^th, 2010.

   Thanks to Stover’s friend, Brian Anderson, who spearheaded this project. And best wishes to Ben Stover: May your marriage be as successful as your high school football career—I just hope that it lasts a lot longer.

Below check out Ben Stover highlight video:

Click the following linkto see YouTube version:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTYFeqVthq8
Audio track not available in this version.

The Husker Nation Puts on Full Court Press To Help One of Their Own

Charlie Greene recently interviewed by Priscilla Lopez-Schliep, who also won a bronze medal in the women's 100 meter hurdles at the 2008 Olympic Games held in Beijing China. Lopez-Schliep ran for Canada but attended the University of Nebraska. Click photo above to see video interview.

   Good News! On Monday morning, February 15, 1968 Olympic Gold and Bronze medalist Charlie Greene underwent kidney transplant surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center Hospital located in Omaha Nebraska. The former Husker great has been suffering from failing kidneys for the last two years and has been undergoing dialysis treatment since that time. According to reports, the surgery went well and Greene is recovering in the intensive care unit.

    The next ninety days will be critical to his recovery as complications from the surgery are most likely to occur during this period.

   myHitNews first mentioned Greene’s need for a kidney back in September of ’09. Subsequently, we did a follow up story in December. However, it was not until last week–after the appearance of an outstanding article written by Huskers.com’s Randy York and the release of a video featuring Tom Osborne–that the ball really began to move for Greene.

Above: Photo of Charlie Greene (left) at the blocks before another 100 meter victory.

York, in his Husker N-sider column, wrote a beautiful article titled “Once the World’s Fastest Man, Charlie Greene Now Needs a Kidney Transplant,” where he talked about the recent trials and tribulations of this once great Olympian and how he continues to give back to his community and to the University of Nebraska despite his poor health. In a addition to the article, a video featuring Tom Osborne and some past and present Husker athletes, coaches and Greene himself was released in support of finding a kidney donor for Greene. This concerted effort by the Husker Nation lead Omaha, Nebraska television station  KETV Channel 7  to air a piece–this past Sunday night–about Greene’s need for a kidney donor. 

   Within an hour after airing the segment, Greene’s family received a call from the University of Nebraska Medical Center saying that they found a donor kidney match for Charlie Greene.

  Thank God and best wishes to Charlie Greene and his family. May he have a speedy and full recovery. And thanks to all those in the Husker Nation who helped to make this happen–special thanks to Tommy Wade.

If you have not read the Randy York article on Greene or seen the video, you can check them out here .

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Warren Academy Covers All the Bases in Helping to Build the Complete Student/Athlete

Steve Warren: Nebraska Cornhusker's 1999 Second Team All-American, First Team All-Big 12 and year 2000 third-round pick for the Green Bay Packers.

   Husker great Steve Warren, a 1999 second team all-American defensive tackle and former Green Bay Packer pro, is starting a new sports academy in Omaha.

   Steve Warren is no stranger when it comes to  taking on successful large scale endeavors. He is founder and director of D.R.E.A. M. (Developing Relationships through Education and Mentoring), a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation that reaches out to the undeserved and less privileged children and families in our communities. D.R.E.A.M. provides; positive role models for youth, after school tutoring programs and life skill teaching and scholarships to seniors that complete the program. Warren’s D.R.E.A.M. foundation even donates refurbished vehicles to families in need—four so far in the two years they have been in operation. Warren has several similar foundations located in other cities around the country. But now he embarks on another passion: Mentoring and helping to develop athletes through his Warren Academy.
 

“Establishing the sports academy is something I’ve been working on since 2004. I wanted to do it right. So I had to take my time to wait for all the pieces to come together,” Warren said.

    Based on its massive scale and Steve Warren’s vision for his sports academy, It’s no wonder it took so long for it to come to fruition:

Warren Academy To Provide Top Flight Instructors

   Initially the Warren Academy will specialize in providing elite-level off-season football training, mentoring, and life-skill training to junior high and high school students. The sports academy will provide highly knowledgeable and skilled instructors for each position. In addition to Warren, the list of instructors already on board include former college and professional football players: 

• Brandon Williams—CB, Michigan and Professional

• Mike Horacek— WR, Iowa Sate and Professional

• Jerrell Pippens—S, Nebraska and Professional

• Jamel Williams—S, Nebraska and Professional

• Tony Veland—S, Nebraska and Professional

• Jon Bowling—TE, Nebraska

• Todd Doxson—QB, Iowa State and Professional

Community Partnerships Help Build Complete Student/Athlete

   The Warren Academy is also partnering with the University of Nebraska at Omaha to provide indoor training facilities and classroom and meeting space for life-skill and tutoring sessions.

   “Our sports academy’s aim is to help build a complete student/athlete Our partnership with UNO will allow the kids in our program to get acclimated to a college setting and sit in the same seats a college student would so they will be less intimidated and more comfortable when they go to college. We also have in place two professional educators Stephanie Kruse and Dante Lloyd. Their roles will be to identify each and every participant’s scholastic needs and to prepare them to exceed the minimum standards of the NCAA Clearinghouse before they graduate from high school, which includes preparing them for taking ACT and SAT entrance exams.”

   The Academy will also have on staff a nutritionist that will provide training on proper diet. And eating habits. Warren says that the only missing component right now is a strength and conditioning coach. “I have a friend back East in mind to run our strength and conditioning program. He has applied to UNO’s masters program and I’m just waiting for that process to work itself out so he can move to Omaha.”

Warren Academy Track Team

   If all this isn’t enough to chew on, the Warren Academy will also field a track team this spring. “I love track and field. I am really excited about having our track team. We also plan on incorporating a basketball program next season,” Warren said.

   “We plan to do some traveling in track and in our off-season football program. We envision teaming up with other similar football training programs around the country to train together and maybe even compete in some seven-on seven contest.”

The Warren Academy Fraternity

   “Our focus is to build a program where all the participants and instructors feel like it’s a fraternity. When a kid puts on one of our shirts I want him or her to feel like they are part of something special. I want them to act at all times like they are not only representing themselves but those in the program now, and the ones that came before them, and the ones who will come after them.”

How to Sign Up and Participate

   The Warren Academy’s first training session is set to begin on Saturday, February 13^th, at the Ultimate Baseball Academy located at 4225 South 121^st Street Plaza . Athletes and/or parents interested in signing up to participate can call Steve Warren at 402-206-4733. You can also visit the Warren Academy web site @ http://warrenacademy.com to find out more about their program.

NOTICE: If you would like to donate your time and/or tax deductible funds to a worthy cause please visit Steve Warren’s D.R.E.A.M. web site for details @ www.joindream.org.

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Retired US Army First Sargent Patrick Simon Remembers University of Nebraska Track and Field Great Charlie Green As an Outstanding US Army Officer 

Patrick Simon, US Army First Sargent (Retired) and CEO/President of Beehive Technology Solutions LLC, is on a mission to save Charlie Greene's life.

By Will Cummings
myHitNews.com

    Imagine that deep inside your being you have always carried the knowledge that most of what you have accomplished in your lifetime you owe to a special person who served as your role model and who mentored and guided you down the right path at a very crucial time in your life when everything around you seemed to be falling apart, but you never really got the chance to tell that person how much they meant to you and how their actions and friendship prepared and inspired you to achieve throughout your life. Until a couple of days ago, this is the predicament that US Army First Sargent (retired) Patrick Simon faced, nearly three decades after losing touch with his former superior, mentor and friend: US Army Major Charles “Charlie” Greene—an Olympic Gold and Bronze medalist who at one moment in history laid claim to the title “Fastest Man in the World” by sprinting 100 meters faster than any human ever. 

   Patrick Simon was a troubled youth who ran away from home and “joined” the Army—well let’s just say that it was his best option at the time. And still carrying the baggage from his past, Simon struggled early on in his military career. But thanks in large measure to Major Greene’s influence, Simon would rise to the rank of First Sargent, finish college, earn a master’s degree and produce a very impressive post-military work resume in the field of business technologies and communications. Simon is currently the Chief Executive Officer and President of Beehive Technology Solutions LLC, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

   Unlike most of us when we here the name “Charlie Greene,” Simon does not see him as a world record-breaking 100 meter sprinter or winner of Gold & Bronze Medals at the1968 Olympic Games. Instead,  Simon’s entire conceptualization of Greene is that of an outstanding black army officer and soldier who rose to the rank of Major, a caring soul who befriended him, bolstered his self-esteem, guided him through his marital crisis and a man who inspired and helped him to further his education and army career and set the stage for his post-military business success.

   Often times the Christmas holiday season has a way of causing one to reflect upon those who touched their lives in the most profound way. Such is the case for Patrick Simon during this holiday season. As Simon thought about his troubled youth and then looked around at all that he had manged to achieve, he was thankful to God for all that he enjoyed. But Simon also knew that if it were not for Major Charles Greene’s presence in his life his fate would have been much different. Deeply troubled by the notion that he never expressed to Major Greene his gratitude and appreciation for taking him under his wing, those many years ago, he decided to track down the man he last touched base with back in the mid 1980′s. So Simon sat down at his computer and typed the name “Charles Greene” into his web browser search engine. The Internet search eventually led him to an article on this site (myHitnews.com) titled Wade: The Football:Part II of Life Saving Brain Surgery Sparks Star HS Football Player’s Ambition. As Simon read the post he was devastated to learn that this special person in his life, Major Charles Greene, is slowly dying from kidney failure and is in desperate need of a transplant.

   After Simon finished digesting the horrible news, he posted a comment to the article on our web site praising Greene’s contribution to his life and distinguished service to his country, Most importantly, he wanted information on how to get a hold of him.

   One of Greene’s close friends, Otha “Tommy”  Wade, read Simon’s post request and responded by providing him with Greene’s contact information.

   Otha Wade is Owner/Operator of Tommy Wade State Farm Insurance Agency and resides in Charlie Greene’s hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska. Consequently, in addition to their daily telephone conversations they are able to visit one another on a regular basis. Lately, Wade has become very concerned about Charlie’s condition. He believes that Charlie is living on borrowed time unless a donor match comes soon. “The dialysis treatment that Charlie undergoes three times a week really seems to be taking its toll on him,” Wade said.

   Otha has tried everything possible to find a donor for his friend, Charlie–including going as far trying to donate his own kidney. Unfortunately, Wade ‘s tissue was no match for Greene.

Otha "Tommy" Wade

   Thanks to Wade, Simon finally got his chance to express his pent up feelings of gratitude and admiration for Major Greene, during an emotional heartfelt telephone conversation that happened just a couple of days ago. And now it looks like Wade has another potent ally to help him find a kidney for Charlie.

   First Sergeant (Retired) Patrick Simon is now on a mission to save Major Greene’s life by doing everything he can to find a donor match for Charlie Greene. In evidence of his sincerity, Simon has allowed me to share the comment he posted on this site as well as excerpts from his email correspondence with Otha Wade in regards to his telephone conversation with Greene and some details about his service in the US Army.

   It is our hope that by sharing this information that others out there will see that this Nebraska Cornhusker track and field legend is much more than a former great sprinter. Charlie Greene has given this county and the world so much–he deserves our very best attempts to prolong his life.

Patrick Simon’s myHitNews.com Comment Post

“My name is First Sergeant (Retired) Patrick Simon and I served very proudly with Major (Retired) Charlie Greene on the US Army Systems and Evaluation Team Far East (Korea, Okinawa and Japan) and we worked for the Department of the Army Washington DC.  Major Greene led a very important team with a very important mission and was a great leader and officer!  I saw this entry about his kidney issue and I would like to contact him. Please help.”

Email to Otha Wade From Patrick Simon: Simon’s Phone Call to Major Greene

“Thank you so very much we spoke this morning.  This made my XMAS.  I have to admit that I had a chance to thank him for some special favors as a soldier, I broke done and just cried.  Major Greene is a special human being.
 
As a soldier I never “unlaced my boots” and as of today I am on a very special mission.  Charlie will get a Kidney and we are going to save his life.  He will call me back with a number to the Nebraska Kidney Group he is working with and I am going to get some other Army retirees invloved in this as well.  When we get a clearer picture of what we are up against, we will get a plan together.  I have a idea and we will move forward.”

 Email To Otha Wade From Patrick Simon: Major Greene’s Role in Helping to Shape the Modern Day Army

 ”…As a side note, when I met Charlie we were both assigned to a special Department of the Army Personnel & Systems Evaluations and Inspection Team-Far East-Korea-Okinawa-Japan (PERMAS).  The Army was in the storm of huge transition to the all volunteer professional soldiers you see today.  Our responsibility was to insure accurate systems reporting and that Army regulations and HR policies were working in the field.  We were the “Top Guns” of Army personnel systems and policy.  Major Greene was the Chief of the team. I was a team member and I specialized in finance and data systems.  We helped change Army regulations and modified systems and made the Army work to serve those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.  We took our work very seriously and we were the best in the Army professionally speaking-a Major Greene most people do not know…..My success however small is due to him, his efforts and his time to make me a better human being  and soldier.

 I was going through a terrible divorce in the states, trying to go to college at night, meet my obligations to the army and the team and just “be all I could be”.  Charlie saw me struggling with life and the Army and took the time to make me look at things differently and he helped repair a very badly damaged self-esteem.  I ran away from home and joined the Army.  Though Charlie I found my life’s mission and calling. So I am attaching my resume and my retirement Army award narrative that was read at my retirement.” 

 Major Greene never knew the product of his work and what I went on to accomplish and the world is a better place for it!  Sometimes God gives you a chance to repay some special debts, however strange this developed for Christmas, my chance is now before me.”

Patrick J. Simon
First Sargent (Retired) US Army
CEO/President, Beehive Technology Solutions LLC

 Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Charlie Greene. We are Working To Ensure
That You Enjoy Many More To Come. 

Charlie Greene

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Daniels Living Up to the Hype

By Will Cummings
myHitNews.com

Omaha Northwest's Anataries Daniels has now gone where no other Nebraska Class A rusher in history has ventured: 410 yards rushing in one game.

Congratulations to Antaries Daniels for breaking the Nebraska high school Class A single-game rushing record, with his 410 yards on 36 attempts against Omaha Benson on Friday, October 23, 2009, at Omaha Northwest High School.

His record breaking performance also shattered the 1991 school record held by his curent head football coach, Damon Benning. The former Class A single-game rushing record of 398 yards was also set in 1991 by Omaha South’s Jerry Swain.

Daniels definitley saved his best for last as his record shattering performance will be the final high school football game of his career. What a way to go out!