Olympic Gold Medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee recently held her Winning for Life motivational session in front of hundreds of track and field participants, coaches, parents and volunteers at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis.
Not only did the greatest female athlete of all time show up for the event like she always does, she brought in another stellar relay team to speak to the youth.
Current East St. Louis Senior High and future Hall of Fame coach Nino Fennoy, Principal Leeola Johnson and athletic director Leonard Manley, and East St. Louis School District 189 leading the charge, student – athletes got an opportunity to hear the members of this great panel discuss their careers. Then, the athletes were given a chance to ask questions to the Olympic greats.
Leading the panel was another East St. Louis native and Olympic Gold Medalist Dawn Harper. Harper a gold-medal winner in Beijing in 2008, winning 100-meter hurdles in a sizzling time 12.54 seconds. In addition, Harper made news by winning the USA Outdoor Championship in the 100-meter Hurdles in 2009.
Also on hand was the sensational Allyson Felix. The former UCLA All- American and Olympic Champion in the 200-meter dash and 4×400-meter relay. The presence of Felix was an instant success with the young student –athletes.
“Just getting an opportunity to reach out and touch Jackie and Allyson made my day” said Kim MacAfee from Wyvetter Young Middle School in East St. Louis, one of several East St. Louis schools in attendance as well as the host Flyerettes of East St. Louis.
Palatine High School in Illinois made the long trip to the East Side as well as Chicago Morgan Park, Chicago Simeon, Springfield Southeast and Danville.
Local Missouri powers such as McCluer South-Berkeley, Normandy, Metro, and Cardinal Ritter were also there to receive the life-skills and track & field suggestions from the stars.
Hat’s off, JJK, we love you in East Boogie!
Colorless regional
NCAA midwest regional, colorless…
The games were great, the atmosphere electric…….
Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo, and University of Tennessee Head Coach Bruce Pearl not only know how to dress and look the part, they showed you St. Louis University Basketball loyalists what a million dollar coach really looks like on the court…
Not what Rick “Slick Rick “Majerus giving you for your money at SLU…
But the festivities at the Edward Jones Dome consisted of hardly anybody of color making any decision besides some of the best police officers that St. Louis City and St. Louis County has to offer, as well as the ticket takers and greeters at the doors.
Otherwise, if you weren’t moping, sweeping or serving, you weren’t a part of March Madness in The Lou!
But those few blacks I did see do something, Oh, one Negro who pushed the ball on and off the court after pregame and halftime warm-ups acted like he was important.
By the same token, the brother looked as though he was scared to speak…or might blow his cover that he didn’t really claim to be black this weekend.
Or the good white folk who like black folks, but not that much to shake your hand around certain whites and of course anybody with CBS, or the NCAA looking.
I would love to think that it was only a mirage what I was seeing, but I see it over and over again. But on the other hand, we black people should demand to be more involved when these multi-million dollar events come to our community. But we don’t. With the economic boom that was spent this weekend, did black folks have a game plan to reap some of the benefits? Vending, hotels, gasoline, none of that money hit North St. Louis or East St. Louis because we didn’t get involved and get to the table and demand a piece of the pie. But as long as a few people benefit, a ticket here, a day in the suite to view a game there, we won’t be asked to participate either.
Tickets, tickets, who needs tickets, may I help you? What floor please?
East Side tidings
Daren Nash, the head basketball coach at Cahokia High School, had one heck of a run this year. The Comanches lost in the IHSA Class 3A Super-Sectionals against Champaign Centennial in one of the best robberies since Bonnie and Clyde Barrow were working the block.
Here are a couple of names to look out for in East St. Louis sports in the up-coming years: Desean Munson, Joymiesha Howard, Natarious Strong, Duke Robinson, Demarna Cannon – Powers, Caron Randolph, Tyshawn Stanback and Dasha Thomas.