#NNPA BlackPress

PRESS ROOM: Over 20 Diverse PGA Professionals Mentor Student Athletes at PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship

To help these young athletes make connections with golf industry experts, over 20 diverse PGA Professionals from around the country have volunteered as PGA WORKS Ambassadors and will be alongside the athletes and teams as they experience Birmingham during tournament week.
The post PRESS ROOM: Over 20 Diverse PGA Professionals Mentor Student Athletes at PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 years ago

May 11, 2023

admin

By Jesse Dodson

A special week has descended upon Birmingham, Alabama, as over 200 collegiate golfers and 29 teams from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions and other minority-serving institutions from across the country will grace the grounds of Shoal Creek Club and Bent Brook Golf Course to compete in the 2023 PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship presented by Chase Sapphire May 8-10.

The championship, which will be broadcast live on Golf Channel from 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm ET each round, is known as the most culturally significant championship in collegiate golf. The beauty behind it all, this is much more than your typical 54-hole collegiate championship. This event is about culture, community and introducing a career these college athletes will love for the rest of their lives.

“A big part of our PGA WORKS Ambassador’s role is to mentor and connect with the teams, student athletes and coaches,” said PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship Director Scooter Clark, PGA. “They will be able to share their own personal experiences as a diverse PGA Member. They can also talk about a pathway to PGA Membership, and help these athletes figure out what opportunities exist for them within the industry.”

Maulana Dotch, PGA, General Manager of Hermann Park Golf Course in Houston, is among the list of Ambassadors, and rightly so.

She is not only a past champion of the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship while attending Bethune-Cookman University—who won as a team all four years Dotch competed—but she also won as an individual her senior year in 2002.

However, perhaps more importantly, Dotch is the first Black woman PGA Member to serve as a General Manager of a golf facility. Her experience of becoming a PGA Professional as a minority is inspiring enough, but as someone who has excelled in her career, she becomes an invaluable connection for the Texas Southern University team’s athletes to rely on for guidance and support.

“When the PGA started looking for volunteers for the event, I was one of the first to raise my hand,” said Dotch. “It holds a special place for me because of the history of the tournament.

“When I came through the program into the tournament, I didn’t see PGA Members like me. To have PGA Members here that look like most of the players, you know, that’s important for them to see and recognize, ‘Oh, this is something I can do. I can be a PGA Member, I can manage a golf course.’”

Gerry Hammond, PGA, Director of Instruction and Owner of The Golf Depot at Central Park in Gahanna, Ohio, is the Ambassador for the Florida A&M University and Alabama State teams. He’s a past participant of the championship and loves how many Ambassadors are here for the event.

“I was once here, just to see it come from where it was then to where it is now, is amazing,” Hammond says. “It shows the efforts of everyone pulling this together and offering this opportunity to so many kids. What better time than now to get the best of the best together, not only to play golf but for networking?

“From a career standpoint, everybody here loves the game. If this game can be in the fabric of their daily life as a career, I think it’s one of the best places to be. I’ve been a PGA Professional for 27 years now, and I wouldn’t change it.”

Before the first tee shot was even hit, the PGA WORKS Ambassadors were in the mix with 80 local kids coming to Shoal Creek for a Youth Day, to learn the fundamentals of the game from PGA Professionals.

Afterwards, they joined their teams on a “Birmingham Experience” guided tour, visiting the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the historic 16th Street Baptist Church, the first Black church in Birmingham. The church was tragically bombed in 1963, due to an act of racism, and then heroically rebuilt in 1964, with the help of generous donations from around the world. The tour shed a light on the significant civil rights developments the city of Birmingham has experienced.

The Ambassadors also accompanied their teams to the PGA WORKS Beyond the Green career exploration event the day before the tournament began. It’s here where panels are held by golf industry experts and local community leaders to help provide knowledge and networking opportunities for the athletes and local college and high school students.

Derek Gutierrez, PGA, General Manager of Santa Ana Golf Club Inc. and a member of the PGA Board of Directors, serves as PGA WORKS Committee Co-Chair, but is also taking the time to be a PGA WORKS Ambassador to the Western New Mexico University team while at the event.

“First and foremost, I hope all these student athletes have a positive and memorable experience, they will remember it always,” said Gutierrez. “It is my goal to engage with as many athletes as I can, and help them realize the endless opportunities that exist in our industry. The PGA of America has worked diligently to make our game and profession welcoming to everyone, and this year’s Beyond the Green will bring more awareness of those opportunities.”

PGA and LPGA Member Sherri Pla, Program Director for her namesake Sherri Pla Junior Golf Academy, understands the importance of having a mentor. Someone who you can lean on for advice and guidance. She will serve as the Ambassador for Prairie View University during the week.

“If I can give them something they can take back home, something that will help them grow, help them reach goals, help them learn something they can use going forward, I think that’s all we can ask,” said Pla, a Florida Atlantic University Hall of Fame Member. “You never know what those moments are going to be, when you can impact someone’s life in a positive manner.”

Champions will be crowned at the 2023 PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship—that’s for certain. But if a career is born because of a relationship made or a panel discussion visited; that’s the real win.

2023 PGA WORKS Ambassadors

Richard Brown, PGA
PGA of America Education Faculty – Frisco, Texas

Jeff Dunovant, PGA
John A. White Golf Course Director of Golf – Atlanta, Georgia

Derek Gutierrez, PGA
Santa Ana Golf Club Inc. General Manager – Santa Ana Pueblo, NM

Brandon Howard, PGA
Belmont Golf Course – Richmond, Virginia

Mackenzie Mack, PGA
Callaway Golf DE&I Director – San Marcos, California

Clay Myers, PGA
The Park West Palm Beach Head Professional – West Palm Beach, Florida

Henry Pointer, PGA
First Tee East Baton Rouge Instructor – Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Henry Stetina, PGA
New Mexico State University PGM Program Coordinator – Las Cruces, New Mexico

Blair Waters, PGA
G/FORE Sales Representative – Scottsdale, Arizona

Chris Brown, PGA
Methodist University PGM Internship Director – Fayetteville, North Carolina

Maulana Dotch, PGA
Hermann Park Golf Course General Manager – Houston, Texas

Gerry Hammond, PGA
The Golf Depot Director of Instruction and Owner – Gahanna, Ohio

Rich Jones, PGA
Golf Galaxy Director of Instruction – Bay Shore, New York

Tiana Jones, PGA
University of Maryland Eastern Shore Head Coach – Princess Anne, Maryland

Vince Juarez, PGA
KemperSports Vice President of Operations – Northbrook, Illinois

Kendall Murphy, PGA
Troon Director of DE&I – Scottsdale, Arizona

Mark Nance, PGA
PXG Indianapolis Store Manager – Indianapolis, Indiana

Sherri Pla, PGA
Sherri Pla Junior Golf Academy Director of Instruction – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Josh Salmon, PGA
New Mexico State University PGM Program Specialist – Las Cruces, New Mexico

Klenton Sparks, PGA
Broken Sound Golf Club Assistant Professional – Boca Raton, Florida

Rashad Wilson, PGA
SuperPro Golf Services Director of Operations – Bethlehem, Georgia

Tom Woodard, PGA
Meadows Golf Course Director of Golf – Littleton, Colorado

The 2023 PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship will be played May 8-10 at Shoal Creek Golf Club and Bent Brook Golf Course and will be broadcast live on Golf Channel each round from 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm ET.

The post PRESS ROOM: Over 20 Diverse PGA Professionals Mentor Student Athletes at PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

admin

Posts by admin

Up Next

Task Force Recommends Breast Cancer Screening Should Begin at Age 40

Don't Miss

Daniel Penny Charged in Fatal Chokehold of Jordan Neely

admin

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

PRESS ROOM: Clyburn, Pressley, Scanlon, Colleagues Urge Biden to Use Clemency Power to Address Mass Incarceration Before Leaving Office

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Mass incarceration remains a persistent, systemic injustice that erodes the soul of America. Our nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with nearly two million people locked in jails and prisons throughout the country.

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2024

Oakland Post

Read the letter here.

Watch the press conference here.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) led 60 of their colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to use his executive clemency power in the final months of his presidency to reunite families, address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set our nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration.

The lawmakers hosted a press conference earlier today to discuss the letter. A full video of their press conference is available here and photos are available here.

“Now is the time to use your clemency authority to rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences given by judges,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “The grant of pardons and commutations and the restoration of rights will undoubtedly send a powerful message across the country in support of fundamental fairness and furthering meaningful criminal justice reform.”

Mass incarceration remains a persistent, systemic injustice that erodes the soul of America. Our nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with nearly two million people locked in jails and prisons throughout the country. The extreme use of incarceration has resulted in one in two adults having had an incarcerated family member. People of color are disproportionately put behind bars, along with individuals from low-income communities, LGBTQIA+ folks, and those with disabilities. The bloated prison system reflects and emboldens biases that undermine the ideals of our nation and diminish trust in the rule of law. Mass incarceration attacks the most vulnerable Americans, thereby destabilizing families and inflicting intergenerational trauma.

In their letter to President Biden, the lawmakers praised the President’s efforts to create a fair and just criminal legal system by pardoning people convicted of simple marijuana possession and LGBTQ+ former servicemembers and urged the President to use his clemency powers to help broad classes of people and cases, including the elderly and chronically ill, those on death row, people with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women who were punished for defending themselves against their abusers. The lawmakers also outlined the fiscal toll of the growing mass incarceration crisis.

“You have the support of millions of people across the country who have felt the harms of mass incarceration: young children longing to hug their grandparents, people who have taken responsibility for their mistakes, and those who simply were never given a fair chance,” the lawmakers wrote. “These are the people seeking help that only you can provide through the use of your presidential clemency power.”

Joining Representatives Clyburn, Pressley, and Scanlon in sending the letter are Representatives Joyce Beatty, Sanford Bishop, Shontel Brown, Cori Bush, André Carson, Troy Carter, Yvette Clarke, Jasmine Crockett, Valerie Foushee, Al Green, Jahana Hayes, Steven Horsford, Jonathan Jackson, Pramila Jayapal, Henry Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Robin Kelly, Summer Lee, Jennifer McClellan, Gregory Meeks, Delia Ramirez, Jan Schakowsky, Robert Scott, Terri Sewell, Marilyn Strickland, Bennie Thompson, Rashida Tlaib, and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

The lawmakers’ letter is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union; Center for Popular Democracy; Last Prisoner Project; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Death Penalty Action; The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls; The Faith Leaders of Color Coalition; Second Chance Justice of MCAN; JustLeadershipUSA; FAMM; The Episcopal Church; The Bambi Fund; Free Billie Allen Campaign; People’s Coalition for Safety and Freedom; Prophetic Resistance Boston; and Families Against Mandatory Minimums.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Tennessee State University Set to Debut the First Division I Hockey Team at An HBCU

THE AFRO — “I am incredibly excited to embark on building this program, supported by God, my family, TSU students, alumni, and all those eagerly awaiting this moment,” said Duanté Abercrombie, the head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers ice hockey team, in a press release courtesy of TSU Athletics. “I firmly believe that one day, TSU will be recognized not only as a powerhouse on the ice but also as a program whose student-athletes leave a profound legacy on the world, enriched by the lessons learned at TSU.”

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2024

admin

By Mekhi Abbott
Special to the AFRO
mabbott@afro.com

Tennessee State University (TSU) continues to break ground on a historic journey to become the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to field a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey team. Alongside some assistance from the National Hockey League (NHL), the NHL Players’ Association and the Nashville Predators, the TSU Tigers have already named their official head coach, unveiled their jersey and received their first official commitment from a student-athlete.

TSU held an official press conference to announce the plan in June 2023. Their first official season as a sanctioned Division I program is planned to commence in 2025-26. On April 18, TSU named Duanté Abercrombie as the head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers ice hockey team.

“I am incredibly excited to embark on building this program, supported by God, my family, TSU students, alumni, and all those eagerly awaiting this moment,” said Abercrombie in a press release courtesy of TSU Athletics. “I firmly believe that one day, TSU will be recognized not only as a powerhouse on the ice but also as a program whose student-athletes leave a profound legacy on the world, enriched by the lessons learned at TSU.”

Abercrombie was raised in Washington, D.C., and was mentored by hockey legend Neal Henderson, the first Black man to be inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. Abercrombie attended Gonzaga College High School and graduated from Hampton University, where he was a track and field athlete prior to retiring due to an injury. After college, Abercrombie briefly played professional hockey in both the New Zealand Ice Hockey League as well as the Federal Hockey League.

After his career as a professional hockey player, Abercrombie moved onto coaching, including stints with his alma mater Gonzaga and Georgetown Preparatory School. In 2022-23, Abercrombie was a member of the coaching staff for NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs organization.

“We are no longer doing club play in 2024-25. We are going right into D1 play for 2025-26,” Nick Guerriero told the AFRO. Guerriero is the assistant athletic director of communications and creative content at Tennessee State.

On Jan. 19, TSU got their first official commitment from an ice hockey recruit, Xavier Abel. Abel played at Drury University and scored 12 goals in 34 games, including three game-winning goals. Abel was recruited by Guerriero.

In July, the Tigers got their second commitment from forward Trey Fechko. In October, Trey’s brother Marcus Fechko also committed to Tennessee State. Since, the Tigers have also signed forward Greye Rampton, goaltender Johnny Hicks, Grady Hoffman and four-star forward Bowden Singleton. Singleton flipped his commitment from North Dakota to Tennessee State. Guerriero said that TSU has a “few” other recruits that they are waiting to announce during their November signing period.

“I think it’s important to invest in these unorthodox sports for Black athletes because it allows Black children to have more opportunities to play sports in general,” said Zion Williams, a 2024 Gettysburg College graduate and former collegiate athlete. “The more opportunities that children have, the better. They won’t feel like they are boxed into one thing or sport.”

admin

Posts by admin

#NNPA BlackPress

HBCU Champions Advance to Postseason Play

WASHINGTON INFORMER — From HBCU football teams, to the University of the District of Columbia’s soccer program, and Howard University’s volleyball players, athletes are still working to capture titles and garner bragging rights in their various conferences.

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2024

admin

By Ed Hill | The Washington Informer

As the semester quickly winds down, several teams at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are hoping to find success in the postseason.

From HBCU football teams, to the University of the District of Columbia’s soccer program, and Howard University’s volleyball players, athletes are still working to capture titles and garner bragging rights in their various conferences.

South Carolina State proved all the prognosticators wrong by winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular season title after being picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll.

As a result of their success, defeating the Morgan State Bears 54-7 on Nov. 16, the South Carolina Bulldogs now qualify for the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Dec. 14 in Atlanta, kicking off at noon and streaming on ABC.

However, another game between Jackson State and Southern University must happen a week before the big matchup in Atlanta, before the Bulldogs (8-2, 4-0 MEAC) know who they’ll be going against.

The Bulldogs, who have one game remaining on the schedule against Delaware State on Saturday, Nov. 23, will square off against the winner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) title game between Jackson State and Southern University on Dec. 7.

The Southern Jaguars (7-4, 6-1 SWAC) won the West Division, while the Jackson State Tigers (9-2, 7-0 SWAC) captured the East Division and the two will now meet up on Jackson, Mississippi at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, kicking off at 1 p.m. and streaming on ESPN2.

In the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championship game, it was Virginia Union University that defeated rival Virginia State 21-17 for the title in Salem, Virginia, on Nov. 16.

Virginia Union University celebrates after defeating Virginia State University, and winning the regular season CIAA title in Salem, Virginia, on Nov. 16. (Courtesy photo)

It was the Virginia Union University Panthers’ second straight CIAA title, avenging a 35-28 loss to the Virginia State University Trojans on Nov. 9. The Panthers (8-3 overall, 6-1 in the CIAA) got an effort of 178 yards rushing on 32 carries and a touchdown from Jodo Byers.

Virginia Union will open the playoffs with a road game at Wingate in Wingate, North Carolina on Nov. 23, with kickoff at 1 p.m.

In the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAC) championship, it was Miles College (9-2) overwhelming Clark Atlanta (7-3), 53-25 in the title game. The Miles College Golden Bears piled up over 430 yards of total offense, giving them a NCAA Division 2 bid as they host Carson-Newman on Nov. 23 at 11 a.m.

Miles boasts one of the top defenses in the country in Division 2, having forced 33 turnovers.

University of the District of Columbia Soccer Team Defeats Molloy

In men’s soccer, the University of the District of Columbia defeated Molloy University in the East Coast Conference (ECC) championships final on Nov. 17.

The University of the District of Columbia men’s soccer team celebrates after winning the East Coast Conference championship game on Nov. 17 (Courtesy photo)

Mustafa Tahir scored the game-winning goal in the 100th minute. It was Tahir’s third game winner of the season.

The Firebirds (8-7-4, 3-4-1 in the ECC) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division 2 tournament against the No. 7 seed Post University. on Friday, Nov. 22. UDC enters the game on a four-game win streak.

Howard University Volleyball Dominating in the MEAC

Howard University is one of the hottest women’s college volleyball teams.

Howard University’s volleyball team has been on fire at 21-5 overall and undefeated in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. (Courtesy photo)

The Bison (21-5 overall, 14-0 MEAC) went undefeated in league play and are on a current 15-game game win streak headed into Friday’s tournament in Dover, Delaware.

The final is scheduled for Sunday at 8:30 pm on ESPNU.

Howard is the top seed, and they will be looking to capture their sixth tournament title and NCAA bid in the past nine years.

The Bison boast one of the top players in the country in junior outside hitter Rya McKinnon, who is headed for an unprecedented third straight Player of the Year honor.