1. Leadership, Empowerment and Volunteering
I play full court pick-up basketball 3-4 times per week year round with all the players a decade or
two or three or four younger than me. The guys are kind to the old and feeble and let me play
even when I do not bring the ball. I have my aches and pains but the pain of not playing is far
worse than any pain I have learned to endure. In addition, I play pick-up soccer 3-4 times per
month with a different group of guys. I have limited skills but I do all the little things in both
sports to help my team such as play defense, rebound, set screens, pass and hustle.
I began playing basketball with these guys many of whom no longer play for many reasons and
was an integral part of continuing the basketball tradition so I asked players to bring a friend, tell
a buddy and spread the word about the game. When e-mail came along the numbers grew and
continue to be stable even with peaks and valleys in game attendance.
I started the pick-up soccer game fifteen years ago with the parents of the kids on the youth
soccer team. It began with about 10-12 players and we played on a small field. Over the years the
game has grown and expanded in numbers where on any given game day we have 25-35 players
all of whom are quite skilled and smart enough to keep the game competitive yet friendly. We all
have kids and we all have to go to work the next day. It’s aggressive but not crazy foolish. The
guys come from all over the world. They speak many languages but the common ground is that
small round ball that unites the diverse cultures and races who play for the love of the game and
the camaraderie that is just as important and valuable.
When our son was in summer day camp I would pick him up around noon. At home we would
eat lunch and he would relax until 2 PM when he and I would ride bikes, swim or attempt to fish
at the mud hole. This got old real fast and I knew I had to do something. I went back to days of
youth. My wife and I got on the telephone and sent e-mails to the families of the kids from day
camp who I knew were in town and probably struggling with the same boredom as my son and I.
Our message was simple: Pick-up baseball at the park. Bring your glove, bat and water. The first
day nine kids showed up and I did infield and batting practice with them. By the third day 26
kids showed up ranging in age from third to ninth grade. I appointed two kids as
managers/captains. They had to choose teams fairly, make the batting order and assign field
positions which were to be changed every inning or two so that each kid had the chance to play
as many positions as desired. I did the pitching to keep the game moving. Kids came on foot, by
bike, on scooters, and by car. Parents could stay or they could do whatever they had or wanted to
do. I scheduled the game to go from 2-4 PM when parents would arrive to take their kids home.
No one wanted to be first to take their kid home and many were the times that we played until 6
PM when I would take the initiative by shutting things down. The kids went home tired, hungry
and ready for tomorrow. Often I would get calls at home from kids and parents wanting to know
if the game was on for tomorrow. This is what kids should be doing. Playing without the yelling,
screaming, hollering, structure, trophies, pictures and goodie bags. The kids were outdoors where
they belong having fun, resolving their own issues, learning about life and just having fun at
play. On the weekends if there was a game I let other Dads, who were busy during the week, get
involved and be part of the action as I sat back and watched. At first they wanted to do
everything but soon learned and were encouraged by me to back away and let the kids be kids.
All those kids are now in college or working and when they around and we meet their first
remarks are about the great time and fun they had playing “Pick-Up” baseball at the park.

2. I have a Santa Claus costume and it was easy to find places to visit only I did not want to go
empty handed. I began a product fundraising campaign. The first year I wrote to ten companies
and received product donations from four. In the next few years I increased the solicitation letter
to thirty companies and received product donations from 24 companies. My wife, a professional
fundraiser at the time found this quite a remarkable accomplishment since statistically a two
percent return is the "norm". I have never been the norm.
I knew that companies received many requests from Santa so I had to create something different
and unique about my campaign. I did this by mailing an acknowledgment letter to the company
when I received their donation telling them that I would be mailing an official Thank You letter
in mid-January. This gave me to time to have the pictures we took of our visits developed which
I included in the Thank You letter so the folks at the office could see where their donation went.
By the way I always wrote to the company owner, chairman, president and CEO figuring to use
the trickledown theory which worked. Our basement was loaded with comic books, T-Shirts,
socks, hats, children's books, personal care products and sweet treats. I was even hired by one
corporation to be Santa at their annual Christmas Party. For five years I was Santa as I ride high
atop the town fire engine traveling through the neighborhoods with sirens blasting and lights
flashing arriving at the park (yes the same park where I did pick-up baseball with the kids) to
light the Christmas tree at the festive tree lighting ceremony. My wife and kids ride with me
when they can and often a friend or two came along for the trip which is a great thrill for the
kids.
For five consecutive years my wife and I planned, managed and implemented the annual
Halloween Festival in our community. We assembled volunteers and put on a show for the kids
that was quite memorable. We decorated the room with a Haunted House, String Spray Wall,
Cookie Decorating Station, Costume Parade, Music, Refreshments, a Magician and Pumpkin
Designing. We had attendance from parents and their children, as well as, some families who
brought the third and fourth generation of the family.
During the summer we often would go to Western New York State for a week of leisure, day
camp for the kids, some arts and culture for the grown-ups, a swim in the lake and music at
night. Most nights the kids did want to attend the music show and sit around for an hour or two. I
went to the hardware store and bought a 40 foot rope. I tied one end around a tree and the other
end I held in my hand and, with our two kids, thus began the nightly jump rope activity. Our
daughter would jump one hundred rotations. Our son would try to match her numbers. They
would rotate back and forth and soon they were jumping rope together often reaching 200 jumps.
Within 15-20 minutes other kids would assemble mostly just to watch, a bit shy and bashful
perhaps, but once I asked “Do you want to jump?” their faces lit up and within an hour there
were a dozen kids taking turns jumping rope. By the third night, the word spread and 35 kids
came to jump rope. Parents watched and marveled at the kids’ abilities some telling me their kids
rarely played any sports. Some parents took the other end of the rope that was tied to the tree and
helped me turn the rope.
Kids would keep count of their jumps and interesting enough they were conscious of their scores,
did simple math when comparing their numbers to others and learned many life skills such as
exercise, competition, patience, sharing, planning, coordination and plain old FUN.

3. By the end of the week the kids were ready for their big test. I had them line up about 30 in a
line, in no particular size order since we had kids in grades 3 through 10 jumping. After several
practice attempts they jumped 18 rotations without a miss. Parents were on hand to support,
cheer and take a picture or two with a camera since modern day phones with cameras were not
available back then. I still have the rope but our kids are older and advancing and progressing in
their chosen fields.
When our kids were in 8th Grade it was time for the 8th Grade Fair which was a fundraising event
held at the school. The daylong event featured games, food, prizes, raffles and donated items for
sale. My wife took the lead and organized the entire day’s activities from securing volunteers,
assigning responsibilities and raising enough money for the 8th Graders to go on their three day
trip to Washington, DC. The highlight of the day came when it was announced that more than
enough money was raised for the trip. The thing that put us over the top came from a Car Raffle.
One family moved to town when their son was in the 7th Grade. Their son was friends with our
son. Their family was a corporate family and had lived in several cities around the country prior
to moving to our town.
Before moving here they were In Massachusetts. It was basketball season and I was
Commissioner of the kids’ league. On the night we, the coaches, we picking fair and equitable
teams I received a phone form the Mom in Massachusetts. She wanted to be sure her son would
get on a team. She, also, told me they would not be moving here until the third game of the
season. I told her not to worry. Her son was on my team and his uniform shirt is with me.
When they arrived in town she called me and I told about the practice and game schedule. She
said she would do her best to get her son to practice and games. This was difficult for her since
with two other kids, their activities and her husband who traveled extensively for business she
could not guarantee her son could be at all the practices and games. I told her we will get your
son to everything and not to worry. Remember we are strangers and she knows nothing of the
town and me. She spoke with my wife and everything fell into place. At the end of basketball
season both the Mom and Dad told me this basketball experience was the best thing ever to
happen for their son. They had some difficult situations in other towns with coaches, parents and
scheduling. They knew this would be good for their son since in my earlier conversations with
the Mom I told her it’s all about the kids, learning, growing, playing and most of all having FUN.
Now, why is that story so important? It is quite significant because the Corporate Dad worked
for a major car company. He had a new car donated for the 8th Grade Fair to raffle. Raffle tickets
sold for $100.00 each and $18,000 was raised through his generosity. The kids went to
Washington DC because of the dedicated work by my wife, volunteers and the kindness of a
family who had just moved to town. All I did was coach basketball but it made all the difference
in the world for the new family and especially the kids who went on the trip.
Lastly, I taught our kids the game of Chess when they were in elementary school. Chess is a
game that should be part of school curriculum since it teaches critical thinking, planning,
strategy, patience and competition all of which are life skills they use today. And of course it was
FUN. People, especially kids, like the simple things in life which is why they get along with
me!!!

4. Oh, I almost forgot this one VERY LAST item. During military service I was lucky to be
stationed in The Philippines where, in addition to being a beautiful country with wonderful
people, music, culture and FOOD, I was fortunate to be part of the 6200 Air Base Wing Green
Hornets Football Team which was one of six teams in the league. The level of play and
competition was equal to that of Division Three College Football Teams.
The best part of my entire two seasons was that I was the only Non-African American on the
starting defensive team which was quite spectacular for many reasons. Before each game we
would change into our uniforms in a “hut” near the field. As we were changing a bottle of
Thunderbird was being passed around be the starting defensive players, of which I was one as
previously mentioned. The bottle came to me. All my teammates’ eyes were on me and with
their eyes they were saying “Will he”? Without hesitation I lifted the bottle to my mouth and
downed a big swig of T-Bird. The guys all cheered and we “high-fived” each other in
brotherhood. We had two winning seasons and a few of us made the All-Star Team. We saw no
color. We lived, worked, played and socialized together. I miss the guys who often told me that
“I had more soul than I could control”. It was great for us all. It can be done today. I will do it.
When we provide healthy positive role-models for our kids they develop a foundation of
physical, emotional, academic and spiritual strength, courage, awareness and confidence which
results in them growing into adults accomplishing more than they ever thought possible. Nurture
every kid with love, knowledge, discipline, respect, belonging, a bike, a ball, a jump rope, a
chess set and a Rubik’s Cube and they will succeed. The dividends and rewards will be the time
when they do all these things for others now and in future generations.
Thanks for reading all my “stuff”!!!