Georgian Hills’ Cougars have championship tracks

by Andre Mitchell
Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Are you ready for some football? If you are, then great because it's that time again and the MIAA football season is upon us.

This Saturday (Aug. 11), the 2012-13 middle school football jamboree at the Memphis Fairgrounds will get underway at 5:20 p.m., with Kate Bond scrimmaging against Chickasaw, and conclude with White Station colliding with J.P. Freeman at 8:20 p.m.

The African-American Athletes of Team USA

Women's Basketball

Seimone Augustus, age 28, studied at Louisiana State University

Swin Cash, age 32, studied at University of Connecticut

Tamika Catchings, age 33, studied at University of Tennessee

Tina Charles, age 23, studied at University of Connecticut

Basketball and ‘giving’ intersect with Grizz guard Josh Selby

For Grizzlies' guard Josh Selby, "Basketball Never Stops" is more than a NBA slogan. It's also a pattern of thought that he has incorporated into his personal life as he uses his talent in basketball to help others.

A native of Baltimore, Md., the 21-year-old Selby recently (July 27-29) hosted the first Josh Selby Weekend in his hometown. It came on the heels of Selby being named co-MVP of the 2012 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, sharing the title with Portland Trailblazer's Damian Lilliard.

Laurel J. Richie: Life, the league & the Olympics

Laurel J. Richie has more than three decades of experience in consumer marketing, corporate branding, public relations, and corporate management, with a long track record of developing award-winning campaigns that transform brands and drive business results. As President of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), she oversees all of the league's day-to-day business and league operations.

Racist tweet trips Greek Olympian

Greek female triple jumper Voula Papachristou has been kicked off the Olympic team after she tweeted a racist remark about African immigrants in the Mediterranean nation.

Papachristou, who has shown support for Greek's far right Golden Dawn political party, tweeted a remark about the influx of mosquitoes in the country carrying the West Nile Virus.

Olympics can move children to physical activity

All eyes are on London as the Summer Olympic Games commence, and, according to an expert at Baylor College of Medicine, the sporting events are a great opportunity for children and adolescents to learn about physical activity and goal setting.

Penn State aftermath lands Grambling’s Robinson back on top

Former Grambling State University Head Coach Eddie Robinson reclaimed his position as the winningest coach in Division I college football history through unexpected circumstances this week.

Penalties heaped upon Penn State and announced on Monday (July 23) included stripping the university of 111 football victories racked up during the tenure of legendary Penn State Coach Joe Paterno. That moved dropped Paterno to 298 victories, again making Robinson with 408 wins the winningest coach in Division I college football history.

Youth baseball tournament plays out this weekend

The Tri-State Baseball Academy end of the season tournament is set for Saturday at Jesse Turner Park on the corner of Bellevue and South Parkway East.

AAU Championship dreams for 3rd Grade Memphis War Eagles

The quest for the 3rd Grade AAU National Championship will have the Memphis War Eagles in Orlando for the competition that begins July 30 and runs through Aug. 5.

Some four months ago, the Memphis War Eagles were simply a group of young men coming together for the very first time to play the sport they all love passionately. The 12-man squad heads to Orlando with the opportunity to complete an undefeated season.

Sugar Ray Leonard: ‘The Big Fight’

Sugar Ray Leonard captured the gold medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and later became the first fighter to earn over $100 million over the course of an enviable career. After winning world championship titles in five different weight classes, he retired from the ring in 1997. His 36-3-1 record, includes 25 wins by knockout.

Today, Ray lives in California with his wife, Bernadette, and their children, Camille and Daniel. Here, he discusses his moving memoir, "The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of the Ring."

Girls Inc. teams with First Tee to teach golf and life skills

by Alisha Tillery
Special to The New Tri-State Defender

Thirteen-year-old Sara Smith stood with her legs parted and knees bent slightly as she steadied herself and swung a shiny golf club. Smith is one of 50 rising eighth-grade girls who recently gathered at Firestone Park to show off their golfing skills, courtesy of a new partnership between Girls Incorporated of Memphis and First Tee of Memphis.

Part of the national Eureka! Program, a national Girls Inc. initiative that encourages girls' exploration in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) career paths, participants are required to take swimming lessons, along with another alternative sport to learn life skills and personal development.

Bluff City Classic operators vow to regroup

"Devastated" is part of the self-description that Bluff City Classic organizer Stanley Blue used to convey the way he feels about the decision to cancel play in the high-profile Memphis summer basketball league.

Safety concerns have sidelined the long-running league that was only two weeks into this summer's scheduled competition.

On July 5, more than 1,000 fans and players left The LeMoyne-Owen College gym in the 800-block of Walker and encountered a crime scene.