Miami Dade Hires new baseball coach

Hector D. Gonzalez
MDCC Baseball Coach Danny Price

Miami Dade College has hired a new baseball coach Danny Price on May 27th.
The former FIU skipper replaces longtime coach Steve Hertz who coached Miami Dade’s baseball team for 26 seasons and accomplished 945 wins in his career.
“It’s been a great 25 years at Miami Dade, a privilege and an honor,” Hertz said, “But it is time to step back.”
Price, comes from a program at FIU where he coached 28 seasons from 1980 to 2007 posting an overall record of 165-130 wins to losses (.559) and 62-63 overall in the Sunbelt Conference. He also played as a player for FIU from 1973-1974 in the first baseball team the university had according to Price.
“I was one of the first players on the first baseball team, first to get a hit and first to be a team captain,” Price said.
Still Price stated no matter what is on his resume he won’t be able to replace longtime coach Steve Hertz and looks forward to the challenge leading the college’s baseball team.
“You don’t replace him, I have tremendous respect for Hertz and this program,” Hertz said, “It’s exciting and challenging I look forward to it.”
When asked how different would it be coming from a four year school where he coached some well known name players now in the Major leagues such as : Mike Lowell ( Red Sox, Marlins), Brad Eldred ( Rockies) and Josh Banks ( Padres), Mark Worrell ( Cardinals) to a two year college he had this to say ;
“Well if you look at the history of Miami Dade College there is a lot of people who graduated from this institution and had great careers on and off the baseball field,” Price said, “It’s not just baseball.”
The former skipper also said that although he hasn’t gotten to know the players on his new team he expects to keep it simple for the upcoming season.
“ Keep it simple, take it one day at a time, I’ am not going to reinvent the wheel here,” Price said, “ I want the players to have fun and get the education, I want to teach them to be great human beings as well.”

Miami Dade Lady Sharks Nat Champs!!

By Hector D. Gonzalez
Sports Editor

The Miami Dade College softball team was all smiles as they arrived at Miami International Airport.
The Sharks had good reason to feel giddy.
They had just defeated Wallace State Community College located in Alabama at the National Junior College Athletic Association National Tournament. The win earned the Sharks their first National Junior College Athletic Association championship in softball on May 23, at St. George, Utah.
The Sharks won all five games they played at the three- day, 16-team tournament. They outscored the competition 46-11.

“They were the best team on the field,” Head coach Carlos Caro said. “They competed to the best of their abilities and they won it.”
Pitcher Erika Bennett, who posted a record of 4-0 and a 0.54 ERA while being named the tournaments’ MVP, led the way.
“My pitching was on fire this weekend,” Bennett said.
She finished the season with a record of 26-2.
But Bennett was not the only one to pack a punch for the Sharks. The team finished the tournament with 11 homers. Freshmen infielder/outfielder Kristen Exposito had three home runs. The Sharks also had 13 stolen bases and made only three errors.

“It was like an explosion with everything that could go right, going right,” Exposito said. “Everyone’s energy went up. Everyone was hitting and awake. This is awesome.”
Caro was named the Karen L. Sykes Outstanding Coach of the 2010 NJCAA Tournament. Freshmen outfielder/catcher Veronika Fukunishi, sophomore infielder Simone Suetsugu, sophomore pitcher/infielder Geovany Nunez, and catcher Vivian Morimoto were named to the All-Tournament Team.
The Sharks finished the year (51-6), setting school records for most wins and the fewest losses in a season.
Several of the team’s players have been offered scholarships at four-year schools.
Amanda Lara and Bennett both will attend Marshall University, Suetsugu will attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and Morimoto has made a verbal commitment to attend Florida Gulf Coast University.
Despite losing key players, Caro believes the team is poised to repeat as national champions next year.
“It has been the result of hard work throughout the year. We got together, planned it together and accomplished it together,” Caro said. “They won it and next year we will try to do it again.”

Texting and Driving an addiction ???....

Hundreds of YouTube videos, images and lessons later...I've finally found practical things to do to avoid the dangerous but addicting texting and driving. No, it isn' t drinking and driving but believe it or not statistics show it may be even more deadlier. Check out these stats from Edgar Snyder & Associates website:

Talking on a cell phone causes nearly 25% of car accidents.
One-fifth of experienced adult drivers in the United States send text messages while driving.
In 2008 almost 6,000 people were killed and a half-million were injured in crashes related to driver distraction.
At any given time during daylight hours in 2008, more than 800,000 vehicles were driven by someone using a hand-held cell phone.
4 out of every 5 accidents (80%) are attributed to distracted drivers. In contrast, drunk drivers account for roughly 1 out of 3 (33%) of all accidents nationally.
Texting while driving is about 6 times more likely to result in an accident than driving while intoxicated.
People who text while driving are 23% more likely to be in a car accident.
A study of dangerous driver behavior released in January 2007 by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. found that of 1,200 surveyed drivers, 73% talk on cell phones while driving. The same 2007 survey found that 19% of motorists say they text message while driving.

Alarming isn't it? But if your like me even with all that information you still find yourself texting behind the wheel. Why is it so difficult to avoid grabbing that cellphone and begin viewing, typing and responding away? Sure you try to convince yourself that your breaking the Law doing it...the battle between your hands and your mind begin. " I should not be doing this," I said to myself, "Someone could get hurt what if I cause someone else to Die."!

After that the texting stop, but maybe a couple of miles of driving ahead the temptations come back like the smell of a 16oz steak in the middle of lunch....as weird and funny as that may sound the horrors of the potential consequences is unimaginable. So what can be done or what can you do to stop it? I found these couple of practical things to do to help remedy the addiction.

1. Admit that you have the problem and realize the problem is not the phone or person texting you, it' s you...Most use the excuse of well emergencies happen to text or answer,when most of the times there isn't an emergency. Still set up an Emergency Action Plan for yourself and family where the cell phone isn't the only option. If you're prepared you can be ready. ( Without it even if you answer or respond to the text ,if the news is terrible that alone may cause you to panic and have an accident). This website may help ...www.isc.sdsu.edu/study_abroad/forms/PersonalEAP.pdf

2. Try pulling over to the side if the texting or call come in back to back or if you sense it's an emergency. Read it or answer the phone and move on.( Emergency does not mean ...responding to a how's it going text?Or doing it every text) This is better than ending up or placing someone in an intensive care unit at a hospital.

3. Before you leave your house for the day and drive off be sure to answer any text prior to getting in the vehicle. You know your daily routine and the times you normally drive, so let your loved ones know not to text you or call you unless an emergency during that period of time you'll be driving.

4. Educate your family and loved ones the dangers of texting and driving while behind the wheel.

5.Place your cell phone somewhere to difficult or out of reach before you drive off that way you won't be able to grab the phone and answer or text. ( If you can' t get it ...your likely to stop and pullover somewhere it's better than while driving)

6. If you're going on a short drive and quickly returning to work or home, leave your phone inside the office or house. ( If it' s not there it can't distract you).

7. This is last resort...if everything else fails. Try to text only when you're at a red light and the vehicle is completely stopped. ( I started doing this and little by little I was able to completely stop texting while behind the wheel).

"These tips and suggestions are only a few of many available online and book stores. The real solution to the problem is in the person you look in the mirror everyday."

For the Love of God - Praises of King David!

Miami Dade Community College Basketball Team

The Miami Dade Community College has an actual basketball team The Miami Dade Sharks, led by Head Coach Matt Eisele 27.
Recent games include a win versus Palm Beach State College 77-71, but losing to Brevard Community College 69-60 on February the 3rd and the next home games being at the Gibson Center in Kendall Campus versus Broward Community College on February 10th at 7:30pm games are free admission.
Thanks to coach Eisele and staff The Sharks have made progress over the past two seasons in bringing a winning tradition at Miami Dade, despite posting a (10-12) record so far this season. Eisele, who was hired By Miami Dade College in 2007, first served as the Sharks Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator before taking the head coaching position.
Coach Eisele brought in an impressive resume, one that included previous stops at the University of Pittsburg, Belhaven College in addition as well working in several basketball camps for some of the nation’s top universities such as The University of North Carolina, University of Miami, and The 5-Star Elite Camp.
In his first season 2007-2008 Eisele, led the Sharks to an 18-9 record, and Southern Conference Runner-up. His tough no nonsense style has been key to the programs resurrection.
“I strive for perfection” Eisele said. “At this level most of the players we have here come as a result of poor Academic problems or because they either dropped the ball in the programs they were in before with discipline problems” added Eisele
. With a new staff in place and a lot of experience at the highest level they have this program on the right track. In the past many players consisting of players such as 6’8 forward Trevor Mbakwe (Minnesota),6’7’’ forward Darnell Dodson (Kentucky) and 6’2”point guard James Beatty (Rutgers) have gone to some of the top Division I schools in the nation.
Coach Eisele and staff also focus on their players academics, teaching and directing them to what life is outside of the basketball court.
“There’s a lot more to life after the ball stops bouncing” said Assistant Coach Trey Strickland, “We prepare them for society to let them understand how to be successful in every aspects of their lives.”
Many of the current players are already getting attention nationwide including 6”11 forward Eloy Vargas, who is ranked high in the NJCAA top three categories, points per game 18.00, rebounding totals 132 and 32 blocks totals.
“Eloy has the potential to play for a lot of money and we've sent a lot good players to top Division 1 schools after their stop here,"Eisele said.
The forward uses his strong faith before games to prepare himself mentally and physically.
“Working hard every day, I thank God for each game Iam able to play,” Vargas said, whose favorite NBA player is Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett.
The Sharks have several players on their rosters which potential talent, including pretty good point guards. One of them being 6’3” Freshman Guard Zach Lamb 19, whose father played at Virginia Commonwealth University, his passion is his family and basketball family has goals to finish this season strong along with getting better especially mentally.
“I could’ve played a little more aggressive in my decision making; I was at times mentally weak, “said Lamb referring to the recent lost against Brevard Community College. Zach, whose favorite NBA player is Cleveland’s forward Lebron James has high hopes in a bright future ahead of him for his life.
Second year 5’10”guard Rafael Portuondo, is also part of 2009 team a very young squad that has faced many challenges this season.
“They’re a good team with a lot of potential, Miami Dade is sort of like a stepping stone for these kids to go to other top schools, “said Ana Portuondo, Portuondo’s mother who attends games often.
So what has happened this year that hasn’t the previous past two years?
“We’ve had several crucial injuries in key positions on the team along with transcript issues” said Eisele. “Whenever you experience injuries or those types of difficulties especially throughout the season it’s difficult to stay on top.”
. Many of the players included the entire coaching staff want to see the student body fill up the empty seats to support their team.
Perhaps a little exposure can get their wishes to come true. “It’s always beneficial for our players when our students come out to support them" Strickland said.
Vargas agrees. "Show your support for us because whenever I play at home It feels empty" said Vargas.
Regardless of the seasons end results coach Eisele is optimistic about the future of the program.
"We will continue to work hard and I will continue to bring out the best in these players academically as well as off the courts." Eisele said. “With that being said we will try to finish strong; working hard towards next year to be back on the top ten."