Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / May 26, 2011, edition 1 / Page 2
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Winston-Salem Prep planning its football future BY LAYLA FARMER THE CHRONICLE For years, Winston Salem Preparatory Academy has been launded for its aca demic achievements. The school, which is predomi nantly black, offers only courses at the honors level or higher and has boasted the highest gradua tion rate in the county for three years running. Now, the school, which is home to students in grades 6-12, is hoping for simi lar success on the football field. The school recently received approval from the Board of Education to launch a foot ball program. Athletic Director Ricky Holt believes the program will comple ment the school's academic rigor. "Athletics is really not the major focus at Winston Salem Prep; the major focus is academics and that'll never change," he stated. "... I think we have an opportuni r Lash ty to do something special in that our focus is not neces sarily on the winning; it's more on developing the stu dent athlete." The school already has an established athletics pro gram, which includes track and field, basketball and vol leyball, and has turned out some successful athletes, but the students have been asking school leaders for some time to create a football program, Holt said. "What we did was poll all the stu dents, including middle school stu dents, and over whelmingly, foot ball was their first choice," Holt said, "it your kids want something, you want to try to get it for them because a lot of good things are going to spring from football." Incoming PTA President Shonta Fleming says the addition of a football would help increase students' expo sure to positive role models and encourage increased physical activity. She Photos by Layla Farmer Keyla Fleming (center) is flanked by her mother Shonta (right) and PTA member Dolores Hill. believes a football program would also help attract more students to the school. 'The mission is definite ly to keep kids in school, especially males, and give them something positive to do. It makes the whole pro gram (offered at W-S Prep) more appealing," related Fleming, a substance abuse counselor. "I think it'll help bring parents in the door and more students in the door. 1 think we lose a lot of kids because we don't have a foot ball team." Holt met with a handful of football supporters Monday evening to plan for what will likely be a very busy fundraising season for the school. Holt, a former football player, says it will take $35,0(K) to get the pro gram off the ground and keep it afloat in its inaugural sea son. The money must be in place by June 30 in order for the team launch in the 2011 2012 school year. "1 really believe it's going to happen," Holt told supporters at the meeting. "Will it happen by June 30? I'm not quite sure, but I'm Holt pretty sure that it's going to happen because there are a lot of people that are very interested in Winston-Salem Prep." Among those in atten dance was Sylvia Lash, who has two grandchildren at the schoo. She suggested a num ber of fundraising ideas to school officials. Lash has a personal interest in the pro gram: Her grandson, a rising freshman, insists upon it. "I want him to stay here (at WSPA) and he will stay, contingent on the fact that we get a football team," she related. "We need $35,000. so you've got to look at it from all angles. These boys want to play football come fall so we've got to get it." Fleming's daughter, Keyla, is a rising freshman and a three-sport athlete at Winston-Salem Prep. The 14 year-old says being involved in sports has enhanced her educational experience "It basically keeps me on track and it keeps me focused, so I won't be bored and have nothing to do," she said. Keyla, a cheerleader and member of the volleyball and track teams, says the prospect of having a football team is exciting. "Many people have been wanting a football team and many people have been wait ing for one," said the aspir ing pediatrician. "It'll make Prep a better school and give it a better name." W i n s t o n - S a I e m Preparatory Academy will hold a fish fry to raise funds for the football program on Saturday, May 28 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Location TBD. For more information, contact the school at (336) 703-6732. ? If your jaw hurts, your heart may be trying to tell you something. Many women don't know that jaw pain can be a symptom of heart and coronary artery disease. CAD can be caused by a fatty deposit in the heart's arteries blocking blood flow. Other symptom's of heart disease can include burning, squeezing or tightness in the chest; arm pain; shortness of breath; irregular heartbeat; dizziness; nausea and sweating. When diagnosed early, certain forms of CAD can often be treated with a minimally invasive procedure through an artery in your wrist. Wake Forest Baptist Health has more experience performing this advanced outpatient heart procedure than any other hospital in the region. For your free heart information kit or to make an appointment with a cardiologist at any of our clinics in Winston-Salem, Lexington and North Wilkesboro, call 336-71 6-WAKE or 888-7 16-WAKE today or visit our web site at WakeHealth.edu/heart. HEART & VASCULAR I Call 336-716-WAKE for an appointment. Wake Forest" Baptist Health
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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