Coach
from page hi
ent websites and I have
been trying to get back to
North Carolina from
coaching at University of
West Florida, so I thought
to myself it would be a
good idea to apply for it
and see what they had to
offer,” she said.
“I am extremely excit
ed to get back and I have a
very supportive husband
and son that have been able
to put up with my passion
for being a coach. I have
been down in Pensacola
for the past few years and
they have been up in the
Forsyth County area, so I
was just at the point that I
wanted to be back where
they were.”
Quick stated she
expects to hit the ground
running once she takes
over the program. While at
West Florida she helped
lead the Argonauts to the
program's first Division II
Regional Championship
and Elite Eight appear
ances in 2017.
“I think they have some
pretty good pieces to the
puzzle that I can go out and
recruit and add to for this
upcoming season, she stat
ed. “I feel like we can def
initely be at the top of our
division because
Greensboro College has
dominated the division, so
I think we can compete
with them for that top spot
in the Eastern Division.
As far as coaching
goes, Quick says her past
playing experience at a top
Division. I school and the
WNBA is not what makes
her so good. She feels
many players have
attempted to transition into
coaching but have not done
well.
“My passion for the
game and my passion to
get better every year is the
difference for me,” said
Quick. “I attend several
clinics a year to get better
as a coach and I think that's
what gives me more of an
advantage than actually my
playing career.”
Defense has been the
backbone of Quick's
coaching style throughout
her career. She has used a
particular style of defense
that has worked on all lev
els she has coached and
plans to bring that style to
Meredith as well.
Quick says she has
high expectations for her
first year at Meredith. She
wants to bring in kids that
are passionate about the
game as well as the school.
“I want to increase the
wins, build the numbers on
the roster and I hope to win
a championship or at least
being in the championship
game,” Quick stated as to
what would be a successful
first year in her eyes.
Rising
from page Bf
nobody really knows,” he
says. “I just like that I can
hold my own against them
and then you get respect
and attention from them,
too.”
Basketball was not the
first love for Leal as he was
growing up as a youth. As
a young kid, soccer and
boxing were the two sports
close to his heart. Leal
stated he did not have the
skill to play soccer nor the
passion to stick with box
ing so decided to pick up
basketball.
“When I was 8,1 used
to go to the park every day
with my dad and train
because he said if I wanted
to play basketball, I had to
be good at it,” he said. “We
would practice from 5 in
the afternoon until 10 at
night.”
Leal says he wasn't that ,
good when he first picked
up a basketball, either. He
says other kids would
make fun of him not only
because he was not that
good but also because he
was “Hispanic or
Mexican,” he says.
“People would say that
I couldn't play because I
was Mexican but that
pushed me to keep playing
so I could prove them
wrong,” he continued. "I
loved playing even more
when I started to get
respect because I began to
improve over the years and
people starting noticing.
“I am not just playing
for myself. I am playing
for my parents, my family
and the people who look up
to me. Hopefully I can
make it somewhere to
inspire another kid like me
to do the same thing,” Leal
said.
Once he hit the eighth
grade, Leal says, he knew
that basketball was the
sport for him. He had
made such strides in those
few short years that he
knew he could play with
anyone. He says he gets an
extra sense of satisfaction
when he does well against
players who underestimate
him because he is
Hispanic.
Leal began his high
school career with
Parkland High School. He
says he had a productive
freshman year. His sopho
more year at Parkland start
ed with a bang as he scored
20 points against Glenn in
his first junior varsity
game. He says halfway
through the year his play
ing time began to be
trimmed tremendously for
unknown reasons.
“I am not sure why the
coaches did not let me play
more in the second half of
the year,” he says. “I don't
want to speculate.”
Following his sopho
more year at Parkland, Leal
and his parents decided to
transfer him over to Salem
Baptist. His family also
decided to reclassify him as
a sophomore so that Daniel
could focus in more on his
academics in hopes of rais
ing his grades for college.
His first year at Salem
Baptist was derailed due to
a lingering back injury he
suffered during the season.
He also suffered a broken
rib along with a groin
injury that held him back.
Going into his junior year
he had high expectations
for himself.
“My junior year is
when I actually like started
to push myself and my
coach really gave me a
chance to play,” he went on
to say. “I carried my team
most of the time and I aver
aged 25 points this year.”
“I was also named
MVP of the team and that
felt good because I like
making my family proud of
me. I just want other
Hispanic kids to know they
can make it somewhere.”
Leal is a jack of all
trades on the floor due to
his ability to shoot from
behind the arc as well as
■M
Photo by Alphonso Abbott Jr.
Daniel Leal averaged 25 points per game last season for Salem Baptist.
getting to the basketball at
will with his superior ball
handling skills. He says he
patterns his game after
Dallas Mavericks guard
Dennis Smith Jr.
Heading into next sea
son Leal says he just wants
to help his team win more
games, hopefully attracting
some college scouts along
the way as well. He says
he would love to attend
Wake Forest University so
he can stay close to home.
Ramsey
from pagfWl
year rental.
The most puzzling move for me was Paul George
signing with the Thunder. After what transpired last sea
son playing along side Russell Westbrook and Carmelo
Anthony, I was almost positive George would walk.
As I have told everyone time and time again, the
Thunder will never win a championship with Russell
Westbrook as their best player. George should have taken
a page out of the Kevin Durant book and jumped ship
because at best the Thunder are the fourth or fifth best
team in the West as they sit now.
I understand the Chris Paul move in hindsight. If he
were healthy, the Rockets had a very good chance of tak
ing out the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals last
year. Another shot at the championship with Houston
makes a lot of sense, but will be more difficult with the
loss of Trevor Ariza to the Phoenix Suns.
NBA fans better get ready for another championship
from the Golden State Warriors because there are rumors
out there that once Dwight Howard's contract is bought
out by the Brooklyn Nets, he will sign with the defending
champs. Also Jamal Crawford has expressed interest in
the Warriors as well.
So if I am the Lakers, I just let this year play out and
push all my chips in for the summer of 2019. I know the
L.A. Fans are eager to get back on top, but not at the
expense of their young core. The rest of this summer
should be interesting, but James has surely swung the bal
ance of power even more to the West. Good luck next
season Eastern Conference.
m
Submitted photo
Lewisville Civic Club President Larry Morris
receives a $750 contribution from
Winston-Salem Cycling's Michael Berry.
Lewisville nonprofits receive
donations from Cycling Classic
SPECIAL TO
THE CHRONICLE
Four Lewisville non
profit organizations were
the beneficiaries of the
May 27 Grand Fundo ride
held in conjunction with
the 2018 Winston-Salem
Cycling Classic.
Nearly 200 riders,
including three-time
Olympic Gold Medalist
Kristin Armstrong, partici
pated in the 58-mile and
31-mile rides staged from
Lewisville's Shallowford
Square.
Organizations receiv
ing $750 contributions
from the ride's proceeds
were the Lewisville Civic
Club, the Vienna Civic
Club, the Northwest
Forsyth Little League and
the West Central
Community CentfT.
James
Johnson
AP photos
Learning with a twist of fan
On June 22, Winston-Salem State University’s Powerhouse of Red and White Cheerleading Team hosted
over 100 cheerleaders from across the state at its Cheer Explosion summer camp. Campers learned a wide
array of techniques and had tons of fun, the team says.
'J
I