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Sudden Passing of Newark Little League Coach Motivates Teen to Excel; Signs to Play Baseball in Vermont

Newark Arts High School is celebrating the recent signing of student Justin Velez, 17, to play collegiate baseball for Southern Vermont College.

Joined by parents, sister, Arts High School Principal Ricardo Pedro, Athletic Director Freeland, Coach Silvestri and nearly 50 students who observed him sign to the college that he plans to play the next four year of his college career.

“Even with his dad and I showing a significant amount of support, it still took a village and an entire community to assist in keeping Justin focused and dedicated” Justin’s mother Milly said. “This is a great day for me watching my son continue to do well academically and athletically. I have the opportunity to appreciate what every parent living in Newark wants to experience while raising a son”.

In a statement by Arts High School’s Principal Ricardo Pedro, he acknowledged Justin’s character as being nothing more than a leader.

“I want to thank Justin for being a real gentleman and displaying quality leadership not only on the field but, most importantly around our school building. It has been a pleasure having Justin in our school” Principal Pedro said.

For 5’7″ tall, 160 pound Justin, the emotional signing moment was finally the day he could officially pay respect for a man who he said stays close to his heart.

Born in the Bronx, Velez moved to Newark’s North Ward at a young age when his parent purchased a house then called New Jersey home.

Velez began playing baseball at the age of 7 and fell in love with his extended North Newark Little League baseball family, particularly his coach, Joe.

“Not only did Coach Joe teach me the game but, he also taught all of his players to respect ourselves and have pride in where we live. His words have stayed with me for a long time, and I can’t thank Coach Joe enough for what he has instilled in me”.

Coach Joe Devincintis and his twin brother Coach Vinny managed the North Newark Baseball League (NNBL) in which they were involved in the community for nearly 30 years according to Velez.

In 2016, after a bout with Cancer, Coach Joe transitioned, leaving his legacy in the hearts of hundreds of Newark children including Justin’s.

“I miss coach a lot. There wasn’t a moment this past year while playing that I didn’t think of Coach Joe and all he meant to me” Justin said.

A ceremony is planned for later this month to rename a street located in the area of North 5th Street and 3rd Avenue after Coach Joe according to reports.

Justin is prepared to attend Southern Vermont University after playing in approximately 500 baseball games since the age of 7. He has attended nearly 1,000 practices and about 1000 at bats – not to mention all of the private lessons and his individual time in the cages and on the field.

Located on a mountainside campus overlooking the Green Mountains, Southern Vermont College aspires to be a model of an enlightened educational community: diverse, supportive, environmentally respectful and socially responsible according to the college’s website. Its athletic program is a member of the NCAA Division III and the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC). These affiliations have enabled Southern Vermont College to compete against many of the best teams in New England and New York State the college’s website said.

Justin will receive a $14,000 a year academic scholarship.

“I chose Vermont because it reminded me a lot of the small community that I am used to at Arts High School. The campus is beautiful and has rigorous academics” Justin said.

“Arts High School, under coach Silvestri, has tweaked my purpose for playing in the game and prepared me to play in college. I am thankful for the experience Coach Silvestri has given and taught me”.

Justin has batted .571 in 2014, .462 in 2015, and .500 in 2016 according to school records. A Television Production Major at Arts, Justin will major in Criminal Justice in the fall.

He wants to thank his parents, coaches (Joe, Vinny, Silvestri), The entire Arts High School community, and his baseball family at Arts.

View the story on rlsmedia.com.

2017 All-New Jersey Boys Basketball Coach of the Year

Mike Kinney | News 12 Varsity | Follow on Twitter
Akbar Cook Coach of the Year - West Side
When 6-9 Justin Jones broke a bone in his foot just before the postseason began and 6-4 Javonne Jones followed him to the sidelines several games later with a broken finger, Cook’s Roughriders were suddenly without their size for the stretch run of the Group 2 state tournament.

At least that’s true if measuring with a ruler. Cook’s three teams at West Side and six before that at Newark Vocational have always been defined by their scrap, indefatigable will and sense of unity inspired by the big, bearded man those kids call Coach. Despite those injuries–and the almost countless other obstacles facing an inner city team like West Side–the Roughriders (25-7) repeated as Group 2 state champion, and fell in overtime to Teaneck in the Tournament of Champions quarterfinals.

View the story on News 12 Varsity.

Barringer 2019 QB Zamar Wise Wins MVP honors at NUC’s 3 Kings Camp

Todderick Hunt | The Star-Ledger | Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter
Barringer QB Zamar Wise
Barringer’s (Newark, N.J.) Zamar Wise solidified himself as one of New Jersey’s top quarterbacks in the 2019 class as he earned MVP honors Sunday at the National Underclassmen Combine’s 3 Kings Quarterback Camp and Competition – East Coast. Held at Parsippany high school, the camp featured some of the top quarterback talent throughout the region, putting them through various drills and competitions for upwards of five hours — as the camp spanned from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Following the camp, NJ.com caught up with NUC founder, president and CEO Dave Schuman for a breakdown of Wise, whom he considers the top quarterback at his event.

“He’s got a great arm. He’s unbelievably accurate,” Schuman said. “When that ball comes out it slides out of his hand and it’s on target. The last half of the day is a lot of competition. We do like five different drill sets that they compete in. And I think he was top three in four of the five drills. And he was No. 1 in both accuracy drills. So he was really good. He gets the ball there with great velocity. He’s athletic, he’s got nice size (measured 6-3, 182).”

Schuman also raved of Wise’s coach-ability and knack for making corrections on the go.

“He really takes to coaching well, too,” Schuman said. “As you’re going through it and you’re showing him things that he can work on to get better, he really kind of takes to that and continues to improve. So I thought he was just really really a guy completely under-served in the recruiting space. I don’t know his academic situation or anything like that, but as far as his ability he is no doubt a scholarship quarterback. If he’s not at the highest of highest levels, which he might be, he’s definitely a division 1 level guy.”

Schuman is as impressed with Wise as any sophomore quarterback he’s seen this year. And a lot of that has to do with his poise, despite not attending many camps in the past.

“I just think he’s got a great way about him. He’s calm, he’s cool, he’s collected and he just approaches things really well. But I wasn’t surprised. When he came in there, he looked the part of a Division 1 quarterback,” said Schuman. “And there were some really good quarterbacks there, too. But as he started to feel his way through, it was really cool to see somebody generate that confidence as he’s realizing, hey, I could end up being the top guy. And as he started going through it, he just got better and better because of that.”

Wise is a pro-style quarterback who can also run, coming off of an explosive sophomore campaign where he generated 1,489 passing yards and 15 TDs (to only five INTs) on 62 percent passing, and 540 rushing yards with five additional scores on 61 carries. He also converted six two-point conversion attempts.

Already a two-year starter, Wise had just as explosive a season as a freshman in 2015, throwing for 1,898 passing yards and 18 TDs (to only six INTs) to go along with 119 rushing yards and two additional scores. Wise trains throughout the off-season at the Lucien Pass Academy and plans to continue to prove his worth competing at camps this summer.

Although he has yet to field his first offer, he’s being recruited by Rutgers, Penn State, Pitt, Virginia Tech, Temple and a number of other Power 5 schools throughout the region.

Notre Dame could potentially get in on the action as defensive coordinator Mike Elko is expected to visit Barringer this week to inquire more about Wise, who has also received camp invites from Florida State and Clemson.

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Science Park High School Robotics Team Brings Home Another Trophy!


Science Park High School robotics team is proud to bring home the winner trophy for the MAR-Mid-Atlantic robotics Bridgewater championship. This top achievement at this high tech STEM event is a recognition for our teams’ commitment and hard work and for the great job that all Science Park staff members are doing with our students.

Congratulations to you all! Special thanks go to Dr. Okil for his years of active involvement with the club.

Full list of Award Winners.

Newark High School Student Contributes to a Cleaner Community

By: Vince Baglivo | BrickCityLive
Cleaner Community Brick City Live - Bard

On a recent snowy Saturday morning, while many of her high school peers were still asleep in their warm beds, Asada Rashidi was hard at work keeping the streets in her South Ward neighborhood clean and crosswalks clear for pedestrians.

Asada, a junior at Newark’s Bard Early College High School, is the first volunteer member of the Bergen-Lyons-Clinton Partnership (BLCSID) Clean Team Ambassadors. And the organization’s board members and professional staff, along with local residents, business and property owners, couldn’t be more pleased with her effort and commitment.

Known locally as the South Ward Special Improvement District (SID), the BLCSID was established to help the area compete, improve and sustain commercial viability. A public/private partnership between the City of Newark, local business and commercial property owners and residents focused on generating economic activity and community development, the SID moved forward in 2016 with an aggressive streetscape maintenance program that is transforming the streetscape, including vacant lots and properties in need of extra attention.

Chris Bernardo, principal of Commercial District Services (CDS), the company that oversees the hiring, training, scheduling and work of the Clean Team Ambassadors, said he was pleased to partner with Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and the BLCSID to establish the program. Like all members of the Clean Team Ambassadors, Asada is a resident of Newark and the South Ward.

“Asada is applying the same hard work and focus that she brings to her academics to her commitment to serving her neighbors,” Bernardo stated. “Special thanks to supervisor Jerry Blankman and team leader Quanika Joseph for their guidance and support as mentors for Asada.”

The Clean Team Ambassadors have been gathering more than 240 bags of garbage and removing 25-50 graffiti tags, stickers and posters on a weekly basis as part of the supplemental streetscape services the South Ward SID funds in support of the City of Newark’s Department of Sanitation.

“The Clean Team Ambassadors we have hired with the help of the job placement programs provided by the City of Newark and Beth Israel Medical Center are making a difference in their own community, contributing to a better quality of life for their families, friends and neighbors while learning valuable job skills and earning a paycheck,” Bernardo added.

“I’m proud of her desire to help keep our community clean,” said Asada’s mother, Atiya Jaha-Rashidi, Director of Special Projects at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center & Children’s Hospital of NJ, and the BLCSID’s Second Vice President. “She proactively sought this opportunity to be the Clean Team Ambassador’s first volunteer, and she is always eager to help out.”

When asked about her volunteerism, Asada said she has enjoyed her experience and looks forward to making more contributions. I love it; it’s cool to help set an example by cleaning up the streets in your own neighborhood.”

“A clean, safe and welcoming community is the standard we are committed to on behalf of the people who live, work, shop, dine, invest and worship in the South Ward, and the people who visit our neighborhood and Newark,” concluded Ronice Bruce, the SID’s Executive Director. “Asada, and all of our Clean Team Ambassadors, are now recognized and welcomed in their community for the work they are doing that we believe will contribute to the South Ward becoming the ward of choice in our city.”

A complete schedule showing where the Clean Team Ambassadors are working in the district on a weekly basis can be found at www.southwardsid.com, along with more information about programs, services and opportunities to support and contribute to the initiatives of the South Ward SID. You can also follow news from the South Ward SID through social media at Facebook.com/SouthWardSID.

View the story on BrickCityLive.com.

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Hero & Daughter Dance at Hawkins Street School

Hawkins Street Hero Dance 2017On Friday, March 10, 2017 Hawkins Street School hosted a Hero and Daughter Dance with over 250 attendees.

The dance was designed to have pre-k to 4th grade girls honor and invite their male hero; dad, uncle, grandfather, brother or other prominent male figure. Everyone in attendance was dressed to impress and the music kept all in a festive mood. Guests were also invited to experience a photo booth and enjoy a light dinner.