Sports

National Signing Day 2019

Nine Newark Seniors Amass More Than $1.3 million in Scholarships on National Signing Day

More Full Athletic Scholarships Expected


[NEWARK, NJ] Nine Newark Public School student athletes received full college scholarships on Wednesday, National Signing Day. A total of eight football players from Malcolm X Shabazz, Barringer and West Side High Schools memorialized their commitment to colleges to play football. One student from Barringer High School signed to run track and field.

Superintendent Roger León said, “This is a proud moment for me as the Superintendent. The students identified today are just the beginning recipients of athletic scholarships and scholarships overall, that Newark Public Schools graduating seniors will receive.”

The Superintendent continued, “These students are on track to complete their studies, graduate, and participate in college sports with a full scholarship. I have every confidence that each of these young men will excel in school and in sports and make Newark very proud of them.”

The Superintendent visited the three high schools where the signings occurred, starting with Malcolm X Shabazz where students Byron Whitehead and Khaleem Lawson signed to attend Highlands University in New Mexico; Marquis Concepcion will attend American International College in Massachusetts, and Michael Bright, Jr. will attend Long Island University/Post.
The second group of students signing yesterday were West Side students Darius Gooden who will be attending Rutgers University in New Brunswick and Prince Okituama who will attend Kent State University in Ohio.

The third group of students signing yesterday from Barringer High School were Zamar Wise who will attend Rutgers University in New Brunswick and Angel Carrion, who will attend Washburn University in Kansas. The third student from Barringer is Fiyin Amori, who will attend Monmouth University with a full track and field scholarship.

Superintendent León was joined at each school by family members of the athletes, Principals, administrators, teachers, underclassmen football players, track and field players, students, coaches and athletic directors. In closing, Superintendent León said, “Our athletes, our seniors are on the right track to greatness.”

Hockey Scholar at East Side H.S. Selects Washington University for College

Matthew Atehortua
Matthew Atehortua

Matthew Atehortua, a scholar and hockey player at East Side High School, will attend Washington University of St. Louis in the Fall of 2019. Washington University’s ranking in the 2019 edition of US News Best Colleges is 19 for National Universities.

Matthew is a hardworking student-athlete at East Side High School. His work ethic allows him to balance his duties as captain of the ice hockey team and vice president of the student council while maintaining a 4.4 GPA.  In addition to being an active student at East Side High School, Matthew gives back to the community by volunteering as a mentor and coach in Newark for Hockey In New Jersey.  

In the near future Matthew will play hockey for the Bears and major in Biology at Washington University. Matthew plans to study Pre-med, attend, medical school and ultimately become a surgeon.

Arts High School Girls Volleyball: SEC Freedom Division Champions – Runner-up in NPS City Tournament

Arts Volleyball 2018Arts High School Volleyball Team finished with a 17-7 overall record and a 15-1 record in our division. The team won the Freedom Division championship and finished second place in the Newark Public Schools city tournament. We also had three student-athletes (Syasia Bryant, Euda Dongo, and Yasmille Ubiera) receive all-tournament team honors.

At the end of season meeting on November 5th, not only did we receive our team championship plaque (which is being displayed in the main office), we also had eight student-athletes receive all-conference honors. Syasia Bryant, Euda Dongo, Keyleen Ubiera, and Yasmille Ubiera received first team all-conference, Valerie Valle and Jacyah Jones received second team all-conference, and Vylette McKnight and Princess Yeboah received honorable mention.

Newark Arts High School Girl’s Basketball Point Guard Signs to Play for Wagner College in New York

Submitted by RLS Staff

Joined by more than a dozen administrators, former/present coaches, parents, students and friends, 17-year-old Arts High School senior Fredrayah Heyward has confirmed that her basketball talents will be shared with the Wagner College Seahawks to begin the 2019-2020 college basketball season.

Arts High School’s Principal Ricardo Pedro closed-off the school’s atrium on Monday, November 19th, for Fredrayah’s official ‘intent to play’ signing that began at 2 p.m. as he took the opportunity to praise the success of Heyward.

Principal Pedro went on to congratulate the talents that encompass students at the United State’s first school of the visual and performing arts of its kind; Arts High School.

“I am honored to have another student here at Arts High School obtain a scholarship in her intent to play basketball for Wagner College. I am extremely proud of Fredrayah” Principal Pedro said in the opening statement.

According to officials, Heyward, a four-year starter, 5′ 7″ tall point guard knocked down over 1000 points to close her junior year as the Jaguars excelled in the Super Essex Conference of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association American Division.

Heyward’s tenacity off the basketball court earned her excellent academic success while her on the court toughness gained her a First Team All-Conference bid from Super Essex Conference officials.

In a statement released by Arts High School’s Girls Basketball Coach, Ms. Ray-Quell Cotton, Heyward’s basketball skill sets were praised then congratulated.

“Fredrayah encompasses a combination of natural athleticism and hard work. She is going to be a great asset to Wagner because she brings experience and knowledge that will allow her to contribute to the Lady Seahawks of Wagner team immediately” Coach Cotton said.

On the campus of the Staten Island liberal college, The Wagner Seahawks women’s basketball team represents and currently competes in the Division 1 Northeast Conference.

According to the college’s website, Wagner began women’s basketball began competing in 1970. They have won the Northeast Conference title just once, in 1989. That year, they went 22-7 (14-2 in conference play), winning both the regular season and the tournament (66-60 over Robert Morris). The Seahawks have never qualified for a postseason tournament, neither Division I nor WNIT nor WBI. As of the end of the 2015-16 season, the Seahawks have a record of 511-665.

Heyward, a Television Production Major at Arts High, plans temporarily move away from the visual arts craft and focus on Criminal Justice at Wagner.

New Soccer Mini-Pitch Unveiled at Luis Muñoz Marin School to Provide Recreation and Life Skills Development for Newark, N.J. Youth

New space part of five-year, 20 mini-pitch project announced in May 2018

[NEWARK, N.J., October 25, 2018] An innovative new soccer mini-pitch system was unveiled at Newark’s Luis Muñoz Marin School today marking the fourth mini-pitch opened this year in Newark. The opening is part of a five-year partnership with the New York Red Bulls, Newark Public Schools, U.S. Soccer Foundation and Wells Fargo to increase access to safe places to play across the city by creating 20 new soccer mini-pitches. As part of this initiative, more than 2,500 Newark youth will be engaged in Soccer for Success, the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s after-school soccer program that delivers positive health and youth development outcomes. The program will operate on many of these new sites.

“I want to thank the U.S. Soccer Foundation, the New York Red Bulls, Wells Fargo and all of our partners for investing in our schools and students and changing the face of schoolyards across the city,” said Newark Superintendent of Schools Roger León. “The new soccer pitches will allow our students to engage in physical fitness, learn the tenets of teamwork, and have fun. Partnerships that benefit our students are an essential part of our success as a district.”

The latest mini-pitch system at Luis Muñoz Marin Middle School features a complete system design that incorporates fencing, lighting, and goals. The system was developed to assist the U.S. Soccer Foundation with its national movement, It’s Everyone’s Game, which endeavors to build 1,000 mini-pitches in cities across the country by 2026 and engage one million young people annually through the Foundation’s Soccer for Success program. Mini-pitches have also been created at three other Newark school locations including Belmont Runyon School, BRICK Avon Academy, and Rafael Hernandez School this year.

“Today is another significant step in our commitment to providing mini-pitches for the children of the Newark Public Schools,” said Marc de Grandpre, General Manager, New York Red Bulls. “Thanks to the generosity of our valued partners, the U.S. Soccer Foundation and Wells Fargo, along with the support from Musco Lighting, the students of Luis Marin Muñoz Middle School will have an innovative mini-pitch that includes full lighting for safety and extensive storage for convenience. This venue will further their passion for our beautiful game.”

Area families, members of Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls, Newark City officials, and representatives from the Luis Muñoz Marin School officially celebrated the new space with a dedication ceremony alongside the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Wells Fargo, and Musco Lighting at the event.

“Wells Fargo is proud to partner with the Newark Soccer Initiative to partner on an important investment in the City of Newark,” said Gino Cammarota, Northeast Treasury Merchant Services Manager at Wells Fargo. “We are excited to be one of the many organizations here today because this program will enrich the lives of so many through the game of soccer. The sport is celebrated by the many here in Newark and we are pleased today’s announcement benefits the community and specifically our future leaders.”

Newark is the third municipality nationwide to make a major commitment to building safe places to play and expand sports-based youth development programs for its youth as part of this larger national movement. Other national partners including adidas, Major League Soccer, Target, and Musco are lending critical support to ensure the movement’s success.
“We’re grateful to have such valuable partners here in Newark who are committed to providing local youth with safe places to play,” said Ed Foster-Simeon, President and CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “We’re also excited to unveil the first mini-pitch prototype developed by one of our key national partners, Musco Lighting. Their devotion to the It’s Everyone’s Game movement is evident in their innovative approaches to providing children with safe places to play past daylight hours.”

To overcome logistical issues working with a multitude of contractors, suppliers and municipal agencies across different markets—and to avoid construction delays and site relocations—engineers at Musco developed a prototype of a comprehensive mini-pitch system.

“The U.S. Soccer Foundation’s mission of positively impacting the lives of up to a million young people in the next decade is something we believe in very strongly,” said Joe Crookham, President of Musco. “These community pitches will be a place for local youth to learn, grow, develop confidence and teamwork, and have fun. We want to do everything we can to help with this important endeavor.”

The Foundation and its partners have plans for multiple mini-pitch openings in more than a dozen cities across the country over the next several years.

About New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are one of 22 teams in Major League Soccer (MLS). They are one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since it’s founding in 1996. They currently play home matches at Red Bull Arena (RBA) in Harrison, New Jersey. RBA, a state-of-the-art 25,000-seat stadium, is widely regarded as the top soccer-specific stadium in North America. The club is owned by the Austrian beverage company Red Bull GmbH for which the team is named. The New York Red Bulls offer one of the nation’s premier youth soccer development programs. The club provides grassroots training programs to all ages and skill levels, and also offers elite players a pathway from those programs to the Regional Development School, then on to the academy teams and, ultimately, to the Red Bulls professional team.

About Newark Board of Education
The Newark Board of Education is New Jersey’s largest school district with 62 schools and nearly 37,000 students, serving children in Pre-K through high school. On February 1, 2018 the Newark School District was returned to local control following 22 years of being under state control. On July 1, 2018, Roger León became the first Superintendent of the Newark Board of Education following the return of local control to the school district and the first Hispanic to serve as Superintendent in the district’s history.

About U.S. Soccer Foundation
The U.S. Soccer Foundation’s programs are the national model for sports-based youth development in underserved communities. Since its founding in 1994, the Foundation has established programs proven to help children embrace an active and healthy lifestyle while nurturing their personal growth beyond sports. Its cost-effective, high-impact initiatives offer safe environments where kids and communities thrive. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) organization.

About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified, community-based financial services company. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 8,050 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking. With approximately 265,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune’s 2018 rankings of America’s largest corporations. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

About Musco Lighting
Since 1976, Musco has focused on the design and manufacture of sports and transportation/infrastructure lighting systems, from hometown Little League® fields to professional sports stadiums and ports around the globe. Offering permanent and temporary lighting systems for new and retrofit projects, we bring first-hand knowledge and experience with the many issues that impact players, spectators, neighbors, television broadcasts, and staff.

Contacts
U.S. Soccer Foundation
Jennifer Arnold
202-872-6662
jarnold@nullussoccerfoundation.org

New York Red Bulls
Christina Giunta Quarino
973-776-8842
christina.giunta@nullnewyorkredbulls.com

Newark Public Schools
Tracy Munford
973-733-7338
t1munford@nullNPS.K12.NJ.US

Wells Fargo
Stephanie Ahenkora
908-370-4061
Stephanie.Ahenkora@nullwellsfargo.com

Musco Lighting
Eduardo Zamarripa
641-676-2652
Eduardo.zamarripa@nullmusco.com

Kevin Lopez, former East Side Hockey Player Stops by to Discuss Time Management for Student Athletes

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”156618,156617,156616″ img_size=”250×188″ onclick=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Kevin Lopez, who played hockey for East Side High School and graduated from Technology High School visited East Side to teach time management for a student-athlete.

After high school, Kevin continued his studies and played hockey at Princeton University, where he graduated in 2016. The hockey team was able to learn Kevin’s approach to balancing academics and hockey during high school and college, while still managing to find time for his family and friends.

Currently, Kevin is at Fordham Law, but took time out of his busy schedule to share his experiences with our students to help them achieve their goals.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]