Let’s
Go
Wildcats
It‟s no secret that the
FVSU Wildcats haven‟t de-
feated the Albany State
Golden Rams in nearly a dec-
ade.
However, FVSU‟s
win this year brought much
celebration to the students and
staff of FVSU. Many people
were overwhelmed by the
victory while others cele-
brated the entire weekend
and basked in the triumph.
The Wildcats took
home the glory in a 35-13
landslide defeat, during the
20th Annual Fountain City
Classic in Columbus, Ga.
Unfortunately, the
6-4 record was not enough
to secure a place in the
2009-2010 SIAC playoffs.
FVSU Defensive
line coach, Vernon Dean
believes that this is just the
beginning of a long line of
victories for FVSU.
“We‟re going to change the
culture at Fort Valley and
create an environment for
winning,” said Dean.
Photo courtesy of Terrence Wolfork, Wildcats &
President Rivers celebrating. celebrating.
According to Coach
Dean, FVSU‟s win against
ASU was not a fluke. “We
matched up well with Al-
bany…We know what it
takes to win.” Dean also
stated that the Wildcats
have many talented recruits
that were required to sit this
season out. He stated that
he is confident that they
will go to the playoffs next
season. “We have a staff
full of world championship
winning coaches.”
The confidence
expressed by the coach may
be a sign of the team‟s fu-
ture fate. According to the
coaches and fans alike, the
future looks very bright for
FVSU.
The Fort valley win Brings Life to the Valley;
But Is It Everlasting?
By James Olivier
It Takes Two...Or Does It Really? By Kelsey Cowan
What if you were
in the highlight of your
athletic career and you
realized your irresponsi-
ble actions may have cost
you, your entire season.
How would you cope?
For Chantelle
Chiles it‟s a day- to-day
process. Chantelle played
tennis for three years for
Fort Valley State Univer-
sity, because of preg-
nancy Chiles is unable to
play her senior year.
Three months ago,
Chantelle found out she was
pregnant. “I was shocked! I
never thought in a million
years I would become preg-
nant....at least not now,” said
Chiles. “If it wasn‟t for ten-
nis I probably wouldn‟t be
able to attend school.”
Chantelle knew her preg-
nancy would affect not only
her but her teammates as
well.
Building
Relationships
2
Walk-On Athletes 2
Sports and The 2
Blue Machine 3
Baseball At FVSU 3
P.H.A.S.E.S 3
Inside this issue:
The PlayBook
December 2009 Sports Edition Volume 1, Issue 1
Before speaking to
her Coach Willie Foster she
was slightly worried about
losing her scholarship.
There are no formal
rules in the National Colle-
giate Athletic Association
(NCAA) about pregnancy;
it‟s really up to the athletic
department and sometimes
the coach to implement a
policy.
Coach Willie Foster
feels student-athletes have
responsibilities when mak-
ing decisions concerning
their athletic career. “If
Chiles fulfills her obliga-
tions athletically, she will
not lose her scholarship,”
said Foster.
Chantelle‟s actions
may have been irresponsi-
ble but she still has an op-
portunity to keep her
scholarship and support
her team in the next sea-
son.
About 18-24 players
try out for FVSU‟s basket-
ball team each year. Only
less than ten percent are
successful. “Tryouts are
given in advance of official
practices,” said Gosier.
“We want to give everyone
a fair chance.”
“„Prior preparation is
important, which includes,
physical conditioning,
though, the skills should be
at or near maximum abili-
ties,” Gosier added.
The FVSU athletic program is
one of the keys that have been forged
from this 'communiversity' relation-
ship. "We have a strong relationship
with FVSU, and we are aware of what
they expect from their recruits." said
Joel Thame, Peach County Middle
School teacher and assistant coach of
the Peach County High football team.
"Some families simply cannot afford
to send their kid to college, athletics
gives these kids a chance," added
Thame.
Dr. K Daniel Dawsey,
pastor of Central Union Mission-
ary Baptist Church in Fort Val-
ley, greeted his former football
teammates during Homecoming
2009. His teammates traveled
from all across the country, even
one former teammate from Can-
ada, to reminisce about their col-
legiate sports days.
When students partici-
pate in collegiate sports, they
gain the true understanding of
the phrase “blood, sweat, and
tears.” Throughout all the nega-
tive and positive experiences
student-athletes endure, they
gain friendships.
More Than A Sport While a student
at FVSC, from 1968 to 1972, Dr.
Dawsey participated in football,
track, and baseball. “You spend
time with the guys in the weight
room, on the field, the study hall
and in the dorms. In a given day
you spend perhaps 18 hours of
your time with them,” said Dr.
Dawsey.
Even after his college years were
over, the bonds with his team-
mates are just as strong as they
were 37 years ago. “One of my
former teammates lives in At-
lanta and once a month he comes
to our (church) services. He says
because of our relationship that
we develop playing football, he
trusts me,” said Dr. Dawsey.
The perks of playing sports are great
memories, but the relationships last forever.
Fort Valley State Univer-
sity's President Larry Rivers coined
the word 'communiversity', a term
which describes the impact the uni-
versity and community can have on
one another when working in unison.
Many potential Wildcats are
met by a locked door when it comes
to furthering their education. The
main barrier is usually based on fi-
nances.
Kaylon Grubbs, a graduate of
Warner Robins High School was ex-
cited but somewhat unsure of his transi-
tion. "I didn't know exactly where I was
going to go to college,” said Grubbs.
Kaylon received an athletic
scholarship to FVSU, which helped his
family tremendously. The idea that is
represented through the term
'communiversity' has truly been realized
through FVSU‟s athletic program.
Communiversity Athletics
letic director, Wilson Gosier,
“Players trying out for the
basketball team must demon-
strate physical ability, ath-
letic skills, mental tough-
ness, and perform academi-
cally under the rigor of the
athletic competition on the
collegiate level.”
The National Colle-
giate Athletic Association
and the Special Immigration
Appeals Commission re-
quires no more than fifteen
practice before the first
game.
Page 2 The Playbook
By Graylin Taylor
Dr. K Daniel Dawsey
Photo Courtesy of
www.centralunion.net
Walk-On Team or
Run-Off Dream
A walk-on is a
player who was not offered
a scholarship, but shows up
for tryouts in hopes of mak-
ing the team.
In order to become
a successful walk-on, you
must meet the maximum
criteria.
According to FVSU‟s ath-
By Demetrius Hillman
By Anthony Hornick
“I tried out once, my freshman
year,” said Jamaal Deon Tay-
lor. “I think it was about 15-
20 players trying out along
with me. I just knew I was
going to make it. That year, I
did not succeed.”
To have a better
chance of walking on a team,
you should call the coaches,
tell them who you are, rather
than showing up unannounced,
and you may have a better
chance of making the team
than somebody else.
as easy as it may look. There
are usually two practices
throughout the day. The first
practice begins at 5am and ends
at 9am and the second practice
begins at 6pm and ends at 10pm.
“They are long but productive.
That’s why we do so well at half-
time it’s a breeze.” said Brandon
“Bryd” Peterson a trumpet
player in BMMB.
The BMMB does just as
much physical activity as a regu-
lar sport team . The students
who are apart of the marching
band are physically and men-
tally challenged everyday. “ We
are required to maintain a fit
and healthy body and also a
good GPA. We try our best to
aim for a 4.0 grade point aver-
age, we have study hall. We
also have to stay in shape
throughout the season and
year round.”
ate coordinator for campus life, the
head coach. Peterson takes pride in not
only teaching the young ladies lessons
for the moment, but life lessons that can
carry and apply in the future. “ Not
only do these young ladies excel on the
dance floor, they are implored by me to
focus well on the way they A.C.T.
which is the 3 principles the team is
built on, academics, citizenship, and
talent,” said Peterson.
The young ladies are randomly
given progress reports and also have
numerous study halls to make sure that
they set an example as students for other
Basketball season has arrived
and while the players run plays and
practice their free throws, there is an-
other team preparing for the game.
Perfection Has a Sense of
Elegance and Style, also known as
P.H.A.S.E.S. is what FVSU‟s basket-
ball dance team. This year, the squad
consists of 21 women , who are aim-
ing for one goal, to rock the floor at
halftime.
P. J. Peterson, FVSU associ-
student
body
members.
Often
times,
you find
a dance
team full
of talent, where dancing is most im-
portant, but Peterson stresses that
school comes first.
As the season continues, at
the end of the 1st half, before you get
up to grab a bite to eat, remember
that HALFTIME IS GAMETIME!
Musical Sport By Gabrielle Fanning
You’re sitting in the
stands in the new Wildcat Sta-
dium, the crowd is cheering, and
going wild it’s officially halftime!
Here they come marching
in the center of the field wearing
their royal blue and old gold uni-
forms. The Blue Machine March-
ing Band (BMMB) is ready to
perform.
They performed the
crowd’s favorite tunes along with
a dynamic dance routine. The
show was a success! But it’s not
Halftime Is Gametime By KeAn‟drea Smith
a feasibility study which would analyze
the probability that a Wildcat ballclub
would be a success. “We have been dis-
cussing baseball for quite sometime
now, we believe that many of our stu-
dents are interested in baseball at fort
valley,” said Gosier.
According to FVSU President,
Dr. Larry Rivers, there is a demand for
baseball, but because of the lack of
funds, it would have to be put on hold.
According to Gosier, the FVSU
athletic department would have to add
one or possibly two women‟s sports to
be in compliance with Title 9 under the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) gender equality clause. The
supplementary female sports to be
added are unknown at the time.
However, the popular assump-
tion is that if funds are attained, there
will be a baseball team. Gosier noted
that the athletic club is prepared to com-
pose a “club-baseball” team which is
essentially a team that participates in a
conference (SIAC) intramural league.
If approved, FVSU can expect
to see a club team in ac-
tion as early as the
spring of 2010.
For several months there‟s
been speculation of a men‟s baseball
team coming back to Fort Valley
State‟s athletic program. For years
fans, students, and alumni longed to
have America‟s favorite pastime at
FVSU.
Wilson Gosier, FVSU‟s ath-
letic director has appointed a Consid-
erable Interest Committee to conduct
Photo courtesy of Brandon Peter-
son, The Blue Machine Marching
Band.
Sports Edition Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 3
Baseball at FVSU, Homerun or
Strike-out? By Imhotep Mujahid
P.H.A.S.E.S 2009 – 2010
Cheerleaders deal with a lot of
strenuous activities causing them to be
exposed to injuries. According to the
National Center for Catastrophic Sport
Injury Research, cheerleading is the No.
-1 cause of serious sports injuries to
women. Unlike football, baseball or any
other sport that requires protective gear;
however cheerleading doesn‟t. Emer-
gency room visits are part of the norm
for the when risking t all to keep the
fans hopeful an in high spirits.
Cheerleaders, like any other
college athlete, have certain require-
ments that they have to maintain in or-
der to cheer. Society has portrayed
cheerleaders to be beauty with no
brains. Cheering for the first time at
FVSU, sophomore, LaQuesha Lovejoy
understands that having the brains is
much more important than living up to
any stereotypes that may categorize her
as well as her team. “I‟m a student first,
then an athlete,” said Lovejoy. Studying
Standing back flips, full
layout twists and basket toss are all
in a day‟s work for the cheerlead-
ers at The Fort Valley State Uni-
versity.
There are a lot of positions
that require strength, coordination,
flexibility and athleticism, but peo-
ple still wonder if cheerleading is a
real sport. “I know it‟s a sport,”
said FVSU cheerleading coach
Tony Morris, who has been coach-
ing for thirteen years. “It depends
on where you‟re from and what
type of cheerleading you‟ve seen
because when you see programs
where they‟re incorporating gym-
nastic skills then that‟s a sport.
Literally one mistake could cause
someone their life.”
and completing all of her assignments be-
fore practice, shows that Lovejoy knows
the importance of having high-quality time
management skills.
LaQuesha Lovejoy considers
cheering a sport on all levels, “I don‟t un-
derstand why people would say cheerlead-
ing isn‟t a sport. We compete like any
other sport.” Having to trust someone with
your life while being tossed in the air, tum-
bles and having almost perfect equilibrium
isn‟t part of your everyday sports team but
there are still those who question if cheer-
leading is a sport.
Is Cheerleading a
Go or No?
Advisor
Chata M. Spikes
Managing Editor
Gabrielle Fanning
Layout Editor
KeAn‟drea Smith
Copy Editor
Chelsea Spear
Writers
Kelsey Cowan
Gabrielle Fanning
Demetrius Hillman
Anthony Hornick
Tondala Kargbo
Imhotep Mujahid
James Olivier
KeAn‟drea Smith
Chelsea Spear
Graylin Taylor
Fort Valley State
University
1005 State University Drive
Fort Valley, GA
31030
Phone : 478-925-6211
www. fvsu.edu
Tennis Anyone : A Tribute to Coach Lewis
Special thanks to Martinique Pinder and Mr.Roundtree
Stacey Lambert.
Coach Lewis‟s death
inspired the team and
brought them together.
Coach Lewis always said,
“This is our year to bring
the champion ship trophy
home.”
Shortly after his death,
the Lady Wildcats com-
peted in the Southern Inter-
collegiate Athletic Confer-
ence (SIAC) Tournament
held at Morehouse College
in Atlanta. The team
played off of emotions and
heart. Before the matches
began, there was a heartfelt
meeting of all the players
on the court. The team
members touched Coach
Lewis‟s tennis racquet and
agreed to do their very best
in his memory.
The Lady Wildcats de-
feated Benedict College in
the first match. The final
match came down to the #1
seeded Tuskegee Institute
The 2009 tennis
season took an unexpected
turn for the Lady Wildcats,
after the loss of one of
their devoted coaches.
Coach Eugene
Lewis, an FVSC graduate,
devoted ten years to the
sport he loved. “He did so
much for the tennis team
as well as the athletic de-
partment. He was like a
big brother to me,” said
Head Coach Willie Foster.
The team was dev-
astated when they received
the news that Coach Lewis
passed away after suffer-
ing a massive heart attack.
“Coach Lewis was like a
father to me, he wasn‟t just
a tennis coach he was also
a mentor. I know how
much he wanted us to win
the championship, and I
planned to do my best as
captain and lead the
women‟s team to victory,”
said former tennis player
By Chelsea Spear
By Tondala Kargbo
FVSU Cheerleaders
and #2 seeded Fort Val-
ley State Wildcats. “We
played the best tennis we
had played all season,
even though we fell
short. I know that Coach
Lewis was there in spirit
and was proud of the
girl‟s effort, said Coach
Willie Foster.”
“Together We
Stand, Divided We Fall,
All for One, One for All,
Wildcats!
Coach Eugene Lewis
Photo Courtesy of
Coach Foster