Plenty of New Year's wishes for V.I. sports this year

I remember when my first batch of "wishes" was published last year, the amount of email and phone calls that came in were crazy. I did not plan on working on the same project this year, but those emails and phone calls came in without being asked. So here we go again a set on wishes that local fans, personalities, athletes and administrators would like to see come true in 2012. Enjoy!

Kirk Thomas, "In Da Game" Sports Talk Show, 107.9 FM DaVybe

My one wish relates to horse racing in the V.I. I would like to see better participation from the St. Croix horsemen in helping the inter-island part of horse racing. This means not just one stable traveling with a number of horses. This means several horsemen traveling, and the St Thomas horsemen continue their support!!!

"People will talk, but not talk 'bout themselves!!!"

D'Meca Homer, junior at Columbia University

My personal New Year's wish is for an accomplished upcoming fencing season, newly representing the Virgin Islands. But more broadly, I wish - within my sport - for the development and encouragement of Virgin Islands fencing, both for young children in elementary and high school, but also for advanced fencers competing internationally and at the Olympic level.

James Marrishow, redshirt freshman at Illinois State University.

My New Year's wish is to represent my home town, St. Thomas, to the fullest at Illinois State University and hopefully start on the offensive line at left tackle. Another wish of mine is for our team to prove to the Missouri Valley Conference that ISU deserves respect and recognition for the 7-4 season.

We had a five-game winning streak, and gave the No. 4 ranked team in the nation, the University of Northern Iowa, a run for their money in the playoff game that we unfortunately lost in double overtime by a field goal. Those are the wishes I hope to come true in my 2012 season

Peter Sauer, UVI athletic director

Two wishes: athletic scholarships for UVI's men's and women's basketball teams and soccer team so that they can compete on a level playing field with the 20 other universities in our LAI league that all give full athletic scholarships to their student-athletes. With a level playing field, UVI teams can compete for and win LAI league championships. This will be great for UVI and the Virgin Islands.

The construction and completion of the official competition soccer field on the St. Croix campus. The construction of this soccer field is vital to the UVI soccer team. The soccer team is based on St. Croix and with the field, the team will have a place to practice and play.

George Tipton, Antilles athletic director

I wish the government would realize that investing in our children's future through athletics and improving the facilities and gymnasiums throughout the territory are one and the same. It will kill two birds with one stone - our best athletes won't leave the comfort of their friends and family to seek opportunity in the states, and as well, our young people will find a positive engine to help them earn college scholarships and the discipline that athletics can teach.

Clint Williams, senior at Tuskegee University

My New Year's wish would have to be nothing but health and success for me and my team as well as all my fellow Virgin Islands athletes playing basketball across the world. We all are extremely lucky and blessed to have this opportunity to do what we love and go to school for free. So we should cherish it.

I also wish that the coaches in the Virgin Islands would come together to help the kids in high school to get a chance to receive scholarships and attend college when it's their turn, so that they won't have to take the same road that some of us did.

My last wish is that the people of the Virgin Islands try to keep up with all of us that are playing sports and support us, and not only wait until we "Make It" to then look to give us support just so they can shout "they are from the V.I."

They need to be more like you, Edole, and Rashidi Clenance, just to name a few. As those individuals that consistently contact us to see how we are doing and how everything is going.

Hopefully, my wishes can come true, and this would help build a name for Virgin Islands athletes in the future.

Mark Daniel, PE coordinator on St. Thomas-St. John

That's a great wish (by Clint). You should turn it into a prayer. I am home working on getting all our athletes college ready. The past few years, we have had better success in getting our top athletes to college on scholarships. Hopefully, this trend will continue. I wish that you guys (college players) would let us know when you are visiting us back home, so we can have you share your experiences with our young athletes, coaches and officials. We all have to work together if our athletes are going to achieve great things. Have a great season. We are praying for all of you.

Shamyra Vanterpool, sophomore at Barry University

I totally agree with the second portion of Clint's wish about the coaches coming together to help players be ready and obtain scholarships.

I was a credible athlete at St. Croix Central High School, both in basketball and volleyball. I have played with and against the best talent that the USVI has in the female division, and it's always tragic not seeing any of those players I speak of make it somewhere.

I took the opposite of an athletic scholarship and snagged an academic one, but what about those players who only have their athletic skills to rely on and are damn well great at the sports they play? If that's the only venue they have to make it someday, the coaches should take more time and pride in the development of their skills, especially when a player has given their all to you over the years.

Fight to help them fulfill their dreams and don't stop! Blessed season to those USVI athletes abroad and at home. Be safe on the court because a knee injury crushed my goal to get back into sports and play for my school last spring semester. I would hate to hear that an injury hindered you guys' athletic success. God bless!

Michael Ware, sports fan

My wish is that you continue to have the strength to keep Virgin Islanders everywhere informed of our youngsters abroad. Without you, we wouldn't even know these young cats. Thanks, bro!

Wilfred A. Schouten Sr., sports fan

My New Year's wish is, and has always been to see more V.I. athletes representing and excelling at the college and professional levels. V.I. to the world, we got talented athletes...

Terrell T. Henderson, sports fan

My wish is more reports on every level of scholastic sports in the Virgin Islands. We don't get enough of elementary, middle and junior high up to date standings and results as the varsity. We cannot forget today's youngins are tomorrows biggas on the varsity level.

Also, let them know how the V.I. connected coaches are doing up here on the high school, AAU, college and professional levels. It takes a village to get achieve success and excellence. Let us all use the world wide web and social network to help us all aspire!!!!

Janelle K. Sarauw, volleyball guru

A state of the art facility!!!!! Where we can host tournaments and train. Right now, every national team that plays indoors begs a school to use their gym. If there were government facilities available, we wouldn't have this. A state of the art gymnasium is needed, where both volleyball and basketball can flourish.

Jharel Cotton, junior at East Carolina

Well, my New Year's wish is to wish all the ball players in the islands a healthy season, and to get good grades in school and to perform to the best of their ability. And me, personally, I want to wish that I do really good for my school team, East Carolina University, and have a chance to take them to Omaha alongside Deshorn Lake.

And I hope we get drafted really high.

Diane Willet, mother of basketball stars LaRon and LeRon Smith.

My wish for this year is for the boys to dominate the court and excel to unexpected horizons. The twins are doing extremely well on the court. We are undefeated thus far at Heritage High School with LaRon and LeRon averaging 15.3 points per game. I enjoy going to the games and watching the boys play.

I call them my "Smooth Operators." LaRon is graduating this year, and my hope is for him to get a scholarship to a school that can help to enhance his skills on the court as well as his academics. There are a couple of schools looking at him, and I am hopeful he will make the right decision.

LeRon will be following a year later, but if we manage to get both of them on the same team, I think the boys will be unstoppable!

Sheniko Frett, community activist

As we enter 2012, the year of big dreams for the Virgin Islands, let's take a few minutes to review and praise some great accomplishments that the Virgin Islands made in 2011.

The senior men's national basketball team captured the gold medal in the Bahamas, and the junior national team wore the bronze medal proudly in Puerto Rico.

Kemba Walker (Charlotte Bobcats), a second generation Virgin Islander, single handily carried UConn to their fifth national championship in college basketball.

Rakeem Christmas, another native of the Virgin Islands was voted the No. 1 high school center and the No. 8 overall player in high school basketball by ESPNU. He also represented the U.S. Virgin Islands in three of the most prestigious high school basketball games in 2011 - the Jordan Brand Game, the Elite 24 and the McDonald's All-American.

Last, but surely not least, the ability of Kevin Sheppard to bridge the gap between two nations (U.S. and Iran) and successfully develop a relationship using basketball as the focus point in the documentary "Iran Job." Let us come together as a society and continue to build upon this success.

I personally will like to see beyond 100% support from our local government, local businesses, schools, organizations and commercial industries into sports, which allow our young men and women to develop their skills, such skills as teamwork, leadership, sportsmanship, mentorship and social skills that will help remove the violence amongst the youths in our society.

Te'Andra Richardson, freshman at Panola College

For the New Year, I wish to continue working hard on and off the court. I hope my work ethic would lead to more playing time for the second half of the season.

It has been very hard coming off the bench when I know I had a great season my senior year of high school. However, I realize I need more work and more skills to develop. Success comes when you work hard!

As for all my Virgin Islands athletes, I wish them the best and just want them to continue working hard no matter what. Like my coach Tracy Stellato says, "No plays off equals no days off!"

I am also taking this time out to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and to my family, I love you. Especially to my loving grandmother Sylvia Davis. I could not have done it without you!

Charles Moorehead, junior at Seton Hill University

My one New Year's wish is for a stellar performance by all college players that come from the Virgin Islands or have a Virgin Islands backgrounds. I would like for all of us to have a year full of accomplishments as we hit the peak of our seasons. May 2012 bring us success and hope as we work hard, day in and day out, to accomplish our goals and dreams in life.

Jeff Lloyd, sports fan

My New Year's resolution for the Virgin Islands is get better equipment to improve our players and keep the gyms and fields open longer, so that players can improve their skills by playing more, and hopefully getting coaches in there to coach them in their respective sport!

We also need to play more games in the V.I. The average amount of high school games in the states are 25 for regular season alone! I know it's just a few teams, but you still need to play more games!

Start hosting tournaments where teams from states come down just like they do for Paradise Jam! We have the talent, we just need gyms and fields to practice on. That is difference when kids go to the states from the V.I. - they get more access to get better, that's all we missing!

- David Edole is a V.I. resident and sports enthusiast.

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