On a beautiful spring Tuesday, Tanya Madsen’s Advance Via Individual Determination (AVID) students from Hamilton Meadow Park School converged on the Saint Mary’s College of California and the University of California at Berkeley  campuses.  

The importance of first-generation, college-bound youths visiting a college campus during the middle school years might be a catalyst in ”changing the cycle” of poor educational opportunity for students and families. Last week, Ms. Madsen approached North Bay Youth Academy/Novato Chess Club (aka HYA) regarding a tour of Saint Mary’s for her seventh- and eighth-grade AVID students.

HYA met her students at the St. Jean Baptist de La Salle statue on the Moraga campus. In 1863, the college was founded on the the Lasallian, Catholic and liberal arts mission of educating the poor. As a 1983 SMC graduate, we embrace the Lasallian mission of “inclusive education,” so meeting these wonderful young people is fulfilling the mission and faith.

During our two-hour tour, we engaged a diverse group of undergraduates who  were more than willing to impart their knowledge, each providing personal reflections on their journey to college. None more poignant than the Remy Smith-Lewis, ’12, who is graduating May, 19. He reflected on his AVID trip as a high school sophomore.

“This is so unique for me to talk with you today, as I remember being a AVID student and making a trip like this, as if it were yesterday,” Remy said. Initially he attended a school in the South then transferred to SMC in his second year of college.

We met SMC basketball star Mitchell Young, ’13, in the dining hall, and he spent 10 minutes addressing the youngsters. Hamilton students never met anyone from Australia, so it was a unique experience for one young man who asked, “Are you from Russia?” It is educational moments like these that are the catalyst to understanding a broader world view. I am sure Ms. Madsen had the map of Australia and Russia ready for them on Wednesday at school.

We visited the library, dining hall, theater, a Socratic classroom, engaging several students who truly represented what the Lasallian mission is all about. As the Hamilton Hawks boarded the bus toward the next stop, UC Berkeley, I was inspired by how a college trip of 30 students can be an unexpected life changing experience for elementary/middle school kids. Many thanks to Ms. Madsen, who understands a classroom education is but a small part of the overall motivation.

By raising the expectation of AVID students; they see themselves in college — college students of the future. However, individual inspirations are a matter of choice.

Read here about my personal life-changing experience and passion in the Saint Mary’s College of California, Alumni Magazine, Cover Story, Autumn 2008, “Paying it Forward, Sharing the Spirit.”

Thanks to Donations, Volunteers Teachers, administrators team up to take about 200 Novato kids over to St. Mary’s College in Moraga for an inspirational day.  By Brent Ainsworth | Email the author

About 600 Bay Area kids, including more than 200 from Novato, spent Saturday on the campus of St. Mary’s College in Moraga in a basketball-tinged tour set up by a Novato man to inspire a commitment to education.

But on Feb 2, 2012 the Gaels program is ranked #1 in youth outreach and opportunity.  Each year Saint Mary’s College (SMC) provide North Bay Youth Academy (HYA) discounted tickets so educational programs, youth groups, and parents of 1st generation college bound youth can afford a college experience.  HYA_”O”Zone Youth Night (http://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue0322/Ozone-Means-Opportunity.html) honors the hard work, effort, and determination of a Gael player each year.

Rob Jones, Gael star power forward is the HYA_”O”Zone Youth Night player who will be honored by over 450 youth at this years game. Rob support of youth in all communities and the effort he made in speaking to the young people during HYA_Cilsa Youth Outeach Day. Rob took the time to express the need for academic intellect, “as sport can only take you so far.” Please join us on February 2, 2012 and join the youth of San Rafael High School, San Jose Middle School (Novato), Bay Area Cool Kids, St Leo the Great, Moreau Catholic High School, & Hamilton School (Novato).

We appreciate the corporate partners who make this happen each year: MartinLand Co, Hayward, SportClips Haircuts (Pleasant Hill), PFG, Ltd., Rob Morris Photography, Moylan’s (Novato), Crown Concord Fiat.

the following taken from the SMC website:

http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/athletics

Entered the season as a preseason all-WCC selection … listed by many media outlets as one of the top players on the West Coast … registered seven-straight double-doubles and eight-straight games of double-figure rebounds to open the season … named WCC Player of the Month for November … set career-high with 31 points at San Diego to go with 12 rebounds for 10th double-double of the season … named WCC Player of the Week for his effort against the Toreros … handed-out career-high eight assists in home win over Gonzaga to go with 11 rebounds … scored 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting in the season opener against Fresno Pacific … scored 24 points to go with 15 rebounds in the home win over BYU … went 10-for-10 from the free throw line against the Cougars … scored 24 points in Shamrock Office Solutions Classic final against Weber State and was named Tournament MVP … shot 4-for-4 from behind the three-point arc against the Wildcats … matched career-high with four steals against Kennsaw State.

Keynote Address: Mr. Tom Brown

February 13, 2010

It’s always good to be back at Saint Mary’s.  I spent most of my life on this campus as an Assistant Dean of Students, Associate Dean of Studies and Dean of Advising Services.  I had many responsibilities during my 27 year career; however, there were few things I enjoyed more than working with the young women and men who competed for Saint Mary’s College as members of the Gaels athletic teams. In fact, I was faculty moderator of the Women’s Basketball team my last 10 years, and I helped create the academic advising and support program in the Department of Athletics.  I came to Saint Mary’s after having graduated from the University of Southern California—the real SC.  However, at some point during my career here, I knew I had been transformed into a Gael, when my loathing of Santa Clara and Gonzaga came to be even greater than my disdain for all things related to UCLA and Notre Dame.  We are here tonight to meet the members of the 2010 Saint Mary’s baseball team and to celebrate the young men who will represent the college this season.  At the same time, we are here to celebrate former Gaels, like Mark Teahen, who have gone on to successful careers after being St. Mary’s student athletes.  I have always believed that you must know where you came from in order to know who you are.  So, I want to share some of my experiences with the Saint Mary’s baseball program.  Most especially, I want to introduce the members of the current Gaels team to the one of the greatest coaches and people in the long and storied history of Saint Mary’s College—Dr. Miles McAfee, who coached the Saint Mary’s baseball team from 1973 through 1980. This seems particularly appropriate as we recognize Black History Month.  During my early years at the College, the Gaels’ baseball program was the only successful Saint Mary’s athletic team.  There was no real football team at the time, no women’s athletic teams, and the basketball program was a perennial loser.  The man responsible for baseball’s success was Dr. Miles McAfee.  Coach Mac came to Saint Mary’s in the summer of 1973.  He graduated from Tuskegee University in Alabama, where he had been a super star baseball player during a time of racial segregation. In fact, he was inducted into the Tuskegee Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.  After playing professionally with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Miles became a scout and eventually decided to pursue a career as a coach. In being named the coach at Saint Mary’s, Miles McAfee became the first African-American to lead an NCAA Division 1 baseball program not at a historically Black college or university.  In his 2003 autobiography, Four Generations of Color, Coach Mac recalled competing against and learning from some of the greatest coaches of that era, including Jackie Jensen at Berkeley, Bob Bennett at Fresno Sate, and Rod Dedeaux at USC.  He wrote that one of the things he learned was how few Black kids who got the opportunity to earn athletic scholarships to play intercollegiate baseball.  Miles always sought the very best players, regardless of race or color, and he was especially committed to giving more Black kids the chance to play and earn a college education.  Many white coaches at the time couldn’t really understand or relate to Black players.

For example, Miles’ predecessor at Saint Mary’s had cut a kid named Xavier Dixon, who came to me to express concern that he wasn’t being treated fairly.  Under Coach Mac, Xavier became an all conference selection.  Coach Mac was a great motivator and an amazing recruiter. He landed many great players, like Broderick Perkins, who went on to play with the Padres; Tom Candiotti, who pitched for Cleveland, the Dodgers and won a World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays; and Von Hayes, who had an All-Star career with the Phillies.  Miles also served as coach a role model to future coaches, like Dan McDermott of Regis University and Mike Adami of Hayward’s Moreau High School.  I think the only folks who could out-recruit Miles were professional baseball teams….Coach Mac also brought many kids to my office who wanted to play for Saint Mary’s, including a youngster named Ricky Henderson, who played at Oakland Tech. However, Ricky signed with the Oakland A’s, where he set a new major league record for stolen bases, leadoff homers and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame last summer. The A’s also out-recruited Miles for another Oakland kid—Dave Stewart of St. Elizabeth High in Oakland; a future Hall of Famer, who was 20-game winner for 4 consecutive years with the A’s and a World Series MVP. Coach Mac was always concerned about his players’ lives after baseball, so when a young Lloyd Moseby decided at the last minute to sign with Toronto rather than Saint Mary’s, he advised him to get the Blue Jays to promise that they would pay for four years of college. Miles always insisted that his players take care of business in the classroom, as well as on the field, because he understood that you don’t just turn commitment, focus and excellence off and on.  Chris Major, who is among Miles’ former players who are here tonight, was the last player Coach Mac recruited.  Chris recalls that Coach opened the door of opportunity for him—as a baseball player, and a student, and Miles helped him become the man he is today.  When Coach Mac first came to Saint Mary’s, he received viciously racist letters because he, a Black man, had been named to coach the Gaels.  The parents of several white players also complained to Athletics Director Don McKillip, that Miles was playing black players over their sons.  Coach pointed out to the AD and those parents that he had a specific coaching philosophy—his goal was to win rather than satisfy players or their parents.  He quickly earned the respect of all the players, and his long time colleague and friend, Skip Naler, recalls, “After awhile, we were no longer black, white, brown, or yellow; we were all just Gaels.” Dr. Miles McAfee was not just a great player, coach, scout and agent; he was also a very good man.  In his autobiography, The Measure of a Man, the Oscar winning actor, Sidney Poitier, wrote that the true measure of a man is how he cares for his family.  Miles dedicated his own autobiography to his son, Miles Jr. and his daughter Karen, who he hoped would understand and learn from the trials and tribulations of his life. He also dedicated the book to his wonderful wife Lynn, who is here tonight, whom he wrote, “Lynn supported me during the endeavors and dilemmas that occurred during our lives together.” Sidney Poitier wrote that love and work and family are the legacy we leave behind when our little moment in the sun is gone.  Coach Mac left behind a wonderful family and I want to close with a few more thoughts about his work.  I especially want to challenge and support Saint Mary’s College to honor Miles McAfee’s work by naming him to the Gael Hall of Fame and retiring his jersey number. Dr. Miles McAfee and I grew up in an era when Black kids were told by their parents that we would always have to be twice as good to go half as far in this world. When Miles died last year, The Contra Costa Times carried a front page story in the Sports section recalling his brilliant career.  The title of the story captures a sad reality.  It read, “McAfee Was a Pioneer That Too Few Knew.”  The opening lines, written by longtime columnist Monte Poole, read:  “Like life in general, sport is teeming with accomplished individuals who walk silently; giants whose footprints are best measured not by sheer size but by the depth of their character and influence.  People like Miles McAfee, whose name may not be familiar unless you hold a microscope to local sports history….The shame of it is these that these immense contributors to the lives and families of others all too often get overlooked….” Former baseball great, Willie McGee said, “I honestly can say that Miles was underrated.  What he did, what he stood for, his legacy; it’s all grossly underappreciated.” Poole concluded,  “McAfee was a pioneer, a man of sound reason, insistent fairness. He stood up for those around him, no matter their age race or stature.”  While it may be understandable for Coach Miles McAfee to go unrecognized beyond Moraga’s Hills, what he accomplished for the Saint Mary’s Gaels baseball program is without question deserving of Hall Fame status:

• Three thirty win seasons including a 41-13 record in 1977—which still stands as a St. Mary’s record for wins.
• 220 wins over his seven year career, making him the winningest coach in the history of Saint Mary’s College.

As the 2010 version of the St. Mary’s Gaels prepares to go forward, I encourage you look back to where the roots of the success of the modern era of winning  baseball began—with Coach Miles McAfee.  I also urge you to honor the present by acknowledging the past and support the induction of Coach Mac to the Gael Hall of Fame, retire his number, and put it on the outfield wall to inspire and remind all past, present, and future Gaels of their eternal legacy! Doing so will be a reminder that you recognize and appreciate Dr. Miles McAfee and all he did for Saint Mary’s, for young men, and for the Gael Baseball program.  It’s the right thing to do and the time has come to do it!

Thank you for listening. I wish you all the best.  Keep the faith and keepin’ on, and Go Gaels!

The fifth head coach in the 29 years of women’s soccer at Saint Mary’s College, Kai Edwards enters his third season as the Gaels’ head women’s soccer coach in 2011. In 2010 Saint Mary’s finished the season with an 8-7-4 overall record and went 2-4-1 in West Coast Conference play, marking the Gaels’ first winning season since 2001. Edwards also continues to emphasize the school’s history of excellence in the classroom, guiding the program to a second straight NSCAA Team Academic Award, and landing four student-athletes on the WCC All-Academic Team. On the field in 2010, five Gaels were awarded all-WCC honors, marking the most since Saint Mary’s placed six players on the 2002 all-league squad. Freshman midfielder. Jordan Marada earned first-team All-WCC honors and was selected to the league’s all-Freshman team. She became the first freshman women’s soccer player to earn first-team all-WCC honors since 1992. Fellow freshman Brianna Campos also broke onto the collegiate soccer scene quickly, earning second-team all-WCC honors as a forward. In 2009, the attack minded Edwards improved the team’s goals per game average nearly half a goal per game, moving from 1.00 to 1.45 in just one season. The Gaels also jumped 63 spots in the national ratings percentage index, moving into the top 100, and were ranked in the top 10 in the West Region (NCAA/NSCAA) throughout the majority of the season. The Gaels also earned a Team Academic Award from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The Gaels improved to 9-11 overall with three players earning all-WCC honors. Jessica Menzhuber was a first team all-conference selection and a third team NSCAA All-West Region honoree. Daelyn Paul was an honorable mention all-WCC selection, and joined Christina Tognetti on the conference’s all-freshman squad. Edwards moved Menzhuber from defender to forward for her senior season and she responded by leading the Gaels with 26 points on 11 goals and four assists. She finished fourth in the WCC in goals and points and helped the Gaels score at least one goal in 19-of-20 games. Paul had an outstanding freshman campaign, as she was second on the team with 16 points on five goals and a team-high six assists. In 2009, the Gaels had key victories over top-30 teams Texas (2-1) and San Diego (2-1). During the middle of the season, SMC won seven of 10 games, with its three losses during that stretch coming to No. 10 Texas A&M (2-1), No. 9 California (4-1) and No. 1 Stanford (1-0). Edwards came to Saint Mary’s after spending two seasons as the associate head coach for the women’s soccer program at UC Santa Barbara. Edwards served as the Gauchos’ recruiting coordinator and played an instrumental role in UCSB’s 2008 recruiting class, which was ranked 38th in the nation by Soccer Buzz Magazine, the highest in program history. The affable Edwards joined the UCSB coaching staff in the spring of 2007, after spending one season at Sonoma State, where he helped guide the Seawolves to a 12-6-3 record and a spot in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament in 2006. Prior to his one season as an assistant at Sonoma State, Edwards spent two years as an assistant at Division II Western Washington. Heavily involved with the Region IV Olympic Development Program, Edwards has his USSF “A” license and his NSCAA Advanced Regional Diploma. An offensive-minded coach, each team Edwards has coached has increased its goals per game average each year of his tenure. Edwards, a graduate of Sonoma State, played two seasons for the Seawolves. As a senior in 2003, he scored five goals and had four assists, and in 2002, he was a member of Sonoma State’s NCAA Division II National Championship team. Prior to his two years at Sonoma, Edwards played soccer for two years at San Francisco State where he was a team captain. As a high school player at Rolling Hills Prep in San Pedro, Calif., he was a first-team all-State choice, once scored 11 goals in a single match and still holds the school’s record for goals in a game, season and career. Professionally, he played for the Seattle Sounders Select team, Surrey United in Canada and semi-pro for the Bellingham Blaze indoor team. Edwards also competed on the U.S. National Tae Kwon Do team.

(originally printed by St Mary’s College of California)

http://www.smcgaels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=21400&ATCLID=3660224&Q_SEASON=2011

The fifth head coach in the 29 years of women’s soccer at Saint Mary’s College, Kai Edwards enters his third season as the Gaels’ head women’s soccer coach in 2011. In 2010 Saint Mary’s finished the season with an 8-7-4 overall record and went 2-4-1 in West Coast Conference play, marking the Gaels’ first winning season since 2001.

Mark Orr, Athletic Director and Kai Edwards, SMC Head Coach enjoy the kick-off barbecue in the Grove

Edwards also continues to emphasize the school’s history of excellence in the classroom, guiding the program to a second straight NSCAA Team Academic Award, and landing four student-athletes on the WCC All-Academic Team. On the field in 2010, five Gaels were awarded all-WCC honors, marking the most since Saint Mary’s placed six players on the 2002 all-league squad. Freshman midfielder Jordan Marada earned first-team All-WCC honors and was selected to the league’s all-Freshman team. She became the first freshman women’s soccer player to earn first-team all-WCC honors since 1992. Fellow freshman Brianna Campos also broke onto the collegiate soccer scene quickly, earning second-team all-WCC honors as a forward. In 2009, the attack minded Edwards improved the team’s goals per game average nearly half a goal per game, moving from 1.00 to 1.45 in just one season. The Gaels also jumped 63 spots in the national ratings percentage index, moving into the top 100, and were ranked in the top 10 in the West Region (NCAA/NSCAA) throughout the majority of the season. The Gaels also earned a Team Academic Award from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The Gaels improved to 9-11 overall with three players earning all-WCC honors. Jessica Menzhuber was a first team all-conference selection and a third team NSCAA All-West Region honoree. Daelyn Paul was an honorable mention all-WCC selection, and joined Christina Tognetti on the conference’s all-freshman squad. Edwards moved Menzhuber from defender to forward for her senior season and she responded by leading the Gaels with 26 points on 11 goals and four assists. She finished fourth in the WCC in goals and points and helped the Gaels score at least one goal in 19-of-20 games. Paul had an outstanding freshman campaign, as she was second on the team with 16 points on five goals and a team-high six assists. In 2009, the Gaels had key victories over top-30 teams Texas (2-1) and San Diego (2-1). During the middle of the season, SMC won seven of 10 games, with its three losses during that stretch coming to No. 10 Texas A&M (2-1), No. 9 California (4-1) and No. 1 Stanford (1-0). Edwards came to Saint Mary’s after spending two seasons as the associate head coach for the women’s soccer program at UC Santa Barbara. Edwards served as the Gauchos’ recruiting coordinator and played an instrumental role in UCSB’s 2008 recruiting class, which was ranked 38th in the nation by Soccer Buzz Magazine, the highest in program history. The affable Edwards joined the UCSB coaching staff in the spring of 2007, after spending one season at Sonoma State, where he helped guide the Seawolves to a 12-6-3 record and a spot in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament in 2006. Prior to his one season as an assistant at Sonoma State, Edwards spent two years as an assistant at Division II Western Washington. Heavily involved with the Region IV Olympic Development Program, Edwards has his USSF “A” license and his NSCAA Advanced Regional Diploma. An offensive-minded coach, each team Edwards has coached has increased its goals per game average each year of his tenure. Edwards, a graduate of Sonoma State, played two seasons for the Seawolves. As a senior in 2003, he scored five goals and had four assists, and in 2002, he was a member of Sonoma State’s NCAA Division II National Championship team. Prior to his two years at Sonoma, Edwards played soccer for two years at San Francisco State where he was a team captain. As a high school player at Rolling Hills Prep in San Pedro, Calif., he was a first-team all-State choice, once scored 11 goals in a single match and still holds the school’s record for goals in a game, season and career. Professionally, he played for the Seattle Sounders Select team, Surrey United in Canada and semi-pro for the Bellingham Blaze indoor team. Edwards also competed on the U.S. National Tae Kwon Do team.