B-RadHoops - June 2009

June 28, 2009

On Wednesday June 24^th, RU Men’s Tennis coach Mike Anderson and I traveled to Belmont Country Club in Ashburn, Virginia to meet Northern Virginia alumni.  Belmont Country Club Master Chef and RU alum Jeff Galkin arranged the evening cocktail reception.  He also managed to get Mike and me on the golf course earlier that day.  Board of Visitors member Mary Ann Hovis’65 kicked off the festivities and her husband Bob regaled me with a great story that Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl uses at his speaking engagements.  Others in attendance included former RU soccer player Anoput Phimmasone ’87 who I learned is also a professional poker player.  Recent grads Brian Burnheimer ’09 & Juliann Abercrombie ’09 were there.  Juliann was the student representative on the Board of Visitors and is soon headed to Tampa and the University of South Florida graduate school.  Brian Shea ’03 has been part of Peace Players International – a world-wide organization that uses Basketball and other sports to unite and educate children and their communities.  J P Beckham ’87 was there with his son Collin.  Marcelo Bravo ’90 works with his father at Raul V. Bravo and Associates – a transportation planning and engineering company.  Two of Mike Anderson former players were there as well – Phil Lobb ’01 and Faisal Syed Haq ’98.   Every time I am part of an alumni event I am reminded of how many special people have made their way to Radford and what Radford has helped them become. 

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday we had a team basketball camp in Dedmon and welcomed 5 teams that have been State Champions in the last two high school seasons.  Radford HS coach Rick Cormany had his Bobcats playing.  Rick is a tremendous coach and a great guy.  Cave Spring of Roanoke, TC Williams of Northern Virginia, South Charleston in WV & East Mecklenburg of Charlotte also played.

Saturday, Cathy Greenberg and I were guests of Walter and Sally Rugaber at their uniquely beautiful Meadows of Dan home for one of the annual summer get togethers.  Walter, a member of Radford’s Board of Visitors is the former president and publisher of The Roanoke Times.  He was also once the president of Hollins University.  He and Sally are two of the nicest and most gracious people anyone could ever meet.  Leslie Rugaber, Walter and Sally’s daughter was in attendance from Seattle.  She and is the Chief Storyteller / Founder of Worktank, a Seattle based advertising company that designs interactive film, video & events to brand products and companies and inspire consumers.  Her business partner Melinda Partin was also there.  , Other lucky houseguests included Kurt Navratil and Brooke Dickson.  On Sunday, after a delicious breakfast, Walter and Sally treated the group to a 38 mile All Terrain Vehicle adventure at Primland in Meadows of Dan, Virginia, high in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  I had never been on an ATV.  However, with helmet, goggles and dust mask I proceeded on the 3 hour trek through brush, mud, sludge, gravel, dirt and forest.  An exhilarating afternoon that was repeatedly defined by Leslie Rugaber as “AWESOME!”

Sunday evening, I was back on campus to see five of our incoming frosh at orientation.  Jamal Curry, Blake Smith and Michal Wooten will be on campus the next 5 weeks for Summer II.  Evan Faulkner and Tommy Spagnolo are in for orientation and to get their fall schedules.  I look forward to getting onto the court in the fall with those five and our two new international recruits – Gorkem Sonmez and Tolga Cerrah.  I can’t wait to get into the gym with all our guys in the fall. 

Go Highlanders

Brad

June 21, 2009

On Tuesday evening, June 16^th, a wonderful enthusiastic group of RU alum and friends gathered at Trio Bistro on Market Street in Roanoke.  Steve and Bryan ’96 Musselwhite along with Sands and Scott Woody hosted the evening.  Board of Visitor member Steve Musselwhite, President Kyle, AD Robert Lineburg and I spoke to the group about Radford’s academic and athletic accomplishments this past year and RU’s exciting future. 

The June session of the Brad Greenberg Basketball Camp was this past week in the Dedmon Center.  An energetic group of about 50 campers, were coached by our staff and some of our players in fun - damentals, and had a great time.  So did I!  We have another session of the Brad Greenberg Basketball Camp on August 3-6.  Call 540-831-5125 for details. 

The rain challenged 109^th US Open Golf Championships will finish up Monday June 22^nd.  I used to play the Black Course at Bethpage State Park regularly.  I grew up in Plainview, LI, a mere 5 miles from the first tee!   It’s neat to see the course shown on TV and recognize the holes I used to butcher! 

Joey Lynch-Flohr is spending the early part of the summer at home in Fairfax.  In July he is off to California to train for 5 weeks prior to fall semester with Frank Matrisciano.  Frank is a new age trainer of elite athletes who calls his workouts chameleon training.  He teaches athletes to adapt to one's surroundings and to overcome any obstacle.  Blake Griffin, who will be chosen #1 in the NBA draft later this week is one of Frank’s students.  Frank’s training has been featured in an ESPN story on Griffin. Former NBA head coach Bob Hill – I assisted Bob as an assistant coach when he was the Head Coach of the NY Knicks - works with the players on the court with basketball training in the morning and Matrisciano trains them in the afternoon.  Matrisciano told me that only 3 of 10 athletes who come to him stay more than a few days.  His workouts are just too demanding.  Joey will love the challenge.  Here’s a link to an article about Frank’s training style which includes athletes running up stairs with medicine balls, running on the beach wearing 50 pound weight vests and laboring up sand dunes with a resistance harness. 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/08/SP6U1147J0.DTL

Friday I saw The Hangover.  Go see it if you need a good laugh – who doesn’t.

Saturday I stopped by Hollins University, site of the Roanoke Valley Invitational Tennis Tournament (RVITT) and hung out with RU Tennis guru Mike Anderson watching Martin Sayer and former RU Women’s Tennis player Cassandra Price win a mixed doubles match.  On Sunday Sayer won the Men’s Singles title to go along with his Virginia Clay Court title he won a few weeks back.  He heads back to Hong Kong for Davis Cup action next month. 

Sunday evening I had Father’s Day Sushi dinner with my two kids…Cory and Ali.  It is a tradition of ours to celebrate birthdays and special occasions with Japanese food.  I can’t think of anything more enjoyable than that.

This Wednesday, June 24, I will head to Ashburn, VA and the Belmont Country Club for an alumni gathering hosted by Jeff Galkin ’91.  Board of Visitor member Mary Ann Hovis ’65, AD Robert Lineburg and I will talk.  If you are interested in attending contact alumni@radford.edu  or call 540-831-5248.

This Thursday we will host a Team Camp and anticipate about 25 teams from Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia in Dedmon for competition.  Play begins Thursday at 3pm and will run through Saturday at noon.  If you are in the area and are in need of a basketball fix feel free to stop on by. 

Go Highlanders

Brad

June 14, 2009

Each year two educators from selected parts of Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky are awarded $25,000 each with the stipulation that $10,000 must be used within a year for international travel or study.  These educators are the recipients of the prestigious McGlothlin Awards for Teaching Excellence, and the awards are among the largest individual teaching awards in the nation.  Tom McGlothlin, president of the McGlothlin Foundation of Bristol, is the patron of the awards and this past Wednesday I met Tom as he hosted a reception for Bristol area RU alums in his magnificent home.  President Kyle, AD Robert Lineburg, Advancement officers Kelly Underwood and Meredith Marks were there to meet and greet a strong turnout.  I spoke to the group about RU basketball and made an appeal to give back to the university.  Thanks Tom for opening up your home and for hosting a great gathering. 

I wish I had read Sarah’s Key: A Novel by Tatiana de Rosnay before going to Paris in late May.  This week I began reading the historically based novel centered around The Vel d’Hive “roundup” on July 16 -17, 1942.  On those two days French police under orders from their leaders obeyed Nazi demands that led to the arrests of over 12,000 Jewish men, women and children.  Vel d’Hive was a stadium that featured cycling races and was the site where those rounded up were despicably imprisoned before being transported to Auschwitz concentration camp where few survived.  In July of 1995 then French President Jacques Chirac acknowledged what the Vichy government did.  I think very few people know about the Vel d’Hive.  Now a few more do.   

From 1974-1976 Mark Fletcher was an assistant basketball coach at Radford University.  For the last 23 years he worked and distinguished himself in the University of Virginia athletic department.  He died Monday morning – June 8 – after returning from a morning run.  Our sympathies go out to his wife Gina and their three children, Kristi, Lori and Scott. 

On much lighter notes:

We start The Brad Greenberg Highlander Basketball Camp Monday morning in Dedmon.  Our staff and some of our players will be will be teaching basketball to young people.  It’s great to see joyful expressions on very young people developing an interest in basketball when they succeed in making a move or shot.  And it’s great to see the expressions of joy on parents faces when they relay to us the stories their kids tell at home of what they did each day at camp. 

Trio Restaurant – 325 Market Street in Roanoke is the place to be on Tuesday evening June 16 between 6:30 – 8:30.  Steve and Bryan ’96 Musselwhite Sands and Scott Woody are hosting a reception celebrating the success of RU’s academic and athletic programs.  President Kyle, AD Robert Lineburg and I will be there.  Please join us. 

Here are more details:

http://www.radfordathletics.com/news/2009/6/10/GEN_0610090238.aspx?path=general

Here’s an update on our players and what they are up to this summer:

Cole Wilder is helping run the basketball program at Camp Horseshoe in Wisconsin’s northwoods.  The camp philosophy is to foster individual character growth and opportunities for leadership, spirit and fellowship.  They can’t have a better person than Cole on staff to help carry out that philosophy.

Laz Trifunovic is home in Belgrade, Serbia for the first time in 2 years to visit his Mom before coming back for Summer II classes. 

Three incoming freshman – Jamal Curry, Blake Smith & Michael Wooten, will be on campus for Summer II classes.  Two other incoming frosh – Evan Faulkner and Tommy Spagnolo will join those three for new student orientation later this month.  Gorkem Sonmez and Tolga Cerrah will be home in Turkey this summer and will do international student orientation in late August before classes begin.  We are excited about our incoming class and our staff is brainstorming daily how we are going to quickly bring them along this fall.

Art Parakhouski is in town and extremely focused on getting stronger and more explosive by devoting four days a week to strength and conditioning work.  Phillip Martin and Amir Johnson are also here in town, in school and regulars in the weight room.  Joey Lynch-Flohr is home in Fairfax training. 

Hope you all are having a good summer.

Go Highlanders

Brad

June 7, 2009

Welcome Chad Myers to the Radford basketball staff as our new Director of Basketball Operations.  Chad comes to us from Hargrave Military Academy where he served as an assistant coach.  He is a Roanoke native and someone we believe will fit in very well with the rest of our staff, our players, the athletic department and Radford University faculty, staff and administration. 

While we are still waiting for the last of our game contracts to be finalized for the upcoming season, we don’t expect any hitches and feel safe to list our non-conference opponents for 2009-2010. Here’s a look at the most competitive out of league slate in Radford history. 

Friday           November 13  vs. Navy

Tuesday        November 17  vs. Lynchburg

Saturday       November 21   @ Duke

Sunday         November 29   @ Duquesne

Wednesday    December 9    @ Kansas

Sunday         December 13   vs. Roanoke

Saturday       December 19   @ James Madison

Tuesday        December 22   vs. William & Mary

Sunday         December 27   @ Louisville

Wednesday    December 30   vs. George Mason

Saturday       February 20     vs. Bracket Buster

I encourage you to reserve season tickets for the 2009-2010 season now.  Here’s a link to info on how to do it.

http://www.radfordathletics.com/sports/2008/12/10/GEN_1210084913.aspx?id=47

Saturday I stopped by campus to show my mom, Marilyn Fleming, the Covington Center for Visual and Performing Arts.  This past fall, I took advantage of a unique opportunity to name a seat in the Performance Hall in honor of Mom and I wanted her to see it.  She is an inspiration to me and my children Cory and Ali.  She was thrilled with the plaque--I encourage you to consider honoring someone close to you in this manner.  Here’s a link to find out more.

http://www.radford.edu/seatofhonor/thefacts.html

Saturday night, the extended Greenberg family enjoyed a fabulous dinner prepared by none other than yours truly – OK, I admit I had some help.  A mixed grill of red snapper, shrimp and chicken sausages with nectarine and blueberry salsa was the main course.  Arugula with roasted beets and farfalle pasta with pesto and rosemary sour dough bread rounded out the menu.  Dessert was vanilla pound cake with strawberries.  Received compliments from everyone including my sister in law Karen - which is high praise. 

Sunday was Blacksburg HS Class of 2009 Graduation Day at Burris Hall on the campus of VT.  It was a big Greenberg family day with my daughter Ali Jordan Greenberg and Ali’s cousin Ella Fleming Greenberg walking.  It was a beautiful day.  Lots of proud parents, grandparents and one especially proud Dad – Me!  All graduation ceremonies feature commencement addresses and speakers and the BHS speaker this year was a motivational speaker who touched on a few themes: kindness, persistence, resiliency, dreaming….the stuff a lot of motivational speakers hit out of the park.  His enthusiasm and delivery reminded me of the late Chris Farley of Saturday Night fame’s motivational speaker character Matt Foley.   Although he didn’t warn any of the graduates that they might someday be living in a van down by the river.  

 A lot of Greenberg’s celebrated again after leaving Burris with a delicious dinner at The Summit in Christiansburg followed by desert at Seth and Karen’s house.  Family time was the theme this weekend!

June 15^th is the first day of the Brad Greenberg Highlanders Basketball Camp.  Here’s the link to a flyer with some details.  There’s still time and room to sign up for a great four days of basketball fun. 

http://www.radfordathletics.com/documents/2009/2/12/Camp%20Flyer-%20bg.pdf?id=176

Go Highlanders

Brad