WEST WINDSOR: Program to focus on athletics, academics

   WEST WINDSOR — To lend support to West Windsor-Plainsboro’s student athletes, the African-American Parent Support Group is hosting the first-ever program on balancing the playing field with academics.
   The program, scheduled for noon to 2 p.m. on April 2 at High School South, will include a panel discussion and dialogue with students, players, alumni, coaches, parents and a sports psychologist on the importance of providing opportunities in athletics alongside resources for academic support within the district.
   ”The school district encourages students to be lifelong learners,” said support group president Barbara Edmonds. “It doesn’t mean that if you’re an athlete, you can’t also excel academically. Sports enable you to build leadership, community and team spirit, and those are all tools needed to succeed in the classroom too.”
   The panel will be moderated by Ms. Edmonds’ husband, Cornell Edmonds, the co-chairperson of the group’s committee on athletics and sports initiatives and programs. Also on the panel will be Andre Bridgett, an accomplished athletic trainer and parent of students in the district. Among his trainees are an Olympic finalist and numerous world champion medalists.
   Martin Flynn, the district’s director of athletics since 1998, will also speak about his more than 20 years of teaching and coaching.
   Ms. Edmonds said it’s important for coaches to share their experiences with their athletes as part of the learning process about coach-player dynamics and motivation.
   ”One of the challenging aspects of this ongoing conversation is making it an opportunity to learn from our mistakes,” she said. “We all have shared experiences, good and bad, and it’s important for coaches, parents and teachers to develop ‘best practices’ to encourage our students to grow athletically and academically.”
   Ms. Edmonds added that part of the group’s mission is to support diversity in athletics, but not only by supporting African American students, but also by supporting women athletes. The group invited High School South graduate Rebecca Peters to speak, who is currently playing on the Fordham University women’s basketball team.
   Ms. Peters has her name recorded on the 1000 Point Club Banner and she is close to achieving the same distinction of scoring more than a thousand points in her collegiate basketball career at Fordham.
   ”Ms. Peters is an important role model for women and for women of color,” Ms. Edmonds said. “Though our group represents African-American students, we have many biracial participants and we support all different stakeholders who need a voice in the district.”
   The program, “Balancing the Playing Field in Sports and Academics,” is free and open to the public for all ages. Light refreshments will be served.