School Funding CenterCentral source of expertise on school improvement issues

Home  > Sports  > broward baseball

Jose Mesa Jr. sit in the team’s dugout with his father, former Major League Baseball player Jose Mesa Sr., before practice Wednesday (Taimy Alvarez, Sun Sentinel / March 21, 2012)

By Jason Stromberg, Sun Sentinel PEMBROKE PINES Ask Pete Greenwood what he likes the most about Flanagan senior right-hander Jose Mesa Jr., and the assistant varsity baseball coach goes on and on with compliments about his ace hurler.

“He never stops smiling,” Greenwood said of Mesa Jr., who is the son of former Major League Baseball reliever Jose Mesa Sr. “He’s a kid you love having around. He’s like a big teddy bear. It’s refreshing to see. He really is the ultimate teammate.”

At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Mesa Jr. (6-1 overall) has led the way for the Falcons. In 43 2/3 innings pitched, the Pembroke Pines resident has allowed only 10 hits, 24 walks, and seven earned runs, to go along with his 1.12 ERA and 0.78 WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched).

“What I love most about the game of baseball is that I’m always looking to improve,” said Mesa Jr., a native of the Dominican Republic, who started at Flanagan his sophomore season.

“As soon as I got here, I’ve wanted to better myself. Just have 100 percent confidence and do my job.”

Mesa Jr. proved as such during his two no-hit outings against district opponents Cypress Bay and West Broward, which the Falcons won 5-0 and 9-0 respectively.

He went 19 consecutive innings without allowing a hit, before earning his lone loss of the season against Venice in Tampa.

In that 5-1 defeat, Mesa Jr. allowed only two hits in six innings of work.

“He has the arm strength,” said Falcons’ manager Ray Evans, who has seen Mesa Jr. top out at 94 mph with his fast ball.

“He still has time to grow. We know that because of his make-up. He’s got a nice ceiling and he hasn’t hit it yet.”

Take away the facial hair and Mesa Jr. looks like a mirror image of his father, not only in physical stature, but in his pitching windup.

Mesa Sr. pitched for eight major league teams during his 19-year professional career, ranking 13th on the all-time career saves list with 321.

His 112 career saves ranks first all-time in Philadelphia Phillies history. The two-time AL All-Star won the 1995 AL Rolaids Relief Man of the Year award.

“I’m really happy and proud of him,” said Mesa Sr., whose older son Jesse Mesa played on the Falcons’ state championship team in 2006.

“I enjoy coming over here to watch him play. I just get nervous when someone hits it near him. He’s a lot better now than I was at his age.”

Mesa Jr., who can consistently throw a slider and change-up to accompany his fast ball, is regularly caught by senior Rick Sanchez. In his first season catching Mesa Jr. — Broward County’s leader in strikeouts this season with 82 — Sanchez can’t wait to get behind the plate.

“I really like it,” Sanchez said.

“I don’t have to move back there. There’s not a lot of guys that can hit off him. He makes my job easy. He makes the adjustments and battles. After the game, I have to ice my hand because he’s throwing so hard consistently, but it’s worth it in the end because I know we can get the ‘W.’ “

Flanagan (12-4, 9-0 District 12-8A) is gearing up for the postseason and Mesa will play a key role.

“I always see my dad watching in the stands, and if I get in a 2-0 count, I just look over and he tells me to stay focused,” Mesa Jr. said.

“I’m just like my dad. I try and do my best. This is pretty much what I was born to do.”

Is it possible to avoid credit card debt with a payday loan without a checking account?

Millions of consumers in the US, suffered job loss and wage deduction after the recent economic meltdown. In this situation, many of the consumers failed to make payment and incurred insurmountable amount of debt. Your credit score might drop when you default on your payment. Therefore, you might not be successful in applying for a personal loan due to low credit score. In this situation, people usually apply for a payday loan. However, consolidate your debts in order to repair your credit report. If you are not aware of the debt relief programs available, then check the debt consolidation reviews in the internet to get detail information.

It’s simple to apply for a payday loan and you can get this loan quite quickly. Unlike personal loan, you are not required to undergo credit check. Therefore, the loan will be deposited in your bank account within 24 hours of application. However, you are required to repair the credit report. In order to obtain the loan, you don’t need to provide personal financial information.

You can apply for a payday loan by filling out the application form on the internet. Therefore, it involves hassle free way to apply for a loan. If you find that the loan provider is continuously enquiring about your financial details, then look for another lender as you might be associated with a scammer. Make sure you shop for lenders in order to avail the best deal. So look for lenders who might provide you loan on affordable interest rate.

If you are planning to get rid of your credit card debt, then avoid using your credit card. So payday loan is a viable option for people to manage their unexpected expenses at the middle of the month. In case you default on your payment on payday loan, then you can further complicate your financial situation. Make sure that you pay off the owed amount on time in order to avoid financial hazards.

Remember, the banks will disapprove your loan application, if your credit score is low. Therefore, people with poor credit score usually apply for a payday loan to manage the expenses.

You can easily avoid using your credit card in case you apply for a payday loan. Therefore, it is possible to avoid your credit card by applying for a payday loan without a checking account. But keep in mind that you pay back the payday loan on time; otherwise it might complicate the financial situation.

Rather than, you know, take my recommendations and just have SATs matter less in college admissions (I mean, I wasnt really expecting them to listen), the powers that be in the American college admission rat race have issued changes to address the recent SAT cheating scandal on Long Island. The answer, of course, is more security at the tests.

Stung by a cheating scandal involving dozens of Long Island high school students, the SAT and ACT college entrance exams will now require students to upload photos when they sign up for the exams, and officials will check that image against the photo identification the students present when they arrive to take the test, the Nassau County district attorney said Tuesday.

The statement also said that standby test registration, in which students can register the day they take the test, would be eliminated. Students not appearing on the roster at a test center or students who do not present sufficient identification will not be allowed to sit for the exam, according to the statement from Ms. Rice.

The change was one of several announced Tuesday in the aftermath of the cheating cases, in which high-scoring students for other students.

This will, of course, make the process of actually taking these somewhat overrated examinations much more nerve-wracking for students. But at least no one in the admissions office will let in some kid with a slightly lower score than the one he sent in. Because thats really important.

This comes about after authorities arrested twenty Long Island teenagers last fall. Apparently 15 of those students were accused of paying $500 to $3,600 to the other five (higher-scoring) students to take the SATs or ACTs for them.

Home  > Sports  > broward football

In September 2009 under a pilot program, football players take the Impact test on a computer. It helps create a baseline to be used in case of concussion. (Photo courtesy of Broward Health)

By Dieter Kurtenbach, Sun Sentinel

The Broward County School Board unanimously adopted a resolution Tuesday that will further concussion care and awareness for the county’s student-athletes.

The “Resolution in Support of Concussion Management and Neuro-Cognitive Testing for High School Athletes” will establish baseline testing for student-athletes so athletic trainers with the team can better diagnose concussions on an individual level.

The testing will go into effect before the start of spring football in May.

“This testing is on the cutting edge,” Damian Huttenhoff, Broward County Director of Athletics and Student Activities said. “We will be doing what they are doing in the National Football League. Our kids are as valuable.”

The tests, which set a control of a student’s comprehension, reaction time, attention and reasoning skills, will be used so trainers can compare those skills — against themselves —  after a student-athlete is suspected of having concussion.

Such testing had been present in Broward County before the passing of Tuesday’s resolution, but on a volunteer basis. The success of the program, along with the ability to find grants to fund it, gave confidence to Huttenhoff and his brain trust of doctors and concerned citizens that the program could be expanded.

“I think it’s ambitious to think we’ll get every child, but we’re going to do our best to make sure that happens,” said Frank Walters, the director of sports medicine at Broward Health.

Even if a student-athlete is not tested, the data collected from other students tested can provide a strong control.

A large sample size is expected to provide a safeguard against deliberate low scores on initial testing. Peyton Manning said last year that he sandbagged his baseline test, the first player to validate rumors the practice was happening.

“There’s checklists within the test that you can determine if people are giving a good effort, and the norms are on-going,” Stephen Russo, Assistant Professor at the Center for Psychological Studies at Nova Southeastern University said. “Sandbagging is one of our bigger concerns. When people are uneducated about the injury, that’s why we incorporate education into the baseline testing process.”

State legislature passed a bill this month that mandates that the Florida State High School Athletic Association establish rules for concussions, specifically outlining that athletes not be allowed to return from a concussion until medically cleared.

That bill is expected to become law in the coming weeks, but Huttenhoff said the action taken by Broward County is far ahead of that mandate.

Miami-Dade and Broward Counties have both contracted full-time athletic trainers for their schools, which makes the implementation of baseline concussion testing possible.

“If we can prevent and save lives now, then we’ve accomplished what we’ve intended to do,” Huttenhoff said. “Other than Miami-Dade, there’s nobody else who’s talking about this…It’s the right thing to do.”