BLACK BUZZ NEWS SERVICE
The Ronald B. Saunders Project
Saunders Family Archives
Slippery Rock, PA
December 4, 2010
The following is a certificate that Ronald B. Saunders received while playing Jr. Varsity Basketball at Slippery Rock Joint High School for the season 1958-59. Note that while at Slippery Rock, I used my dad's last name which is Robinson.
CERTIFICATE OF
MERITORIOUS AWARD
Slippery Rock Area Joint High School
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT
Ronald Robinson
HAS BEEN AWARDED
THE Jr. Varsity MONOGRAM IN Basketball
FOR THE SEASON OF
1958-1959
Signed R. Neal Williams..........................Signed H. Bergman
* Also note that I played Jr. Varsity Basketball in the ninth grade at said Slippery Rock Joint High School and I played on the Varsity in the 11th grade. For the 1958-59 season, I averaged 9 points a game and seven rebounds playing in a variation of the motion offense. I could dunk the ball, which was quite a feat for a five foot eight brother growing up on Francis Street. Everyone that knows (Windy), that's my nickname, knew that I was a champion swimmer, track star and a very good baseball and football player. I never played organized basketball until I matriculated to Slippery Rock High School. My swimming coach at the Centre Avenue YMCA in Pittsburgh PA, Mr. Crocker, would never let me play basketball because all of my time was to be spent in the pool. I had to sneak to play basketball at the YMCA.
Here are some of the members of my Jr Varsity Basketball team at Slippery Rock Joint High School for the school year 1958-59:
1. Joe Calderone-
2. Ray Lucas- Retired Cross Country and Track & Field Coach Schenley High School, Pittsburgh PA
3. Tom Hackathorn
4. James McConell- Played both Varsity and Jr Varsity; I would later coach his son James McConell Jr in the Homewood-Brushton YMCA Summer League in 1982 while the younger McConell was a basketball player on the Slippery Rock University hoop squad.
5. Frank Saunders- His father was Chief Of Police in a little town called Portersville PA.
6. Gary Steele
7. Fred Swope
8. Fred Vincent- His father was one of the Medical Doctors in Borough of Slippery Rock PA
Here are some of the Jr Varsity Cheerleaders who cheered loudly for me when I made a basket:
1. Rita Critchlow- I recall that Rita cheered the loudest for me when I made a basket. She lived on a Big Farm in Harrisville PA on route 8, and the Critchlow Homestead still exist on said site. I also had Spanish I class with Rita.
2. Rose Duffy- I think she lived in Forestville or Harrisville PA.. or possibly Slippery Rock Twp.
3. Donna Rice- She lived in Portersville PA
Note there were other Jr Varsity Cheerleaders but I don't recall said names.
I knew all of the Varsity Cherrleaders.
In reference to baseball, the late John Brewer, Sr. father of John Brewer, Jr., stated when I was in the fifth grade at the Robert L. Vann Elementary School that "Saunders is the best baseball player to ever come through Vann School".
Through the Centre Avenue YMCA, my brother and I attended a couple of Pittsburgh Pirate knothole games at Forbes Field with the Brewer boys.
I recall when I was investigating a racial discrimination complaint for the Pittsburgh Branch of the NAACP, Labor and Industry Committee against the Shuman Juvenile Detention Center located on Highland Drive in the East End section of Pittsburgh, PA, I met with John Brewer, Sr. who was the Chairman of the Shuman Board of Directors. Mr. Brewer inquired to me about what happened to my baseball career. We talked about old times. Mr. Brewer, Sr. was the physical education teacher at Robert L. Vann. He appointed me captain of the Safety Patrol when I was in the sixth grade at said school. We also talked about the complaint that had been filed against Shuman Center.
I recently had a conversation with Tina Brewer, the wife of John Brewer, Jr., while attending a surprise birthday party held at the Grand Concourse for Walter Hale, the husband of Common Pleas Judge Kim Clark and the brother of Mrs. Ruth Ann Still. I informed Tina that I still had my Safety Patrol Certificate signed by her father in-law the late John Brewer, Sr. Tina stated that she would like to have a copy of the certificate and I informed Tina that I would try to accommodate her request.
John Brewer, Sr. was a great athlete at West Virginia State College. I always valued his judgement and advice.
I have already blogged extensively about my basketball career and track career. Review http://blackbuzz.blogspot.com/ March, 2009 titled Black Buzz's Track Career. Eventually I will write about my baseball, football and swimming career.
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