THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 10, 1994 TAG: 9407100171
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C13 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
A marquee lineup of football talent will headline the Virginia High School Coaches Association all-star games, which will be held this week in Hampton for the second year in a row.
The games, which for the first year will include a girls volleyball contest, are held in conjunction with the VHSCA's annual convention, during which roughly 1,200 coaches will take part in a five-day series of clinics.
``We did a good job last year, but we've got to try and make it good every year,'' said Hampton football coach Mike Smith, the director of the all-star games and one of the driving forces behind bringing the convention to Hampton Roads.
Thursday's football game, typically the biggest attraction of tournament week, features Group AAA first-team all-state performers Tony Morrison of Indian River and Ken Oxendine of Thomas Dale, both of whom will play for Virginia Tech in the fall.
``I think we've got two of the best squads we've had in a long time,'' Smith said.
``It's a lot better than last year, that's for sure.''
Lawrence Taylor, Kenny Easley and Terry Kirby are a few of the stars who have played in previous VHSCA all-star games.
This year, the VHSCA voted to add girls volleyball (to be played Tuesday) to the traditional lineup of boys and girls basketball (Monday), baseball and softball (Wednesday) and football.
Soccer becomes a VHSCA all-star sport next year, Smith said. Whether there will be a boys team, a girls team or both has yet to be determined, he said.
This marks the 23rd year of the VHSCA all-star games. The competitions began in 1972 in Roanoke, then moved to Charlottesville and Lynchburg before debuting in Hampton last year.
The athletes, who are divided into East and West squads, will stay at Hampton University and visit tourist spots such as Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens.
Smith estimates that $750,000 will be spent in Hampton and the surrounding areas this week by people connected with the VHSCA.
According to Smith, the event was ``reasonably successful'' a year ago. But the games wound up mired in controversy, as members of the girls basketball and softball teams drew national press when they charged that they were discriminated against while the boys received free basketball shoes and preferential treatment.
Smith said the charges were the result of misunderstandings and have been blown out of proportion, a stance supported in part by Claudia Dodson of the Virginia High School League.
``One of the complaints was that the girls (basketball teams) had to practice in the same gym, while the boys (teams) each had their own gym,'' Dodson said. ``But that was at the request of the (girls) coaches. They wanted to practice in the same gym.''
Still, the VHSCA reviewed the entire matter last fall and had its report of proposed changes approved by the VHSL's executive committee, Dodson said.
The bottom line?
``Everybody's going to have shoes this year,'' Smith said. ``Everybody should be happy.'' by CNB