
DATE: Friday, April 11, 1997                TAG: 9704090156

SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS     PAGE: 08   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   69 lines

HONOR PUTS SKEETER IN SAME LEAGUE WITH DAD

COACHING YOUTH athletic teams was less of a goal for Todd Skeeter than the end result of a natural progression.

Skeeter's father, Billy, coached him in football and basketball in the Churchland recreation program. Later, Todd found himself doing the same thing for his own son, Stefan.

When it came to instructing young athletes, Billy Skeeter had few peers, as evidenced by the Harry ``Hook'' Hillman Memorial Award he received in 1982 for outstanding service to youth basketball in the Tidewater area.

And on April 4, officials of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament and Portsmouth Parks and Recreation Department put his son in that same class, honoring Todd with the same award and making them the first father-son Hillman recipients in the 20-year history of the award.

``I'm absolutely thrilled,'' Todd Skeeter said after receiving his award at the PIT's celebrity luncheon Apr. 4. ``Very surprised, but very thrilled.''

Hillman devoted much of his life to youth basketball programs and the award was created in his memory at the suggestion of Georgia Tech basketball coach Bobby Cremins, who was helped by Hillman when he attended Frederick Military Academy here.

Todd Skeeter, 34, has been coaching youth sports since 1988. He coached one year of soccer with the Churchland Soccer League, a year of football with the Churchland Football Association, seven years with the Churchland Little League and six years with the Churchland Basketball Association.

``I enjoy it, I really do,'' he said. ``Plus I'm kind of a sports nut anyway, so it all just works out.''

Skeeter's basketball-related duties have included helping run the ages 7-9 league and the 10-12 league and responsibility for scheduling games, recruiting coaches and setting up practice schedules. He was instrumental in establishing play on Sundays as well as Saturday's - a first in Churchland - and recently became president of the Churchland Basketball Association.

Skeeter played baseball, football and basketball at Churchland High. He spent two years at East Carolina University and graduated from Old Dominion University. He is currently a senior programmer analyst for The Virginian-Pilot. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Todd Skeeter is following in his father's footsteps.

Graphic

HILLMAN WINNERS

1996 - Vernon Williams

1995 - Eric Sasser

1994 - Tyrone Hines

1993 - Robert Tucker

1992 - Barbara Hawkins

1991 - Cary Warren

1990 - Phillip Piersall

1989 - Lewis Dunbar

1988 - Frank Stafford