The League

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Marcus Grant Bio

Marcus Grant is a four year senior at Lawrence Academy in Groton, MA. Marcus’s family lives in Carver, Ma, a small town close to the Cape. Growing up in a small town like Carver, Marcus experienced the luxury of being known by everyone in the town because of his athletic ability. Following in the footsteps of his brother, Mike (23), he had big shoes to fill on the athletic field because of his brother’s reputation as always being the best. When Marcus was 8 years old, his cousin Keith (9) moved in with him, due to family issues, and this was probably the best thing to happen to him. “I think when my cousin moved in with me, I realized how fortunate I was to have both parents. It made me into a better person, more giving and open to others of different backgrounds. Also, it made me competitive, which I believe is the reason I like to compete to this day.” Seeing his cousin struggle everyday, trying to cope with the fact that his parents didn’t want him, let Marcus see that life was not always fair, that sometimes things happen and there is no logical explanation.

In 5^th grade, Marcus would meet a teacher that would impact his life drastically. Marcus was always a decent student in school, but it wouldn’t be until he walked into Mrs. Cecchini class when he was 10 years old that he realized he wanted to be a great one. Mrs. C would always speak to the class about life and choices and how each decision and choice they made would have an effect on who they become. She always preached about respect and how it was so vital to respect others and to earn their respect as well.“There was just something about Mrs. C that would keep me coming back her class, even years later for advice and conversation. After 5^th grade I took pride in my learning,” says Marcus.

At age 12, Marcus and his peers gave the town of Carver something to look forward to by winning a state championship in youth football. People would say, “These kids are going to bring back Carver Athletics to its glory days.” Marcus and his friends would talk about high school and how when they got there, they would bring Carver High their first championships in football and basketball.

In his freshman year of high school at Carver High, Marcus would make the varsity football, basketball, and track teams. He exceeded all expectations for a freshman. Many people in Carver were excited about his future, but when freshman year concluded, Marcus and his parents started looking into prep schools around the area because his parents felt it would give him the best opportunity to succeed. Marcus’s good childhood friend, Denzel Brito was already at Lawrence. So when he heard Marcus was looking to leave public school, he immediately called Marcus and told him to check out Lawrence.

A couple months later, Marcus was accepted and gave his pledge that he would attend Lawrence. With the decision to leave his hometown came many criticisms, but Marcus knew this would better his future. Now fifteen, living away from home, and at a place where he knew one other person, Marcus had a new challenge to overcome. He now had to make new friends, and build a new identity. “Coming to Lawrence was the best decision I ever made. It opened so many doors to a future I never thought I’d be pursuing.” At Lawrence, Marcus’s football coach, Mike Taylor, would become a big influence on his life, and after Marcus’s junior year in football, he would become known as one of the best football players in all of New England. Earning scholarships from multiple universities, Marcus would choose to attend the University of Iowa, shocking many people, including his parents. Marcus was the first person from his town to earn a full division 1 scholarship in sports, an accomplishment for which he gives credit to the people who has helped him along the way.

Now with his senior year coming to a close at Lawrence Academy, Marcus looks forward to his next challenge, college.

Shabazz Napier Bio

Shabazz Bozie Napier is a nineteen year old freshman at the University of Connecticut. Shabazz has two blood related siblings, Timmie Barrows and Titana Velasquez. They all share the same mother, Carmen Velasquez, who did her best to raise the three, but times were beyond tough without a father figure in the children’s lives. Adding to their troubles was the fact that they lived in one of the worst sections in Boston (Mission Hill). Filled with drugs, prostitution, crime, and gang violence, the street were the place Carmen did all she could to keep her youngest (Shabazz) off of. When Shabazz was around eight years old, his mother went through a tough time financially and decided to send him to live with a close neighborhood friend, Will Blalock. Will, who was nine years older than Shabazz, was one of the best high school basketball players in country. He took Shabazz under his wing, teaching Shabazz the game of basketball. Identifying a natural talent, Will new Shabazz could be special, so every day he would take Shabazz after school to a gym, and both of them would play for hours.

When Will went off to college, Shabazz was starting to be noticed by everyone in Boston for his ability to play basketball. In middle school, he established himself as one of the most exciting basketball players to watch in all of Boston because of his flashiness with the basketball. Often times while playing, Shabazz would draw a large crowd, and he would always do his best to keep them in awe. Playing the game was never a problem for Shabazz; it was things off the court that drew criticism. No coach wanted Shabazz on his team because of his attitude and refusal to remain serious during games. In school he was not a great student, in fact he didn’t even get to walk in middle school graduation because the faculty thought he would not be able to handle the ceremony. His diploma was delivered to him through the mail.

Despite his attitude, many high school coaches in Boston public schools came knocking, trying to get Shabazz to attend their school after middle school. Ultimately, his mother decided Charlestown High School would be the place Shabazz would go. The commute was over an hour. So often times Shabazz would stay with friends to avoid the long travels.

In Shabazz’s first two years at Charlestown, he flew under the radar playing JV basketball both years. It wasn’t until the end of his sophomore year that the city began buzzing with Napier’s name as a result of an explosive tournament game in which he scored 37 points. He had just been moved up to varsity that week, and he seized the opportunity as soon as he was put into the game. In his junior year, Shabazz led Charlestown to an undefeated 20-0 regular season. There was no doubt Shabazz had all the basketball ability in the world at this point but the fact of matter was he was not eligible for college. After his junior basketball season, Shabazz’s AAU coaches Oscar and Maurice Vasquez had Shabazz apply to many Prep schools in New England so Shabazz could stay back and get his grades up to par so he could attend college. The problem wasn’t that Shabazz wasn’t smart enough; it was that he rarely attended school. He would often skip school when staying at his friend’s house, and his mother would have no knowledge that Shabazz had missed. The only time Shabazz would attend school would be during basketball season because he knew he had to in order to play. The summer before going into his senior year at Charlestown, Oscar got a call from Lawrence Academy in Groton, saying they would take a chance on Shabazz if he decided to come in as a sophomore. Shabazz, with basically no other option, agreed with excitement.

One he became a sophomore at Lawrence, Shabazz became the hot topic in the basketball world because of his new start and new grade placement. Everyone was anxious to see how he would do, and many people didn’t think it would be well. After a year and a half at Lawrence, Shabazz,was made himself into a new young man on and off the court. He managed to turn his grades around, making him more than eligible for college, and basketball-wise, he was about as well known as any high school kid in the nation. So, when hall of fame coach Jim Calhoun of Connecticut offered Shabazz a scholarship to leave school a year early near the end of his junior year he could not refuse. It was an opportunity he could not pass up, but in order accept it he had to withdraw from Lawrence and go back to Charlestown to be placed back in 12^th grade so he could receive a diploma. The decision was really hard on Shabazz. He really wanted to say he graduated from Lawrence because without Lawrence he wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to a school like UCONN.

In his first season at UCONN, Shabazz played a major role in helping the Huskies win a national Championship. For his play on the court, he was named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team. He appeared in all 41 games and averaged 7.8 points, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game in a per game average of 23.8 minutes off the bench.

Last year when asked about playing with Kemba Bazz responded...

“That’s terrific,” Napier said. “He’s a great player.”
“I think it’s going to be good,” Napier continued. “He can teach me certain things and I guess I can teach him how to shoot better.”

Tyler Beede Bio

Tyler Beede is a seventeen year old senior from Auburn, Massachusetts, a small town outside of Worcester. Tyler has one brother, Kyle (20), who attended Becker College before opting to leave school last year to enter the working world. Tyler’s father, Walter, was a professional baseball player in the Cubs organization for three seasons back in the mid 80s. His mother Cheryl met his father during his playing days with the Cubs. Years later, they married and had Kyle in 1990. After a gruesome back injury and the birth of his newborn son, Walt decided to retire from baseball. Times were tough for the three of them and money was often tough to come by but they made ends meet. In 1993 Tyler Joseph Beede was born. Unfortunately a few years later his parents got divorced.

Tyler can remember times as a toddler when his father would take him to baseball games, teaching and preaching to him his knowledge of the sport. Like a sponge, Tyler soaked it all in and told his father one day he wanted to be a professional baseball player. At the time, Walt ignored his son, but years later he would recognize his son’s ability to achieve this dream.

Starring as an athlete in every sport he picked up, Tyler’s abilities came apparent to everyone who watched him. Starting at the local level in Auburn Youth Sports, he shined in baseball, football, basketball, and even hockey. By the time high school rolled around, Tyler was about as well known as any 8^th grader in the Worcester area.

Tyler’s first high school stop would be at Holy Name in Worcester. Tyler thought Holy Name would be a better education than his public high school, Auburn High, but when baseball season rolled around and Tyler was cut from the varsity baseball team, he quickly opted to transfer back to Auburn because he knew he would be able to showcase his abilities at the varsity level. With this decision and motivation, Tyler immediately became someone to talk about in all of the Bay State. He was the star quarterback of the football team, a sharp shooter on the basketball team, and the Ace pitcher of the baseball team. After his freshman year at Auburn, his father and lots of others began to really notice Tyler’s ability to pitch. This would be the start of a road of hard work and dedication.

Walt, who now owned his own gym, made one of the biggest sacrifices in his life in order to support Tyler’s baseball dreams. Walt sold his gym that he worked so hard to obtain so himand Tyler could begin traveling the States for different baseball showcases in order for Tyler to get the proper exposure. The first time Tyler pitched in front of an MLB scout was when he was 15 and he didn’t disappoint. With a lanky 6’4 frame and tons of room to fill out, Tyler had scouts all across America drooling over his potential.

After Tyler’s first two years of high school were complete, he had won two state championships in football and one in baseball. During his sophomore year, Tyler had become one of the best known pitchers for his age in the United States. Seeking better competition on the diamond and an atmosphere where he could grow academically, Tyler opted to transfer to Lawrence Academy in Groton, MA. During his first year at Lawrence, Tyler committed to Vanderbilt in the fall on a full baseball scholarship earning the honor of having his face on the cover of the prestigious ESPN Rise magazine. Now in his senior year, he is a potential 1^st round draft pick. A lot of people are anxious to see whether Tyler decides to go to college or opt out and head straight to the MLB.