Nephew on 'Right Track' for Season

8/26/2011

My brother, Curtis, shared the news via text message earlier this week: "Check out today's Courier-Post. There is a nice feature article on the front of the sports page with photo about Calvin and the upcoming season." You may remember from this blog post from last November that Calvin Lowe is the starting varsity quarterback at Timber Creek High School in my native South Jersey. Last season, Sarah Hoye of CNN.com did an online feature about how he and his parents were dealing with the realities of playing a sport prone to serious injuries.

Well, my nephew is now a high school senior – where does the time go! – and the Courier-Post's Kevin Minnick has indeed written a nice profile about him in the newspaper's "Varsity Football" blog. The thrust is that Calvin is demonstrating that he understands that academics really matter as he pursues an athletic scholarship to college.

"Lowe has generated college interest from the likes of Akron, Temple, Villanova, James Madison and Towson," Minnick writes. More importantly, he adds, "Lowe took an online math class last year and re-took two classes this summer, each helping to raise his grade-point average." Minnick also quotes Calvin's coach, Rob Hinson: “We laid out all the options for him as far as what he could do after this year if this doesn’t happen academically. Now he’ll be a full qualifier. Academically, he increased his core. He’s getting everything together."

Having written and read too many stories about lost opportunities for high school athletes, the article warms my heart. It makes me even prouder of my nephew and the job that Curtis and his wife, Renarda, have done in raising him and his siblings. Having not seen Calvin play since his sophomore season, I'm really hoping to get to a Timber Creek football game this season. He'll always be a scrub to me. But I'm happy he's focusing on leading by example.

14 Comments

Eric

8/30/2011 11:30:11 am

I truly enjoyed the layout of this story. You opened with just enough context, so that everyone that wasn't directly involved would understand the upcoming quotes and sentiment. Afterwords, you led into the quotes which helped bring a sense of depth to the story. Then, finally, you summed it up with a touching sentimental conclusion. The subject itself is also of great excitement to me, as I am a huge football fan. So that fueled my interest in the story.

Andrea Anderson

8/31/2011 05:32:09 am

I would like to second what Eric said. This was a great blog post by means of catching the readers attention quickly and adding a personal touch. I am not a huge football fan, but it kept me interested because it was personal and showed that athletes can go against the mold and succeed in academics as well.

Kyle

8/31/2011 06:10:06 am

This post caught my attention immediately because of the football screenshot. The quotes were kept to a limit and you voiced your own opinion on the topic, which is essential in a personal blog. Balancing academics and sports is not a simple task but now I am eager to see how Calvin does in a demanding senior year both on and off the field.

Allison Kruschke

8/31/2011 07:05:52 am

I never fail to recognize a young person with a sincere appreciation for education. It's one of the reasons I love the university environment so much, especially Marquette's! Your nephew has a bright future ahead of him.

Katie Doherty

8/31/2011 08:13:03 am

Flynn Heald, my friend's brother, made the All-Madden team this summer after he was selected to attend the IMG Madden Football Academy this summer. As a high-school football fan, I am eager to see how Heald and Calvin Lowe will perform and where their football careers will lead them. http://metrosportsreport.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3619%3Aheald-made-the-all-madden-team-no-kidding&catid=184%3Aabout-msr

Tessa Fox

8/31/2011 10:45:51 am

This article is encouraging, not just to you as an uncle, but also to students. A large part of being a Marquette student is centered around the basketball team. With their numerous excused absences and hectic schedules, their academics can sometimes fall short. It is great to see your nephew is juggling both, successfully.

Ben Sheehan

8/31/2011 11:47:01 am

I liked the emotions that were evident in your writing ("Warms my heart," "Where does the time go!").The NFL give this Wonderlic test during the pre-draft combine to test future players' intelligence as it applies to the NFL. Out of fifty possible points, QB Vince Young scored a six on his first try. It's always nice to see an athlete who's taking his academics seriously as well.

Becca French

8/31/2011 12:13:08 pm

I appreciate that you are not afraid to share your family's successes. It's wonderful to see high school students taking an interest in their education, knowing it will lead them to a more fulfilling place in the future.

Sarah Hauer

8/31/2011 12:15:57 pm

This post was a nice break for readers. The previous posts were more serious and this one was personal and inspiring. It is always enjoyable to be able to read about a young person doing a good job at balancing academics and athletics. This is also a post that many readers will be able to relate to and will hopefully get them thinking.

Ben Stanley

8/31/2011 02:58:24 pm

I have also read too many stories about wasted potential, and seen a few cases of it when I was in high school, so it is very encouraging to hear about your nephew doing the best he can with what he has. I really respect anyone who is willing to put in the work to better themselves, and your nephew sacrificed much of his summer to boost his GPA when he could have just sat back and accepted where he was.

Ryan Ellerbusch

9/1/2011 01:19:56 am

I hope one day to be a sports writer and this was a stellar article not only highlighting Calvin's on the field accomplishments but off the field and in the classroom too. Hopefully you can make it to one of his games this upcoming season. I have always lived by the phrase "Academics over Athletics" when I was in high school, so this article was particularly meaningful to me too.

Erica Breunlin

9/20/2011 05:33:50 pm

Too bad your nephew's game isn't basketball. Marquette could surely use another Lowe on campus. Have you tried persuading him to join the Golden Eagles? On another note, this article is a really nice testament to the power of perseverance and the Lowe family work ethic. And it's really refreshing to read about a coach so invested in his players' education. When so many coaches are focused on nothing but the game, Coach Hinson clearly cares about his players as more than athletes. I'm sure Calvin realizes how lucky he is with all the support and encouragement he's receiving. It'd be nice if the Courier-Post connected Calvin's story with a feature story on Coach Hinson. I'd like to read more about how Hinson promotes balance between academics and athletics.

Rebecca Hixson

1/18/2012 02:06:10 pm

Athletes are nothing special without an education. I am glad he takes his seriously.

Ashley De La Torre

8/30/2012 07:22:59 am

Great inspirational and warming story in a time where student athletes are not always seen in the best light.

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Nephew on 'Right Track' for Season

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