Hi! You have been reading a lot of what I have been writing and it’s about time you learned something about me and what gives me the license to write all of this stuff.
I was born in La Salle, Illinois, on May 31, 1926. Yes, your math is correct, I will be 98 years old in a few weeks.
My mother and father came to the United States from Italy during the Great Immigration of the late 1800s and early 1900s. I am the youngest of the five children in the family - four boys and one girl. I am the only living member of that family now.
My Elementary School was excellent - I had great teachers; all unmarried, female; this was the common status at the time. I attended La Salle-Peru Township High School. The building is of the Gothic architecture style and the library, the art, the sculptures, and the historical items make the school a museum as well as a high school building. All of the teachers had Masters degrees and their teaching and our learning were exemplary.
I graduated in May of 1944 and on September 16, 1944 I became a member of the United States Navy Air Corps. My three older brothers; John, Geno, and Joe, were all in the U. S. Army. My sister, Grace, was working in a factory producing airplane instruments. World War II ended on September 2, 1945 almost one year from my enlistment. All four of us men were overseas when the war ended. I was at sea heading for the Navy Air Base on Guam. I finished my Navy career on Tinian Island Navy Air Base.
I actually began my college career in the Navy. In December of 1945, I was sent from my boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois, to the naval base in Jacksonville, Florida. I spent six weeks there learning to be an electrician on the Grumman F6F Hellcat, a carrier-based fighter plane. After the end of the war, I spent 10 more months at Tinian Island NAB where we were offered college-level courses and I attended a Math course and a History course.
Highlights of my College/Professional career
Graduate and member of the Hall of Fame at Illinois Valley College. Majors in History, Education.
Public School teacher - twelve years in Elementary School - 4th - 6th grades, Junior High School Math.
Graduate Bachelor, Masters, Doctorate at Northern Illinois University. Majors in History and Psychology - Emphasis in Learning Theory.
Professor of Educational Psychology
Elmhurst University
(1972 Distinguished Professor of the Year)
Southeastern Oklahoma University
Langston University
University of Oklahoma.
Highlights of my sports career
Age 12, member: all-star team in La Salle park baseball league.
Co-captain: junior high school lightweight basketball team.
Member:
U. S. Navy all-star basketball team, Tinian Naval Air Base.
Illinois Valley College basketball team.
2nd baseman: Utica Yanks Semi-Pro baseball team.
3rd baseman: Northern Illinois Fastball League - Professional Softball.
Coach: Depue, Illinois, Junior High - High School basketball and softball teams.
Co-leader: Northern Illinois University Men’s Bowling League. Coach/Commissioner: Durant, Oklahoma Babe Ruth Baseball League.
Serious Golfer - Nine Handicap - One hole-in-one.
Publications
Editor:
Sports Articles and Training Programs at Oklahoma Soccer Association and USA Softball for several years.
Several auto-biographical books.
Author:
Many books and programs for Elementary School teachers on Children Learning in School and at Home.
The Coach’s Toolbox - Using Sports Psychology With Your Kids. Co-author with Peter J. McGahey
Grassroots Coaching - Using Sports Psychology and Coaching Principles Effectively. Co-Author with Peter J. McGahey
Over 100 Blogs on beyourbest2day website.
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