NORFOLK, Va. -- Former Norfolk State University and Olympics track and field coach P. Laverne Sweat headlines the list of 2007 nominees who will be inducted into the Hampton Roads African American Sports Hall of Fame on November 3, 2007.
Sweat, a native of Norfolk and a Hampton resident, worked in the NSU Athletics Department from 1988-2006. She was the head women’s track and field coach from 1988-2005, and retired as the school’s Senior Woman Administrator following the 2005-06 school year. Her ultimate accomplishment in track and field came in 1999 when she was selected to be an assistant coach for the United States Track and Field Team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
As the Spartans’ coach, her teams won CIAA indoor and outdoor championships every year from 1988-1997. After NSU moved to Division I, she led the Spartans to two more titles, the 2000 MEAC indoor championship and the 2001 MEAC outdoor championship, and captured five runner-up trophies.
Sweat, was also the first female president of the CIAA in the 1980s. While coaching at Hampton University and Norfolk State University, respectively, she earned the CIAA Track and Field Coach of the Year nine times. She was the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Coach of the Year in 1981 and was voted NCAA Division II Coach of the Decade in 1991.
In addition to her stint with the national team in 2000, Sweat was selected as head coach of the U.S. team at the World University Games in Bucharest, Romania in 1991, and was head coach of the Junior Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada in 1993.
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association basketball legends and a former boxing official comprise the rest of the 2007 induction class. The Hall of Fame’s induction ceremony and banquet will be held Saturday, November 3, 2007 at the Sheraton Waterside Hotel at 7 p.m.
Richard “Pop” Pitts, “Marvelous” Marvin Trotman and Spencer Mayfield all have footnotes in the annals of the region’s basketball history.
While built for football, the 6-5, 200-pound plus Pitts defied skeptics by starring at Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk and the Norfolk Division of Virginia State College, “Little State,” now, Norfolk State University. Pitts was the Spartans’ center on a team that was featured in Sports Illustrated in the early sixties.
Pop started his basketball career playing with the Berkley Bulldogs in the Norfolk Recreation League. In high school, he led the “Fighting” Bookers to the Virginia Inter-scholastic Association state finals in 1961 and 1962.
At Norfolk State, Pitts helped put Spartan basketball on the map under the late 2000 HRAASHF inductee Ernie Fears. During the 1964-65 season, his junior year, “Pop” averaged 22 points and 11 rebounds per game. He made the All- CIAA regular season team, the All-CIAA tournament team, and was Honorable Mention All-National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). During his senior year, he averaged 25.8 points and 12 rebounds per game. He was named to the All-CIAA regular season team, All-CIAA tournament team, and was second team All-National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
Richard “Pop” Pitts was the first African-American athletic director in Newport News Public Schools. He also has been inducted into the Newport News Track Hall of Fame and the Norfolk State College Hall of Fame.
“Marvelous” Marvin Trotman played for 2003 HRAASH inductee Bobby Vaughan at Elizabeth City State University. As a freshman, he set the CIAA tournament scoring record for one game (45 points) and for field goals in one game (20) that endured 20 years. He was an All-CIAA performer and first team NAIA All-American in 1962. Trotman is ECSU’s all time leading scorer and holds the single game scoring record established in 1962 against Norfolk state University (63 points). Marvin is a member of the All-time CIAA tournament team and has been inducted into the ECSU, CIAA,
Princeton, NJ High School, and Greater Trenton, NJ Halls of Fame.
Spencer Mayfield served for 25 years as head coach at John F. Kennedy and Nansemond River High Schools. During this period, he coached 542 games for a 75.8%. winning percentage. Coach Mayfield won four state, seven regional, and thirteen Peanut District and tournament championships. He was named District Coach of the Year eight times and State All-Star Coach of the year four times. In 1995, he was nominated by his coaching peers for the State of Virginia Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Year.
Walter H. Green attended Booker T Washington High School where he played basketball, and was one of the “Twin Towers” along with 2003 HRAASH inductee Harry Freeman. Green was the leading scorer on the “Fighting Bookers” 1951 Eastern District and state runner-ups.
After high school he attended North Carolina Central where he played basketball for the late coaching great Johnny McLendon, and ran track for Dr. Leroy Walker, who would eventually coach in the Olympics. Green lettered in both sports and twice earned All CIAA in track and field. Green also served in the U.S. Army where in 1958 he was an All-Army sprinter and represented the U.S. Army in inter-service track meets. .
Earnest Green (no relations) began boxing at the age of 12 years old and won a number of Air Force championships in the middleweight and lightweight classes during the period 1948-1949. After his retirement, he became an official and instructor for the American Boxing Association and USA boxing respectively. He has traveled as a professional judge throughout the United States, as well as, South Africa, Italy, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
In 1980 Green was appointed boxing instructor by USA Boxing of Virginia and four years later he became a member of the International Boxing Commission. In 1990, he was appointed president of USA Boxing of Virginia, serving for six and a half years.
From 1996-2000, Green was the Chief Official for USA Boxing, in charge of training new officials, and certification of officials and coaches.
Earnest Green also has been a referee and judge at the Olympic Training Center in Denver, CO. He is the only master boxing official in the state of Virginia and is certified to officiate anywhere in the United States. Green, 80, resides in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Elwood Williams was selected as the HRAASHF community contributor for 2007. Williams, has been a mentor and an advocate for Hampton Roads youth since 1971. His service to the youth of the community began with his first position as Executive Director of the Colonial Boys and Girls Club. In 1973, he became the Executive Director of the Southside Boys and Girls Club. Among the various national, state, and local awards he has received for his work, he is the recipient of the prestigious Lewis W. Hines Award.
The Hampton Roads African-American Sports Hall of Fame recognizes African American athletes who were born, spent formative years, or participated in athletics in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. For more information concerning the November 3, 2007 HRAASHF Induction Banquet, contact Yvette Todd at (757) 404-1755.
Release courtesy of the Hampton Roads African American Sports Hall of Fame.
