This is why we're Hawk...D

This is why we're Hawk...D

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

By Eva Rediker, Allderdice High School (City of Pittsburgh Schools)

Lately, many students at Allderdice have purchased shirts with the term "Hawk D" emblazoned on the front. Many students wear the shirts proudly without even beginning to grasp the historical concept of Hawk D. What is Hawk D? "Eventually, everyone asks us what Hawk D is. We can't give them an answer; it's an attitude; it's a swagger," said Mr. Andre McDonald, a boys' basketball coach at Allderdice. Mr. Jason Rivers, also a basketball coach at Allderdice, calls Hawk D "a certain personality, a sense of confidence." Although the exact definition is hard to come by, the history of the term is clear cut.

"Ten years ago, we began using Hawk D in a league we were coaching," said McDonald. The team, all those years ago, was named Hawk D. According to McDonald, the team "did not have the best-known players, but with Hawk D, we were going to make a name." Both McDonald and Rivers clearly stressed that Hawk D is not a neighborhood-based concept or name, even though at one time it did represent a neighborhood in a basketball program. In fact, the aim of Hawk D is to eliminate the neighborhood divide. "We have enough things to divide people these days," the coaches said. "Hawk D needs to bring people together."

The Hawk D team that Rivers and McDonald described was part of the Manchester basketball program, in which neighborhood teams would travel to other neighborhoods around the city, and compete in basketball. The team, which included WVU safeties Vaughn Rivers and Eric Wicks, competed in "a program that brought different families, including ours, together. It took time to gain respect from the other neighborhoods; we were the outcasts," said Rivers. Years later, McDonald and Rivers would both receive "Coaches of the Year" awards for their dedication to and outstanding work with the young people of Hawk D.

McDonald described Hawk D as "not just basketball, but also a mentoring program. We wanted them [the kids involved in the program] to be confident in all areas of their life." The coaches emphasized the importance of a strong work ethic, which soon became a large part of the team. The two coaches taught their athletes to "step out of the box with their leadership." Hawk D stressed strength, not bullying or intimidation. Hawk D soon became a method aimed at inspiring confidence within the players, not just running basketball drills or teaching game skills. Hawk D created a team that functioned as "a band of brothers." It was about pursuing success not only on the court, but in life. Rivers noted an interesting principle: "You are your own identity." In other words, people become what they focus on. Through hard work and motivation, by helping their "brothers," they can remold themselves into what they want to be. Hawk D was about overcoming obstacles and instilling focus, on and off the court, in every player.

So what does this method have to do with Allderdice? And why is it being advertised on tee shirts? Over the course of last year's basketball season, many basketball supporters stood in the stands screaming "Hawk D," without knowing its full meaning. Rivers notes that his brother, who understands the concept of Hawk D, came up to him after a lousy game and said, "If you all won't play it, don't say it!"

"Last year, we basically described Hawk D, and we gave the team the concept. This year we plan to implement it," said McDonald. "This year with Hawk D, we plan on zeroing in, swooping down, and grabbing it." McDonald is not only referring to a victorious season this year, but to an entire approach: the coaches hope to work as hard, and grow as much as their original team from which the term derives. So the next time you hear fans shouting "Hawk D" in the bleachers, think about what it stands for.

"But this year, we aren't just worried about basketball. We want all of our senior athletes to pursue college, and get a college degree", said McDonald. Hawk D not only promotes a sense of unity within the team, it also promotes confidence and work ethic. The coaches hope to see Hawk D implemented within other programs in the school, because it doesn't just refer to basketball.

"Hawk D can work with anything. It promotes the idea of going for what you want to do, and not holding back," said Rivers. More than anything, the coaches hope that Allderdice students will learn the basic McDonald-Rivers principle of "Don't say anything, just say Hawk