Fred Engh

Billy Jones's Father is a true story written in contemporary fiction. The stories written within are testaments to the verbal, emotional and psychological abusive events which Billy Jones endured from his father, Scotty Jones, and people like him. They are validations of what millions of children have suffered for the past eighty years while playing organized sports. They are also reminders as to why so many of today's youth struggle to find peace in their lives.Never able to satisfy his father's expectations as an athlete, Arnold suffered ridicule from coaches, fellow players and the community of Torrid Hills., North Carolina. His downfall is a wakeup call to all who enroll children in organized youth sports.

The year was 1961, a year marking the start of the racial unrest that would last throughout the decade. Living in a trailer camp in Maryland with his wife and children, Fred's future seemed bleak--that is, until he heard a college football coach being interviewed on a local radio show talking about becoming a Physical Education teacher. The coach's words would inspire him enough to registrar at Maryland State College, a then all-black college. The things of it was, Fred Engh was white. He would become the first white student to attend Maryland State, a segregated college. His intention was not to break any racial barriers or make any headlines. He simply wanted a better life for himself and his family as an accredited teacher. What he learned from attending that college however was something he had not expected. Matchsticks An Education in Black & White is his story.Fred Engh and his non-profit organization, NAYS--the National Association of Youth Sports--has positively affected the lives of millions of children throughout the country for decades, but chances are you have never heard of him or his group. What he has tried to do is make organized sports for kids fun. He has done this by training coaches to be fair, avoid playing favorites, bulling players, and stopping fans from getting out of control. He has also tried to even the playing field for children of different colors and ethnicities. From baseball to soccer to golf, he has made it his mission to let children choose to play the sport they love--no matter where they live or how well they play. And yet, the story behind how he discovered his calling in life is definitely a remarkable one of transition. Today, when racial disparagement has once again taken the form of marches, protesters, and daily news headlines, here is a tale of discovery, understanding, and personal change. A lesson still as valuable today as it was then.

In 1961, James Meredith, an African American, applied for admission to the all-White, University of Mississippi. Once admitted, a riot broke out on campus.In the same year, Fred Engh, a White student, applied for admission to Maryland State College, a historic Black college, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Racial tension was at its highest in the area. Engh was accepted and became the first White person to participate in athletics at Maryland State College. as a member of the college's golf team. His playing partner was Bob Taylor, former New York Giant, who provided the protection Engh needed when traveling to all Black colleges. His story was featured on NBC's The Golf Channe

Billy Jones's Father is a true story written in contemporary fiction. The stories written within are testaments to the verbal, emotional and psychological abusive events which Billy Jones endured from his father, Scotty Jones, and people like him. They are validations of what millions of children have suffered for the past eighty years while playing organized sports. They are also reminders as to why so many of today's youth struggle to find peace in their lives.Never able to satisfy his father's expectations as an athlete, Arnold suffered ridicule from coaches, fellow players and the community of Torrid Hills., North Carolina. His downfall is a wakeup call to all who enroll children in organized youth sports.