Szarnych Begins Community Outreach Program Amid Jealousy Controversy

Sean Szarnych (SF) #47, feels

slighted and is jealous of his 

teammates, but will look to shine

this season on and off the court.

The Dribbling Seamen are quite possibly the most valued Intramural franchise in Clarke University history.  However, this has its drawbacks.  In a recent discussion with Seamen Shooting Forward Sean Szarnych, he expressed his blunt frustration with the lack of media coverage he is getting.

"I didn't like the article," said Szarnych.  "I wasn't even mentioned.  It's like I'm not even on the team I guess."

Despite the fact that Szarnych has a beef with the lack of coverage he gets, he doesn't let that affect his life away from the court.  At the end of the 2013 season, Szarnych announced that he will use his position of a role model to start a program to support at-risk inner-city children.  Szarnych said he would use his Basketball talent, knowledge, and wisdom in addition to his love for helping today's youth to those children who need it most.

"Szarnych Helping At-Risk Kids" otherwise known as "S.H.A.R.K." is designed to help inner-city children, starting in Dubuque, Iowa.  With the successful launch of "SHARK," last spring, Szarnych also announced he will be expanding to helping inner-city toddlers with turrets.  Szarnych expects that his new campaign, "Szarnych Helps Inner-city Turrets," to be ready by Christmas 2014.

Szarnych makes a surprise appearance at the "This is How We BBQ in DBQ"
event at Clarke University's Kehl Center, Szarnych's home court, much to the
delight of the very children who his "S.H.A.R.K." program is designed to help.

On Saturday, however, Szarnych was active in his "S.H.A.R.K." program, playing Basketball with children who idolize his play with the Seamen.  Children flocked to him as soon as he came in the door.  

Once Szarnych grabbed a Basketball, two lucky Dubuque youths got the once in a lifetime opportunity to play Basketball with Szarnych and his former Seamen teammate Nick Anderson who joined him.  

After a while of pick-up Basketball, Szarnych told the children the importance of getting their schoolwork done on time and said he was going to do homework of his own.  But before he left, he made sure that his impact was left on the children in attendance on Saturday.  The children he touched will have a lifelong memory and that is thanks to Szarnych's charitable efforts with "S.H.A.R.K."

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Free Agency Not Treating Seamen Well

Scoops Are In, Scoop Is Out

The Dribbling Seamen will begin their 2014 season in a month or so, and with that, the team looks to prepare itself.  However, the free agent market, which looked ripe with good talent headed in to the fall, has depleted rapidly, leaving the Seamen scrambling.  

Initially, the rumor mill floated that Austin "Scoop" Gehl and the Dribbling Seamen were close to a deal, making Gehl the team's starting Point Guard.  The rumor floated that Gehl's agent had it worked into this potential deal that Gehl was guaranteed 21 minutes of court time per game and a private hotel suite for all away games.  However, the deal turned sour.

Gehl, who reportedly signed the deal, failed his physical.  The initial reports out of the Seamen front office is that Gehl had a partially torn PCL and was unfit for Intramural Sports.  The next day, Gehl was seen on crutches, yet optimistic.

"It looks like I'm out for the fall," said Gehl.  "We're going to re-evaluate in January.  I won't require surgery at this time."

No surgery was thought to be a positive for Gehl's recovery time to potentially play for the Seamen this fall, but now it is unlikely that Gehl will even run for the remainder of 2014.

Gehl isn't the only Free Agent mystery that the Seamen have wondering.  Isaiah Acfalle, a 2013 training camp hold out and did not officially sign with the team until the day of their first game, is still an unknown.

Acfalle voiced his opinion on Friday afternoon.

The uniform is a major aspect of the Seamen's appeal.  A snub on uni-watch, the Seamen certainly have the number one ranked uniform in Clarke University Intramural Sports history.  However, there are no sleeves.  Acfalle, who refers to himself as the "Man Of Steel," doesn't truly believe he is the man of steal due to his self-consciousness of his arms.  This may hurt the Seamen's odds of landing Acfalle.

Owner, Captain, General Manager, Head Coach Caleb Wragge was unavailable for comment on Friday.  Stay tuned to NIA for more Seamen updates.

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