FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Mark Richts arrival comes without fanfare. Around 100 kids are scattered across the football fields at Mills Pond Park, black mesh jerseys and white helmets with a familiar U logo (adjusted slightly from the bottom to form an H) labeling them as Hurricanes, but the appearance of the real Canes head coach hardly creates a stir. Parents continue chatting along the sidelines and in the parking lot, some underneath tents to shield from raindrops. Only a few of the coaches take notice, former Miami players who knew Richt would be visiting.This is a big change from Richts old surroundings back in Athens, Georgia. There, he knew everyone. For 15 years, he was the most famous man in a small town where Bulldogs football was the center of the universe. Now, he and his wife, Katharyn, can walk from their home in Coconut Grove, down palm-tree lined streets to eat dinner at a busy restaurant without ever being recognized. Its nice to finally be anonymous from time to time, but Richts visit to this park is about making introductions, about being noticed.The kids here range from kindergarten to junior high, some frames too small for the oversized helmets strapped to their heads and a few more who might fit nicely with the walk-on linemen on Richts roster at Miami.Bennie Blades, the organizer of this youth league and a former All-American at Miami, motions to one of the boys at the end of a line of older kids stretching along the sideline of one of the fields. Hes the biggest of the group, pushing 6 feet and maybe 200 pounds.You see that big boy? Blades shouts at Richt. Hes 9 years old.Richt grins, shakes his head.Slowly, some of the older kids begin to take notice of the guy in the green Miami T-shirt snapping photos with their coaches.Thats the coach at The U, one says to his friend, but both boys are too nervous to approach Richt.Others arent so reticent. One boy pulls out his phone and shows Richt videos of his game tape. Richt watches politely then snaps a selfie with the kid.Theres a kid who attended Richts camp during the summer at Miami, where attendance wasnt quite as high as initially hoped, but the kid loved it. Hes glad to see Richt again.Another approaches confidently and informs Richt hes a kicker. He used to play soccer but found he was much better at booting field goals.Theres talent here, and thats what drew Richt to Mills Pond and more than a dozen other parks around Miami in the past few months. Each Thursday, he hops in the car, drives to another stop -- sometimes with an assistant coach or two; sometimes with a few players -- and he sells Miami to kids who werent born the last time the Hurricanes were relevant on the national stage.The next superstar recruit is here somewhere, and Richt wants him at Miami.He watched running backs go through Oklahoma drills and cheers them on with a repeated atta boy for each one. He shakes hands with parents, says hes glad to meet them. He takes pictures with anyone who asks. Every new fan matters if the Hurricanes want to keep building, expanding.By the end, Tolbert Bain is ecstatic. Hed helped create this plan to overlap Richts presence at Miami with Miamis presence in the community. Bain played at Miami and is involved in area youth leagues. He knew it would be a perfect fit.Itll take time for the plan to bear fruit, but Bain sees it, off in the distance. The kids at this park and the others Richt has visited, theyll be the ones on the field when Miami is really back .Whats Nick going to say? Bain jokes with another coach, referring to Nick Saban, the Alabama coach whos swiped his share of South Florida talent in recent years. Nickll be complaining about this.***It wasnt so long ago that Miami didnt need a sales pitch from the coach. The U used to be cool, its roster filled with local talents who grew up dreaming of becoming Hurricanes. Howard Schnellenberger, who coached Richt in college, called it The State of Miami, a virtual wall built around the area that insured anyone who was good enough to play for The U wanted to go there.In the past decade, however, the wall has come down. Saban and Jimbo Fisher and Jim McElwain poach a hefty contingent of the areas best players. Until this year, Richt was doing it for Georgia.When Richt takes center stage, more than 100 youth players and their families eyes focus on him. He says he wants to build a relationship with the community, wants them to know he was involved.And the other reason Im here is a selfish one, he says. Its called recruiting.This gets a big laugh from the parents, but the kids are transfixed.When he asks later how many want to play college football, every one raises his hand. Richts read the papers. He knows youth football is on the decline other places, but not here.Then Richt polls his audience again. Whats the first thing hes looking for in a recruit?The kids yell out what they assume he wants to hear: Grades.No, Richt grins. First thing I want is talent.This gets an even bigger laugh from the crowd, but hes serious.Richt knows Miamis history. Hes from Boca Raton, Florida, and he played at Miami. His old teammates still call him Boca, even if he hadnt been a regular there in three decades before taking this job in December.When Richt was at Miami, he shared a depth chart with Jim Kelly and Vinny Testaverde. The year after his departure, Bernie Kosar started at QB. And in the two decades that followed, more NFL talent flowed through the Miami locker room than any school in the country.Then came the decline. Miami joined the ACC in 2004 and is yet to play for a conference championship. In the 1980s and 90s, the Hurricanes were a constant foil for the blue bloods of college football. Now, theyre on a six-game losing streak to rival Florida State, this Saturdays opponent (8 p.m. ET, ABC ). The U on the helmet used to mean something, but in recent years, former Miami stars have publicly lamented the direction of the program and been forced to the periphery, voices unheard inside the football offices.What the program lost was the sense of ownership, said Luther Campbell, a musician, youth coach, mentor and unabashed Miami fan. [At Miamis peak], it was personal. Everybody felt ownership in it. It became our team. It was Miami -- all of Miami.Theres something unique about The U in that way. The campus, the university, the football program -- its part of the fabric of the city. For kids growing up in neighborhoods from Boca Raton to Liberty City, The U is the home team.This is the citys team, the purest representation of South Florida in the sports world, said Manny Diaz, Miamis defensive coordinator and son of the citys former mayor. We love the Heat and the Marlins and the Dolphins, but more often than not, their players come from other places. Miami football represents the skill level of South Florida. Thats our grass roots.So Richt came up with the plan -- not just to inundate the high schools in a desperate attempt to find players for the Class of 2017 but to build a bridge to the future. Hes playing a long game.That, too, is a statement. Richt had sworn hed never coach anywhere after Georgia. Why would he want to? Hed put down roots. But when he was shown the door after a 9-3 season in 2015, Miami came calling, and the lure of his other home -- the place he grew up -- was strong.Were either in or were out, he told Katharyn, and if were in, its going to take a lot of juice.Some observers wondered how much juice Richt had. At 56 years old, hed already spent a lifetime in coaching, and a devout Christian, he had passions beyond football.For Richt, there was no question. He wasnt riding off into the sunset. He wanted to build something again, and these park visits are a reminder hes in it for the long haul.Id do this either way, Richt said of his park trips, but in my view, its building for the future. I plan to finish my coaching career [at Miami].Its been 33 years since Richt was Boca. Its been 13 years since Miami won 10 games. And it might be 10 more years before some of these kids send their tape off to Richt, hoping hell see enough talent to offer them a scholarship to The U. But whos counting?The way Campbell sees it, Richt has always been a Miami guy, and The U has always been the place Miami kids wanted to play.Its more like a house with the lights off, Campbell said. People know the house is there, but they dont know if anybodys home. Coach Richt is just cutting the lights back on.***Richt has plenty to do around Miamis football offices, to be sure. Hes back calling plays, something he hasnt done routinely in a decade, and hes selling the program to boosters, too. Miami needs the money, needs improved facilities like the indoor practice field that will break ground soon. Richt donated $1 million of his own money to get that deal done.But its more than football for Richt. Hes a man of faith and family and, here in Miami, he feels a little distanced from both. Two days after the Mills Pond Park visit, Richts Hurricanes would travel to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech. Katharyn had gone early. Georgia, in so many ways, is still home. Richts entire family still lives in Athens. During his first spring on the job at Miami, Katharyn was finishing a nursing degree at UGA, and Richt was living alone in an efficiency lent to him from former school president Donna Shalala. His kids, whod been fixtures in the halls at Georgia during weekly Family Night festivities, are all grown, living their own lives now (though his oldest son, Jon, is on staff at Miami as QBs coach).There was nobody waiting for me at home, Richt said, so I just stayed busy with work.The church programs and charity work hed prioritized in Athens hadnt lost importance to Richt, but now hes 700 miles away and has an entirely new community in need of attention.One of the reasons youth football remains so popular in Miami is because those parks are the safest spots for so many of these kids. Just a few minutes after Richt arrived, Blades got a call on his cell phone. Thered been gunshots reported not far from the park -- probably nothing to worry about. The kids here are safe.Tyler James has been playing youth ball for four years. Hes already a huge Miami fan. Canes wide receiver Stacy Coley goes to his church, and hes given James a signed poster and encouraged him to stick with football.Its life skills, teamwork, partnerships, James mother, Tiffany Warren, said. His team looks out for him.Shes flipping through photos of her sons last game on her cell phone, a Miami Hurricane umbrella at her side. Football, for their family, means something.Inside Mills Pond Park, its easy to see why. Dozens of parents beamed with pride as their kids ran sprints and worked through drills. One mom sold pink Hurricanes towels in an effort to raise money for a breast cancer charity. As the clouds over the park cleared, a rainbow appeared -- stretching from one football field to the next, and Richt stopped and admired the beauty.He wants to point these young fellas in the right direction, Bain said. Every time you turn on the TV here, all you see is shootings, and its young guys who are involved. Hes looking to do something to inspire them, keep them out of trouble.In his speech to the kids, Richt did, in fact, preach the importance of grades. That was No. 2 on his list. First he wants to see the talent, then the grades. Theyll need both.And whats the third thing? Richt said, initiating a new round of murmuring from the assembled masses. Did I hear someone say attitude?Attitude, one of the kids yelled out, as if it had just occurred to him.This pitch is easy. The kids want to learn. They want to be inspired. Richt sees that.In this crowd, one or two of these kids will grow up big and fast and strong. And just maybe, theyll remember the time Miamis coach came to visit them at the park, and theyll want to play for him. The rest of them -- they could be anything. Richt hopes theyll remember his visit, too. He wants them to be something that matters, not another name on the TV news when something awful happens in these neighborhoods.Richt asks the kids to take off their helmets, wrap arms around their teammates and pray, and a number of parents shake their heads in approval and offer a smattering of Amens.At Georgia, all of this made Richt a divisive figure. Sure, hes a man of faith ... but visiting a park during a game week? Maybe he was just too nice a guy for the job, too concerned with things outside football. Those notions hovered over Richts entire tenure in Athens.Still, Miami fans here have faith -- in the Canes, in the neighborhood talent, in the guy who they believe has finally righted the ship.The kids all line up around Richt and frame a U with their hands, just as cell phone camera flashes pop in all directions, the kids all yell in unison: Go Canes. Matt Carpenter Cardinals Jersey . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. St. Louis Cardinals Jerseys . Now, correct me if Im wrong but I saw one official distinctly pointing at the net indicating a good goal but after an inconclusive review they overturned the goal. Shouldnt the ruling on the ice (good goal) stand after an inconclusive review? Why was this overturned? James Veaudry Pembroke, ON -- Hey Kerry, Youll get a lot of these, but why was the Montreal goal against Nashville Saturday night overturned? Eller puts the puck on net and the on ice ruling from the ref behind the net is a Montreal goal. http://www.authenticcardinalspro.com/cardinals-steve-carlton-jersey/ . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Mike Shannon Jersey . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. Jedd Gyorko Cardinals Jersey . Galatasaray said in a statement on its website Monday that Mancini signed a three-year contract and will be paid 3.5 million euros for the upcoming season, with his salary upped to 4. ATHENS, Ga. -- Yante Maten scored a season-high 30 points on 11-of-13 shooting, J.J. Frazier added 14 points on Saturday and Georgia defeated Charleston Southern 84-64.It was the 500th home victory for Georgia in Stegeman Coliseum, which opened for basketball in 1964. The Bulldogs (7-3) have won four of their last five games and are 6-1 at home this season.Christian Keeling had 19 points and Cortez Mitchell scored 15 points for Charleston Southern (6-4).It was Matens 26th-consecutive game with at least 10 points. He had 19 points in the first half as Georgia led 46-30 at the break.For Georgia coach Mark Fox, there was no secret to the success enjoyed by Maten.(Maten) was bigger than everybody else on the court, so we took advantage of his size, Fox said. But we got him the ball and he played very unselfishly. It was a pretty complete game for the most part.There was no match in the Charleston Southern lineup for the 6-foot-8 Maten.Regardless of who I play, I go in with the same mentality, Maten said. I just go in and play my game, whether (Im playing) seven-footers or six-footers. It doesnt matter.Eleven Georgia players scored as the Bulldogs shot 54 percent from the field (28 of 52) and 44 percent from beyond the arc (8 of 19).I thought we were able to play a bunch of guys tonight, Fox said. A lot of guys needed the experience and Yante had a big night.Charleston Southern made just 6 of 21 (29 percent) from 3-point range and was outrebounded 41-23, Georgias largest rebounding margin of the season.We are a work in progress, Buccaneers coach Barclay Radebaugh said. We are fighting to get better and we have an inexperienced, young team. It was a great experience for us.to play a team as good as Georgia. They are a very veteeran team.dddddddddddd They know how to play.The Bulldogs were never seriously challenged, jumping out to a 7-0 lead and taking their largest lead with 3:07 remaining when Mike Edwards putback made it 82-57.Georgia had a season-high 22 assists. Frazier and Kenny Paul Geno had five each and 10 players logged at least one assist.It felt great to see my teammates play well and how unselfish we were, making extra passes and giving up good shots for great ones, Frazier said. It was an all-around great day.BIG PICTURE:The Bulldogs seem to be picking up steam as they move to Southeastern Conference play, which begins at the end of the month.Charleston Southern has lost four of its last five, including a 76-46 blowout to Alabama on Nov. 29.UP NEXT:After five consecutive home games, Georgia hits the road in earnest, playing at Georgia Tech on Tuesday, Dec. 20, at Oakland on Friday, Dec. 23 and at Auburn on Thursday, Dec. 29, the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.Charleston Southern will close out a three-game road swing on Dec. 20 at Virginia Tech and will open its Big South Conference schedule on Dec. 29, hosting Winthrop.WAY BACK WHEN:Georgia won its first game at what was then known as the Georgia Coliseum at the end of the 1963-64 season. The Bulldogs defeated Georgia Tech 81-68 on Feb, 22, 1964 in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 13,200. This is the 54th full season in the arena, which was renamed Stegeman Coliseum in 1996.STAT OF THE NIGHT:Maten posted his third-career 30-point game and reached the 20-point plateau for the fourth time this season and the 16th time in his career. ' ' '
