Willson Contreras - Chicago Cubs

1) Willson Contreras #40 is a star catcher for the Chicago Cubs. 

2) Contreras was a rookie for the Cubs in 2016 when they won their first World Series Championship in 108 years. He was called up in June 2016 and became the 30th player in the modern MLB era to hit a home run on the first pitch of his first major-league at-bat. 

3) Willson teamed up with the Special Olympics this season as the 2017 Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby Celebrity Ambassador. You can help support Special Olympics Illinois by adopting a duck here for the big race on August 3rd. 

D: What do you like to do more...hit a home run or throw someone out when they are trying to steal a base?

WC: Throw somebody out when they are stealing. Yes, that's a good one. 

D's Follow Up: I thought Willson would say he likes to hit a home run more. If he hits a home run, his team would get more runs but I also see how he would like to stop the other team from getting runs too. 

J: What's your favorite Chicago food?

WC: Favorite Chicago food is pizza.

J's Follow Up: Pizza is one my favorites too. I thought he would say that because most people like pizza and Chicago is known for it. Lately I like MOD and Blaze pizza even though it's not Chicago style because I can put whatever I want on it.

On Wednesday, July 26th, the boys and I decided to make the trek downtown to meet superstar catcher and one of the top players in Major League Baseball, Willson Contreras. We love to watch Contreras call a game as he works with Cubs pitchers and we also love the home run power he brings to the plate for each at-bat. We believe Contreras has the potential to be an all-star catcher for many years to come. 

Willson Contreras was scheduled to make a special appearance at the Jewel on Division Street to meet with fans and sign Special Olympics duck cookies. Proceeds from the purchase of the cookies will be donated to the Special Olympics of Illinois. 

The boys and I waited for an hour and a half to meet Willson and we agree it was worth every second. With questions in hand, the boys introduced themselves to Willson and he repeated their names back to them and eagerly awaited their questions. First up was Jordan. He's really become a pro at approaching his favorite athletes. He calmly asked Willson what his favorite Chicago food is. Coming from Venezuela, we were unsure what he might choose as his favorite but we know most people love pizza. Like us, Willson loves Chicago's pizza but we wish we would've found out his favorite local spot because we'd be happy to meet him there!

Up next was our favorite seven year old and Kyle Schwarber's #1 fan, Danny Vincent. I thought his question was great and Willson agreed by telling him that after he answered. Would you rather hit a home run or throw a base runner out? One thing that seems to be a constant is players are just as excited to make a defensive stop in their sport as they are to make a big impact on offense. Contreras said he prefers to throw the base runner out if he has to choose between the two. 

In my short co-ed softball career, I understand the rush you get making a big defensive stop when your team needs you to. Most people consider catcher to be the most important position in baseball because of the tremendous responsibilities put on their shoulders. Catchers must know everything about everyone at all times. From knowing every hitter in the lineup, to understanding his pitcher's strengths and also knowing where the defense is lined up, catchers have a ton of information to process. Combine that with being the most physically demanding position, I understand that a catcher would love to help their team out in a major way by making a pinpoint throw to tag out a base runner.

With all that said, I can imagine the rush you would get by hitting a home run over the ivy in Wrigley Field on gorgeous day game in July. That feeling would never get old to me.

We had a fun time meeting a great baseball player and an even better person, Willson Contreras. Thanks to Jewel for hosting such a sweet event and to Willson for taking the time during the Crosstown Classic to meet with fans and raise money for the Special Olympians of Illinois. It was a day we'll never forget.

Deiondre' Hall - Chicago Bears

1) Deiondre' Hall is a cornerback for the Chicago Bears who was selected in the 4th round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

2) Deiondre' attended college at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The UNI Panthers compete in the NCAA College Football Subdivision level in the Missouri Valley Conference.

3) Hall recorded his first career NFL interception during his rookie season when he intercepted Lions QB Matthew Stafford in a week four victory for the Bears at Soldier Field.

D: Did you play any other sports growing up before you specialized in football? How do you stay active during the off season?


DH: I played basketball and ran track. I also work out and run during the off season.

D's Follow Up: I think Deiondre' Hall was probably a sprinter on the team. He has to guard the fastest receivers in the NFL so he would need to be fast enough to stay with them. I think he runs in the offseason to stay fast and to be able to catch Julio Jones, A.J. Green, and especially Packers players like Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson.

J: We have a dalmatian mix dog in our family. We saw you have two dogs at home. What kind are they and do you ever go to the dog park with them?


DH: Yes, I take them to the dog park often. I have a doberman and a red nose pitbull.

J's Follow Up: I think that's great he takes his dogs to the dog park and he probably has a lot of time during the week until training camp starts. I would like to see my dog Perdi play with his dogs at the dog park. I'm guessing he goes to the Lake Forest dog park.

I believe Deiondre' Hall and Jonathan Bullard were the first athletes to do a signing for Scott's Basement, a baseball card and memorabilia shop in Schaumburg. This event was very well organized by the owner Scott who was extremely nice and welcomed us into his store. The boys and I always say that we will travel for fun and this signing was easily worth the forty five minute drive from Mundelein. It sounds like the event was as much fun for the players as it was for the fans as Scott noted on his Facebook page that Deiondre' and Jonathan had so much fun they stayed an hour and a half over their signing time spending time with fans.

Deiondre' Hall is entering his second NFL season and many expect the sophomore to compete for a starting spot and make a big impact for the Bears during the 2017 season. Danny found out that Deiondre' was a track star in high school and also spends his off season running. We both agree that we think Deiondre' was a sprinter in high school because he plays defensive back in the NFL, which would require him to keep up with some of the fastest players in the sport. We think the toughest matchup Deiondre' and his fellow cornerbacks will face this season comes early in week 1 when the Bears host the Super Bowl runner up Atlanta Falcons and the player widely regarded as the best wide receiver in the NFL, Julio Jones. Competitors love to go up against the best in their sport and Hall will kick off his season against one of the best receivers the NFL has to offer.

While researching more about Deiondre' before Saturday's signing, we saw on his Twitter page that he has two dogs. We got our first family pet Perdi nearly two years ago and we are now a dog family. She's a sweet dalmatian mix who loves to run free at the dog park. Jordan was wondering if Deiondre's dogs ever visited the dog park because he would love to run into Deiondre' and find Perdi more friends to wrestle with when we go. With the Bears located in Lake Forest, we assume Deiondre' would visit that park most often. Our family goes to the Wauconda and Libertyville parks the most but we also take an occasional detour over to the Lake Forest dog park. It sounds like Deiondre' is a dog person like us and maybe we'll run into him someday with his dogs.

We wish Deiondre' a great season this year as he looks to bring the Bears back to the top of the NFC North. We'll visit him in Bourbonnais on August 3rd and we'll be watching and cheering on number 32 from the sidelines during training camp. Thanks again Deiondre' for taking the time to talk with us and being a part of our new blog, vincentsgo3on3!

Jonathan Bullard - Chicago Bears

1) Jonathan Bullard is a defensive end for the Chicago Bears who is entering his second NFL season after being drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft.

2) Bullard attended college at the University of Florida and finished his senior year as a a First Team All-SEC selection and a Third-team All-American.

3) On the television show Inside the Bears, Jonathan took part in a segment called Big Guys, Compact Cars where he admitted he is a huge Lebron James fan and makes the argument that Lebron is better than Kobe Bryant.

D: Did you play any other sports growing up before you specialized in football? How do you stay active during the off season?

JB: I played basketball, baseball, and AAU basketball.

D's Follow Up: I play basketball too so it's cool to say that all 3 of us play. You don't see many guys as big as Jonathan Bullard playing baseball. I wonder what position he played for his team.

J: What quarterback in the NFL would you like to sack the most?

JB: Probably Cam Newton. He's as big as I am and he's also in Carolina which is where I'm from.

J's Follow Up: I thought he was going to say Aaron Rodgers because he's his rival or another great QB like Tom Brady. I think it will be hard to sack Cam Newton because he's a running quarterback like Lamar Jackson. I want to see him sack Cam a lot when they play this year because I love to watch the quarterback get sacked.

J: What were some of the best parts about playing for the Florida Gators?

JB: The atmosphere. Running down the swamp, the best college stadium in America. I would say the atmosphere and the Gator fan base.

J's Follow Up: I'm a fan of the Gators because they invented Gatorade there and there have been a ton of Bears players that I like that came from Florida like Alex Brown, Rex Grossman, and Jon Bostic.

Today we had a great opportunity to meet two rising stars for the Chicago Bears at one signing. We met the 3rd and 4th round draft picks from last season, Jonathan Bullard and Deiondre' Hall. This event was put together by Scott's Basement, a baseball card and sports memorabilia shop in Schaumburg. It was our first visit but it definitely won't be our last. 

Jonathan and Deiondre' were welcoming and excited to answer Jordan and Danny's questions. The boys continue to get more confident with each athlete they meet. Danny started out with one of their more popular questions asking Jonathan about the other sports he played growing up. Of course, as we've seen with most other pro athletes, he was also a multi-sport athlete competing in basketball and baseball along with football. We understand the benefits of playing multiple sports as a kid and it's always great for Jordan and Danny to hear athletes played sports they love to play. I can only imagine Jonathan dominated the paint during his basketball days and had serious home run power on the baseball field.

The boys were also curious to find out which QB Jonathan would most like to sack this upcoming season. I think Cam Newton is a great choice for many reasons. Known as one of the top players in the league and NFL MVP just two years ago, Cam is elusive, strong and smart. Recording a sack in Soldier Field against the Pro Bowl QB would be a huge feather in the cap of the young defensive end's career.

Finally, Jordan wanted to know what it's like to be a Florida Gator and part of one of the top football programs in the country. Bullard noted the awesome fan base and the greatest stadium in the country located in the swamps of Gainesville. The Bears have certainly had their fair share of Gators throughout the years and we are excited that Jonathan is now one of the Monsters of the Midway. We have a ton of respect for the Gators and would definitely love to visit the swamp for a game someday. 

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Jonathan Bullard for taking the time to talk with Jordan and Danny and Scott's Basement for an awesome event! We will certainly be cheering him on this fall and we can't wait to see what he does in his sophomore season.

Al Snow - WWE

1) Al Snow is a professional wrestler best known for his time wrestling in World Wrestling Entertainment, Extreme Championship Wrestling and Impact wrestling.

2) In 2015, he started the Al Snow Wrestling Academy based in the UK where they are currently training the future stars of professional wrestling.

3) Al has held over 30 different championships in his 35 years of wrestling and in the WWE he was a 1-time European Champion, 6-time Hardcore Champion, and 1-time Tag Team Champion with Mankind.

D: What is your favorite ride here at Great America?

AS: Goliath. Yeah. But I haven't ridden the Joker yet. I want to go ride that.

D's Follow Up: Goliath is my second favorite roller coaster at Great America. The Joker is my favorite. The Joker flips around and is crazy like me and Al Snow. I would like hime to ride the Joker with us next time.

J: What was the favorite WWE match you ever wrestled in?

AS: Probably when I wrestled myself. Yep, that was awesome because I'm awesome.

J's Follow Up: I thought it was cool but also weird when he wrestled himself. I also don't think it made much sense. I think it was probably more challenging to wrestle himself instead of wrestling an actual person like he normally would. 

During our tenth visit to Great America this season and attending with friends, we stumbled across a wrestling ring smack in the middle of Southwest Territory. The boys and I were immediately interested and we soon spotted one of our favorite wrestlers, Pauly Thomaselli, from a local wrestling promotion in Kenosha. He told us he would be performing with Pro Wrestling Blitz, a company based out of Joliet, IL, and that former WWE star Al Snow would be in the main event. Of course, we planned out our rides and made sure we were front row to watch these pro wrestling matches and see one of the stars of the WWE's Attitude Era, Al Snow. It was a first for us to watch wrestling in between The Giant Drop and Raging Bull and it made the event even more fun.

Known for his gimmick of talking to a mannequin head, referred to as "Head", I remember Al Snow most for his match where he battled Head for the Hardcore Championship and also when he wrestled himself and put his body through a table.  It was no surprise for us to hear that Al's favorite match is when he wrestled himself and we also agree that he's definitely awesome! Al ended up victorious in his main event match at GA in a hard fought Triple Threat Match and of course Head got involved and was a big help in scoring the victory for Snow. After the match concluded, Al was excited to meet with fans, shake hands, and encouraged Jordan to ask him anything. 

Along with his favorite match in WWE, Jordan asked Danny's question about his favorite ride at Great America. We weren't sure if he had been on any yet but he quickly responded with Goliath. This is one of our favorite rides in the park and ranks as my #2 ride at Six Flags, falling just short of the The Raging Bull. This is one we always arrive early for and has the biggest drop in the park. Al had not been on the Joker yet, which is new this year, and we give it two thumbs up! It ranks #3 for me only because it's such a short ride lasting about 40 seconds from start to finish. Our only wish is that we could have gone on it with him! 

It was an awesome day watching Pro Wrestling Blitz at Six Flags and having an unexpected meet and greet with one of WWE's most memorable wrestlers. We are thankful to Al Snow for taking the time to meet us and answer Jordan and Danny's questions. We wish him the best of luck with his new wrestling academy and if we stumble across him at Great America again, we will not pass on the opportunity to ask him to go on The Joker with us!

Martellus Bennett, Imagination Agency, Green Bay Packers

1) Martellus Bennett started The Imagination Agency, a multimedia company that creates children's content including books, apps, movies, and more. Our favorite is his first children's book, Hey AJ, It's Saturday! and we look forward to checking out his new comic, Towel Boy.

2) Martellus is entering his tenth NFL season having played for the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, and now the Green Bay Packers.

3) Part of the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, Bennett won his first Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots. After erasing a 28-3 deficit, the Patriots won Super Bowl 51 defeating the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 34-28.

J: Who is your favorite super hero and who's your favorite character that you have created?

MB: My favorite super hero has to be Deadpool or Wolverine. I like Wolverine because even though he's so dark he always helps everyone out. He always looked out for everybody. I love Wolverine. Batman, too. I also love Batman. 

My favorite character I've created is AJ. AJ's my favorite because she's my first character and she's based on my daughter Jett. She's very personal to me.

J's Follow Up: Wolverine is one of my favorites in the X-men too. I like his healing power and his bone claws too. Black Panther is my favorite super hero of all time. He has the ability defeat opponents that are stronger than him and he has so many powers. Speed, strength, agility, and healing power. I like that he sticks to himself but also can join a team and help out when others need him too.

D: What is it like to play football with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, two of my favorite players? I'm so happy you play on my favorite team the Packers. 

MB: Those are two of the best quarterbacks ever in the history of football. Tom Brady was awesome but I'm looking forward to playing with Aaron Rodgers. I think he's going to be really good, so far we've been on the same page, so it's been fun. Plus I look good in green.

D's Follow Up: I'm happy that he's on the Packers and I think he looks good in green too. I think he's going to be a great tight end. Aaron Rodgers will be happy to have him because he's a great a quarterback and Martellus catches great. I was cheering for the Patriots to win the Super Bowl and I'm so glad he won but I like the Packers the most.

This past Saturday, my wife and I took Danny to meet Martellus Bennett at Rotofugi, a designer toy shop in Chicago. They had an event for a special release of his first vinyl toy, SkyDiver McGuire. Martellus and his friend and comic book author/illustrator Skottie Young did Q & A session so we got to hear all about his passion for creativity.

Martellus and Skottie shared their thoughts on their own creative processes and where they get inspiration for their stories. The most memorable takeaway for me was when Martellus shared that he plays football because he wants to but he creates because he needs to. He shared his mission to help bring more diverse characters to books. If you look at the stories we see published today, you'll see there is still a long way to go. Like every parent, I want my children to read stories with characters they can relate to. Martellus aims to fill this gap for his daughter Jett but there are so many kids who would benefit from seeing themselves in stories too.  This is also Jen's main focus in her writing and she will share more about the need for more diverse books in Mom's Take below.

Martellus' new vinyl toy SkyDiver McGuire is a hispanic character who represents Martellus' alter ego. He comes in five variations including The Playground model, Theme Park model, Black Licorice model, Sandbox model, and Nighthawk model. We picked out the Theme Park model pictured below as it represents our love of theme parks and excitement to seek out the latest and greatest thrill rides. This toy looked right at home with the other colorful and unique toys on display at Rotofugi on Saturday and is the perfect addition to our wild and high-energy house. We admire Martellus' creative side and can't wait to see what he will come up with next!

Bennett not only excels off the field but he is a Pro Bowl caliber tight end when he hits the field on football Sundays. He's played for some of the most storied franchises in NFL history to date. Martellus now joins the Packers with perennial Pro Bowl QB Aaron Rodgers after winning the Super Bowl with Tom Brady, the QB widely considered the best to ever play the game. Danny is certainly excited that the Packers got such a great player to add to their already awesome receiver group. I believe that Green Bay got a major upgrade at tight end and I know that the Rodgers to Bennett combination will wreak havoc against my Chicago Bears defense next season. But teams aside, Martellus is an amazing person and in the end, football is just a game. I wish him the best of success off the field as well as on it. Thanks for taking the time to answer Danny and Jordan's questions and hosting such a cool event in Chicago!

I first met Martellus Bennett at a Bears' Kids Club event when they showed his animated short film Zoovie: A Warm and Fuzzy Tale. Before they started the movie, Martellus answered questions that kids in the crowd had for him. Our son Jordan asked him if he had a favorite book and I turned to Chad with wide eyes when he started rattling off more than your typical children's book. I was impressed, this guy didn't only read and love Harry Potter, he really knew children's literature. Afterwards, I introduced myself to Martellus and told him how much I loved books too. Since then, it's been awesome to see how dedicated he is to pursuing his passion for creating off the field.

As an educator, I've been blogging since 2010 about mentor texts at my blog Teach Mentor Texts. Mentor texts are any kind of writing that can be used to influence your own writing. I believe teachers can incorporate mentor texts into writing instruction. I'm a supporter of Nerdy Book Club, a crowd-sourced blog that celebrates books and a love of reading, and I've been involved with Teachers Write, a virtual summer writing camp for teachers, since it started in 2012. When I started writing with my own students, I realized I have my own stories to tell. Like Chad mentioned, I'm passionate about the We Need Diverse Books campaign. Being Latina myself, I grew up reading books with mostly white characters written by mostly white people. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized the impact of not seeing myself in books. It took me years to embrace it and to be proud of being Latina. Writing helped me to identify with my Latina side and now I hope to inspire others. 

If you want to support diversity in children's literature, WNDB has lists of where you can find diverse books. The best we can do to support creators is to read and share their work. If you can buy books, request books from your local library, and share your reviews on social media, it really helps them out. I'm sure you're super intrigued about Martellus and all he has created off the field, right? You can visit The Imagination Agency Shop to check it all out!