On court, she hits her stride

By David Rice, Times Correspondent
In print: Tuesday, May 13, 2008

BRENDAN FITTERER | Times

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PORT RICHEY

PJ Sams seems like a superwoman.

When this New Port Richey native isn't winning racquetball tournaments or jumping out of airplanes, she's helping handicapped children.

Sams teaches eight autistic children at New Port Richey's Deer Park Elementary who can't communicate. When she gets to the racquetball courts, it's Sams' time to let it all out.

"I teach kids who can't tell me what they want or what they're thinking," Sams said. "It gets very frustrating for both me and them, so racquetball is a big stress reliever for me. It's very physical and it gives me an outlet for frustration."

Sams is a member at Richey Racquet, where she plays regularly. In April, the facility hosted a regional racquetball tournament open to anyone. When Sams made the final, it came as no surprise to some around Richey Racquet.

"She's in the C flight, but I consider her to be a B flight player," Richey Racquet employee Desiree Hanson said. "There's no doubt in my mind she is good enough to compete on the next level up."

After losing in a tie breaker during the final of the regional tournament, Sams was still in high spirits. "I've been to six or seven tournaments and never had a chance to win," Sams said. "Even though I didn't win, I feel good about the way I played."

Sams began playing during the 1980s and has played all over the world, thanks to her travels during 20 years of Air Force service.

"I always played at the Air Force's facilities whether it was in Greece or Spain or wherever," Sams said. "I stopped playing though after I got pregnant with my son and didn't start again until about two years ago when I began coming to Richey Racquet."

After moving to the New Port Richey area in 1999, Sams became a substitute at Deer Park. A short time later, the school asked her to begin teaching in their special education department.

Deer Park principal John Schafchuk has known Sams for five years. It was his decision to bring Sams on as a full-time teacher.

"She cares very much for all of her students," Schafchuk said. "She's very enthusiastic about all their accomplishments, and she's very persistent about helping her students as much as she can. She goes above and beyond to help them grow as much as possible."

Many would consider Sams' life an active one just from her racquetball playing and work with kids, but it doesn't stop there. She recently jumped out of a plane for the first time for her 50th birthday.

"I was supposed to do it in June, but the day before the jump I slipped while taking a shot playing racquetball and wound up with a concussion," Sams said. "It had to wait, so my son and I jumped on my birthday instead."

Around the gym, Sams is a well-known and respected member of the community. Hanson has worked at Richey Racquet for two years and has spent a lot of time around the teacher.

"She's just an incredible person to be around," Hanson said. "Between everything she does with those kids to the way she is with all people she is a wonderful person. She's outgoing, energetic, and compassionate; you can't say enough about her."

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