From TrackSide Magazine (Issue 4): Then and Now - John Godina

John Godina is readily recognized as one of the greatest American throwers of all time – sharing the same rarified air with Mac Wilkins, Al Oerter, and contemporaries such as Adam Nelson and Reese Hoffa. A native of Cheyenne, Wyoming, Godina excelled has a high school athlete, making All-American in both football and track before heading farther west to attend college at UCLA, where he won five NCAA championships in the shot-put and discus (three outdoor, two indoor) while breaking the national record in the shot (22.00 meters) with his 1995 title performance.

John Godina is a four-time world champion in the
shot-put, but now spends more time training world
 class throwers. (R: video of Godina's 22.00-meter toss)

Godina’s success continued after college, and his throwing career saw the Arizona resident win four World shot-put titles, to go along with two Olympic medals (silver in 1996, bronze in 2000).

In late 2013, Godina received perhaps his biggest public acclaim to date, being inducted into the USATF Hall of Fame. This accolade could be due to his versatility as a thrower. Although all of his World championships and Olympic medals were in the shot-put, he is one of only 10 men to be ranked in the Track and Field News World Top 10 for the shot and discus in the same year; in fact, his 1-3 ranking in 1998 was the second best ever.

Today, Godina, 41, trains world class throwers such as Vikas Gowda and Suzy Powell, and has opened the World Athletics Center (worldthrowscenter.com), a high level training facility for athletes of all ages. Currently there are four locations – two in Arizona and two in Northern California, but plans for further expansion are in the works for 2014 and beyond.

Q: You retired from competition in 2009. How did you make the transition from being a professional athlete to opening the World Throws Center?

Godina: I officially retired in 2009, but my last competition was at the 2008 Olympic Trials. I just needed some time after the meet to think about things. But even back in ’06, after my shoulder surgery, I realized that I didn’t have much (competition) time left, and started thinking about what I was going to do after this. I knew that track was my calling card, where my name was known, and that I wanted to morph into something that dealt with the throwing business. But, I eventually wanted to get involved with all of track and field, not just the throws, which is why we changed the name to the World Athletics Center. We knew that would be the endpoint.

Q: Indeed, you have moved beyond just throws. In fact, it looks like you’re getting involved with other sports. How do you go about finding another sport to add?

Godina: You must be talking about the bobsled. Sometimes it just works. Bobsled teams are mostly made up of former track athletes, with enough leg strength to push the sled. Some of the training is the same. I hope we’re helping. USA Bobsled seems happy with what we’re doing. Our athletes have a couple of early wins in World Cup events. I enjoy the fact that we work with athletes who are in the Olympics every two years.

Q: Are you currently looking to expand to other sports?

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Burden Wins Mid-Atlantic Diving Crown After 38 Year Layoff

From the Newport News, Hampton, and York County/Poquoson Town square sections of the DAILY PRESS, December 19, 2013.


For Jim Burden, the decision to start competitive diving again was largely based on numbers.

“I turned 60,” he recently said with a matter of fact tone.

Jim Burden, 60, and Danita Fox

It didn’t matter that the former East Carolina standout had not competed in 38 years. In fact, Burden had entered his last competition, at the 1975 President’s Cup in Northern Virginia, on a dare.

“I was coaching at my diving school in Reston. Upon seeing an adult competition at the President’s Cup, the kids bet me that I wouldn’t dive, but I got sixth.”

Burden admits that he had a chance to “get on the boards” periodically. Even as his athletic career segued into a successful life in Virginia and Texas as a general contractor and later Production Manager for NV Ryan Homes, his veins still bled chlorine and pool water.

“I coached at Trinity High School starting in 1980 when I lived in Dallas, and worked out with SMU (Southern Methodist) diving a little bit.”

Still, almost thirty years had passed between Burden’s last serious diving workout and his 60^th birthday. Surely, there had to be another reason to start again.

“I started wondering how the Masters (competitions) were going. One day, I went out to the pool and started diving. Little by little, I found out that I could do a lot of the same dives.”

A revelation soon hit Burden.

“I wondered, who else my age could still do this stuff?”

On November 17^th, the Poquoson resident got his answer, which was no one. Traveling to Ewing, N.J., Burden won two gold medals at the Mid-Atlantic Masters Springboard Diving invitational. With the victory, Burden also qualified for the USA National Masters meet in San Antonio, Texas in May 2014 as well as the FINA World Masters Championships in Montreal next August.

The journey turned out to be more interesting than the meet.

It started with a visit to social media, specifically YouTube.

“I went and found some footage of the Master diving competitions from 2011 and 2012, and realized that they weren’t much better than me at that point.”

Armed with newfound confidence in his abilities, Burden went to find a pool. First he tried Christopher Newport University, only to learn that there were insurance issues involved with letting an outsider come in to dive.

The next stop was William and Mary. No diving team – no dice.

There was also Old Dominion, which had a program, but as Burden recalls, “I didn’t really want to drive through the tunnel every day to dive.”

With only two weeks to go until the Jersey meet, Burden remembered the words which the William and Mary swim coach had uttered.

“Have you ever been to the Midtown Aquatic Center?”

Burden had not, but he soon found his way to Newport News and made the acquaintance of aquatics director Danita Fox.

“She was really instrumental in my progress.”

However, the relationship got off to a rocky start.

Fox says, “He came in asking questions about the types of diving boards.”

She faced a similar issue with insurance. “We only allow diving access as long as a certified instructor is present.”

Adds Burden, “she made some calls.”

Over the next two weeks, they worked out seven times. Fox would film Burden’s dives, and as an aquatics coach, would offer feedback. But she was immediately impressed with his ability.

“He gets up on the (diving) board, and WOW! He obviously kept himself in shape.”

Burden attributes his current ability to extended time away from the sport.

“A lot of the older divers are beat up. Diving takes a toll on you. On my last college dive at ECU, we were competing against Johns Hopkins and I separated a rib and shoulder.”

“In fact, I have a heat pack on my neck right now!”

Burden’s initial work on the board started out rough.

“I looked like scrambled eggs – I was all over the place. But eventually it started coming together.”

Fox adds, “Jim said it’s like riding a bicycle. But it was a quick turnaround. Right before he went to New Jersey, he said that he could start to see and spot things as they’re going around, like everything was slowing down during the harder dives, the two and a halves and three and a halves.”

Just like in the old days, which brings Burden’s diving career to a full circle.

“Back in my most competitive days, the mid 1970’s, I used to tell my friends that I would have made the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.”

With a tongue placed firmly in cheek, he adds, “if it hadn’t been for the 200 or so divers that were better than me.”

Ironically, the 2014 World Master’s Diving Championships are in Montreal. Reminded of that fact, he wistfully concludes…

“I might make it there yet.”

Remembering Benny Dean

I'm feeling some sadness this weekend as a piece of my past is gone. 

In the 1990's, I got into the whole karaoke thing, then graduated to open mikes at GW's, a good honky tonk bar in Alexandria, which has since become the Rock-it Grill. Back in the day, I loved to sing some country on Sunday open mike night. Bands like 4x4, City Slicker, Blackjack, and others rotated through the cycle. But Benny Dean and Southern Rain let us sing with them at GW's and brought us up at other places up and down Rte. 1. My greatest singing experience ever was getting up right after New Year's in 1999 and doing a eight minute version of "Mustang Sally" with the band.. full of solos. Benny's in the center, and BJ Parrott, the sax player, is to the right. Had to pull him away from the bar to get back onstage, and he wailed for about a good minute. I'll never sell a record, but I got to sing, thanks to Benny. Rest in peace brother.

Put A Fork In The Redskins

I was examining a Facebook post of mine from three weeks ago, one which was written as my favorite sports team was being blasted by about 20 or some points by (I believe) the Philadelphia Iggles. Two weeks later, my sentiment rings truer than ever, but here was the original rant.


"I'll always be a Redskins fan, but I think it's time to pack it in for 2013. Shanahans have to go. Without Elway, Red Lobster is basically Norv Turner as a head coach, but at 24-34 with the Burgundy and Gold, that's an insult to Norv, who was at least above .500 for his career after a miserable first year. (Defensive coordinator) Haslett should have been gone four weeks ago. No NFL defense should give up 31 points a game. Team needs a secondary, and some people who can tackle. Somebody also needs to get some control of Griffin, who is showing guts, but is in the process of enjoying a 4-5 year career from so many hits. I'm off to get some Chinese food."


Now sitting in the cellar of the NFC East, the Burgundy and Gold are sporting a pathetic 3-9 mark. To blame last night's loss to the Giants on a bad ref call is really to miss the big picture. Since Joe Gibbs left in 1992, the Skins have only made the playoffs four times in the past 21 seasons, and a couple of those were on the Gibbs II parade! The whole organization is in shambles. Aside from Ryan Kerrigan, is there anyone on this inept defense (still giving up 30.2 points a game) worth keeping for 2014? Will RGIII still be playing at 28, or will he become the quarterback equivalent of Gale Sayers - a massive talent with a blown out knee? Is Captain Kirk ever going to get another look behind center before some smart team scoops him out of DC? 

Amazingly, there is a faction of reporters who want to give Coach Shanahan and Son another year or two. The argument is that it would provide a stability to the organization. "Remember," they say. "He has a five year plan. After the salary cap clears up, things will be OK."

Did the five year plan include following up a 10-6 year with 3-9?

And is it just me, or was the salary cap error of several years ago a blatant act of negligance??? How come none of the other NFL teams seem to be suffering from this penalty? Could it be that Snyder and Co. were trying to pull an end-around and cheat the system - a mistake which is costing them dearly right now? If the answer is yes.. and I think it is, why hasn't anyone been in Ashburn been held accountable?

I could moan and groan about the sad state of Redskin affairs all day, but instead I find myself thinking of a simpler time, an era long removed, and I get a visual from the past. Who remembers these guys?

Give yourself another 5 bonus points if you can name them all. HTTR!!!!

(Answer to above picture - #89 Verlon Biggs, #55 Chris Hanburger, #72 Diron Talbert, #41 Mike Bass, #64 Manny Sistrunk, #79 Ron McDole, #32 Jack Pardee)