Former Navy QB Dobbs Playing for Virginia Cyclones While Waiting for NFL

Original version of Daily Press article printed on Saturday, March 23, 2013. Newspaper version can be located at;

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-spt-dobbs-feature-20130322,0,3906824.story

For three years, Ricky Dobbs terrified college football defenses. As the quarterback of Navy, he ran the patented triple option offense to near perfection, leading the Midshipmen to 20 wins and a Texas Bowl championship over his final two seasons. In the process, the Georgia native ran for 2,665 yards and set the career scoring record at Annapolis with 296 points. During the memorable 2009 season, Dobbs eclipsed Tim Tebow’s single season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, finding the end zone 27 times.

With those numbers under his belt, it may have been surprising to find the most famous Navy gridiron player since Roger Staubach walking the sidelines in street clothes, at the serviceable, but far from glamorous, field behind Crittenden Middle School, near downtown Newport News, late on a Wednesday evening. These days, Dobbs is serving his commitment as a naval officer – reporting to work as 1^st Lt. Dobbs on the U.S.S. Oscar Austin, which is docked in Norfolk. At nights, and on many Saturdays, he pulls double duty as the quarterback of the semi-pro Virginia Cyclones.

Has the dream of pro football ended?

Not so fast. Dobbs, who was nursing bruised ribs after being gang tackled in a recent game against the Tidewater Renegades, is far from seeing Notre Dame (who he has beaten) on the other side of the scrimmage line when he takes the snap, but his long term plan includes making an NFL roster.

It’s just harder to do when your main job is running a division on a naval destroyer.

“I’m having fun…this is playing for fun,” says the man who once signed a Navy helmet five times for President Obama (“so he’d remember me” – a strategy that may come into play when he officially announces his 2040 run for President of the United States). “We’re playing for fun and respect.”

Initially, it was a classmate from his Douglasville high school that talked him into playing. Admitting that the hardest part of serving his Naval officer commitment has been “sitting out,” Dobbs seized the opportunity to work out with the Cyclones. With their new signal caller, the Cyclones won their first three games by a combined score of 70-13, before losing last 30-14 last Saturday to the Capital City Seahawks, a team based out of District Heights, MD.

On that day, Dobbs was nowhere to be found on the field. In fact, he was back at the Austin serving weekend duty. Facing the same problems as many civilians, he admitted, “I couldn’t get anyone to take my place.”

Dobbs aims to serve his commitment and move on to the NFL. While Staubach had to serve five full years as an officer before joining the Dallas Cowboys at 27, the rules have been readjusted, as more Midshipmen such as Napoleon McCallum have proven to be capable of playing pro ball. The current requirement is two years of active duty, followed by a petition to have the remaining time doubled and served with the reserves. In theory, the new officer commitment after graduating from a military academy can be altered to include two years of full-time duty and six as a reservist. Dobbs will reach the end of his second year in May, and then petition the Secretary of the Navy’s office. “I hope to have an answer by January,” says Dobbs, perhaps admitting his new year’s wish for 2014, one which would allow him to enter the NFL draft.

On the chilly night at Crittenden, Dobbs arrives for the 7:30 practice at 9:05, having been held up while driving back from Georgia. Immediately upon arrival, a dozen or so Cyclones come over to the sideline to check on their high profile teammate. Many ask about the status of his ribs, while one offers a flak jacket, which Dobbs tries on. While the semipro league is fun, there is a fraternal camaraderie among the players, all who have starred at some level of football in their lives, and all who pay $300 a season (Dobbs paid his own way) for the jerseys, pads and orange Under Armour tops which make them Cyclones. One can sense the team spirit in the conversations, as players complain about the pending bus ride to D.C., cleats that don’t fit, and a cheap penalty call from the previous game.

At the end of practice, the team gathers for a huddle at the middle of the field. Team owner and Coach Phillip Mann speaks first of the importance of the next game, and is followed by several assistants who stress unity and the importance of home field advantage in the upcoming playoffs, which the Cyclones made last spring with an 8-3 record.

Dobbs raises his hand to speak. Addressing his teammates, he echoes his coach’s sentiments, but adds more thoughts. “Don’t get caught up in the jaw jacking. Let ‘em talk. It doesn’t matter what they say as long as we win. It doesn’t matter if it’s 2-0, as long as we get a W.” Dobbs’ speech is interspersed with a couple of salty words worthy of a Navy man, leaving one teammate to note, “Wow Ricky, didn’t know you cuss!”

The Cyclones (www.vacyclones.com), with Dobbs at quarterback, will be playing at their home site, Powhatan Field in Norfolk, this Saturday, facing the Maryland Hurricanes at 1 PM.

Sean Pena - Physiotherapist to the Track Stars

An excerpt from article, as published in the Spring 2013 issue of TrackSide magazine (tracknation.com). Link at bottom to continue. 

TrackSide Magazine is proud to welcome Sean Pena as a featured contributor to the TrackNation movement.

Pena is a renowned physiotherapist who works with elite runners, as well as NFL players and other world-class athletes. Some of his best known clients read like a Who’s Who in track and field - Justin Gatlin, Shawn Crawford, Allyson Felix, Lolo Jones, Will Claye, Tyson Gay and Brittany Reese are among those who have worked with Pena.

Ironically, Pena got into the physiotherapy field from the patient end. While playing soccer as a student at the University of Oregon, he suffered a shoulder injury. His uncle was an associate athletic director for the Ducks, so Pena looked to the Oregon athletic facilities for help with his rehabilitation.

Pena recalls, “The physio specialist there at the time was Chris Wexstein. He was already working with Gatlin, Crawford and Marion Jones. We became friends. Around 2002 or 2003, I went back to California with him for the U.S. Nationals at Stanford and observed and worked with one of the athletes. For two or three years, I worked as an understudy.”

In the aftermath of the BALCO doping scandal, which ended up with several suspensions, Pena’s upward trajectory was put on hold.

That changed with a phone call in 2008...

To continue reading, please go to page 30 of TrackSide magazine, found at http://trackstar1.tracknation.com

"In Grohl We Trust" - - Foo Fighter delivers SXSW Keynote

It’s not much of a secret that I LOVE the Foo Fighters. To me, they represent a lot of the raw energy and drive that is missing in music today. In short, they rock!!

In particular, I am a Dave Grohl fan. Honestly, I wasn’t really a Nirvana fan, and would probably list them in the “slightly overrated” category. They were in the right place at the right time, and touched a throbbing nerve among the young and disenchanted. Of course, when the lead singer, Kurt Cobain, died from his own hand at a young age, he joined the ranks of the “too much, too soon legend status.” Many on this list are deserving of legend status, such as Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and to a smaller degree, Amy Winehouse, because she was a great singer, but a walking train wreck. I probably wouldn’t include Janis Joplin (another misdirected Amtrak in fur lined boots), or really any musician not named Winehouse who died before the age of 30 in the past 25 years. To me, Cobain is probably somewhere in between. But I understand why he was influential.

Grohl is different to me for many reasons. First of all, he’s a local guy, hailing from Springfield, VA. In fact, he attended my alma mater, Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, for a year or so, and was in the same class as my brother Jeff. He also played his first gig in Alexandria, an open mike outing at a hole in the wall bar in the Shirley Duke shopping center called Treebeard’s. It was literally just across the Duke St./South Jordan intersection from our neighborhood. I can claim to have attended a couple of those open mikes back in 1983 or so. For the record, the bar made many transformations, to Stoney’s Café, J.J. Mugg’s and Zig’s. A Chipotle is in that spot now, just in case anyone wants to put a plaque on the wall for rock history’s sake.

Here’s a true story from Ireton. Grohl’s English 9 teacher was Brother Rick Wilson. Bro. Rick was a patient man, but not much of a match for the always active Grohl, especially when he delighted classmates with his incessant drumming on the desk. Exasperated one day, Wilson chided his young student. For the record, Grohl neither confirms nor denies this incident; in fact, his response to the recollection was “too funny!”

“David, you’ve got to stop that. You’re never going to amount to anything with all that drumming.”

Seventy million albums later, there are a few people who might disagree with that remark.

Grohl is aware of a lot of these things, and shared his message of hope and music during a brilliant keynote speech at last week’s South by Southwest music convention in Austin, TX. Dressed in his grunge uniform of open flannel shirt and jeans, the 44-year old rocker kept 2,500 listeners in the palm of his hand for 48 minutes while reminiscing on his own path to fame and fortune.

His message –“the musician comes first.”

More specifically, it’s all about finding one’s voice.

"Left to your own devices, you can find your voice," Grohl exclaimed. "Cherish it, respect it, nurture it, stretch it and scream until it’s gone." In the end, he adds that it doesn’t matter whether it’s good or bad because “it’s yours.”

It may come as a surprise to learn whose voices the head Foo Fighter is following these days.

“I think that Gangnam Style is one of the best f***ing songs of the past decade! It’s not about guilty pleasure. How about just pleasure?”

Looking back at the formation of Nirvana, Grohl admitted the timing piece of their success. “Here’s where music was when we were starting out, rattling off the top ten songs of 1990 to the delight of the audience. Laughing through names such as En Vogue, Phil Collins and Bell Biv DeVoe, he built his thought up, climaxing with the punch line, “do you know what the number one song was in 1990? Wilson F***ing Phillips – Hold ON!!” (Point of note – Grohl loves to drop the F-Bomb).

The speech was brilliant, and worthy of a man with Grohl’s talent. Certainly only three or four years away from Nirvana’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he is now held to a high standard, and delivers with one Foo album after another. Speaking of his band’s name, he called it “a stupid f***ing name – I just didn’t want the record people to know it was one caffeinated guy running from instrument to instrument.”

Most importantly, the message was about finding oneself. Grohl’s instrument of change was “Frankenstein,” the 70’s instrumental anthem from Edgar Winter. His own hope is to be the same inspirational voice for others. In closing, he spoke of introducing his daughters, Harper (3) and Violet (6) to the Beatles, in the form of their vinyl box set.

“I pray that someday that they are left to their own devices, that they realize that the musician comes first, and that THEY find THEIR VOICE, and that THEY become someone's Edgar Winter, THEY become someone's Beatles, and that THEY incite a riot, or an emotion, or start a revolution, or save someone's life.

That THEY become someone's hero.

But then again . . . what do I know?”

Well played Mr. Grohl.

David Prince's Amazing Journey

An excerpt from article, as published in the Spring 2013 issue of TrackSide magazine (tracknation.com). Link at bottom to continue. The accompanying video on David Prince, world record holder in the unilateral amputee 400-meter dash, is shown on the right.

Where there were drugs, now there is drive.

Where there was a lower right leg, now there is a prosthetic device.

Where there was a life on the brink of disaster, now there is hope.

On March 14, 2002, David Prince’s life changed forever. Speeding on his “crotch rocket” motorcycle while racing a Honda Civic, pockets loaded with marijuana, Prince mishandled a turn and flew off his bike, breaking his foot cleanly off in the process. When he came to, there may have been an element of trauma and shock, but one would think that his first concern would be for the location of his newly missing appendage. Instead, the first words out of his mouth upon regaining consciousness only echoed the seriousness of how dark and desperate his existence had become.

“Where’s the weed at?”

It was a matter of making a life readjustment.

The journey was long and bumpy; in fact, it would be 18 more months before Prince, with suicide on his mind, and garbage bags carrying all of his possessions strewn across his mother’s front yard, had hit bottom and finally made the statement that set him on the right path.

As he recalls now, it was as simple as honestly admitting, “I needed to do something different.”

To continue reading, please go to page 36 of TrackSide magazine, found at http://trackstar1.tracknation.com

"Johnny Football" Fights for His Name (w/video)

Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M is looking
to secure the trademark for "Johnny
Football," his better known nickname.
This could stop those who have profited from
his collegiate success and start a new trend
for college athletes

In a move that could change the face of college sports as we know it, Johnny Manziel, the most recent winner of college football’s Heisman Trophy, has started the process of trademarking his “Johnny Football” nickname, a maneuver which would allow him the right to sue others who wish to make money off of his wildly popular moniker.

And according to a recent ESPN article by Rick Reilly, this is not something to be taken lightly. Reilly cites a study by Joyce Julius and Associates which shows that Texas A&M earned $37 million in free publicity last year from their redshirt freshman quarterback. This doesn’t count profit from increased ticket sales and the millions in new alumni donations which suddenly appear as soon as the home team makes it deep into the postseason and earns its first Heisman in over 50 years.

It’s about time somebody figured out how to attack the leeches.

One of the worst kept secrets in sports is the allowance of the NCAA and free enterprise system to fleece the college athlete. In college sports, the T-shirt hucksters, EBay mongers and knick knack collectors are free to earn a living selling items representing their favorite college players and teams. Coaches and administrators enjoy six and seven figure contracts (even the top assistants are pulling half a mil!), use of country club privileges and school jets to work their recruiting magic. Each August, the video game makers come out with the newest college football games, designed to include the most current players. These games will net tens of millions of dollars for the folks at EA, and other gaming companies. Universities also rake in millions of dollars from these endeavors.

The players – eh, don’t do quite as well. Perhaps it doesn’t bother the blue chippers who will end up becoming first round draft picks, as they will make their millions of dollars. But a guy like Manziel is generously listed at 6-foot-1 and appears more likely to follow the professional paths of other Heisman winners such as Eric Crouch, Jason White and Troy Smith, more so than an RG3, Cam Newton or Roger Staubach.

But most starters on major college football (and every other) teams earn their scholarship, room and board, and enough spending money to cover laundry expenses and not much else. Some say it's enough, and in most cases are correct. But the star attractions deserve more.

First of all, I don’t blame the universities for making every cent they can. In fact, only less than twenty percent of the Division I BCS football teams turn a profit. That money, plus the billions earned from college basketball usually finds its way to also supporting the other sports in each NCAA program, such as my beloved cross-country and track.

I have written on this subject in the past, and tried to forward the idea that student athletes deserve a larger stipend as part of their scholarship – meaning somewhere in the $500 per month range. The only problem is that instituting such a rule would drive a deeper wedge between the haves and the have nots. And then, who gets the increased stipend? With 100 players on the football team, the tab already becomes about $500,000 per year. Granted, that’s one offensive coordinator, but it’s also one sport. Do the basketball players get denied? How about the fencers and the gymnasts?

Months ago, I heard of the idea of letting college athletes earn the opportunity to market themselves, and think it’s brilliant. A booming tenor at Texas A&M has the right to go out and make a record to sell, so why is a guy like Manziel supposed to sit back while almost 2,000 items with his likeness and name attached are up for sale by others on EBay?

The free enterprise system has to work on both ends. If the college athletic fans can make money, why shouldn’t the athletes? Perhaps the starting tailback at U. Mass has fewer earning opportunities than the one at USC, but that’s what free enterprise is all about. And who knows, maybe the guy at U.Mass breaks a 99-yard touchdown and enjoys his 15 minutes of fame on the “Today” show. For the sake of reference, this morning, “Today” highlighted a 55-foot buzzer beater which helped New Rochelle (NY) HS win a basketball playoff game.

This could be the fairest idea because it doesn’t pay college athletes per se. It pays college celebrities. There is a difference.

Good luck to Manziel. I hope this starts a trend.

Extreme-Supreme: Cheerleading at a New Level

As published in the Newport News Town Square section of the Daily Press on Thursday, February 21st.

With practices on Tuesday and Saturday, the confines of World Class Gym, on Bell King Road, now serve as the home base for a local competitive cheerleading squad.

In short, it’s not the cheerleading you remember. Even the team name says it all – Extreme Supreme.

Huddled around a tiny table in a crowded coffee shop, the coach and one of the athletes from Extreme Supreme take turns explaining the differences between competitive cheerleading and regular cheerleading – the type that a reporter remembers from attending high school 30 years ago.

Angel Ackerman, the coach, is more analytical in her explanation. “The biggest difference is that we are not there to root for a team. We are the team. Regular cheerleaders will stand on the sidelines. They do one stunt, or tumble, and try to stir up the crowd. We’re there to put on a show. It lasts two and a half minutes, but it’s non-stop – there’s dancing, tumbling, throwing. There’s a great deal of skill involved.”

Sarah Allen, the athlete, is more direct with her comparison. “We fly!”

Perhaps it’s the aerodynamic aspect of competitive cheerleading that drew Allen to the sport. Now 18, she started cheering at the age of six, in the traditional rec league setting. About “three or four” years ago, Allen crossed paths with one of her colleagues, Ackerman’s daughter-in-law, who told her about the new competitive team. Says Allen, “she talked me into joining.”

Ackerman, now in her 20^th year of coaching, also sprouted her roots on the rec league circuit. “I started there, coached some All-Star teams. I started Spirit Empire (her other team) six years ago and branched out.”

Currently, 35 girls, between the ages of three and 18, compete for Supreme Extreme. The competition schedule mirrors the school year, with the season running from September to May. Competitive cheerleading has an ardent following. The state competition, held at VCU’s Siegel Center this year, will draw well over 10,000 spectators. The best state teams qualify for a national competition.

Though she competes with traditional cheer squads to recruit athletes, Ackerman is willing to share. “I allow our cheerleaders to cheer for other teams. The only thing I ask is that they respect our team. If there’s a competition coming, I expect them to be at my practice.” She feels the relationship with traditional cheerleading is a symbiotic one. “We have girls that work on dancing, tumbling. That helps with (traditional) cheerleading.”

Despite the name, competitive cheerleading is not a cutthroat, win-at-all-costs type of sport. On the Extreme Supreme Facebook page, their motto reads, “Where winning isn’t everything, but wanting to is.” Ackerman adds to that thought. “The best part for me is seeing a child accomplish something that they couldn’t do before. For example, if a girl couldn’t do a back handspring, and then completes one in a competition, I’ll cry like a baby.”

Allen adds, “Yeah, she will!”

The trust and caring aspects of competitive cheerleading appeal to both athlete and coach. Allen, now a senior at Woodside, says that the sport has “taught her how to deal with people.” Upon graduating, she plans on attending Thomas Nelson as a stepping stone toward nursing school. “I want to do pediatrics and work with younger girls.” Ackerman interjects, “and she’ll probably be coaching with me!”

The trust piece is obvious. There are two main positions in competitive cheerleading – base and flyer. In a sport where young ladies get thrown ten feet into the air, the flyers have to rely on the bases to catch them. Says the coach, “It’s definitely a sport that teaches girls the importance of depending on each other.” But there’s something to be said for putting on a show that combines athleticism and showmanship. “They (girls) get to be not themselves, to be out of the box. Some girls are quiet, not outgoing, but when they put on the makeup, the uniforms and the glitter, they’re someone else.”

The Extreme Supreme team practices on Tuesday evening and Saturday morning at World Class Gym on 343 Bell King Rd. (off Jefferson Ave.) in Newport News. There are plans to form an adult team this spring. For more information, you can find their page on Facebook, or call Coach Angel Ackerman at 757-871-7607.

TrackSide Magazine - Let The Revolution Begin

On Sunday, the revolution began. TrackSide, the parent magazine of the TrackNation movement, launched on the Internet (www.trackside1.tracknation.com) and with it, the hopes and aspirations of many of us involved were awakened.

My involvement with the project was almost accidental. I happened to “like” TrackNation upon seeing it listed on Facebook. In short, my vote of approval was consistent with an effort I have been making to “like” all track related pages. Mostly, these affirmations reflect my involvement as a correspondent with the Daily Press here in Virginia, but my motivation is geared closer to approving all track related pages and projects, with the simple hope of doing a small part to continue promoting the sport.

Long story short, Travis Masters, the force behind the movement and editor-in-chief of the magazine, was working on his own vision. Travis has been looking for a unified movement, one which will truly promote track, particularly when it comes to the interests of the athletes. He took his vision to the recent U.S. Track and Field convention and was pleased to find a great deal of support for his fledgling magazine. When we first spoke, a couple of months ago, he rattled through the names of people with whom he had talked. It sounded like a Hall of Fame lineup – Bob Beamon, John Carlos, Tommie Smith, Justin Gatlin, Greg Foster, etc…

Oh yeah, why were we talking in the first place? As it turned out, Travis was looking for writers for his new magazine. I’m bold enough to believe that I cover cross-country and track as well as anyone in our neck of Virginia, so even though my overall portfolio is at less than 150 articles, I figured that it was worth the effort to cull through the 50-60 that dealt with cross-country and track and find a few good samples to send.

Hopefully, the rest will be history.

I am relatively pleased with my first three TrackSide entries. My initial interview was with David Prince. David’s story is inspiring, but you have to read through a lot of tragedy and hard times to get to the happy denouement. Regardless, David’s life as a world record setting Paralympic runner is a testament to the power of hard work and faith. It’s hard to find an athlete, even a world class one, who proclaims to “like” hard work, and the pain, and the burn. Many put the work in, but rarely enjoy the process.

Ironically, David is about to become much more well known, and not for anything I have done. Tonight (Monday at 10), he will be appearing on Fox News, more specifically, the Greta van Susteren program, speaking as someone who knows and has competed against Oscar Pistorius, whose fiancée was shot dead last week in South Africa – with Pistorius being charged with the crime.

My second interview was with Sean Pena, a renowned physiotherapist who works on everybody who is anybody in track, including Gatlin, Allyson Felix, Lolo Jones, and Shawn Crawford. He will be writing for the magazine and his insights into the field are going to blow away the mindset us coaches and runners have grown up with. Some of the most cutting edge technological equipment for physical therapy sits in his living room, and the A-list of track stars stop by his house for treatment when in Florida.

Finally, I had the opportunity to speak with legendary hurdler Greg Foster. He’s someone I grew up with, as his reign at the top of the high hurdling heap ran from the late 1970’s to the early 90’s. His showdowns with Renaldo Nehemiah were legendary, and ironically, Nehemiah is another runner I am currently trying to track down for an interview. I really enjoyed my 30 minute talk with Foster, and for a short time, almost forgot this was the same man I saw in all of these meets on TV. His best time of 13.03 for the 110-meter hurdles would win a lot of races now, and it still places at 12^th or 13^th on the all-time list.

I’m truly looking forward to this opportunity to work with Travis and the rest of the people on TrackSide. The first issue looks great, with its interactive features. But there’s more than sizzle with TrackSide; in fact, the information within, on topics like nutrition, training, and such are beneficial to runners of all ages and abilities.

Please feel free to give TrackSide a look. I think you’ll find it to be worthy of the hard work that has been put into this first issue. 

Inside the Mind of President Lincoln

February brings together Black History month and President's Day. And it's easy to combine the two by thinking of one particular president --  Abraham Lincoln. The interest in Lincoln has revived recently, mostly due to a full-length Hollywood biopic featuring renowned actor Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role. Although I haven't seen the movie yet, the reviews appear to be favorable and the awards are starting to come in. It will be interesting to see how the film and its players fare in the upcoming Academy Awards.

To know Lincoln was to know that like many others of his generation, he was a man of letters. Because of his limited formal education, he was apt to seek the advice of others when confronting a situation. In the heat of the Civil War, and only fifteen months after the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln consulted with three Kentuckians and his review of the proceedings show the personal turmoil which conflicted the president.

Abraham Lincoln, Letter To Hodges, April 4, 1864

In early April of 1864, President Abraham Lincoln summarized, by letter, a conversation which he had with three fellow residents of Kentucky. One of them was Albert Hodges, the editor of the Frankfort Commonwealth. Another, Thomas Bramlette was the Governor, and the third, Archibald Dixon, had previously served as a senator. Bramlette, in particular, was opposed to the recruitment of black regiments in the state of Kentucky.

Abraham Lincoln. Our 16th
President was a conflicted
man who presided over the
most divisive period of
American history

The letter gives great insight into the thoughts of President Lincoln. He initially states, “"I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel.” In earlier times, Lincoln had proposed non-interference with regard to the issue of slavery, but he realized that the thoughts of many of his constituents had changed. As quoted in his letter, Lincoln writes, "I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me."

For Lincoln, the dilemma came from his ability to serve his oath as the new president, and serve his desire to free the slaves. While he swore to defend the Constitution, he vowed that “life and limb must be protected.” Lincoln added, “By general law life and limb must be protected; yet often a limb must be amputated to save a life; but a life is never wisely given to save a limb. I felt that measures, otherwise unconstitutional, might become lawful, by becoming indispensable to the preservation of the constitution, through the preservation of the nation. Right or wrong, I assumed this ground, and now avow it. I could not feel that, to the best of my ability, I had even tried to preserve the constitution, if, to save slavery, or any minor matter, I should permit the wreck of government, country, and Constitution all together.” Strong words.

The 16^th president was in a pressing situation. The North was fighting against the South in the United States and a division was imminent. But, to Lincoln, the act of slavery was wrong. At the end of his letter, Lincoln wrote that if God removes a great wrong and “wills also that we of the North as well as you of the South, shall pay fairly for our complicity in that wrong, impartial history will find therein new cause to attest and revere the justice and goodness of God."

Youth Wrestling Returns to Newport News

Published in the January 17th issue of the DAILY PRESS' Newport News Town Square section

Nestled in the hallway bowels of Denbigh High School, a nondescript room houses the spot where the youth wrestling movement has revived in Newport News. Off of these corridors, next to the Patriot cafeteria, roughly 40 young grapplers, from ages 4 to 14, meet at 5:30 PM three evenings per week to showcase their skills while preparing for future high school competition.

Thanks to the efforts of Oliver Walmon and others,
youth wrestling is back in Newport News

Founded by Oliver Walmon, the Newport News Warriors team has brought local youngsters back to the sport. “For a while, kids were going to York and Poquoson to wrestle because they didn’t have another option. They’re coming back now.”

The Warriors are one of 16 teams which comprise the Peninsula Youth Wrestling League, covering the Peninsula, Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck.

The early numbers came as a pleasant surprise. “I thought we’d max out at 25 or 30,” adds Walmon. But he is optimistic about the future. “Next year, we are hoping for 75.”

Part of the reasoning for starting a youth wrestling team is to build up the pool of wrestlers in Newport News. “There is no feeder system to the high school.” In fact, local high school coaches have had trouble building a full team, and no Newport News high schools were represented in last weekend’s Virginia Duals, the largest meet of its kind (high school and college matches together) in the world.

Walman continues, “I cannot stress the importance of providing the children of Newport News with an outlet such as wrestling.  Not all kids play basketball or football or baseball, but everyone loves to wrestle.  We want to feed the high schools with disciplined and quality kids and build a dynasty that will last.  Our kids are having a blast and the results are already showing.”

Teante Gray is one of the eight Warrior coaches. Gray and Walmon share a bond, having both wrestled for Denbigh (Walmon is from the Class of 1989, while Gray graduated in 2000) and the two shared a common coach. Gray, who finished third in the State for his weight class as a high school senior, generally works with the older and more advanced wrestlers. But with so many coaches, Gray adds, “we’re able to give kids individual attention, with the idea being to build something that is going to last.”

“Wrestling in this area had kind of fallen by the wayside. We’re trying to get kids ready to compete with Poquoson and Great Bridge,” continues Gray when explaining his vision for the Warriors.

The early results are encouraging. In mid-December, the Warriors competed in their first tournament, the North of the James Tournament, held at Bethel High. Of the 16 wrestlers, 14 earned medals. In total, there were seven golds, five silvers and three bronzes. Madison Hinnant, one of the team’s two female wrestlers, won both a gold and bronze medal as a contestant in two separate brackets. The results were especially favorable considering that five wrestlers were competing in their first tournament ever.

A week later, four grapplers, between the ages of six and nine, took part in the Grassfield Holiday Wrestling Classic, with all winning medals. Trevon Gray won gold, Khaleo Smith and Temonte Gray took home silver medals and Karon Smith earned a bronze. Being a Tournament of Champions qualifying meet, Walmon was pleased to see all four advance to the next round.

The Warriors have been able to cover the $5,000 needed to cover their season expenses, thanks to sponsors such as National Counseling Group and Village Bicycles (formerly Conte’s Bike Shop). But as the team grows, so will the cost of the operation, a fact that is not lost on Walmon. “We have others (sponsors) who say they are interested, but we need some to step up to the plate. We all support keeping our kids safe from the negatives of the streets and want to do all we can to support our youth and the bright future they have in front of them.”

Newport News Warriors’ North of the James Tournament Results

Gold – Seth Naotala, Jalen Terry-Winston, Madison Hinnant, Khaleo Smith, Karon Smith, Ricky Flores Jr., Ricky Palm

Silver – Marc Jackson, Koa Naotala, Temonte Gray, Anthony Chamblee, Jacob Walmon

Bronze – Hinnant, Tyreece White, Noah Williams

Fourth place – Trevon Gray, Kyle Jackson

For more information on the Newport News Warriors, or other Peninsula Youth Wrestling League news, please visit their website at www.pywl.org.

The Making of "Slap Shot"

"The Making of Slap Shot,"
available on Amazon and most
other vendors

With the NHL hockey teams now back on the ice, it may be time to remember the most notorious hockey team ever captured on film.

Unlike the Flyers or Bruins, this team made its home in the fictional city of Charlestown, and didn’t have the perks awarded to the skaters gunning for the Stanley Cup. But I can guarantee that every NHL player on the ice knows the story of the Chiefs. Why? Because “Slap Shot” has been a fixture showing on the team bus of every minor league hockey team for the past 35 years.

Its notoriety is timeless. In today’s Yahoo! Sports, writer Michael Silver listed his “Baker’s Dozen” of sports sibling combinations. His original point was to show that the Harbaugh brothers are not the most famous. In his opinion (a valid one) the Williams sisters are.

But it was his last paragraph that caught my attention. To make the “Baker’s Dozen,” Wetzel had to throw in a 13^th entry. His choice – the fictional Hanson brothers, from “Slap Shot.”

In my humble opinion, the movie, penned by a woman (didya know that?), Nancy Dowd, is the funniest picture ever made. Its mixture of humor and violence, set in a world of lower income desperation, brings the world of minor league hockey front and center to the viewer.

Jonathon Jackson has produced a first rate book on
"The Making of Slap Shot," one of the greatest, and
arguably, the funniest sports movie ever made

Paul Newman starred as the player/coach Reggie Dunlop. In his role, he makes a conscious decision to turn his ragtag bunch of Chiefs into a contender. Knowing that the town mill is about to fold, which will mean the demise of the team, Dunlop decides to make a spectacle of his team, hoping that large crowds at the War Memorial will keep them in business. Before long, the skittish Chiefs are quick to drop the gloves, resulting in some hysterical scenes, both on and off the ice. The opening scene introducing the Hanson’s is three minutes of unadultered,  laugh-out-loud fun.

In later life, Newman said that Dunlop was one of his favorite roles, although he realized he may have taken his role too seriously while sitting at the dinner table at home one evening. In need of a certain spice, he gnarled at his daughter to “Pass the f---in‘ salt!”

One of the most remarkable facts about “Slap Shot” is that, aside from a handful of actors, most notably Newman, but including Michael Ontkean (“The Rookies”), Strother Martin (“what I see here is a failure to communicate”), and M. Emmet Walsh, most of the stars of the film were actually minor league hockey players. Even Ontkean had some background, having played hockey for three years at the University of New Hampshire. And why not? Who else could pull off the skating and hockey moves? The making of the movie is as fascinating as the storyline itself.

Jonathon Jackson has written a must read book – “The Making of Slap Shot,” which captures every nuance behind the filming of this 1977 classic. His story goes deep, from Dowd’s stories of listening to her brother Ned (Ogie Ogilthorpe in the movie) telling his tales of life on the road with the Johnstown Jets to casting, filming to even deeper background material, such as the story of Bill “Goldie” Goldthorpe, the real life Ogie.

Jackson was a fan of the movie, and it was that connection which got him started. "I got the idea for the book when i attended a cast reunion, intending to write a magazine article. I realized that there was much more to the story than i would ever be able to fit into a single article. Once I started tracking down other cast members and people who had been part of the film, it snowballed very quickly."

It is amazing to learn some of the names behind the story. In fact, one of the best stories in "Making" tells of Goldthorpe playing for the Syracuse Blazers in 1973 and immediately developing a hatred for their young announcer, a recent Syracuse U. grad named Bob Costas. To quote Jackson’s version:

“He (Goldthorpe) also developed a dislike for Blazers play-by-play broadcaster Bob Costas, leading to a frightening incident on the team bus. As Costas recalls it, he was reading the New York Times when Goldthorpe grabbed the newspaper, tore it to shreds and showered Costas with the pieces. Costas, youthfully stupid, responded by telling the player he would teach him how to read. Goldthorpe had to be restrained by teammates from doing to Costas what he had already done to the newspaper.”

There’s plenty more, as many of the characters were inspired by real life minor league players, coaches and announcers. For example, “Slap Shot” announcer “Jim Carr” was patterned after Bill Wilson, Johnstown announcer with a ‘sensationally ugly” toupee.

The book is a must read for all “Slap Shot” fans – heck, for all hockey fans. It’s view of the minor league hockey life is gritty and unencumbered. There were sure some characters back in the day, and Jackson manages to “capture the spirit of the thing!”

Visiting Parenthood

I have known Ed Nitkewicz for over 30 years. We started out as freshmen at Wagner College in the fall of 1982 - dorm neighbors actually. To see our band of misfits storming the corridors of Harbor View Hall was to see chaos run amuck. It's a wonder that we made it through the year, and actually, not everybody did.

Now, we work together on the Alumni Association Board of Directors at Wagner. Through this work, and several past experiences, I have come to learn more of Ed's life, and especially of the hard work he has done as an advocate for autism.

His writings have always impressed me and made me think because of his ability to cut to the core of an issue. As I told him last weekend after reading this piece, the core is not always a comfortable place to be, but is necessary when to are trying to make a point. This post can also be found on the aweinautism.org website. But, while deciding to invite guest bloggers to share their views on this site, I knew that Ed would be one of the first people I would invite.

By Edward J. Nitkewicz

Recently, I had an opportunity to spend my annual summer vacation with my wife’s family in Cape May New Jersey. It was, for different reasons, the most difficult week of my life. My 14 year old son suffers from autism. Many in the community rail against using the phrase “suffers from.” I however militantly and liberally employ it when my mood dictates. Though I try, I cannot always embrace my son’s disability cheerily with the earthy Lola Granola attitude that his disabilities make him so unique that we are the luckiest family on the planet. His inability to easily express his feelings, to socialize with any other children or to tell me when he feels disappointment, sadness or sheer joy is something he and his parents endure and “suffer.”

Attorney Ed Nitkewicz
of Long Island, NY
is a school board member
 in Huntington (NY) ,
as well as an advocate for
autism issues

I have spent the entirety of the past 14 years developing a different perspective on what “fatherhood” could be for me. It is certainly not what I planned on or prepared for. As I have offered many in my circumstances, “people plan and God laughs.” Sometimes however, I don’t feel like I am in on his joke. Other times, I just don’t have the emotional strength or desire to celebrate my “unique parenthood.” Sometimes, I just feel bad that my son suffers the significant limitations that come with having autism.

Over the past week, I have visited (albeit as a surrogate) the parenthood I always thought I would have. At the shore house in Cape May, New Jersey, I am the “awesomist uncle in the universe.” That does not represent a baseless boast. It is the title on the portrait of me drawn by one of my niece in laws. It is the term used when I take any of three teams rotating throughout the week for the daily $50 “candy run.” It is the battle cry yelled when the “pool fight” to drown and defeat the evil (yet still awesome) Uncle Ed ensues each day at 2PM after the last hot dog is consumed.

Watching seven children burying each other up to their heads in the white sand is unforgettable. Having them teach me how to boogie board “tasty waves” (as Jeff Spicoli once taught us) is priceless. And seeing them narrowly avoid a sugar coma from literally eating a grocery bag of candy every night is hilarious. It is heartbreaking that my son is not right in the middle of the daily blizzard of activity.

“It is acceptable to feel bad for our child, for our family, and for ourselves. The key is not letting it consume and define you.”

It is watching Edward’s cousins grow from babies to tweeners, witnessing them develop personalities and the accompanying “attitudes”, and seeing them move swiftly towards adulthood in a “typical” way, that cause me to experience a complex combination of joy, admiration, envy and pain. Professionals often push parents of impaired children to celebrate their unique qualities. I get that. However, grief requires that we allow for those moments in our life when we just feel sad for what our children aren’t. It is acceptable to feel bad for our child, for our family, and for ourselves. The key is not letting it consume and define you. This week, as I spent a week in a beach house in New Jersey with seven children related to me only through marriage, I was at once as happy and as sad as I have been in a very long time. I visualized what the world would look like if my son, the first and thus oldest cousin, were “typical.”

I am grateful that Edward has so many terrific cousins on both sides of his family. But as I enjoy their company, I can’t help but wonder in my heart which one among them will take the lead in looking out for my son when I am gone. After this week, I am confident the answer is “all of them.” And, I am eternally grateful to them for allowing me to visit the parenthood I once planned to have.

Weekend at the Virginia Duals

I was pleased to have been asked again to cover the Virginia Duals wrestling extravaganza for the DAILY PRESS. The Duals are a must see for the grappling enthusiast. This year, 76 college, high school and middle school teams took part. As mentioned ad nauseum in my articles, the fun of watching the Duals is that most of the time, 10 matches are taking place at once, making the sole announcer the most focused person in Hampton Coliseum. The focal point can change at any second, and for any reason. One minute, a grappler from Kent State can be spinning out of a hold on Mat 3, and then the next a 12-year old is throwing down an opponent for a pin on Mat 10.

Hampton Coliseum, site of the annual
Virginia Duals

The other highlight, and certainly not one that ever got mentioned in an article, is the food. It's a well known secret that the volunteers do a tremendous job at the Duals. But the cooks are the stars of the show. The fare is usually seafood, and to quote my younger runners, it's BANGIN' !! Saturday dinner in the Hospitality Room of Hampton Coliseum consisted of homemade clam chowder, scallops, clams, fried oysters, flounder stuffed with crab imperial, fries, salad. And I missed about half a dozen trays. So help me, i gained five pounds at the Duals, Very ironic in an arena where thousands of wrestlers were working hard to drop pounds for weigh-in. I almost felt guilty. Almost.

Here are some of the highlights from my two days of wrestling coverage, as posted on HRVarsity.com and printed in the Saturday, Sunday and Monday sports pages of the DAILY PRESS.

Day 1 results - Four teams win first-round matches

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-spt-virginia-duals-feature-0112-20130111,0,5248548.story

Day 2 results - Hampton HS places fourth in Black and Blue Division

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/highschool/dp-spt-virginia-duals-feature-0113-20130112,0,426368.story

Conclusion - VA Tech defeats U. VA for National College Division title

http://www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-spt-virginia-duals-notebook-0113-20130112,0,2458112.story