From TrackNation Magazine - Bahamas' Demetrius Pinder Owns the Fast Track

From the latest TrackNation magazine, which can be found at (issue6.tracknation.com). 

For Demetrius Pinder, the rise to the top of the track world and fall from grace was swift and sudden. But with a new training partner, and a renewed sense of urgency, the Bahamian 400-meter sensation should be ready to contend for a pair of medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

At 25, Pinder's best days may be coming
in the not too distant future

If Pinder makes it to the podium in Brazil, it won’t be his first trip. Just two summers ago, in London, he teamed with Chris Brown, Michael Mathieu and Ramon Miller to shock a favored American squad in the 4x400 relay, and win the coveted Olympic gold. Their time of 2:56.72 was almost unheard of, considering the best one-lap times for each individual runner.

Winning a gold medal at the age of 23 turned into a blessing and a curse for Pinder. With his newfound fame came new contacts. Through the power of social media, he found one of the demigods of his event, the 400-meters, two-time Olympic champion Lashawn Merritt.

“He invited me to come out and train with them,” recalls Pinder, who accepted the offer and made the trip to the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Pinder was not new to the States, having starred at Texas A&M while majoring in liberal arts and theater at College Station.  At A&M, he broke the Bahamas national indoor 400 record, held by Brown, with a 45.33 winning time at the 2011 NCAA Division I Championships.

He was also accustomed to success on the world stage, having placed second in the 400 at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.

Training with Merritt during the summer of 2013, under Coach Loren Seagrave, Pinder’s confidence grew quickly. Although his best time of 44.77 in the 400 was a second slower than his new training partner, the pair matched up well in workouts, a point noted as other athletes left the group.

The excited Bahamian quartet after shocking the world to
capture Olympic gold in the 4x400 relay

“We started out with a few guys early in the season,” says Pinder. “But after a while, it was just us.” With a home meet in the Bahamas on tap for later that summer, and with Merritt in the field, the stage was set for a major 400 win.

“I was feeling good, at home, with some good people in the race. At practice, I had the same foot speed as him (Merritt) and I was ready for a good time drop. In my mind, I thought – anything can happen.”

As the gun went off in his hometown of Freeport, Pinder took off. From Lane 4, it didn’t take long to make up the stagger to Merritt in Lane 5. But there was a problem.

To read the rest of this article, please go to page 27 at issue6.tracknation.com. 

Then and Now - The Pride of Trinidad and Tobago Track -- Ato Boldon!!

I was happy to have the recent opportunity to interview former track star and current NBC sports Emmy-nominated analyst Ato Boldon a few weeks ago. We were having a tough time linking up, and once I realized that he'd be staying in Florida for an 18 hour window, I was happy to conduct the interview from my car right after ordering dinner. Fortunately, I made it back before the food arrived!

This excerpt was from the article introduction. For the actual Q&A, please visit the latest issue of TrackNation magazine at issue6.tracknation.com. I am happy to report that our Facebook page now has over 89,000 likes!

Boldon in his racing prime, running for Trinidad and Tobago

It’s not surprising that a man who has run the 100-meters in 9.86 is hard to catch. But even 15 years after his personal best time in Lausanne, Switzerland, Ato Boldon remains a man on the move, and tough to track down. TrackNation managed to spend a few minutes with the 4-time Olympic medal winner on a recent Monday afternoon. He was home in Florida just the day after arriving from New York, where he had served as the lead analyst for the IAAF Diamond League Adidas Grand Prix meet as part of the NBC Sports broadcasting team, which includes Leigh Diffey, Lewis Johnson, and fellow Olympian Dwight Stones. 

These days, Boldon is earning his
professional reputation in front of the camera,
even earning an Emmy nomination
for his sports coverage with NBC.

But the visit home was a brief one. The following day, the native of Trinidad and Tobago was readying to board a plane to Guyana, to work with 1988 Jamaican track Olympic silver medalist Grace Jackson, giving several lectures in a national sports management workshop held by the Guyanese government.

Along with his broadcasting duties, which last year earned him an Emmy nomination as Outstanding Sports Personality, Boldon also serves as a sprint coach for NFL hopefuls, a pilot, speaker, filmmaker, talk show host, former politician, and ambassador for the IAAF.

Boldon’s emergence on the track started at a young age. In 1992, at 18, he found his way on to the world spotlight after two double gold medal winning performances (100 and 200 meters) at the CAC Junior Championships, and the World Junior Championships. This earned him a spot on the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic team which competed in Barcelona. Later, he won two NCAA titles with UCLA, the second one breaking a collegiate record in the 100 meters with a 9.92. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he earned the first two of his medals, scoring bronze in the open sprints. The following year saw a world championship, in the 200 at the Athens World Championships. In 1997, Boldon also clocked his best mark in the 200, with a blazing 19.77 performance in Stuttgart, Germany. He followed with more gold in 1998 at the Commonwealth (100-meter) and Goodwill (200-meter) Games.

After several more world and Olympic medals, Bolton completed his track career at the age of 30, soon after helping his home country to its first-ever Olympic finals in the 4x100 relay at the 2004 Athens Games. Since retiring, his professional life has been a whirlwind of activity.

A year away from competition, he wrote, produced and directed the film “Once In A Lifetime: Boldon in Bahrain,” a documentary which followed the sprinter and country mates to Bahrain to follow their soccer team in its attempt to qualify for first FIFA World Cup, which it did,  becoming the smallest nation to ever qualify.

His broadcasting career, in particular, has been receiving notice at all levels. In 2014, he was teamed with Cris Collinsworth (who beat him out for last year’s Outstanding Sports Personality Emmy), and Mary Carillo for Winter Olympic coverage.  Said the New York Times (in 2008), “Boldon has emerged as one of NBC’s best analysts, a blend of athletic smarts, charisma, precise analysis and brashness.”

Most recently, Boldon received another honor, being selected to work with the Doha Goals forum, a 10-member committee which hosted a “Ministers of Sport Summit” last December. Joining him on the committee were such sports legends as Nadia Comaneci, Boris Becker, Bart Conner, and fellow track world champions Wilson Kipketer and Jonathan Edwards.

To read the interview -- click here

Yorktown (VA) Father and Son - Two DiMaggio's Earn Black Belts Together

As published in the Newport News, Hampton, and York County/Poquoson DAILY PRESS Town Square sections on July 3, 2014.

As six-year old Jimmy DiMaggio walked into his first Taekwondo class in 2010, his father Jim couldn’t help but feel a sense of passing on the torch. After all, back in the 1980’s when he was all of 12, the older DiMaggio didn’t know much about martial arts, but wanted to learn to defend himself against the middle school bullies. So he joined the local school and began practicing.

James and Jimmy DiMaggio during their black belt
ceremony at World Martial Arts in Yorktown, VA

As a martial art, taekwondo is a Korean form of karate which combines combat and self-defense, placing its emphasis on a system of blocks, kicks, punches and strikes, as well as footwork and joint manipulation. By its definition “tae,” which means “to strike or break with the foot,” and “kwon,” which means breaking with the fist, the sport has gained popularity around the world because of the speed and technicality which is shown in its meticulous movements. In fact, several of the requirements for belt advancement deal with the enhanced ability to perform more complicated versions of “forms,” which are patterns of movements.

For years, Jim moved through several different programs and styles, but never really showed any measurable progress, in new forms or new belts. Although he still dreamed of becoming a true martial artist, it looked to be left behind when life and family responsibilities started taking over. Watching his son begin his first class, it looked like young Jimmy would be alone in finishing the work that his father started.

But, as it has been said, something happened along the way.

A number of belts representing all skills were presented
during the ceremony at WMA

“I was standing there that day watching the class, and thought, I ought to be doing that with him!” exclaimed Jim, minutes after exiting the belt ceremony at the World Martial Arts school dojo in Yorktown, where both father and son earned their black belts on June 21^st.

And so the journey began.

Jimmy had an advantage. Because of the after school program offered by WMA, he was able to sometimes practice five days a week, while Dad made it to a few sessions each week,

The group of belt winners shortly after the ceremony.

  “depending on what else was going on.”

However, the years progressed and the changing of belts became more common. From the initial white came yellow, orange, green, and purple, followed by three more of the standard colors (regular and high level), all the way to boblack, which is recognized locally, then finally the coveted black belt, which is recognized by the World Taekwondo Federation.

In all, the effort took both father and son “about four years.” They both were able to express the true meaning of the black belt to them in a short speech, which each of the 20 or so honorees gave upon presentation of their new belt.

Jimmy went first. He noted the discipline and respect learned at Grandmaster Ko’s school, as well as his improved physical condition.

“I didn’t enjoy it in the beginning because I got tired easy, but now since I’ve been practicing for a while, I enjoy the training,” said the younger DiMaggio in his speech.

Dad reminisced about the togetherness which taekwondo has brought the pair. “What was once simply a martial art to defend myself with has become a wonderful father-son activity and something that my son and I will share for years to come.”

"Redskins" Team Name Might Be Wrong, But Is The Motive Behind Name Change Correct?

“Fourth and one, from the 42. We know where this play is going. Theismann takes the snap, hands off to Riggins, he’s got the first down…he’s GONE, he’s GONE… Touchdown, Washington Redskins!!!”

This logo and name has become very unpopular
in the court of public opinion, at least if you believe what
Congress people and a few select others have to say

There’s a bit of paraphrasing in this play recall from Super Bowl XVII, so I apologize to longtime DC broadcaster Frank Herzog. But for many years, from the 1970’s to the 1990’s, his call on a Washington football score was always punctuated with the all too familiar “Touchdown, Washington Redskins!”

For many of us who grew up in the DMV (District, Maryland, Virginia) region as fans of the Burgundy and Gold, Herzog’s touchdown call was part of our lexicon, just as much as the fight song, “Hail to the Redskins,” the Hogettes, and the Redskinette cheerleaders. The Redskins were the one constant in the D.C. area, the one element that brought Republicans and Democrats, blacks and whites, Virginians and Marylanders, together. Sundays in the fall were almost holidays inside the Beltway as hundreds of thousands of fans waved their Washington banners and conglomerated in homes and local taverns to cheer for Sonny or Billy, Chris Hanburger, Darrell Green, Charlie Taylor, Dave Butz, and all the other Redskins. RFK was our sacred ground.

For most of my lifetime, that wasn’t a problem.

Then about five years ago, somebody found a problem with the team name.

While a number of Native Americans have stood against
the team name for the Washington football club, a lot of
dissenters seem to have found their voice just in time to
ride the media wave associated with this cause.

The reasoning wasn’t out of the ordinary. Several colleges, such as Marquette, William and Mary and St. John’s had changed their team names from Warriors, Indians and Red Men to Golden Eagles, Tribe, and Red Flash.

Still, the professional teams are mostly privately owned entities, so the change didn’t hit the big leagues. In fact, it still hasn’t. The Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves still roam their fields of dreams, while the Golden State Warriors take to the hardwood 82 times each winter. Ironically, the only exception came when Abe Pollin personally opted to change his basketball teams name from the Bullets to one of five choices which eventually became the Wizards. But Pollin’s choice was made because of his personal discomfort with the team name in such a crime infested city.

Times have certainly changed. While Pollin used his conscience to make a decision, there are now hundreds of individual citizens and small groups out there looking to force Redskin owner Daniel Snyder to change the name of his team, all in the name of political correctness. Sadly, one of these small groups is the United States Congress, which apparently has nothing better to do, although this might make sense since valuable legislative pieces from Capitol Hill are few and far between. Gotta fill in those time gaps between the shriek shows on CNN and Fox.

Here’s my problem. While I may now agree that the term “Redskins” could be seen as offensive, it wasn’t meant that way at the team’s inception. More importantly, I question the heart and underlying objective of most of these “concerned citizens” who seemingly had no problem with the Washington team name during the second half of the last century. In our growing 24-hour news cycle, it has become much easier to shine a spotlight on oneself by finding a cause and screaming to the heavens in favor or opposition. My primary worry is that more of these people are obsessed with personal promotion as opposed to tribal preservation. If I’m a Congressman, it would be easy to utter the phrase “I’m against the name Washington Redskins because it is offensive, and I’m all for human rights.” It brings news cameras to the office, and people will see me on TV touting a cause which sounds good, but really has nothing to do with my elected job.

I truly believe that Dan Snyder will continue fighting to keep his team’s name for two reasons. First, as a lifelong fan, he, like many of us, remember the winning tradition of the team headed by George Allen and Joe Gibbs. The Redskin name is synonymous with success (since a lot of us don’t recall the losing teams of the 50’s and 60’s), three Super Bowl trophies, and the Fight for Old D.C. Second, he is clearly a stubborn man. I don’t think that many people become billionaires by kowtowing to public opinion, even if it’s politically correct. They certainly didn’t become rich by doing what others tell them to do. 

And Snyder could be losing money defending his team’s name. A good marketing expert could tell you the financial windfall which could be gained by changing the team name, then selling old Redskin gear at a premium price while introducing a large new line of team swag. Of course the same expert might theorize that all publicity is good publicity, and Snyder should fight on to keep his own product in the news.

I think that the team name will change before the turn of the next decade. As with any other  company in the free enterprise system, the negativity arising from the court of public opinion will begin to hurt Snyder in his deep pockets. People will start boycotting home games, advertisers will disappear, broadcasters might stop using the team name, and there will be no choice left but to cave to public pressure and change the moniker. But I admire Snyder for sticking to his principle here. The name Redskin surely is offensive to a segment of the Indian population, much like the N-word is to African-Americans. I get that. But why are we only hearing about it now?

In any case, when the name does change, I’m casting my vote for Bravehearts. You wouldn’t have to alter the team logo or mascot too much, and the fight song can stay the same. Hail to the Bravehearts! Hail Victory! Braves on the Warpath! Fight for old D.C.!!

Is Braves still OK, or will some other media whore grab a hold of that cause? Hmmm… Land of the Free...Home of the ...OK, I think we’re good.

Taylor Harrison Wins National Junior Olympics Gymnastics Title

As published in Newport News, Hampton and York County/Poquoson issues of Daily Press Town Square - June 19, 2014

As 18-year old Taylor Harrison ventured on to the mat at Mississippi’s Jackson Convention Complex last month to compete in her final gymnastic match as a Junior Olympian, she did so with a sense of calmness.

True, the World Class Gym team veteran had come close to winning the national title once in the past, placing third for her age group in 2010. Also true was the fact that she had qualified for the Junior Olympic national meet every year since then without matching her initial bronze medal performance.

But times had changed. Harrison felt content with the fact that she had made a five consecutive year run to the final match, which is no small feat in itself, as only 56 gymnasts from among eight regions of America make the cut.  And though this portion of her career was about to close, she had accomplished one major goal, earning a full athletic scholarship to continue her gymnastics career at Ohio State University.

In reflection, Harrison admits that she took a realistic, yet safe approach to this event.

“Before the competition, I didn’t think I could win.  I really wanted to have fun and place in the top ten.”

The reasoning behind her thought process made sense.

“When I’m relaxed, I do better.”

Tami Harrison, her World Class Gym team coach and mother, saw things somewhat differently.

“Taylor’s a real competitor. She’s a pleaser, and wants to please her teammates.”

As a coach, Harrison spoke from experience, having won numerous All-American honors, as well as competing in the 1984 Olympic Trials as a gymnast at Cal-State Fullerton. She knew that only a few minor mistakes had kept her athlete from winning at the Junior Olympics in the past.

And in the final analysis, the coach’s expertise made for a better prediction as her Buckeye bound athlete dropped a 9.8 on the final vault to capture the all-around Junior Olympic national crown with a 38.475 score.

Surprisingly, Coach Harrison wasn’t immediately aware that Taylor was among the top competitors.

“They had projectors in the corners where the results were posted. But after the first two rotations, I didn’t think to go over and look.”

However, she did go after the third and came to a realization.

“Wow, she can do this.”

As it turned out, Taylor had placed second in both the uneven bars (9.675) and balance beam (9.525), putting her in the lead. A tenth place finish in the floor routine (9.475) knocked the gymnast out of the top spot with one rotation to go, but she remained in contention for the title.

As the mathematicians among the World Class group started calculating scenarios to determine the path to victory, one thing remained clear. Taylor would have to nail her vault in the last rotation.

“I wanted her to go 4 for 4,” said Tami.

With a gold medal on the line, Taylor came through, literally vaulting back into first place with her run, leap and spin off the pommel horse.

After a brief celebration, Taylor’s euphoria almost came to a grinding halt.

I went to check my place, and another girl turned to me and said, “I got it. I won.”

However, the frustration was temporary as both mother and daughter soon realized that the gymnast speaking was from a different age group.

While Taylor remained in the gym to view the nail biting conclusion, Tami, knowing that her coaching duties were complete, went back into mother mode.

 “It was the most nerve wracking 10-15 minutes ever. I couldn’t watch it anymore. I went to the back gym.”

But Taylor gritted it out, sitting through four more rotations of seven gymnasts with their eye on her prize.

At the very end, the second place gymnast needed a 9.575 in the vault to tie Harrison and a 9.6 to win the group. Although “she had a really good routine,” her final score of 9.5 was just short of first place.

Now a national champion, Harrison will enjoy some time off before heading to Columbus in August. She looks forward to competing in the Big Ten conference, where she will see former World Class teammates such as Nebraska’s Ashley Lambert. Harrison, who looks to major in sports broadcasting or communication, has lofty collegiate goals, with the All-American team, and NCAA Championships in her sights.

As she puts it in simple terms, “I can’t wait!”

Testing Students for Drugs - A Case For Those Opposed - Trinidad School District No. 1 v. Lopez, 963 P. 2d 1095 (Col. 1998)

Last week, we looked at a case which favored testing students for drugs. Here's one for the flip side.

In one of several cases that relied on the Vernonia ruling as a precedent, the Supreme Court of Colorado held that the school policy of Trinidad violated the Fourth Amendment. This occurred after an instance where a student who was a member of the high school marching band, was suspended for failing to submit to a suspicionless drug test. The policy in question also applied to students participating in non-athletic activities. In this ruling, the Colorado court applied the balancing test used by the Supreme Court in Vernonia, which has two guidelines, 1) that high school marching band members had a higher privacy expectation than student athletes because they did not share communal undressing situations rehired of athletes, and their activity was tied to a for-credit, graded school class, and 2) the over-inclusive testing program was not an “efficacious means of dealing with the district’s drug problem.”

Testing Students for Drugs - A Case For Those in Favor (New Jersey v. T.L.O.)

As mentioned last week, the one aspect of testing students for drugs that amazed me is how many case decisions fall on either side of the argument. Here's one for the pros -- next week - we'll look at one for the cons..

New Jersey v. T.L.O., 469 U.S. 325 (1985) - In a far reaching case, a decision which upheld the Fourth Amendment was rendered. A lower court had ruled that the Fourth Amendment prohibited unreasonable searches and seizures in public schools. However, in a 6-3 decision delivered by Justice White, this decision was overturned in the Supreme Court. This case began when two female New Jersey students were caught smoking in the bathroom. Since one young woman denied her involvement, a search ensued, and during this search, marijuana was found. The TLO decision was unique in that it conceived a two-part test to be used when evaluating the legality of a search. As quoted in the court’s brief, “First, one must consider whether the… action was justified at its inception; second, one must determine whether the search as actually conducted was reasonably related in scope to the circumstances which justified the interference in the first place.” As defined by T.L.O. (the students initials), a search may begin when educators have a reasonable suspicion that conducting a search will uncover evidence showing that a student has violated the law.

Should Schools Be Allowed To Randomly Drug Test Students?

One of the most controversial topics in today’s school law deals with the ability of a school to randomly drug test students. The debate goes back to the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states:

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons…against unreasonable searches…shall not be violated...”

When discussing the right to test students for drugs, there are several factors which immediately come into play. First and foremost is the fact that with the exception of rare individual cases, many drugs are still illegal in America, and certainly not allowed on school grounds, or at school events. However, this gets weighed against individuals’ rights, as stated in the Fourth Amendment, when discussing the option of drug testing in public schools. There are also matters of whom to test, the expense of conducting the testing, as well as the criteria for testing a student. Should a public school system spend the money necessary to randomly test all students, or should they reserve the right or cases where drug use is suspected. And how does one assess that a student is a candidate for drug testing. Also, is the school system financially stable enough to handle the lawsuits which will occur when students feel that their individual rights have been violated?

This last point is important. A cursory search of drug testing cases discovered a 2002 listing from the American Civil Liberties Union, which provided a synopsis for 22 drug testing cases, one (United States v. Martinez-Fuente, 428 U.S. 543) dating back to 1976. Fourteen of these cases deal specifically with testing students, and the decisions are mixed. Six found drug testing to be constitutional, while eight defended the Fourth Amendment, and withheld the students’ rights. . The debate is not new, and it is not going away.

I may devote some space here in the near future looking at both sides of this issue. It surprised me to see how many court cases have been decided on both sides.

Posey Concludes Baseball Career at Eastern Mennonite U.

Adam Posey, a 2010 graduate of Poquoson High School, recently concluded a stellar baseball career with Eastern Mennonite University by being named to the All-ODAC (Old Dominion Athletic Conference) first team.

For Posey, his conference selection culminated one of the finest offensive seasons in EMU program history. For the year, the former Islander standout batted .424 with 41 runs, 23 RBI’s and nine stolen bases from the leadoff position while leading the Royals to its third 20-win campaign in school history, and first winning record since 2002. His 72 hits for the season led all Division III hitters and tied the EMU school record.

Ironically, Posey started his collegiate career exclusively as a pitcher, only moving off the mound to become an everyday player after Ben Spotts was hired as the Royal manager prior to his junior season. Even in the field, Posey displayed amazing versatility, playing numerous positions, but mostly first base and the outfield.

Spotts has been credited with the turnaround of the Royals program, often telling his players to “take pride in being a Royal – you chose to come here.”

But Posey also credits his improvement as a two-way player from “understanding myself better and using that to approach the game with more confidence.”

Even after expanding his on-field duties, pitching remained a strong part of Posey’s diamond repertoire, In 2014, he was EMU’s ace on the hill, finishing 4-4 with a 4.57 ERA in 65 innings pitched. Most impressively, he compiled an astounding 14.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio notching 56 strikeouts against a mere four walks, which was fourth in the nation and best among hurlers with more than 41 innings pitched.

Off the field, Posey was invaluable to the Eastern Mennonite community. He wrote for the campus newspaper, the Weather Vane, and led a Bible study for the baseball team. He also worked with the Miracle League, an organized youth baseball league for mentally and physically challenged athletes, and played for the Niagara Power, a New York based summer league team, which was sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

The last four years have helped Posey prepare for the next level of life. At 5’10” and a shade over 150 pounds, he might be too slight to pitch as a major leaguer, so he is ready to attack the future in other ways, saying, “I’m equipped for so many things in life because I have been a student-athlete at Eastern Mennonite University.”

A communications major, Posey’s writing career will continue this fall as he serves an internship with the sports department at the Daily News-Record in Harrisonburg.

Coaching is also in Posey’s plans. “I’m planning on staying with Coach Spotts’ staff and helping here at EMU. I’ve already been involved with recruiting.”

His efforts as a student-athlete did not go unnoticed. At the most recent athletic banquet, Posey was presented with the President’s Award, the highest honor given by the EMU Athletic department to one male and one female senior athlete.

Speaking of the award, Posey reflected on his past.

“(Early on) I struggled at EMU and looked at transferring. Winning the award was an emotional moment for (me). But the award was something more for the people around me.”

Asked about the key to his well-roundedness, Posey cited a lesson learned from playing college sports.

“It’s a struggle to play nine innings at Southern Virginia on a Wednesday evening and be in my 8:00 AM class the next day, but I know that as an athlete, more eyes are on me. I have learned discipline, prioritizing and balance.”

These traits also served Posey well in high school. At Poquoson, he transformed from a utility player on the 2009 AA State champion squad, to become a key cog for the team on the mound during the Islanders 2010 title defense march. Despite having better known teammates, such as Kyle Crockett (U. VA, Cleveland Indians AA affiliate Akron Aeros), Chad Pinder (VA Tech, Oakland A’s A-plus affiliate Stockton) and Tee McConnell (Marshall U.), Posey sported a 6-0 pitching record for the season and recorded a three-hit shutout during the state semifinals against Fort Defiance.

In a closing thought, Posey acknowledged the support he has received from home.

“The people of Poquoson have followed me along the way and supported me, and my parents and grandparents have been my biggest fans. So I felt like (the President’s award) was something I could share with them.”

Poquoson's Burden 2nd at U.S. Master's Diving

As published in Hampton, Newport News, and York County/Poquoson Daily Press Town Square on Thursday, May 16, 2014

Poquoson’s Jim Burden continued his remarkable comeback to the sport of diving, recently placing second in the 1-meter and 3-meter events at the Masters Spring National Championships, held on May 2-4 in San Antonio, TX.

Burden, who returned to his collegiate sport after a 38-year layoff, qualified for the national event by winning titles at last November’s Mid-Atlantic Masters Invitational in New Jersey. His entrance into that competition was prompted by a self-fulfilled wish which had followed his 60^th birthday in February of 2013. With only seven practices prior to the event, Burden managed to retain enough of his youthful form to gain the regional crowns.

Burden with Danita Fox, his videographer turned coach

This time, the now 61-year old diver had “substantially more time to prepare,” but first needed a month to “heal up” after the regional meet.

“Not that I was necessarily injured, but my neck and shoulders were still pretty stiff and sore,” said Burden, noting the lack of flexibility which comes with advanced age.

He also realized that his skills would need to be sharpened to place at the national level.

“Even though I performed decently enough to win the gold medals in the New Jersey meet, the caliber of athlete at the national finals is stronger. Performing difficult dives requires more precise board work. If you are off balance when you leave the board, bad things happen,” added Burden, emphasizing the shorter B-word. “And bad things hurt.”

However, the diver’s training formula remained the same. He returned to his previous workout center, the Mid-Town Aquatic Center, in Newport News, and reunited with Danita Fox, the center’s Aquatic Director, who helped him in 2013.

“She filmed every dive of every practice from the board work and basic dives to the San Antonio meet.”

Bu Fox’s role evolved from videographer to bonafide trainer.

“She started learning the nuances of springboard diving and rapidly became more of a coach than just filming the practices, “said Burden, who works as a regional contractor by day. “I appreciate what she did to help me, along with the cooperation of the Newport News Parks and Recreation Department. My being able to attend the National Championships was directly related to their help.”

For the national competition, Burden stuck to perfecting the basics.

“It’s important to have your mind clear and focused on execution. If your balance is a little off for say a 1 ½ somersault with two twists, you have a very short period of time to make an in-air adjustment.”

While acknowledging the beauty and grace of diving, Burden did admit to have to take some calculated risks by performing more difficult dives because of the higher level competition. Asked if he had received any advice, he recalled a tidbit from wife Cindy.

“Her only request was for me to try and use a little common sense.” This may have been the best advice received as Burden noted “I had friends from all over the country sending me, what I would consider to be less than complimentary comments about what I was preparing to do.”

Armed with his pair of silver medals, Burden is now qualified for the FINA World Championships, which will be held in Montreal during the first weekend of August. “I have until June 1^st to commit, but I’m leaning that way now.”

In a closing thought, he readily questions how much longer he will be physically able to dive, so his excitement for having a place on the medal stand in Texas is genuine, but he can sum up the experience in one line.

“A lot of work, a lot of fun, and a little bit of pain, but well worth it!”

Menchville's Alex Moore Breaks Two Age Group State Swim Records

Menchville freshman Alex Moore capped a sterling indoor swimming season in late March, breaking two state records at the National Age group Swimming Association (NASA) Junior Nationals, held at the Doyle Aquatic Center in Clearwater, FL.

Moore, 14, who specializes at the shorter distances, earned his distinctions by placing sixth in the 50-meter freestyle (22.09), as well as 12^th in the 100-meter free (46.54).

Although he broke both records at the same four-day meet, they are the first state records he has ever held.

And at least one might not last for long.

Jeff Kincaid, coach of the Southeastern Virginia Seahawks Aquatic team, which Moore swims with before and after Menchville’s season, was quick to put his swimmer’s accomplishments in perspective.

“The 100 free might stick because it’s a 14-year old record, but there some Virginia kids his age  traveling to a meet next week that could have a shot at the 50 (record).”

With the swimming season getting ready to transition from short course (25-meter pool) events to long course (50-meter pool) meets, Moore is aware of the realities which come with holding age group records.

“I’m not swimming any other short course races before my birthday,” he notes, adding that he will race in one final long course event this month. Then, his age group will bump up to 15-16 after he blows out the candles for his cake on May 7^th.

Kincaid is proud of his swimmer’s accomplishments so far this season.

“We set some goals last September, and he hit them,” says the Seahawk coach, now in his second year of working with Moore.

And the new age group shouldn’t have an adverse effect on Moore’s performance, especially from a mental standpoint. His state records came in 16-and under races in which he posted the best time for his age, while defeating dozens of older swimmers to qualify for the finals.

Moore credits his experiences of racing older swimmers as a large key in his formula of success, Finding high-level age group meets also helps, and he has one particular favorite.

“The Eastern Zones meet has helped me because the top swimmers always go there. I raced the long and short course meets as a twelve-year old, and will compete in the long course meet this summer when it’s in Richmond,” pointing out that the River City’s Poseidon Swimming facility which hosts the Zones was also home of the 2008 Olympic swimming trials.

Racing in top-notch meets is a strategy which Kincaid also embraces.

“Going to meets like that (Eastern Zones) have helped Alex gain experience.” 

Racing as a freshman in high school also helps, and Moore usually competes in two individual and two relay events for the Monarchs team during the winter. But the young swimmer has already displayed versatility and endurance, entering as many as eight events in a full meet. Counting preliminary and semifinal races, this can lead to as many as 20 races in one meet, truly a feat reserved for the likes of Olympian Michael Phelps.

But Moore takes it all in stride, while keeping a firm grasp on reality.

Asked about the possibility of being an Olympian like Phelps, the 18-time gold medalist from Baltimore, Moore says that he’s not really looking hard at a future Summer Games unless his times start going “way down,” and then downplays the challenge of racing in multiple events at meets, using the NASA championships as his example.

“In Florida, the meet lasted four days, so I only had to swim three events the first day, three the second, and two on the final day.”

No big deal.

Moore’s training regimen is also a reflection, as well as by-product, of his enhanced level of fitness. He just enjoyed a week off in early April following a series of championship meets, including the NASA, but will not see another break until he gets a well earned two-week respite in August, after the completion of an outdoor season that will include more national level meets. 

However, his future training plans could add another nuance in the near future. Asked about his college plans, Moore is ready with one response, an answer which he knows because of already having attended camp and meeting the head and assistant swim coaches at the school, yet another show of preparation for the next task.

“I want to attend the United States Naval Academy.”

"Life Treats You The Way You Treat It" - A Book Writing Venture

As many who follow the Wall may know, over the past two years, I have developed a professional and friendly relationship with D'Shawn Wright, the owner of Body By D Gym in Yorktown. It started when D'Shawn contacted the Daily Press with information about the growth of his gym. The e-mail transmission found its way to Lynn Burke, the community sports editor and webmaster for HRVarsity.com, and he forwarded the information to me for a piece which was published in the York County/Poquoson Town Square section of the paper.

Standing outside of Body By D Gym with D'Shawn
Wright after our first book meeting. The book will
be ready for the holiday season.

At our first meeting, I had the opportunity to view the gym and talk with D'Shawn and Peter Castaldo, the vice-president of BBD. As they talked about the five principles of the gym and their plans for the future, it became abundantly clear that these guys were on to something that transcended far beyond the world of barbells and free weights. There were plans for expansion, a Community Day, college signings for gym members, and something about the dynamic duo hosting a weekly radio show called "Man in the Mirror."

As I left the gym on that first day, my thought was, "Wow, if they can get half of these goals accomplished, it would be an amazing feat.

Fast forward to 2014. BBD has quadrupled in size, and was recently named the top gym in Hampton Roads by a local magazine. The radio show attracted the Governor, Congressmen, Miss Virginia, entertainers, and other notable guests. Over two dozen high schoolers have signed Division I scholarships. In the meantime, D'Shawn worked his way to become the Virginia NPC Bodybuilding champion, as well as a motivational speaker and true community leader. My first article led to five or six more simply because so many things are always happening.

And now, D'Shawn is ready to tell his story. To my surprise, and absolute delight, he has asked me to collect the details and serve as the scribe.

"Life Treats You The Way You Treat It - Motivation the BBD Way" is the working title, and we are aiming to have the book ready for Christmas shoppers. For now, I am busy transcribing hours of tape and getting more ideas together. But one thing is already becoming obvious. This will not just be D's story. It will also show personal accounts of successful people who have overcome adversity, individuals who refused to listen to the words "You can't."

Since this will be the first book writing venture for me, I guess it's time to join the club. Stay tuned for more details.

Dr. Luke Coker, at 76, Wins First Age Group Title at Richmond's Ukrop 10K

Originally printed in Newport News, Hampton and York County/Poquoson Town Square sections of the DAILY PRESS on April 24, 2014.

Dr. Luke Coker is a modest man. At the age of 76, he was happy to run in last month’s Ukrop Monument 10K race, held in Richmond, because his son Tad and grandson Will were also entered. It would be a chance for three generations of Coker men to compete together. For the semi-retired dermatologist from Hampton, the day was going to be a chance to bond with his family, and to wear his son’s Coker Dental hat during the race.

Dr. Coker, running with trusted camera perched upon
bicycle helmet.

Although the elder Coker had been running for over 40 years, and even qualified for the Boston Marathon in more serious training days, he had never won any race title.

Until March 29th.

In a testament to the beauty of what can happen when one person defies the realities of growing older, Coker captured the 75-79 age group win at Richmond, covering the 6.2 mile course in an evenly paced 1:02:19, just under ten minutes per mile.

For Coker, the victory was satisfying, but not totally unexpected.

“I came in second (in the age group) last year. Really, (wife) Gloria and I go to the race to see our kids. But after last year’s race, my son (Tad) told me, you ought to train harder because the guy that won is about to turn 80!”

Three generations of Luke Cokers competed at the
recent Ukrop 10K in Richmond

Instead of switching gears, Coker continued his training regimen, which is smooth and repetitive.

Says Gloria, “He’s up at 4:30 every morning and running by 4:45.”

Even his course is carefully planned.

“I run 2-3 miles a day. I like to get out early because of the morning traffic. It can get crazy out there, so I run the same route.”

Weather was not a discouraging factor, as rain and snow became excuses to cross-train with swimming and elliptical workouts added to the mix.

Coker’s introduction to running came early, long before Jim Fixx’s “Complete Book of Running”  in 1977 made distance running a fad, which would later become a movement, and eventually a full fledged sport.

“I was in residency in Houston back in 1967, and later working as a submarine medical officer. My first pair of running shoes was a pair of Fred Perry tennis shoes.”

Gloria adds, “I don’t even think Nike was around then.”

The couple eventually settled in Newport News, and according to Gloria, found their new home through geometry.

“I’m from Connecticut and Luke is from South Carolina, so we drew a line between the two and found what was in the middle.”

Settled in their new home, Luke started his post-military medical practice, and upped his weekly running mileage to 75-100 miles per week. There were some races, but nothing serious.

Says Coker, “I ran 4 or 5 marathons,” almost forgetting to mention that his personal best  for the 26.2 mile run is 3 hours and 12 minutes, just over a 7:15 per mile pace.

But you qualified for the Boston Marathon?

With typical modesty, he responds, “Yes, but there was a time when they would let all doctors run  the marathon (Boston).”

However, there was also a qualifying time, and 3:12 was probably under it.

But there was one aspect of winning the Monument race that stood out for Coker.

“It’s quite a race. You look back from the starting line and it’s humanity as far as you can see.” With over 36,000 entrants, the Richmond race is one of the largest 10K events in America.

“They have parties for the neighborhood, and so much food. It’s amazing that they pull it off.”

So will he defend his title next year?

After a moment of reflection, he calmly says, “If I’m still able.”