Yarisley Silva Pushes Women's Pole Vault to New Heights

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of conducting a follow-up interview with world class sprinter Justin Gatlin. One reason for the second chat was that our TrackSide editor, Travis Masters, felt there were some topics that could be added. As it turns out, there were some large topics, and they will make this upcoming article unique. Fortunately, Justin is an active participant in the TrackNation movement. In fact, he’s probably the most recognizable face of the organization. Only for this reason was it possible to call back and ask for a redux. 

Anyhow, Travis had drawn up a few questions, and I was somewhat baffled by a couple of them. “Do you follow track? Are you a track and field fan?” At face value, they looked like throwaways. Then again, I don’t know Mr. Gatlin as well as Travis does. Even the simplest question turned out to be worthy of a well thought out response. More importantly, it was original and worth listening to, a rarity in the cliché filled world of sports interviews.

I’m not going to reveal the other topics of our discussion here, because it will be available on TrackSide (www.tracknation.com) in the next few weeks.

However, while talking with Gatlin, on a whim and while we were discussing track fandom, I mentioned that I had seen a Cuban pole vaulter on TV last Saturday. Her name is Yarisley Silva, and she may become the “next big thing” in track.

Since Justin watches many other events besides the ones he runs (the 100, 200 or 400 relay), he had a lot to offer with regard to Silva and the women’s pole vault. “It’s unbelievable what’s happening there. When I was coming up, Stacy Dragila (2000 Olympic gold medalist and world record holder on numerous occasions) was the big name. Now, the women are just pushing the bar up.”

At last Saturday’s Drake Relays, Silva, a silver medalist at the 2012 London Games, took it to American vaulting ace Jenn Suhr. In the process, she cleared 15’10.75” (4.85 m.) a remarkable height which just edges Dragila’s best (keep in mind that Dragila was like Wayne Gretzky, just WAY ahead of her competition), and also set the Cuban, Caribbean and Central American records.

After clearing the winning height, Silva called it a day, and opted to not make attempts at a higher standard.

In my continuing quest to become an “ace” reporter, I figured that she could be a potential interview, and got to work on this endeavor at 10 PM last Saturday night. With nowhere else to turn, I did a cursory search on Facebook. And there she was, with a fan page.

I sent a message to the page. Ten minutes later, I received a friend request from her friend Lilian. Just noticing that the request was from Cuba was enough to tell me that I had made a connection. As it turned out, we ended up chatting for 30-45 minutes.

About ten minutes into our chat, a message notice popped up. It was Yarisley. She had typed a short note mentioning that I should talk with her friend, who helped her out with “media stuff” and that when she knows what I’m looking for, we could be in contact. Actually, it was more of a “how can we help you?” type of note. Lilian, in particular, was gracious and ready to answer all of my questions. Problem was, I didn’t have any yet!

Here’s the tale of the tape. Yarisley Silva is just 25. She has been vaulting for seven years, but couldn’t find many quality track meets until she was good enough to participate outside of Cuba, where her main competition is the bar itself. Case in point, she has improved from 4.40 to 4.85 in the past four years, and is just entering her peak ages. I have posted a video of Yarisley in action on the “Wall” viewer.

The sky is the limit for Miss Silva. Keep an eye out for her as this outdoor season continues and the World Championships take place in Moscow next summer. She's got it going on.

Lauren Prata follows big brother Joey as a wrestling champion

As published in the April 11, 2013 York County/Poquoson Town Square section of the Daily Press, as well as The Morning Call (Allentown, PA) and WrestlerGirl blog site. The direct link can be found at:

http://www.mcall.com/topic/dp-tsq-ypq-joey-lauren-prata-wrestling-feature-041-20130411,0,3517948.story

Wrestling is the Prata family business, and as it has been said, business is good.

Last year, Joey gained national attention while compiling an 87-2 record with the Virginia Predators club. Prata’s accomplishments allowed him to join the powerful St. Christopher’s HS squad in Richmond where his freshman year accolades included a 50-11 record, Virginia Prep League title and National Prep All-American honors at the 106-lb. weight class.

Now it’s little sister’s turn.

Lauren Prata, a 12-year-old seventh grader at Yorktown Middle School,  recently captured a national title on the mat, taking the 90-lb. crown at the recent USGWA (Girls Wrestling Association) National Championships in Michigan.

Set up as a round-robin tournament, Prata earned a 4-0 record to win, holding two opponents scoreless and pinning another.

The transition to wrestling wasn’t easy. She enjoyed watching her older brother in his matches, but had trouble finding her athletic niche, trying “everything” including soccer, gymnastics and dance. In the end, she “just became obsessed” with wrestling.

Although she has only been competing in the sport for 15 months, Lauren is quick to give credit to her coach.

Who happens to be her brother. Speaking of the reason for her early success, she cites her older brother. 

 “Joey coached me,” said the soft spoken youngster.

“Joey is her only coach,” says mother Shannon. “Her trust in him is amazing. He tells her to do something and she just does it.”

Part of her mat education includes a progression into the freestyle and Greco-Roman styles of wrestling, but father Tony provides a word of caution. “We’re trying to take it slow and steady.”

Her rise to the top of the medal stand has not come without bumps and bruises. In one match against a young man, Prata caught the business end of a head butt, leaving her with a noticeable. black eye, evidenced by photographic proof. “I couldn’t see out of it,” said Prata, adding that she pushed on anyway to finish the match.

“I didn’t really feel it at the time.”

In part, it’s the adrenaline rush that inspires her to continue. “I like the feeling after I win or have worked hard.”

Her goals for the summer are lofty, but attainable. “I want to go to Fargo,” she says, referring to the large national tournament held in North Dakota. “They have a girls division, but I have to win states to go.” She made an attempt last summer, but found the competition to be overwhelming. “The girls were three years older. It wasn’t pretty.” However, one of the referees, Timothy Pearson, pulled her aside, counseled her and provided encouragement. “He said not to give up and keep wrestling.”

She looks forward to moving up to the cadet, then junior, age-group levels of her sport, but it’s her greatest expectation that provides for a pause.

“I’d like to win a regular middle school state title. Then the high school states.”

That would give her coach, who won the East Coast Nationals title two weeks ago, a reason to smile.

(Editor's note: In the time since this article was published, Shannon Prata has released a note with further clarification. 

I wanted to make a correction to this article. Although Joey was Lauren's only coach in Michigan at Girls Nationals and he has coached her several times on the mat at tournaments he is not her only coach. Lauren trains at Virginia team predator in Chester, Virginia under Coach (Mark) Strickland. Lauren also trains at Body by D Gym which has given her the strength to be able to compete and be competitive in the boys and girls division. Lauren's brother Joey has been a huge influence and impact on her life and they have an incredible relationship but her success is not only from all the help he has given her but also from the training she has gotten at Virginia Predator under Coach Strickland and Body by D Gym. In addition Lauren's goal is to compete at Fargo, North Dakota but she is not eligible to compete until she becomes a cadet. Lauren will not enter that age division for a couple more years.

Body By D Makes Difference in Community

Original version of article printed in Daily Press York/Poquoson Town Square section on Thursday, April 4, 2013. Link can be found at:

http://www.dailypress.com/news/york-county/dp-tsq-ypq-sports-feature-0328-20130328,0,2360329.story

One of the greatest assets to growing a successful business is finding the ability to give back to the community. For some companies, this can take form in the way of a check or a benefit.

But when you run a gym, particularly the fastest growing one in York County, everything is about movement and action. This includes charitable work, a point made clear by Body by D’s owner and president D’Shawn Wright.

“Yes sir. God is blessing,” says Wright, who has undergone as much of a transformation as his company over the past year, dropping about 50 pounds while resculpting himself from a strict weightlifter to award winning bodybuilder (first in the heavyweight category and best poser at the most recent National Physique Committee DC/VA  championships).

Ironically, while Wright has gotten smaller, his workspace has nearly quadrupled, and will finish its transformation on April 1^st, as Body by D Gym expands from 3,400 to almost 12,000 square feet and adds Fitness Center to its business moniker.

Along with company vice-president Peter Castaldo, and one or several trainers, the BBD team has spread a wave of community involvement through Hampton Roads. Over the past year, they have held benefits for victims of the Virginia Beach helicopter crash, a clothing and supply drive for those affected by Hurricane Sandy, and a partnership with Salty Paws Vet and the SPCA.

Speaking to the volume of their charitable efforts, Castaldo jokes, “We may need a reality show about this.”

But it’s the face-to-face work that draws the most attention. The BBD team is visible at local schools. Wright and trainer Brian Hammons spent an afternoon reading with students at Grafton Middle School, as part of the Read Across America/Dr. Seuss Day festivities. Wright and Castaldo talked to youths at the Mulberry Inn in Newport News. All three were present for the recent Body and Sol Gala for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, held at the City Center Marriott. They have also worked with the DARE program at several local elementary schools.

Wright particularly likes the meetings with schoolchildren. “We talk about goal setting and things that will help them. We look to teach them life skills.”

They even take to the airwaves with their message of positivity. As a part of the Versatility Radio Network, Wright and Castaldo host their “Man in the Mirror” radio show from 2:00-2:30 every other Thursday on WYRM 1120 AM. Guests have included Congressman Scott Rigell, and mayors Will Sessoms (Virginia Beach) and Molly Ward (Hampton).

Reverend Aaron Wheeler Sr., himself a guest on the “Mirror” show speaks to the core of Body by D’s involvement in the community. “These guys are the real deal.”

Their next project may be the largest undertaking to date. In conjunction with their Versatility radio partner Terry Riddick and his “Best Kept Secret – Stop the Violence” movement, Rev. Wheeler, and a host of partners and friends, Best Kept Secret will sponsor “A Unity Walk Day to Stop the Violence in Our Communities.” The event will begin on Saturday May 4^th at 3:00 PM with a walk from 25^th and Chestnut to 2325 Madison Ave., and then culminate in an overnight campout, ending at 7 AM the following morning.

Says Riddick, “We are committed to overcoming the challenges in our communities and to being victors and not victims.”

There will be water, food, bounce houses, cotton candy and popcorn available at the event. Vendors interested in taking part can call Riddick at 757-725-1199.

Another feature of the day will be free haircuts. Best Kept Secret has made its name from their offering of free haircuts at Riddick’s barber shop.

Back at Body by D, the expansion is almost completely ready for the public, as noted by the beginning of a Zumba class with Anika Herring on April 1st at 6:30 PM in the newly created space. Other events will soon be filling up the calendar on their newly created website (bodybydgym.com).

Donations for the Unity Walk Day are welcome and may be sent to:

Best Kept Secret – Stop the Violence Organization

P.O. Box 904

Newport News, VA 23607

From TrackSide Magazine: Q&A With Champion Hurdler Greg Foster

For a sixteen year period, from his beginnings as a UCLA freshman in 1977 to his final full season in 1992, Greg Foster dominated the 110 high hurdles. His fifteen years of being ranked in the world top-10 is a record for any running event. He only missed making the top-10 in 1988 because of a broken arm. Foster’s career was highlighted by three world championships in 1983, 1987 and 1991. He also won a silver medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics, and his PR of 13.03 is still ranked just outside the U.S. top-10 of all-time. Foster was inducted into the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1998.

Foster and Renaldo "Skeets" Nehemiah in one of their
memorable hurdling duals

Since retiring from competition, Foster has stayed involved with track as an athlete representative, using his own experiences to benefit others. His company, GBM Sports and Event Management, serves as a consulting firm which specializes in athlete and event management for all sports, but focuses on track and field.

Now 54, Foster has also recently joined the collegiate coaching ranks, recently hired as the head coach of the Lindenwood College (MO) Lynx, an NAIA team which will kick off its inaugural season in 2013.

Q: You retired from professional competition in 1992. Looking back, how well were you prepared for life after track?

Foster: I feel like I was well prepared. I had my experience and education from UCLA (majored in psychology, with marketing minor). Fortunately, I had coaches like Jim Bush at UCLA and Bob Kersee, who was my coach all throughout my professional career. They were concerned about me not just as an athlete, but also as a person.

Q: Eventually you started working as an athlete representative. Was there a single defining event which directed you toward this line of work?

Foster: In a way. Bob Kersee started the process. I was still competing and there were a group of us – Florence Joyner-Griffith, Jackie Joyner-Kersee… I was the elder statesman and had to meet with directors and promoters.

Q: What do you feel younger athletes are most lacking? What items would be on your checklist for a track and field athlete who is considering making a living as a professional?

Foster: Competition. There is a lack of competition between the college level and pro. There are some opportunities for athletes to showcase their talents. But, in the past, we had meets like the Mobil 1 series. Now athletes have to go over there (overseas).

The next thing would be financial support. If you’re a professional track athlete nowadays, you can’t hold a 9 to 5 (job). You’re being paid to train. Finally, be ready for the opportunities. When they come up, you have to be ready to go. And as we like to say, you’re only as good as your last race.

Q: How does your company, GBM, help the athlete fill this void?

Foster: We’re more of a support system rather than an agency. We act as consultants, to let the athlete know what’s out there and to help with marketing. There’s a process between the college and professional levels. For the pros, it’s a business for these guys. If you’re ranked #17 in the world in football, you’re probably making a million dollars. It’s not that way in track and field. They (meet promoters) are always looking for the top eight.

(continued)

To view the rest of this article, please click http://trackside1.tracknation.com

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.