Can Charter Schools Operate in Virginia?

The policy of permitting states to create charter schools for its students is gaining a great deal of momentum in academic circles. In fact, at last count, 44 states, including Virginia, have opened the door to allow charter schools to operate within their boundaries. Virginia has only opened four charter schools to date, enrolling a mere 240 students. By comparison, neighboring North Carolina has opened almost 100 such institutions.

The idea behind charter schools started as a response to dissatisfaction with the current public school system. There was a school of thought that the public schools were failing for a number of reasons, including, but not limited to, scarcity of money, under qualified teachers and archaic teaching methods. As concerned parents and officials of local jurisdictions began to analyze the problem, many questions surfaced. Why should a child have to go to a failing school just because of his/her geographic location? What can be done to close the achievement gap between white students and minority students? If the existing school system is failing, can we do better? From these questions were borne the outline of the charter school policy.

Generally, there was a feeling of helplessness as stakeholders feel separated from the process and felt like the legislative system in place would not be able to improve public education to a level of their liking. Not being able to find a suitable alternative policy, these stakeholders acted on the feeling that they needed to take matters into their own hands.

Some general definitions of charter schools include the following:

·         Elementary/secondary schools that receive public money without having to adhere to public school rules and regulations

·         An alternative to other public schools, but without the ability to charge tuition

·         Magnet schools, or schools that provide a specialized curriculum in a field, whether it is arts, science or math.

For the most part, charter schools are more prominent in urban school districts, such as Chicago and Washington, D.C. Some schools thrive, while others are struggling. New York City's Promise Academy is an example of a charter school enjoying tremendous success by virtually erasing its achievement gap between black and white students.

However, the success of charter schools is a debatable topic, and this is probably the reason why the state of Virginia has been slow to push this policy of offering alternative education to students and parents who are unsatisfied with the state of their neighborhood school.

To date, Governor Bob McDonnell has seized the opportunity. He is planning to loosen restrictions on new charter schools. Currently, the local school boards must approve potential new charter schools. Under McDonnell's plan, charter school organizers may appeal to the Virginia Board of Education in the event of being rejected at the local level. This may help to resolve conflict at the lower level, as local school boards tend to resist competition, especially in the form of a charter school. In cases where a school division has one or more failing schools, the request for a charter school could be made directly to the state. While realizing that the charter school is not the only cure-all, the Republican nominee for governor has been noted in a recent Virginian Pilot-Online editorial as at least putting considerable thought to the issue and developing a solution to the education problem, using charter schools as a viable alternative while keeping an eye on the 72 failing schools in the Old Dominion.

“No Need For Sight If You Have a Vision.”

The new Trackside magazine is out, and I think this will be the one to put us on the map. The whole experience has been an eye opener, and having the opportunity to "meet" and interview some of the biggest names from track's past and present has been so much fun.

My first interview for this issue was with Lex Gillette. Lex is a fascinating person, a man, who despite not being able to see, sprints and jumps as a Paralympian. In fact, he has long jumped over 22 feet, and there is visual evidence of this (see right). There is a rumor that he was also a waiter at a high-end restaurant in the past, but I didn't quite have the nerve to ask if this was true.

TrackSide is now available for free, online at www.trackside2.tracknation.com.

Lex Gillette lives by this motto. Blind since the age of eight, he grew to discover the one bit of information that the doctors failed to relay in their prognosis twenty years ago.

“They never told me that I could see my potential through Paralympic sport,” wrote the long jump world record holder in his category.

Gillette discovered jumping innocently enough.

“I was in high school, and we were taking the Presidential Fitness test for gym class. One of the categories was the standing broad jump. And I was one of the best (in the class).

Brian Whitmer took Gillette to the next level. Whitmer, a visual impairment specialist at Athens Drive HS in Gillette’s hometown of Raleigh, NC, was the first to hone Gillette’s jumping talents. The youngster had been athletic, playing basketball and riding his bicycle with mother Verdina Gillette-Simms, herself legally blind because of complications from glaucoma.

But there was something different about sprinting down a runway at full speed and hurtling through the air into an abyss of the unknown.

“He (Whitmer) was the first person to say we could take it (jumping) from standing to running. We went to a sports camp in Michigan during my sophomore year. It was specifically for the visually impaired. There was a long jump competition and I won. But it was frightening. I’m realistic and the idea of running (at full speed) and jumping was scary and crazy.”

Whitmer, who is also visually impaired, taught Gillette the basics of the event.

“A lot of it (the training) is trust. We developed a system. He would clap and yell. My job was to run toward the noise. It started with a five step approach.”

Indeed, Gillette ended up with an array of bumps and bruises from approach missteps. But he remained steadfast in his desire to succeed at track, and by his junior year had joined the squad at Athens Drive, working his way to team co-captain as a senior.

Gillette’s next step was East Carolina University in nearby Greenville.  He had initial talks with then-ECU coach Bill Carson about joining the Pirate team, but ended up realizing he would be continuing his training alone.

One of his biggest decisions came after a phone call from the United States Olympic Committee.

(continued on page 20 at TrackSide Magazine) --

Back to the Pool - Hampton Roads Water Polo

For those who have watched a water polo game on television or in person, it may seem like an incredible athletic feat to swim back and forth in a pool while maintaining enough agility to catch, aim and throw a ball into a tiny net guarded by a goalie.

Indeed, water polo is tough. In 2011, the Bleacher Report conducted a ranking to determine the world’s toughest sport. In the article, each sport was measured on six attributes - speed, endurance, strength, agility, skill level and physicality. In their findings, water polo was deemed to be the toughest, outpointing football, hockey, rugby and soccer.

In the article, the writer noted the “kicking and grabbing which goes on under the surface, with all sorts of sly blows underwater.” To put it in physical terms, the author recommended going to the local pool and treading water for 30 minutes straight, then trying to imagine playing a competitive game at the same time.”

Fortunately, there are enough able bodied swimmers in the Tidewater region to field a competitive local water polo team. The Hampton Roads Water Polo club was founded in 2009 and is headed by Marcio Soza. The club practices every Thursday night from 8:15-9:30 at the Norfolk Academy pool. According to Soza, his Hampton Roads team is the only one in the region.

Says Soza, “Our main objective is to help grow the sport of water polo in the Hampton Roads area and to provide our military members an avenue to enjoy the sport of water polo. Our players come from all of the Hampton Roads cities.”

Ironically, it is the military aspect of water polo which draws members, but also keeps the team roster in a state of transiency. On last year’s squad, three local players, Chris Flores and Patrick Killingsworth from Hampton, and Matt Creelman from Yorktown were on the roster. However, Killingsworth, on active duty with the Air Force, was transferred to California, while Creelman has taken a job overseas.

But Flores has been there through the changes, starting with HRWP when it began four years ago, but involved with the movement for much longer.

“I have been trying to build water polo with Marcio (Soza) for over a decade,” said the former Penn State player. In spite of the fluctuating lineups of the past, Flores is confident with the structure of this year’s team. “The important thing for us is to always have a strong core to provide leadership and continuity and we have that.”

The league season begins this weekend with a league tournament in Washington D.C., but the club did finish in second place at the third annual Virginia State Championship Tournament, held in the last weekend of February at the NOVA Aquatics Center in Richmond. The event was hosted by the Richmond Water Polo Club and featured eight collegiate (Virginia, William and Mary, VMI and James Madison) and masters co-ed teams. The HRWP squad went undefeated in the round-robin format, winning its ‘B’ bracket and reaching the championship game, in which they narrowly lost to a heavily favored Northern Virginia team.

The team competes in the South Atlantic Coast Water Polo league, and includes the Richmond and D.C. teams, as well as contingents from Charlotte, Raleigh, Atlanta and Baltimore, among others. People who are interested in participating are encouraged to attend a team practice. No experience is necessary, but Soza warns that being a strong swimmer is highly recommended. There is a club membership fee of $25 per month or $10 per visit, plus American Water Polo registration.

The Hampton Roads Water Polo website can be found at www.hamptonroadswaterpolo.com.

.

High School Rugby Thrives on Peninsula

As part of the Hampton Roads Conference (HRC), high school rugby is alive and well in Newport News and Hampton. Now in its sixth year, the league, which is not sponsored by either city’s athletic department or the Virginia High School League, has grown into part of Rugby Virginia, which bills itself as the primary development vehicle for youth and high school rugby within the state of Virginia. Currently, there are six boys and three girls teams on the Peninsula competing for the right to represent the HRC against two of the twelve teams playing in the North League, which represents teams from as far west as Winchester, Culpeper, Loudoun and Fairfax counties, as well as the city of Alexandria.

At the end of March, the Hampton teams have the edge in both leagues, with the Hampton High squads leading both the boys (2-0-1) and girls (2-0) divisions.

The season starts in early march with the Tidewater Tournament which helps to determine the pre-season rankings. A round-robin schedule is followed by playoffs and the top two teams qualify for the state tournament. In last year’s tournament, Northern Virginia teams took both titles, as the Fairfax Police Youth Club (FPYC) won the girls crown, while the Fort Hunt Warriors nipped the Hampton Heat 8-5 to win the Virginia State Rugby boys championship.

In fact, on the Peninsula, only the Menchville boys team, currently coached by Mitch Avent, has won a state championship, with the 2009 team going undefeated.

The season concludes with a regional All-Star game. Last year’s game was held at Founders Field in Pittsburgh, PA.

This year’s Menchville team is having a harder time, starting off 0-3. But, according to forwards coach Russ Komynarets, the team record doesn’t reflect the benefits gained from playing rugby.

“We teach kids how to become champions, but more importantly how to do things the right way. It’s not always about wins and losses.”

Current Standings

Boys

Hampton     2-0-1

Bethel          2-1

Buckroe       2-1

Heritage       1-1-1

Denbigh       1-2

Menchville   0-3

Girls

Hampton      2-0

Menchville  1-1

Lady Canes 0-2

For more information, visit the state rugby site at rugbyvirginia.org.

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.