Thoughts From A Man on His 50th Birthday

John Sargent was two years ahead of me at Bishop Ireton High School. The first thing I recall about John is that, aside from being a great athlete, he was on the Model UN team. In the late 1970's, our UN team at Ireton rocked, winning national titles. In fact, they went to The Hague and won a World Championship.

John has never shied away from a good debate. His collegiate career took him to the University of Virginia, where he earned a degree in systems engineering. Later, there were three runs for the Virginia House of Delegates. Running against a long standing incumbent in Bernie Cohen, the first two tries didn't go well, but people found John's message and his third attempt was surprising close. Perhaps the fact that John was still in his late 20's scared off some of the older people in Alexandria.

Regardless, John has carved out a successful career, and is now working for the Library of Congress. Today is his 50th birthday. In a moment of reflection, he shared some thoughts. Fortunately, he has agreed to share these here. Being 46 years old myself, they made me think. I hope that you will also. Please enjoy the thoughts of John Sargent, a man reflecting on his 50th birthday.

In honor of my birthday, I've decided to share...

Some of the Truths I’ve Learned in 50 Years…in no particular order
(I started to number them, but I keep adding to the list and plan to continue to do so until the day I die.)

• I am probably not going to get to compete in the Olympics, the NBA, or the NFL. MLB was NEVER a possibility. I’m still holding out hope to medal in table tennis. (I’m thinking Gold…maybe Silver.)
• My hair is not getting thicker; my waistline is.
• As you age you discover there are pain receptors in parts of your body that will surprise you…regularly.
• It’s important to work to live, not to live to work.
• More often than not, ignorant people won’t change. And because they’re ignorant, logic does not reach them. Life is short. Do not waste time on the truly ignorant.
• Life is hard. If you accept this, then everything is a lot easier. If you don’t every difficulty is a mountain. (Okay, I borrowed this one from The Road Less Traveled, but it’s true.) And no matter how hard I think my life is at times, my trials and tribulations pale by comparison to the suffering of so many others. Remain thankful for the things you have -- spiritual and material -- and not covetous of the things you don't have.
• When you tell a schoolmate at graduation or a departing co-worker at the office that we’ll stay in touch, no matter how much you mean it, life makes it difficult to enjoy the same level of shared time and platonic intimacy that being together 8-10 hours a day, five days a week does. Nevertheless, I always treasure the opportunities to see them or talk to them.
• It is important to set goals, large and small, and to work toward them. It is equally important to re-assess those goals as life events and life experiences unfold. Much of what seemed important in youth can fade in time. Much that was unimportant in youth, can become increasingly important to you with wisdom. Some goals are worth holding onto your entire life.
• I am proud of my country, its history, and the good that it has brought the world. I am thankful to God that I was born here. I am saddened by some of the things my country allows, and I fear what some would like to see it become. I will do everything I can to protect it, defend it, and honor those who made it possible through their blood, their sweat, and their tears.
• Money can’t buy you happiness, but the absence of it can buy you misery.
• I am not perfect. And I don’t like to admit it.
• On a similar note, I am a sinner. I ask God’s forgiveness, am forgiven, and frequently fail again. I expect this pattern to continue until my death. But I will continue to try to improve during each iteration. I think this is the human condition. And for better or worse, I am human.
• I can cause people pain. Sometimes intentionally, especially when I am hurt or angry. If I have done this to you, I am sorry. I may do it again, but I will try not to.
• I can bring great joy to people. Often intentionally. If I have done this to you, I am likely to try to continue to do it. My little secret is that it brings me great joy as well.
• I don’t really understand why I am here, but I think there are many good reasons though they remain largely unknown to me. Every day is a new opportunity to discover these reasons and to make good on the opportunity.
• Nothing sears the soul more than the loss of loved ones. The size of the scar is proof of how much love and joy was shared during our time together here on Earth.
• I had the greatest parents in the world. I am grateful to them more than words can express. And I miss them more than words can express.
• I have the greatest kids in the world. They sustain me (and, yes, sometimes drain me). They are the best things that EVER happened to me in my entire life.
• Sometimes sad, terrible, and tragic things happen to people I love. Sometimes I have words of comfort, but sometimes there are no words. In those times, the only thing I have found to give is my love and prayers for healing.
• Being there with love is generally the greatest gift you can give your child. For adult children, it is the greatest gift you can give to your parents…and yourselves.
• Nothing is more important than the love of friends, except the love of family. Nothing. Except God, of course.
• There is something bigger and better on the other side of this plane of existence. And while I am in no hurry to get there, I know the wonders I’ll behold, the family and friends I will be re-united with, and the great goodness of His light will bring happiness beyond human comprehension

Article review - "But that's just good teaching!"

Sticking with the topic of Gloria Ladson-Billings and her writings, one of her more notable articles has examined good teaching as the key to cultural competency in the classroom. I particularly like the quote from Pewewardy noting that the problem in the classroom is educators inserting culture into education, instead of the other way around.

Last night, for Leadership and Cultural Competency class, we presented our cultural memoir to the group. I may post mine next week, but worry that it has been highlighted on this forum several times in the past. A glance through older posts should help to make the determination.

Gloria Ladson-Billings bases the title of this article on the response that she gives many school administrators and teacher educators when evaluating a classroom situation that successfully shows cultural competence. As opposed to a “magic bullet,” the author theorizes that the success found in classrooms with African-American students is mainly focused on the teacher’s ability to meet the students where they are. In other words, by successfully bringing the topic to them, as she notes by citing a Native American educator, Cornel Pewewardy (1993), who points out the problem as “educators attempting to insert culture into the education, instead of inserting education into the culture.”

She identifies the pedagogy as “culturally relevant” (Ladson-Billings, 1992a) and the purpose of this article is to identify examples which the author found during the course of a three-year study.

The key is in the linking between culture and schooling and the initial literature review gives some quality examples which include an examination of micro-ethnographic studies (Villegas, 1988) and the macro-level social context in which these take place. Irvine (1990) wrote of the mid-level struggle of achieving “cultural synchronization” between teachers and African-American students.

While I agree with the definitions presented by the other educators, my favorite description of “cultural relevancy” comes from Ladson-Billings herself. She views cultural relevancy as the opportunity to gain collective, not just individual, empowerment (p. 160). She gives three criteria: a) the student must achieve academic success, b) students must achieve and maintain cultural competence, and c) students must develop a critical consciousness (p. 160).

Her examples of each are relevant, which make this a useful article. For academic Ann Lewis, who used the social power of the African-American males in her class to have them lead the discussion on issues and ideas which were meaningful. By drawing them into the conversation, the students felt their opinions were valued and they appreciated having a leadership role in the class. This also kept the students from channeling their energy toward non-productive activities.

For cultural competency, Ladson-Billings opens with a concern of the phenomenon behind “acting White,” which creates a burden in classrooms with predominantly African-American students. Her prime example of competence in this section deals with English teacher Patricia Hilliard’s tie-in between classic poetry and today’s rap music, which she uses to help explain rhyme scheme, alliteration and other literary elements to her students.

Finally, the professor examines her third topic of cultural relevancy, which is critical consciousness, or viewing what is learned and developing a broader consciousness of the society around them. After applying the Frierian model to this thought, she gives the example of students who used their classroom situation of working with out-of-date textbooks to work as advocates, writing to the local newspaper editor-in-chief to inform the community of their situation. (p. 161)

References

Irvine, J. J. (1990). Black students and school failure. Westport, CT: Greenwich Press.

Ladson-Billings, G. (1992a). Culturally relevant teaching: The key to making multicultural

            education work. In C.A. Grant (Ed.), Research and multicultural education, 106-121.

            London: Falmer Press.

Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). But that’s just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant

            pedagogy. Theory into practice, 34, 3, 159-165.

Pewewardy, C. (1993). Culturally responsible pedagogy in action: An American Indian magnet

            school. In E. Hollins, J. King & W. Hayman (Eds.) Teaching diverse populations:

            Formulating a knowledge base, 77-92. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Villegas, A. (1988). School failure and cultural mismatch: Another view. The Urban Review, 20,

           253-265.

Looking at Gloria Ladson-Billings and Critical Race Theory

Gloria Ladson-Billings is a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. However, she may be better known as one of the foremost voices on the subject of cultural competency.

One of her preferred subjects is that of critical race theory, or CRT. In a 1998 article for Qualitative Studies of Education, she examines its roots and asks the question, “What is it doing in education?”
Before delving into the topic, Ladson-Billings shares a story, as she feels that storytelling is a large part of CRT. In the professor’s story, she had finished the day as a lecturer at an esteemed southern university, and was happy to be in a warm town, as opposed to being surrounded by the frigid winds that blow through Wisconsin. Being a guest in the VIP section of her hotel, she made a decision to visit the private lounge for a cocktail and some down time. While seated on a comfy couch in her business attire, she was startled by the entrance of a southern white man who entered the lounge, saw her and asked, “What time are y’all serving?”

Ignorant? Of course. Realistic? In some parts of the country… absolutely.

I bring this upon reflection because from time to time, people, usually unknowingly, say ridiculous things to me. Allow me to qualify this statement. I am a white male of Irish heritage. My wife Elizabeth is African-American. This is no secret, as one can look on my newly enhanced Facebook page and see that the oversized heading shows a picture of us. But, not everybody we encounter on a daily basis is a Facebook friend, or familiar face for that matter. Among our sphere of influence of people here in Newport News, and even in my hometown of Alexandria, our interracial marriage is not an issue. Hooray for home!

It has been different on the road.

Elizabeth and I were married in November of 2003. Since we are both teachers, honeymoon time was at a premium, so we elected for a long weekend in Ocean City, MD. Unlike the author, we headed north. Ocean City is fun, especially in November when the crowds have left and given the town back to the 7,000 or so citizens, many of whom are retirees from Baltimore and Washington, DC.

On the second day of our honeymoon, we decided to venture to Fenwick Island, Delaware, a mere six blocks away from our home away from home off Coastal Highway. My parents had mentioned a restaurant called “House of Welsh,” so we figured that it might be a good idea to stop in for a liquid refreshment and maybe some dinner. That idea was trounced three seconds after entering when twenty pairs of eyes belonging to the elderly all-white clientele assembled in the lounge bored a hole right through my wife and I as we bellied up to the bar. It wasn’t a scary feeling, and it didn’t necessarily upset us. It was just… weird.

But it didn’t stop. We ordered a couple of drinks and tried to make pleasant conversation with the barkeep. After two minutes we realized that our beverages were not going to be finished because the level of discomfort was too high. After giving each other a knowing glance, I put a bill on the bar (didn’t bother asking for the check) and we left.

This was hardly my first experience with racism. Coming from a diverse town like Alexandria, Virginia, I was surrounded by people of many cultures and it was just the way we grew up. Our experience in the 70's was significant enough to become the subject of a movie in "Remember the Titans." However, it is certainly my most memorable experience, and I guess you could call it, my CRT moment

Community-based teaching activities for Black History Month: Reprinted from July 2011

I was untimely the first time this article was posted, as it made an original showing on the Wall last July. At the time, I promised to repost in February. As mentioned during the first posting, the point here is to for teachers  to think of Black History Month types of activities as more than something to occupy the month of February. If teaching and communicating go hand-in-hand, then the best way to reach students is to meet them with topics they are most interested with. This is not to suggest that every research project has to be about Lil Wayne and Ice-T, but the four objectives stated here are particularly useful guidelines.

In order for a community-based curriculum for Black History Month to be successful, there are several objectives which must be addressed, not only during February, which is officially Black History Month, but throughout the year.

The four main objectives of a successful program are 1) embracing community involvement, 2) raising awareness to African-American issues, 3) educating about the past, from slavery through the Civil Rights movement, while preparing for the future, and 4) developing a program which will continue to grow and prosper after the month of February. Any flourishing curriculum program will include elements of history, sociology, community service, and to a lesser degree, event planning and business management.

There are several existing programs worth reviewing as examples of successful community–based curriculum ventures. The organizations may have possibly started in February, but developed into worthwhile and successful year-round entities.

RAMP

In the Pittsburgh (PA) region, a volunteer organization called RAMP (Raising Achievement in Monroeville and Pitcairn) has embraced the concept of community involvement by forming a group dedicated to closing the academic achievement gaps which exist between subgroups of students. According to their mission statement, this is created by raising achievement in their students while creating an environment that believes in them. Within their organization, they have created several programs including community gatherings, tutoring sessions and incentive programs which reward students for raising their report card grades by one letter grade or more.

Arthur Ashe Children’s Program

In Washington, DC, the Arthur Ashe Children’s Program, named for the late tennis star and human rights activist, serves over 450 at-risk students in 20 DC schools, combining academics with athletics and life skills. The program reaches students from early elementary through high school and includes student projects which topics such as “The Marketing of Tennis Apparel,” “How to do Stock Analysis,” and “Pollution and the Environment” Combined with a strenuous tennis instruction session along with a Reading is Fundamental (RIF) literacy program, the programs, run through the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, boast a 100% college acceptance rate for its seniors who have worked through the WTEF Center for Excellence.

History Lesson at the Apollo Theater

In New York City, Columbia University’s Oral Research Office and the Apollo Theater Foundation have joined forces to document and preserve the history of the world-famous theater, which celebrated its 75^th anniversary in 2009 and is known as a centerpiece of the Harlem Renaissance movement. The Oral Research Office has produced more than 150 hours of interviews with Apollo performers such as Smokey Robinson and Leslie Uggams, while also interviewing important black community leaders in Harlem to develop a program which also integrates the history of theater as well as the Harlem neighborhood into one curriculum program.

Columbia has also added three online resources. MAAP, short for Mapping the African-American past, combines interview material with photos and maps among its archives. The Amistad Digital Resource has been developed to assist teachers, while Columbia’s Black History Month Web site looks back on the university’s initiatives and work in research projects as they relate to recent African-American history.

Community-based curriculum starts at school

Successful curriculum programs take advantage of the school as a community learning center, available for all members of a neighborhood. Forming its building blocks toward the young school age student, but looking to develop lifelong learners, there are many resources available to build a curriculum for Black History Month. For example, at Scholastic.com, an entire section of its website is dedicated to lesson plans, activities and instructional guides for the teacher to use for planning purposes. Lessons include “All That Jazz” and “Black History Math Hunt.”

Piercy Wins Eight Golds at Maccabi Games in Brazil

Swimmer Nicole Piercy, of Hampton Roads Academy and the Coast Guard Blue Dolphins team, took advantage of the opportunity to represent the United States in her first international meet, winning a staggering collection of hardware at the 12^th annual Pan-American Maccabi Games. In all, Piercy earned eight gold and two silver medals over the course of the three-day meet, which was held just after the Christmas holiday in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The Maccabi Games is an international competition for Jewish athletes and its purpose is stated in their motto, “Building Jewish Pride through Sports.” In all, 18 countries were represented at the Games, making the nine-day trip even more rewarding.

Although the workload was grueling for Piercy, 14, it was typical of her normal meet routine.

“Usually, for a three-day meet, I’ll compete in eight or nine events,” said the high school freshman. “In fact, I was originally signed up for 15.”

Taking advantage of the long course pool (50 meters), outdoor atmosphere and enhanced competition, the swimmer also registered best times for the 200-meter individual medley and 100-meter breaststroke. “I was very close to best times in every event… maybe a second off,” added Piercy.

There were some unexpected moments during the competition.

“I haven’t had many chances to swim outdoors. The surprising thing is the climate in Brazil. It changes so rapidly. One minute it’s sunny and then in the next minute it may start raining in the middle of your race. It was tough to get used to.”

The organization of the meet caused another bump in her plans. The Games are held in a different country each year and with different coordinators at each event, changes are sometimes made on the fly. A last minute change to the swimming schedule was one example.

“On the first day we swam, we didn’t even know we were even competing. The schedule was suddenly changed.”

Acclimating to her new surroundings included getting used to the pool and the local food, as well as her new teammates and fellow competitors.

“The swim team stayed together (at the hotel which served as the athlete compound). On the first day, it was kind of awkward because we didn’t know each other. But by the second day, everybody was comfortable. We were together every morning, every minute, every day. I got to know everybody very well and met people from all over -- South America, Australia, Israel, Canada.”

Her experiences with the Brazilians during the six non-competition days were also interesting as the swimmer came to the South American country loaded with Team USA and other American collectibles, ready to barter.

“The Brazilian marketplace was fun. It was where the locals go, but there were people from everywhere. We tried hard to bargain with them, but sometimes there was a language barrier where the person didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak… for example, Portugese.”

The learning opportunity will stay with Piercy forever.

“The whole experience was the most amazing thing in the world. There is so much more to this meet than swimming. I learned a lot about myself, because you see people from other cultures and realize that everybody is different and believes in different things.”

Nicole Piercy’s medals at the Pan-American Maccabi Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Gold – 200 backstroke

Gold – 200 individual medley

Gold – 200 freestyle

Gold – 400 freestyle

Gold – 1500 freestyle

Gold – 50 breaststroke

Gold – 100 breaststroke

Gold – 200 freestyle relay

Silver – 50 freestyle

Silver – 100 freestyle

Full results from the Maccabi Games can be found at the Maccabi USA website, which can be found at http://www.maccabiusa.com/2011-pan-american-games-results.html

Body By D Gym - Fitness With A Message

In just a few short years, Body By D Gym in Yorktown, VA has developed a faithful following on the Peninsula. I had an opportunity recently to meet with L. D'Shawn Wright and Peter Castaldo, the driving forces behind the five principles. Some great work being done here!

Based on simple core principles and word of mouth advertising, the Body By D Gym in Yorktown is quickly becoming the go-to spot for young athletes on the Peninsula. Spurned by the success of several of its younger members, the gym has become a supplemental training facility for high schoolers looking for the extra edge needed to compete at the collegiate level. With a growing number of Division I signees in several sports as members and a newly formed Hall of Fame, the buzz surrounding the gym is hard to ignore.

Tucked into the side of a pale non-descript building off Route 17 and Dare Road, there is nothing special about the locale, aside from the block letters of the “BODY BY D” logo which hover above the entrance to the gym. But once inside, it is strictly business. Athletes of all ages are seen working with a variety of free weights, treadmills, medicine balls and other exercise equipment. However, there is more to Body By D, according to gym president and owner, L. D’Shawn Wright.

The 5 Principles of Body By D Gym



“We’re also teaching them life lessons,” says Wright, himself a national champion bodybuilder, youth motivational speaker, radio host (his “Man in the Mirror” radio talk show can be heard on WYRM 1110 AM), and sometimes featured movie extra. “Our program is based on five principles.”

Indeed, the principles are listed on the website (www.bodybydgym.com) as well as on the back of the business cards provided by Wright, vice-president Peter Castaldo, and instructors Brian Hammons and Morgan Cannon. Looking at the testimonials from parents and athletes on the website, these values have been implemented well.

“We want them to understand that it’s not always about making the big play. It’s the play after that matters,” adds Wright. “We want to prepare them for the next level.”

Castaldo reinforces the supplemental aspect of the training program. “We’re not trying to take them away from their coaches,” says the New Jersey native. “We want to provide something extra.”

In the age of specialized training becoming a part of high school sports, sometimes the extra boost is necessary. Ethan Carter was one of their first members. Already a star pitcher as a sophomore at Denbigh HS, Carter could throw a baseball, but lacked other athletic abilities.

Peter Castaldo (L) and L. D'Shawn Wright

“Wow, he could pitch, for sure, but he couldn’t jump rope or do a good push-up,” recalls Wright, half-jokingly. A look at Carter’s testimonial on the website seems to give credence to this reflection as the future University of South Carolina signee writes, “we set and reached many goals including being an Aflac Baseball High School All-American. I could not have done this without training with D’Shawn.”

The list of clients serviced since its 2009 opening reads like a “Who’s Who” of Peninsula athletes. Along with Carter, there are fellow pitchers Cameron Roth (Longwood) and Jared Lyons (Liberty), as well as other local diamond standouts such as Adam McConnell (U. of Richmond – drafted by Dodgers) and Chris McDougal (Liberty). Softball all-stars Jordan Hanna and Maggie Tyler have trained at the gym, alongside soccer prodigals Brittany Hammons and Sydney Omweg. The list of notables is rapidly approaching 30 names and now includes two NASCAR series and one motocross racer. In all, 18 members have earned college athletic scholarships.

Very impressive, considering that the training sessions began with ten kids. The connection with baseball started early.

“This used to be a batting cage and training center,” recalls Wright. “Rusty Ingram (York HS baseball coach) would bring his players here. I used to run the fitness department. Eventually, they closed and the landlord asked me if I was interested in the area.”

At the time, Castaldo was a gym member, but signed on with Wright to “run fitness.” Since the gym appeals to all ages, there is a process that any incoming athlete will go through to determine which trainer is best for his or her needs. “There’s a different type of flavor with each of us,” notes Castaldo. “We have our own style and when it comes to working with athletes, it usually doesn’t take long to make a connection.”

Sporting a 20% growth in revenue over the past year, the future looks bright for “Body By D” gym, a point emphasized by its owner with the following comparison.

“They have always had something like this on the Southside, a place where the young baseball players could go. We (the Peninsula) are like that now. Something’s really happening here.”

Body By D Gym is located in Grafton at 106 North Constitution Drive, at the intersection of Dare Road, one block east of Route 17. The phone number to the gym is 757-369-8479.

Yorktown Skater Sees The Power of Gold

For Olympic hopeful Michael Johnson, it’s hard to find free time.

Skaters Caitlin Pair and Michael Johnson aim to represent the US
at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The pair is coached by
Chris Pottenger.

Sure, he made it home to Yorktown for Christmas on the evening of the 23^rd. After a night of sleep, one of the first orders of business for Christmas Eve Saturday was to meet with a local reporter for an interview. After spending the rest of the day and most of Christmas with family, the 17-year old was on his way back to Delaware, where he has been training and attending boarding school for the past 16 months. When asked how often he does make it home, the initial reply was short. “Not often…“

Such is the life for Johnson, who along with 15-year old partner Caitlin Belt, is preparing to compete for Team USA as our country’s only figure skating pair at the 1^st ever World Youth Olympic Games, which is currently being held in Innsbruck, Austria until January 22. The event, hosted by the International Olympic Committee, is the young skaters’ first foray into international competition, and a sure sign that it is acceptable for the pair to continue working with realistic aspirations of competing for America in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

“If I was a singles skater, 2014 might be more realistic, but it’s harder with pairs,” says Johnson. “You need more time to develop.”

One apparent reason for the prolonged growth and development process comes from the fact that the male skater of a pairs team has to lift and throw his partner on numerous occasions, while skating. Belt is fairly tiny, at 5 feet and 95 pounds, but still, she is a 95-pound person that must be lifted over his head, with one arm.

So how often do you get to practice the lifts? You must get tired after a while?

“We usually have 10 lift reps on the ice per practice. Of course, we also do lift work in the gym.” With the help of a pulley and harness, Johnson is occasionally relieved of his duties. But at 5’10” and 175 pounds, with a firm handshake not expected from a teenager, he is sturdy enough to ably handle the physical aspect of his sport. In fact, the lacrosse coach at West Nottingham has taken notice of Johnson and asked about his availability. Surprisingly, the lifting isn’t considered the hardest part of his sport.

“I think the biggest time commitment is training,” adds the skater, who attended York High School for two years before transferring to West Nottingham Academy in northern Maryland in September of 2010. “I skate about four hours a day and I’m in the gym for about an hour a day as well.” His typical day begins at 6:30 in the morning with breakfast, followed by classes that last until lunchtime, Next is a 30-minute drive to the training center at the University of Delaware in Newark. After five hours of practice, it’s back to West Nottingham for dinner and two hours of study hall before lights out.

So, how did Delaware become a hub for American skating?

“Mr. Ludington,” replies the skater without hesitation, referring to his coach Ronald Ludington, best known for training many American Olympic skating pairs, including 1984 silver medalists Kitty and Peter Carruthers. As a skater, Ludington and then-wife Nancy Rouillard Ludington won the U.S. Figure Skating Pairs title four times, from 1957-1960, and also scored a bronze medal for pairs in the 1960 Winter Olympics. Upon retiring in 1960, Ludington turned to coaching and found success, eventually coaching athletes in nine consecutive Olympics, up to 2010. The University of Delaware took notice early on and built a rink to house its Skating Club, looking for Ludington to stay as its coach. The facility soon turned into an Olympic breeding ground, rivaled by the nearby Skating Club of Wilmington where the coach also works.

“He’s just an excellent coach and he’s really good at what he does,” adds Johnson.

There is another Olympian who helps with the pairs’ training. Irina Romanova, an Olympic ice dancer for Ukraine at the 1994 and 1998 Winter Games, works with Johnson and Belt as their choreographer. Others have helped without even knowing. Asked about his favorite pairs skaters, he recalled recently watching current Japanese pairs champions Narumi Takahashi and Mervin Tran as they performed and trained at a New York City competition that Johnson and Belt were also competing in. “They’re amazing.” With an eye toward the past, Johnson also admires the style of the pairs from the late 1980’s and early 90’s, most particularly two-time Olympic champions Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov (1988, 1994).

Looking at this winter, Johnson and Belt will be busy through the end of March, competing in regional and sectional events on the way to the Junior Nationals and another international competition in the early spring. Then there will be a two-week break. A well-deserved one.