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Four Corners Sports explores and celebrates the participants, coaches, events and supporters of sports in the area.
Citation preview
3Four Corners SPORTSMARCH 2015
content| 4 | Full Body Workout
As the calendar has now turned from 14
to 15, the New Year brings about the time
to reflect on the past and set goals for
the future. As hope springs eternal the
human race notoriously writes their
resolutions down in an attempt to make
themselves better.
| 8 | Living the Dream
Angela Magana knew, at an unusually
young age, what she wanted to be when
she grew up. “I have wanted to be a pro-
fessional fighter ever since I was 5 years
old watching movies like Kickboxer and
Bloodsport,” explained Magana.
| 12 | Youth WrestlingMelissa Meechan is a busy wife, mother
and community leader.
| 13 | It all startedwith SmokeySmokey lyon sat at his kitchen table
looking through books that held his
memories. There would be a chuckle,
then lyon would share a memory brought
back to him by a photo or article.
| 28 | Editorial Columnistby Rick Hoerner
| 30 | Fantasy Geekby Rick Hoerner
| 26 | 10 Questionswith Melissa Meechan
| 32 | The First Teeby Tom Yost
| 34 | NASCAR Nellie
| 18 | Prep Sports PreviewAmazingly, the third prep season kicked
off Feb. 2 with the final phase of the prep
sports year. Over the past few years it has
been the spring season where San Juan
County and especially the old district
1AAAA and current 1AAAAA district ex-
celled.
| 22 | New Mexico SportsHall of Fame
Don Vaughan
PuBlISHER
Cindy Cowan Thiele
EDITOR
Rick Hoerner
Tom Yost
Dorothy Nobis
CONTRIBuTING WRITERS
Curtis Benally
Josh Bishop
CONTRIBuTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Suzanne Thurman
DESIGNER
Shelly Acosta
Clint Alexander
Aimee Velasquez
SAlES STAFF
For advertising information
Call 505.516.1230
www.fourcornerssports.com
Four Corners Sports magazine is published once amonth by Majestic Media. Material herein may not bereprinted without expressed written consent of the pub-lisher. Opinions expressed by the contributing writersare not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or FourCorners Sports magazine. Every effort has been madeto ensure the accuracy of this publication. However thepublisher cannot assume responsibility for errors orommissions. © 2015 Four Corners Sports magazine.
Majestic Media
100 W. Apache Street
Farmington, NM 87401
505.516.1230
www.majesticmediausa.com
STORY IDEAS and PHOTOS
covercredit
Please send to
Megan Risner, Piedra Vista High SchoolJosh Bishop
4 Four Corners SportS MARCH 2015
5Four Corners SPOrTSMARCH 2015
As the calendar has now turned from 14 to
15, the New Year brings about the time to re-
flect on the past and set goals for the future.
As hope springs eternal the human race noto-
riously writes their resolutions down in an at-
tempt to make themselves better.
The word “better” is extremely vague in and
of itself – but better is usually followed by a
description of what the person wants to be
better at – a better parent, a better listener, a
better partner, a better lifestyle, a better eater
– on and on into eternity.
With the goal of wanting to be better bounc-
ing around in the subconscious of the human
brain, a workout facility on the east side of
Farmington promises to make you better by
teaching you the discipline of cross fit.
Animas CrossFit is an all-encompassing fit-
ness gym with programs that attempt to opti-
mize physical competence in cardiovascular
endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility,
power, speed, coordination, agility, balance
and accuracy. The movements performed are
considered functional and often are performed
during the everyday grind called your life.
Animas CrossFit has been operating in
Farmington for the past five years and is
owned and operated by Farmington Firefighter
Jesse Hickey and his wife Stephanie. The Hick-
eys previously have moved the gym two times,
but have found a home on East Main Street
where U-Haul used to be located.
“I still have people that come into the build-
ing looking to rent a trailer,” joked Hickey.
With the recent popularity of CrossFit,
Hickey says that more people are getting in-
volved because of the physical results and the
“community feel” that many don’t receive when
they go to a standard gym to workout.
“CrossFit has gained popularity because of its
effectiveness,” said Hickey. “Getting in shape is
never easy, but if you put hard work into some-
thing that works you are going to see results.
And with CrossFit, you can measure how much
better you are getting as you go along.”
“The other aspect CrossFit offers is that it is
one of the most supportive environments you
can have. People walk up to new members and
introduce themselves. Our members are very
supportive of the fitness journey for all fitness
levels. The intimidation factor is super low.”
Story by Tom Yost | Photos by Josh Bishop
Animas CrossFit has workouts for all fitness levels
Full body workout
6 Four Corners SPorTS MARCH 2015
Hickey got involved with CrossFit when
he was serving in the military. He took
CrossFit seriously the first time he partici-
pated, noticing how hard the workout was,
even though he considered himself to be in
great shape.
“CrossFit makes you better at real life,”
explained Hickey. “We use a lot of multi-
joint movements and refer to it as func-
tional fitness.”
As a Farmington Firefighter, Hickey defi-
nitely understands why it is important to
be better at real life.
“As a police officer or a firefighter you
are responsible to protect other people as
well as yourself. CrossFit makes me better
at my job,” stated Hickey.
His career as a fire fighter allows Hickey
the necessary time off to run the business
and coach members, but he credits his
wife, Stephanie, as the glue that holds
everything together.
“Stephanie is the one who runs the busi-
ness,” explained Hickey. “I have flexibility as
a firefighter to come in on my off days to
coach and run the business. It is tough at
times, but it is rewarding to both Steph
and I to see people get better, faster and
stronger.”
“We also have a wonderful group of
coaches who help make us successful,”
added Hickey.
And whether you have seen the elite
cross fit athletes on television doing 50
pull-ups or throwing tractor tires around
like feathers, Hickey encourages any and
all fitness levels to give CrossFit a try.
“Animas CrossFit offers a free class on
Saturdays at 11 a.m. for anybody who
wants to see what it is all about,” said
Hickey. “We also offer the opportunity to
just stop in and watch a class to see if it in-
terests you.”
Prices vary at Animas CrossFit, ranging
from $135 per month to a punch card that
offers 10 classes for $125.
“A lot of people see the price at $135 and
think it is too high, but at Animas CrossFit
“The other aspect CrossFit
offers is that it is one of the
most supportive environments
you can have.”
— Jesse Hickey
7Four Corners SportSMARCH 2015
you are not just paying for a regular gym mem-
bership, but a personal training aspect with
each class,” said Hickey.
“All of our classes, except open gym time on
Saturdays, are structured throughout the
week,” explained Hickey. “You don’t have to
come to the gym and worry about what you are
going to do once you get there – it is all
planned out for you. All workouts are led by a
coach, so everyone is doing the same thing at
the same time with the coach walking around
to make sure that you are doing the moves
properly, which prevents injury and maximizes
results.”
With over 100 active members, classes for
adults, kids and teens, with classes for
strength, mobility and yoga as well, Animas
CrossFit is your one stop shop to a better you.
Animas CrossFit is open seven days per
week with classes offered from 6 a.m. until
5:30 p.m.
For more information on how you can get in-
volved with Animas CrossFit, call 505.801.9603
or go to www.animascrossfit.com.
“We use a lot of
multi-joint movements
and refer to it as
functional fitness.”
— Jesse Hickey
8 Four Corners SporTS MARCH 2015
Angela Magana knew, at an unusually
young age, what she wanted to be when
she grew up.
“I have wanted to be a professional
fighter ever since I was 5 years old
watching movies like Kickboxer and
Bloodsport,” explained Magana.
It comes as no surprise to anyone
that Magana now participates in the Ul-
timate Fighting Championship (UFC)
newly announced Women’s Strawweight
division (115 pounds).
“I got my start at age 13 with Frankie
Montano as my boxing coach at a small
boxing gym he opened in Farmington
after his professional boxing career
ended,” said Magana. “I also wrestled
for Tibbetts and Farmington High
School, so I was already participating in
two pieces of mixed martial arts at a
young age.”
Born and raised in Farmington,
Angela has made some tough decisions
regarding her future that included
choosing a professional fighting career
over a nursing career.
Living her
dreamStory by Tom Yost | Photos by Josh Bishop
Angela Magana’s success is her journey as a UFC fighter
9Four Corners SportSMARCH 2015
10 Four Corners SporTS MARCH 2015
“Eight years ago, I made a decision before
the spring semester to throw caution to the
wind and not re-enroll in the nursing program
at San Juan College so that I could become a
professional fighter,” explained Magana. “I feel
that I can and will go back to school once my
career is over, but there is a certain shelf life
as a professional athlete.”
Magana thinks that shelf life is about 15 to
20 years, and currently at 31 years old, she
feels she has six to eight good years left.
Magana has been living with her 12-year-old
daughter and fiancé in Thailand on an educa-
tion visa for the past year and a half. She home
schools her daughter and studies the combat
sport of Muay Thai, which uses stand-up strik-
ing and clinching techniques. Muay Thai has
become so popular in mixed martial arts that
it is the “go to” stand up fighting technique
used by most (if not all) of their fighters.
MMA fighting has gained a huge following
and as a result has left the sport of boxing to
die a slow and painful death. The UFC has not
only gained popularity with men, but with
women as well. The introduction of the
Strawweight division to accompany the
Women’s Bantamweight division was an-
nounced a year ago. The UFC introduced the
women’s only weight class through a competi-
tive television reality show called The Ultimate
Fighter…A Champion Will Be Crowned.
“This was my dream, so I knew I had to try
out for the show,” said Magana. “I trained for
the show, made it as one of the 16 contestants,
trained the entire time while on the show and
fought other girls during the show in competi-
tive matches.”
Magana came out of the competition with an
11-7 record.
“I am probably strongest at grappling and
the ground game,” mentioned Magana. “The
thing I probably need to work on most are my
nerves inside the octagon. Each fight is the
biggest of my career and each opponent deter-
mines what I need to work on for that next
fight.”
When Magana is home in the Four Corners,
she trains at Durango Martial Arts Academy
under the tutelage of her coach for the past 17
years, Floyd Sword, who runs Team 4 Corners
MMA.
With her greatest goal of getting into the
UFC accomplished, Magana has a level headed-
ness about her and offers a refreshing per-
spective on her career and life moving
forward.
“I am enjoying the journey,” exclaimed Mag-
ana. “Most people put too much weight in the
destination – which will always leave you dis-
appointed. The fact that I am living my dream
and that I am happy are my biggest suc-
cesses.”
11Four Corners SporTSMARCH 2015
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So what does the next six to eight years
have in store for Angela Magana?
“My goals are to climb the rankings and
face a top contender from the UFC,” said Mag-
ana. “But more important is to keep providing
and teaching my daughter by enriching her life
through travel. My daughter is learning so
much and having her come over to Thailand
with me has been a huge learning experience
for her.”
“I just want to continue being a good role
model for my daughter,” added Magana. “We
are extremely happy that we get to experience
life instead of just reading about it. More peo-
ple need to leave their comfort zone, get out of
their current surroundings and experience the
world.”
True life lessons from a Farmington native
who chose the road less traveled and followed
her dream, and loves every minute of the jour-
ney.
“I have wanted to be a professional
fighter ever since I was 5 years old
watching movies like Kickboxer and
Bloodsport.”
— Angela Magana
12 Four Corners SPoRTS MARCH 2015
Melissa Meechan is a busy wife, mother and
community leader.
Meechan is a part time projects assistant
for San Juan College President Dr. Toni Pender-
grass, is a full time student at New Mexico
Highlands University where she is majoring in
elementary education is past president of the
San Juan Rotary Club, and is co-chair of the Ci-
vility First project. Meechan is also a wrestling
coach for Farmington Youth Wrestling and pro-
vides administrative support to the wrestling
program at Farmington High School.
When asked why and how she became in-
volved in youth wrestling, Meechan laughed.
“My high school boyfriend was a wrestler and
he was also my ride home,” she said. “I’d hang
around during wrestling practices (after
school) and help.”
The wrestling team at Konawaena High
School on the Big Island of Hawaii, where
Meechan lived with her family, had other girls
who helped the team as managers. “But they
never showed up,” Meechan explained, “and I
ended up doing their jobs, which was cleaning
mats and taking statistics.”
The team also had a policy that prohibited
team members’ girlfriends from being man-
agers. When the other girls continued to fail to
show, the coach decided to do away with the
“help.”
“But the guys all stood up for me and said I
was doing all of it anyway, so I should be al-
lowed to continue to help. They made me man-
ager,” she said.
And help she did. Meechan went with the
team to tournaments and became knowledge-
able about the rules and regulations of
wrestling. At one tournament, a referee made
a bad call and Meechan was quick to tell him
about it. “I had studied the rule book and I
called him on it,” she said with a laugh. “He
said I was the only person to ever call him on a
bad call, and be right!”
The ref, impressed by Meechan’s knowledge
of the sport, offered to train her to be a referee.
“I declined, but I went to work for him while in
Melissa Meechan proves that moms make great coachesStory by Dorothy Nobis | Photos by Josh Bishop
YOUTHWRESTLINGYOUTHWRESTLING
* Youth Wrestling 14
Smokey Lyon sat at his kitchen table, look-
ing through books that held his memories.
There would be a chuckle, then Lyon would
share a memory brought back to him by a
photo or article. His eyes would mist a bit as
he remembered a friend he made during his
tour with the U.S. Navy and his fingers would
gently touch the photo that reminds him of old
friends and good times.
It was the book of his years in the Navy that
was part of the memories Lyon shared re-
cently. Then there were the articles and the
wrestling shoes he once wore that brought
back memories of starting the wrestling pro-
gram at Farmington High School in 1963.
And it is wrestling that makes Lyon’s eyes
sparkle and his memory sharpen. Lyon was a
wrestler at Grand Junction (Colo.) High School
and loved the sport. When his son, Allen, was
in high school at FHS, Lyon decided the school
needed a wrestling program.
“Allen was too small for football,” Lyon said,
“but I knew he could wrestle.”
He and Bill Bynum went to a meeting of the
Farmington School Board and made a presen-
tation to have a wrestling program. They were
persuasive and the board approved the pro-
gram. There was no money in the school’s
budget for the program, however, so Lyon and
Bynum contacted other business people, and
they all contributed to the costs of mats and
uniforms.
“When they (the board) called me and
asked me what size mats we needed, I told
them 24 (feet) by 24 (feet),” Lyon remem-
bered. “I should have told them bigger ones,
because we had to use old gym mats for side
mats.”
The first year attracted 15 wrestlers to the
program and the program continued to grow.
With the program intact, Lyon decided to stay
involved and became a referee. He refereed
matches at Farmington High School and
throughout southern Colorado.
13Four Corners SPorTSMARCH 2015
It all
started
with
Smokey
Story by Dorothy Nobis | Photos by Josh Bishop
Since 1963 Lyon has shared his love of wrestling with Farmington
* Smokey 16
At left, Smokey Lyon accepts an award from Farmington High School Principal Tim Kienitz on Jan. 22
during an FHS wrestling match. The ceremony and placque honored Somkey for his contributions
to FHS and the sport of wrestling in Farmington.
college, helping to run the tables, overseeing statistics and time keeping,”
she said. Meechan helped the ref for a year, before she left school to get
married. She and her husband, Jason, sold everything they had – except
their clothes, music, movies, a sewing machine and Jason’s tools, which
he needed for work, and moved to Farmington in 1998.
Meechan’s son, Jared, was 4 years old when he started wrestling in
the Farmington Youth Wrestling program. the Farmington program had
about 130 kids participating and only 15 coaches. “they were over-
whelmed,” Meechan said of the coaches. “I started helping some of the
kids I knew when another parent and my husband asked me why I just
didn’t coach.”
the pair tried to convince Meechan to take on a coaching role, but
she resisted. “Moms don’t coach,” she said. “But I went to (Coach) Jesus
Mendoza and offered to help.” things were awkward at first, so after a
few practices Meechan visited Mendoza in his office again. “I said,
‘You’re being run over by all those kids out there. You need help.’ He
asked me if I wanted to become a coach and I said, “I don’t care what
you call me,’ I just want to help.” He realized I wasn’t there to prove any-
thing, and he became one of my biggest supporters.”
Meechan said girls often get involved in wrestling when they’re
younger. “But by the time they’re in middle school and high school, the
boys get stronger and girls just aren’t built the same way, so they move
on to other sports.”
Her first year as a coach wasn’t always easy, Meechan said. “re-
cently, another coach told me that in the beginning he would hear par-
ents say they didn’t want me coaching their kids, but by the third year,
that stopped. there were boundaries to get through, but I (got through
them).”
Meechan doesn’t take her coaching responsibilities lightly. She al-
ready knew the rules of the sport, how points are awarded and the tech-
nicalities of wrestling, but she had never actually wrestled – so she
studied wrestling moves. there was also the issue of the wives of the
male coaches, she added. “I made sure I met every wife,” she said, to
make sure they understood her desire to help the kids wrestle to the
best of their ability, and that was the only reason she was a coach.
the male coaches she works with do give her a hard time, Meechan
admitted. “I’m part of them and they understand that.”
Cody Small met Meechan about 10 years ago, when their daughters
were classmates in kindergarten. “over the years, our girls got to be
close and were involved in many activities together which brought our
families together. We all became very close friends,” Small said. “We
spent a lot of time together and became family. My son, Zack, is about
four years older than Melissa’s son, Jared. Zack and Jared are like
brothers, and Jared wants to do everything Zack does. Zack has been
wrestling since he was 4. Melissa and Jared would come and watch his
matches.”
Small said one of Meechan’s strengths is her attention to detail.
“When we teach a move, she is very good at picking up the fine points of
it and making sure the kids are executing the move the way that they
should be,” Small said. “Being a woman, she also has a different ap-
proach to the kids that becomes very beneficial at times.”
“She can calm kids down and get them back on the mat wrestling
sometimes when I can’t,” Small added.
“I’m very empathetic,” Meechan said, agreeing with Small. “When a
kid loses and his heart breaks, my heart breaks with him. I know the
guys (male coaches) care, but I don’t think they feel it the same way I
do.”
14 Four Corners SportS MARCH 2015
Youth Wrestling continued from 12
15Four Corners SpOrTSMARCH 2015
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Visiting teams have accepted her as well,
but sometimes athletes don’t realize she’s an-
other coach. “I wear the same uniform (as the
male coaches); I have the same tournament
floor pass. It’s traditional that each wrestler
shake hands with all of the coaches and some-
times, the kids will walk past me (without
shaking hands). I understand why.”
As in most youth sports, parents can be a
challenge. Meechan said. “Once, a dad got in
my face and another time a mom accused me
of cheating, and that can be emotionally ex-
hausting. Another time a mom came out of the
stands screaming at us (coaches). (Youth)
sports bring out the passion in people and
when it’s your baby out there wrestling, it be-
comes personal.”
“But I’m five foot eight and I’m a big girl, so
that helps,” she added. “I’m not intimidated by
a lot of people.”
Meechan is quick to say her coaching team
is “awesome.” “They value me as a coach. I see
sports as winning not being the ultimate goal. I
look at each kid and I just want to see
progress.”
Meechan said that while she’s usually easy
going during practices – and her fellow
coaches give her a hard time about that – she
did get mad once. “At a practice one day, the
kids were not listening very well and she
stepped in and started getting on the kids
about it,” said Small. “After she got the kids’ at-
tention back to where it needed to be one of
the other coaches teased her and said, ‘So
that’s you being mad? It needs a little work.’”
* Youth Wrestling 35
16 Four Corners SpOrTS MARCH 2015
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“I went to the practices almost every day,”
Lyon said. “I loved it and I helped develop some
pretty good wrestlers along the way.”
Jackie Thornton was an FHS wrestler Lyon
mentored. An athlete that excelled in several
sports, Thornton was inducted into the FHS Hall
of Fame and was among the best wrestlers,
Lyon said. “I loved watching the kids develop
and I watched Jackie Thornton lose the only
match he ever lost.”
Lyon laughed as he recalled some of his
memories of refereeing. “I was refereeing a
match in Aztec and called a pin on a wrestler.
This lady came out on the mat and said he was-
n’t pinned. I said he was and I had the cops take
her outside.”
Then there was the time Lyon refereed a tour-
nament between Arizona State University and
the UCLA. “I had to stop the match,” Lyon said
with a laugh. “One of the wrestlers crapped his
pants. There was nothing in the rule book to
cover it (that situation), so the coaches decided
to give him an injury time out. He cleaned up
and came back to finish the match.”
Allen Lyon, Lyon’s son, said having a father
who officiated at wrestling matches wasn’t al-
ways easy.
“It was painful,” Allen said with a laugh.
“There wasn’t any gray area and he cut slack for
everybody else but his own kid.”
“He didn’t want to play favorites,” Allen
added. “Lots of people didn’t know he was my
dad when he was referring, and we kept it that
way so it would be fair.”
While his dad was tough on his son during
matches he officiated, Allen said a lot of good
came out of it. “It made me appreciate the team
that much more. I didn’t have someone else
doing it for me.”
As if having a father officiate at his
wrestling matches wasn’t enough, Allen said his
brother-in-law, Gary Howlett, also refereed. “My
matches had either my dad or my brother-in-
law refereeing most of my matches,” Allen said.
Allen was an outstanding wrestler, his dad
was quick to say, “He wrestled pretty damned
good,” Smokey said with pride.
With a wrestling rule book always at hand,
Allen said “I knew all the rules.”
Allen’s ability earned him a state champi-
onship in1969 and a place in the New Mexico
Wrestling Hall of Fame later. But that champi-
onship and his graduation from Farmington
High School didn’t end his love of the sport.
While a student at Fort Lewis College in Du-
rango, Allen discovered there weren’t enough
officials for wrestling in the area. “I got certified
(as a referee) in 1970,”Allen said. “But I didn’t
think it would be long term. It ended up being a
semi-career.”
Following in the footsteps of his father,
Allen has been refereeing matches for the past
44 years. “I still enjoy being around the kids
and, in my estimation, wrestling is the best
competitive sport for kids. The competition is
one to one. There’s no one else helping on the
mat and it’s opponent against opponent.
Smokey continued from 13
* Smokey 25
When Smokey retired from officiating wrestling in 1994 he gave his shoes to friend Herb Stinson as a joke. Stinson had a shadowbox built for the shoes and returned them to his friend.
18 Four Corners SPORTS MARCH 2015
amazingly the third prep season kicked off
Feb. 2 with the final phase of the prep sports
year. Over the past few years it has been the
spring season where San Juan County and es-
pecially the old district 1aaaa and current
1aaaaa district excelled.
a quick look back at 2014 showed state
championships by the Piedra Vista softball,
their 9th in a row; Piedra Vista baseball, their
4th in 5 years; aztec track that completed its
back to back titles in girls track, and Farming-
ton boys track overtaking 2013 state champs
Piedra Vista for last year’s title.
Farmington tennis again made another title
run knocking off albuquerque academy and
winning its 5th title in six years. Once again the
districts have changed, but at least in 5a the
results may very well be the same.
Softball
as usual, any softball preview begins with
Piedra Vista. The Panthers will attempt to win
their 10th consecutive state championship in
2015, breaking the state record of 7 straight
two years ago. PV returns six starters this year
including last year’s starting pitcher megan
Risner, and if last year was supposed to be
their supposed down year. The rest of the state
may be in trouble.
The change in district alignment makes the
toughest district in the state even better. Just
two years ago all five teams in the district
were in the final eight at the state tournament.
aztec again finished second to the Panthers in
2014 and will be right there once again, along
with Farmington.
Bloomfield should again be the dominant
team in Class 1aaaa after finishing third at
state in aaa last season. a drop in classifica-
tion should be beneficial to Kirtland Central
who should be right behind the Bobcats.
navajo Prep was solid last year and again will
be favored in their district.
Baseball
Over the past decade San Juan County has
dominated the state baseball tournament.
Piedra Vista won the title last year building on
their dynasty of four championships in the
past five years. Before that it was Farmington
meganRISNERPiedra Vista High School
Local teams turn it up a notch in spring sportsStory by Rick Hoerner | Photos by Josh Bishop
PreP
sPorts
Preview
19Four Corners SPorTSMARCH 2015
High with only St. Pius and academy interrupt-
ing a run that began at the beginning of a
Class 5a let alone a 6a.
Piedra vista returns three starting pitchers
from last year’s squad in Wyatt Weaver, Gunner
archuleta and Philip archuleta. The Panthers
were dealt a huge blow in losing their top hit-
ter and starting catcher Zach ahlgrim to an in-
jury during the wrestling season. even with the
addition of Gallup and Miyamura, the district
season will still come down to two games be-
tween Farmington and Pv.
For the Scorpions, they will have to enter
the first time in a long time without Beemer
Wicks and Lance Lee. They’ll turn to Chris
Moore to lead the way.
Bloomfield should be favored after winning
the district last year and getting a No. 7 seed.
Kirtland Central showed great improvement
last year knocking off aztec in district play and
avoided getting 10 run ruled in the second
round by either Farmington or Piedra vista.
Boys’ Track
Coaching is obviously not a problem at the
local tracks. recently, Pv Head Coach Mark
Turner was voted to the Track & Field
Coaches association Hall of Fame and Farm-
ington’s Jeff Dalton was named Coach of The
year. Looking back a decade, no one thought
the likes of Farmington and Pv could ever
compete with track and field royalty Los
alamos and albuquerque academy. However,
over the past three years both schools have
won the title and been in the hunt especially
in 2013 where Pv was 1st and Farmington
was 2nd. avery rasher returns for Farming-
ton as they try to repeat.
Bloomfield finished 5th in last year’s state
tournament and should be the favorite to re-
peat in their district. Shiprock will dominate
the distance events and Kirtland will change
the district’s dynamics.
Girl’s Track
Just as in boy’s track, the girls had been
dominated by Los alamos and academy for
better than a decade. But just like the boys,
that all changed in 2013 when anna Strauss’
aztec Lady Tigers won their first of two con-
secutive state championships. The Tigers
should again be in the mix as Sarah root
averyRASHERfarmington high school
20 Four Corners sports MARCH 2015
farmington high school
girl’s tennis
21Four Corners sPorTsMARCH 2015
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returns for her senior year. root was the leading scorer in last
year’s state meet winning the 100 meter hurdles and triple jump,
finishing 2nd in the 300 meter hurdles and the long jump, and
third in the 4x200 relay. rikki Newland also returns for aztec after
placing in the javelin, discus and on two relays. PV and Farmington
were also Top 10 finishers at state last year.
In 4a, Bloomfield, shiprock and Kirtland Central will be bat-
tling for district supremacy. While the Bobcats are defending
district champions, Kirtland moving down in class should have
an impact and shiprock is always strong in distances.
TennisWhile only two teams in this area even compete in tennis, they
have become quite competitive with each other. Even though
Farmington has been the dominant team, PV has closed the gap.
The scorpion girls have overtaken the Country Club set of albu-
querque academy to be the dominant team in the state winning
five titles in the last six years. The doubles team of Briody-
Pavlik/Coleman returns for Farmington as they look for another
title.
The weather will start warming up, and if you don’t mind the
wind it’s time to get outside and enjoy the last of the prep
sports seasons where this community has the defending state
champions in five of the spring sports.
sarahROOTaztec high school
22 Four Corners SPORTS MARCH 2015
Farmington native and former Dallas Cow-
boy Ralph Neely was one of the sportsmen
from the 42nd class for the New Mexico Sports
Hall Of Fame.
There were seven inductees this year, which
is the largest class ever inducted at once.
The 2015 New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame
banquet is scheduled for March 1 at Sandia
Resort & Casino in Albuquerque.
RAlPH NeelyBorn Sept. 12, 1943, in little Rock, Ark., Ralph
Neely was an offensive tackle who played 13 sea-
sons and 172 games for the Dallas Cowboys from
1965-77.
He attended Farmington High School (Class of
1961) where he was an All-State tackle for two
years in football and a standout center for the
basketball team.
Neely was recruited by the University of Okla-
homa and played college football under coaches
Bud Wilkinson and Gomer Jones. The 261-pound
tackle played both ways, and was a dominant
performer on defense and an excellent blocker
on offense.
He was named the Big eight sophomore line-
man of the year and was a two-time All-American
and an all-conference selection in both 1963 and
’64. He was one of three Sooners stars who
missed the 1965 Gator Bowl game aginst Florida
State University: he, fullback Jim Grisham and
halfback lance Rentzel signed with pro teams be-
fore the game and were ruled ineligible for the
contest. (FSU won 36–19 behind four touchdown
catches by Fred Biletnikoff.)
In 1965, Neely was drafted in the second round
of the NFl Draft (Baltimore Colts) and in the AFl
Draft (Houston Oilers). On Aug. 29, 1965, the Colts
traded his rights to the Dallas Cowboys in ex-
change for Billy lothridge and a fourth-round se-
lection in 1966.
Neely accepted the Oilers’ contract offer, which
also included rights to own a gas station in Hous-
ton, but requested it be kept secret to remain eli-
gible to play in the Gator Bowl. When he learned
that the Colts traded his rights to the Cowboys,
he began negotiating with Dallas and returned
his check to the Oilers. litigation ensued between
the Oilers and Cowboys in regard to his rights.
One of the terms of the merger agreement be-
tween the NFl and the AFl was that the Neely con-
New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame
Farmington’s Ralph Neely
among the 42nd class of inductees Sports Hall of Fame inductees at a press conference in December 2014
included, from left, Scott Kiner representing his father Ralph, Pete Shock,
Rocky Arroyo, Trent Dimas and Ralph Neely. Courtesy photo.
23Four Corners SPORTSMARCH 2015
tract dispute be resolved. In 1966 the Cowboys fi-
nally agreed to send four draft choices in the
1967 NFL Draft to the Oilers and to start the an-
nual pre-season game, the Governor’s Cup, be-
tween the two teams.
A rookie in 1965, Neely joined the Cowboys just
as they were beginning their ascent in the NFL,
started right away at right offensive tackle and
was named to the NFL all-rookie team.
In 1977, Neely retired after the Cowboys won
Super Bowl XII against the Denver Broncos; he
was selected to the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team.
VICeNTe “ROCky” ARROyOBorn Oct. 4, 1925, Vicente “Rocky” Arroyo’s out-
standing achievements began early and snow-
balled over his lifetime, not all of them were
related to sports.
Twice at el Paso’s Burleson elementary this son
of Mexican immigrants skipped grades on the rec-
ommendation of teachers recognizing his aca-
demic abilities, so he was just 12 when he entered
el Paso High School as a freshman.
In 1941 he was a 15-year-old member of the el
Paso Tigers team that defeated Abilene for the
Texas high school basketball championship.
He graduated from high school at 16 and at-
tended summer school at the Texas School of
Mines
“I was good in math and I wanted that electrical
engineering degree,” he said, securing his ee de-
gree from UNM in four years while competing in
varsity basketball, baseball and football.
The Lobos’ only two Border Conference titles
came in Arroyo’s first two varsity seasons (1943-44
and 1944-45), although several Border Conference
schools closed or cut back in light of students
going off to war. The Lobos won a more impressive
title in 1944-45 with a 14-0 record against college
competition — in a much stronger field that in-
cluded the pre-war conference schools.
At 20, Arroyo steadily built the town of
Bernalillo’s basketball legacy. In the District 3 bas-
ketball tournament, the Bernalillo-OLOS hybrid
school got past the first round in both 1946-47 and
1947-48, finding itself seeded second behind So-
corro in the 1948 tournament (the same year he
was on the Mexican Olympic team).
In 1954, Arroyo left Bernalillo for a job at the
brand new “big school,” Valley High, but after one
season he decided he wanted to pursue the oppor-
tunities that had opened up after the war in his de-
gree specialty and he got a job at Sandia National
Laboratories.
He didn’t give up basketball, and became a ref-
eree at the high school and small-college level. Ar-
royo, now 89, still lives in Albuquerque.
BILL BRIDGeSBill Bridges was born April 4, 1939, in Hobbs.
Ultimately growing to 6 feet, 6 inches tall,
along the way to NBA fame he starred first at
Hobbs High School – playing on coach Ralph
Tasker’s championship teams of 1956-58 — be-
fore going on to play for the University of kansas,
where he still ranks among the Jayhawks’ top-10
players of all time.
With the Jayhawks, he earned All-American
honors in 1961. In his three years at kansas
(freshmen didn’t play on varsity teams then), he
earned three selections to the All-Big eight Con-
ference. Bridges grabbed 1,000 rebounds in 78
games and averaged an amazing 13.9 rebounds
per game as a center at kansas from 1959-61.
kU’s postseason rebounding award bears his
name, and his jersey (32) was officially retired on
Dec. 9, 2004.
He was drafted by the Chicago Packers (whose
lineage leads them to today’s Washington Wiz-
ards of the NBA) in the third round of the 1961
NBA Draft (Walt Bellamy was their first pick, and
first overall pick), but Bridges opted to play for
the kansas City Steers of the American Basket-
ball League. He set the ABL single-game scoring
record with 55 points on Dec. 9, 1962. The Steers
went 54-25 in 1961-62 and finished first in the
ABL’s West Division, with Bridges averaging 21.5
points per game and 13.4 rebounds per game.
Bridges then signed with the St. Louis Hawks
in the NBA and spent 13 seasons (1962-75) as a
member of the St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks, Philadel-
phia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State
Warriors. Bridges won an NBA championship with
the Warriors in 1975 and appeared in three All-
Star Games during the course of his career.
Bridges, nicknamed “The Train,” was known as
a tough defender and a strong rebounder, aver-
aging a double-double (11.9 points, 11.9 re-
bounds) over the course of his NBA career. His
league-leading 366 personal fouls during the
1967-68 season was, at one time, an NBA record.
TReNT DIMASIt took Trent Dimas a little over a minute to win
an Olympic gold medal at the Summer Games in
Barcelona, Spain, in 1992, but the groundwork
for that magical moment had taken years.
Dimas crowned a lifetime of training with a
near-flawless high bar routine that captivated the
audience on that late night in Barcelona. During
his routine, the Albuquerque gymnast executed
several releases above the bar with career-best
proficiency, and then took his triple somersault
dismount for a winning score of 9.875. Afterward,
Dimas leaped into the arms of his coach, ed
Burch, and into the Olympic record book.
Trent’s win was the first gold medal awarded a
U.S. Olympic gymnast – male or female – in an
Olympics held outside the United States since
World War II. His was the only gold medal won by
the American team members in Barcelona and
he became the first Hispanic American to win a
gold medal on the treacherous high bar.
Dimas was a definite long-shot. His was a
breakthrough win in an Olympics dominated by
the Soviet Union.
Dimas, who was born Nov. 10, 1970, began
gymnastics at the age of 5 and climbed steadily
through the ranks and levels of gymnastic com-
petition. By the time he was 13 he was a member
of the U.S. junior national team and at age 15
made the U.S. senior national team.
After the 1992 Games, Trent worked as an as-
sistant women’s gymnastics coach at yale. He
tried out for the 1996 Olympic team but eventu-
ally withdrew from the competition. Dimas went
back to school and earned a degree in General
Studies from Columbia University.
Trent has returned to his hometown and cur-
rently is director of development for the Univer-
sity of New Mexico Foundation.
24 Four Corners SpORTS MARCH 2015
Ralph KineRBefore he even played a Major league game, pi-
rates manager Frankie Frisch proclaimed “(Ralph)
Kiner looks like he’s going to be the best (out-
fielder) we’ve ever had.”
and he
soon was.
Kiner made
his major
league
debut in
1946 at the
age of 23;
he’d lost
three
prime
years to
serve his
country in
World War
ii. he
wasted no
time in making his presence felt, as he led the na-
tional league in home runs and established a new
pittsburgh pirates franchise record in the process.
Born Oct. 27, 1922, in the copper mining town of
Santa Rita, n.M., Kiner said in his 1987 autobiogra-
phy (“Kiner’s Korner”) that his father, Ralph, had
owned a bakery in Farmington before moving to
Santa Rita, where he “was a steam- shovel opera-
tor at the largest open-pit mine in new Mexico.” But
Ralph Kiner died when his son was 4 and Ralph’s
mother, Beatrice, who had served as a nurse in
France during WWi, returned to the nursing profes-
sion after being widowed, and the two moved into a
small house in alhambra, Calif.
Known as a baseball “lifer,” Kiner also was well
known in hollywood circles: he dated elizabeth Tay-
lor and Janet leigh, played golf with James Garner
and Jack lemon, and developed friendships with
lucille Ball and Desi arnaz.
Upon retirement, Kiner became the general
manager of the Cleveland indians’ pacific Coast
league franchise, the San Diego padres, where he
developed his skills in the broadcast booth.
in 1962, the expansion new York Mets hired
Ralph to do their television broadcasts.
he was inducted into the Baseball hall of Fame
in 1975. he passed away Feb. 6, 2014, in Rancho Mi-
rage, Cal., and was buried next to his parents in
Farmington.
peTe ShOCKin a small town like Cliff, n.M., you don’t always
win big with pure talent.
Just ask pete Shock, the hometown kid who was
a star basketball player for the Cowboys in the late
’60s, then came back home to establish a power-
house small schools basketball program that con-
tinues to produce 20-win-plus seasons year after
year.
When pete retired as the boys basketball coach
at Cliff high School in March of 2013, his teams at
the little
school in
southwest
new Mex-
ico had
won 10
state
champi-
onships
and his
coaching
career
record of
854 wins –
including
three years
at Silver
high School – is second only to legendary hobbs
coach Ralph Tasker.
pete Shock graduated from Cliff high School in
1968. he was a star guard on the basketball team
and still holds the career scoring record with more
than 1,700 points. his senior year he was named to
the all-State basketball team and to the South all-
Star squad.
25Four Corners SPoRTSMARCH 2015
Kids have the ability to compete against
other kids at equivalent weight, which makes it
equal. It’s possible for an eighth grader to
compete against a senior and do quite well.”
Allen mentioned Anthony Jukes, who won
his first state championship with Piedra Vista
High School as an eighth grader. “Anthony is a
four-time state champion and could be the
state’s first five-time state champion.”
“My dad really enjoyed officiating and he
had such passion for the sport,” Allen said.
“We’d travel with the (wrestling) team to
matches. My dad would take wrestlers in his
car and other parents would do the same.
There was no budget for a bus for the
wrestling team and my dad gave his time and
his gas to take them to matches.”
“They were good men,” Allen said of his
dad and of Bill Bynum and the other fathers.
“There were some tough times, but they al-
ways made it positive.”
With 44 years behind him, Allen said he
hopes to continue officiating until he has 45.
“As long as I enjoy the sport and being around
the kids and coaches, I’d like to continue.”
Herb Stinson was an outstanding wrestler
at Aztec High School and has fond memories of
Smokey Lyon. “Smokey has always been there,”
Stinson said. “When I was wrestling at Aztec
High, Smokey was ‘the guy.’ He’s always been
such an advocate of wrestling in this area.”
When Stinson returned to San Juan
County after college to coach wrestling, he had
a summer camp for his wrestlers. “Smokey
came to every one (of the sessions). He loved
being around wrestling.”
At a tournament in 1994, Smokey offici-
ated his last match, Stinson remembered. “We
were talking and I looked down at his feet and
said ‘Those shoes are some kinda old.’ They
were Adidas and suede and they were in bad
shape. I told him when he got around to retir-
ing, I wanted those shoes.”
Smokey promised and, true to his word,
when he retired, he gave Stinson the shoes.
Stinson had a shadow box built for the shoes
and returned them to his friend.
His shoes aren’t the only gift Stinson has
for Smokey, however. A member of the New
Mexico Wrestling Hall of Fame and on the se-
lection committee for new inductees, Stinson
will be part of the celebration in late February
at the state tournament when Smokey is in-
ducted into the Hall of Fame.
“Smokey is an old school wrestler who is
an old school official,” Stinson said. “They did
things the right way and Smoke calls it like it’s
supposed to be called. He was never afraid to
penalize kids if they weren’t doing things
right.”
“Smokey and I have always had a kinship
and a friendship because of the sport we love,”
Stinson added.
For Smokey Lyon, wrestling will always be
a part of his life and provide memories he will
cherish forever. And at 88 years young, Lyon is
still trying to decide what he wants to be. “I got
too damned old for refereeing,” he said with a
grin. “But I think I’ll be a rabble rouser when I
grow up.”
Smokey continued from 16
He went on to Western New Mexico University on
a basketball scholarship and achieved similar suc-
cess there. He was named to the All-Conference
team in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
and to the All-District team.
He graduated from Western New Mexico in 1972
with degrees in business, business education,
physical education and economics.
Shock led the Cowboys to the State Tournament
in his first year as the head coach and the labor of
love turned into a decades-long passion for endur-
ing success.
Today, Pete is still part of the Cliff High commu-
nity. He serves as the athletic director and over-
sees a sports program in which his son Brian is
now the boys head basketball coach.
GeoRGe YoUNGBorn in Roswell, N.M., on July 24, 1937, George
Young was the first American runner to compete
in four olympics: 1960 (Rome), 1964 (Tokyo), 1968
(Mexico City – he trained at altitude in Flagstaff),
and 1972 (Munich).
That training in the Grand Canyon State to our
west paid off: Young won the bronze medal in the
3,000-meter steeplechase!
Young graduated from Western High School in
Silver City, N.M., in 1955, and then attended the
University of Arizona, competing in track and
field. He
began run-
ning the
3,000-meter
steeple-
chase in his
senior year
and finished
second in
that event
at the na-
tional AAU
champi-
onships. He
graduated
from the
University
of Arizona in 1959 with an undergraduate degree
and was tabbed as the “outstanding senior ath-
lete” of the year.
Shortly after graduating, Young qualified for
the 1960 Summer olympics in Rome. During the
preliminary rounds for the steeplechase, he
tripped over a hurdle and thus did not advance to
the finals. The next year, he broke the American
steeplechase record when he ran the event in
8:31. After a classic battle with the University of
oregon All-American Steve Prefontaine at the
1972 U.S. olympic Trials at Hayward Field in eu-
gene, ore., he competed in the 5,000-meter race
at the 1972 Summer olympics.
In addition to his records in the steeplechase,
two-mile and indoor three-mile, he also held
American records for the 5000-meter, 300-meter,
steeplechase, and 4×1500-meter relay, as well as
twelve age group world records. At the age of 34,
he became the oldest person in the world to run
a mile in under four minutes (3:59.6).
He was inducted into the National Track & Field
Hall of Fame in 1981 and into the National Dis-
tance Running Hall of Fame in 2003. He also has
been inducted into the University of Arizona HoF,
National Track and Field HoF, NJCAA Track and
Cross Country HoF and National Distance Running
HoF in 2003.
His 1975 biography is “Always Young.”
He and his wife Nancy reside in Casa Grande,
Ariz.
“I got too damned old
for refereeing. But I think
I’ll be a rabble rouser when
I grow up.”
— Smokey Lyon
Why would you encourage young people to get involved in
wrestling?
1
What are the requirements to participate in youth
wrestling?
2
What can parents do to encourage young people to take
part in sports?
3
What should parents Not do when their kids
are in sports?
4
What kinds of safety controls do coaches
have to prevent injuries in wrestling?
5
Melissa Meechan is a part time projects assistant for san Juan College president
Dr. toni pendergrass. she moved to Farmington in 1998 and she and her husband
Jason are both youth wrestling coaches.
i believe that wrestling requires a level of self-discipline that
isn’t seen in other sports. When a wrestler steps onto the
mat, it’s just him and his opponent. He has a coach to help
him, but he wins and loses on his own. that pressure
requires a high level of self-confidence and self-regulation.
to truly become a success in the sport of wrestling requires
a great deal of heart and commitment and that is what sets
wrestling apart. there are many other benefits to wrestling
such as a high level of physical activity and strength
required. Wrestling teams are often more cohesive than
i’ve seen in other sports. the wrestlers make lifelong friend-
ships with others throughout the Four Corners area. the ath-
letes see each other at their best and worst which helps
them develop strong bonds with one another.
the biggest concern i have is parents who push their chil-
dren too hard. sometimes, parents want their children to
succeed so much that they put a lot of unnecessary pressure
on them. it's good to expect your child to work hard and do
their best, but as parents we need to remember that they
are still children. they have a whole life of stress and pres-
sure to look forward to. let your child be a child. on the
other hand, i've met some pretty driven child athletes. in my
opinion, the child needs to set the pace and not the parent.
let the child decide what she wants to be involved in and
don't punish her for failure. i also believe that joining a
team is a commitment that needs to be honored and parents
should reinforce that. they shouldn't let kids quit a sport on
a whim. at my house, the rule is that if my child signs up for
a sport they have to finish the season. they can choose not
to play that sport in the future, but i believe that they need to
fulfill the commitment they have made to our family, them-
selves and the team. one benefit to this philosophy is that
they recognize that their decisions are powerful and have
consequences.
coach about letting the child observe practice or a game.
take them for as long as they are willing to watch. at some
point, they may decide that the excitement of the sport is
worth the bravery required to participate. letting the coach
know that the child has concerns also helps because we can
be extra aware of their needs and work to accommodate
them.
in the sport of wrestling, as in any sport, injuries happen.
However, the rules of wrestling identify moves that may be
potentially hazardous and require that a match be stopped if
one is used. these rules help significantly with the preven-
tion of injury. as coaches, we do what we can to promote
safety. Many of our stretches and drills are designed to
strengthen our athletes or help them wrestle strategically,
the youth program has age requirements and to participate
this year the athlete must have been born between 2001
and 2010. Beyond that, the athlete just needs heart and a
willingness to work hard. there are little physical
requirements and wrestlers come in all shapes, sizes and
abilities. We’ve had several disabled athletes participate in
the youth wrestling program that is something that makes
wrestling unique.
First and foremost, parents need to make activity a priority
in their children’s lives. too many kids today are tethered to
some electronic device that is their only form of entertain-
ment. Kids who have never been active are usually not ex-
cited at the idea of something new and physical. i think it’s
important to let our children know that even if they don’t
win, we still love them. sports can be a really big deal
around here and that pressure may be a lot to a child. some-
times kids are too timid to outright join a team. if a shy child
shows interest in a sport or team, parents should talk to the
26 Four Corners sports MARCH 2015
MelissaMEECHAN
27Four Corners SPORTSMARCH 2015
which also helps to prevent injuries. All coaches are re-
quired to have an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) coach's
card that requires a background check.
What are the costs for youth wrestlers?6The annual registration fee is $50. Each child is regis-
tered with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and receives
a team t-shirt. That fee is all that is required for a child
to participate. If the athlete wants to compete, each tour-
nament has a small entry fee. Tournaments are optional,
but are rewarding to the kids. Wrestling gear is optional
and includes a singlet, headgear and wrestling shoes. I
recommend that students purchase shoes and headgear
at a minimum. Wrestling shoes are designed for use on
the mats and are designed to provide traction when
wrestling. Headgear protects the athlete's ears from an
injury known as "cauliflower ear." This injury isn't seen
much in youth wrestling but can occur and can have last-
ing effects. A singlet is the uniform that wrestlers wear.
They are not as important as shoes and headgear, but do
make moving easier for the athlete. Team photos are
taken each year a can be an additional cost if the parent
chooses to purchase them.
How often are matches/tournaments held?7There are seven tournaments that are scheduled for our
youth wrestling season. They are held every Saturday
and are typically held at the home team's high school
gym. This year, our tournaments range from Blanding,
Utah and Cortez, Colo. to Bloomfield and Aztec. For three
years now, Rocky Mountain Nationals has held a tourna-
ment in Farmington at McGee Park. This tournament, the
Aztec Warrior, is held in April after the youth wrestling
season and many of our athletes participate.
How can parents help the coaches?8There are many things that parents can do to help us do
our job better. Obviously, ensuring that their child is on
time and ready when they come to practice or tourna-
ments is important. Beyond that, parents can assist us
by letting their children know that we there to help them.
Parents need to reinforce the role of the coach and make
sure their child understands the coach-athlete relation-
ship. Children listen to their parents and hold what they
say in high esteem. If parents say positive things about
their child's coaches, the child will value them. This helps
everyone. The biggest way a parent can help is by volun-
teering. We always need coaches and parents who can
help out with the various needs of the program.
fundraising to running our tournaments. On the whole,
the community's biggest contribution happens when our
larger tournaments are held and over 900 children and
their families need accommodations, dining and places
to pick up essentials. One really amazing form of support
comes from local employers that financially match the
pay of our coaches hour for hour. This type of programs
reward the employer, the employee and benefits our
clubs with donations for much needed equipment.
Does the community/school district support youth
wrestling?
9
The high schools are our biggest allies. Most teams prac-
tice and hold their tournaments at the high schools.
Sometimes teams operate with the assistance of their
local Boys and Girls Club or other independent organiza-
tions. In our program, our parents provide a great deal of
support. They help with everything from registration and
What is the benefit of coaching?10Coaching benefits me immensely. It gives me the opportu-
nity to meet hundreds of great children each year. I get
the chance to know many of these children and some of
them have become part of my extended family. More
than that, I have the opportunity to impact many of their
lives at an athletic and personal level. A great part of the
experience is watching an athlete use a move that you
just taught him. There is something incredibly satisfying
in knowing that you had a part in that child's success on
the mat. More importantly, our program works to instill
values in the children that go beyond athletics and
sportsmanship. We talk a lot about character during
practice. It's great that I can be a part of that. Coaching is
truly one of those activities where I learn as much from
the kids as they do from me.
this past month i turned 50, a half-century
old.
Now i am not one to celebrate my birthday.
For me, it’s like New Year’s Day, not a day of
celebration but a reminder of what i didn’t
get accomplished in the previous year. A true
glass-is-half-empty holiday.
What i did decide on my 50th birthday was
the rationalization that i’m old. Not the “You
kids, get off my lawn!” old but more like the
“turn that music down. What is that crap
you’re listening to” old. the radio station is
now tuned to the inevitable classic Rock,
kooL 104.5 (side note kooL: there are more
musicians than Fleetwood Mac, Elton John,
Billy Joel and the Eagles).
of course there are certain signs verifying
the calendar is now fighting against you. For
example, i find myself saying things like, “i
remember when that used to be (fill in the
blank)” or telling my kids how easy they had
it walking on the sidewalks to Mesa Verde
because when i worked there it was all dirt
and only a single lane traffic. My parents
have gotten continually smarter over the
years. their eternal blathering about what
once was and how much better it was is now
my weekly soundtrack.
Now, of course, not everything gets worse
with age. Experience and the wisdom comes
with it is invaluable even if it falls on deaf
ears just as it did on mine 35 years ago. the
thought and sometimes verbal expression of
“i told you so!” is usually accurate – and re-
ally rewarding to say.
in my roughly 45 years as a sports fan i’ve
been able to witness wonderful events,
mostly on tV of course, when you live in the
isolated worlds of casper, Wyoming and
Farmington, New Mexico. But, sports truly
shows your age.
Former players of mine – Luke Neibling
and Jay collins – will constantly argue when
we’re together about who was greater when
it comes to teams and individuals. While they
trumpet the accomplishments of kobe and
LeBron, i have to remind them about Michael,
Magic, Larry and the Doctor. then, of course,
Luke’s father John will chime in and remind
us that Wilt was better than all of them.
Everyone thinks their era produced the
greatest. Everyone believes the best teams
and the best games happened on their
watch. History seems to take a back seat to
the eye test of your own generation.
My eye test is obviously generational.
Michael is better than LeBron. Montana is
better than Manning. ozzie Smith is the
greatest defensive shortstop ever. No boxing
matches were as great as Hagler-Hearns,
Leonard-Hearns or Leonard-Hagler. the Mira-
cle on ice during the 1980 olympics was the
greatest game ever. consider all my genera-
tion has seen on tV. Before Direct tV brought
you every NFL game, i still saw the immacu-
late Reception and the catch.
i’m so old i saw my kansas city chiefs play
in a Super Bowl. Before cable sports showed
over 100 basketball games a week i saw
Magic vs. Larry in the 1979 NcAA finals start-
ing the viewing bonanza that is the NcAA Bas-
ketball tournament, Jordan hit the game
winner as a freshman against Georgetown,
and the North carolina State cinderella Story
in our very own pit. i mean the Wisepies
Arena aka the pit. Which again shows my
age. i remember stadiums not even having
sponsors. imagine that.
As a high school and youth coach i’ve had
the privilege of watching great games and
the heartbreak and joy the game can bring.
i’ve had the task of taking the long walk up
the pit’s ramp after a loss consoling broken-
hearted teenagers. i’ve high-fived people i
28 Four Corners SpoRtS MARCH 2015
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RickHOERNEREditorial columnist
A HALF CENTURY DOWN
50BIG
will never ever see again after the Cardinals beat the Eagles and
headed to Super Bowl XLIII It was after that game, on a hung-over drive
home (not for the driver!), that the late Kevin Holman and I came up
with our bucket list of sporting events we wanted to attend – a pipe
dream that will now never happen, not even making a single one, be-
cause there is always time.
But time is cruel. My goal is to attend one of these a year as soon as
I get my kids out of college and, I hope, out of my basement. With Kevin
living in Chicago as a kid, he had already made a couple that I hadn’t.
So here are the dozen sporting events we dreamed of making.
1. Michigan vs. ohio State Football – I would love to see a sporting
event that comes from a historical battle like the toledo War that gave
ohio the port of toledo and Michigan the upper peninsula. this is still
tHE GAME in college football, and with ohio State the defending National
Champs and Jim Harbaugh taking over the Wolverines, this may be-
come a Hayes-Schembechler rivalry again.
2. A Notre Dame Football Weekend – the Irish were Kevin’s team, so
we were looking to take in the whole experience from the pep rally and
Mass to the game with a view of touchdown Jesus.
3. the NCAA Final Four Basketball – the best multiple game sporting
event. Would love to see all three games and soak it up. As basketball
coaches, this is Mecca. I would even sit in the nose bleed seats and
watch it on the big screen with 40,000 others.
4. A Game at Yankee Stadium – take a tour of the ballpark and the
monuments in centerfield then hang around the Bronx, get there early
for batting practice and catch a game—preferably against the red Sox.
5. the Summer olympics – Ultimate sports nirvana, I hope in a for-
eign country so I have decent excuse to travel abroad. perhaps the
most expensive event to get to. Better start using my Visa.
6. the Masters – While a trip to St. Andrews may be more exciting, I
would love to go to Augusta, take in the scenery, enjoy the weather and
give dirty looks to every knucklehead that yells, “You the man!”
7. Game 7 of Any World Series – Baseball is best experienced live.
the view of three players one gets on tV does not do it justice. Even
those who find baseball boring will tense up at every pitch of elimina-
tion games. there is nothing like the anticipation of every pitch being
the last
8. North Carolina at Duke Basketball in Cameron Indoor Stadium -
there is no place on tV that looks like more fun than the student sec-
tion at Duke. Most UNC-Duke games are classic.
9. Green Bay packers Game at Lambeau Field – the goal was to see
the Bears in horrible weather with the tundra frozen – I’m talking to
you, Josh rankin! While I’m not a huge packer fan, being in the stands
with the “owners” sounds like a great time.
10. A Manchester United Soccer Game – Intellectual curiosity of how
crazy fans can get and another reason to head overseas. Hit the pubs,
head to the game, celebrate with the winners.
11. the Super Bowl – obvious choice. the NFC title game was the
most fun I’ve ever had at a sporting event. Would like to head there for
the whole week and enjoy all the festivities of the new Great American
pastime.
12. Any Game 7 of the NBA Championship Series – In a perfect world
Kevin and I would have been sitting in phoenix watching the Bulls and
Suns. Nothing like a win at all costs game.
It’s hell to get old. Athletically, the brain works at half the age of the
body which is why golf becomes so popular. Suddenly you find yourself
taking in the old man tradition of checking the obituaries.
You realize that statistically half your friends are divorced; just like
the national average. You attend the funeral of friends and parents.
You watch with a teary eye how the heroes of your youth disappear
and realize how many things you’ve missed. Moments that will never
return. It is a perfect balance of regret and celebration.
What is missed is trumped by watching former players and students
excel, watching your kids turn into empathetic, quality adults and be
thankful for the time you did have together.
Kevin and I argued and debated this list seven years ago, this past
Martin Luther King Day, and my 50th birthday marks the one year an-
niversary of his death that happened way too soon.
Would we have made it to these dozen events ? Doubtful, but even
one would have been great – just as the conversation was.
29Four Corners SportSMARCH 2015
30 Four Corners SPORTS MARCH 2015
THE FANTASY YEARIN REVIEW
Admittedly it was a tough Fantasy season
for the Geek. Out of the 10 leagues in which
i annually play, i only won a single one. As it
always seems to be in fantasy football, in-
juries played a big role in my midseason
demise. in one league i lost Brandon Mar-
shall, Julius Thomas and Rashaad Jennings
after leading my league. in another, my
starting running backs when the playoffs
began were Danard Robinson and Darren
Sproles; not exactly invoking fear in my
playoff opponent. Just as it is with the
Chicago Cubs, there’s always next year. So
here is a look back at the season that was.
All-STAR TeAMAaron Rodgers, QB Green Bay Packers -
The league’s MVP was his usual spectacular
self with 4381 passing yards with 38 TDs
plus 269 yards rushing with 2 TDs
le’Veon Bell, RB Pittsburgh Steelers -
Showed how valuable he was when he
didn’t play in the playoffs and Pittsburgh
fell. 1,361 rushing yards with 8 TDs and 854
receiving yards on 83 catches and 3 more
TDs
DeMarco Murray, RB Dallas Cowboys -
The resurgence of the Cowboys rode on
Murray’s back who led the league in car-
ries with 392. 1,845 rushing yards with 13
TDs and 416 more receiving yards on 57
catches. Where will he be next season ?
Antonio Brown, WR Pittsburgh Steelers -
A great value pick who led the league with
129 receptions for 1698 yds and 13 TDs.
extra value if your league gives return
yards. even threw for a TD
Demaryius Thomas, WR Denver Broncos -
No. 1 option in a high octane offense
Thomas had 111 catches for 1619 yds and
11 TDs. Will be just as valuable as long as
Peyton’s around
Rob Gronkowski, Te New england Patriots
- Gronk was a risky pick in ’14 with injuries
as a major concern, but he returned to lead
Tes with 82 catches for 1,124 yds and 12
TDs
Buffalo Bills DST - 54 Sacks led the
league and gave up only 273 points. Add in
19 ints and 11 fumble recoveries and the
Bills were a shocking No. 1
All-WASTeD PiCK TeAMColin Kaepernick, QB San Francisco 49ers
- Kaepernick was on everyone’s radar as a
top QB, but only managed just over 4,000
total yards and was a turnover machine av-
eraging one a game
Adrian Petersen, RB Minnesota Vikings -
Petersen missed all but one game this year
due to his off-the-field issues. Most Auto-
Pick drafts had him at No. 1 or No. 2
Trent Richardson, RB indianapolis Colts -
No matter how late or early you took the
former first round draft pick, it was a
waste. Richardson couldn’t hold off Ahmad
Bradshaw or Boom Herron
Cordarelle Patterson, WR Minnesota
Vikings - Patterson was projected to be a
top 10 receiver and No. 42 overall by Yahoo,
but finished at 242 overall with only 500
total yards and 2 TDs
Brandon Marshall, WR Chicago Bears -
Yes, Marshall was hurt a lot this year, but
most likely if you owned Marshall you
wasted a high draft pick on him and he
tended to disappear. Only 721 yds on 61
catches. Never trust Jay Cutler
Jimmy Graham, Te New Orleans Saints -
it’s hard to look at Graham’s 85 catches for
889 yds and 10TDs as a waste, but he totally
disappeared in four games and wasn’t
worth the 2nd or 3rd round pick owners
used on him
Cincinnati Bengals DST - The Bengals
were a top squad last year but this year al-
lowed over 20 points a game and had an in-
credibly low 20 sacks on the season
THE FANTASY GEEK
RiCKHOERNER
Colin Kaepernick
31Four Corners SPOrTSMARCH 2015
All-Injured TeAmrobert Griffin III, QB Washington - Perhaps it wasn’t mike
Shanahan after all. Often injured and benched for Kirk Cousins.
Finished with only 1,694 Passing Yards, 4 Tds to go against 6
InTs, and only 1 rushing Td
rashaad jennings, rB new York Giants - After a fantastic
start, jennings’ injury made him irrelevant for over a month and
he never really recovered. 639 yds rushing and 4 Tds
Giovanni Bernard, rB Cincinnati Bengals - many experts had
Bernard as their sleeper pick of the year, but injuries, then the
play of jeremy Hill, limited Bernard to under 1,000 total yards
and only 5 Tds
Victor Cruz, Wr new York Giants - Headed to Ir before the
emergence of Odell Beckham jr. and played only six games. After
two solid years, was lost on the Ir with 337 yds and a Td
Brandin Cooks, Wr new Orleans Saints - Cooks was a bit of a
gamble, but looked to be gaining favor with drew Brees when in-
jury hit. Still finished with over 600 total yards and 4 Tds in only
9 games
dennis Pitta, Te Baltimore ravens - In Week no. 1 Pitta looked
like a steal with 10 catches, but then hit the Ir after week three
Arizona Cardinals dST - The Cards lost Pro Bowl linebacker
darryl Washington before the season even started. Then they
lost darnell dockett, Tyron mathieu and john Abraham. Still fin-
ished as a top 10 defensive unit and that was even playing be-
hind the league’s worst offense the last fourth of the year
All-WAIVer WIreWhile not spectacular, best replacement of a poor starter
with over 3,000 yards passing and 18 Tds. Saved some multi-QB
league teams
justin Forsett, rB Baltimore ravens - After the ray rice inci-
dent, fantasy owners looked to Bernard Pierce to fill the void,
but it was Forsett that became a Top 10 Fantasy back with 1,266
rushing yds and 8 Tds
Cj Anderson, rB denver Broncos - While Fantasy owners
drooled over montee Ball picking up where Knowshon moreno
left off, Anderson was the man down the stretch with over 1,170
total yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns
Odell Beckham jr., Wr new York Giants - maybe someone in
your league took a flier on Beckham, but after missing the first
four weeks he was likely available, and still finished in the Top
10 with 91 catches for 1,305 yds and 12 Tds
mike evans, Wr Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Another rookie that
made a big impact on a bad team. evans finished with 68
catches for 1,051 yds and 12 Tds. maybe it was evans and not
manziel at A&m
Travis Kelce, Te Kansas City Chiefs - The Chiefs rookie Te was
the only outside receiver to score a Td for KC and finished with
67 catches for 862 yds and 5 Tds
Philadelphia eagles dST - not many took a shot on the offen-
sive explosive eagles, but the eagles dST scored 11 Tds and put
up 49 sacks
So there it is, the Fantasy Season in a nutshell. If you had the All-
Star team, you were definitely a winner. If you were grabbing those
on the All-Waiver Team, you made a great run and perhaps a title.
However, if you were cursed with the disappointments on the All-In-
jured or All-Wasted teams, there was always alcohol.
32 Four Corners SpoRTS MARCH 2015
As a transplant to the Four Corners Re-
gion from ohio, I have never really been ex-
posed to the great winter activity of skiing.
Now that my kids are getting older, my wife
and I decided that it would be a tragedy to
not have them learn how to ski. So a few
weekends ago, we embarked on a journey to
Durango mountain Resort for some ski les-
sons for both the kids and me. And while my
children picked up the basics much faster
than I did, what I did learn will cross over
into my golf swing (when it gets warmer).
What did I learn on the slopes, you ask?
1. Relax the shoulders
Skiing is controlled almost entirely
through the lower body. The transfer of
How skiing reinforces
golf swing fundamentals
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33Four Corners SPOrTSMARCH 2015
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weight in the legs controls the turning motion
while your core and hips offer power, speed
and balance. That being said, those things tend
to happen at a greater recurrence rate when
the upper body, and more importantly the
shoulders, are relaxed.
In the golf swing, much of the success with
power, balance, speed and repetition occurs in
the upper leg, hip, butt and core regions. Un-
fortunately, many golfers tend to tense up in
the upper body and shoulder region when they
swing in an attempt to control the golf club.
This is counter-productive to consistency and
success. So the next time you are on the
course or the driving range, think of how re-
laxed your shoulders are on the slopes and
mimic that with your next golf swings.
2. Look where you want to go
My ski instructor, Dave, harped on our group
to quit looking at our feet when we were at-
tempting to make our way down the mountain.
Instead, he would encourage us to look where
we wanted to go next. In doing this, he was set-
ting intermittent targets for us to help with our
turning and control. Any time our group was
caught looking at our feet (or worse, the beau-
tiful scenery) things would spiral out of control
– and in a hurry.
Correlating that to your golf swing is easy
and has been discussed in multiple articles
and lessons. Pick a target, focus on the target
and swing the club to the target. I know that it
is a slightly different concept ion that we are
focused on the golf ball when we swing, but
the point is that hitting the golf ball isn’t our
objective in golf, just like staying upright on
our skis isn’t the objective. The objective is to
get the ball from point A to point B then to
point C and in the hole in the least number of
strokes possible. Setting intermediary targets
and visualizing yourself hitting those targets is
how you will go from bad to good or good to
great in your golf game.
3. Don’t bite off more than you can chew
It is totally unrealistic for a beginner skier
like me to expect to have success on the dou-
ble black diamonds with moguls. For one, I en-
joying having full use of my legs with working
ligaments, and two, the intimidation factor of
that encounter would take the enjoyment com-
pletely out of the activity. Our ski instructor en-
couraged us to take baby steps with our
progression. It went from the “bunny hill” to
the green slopes, then when we were experi-
enced enough and confident enough on the
green slopes we could forge ahead to the
blues, so on and so forth.
Much like skiing, golf can be totally intimidat-
ing, especially if you take yourself out of your ele-
ment and ability level. Going from the par three
course to the championship tees at a regulation
course is going to ruin your confidence and your
growing love for the game. Take it slow and play
appropriate tees to make the game enjoyable. Is
there a rule that says that since you are a man,
you have to at least play from the blue tees? No,
no there is not. We encourage differing ability
levels to start from places all over a golf hole. It
could be from the forward tees or from 200
yards out in the middle of the fairway. Therefore,
I would encourage you to gauge your ability level
and play from an appropriate location for maxi-
mum enjoyment.
After all, golf is supposed to be fun – isn’t it?
Just as you wouldn’t find enjoyment in skiing
moguls your first time skiing, you aren’t going
to find enjoyment playing the “back” tees the
first time you play golf.
34 Four Corners SPORTS MARCH 2015
Finally, NN can truthfully say she has
“plans” that night that include men. Real
men. Some of ‘em hunky men, some of ‘em
not so much but, bless their hearts (NN
knows that if you say “bless their hearts” be-
fore you say something not nice about some-
body, you get a Get Out Of Jail Free Pass. Just
so’s ya know.) their mothers think they’re cute
and that’s what counts, and some of em – ‘K
just one of ‘em – aren’t men, but a woman.
(You go, Danica Patrick, even though NN’s not a
real fan because that ride was s’posed to be
hers until that Brian France guy – who thinks
he, like, owns NASCAR and can make his own
rules – demanded to see NN’s “credentials,” an
un-photoshopped photo of her, and her for
reals height. Ole BF decided the “credentials”
NN obtained through a recognized and revered
online racing school were not “legit,” in spite
of the fact that NN has her diploma with her
name written in pencil and that she paid
$99.99 for, ‘scuse her, and that another of his
“rules” states the driver must be able to reach
the gas and brake pedal without the “unautho-
rized use of pillows, phone books or small
trampolines,” and questioned NN’s age when
her photo was un-photoshopped and there
were concerns about her triple chin getting in
the way of the steering wheel, which could
cause “unauthorized damage to NASCAR equip-
ment.” Whatever.)
NN usually makes herownself a nice dinner
with nice wine and candles on Valentine’s Day,
which she shares with Oliver, the Cat Who
Won’t EVER Stop Talking, and Mojito, the Devil
Kitten, who has acquired a taste for nice wine,
but prefers it with cheese and a little prime
rib. NN actually cooks occasionally and for VD,
she makes a nice Frito Pie with Hormel Chili
and whatever cheese the DK doesn’t eat and an
entire bag of Fritos. She’s talented in the
kitchen – NN can work a can opener and a
wine opener better than Danica Patrick can
drive a race car. For reals. Anyway, on this VD,
NN will put her Frito Pie in her good plastic
dishes instead of her everyday plastic dishes,
will allow her Sweet Cherry Pie wine a few sec-
onds to breathe before she pours it into her
sippy cup and will, this year, make sure the
candles aren’t on NN’s TV tray, where they get
in the way of her “arm and finger movements”
when she begins cursing and cussing the driv-
ers who are NOT on her Valentine card list and
who NN doesn’t consider hunky and, in some
cases, bless their hearts, those drivers who
should be made to keep their helmets on all
the time. Just sayin’. . . .
And before you say something hateful, NN
is fully aware that the Sprint Unlimited
isn’t a points race and that this race,
along with the two shoot-outs that will fol-
low, are more to get the fans excited about
the new season before the first for real
race, the Daytona 500, which is held February
22. NASCAR fans LOVE their NASCAR and when
they’ve gone two whole entire months without
racing, they get ugly. They pretend they’re law
enforcement officers and they put little party
hats on their trucks and bad-butt cars and
they act like they’re on “call” and drive like
bats outta hell. NASCAR fans know there are
laws about “impersonating police officers” so
their party hats aren’t like the for reals ones
on police vehicles, but helmets with Christmas
lights on ‘em and they have horns that say
“Drivers, Start Your Engines,” so other people
on the road should know they’re suffering
from NNFTM (No NASCAR For Two Months) and
they should get the heck outta the way. Unfor-
tunately, police chiefs and sheriffs don’t see it
that way. Whatever.
This season promises to be an exciting
one. Jeff Gordon is retiring after this season,
so this will be his farewell tour and every sin-
gle reporter will ask him “How does it feel to
be behind the wheel of this car on this track
for the last or next-to-last time?” And Jeff will
respond politely and nicely, when he really
wants to tell ‘em he’s been wearing Depends
for every race for more than 20 years, which
can be uncomfortable, especially when your
driver’s suit is tight and your Depends give you
a wedgie and there’s nothing you can do about
it. Not only that, but it took Jeff most of those
years before he actually took a swing at some-
body, which made bigger news than under-in-
flated footballs, and people are STILL talking
about the first year he won a championship
and he cried on stage, in front of macho
NASCAR drivers. Nobody had a tissue to give
him, so he wiped his eyes and his nose with his
tuxedo sleeve, at which the company that
rented his tux to him made him buy it. What-
ever.
NN wasn’t a Jeff Gordon (or a Jimmie
Johnson) fan until Dale Earnhardt Jr. became
part of the Hendrick team. Junior is the sports
most popular driver for the gazillionth year in
NASCAR Nellie has a date this year on Valentine’s Day
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
35Four Corners SPORTSMARCH 2015
a row, and NN loves Junior. NN
has a Junior shrine in her ca-
sita and all who enter there
must curtsy in front of the
Fathead image of Junior NN
has on the wall and promise
to always vote for Junior in
the sports most popular
driver contest or they will be
cursed with figure skating
music in their cars for the
rest of their lives. NN decided
if JG and JJ were good
enough for Junior, they were
prob’ly good enough for her.
NN now shops at Lowes and
she would buy DuPont paint if
she could afford it. Whatever.
Anyway, NN now roots for JG and JJ and she
actually likes both of ‘em, but not nearly as
much as she likes Junior. Junior is the bomb
and Junior will win the championship this year.
For reals. NN has spoken.
Please, Junior, LISTEN!
Rumor has it that JG is
going to the “broadcast booth”
when he retires. That will
prob’ly be a good gig for JG.
He’ll have regular potty breaks
and won’t have to Depend it
anymore, and he won’t have to
rumble with the likes of Clint
Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Matt
Kenseth, Tony Stewart or –
last season – Brad Keselowski.
Gordon was always the goody
two shoes kinda guy, but NN
LOVED it when he and Bad Boy
Brad traded punches. NN was
proud of JG for throwing a punch, which – in
all honesty – was made a little easier by Kevin
Harvick, who shoved BBB into JG’s fist. Made
those post-race interviews lots more exciting.
NN can hardly wait for the season to
begin. 2015 will be a good year. Junior will win
his championship, Tony Stewart will be back
to the bad boy we love, Jimmie Johnson and
Chad Knaus will kiss and make up, Danica
Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse will remain
boyfriend/girlfriend, Chase Elliott and Kyle Lar-
son will kick butt, Ward Burton will return to
NASCAR and make the chase, NN’s Sweet
Baboo Elliott Sadler will win the Nationwide Is
On Your Side Championship and, when he
does, he’ll tell the world he made a mistake by
not taking NN’s calls and will remove the re-
straining order against her, the Las Vegas po-
lice will lift the order that prevents NN from
ever, EVER attending another NASCAR race in
Sin City (NN did not know the motorhomes of
drivers were off limits and breaking and en-
tering is against the law – whatever), and NN
will become the Voice of NASCAR and there
won’t be anything Brian France can do about
it. For reals.
NASCAR continued from 34
Jeff Gordan
she said with a laugh of her fellow coach’s
comment.
“Melissa is very social and friendly, so
after they get to know her, interaction be-
tween her and the rest of our coaches isn’t
really any different than between the male
coaches,” Small said. “As far as coaches from
other teams, I think sometimes they assume
that since she is a woman coach, she doesn’t
know what she is doing, but if they are
around her much, they soon see that isn’t the
case. I think when she first got into coaching
there were a few times that other coaches
tried to slip stuff by her, but she always stood
her ground.”
As a coach, Meechan attends six practices
each week, and when there are tournaments
it means a nine-hour-day on a Saturday.
“Every year, I say it’s my last year,” she said.
“But I want to help the kids and I do love it.”
With a husband, Jason, who is also a coach
and understanding of her busy schedule,
Meechan said her school work, her part-time
job and her community activities – in addition
to her coaching responsibilities – creates an
imbalance in her life. “I always suffer from a
lack of sleep,” she said with a smile.
Jason admits his wife’s busy schedule “dri-
ves me nuts because she’s not home enough,”
he said with a laugh. “But she’s very happy
and she does a lot for the community and I’m
proud of her for that.”
Jason also said the male coaches don’t
treat his wife any differently than they do
each other. “She’s earned their respect,” he
said. “They realize she’s not there just to be
pretty. She gets on the mat to coach and
teach these kids.”
Cody Small has the utmost respect for
Meechan. “Melissa enjoys and has a passion
for the sport of wrestling and she is a valu-
able part of our team,” he said. “She has
coached youth and middle school wrestling
with me and I enjoy having her as a partner
when coaching. She helps me to keep a level
head when things get heated and picks up
things that I sometimes miss.”
“My son is 11 years old and has won a few
national tournaments. He wrestles at a very
high level and I completely trust Melissa
being in his corner coaching when I can’t be
there,” Small added.
With Jason and Melissa Meechan both
coaching wrestling, Jared still wrestling and
daughter Cricket an FHS cheerleader (al-
though not for youth wrestling), one suspects
wrestling will be part of the Meechan way of
life for a long time. And listening to Meechan
talk about her wrestlers and her fellow
coaches, one doubts that she’ll quit coaching
the kids she loves any time soon.
Youth Wrestling continued from 15
“I’m not intimidated
by a lot of people.”
— Melissa Meechan