July 14, 2006

Evergreen Sports

Petite Power

Adversity strengthens the bond Alan and Bonnie Aerts share in powerlifting

By Jeff Frazee
Times Staff

Although Alan and Bonnie Aerts are known locally for lavish Christmas décor on their Monte Sereno home, they’re quickly making names for themselves in another arena – powerlifting.

Bonnie Aerts, United States Powerlifting Federation bench press record holder, sits at her husband's desk displaying the Aerts' style, which combines exquisite taste and down-to-earth fashion. Photo by Jeff Frazee

Bonnie Aerts recently set a California and an American record for bench press in the United States Powerlifting Federation.

As part of her training, Bonnie never knows how much weight she is lifting. She trusts her husband to keep track of her weights and her abilities, and it paid off as she set two records in her first competition on May 20 at Evergreen Valley High School. Bonnie broke the previous bench press record in her age group and weight category, besting the 1985 mark of 159.5 pounds.

The United States Powerlifting Federation, in which the couple competes, was established in 1968. "It's the oldest and one of the most stringent," powerlifting organizations, Alan said.

The USPF oversees three competitions: squat, bench press and dead lift. Alan admitted that he generally laughs inside when people brag to him about how much they can bench press, because following the USPF guidelines will knock 100 pounds off the amount you lift in the gym. Each lifter is allowed three one-minute lifts. The best of those three lifts is the registered score for the day.

Bonnie and Alan are also physically at opposite ends of the spectrum. Alan's muscular frame weighs nearly 300 pounds. By all appearances, it's no surprise that he is a power lifter. Bonnie, meanwhile, is fit, although she admits, "I'm a bodybuilder, not a powerlifter."

As Alan was preparing for competition, he told Bonnie, "Look at some of these records. You're strong. You can do this." Bonnie agreed to one competition, just to say she did it.

"I wanted out," said Bonnie, after seeing the large women she would be competing with. "Sometimes you don't know how to bow out gracefully, and I couldn't figure out how to get out of it."

Weighing in at just 114 pounds, Bonnie said she felt the added stress of being the first woman to compete. Soon after, however, her fears were laid to rest.

On her second lift, Bonnie broke the American record for Masters 114.5 pound bench press held by Karin Reagan since 1985.

"I don't even know these people,” she said. “You would think they were your competition, but they were all cheering for me."

The Aert's Monte Sereno home, famous locally for its lavish holiday decorations, which ended in 2004 by city ordinance, includes private his and hers gyms.

"I have a trainer, but he is the one who really watches over me," Bonnie said of Alan. "Our whole day is based around our training at night."

"This is high intensity…for two hours, just working on our bench press," added Alan. "She is technical in training. I'm just a brut."

It takes much more than time and money to keep the couple on top of their game. An average week includes 10 doctor visits for Alan, who has a rare blood disorder that thickens his blood, preventing flow to his small arteries. In addition, Alan said he suffers from brittle platelets in the blood.

"I have two things that make each other worse, and they are both incurable," he said.

Bonnie takes Alan for regular treatments at Stanford that keep him alive, but there is no long-term solution. Eventually, Alan said he will suffer a stroke or a heart attack.

“There’s no way your heart can pump sludge forever,” he said.

Still, health problems haven’t stopped the couple from enjoying their time together, whether it’s powerlifting, or any other type of activity they share. That includes Alan’s visits to the hospital for MRI exams and other procedures. Bonnie always is faithfully by his side.

"In the doctor’s office they try to keep you apart. No, we're not going to be separated," said Alan. "We say if we've got one day, one month or one year, we're going to spend it together."

With regret, Alan added, "It's much harder on the spouse. You feel sorry for them. They have to go through it, and they don't have the disease."

In the way the Aerts constantly finish each other's thoughts, they resemble a couple 10 years older than they are.

After spending the first 20 years of their marriage apart while Alan built their company, Custom Vending Systems, Bonnie said, "Basically, we're together all the time. We love being together."

Bonnie, who suffers from Graves disease, a thyroid disorder, said it is competing with these difficulties that make the couple’s wins that much sweeter.

“With all these problems, we're good to work together,” she said. “We understand each other. Without these problems, [our awards] would be nothing."

On Aug. 5, the Aerts will be competing on Muscle Beach in Venice, Calif. Alan stands poised to overtake the American bench press record of 507 pounds. Referring to her bench press record, Bonnie simply said, "I want another one."

Alan, in keeping with the couple’s rule not to tell Bonnie how much she is lifting, simply said that she has already lifted more than her winning weight during practices.

SPORTS BRIEFS

Citywide Sports Office announces move
The Citywide Sports Office, which provides competitive and recreational adult (ages 18 and over) basketball, softball and soccer leagues with over 2,300 participants, has moved to a new location.

The office, which is operated by the City of San José's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department, has moved to the Moreland West Community Center located at 1850 Fallbrook Avenue.

Citywide Sports, which was previously located at the Camden Community Center in San José, coordinates popular youth events such as basketball tournaments, track meets, and the punt, pass, and kick event.

The sports field reservations unit is also housed out of the City Wide Sports office. Individuals wanting to make field reservations should contact (408) 871-3827. For more information on Citywide Sports, please contact (408) 871-3821.

Evergreen Friday Night Teen Basketball League signups
Volunteer coaches needed: Coaches are needed and greatly appreciated. Please fill in necessary information on back of form.

Who: Boys and girls in 6th thru 9th grade. Space is limited to 120 players (60 in each division) so sign up soon.

Request to play on the same team as a friend will be noted but may not be honored. Students who are on their high school team may not participate. If registration allows, two divisions will be created. League officials up until the fourth game may move players to another team to balance the skill level of each team. League officials reserve the right to remove any player, coach or spectator from the game or league for misconduct.

When: Fridays from September 9th thru December 2nd. Game times will vary for each team each week. The first game begins at 3:30 p.m. and each game will begin every hour until 8:30 p.m. All players must attend the draft clinic on September 9th. Grades 6 and 7 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.; grades 8 and 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Chaboya Middle School. Players will not be assigned a team until a workout with a league official is observed.

Where: All games will be held at Chaboya Middle School, 3276 Cortona Dr. SJ, CA 95135
Cost: $110- which includes a game jersey, equipment use, medals for all participants, personal basketball, trophies for 1st and 2nd place teams for the end of season tournament and league officials.

How to sign up: Registration forms can be obtained at Chaboya, beginning August 21st. Contact either John Franza (408) 605-1513 or Allen Ventura (408) 410-3570 (Directors) for more information.

Fill out a registration on back and return to Chaboya Middle School before September 7th, 2006, c/o John Franza or Allen Ventura.

Make checks payable to: E.A.S.Y. HOOPS (cash is also accepted)

Evergreen Valley Church to hold 2nd annual Scramble Golf Tournament August 20
Evergreen Valley Church will hold its 2nd annual Scramble Golf Tournament on August 20 at the Villages Golf & Country Club, located at 5000 Cribari Lane, San Jose, CA 95135.

The tournament benefits the following Missionaries/Mission Organizations:

Horn of Africa- Famine, drought, unclean water & harsh living conditions are the leading cause of death. Addressing the physical needs as well as the spiritual needs.

Hope Breakfast Feeding Program, Dessie - This program feeds 750 orphans breakfast each day.

Shannon and Sammy Mureithi, Kenya – Making a difference in Kenya amongst poverty and despair.

The deadline to sign up for the tournament is July 30. For more information on how to sign up and other related matters, call (408) 274-7422 or visit www.evcsj.com.

Officials needed for high school sports
FERMAR Corporation, which contracts with high schools in Santa Clara County, is recruiting officials for high school athletics. Officials are needed for fall season sports such as football, volleyball and field hockey.

Men and women are encouraged to apply. No experience is necessary, as FERMAR will provide training through classes, clinics and tests. All training materials are provided.

Officials are paid $32-$61 per game, depending on the sport and level of competition. Additional opportunities to officiate youth and adult sports are also available.

Interested parties are encouraged to call FERMAR at (408) 567-1700.

Cheer coaches needed for South Valley Pop Warner
Cheer coaches are needed for South Valley Pop Warner. If you're interested in joining a team of outstanding coaches, please call Tiana Zarate at (408) 464-3285 or Teresa Smith at (408) 603-8280, or go to http://www.stpopwarner.org

37th Annual Evergreen Invitational Golf Tournament at the Villages Golf and Country Club set for July 21 and 22
The 37th Annual Evergreen Invitational Golf Tournament will be held at the Villages Golf and Country Club on July 21 and 22, 2006. This major annual event offers a unique opportunity to present your business to the entire Villages Community and to many other communities in the Bay Area through exposure to many invited guests.

The Villages is a Bay Area award-winning, active adult community, with over 4,200 residents and professional adults. Each year at this time, The Villages invites members of the local business community to assist in the sponsorship of this Villages event.

All sponsors will be prominently posted at the clubhouse and in our printed brochure. Individual sponsors are also displayed at various tee areas throughout the golf course. The Villages would like to invite you to become a sponsor of this event. The sponsor participation categories are:

Platinum Sponsor ($2500) - display located at practice and all 18 holes as well as a large listing in the sponsor's brochure

Gold Sponsor ($1000) - display located at practice Putting Green /Driving Range/Clubhouse area and a medium listing in the sponsor's brochure

Silver Sponsor ($500) - display located at practice Putting Green /Driving Range/Clubhouse area and a small listing in the sponsor's brochure

Bronze Sponsor ($200) - display located at a dedicated hole and a business card size listing in the sponsor's brochure
For more information, contact Ken Peters, Evergreen Tournament Chairman, at (408) 270-4002

Mount Pleasant track star to represent U.S. at World Juniors in Beijing

Junior Jeneba Tarmoh posts third best 100-meter time in the nation this year

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

Mount Pleasant junior Jeneba Tarmoh torched record books in a breakout year, capturing individual state titles in the highly competitive 100 and 200-meter events this past spring.

But the 16-year-old topped it off this month when she ran the third swiftest California 100-meter time ever in her age category at the U.S. Junior National Championship meet in Indianapolis.

Tarmoh’s blistering 0:11.24 mark was also good for the third best finish in the nation this season, eighth best in U.S. history.

The country’s top under-20, 100-meter time this year was a 0:11.10 posted by Alexandria Anderson, a collegiate freshman at the University of Texas.

Mount Pleasant junior Jeneba Tarmoh topped it off this month when she ran the third swiftest California 100-meter time ever in her age category at the U.S. Junior National Championship meet in Indianapolis.

Based on prep star Tarmoh’s time, she will likely earn a slot on the U.S. Junior National 4x100-meter relay team, which will travel to Beijing, China, in August to represent the Red, White and Blue at the World Junior Championships, versus the top under-20 runners on the planet.

Tarmoh is slated to run the race barring injuries.

“It was a learning experience for me,” Tarmoh said of the most rigid competition she has faced this season. “I felt really happy because I ran well, the hardest that I could, and I accomplished what I hoped to personally. I am just really happy that I get to go to China and run with top girls.”

The 16-year-old daughter of a West African emigrant, who also ran competitively, sailed to third place finishes in both the 100 and 200-meter events, announcing her arrival amongst top Californian sprinters ever. Her 200-meter time of 0:23.14 was the 11th quickest in California and the 22nd best in the history of the United States.

Longtime cardinal coach Steve Nelson said that while his most prized talent in a class of runners—Tarmoh’s fellow juniors Diedra Pedegroo and Stella Dughal are each also touted as top college prospects in the area—has achieved really great things, there is more potential for her to grow.

“This is only her second full season of track,” said Nelson. “If she were to improve as much as she has this season, she would be a world record holder.”

However, it will be a tough task for Tarmoh to cover the ground she has this season. In one year, she leapt from CCS fame to state and nationally acclaimed accomplishments.

“Jeneba has reached a level that I didn’t expect her to really be at,” said Nelson. “There are only two girls that ran faster times [at that age in high school], and they are Olympians Marion Jones and Angela Williams.”

Tarmoh said that the toughest thing she faced this year was learning to understand swings in her performance based on the severity of workouts designed by Nelson and staff. The state’s overachieving sprint champion said that around March when Mount Pleasant traveled to early invitational meets at Stanford and Arcadia, she realized she would not always finish first. Tarmoh learned that her times reflect where she is based on her own progress, rather than others’.

“We go through phases in our workouts,” she said. “There are certain phases that we have to lift hard, so you are tired, running. I was thinking that the position you got was how good you were according to other runners, rather than focusing on my time. I wasn’t running how I wanted to run.”

But the dip in Tarmoh’s performance was all part of the plan, according to Nelson.

“That was the end of our phase, and around CCS and the state finals I was able to feel stronger and not as weak,” said Tarmoh. “I was faster, and everything just went well.”

Tarmoh is not the first star to grace the halls of Mount Pleasant or Quimby Oak Middle school, where she attended. Quimby, in fact, has produced a disproportionate number of track stars, according to Nelson, including Olympians Millard Hampton and Andre Phillips. Deanna Slaton and Ruben Willams, who have both enjoyed fabulous college careers at Tennessee and Cal, respectively, also attended Quimby.

“More kids from that school than any junior high in the Santa Clara County are going on and getting major track scholarships,” said Nelson.

Texas, Texas A&M, USC, UCLA, and CAL have all expressed interest in Tarmoh’s talent.
“I never expected this all to happen this year,” said Tarmoh.

When asked to identify one thing that really helped her in getting to China, she said: “I have coaches that can actually listen. Some days you have problems, and the fact that coaches can listen and they are there for you to talk or adjust workouts really helps.”

Cudas clinch dual meet title

By Ralph Nichols
Special to the Times

One title down, one to go.

The Creekside Cudas won their second straight Cabana Swim League dual meet title with a 263-213 victory over the Almaden Dolphins on Saturday, July 8.

From left, Kelly Quick, Kristin Walker, and Kelsey Roland, at center with the Cuda swim cap, await their turns from the sideline.

The Cudas need one more win in the championship meet on July 15 at Saratoga High School to complete their perfect season. In dual meets, Creekside went undefeated to win consecutive titles for the first time in team history.

Now the Cudas have to perform well in every category Saturday in order to outscore the five other Cabana League swim teams. Creekside won the team title at last year’s championship meet by 6 points over Almaden.

Creekside coach Leslie Schafer said Almaden and CrossGate will give the Cudas the most trouble at the July 15 meet.

“The relays will make the difference because the points are doubled,” Schafer said.

Schafer said that the Cudas’ success is in their depth and large team.

“We are establishing a base,” Schafer said. “Some of these older kids have been swimming with us since they were 6 or 7.”

In the championship meet, Creekside’s depth along with its strongest swimmers may make the difference in what Schafer expects will be a close meet.

“In the championships, it’s more important [for] the third, fourth and fifth places because it’s scored differently,” Schafer said. “We have a lot of kids so the question is how they’ll score. The older kids are really strong. I think they’ll come through for us.”

Creekside’s older kids came through on July 8 in the Cudas’ last league meet. Kelley Gause won the women’s 15-18 50-yard freestyle in 27.28 for the Cudas and Sean Gray won the boys’ 13-14 50-yard freestyle in 24.78.

For the younger boys, Connor Stilwell continued his win streak with first place finishes in the boys’ 11-12 50-yard breaststroke (39:29) and the 50-yard freestyle in 27:13.

Ralph Nichols is a former sports reporter for the Los Angeles Times. He teaches journalism at Evergreen Valley College and lives in the Evergreen Community with his wife and three children.

Who will be the QB?

Evergreen Valley quarterbacks Derek Pauli and Gabe
Rodriguez to battle it out for starting job

By Diego Abeloos
Editor

With summer practices and football camps well underway, Evergreen Valley head football coach Leo Olmscheid is looking for a few good starters.

With that in mind, one of the most crucial positions on offense, the quarterback spot, is up for grabs, with two unproven juniors vying for the starting job in Derek Pauli and Gabe Rodriguez.

“Both guys, Derek Pauli and Gabe Rodriguez, have been doing a great job this summer so far,” said Olmscheid at the Competitive Edge Football Camp at Piedmont Hills High, where the Cougars were one of a dozen teams participating in a variety of drills. “…This (Competitive Edge Football Camp) is actually the first opportunity where we get to look at both of these guys with pads on, and going against another team that’s going after them.”

And while the prospect of starting the season with untested quarterbacks on the roster may be viewed as a negative to some, Olmscheid said he doesn’t view it that way, preferring a more positive approach to the issue.

“I look at it positively, because I can get them the way I want them,” said Olmscheid. “They’ll come out, if they’re coming from a different system, and they’ll have they’re own little ways of doing things. If I get them green, now it’s my job to nurture them and both these guys are big and wide-eyed. They’re attentive and they want to learn.”

Rodriguez, according to Olmscheid, possesses a strong arm, and above all, a cool head under pressure. In addition, Olmscheid said he likes the fact that both quarterbacks are rather tall, each of them over standing over six feet in height.

“He’s pretty mundane and mellow all the way through,” Olmscheid said of Rodriguez. “Derek is a little more excitable, a little more emotional.”

Pauli, meanwhile, is right on par with Rodriguez in terms of arm strength, but brings the added bonus of showing leadership ability, said Olmscheid.

“His leadership abilities are a little bit more mature than Gabe’s are at this time,” Olmscheid said of Pauli. “He’s a little more vocal and he’ll tell the guys to get in there and get things going.”

Still, with two young quarterbacks on the roster, Olmscheid said he’s still looking for improvement out of both players in different areas. To that end, Olmscheid is looking for more leadership out of Rodriguez, and more control out of Pauli, in terms of being emotional on the field.

Whoever wins the battle at quarterback will be playing behind a nearly new offensive line, which has only one player from last year’s varsity squad returning in Gabe Delgado. Olmscheid, who said the offensive line is one of his biggest question marks this summer, hopes to try some creative things with the line to take the pressure off his quarterbacks in game situations.

“Both of them are pretty much pocket passers, but we are going to try and move the pocket a little bit,” said Olmscheid. “We’ll try to do some sprint-outs and stuff like that to kind of move the pocket around, so the defense can’t just tee off and come after us.”

Eye of the SV Tigers

Silicon Valley Select Youth Sports offers alternative option in youth football

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

San Jose kids have an additional option to choose from when their parents select which youth football league they will play for this fall.

Silicon Valley Select Youth Sports Association Treasurer Bill Sinclair announced recently that the Silicon Valley Tigers will offer kids an alternative outlet to what he and the SVSYSA Board of Directors consider an increasingly political climate within youth sports and football in particular.

The Tigers aim to abominate parent coaches from controlling the sidelines, replacing them with volunteer veterans of the gridiron who are looking for ways to give back to the community. Signups will be held every Saturday from 12-3 p.m. at Mountain Mike’s Pizza on Bascom Avenue, from now until the first week in August for interested players.

Games and practices throughout the season will be held at Lincoln High School, but anyone in the San Jose area is welcome to represent the Tigers because Silicon Valley is the first, and only, National Youth Football team in the Bay Area.

While the Central valley is host to several NYFL teams, and the league is the fastest growing in the nation according to its Web site, Pop Warner and PAL leagues have predominately dominated the South Bay.

“We are really trying to get the best possible structure in place so the kids can excel,” said SV Select Vice President John Karamanos. “What happens is that you may get some kid that is mediocre and he’ll make the all-star team because his dad is on the league’s board of directors or he is one of the coaches. Some of these same kids get into high school and never even make the team.”

Karamanos continued, explaining that early success based on politics can plant false hopes for kids in many youth football organizations, an experience that ultimately causes stress, confusion and disillusion. Often, he said, kids quit sports altogether after witnessing inequality in youth football.

“It’s all about merit,” Karamanos said of the NYFL. “… With the politics taken out of it, the emphasis is placed on the kids. We also want the kids to have fun. At the same time, it’s not only about having fun; we also want them to learn and get ready for high school.”

Coaching clinic
Sinclair and Karamonos said that an experienced coaching staff and allegiance to the kids’ emotional interests will prevent a painful learning experience from scarring participants for a lifetime.

Some of the most qualified youth coaches in the area will stalk the Tigers’ sideline this season, according to Sinclair. The Silicon Valley Board selected ex-players who have experienced the game at a very high level. The crowd includes Pat Morin, Terry O’Hara, Andy Shatzman, and Brian Weeks, who will pass down traditions from Idaho State, Santa Clara and UCLA, respectively.

Sinclair said the league will house 10 coaching volunteers in all who have no conflict of interest when selecting who plays, and who have zero children registered with the league.

Each team will benefit from every coach, too. While individual coaches possess specialties, the coaches will rotate, rather than players, from team to team in half-hour sessions.

“We teach a lot of technique,” said Karamanos. “There are no full-speed tackling drills. A lot of teams go in and do full-speed tackling drills. We want to go 50-70 percent speed.”

Karamanos said that when teams use proper technique in practice, the probability of players getting injured in a game is reduced greatly.

“Some may say that’s boring,” said Karamanos. “If you ask kids what to do, they say they want to hit. But we say let’s teach you the correct way to block and tackle.”

“We are trying to make the youth football experience as enjoyable as possible for the kids,” added Sinclair. “I would not classify us as superior. The other leagues’ major interest is enjoyment. We did this because we saw a need, but not an overwhelming need. We think that we are offering something special, particularly in the realm of attempting to give maximum playing time to every single kid.”

With applicable experience in youth sports, O’Hara, in particular, is a celebrated member of the coaching staff, according to Karamanos. He also runs the National Junior Basketball team in Willow Glen.

Forget four plays
On the Tigers, everybody plays.

For years, four plays has been the standard measure of participation in youth football. Sinclair said that one of the main objectives when designing a league was to give the kids more. Four plays were viewed as too little for a young person to experience the sport in any meaningful way.

Sinclair said that playing time isn’t the typical goal of youth football teams, especially when parents get involved selecting lineups; however, it is the number one priority amongst Silicon Valley Select visionaries.

“There are two types of kids who play football,” said Sinclair. “There are those who are happy to return their pads and those who drag their helmets crying when they leave.”

While the Pop Warner season, in particular, often runs through Christmas when teams fulfill their potential throughout the playoffs, Sinclair notes that a select few families truly desire this commitment.

The Tigers mended this by offering two teams in each age group. Sinclair said the design saves stress for players who are happy when the season is over, while diehards, who want more, may continue on into the postseason.

Four postseason tournaments are within reach for qualifying teams. The NYFL reportedly signed a contract with Fox Sports Net that guarantees coverage for championship action in the same way that ESPN covers Pop Warner playoffs.

Pushing weight
Weight is always a major topic of conversation among youth football league directors.

While size becomes a virtue in higher high school ranks, at the youth level, it can be dangerous and discouraged.

Sinclair said that another unique design with Silicon Valley Select is that there is no true weight limit. Rather, there are restrictions from position to position. Players over 200 pounds are designated x-men, and they are automatically assigned interior line duties, so they can still play.

Looking good
Sinclair and Karamanos said that the Tigers will don sparkling orange and black uniforms, updated with the latest technology in safety features.

“We are striving to provide the best equipment available for the kids,” said Sinclair. “They use the same material that they use at the NFL level.”

While appearance may be a side factor in luring kids out for signups, Karamanos said that what truly separates the Silicon Valley Select league from rival outfits is attitude.

“We are trying to make it fun and teach them something about living at the same time,” said Karamanos. “We have installed the Performance Pyramid. Everyday we finish up practice with a word of the day. It could be pride. It could be tenacious. It could be conditioning. It could be safety. All of the kids talk about what that word means to them.”

“There are 4,300,000 kids playing youth football nationwide,” said Sinclair. “Of them, about 460,000 are playing Pop Warner and PAL programs. There is plenty of room for everybody. It’s not that we think what they are doing is wrong, but we think we have a little better slant.”

For more information, please visit www.americanyouthfootball.com or www.siliconvalleytigers.com.