Calvelo's kindness was unmistakable

There are days when life brings you to your knees.

For many people that went to St. Apollinaris Catholic School and
Justin-Siena High in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Monday, March
11, 2019 was shattering news as we discovered that our school mate
Greg Calvelo suddenly passed away. Granted, the impact on us pales
in comparison for how it affects his family but you get the point. The
impact on Greg’s passing has been felt in far reaching circles.  

All services will be held at St. Apollinaris Church, which is located in
Napa, CA. There will be a viewing on Friday, March 22, 2019 from
4-5:30 p.m. with a rosary to follow. There will be a funeral mass and
Celebration of Life on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 10:30 am at the
church and the hall.

Greg, who was 47, leaves behind his wife, Therese Bettinelli Calvelo,
two children (Faith and Jackson) and shiploads of family, friends and
acquaintances that held him in high esteem. Greg was a man for all
seasons: 1) Three sport athlete at Justin-Siena High (Napa, CA), 2)
After graduating from the University of California (Berkeley), he
studied for a semester in Spain and spent a summer teaching ELS to
kids, 3) As a freshman at Cal, he was a member of the Crew Team,
4) Also at Cal, he was a student manager for the men’s basketball
team. In 1993, I remember watch Cal upset Duke to advance to the
Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. I saw the TV pan to the Cal
bench and Greg appeared in the shot. I thought, “Man, that’s the
one and only Greg Calvelo. He’s one of us.”

In high school as a student-athlete, he played football, basketball
and tennis. He coached Powerpuff, served as student body president,
yearbook sports editor, and was named Salutatorian of his graduating
class. He was also voted Most Likely to Succeed. Greg didn’t just
succeed in all facets of life. He mastered them.

After college, Greg worked as a Retirement Services Manager from
1994-2011 for Charles Schwab Corp. and then Wells Fargo. He was
recruited back to Charles Schwab for four more years before a couple
years as a Sr. Learning Strategist for PG & E. Greg was currently
employed by First Republic Bank in San Francisco as the Vice
President of Technology Training.

He also cared deeply for the youths as he coached basketball and was
an active supporter at various events.

I initially met Greg during the school year of 1984-1985 when he entered
St. A’s as an eighth grader after his family had moved to Napa, CA from
Jackson, Mich. The first thing this then vertically challenged sixth grader
thought was, “My goodness, what a large man.”

Entering a new school in a new community when in Grades K-12 can be
difficult, though I do not speak from experience because I was fortunate
enough to go to school with mostly the same people from Grades 1-8 and
a smattering of new ones when I got to Justin. Like yours truly, Greg
went to high school at Justin, where we graduated two years apart,
Greg in 1989 and me in 1991.

The challenges a new person faces when in a new school and community
are not only making new friends but fitting in among your peers. To say
that Greg fit in and made friends would not be doing him justice. Greg
made the quality of life for everyone around him a better place.

He was big man that had an affable gentle giant personality. Greg was
the type of person where if you did not like him, you were the one with
the problem. You could be the CEO of a company or a janitor, Greg made
you feel valued when he spoke to you. I had the pleasure of being in the
high school football program at Justin with Greg. We were never on the
same team because since he was two years ahead of me, he was on varsity
while I was on JV.

Greg and I were not friends as far as doing things together socially but
from time-to-time over the years we crossed paths and I considered him one.
After every conversation, I felt like a better person. The man never changed
as an adult. Greg continued to be generous, affable and fun-loving. He was
also driven and ambitious but not at the expense of sacrificing integrity.
While I’m not privy to his family life, I have no doubt he was every bit the
father and husband as he was peer, professional and friend.

I was saddened when I heard that he had a heart attack in September 2018
while enjoying life with his friends before a Cal football game. News
traveled at the speed of light on social media. From there, he received
multiple stents. Though he attacked his issue head on by committing
himself to a healthy lifestyle, Greg did not just focus on his own well
being.  Greg made it his mission is to raise awareness and education
around heart disease and healthy living. He did so by leading a team of
walkers in San Francisco along the Embarcadero for the 2018 Greater
Bay Area Heart Walk.

If that is not selflessness personified, I don’t know what is.

I last saw Greg in early October on Napa United, which is a recreational
soccer league, picture day. Greg and I each have sons that played this
past season. I remember telling how grateful many people were that he
survived his heart attack. Greg also expressed his gratefulness. We spent
about a half hour yukking it up while our kids were getting pictures taken.

After our kids were done, Greg and I embraced, I told something to the
effect of, “We are thrilled to still have you.” I fought back tears in the
process. Little did I know, that interaction with him would be my last.

The sadness of losing Greg is immutable. People say, “You only live
once.” Not true. You only die once, you live everyday. However, I think
we can live the remainder of our own lives by applying the same
principles with how Greg lived his life.

In the angry world in which we live, I think it speaks volumes that
Greg’s kindness never wavered. Perhaps if we all took a piece of
Greg’s principles and applied it to our own lives, we can collectively
make the world a better place.

Greg, I’m in no hurry to get to where you are going but I know we
will meet again someday. My friend, you made everyone’s world a
better place. I’m going to do my part to pay it forward and advise
those around me to reciprocate.

Here’s to you, Greg!

NOTE: The family has opened a 529 Education fund for Faith and
Jackson, in memory of their father. Make checks payable to Fidelity
Investments, be sure to include Acct. # 618230879 in the memo line
of the check. at P.O. Box 770001, Cincinnati, OH 45277-0003. For
electronic contributions please go directly to
https://go.fidelity.com/n4wyz

Donations can also be made to the AMERICAN HEART
ASSOCIATION in memory of Greg’s struggle with heart disease.

Conference tournaments in college basketball are a waste

Do you ever see something that takes place annually that serves no
purpose at all?

I could make a point and put Hallmark holidays like Valentine’s Day
on the list. Though I have been married to my wife for 15 years, I tell
her “I love you” every day. I don’t need a special day to do that gesture.
Anyhow, I’ll keep my lead to sports.

By my own admission, I do not follow college basketball closely like
I do football. I have not filled out an NCAA Tournament bracket in at
least five years. Though I watch the NCAA Tournament, I have found
myself enjoying it more since opting not to fill out a bracket. With the
first round upsets that take place, I would have been better off throwing
it into the BBQ to start the flame.

Conference tournaments in college basketball are held at the end of the
regular season to determine a conference tournament champion. It is
usually held in four rounds, but can vary, depending on the conference.
All Division I Conferences hold a conference tournament with the
winners of each tournament getting an automatic bid to the NCAA
Tournament.

It is that time of the year, except I’m doing myself a favor and not
watching because I think conference tournaments are a farce and a
waste of time. For openers, it is a gateway to denying teams that are
worthy of making the NCAA Tournament just because a mediocre
team that would have otherwise had a resume for the NIT (National
Invitational Tournament) suddenly goes on a 3-4 game winning streak.
That’s akin to a student that does C work in class all semester but gets
an A just because he aces the final exam.

The stock answer people give as to why conference tournaments take
place is money. While there is no question the television networks make
money during this time and it cranks out money for the schools but are
fans really interested? Attendance figures would suggest they are not
because turn on the TV and at least half the arena is empty if not more.
These games have attendance similar your low tier college football bowl
games that are pitting two 6-6 teams.

The conference tournaments might make financial sense but that doesn’t
make it practical.

Most college basketball teams play about 30 games during the regular
season, plus or minus a few. The teams will also play 18 conference
games, plus or minus a few. Last season, Middle Tennessee State got
royally screwed by this nonsense. The Blue Raiders won the Conference
USA regular season title with a 16-2 record only to lose to a Southern
Mississippi team in the conference tournament that went 7-11. As a
result, Middle Tennessee State was shut out from going to the NCAA
Tournament and relegated to the NIT.

Last time I checked, a team’s resume is a body of work over a period of
time, not one game. The conference tournament format suggests otherwise
and it is a complete damn joke.

The conference tournaments are also a demonstration of hypocrisy in that
the powers-that-be claims to be all about the student-athlete in one breath
but demonstrates the opposite. The conference tournaments do nothing
but add more wear and tear, especially the Power 5 conferences like the Pac
12, Big 12, Big 10, SEC and ACC because those leagues are overgrown.
That means a low seeded team that unexpectedly gets hot has to play five
games in a 120 hour span.

It makes no sense because teams do not play on back-to-back days during
the regular season. Even in the NBA scheduling back-to-back games have
been reduced which makes three games in three nights a no go.

As much as I think postseason formats are watered down worse than a flat
Budweiser at every level of sport, I say put conference tournaments and
the NIT out to pasture and expand the NCAA to 96 teams.

In the meantime, I loathe conference tournaments. They have outlived their
usefulness. Wake me up when the NCAA Tournament begins.

Lewis sisters leave a legacy for Napa High girls basketball

Since 1974, Napa High basketball and the last name Lewis have been
synonymous, like rims, backboards and nets.

For the first time since Jimmy Carter occupied the Oval Office, the last
name Lewis and Napa basketball will not be linked together as Darci
Ward announced that she will be resigning as the school’s girls basketball
head coach after 16 seasons. Ward’s younger sister, Michelle Lewis, will
also join Darci in stepping away from coaching. Ward’s father, Denny
Lewis, was the boys basketball head coach from 1974-2002, leading
Napa to 15 CIF Sac-Joaquin section playoff berths, including a section
title in 1991-1992. Michelle posted a heartfelt message on her Facebook
page.

In an interview with Napasportsnews.com reporter Kyle Foster, Ward
sited the need to spend more time with her family as her reason for
resigning. Ward is married to former Vintage High boys basketball head
coach Ted Ward. The couple has children that are 3 and 5 years of age.
Ward is also the school’s co-athletic director with Tom Petithomme but
hopes to continue in that capacity. Ward will remain at Napa as a
physical education and AVID teacher.

In her 16 seasons, Ward led Napa to a 295-149  record with nine playoff
appearances, seven league titles and six seasons with 20 or more wins.
The program’s finest hour came in 2005-2006 when Napa went 31-3 on
the way to reaching the CIF NorCal Playoffs. The team also had a
23-game winning streak. In that stretch, Napa had a few down years but
one never morphed into say, two or three.

I could wax poetic all day about Napa’s accomplishments under Ward
but there are a few things to unpack. By my own admission, I have gotten
cynical when I hear that a coach is resigning to spend more time with
family, mainly because in some cases it is a smokescreen to a back story
of conflict with coach and administration. However, in this case, I believe
Ward’s reasons to be true. Being a father of three kids myself and a
former sports reporter, I know that while having an adult life in sports
is rewarding, the time away from family is real. You sacrifice time away
from your kids to be with the youngsters of others.

Then you factor in Ward’s role of co-athletic director and at some point,
the sacrifice becomes even more immense. Plus, her kids are 3 and 5,
not 23 and 25.   

I would also be remiss not to mention Michelle’s role in the program’s
success. It’s easy to fixate on the head coach because they are front and
center. However, you could ask any head coach of a program that is
considered successful and they will tell you it is never the work of one
person. Though the work of assistant coaches often go unnoticed, those
who understand the game know the importance of their role. In a nutshell,
the head coach is the driver of the racecar, the assistant coach/coaches are
the pit crew. You need both to be successful.

It also stands to reason that having seen and/or heard various coaching
stories from their father’s coaching tenure, the Lewis sisters applied what
they learned from him. Granted, coaching boys and girls are different in
some ways but coaching is coaching. It’s still Xs and Os and Jimmies
and Joes -- or Jennys and Janes.

The Lewis sisters were accomplished student-athletes that became coaches
that helped their team achieve at a high level. Darci, who like her father,
is in the Napa High Athletic Hall of Fame, graduated from Napa in 1995
and competed in cross country, basketball, track and field and tennis. She
went on to become the Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year at College of
San Mateo where she also participated in basketball, cross-country and
track & field before continuing her education at the University of
Montana. At Montana, Ward earned a scholarship for her efforts on the
cross-country and indoor and outdoor track & field teams while also
being named to the All-Academic team.

Michelle, who graduated in 1997, was an all-league performer in basketball
who went on to play at Solano Community College and Eastern Illinois. In
her senior season, Lewis set a record for 3-pointers made and attempted.

When you get high achieving athletes that become coaches, it is often a
crapshoot. Some see that success translate to their coaching career while
others flop for an assortment of reasons. The Lewis sisters had that success
carry into their coaching careers.

However, when you look at the Lewis sisters in their coaching roles, you
have to peel another layer off the onion. I have only known them on the
periphery since I covered the Upvalley beat, I always glanced at their
team’s success from afar. Two of my cousins’ daughters played for them,
shoutout Noelle Roldan and Alivia Trzesniewski. Shoutout also to their
mothers, my cousins, Robin Patterson and Roseanne Trzesniewski.  

Their families and numerous others that I have spoken to evoke vibes of
how they made meaningful differences in their youngsters’ lives. Much
the same narrative was uttered for years about their father, Denny. At the
high school level and younger, impact on lives is most important because
you cannot tangibly measure that quality but when you marry it with on
court success -- even better.

In the meantime, Ward has not ruled out a return to coaching in the future
but sometimes life has a greater calling.

It won’t be the same not uttering the words Lewis and Napa High
basketball together.

Here’s hoping that the next coach sustains the culture and success
established under Darci and Michelle.

Rainouts can muck up spring sports schedules

When you are a sports fan, or even a reporter, in Northern California, spring
sports are such a confounding dynamic.

The winter weather here in Northern California ranges from cool to cold outside
but involves watching basketball games and wrestling matches inside the gym.
Granted, in some areas, soccer, which is an outdoor sport, has become a winter
event but you get the initial point. The more extended point is that when we think
of spring sports, we think outdoors, warmer weather, flowers and trees blooming
and allergies among other things.

Here in Northern California, various parts of the Bay Area endured flooding, in
particular Sonoma and Napa Counties last week. As of this writing, we have gotten
a reprieve from the rain but more is likely to happen in March. I’m not a
meteorologist, I just play one on the internet.

The spring sports of choice are baseball, softball, track and field, tennis, swimming,
golf and though it’s an indoor sport, badminton. The general trend in terms of
weather tends to be in the winter time while the indoor sports are taking place, the
amount of rain is minimal. Once winter sports season ends, however, here comes
the rain. Then, the next thing you know it’s the Eurythmics 1980s hit song “Here
Comes The Rain Again.” Shoutout 1980s music. So as March events keep getting
rained out, you ask, “Where was all of this rain in December and January?”
Translation, take pictures of baseball/softball diamonds, tracks, and tennis courts,
and you feel like it’s an image of Lake Michigan around second base.

When covering high school athletics, you contact the athletic director about
mid-January to request spring sports schedules so you can input them to run in
the newspaper. When I was a sports reporter in St. Helena and Calistoga, CA,
which is located in the Northern part of the Napa Valley, for two community weekly
publications, the schedules were an expectation for the local readership. Rainouts
are not easy on sports parents either, I have gotten a taste.

The noticeable trend when spring sports started was that you could look at the
March schedule and say to yourself, “There’s a good chance at least half of these
events are not going to happen.” Why? Let’s just say that water falls out of the sky,
as in that thing we call rain.

The rain makes everyone’s life difficult: student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors
and yes, media. Games end up getting rescheduled and finding time to practice
indoors can be an issue because in most cases, there is only one gym. After all,
being the best indoor whiffle ball team only goes so far. The result ends up being
cabin fever. The rain can also make life difficult for physical education teachers
because in the springtime, most of the teaching is outdoor oriented activities.

Though I was a high school student-athlete about half of my life ago, I can most
prominently identify with how rainouts effect local sports media. Since I worked
for community weekly and daily publications with a two-year stint at an online
news service, our news organizations relied on having local stories, game and
feature stories. When rain washes out a multitude of events, it forces your hand
to pursue other stories.

By far the worst year I faced was the Spring of 2006 when it rained for all of about
six days in March and about half of April. The rainouts in March were overcome by
running spring sports preview stories. When April arrived, however, I was so
desperate for stories that I reached out to PE teachers. The reaction was
predictable, “Damn, Vince you really are hard up for stories.” Once I decided to
have fun with the idea, life was much easier.

Being an Upvalley sports reporter presented an even bigger challenge since St.
Helena and Calistoga play teams in Lake and Mendocino Counties, which involve
an hour long bus ride at the bare minimum but often are closer to two hours. That
set of circumstances means deciding early in the day whether or not the event is
getting played.

I remember the Calistoga High softball team reaching the CIF North Coast Section
Class B playoffs despite playing only 12 games when most regular seasons are 25.
The Wildcats went 9-3 so they were deserving of a berth.

With daylight savings looming, it is known as spring forward but the next rainout
you know of, just ask yourself, “How far did spring go forward?” Visualize using
binoculars in the process.