Time Out with Frank Aguirre (1993 Justin-Siena High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Frank Aguirre: Throughout my life, sports has created an opportunity to meet and connect with people I may have not had the chance to do so in regular daily life, throughout school or family functions. I can not say for sure if I athletics is where I learned to be more outgoing or if I came into sports already being outgoing, but I can say that athletics definitely facilitated the opportunity. I truly enjoyed meeting new people throughout athletic experience in life.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Aguirre: My career interest and dream throughout high school was to one day own my own restaurant. Since graduating high school almost 22 years ago, I have spent the first 15 years pursuing my dream to own and operate a restaurant which I did own from 2004 to 2009. Since getting out of the restaurant business, not through my own choice because it went bust on me, I have spent my time advocating, consulting and learning to help and support small business owners and entrepreneurs. I currently work for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in the Mayor's Office of Economic Development as a Business Development Specialist focusing on Small Business resources, initiatives and policy. I type these responses in a computer lab at Claremont Graduate University where I am slowly working on a PhD in Higher Education Leadership. My dream had been to own a restaurant, but things didn't go as expected. I feel fortunate to have a new passion in educating people and students about business and entrepreneurship.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Justin-Siena High?

Aguirre: I enjoyed my study skills course my freshman year. It was made up of a wide range of grade level students. It allowed me to meet and connect with students in other grades and classes that I may not have had a chance to connect with otherwise. That type of class allowed me to feel comfortable and allowed me to connect with upperclassmen. I felt more comfortable in my high school environment as I made more friends. You might remember, you were also in that class and we continued our friendship by having a course together. When I was an upperclassman, I consciously made the effort to connect with the lowerclassmen because of the positive effect that type of goodwill had on my experience and I wanted to be sure and return that same effort to other members of the student body who may not have felt comfortable in their new school.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Justin-Siena High?

Aguirre: Sophomore year in track and field. I was competing at the Sac-Joaquin Section track meet. My last throw in the competition and the last competitor in that event for my age group and I performed the best I had ever performed in my life and it was my personal record or my "PR" as we called it in that sport. While I had an excellent senior year in football and track in field, the experience I just described one specific moment that captures many situations that are and have been important to me for many different reasons.

To put things in context, this was for a shot put competition. I was the first one to use a spinning technique that I knew of in California, which is now a common technique used in competition. I was an undersized running back on the football field and I was not your typical shot put high level competitor in that I did not look like or resemble all the other shot putters at that level in any way shape or form. I simply looked different, I was one of the shortest, the smallest weight, and I sounded different with my typical grunt after each throw. My winning throw set me ahead at least by five feet from the nearest competitor, which was significant at that time. This might not sound like a big game story or 1,000 yard rushing milestone that some that know me might have expected for me to identify, but it was my favorite moment because it highlights the focus on technique, passion to compete and understanding of a personal commitment for reaching a personal record. The whole season and many seasons before that came down to one moment.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Aguirre: I have grown a lot. I feel like a much more well rounded person. But most importantly I've learned that life is a constant maneuvering of Xs and Os, ups, downs, success and failures. Learning and continued development is key.  I'm sure much of that came from the lessons earned by passing years, but I feel fortunate to have had athletics as a point of reference in my life. These lessons and experiences I learned in sports easily transferred to my other endeavors, such as higher education, entrepreneurship, and to my current job. Once I decided to competed in my last track meet at Sacramento Community College, I found success in my education by referring back to the skills, efforts and commitment I had applied in sports. Whether it is the the effort to score and A grade in a course, make a free throw, a personal record in a track and field meet or a touchdown or great block on the football field, the process, focus and effort is basically the same. I've learned that success is transferable, whether it’s from a classroom, the playing field or in overcoming personal challenges, the lessons learned in sports can apply to all situations in one’s life if we allow ourselves to learn and apply from them.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Aguirre: My immigrant mother and father. My mother is a courageous, but soft spoken lady. Over 50 years ago she came to this country, Napa specifically, as a single immigrant women, without knowing the language, the culture, and simply looking different. I was very fortunate that she and my father were able to square away their legal status before I was born, they were able to make a decent living, my mother as a janitor at the Veterans Home in Yountville, CA and my father as an Iron Worker and member of a local Iron Workers Union. I truly feel, especially as a child, that if they were not able to make a decent living working in one job, I would have had to spend my free time playing in a back yard instead of on a large practice field,  I would have had to spend my time at a child care center instead of out at a track meet, I would have had to watch basketball on TV instead of traveling to Sonoma to play our rivals. I still feel very fortunate and blessed that they had and I had the opportunities we had in the past and continue to benefit from today.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Aguirre: Abraham Lincoln. Favorite Abraham Lincoln Quote: "I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong."

Breaking down the roots of Napa Valley sports rivalries

“Rivalry.” Sports fans hear the word thrown around vigorously but often times without truly examining its meaning. By Wikipedia’s definition, a rivalry is described as “an intense competition between athletic teams or athletes. This pressure of competition is felt by players, coaches, and management, but is perhaps felt strongest by the fans.”

Having covered all of Napa County at one point or another in my former career or another, the biggest rivalries I’ve been in the middle of are Napa vs. Vintage, St. Helena vs. Justin, and Calistoga vs. St. Helena. Since American Canyon has only existed for five years, their truly defined rival is still being established.

At one time, Calistoga had an intense rivalry with St. Helena. But since the two schools do not play each other in every sport and infrequently in others, the rivalry is not there the way most people remember it. In fact, I’d go as far to say there is no rivalry. Or minimal at best.

Part of the reason why the Wildcats’ rivalry with St. Helena diminished is because St. Helena moved from the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section and into the Superior California Athletic League with Justin-Siena in the mid-1980s.

Therefore, St. Helena’s rivalry emphasis shifted toward league foe Justin.

In 2000, the SCAL disbanded and the Saints and Braves went into separate leagues — therefore, also diminishing the “rivalry” notion.

I pose one more question: Does winning that “rivalry” game have the same meaning for both teams?

Based on my observation as an Upvalley sports reporter from 2004-2014, Calistoga vs. St. Helena and Justin-Siena vs. St. Helena do not belong in the rivalry discussion, despite what some want you to believe.

The former is much more of a rivalry to Calistoga than to St. Helena.

If Calistoga beats St. Helena, you would think the Wildcats won the World Series.

If St. Helena beats Calistoga, however, it’s “just another win.”

I saw an example of that earlier this season when Calistoga beat St. Helena 16-4 in softball, which is perhaps the only sport where one would give Calistoga the edge over the Saints. Anyhow, I remember seeing social media light up like a Roman Candle. However, I remember St. Helena beating the Wildcats on many occasions in other sports and it was not a peep from the Saints.

Right now, St. Helena’s rival is Middletown and to a lesser degree, Clear Lake. The rivalry with Middletown has particularly taken off with the Saints football program going 43-5 the last four seasons. Therefore they have become the biggest threat to Middletown.

Calistoga does not have a clearly defined rivalry. Some would say Rincon Valley Christian or St. Vincent but I beg to differ because it is a rivalry to Calistoga, not the other school. It also has not helped that the Wildcats’ league realigns on average of every two years. The closest would perhaps be Tomales because the Wildcats and Braves have generally remained league-mates (for lack of a better term.

As for Justin-Siena vs. St. Helena, when I was a student-athlete at Justin-Siena, the rivalry with St. Helena was very heated.

Now, however, I would say it’s more of a rivalry to St. Helena than Justin, for much the same reason Calistoga-St. Helena is much more of a rivalry to the Wildcats.

To that end, who is Justin’s rival? It’s hard to say because they are isolated from Marin County. I’m finding that it mostly depends on the sport.

So, that brings us to Napa vs. Vintage. This rivalry has lost a little bit of its luster because Napa has had a significant edge in football lately, winning nine in a row and 12 of the last 13, mostly in dominant fashion. To add further perspective, the last time Vintage beat Napa in football, the current graduates-to-be were in third grade. To that end, on the football side, Napa’s rivalry emphasis has turned to Vacaville since those two teams are constantly fighting it out for the MEL title.

No offense to other sports, but football alters the perception of a rivalry more so than any other sport.

However, what gives the Napa-Vintage rivalry its staying power is the social element, and winning that game carries equal meaning to both teams in virtually every sport.

So much so, it can define the success of a team’s season.

In addition, no matter how bad both teams are, the stands are packed.

Both teams could enter the game undefeated or without having won a single game, but when they play each other, the game is played at a fever pitch.

So what about the new school of Napa County, namely American Canyon? Who could be its rival? Too soon to tell, because rivalries develop over time.

Vintage could be a possibility because until AmCan opened in August of last year, many AC kids went to Vintage.

Since American Canyon did not have all four grades until the start of the 2012-2013 school year, Vintage High will had seniors from AC.

Benicia would be a good potential rival for AC as well.

I, for one, have noticed a feeling of tension on both sides when the two schools meet.

Both communities have a similar population, and distance and proximity can be a common denominator in rivalries, too, in that those parents, players or fans see each other on a regular basis.

High school and college fans are more passionate about their teams on the whole than pro sports fans, because our level of sports hasn’t been polluted with lockouts, exorbitant salaries and steroid testing.

With pro sports, rivalries have also been diminished by the free agency culture. Look at the NFL, Dallas Cowboys star running back DeMarco Murray has signed a contract to become a Philadelphia Eagle. With this move being common, it’s hard to give credence to rivalries in pro sports.

In college, the rivalry element has diminished somewhat too because in a business sense, college has become similar to pro. Plus, conferences realigning has taken away some rivalries but there are some rivalries that will always have staying power such as Ohio State-Michigan, Auburn-Alabama, and Duke-North Carolina. While you might have star athletes transfer schools it would never be to a rival. It’s not like you are going to see Tim Tebow transfer from Florida to Alabama.  

Time Out with Crystal Stober (2002 Napa High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Crystal Stober: Being an athlete growing up was always a big part of me. When I was young, I tried many different activities to keep me busy. I was in dance, I played the piano, but there was something about sports, softball in particular, that was just in my blood. I definitely had that competitive spirit, that drive to push forward and do the best that I could. I loved winning games and to get there you have to have a lot of dedication and practice. Being on the field as a pitcher and having all your teammates and fans look up to you to get the job done was one of the best feelings to have. I also really enjoyed the friendships that I formed with my teammates, most of whom I’m still in contact with these days. I feel like we brought the best out of each other which made it easier for us to achieve our goals and be winners.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Stober: After graduating from Napa High in 2002, I started working for a family business. It was great but not playing softball anymore was hard for me. So with my dad, Robb, and a good friend of mine we started coaching a team for the Napa Junior Girls Softball. I was having so much fun coaching and giving back all I learned over the years and seeing these young girls perform and excel we decided to put together another Screamers team. This was a traveling softball organization my dad formed back in the late 90's and now being a coach for that was a pretty awesome feeling. I started teaching girls how to pitch and watched them grow right in front of my eyes. A few years later I was approached by Vintage's varsity head coach at the time, Ward Mullins, and he wanted me to help assist on the JV team. Being from Napa High it was a little hard to say yes, but I couldn't turn it down, I was doing it for the girls. I was lucky enough to coach a Vintage for five years and was the JV head coach for three. I miss playing and coaching softball and it will always be something I treasure. Maybe one day I will start coaching again, but for now I am loving what I do being a photographer in this beautiful valley and owning my families design business.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Napa High?

Stober: 3. It’s hard to pick my favorite class in high school. I actually enjoyed going to school, well for the most part, I was a teenager. On a serious note, some of the classes I really enjoyed was photography with Mr. Fogle, even though he couldn't tell the difference between me and my best friend, Holli. Also journalism with Mr. Benson, both of these classes really brought out my creative side and probably another reason I have a photography business today. Another favorite on the more fun side was our Econ & Gov class with Mrs. Imrie. It was senior year and the whole class was pretty much friends. There was never a dull day in that classroom.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Napa High?

Stober: I was lucky enough to have a lot of successful moments and games during my softball career at Napa High. Being a pitcher on the Varsity team my JV year I thought was a great accomplishment. One of the games that always sticks out in my mind until this day was my during my senior year, it was a game against the Fairfield Falcons. The game was away that day and I was excited to be the starting pitcher. Fairfield was a really good team and their pitcher, Alicia Hollowell was incredible. She held a national strikeout record for high school, she was always on point and she had a lot of speed. It was an intense game and both teams battled hard. I ended up striking her out and I also got a nice hit off of her, one of the only three to do that during the game. A lot of people in the league probably thought we couldn't win but we did 2-1. We also broke their winning streak right at the end of the season which was pretty incredible. I personally couldn't have been happier with my performance that game. To beat a team and a player (Alicia) that was so successful was an amazing feat in my softball career.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Stober: Since graduating high school I have grown in a lot of ways. I have taken a lot that I have learned from my teachers and coaches and implemented them into my life. As I mentioned earlier being an athlete, playing softball and being a part of a team meant a lot to me growing up. Not only was I a part of a team, I was a part of a family. We grew up together through those rough teenage years and I couldn't be more thankful to have had that bond. We were a group of hard working girls that wanted to be the best. Now as an adult having that drive a passion to win and be better is something that I use everyday. I feel like I am always learning something new and striving to be the best me that I can be. If I hadn't play sports I really don't know the kind of person that I would be today.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Stober: My dad, hands down. He was my biggest fan and he's the one that got me started into sports. There is no doubt that I got my competitiveness from him. Not only was he my biggest supporter he was my coach. He was not one of those parent coaches that babies you and puts you in to play every time because you were their kid, he loved me but was probably always the hardest on me when something didn't go right or I was goofing off. At times back then I thought he was just being mean but he knew my potential and I saw that he was just pushing me to do better and succeed, and I did. He also would drive me out to Sacramento every week for pitching and hitting lessons. The lessons were only 15 minutes each but to him it was worth it to have me learn from some of the best! Not only did he drive me out there every week but other girls on my team as well for hitting and catching lessons. It's hard to put into words how thankful I am for his dedication to me and something I loved to do.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Stober: This is a tough one. I look up to a lot of people in the sports world but I'm probably going to have to say Jenny Finch. I always wanted to be like her, to be the best. She played in the summer olympics which was a dream of mine. In more ways that one she made a name for herself in the softball world and I would love to just meet her one day.

Time Out with Melinda Herrera (2000 Vintage High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Melinda Herrera: The thing I enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout my life is the adrenalin rush I got when playing. The rush of your nerves before a basketball game would start, or feeling her heart beat before the gun fire at a track meet. The buildup and excitement was amazing.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Herrera: After graduating high school, I played 1 1/2 years of college basketball, and then called it quits.  I coached for a couple years between 7-8 girls basketball and freshman high school basketball. I'm happily married with three children, and have a successful photography business.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Vintage High?

Herrera: My favorite class at Vintage was definitely photography. I had the ability to do what I wanted and create something through my perception.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Vintage High?

Herrera: That's a tough one. I've been blessed with a lot of awesome athletic memories with some amazing people. The one that sticks out the most is the Big Game in basketball at Vintage, where I was benched the entire first half of the game, and we came back and beat Napa.  Napa hadn't been beat by Vintage in years, so it was very exciting.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Herrera: I've grown a tremendous amount since high school, from living a life without sports, to raising my own family, it's been an awesome ride and very eventful. Athletics I would say helped shape the woman/mom I am today. I learned hard work, dedication, drive, highs and lows, and teamwork from athletics. It's a great outlet for young kids, and learning to work through your emotions, and leaving your feelings at the door to concentrate on something else is something I hope to pass down to my kids. Learning to work hard, to see in yourself what others see in you.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Herrera: Within my family the most influential people would be my parents. Growing up with very athletically talented parents has been hard and amazing at the same time. They not only were amazing athletes but had the ability to help coach me throughout the years. They lived the shoes they preached from, they walked to road I was on, and they encouraged me but kept me humble.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Herrera: Well, he's not really historical but his story is amazing. I would love to meet "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson. Coming from a life where he had little, to having a lot and living for his family, and keeping his family a priority through all his success is amazing.  I grew up watching him in the WWF wrestling and now watching him on film ... but the best parts are watching his interviews about his family, whether it be his wife or mom ... he speaks from his heart and that is hard to find in someone so known.

Time machine: 2004 high school football: St. Helena at Salesian

There are certain games that while the team performance was impressive, you remember it as much, if not more, for the individual efforts. On Week 2 of the 2004 high school football season, St. Helena’s Robert Covey rushed 29 times for 266 yards and five touchdowns in his team’s 48-26 win over the Salesian (Richmond) Chieftains, who have since been renamed to the Pride. Though St. Helena has gone on to enormous success under current head coach Brandon Farrell, specifically from 2011-present, the Saints 2004 team was also a special one that should not be forgotten.

Covey’s numbers broke Tom Blanchfield record for yardage in a single game, which stood since 1960. Blanchfield was inducted as a member of the first class of the newly established St. Helena High Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013. Covey’s record stood for nine years until Sebastian Segura eclipsed the mark in a playoff game against Kelseyville, going for 270 yards. Segura, who ran for 1,710 yards that season, also broke Covey’s single-season yardage mark that year as well. Covey rushed for 1,610 yards in 2004.

Setting the scene: St. Helena’s 1998 senior-laden team enjoyed a 9-2 season, one of the best in school history. From 2000-2003, however, the Saints struggled to a 12-29 record and had three coaching changes. That record, however, was somewhat inflated because of a 10-11 mark from ‘02-’03 under Bryan Powell. That mark is also considered a disappointment by most Saints fans based on the talent they had returning such as J.J. Warren, Nick Wignall, Sean Boswell and Lance Zepeda to name few.

In May 2004, Powell resigned and Iain MacMillan took over two months later after going 38-12 in five years as Justin-Siena’s head coach including a 26-game winning streak. When MacMillan was hired, there was skepticism about his age (25 at the time) and coming from Justin. At that time, St. Helena and Justin still had elements of a rivalry because of their days in the now defunct Superior California Athletic League from 1986-2000.

MacMillan brought a young and dynamic coaching staff with him that included Mike McNamara and Chris Yepson. MacMillan also brought with him the Houston Split Back veer that Rich Cotruvo brought to Justin beginning in 1997 along with the 3-4 defense that he learned from Braves defensive coordinator Steve Vargas. In 2004, the Saints went 9-2 including a 21-18 win at Middletown.

That St. Helena team was senior heavy and the next season the roster would turn over very heavily but was led by twins Luke and Eddie McMullen. I will always remember that duo because while they may not have been the most talented players they had great intangibles highlighted by their work ethic.

MacMillan decided to make yet another key maneuver. He moved Robert Covey from offensive tackle to running back. Salesian had a dynamic athlete of its own in Jahvid Best, who went on to play at the University of California followed by a brief NFL stint with the Detroit Lions.

One week earlier, St. Helena shut out Delta (Clarksburg) 20-0 in MacMillan’s debut. Could the Saints make it two in a row against an always athletic Salesian team?

Thumbnail sketch of the game: Salesian had its early momentum curtailed when Best’s 73-yard run was nullified by a holding penalty which would have given his team a 7-0 lead. However, given that Salesian had no answer for Covey, it likely would not have mattered. Covey scored on runs of 58, 5, 8, 27 and 9 yards behind the offensive line of Alex Lapuyade, Ross Bentley, Scott Dale, Alex Wignall, Patrick McCreary and tight end Carlo Trinchero. Two weeks later, MacMillan moved Trinchero to running back to be paired with Covey. Trinchero had a tremendous season on the defensive side at linebacker earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in the NCL I, all-Napa County team and on the Redwood Empire team.

Salesian would cut the lead to 21-14 early in the second quarter but got no closer. What I remember most about this game was that at halftime, I was conversing with the referee. His response to me was, “I heard the quarterback (Luke McMullen) say ‘16-veer’ 10 straight plays.” It was a prime example of Salesian knew what was coming but still had no answer.

What it meant: The Saints went on to go 9-2 that season with the lone losses being to eventual NCL I champion Willits (12-6) and a playoff loss to John Swett (24-14). This game undoubtedly helped St. Helena enjoy the season it wound up having.

St. Helena also scored another signature win that season in defeating Middletown. That game will be revisited at a later date on this blog.

The Saints’ roster turned over drastically as 2004 was a senior dominated club. The Saints went 5-5 the following season and then went 7-4 to win the NCL I South title in 2006, the first league crown since the 1978 campaign. MacMillan resigned after 2006 and was replaced by Dave Collinsworth. The Saints went 2-8 in his lone season before landing current head coach Brandon Farrell. St. Helena has gone 57-22 in Farrell’s time as head coach, including 43-5 since 2011.

The two programs have also developed more chapters in this matchup since this game that will also be revisited on this blog.

Time Out with Paul Momsen (1992 Justin-Siena High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Paul Momsen: The friendships and camaraderie with other kids my age.  Looking back I learned about teamwork and work ethic.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Momsen: I graduated from CSU Fresno in 1997.  After graduation I volunteered with the Fire Department for about 10 years.  As a career, I manage a health club for In Shape Health Clubs.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Justin-Siena High?

Momsen: Ms. Birkmeyer’s anatomy and physiology class

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Justin-Siena High?

Momsen: Getting the opportunity to play with my brother.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Momsen: Athletics plays a big role is teaching us how to work with others and adapt to different situations.  If you don't grow personally after high school then you will never amount to much.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Momsen: My parents. I couldn't think of a better example of how to be a parent.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Momsen: Ronald Reagan.

Time Out with Michael Clark (1985 Justin-Siena High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Michael Clark: I had the good fortune of growing up in a house where athletics was a central theme. My enjoyment of sports started when I was very young being the ball boy for my father's basketball teams at Justin-Siena High School. I was always drawn to the competition, teamwork and camaraderie. That draw continued throughout my years playing basketball, baseball and football.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Clark: My wife, Holly (Justin-Siena '86), and I have the joy of raising our son, Dan, and daughter, Allison. Dan is currently a sophomore at Justin-Siena and Allison will start as a freshman next year. I am an Ergonomist and recently left UCSF for a position with Kaiser Permanente.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Justin-Siena High?

Clark: The easy answer would be my father's typing class. Truly, my favorite course was Honors English with Bob Morrish. The exposure to Dante, Shakespeare, Dostoevsky and the themes within remain a part of my life. Bob was ever the eccentric but was a powerful educator.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Justin-Siena High?

Clark: I will need to qualify with moment(s). Individually, playing quarterback my senior year and throwing three touchdown passes on Homecoming against Dixon. Collectively, I have the unique experience of being next to my father on the bench in 1974 when he guided Justin-Siena to the section basketball title, in 1983 being a member of the section champion football team, and watching my son win a section football championship in 2014. I am sure not many can say they have been involved with three high school section championships over three decades.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Clark: Life has an amazing ebb and flow. The biggest factor for my growth has been raising two wonderful kids and my athletic background instills a certain discipline, organization and "toughness" that permeates everything.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Clark: My brother John, is an incredible influence. I have personally learned a tremendous amount from him and continue to do so.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Clark: Plato. His thirst for knowledge and vision beyond the material would make for very interesting dialogue.

Excessive twitter use has worsened fundamentals of journalism

Isn’t it amazing how you accept certain levels of reality about how the world changes? Then, while you are not crazy about those changes, you know they are here to stay so you might as well go along with them.

However, just out of spite, you are only willing to go so far and you resist.

During my last two years in the newspaper industry, I became that way with social media, specifically Twitter. I like having a Facebook account because it has allowed me to reconnect with people from pockets of my life that I lost contact. However, Twitter has fundamentally changed how journalists do their jobs, and not for the better — because it has fed the instant gratification monster that has poisoned our society. As much as I dislike Twitter, I believe it can be useful as far as driving people to the finished product. The problem is, too many powers that be in news organizations encourage it to replace the finished product.

For those on the sports desk, where breaking news, photo finishes and down-to-the-wire games are a routine occurrence, reporting via Twitter and following what others are saying has become essential.

Quite simply, you now have to tweet your beat. For journalists who post a concentrated number of tweets in a short time span, follower growth rate is about 50 percent more than average.

I started a Twitter handle of @upvalleysports before the fall sports season of 2013. Since I am out of the newspaper industry as of about five months ago, I only use it sparingly.

Initially it was meant to give updates during football games but I continued to use it for other sports as well.

I have seen reporters tweet run-of-the-mill plays like “Johnson 5-yard gain” or “defense holds, forces punt.”

Personally, I just can’t wrap my head around doing that because too much Twitter posting while covering the game compromises your reporting in that you risk not seeing a meaningful occurrence.

However, social media is part of journalism for the foreseeable future, so I had to embrace it on some level but I was only willing to go so far. I guess that is an example of remembering the industry a certain way (pre social media) when I first started so I feel the need to hold on to certain ways of doing things that I recall.

With that being said, I was amenable to using Twitter for the following: a) posting final scores, b) teasing feature stories that are slated to appear in print, c) posting something meaningful that takes place before or during a game and d) posting a rescheduling of a game.

However, I can’t bring myself to tweeting every scoring play.

In the “B” category, one example would be catching up to Calistoga High athletic director D.J. Hein and football head coach Paul Harrell about the NCL II realigning for football. Another example would be catching up to St. Helena High graduate Maddy Densberger. Both posts had a tone of “stay tuned look for the story in next week’s paper.”

In the “C” category, one example would be Calistoga High inviting 1987 graduate Corey Beck back to be an honorary captain. Another example would be the inaugural athletic Hall of Fame class being honored at halftime of a football game. Point being, if I’m going to tweet anything other than a final score, it’s got to be meaningful.

Though I was enormously reluctant when I first established a Twitter account, having people appreciate the updates made me see the value of it. For example, I have had people tell me, “Vince, I couldn’t go to the game but thanks for the update,” and they are totally OK with the final score and nothing more.

Two things made me resistant to excessive use of social media in conjunction with reporting: a) Napa Valley Publishing management pounding it down the editorial staff’s throat and b) I remember one person (who shall remain nameless) in the “powers that be” category saying that people are text messaging each other during games so why not make that part of our jobs? My counter argument to that is, “If that’s the case, why am I wasting my time covering the game?”

What is also even more laughable about the twitter craze is that you would think everyone prefers it but I can prove where that is not true. My Twitter and Facebook accounts are linked, meaning any update I did with the former would appear with the latter. Since St. Helena and Calistoga often played road games in remote locations, some people could not attend the game. I got numerous comments to the effect of, “Vince, thanks for keeping us updated.” My response was, “If you only knew my views on Twitter?” They almost universally replied with, “Hey, we’re fine only giving the score, we know you’re busy covering the game.”

My goodness, it is refreshing to hear people that talk sense.

I could never be a twit that tweets too much.  

Time Out with Mandy Huggins (1999 Napa High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Mandy Huggins: I think being a part of a team was what I always enjoyed most about competing in athletics. Knowing that you don't want to let anyone down and working together to win makes it that much more rewarding. The hard work is bonding and knowing your teammates are there working hard next to you is something I miss that you don't really get to experience in many other areas in life.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Huggins: After high school I lived in Arizona for six years, then moved to San Diego for six years. I moved back to Napa about three years ago and currently am the Sales Support Manager at Janson Capsules. I got married a year ago and had a baby boy a few weeks ago so that has kept me pretty busy.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Napa High?

Huggins: Probably Sports Literature, which combined my love of English and Sports. We got to read all sports themed books like the Natural and A River Runs through it.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Napa High?

Huggins: It's hard to pick only one. I am really proud to have never have lost to Vintage. Also, when I was a Junior we upset Will C. Wood at home when their team was really good and had three girls who were taller than me.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Huggins: I think I have grown a lot since high school but by participating in athletics from a young age, it has built a foundation of a hard work ethic that I have carried with me through adulthood. I think it has taught me how to mutli-task and work well with other to accomplish a common goal. I think being a student athlete really taught me how to find balance and to be disciplined to make sure I was organized to get everything done to the best of my ability.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Huggins: My parents definitely. My Dad has a passion and love for sports that was passed down to my brothers and I. Both of my parents always encouraged us and pushed us to be better or the best we could be.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Huggins: I am not really sure on that one. I have met a lot of professional athletes and they are just normal people who have a talent in a certain area and often can be disappointing when you meet them in person. I would like to have met Pat Tillman. Besides the fact that he was a Sun Devil and from the Bay Area (so we'd have that in common) he was a pro athlete living his dream and he gave it all up to follow what he believed in and that is so admirable and heroic.