Time Out with Randy Keen (2012 Napa High graduate)

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

Randy Keen: What I enjoy most about competing in athletics is the constant need to better myself. I always want to be the best and perform the best for my team. Competing in athletics holds you accountable in the fact that if you don't fully prepare, you will fail and that is a very important life lesson.

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

Keen: Since graduating from Napa High School in 2012, I attended Napa Valley College for two years where I played baseball for the Storm and received an Associates degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences. After my sophomore season of baseball I was selected to both the All-Conference and All-Northern California baseball teams for my play that season. After my two years at the JC I received a scholarship to continue both my education and baseball career at Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri. I have completed my junior year and I will beginning my senior year shortly. I am majoring in Kinesiology.

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

Keen: My favorite class at Napa High would have to be weight room because I learned how to lift and how to push myself with the help of my coaches. Although it wasn't an "educational class" I believe I learned how to keep myself healthier when my athletic career is over.

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

Keen: This is a tough one because baseball is my first love, but beating our cross-town rival, Vintage, in Big Game Football my senior year is probably my favorite Athletic moment at Napa High.

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?

Keen: I believe I have grown exponentially since graduating high school. I now live 2,000 miles away from my family with only my girlfriend, Roni, and my dog, Kalel. We are both working, attending school, and learning to be independent on our own. I attribute most of this growth to  athletics because like I said in the first question if you do not fully prepare for what life has in store for you, you will surely fail. Athletics have taught me that you must give everything in life your full effort and go above and beyond to be successful and happy.

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

Keen: I would say the most influential people within my family would be my parents, my girlfriend, and my girlfriends mother. My parents, Glenn Keen, Tina Payne, and Joe Payne, pushed me to be my best and supported me through all of my decisions. They let me fail in order to learn, but they also helped me through my mistakes. My girlfriend, Roni, is a very influential person in my life because she has supported me for the past five years. She dropped everything and moved with me away from her family and friends to help support me on this amazing adventure we share together 2000 miles away from home. I wouldn't be able to do it without her. Also Roni's mother, Sue, is a very influential person in my life because she has been through hell and back and continues to be a loving, supporting, stubborn, mother to anyone and everyone who needs one.

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

Keen: Jackie Robinson. This man had to play baseball at the highest level with the highest amount of pressure imaginable and succeed when everyone around him expected him to fail. He stayed composed and strong through it all and changed the game of baseball forever. I struggle with my composure now and then when I am on the baseball field and I am under no where near the pressure he was, so I would like to ask him how he was able to do it and what drove him to be so successful.

Time Machine: Running scout team as a media member, it was fun

Sometimes you have to share things that you never had a chance to write about in print. Well, I’m about to share took place before I had a Facebook account. I was going to write a column about it but I relented because I felt it was too personal and would have overshadowed the success that St. Helena High fall sports teams were experiencing at the time. However, I can share it guilt free since I have left the newspaper industry as a career. However, I still contribute to my former employer as a freelance writer and as a blogger.

It was the first week of October 2006 as I was covering the Upper Napa Valley sports beat, specifically St. Helena and Calistoga for the St. Helena Star and Weekly Calistogan. The beat also involved coverage for the Napa Valley Register, our parent publication.

During football season, the Register runs football preview capsules on each of the games as well as a feature story involving one of the schools. The latter was done on a rotating basis. To that end, it was St. Helena’s week so I chose a feature on Saints’ running back David Fanucci. Ian MacMillan, who was St. Helena’s head coach from 2004-2006, brought Fanucci up to varsity as a sophomore and by the time he was a senior morphed into a 1,000 yard rusher along with backfield mate John Hudson. That season, the Saints won the North Central League I South championship for their first league crown since 1978.

St. Helena was 2-2 entering its game at Lower Lake on the heels of consecutive losses (32-28 to Fort Bragg and 15-13 to Willits). The Saints were also limping on the injury front as the team was down to just 16 players entering its aforementioned road game at Lower Lake. At the time, the Saints coaching staff was mostly made up of guys in their 20s that would be part of the scout team.

One day leading up to the game, it had rained in St. Helena so MacMillan had moved practice inside the gym so as not to further risk more injuries. So, I stopped by practice to interview both MacMillan and Fanucci. The former looks over in my direction and asks with a sly grin on his face, “Vince, are you doing anything right now?” I responded with, “You need me to run scout team?” So he nods his head and the kids were egging me on to do it. So, I took the plunge.

I played football and ran track in high school school but, at the time, I was 34 years old. I was active in pilates at the time but cardiovascularly I was not in the best shape. Luckily, this was not a practice involving pads.

So I played the role of Lower Lake wide receiver Kevin Freeman. On running plays, I came off the line of scrimmage aggressively to make downfield blocks. On passing plays, I ran routes without tipping off what they were. There were a few times where I reached down low to catch passes, rolling on the gym floor in the process. The big moment came when I was lined up against Dre Gomes. I ran a post-corner route, Gomes bit hard on the post and I beat him to the corner. Sorry, Dre.

I proceeded to playfully talk smack to the kids and say, “You better get someone to cover me, Dawg! You got an old man beating you downfield!” It produced a good sense of levity. So I tell MacMillan, “Hey coach, I only used up three years of eligibility in high school, you got another jersey?”

Suffice it to say, my legs were sore for about a week but it was a fun experience and I feel like it brought out a different element of the relationship I had with the kids and coaches.

The Saints went on to beat Lower Lake 34-7 that week and I’m pretty certain that I had more receptions and yards that day in practice than Freeman had in the game.

When I became a cynic about preseason strength of schedules

Isn’t strange how sometimes we can remember how our beliefs on certain subjects changed? When a team’s schedule, most specifically NFL and to a lesser extend college football, is released before the season, you hear fans and media alike talking about what team’s schedule is easy or difficult.

I was at a recent birthday party for a classmate of two of my kids. I went to school with the birthday boy’s father and our families have known each other since Moby Dick was a minnow. OK, I’m not that old but you get the idea. Anyhow, I was talking to a fellow who is an Oakland Raiders’ fan. The Raiders were once a proud franchise that has fallen into the abyss. Since reaching the Super Bowl in 2002, the Raiders have lost at least 10 games in 10 of their last 12 seasons. Oakland had consecutive 8-8 seasons in 2010 and 2011.

If you are scoring at home, based on 2014 regular season records, the Pittsburgh Steelers have the most difficult schedule in 2015 while the Atlanta Falcons have the easiest. The Raiders, meanwhile have the seventh most difficult slate based on 2014 records.

However, it got me thinking, do preseason schedule rankings really have any correlation on translating success for the ensuing season? Who knows. It can work or not work both ways.

I can, however, tell you when I first became a cynic of that argument was 1999, which was my first season covering the Raiders for Silver & Black Illustrated. First, to set the scene, the Raiders went 8-8 in 1998, which was Jon Gruden’s first season. Oakland was slated to play road games at Green Bay and Minnesota to start the season.

In 1998, Green Bay went 11-5 before losing 30-27 to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card Game. That game was one of the most exciting postseason games of all time. Minnesota went 15-1 in 1998 only to lose in the NFC Title Game 30-27 in overtime to the Atlanta Falcons.

That said, I remember going into training camp in 1999, the running conversation of fans and media was to the effect of, “my goodness, the Raiders will start 0-2,” or “if the Raiders can somehow go 1-1.”

Here’s what happened, Green Bay rallied to beat the Raiders 28-24 as future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Brett Favre engineered one of his 45 game-winning drives in his career. Favre connected with tight end Jeff Thomason for a 1-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds remaining.

One week later, the Raiders went to Minnesota and beat the Vikings 22-17.

So let’s fast forward how the 1999 season played out not only during these two weeks but throughout the season. Oakland and Green Bay each went 8-8. Minnesota went 10-6. So based on the outcome of the season for those teams and the outcome of the games, there’s no reason the Raiders shouldn’t have gone 1-1, even 2-0.

All I’m saying is that strength of schedule best takes into account what happened last year, not what will happen this year. Translation, what “was” is not always what “is.”

Time Out with Lee Erby (Vintage High 1999 graduate)

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

Lee Erby: I really enjoyed the camaraderie that sports provides. In the moment it’s hard to understand the impact sports will have on your personal life, but it is blatantly apparent when you list your friends years later. I can thank competitive sports for some of the most impactful friendships I have today. Even for those teammates that I may not keep in contact with on a continuous basis, the moment I see them it’s like we’ve talked every day. I’ve truly been blessed to have been able to be a part of a sport that allowed for these relationships.

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

Erby: Since high school I’ve been focused on achieving personal/professional goals:

1.    Played basketball at CSU-California Maritime Academy and received a B.S. in International Business & Logistics

2.    Began working at Merrill Lynch as Financial Advisor (2007) and am now in a management role (Regional Sales Manager) overseeing 62 Financial Advisor across the East Bay and Nevada.

3.    Received my MBA from Saint Mary’s College of California in 2011

4.    Became an uncle to a future NBA (Kaidyn 2 years old) and WNBA (Makayla 1 year old) First Round pick.

5.    I’ve been searching for my future wife (kidding)! 

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

Erby: Governmet/Economics

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

Erby: I enjoyed all three years I participated on the Varsity team, in particular the time with my teammates/coaches (conditioning, practicing, and games). My favorite moment doesn’t surround a personal event for me just rather the time I got to spend with my teammates/coaches. I was fortunate to play with a great group of guys.

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?

Erby: I feel that I’ve grown tremendously since high school and I believe a large portion of that came from the life lessons I learned from my coaches (Russ Critchfield and Mike Flohr). With athletics you have to learn how to deal with both victory and defeat. You also learn that hard work will make you successful if you’re willing to stay committed to something. I’d also attribute my faith, family, and friends as key reasons for my growth.

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

Erby: I’ve been fortunate to have the support of my entire family.  I have loving parents, caring step parents, exceptional younger siblings, and a extended family that’s always been there for me.  I’m truly blessed.

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

Erby:  I’d most like to meet both of my grandfathers.  Unfortunately, they both passed away before I was born; I’d be curious to be able to hear their stories and learn from their life experiences.

Time Out with Andy Neal (Napa High 1988 graduate)

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

Andy Neal: I have played sports, competed and/or coached basically my entire life. For me, it is about the camaraderie with friends, teammates and players, the common goal, the lessons we learn in losing, and the joy, sense of accomplishment and celebration we experience in winning. To this day, my best most important friends in my life are those that I played or coached with.

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

Neal: After graduating from Napa High School in 1988, I earned a BS degree from Sacramento State and went into law enforcement and got married and started a family. After my marriage separation/divorce in 2009, I did a career 180 and moved into technology with the Napa School District. Currently, I am the Technology Coordinator for Adult Education in Napa. I started coaching when my kids started playing sports in approximately 2001 -- mostly baseball and basketball -- and most recently coached my daughter in Optimist basketball this last Winter. I still play team sports whenever I can, and I jog and workout to stay fit and keep my lifelong competitive spirit healthy.

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

Neal: I loved math back in the high school days and as a high school freshman I took algebra from Coach/Teacher Les Franco. I remember he made our test scores a contest of sorts -- with a leaderboard posted in the classroom (clearly a concept drawn from his coaching experiences). I also remember having varsity football players in that class and thinking that was pretty damn cool.

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

Neal: Two memories immediately come to mind. I was a slot-back in football and I will never forget catching my first touchdown pass in memorial stadium, and the packed Messner Gym playing in my first Napa-Vintage basketball big-game.

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?

Neal: Being an life-long athlete has completely defined who I am. Everything to the friends I have, and the lessons I learned on a field or court to help navigate through life.

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

Neal: My parents. My Dad is a life-long athlete and my physical role-model, and my Mom is the soul of our family and my emotional role-model.

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

Neal: Without putting too much thought into this question, I would enjoy sitting down with Paul McCartney and an acoustical guitar and just listen to him tell the stories behind the songs

Time Out with Damon Kachur (1994 Justin-Siena High graduate)

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

Damon Kachur: I was able to enjoy both a team and individual based sports growing up, which I thought was great but the single best part of participating in athletics was the bond that was formed by a team. In order to be successful and win on the field or the court, the entire team must function as one group with a single agenda. An athlete must understand and embrace their role on a team and a common goal for the team must be agreed upon and executed.

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

Kachur: I work in Business Development covering Cyber Security and Threat Intelligence for Symantec Corporation. I love my job and get to travel around the world and help to protect billions of devices and most importantly the children of our world.  

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

Kachur: That's a tricky one. I will give you my top 3. (Bob) Morrish for English, (Dan) Clark for Math and Dr. (Marshall) Foletta for history/government.

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

Kachur: Playing any baseball game at the Veteran's Field in Yountville.  Winning the CIF Championship for golf in 1994.

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?

Kachur: I've grown a lot since I last played competitive organized athletics. I definitely see the team experience assist me in my professional life but I also see traits from my individual athletic experience helping to guide me in strategizing and positioning myself for personal growth and gain.

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

Kachur: My mom and dad were definitely the biggest influences that I had growing up. My dad taught me about work ethic, being punctual, listening, being respectful and keeping commitments. My mom always made sure I had a ride, took my the the cages, threw me batting practice on the golf course, drove me all over for golf and baseball games, she made sure I was fed, had a clean uniform and all my gear was packed. They were both there for me at every turn.

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

Kachur: Bo Jackson hands down. I'd love to hear straight from him what it was like to be Bo, growing up, his time at Auburn and his short but magnificent professional career.  I had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with Johnny Miller and he has been very influential on me as well.  

Time Out with Kat Costa (2001 Calistoga High graduate)

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

Kat Costa: Sports have always kept me grounded. I started playing sports when I was 9 years old. I started off with Gymnastics and Acrobats, I performed in recitals. Then I progressed into cross country. When I moved to Calistoga, I was 11 years old and I joined the junior high volleyball and basketball team. While in high school, I was a cheerleader (freshmen year 98-99 Class B football champs). I played volleyball, basketball, and softball all four years. Through all these different sports I learned so many lessons and strengths that have molded me into the adult I am today. If you work hard and practice hard even if you lose, you’re winning. Your team becomes your family who you learn to trust.

I learned that through discipline and commitment anything is possible. Playing sports was a way to drop all the weights of the world at the door and walk onto the court or field and just focus because for the next 45mins to two hours all that mattered was the game. It wasn’t always about winning it was about the experiences and relationships that were built. I take these principles that I have learned and apply it in the real world. My favorite motto “work hard play harder”

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

Costa: I attended college at Sonoma State University studying in Kinesiology. I went to SSU to play on the Seawolves basketball team it was the best time of my life with an extraordinary coach Mark Rigby. Unfortunately, I came into college with torn ligaments and ended up with nerve damage which led me to my first ankle surgery in 2003 which made my career short lived. I have currently had three ankle surgeries. I am actually recovering from a tendon surgery I just had in April and next year I will receive two new ligaments. Then I should be good as new. It has made it tough to coach or play sports so I chose to work and live in Petaluma for about eight years I managed restaurants and bars.

I currently am working at Beringer winery in St.Helena. It is nice to be back in this valley that I call home.

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

Costa: Hands down, Physiology with Mr. (Richard) Johnsen. He wasn’t just a teacher he was a mentor and friend. He made any subject fun. He actually helped me with my decision to pursue Kinesiology and attend SSU.

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

Costa: Best memory for my high school was when our Wildcat football team beat St. Bernard (Eureka)  and advanced to the Class B championship. But for me to choose a favorite athletic

moment is tough playing for a small school like Calistoga it was common to have a different

coaching staff each year. Which made it challenging to win and to build up a strong team I

played my heart out each game to pin point one moment is hard. I will say my senior year of volleyball was by far my favorite and most successful year and I owe it all to my coach, Jen Breiner, she dedicated her life to our team. She created summer workouts just for us. I improved my stats from the year before for example 17 kills to ending my senior year with 78 kills, 42 aces, three blocks, and 90 digs.

Even though we made it to playoffs the farthest volleyball had been since the 80’s we lost in the first round to St.Vincent we were devastated but in the end we were still winners for how hard we worked.

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?

Costa: I think 100% of my success has come from athletics. It has made me work hard and achieve promotions in life and in my career.

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

Costa: My mom she is my best friend, I am a fighter because of her she beat cancer twice. She was diagnosed with stage 3 non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer when I was 12 years old.  She defines the word survivor and she is the strongest women I know. Even through losing her hair and always being exhausted and sick she still made it to all of my games. I was never late for a game or practice my mom always drove my teammates and other sports teams to games, and she cooked team meals.

You would hear her screaming at all the football games from the parking lot. Her actual nickname from all my fellow friends and athletes is “Momma Donna” There was times in my life I wanted to throw in the towel and she wouldn’t let me.

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

Costa: Since basketball has always been my favorite sport I would say Michael Jordan. He embodied everything I wanted to be as an athlete. He is a legend.

Evaluating Hall of Fame resumes

If there is one thing that has become more commonplace in sports, it is schools, be it universities or high schools establishing their own Hall of Fames. Even professional teams establishing a Hall of Fame for its own franchise has become more mainstream.

Here in the Napa Valley, three of the six high schools have their own Hall of Fames -- Napa, Vintage and St. Helena. Calistoga and Justin-Siena would definitely have ample choices if they ever decided to start one. Since American Canyon did not open until 2010, it is far too early to form one now but the school already has candidates now if they ever went that direction. Napa Valley College also has its own athletic Hall of Fame.  

In my last two years as a sports journalist, I was most actively involved with St. Helena’s Hall of Fame coverage. I had the chance to work closely with St. Helena High 1962 graduate Jim Hunt, who is the president of the organization that was formed in 2013. There had been talks for a few years of the organization forming but gained serious traction when Hunt took an interest in compiling record books for various sports of Saints athletics.

To be eligible as an athlete, nominees have to have graduated from St. Helena High at least 10 years prior to nomination and received recognition while at St. Helena, which includes but is not limited to North Central League I, North Coast Section and/or California Interscholastic Federation.

To be eligible as a coach, an individual must have coached at least one interscholastic athletic team, been employed by or contributed services to the high school as a coach for at least five years, and be no longer active as a coach at St. Helena High.

To be eligible for distinguished service, an individual must have participated in an activity that brought honor or positive recognition to the athletic program or contributed in some substantial way to the improvement of the athletic program. The qualification for this category is intentionally broad and relatively non-restrictive.

The common denominator for all three categories is that an individual must have displayed outstanding character and have been a positive role model in the community.

The committee then schedules meetings and evaluates nominees. Committee members cannot vote for themselves if nominated, nor may they abstain from voting for or against a candidate. There are no minimum or maximum number of inductees per year. If a nominee is unsuccessful in three attempts, there will be a five-year waiting period for re-nomination.

While I cannot speak for the requirements of the other schools, I’m sure they are at least somewhat similar.

There is yet another thing I have discovered. You cannot please everyone when it comes to nominating and inducting new members. Do you induct one that excelled at three sports first? Do you induct one that played three sports but only excelled at say one? Or do you induct one that played just one sport but excelled at that particular sport? To me, those who played three sports and either excelled at all three or at least two should be first in line. After that, candidacy needs much closer evaluation.  

The justification that I find most comical is, “what about player X, Y or Z? They went on to play in college?” While that part of their resume should be looked at, it should not be an automatic ticket to induction. For openers, some junior colleges, NAIA schools or even Div. III schools will take most anyone that walks in the door because a) their coaches do not actively recruit or b) they need bodies to fill a roster. That statement is not meant to be cruel but it is simply reality.

Regardless of whether a youngster either a) simply goes to college without playing sports, b) goes on to play sports in college or c) goes on to bag groceries, the question should be, “does their athletic achievement at said school warrant Hall of Fame induction?”

To help understand the question even better, I bring up two more layers. Look at Joe Montana and Tom Brady. Each quarterback led his team to four Super Bowl championships. Montana is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brady will be too the first year he is eligible. That said, do they belong in the college football Hall of Fame? No. While both did some good things in college, Montana at Notre Dame and Brady at Michigan, their careers at that level were good but not great.

Now take Peyton Manning. He too is a slamdunk NFL Hall of Famer but is also a slamdunk College Football Hall of Famer. Keep in mind, Manning was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 1997. However, Manning would be a College Football Hall of Famer even if he became an NFL bust or did not play a single down in the NFL. He would also be an NFL Hall of Famer even if he had a nondescript college career.

Something to think about when nominating an inductee for your school’s Hall of Fame, Ring of Honor, etc.

Lucas Tresidder (2015 Maria Carillo High graduate)

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

Lucas Tresidder: The things I most enjoyed while playing sports during my life was the competition and competing with friends and teammates that will always have your back on and off the field. The bond between the teammates is one of the most important things in a team. How they push you harder and harder to become better in the sport. For football, during spring practice you start to figure out your team and how they play. You may have a grudge on some of them, but the work they all put in through spring to winter. You leave your last game as brothers, as a family and that's what made me keep playing football. It's not just football that has the same concept but other sports do the same. That's what makes me come out next year and play the sport again.

D’Adamo: What are your plans after high school?

Tresidder: My plans after high school is to attend Santa Rosa Junior College and throw shot put, discus and hammer for sure. For football, I haven't decided on whether I will redshirt, or come out and play next year and be a full time player and then do throwing in the spring. I want to take a year off of football so I can get my college classes and work all figured out and set. Right now I am working at Home Plate cafe in the mornings, and then working downtown at Barolo restaurant as a dishwasher and prepper. I plan on continuing working at Barolo while in school and then leaving Home Plate and focus on what I want to do in the kitchen.

D’Adamo: What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?

Tresidder: My major that I will be learning at the SRJC is culinary arts, and also philosophy. My reasons for culinary arts is that I love to cook, I love to try new plates, but mostly I would like to BBQ and try different things on the grill. In the future I would like to own my own BBQ shack that's out of the ordinary. My reasons for studying in philosophy is that when I learn about some one briefly, but gets my attention and makes me interested about what they did, I want to go and learn about that person from the day they were born until they died. I want to know what they did in their life, how they made an impact on the world, and why they were known and why they were big.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at Maria Carrillo High?

Tresidder: My favorite class at Carrillo is my culinary class. It's not just because we cook food and eat it, they teacher is like another mother to me. She doesn’t really have that normal teacher vibe. She teaches her class like its her kids. She loves and cares for each one of them cause she wants them to do the best they can at what they love. But when something goes bad, she won't yell at them, she will just help and teach them what they did wrong and tell them it's ok and try again.

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

Tresidder: They one family member that influences me is my brother Tyler Carr. When he was in high school at Cardinal Newman, graduated in 2006 I believe. He was on the football team all of his 4 years. And he junior and senior year, he was on the team when they went to state and played against Oaks Christian, when Jimmy Clausen was quarterback, now playing for the Carolina Panthers. And then the next year he played in the semifinals in the Oakland Coliseum. That game I was the official water boy and was able to go on the field, the same field that the Oakland Raiders played, my favorite team. Also got to go in the locker room. Why my brother influences me is because I always seen him do his best at what he did. He made things work, and did the good in things. He was a 4.2 student in high school and was one of very few students that made on a high scholar list picked by the principle. He got an academic scholarship to Cal Poly SLO, and graduated with a major in civil engineering and now working for a big construction company down south in Santa Barbra. When I grew up I always went to his games, say him working on school work last at night, after he worked and after football practice. My first job at Home Plate was also Tyler's first job. So I am almost following his footsteps. He always wanted the best for me and wanted me to work as hard as he did while in high school. It's what a big brother wants for his little brother.

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

Tresidder: The one person that I would like to meet is Bob Marley. There is one quote that he has, "Love the life you live, Live the life you love.” That one quote, and there's many great words for him, but that one quote made me think to myself and changed me. Whenever I don't want to do something, or when someone is trying to get me to do stuff, I ask myself do I want this? Do I want this in my life? With sports, work, my classes, friends, and hobbies that I do, I wouldn't be having those things in my life if I didn't love them. Like and love is a different thing. I love football, I love throwing, I love to cook and learn, I love my friends. Just likening them isn't enough to keep them in your life. Bob Marley loved music than anything in his life. Bob Marley is music. His words in his songs is all from his life. Nothing word stop him from playing reggae. I listen to alot of reggae, mostly him and some others. But there would be no reggae bands if it wasn't for Bob Marley and the Wailers. When I was watching his documentary, when I say nothing would stop him from playing reggae, I meant that literally. In Jamacia, Bob had a concert for the people because the Prime Minister was there and Jamacia was about to have their independence. Before the concert started, Bob was shot by a man that was angry and against Bobs beliefs. Bob was in pain, but he said to everyone that he will still be at his concert. Many people were waiting for him to get back from the hospital. That concert was his biggest one he ever had. The best one he ever had, and the thing that made that one the biggest, is that he sang with a bullet wound that happened just hours before. All he wanted was to play great music for the people and hope for peace in his home country and all around the world. He hoped his music would do that and that is still doing that today.