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Donna on the Side
by Donna Dye
(Donna accompanies husband-publisher John Dye to meets and roams the
sidelines.)
3/4/00 at the Virginia AAA State Meet, Fairfax VA
Parents' Views - Two
Elite girls - Why do they do it? -
Kelly Otstott escapes from "mono
prison" - Role Models - Favorite
Events -
A word with two elite girls
The awesome Sheena Johnson won four events and came in
third
in her fifth event. How does she do it? Sheena credits training starting
from last year and the great coaches she has as the reason for her success
this season. She loves what she does and prepares mentally by taking on
one event at a time. "I do one event and when that is finished, I
move on to the next and don't think of anything else." Of
all of her events she likes hurdles and triple jump the best. Sheena will
be at UCLA in the fall where the weather is warm . Look out, sunny
California, here comes Sheena.
After
the 300 meter dash, Alyssa Aiken (right) felt GREAT. And,
why wouldn't she? She won the event at 38.30 setting a new Virginia
State record and ranking 1st in the country. She trains
hard and looks to Marion Jones as a role model. The thrill of competition
excites her. Alyssa is headed for the University of Texas next year. Texas
was her first choice-she likes the campus and the coach.
Tidbits from the Athletes
Here are some quotes and notes from the Virginia State AAA athletes.
"Why do you do Track and Field?"
Dion Evens, Gar-Field: "I like to run. I do it for pleasure not for punishment."
The girls from Gar-Field, Virginia AAA state champs
Latoya King, Gar-Field: "I like to run. Do it for the competition."
Other Gar-Field Girls: "Love running. Feels good. Promotes good health. Competition."
Erin Swain, Lake Braddock: "Do it for the competition, team activities and team spirit. The competition gives you a thrill."
Kelly Swain, Lake Braddock: "Like to run."
Kelly Otstott, Thomas Johnson: "Do it for the competition and social aspects. Don't know what I'd do without track."
"What advice would you give young athletes just starting out?"
Sheena Johnson, Gar-Field: "Take it one step at a time."
Kelly Otstott, Thomas Johnson: "You never know how good you can be until you put your all into it."
Alyssa Aiken, Chantilly: "Keep working-don't ever get discouraged."
Amy
Conteh (right), Oakton: "Go one step at a time."
"What are your favorite events?"
Sheena Johnson, Gar-Field: "Hurdles and triple jump."
Alyssa Aiken, Chantilly: "300, 400 and hurdles."
"Do you have role models? Who are they?"
Latoya King, Gar-Field: "My Mom and sister."
Gar-Field girls: "Sheena Johnson."
Erin Swain: "Virginia Athlethes."
Kelly Otstott: "Nicole Snyder, former Thomas Jefferson Athlete now at Harvard."
Alyssa Aiken: "Marion Jones."
Parents say interesting things
There were many parents cheering on the sidelines and stands at the Virginia High School League AAA State meet this weekend. Here, two sets of parents share experiences on being a track and field parent
The Swains
Senior Erin Swain won the Women's 1600 Meter run, while her freshman sister Kelly came in second. I asked their parents Alan and Doris Swain, what it was like to be the parents of such achievers. "Exciting!" was the response without hesitation.
But they were also quick to say that it is "very demanding." "You need to be there and be supportive." Alan Swain believes that parents need to help keep things in perspective by reminding the athlete that "grades matter…. that is after all the reason they are in school."
The Swains will have a lot of time to practice and experiment track parent techniques. While Erin will do Cross Country and Track next year at North Carolina State University, Kelly plans to continue high school running for another three years. And then there is Alana, another Swain sister who will join Kelly next year. (Looks like the Swain sister act will live on!?) As I made my goodbyes, they rose to heartily cheer on Lake Braddock High School relay team. They're a great enthusiastic family. I look forward to seeing them at future meets in high school and at the ACC meets. (Our daughter Natalie is in the ACC at Maryland.)
The Otstotts - Kelly escapes from "mono prison"
Kelly
Otstott (right) from Thomas Jefferson High School ran a great
anchor to help her 4x800 relay team win the race and mark her comeback
from mononucleosis. Her parents Charley and Candy are excited to see her
recovery. "Running is so important to Kelly."
The road back to good health was not easy. For weeks Kelly was in "mono prison," while her mother struggled to be both her nurse and supporter. "Mono prison" meant lots of sleep, no running, and almost nothing of anything else. Understandably, Kelly was not happy.
Diagnosing Kelly's problem was not easy since she did not have "classic" mono systems. Last fall, Kelly began having problems running and collapsed a few times after a race. Candy instituted better eating habits, nutrition and more rest. Unfortunately, Kelly did not improve. So Candy sought help from doctors. To rule out one problem, Kelly was tested for mono. The results came back positive. As advice to parents of athletes, Candy suggests ruling out medical problems early and be patient.
