By: Ronnie Kadykowski

The violence and physicality of football remain hot-button issues surrounding the sport today. Yet, as John Miller explains in his book, “The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football”, football is far safer today than the sport used to be when it was first created in the late 19^th century. 

“Teddy Roosevelt saved football by instituting the forward pass,” Miller explained.

“Football was an incredibly brutal and violent sport in the late nineteenth century, but also tremendously popular. As it was becoming more and more popular, a growing number of people became more concerned with its violence and noticing, for example, that in the year 1905, 18 people died playing football,” Miller said.

“They would say, ‘enough is enough. This is gladiatorial combat in the Roman amphitheatre and there is no place for that in modern American life.’ So, an abolition movement rose up trying to ban or outlaw football. They wanted to get rid of it entirely.”

That’s where Teddy Roosevelt and others stepped in to prevent football from being dismantled. They felt the sport had its flaws, but also saw the intrinsic value the sport offered to spectators, players, and especially young men.

“[Roosevelt and others] recognized that football had a problem with violence but they thought the solution was to try and find a way for football to survive rather than get rid of it entirely,” Miller said.

“Eventually, Roosevelt, when he was president, summoned the coaches to the White House from Yale, Harvard, and Princeton, the three most important football programs of the time. He said [to the coaches], ‘football is on trial and you guys should find a way to preserve it.’

“That winter, a new rules committee formed, passed a bunch of sweeping rules changes to the game, the most important of which was the forward pass. They did this with the support of Roosevelt and as a result, the violence of football declined. It did not go away entirely and it took them a few years to work out the kinks, but within about seven or eight years the sport had transformed. It moved from a version of rugby in which there were quarterbacks but no wide receivers and no forward passes into the modern American sport that we know and love today.”

The addition of the forward pass helped to “open up” the game of football. By allowing more space, speed became a bigger factor in the game and collisions amongst players became isolated to a few players at a time, rather than all 22 men converging on each other at once.

“Prior to [the forward pass], football was compressed into a small part of the field. Every play was a clash of large men throwing themselves at each other again and again and again trying to move the ball four feet.

“Allowing the forward pass, you suddenly had wide receivers and your spreading play across a larger area of the field and speed started to matter more. It’s not that it didn’t matter previously, but it suddenly started to matter even more.

“Although football remained a rough sport, as they often called it back in the day, the fatalities just began to decrease. There have always been injuries and so forth, but as a result of the forward pass, football fixed its problem of grievous injury.”

Despite the early 20^th century overhaul of football, it continues to be a violent sport today that has its fair share of serious injuries, especially concussions and other head and neck injuries. But, as Miller explains, football is far safer today than it was and while he may not be a football man himself, he sees the current debate on concussions as having many positives for the future of the sport.

 “I’m not a football man in the sense that I never really played for a team or anything,” Miller said, “[so] I’m always reluctant to come in and say that this is what football must do. I think a lot of serious football people are looking at [the concussion] problem right now. One very positive effect of this whole debate is that awareness of concussions has increased so teams are starting to take it a lot more seriously at every level, right down to youth leagues.

“We should care about the health of our athletes, so it is good that there is some focus on this right now. Having said that, the problems football faces today with concussions and head injuries has nothing on the problems that Roosevelt and his contemporaries were dealing with a century ago. As I said, in 1905, 18 people died from playing football and this was everything from big time college football, there were no pros then, all the way down to the sandlot.

“Today, you do hear about death in football, but they’re more like freak accidents as opposed to the collateral damage of a violent sport. The magnitude of the problem is completely different, especially when you consider how popular football was back then, it’s incredibly popular now. You’re dealing with a lot more people playing now, millions of people, and the deaths are lower. Football has a problem right now, but the magnitude of the problem is completely different.”

At the end of the day, what does Miller hope readers of his book can understand about the evolution of football?

“Football will never be a risk free activity. It cannot be a risk free activity. As soon as you try and make it that, it will no longer be football. We need to recognize that,” Miller emphasized.

“On top of that, rough sports like football are critically important in the development of young people, particularly in turning boys into men. And this is what Roosevelt thought too. 

“He thought rough sports, and football more than any other, taught lessons that you couldn’t learn from a book or in a classroom. Taught you things like, when you get knocked down you have to get back up. How to work with teammates. How to deal with defeat. How to deal with victory. It teaches all kinds of lessons that you can’t learn any other way, or at least not nearly as well. Sports are really important in the formation of kids.”

Miller’s book, “The Big Scrum: How Roosevelt Saved Football” is available on Amazon.com. You can also find "The Big Scrum" and other books by John Miller on his website, www.heymiller.com.

By: Ronnie Kadykowski 

At the age of 13, Garrison Armstrong is a standout, national level baseball player in more ways than one. He tried out for and made the Baseball Factory/Under Armour National Team in July 2012. Garrison then led that team to a title as the starting pitcher in the championship game of the National Tournament at Pirate City in Bradenton, Florida. He has since been invited back as a member of the national team this July along with an invitation to tryout for the USA NTIS DeMarini Elite 96 and other elite camps.

But these accomplishments are not the only amazing feat that Garrison has overcome in his young career. He has managed to achieve all of this success while only being able to see out of one eye. That’s right, Garrison is medically blind in his left eye, meaning the only real vision he has is entirely in his right eye.

Garrison has an extremely rare condition called “Coloboma of optic nerve” or more commonly, Morning Glory Syndrome. The condition affects only one of every two million Americans and is so rare that few tests have been done to study and treat it.

“It’s called morning glory because when they take a light to the eye and look at the back it’s really white and resembles the center of a Morning Glory flower,” Shawn Armstrong, Garrison’s father, explained.

 “Medically he is blind in that one eye. He cannot see out of it and he can only see shapes and shadows and a little bit of color, but nothing where he could close his right eye and see you [out of his left],” Shawn said.

Morning Glory occurs in the womb when the optic nerve behind the eye never fully develops a connection between the eye and the brain. Typically the prevalence will occur only in one eye, resulting in moderate to severe blindness, which in turn causes depth perception and balance issues.

Yet, despite being born with Morning Glory, Garrison has continually defied the odds and proven the doubts of many doctors wrong.

“Garrison has been playing [baseball] since he was three,” Shawn said, “and we really didn’t know exactly what was going on with his eye or anything. The doctor said something was wrong, but we didn’t know until he was probably about six or seven when he could actually sit down and the doctor asked him, ‘what’s wrong, what can and can’t you see?’ And once [Garrison] could tell us, that’s when we knew something was wrong.

“[Doctors] really don’t have an answer. They said, you’re not supposed to be able to do this kind of stuff and he’s proved them wrong. It can be done.”

In order to play, though, Garrison’s parents wanted to make sure he took every safety precaution to prevent his eye from becoming more severely damaged. While playing first base and outfield, Garrison will always be seen wearing protective goggles on cloudy days and specially designed Oakley sunglasses for sunny days. But the most unique look he sports is when he takes the mound and puts on a protective face mask reminiscent of the face masks worn by softball players.

“My wife and I, we went through all kinds of stuff trying to figure out ways to let him do things just like anybody else,” Shawn said.

“With the goggles and then with the mask, he was going to be able to get on the mound. Mama put her foot down and said, ‘you know what, without that mask he does not get on the mound.’ [So] we told him that you’re going to have to wear the mask through [little league], through high school, into college, and so on, whether he likes it or not because Mama is going to be there no matter what, whether he likes it or not. It’s a safety thing. It’s what you’ve got to do and he said, ‘ok, I’ve got to do what I have to do.’”

“[Teammates and opponents] kind of look at me, [see the mask], and they ask,” Garrison said. “If they don’t ask, they kind of ask around about what’s wrong with me. They ask if I were cross-eyed or something like that. And I tell them my story… about how I was born with it and have gone through every day [with it].”

Garrison believes that no matter what doctors, opponents, or teammates may think, his condition is helpful and motivating to his play.

“If I could see out of my left eye and I were blind like I am now in my right, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be as good,” Garrison said.

“There’s something with being left-handed that has kind of changed everything. The way I see it, being blind in the one eye has kind of helped. It makes me think about how other kids can see out of two eyes and they can do what they do but I’m doing what I do with only one eye.”

Another way Garrison has overcome his disability and improved his play came as a result of mimicking his baseball idol, Bryce Harper, by wearing eye black grease during competition.

“[Garrison would] wear a little bit [of eye black] here and there,” Shawn said. “We tried all different kinds of things and everything. The stickers, everything, nothing seemed to work. We’d use those little wax sticks, [they were] all nasty and got all over everything.

“Then Bryce Harper comes and Garrison, at that age, started getting older and better, we said, ‘you know what, let’s try different stuff.’ We got Farkas Eye Black and he loved it. Went on easy, came off easy. But the main reason was that it works and because of Bryce.”

A common problem associated with Morning Glory is increased strain and stress placed on the un-affected eye, or right eye in Garrison’s case. Studies have shown that eye black grease reduces glare and, for Garrison, this has meant less strain on his good eye.

“I’ll always have eye black on,” Garrison said. “Whether it be a night game or during the day, I’ll just always have it on. The Oakley’s I’ll just wear if I’m up to bat or it’s just sunny I’ll wear them. When I come in to pitch I’ll put on the goggles and still have the eye black on.”

“He says the glare is actually less with Farkas than with other stuff,” Shawn said. “With that one eye, of course, you have to strain a little bit more. Farkas… took a lot more strain off when he used it than when he had the other stuff on.”

“Whenever anyone is putting on eye black they don’t put as much on [as I do],” Garrison explained, “…and when they do it’s just a little bit.

“I feel that I kind of have a one-up on everyone for just wearing it. It’s different from everyone else.”

When asked where he wants to be in five and ten years, Garrison gave the answers you’d expect from an aspiring teenage baseball player.

“Five years I just want to be a kid,” Garrison said.

“Hopefully at a D1 college, if not, I just want to be somewhere where I can get even farther. In ten years, I want to be able to play in the MLB, just like Bryce Harper going to the MLB at 19 that would be amazing to do. In ten years, being in the MLB, that would just be crazy.”

If there’s anything that Shawn and Garrison hope people learn from his story, it’s the ability to believe in one’s self and never give in to preset limitations.

“With his eye he does have to work twice as hard as other people sometimes,” Shawn explained.

“He puts in the work, but he has to work twice as hard to come out and do it. You look at some things he does with one eye and some of the kids can’t do it with two eyes. And that makes it even more of an accomplishment or fascination… These disabilities can be overcome… He’s doing it.”

Garrison has been invited back to the Baseball Factory/Under Armour Camp at the end of July and also has a tryout with the USA National Team in Austin on Tuesday, June 11. He will start his freshman year at Samuel V. Champion High School in Boerne, Texas this fall.

By: Ronnie Kadykowski

With the release of “The Eye Black Study” this week, Farkas Eye Black wanted to catch up with its author, and Farkas Board of Directors member, Dr. Brian DeBroff, M.D., of the Yale School of Medicine.

“It’s nice to kind of see this all come together,” DeBroff said of the book release. “[Both] from the scientific standpoint [and] also from the historical aspect of eye black… when it was first used and how it’s evolved.

“For us to look at the actual scientific basis of how it functions and how it works and that we’ve actually shown that there is a visual benefit from the eye black grease, [the book does a great job of bringing that whole journey together.]”

When his medical student, Patricia Pahk, first approached DeBroff over a decade ago about studying eye black, DeBroff was skeptical that the grease had any actual physical value.

“Our hypothesis was that this was more psychological war paint and being in the scientific business of eyes and ophthalmology, we were really looking to see if there was any visual benefit,” DeBroff said.

“We were actually very surprised when we found that the grease provided benefit. This was something we did not anticipate.”

DeBroff, who has been world-renowned for his advancements in pediatric cataract surgery, was also not expecting the significant interest his study generated from numerous press outlets.

“The New York Times picked up on it. The LA Times… it was on CNN and ESPN, so it received a lot of publicity,” DeBroff said.

 “It was somewhat of a shock to me, because of all the things that I’ve done. But I guess not unexpected, because things revolving around sports in this day and age have peaked with a lot of interest.

“Some people would say it might have the least influence on eye health. Yet, in a sense, it does provide an outlet for athletes as a valuable role model for the use of eye black today and if we can do something that actually helps and promotes good vision, then that’s a good thing.”

The cause of that publicity was, in part, the result of the study’s research on the history of eye black use in professional sports. During their historical research, DeBroff and Pahk discovered that Andy Farkas was the first known professional athlete to have worn eye black.

“Patricia Pahk and myself did very extensive research on the history of eye black and we really wanted to find out where it originated.

“Some have hypothesized that Babe Ruth might have used it, but there has never been any photographic evidence of that. So that’s unsubstantiated as of now.

“The earliest reference we were able to find was Andy Farkas being the first person. So, this was not only a part of the thesis, but also of the study, both of which are in the book, mentioning that Andy Farkas was the initial player to use it – I think he actually used burnt cork, which he smeared under his eyes.

“What happened was, when this study was published, this was probably the only one [of my studies] that ever received a lot of press… [because of the sports connection].

The historical research and its resulting publicity also had another unintended effect, they eventually brought together DeBroff and Andy’s grandson, Brian Farkas.

“It was part of that publicity that Brian Farkas became alerted to it and actually found out, based on the study being published, that his grandfather was the pioneer in this,” DeBroff said.

“Lo and behold, he called my office at Yale and asked to speak with me. We talked for quite a while about this, the history behind it and it really kind of spurred his interest in getting involved, not only in the scientific aspect, but also in creating a product that would be top quality from a scientific aspect [and as a quality product] that represents something his grandfather pioneered.

“He was very excited about the whole thing and got me excited also. [That’s how] he first contacted me and from there we eventually became friends and involved in the company together.”

Since then, Dr. DeBroff has been instrumental in the development of Farkas Eye Black, a development that took a few tries to get right.

“It took a number of trials [to develop the product formula],” DeBroff said. “In fact, what they first came up with we had to modify.

“A lot of that had to do with finding something that would have the best durability, especially in conditions of heat, humidity, and perspiration. We wanted something that’s not going to run all over the face, but that will stay on and also be something that will wash out of uniforms.

“A lot of equipment managers don’t want something that’s going to be permanent, staining their equipment and uniforms. It took a little bit of playing around and really finding the best formula before we got the final formula, which seems to be very well received.”

However, despite the scientific finds and research that have resulted from DeBroff and Pahk’s study, DeBroff still finds the history to be his favorite part.

“My favorite part is really the history behind this,” DeBroff said. “I think it’s very interesting, not only looking at the history between Brian Farkas and myself and the development of Farkas Eye Black, but also just the history of the product being used and how even in nature there are instances of which certain animals like badgers and killer whales have these types of markings and perhaps this is something that has evolved over time as a mechanism to help vision.

“I really think the history, [finding] out how this was developed and the history behind it, is probably the most fascinating part and also will be something that is of the most interest for people who are reading the book.”

Dr. DeBroff has put his eye black research on hold for now as he works on improving techniques of cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants, but he hopes to be able to pursue further research on eye black in the future. His book, “The Eye Black Study”, is available for purchase on Amazon.com.

By: Ronnie Kadykowski 

Memorable St. Patrick's Day sports moments and birthdays...

March 17 is typically a transitional period for many sports, either beginning seasons or about to move into post-season play. While college basketball is in full swing, it’s often a few days before the NCAA tournament starts. MLB is in the midst of spring ball. The NBA is a few weeks away from playoffs. And college lacrosse, baseball, and softball are just beginning their seasons. Nevertheless, St. Patrick’s Day has its share of memorable sports moments along with some famous birthdays.

1871 - The National Association of Professional Baseball Players is founded and lasts for five seasons. In 1876, the National League was formed. The only two remaining programs from the original NA are the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs.

1897 – Bob Fitzsimmons defeats James Corbett in boxing’s World Heavyweight Championship. Fitzsimmons became the first person to win the heavyweight, middleweight, and lightweight crowns. The bout was also unusually profitable for the times, bringing in $2.7 million.

1907 - Sonny Werblin is born. Werblin was owner of Super Bowl III Champions, the New York Jets, quarterbacked by Joe Namath.

1914 - Sammy Baugh is born. Baugh was a Hall of Fame quarterback for the Washington Redskins who played with Andy Farkas from 1938-1944. Baugh played from 1937-1952 earning 7 first-team all-pro selections and two NFL Championships (1937, 1942).

1936 – Rookie Joe DiMaggio makes his exhibition debut. Finished the day with 4 hits.

1939 – First ever NCAA tournament game is played – Villanova beats Brown 42-30.

1946 - Jackie Robinson made his first appearance for the Montreal Royals to become the first African-American player in minor league baseball history.

1963 – Hall of Fame Boston Celtics Point Guard Bob Cousy plays his final regular season NBA game, a 125-116 victory over the Syracuse Nationals.

1969 – The St. Louis Cardinals get Joe Torre in a trade with Atlanta.

1972 – Mia Hamm is born. Hamm was a star forward on the US women’s national soccer team for many years, including 2004 when the team won a Gold Medal at the Summer Olympics.

1988 – Loyola Marymount defeats Wyoming in first round of the NCAA Tournament with a record-setting 119-115 score. Loyola would better their record two years later with a 149-115 victory over defending champion Michigan Wolverines.

1989 – #1 seed Georgetown holds on to avoid disaster by beating #16 seed Princeton 50-49. A #16 seed has never defeated a #1 seed and only Georgetown and Michigan State (1990) have eluded upset from a sixteen seed by one point.

1991 – “St. Patrick’s Day Massacre” takes place in rivalry game between the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues. The game earned its nickname because of the excessive fighting and penalties that occurred. Twelve players were ejected from the game (six for each team) and three players received suspensions for future games.

1998 – USA Women's Hockey Team beats Canada for first Olympic Gold medal.

1999 – Lenny Wilkins coaches his 2,051^st game, passing Bill Fitch’s NBA record. Wilkins retired in 2005 after coaching 2,487 games.

2005 – Mark McGwire, Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, and Jose Canseco testify before Congress on steroid use in baseball. McGwire, Sosa, and Palmeiro denied using steroids. Canseco would release a tell-all book admitting to steroid use in 2005, calling out McGwire and Palmeiro as users as well. McGwire would later admit to use in 2010. Sosa and Palmeiro still deny ever using steroids. Schilling was not accused of use in the Congressional Hearing, but instead testified as a vocal opponent to steroids in baseball.

2007 – Mike Modano, long-time Dallas Stars center, scored his 502nd and 503rd career goals making him the all-time U.S. leader in goal-scoring. Modano finished his career in 2011 with 561 goals.

Sources: Yahoo Sports, Portland Tribune, Before It’s News, and Brainy History

By: Ronnie Kadykowski

Whether in baseball, football, soccer, or any other sport, few would argue that the spirit of little league athletics is anything but honest, wholesome fun. It’s that pure quality that keeps Tom MacLean, head coach for the St. Regis Raiders little league program in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., returning year after year to coach a sport he loves at the level he cares for most.

“The kids that you coach in little league seem like they’re the most pure form,” MacLean said. “[You] see some of the most unbridled joy and deep sadness sometimes when you lose a game and you’ve got to tell guys, ‘hey, you didn’t lose a relative out here, go out and enjoy a great day.’

Success will come on the field for MacLean and his Raiders, but what MacLean said is most important are the valuable life lessons his staff teaches their players off the field as well.

“Football is such a great sport because it really builds unselfishness if it’s taught the right way,” MacLean said. “I think our society kind of needs that a little bit.

“There’s no question that the individual is always very strong in our society, but you also have to learn how to play within the confines of a team, within the confines of a company. And the company and teams that are most successful are the ones that find a way to work together.”

Teaching kids the value of hard work is among the most important lessons MacLean and his fellow coaches wish to convey.

“[Football] is a hard sport, it’s not real easy, you have to work hard if you’re going to be achieving any kind of success,” MacLean stressed.

“It also really tests your mental toughness. At any stage in your life you’re going to be challenged to be a mentally tough person. And I think that football more than any other sport… is a picture of how to be mentally tough.

“Whether it’s sitting at the end of practice when you’re dead on your feet and you have to get up and condition or you’re in a game and it’s fourth down and one and you have to stop that other team. You have to dig in and find a way, you can’t give up, you can’t quit, people are depending on you… Those types of lessons are taught in football.”

MacLean and the rest of the St. Regis staff focus on instilling three areas of learning to reinforce the ideals of hard work for their little leaguers: perseverance, discipline, and faith.

“[You’re] going to have hardships you have to overcome in life and on the football field. So perseverance is number one,” MacLean said.

“Number two, you have to have discipline. If you don’t have discipline, you don’t follow any rules, you’re not going to tell [yourself things like ‘I have to eat right’.]

“You can’t jump offsides in a game. You’ve got to get up early in the morning, even though you don’t play until 7 o’clock at night. [At St. Regis] we’re going to get up and go to mass together because we have discipline and are going to have spiritual unity,” MacLean expressed.

“[Number three,] you have to have faith, not only in yourself, but also in your teammates and what they’re trying to do out there. Faith is a big thing.

“Obviously we’re a Catholic program, so faith in God and our spiritual unity is huge for our program. We pray everyday and try to work on our faith. It’s very similar to if you want to be a good athlete, you have to practice; if you want to be a good student, you have to study; if you want to be great at your faith, you have to pray.”

Corresponding directly with faith is family – something that MacLean and the St. Regis program emphasize strongly each and every day.

“[If] this were just about X’s and O’s, I wouldn’t coach it,” MacLean said. “I really think that football is going to teach a lot more to these guys about their faith and their family and their Catholicism than really any tool we have available.

“Our families mean a lot, and we try to encompass our different families that participate. We have parishioners from St. Regis, Holy Name, Queen of Martyrs, and Our Lady of Albanians. So it’s not just St. Regis that our kids come from, we have a big community.

 “We use football to build [family] awareness as a kind of eye opener, especially to the fourth graders. By the time they’re eighth graders, they’re starting to learn, ‘hey, I’m an example setter. I’m a guy that’s a leader in my program. Little kids are looking up to me, I’ve got to watch what I do.’ … [It’s part of] our motto ever year: Raiders built for others.”

Football is the key tool. At the end of the day, it’s football that allows MacLean and St. Regis to build strong character and values for their little leaguers, ultimately teaching life lessons to young kids.

“We’re going to treat people with respect, we’re going to be givers, we’re going to follow the message of Christ… we’re going to do it because it’s going to make us better and bring us closer to Jesus. That’s the root of it,” MacLean said, “That type of unselfish approach, [where] guys are going to come out and bring it everyday… that’s the root of the Raiders.”

By: Ronnie Kadykowski

Baseball season has reminded us of one of our favorite consumer purchases by James Hotson, former baseball player at USC and current entrepreneur of Retention Science in Southern California. Why was James’ decision so special you might ask? Well here’s his story:

“I first came across a tin of Farkas Eye Black as it was floating around the USC baseball locker room one day,” Hotson said. 

“At first I didn’t think about it that much, kind of forgot about it for little while. Then one day I came across an article on Uncrate, which is one of my favorite blogs. 

“They had a nice little write up about Farkas Eye Black, this start-up company built on the tradition of Andy Farkas, the first player ever to wear eye black in the NFL. So I decided to look up Farkas Eye Black online where I came across the company website.

“The wording on the website was everything any athlete who has ever played really thinks about and cares about. Playing with passion, representing class and tradition, all of these great things a true athlete strives for. Those were spelled out on the website and portrayed directly through the product.

“That’s when I thought this would be the perfect gift for my college roommate, now Minnesota Vikings Tight End, Rhett Ellison. I thought it would be the perfect thing for his NFL debut even though I couldn’t remember ever seeing him wear eye black before.

“Nevertheless, he loved it! He’s always talking about wearing war paint and preparing mentally for the game as if it’s a battle, so the symbolism and tradition of Farkas Eye Black was an absolutely perfect fit for him.

“One of the key points in my purchase decision came from my days playing baseball. I would always wear eye black when I was playing first base because it beat wearing Oakleys which would fall off from time to time.

“When I would play I would always go to Dick’s Sporting Goods or whichever big sporting goods store was in the area and would purchase the generic eye black which would come in a lipstick type tube. Purchasing Farkas Eye Black was different – I saw a quality product presented in a stylish tin that was committed to athletes, family, and tradition. I also really wanted to support other small businesses.  While in college I started my own small business and have since started a second as well. Being able to support a top-notch small business dedicated to providing the best product on the market played a large role in my purchase decision.

“Plus, at the end of the day, this was a product I knew I could send to one of my best friends at an important time in his life. And best of all, Farkas Eye Black helped to make that gift even more special by allowing me to send a personalized message along with the tin:

‘Rhett,
Here's to a great season! A gentleman wears war paint on the field. Fight On and Skol Vikings,

Jimmy’

“Rhett loves his new tin of Farkas Eye Black and I can’t thank the company enough for their commitment to providing the best product on the market. I now know the only eye black I will buy for myself or for my friends and family is Farkas Eye Black.”

Farkas Eye Black thanks James for his purchase and interview! We hope that you, your friends, family, or others choose to make a “James Hotson Purchase Decision” as well. Be sure to check out James’ company, Retention Science and like them on Facebook!

By: Ronnie Kadykowski

Keeping a baseball team nationally ranked while maintaining a healthy home life for young children is a demanding task. But that task is one JW North High School Head Baseball Coach Steve Madril does successfully with passion.

Madril and the Huskies of Riverside, Calif. found success in 2011 by winning the Division 1 CIF title with Madril earning the All-CIF Division 1 Coach of the Year award. However, it wasn’t an easy hill to climb for Madril and the program.

“When I got to North, our field was bad and the cages were bad and all of that stuff,” Madril said.

When Madril took over as head coach of the Huskies in 2007, the team was mediocre at best, often finishing in the middle to the bottom of conference rankings. Even by 2009, Madril’s third season, the team still had trouble gaining its footing finishing with a 4-24 overall record in one of the toughest leagues in the country for high school baseball.

 “It took me five years to kind of rebuild everything,” Madril said.

“To go from the point that we were… when we went four and twenty-four… [To] a CIF title and to be nationally ranked [in 2011], it was gratifying that all of our hard work and time and sweat and tears had paid off. Not only for myself, but for our community, school, the program and the kids as well.”

Before coaching the Huskies to the 2011 CIF Division 1 Title, Madril played in college for UC Riverside followed by three seasons for the Chicago White Sox Minor League program.

“When I got done playing professionally, I went back and finished my teaching degree because I always knew I wanted to be a high school baseball coach,” Madril said. “JW North was actually a team in my league which was a rival when I was in high school, so when I went to North, I was coaching against my former coach from high school, [Gary Rungo].”

“[It] was weird coaching against Coach Rungo whom I idolized. [He] was a legend in our area as far as high school goes, [so] it was awkward being on the other side of the field and talking to him [from there] and stuff. But you get over it right away and when it’s time to compete you just go out and do it.”

And the Huskies certainly did go out and compete, turning around the team’s 2009 misfortunes en route to a 27-7 record and CIF title in 2011.

Yet, with all his success on the field, Madril has also maintained even greater success off the field at home with his family.

“[My family’s role in my life,] it’s big,” Madril emphasized. “[At] least in Southern California, high school baseball is year round. So [coaches] really have to separate ourselves sometimes to make sure we’re spending time with our families and such.

“I’ve got two young ones, so I’ve got to make sure I take the summers off and whenever I can we head up to Disneyland and stuff like that. It’s kind of hard to balance it, but you’ve got to make sure you do what you can as far as spending time with the family but also maintaining a nationally ranked program. It’s difficult, but you find a way.”

A particularly important time when Madril maintained his commitment to family came during the 2011 season when his son was being born during a pivotal division matchup for the Huskies as they were battling towards the CIF Title.

“[My] wife went into labor at about midnight…but my son ended up being born about ten o’clock in the morning and our game was at seven that night,” Madril said. “So I was thinking to myself, maybe I have a chance for him to be born and then maybe I can make it to that game, but my wife didn’t get back to the visiting area where kids can go until about five o’clock.

“I have a four year old [daughter], she was three at the time, and I wanted to be there when my daughter met my son for the first time. So I ended up not making it to the game.

“We ended up losing. And I want to say we ran off eight or nine straight [victories] after that day to go out and win our titles. So it was exciting,” Madril laughed.

Madril and the Huskies finished the 2012 season with a 25-6 record and a second consecutive Big VIII League Title. The team hit off their season with a 4-1 win over Beaumont High School on Saturday and takes on Indio High School today at 3:15 PM PST.