From the beach to the track

By Christina Weaver
Special to the Coastal Point

	Coastal Point • CHRISTINA WEAVER Fom left, Sharon Fagan, Henry Foster, David Bailey, and Brian Benner--a combination that's getting outstanding results, both in the classroom and on the track.

That’s the advice Henry Foster, age 14 and an 8th-grader at Sussex Central Middle School in Millsboro, says is the most important thing he has learned from his track coach and teacher, Brian Benner. Tips for track that Foster and his teammate, 7th-grader David Bailey, are converting into lessons for life.

“Nobody could have applied themselves harder this year than these two young gentlemen,” said Benner. “They have been focused on doing as well as they can do.”

It wasn’t the same for Foster last year and he found himself in Principal Vincent Catania’s office on a couple of occasions. He had come to Sussex County via Alabama and the big city of Philadelphia, and it took him a while to settle down. Foster explained, “Last year I got in a lot of trouble but this year I learned to realize that getting in trouble wasn’t cool. It made me feel like a dummy, getting in trouble, and I wanted to make a change, so I prayed to my Lord and I made new friends and have fitted right in.”

Foster and Bailey met when they each decided to try out for the track team and found that they both were natural sprinters. Head track coach and 6th grade language arts teacher, Sharon Fagan, noted, “I could tell from the start that Henry and David were serious about wanting to do their best. Unfortunately, David hurt his leg half way into the season, but he still came to some of the meets with the rest of the team and to the award ceremony.”

Bailey, who tends to be on the quiet, serious side, has used his track experience to make more friends and to learn to “stay focused in class, just as you have to do when you are running.” His favorite class is social studies where he says, “Ms. Baker helps you learn about different cultures. I like that a lot.”

Bailey is planning to take advantage of the summer by running and lifting weights to make sure he stays in shape for the next season.

“He has such drive — just never quits,” commented Benner.

The track program is fairly recent at Sussex Central. In fact, according to Vice Principal Loriann White, it took students requesting a team and themselves going around to find a coach to get it started. When the students discovered Fagan had run track in high school, White said, “She stepped up to the plate.” Benner, who is a lieutenant with the Bethany Beach Beach Patrol during the summer, volunteered to help. “That’s how it is here,” said Catania. “We have an excellent, caring staff and we do whatever it takes to get through to our kids, whether in the classroom or during extra-curricula programs ... and, like at all our area schools, much of the work is during the teacher’s own time.”

“The best was when we dusted our rivals at Selbyville,” said Foster, recalling the excitement of his 4x100 meter relay team’s win. And as Sussex Central doesn’t have a home track field, they never have the home field advantage which makes winning all the sweeter. Foster is hoping to get a job this summer and wants to help younger kids. “Can I say something else,” he asked at the end of the interview. “I just want to say that if it wasn’t for the two track coaches, I don’t think I would have succeeded. They knew to push me.”

What more is there to say?

Addendum: While waiting in the school office to meet Henry Foster and David Bailey, I had the pleasure of witnessing the following every-day piece of school routine that made me remember how just one individual, doing their job, can make such a difference in another person’s life. Wanda Calvert, school secretary, had noticed a student coming into school struggling to maintain control of his books. Knowing this kid has not had things easy in life and finding out that his book bag had broken, she recalled that an organization had donated some book bags filled with school supplies to be used as the school saw fit. The kid was called to the office and was presented with a brand new book bag. He left the office beaming. So was Ms. Calvert.

And me, too.