The Learning Curve at the UAGTCA Meets One and Two

Meet Number 1-- January 7, 2012

In the above picture, you will find Daniel Tulloch (Number 1420) getting ready to start the 800 Meter Run in the Indoor Track Competition at Widener University, Chester, Pa. This meet on January 7, 2012 was his first United Age Group Track Coaches Association, Inc. (UAGTCA) meet.

In the 800 Meter (1/2 Mile), he did not place, coming in at 14th with a time of 3 minutes 43.79 seconds. Daniel placed fourth in his heat (See picture above). The over all winner’s time was 3 minutes, 13.39 seconds. Before this event, he ran the 1500 Meter run receiving a second place ribbon. His time was 7 Minutes, 31.51 Seconds.

With outdoor track meets, participants can see what is going on and find out where to go so that they can be on time for events. This indoor meet was the most confusing meet that I have ever participated in. From the pictures, you can see that the place is packed, people could not hear the announcements and they had no signs posted to tell participants where to go to report for the races. Many people missed their race for that reason. But that is not a problem that was in our control. Next time we will be at the meet 30 minutes earlier so that we can find out what is going on since they do not announce a coaches meeting.

Daniel’s mother and I found out that our main problem was to have Daniel create a better “competitiveness” where he will go all out to win races. The children who he is running against from the many track clubs in the tri-state area at his age have this competitiveness. This puts Daniel at a psychological disadvantage. This looks like the priority that we will have to work on this year. He has until he is 9 years old to compete in Sub-Bantam. He is six and will be seven this year.

Meet Number 2 -- January 14, 2012

Daniel (left by wall) at the start of the 1500 Meter Run.

Daniel was a completely different person at this meet. He was more than competitive. He was aggressive. Before the 1500 Meter Race, he would not let a competitor ahead of him in the lineup. Daniel was number 14 and the other boy was number 13. I had to intervene. From the start of the 1500 Meter, Daniel moved out and tried to keep up with the leader. He finished second with a time of 7 Minutes 3.53 Seconds. First place finished with a time of 6 minutes, 16.48 Seconds.

Daniel (by wall) at the start of the 800 Meter Run.

Daniel went on to run the 800 Meter race. He was in the third heat placing 4^th with a time of 3 minutes, 41.69 seconds. Over all Daniel placed 18^th. The winning time was 3 minutes, 8.28 Seconds. We use the 800 Meter and the 400 Meter as a way to build his speed. His “bread and butter” races will be the 1500 Meter and longer.

Competing in the UAGTCA

Daniel Tulloch is a member of USATF but he also became a member of the United Age Group Track Coaches Association, Inc. (UAGTCA). The UAGTCA was conceived in the autumn of 1976 after a meeting of area track club representatives held at the Cliveden House, an auxiliary building of the Mallery Recreation Center in Philadelphia, PA. The outgrowth of that meeting was the formation of a relatively small organization, with an ambitious agenda and a goal, “To provide a quality, organized track and field program for the youth of the area”. The group held its first meet in the spring of 1977 and for over 30 years this has remained the primary focus of the UAGTCA. The group was formally incorporated as a Pennsylvania not for profit organization in October, 1977 and received favorable determination of its exempt status as a 501 (C) (3) organization effective February of that same year.

Philadelphia area athletes, in order to compete effectively, had to travel great distances in order to participate in competitions that could very easily be conducted in our local area. Lacking only the organization, a concept was born and embraced enthusiastically by a few energetic men and women on behalf of their organizations.

The ‘Brainchild’ of George Anderson, founder of the Mallery Challengers Track Club and a supervisor at the Mallery Recreation center, the UAGTCA offered very few benefits to its charter members, only the opportunity to work hard with the knowledge that 'failure was not an option’.

Perspective members were asked to make an initial financial commitment of fifty dollars per team in order to cover initial startup expenses. This requirement limited the initial membership greatly. The charter members, the Mallery Challengers Track Club, Oak Lane Youth Association, Philadelphia Express Track Club, Morris Estate Track Club, Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, Gazelle-Striders Track Club and the Mt. Airy Track Club were all Philadelphia based organizations which unfairly gave the impression that other groups were prohibited from joining. The later addition of the Wilmington Track Club, Camden City Track Club, the Perkiomen Valley Striders, Delco Stallions, Delaware Diamonds and the Willingboro Track Club helped to resolve the Philadelphia only perception. The UAGTCA was born.

There were not many great facilities available to the group in the beginning but the completion of ‘Marcus Foster Stadium’ in 1979 would allow our athletes the opportunity to train and compete in a state of the art facility. There would be no stopping us now. The support of the Philadelphia Department of Recreation and many others, allowed the UAGTCA to flourish through the many difficult times of those early years.

The group sponsored a series of competitions in the spring of 1977 that was effective, organized and quickly became accepted as the best youth developmental series available in the area. The group has been a constituent member of USA Track & Field and its predecessor "The Athletics Congress" (TAC) since its inception. The numbers, in the beginning, were modest with meets averaging between 200 - 300 athletes. The organization continued to enhance its’ reputation for staging quality competitions by hosting the 1981 TFA/USA National Age-Group Championship and the 1985 TAC National Age Group Championship. The UAGTCA was one of the first youth groups to use a computerized system to score a major competition; the UAGTCA quickly became a recognized leader in youth meet organization. The spring meets have continued, uninterrupted since that inaugural series and have enjoyed their greatest success in the new millennium. They now draw more than 1,000 athletes to our developmental meets and athletes from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and New York compete on a weekly basis. The Philadelphia area athletes no longer suffer the expense and inconvenience of exhaustive travel. They are now the hosts and enjoy the benefits of great local meets with excellent competition. The UAGTCA has seen the growth and development of many fine athletes and lists, a virtual who’s who, of track and field stars amongst it alumni.

They inaugurated our first Youth Invitational track meet in 2006. The meet was modeled after the 'East Coast Invitational' a highly regarded youth track meet that had become a national model for youth summer track and field meets. The UAGTCA Youth Invitational is a similar three day celebration that affords many athletes from the USA and abroad an opportunity to compete with other high caliber athletes at the peak of their season's conditioning. Many athletes use it as a springboard to National Competition. The UAGI is now broadcast live via the internet.

They have continued, undeterred, into the new millennium and it is our hope to provide this very vital service to the youth track and field community for as long as our resources permit. They believe that our goal, though difficult, is achievable as long as we continue to receive the help and support of our many friends.

New members are accepted each year with sponsorship by an existing member organization. By the way, "The Athletics Congress" (TAC) was the predecessor of USA Track & Field (USATF) organization that Daniel has been a member of for a year.

If you want more information about this organization, click on their website: http://www.uagtca.org/

Daniel had a light December training month but now he is ready to get back into track and field. Here is his Winter Indoor schedule.

Meet #1 will be at Widener University Chester, Pa., on 1/7/2012 at 9:00 AM. Daniel will run the 1500 Meter Run and the 800 Meter Run.


Meet #2 will again be at Widener University Chester, Pa. on 1/14/2012 at 9:00 AM. He will again run the 1500 Meter Run
And 800 Meter Run.


In February, we will go back for Meet #3 at Widener University Chester, Pa. on 2/11/2012 at 1:00 PM. This time Daniel will run the 1500 Meter Run and the 400 Meter Run.

All three meet will be his tune up meets for the 2012 Indoor Championship Meet at Lehigh University Bethlehem, Pa. on 2/19/2012 at 8:00 AM. At that time, Daniel will participate in the 400 Meter Run, the 800 Meter Run, and the 1500 Meter Run.

Children who come in first, second, or third will receive UAGTCA Championship Medals. Children placing fourth, fifth, and six will receive ribbons.

UAGTCA will give Daniel the opportunity to warm up for USATF in med-June by participating in the May 2012 Spring UAGTCA meets and entering into the 2012 outdoor Championship meet at Charles Martin Stadium in Philadelphia, Pa. on June 2, 2012 at 8:00 AM.

The Governor’s Christmas Open House

The Governor and his family live on the second floor of the residents. This picture was taken from the top of the steps into the Grand Hall Entrance. The front door of this hall leads to this Christmas tree. (Taken by the Harrisburg Patriot News)

On Sunday Dec.11, 2011, I went to the Governor’s Christmas Open House at his residents at 2035 N. Front St. in Harrisburg. There is no cost to attend the holiday tours or open house and reservations are not required. All guests are welcomed to come. There is no cost to attend the holiday tours or open house. Reservations are not required.

However, no cameras, large bags, purses or totes are permitted. If you come with these items you will not be permitted to enter the compound. Pictures are permitted outside on the grounds. But anyone taking pictures inside the house will be escorted out and off the property.

When I visit the governor’s house, I like looking at the silverware given to the state by the US Navy. This set of silver was part of the silverware used on the Battleship USS Pennsylvania.

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-p/bb38.htm

This is a picture of the Battleship USS Pennsylvania on a battleship exercise in the Pacific.

This is a box used to house the USS Pennsylvania Silverware. It was part of the silver set used on the Battleship USS Pennsylvania. It is currently in the china case in the hallway on the first floor of the Governor's residents.

Here are silver whine glasses that was used on the USS Battleship Pennsylvania. It is currently in the china case in the hallway on the first floor of the Governor's residents.

This is part of the Tea Set that was used on the Battleship USS Pennsylvania. It is currently in the china case in the hallway on the first floor of the Governor's residents.

The full collection of the silver used on the Battleship USS Pennsylvania is on display in the Governor's Residence for the public to see. It is a very beautiful collection of silver settings.

The holiday tours will run from noon to 2 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 12, 13 and 14.

Looking out for Your Children’s Interest

Picture of Coach Sandusky

He is a suspected pedophile

Because of the problems that we are all witnessing resulting from the Penn State scandal, I feel that it is imperative to tell you about the importants of protecting your child. You may think that this should go without saying. But over the past 20 years and being the head of the Greater Paxtonia Track Club (coaching children from 9 to 18 years old), I have seen and heard some things that tell me that many parents set their child up to be a target of pedophiles.

When I had my track club, many parents used me as a cheap baby sitter. They just dropped their children off at the gate and leave. They never cared about who was with their children or what they were doing. Some times after practice the parents never showed up leaving the children stranded. Somehow, I was supposed to know that these children had no ride home and I was supposed to make sure that they did.

Many times after practice, the other coaches and I had to track down some of the children’s parents. One year a single male parent left his daughter at our “end of season” party that was over at 1:30 PM. He never came to pick her up and I had her from noon to eleven O’clock that night. After several attempts at finding the parent, I asked another parent with daughters to take the child for that night, starting at Eleven O'clock. Oh, the parent in question did call at sun up saying that he was sorry and wanted to know where his daughter was.

We had wavers for parents to sign when they refuse to accompany their children to other cities for track meets. One 14 year old boy brought back his signed waver. He lived in the City of Harrisburg and I took him to the state of Iowa for a week. He came in first and third place. I took him home and met his parents for the first time. I explained to them how well he did in Iowa. They told me that they had no idea that he was in a track club even though he wore a uniform. Second they did not know that he was gone for a week let alone in another state over 1,000 miles away.

From what went on in my track club, I can understand how Sandusky can have children over at his house and take them out of the state and nothing rang a bell in the heads of the parents. So for a pedophile, it is best to look for parents who think that the children are just a necessary evil. These parents are just setting their children up for a bad life changing experience.

If I care about my children, I would be at their organization functions and I would keep my eyes open for anyone treating children strangely. I know of one 40 year old coach from a Central Pennsylvania Track Club over 20 years ago that held a 14 year old girl the full time of practice. That was everyone’s first clue that something was wrong with that relationship. Someone called the mother and the police was called in.

How to Identify Pedophiles

I have noticed by looking at some cases in Central Pennsylvania that pedophilia is a cultural thing. This is why it has taken until the 1980s for law enforcement, the state, and the courts to do something about it. Some places around the world, children as young as age 10 marry and live with men.

Have you noticed the look on Coach Sandusky’s face in his interview about the “Second Mile” Foundation given about 12 years ago? Did you notice the smirk on his face in that interview? Many professionals who work in the child protective services area claim that many pedophiles have this type of look. They also claim that they use children foundations such as baseball, football, basketball, summer camp, and other organizations as cover to meet unsuspecting children. That way they can get parent and children’s confidence. When that happens they can use them anyway they want.

If a man or woman wants to be around children all the time and has none of their own in the organization of interest, to me, they are a suspect for pedophilia. Sometimes it is not about pedophilia. Sometimes it is about robbery. The best place to be is in a baseball organization listening to your player’s say that no one will be home from Monday to Friday because everyone will be going on vacation. What a nice place to get free items to sell to the local fence!

It does not matter if your child is 3 years old or 18 years old, once a pedophile gets his hand on your child, your child’s life will be changed usually for the worst.

Here are six other things to watch out for when protecting your child from people who sexually prey on your children;

1 Be aware of statistics. You should know that a majority of pedophiles are typically male. This doesn't mean that a woman can't be a pedophile; it is just less frequent. You should also know that race, age, and social or economic class have little to do with their pedophilic tendencies.

2 Watch out for someone that is too charming. Pedophiles are usually charming individuals who are able to live double lives very well. In an attempt to hide their sickness from mainstream society, the average pedophile is not obvious to most adults.

3 Never dismiss a child's claims because the adult in question is a valued member of society or appears incapable of such things. That's exactly what the pedophile wants.

4 Know who a pedophile could be. Pedophiles often molest children they have easy access to such as a family member or the child of a close friend. Despite what we would like to believe, most pedophiles are known to our children.

5 Be sure never to leave your child alone with anyone you don't trust. That being said, sometimes, your trust is misplaced.

6 Understand that a pedophile will use a range of games, tricks, activities and language to gain a child's trust and or deceive a child. These include: sexually explicit games, fondling, kissing, touching sexually suggestive behavior, exposing a child to pornographic material, coercions, bribery, flattery, and worst of all, affection and love.

Don’t expect the government to look after your children. It is up to you to take the initiative and protect your children.

Truly Be a Jamaican Flash

Nikolas on left, Daniel on right

Daniel Tulloch ran in the Region 2 USA Track and Field Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships today, Nov. 20, 2011 at Dear Path Park, 120 West Woodschurch Rd. Flemington, New Jersey. Six year old Daniel ran the 1.26 mile (2K) in 10 Minutes and 42.29 seconds. Twenty-Seven boys ages 8 to 6 participated in this race. Fifteen boys were 8 year olds; ten boys were 7 years old, while 2 were six years old.

He is now the 20^th seed in the region. Region 2 covers the area from Eastern Ohio, Northern West Virginia, Western New York to Delaware and New Jersey. Daniel qualified to participate in the National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships on Sunday, December 10, 2011 at Whispering Pines Golf Course in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Only 20 people in his group qualified to go to Nationals.

Today's course had a low grade hill that ran about one half of a mile. The rest of the course had rolling wooded hills and valleys. The meet director claimed that this course was easy. But if you compare the results of this meet for all participants against their association times (far right), all times in this meet were slower than the first meet.

The start of the 2K race.

The finish of the 2K race.

Daniel on left and Nikolas on right

We have been working to get Daniel to the point where he could place in the top 3 spots but in this meet, we fell short. We are going to have to break that bad habit of his where he turns around to see who is following him. Toward the finish line today he almost stopped like he was waiting for the bus to come instead of finishing the race.

Nikolas Toocheck of West Chester, Pa. age 8 became eighth seed and Noah Shepherd of Juniata Valley, Pa. age 8 became 15^th seed. Both of them ran against Daniel in the Mid-Atlantic Association Meet two weeks ago. Mr. Toocheck, Nikolas father told me something that I keep forgetting. He told me that Daniel is only 6 years old while most of the other boys are 2 years older than him. When Daniel becomes 8 years old, he will truly be a Jamaican Flash.

David has started his training



David decided that he was going to start training with his brother. The problem, he is only 15 months old. He just started walking a few months ago. So he has his turn on the tread mill when Daniel is resting between sessions. In this video David is upset because we hold on to him while he is on the treadmill. He does not want help. But the treadmill is no place for a 15 month old by himself.

Daniel's 2011 Junior Olympic Cross Country Qualifier Meet

Daniel Tulloch ran in the 2011 USATF Mid-Atlantic Association Cross Country Meet on Nov. 5, 2011 in Belmont Plateau Park, Philadelphia, Pa. receiving a third place Medal. He earned the right to represent the Mid-Atlantic Association sub-bantam group in the Region 2 meet at Deer Path Park, 120 West Woodschurch Rd., Flemington, NJ. on Nov. 20, 2011.

Daniel started preparing for a grass course cross country meet using the Healthy Kids Running Series Cross Country meet in Mechanicsburg, Pa. from Sept. 18 to Oct. 23, 2011. In this meet series Daniel competed against 20 boys in Kindergarten and first grade from all over the Mechanicsburg area. The children ran 6 cross country races over a six week period. They received points for the places that they came in per race.

Below are their places in the series.

1^st Place Joe Ritchie with 50 points.

2^nd Place Joseph Butler with 44 points.

3^rd Place Daniel Tulloch with 39 points.

4^th Place Bryce Staretz with 24 points.

5^th Place Ryan Rubin with 23 points.

The course in the Nov. 5th race was hard. I tried to walk the race course before the race and found that I have to stop when I got to the 40 degree up grade. Daniel was in second place until he ran into trouble on the 40 degree hill. That put him in fourth place after running one fourth of a mile into the race. That meant that he had to play catch up the rest of the race. At the finish line, he was an undisputed third place finisher with a time of 10 minutes 23.46 seconds. The first place finisher came in around 9 minutes 33 seconds. The distance for this race was 1.24 Miles or 2 km.

Daniel won 3rd place (Left). First place went to Daniel's friend from West Chester (Center). Daniel ran against him in the Regional meet last summer. Second place went to the child on the right.

This meet was an Association Meet qualifier for Eastern Pennsylvania, South New Jersey, and Delaware. The up coming Region 2 meet will include the Niagara, Three-Rivers, Mid-Atlantic, and New Jersey Associations. The area will cover Eastern Ohio, Northern West Virginia, Western New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.