PAYING IT FORWARD DISCIPLES OF SAM DE JOHN CARRY ON HIS MISSION OF USING WRESTLING TO KEEP YOUTH OUT OF TROUBLE.Byline: IVAN OROZCO Staff Writer PACOIMA - Memories of Sam De John took John Paez to a distant place. Similar memories made Terry Gillard's eyes widen and fill with tears. Eric Cortez paused and rubbed his chin when thinking about De John. Three grown men, three separate expressions, but the same love for De John, the man who represented a monumental influence in each of their lives. De John, the late founder of the San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. High wrestling program, was honored Saturday when the school named its gymnasium gymnasium In Germany, a state-maintained secondary school that prepares pupils for higher academic education. This type of nine-year school originated in Strasbourg in 1537. in his honor during the City Section championship meet. The ceremony coincided with the 30th anniversary of SanFernando's first City title and the Tigers winning their 12th championship Saturday. But De John's influence extends beyond the San Fernando High gym, reaching into neighborhoods as far away as Pacoima. From those streets and playgrounds, De John rescued emotion-filled youths such as Paez, Gillard and Cortez and helped turn them into men. The three former San Fernando wrestlers See
tr.v. en·am·ored, en·am·or·ing, en·am·ors To inspire with love; captivate: was enamored of the beautiful dancer; were enamored with the charming island. with the memory of De John as they remembered a mentor. "You have to sit back and reflect for a moment on how he affected people's lives," said Cortez, who wrestled under De John and graduated from San Fernando in 1985. "I have to project the way I remember him, because there are so many people he affected that everyone interprets him differently." De John started coaching at SanFernando in 1967 while teaching advanced placement history classes. He retired in 1989 and moved to Mississippi after leading SanFernando to six City Section championships and impacting the lives of many. De John, who died of esophageal cancer Esophageal Cancer Definition Esophageal cancer is a malignancy that develops in tissues of the hollow, muscular canal (esophagus) along which food and liquid travel from the throat to the stomach. in 2002, served as a father figure to a generation of wrestlers who grew up in single-parent homes in Pacoima, a community rife rife adj. rif·er, rif·est 1. In widespread existence, practice, or use; increasingly prevalent. 2. Abundant or numerous. with gang activity. He pulled high school kids off the streets an put them into the gym and on to the mats. He disciplined them, fed them and sometimes clothed clothe tr.v. clothed or clad , cloth·ing, clothes 1. To put clothes on; dress. 2. To provide clothes for. 3. To cover as if with clothing. them. "I was in a gang at the time when De John caught me fighting outside the school," said Paez, who wrestled on the Tigers' first City title team in 1977, along with Gillard. "Who knows what could have happened to me if it wasn't for him? "I didn't have the love of a father at home. I didn't have a lot of things growing up. De John gave me that love. The first time I ever had a hot dog or pizza, it was at his house. He treated us like his kids. But we had to earn the things he gave us. We would work on his yard just like sons do for their fathers. We were all his stepsons." De John has an annual wrestling tournament held at San Fernando named after him, but his "stepchildren" and the community he served felt that wasn't enough. Perhaps the greatest way De John has been honored began 17 years ago, when Paez and Gillard created a youth freestyle wrestling This article is about freestyle wrestling. For the style of wrestling practiced in American high schools and colleges, see Collegiate wrestling. Freestyle wrestling is a form of amateur wrestling that is practiced throughout the world. club to continue De John's legacy of reaching out to children. The program is offered through the Boys & Girls Club Girls Club is a 2002 American television series created by David E. Kelley, who was also it's producer and executive producer. Only two out of a total of thirteen episodes created were broadcast on Fox Television in the United States and Global Television in Canada. of San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , and has produced four freestyle The code name for the MCE version of Windows. See Media Center Edition. state champions. The program essentially is a feeder system to Valley high school wrestling teams and is designed to help keep youths off the streets in an area that had 332 gang-related crimes, 12 of them homicides, and 47 witness intimidations Witness intimidation involves witnesses crucial to court proceedings being threatened in order to pressure or extort them not to testify. The refusal of key witnesses to testify commonly renders a case with inadequate physical evidence void in a court of law. in 2006, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Police Department's Foothill Division data. Ramon Perry was one of those kids. Fans remember Perry as a multi-sport star at San Fernando High, then a football standout at College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. and West Texas A&M. Before that, he was just another kid roaming the streets. "Ramon is a tremendous athlete, and we knew we had to keep him from ruining his life," Cortez said. "He had a hard upbringing, with both of his parents in the penitentiary penitentiary: see prison. . His grandmother raised him. He almost fell into the same trap as his brother, Ronald. His brother had to leave the (wrestling) program because he moved to Compton. He got into trouble, got shot and landed himself in jail." Raphael Reynolds, 19, kept away from violence through the Boys & Girls Club. He went on to win fourCity titles, and in 2005 became the second wrestler out of the Tigers' youth program to place in the California Interscholastic in·ter·scho·las·tic adj. Existing or conducted between or among schools. in  ter·scho·las Federation's state championships.
Will German placed as a junior in 2001.
"The club showed us brotherhood and family," Reynolds said. "It gave a lot of us somewhere to go when we needed help. It was good to know there was always someone by my side instead of the whole gang thing, where they make it sound like they're family but there's no purpose. There's more to life than shooting someone." Reynolds' younger brother Wiki is aware of the following uses of "'Younger Brother":
Chatsworth's Thomas Catrell, San Fernando's Tony Mendez Tony Mendez (also known as Antonio Mendez) is a former CIA technical operations officer. His job was to support clandestine and covert CIA operations. He is most famous for the Canadian caper during the Iran hostage crisis, when six American diplomats were smuggled out of and Mike Solis all are former SanFernando youth wrestlers who won titles Saturday in the City final. The youth wrestling program is open to ages 7-17. If a family can't afford the $25 Boys & Girls Club membership fee, coaches or other parents help sponsor the youngster. "Raised in Pacoima without a father from a low-income family, I remember seeing different youth sports team in the area," Gillard said. "I tried to sign up, but there was always that dollar sign that kept me off of those teams ... kept me from putting on a uniform. I can look back today and see where some of these kids join gangs because finances take a big part in a broken family." The Tigers travel to tournaments in Orange County, Ventura, SanDiego, Upland and Bakersfield during the freestyle season, which begins in March and ends in May, with the state championships in SanJose. The club is a nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. and remains afloat thanks to private donations and fundraising. The wrestling program's coordinator, Boys & Girls Club manager Dianne Downey, said it costs about $10,000 per year for equipment, uniforms and trophies, and to feed the wrestlers during trips. City Council members provide two buses for travel, while coaches and parents volunteer to drive some of the kids to competitions. "Some of these kids have parents that don't have cars," Paez said. "We make sure to pick them up and get them home. Sometimes I buy socks, underwear and T-shirts for these kids to use in competition. "It broke my heart to see one of our kids at one of the tournament weigh-ins wearing underwear so big he had knots tied with rubber bands on the sides so they could stay on." Helping with money and clothes is just part of the coaches' dedication. Volunteering their time is perhaps more important. Chad Solano is in charge of teaching wrestling techniques for the youth program and San Fernando High teams. Solano, a former United States Navy United States Navy Major branch of the U.S. military forces, charged with defending the nation at sea and maintaining security on the seas wherever U.S. interests extend. The Continental Navy was established by the Continental Congress in 1775. Greco-Roman national wrestling champion, coaches at SanFernando for three hours a day Monday through Friday. He then spends two hours Wednesdays and Fridays at the Boys & Girls Club. "Sure, I could go coach somewhere else and get paid for it," Solano said. "But I saw the talent in these kids and thought it was best for me to stay here. These kids don't have the means to go to camps like other schools do." For Gillard, the painful memory of a gang shooting in 1993 provides inspiration to stay with the program. While working as a security guard to pick up extra money for the club, he saw a gang member shoot and kill a 12-year-old girl after a middle school dance. "To witness and tell you about the gangs that we've seen and experienced, there was never anything that gut-wrenching than seeing that little girl fall face first and die," Gillard said. "That kicked (Paez) and I into gear." And led to them to carrying on DeJohn's legacy in a way that will touch lives in the community he loved for years to come. A more fitting tribute is hard to imagine. ivan.orozco@dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- color) John Paez works with two wrestlers at the San Fernando Valley Boys & Girls Club in Pacoima. Paez's mentor, Sam De John, was honored Saturday. (2) Young wrestlers practice at the San Fernando Valley Boys & Girls Club in Pacoima. Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer (3) Sam De John, far right, helped high-school wrestlers reach their potential -- while also keeping them off the streets. Daily News file photo |
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