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Show ascii WINTER 2003/04 The West View Page 9 Former Football Coach Makes — Sting, Sweat and Salt Lake’s Lasting Impression on West Side Youth Cultural Melting Pot ning (indoor cycling), triathlon By Jennifer J. Johnson training, He says “sudor”’, you say “sudore’”’. She says “asedakude”, you say “sweat”. At the Northwest Recreation Center on the west side of Salt Lake City, words are spoken not just in Spanish, Italian or Japanese, but also in Filipino, Bosnian, Korean, Sudanese, Vietnamese and a variety of Pacific Islander dialects. Welcome to Northwest’s delicious variety of ethnicities.On any given night a group fitness class at this Salt Lake County facility will host a community of multiple ethnicities, with the majority of participants using English as a second (or maybe even third) language. _ While some group fitness Or yoga instructors may find catering to such a diverse audience daunting, I thrive in this melting pot. Or, rather, given the intensity of our exercise, it may be more appropriate to _ say that I thrive in helping the melting pot melt off unwanted pounds through the joys of . exercise. Consider these successful women: Christine, a mother of four assistant and police of Samoan force descent, who dropped four dress sizes through Northwest’s aerobics programs; Patricia, a native Mexican mother of two and former aerobics instructor who has lost so many inches that her once-skeptical husband now pushes her out the door to accommodate her desire for exercise; Ngoc, a Vietnamese immigrant and mother of four karate, by Dale J. Neilson Capoeira (Brazilian dance/gymnastics and martial arts fusion) and yoga. While there is no doubt that the facility provides an excellent physical education routine and (through disciplines like karate, Capoeira and yoga) mind-body development, perhaps more interesting _ is the powerful impact of the cultural melting pot it involves. As a native Midwesterner and Salt Lake transplant, I am in complete awe of the wonders of these cultures that I receive as a delightful fringe benefit Nice guys don’t always finish last. | Exhibit ‘A’ is_ Keith Romney. During two Salt Lake City coaching stints spanning a total of nine years, Romney, now 74, compiled an - incredible 153-12 little league football record. His second time around featured back-toback national championships in 1996 and 1997, not to mention several Ute Conterence league titles. Recognition for the 1996 ‘national championship came in letters from both former of working for the County at Gov. Mike Leavitt and former Northwest. BYU coaching legend LaVell My students have hanced - Edwards. me with love and friendship. “This... will impact (playBirthday cards and _ holiday ers) in many more ways presents, Vietnamese and than just athletically,” wrote Italian cuisine, loans of culEdwards to Romney. “You Keith Romney, now confined to a wheelchair because of muscular dystrotural videos, and even profesare to be commended for phy, was an extraordinary little league coach of many west side ole sional insights regarding both my teaching and my “day job” your efforts and dedication Photo by Charlotte Fife-Jepperson. five different races — Tongan, Intermediate School graduate in helping the youth in this as vice president of Marketing Hispanic, African American, Paea Afu remembers Romney as way.” Leavitt thanked the team for a yoga company. Such is Caucasian, and Cambodian - as a “hard guy at first” who became for of! well [they] represented my bounty. well as two girls. : “an awesome coach, one of the Utah... On the 24!) of July, recogRomney once told. a reporter best I ever had. He would pies nizing a world beyond Utah | ~ Romney’s last tenure included his team’s “religion” was good as grown-up boys.” weathering the storm of muscular and honoring our mini-comsportsmanship. In fact, it means _But Romney had a soft side, dystrophy while walking. Now, munity’s Thursday night comhe’s confined to a wheelchair. too, said Afu, as he treated the more to him and his players than > mitment, a small group of us players like his grandchildren, ~ their record. The poor sportsmanWhile Romney was enduring collected to do aerobics. Four “siving us grandpa-rides” after ship he formerly observed at little disabling health problems near of us - a Sudanese, an Italian, league games was so appalling; it games to eat out at his expense. the end of his career, assistant a Japanese, and a native-born Even after players moved on, was at least partially responsible Ron Miya was legally blind and American woman (that one’s Romney still supported them at for his becoming a coach and partially paralyzed by a stroke. me) sat in a circle and shared organizing his own team. high school games and gradua“Tt was like a play or movie,” cultural mores. Sitting there, Romney nicknamed his teams tion. said: Romney, laughing. “Ron I had stronger impressions. the Goats - G for Good and S Miya said Romney’ S charitable and I were walking with canes. of the meaning of “pioneers” for Sports - because he wanted We weren’t going to intimidate treatment of his players made than I ever had while watchplayers who were good sports. anybody. We were the walking him “generous to a fault.” The ing a parade or stuffing myself | wounded...When I fell down (at assistant coach said it may have Miya wrote a cheer that the little with picnic-stuffs. I drank the 1997 national championship had to do with Romney’s former league team repeated at practice: deeply from the cultural meltduties as bishop of the Salt Lake “We are East and we have pride, game), the players helped me up. ing pot, and continue to enjoy LDS Garden Park 2nd Ward. who has honed and toned her refreshing myself four times It was funny.” compact frame to be able to a week with my friends, my “pump” students, my masters. “Being bishop and a youth foot- and wide, hard and fair is how we play, pooe oe aren’t just best medicine, example is the _ ball coach tied it all together.” words we say.” Romney “loves dealing with . best teacher. Romney attributes In their 1997 rout of a Las young people,” said Miya. “He his success to teaching players Vegas, Nev., team to win the doesn’t know about the x’s and good work ethic, while stressing championship, _ the o’s of football, but does know - national gentlemanly behavior. opposing coach said Romney’s about young people and how to Maybe some thought the coach team had the best sportsmanship would be better suited to teach a motivate them.” of any team they ever played. — According to Miya, the eoecli Sunday School class, but several Nice guys like Keith Romney didn’t care about color or gender, of his favorite practice drills made finish first. as evidenced by team makeup. for tough and physical teams. eight to 10 pound While weights with relative ease; and Sylvia, an Italian immigrant who relies on yoga to provide her with peace and calm in her stressful life as a young married teacher. and eee student. Jennifer J. Johnson is a YogaFit I, Il & Ill-certified Yoga instructor | Northwest offers classes in aerobics, weight training, spin- and has earned a group fit- | ness teaching certificate from the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. She welcomes stu-— dents at her classes, and ments at jjj@joandco.com. com- : Former laughter Pryite deck Ample close? scace G anterbury AT WEST POINTE© Reporte dining aren that wil cake ga Beal al howe fie ey oe ee AisCosditicaing Dishwasher’ disocsal Cadie TY hookuz: pan Ce ETRE md Raking Washer& doyerx xkips Plavgr and 1841 West Morfon Drive11 300d North) sal oka Phone 595. 1330 City, Utah 84116 Fax 596-9134 be the player and Glendale Apartment living Spacious vin ares conenoary esi & | may For example, one team included our fame is known from far |