Rob Dewar could have seen Jerry Noble's email, giggled, shrugged, said to himself that Jerry is one funny guy, always did like his sense of humor. Noble, Santa Rosa JC's track coach, was nominating a sixth-place finisher in the javelin for the Big 8 Conferences' Track Athlete of the Week for the week ending March 24. A guy who finished sixth at the Johnny Mathis Invitational at San Francisco State? What's up with that?
And the throw, well, it only went 14.35 meters, or 47.08 feet. Not the distance of an Olympian. In fact, it was 81.96 feet behind the guy who finished fifth. So Dewar could have moved past Noble's email with the swiftness of a bullet train.
"But that's why I like community college sports," said Dewar, the head track coach for Sacramento City College and chair for the Big 8 Conference Track and Field.
"Community colleges are open to all kinds of athletes. To me, the decision was easy. It was a no-brainer. Didn't hesitate at all."
So SRJC's Chris Sparrow, all 4-foot-6 of him, was named the conference Track Athlete of the Week. With one little catch.
"Is it OK with you," Dewar texted Noble, "that Chris shares the honor with Diondre Batson?"
Batson is the sprinter from American River College who has qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 100 meters.
Yes, as both Dewar and Noble will say, there's a perfect symmetry in that, that excellence is measured by more than just numbers.
"Courage at its finest," Noble said in describing Sparrow, an Analy grad.
Sparrow knows people will stare. He knows he stands out. He knows some will wonder why he is out there, what is he thinking, what's his deal?
Oh well, Chris says to himself. That's on them. He's out there to compete. He's not out to change the world. OK, someone from Comcast Sports will be coming out soon to SRJC to do his story.
And last August, when SRJC track strength and coditioning coach Jim Hiserman learned Sparrow was coming out for the team, he told Noble that Sparrow would be a crowd favorite. And he has been. So, yes, Sparrow has been gathering attention.
And it doesn't hurt, either, that Sparrow's three points for his sixth-place finish in the javelin were all the points SRJC scored in that Mathis meet.
"It's awesome," said Sparrow, a freshman. "A lot more people are impressed and excited than I am."
Sparrow, 23, defines himself in the most common of terms - he is an athlete. Sure, he is 4-foot-6, but he is out there on the track for the same reason as everyone. To compete. To improve. To test capabilities.
It's not as if this is his first rodeo, either. Ever since he was a kid at Brookhaven Middle School in Sebastopol, Sparrow has competed in track meets sponsored by the Dwarf Athletic Association of America. When he played badminton or volleyball, the net was lowered a bit. When he played basketball or threw the discus or javelin, he used girls-sized equipment. When he played flag football or soccer, it was on a smaller field.
Now that he is training and competing with college kids, Sparrow asks for and receives no special treatment. He does the same workouts with the same equipment everyone else does.
"When Chris came out for the team in August," Noble said, "I told him all I ask is his commitment. If he would commit to the team, to the workouts, to showing up, I would find a place for him."
Sparrow kept his word and Noble kept his. Early in the season, Sparrow ran the anchor leg on a 4-by-100 relay, then a meet or two later ran the anchor on a 4-by-400 relay.
"In the last couple weeks, I've shaved 2.5 seconds off my 100 time," said Sparrow, citing his 13.83 clocking. "And I have a best now in the javelin at 18.55 meters (60.86 feet)."
Sparrow mentioned those numbers with pride, the same kind of satisfaction Diondre Batson would take in his 10.27 100 time. For Noble, this is why he is at a community college. It provides an opportunity an athlete wouldn't get at a D1 school where it's survival of the fittest.
"When I nominated Chris," Noble said, "to me, it was a reward for his hard work. When I went over our results at that Mathis meet, I had to check the result twice to make sure I saw what I saw. Chris did score the only points for our school. And the thing is, when he competes now, it's not like he gets smoked anymore. Now he is finishing last."
He is competitive. He is not just a curiosity. Whenever SRJC and Diablo Valley College hook up in a meet, a DVC coach always asks Sparrow about his times. Sparrow considered that one of the greatest compliments he is paid.
If he ever permits himself to puff out his chest, to say look-at-me, it comes after some prodding that follows this question: "Are you disappointed that people your size haven't shown up to see you compete?"
"A little," Sparrow said. "I would have thought that someone (dwarf-sized) would have come out to watch me."
No athlete - and don't believe otherwise - ever performs in a vacuum. Audiences are always there, real or imagined. Next Tuesday the Big 8 Conference track and field trials take place at American River College. And Sparrow should know that someone special will be coming out there that day to see him, a man who has never seen him but has heard a lot about him.
"I just want to walk up to Chris," said Rob Dewar, "and shake his hand."
For more North Bay sports go to Bob Padecky's blog at padecky.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Staff Columnist Bob Padecky at 521-5223 or bob.padecky@pressdemocrat.com
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