Earth stands still on Cape campus with news of tragic accident

Full stop! - The earth spins at 1,000 miles per hour, yet there is no sense of speed. On Tuesday morning, a prolonged silent pause settled over the Cape campus. There was no energy, only bewilderment, sadness and grief. All athletes who share the Cape campus as the hub of their universe were finding out, one person at a time, that Ryan Andrew and Elijah Ghabour had lost their lives in a traffic accident just before midnight a couple of miles from campus. I walked onto Champions Stadium field at 9 a.m. to take photos of a field hockey camp. There were no players. I saw Hiba Stancofski with a yoga mat under her arm. Hiba, who grew up in war-torn Lebanon, looked sad and reflective. “You don’t know, do you, Fredman?” Coach Debbie Windett told me the news. The athletes from hockey, football and boys’ lacrosse were all in the gym. I waited until the girls came back. They walked in small groups. I don’t think devastation is a recognized emotion, but that is what I saw in their faces. Young people have no reference point, no place to put such an unthinkable reality of catastrophe. Young people are emotional – there is no stifling their feelings – and yet they are resilient. The world resumes spinning and they are right there with it, but the moment is etched and they will never forget. The girls elected not to continue with the day's camp; they walked off in small groups. I stood up, as I’ve learned to just be there, no words necessary. Lina Fred and Mairead Rishko came over to share a hug. There is a community embrace; there is no right thing to say. Just be there and hold onto people you care about. The Andrew and Ghabour families already feel the love. Being strong for each other is the best therapy.    

The resistance - Most strength trainers/coaches are not scientists and never played one on television. And yet there is a science behind resistance training as it pertains to a particular sport. Football is the easiest to comprehend because it's all about mass and force resulting in explosions and collisions. But remember, there are players in football who don’t touch the ball, playing “unskilled positions.” Forget about heavy weight lifting, which does nothing for the touch in basketball or shoulder rotation in baseball and lacrosse. Let’s talk about strength training for women and cross-fit craziness. Most women in competitive athletics aren’t striving for the buff look. Athletes can’t bust a move unless they can actually move. Ask Division I college women about mandatory strength training and if they enjoy carrying more mass around town. It’s always a good idea to step back and reevaluate the type of training designed for a specific sport. 

Reagan Ciabattoni - Reagan is entering her junior season at Duke University, where she plays field hockey and made the ACC Academic Honor Roll. Reagan has appeared in just three games her two years at Duke, which makes no sense, but who am I, Mr. Field Hockey? Reagan started four years for Cape, led the Vikings to four state titles and was twice Delaware Division I Player of the Year. She was a counselor this week at Cape’s Champions Hockey Camp. Her family is moving to Chicago, so when is the next time we will see her? Will Ciabattoni was a junior on the Cape swim team. He is a water sports guy who is leaving the beach. Brother Bryan, a pole vaulter and distance runner, graduated from Penn State and will be pursuing a master’s in speech pathology somewhere in Chicago. 

Snippets - Looking forward to evaluating rosters for fall sports; it’s not how many you graduated but how many were impact players who can be replaced with same-level talent. Cape football, a surprise state finalist last fall, graduated Maurki James, a generational talent at running back. James is not replaceable, but if the Vikings can go four deep with running backs, they have a more diversified attack, which can be a strength. Luke Johnson, a pitcher for UMBC and Cape Henlopen, was chosen in the 10th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Washington Nationals. There are 20 rounds, so that’s pretty good. According to Sportskeeda, an MLB draft tracking site, a 10th-round choice can receive about a $180K signing bonus. On Feb.16, 1999, my nephew, now Cape football coach Mike Frederick, was brought in as a free agent by the New York Jets. Coach Bill Parcells asked Mike, “What kind of money are you looking for?” Mike, with a business degree from UVA and an MBA from UNC, said, “I really don’t care about the money; I just want to play.” Parcells, a blue-collar tough guy, said, “That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard. What are they teaching you guys?” We Freds are priceless; no one can afford us, so why pitch a number? Go on now, git!