Skater of the Month #4 - Kyle Uyehara

[mtnme]

It's time for The Rocker Fund's 4th Skater of the Month for July

Kyle Uyehara

Kyle skated on the National Junior Team for the 2007-2008 season and he came in fourth overall for the American Cup series of competitions. We hope you will help Kyle out with those traveling expenses, which have almost doubled in the last year.

And now, without further ado....







As always, we'll be posting his information for the entire month of July on The Rocker Funds main site. We also be posting more in depth information on Kyle over the next several days as well.

Kyle's page:
therockerfund.org/FORMgallery1.htm

The Rocker Fund's home page:
therockerfund.org/index.html


Please Note: If you have visited The Rocker Fund's site before and you have not emptied your cache lately, your browser will pull up the old pages on the site with Anthony's information. Make sure you 'refresh' your screen to see the new changes.

[number1fan]

GOOOOOOOO KYLE!!!!! ...another "happa"

i admire the goals you've set for yourself this coming season and i hope you're well awarded for your efforts!

thanks for taking the plunge with The Rocker Fund

[Lori]

Kyle's an amazing, go-for-broke skater that I predict will be a HUGE contender in the years to come. (He reminds me a lot of Jeff Simon.) Junior World Team! Woo-Hoo!

We are so happy to have you on board, Kyle!

[tabatha]

sounds like he's got a great attitude. i'm pulling for this guy. go kyle!

[mtnme]

While Cruising the internet looking for more information on Kyle, I came across this little tidbit (which Kyle may wish I hadn't...LOL) but I found this so entirely amusing....and endearing.

We see these skaters on the line, so serious, game face on with nary an emotion

- and then there is this...

All I can say is it's sure nice to know the skaters DO have a sense of humor and a wee bit of the funloving imp in them!

____________________________________________________

From John Coyles blog:
(You can also read up on some of the World Cup and National races from last year as well)

johnkcoyle.wordpress.com/2008/03/11/2008-short-track-nationals-apparently-i-dont-suck-that-much-as-an-announcer/


"One of the highlights of the weekend for me was also one that at least one of the officials found upsetting. I had gotten wind ‘whispers’ in the locker room from the American Cup men’s finalists - and sure enough on one of the last finals of the meet, the American Cup 1500 A super final, the 6 boys on the line decided to pull a little stunt.

Fred Benjamin called them to the start, and as J.R. Celski, Kyle Carr, Kyle Uyehara, Chris Creveling, Kyle Carr, and Travis Jayner crouched over, poised in perfect racing stance, he shot the gun and…

...nothing happened. No one moved a muscle.

It was dead silent for a good 3 or 4 seconds before everyone got the joke. They stood for a good 10 seconds before skating forward and thats when an angry Benjamin shot the gun again and called them back, chastizing them and giving them all a false start. It was surprising though - for 25 years of racing - the gun goes off, and the skaters skate - to not see them go - it was, well… I think everyone was just confused for a moment - “did my ears deceive me?” It was hilarious…

Chastened - only a few of them put on a superhero pose at the line for the second start - clearly there were more plans in the works… but they eventually began racing."

[number1fan]

great find mtnme!
"boys will be boys"
...but i bet that's the last time that group pulls that stunt

[number1fan]

[mtnme]

Well, my contribution to Kyle is off into the mail and on it's way.

Thank You to all who have contributed so far to all the skaters. This being the off season, Only 1/3 to 1/4 of the normal amount of visitors to GA are still here. Hopefully the 'boys of summer' will still see enough in donations to help with their expenses.

As we mentioned before, Kyle skated on the National Junior team this past season and is one of the up and comers that I'm sure we will all hear much more about in the coming years. No doubt we will see him at both the American Cup and Nationals, so those of you planning to attend will have yet another skater to cheer for.

With the cost of airfare at new all time highs, it makes it that much tougher for the young skaters to get to competitions. (I, myself am still REELING over the cost to get to Minneapolis in Sept!) Skaters like Kyle, who have so much potential, could use your help now more than ever.

So please, give whatever you can, and as always - no amount is too small if a large number of fans participate - it all adds up.

[mtnme]

I received this note from the Uyehara's. Thank You to all who have donated to all the skaters. As you can see, it is greatly appreciated. I myself am CHOKING on what it costs to fly to Minneapolis. It's almost as much to fly to Europe! What's the deal with that particular airport??

My point being that it will cost Kyle a fortune just to get to the first American Cup, which is the qualifier for the first World Cups. That's in addition to the training expenses. So your donations really do help. ;D



___________________________________________________


Thank you and Lori for putting this site together for the skaters. The costs to train in California are about roughly $1,000 a month, that does not include travel to meets. Needless to say ANY financial help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks again for your wonderfull web site-
The Uyehara Family

[gasp]

Ah, Mtnme the "prankster" post and the note from the Uyehara family are just great. Nice to know that even the skaters can find a moment to have little bit of fun. I guess we can liken that little stunt to the endless jugs of gatorade being poured on the coaches. I would love to have been there for that.

[mtnme]

Kyle's time for Skater of the Month is almost at an end. If you would like to help Kyle out with expenses - (The new season is almost upon us- the skater's have to come up with all that airfare!)
- we hope that you will help them out with a donation.

[mtnme]

I love how google alerts finally sends you something on the subject in question six months after the fact! LOL
Better late than never, I guess.....

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Press Release March 20, 2008
Southern California Speed Skaters Shine in U.S. and International Championships

Young athletes who train with the Southern California Speed Skating Association, a longtime LA84 Foundation grant recipient, won national, North American and world championships, in March, in short track speed skating.


The Foundation has made 13 grants to SCSSA since 1989, totaling $660,816.

SCSSA skaters won four individual titles at the U.S. National Short Track Championships, in Milwaukee, Wisc. March 7-9. Sarah Chen, 12, took the midget ladies championship, while her younger sister, Jacqueline Chen, won the pony ladies division. Skylar McCormick, 16, was first in the junior ladies. Kirsten Todd, 19, was the intermediate ladies champion. In the juvenile men's category, Austin Pumphrey finished fifth, followed by Ji Won Jeong in ninth place.

A week later, in Milwaukee, at the North American Short Track Championships, Sarah Chen won the juvenile ladies division. Jonny Sermeno, 15, won three gold medals and was crowned junior men's champion. Kyle Uyehara, 17, captured the intermediate men's North American championship, with teammate, Walter Rusk in second place. In relay competition, Chen combined with Southern California teammates Todd, McCormick and Kendall Pumphrey, 12, to win the 3000-meter ladies relay.

Other results for SCSSA skaters at the North American Championship included a third-place finish by Pumphrey in the overall juvenile ladies standings. Todd, racing in the senior ladies division, took fourth overall. Jacqueline Chen was fifth in midget ladies. McCormick took fifth in intermediate ladies. Joey Lindsey finished in fifth place, competing in the senior men's category. Austin Pumphrey placed twelfth in the junior men's standings.

At the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Team Championships, in Harbin, China, March 15-16, the United States men's team won its first team world title. The championship was decided by the final event, the 5000-meter relay, won by Team USA. The U.S. relay team included three Southern California skaters - Jordan Malone, Jeff Simon and Ryan Leveille.

"All of our skaters have benefited from the LA84 Foundation's support," said Sue Perles, who with her colleague Robert Ahlke, serves as the coordinator of SCSSA's youth program. "The grants have been an integral part of our kids' success."

Two-time Olympic medalist (2002, 2006), Rusty Smith, and his 2006 Olympic teammate, Maria Garcia, are alumni of the SCSSA youth program. Smith is now coach in the program.

Contact:

Wayne Wilson

323.730.4640

[jean]

Another tid bit you may not know about Kyle Uyehara, he did a "Follow your Dreams" spot for the Disney Channel 6 years ago when he had blond hair then. It was on his skating and following his dreams to the Olympics. Disney still runs it today.

[Lori]

Jul 2, 2008 1:28:27 GMT -5 mtnme said:

While Cruising the internet looking for more information on Kyle, I came across this little tidbit (which Kyle may wish I hadn't...LOL) but I found this so entirely amusing....and endearing.

We see these skaters on the line, so serious, game face on with nary an emotion

- and then there is this...

All I can say is it's sure nice to know the skaters DO have a sense of humor and a wee bit of the funloving imp in them!

____________________________________________________

From John Coyles blog:
(You can also read up on some of the World Cup and National races from last year as well)

johnkcoyle.wordpress.com/2008/03/11/2008-short-track-nationals-apparently-i-dont-suck-that-much-as-an-announcer/


"One of the highlights of the weekend for me was also one that at least one of the officials found upsetting. I had gotten wind ‘whispers’ in the locker room from the American Cup men’s finalists - and sure enough on one of the last finals of the meet, the American Cup 1500 A super final, the 6 boys on the line decided to pull a little stunt.

Fred Benjamin called them to the start, and as J.R. Celski, Kyle Carr, Kyle Uyehara, Chris Creveling, Kyle Carr, and Travis Jayner crouched over, poised in perfect racing stance, he shot the gun and…

...nothing happened. No one moved a muscle.

It was dead silent for a good 3 or 4 seconds before everyone got the joke. They stood for a good 10 seconds before skating forward and thats when an angry Benjamin shot the gun again and called them back, chastizing them and giving them all a false start. It was surprising though - for 25 years of racing - the gun goes off, and the skaters skate - to not see them go - it was, well… I think everyone was just confused for a moment - “did my ears deceive me?” It was hilarious…

Chastened - only a few of them put on a superhero pose at the line for the second start - clearly there were more plans in the works… but they eventually began racing."

Mtnme, here's the video of that prank - too funny!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZshdfWdf8A&feature=channel_page

[mtnme]

Thanks for that Lori! That was hilarious! LOL