Trevor Boler Article (UC Davis Coach)

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.thereporter.com/sports/ci_2816976

Former Dixon star gives track tips in Japan
Trevor Boler, the UC Davis pole vault coach, recently returned from an international teaching camp.
By Brian McCaleb/Sports Writer



Trevor Boler gives running tips to Japanese children recently. (Courtesy photo)

Somewhere along the way, the student became the teacher.
Dixon High School and UC Davis graduate Trevor Boler turned an NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championship in the pole vault into a coaching job at UCD - a job he's held for three full seasons now and one he hopes to have "for decades to come."

Davis is where he wants to be. It's close to home. And his day job selling real estate takes care of the bills.

Besides, the commute to Davis is hardly a killer. On a clear day you can see the water tower from Dixon. It's not exactly crossing the Pacific.

Japan, on the other hand ...

Boler recently returned from teaching a week-long youth camp in Kanazawa, Japan.

"One of our coaching connections here (UCD high jump coach Hideshi Okamoto) is a japanese Olympic coach," Boler said. "We became buddies through coaching. We did everything from youth exercise to balance and strength with grownups. Just a variety of excercises."

Boler was recruited by Okamoto to help introduce students of various ages to proper workout regiments, a subject familiar to Boler who earned a Bachelor's of Exercise Science from UCD in 2001.

"The Japanese national team came out to Davis a couple of years ago during the summer to train in America. (Okamato) came over with them and he liked Davis, so he stayed and started a massage therapy business," Boler said.

Much of the experience was new and exciting for Boler.

"Dealing with the culture of Japan. Just going there," were highlights of his journey, Boler said.

But another aspect of the trip made Boler feel like he'd never left.

"Teaching the classes, for me, was something that I'm used to," Boler said. "It was pretty straight forward, but it was a little tricky with the language barrier. They didn't speak English at all, and I speak a little Japanese to get myself around, but I can't carry a full conversation. But it didn't hinder what we were trying to do at all."

Boler, who was a student-teacher at Dixon High School when he was working on his education master's degree, said cultural differences between American high school students and the Japanese students he taught were clear-cut.

"The last thing I want to do is compare the Dixon kids to the Japanese kids, but just in the culture in general those kids are so respectful," Boler said. "They never get out of line, listen to every word you say."

Now comes a summer hiatus for Boler, though the Aggies will begin workouts soon after spring finals are complete.

"As far as my coaching goes, I'm trying to take the athletes, no matter who they are, and develop them to their full potential," Boler said. "That's the big idea."

And with the jump to Division I athletics, Boler said Davis is becoming a player in the collegiate recruiting ranks. Which means the "potential" of his athletes - like Vacaville High grad Jamie Feaster - could be greater than in the past.

"It makes it very exciting that we're going from Division II to Division I. We're slowly but surely starting to bring in better athletes, the ones who would tend to go to big-time D-I schools," Boler said. "Their starting to come to Davis, so we'll see if we can make our program big time."