Program from PRVC Rotary Meeting Oct 21,2009

Ed and Kelley Rifilato of Bayfield presented our program Wednesday, October 21, 2009.

Ed is the Head Football Coach for the Fort Lewis Skyhawks. Kelley coaches the Bayfield girls volleyball team.

Ed started out in Los Angeles, went through college and became a police officer. At one time in his life, he decided helping other people would be his life mission, so he got into coaching, thinking of the life long effect that his coaches had on him. Starting out in Las Cruces, Ed worked his way up the coaching ladder, high school, to College assistant to head coach. He and Kelley met at The University of Idaho, then went to Louisville for a coaching job. Then to Fort Lewis.

Coaches are mentors, preachers, parents, and literally everything to young football players. Boys brains don’t come in till about 25 (ask the insurance companies), and guiding young athletes through these years is what a coach does. His job is to instill morals, integrity, communication skills and still get the team to win the games. A coach must be intimate with each of his players, and be thinking 4 steps ahead. Trust is the most important tool between coach and player.

Annually The Fort starts out with 100 players. Coach Rifilato has only one assistant, so recruiting the best upstanding young players is key. He can get good football out of a quality kid. Do the math: 2 coaches, 100 kids: big job!!!

Kelley is a past Olympic volleyball player. She thoroughly understands her sport. Her teams from Bayfield High School are ranked #3 in 3A in Colorado, and have already whipped the two ranked ahead of Bayfield. At tournaments, the Bayfield girls are always matched against the larger schools, to get the experience… And they win. They’ve beaten both the top ranked 5A girls teams at tourneys this year.

The bigger schools teams are always sized larger… players are all around six feet, but the smaller Bayfield girls are able to git er done!

“Pink Digs” raised over $26,000 this year to help in the war against breast cancer. Kelley was one of the organizers.

Ed and Kelley moved from Durango to Bayfield because Bayfield is a better place to live. Great to have them!

Gleefully presented by your PRVC Rotary PR Team.

Visit our web site: prvcrotary@blogspot.com. Bye now.