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Director's Cut, by Ashley Wright"INTRODUCING NEW JERSEY IMPULSE" OCTOBER 21, 2011 - Hello fellow track fans, Have you ever had the pleasure of meeting someone who is truly inspiring? After speaking to Coach Gumbs, I hung up the phone quite impressed and feeling good about the world. Coach Alfred Gumbs started New Jersey Impulse last year. After meeting Coach Josh Batelli through a mutual friend, the two decided to start a track club to support Paterson, NJ. They wanted to keep the kids off the street. Coach Gumbs explained, “Regardless of your home life, you can still be somebody. You just need to be involved in some activity and have someone to mentor and guide you.” That’s what New Jersey Impulse does. They provide an activity and support the kids. Beyond the track, kids are also held to standard performance in school and can only participate if they maintain good grades. To ensure active participation in school, Coach Gumbs encourages the parents to talk to teachers. If need be, he talks to the teachers himself. You see, the coaches at New Jersey Impulse see themselves as coach, mentor, brother, father, friend. They step into the role that the young athlete needs most, both on and off the field. When I asked Coach Gumbs how the USATF Foundation helped New Jersey Impulse, he explained that he and Coach Batelli had an idea and the Foundation made it happen. Without support from the Foundation, New Jersey Impulse wouldn’t have hurdlers or throwers. More recently the Foundation helped them travel to four races, including the New Jersey Preliminary Junior Olympic Outdoor Track & Field Championships, to which seven athletes qualified. It was there that Armando Marrero made his team very proud. Armando finished second in the mile. Throughout the race he was right behind the winner. What makes this feat impressive, is that Armando raced the winner just a month earlier and the race was not even close. Listening to Coach Gumbs talk about his team and the improvements that they have made both on and off the field brings a smile to my face. He is so proud! (Left Photo) Coach Josh Batelli & MVP Nelfri Reynoso / (Right Photo) Nelfri Reynoso, Jonathan Chavez, Armando Marrero, Ay'shawn Brown About Nelfri Reynosa, Coach Batelli explained, "Nelfri really stood out this year. He came every day, committed himself, improved, and really turned into a leader." Although New Jersey Impulse is Coach Gumbs’ passion, it is not his only responsibility. He is currently pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice from Bergen Community College and works as a Supervisor at Wal-Mart. For a twenty year old, that is quite impressive! BIRTH OF NEW JERSEY IMPULSE (2009) ABOUT ASHLEY: "Like many of you, growing up I wanted nothing more than to be an Olympian. The idea of competing to be the best in the world seems to me to be the ultimate thrill and accomplishment. I never realized my Olympic dream, but it has truly been an incredible opportunity supporting others to achieve theirs. As a member of the USATF Foundation Board, I’ve had the pleasure to meet athletes. I love hearing their stories. As my buddy Tom and I were talking about ways to better market the sport, we decided that very few fans get to know the athletes outside of results and BLOG would be a good way to share Foundation News, connect with youth teams and get to know our elites." -- Ashley ARCHIVES
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ASHLEY WRIGHT, USATF FOUNDATION DIRECTOR READ ASHLEY'S BIO HERE.
Armando Marrero
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