A Special Tribute to Ron Copeland and Son

I once saw Ron Copeland run the 400 meters in a track meet at Pierce College. He was a tall, well-built man with none of the starved, bony look of the typical track star. What struck me that day and has stayed with me since was the beauty of his stride. It had a machine-like quality because of its precision, but no machine ever moved so gracefully. Everything was in perfect syncopation with everything else.

Last year in search of that vanished beauty, I drove the 200-mile round trip from my home in Ventura to Dorsey High to see Ron Copeland’s son, Kevin, play football. As soon as I saw Kevin run out on the field, I knew the trip was worth it because there was the same grace and power again--the acceleration without the strain.

The beauty of sports has always meant more to me than what the damn score was. I mourn for the beauty of Ron Copeland’s stride reborn in his son Kevin and silenced again for reasons God only knows.

JOHN TULLIUS, Tennis Magazine, Contributing editor, Ventura