Originally published by a NovatoAVID blog for the Novato Patch. http://novato.patch.com/users/novatoavid/blog_posts

On a beautiful spring Tuesday, Tanya Madsen’s Advance Via Individual Determination (AVID) students from Hamilton Meadow Park School converged on the Saint Mary’s College of California and the University of California at Berkeley  campuses.  

The importance of first-generation, college-bound youths visiting a college campus during the middle school years might be a catalyst in ”changing the cycle” of poor educational opportunity for students and families. Last week, Ms. Madsen approached North Bay Youth Academy/Novato Chess Club (aka HYA) regarding a tour of Saint Mary’s for her seventh- and eighth-grade AVID students.

HYA met her students at the St. Jean Baptist de La Salle statue on the Moraga campus. In 1863, the college was founded on the the Lasallian, Catholic and liberal arts mission of educating the poor. As a 1983 SMC graduate, we embrace the Lasallian mission of “inclusive education,” so meeting these wonderful young people is fulfilling the mission and faith.

During our two-hour tour, we engaged a diverse group of undergraduates who  were more than willing to impart their knowledge, each providing personal reflections on their journey to college. None more poignant than the Remy Smith-Lewis, ’12, who is graduating May, 19. He reflected on his AVID trip as a high school sophomore.

“This is so unique for me to talk with you today, as I remember being a AVID student and making a trip like this, as if it were yesterday,” Remy said. Initially he attended a school in the South then transferred to SMC in his second year of college.

We met SMC basketball star Mitchell Young, ’13, in the dining hall, and he spent 10 minutes addressing the youngsters. Hamilton students never met anyone from Australia, so it was a unique experience for one young man who asked, “Are you from Russia?” It is educational moments like these that are the catalyst to understanding a broader world view. I am sure Ms. Madsen had the map of Australia and Russia ready for them on Wednesday at school.

We visited the library, dining hall, theater, a Socratic classroom, engaging several students who truly represented what the Lasallian mission is all about. As the Hamilton Hawks boarded the bus toward the next stop, UC Berkeley, I was inspired by how a college trip of 30 students can be an unexpected life changing experience for elementary/middle school kids. Many thanks to Ms. Madsen, who understands a classroom education is but a small part of the overall motivation.

By raising the expectation of AVID students; they see themselves in college — college students of the future. However, individual inspirations are a matter of choice.

Read here about my personal life-changing experience and passion in the Saint Mary’s College of California, Alumni Magazine, Cover Story, Autumn 2008, “Paying it Forward, Sharing the Spirit.”

Local Kids Get a Taste of College Life

Thanks to Donations, Volunteers Teachers, administrators team up to take about 200 Novato kids over to St. Mary’s College in Moraga for an inspirational day.  By Brent Ainsworth | Email the author

About 600 Bay Area kids, including more than 200 from Novato, spent Saturday on the campus of St. Mary’s College in Moraga in a basketball-tinged tour set up by a Novato man to inspire a commitment to education.

Join host Joe Hackman, BlogTalkRadio with guests Christopher Major of  HYA,  Robin Kelley, Epic Healthy Choices with special guest Patrick Major, MeetSammyDavis.com speak about the role of parents, reading, and structure in the  education process…. more

Support the work of Kai Edwards on September 25th, and his youth outreach for Ladies Soccer……..

The fifth head coach in the 29 years of women’s soccer at Saint Mary’s College, Kai Edwards enters his third season as the Gaels’ head women’s soccer coach in 2011. In 2010 Saint Mary’s finished the season with an 8-7-4 overall record and went 2-4-1 in West Coast Conference play, marking the Gaels’ first winning season since 2001. Edwards also continues to emphasize the school’s history of excellence in the classroom, guiding the program to a second straight NSCAA Team Academic Award, and landing four student-athletes on the WCC All-Academic Team. On the field in 2010, five Gaels were awarded all-WCC honors, marking the most since Saint Mary’s placed six players on the 2002 all-league squad. Freshman midfielder. Jordan Marada earned first-team All-WCC honors and was selected to the league’s all-Freshman team. She became the first freshman women’s soccer player to earn first-team all-WCC honors since 1992. Fellow freshman Brianna Campos also broke onto the collegiate soccer scene quickly, earning second-team all-WCC honors as a forward. In 2009, the attack minded Edwards improved the team’s goals per game average nearly half a goal per game, moving from 1.00 to 1.45 in just one season. The Gaels also jumped 63 spots in the national ratings percentage index, moving into the top 100, and were ranked in the top 10 in the West Region (NCAA/NSCAA) throughout the majority of the season. The Gaels also earned a Team Academic Award from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The Gaels improved to 9-11 overall with three players earning all-WCC honors. Jessica Menzhuber was a first team all-conference selection and a third team NSCAA All-West Region honoree. Daelyn Paul was an honorable mention all-WCC selection, and joined Christina Tognetti on the conference’s all-freshman squad. Edwards moved Menzhuber from defender to forward for her senior season and she responded by leading the Gaels with 26 points on 11 goals and four assists. She finished fourth in the WCC in goals and points and helped the Gaels score at least one goal in 19-of-20 games. Paul had an outstanding freshman campaign, as she was second on the team with 16 points on five goals and a team-high six assists. In 2009, the Gaels had key victories over top-30 teams Texas (2-1) and San Diego (2-1). During the middle of the season, SMC won seven of 10 games, with its three losses during that stretch coming to No. 10 Texas A&M (2-1), No. 9 California (4-1) and No. 1 Stanford (1-0). Edwards came to Saint Mary’s after spending two seasons as the associate head coach for the women’s soccer program at UC Santa Barbara. Edwards served as the Gauchos’ recruiting coordinator and played an instrumental role in UCSB’s 2008 recruiting class, which was ranked 38th in the nation by Soccer Buzz Magazine, the highest in program history. The affable Edwards joined the UCSB coaching staff in the spring of 2007, after spending one season at Sonoma State, where he helped guide the Seawolves to a 12-6-3 record and a spot in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament in 2006. Prior to his one season as an assistant at Sonoma State, Edwards spent two years as an assistant at Division II Western Washington. Heavily involved with the Region IV Olympic Development Program, Edwards has his USSF “A” license and his NSCAA Advanced Regional Diploma. An offensive-minded coach, each team Edwards has coached has increased its goals per game average each year of his tenure. Edwards, a graduate of Sonoma State, played two seasons for the Seawolves. As a senior in 2003, he scored five goals and had four assists, and in 2002, he was a member of Sonoma State’s NCAA Division II National Championship team. Prior to his two years at Sonoma, Edwards played soccer for two years at San Francisco State where he was a team captain. As a high school player at Rolling Hills Prep in San Pedro, Calif., he was a first-team all-State choice, once scored 11 goals in a single match and still holds the school’s record for goals in a game, season and career. Professionally, he played for the Seattle Sounders Select team, Surrey United in Canada and semi-pro for the Bellingham Blaze indoor team. Edwards also competed on the U.S. National Tae Kwon Do team.

(originally printed by St Mary’s College of California)

Policy Advisor to the White House Office of Science and Technology, Douglas Rand, will deliver the keynote address at the May 14, 2011 Cogswell College Commencement Ceremony. Mr. Rand is a leading architect of the Startup America initiative and other federal policies to promote entrepreneurship. Rand?s appearance will coincide with the first phase of the College?s launch of its highly innovative entrepreneurship degree programs for undergraduate and community college transfer students, as well as its first Masters degree program.

As an entrepreneur himself, Rand understands the critical role that innovative and resourceful people play in driving the economy forward and creating jobs.

Startup America is a White House initiative to celebrate, inspire and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation. This coordinated public/private effort brings together an alliance of the country?s most innovative entrepreneurs, corporations, universities, foundations and other leaders working in concert with a wide range of federal agencies to dramatically increase the prevalence and success of America?s entrepreneurs.

The Cogswell Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program is unique in that it has been created from the ground up specifically to educate entrepreneurs and to accelerate the growth of their business, in contrast to most entrepreneurship programs that are centered in corporate-focused business schools. Initiated by entrepreneurs, the WASC accredited program focuses on hands-on and experienced based education, with even first year students immersing themselves in the launch and growth of new companies.

Cogswell fuses this innovative program with its highly regarded digital media and engineering degree programs thus promoting entrepreneurship in all areas, but with a particular focus in the dynamic and creative digital media industries. From the advent of animated film to the proliferation of serious game applications ? artists and engineers, working together, continue to push the boundaries and turn ?what if? into something tangible.

Doug Rand is a particularly fitting speaker for Cogswell?s commencement as he is both an entrepreneur and leader in publishing and the arts. Prior to working at the White House, Douglas Rand was Co-Founder and CEO of the innovative publishing company Playscripts, Inc. as well as a Co-Founder of the live theater review aggregator StageGrade. He is a graduate of Yale Law School and the Yale School of Management. He received a master?s and undergraduate degrees from Harvard where he studied evolutionary biology. Rand has also authored numerous articles covering subjects from insects to politics to theater.

Cogswell College was founded by a 19th century innovator and entrepreneur, Henry Cogswell, who in 1887 donated $1 million to found a coeducational vocational high school in San Francisco that was designed to educate students who could serve the changing needs of the industries of their day. Currently located in the heart of Silicon Valley ? in Sunnyvale, California ? Cogswell?s graduates work throughout the digital media industries, not only in established companies but also in new entrepreneurial ventures. A significant percentage of Cogswell alumni are the CEOs of companies they founded.

(article orginally published http://www.cogswell.edu/news/news050211.php)

May 2, 2011

Meet the Players Banquet : Tom Brown

February 13, 2010

It’s always good to be back at Saint Mary’s.  I spent most of my life on this campus as an Assistant Dean of Students, Associate Dean of Studies and Dean of Advising Services.  I had many responsibilities during my 27 year career; however, there were few things I enjoyed more than working with the young women and men who competed for Saint Mary’s College as members of the Gaels athletic teams. In fact, I was faculty moderator of the Women’s Basketball team my last 10 years, and I helped create the academic advising and support program in the Department of Athletics.

I came to Saint Mary’s after having graduated from the University of Southern California—the real SC.  However, at some point during my career here, I knew I had been transformed into a Gael, when my loathing of Santa Clara and Gonzaga came to be even greater than my disdain for all things related to UCLA and Notre Dame.
We are here tonight to meet the members of the 2010 Saint Mary’s baseball team and to celebrate the young men who will represent the college this season.  At the same time, we are here to celebrate former Gaels, like Mark Teahen, who have gone on to successful careers after being St. Mary’s student athletes.

I have always believed that you must know where you came from in order to know who you are.  So, I want to share some of my experiences with the Saint Mary’s baseball program.  Most especially, I want to introduce the members of the current Gaels team to the one of the greatest coaches and people in the long and storied history of Saint Mary’s College—Dr. Miles McAfee, who coached the Saint Mary’s baseball team from 1973 through 1980. This seems particularly appropriate as we recognize Black History Month.

During my early years at the College, the Gaels’ baseball program was the only successful Saint Mary’s athletic team.  There was no real football team at the time, no women’s athletic teams, and the basketball program was a perennial loser.  The man responsible for baseball’s success was Dr. Miles McAfee.  Coach Mac came to Saint Mary’s in the summer of 1973.  He graduated from Tuskegee University in Alabama, where he had been a super star baseball player during a time of racial segregation. In fact, he was inducted into the Tuskegee Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.  After playing professionally with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Miles became a scout and eventually decided to pursue a career as a coach.

In being named the coach at Saint Mary’s, Miles McAfee became the first African-American to lead an NCAA Division 1 baseball program not at a historically Black college or university.

In his 2003 autobiography, Four Generations of Color, Coach Mac recalled competing against and learning from some of the greatest coaches of that era, including Jackie Jensen at Berkeley, Bob Bennett at Fresno Sate, and Rod Dedeaux at USC.  He wrote that one of the things he learned was how few Black kids who got the opportunity to earn athletic scholarships to play intercollegiate baseball.  Miles always sought the very best players, regardless of race or color, and he was especially committed to giving more Black kids the chance to play and earn a college education.  Many white coaches at the time couldn’t really understand or relate to Black players.  For example, Miles’ predecessor at Saint Mary’s had cut a kid named Xavier Dixon, who came to me to express concern that he wasn’t being treated fairly.  Under Coach Mac, Xavier became an all conference selection.

Coach Mac was a great motivator and an amazing recruiter. He landed many great players, like Broderick Perkins, who went on to play with the Padres; Tom Candiotti, who pitched for Cleveland, the Dodgers and won a World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays; and Von Hayes, who had an All-Star career with the Phillies.  Miles also served as coach a role model to future coaches, like Dan McDermott of Regis University and Mike Adami of Hayward’s Moreau High School.

I think the only folks who could out-recruit Miles were professional baseball teams….

Coach Mac also brought many kids to my office who wanted to play for Saint Mary’s, including a youngster named Ricky Henderson, who played at Oakland Tech. However, Ricky signed with the Oakland A’s, where he set a new major league record for stolen bases, leadoff homers and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame last summer. The A’s also out-recruited Miles for another Oakland kid—Dave Stewart of St. Elizabeth High in Oakland; a future Hall of Famer, who was 20-game winner for 4 consecutive years with the A’s and a World Series MVP.

Coach Mac was always concerned about his players’ lives after baseball, so when a young Lloyd Moseby decided at the last minute to sign with Toronto rather than Saint Mary’s, he advised him to get the Blue Jays to promise that they would pay for four years of college.

Miles always insisted that his players take care of business in the classroom, as well as on the field, because he understood that you don’t just turn commitment, focus and excellence off and on.  Chris Major, who is among Miles’ former players who are here tonight, was the last player Coach Mac recruited.  Chris recalls that Coach opened the door of opportunity for him—as a baseball player, and a student, and Miles helped him become the man he is today.

When Coach Mac first came to Saint Mary’s, he received viciously racist letters because he, a Black man, had been named to coach the Gaels.  The parents of several white players also complained to Athletics Director Don McKillip, that Miles was playing black players over their sons.  Coach pointed out to the AD and those parents that he had a specific coaching philosophy—his goal was to win rather than satisfy players or their parents.  He quickly earned the respect of all the players, and his long time colleague and friend, Skip Naler, recalls, “After awhile, we were no longer black, white, brown, or yellow; we were all just Gaels.”

Dr. Miles McAfee was not just a great player, coach, scout and agent; he was also a very good man.  In his autobiography, The Measure of a Man, the Oscar winning actor, Sidney Poitier, wrote that the true measure of a man is how he cares for his family.  Miles dedicated his own autobiography to his son, Miles Jr. and his daughter Karen, who he hoped would understand and learn from the trials and tribulations of his life. He also dedicated the book to his wonderful wife Lynn, who is here tonight, whom he wrote, “Lynn supported me during the endeavors and dilemmas that occurred during our lives together.”

Sidney Poitier wrote that love and work and family are the legacy we leave behind when our little moment in the sun is gone.  Coach Mac left behind a wonderful family and I want to close with a few more thoughts about his work.

I especially want to challenge and support Saint Mary’s College to honor Miles McAfee’s work by naming him to the Gael Hall of Fame and retiring his jersey number.

Dr. Miles McAfee and I grew up in an era when Black kids were told by their parents that we would always have to be twice as good to go half as far in this world.  When Miles died last year, The Contra Costa Times carried a front page story in the Sports section recalling his brilliant career.  The title of the story captures a sad reality.  It read, “McAfee Was a Pioneer That Too Few Knew.”

The opening lines, written by longtime columnist Monte Poole, read:

“Like life in general, sport is teeming with accomplished individuals who walk silently; giants whose footprints are best measured not by sheer size but by the depth of their character and influence.  People like Miles McAfee, whose name may not be familiar unless you hold a microscope to local sports history….The shame of it is these that these immense contributors to the lives and families of others all too often get overlooked….”

Former baseball great, Willie McGee said, “I honestly can say that Miles was underrated.  What he did, what he stood for, his legacy; it’s all grossly underappreciated.”

Poole concluded,  “McAfee was a pioneer, a man of sound reason, insistent fairness. He stood up for those around him, no matter their age race or stature.”

While it may be understandable for Coach Miles McAfee to go unrecognized beyond Moraga’s Hills, what he accomplished for the Saint Mary’s Gaels baseball program is without question deserving of Hall Fame status:

• Three thirty win seasons including a 41-13 record in 1977—which still stands as a St. Mary’s record for wins.
• 220 wins over his seven year career, making him the winningest coach in the history of Saint Mary’s College.

As the 2010 version of the St. Mary’s Gaels prepares to go forward, I encourage you look back to where the roots of the success of the modern era of winning  baseball began—with Coach Miles McAfee.  I also urge you to honor the present by acknowledging the past and support the induction of Coach Mac to the Gael Hall of Fame, retire his number, and put it on the outfield wall to inspire and remind all past, present, and future Gaels of their eternal legacy!   Doing so will be a reminder that you recognize and appreciate Dr. Miles McAfee and all he did for Saint Mary’s, for young men, and for the Gael Baseball program.  It’s the right thing to do and the time has come to do it!

Thank you for listening. I wish you all the best.  Keep the faith and keepin’ on, and Go Gaels!

You can’t teach 6 foot 11 inches.  Omar Samhan was born in the Oakland Children’s Hospital on November 3, 1986.  From the moment he was born he knew that he was destined to play basketball.  Born of an Irish mother and an Egyptian father, a basketball was put in Omar’s hands from birth.  “I started playing basketball as soon as I could walk,” said Omar.  “My grandfather on my mother’s side was a 6 foot 9 inch semi-professional basketball player in San Francisco and played at the Kezar Pavilion.”  The Kezar Pavilion is a famous basketball gym built in 1924 on Stanyan St. in San Francisco.  Currently, they hold the Pro-Am summer league where players like Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Tim Hardaway, and Omar Samhan have all participated.  “The Pro-Am summer league was a great experience and it made it that much more special knowing that my grandfather had been playing under the same roof a couple decades earlier,” stated Omar.

Beginning his career here in Danville, Omar attended Green Valley Elementary and Los Cerros Middle School.  During these early years he played in the local CYO league and was always the starting center.  I remember when I first moved here and came out for my first Danville CYO try-outs and noticed the 6 foot 1 inch 12 year old.  Not only was his size always intimidating, but so was his confidence.  He was always talking so that everyone would hear him and that we did.  Once he stepped on the basketball court he always wanted to win and he used his height and confidence to show his opponents that he meant business.  By his freshman year he was 6 foot 8 inches and made the Monte Vista High School varsity team.  He transferred to San Ramon Valley High School after that year where he stayed for the rest of his high school career.

In  the summer of 2002 the annual basketball summer camp had just started at San Ramon Valley High School and for the first time, Omar stepped into the SRV basketball gym.  We looked at this man-child with mixed feelings and did not know what to expect.  That year, Omar and four more of us sophomores made the varsity squad, something that a varsity team had never seen before.  Led by head coach, John Raynor, we soon understood that coach was building a team destined for greatness.  “Coach Raynor is one of my biggest inspirations,” said Omar.  “It wasn’t only the basketball skills that helped me most, but his life lessons.  Raynor taught me how to be a man, to fight through adversity, and these are lessons that still help me today.”  By Omar’s senior year he led the team to the East Bay Athletic League and Northern California Championships.  Afterwards the team made it to the semi-finals for state where Omar battled against, Ryan Anderson, currently an active player in the NBA for the Orlando Magic.  Although, the 2005 SRV basketball team fell short by one point to Ryan Anderson and Oak Ridge High School, Omar’s career was just beginning.

Omar attended Diablo Valley College following his senior year at San Ramon and after one semester he was picked up by Randy Bennett and the Saint Mary’s College Gaels.  By this time, Omar was now 6 foot 11 inches, a hair less than 7 foot, and was struggling with weight problems.  Although, he had some of the softest hands that one has ever seen from a big man, his weight always held him back.

The transition from high school to college ball was exactly what Omar needed and he eventually took advantage of it.  “It was a huge transition that I was not originally ready for.  It was a grind every day, all day all I did was play basketball and go to class.  At first it was overwhelming, but thankfully I was in an environment like Saint Mary’s College where everyone was supportive and helpful,” said Omar.  While at Saint Mary’s College he was able to play with some of the college’s best athletes like Daniel Kickert, Diamon Simpson and Patty Mills who now plays in the NBA for the Portland Trail Blazers.  “Every player on my team had a huge impact on me.  I looked up to the guys like Kickert who I thought I could never be like.”

Each year, the Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga feud grew and Omar was the first to antagonize it.  “I’m not afraid to admit that I don’t like Gonzaga.  I welcome competition and I want to give the fans what they want-drama,” Omar professed.  From the beginning of his college career he created much drama between the Gonzaga basketball team and their coach, Mark Few.  After years of coming up short, it was finally Omar’s turn to lead the St. Mary’s team.  As a senior he continued his career as a winner and his team won the West Coast Conference championship.  Following the WCC title, he then took the team to the Sweet 16 in March, the furthest any Saint Mary’s basketball team had ever competed in the tournament.

This past month it was the Omar Samhan bobble head night at Saint Mary’s where the Saint Mary’s team passed out Omar bobble heads to the first 2000 fans.  Now, in Lithuania, Omar had one of the bobble heads mailed to Gonzaga coach Few with a card stating, “Thank you for all of your support. Love, Omar.”  Thus, displaying his ongoing efforts to continue the Saint Mary’s-Gonzaga hype.

After graduation from St. Mary’s in 2010, Omar signed a three year contract in the EuroLeague with the Lithuania national team, Zalgiris.  He continues to pursue his dream to one day play in the NBA and works hard every day to improve on his game.  “This is now my job and my life.  I have one focus and that is basketball,” says Omar.

“My other passion is giving back to the community.  Currently, I work with the Hayward Youth Academy and sponsor some of their events.  In February, HYA and I are working together to bring kids to Saint Mary’s College to show them the importance of going to college and treat them to one of the basketball games.  I think it is important to help the youth, not only in the less fortunate areas, but in all communities because everyone deals with difficulties.”

Omar is a unique athlete that reveals to everyone that anything can be accomplished through hard work and dedication.  His journey from Danville to Lithuania has been eye opening to us all and we wish him the best in accomplishing his goal to one day play in the NBA.

Saint Mary’s College Gael basketball star, and Hayward’s best-kept secret inspired youth in 2008-09 around the bay area. It takes a lot to intimidate Diamon Simpson, who braved scores of flying elbows en route to breaking the career rebounding record at Saint Mary’s. A couple hundred sixth-graders did the trick. “Honestly”, Simpson said, Thursday, recalling a recent appearance he made before a group of kids on behalf of the Hayward Youth Academy. “It was easy because it was sixth-graders, but at the same time it was like over 200, 300 people in there. So you’re still kind of nervous…”.

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By Robert Jordan
Contra Costa Times

PLEASANTON — Sammy Davis loves to fetch.  His ears perk up. His little dachshund tail switches back and forth. They say he’ll chase anything. “No dog runs like him,” said Patrick Major, his owner. “He’s special.” Major should know. In the seven years they have been together, Major has seen Sammy Davis transform from a playful pet to one of the fastest dachshund racers in the state. Even though he stands only about 6 inches tall, Sammy can pump his stubby little legs and leap through the air to catch Frisbees nearly as big as he is. And, this pooch was a doggie pinup in the International Disc Dog calendar three years running.

But the biggest transformation has been in Major. He calls Sammy his “miracle dog,” the pup that saved his life. In 2003, when Sammy came into his home, Major, now 45, was at the end of his rope. Five years of failing kidneys, caused by hypertension, had chipped away at his will. He grew tired of being left exhausted and depleted by a dialysis machine, only to have to repeat the process 48 hours later. He was ready to quit the treatments until Sammy entered the picture, arriving just in time. On advice from his girlfriend, Sabrina Seiden, Major decided to get a dog to keep him company and raise his spirits after those long dialysis sessions. It was an odd decision for the Pleasanton couple: Neither had ever owned a dog.

Major checked the newspaper ads that day and called a breeder in Madera. He and Seiden then drove more than two hours to meet the breeder’s four dachshund pups, but both instantly picked Sammy. Seiden was smitten with the puppy’s symmetrical brown markings over his eyes. Major was drawn to the dog’s nonstop activity. They picked the name Sammy Davis one night after seeing the late entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. on TV — and realizing their pup had the makings of a star. ”He has some special quality that is hard to describe in words,” Seiden, 33, said. “For such a little guy, he has such a huge presence.” Still, their joy turned to worry days later when the 4-pound pup contracted canine parvovirus type 2, commonly called parvo, which shuts down a dog’s ability to absorb nutrients or fluids. The news hit Major hard.

“Like I hadn’t been through enough,” he said. The veterinarian gave Sammy a 50-50 chance of survival. For a week, Major and Seiden sweated it out, jubilant when they got word Sammy would be OK. ”Things happen for a reason,” Major said. “Sammy was so sick (but) I made the decision to save him, and he then saved me.” The dialysis continued. Three days a week, Major trekked to Union City for treatment, only to return home and sleep. He didn’t have the strength to do anything else.  Sammy changed that. The rambunctious pup constantly perched himself right behind the front door of their then-Hayward home, waiting for Major’s return. Once he was home, Sammy wouldn’t let Major rest, constantly plopping things at his feet. It started with a small piece of rope tied at both ends that Sammy would catch in midair. It progressed to balls and eventually Frisbees. And when Major grew tired of fetch, Sammy found pine cones and even paper airplanes to coax Major to keep playing. ”I was able to forget about how depressed I was,” Major said.

“It took my mind away from dialysis.”

Instead, Major began to occupy his time playing with Sammy and scouring the Internet for dog training tips. The more Major worked with Sammy, the better he got at picking up commands. ”I would talk to him like he’s human,” Major said. Sammy went from tracking down Frisbees to vaulting off Major’s back and catching the discs. As Sammy improved, so did Major’s health. A year after Major and Seiden found Sammy, Major received the call for which he had waited six years. Doctors at UC San Francisco had found a kidney donor.

Major and Seiden rushed to San Francisco, where doctors told Major that a man the same height and weight as him had died, and his kidney was available. Hours later, Major was out of surgery. ”He had waited so long,” Seiden said. “When it finally happened, it felt surreal.” The blessings kept coming. Five months after Major received the kidney, Seiden gave birth to the couple’s son, Joshua, now 5. Sammy’s life also began to change.

Major took him to a disc dog competition in Fremont, where he caught the eye of Steve Teer, co-founder of Disc Dogs of Golden Gate. Teer was well-known in the disc dog community, but he’d never seen a dachshund do the things Sammy Davis could do.

Sammy began competing in disc dog events, and his skill and uniqueness earned him praise up and down the state. As good as he is at catching plastic circles, Sammy is even more well-known on the racetrack.

In 2007, Sammy was the top dachshund in his class, winning the 2007 Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals Championship. But things didn’t start out so promising. A visit to a local Wienerschnitzel turned Major on to wiener dog races and a chance for Sammy to show off his skills. Sammy made his debut in 2006 at the Alameda County Fair. It was a memorable race, but not one that he won. On that hot July day, Sammy darted out the starting gate and headed straight for the shade. He finished last.

Sammy finally got it right in 2007, winning his first race.

He hasn’t lost since, including back-to-back Dachshund Derby victories at the state fair. ”The fact that he catches Frisbees is icing on the cake,” Teer said. ”Sammy got (Patrick) off the couch.” And to think, it all started with a game of fetch.

Robert Jordan covers Dublin and Pleasanton. Contact him at 925-847-2184.

SAMMY slideshow
For an audio slide show of Sammy Davis in action, go to ContraCostaTimes.com.
For more about Sammy’s history and accomplishments, go to www.meetsammydavis.com.