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Dana accepts National Spirit of Sport award in Chicago
By dahlerickson on Jul 8, 2009 in Featured, Sports, Video
In many ways, Frank and Barbara Dana epitomized the Star Valley and Wyoming wrestling parent.
Wrestling tournaments are full of long drives and hot gyms, but they are also full of a special comradery among competitors, team mates and parents. What happened as the Danas drove home from the Ron Thon Memorial in Riverton one snowy day in February of 2008 caused a community and a state to mourn.
Veterans of long snowy travel, the Danas through no fault of their own were struck by a semi-truck where Barbara was instantly killed.
With Dakota still on the team bus behind the accident, it fell to coach Eddie Clark and his wife, Kristi to tell him of the tragedy and then drive him to Lander where Frank and Scott still were in critical condition.
After the two were transferred to Salt Lake City, the bad news continued as Frank died due to his injuries as well. While son Scott still lie in a coma from the accident, Dakota did was few are able to do so soon after such an experience.
He competed.
His appearance at the Braves wrestling practice just a short time after the actual incident lifted a haze of sadness and doubt over the entire team and helped forge a chemistry and a bond that added to one of the finest teams in SVHS history.
Over the past 18 months since the accident, Dana helped the Braves win the 4A West Regional Title, a 4A State Runner-Up title and became one of just a handful of SVHS athletes to have placed in the State Tournament all four years.
Dana was singled out at the national level by the National Federation of High Schools. A film crew came to interview Dana and Clark and a video tribute was shown recently on June 30, in Chicago where Dakota was awarded the National Spirit of Sport award for all sports in the United States.
As part of that ceremony, Scott accompanied Dakota to the Windy City much like he did throughout every single match this past year.
It's yet another national honor born from the wrestling program at Star Valley High.
"I don't know if everyone realized how big this is," stated Clark. "This is the only award of it's type given in the entire country for all the sports. There isn't one for each sport; this is it."
Clark admits that emotions have been mixed for quite some time.
"Granted, this is a hard story to be excited about, but it's great to be happy for Dakota, who's succeeded despite the odds being stacked against him," he said. "I think that's the greatest part of it. I think that they [Frank and Barbara] have got to be happy for Dakota and that he's become a young man that Star Valley can be proud of. He didn't give in. He kept doing the things that he needed to do, not just in wrestling but in life. I think that's just as important as anything else. He's become the person that Frank and Barbara would have wanted him to become."
In a previous interview with the Independent, Dakota discussed the journey over the past year.
"Wrestling has helped me through," he said. "It's something that I love that I got to share with my parents and I get to keep doing it. It's a chance to focus on something else as well."
Not coincidentally, the man who has spent the past several years as his coach, is also one who's helped him through the last year.
"Coach Clark has helped me out a lot," he added "My team mates have been there for me too to help me out through everything. Cory and Scott were at every wrestling tournament this last year."
Clark was impressed by the size and scope of the award process.
"It was quite a production," he added. They put up the big screens and they have the people in charge of the state athletic associations from every state in the union. There was over 1,000 people at the banquet and people are there from all over the country. I've been to a lot of ceremonies and it was very well done and very formal and professional.
Clark concluded that Dakota and his family deserve credit for their courage, but they were never alone.
"The one thing that needs to come out of this that we need to honor Dakota's parents," he concluded. "They need to take a lot of credit for the character that they've instilled in him. The young man that they raised; having the strength to do this is a testament to them. They're the heroes in all of this. He wouldn't be the kid he is without Barb and Frank. That's what I'll remember about this. The best reflection of a kid is how they act when no one is watching and we've had a chance to see that."
Look for this feature story in the July 9, 2009 edition of the Independent.
The video was produced by Allegro Media for the National Federation of High Schools.
http://www.starvalleyindependent.com/2009/07/dana-accepts-national-spirit-of-sport-award-in-chicago/
By dahlerickson on Jul 8, 2009 in Featured, Sports, Video
In many ways, Frank and Barbara Dana epitomized the Star Valley and Wyoming wrestling parent.
Wrestling tournaments are full of long drives and hot gyms, but they are also full of a special comradery among competitors, team mates and parents. What happened as the Danas drove home from the Ron Thon Memorial in Riverton one snowy day in February of 2008 caused a community and a state to mourn.
Veterans of long snowy travel, the Danas through no fault of their own were struck by a semi-truck where Barbara was instantly killed.
With Dakota still on the team bus behind the accident, it fell to coach Eddie Clark and his wife, Kristi to tell him of the tragedy and then drive him to Lander where Frank and Scott still were in critical condition.
After the two were transferred to Salt Lake City, the bad news continued as Frank died due to his injuries as well. While son Scott still lie in a coma from the accident, Dakota did was few are able to do so soon after such an experience.
He competed.
His appearance at the Braves wrestling practice just a short time after the actual incident lifted a haze of sadness and doubt over the entire team and helped forge a chemistry and a bond that added to one of the finest teams in SVHS history.
Over the past 18 months since the accident, Dana helped the Braves win the 4A West Regional Title, a 4A State Runner-Up title and became one of just a handful of SVHS athletes to have placed in the State Tournament all four years.
Dana was singled out at the national level by the National Federation of High Schools. A film crew came to interview Dana and Clark and a video tribute was shown recently on June 30, in Chicago where Dakota was awarded the National Spirit of Sport award for all sports in the United States.
As part of that ceremony, Scott accompanied Dakota to the Windy City much like he did throughout every single match this past year.
It's yet another national honor born from the wrestling program at Star Valley High.
"I don't know if everyone realized how big this is," stated Clark. "This is the only award of it's type given in the entire country for all the sports. There isn't one for each sport; this is it."
Clark admits that emotions have been mixed for quite some time.
"Granted, this is a hard story to be excited about, but it's great to be happy for Dakota, who's succeeded despite the odds being stacked against him," he said. "I think that's the greatest part of it. I think that they [Frank and Barbara] have got to be happy for Dakota and that he's become a young man that Star Valley can be proud of. He didn't give in. He kept doing the things that he needed to do, not just in wrestling but in life. I think that's just as important as anything else. He's become the person that Frank and Barbara would have wanted him to become."
In a previous interview with the Independent, Dakota discussed the journey over the past year.
"Wrestling has helped me through," he said. "It's something that I love that I got to share with my parents and I get to keep doing it. It's a chance to focus on something else as well."
Not coincidentally, the man who has spent the past several years as his coach, is also one who's helped him through the last year.
"Coach Clark has helped me out a lot," he added "My team mates have been there for me too to help me out through everything. Cory and Scott were at every wrestling tournament this last year."
Clark was impressed by the size and scope of the award process.
"It was quite a production," he added. They put up the big screens and they have the people in charge of the state athletic associations from every state in the union. There was over 1,000 people at the banquet and people are there from all over the country. I've been to a lot of ceremonies and it was very well done and very formal and professional.
Clark concluded that Dakota and his family deserve credit for their courage, but they were never alone.
"The one thing that needs to come out of this that we need to honor Dakota's parents," he concluded. "They need to take a lot of credit for the character that they've instilled in him. The young man that they raised; having the strength to do this is a testament to them. They're the heroes in all of this. He wouldn't be the kid he is without Barb and Frank. That's what I'll remember about this. The best reflection of a kid is how they act when no one is watching and we've had a chance to see that."
Look for this feature story in the July 9, 2009 edition of the Independent.
The video was produced by Allegro Media for the National Federation of High Schools.
http://www.starvalleyindependent.com/2009/07/dana-accepts-national-spirit-of-sport-award-in-chicago/
