The Shoeless Runner

Berkeley, Calif. -- You know you're good when you don't need Nike. The shoeless runner.

Without a Locker Room

Berkeley, Calif. --





Here's a quick excerpt from star running back, Rudolpho James. He's the guy in red.

Me: What is number 4 football?
Rudolpho: Oh, it's smash mouth; it's pop; it's flanker all downhill running and all positive yards. Non of that pretty stuff—it's kind of like Ray Lewis' defense.

The Band

San Francisco, Calif. -- Just some happy snaps of the Cal band before the game.

Homecoming

Berkeley, Calif. -- Berkeley High got 28 points in the fourth quarter to rout Pinole High 41-7 Friday night. With the win Berkeley improved to 5-3. The halftime show had a few TDs of its own.

USC vs. Cal

San Francisco, Calif. -- My assignment for this game was to take pictures of signage at AT&T Park. I did manage to sneak a few pics of the cheerleaders and coin toss. USC steamrolled Cal, 30-9.

Hittin' Their Stride

For a team that started 0-3, Berkeley High (3-3) seems to be steamrolling. Friday night they ripped off their third consecutive win, defeating Hercules (4-1) 45-15.

Although it was a good win for Berkeley, it wasn’t a pretty one. The game sputtered along as enough yellow flags were thrown to represent all the countries in the United Nations. Berkeley alone had 16 penalties for 150 yards.

Coach Sims said his team has a lot to clean up but that his young players are starting to turn the corner and execute game plans. “We left points on the field,” Sims said. “We did not want to have one series where we were not putting points on the board.” 

Senior running back Rudolpho James did his part to get into the end zone. He finished the night with two scores on 129 yards rushing. 

Berkeley’s next game is Thursday night against De Anza.

Home No More

Talk about being thrown a football curveball. Berkeley High’s principal told the squad Wednesday before practice, and five games into the season, that they will no longer get to use their locker room or weight room for the rest of the season. Players are not even allowed to step one foot inside the building as it has been deemed structurally unsound.

A revamp of the building has been in the making for seven years—unfortunately no one ever thought where to put the football team while things were made safer.

In the meantime this football team is homeless with more than half a season remaining. They have no place to change clothes for practice. They have no place to hang their helmets and shoulder pads for storage, and they have no place to lift weights to keep their bodies in shape. From here on out it's day-to-day. A makeshift life.

To compound the problem, family and friends don’t have a place to watch their beloved ones play football. Bleachers are made of wood and look like they were built in the 1940s. Cosmetic attempts have been made to make the stands look pretty, but nearly half of the seats are still sectioned off, deemed unsafe for occupancy.

As an outsider looking in, I can only ask “How in the world does Berkeley let its facilities get so freaking bad?"

I feel bad for the seniors on this team for they will get one game to prove to their fans they have a place called home.


Coach Sims hands players their uniforms as they are no longer allowed to enter the locker room to get dressed.


Shadows reflect off a concrete wall that will one day support a new football facility.

The Game Before The Game

Berkeley, Calif. -- Sometimes what happens on the football field is in direct relation with what happens off of it. For the Berkeley High football team that meant eating plates of homemade spaghetti. Earning game-day jerseys by lining up to get academic progress reports checked out. Meditating in front of mirrors to make sure war paint is put on properly. Receiving warm hugs of encouragement. And having the courage and know-how to put shoulder pads on properly.

Coach Sims

Berkeley, Calif. -- Being a head coach at Berkeley High isn't just about Xs and Os—it's about life. Last year one of Fred Sims' players was sadly murdered. This year the freshman squad is showing little respect for themselves and the chain of command. Practice isn't just about showing and lacing 'em up in the locker room—it's about being mentally prepared for their opponent and for life.

Track in the City

Richmond, Calif. -- Here are a series of articles written by Robert Rogers and myself about a track team that was given $17,000 to compete in the Junior Olympics. The city council voted to give the team the money so they could charter a bus to New Orleans, La.

Soccer Pipeline for Education

Richmond, Calif. -- Here's a story I wrote about a soccer club with more than 300 Latino kids. Their goal is to introduce college to everyone even if their athleticism isn't MLS-like.

MLB Pitchers Wow School Children

Richmond, Calif. -- I made this small video of Oakland A's All-Star starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez and reliever Fautino De Los Santos sign autographs while school children received free school supplies. My hero, Robert Rogers, wrote the story.

The Connection Between Harvard U. and Richmond, Calif.

Richmond, Calif. -- A photo of mine ran in the journalism review magazine Nieman Reports. Bob Calo, my hyperlocal website professor, wrote the story.

Richmond Oilers Make Bay Area News

Richmond, Calif. -- Here's how a story I wrote ran in SFGate. Ashley Hopkinson took the dope photo.

Season in Review

Richmond, Calif. -- I made this Flash animation to share all the photos my classmates had taken over the football season.

Roller Derby

Richmond, Calif. -- I made this pocket-sized video for my classmate Becca Friedman.

Other Side of the Game

Richmond, Calif. -- My classmate Julia Chan wrote a story about cheerleading. I took pics for her.

Richmond High Football

Richmond, Calif. -- What I remember about this game was the team's determination and passion to win. Christina Lopez and I produced an audio slideshow, while Bo Kim wrote the story.