Track coach has a passion for the sport

Passion and enthusiasm define Bob Johnson. These traits are probably why he was a world-class sprinter, has a loving family, has enjoyed a long and successful business career, and just finished his 40th year coaching high school track.

Johnson himself credits track for everything.

"Any success in life I have, I owe to this sport," he said.

The story begins in 1952, when Bob was 12 years old. He lived in a tough area in East Los Angeles in the Chavez Ravine area where Dodger Stadium would open 10 years later.

He was at a crossroads. One path led to gangs and trouble. Bob had lived in the area since he was eight. He had learned how to fight through a lot of practice, not of his choosing. He made friends in the gangs to survive. It would have been easy to choose that path.

But fate or something else intervened. He was at a park and learned some races were planned that day. He knew he was fast; maybe running from trouble had helped.

He entered the 50-yard dash and won. The win qualified him to run another event at the massive Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He took third out of 12 runners.

Running then became his life. He chose the right road.

Success came in junior high and more in high school as he was all-state in competitive California. He attended Glendale Junior College, gained more strength and speed and became a JC All-American.

Scholarship offers came in and he chose Oregon State University, mostly because he admired Coach Sam Bell.

He married his high school sweetheart, Barbara, 48 years ago and moved to Corvallis. They were 19 and 18.

He piled up accomplishments on the track: times of 10.5 in the 100 meters; 20.9 in the 200; 46.5 in the 400; and 1:50.2 in the 800.

He was the West Coast 400 meter champion and rated among the top in the nation in his college career at various distances.

OSU won the conference championship in 1962 beating such powerhouses as Oregon and UCLA. Johnson was captain that year.

"That was a highlight for me," he said.

There were no huge contracts in those days and track was pretty much an amateur sport.

Bob and Barbara had one child and another on the way, so after graduation he went to work in Southern California.

His four decades of high school coaching began in 1967 at a high school in Pasadena as a volunteer.

Since he was a sales manager at a paper company, he could arrange his schedule and get to the track when school let out. This strategy continues today.

In 1973, the family moved to West Linn for a new job. He knew the coach at the high school and he again helped out. Thus began a 20-year involvement at West Linn.

The family decided to move to Sisters in 1994 because they liked the area and their new company, Fluid Images - a full-service film and video company - could locate anywhere.

Bob used his business experience to co-found the company with his son, Rick. Son Rob also works at the company. A daughter, Terri, lives in Oregon City. There are now six grandchildren

Bob became an assistant for the Outlaws, and was named head coach in 1998.

In his first year at Sisters, only 20 kids turned out for the team, compared to 250 at West Linn.

"That was a shock," he said.

"It has been a blast," he said. "It is so exciting to see kids develop mentally and physically. They learn the things they need for life in track."

He named confidence, determination and dedication as some of the traits learned.

"All of those will make you a better spouse, parent and competitor in the world," he said. "Track helps you be a better person. You learn to be the best you can be."

Johnson makes an effort to help kids deal with problems. He will often just walk around the track with them after practice and listen.

While most Sisters youths don't have the major issues of urban kids, they still face the pressures and changes that go with becoming an adult.

"I become an honorary dad sometimes. You build a bond with them and it is the greatest thing," he said.

Bob considers himself an old-school coach, with tough discipline and challenging workouts. He uses a carrot and stick approach, and often adapts to different personalities.

This year's successful team had 30 boys and 30 girls. They set seven school records and produced two state champions. Johnson calls his seniors this year one of his best groups in 40 years.

Cory McCaffrey, a state champion in the 100 meters, a member of the state champion 1,600-meter relay team and second in the long jump, said Johnson was a tough coach who would push people.

"You had to be ready," he said.

It must have worked, as McCaffrey improved his 100-meter time from 11:13 to 10:81 in one year.

Johnson's reward? Two senior boys and two senior girls invited him to dinner in Bend as a thank you for a successful season.