Photo above: On left, Anthony Belber sets the pace with (center) Carlos Maldonado and (right) Jim Hage at the 2001 Somerset Back to School 8K.

Anthony Belber is a native Washingtonian who played soccer and ran track while attending St Alban's School (Class of 1991). The Saint Alban's track coach from the mid-1970s to the late 1990s was the "incredible" Skip Grant, notes Belber. After graduation, Belber headed to Division III Haverford College in Pennsylvania, where he continued his dual involvement in soccer and track. Haverford is an amazing locale for running, according to Belber, where the men's cross country team has roughly 70 members, garners perennial conference championships in the Centennial League (colleges like Swarthmore, Johns Hopkins and Bryn Mawr), and places among the top ten NCAA Division III teams nationally. Tom Donnelly, a runner for Villanova during the 1960s, is a great coach who leads the Haverford program, enthuses Belber.

As a liberal arts graduate, Anthony Belber obtained his bachelor's degree in Urban Planning in 1995 through a Haverford partnership with Bryn Mawr. When off the soccer field, Belber ran 5000 and 10,000 meters on the track. He favored the longer distance and qualified for NCAA III nationals in the 10,000 meters with a 30:54 performance; Belber placed 11th at nationals with a time of 31:20.

Upon returning to Washington, Belber became an assistant teacher at Beauvoir for the second and third grades. In 1997, he obtained a teacher's position at Georgetown Day School, where he enters his sixth year of service. He got into coaching as an assistant for two years to Jim Ehrenhaft, a fellow graduate of St Alban's and Haverford, with St Alban's cross country team. The 25 girls of National Cathedral School and 65 boys of St Alban's train as one group.

In 1999, Belber shifted to Georgetown Day as an assistant track coach. Belber took on the head coaching duties for the girls and boys cross country teams in 2000, where he nurtures a developing program. This autumn, the team had 12 girls and 25 boys. There are varying degrees of dedication to sport at the high school level, where social and competitive interests mix; Belber says five to ten of his runners are serious about pursuing competitive running in college. Last year, a highly talented Ben Stern finished his senior year with a 23rd place and time of 15:46 on the 5K course at Walt Disney World in the Foot Locker Boys National Cross Country Championships. As a team, the boys 2001 cross country squad finished second in the MAC conference (the other schools are Sidwell, Potomac, Flint Hill, Maret, St James and St Andrew's). The reward of high school coaching, expains Belber, is seeing a huge improvement in all the athletes; 19 of 20 students reached personal best times at the final race of the season.

Participation A coach develops talent and inspires continued activity, for it is in meeting challenges that we find encouragement to grow. Anthony Belber willingly shares his thoughts on running; he is unpretentious and accessible. Belber stays fresh in his approach by continuing to train as time permits; he is in the classroom from 7 am to 3:15 pm, then holds "Grasshopper" team practice until 6 pm. He runs with fast and slower members of the teams he coaches.

His rare appearances on the local road racing scene take place at low-key, family-oriented events. He has won the Somerset Back to School 8K four of six times since 1997, including this September's edition with a time of 27:14. In November, he shook off strong competition from Bethesda high schooler Zachary Vaslow to eek out a 16:36 victory in the Edgemore Classic 5K.

Knot Prevention Most children and teenagers have leisure time at the end of the school day. They are rookies in the game of life and need to acquire good judgement. A wide open field of play can lead to situations that tangle up, like a long piece of string in a room full of cats and dogs that one seeks to roll into a tidy ball. Experienced adults offer discipline that enables a structured approach to unexpected situations. Belber has enthusiasm and joy for sports that can attract and maintain the interest of teenagers. As a coach, he imparts advice effectively and cheers his athletes' achievements; the students gain confidence to explore their potential.

Anthony Belber shares his knowledge freely without prejudice. A thorough understanding of the local community and an ability to tap resources expands the range of possibilities for students at Georgetown Day School. Instead of hearing that one 'can't do that' or one is 'not qualified', youth hear that it can be done and it is possible to achieve a goal.

Send comments to the author via email: Drew