Olympian Rome is burning to give back to community

MARYSVILLE -- Olympic discus hurler Jarred Rome came back to his old stomping -- and throwing -- grounds Saturday morning: Marysville Pilchuck High School.

Rome, a 1995 graduate of MP who is training for the upcoming U.S. Olympic trials, put on a throws clinic at his former high school. Twenty students and seven coaches attended the inaugural event.

"I've been throwing for 20 years and learning from some of the best coaches for 20 years and it seems like a waste not to share it," Rome said. "I really enjoy coaching. I want to give my knowledge back."

Rome, who lives in San Diego and coaches at Mesa College, was approached last April by the vice president of the Marysville Pilchuck Booster Club -- and family friend -- Kris Hanson, who suggested Rome put on a clinic in his hometown. Rome was thrilled with the idea of returning to his alma mater, where he still holds school records in the shot put and discus.

"This is great," Rome said of coming back to MP. "This is where I grew up."

Hanson and Rome hope to make the clinic a yearly event. Rome said he would like to see it grow into a seven-day clinic that covers more events, including the javelin and pole vault.

This year, local student-athletes came from Marysville Pilchuck, Marysville Getchell, Lakewood, Sultan and Kamiak high schools. Squalicum High School (in Bellingham) had student and coach representatives, as did a school in central Idaho.

Drew Lindsley, a freshman at Grangeville High School in Idaho, skipped the first track and field meet of his high school career to attend the clinic in Marysville. His coach thought it was a good enough reason to miss the meet, and excused him. In fact, his coach came along.

Ted Lindsley, Drew's father and a field-events coach at Grangeville, said he wanted to make sure Drew started off doing things correctly. That and he couldn't pass up a chance to learn some pointers from one of the best.

"You can't argue with the credibility of the instructor," Ted Lindsley said. "What Jarred says, (Drew) better do. ... I was wondering if anything I was telling (Drew) was old and dusty. Jarred's advice was new and fresh."

Rome boasts an impressive resume that features two national championships, membership on four world championship teams, six NCAA All-American awards, a 2011 Pan-American Games silver medal and a spot on the 2004 United States Olympic team that went to Athens.

Besides coaching, Rome, 35, trains eight hours a day, five to six days a week. He is preparing for the discus competition in June at the U.S. Olympic Trials, where he will compete for a spot on the 2012 Olympic team. If successful, he'll travel to London in search of his first Olympic medal.

"It's more than a full-time job," Rome said. "The hardest part is being able to have a life with that. Your life is pretty hectic, but it's a lot of fun. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Once his competitive career is over, Rome plans to return to his hometown of Marysville. Believe it or not, he prefers the Northwest's soggy climate to that of Southern California. "I don't like the sun every day. I like clouds. I like trees," he said.

Once home, Rome wants to coach, perhaps at the college that failed to recruit him out of high school.

"Ideally, I'd love to be at UW (University of Washington) and help out at Marysville," Rome said. "I wanted to be a Husky in '95, but they didn't want me. But I still want them."

Rome wants to continue to work with youngsters like Alfredo Diaz, a junior from Marysville Getchell who attended Saturday's clinic.

"When I heard Jarred Rome was here I was like, 'Wow, I want to meet him and just learn from him,'" Diaz said. "It was exciting to see him here."

Diaz spent his freshman and sophomore years at MP, where he saw Rome's records -- 178 feet, 11 inches for the discus and 58-6 for the shot put -- still among the Tomahawk track and field records on the wall in the high school's gymnasium.

The 16-year old has a goal of setting his own throwing records at his new school, and said he's a little bit closer to that goal because of Saturday's clinic with Rome.

"Every time I throw, I feel like I'm improving," Diaz said in between shot put tosses.

That's exactly why he enjoys putting on clinics, Rome said. He looks forward to the moment when an athlete "figures it out" and "the light bulb goes off."

"I want them to learn and hope," Rome said. "To get to experience anything I've been able to experience the last 20 years.

"I love working with kids. I love seeing them get better."