Calvin Ross, Tossing a Shot Across Six Decades

Calvin Ross, Tennessee Senior Olympics, Shot Put Finals, 2004

When I turned 50, I thought of competing in track and field senior games. I found that each year here the First Tennessee District holds a regional Tennessee Senior Olympics, sanctioned by the state Tennessee Senior Olympics, an independent member of the National Senior Games Association (NSGA). Most states have established senior games or senior olympics within the NSGA. The competitions cover a variety of individual and team sports (basketball, volleyball, tennis, swimming, etc.) organized in age brackets in five-year groups for men or women with some mixed teams.

I decided to enter shot and javelin events in the district olympics hoping to qualify for the Tennessee Senior Olympics, and in turn to qualify for the NSGA national games held even-numbered years across the country. While eager to compete again, I had an uncomfortable notion: the higher my age, the shorter my distance — which proved to be a stark truth! After a few meets, I thought my chances at the national level were better with the shot, not the javelin, so I stayed exclusively with the solid metal sphere. 

My confidence in the shot came from excellent mentoring at East High from Bob Crumpacker (’58) who was an outstanding thrower. When he, Larry Armstrong, Dick Zinn, and I were heaving the iron ball for East High’s Track and Field teams, the standard form was the Parry O’Brien glide. It begins by standing at the back of the shot put circle, facing away from the throwing field, with the shot on the base of the fingers nestled against the neck. With the back foot just inside the ring and the other foot touching the center, the thrower bends down at the waist falling into a backward glide for a sequence of moves: driving off the back leg, pivoting into split-second rotational turns to unleash hip then upper body torque, releasing the projectile with a flip of the wrist, and reversing body momentum to stay in the ring.  (Left, throwing practice in the East High gym; right, Bob Crumpacker ’58)

With that technique I was fortunate enough to win the high school state championship in 1960, set a record at Milligan University in 1964 that stood for 50 years, set an age bracket record in the state finals at the 2004 Tennessee Senior Games, and win bronze in Pittsburgh in the 2005 National Senior Games.

Some meets were enjoyable family outings. My wife, Nancy, attended every one. In the national games, my daughter Elizabeth cheered for me at Hampton Roads, VA, and son Dan and two of his kids came to Pittsburgh. Further, I enjoyed friendships with other throwers, especially a fellow who had thrown for the University of Tennessee and a couple of guys from Nebraska and Houston. 

In the 1970s, the O’Brien glide was largely replaced by a more complex, but highly effective rotational spin akin to throwing a discus. I worked with Coach Don Babbitt and his throwers at the University of Georgia to learn it. Some features are similar to the glide. It begins at the back of the ring facing opposite the direction of the throw. Its power, however, comes from a build-up of circular momentum in a 360° body rotation extended by another 180° (altogether a 540° spin). Unfortunately, I never got the knack of it and had to admit that it was a trick too new for this old dog. I kept to the glide with renewed appreciation for Crumpacker’s tutoring. (Right, Tennessee Senior Olympics, 2004)

Generating maximum power from the glide while maintaining control did not happen with every throw. Once, I fired away the cannon ball in an adrenaline rush, slammed my foot into the toe board at the front of the ring, and broke my big toe. That piggy did not go to market that day, but to a sports medicine clinic for X-rays and an orthopaedic walking shoe.

Over the years I’ve never lost sight of my gratitude to another Bob who encouraged me, organized a dynamic program at East for track and field as he did for his other teams, and exemplified the value of hard work. Coach Timmons showed by personal example what it means to set high standards and to value self-respect and positive regard for others — a wisdom relevant far beyond a shot put ring to wider circles of family, friends, colleagues, even strangers and adversaries.

The guidance I received from both Bob Crumpacker and Bob Timmons has been remarkably durable on competitive fields as well as personal, social, and career settings.

A final note: as a late term surprise, my permanent trophy from six decades of throwing has turned out to be osteoarthritis in my right hip joint, but that’s another story still unfolding.

Below, 1959 East High Track and Field Team, State Champions