Continued from: Part 1, Keeping up with Coach Peter Hopfe
Peter Hopfe began coaching high school cross country in 1995, and by the autumn of 2004, he was considered one of the most successful and respected high school coaches in the state of Florida. In the space of ten years, he had gone from a full-time restaurateur, to a part-time coach, to the recognized founder of a distance dynasty at Flagler-Palm Coast High School, and a two-time Florida State Coach of the Year. Who would have even considered gambling that kind of success on a fledgling college program? Knowing Hopfe, however, it was far from a gamble.
In accepting the position at ERAU, he would be paired with head coach Mike Rosolino, who had already proven himself in his three years at the Eagles’ helm. When describing the Embry Riddle head coach with whom he now works, Hopfe makes it clear that he holds Mike Rosolino in high regard.
“He’s highly intelligent, organized, and sees the big picture. He’s very big on mentoring athletes. He actually helped me in making the transition, and in understanding the academic situation here. His organizational skills are top-notch. When you see the big meets, he’s the man behind them.”
For Embry Riddle, “The Big Meet” would be an NAIA National Championship. Although that is something that doesn’t happen overnight, in the six years Hopfe has been at ERAU, he and Head Coach Mike Rosolino have paved the road to that palace with a seemingly endless list of successes. In 2010 alone, 16 school records were set in track: two indoor (3000 and 5000) and six outdoor (400, mile, 3000, 5000, 10,000 and half-marathon) for men; three indoor (800, 3000, and 4 X 800) and five outdoor (mile, 3000, 3000 steeple, 5000, and 10,000) for women.
In cross country, the top five Men’s (8K) and top five Women’s (5K) times have been set while Hopfe was an assistant. Embry Riddle has won 6 straight Men’s (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010) and 5 straight Women’s (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010) Sun Conference Championships. 14 ERAU men (23 total times) and 15 women (22 total times) have earned All-Conference status.
Competing among over 200 NAIA colleges, ERAU has made its presence known on a national level. In cross country, where the men finished fifth and the women sixteenth in 2009, three Hopfe/Rosolino athletes—make no mistake about it, these two are a top-notch team--have earned NAIA All-American status: Sam Vazquez, Evans Kirwa, and Russell Snyder (all in 2009). In Indoor Track the list lengthens to seven: Vazquez (mile in 2008 and 2009), Kirwa (5000 in 2009), Snyder (3000 in 2009), Chris Chidgey (600 in 2009), Samie Adan (800 in 2009), Nathalie Hildingsson (400 in 2008) and Beth McCubbin (1000 from 2006-2008), plus the 2009 Men’s DMR team. The list grows even longer in Outdoor Track: Kirwa (5000 and 10,000 in 2010), Chris Chidgey (the 800 in 2009), Vazquez (mile in 2009), the ERAU Men’s 4 X 800 team (2009), McCubbin (800 in 2007- 2009), and the Women’s 4 X 800 team in (2008).
AT ERAU, where intercollegiate athletes score—on average—10% higher in GPA as that of the general student body, Hopfe-coached athletes are constantly reminded that GPA is just as important as running times. With at least a 3.5 GPA, four men and six women cross country runners have been named Daktronics NAIA All-American Scholar Athletes: Laura Cook (2005 and 2006); Emily Cook (2009 and 2010); Nick Gehlsen (2007, 2008, 2009); Erika Langhauser (2010); Henry Melius (2009); Katrina Morgan (2007); Stuart Patterson (2007, 2008); Russell Snyder (2009); Flo Vazquez (2010); and Kimber Wille (2009).
Superlatives aside, the human side of Embry Riddle’s vital, energized athletic program has its roots in an outstanding faculty and coaching staff, of which Peter Hopfe is a major part.
When Mike Rosolino started as Embry Riddle’s cross country coach in 2001, his situation almost mirrored Hopfe’s at Flagler-Palm Coast in 1995.“We were in year four,” he explained. “The first three years there was a professor (Dr. Eric v. K. Hill, Ph. D.) who coached part-time, and I took over from him. At that time we just had cross country. We talked about track coming in down the road; phasing it in over five years. We actually did it in four. 2005 was supposed to be just the distance events. The sprints would come next, then the jumps, vaults, and finally throws.
“In the fall of 2004 we had an open tryout on campus. We had over 100 participants, which really shocked us. We kept about 20, who would be in the running events. Peter wasn’t here for that. I don’t think he was hired until after the first meet.”
He was, however, present at that first meet.
“It was an indoor meet, in the O’Connell Center, at UF. I don’t remember whom he brought, or whether he was watching some of his former athletes.
“Peter and I had a lunch, where we sat down to discuss the position. We talked about my expectations for the program, my vision for where we were going and what our relationship would be like. At that time, he was trying to decide if he wanted to stay at the high school level or move on to the college level. He was ready to get out of the restaurant business and was looking for something full-time; coaching in the area. He wanted to make sure that he would be in an environment where he would have freedom to work with athletes and not be micro-managed. Throughout the interview process we talked about these things to make sure that we were both comfortable with the relationship, how things would work and the vision for the future. We both needed to make sure that it was the right fit. At the end of the process, we agreed that we would work well together, each grow from the relationship and that we would balance each other out.
“We (the college) interviewed several candidates. (In Hopfe’s favor) it was the comfort level with him; his knowledge of the sports (cross country and track), his connections with the state of Florida—its high school coaches and athletes—and his values. That was a big part of it. It wasn’t just what he could do on the track, but also his values, and his relationship with the athletes he works with.”
Embry Riddle didn’t have to wait long for Hopfe to work his magic.
“That fall we won our first (Men’s Sun Conference) XC Championship. There was an excitement about that…getting the ‘monkey off our back.’ We were second before I got there, and second the first two years that I was here. Obviously, his expertise helped the program tremendously, but we were building the program together. There were things, institutionally, that helped us, such as the support of the AD (Steve Ridder), the infrastructure within the athletic department, and the way we implemented the program. But he’s been a big part of that success.
“He definitely had that impact when people got to know him, and have respect for what he could do. There was that impact with the middle distance runners as soon as he started working with them.
“What we did in those first two years was to build a foundation. That foundation was more about attitude, family, character, work ethic, and commitment to the team.
That list of priorities, and the ability of Hopfe to implement them, is echoed by ERAU Athletic Director, Steve Ridder.
“When I look at Peter Hopfe, I see the level of respect that is an integral part of our program,” explained Ridder. “It’s obvious that he brings tremendous passion to our coaching staff. He cares for each of them (his team members) as a student, a person, and an athlete. Thus, he gets categorized by me as a very special coach. It is obvious that he is in the right profession.
“Our student athletes have the utmost respect for him,” he continued. “They are aware of his knowledge. They also like him. This is a rare combination. Some athletes like, but don’t respect their coach. Or, they might respect a coach, but not like him as a person. His rapport is at a high level. He doesn’t have to talk a big game. He influences others by actions. He’s a great role model. They (the athletes) realize the value which he brings to the program. The most important thing I can say is that I trust him as much as anyone on my staff: high trust, low maintenance.”
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics promotes a program entitled Champions of Character. It describes five core values that its member institutions are encouraged to promote: Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Sportsmanship, and Servant Leadership. Member schools are rated on character training (47%), conduct in competition (20%), academic focus (8%), character recognition (19%) and character promotion (6%). Embry Riddle is currently listed fifth in the nation on the list of 208 Five Star Institutions, with 91 points.
“We take this very seriously,” explains Ridder. “Peter lives these core values, especially that of leadership. I think the word that best describes who he is, is humble. He does not feel the need to tell people how good he is and how he has been able to impact their lives. Peter is one of those people that you cannot get enough of. He works at the highest level with his athletes. Coaches here are determined to maximize their student athletes. Peter Hopfe has bought into our challenge to do so.”
In conversing with Steve Ridder, it is obvious that in judging people, he sees their family as a mirror of their soul.“He has done a great job of raising his own family. We had David (Hopfe, his oldest son) work with us for a year. He was just like his Dad; pleasant, positive, energetic, productive and a great worker in his time here. It was really special to see them, as a father and son, interact; his respect for his son, and his son’s respect for him. Those things inspire me.”
Ridder feels, stronger than ever, that Peter Hopfe was a perfect complement to Mike Rosolino and both, in turn, to ERAU’s running program.
“He continues to make decisions that are in the best interest of the student and the college. He is compassionate. If he and Coach Rosolino feel that they can take a risk on an athlete who is not on the highest level, I will support them. Ultimately we’re trying to get kids to do special things after they graduate. It’s a priority. Recruit, retain and graduate student athletes. We are serious about teaching and mentoring our student athletes to prepare them for life. We are convinced that we can do both. We are convinced that they can do special things after sports, and contribute to the community. Peter Hopfe lives that.”
A textbook example of that philosophy is Elizabeth McCubbin, who attended Palm Harbor University High School, graduating in 2005. She finished her final fall cross country season at the 4A Region 2 race in 28th place, with a time of 21:39.80. In the spring of 2005, her times in the 800 were fairly consistent, but not at the top of any list: 2:25.20, second in the April 21st 4A District 7 Meet; 2:25.71, second in the April 29th 4A Region 2 Meet; and 2:23.72, 12th in the May 7th 4A State Meet.
“In May, at the Regional Track Meet in Orlando, I met Peter Hopfe, Kelly Walker, and CJ, “McCubbin told me. “He (CJ) was the assistant coach for awhile. I think they were recruiting athletes there. I had only been looking at public schools in Florida; I never heard of Embry Riddle.”
“Beth was the first athlete that I recruited,” said Hopfe.
“The first question I had was ‘What majors do they have?’ I asked if they had meteorology, and they said they did. I was definitely sold on the fact that they had meteorology, and that I could compete, because I was mediocre in high school.”
Hopfe soon drained her sentiments of “mediocrity.”
“He had more confidence in me than I did in myself. He saw the potential in me that I did not see. Coming from high school, the farthest I ran was the 5K race. Maybe on a Saturday, four miles. Coach Hopfe had plans. He was a mileage coach. It was a shock to find out what he wanted me to do during the summer. I tried very hard to keep as close as I could to the schedule, so I wouldn’t be too far behind when I came to school.
“In a typical week, we’d run at least four to eight miles per workout. Once a week, we’d do a long workout, up to two hours. The most I ever ran during that first summer was 12 miles…and I died.”
Beth saw an improvement almost immediately.
“I ran 2:23 in high school. In my junior year at Embry Riddle, I ran 2:09. That was a big contrast. I could see from that how the mileage helped. What was more noticeable was that I dropped from 2:23 to 2:15 that first year. Following his plan, I saw a definite improvement.”
Next, Hopfe introduced her to the Indoor 1000 meter race, which turned out to be a marriage made in heaven, and consequently she brought fame and fortune to the year old program.
“Running definitely became a passion in my life. I grew into a runner.”
In her first NAIA National Championship (Johnson City, Tennessee, March 9-11, 2006) she finished sixth in the 1000 in 2:57.35, and earned All-American honors. In 2007, although she led for much of the last lap, she faded to fifth (3:00.36), but again earned All-American status. She must have liked being the front runner, because she won in 2008 (2:54.28), thus becoming Embry Riddle’s first national champion. She won again in 2009 (2:55.81), and so she was an All-American in the event four straight times.
During her tenure under Coach Hopfe, Beth lowered her Cross Country 5K PR to 17:52.57 (October 3, 2009 at the Charles Bowles Invitational), and her 800 meter time dropped to 2:09.54 (NAIA National Championships on May 22, 2008). Also, while at ERAU, she became a six-time NAIA All-American (four in the Indoor 1000, and two in the Outdoor 800). She currently holds the individual ERAU school records in the 600 (1:34.63), 800 (2:09.54), 1000 (2:54.28), 1500 (4:39.92), and indoor mile (5:04.35), was a member of record holding 4 X 400 (3:58.09), 4X 800 (9:13.25), Sprint Medley (4:16.74), and DMR (12:23.67) teams. She was far from alone on the list of Hopfe success stories.
“He focused on each athlete, so he was able to develop each athlete according to his unique needs as a runner. He put a lot of effort and time into developing us. It’s not something to take for granted, having a coach as interested in you as he was.
“After being under his program, and improving over time, we became more competitive and able to reach higher goals. For example, the Men’s cross country team has the goal of winning the National Championship.
“The team evolved while I was there, but I think we—the team and Coach Hopfe—changed together. The base of the program didn’t change much, but there were little changes along the way; nothing huge. Because of his consistency, all of the athletes know how to develop their own workouts. He definitely teaches you to coach yourself. You can see the direction you are going.”
Beth graduated from Embry Riddle in 2009 with a degree in Engineering Physics.
“It’s a broad major that is geared toward space and satellites, space weather and space plasma.”
After that, Beth applied for, and was accepted into, Dartmouth College’s graduate program, Thayer Engineering. Nonetheless, while her eyes are on the heavens, her running shoes are still firmly grounded by her passion for running.
“Now I’m trying to help out with the Dartmouth Cross Country team; I have a different role. While I was in college, I was one of the athletes, and they were my friends. But now I have to learn how to be the mentor. They are coming up to me and asking for advice.”
Hopfe, although 1500 miles South, remains a phone call away.
“Right now he is my mentor. I still call him to ask for advice. “
And the passion he instilled in her is just as strong.
While McCubbin was accumulating All-American awards for the Women’s team, Chris Chidgey was doing likewise for the Men’s team. He too, exercised a supporting role while in high school.“(In high school) I was an average runner,” he admitted. “I wasn’t anything great. I went into the Regionals--but never came out—as an individual. My coach wanted me to concentrate on the 4 X 400 and 4 X 800. We, Buchholz, were State Champions in 2004 (57 points; May 7, 2004 at the University of Florida.)
“I ran a 1:58, my high school PR, my junior year, but I broke my leg playing soccer during my senior year and hadn’t quite recovered by spring track so I only matched my time from the previous year. When I met Hopfe at Regionals my senior year, I had already been accepted by UF, and was thinking of training to become a walk-on there. But after visiting Embry Riddle and talking to my parents and the coaching staff, I decided to give it a try; maybe give it a year and then determine whether or not to stay. But after having a pretty good year, running a 1:56 my freshman year, I decided to stay and compete with the Eagles.”
Running with Embry Riddle proved to have an added bonus.
“I enjoyed running at the NAIA level, rather than the NCAA. In NAIA I was able to compete at a national level. Being competitive and qualifying for the NCAA Championships would have been much more difficult. The NAIA teams were smaller, and because of the dynamics, you knew everyone who you were running against. Throughout the years you grow close to your competitors from other NAIA universities and when it came to meets hosted by NCAA universities it was as if these competitors became teammates.
“I enjoyed Hopfe as a coach, and the program there. Sometimes you don’t understand his training methods, but on an individual basis, he knew what was best, and what worked for you.
“All of the middle distance guys would go into the workout together—and push each other--but each one had a variation of the workout geared toward their personal needs. We would have a common start; the core of the workout being the same. Some of us would benefit from longer distances, and would continue doing longer repeats throughout the workout. But if we did better with shorter, faster workouts, we would break off and work on our speed. Maybe some would do VO2 800s, and others work on speed work outs, like 200s.
“I don’t know how he came up with our individual paces for each workout, but for every practice he had them on a clipboard when he would assign the workout. We usually did these hard workouts on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The next workout would be based on the results of the previous Tuesday or Thursday. You could always bargain with him though; he loves to bargain. If you told him you would do a few repeats at a faster pace than he had planned, he might cut a deal with you and decrease the number of total repeats.
“Every Sunday we had long runs; 1 ½ to two hours. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays we had two workouts, and one would be some sort of cross training, such as on a bike or in the pool. On Mondays and Fridays we had a single workout. Saturday was race day. It worked out well.
“Sometimes I didn’t see where it was going, or how the training would work out, but it always did. His coaching is great, and he really understands his runners. If I were to show up at practice, and wasn’t at my best, he’d take me aside and talk to me to make sure my life outside of running was going well. No matter what the subject, I could always go to Hopfe for advice. He knows his runners, inside and out; he could tell when something was going on in their lives. However, even after talking, he’d still make us run; ‘Let’s get out there and get it done.’ But if we really needed a day off, he’d let us go home to take care of our personal life, so the next day we could come back and be prepared.
“He’s probably the most stubborn person I’ve ever met. He’d really push you. But he knew our breaking points, and would not push us beyond that point. He believes in every one of his runners, and he knows that if we put in the effort, and trusted in his methods, we would persevere, competing at our best.
And Chris Chidgey’s bests are quite impressive: 49.31 in the 400 (2009 Sun Conference Championship); 1:19.50 in the 600 (2009 NAIA Indoor Nationals); 1:50.88 for the 800 (2009 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships); 2:33.94 in the 1000 (February 2, 2007 Embry Riddle Last Chance Meet); and 4:14.71 in the 1500 (March 24, 2007 ERAU Eagle Classic). In his senior year—2009--he won four NAIA All-American awards, two in Indoor Track (the 600 and DMR ) and two in Outdoor Track (the 800 and 4 X800).
Chidgey, however, doesn’t feel he’s gone quite fast enough. After graduating from Embry Riddle’s Aerospace Engineering program,
“I went to England, to Cranfield University, to get a degree in Motorsport Engineering and Management. I want to be an aerodynamist, or race engineer. I’m still not exactly sure where I’ll begin my career in the motorsports industry, but ideally, I’d like to work for NASCAR.”
Only time will tell if 200 MPH will satisfy him, or whether he will eventually challenge the sound barrier. One guess as to who will be standing at the finish line, with clipboard and stopwatch, insisting that Chris “get it done.”
Two current athletes who--like Chidgey and McCubbin--joined the program during its formative years, and continue to prosper, are former Brentsville (Virginia) District HS team mates, Nick Gehlsen and Henry Melius. Both Nick (2006-2010) and Henry (2007-2011) are Aeronautical Science majors. Henry aspires to be a professional pilot, while Nick (Aerospace Engineering) is involved in the Greenflight Challenge. This is a NASA sponsored, and Embry University-wide project to reduce airplane emissions. Embry Riddle is the only college—all the rest of the contestants are companies--competing for the $1.5 million dollar prize.
Nick, who started at Embry Riddle in the fall of 2006, was the first of the two to arrive.
“I came in when they got their feet on the ground. All the work of organizing and building the team had already been done,” Gehlsen explained. “We had the (conference championship) cross country team and the facilities (the track), so what was left was to fill the team with the right individuals. Hopfe works really hard at recruiting. He puts a lot of time into it. He’s a really tough screener. There is an array of qualities that he looks for.”
“They (Hopfe and Rosolino) are researching athletes that would fit the team,” added Henry. “Not just their athleticism, but the entire person. It’s their commitment to do better. They (the coaches) have their core values.
“I knew, back in high school, that I wanted to continue my running career,” explained Melius, who began in 2007. “When I came here to visit, I really enjoyed the family-like relationship. It was a small team, so I thought I could get that one-to-one relationship with the coaches.”
Henry gives an illustration of how this relationship played an important part in his personal life while he was at Embry Riddle
“They are very understanding. I’ve been injured a lot in my career. While I was home in December of 2007, I broke my clavicle playing Ultimate Frisbee. The coaches called up to see how I was and how things were going; (I knew then that) the coaches looked and watched over me. That was a nice feeling.
“They are like parents when I’m away from home. Once, I collapsed in practice, and they showed up in the emergency room.
“When we were at the FSU Meet two years ago, my grandmother passed away. My mother called the coaches. When I was told, they talked to me in private. Both of them were there. I was really close to my grandmother, and the coaches knew that. To have that emotional attachment with them was very comforting. To have Hopfe tell me what happened, in person, was very comforting.”
Fortunately, the relationship between Hopfe and the two athletes had many happier moments.
“He’s a really great guy,” confirmed Melius. “I was fishing with him this weekend. He doesn’t just ‘punch out.’ They’re always available for the team.”
“I feel like he coaches me just as much off the track, as he does on the track,” added Gehlsen. “He’s always asking about the Greenflight project, and staying up to date on what I’m doing. It’s really easy to talk to him. We joke around a lot. I’m not afraid to talk to him about any situation.”
Nick illustrates the long term results of this type of relationship.
“People that are long gone from the team still stay in contact with the coaches and pass on their best wishes for the Nationals. People ‘pop up’ from time to time; Jack McAfee, for example. I had never met him, or run with him. He was gone several years before I got here. We had a long correspondence with him before the Nationals a couple of years ago.”
Peter Hopfe carefully studies every athlete under his tutelage to determine which event will bring out their greatest potential.
“He (Hopfe) has experience in the marathon (a 2:28 personal best) and led me in that direction,” said Melius. He says the half marathon is my distance. I ran a 1:11: 35 in the OUC Marathon in December (6th), 2008 (2nd place). It gave me a new direction”
“He has knowledge, a history with running, and has done his research,” explained Gehlsen.
Nick, like his roommate Henry Melius, has been transformed to a long-distance runner while at Embry Riddle. His best full marathon was a 2:41:32 at the 2009 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where he finished 13th.
Peter Hopfe’s unbridled enthusiasm for teaching Men and Women to run is not tempered by their level of previous running success. Perhaps that is why Lori Costello (2004-2009), from Danville, California, stands out as one of his greatest successes.
“In high school, I only played lacrosse and soccer,” she explained. “I didn’t like running. I did a lot of cycling, and was riding with Adam Wolf one day and he told me how much fun it was (at Embry Riddle). I was running on my own, and he told me I should try out for the team. I did, really loved it, and now I can’t go a day without running.”
“I started with the Spring season in 2006. I met Coach Hopfe and Coach Rosolino, and things kind of progressed from there.”
Lori was All-Conference in cross country in 2006, 2007, and 2008. In indoor track, she was a member of the school record holding DMR team of 2007 (February 24th; 12:23.67). As a member of, arguably, the best 4 X 8 team in school history, she was an NAIA All-American, both in indoor and outdoor track, in 2008.
“My first year, I ran a 4:48 1500. I was an All-American (member of) in the 4 X 800 team in 2008 (with Alex Salinas, Noele Niblack, and Beth McCubbin; 9:24.14). I ran the 800 in 2:24, but was more of a distance runner.
Like most former Eagles, however, her fondest memories may have been of times after she took off her running shoes.
“The team was kind of interesting. I’ve been on a lot of teams—I played soccer for 13 years—but none were like the ones at Embry Riddle. We did everything together; ran, ate, went to movies, hung out. Sometimes, we were together in the worst of times,” she joked, “like on the track dying during a workout. So we got very close.
“Coach Hopfe was a lot of fun. And he genuinely cared for us. He would ask about our personal life. If we were having a bad day, he knew it. He knew us so well, he was like our Dad. He cared about us. He went beyond coaching. He was someone who you could go to and talk about anything. There are very few people who actually listen to you. I’m from California. (In Florida) I knew people my own age, but for an honest opinion, I went to him.
“He goes and talks to every single runner. He’ll take on people who may not be a good runner, but a good person who will benefit the team; someone who really wants to be there…have a good work ethic, and work hard. This will make the team better by motivating the more talented runners who may not be fully dedicated.
(At ERAU) “Everybody was very welcoming and cared for you. We were all dedicated, because the Girls team had never gone on to the Nationals, and we made it.
“Coach Hopfe is one of those people whom you never want to disappoint. I always tried my hardest, and did my best. He motivated me not to settle for less than I could accomplish.
“I can apply that to the rest of my life. The lessons I learned from Caoch Hopfe, included leadership, not quitting, being cordial to other people, learning to accept defeat gracefully, and being a good sportsman.
“I have some very strong morals, and I think it is a result of being coached by Hopfe and being at Embry Riddle. Those morals are helping me to move forward and guide me towards my future. I constantly evaluate myself, every day. I look at other people to see what I can learn from them. This is what happened with Coach Hopfe. He taught me a lot.”
While Lori Costello is a member for Hopfe’s “All-Geographic team,” its captain is undoubtedly Andawattage Samarasekera, or CJ—his middle initials--for short.
“I went to high schools in Sri Lanka,” he explained by e-Mail. “I played for the Under 15, and Under 17 school Rugby teams. I started to run once I got to ERAU.”
CJ graduated from Embry Riddle University with a BS in Avionics Engineering Technology, has an AS in Avionics Technology, and is now living in Sri Lanka. Although he never ran for Hopfe, his influence is there nonetheless.
“I was a member of the first cross country team at ERAU. For the first three years of my running career, I was coached by Dr. Eric Hill, and in my last year we had a new coach in Mike Rosolino.
CJ explained how he first became interested in coaching.
“A team member asked me if I would be able to write a training program, once I was done with the team. It was Chris Hess. He gave me the idea of learning to coach. And after running for four years, I had the privilege of being a part of the (ERAU) coaching staff.
“It was a very interesting and challenging time. For the first couple of months it was just the two of us (Coach Rosolino and I). Then we got Coach Peter Hopfe from FPC to join us. I had learned a lot about coaching from Dr. Hill, Coach Rosolino, Coach Hopfe, and Rob Maxwell, and from athletes like Evan Clay, Arabella Mueller, Rickey Dudney, Chris Henry, Jack McAfee, Chris Hess, etc.
“I never had the opportunity of being coached by Coach Hopfe, but I was lucky enough to have him as a mentor during the time I coached at ERAU with him, and I can say without a doubt that I am a better person–and coach—because of him.
“It took me only one semester to realize how well his way of training really works, and how much time and effort he puts into improving his coaching/training methods. He constantly analyses the way he trains athletes, and wants to know how he can improve as a coach. Hopfe introduced me, and for the most part the team, to two a day workouts on a regular basis; also, high mileage training, VO2 miles, pool workouts, etc. I am still in touch with Coach Hopfe quite a lot, (though) mostly through e-Mails, since I moved to Sri Lanka.
“Because of Coach Hopfe, I have God in my life today. I think that is the biggest thing he has given me. For that I will always be thankful to him. I think, to see who Coach Hopfe is, you really have to go to Coach’s place on the 24th of December. I have spent many Christmases at the Hopfes. It was a surprise to see how many FPC runners were at Coach’s place on the eve of Christmas. In my eyes, that is what signifies a good coach. There are coaches with high mileage, low mileage, etc., but to have your past athletes come to your place on the eve of Christmas and spend time with your high school coach, now that says a lot about the person. All of Coach Hopfe’s running and coaching achievements are there to see if you just Google it, but what he has done as a mentor to all these athletes is what really makes me admire him as a coach. Also, you can never forget Cindy Hopfe. She is always welcoming and willing to have everyone over at their place.”
Amanda Perkins is another athlete who, despite never having run under Hopfe, attributes much of her success to her association with him. In high school Mandy ran for Spruce Creek, and now stars at the University of Florida.
Before graduating from Spruce Creek High School in 2009, she was the top high school distance runner in the Volusia-Flagler County area—coincidentally where ERAU is located,—and the recipient of more titles and championships than can be readily listed. A short compilation of her (current) PRs would include: 4:37.09 for the 1500 (March 26, 2010 at the UCF Invitational); 4:58.77 for the 1600 (April 4, 2008 at the Florida Relays); 11:10.56 for 3200 (May 2, 2008 at the FHSAA 4A Championships); 17:47.66 for the 5000 (October 8, 2010 at the FSU Invitational); and 21:40.84 for the 6000 (November 13, 2010 at the NCAA Division 1 South Regional).
Her link to Hopfe, though not a direct one, certainly substantiates the effects of Florida’s running guru.
“It was a weird situation,” said Perkins. “It wasn’t like he was my coach, but I’ve been going to the Embry Riddle Distance Camp ever since it started, and I also ran with him during the off season.
“He started his Embry Riddle summer camp in 2006, I think at the end of June, and it is held in Rocky Bottom, South Carolina…in the mountains. It was aimed towards high school and college runners, and was meant for anyone with a passion for running. That first year, it was small, and only a few kids from Creek went.
“He (Hopfe) contacted the area schools. I was a freshman, going into my sophomore year. Coach Steph (Stephon Gallon, her coach at Spruce Creek) said, ‘You’re getting serious about running. Maybe you should go to this camp.’ A got a few of my team mates to go; Alex Frazier, Raksha, Roya, Chris Moody, Katy Rose….”
“I think it was more like a family trip than a running camp. It’s really nice to run on those trails, and in the mountains. It’s a real escape. You get away for the week with no distractions; there’s no cell phone reception, no computers, and no TV. (Instead) We hike to different places; trips to Table Rock, a waterfall, lakes, outside recreation kinds of stuff. Everyone comes together and does things.
“It was definitely a bonding trip. We started getting closer as a team. As years went by, more people went and it happened to them, too.”
While Hopfe’s camp was both structured and beneficial to its participants, he had a clear sense of presence, as was reflected in his workouts.
“If someone doesn’t feel like pushing the pace, or is having a bad day, he doesn’t get mad at you, or make you feel guilty. He says ‘listen to your body.’ He gets his job done, and he’s very good about it. At the end of the day, he’s a cool guy and a good friend. He balances the two really well.
“After dinner, we have these sessions. He has guest speakers. We learn about nutrition, stretching, mental strength, how to be a good team player…. I thought I was an experienced runner, but very year I learn something new; eye opening things.
“It amazes me how much he knows about the sport of running. He has the nutrition and mental part of the sport down. He is the smartest and most knowledgeable coach I know.”
This is fitting testimony coming from an athlete who has trained under two of the strongest running programs in the State of Florida—Spruce Creek High School and the University of Florida--neither of which have been coached (directly, that is), by Peter Hopfe. It also shows how far his influence has traveled in the past 15 years: from its beginning in Massachusetts, south to Florida, west to California, and east to Sri Lanka. It is not much of a speculation—especially since many of his graduated athletes move on to careers in aviation—that Peter’s principles will eventually reach clear around the globe aboard Air Embry.
Post Script
In interviewing the aforementioned athletes, I got to wondering, just who was the man who, literally, first laid the foundation in Embry Riddle’s running program? Teams of this stature do not just come into being. And so, God bless the internet, I made contact with Dr. Eric v. K. Hill, PhD. (Professor of Engineering at Embry Riddle), who explained the scenario.
“My wife, Susan, and I started up the cross country program at ERAU at the request of Athletic Director, Steve Ridder. At the time, he was looking for a member of the faculty who could coach so that he could have the faculty viewpoint as a part of his Athletic Department meetings/decisions.”
Dr. and Mrs. Hill coached until an illness in Susan’s family limited their involvement. It was at that point that Mike Rosolino took over, and he, subsequently, was joined by Peter Hopfe.
“While Susan and I are no longer active as coaches in the program, we do train with the track and field athletes on a regular basis because we participate in USATF Masters, Senior Games, and State Games of America competitions. I also help the program in recruiting students who are interested in engineering, especially aerospace engineering.
“As for Peter Hopfe, I thought he was the best high school coach in the state of Florida and would have asked him to be my assistant if I had known he was interested. He is the best coach for developing long distance runners that I have ever known, so it is very easy for me to recruit runners for him. Both the Aerospace Engineering and the Cross Country programs at ERAU are first rate. It is a great combination for those students who love both.
“The thing that stands out in my mind about Coach Hopfe is that he is probably more concerned about the athletes as students and people than as athletes. The “do anything to win” philosophy is nowhere in his lexicon. He could no more think that way than he could be untrue to his spiritual beliefs. In fact, this “People first” philosophy is doubtless a part of his spiritual belief system, which I think is the key to his excellence in coaching. He is a complete and balanced person; therefore, his decisions are typically complete and balanced. If he makes mistakes in coaching, they will most likely be because of his highly German, and therefore, very competitive nature. He is prone to discipline and perfection, which may be his only blind ‘spot.’ Very little will escape his observation. On the other hand, nothing will trump his care for his athletes.”
Keep in mind that Dr. Hill’s glowing testimony is directed towards the man who—figuratively--replaced him. Like the man who these words describe, it doesn’t get any better than that.