Santa Monica Mirror (article)
Reflecting the Concerns of the Community May 17-23, 2000 Vol. 1, Issue 48
Saturday, October 11, 2003
Holiday
The Viking Captain’s Father
Nelson Gary
Sports Editor
Consistently. on this job, I have seen almost as much drama in the bleachers
as on the courses, courts, and fields, but have kept my eyes on the field, or
court. The audience has almost always been secondary, adding vital enthusiasm
and support, and perspective.
But, of course, the parental role in the making of a competitive athlete is
integral and therefore a significant element in presenting the full picture,
so, when the Lynwood and Samohi teams switched sides between games, I looked
over my shoulder, through the fourth wall of the competitive drama, at the supporting
players, the fans, who provide support on the court and off, in every area of
the athletes’ lives. Finally, after one a series of headshots, I found
the face I was looking for -- a man, who resembled Ben Kingsley as Feste in
"Twelfth Night," with a camera, which he had been working with a sense
of magic, and was now filling out a volleyball scorecard line by line.
After the game, I asked this gentleman, without knowing who he was, other than
someone who had a vested interest in the game, if I could interview him. He
agreed on the condition that I allow him to film the interview. I wonder how
closely my edit of the interview would mirror Howard Wexler’s edit of the
interview.
Howard Wexler is the father of the Viking Captain, Aaron Wexler. On Aaron’s
involvement in volleyball, Howard said, "I think it’s a good thing.
Kids nowadays have to try hard—REALLY HARD—to balance their lives.
It can be out of balance with TV. With studies. With sports. With extracurricular.
With girls. With drugs." He then focused on sports in general, adding with
a contained passion, "Sports are just one way of really focusing on a young
person’s life. Fitness. Besides fitness, intellect. He (Aaron) actually
plays a little too much volleyball. The season ends at some point."
Howard believes Aaron will get a volleyball scholarship. "He takes it very
seriously. He’s very poised; he’s very intense."
On answering questions about whether or not sports helps to teach time management
skills, Wexler replied "To have a good, successful life, you need to be
balanced. And sports, with a good coach, with a good program, can teach time
management...competitiveness, learning to lose(winning isn’t everything)...working
with others."
Howard Wexler, as a cinematographer, knows, from working on a film crew, about
the importance of team work, working with others.
"Cinematography is an art and it goes in conjunction with the story. Great
cinematography...is okay, but it’s not great, unless it has a story to
go with it."
The story of the Viking Captain Aaron Wexler is great, as colleges will be seeing
from the films his father has shot of his playing. After 30 minutes, it was
determined that each member of a volleyball team has a synergistic part to play
in competing successfully in much the same way each member of a film crew has
a synergistic part to play in creating a successful film. Before we reached
that point, however, much was said.
At the midway mark, perhaps, it was because Wexler’s camera running with
the both of us in the shot that inspired him to turn the tables and ask me,
"What’s the basis of your article?"
"Well, I mean, basically, I guess my article is a little avant garde. To
be honest with you, I haven’t read many sports pages and seen (or read)
a reporter interview a fan (at random) for a significant portion of time. I
think your perspective as the father of the captain of the team is an interesting
locus."
"Let me help you out. Let me just pick it up and run with it. I do journalism,
too. I make movies."
Mirror photographer Jessie Drezner : Do you work with the big boys?
Wexler: Yep, I’m a cinematographer. I shoot pictures. I’m behind the
camera. And I produce and direct also.
I shifted the conversaton back to volleyball.
Wexler: All right, because that’s an interesting point of view.
On this team, this year, there’s been a lot of arguments. Fist fights.
Dissension. People getting kicked off. The coach getting really, really ______.
Because of that and the overall chemistry, they really haven’t played as
well as they could. There are two seniors who have just played their last game
and everybody could’ve played a lot better. And, now, what the point is...is
volleyball is a team sport.
In the cinematographer’s eyes, "Even if you have a superstar, three
people have to hit the ball. Everybody’s got to serve. There’s certain
positions and you rotate. Therefore, it’s not one guy that’s going
to make or break a team. So, it’s a real interesting team sport. with a
bench."
After Wexler summed up these integral angles of the sport, he continued, focusing
on his son and the psychology of the point. "The captain is really important
to keep that team work energy and positive outlook going." The captain
is a role model for the team, I commented, as Wexler panned to his next point.
"And you know what...the most important point is the next one!"