San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee will be introducing newly appointed Chief Greg Suhr May 16, 2011 at the Annual PAL Golf Tournament. Our annual golf tournament is PAL’s biggest fundraiser of the year, raising money for vital youth programs, including the PAL Law Enforcement Cadet program.

Chief Suhr was one of the key architects behind the newly-revitalized PAL Law Enforcement Cadet program.  Last year, SFPD and PAL piloted the new Summer Cadet Academy and SFPD Station Internships with 25 youth with the help of Greg Suhr.  In 2011, PAL will double the program with 50 new PAL Summer Academy Cadets for a total of 65+ who will be placed in SFPD internships citywide.

Here are some pictures from Stanford’s website

PAL Executive Director Lorraine Woodruff-Long

Woodruff-Long (second from left, middle row) with first graduating class of cadets.

Woodruff-Long addresses the crowd at 50th Anniversary Dinner in October 2010

Lorraine Woodruff-Long grew up in Texas but hails from a long line of San Franciscans — five generations, to be exact.

Her family dates back to the Gold Rush, when her great-great-great-great grandfather, a Scottish sea captain, made his way across the Atlantic, then 3,000 miles across the country, to California, to pan for gold.

Later, her great-grandmother, Myrtle, became one of the few female doctors to practice medicine in California during the 1906 earthquake.

Woodruff-Long likes to tell the story of how Myrtle narrowly escaped being crushed in the big quake. Asleep at the children’s hospital moments before the 5:12 a.m. tremor, she woke up abruptly and got out of bed. A heartbeat later, the earthquake hit and the wall over her bed collapsed. Had she slept a few minutes longer, she likely would have died — and Woodruff-Long might not be here today.

Thanks to that amazing bit of luck, Woodruff-Long is here, and as new executive director of PAL, has spent the last two years mining its rich history and laying the groundwork for a strong future.

Among the goals she set for the organization: Restore the partnership with the San Francisco Police Department and revitalize the long standing cadet program.

REFOCUSING
When PAL was founded in 1959, all programs were run by police and all but a handful of coaches were cops. Some programs, such as judo, were run out of the Hall of Justice. Kids and police came into much closer contact, and the community was richer for it.

Over the years, the balance shifted, as more civilians took over coaching positions and the SFPD adopted different priorities.

By the time Woodruff-Long joined PAL, “we had lost our historical partnership with the police department,” she says.

Woodruff-Long wanted to reverse that loss. She reached out to several members of the SFPD, including Commander of Investigations David Lazar, who at the time was Ingleside Station captain.

She also enlisted the help of Bayview Station Captain Greg Suhr; Ingleside Station Captain Louis Cassanego, who at the time was head of the Police Academy; and former Mission Station Captain John Goldberg.

Together, they focused on the PAL cadet program. In its heyday, the cadet program served more than 50 kids with a rich assortment of guest speakers, law-enforcement classes, and internships. But over the last decade, it had fallen off the radar of many at SFPD.

Now there was a chance to revive the program, and with it the PAL-SFPD partnership.

“I felt that was really the thing I had to champion,” Woodruff-Long said. “There is a real need for youth to learn substantive job and leadership skills to prepare them for college and career, wherever that leads them. This is a program that helps provide that. Ultimately, I want the best, most educated, most qualified candidates for the Police Department to be coming out of the PAL Cadet program.”

By giving kids a taste of law enforcement as a career, a revitalized cadet program might ultimately help the police department with one of its top priorities—recruiting top-quality applicants. The cadet program would serve as a kind of “farm system,” encouraging young men and women to finish high school, go to college, and pursue a career in law enforcement.

FINISHING THE JOB
Woodruff-Long credits Commander Lazar with the idea of reviving the PAL cadet program. Lazar was a cadet from age 14 to 18 and says the experience was “very special and very meaningful” to him as a young boy.

“I saw the potential for the program and knew that if anybody could get it done, Lorraine could,” he said. “Her energy is amazing … she’s really passionate about her work and she believes strongly in it. It rubs off, they see the results. She’s seen as a person who gets things done.”

Captain Suhr said it was Woodruff-Long’s energy that propelled the idea forward.

“Every time you talk to Lorraine, it’s like she’s had six cups of coffee,” Suhr said. “She’s a finisher. She’s totally a get-here-from-there person who says, ‘I just need somebody to help break the barriers,’ and then she starts banging down the walls, until she can move the wall a little bit.”

For example, he said, while the police originally proposed signing up 20 kids, Woodruff-Long went out and signed up 25 kids.

“She ran with it and did a fabulous job filling the class,” Suhr said. “If it were up to Lorraine, the cadets would outnumber the cops.”

Captain Cassanego said Woodruff-Long inspires many people and added, “She gets the job done. Failure is not an option with her.”

With the help of these police, PAL presented a four-pronged plan to then-Police Chief George Gascón, who enthusiastically endorsed it:

• • First, create the Summer Cadet Academy program. The intensive four-week program, which was launched last summer, attracted 25 cadets. The kids, who ranged in age from 14 to 19, graduated in July. PAL expects to double enrollment next summer, to 50.
• • Second, place the graduates in yearlong internships at either the Bayview or Ingleside stations, working alongside police officers and allowing them on ride-alongs.
• • Third, give cadets community service assignments, such as helping with crowd control at the Chinese New Year parade and the San Francisco Giants World Series parade last fall. Have cadets attend bimonthly meetings of the academy for further training.
• • Fourth, give cadets the opportunity to participate in events such as the Cadet College Night. Held for the first time in January, this event familiarized cadets with the array of local law-enforcement college programs available. (See related story.) Woodruff-Long enlisted the help of Former Police Chief Tony Ribera, now a teacher at the University of San Francisco. She also hopes to create a small scholarship program aimed at helping PAL cadets get into these college programs.

AWESOME KIDS
So far these efforts have been paying off beautifully. “She’s really taken the program and brought it far beyond my expectations,” Commander Lazar said.

“This is the definition of community police,” Captain Suhr added. Acting Chief Jeff Godown has asked PAL to expand the program to all SFPD stations and bureaus as well.

The parents of cadets, meanwhile, have been reporting that their children are more responsible and have matured in a positive way. Captain Cassanego says the kids get to see the police as “human beings, with a face and personality, just like everyone else.”

“We’ve got these really awesome kids,” Woodruff-Long said. “I get stopped by parents on the street who say this program changed their kid’s life.”

PAL cadets, their families, and speakers at the first annual Cadet College Night.

College Night host, Former Police Chief Tony Ribera, with Jim Conners, Department Chair of the Administrative Justice Program at City College.

The cadets who attended the College Night.

PAL held its first College Night to introduce cadets to local college programs specializing in law enforcement — and by all accounts, it was a big hit.

The event, held on January 13, 2011, focused on programs offered by the University of San Francisco and City College of San Francisco. Both colleges offer degrees in law enforcement leadership and criminal justice.

The night was hosted by Retired San Francisco Chief of Police Tony Ribera, who heads the Business and Professional Studies at USF. Ribera wrote the original curriculum for the school’s law enforcement leadership program.

Ribera described the gathering as “quite a good crowd,” and said about 50 cadets and their parents attended.

“We had very positive feedback — from the kids themselves and very positive from parents,” he said.

Ribera said there is currently a push at the San Francisco Police Department Police to get police cadets to enroll in the local law enforcement programs and thus foster a more highly educated police force.

Traditionally, many police officers skipped college and went right into the department after high school. Ribera said it was not unusual to find police officers in their 30s and 40s attending night school to make up for the college education they missed in their 20s.

But with such a wealth of law enforcement programs in the Bay Area, it makes sense for cadets to take advantage of the higher-education options first, and focus on a job once they have nailed a degree.

Ribera said there has been talk at the SFPD of creating a program similar to ROTC where cadets could go through a four-year program at City College and USF, get a bachelor’s degree, and then have an opportunity in law enforcement.

Dan Lawson, retired SFPD captain, now executive director/chief of USF police, told cadets there are three things they need to know:  how to be a critical thinker, how to create positive relationships, and how to work collaboratively. Lawson is a former cadet and talked about how education helped him in his work.

Other speakers included SFPD Commander David Lazar, Captain Louis Cassanego (Ingleside station), Jim Connors, director of administration of justice for City College, and Carol Taylor, associate director of advising and outreach at USF.

Former PAL Cadet Captain Lizzie Perez found the event useful and inspirational. “I took that in, when I was there and listening to them, a light bulb went off.  That’s what I need to do to get into USF and hopefully eventually the SFPD.  I’ve already contacted a City College counselor.”

Said Perez, “I didn’t know what my options were before.  Now I know what I need do.”

PAL Executive Director Lorraine Woodruff-Long said the cadets received good advice not only on the importance of college before a career in law enforcement, but also on the importance of ongoing education.

The City College and USF program have been running for many years, but Ribera said cadets are not always aware of them. The College Night is one way to increase awareness.

PAL hopes to make the College Night an annual event.

The PAL Summer Cadet Academy gives participants a glimpse of life as a San Francisco police officer.  Academy instructors teach cadets many police procedures, including traffic stops, radio codes, and ethical conduct.

“My goal for them, if they want to be police offices, is to really grasp what we do,” said Officer Amanda Kabanuck, who has been working with the cadets since last summer and is supervising internships at the Ingleside station.

Service is a big component of the PAL Cadet program.  Cadets help out at events such as the Bayview Magic Backpack Giveaway, community safety events, and even the World Series ticker tape parade!

Applicants must be:

• At least 14 years old (and no older than 19 as of 6/13/2011)
• Have completed their first year of high school
• Have and maintain a 2.0 grade point average
• Reside in or attend school in San Francisco

The PAL Summer Cadet Academy application can be found at www.sfpal.org/cadets or email Lorraine Woodruff-Long or call 401-4669 for more information.  Applications and recommendations must be received by April 22, 2011.

PAL has joined forces with Ragnar Relay Series to host a 187-mile relay race from San Francisco to Napa Valley on September 16-17, 2011. PAL was chosen as the official charity for the two-day event. This means PAL will provide volunteers, promotional help and race support. In turn, Ragnar will donate $300 to PAL whenever teams register using the promo code NV11PAL.

Teams are already forming, including one headed by PAL President Rick Bruce. The deadline to register your team is August 24, 2011.

Teams of racers will journey through the wine country of Northern California, beginning in San Francisco and ending in Calistoga. Runners start at the Marina Green on the San Francisco Bay, cross the Golden Gate Bridge, wind their way through Marin toward Petaluma, then cross to Sonoma, Napa, and finally the finish line in Calistoga.

“San Francisco PAL is incredibly grateful to have the support of Ragnar,” said Lorraine Woodruff-Long, executive director of PAL. “Our partnership with Ragnar Relay Napa Valley will not only generate significant fundraising dollars, but also further our mission of providing healthy recreation and leadership activities for San Francisco youth.”

Carly Raska, Napa Valley race director for Ragnar Relay, said the selection of PAL reflects the organization’s emphasis on health and fitness, as well as its love of youth sports. “We enjoy opening up our Ragnar community to great organizations like SF PAL that make a difference in the lives of youth,” Raska said.

Each Ragnar team requires 12 runners (or six runners for an “Ultra” team), two support vehicles (vans), and three volunteers.

There are six runners per van. The first van drops off the first runner and drives ahead to the first exchange point. Teams repeat this pattern six times until they hand off to their second van. This leapfrogging pattern continues day and night all the way to the much-anticipated finish line.

You don’t have to be a pro! Each leg of a Ragnar race varies in difficulty so elite and novice runners can run together in teams. The average team pace is 11 minutes per mile.

All local teams must provide three volunteers to help along the race course (van drivers do not count as volunteers). Teams are considered local if they have one or more team members within 100 miles of any point on the course.

PAL supporters who would like to organize a team for the Napa Valley race can register online at the Ragnar website or email Carla Raska for more information. Make sure to use the PAL promo code NV11PAL. When you do, you help raise money for PAL.

Ragnar Events, LLC was co-founded in 2004 by Dan Hill and Tanner Bell to fulfill the lifelong dream of Hill’s father, who envisioned a relay race across the Utah mountains. Hill and Bell organized a 188-mile relay from Logan to Park City, Utah, in 2004. Since then, the company has grown from sponsoring a single relay in Utah to hosting 14 races, including the largest overnight relay series in the nation.

PAL referee Bob Pizzi says being a Zen Buddhist helps him stay alert and clear on the field.

Bob Pizzi hasn’t scored a goal all year, won’t do a header, and backs off whenever the ball comes near — but he holds the most important position on the soccer field.

Pizzi is one of a small group of longtime, seasoned referees, and his role on the soccer field is indispensable. Unfortunately, despite their importance to the game, soccer referees are greatly underappreciated and in short supply.

“There’s never enough,” says Joanna Doyle of PAL. Currently there are 119 referees on file. Doyle says that number should be closer to 150 if PAL is to make it through the spring season without a hitch.

What’s more, there’s an acute shortage of older, more experienced referees. Currently, some 75 percent of refs are 18 and under. Among the young referees, particularly those under 16, turnover is especially high.

“Reffing is not for everyone,” says Rich Fern, Referee Coordinator for District 1, which encompasses San Francisco. “You have to have some free time and really love the game of soccer.”

Fern would like to see more young people sign up as referees. For kids, it can be challenging but also rewarding. It also can help therm improve their own soccer game and give them some extra spending money to boot.

SOCCER TRAINING

So what does it take to become a soccer referee in San Francisco?

The job requires a referee license — either a Grade 9 or Grade 8 license to start. PAL offers Grade 9 referee clinics, usually just before the spring season, in February or March. These are open to everyone from age 12 up. The cost is $50.

The easier Grade 9 license involves six hours of classroom training, a written test of 50 questions, and on-the-field training. Referees with a Grade 9 license can only ref at recreational soccer.

The Grade 8 license involves 18 hours of classroom training, a written test of 100 questions (you have to score 75 percent or above), and on-the-field training.

Pay for referees has gone up a little in recent years. Refs today get paid between $15 and $30 per game. Fern think the shaky California economy may spur more people to sign up.

THE BUDDHIST REFEREE

Pizzi, 62, never played soccer himself as a kid. But after coaching his daughter Nikki’s middle-school soccer team, he took the next logical step and became a referee.

He went for his referee license as a way of helping his daughter’s team nab a spot at competitive tournaments. He had heard that teams that can provide referees gain a bit of an edge for those coveted tournament spots. (The referees in question would not ref their sponsoring team’s games.)

He started with a Grade 9 license and later upgraded to Grade 8.

Pizzi says was fascinated by the referee’s role, and quickly found the job to be fun and challenging.

Today his daughter is 20 and no longer playing soccer with her club team. But Pizzi is still on the soccer field most weekends in the fall and spring — and winter, when the Catholic high schools play. He also refs at a few summer tournaments.

“I really love it,” he says. “There’s not a downside at all to it. It’s really good for character building.”

He says he usually refs three to four games a week, including some mid-week high school games, working around his UCSF job where he manages the university computer system.

Pizzi is unusual in that he is a practicing Zen Buddhist. He says being a Buddhist helps him to be a better referee.

“It makes you be mindful and attentive,” he says. “You have to assess and see things clearly.”

A referee “needs to bring sanity to the chaos …You have to take a stand and you have to administer justice,” he adds. “If you don’t administer justice, they (the kids) won’t administer justice.”

Referees who routinely make bad calls create a situation where players are impatient and upset. The play may get out of balance, or kids may retaliate against rough opponents.

“Kids will only take it for so long,” he says. Sooner or later, consciously or unconsciously, they signal to the referee that he or she needs to starting making better calls.

ROWDY CROWDS

A big problem in youth soccer these days is the behavior of spectators on the sidelines. Every ref has had to deal with parents who are loud and abusive. While Pizzi says he can handle most rowdy crowds, not all referees are so thick-skinned. Parent criticism is almost always out of line.

“Most parents don’t know anything about the game and they act as if they do,” Pizzi says. “Unless you’re standing on my shoulder you don’t have any right to say anything …

He says spectators don’t always appreciate how complex the job of soccer referee is.

“When you’ve got to look at the whole field, and at both teams at the same, a lot of stuff is happening.”

Bob Pizzi’s suggestions for beginner referees:

•   Don’t start out issuing yellow or red cards; give kids a warning first. Otherwise, you have no place to go if the play gets really rough. A yellow or red card should be reserved for repeated and/or flagrant abuses on the field.

•   Explain to the coaches and players how tough you are likely to be on the field. If you are going to be lax and not call a lot of fouls, let them know ahead of time.

•   Be clear with players. They should know what your call is, and have no doubt what happened to warrant that call.

•   Go over the law book every season to stay fresh.

•   Don’t be afraid to make a judgment. That’s your job.

•   Be polite to parents, but if you need to rein them in, the proper procedure is to talk to the coach.

Bob Pizzi’s suggestions for parents:

•   Treat every game day like Silent Saturday. It’s OK to cheer, but not OK to be loud and abusive. Remember, kids are easily embarrassed by screaming parents on the sidelines.

•   Unless you’re standing on the ref’s shoulder and see exactly what he or she sees, it’s wrong to second-guess a ref’s calls. Assume the ref saw something you didn’t, and let it go.

•   Sometimes a call goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t. Things  have a way of evening out over time. Don’t gripe about one bad call; the next one could be to your advantage.

•   Be especially kind to young referees. They are sensitive to criticism, and many quit because of repeated abuse. Everyone makes mistakes. Young refs need encouragement, not attacks.

•   There’s a proper way to voice a complaint about a referee. Let  your coach or team manager handle the complaint. It’s their job to report any complaints to the governing soccer league.

The next PAL referee training is expected to be scheduled for March. Check back on the PAL Soccer program page to find out more.

Back to the PAL November 2010 newsletter.