unfortunately, I WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE THE DEDICATION ON APRIL 27TH FOR PERSONAL REASONS. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT LEO LONG IS ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED AND DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS THAT I HAVE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING. AS A FRESHMAN POLE VAULTER IN 1958, HE WAS THE SOLE REASON FOR ALL MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING MY FOUR YEARS AT LAHS. HE TOOK ME FROM A SEVEN FOOT FRESHMAN POLE VAULTER TO A THIRTEEN FOOT LEAP AS A SENIOR. HE TOUCHED MANY LIVES IN MANY WAYS DURING HIS COACHING YEARS AT LAHS. I WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT HE DID FOR ME AND SO MANY OTHERS.

Coach long is the type of person who walks into a room and you will look over after a few minutes, and he will have several people standing around simply listning to him. He is not overbearing, animated or loud. I can't quite make it out but there is some sort of attractive quality he has. As an athlete who has had many coaches, high school, college and pro, coach Long is by far the one coach who I wanted to succeed for!

Long live Leo the Lion!

I am the Brian quoted in the article, one of Coach Long's 4 sons. He was and is an outstanding example of what great coaching (and parenting!) is all about. I never won a Varsity event, but my long (of course!) and triple jump marks I attained at LAHS in 1972 have never been surpassed by the school I now coach at (can you believe it? I am coaching track here in the Sacramento area and my dad STILL comes around to give some pointers and help out!) due mostly to the incredible ability Coach Long had in 'getting the most out of yourself'. His example lives on in not only in his sons and grandsons and great-grandsons (all of us were there for the dedication) but in the amazing athletes over 4 decades that he coached.