Remembering Fred Rosenfeld

<p><strong>Steven Bayne, Overbrook High School (class of 1979) </strong></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">“I was new to Overbrook High School, and I didn’t know my way around when Coach Rose saw me. I didn’t know this at the time, but he had seen me run in middle school. So he told me that he wanted me to run track for him, and I said: “who are you!?” But before I could even run, I had to have good grades. He would say: “we will consider allowing you to run once we know your grades.” </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">“At Overbrook, you couldn’t practice with a C. That is just practice. They did not want you coming there if you were not doing well in your classes. You needed to earn your right to practice. That set the bar for me for everything. Setting high standards academically and athletically created my mindset of consistency and excellence.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">“I ran for Coach Rose from 1978-79. He would say: “do you want to be the first team to lose”? That is all it took. We were on a team, and our team did not lose. I was a sprinter: 60 yards, 100 yards, 200 yards. </span>At the Spike Shoe meet in April of my senior year, I ran a 6.2 60 in the rain with no starting blocks. <span data-contrast="auto">It was the top 3 in the East Coast, Top 10 in the nation at the time.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span>&#8221;</p> <p><span data-contrast="none">“I can honestly say, over all these years, he always made it a point to take time for you. He never stopped caring and he would always ask you about your goals and what you were trying to accomplish.” </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>

<p><b><span data-contrast="auto">State Representative Morgan Cephas</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Central High School, Class of 2002 (262)</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">From 1998 to 2002, I had the honor of running track under Coach Rose at Central High School—an experience that shaped not only my athletic career but also my leadership and resilience. Under his guidance, our girls’ track team made history, breaking barriers and setting new records. We secured three championships, including Central’s first-ever Public League Cross Country Championship for a girls’ team. We became the first girls’ team from Central to qualify for the Penn Relays Championship of America and earned an invitation to the 1999 Nike Indoor Classic, where we placed second in the 3200-meter relay—another first for our school.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">But Coach Rose’s impact extended far beyond competition. He instilled in us a deep commitment to teamwork, discipline, and perseverance. He taught us that success wasn’t just about individual talent but about recognizing each other’s strengths and lifting one another up. His lessons reached beyond the track—he showed us how to navigate pressure, balance competing demands, and push through discomfort to reach our full potential.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Those lessons stayed with me long after high school, helping me earn an athletic scholarship to the University of Virginia and shaping the way I approach my work today. Whether in athletics or public service, the values of hard work, collaboration, and determination remain the same.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Coach Rose didn’t just develop athletes—he helped shape future leaders. That’s why, as a legislator, I am committed to expanding athletic opportunities for young people, ensuring they have access to programs that build character, open doors, and create pathways to success. His legacy lives on in the lives he touched, and I will always be grateful for the foundation he helped lay for so many of us.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>

<p><b><span data-contrast="auto">Patrick DeSabato</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Friends Central (Class of 2009)</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">I had known Fred for a long time, and got to know him better because he was the official at my track meets at Friends Central. Running is really important to my family, and I started competing in middle school. Fred noticed that I had talent, and he would offer me running tips and stretches to help me strengthen as an athlete. He had no responsibility for me; I wasn&#8217;t his athlete, but he took me in just because he cared. I always thought Fred took a special liking to me, and he did, but that was how he treated everyone. He had this incredible ability to make athletes feel seen and attended to. You always felt like his favorite. That&#8217;s who he was. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">When I was in 8th grade, I attended Briarwood Running Camp, where Fred was the director. The camp was intended for high school runners, but he made sure I was welcomed and adopted by the rest of the campers. And it worked: I returned to camp for the next 10 years, as a camper and then as a counselor in college. It became a home away from home.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">When I was a freshman in high school, I ran a 5K at Belmont Plateau in 17:20- really good for a young kid! But it was hot, and I had given it my all. I felt faint and was experiencing heat exhaustion. Coach Rose was a race official, and he saw what was going on. He ran over and knew just what to do- got the team to lay me down, poured cold water on me, ice, etc. I’m sure he had races to start, but he took the time to make sure I was ok. That was Fred. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p> <p><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>