JUNIORS

 

THE REFLECTION OF THE GLORY cast upon the top two finishers in the Juniors Championships, David Deeble and Ricky Coleman, shone also on their mutual teacher, Randy Pryor of Anaheim, California.

 

Deeble credited Pryor with more than two years of polishing his juggling skill. More importantly, he said, "Randy taught me performance, and I think that's what won it for me."  In his second year of IJA competition, Deeble said he only hoped to finish in the second five.

 

Performance to the winner meant projection of overall personality, flourishes, bows and comedic references to his short stature (less than five feet) and the fact that he looks far younger than his 13 years. More than a year of general preparation and three weeks of final polishing led up to the champion's three nearly perfect minutes of 3, 4, 5 ball and 3 club work in Purchase.

 

Deeble juggles 6 hours a day at home, meeting with his mentor once or twice a week. 'I'm going to be doing 5 clubs by next convention,' he said confidently.

 

He enjoys performing, and plans to make a living at it. This active 8th grader also plays golf and baseball.

Deeble and Coleman participate in Pryor's weekly Wait, Wait, Wait School of Juggling in Los Alamitos, CA.

 

'The final product is for the audience,' said coach Pryor. 'It needs bows, personality, a costume, talking and the final touches that a coach can look for. A person David's size (under 5 feet) is naturally liked by the audience.

 

'Ricky Coleman, on the other hand, doesn't like to talk on stage. I kept pushing him to say things, but it didn't work. So we changed his act toward his own personality, gave him a costume and music and let him do what he likes.'

 

Coleman, in his first IJA competition, did an act consisting solely of 3 club tricks. He opened by missing a kickup of three clubs lying on one ankle, thereby joining several other nervous Juniors competitors who had trouble with their beginning trick.

 

Third place finisher Pat Cox, a student at N.C. State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, performed with 3 and 4 clubs, a devil stick with one handstick, and five rings