“The shadows are lengthening for me. The twilight is here. My days of old have vanished - tone and tints. They have gone glimmering through the dreams of things that were. Their memory is one of wondrous beauty, watered by tears and coaxed and caressed by the smiles of yesterday.”
— Gen. Douglas MacArthur's Farewell Speech at West Point.
Dave Scaggs
As a youth coach, Scaggs won everything imaginable, but now he is facing his toughest test as he battles a rare form of dementia. The sickness —frontotemporal dementia — has robbed him of his precious memories. He no longer recalls the scenes of joy as children celebrated scoring goals. The sounds of the thud of the ball being kicked and the cheers of victory, the half-time huddles, and smiles of triumph on young faces have all faded.
The bright light of memory is dimming for the 62-year-old Scaggs, but others are making sure he will not be forgotten. His three children are hosting a 5k run (www.Scoot4Scooter.com) in their father's honor May 16 at Sherwood High School to raise awareness and research dollars to help fight this terrible disease.
More than 100,000 people live with frontotemporal dementia in the U.S., according to the Association for Frontotemporal Dementias. The disease causes a degeneration of the frontal lobe of the brain. Sufferers become socially withdrawn, and experience memory loss and other symptoms.
“The saddest part of dad's condition for me, is the complete loss of all his passion,” said his daughter Allyson Sealfon, who lives in Mount Airy. “He was the most passionate person I knew. He felt very strongly about things, and now he is completely emotionally disconnected. Issues that used to make him feel so excited, worried or motivated, do not affect him now.”
Scaggs was a Montgomery County teacher for more than 30 years, and coached soccer and basketball at Woodward and Blair High Schools. He and his wife, Anna, have been married for 37 years after meeting on a blind date. The couple now live on a golf course in Pennsylvania. They are true soul mates and have shared everything over the years. They have raised three children, Allyson, Stephanie and Jon David, who have worked tirelessly to put this race together to honor their father and raise research dollars to help fight this illness. Sadly, Scaggs, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2008, knows none of this.
Scaggs received many coaching honors and was a two-time Maryland Coach of the Year. He also served as athletic director at Sherwood High School for several years prior to retiring. Outside of school, he coached Division I level club soccer, winning the Maryland State Cup six times.
“I know Dave is very proud of his time at Woodward High School and all the accomplishments of the soccer team there and his time coaching Division I soccer for Potomac Spirit and all the Maryland Cup titles they won,” said soccer mom Pat Roth. “Both Dave's son and my son were part of that team. Although Dave was a highly respected Division I coach, he never accepted any coaching fee for himself when he coached the Spirit since his own son was on the team, and it was a labor of love for him. This illness has robbed him of all the years he could have had with his children, grandchildren and wife Anna, who is the love of his life and constant companion.”
Scaggs' love of soccer was his motivation to create the Maryland Soccer School, a summer camp for youth soccer players to help them reach their full potential on and off the soccer fields.
“Coach Scaggs is my hero,” said Jon Roth, one of his former players. “He always expected our best on and off the field. The high standards that he set for his players made us all better men. I can still hear him saying, 'Success is the peace of mind in knowing that you gave your personal best' - which would make Mr. Scaggs the most successful man I know. He has given his personal best every day of his life - to his family, friends and the hundreds of kids he impacted over the years.”
Info on the event: The “Scoot for Scooter” 5K Fun Run, 1 Mile Walk/Run event will be held rain or shine at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 16, at Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring, Md. In addition to the run and walk, food, music, a moon bounce and other children’s games will be available. Registration is $30 for adults, $15 for ages 10 to 20 and free for children 9 and younger. Register before May 1 and take $5 off the registration fee and receive a free T-shirt. Put on your running shoes or walk alongside Dave and his family for a very worthwhile cause. For more information or to register visit www.Scoot4Scooter.com.
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