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Like father, like son. A story of two legacies One was a great record-setting track runner during the 1960s. The other has come off a memorable senior soccer season. The accomplishments of Claremont High School 1967 graduate Barry Fisher and his son, current CHS senior Jordan Fisher, combine to create one of the best father/son athletic tandems in school history. Mr. Fisher is no stranger to the COURIER. The United Parcel Service (UPS) worker was featured in the November 16, 1966 edition of the COURIER due to his success in cross-country and track & field. The cover article, entitled “The Big Run,” spotlighted Mr. Fisher’s record-setting 2-mile run (10:05.6) and his string of victories. “My first year in high school, I played freshman football, but it wasn’t a good sport for me so I was done after that season,” he recalled. “But I did really well in cross-country and track because I liked to run.” Like his father, Jordan played football during his freshman year at CHS but never became attached to it. Instead, the 18-year-old found his niche in soccer—a sport ironically requiring a significant amount of running. The youngest of 5 children, Jordan felt little pressure attempting to match his father’s legacy. Instead, the CHS senior paved his own way on the soccer field, racking up 34 points off 11 goals and 12 assists during the 2008-09 season. His efforts led to a selection on the All-Baseline League’s first team. “I came into this season with all the confidence in the world,” Jordan said. “And when it came down to crunch time in the CIF game we won [against Agoura], I was able to contribute 2 assists and score the game-winning goal in the last minute. It was great.” Jordan is currently a member of the CHS boys volleyball squad, who last season became unanimous Pacific League champions for the first time in school history. When Jordan eventually tried out for track & field, his sophomore year, his progress was halted when he was called up to the varsity level in soccer for the CIF playoffs. As a result, the CHS soccer standout chose to try his hand at volleyball that spring. “I went out for track but at the same time, I was called up to play varsity soccer,” Jordan recalled. “Then I didn’t feel like running so I ended up playing volleyball instead. I prefer soccer and volleyball but soccer is my main sport.”
“He’s good in any sport when he puts his full concentration into it,” Mr. Fisher said. “Soccer is his sport and he puts his full concentration in that.” Along with participating in sports and attending CHS, another similarity between Mr. Fisher and Jordan is having a childhood background in Claremont. Yet the city was different during Mr. Fisher’s high school tenure, with more open land and a culture affected by the Civil Rights Movement, Viet Nam War and Hippie Movement. The Fishers have established a family legacy in Claremont over the years, presently including more than 2 generations. Mr. Fisher’s wife, Nancy, also grew up in Claremont and is a CHS graduate. “Our relatives are still here,” Ms. Fisher said. “Claremont is a nice place to live and is a hard town to leave.” Mr. and Ms. Fisher were among the CHS students part of the high school’s transition from the Old School House to the current location in 1965. According to Mr. Fisher, the focus on participating in extracurricular activities and attend college in order to find a decent paying job was not as strong during his tenure. “Everything is so much different for the kids [today],” Mr. Fisher said. “When I went to CHS, it was good to be involved but it was something you didn’t have to worry about that much. I had a good time with sports and hanging out with my friends. The demands on students weren’t as much then. Today, there is so much more pressure for students to go from high school to college and then from there to get a job.” Even with higher demands, Jordan has met the challenges for the past 4 years. The CHS senior is a member of ASB, was named a Baseline Scholar Athlete during the winter for being a varsity letterman with a minimum 3.0-lifetime grade point average and is hoping to attend Cal Poly Pomona this fall. “It’s been memorable,” said Jordan regarding CHS. “I’ve done everything I could. I’ve attended every dance and every school event I can. Every event that has been hyped up, I’ve been there.” —Landus Rigsby |
