This week, in honor of Father’s Day, the Jewish Link of New Jersey and Gotham Burger would like to recognize two local dads as Sportstars of the week: David Roher and Mike Dube. In keeping with the Father’s Day theme, we asked their greatest trophies (children) a few questions about their Sportstar dads.
Mike Dube and his family will be reading this article across the globe, where they are celebrating Jake’s bar mitzvah this Shabbos. Mazel Tov Jake. In May of 2010, Mike started DubeZone with his wife, Rachel. DubeZone was created with a very specific mission in mind. The tagline is Strong Character … Strong Bodies. The aim is to bring sportsmanship back into sports. A few years later Mike was approached by Yoni Greenstein the founder of Sharing Seats. He asked if Mike would volunteer some of his time to pair ticket holders with sick or underprivileged children. Mike then became very actively involved and passionate about Sharing Seats. Sharing Seats was formed with the purpose of giving sick and underprivileged children event tickets to provide a distraction from life’s everyday hardships. Even if it is just for a few hours, the energy from these events can have a positive effect on an individual’s health and well-being. There are several instances where ticket holders are left with extra seats to events or would just like to donate their tickets to provide an uplifting experience for someone who is experiencing hardships. Sharing Seats tries to seize the opportunity and distribute these tickets to children so they can have an event to remember. For more information on this amazing organization visit http://www.sharingseats.org.
Jake Dube (13). My dad’s favorite athlete is probably Charles Barkley. I think it’s because my dad always wears the number 34 which was Charles Barkley’s number. My dad also has a 34 in his email address. My dad always says he loved Charles Barkley because he played hard all the time regardless of who was bigger or stronger than him.
My dad doesn’t really have a preferred pregame routine, he would just stretch and take some practice shots. I think my dad’s best sports accomplishment was in high school. He was a star on the basketball team. A few years ago he showed me his stats from his high school career, and it was mostly triple doubles. When he played basketball at YU he sat on the bench his first year learning from the more experienced players, which he always talks about as being a very difficult but valuable introduction to a college team. The best thing about having a Dad that’s a sports star is that he teaches me a lot of life lessons through sports, which is starting to make more sense as I get older. He also takes times to help me improve my game and show me how to play the right way during a game.
Sienna Dube (10). My dad stretches before every game. [Although] he doesn’t have a favorite athlete, he likes players who play well and do good things. I think my dad’s greatest athletic accomplishment was in college when he dunked on a ten foot hoop. The best thing about having a dad who is a Sportstar, is that I can learn so much from him. He teaches me a lot about sports, but more importantly he teaches me about doing good for other people.
David Roher, spotlighted in the April 7th issue of the Jewish Link of New Jersey, has been dubbed the “Frum Ironman.” Wearing his kippah, davening before races and not competing on Shabbos Roher displays his yiddishkeit with pride while competing with world’s top athletes. He will be competing in the Ironman Lake Placid on July 24 (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run; all in under 17 hours) and participating in Bike4Chai on August 3 through 4, riding 170 miles in 48 hours to fundraise for Chai Lifeline (to support Roher’s Chai Lifeline run, visit https://www.bike4chai.com/davidroher).
Eric Roher (10). My dad’s favorite athlete is 2x Ironman World Champion Chris Mccormick, because he is a family man. Before competing, my dad eats a sushi boat or a couple of pizza pies. I think my father’s greatest athletic accomplishment is completing an Ironman Triathlon six weeks after he broke his arm. The best thing about having a dad who is a Sportstar, is that when people ask about all the amazing things my dad does (like running at 3 a.m.) and the awesome things he has accomplished, I can smile and say “yes that’s my dad.”
Stevie Roher (4). When asked about his Sportstar dad, Stevie told us “My daddy’s job is to run.”
Send nominees for future Gotham Burger Sportstars of the Week to [email protected].
